Informational Meetings Set on Empower3 Healthcare Program
Young Entrepreneurs to Pitch Business Ideas to Investors
Prominent Baseball Executive to Speak at April “Breakfast Club”
ALSM to Host Next “Business Before Hours”
Final Informational Meeting for Chamber’s Greece Trip is April 5th
Small Business Partners Seeking New Committee Members
Check-Out the Chamber Job Board!
“Buy Here Bucks” a Win-Win for Buyers, Sellers
Congratulations . . .
Informational Meetings Set on Empower3 Healthcare Program
Many businesses in Blair County offer healthcare insurance to their employees through a number of providers. Many more, however, have either never offered such insurance or have recently discontinued their programs due to rising costs. Not surprisingly, a large number of those are small businesses. For more than a year, the Blair County Chamber has participated in a healthcare program through the Empower3 Center for Health, headquartered in Altoona. That program, in which a number of Chamber-member businesses participate, has added a number of key benefits and has recently opened a second office in Murraysville. “We offer the program for a number of reasons,” acknowledges Chamber President Joe Hurd. “The majority of our membership are small businesses that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford to offer coverage to employees. Most of the services in the Empower3 program are ones that are in highest demand. And, as equally important, participation in the program is discounted for those who are members of our Chamber.” Besides offering a qualified dietitian and an onsite pharmacist, Empower3 also offers imaging and diagnostic testing, physical therapy, exclusive specialist telemedicine consultations, psychiatric and behavioral health visits, durable medical equipment and supplies, cardiology and pulmonary testing and expansive generic medications formulary. An informational meeting for employers about Empower3 will be held on March 27th at both 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at the Devorris Center for Business Development. There is no cost or obligation to attend. Anyone interested in learning how to integrate Empower3 into their current group health insurance plan should contact Ian Foor at 1-800-925-0611.
Young Entrepreneurs to Pitch Business Ideas to Investors
On April 3rd, members of the Blair County Chamber’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) class will be the guests of honor at the Investor Panel event, set for 6:00 p.m. at the Devorris Downtown Center. In a Shark Tank type format, the students will pitch their business ideas to a group of business investors who will then determine at what level the businesses should be funded. The panel will also select one outstanding business that will move on to Rochester, New York in May to compete for national honors. Members of the Investor Panel are: Tim Balconi of UPMC Altoona, John Brown of Hoss’s Steak & Sea House, Philip Devorris of Blair Companies, Michael Fiore of Leonard S. Fiore, Inc., Joe Hasson of Empower Business Solutions, Lee Hite of The Hite Company, Dan Hoover of Roaring Spring Water, Jim Kuhn of Reliance Bank, Michael McLanahan of McLanahan Corporation, Joe Sheetz of Sheetz, Inc. and Bill T. Ward of Ward Transport and Logistics. Everyone is invited to attend the Investor Panel Event and there is no cost to do so.
Prominent Baseball Executive to Speak at April “Breakfast Club”
Few people in baseball history have had the opportunity to manage either the Boston Red Sox or the Los Angeles Dodgers – two of the storied franchises in the Major Leagues. Grady Little has managed both and is considered to be one of the most knowledgeable people in the game today. Little is now a Special Assistant – Baseball Operations for the Pittsburgh Pirates and he will be the keynote speaker at the next Blair County Chamber Breakfast Club on April 12th, beginning at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. Little will provide a perspective on the current state of baseball and will describe his responsibilities associated with keeping the Pirates on the right track as the compete in the National League’s Central Division. The cost to attend the Breakfast Club is $20 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. To register, call the Chamber at (814) 943-8151 or register online. Corporate sponsor of the April Breakfast Club is PC Works Plus.
ALSM to Host Next “Business Before Hours”
The Blair County Chamber of Commerce “Business Before Hours”, scheduled for Thursday, April 5th, from 7:30-9:00 a.m., will be hosted by Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries, located at 998 Logan Blvd., Altoona. There is no cost to attend for Chamber Members. Non-members may attend at $10 per person. Breakfast is included. To make reservations call the Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Final Informational Meeting for Chamber’s Greece Trip is April 5th
Discover and explore Greece and the sunny Mediterranean with the Blair County Chamber of Commerce on July 12-21, 2018. Highlights of the trip include ground transportation from Altoona, 4 night Greek Isle cruise, tours of Parthenon and Acropolis, 17 meals, round-trip airfare, and much more. An informational meeting will be held April 5th at 6 p.m. at the Devorris Center for Business Development, 3900 Industrial Park Drive, Altoona. Travel information will be presented as well as a question and answer session. There is no cost or obligation to attend the informational meeting. Call the Blair County Chamber of Commerce at 814-943-8151 for more information.
Small Business Partners Seeking New Committee Members
If you represent a Chamber small business and want to help make the programs and events directed at small businesses more effective, the Small Business Partners Committee would love to have you as a member. The committee meets once-a-month for about one hour. Your input would be greatly appreciated as the Chamber looks to beef-up its offerings to its small businesses. If you’re interested, contact Stacy Hoover at (814) 943-8151 or email her.
Check-Out the Chamber Job Board!
The Blair County Chamber Website at www.blairchamber.com features a Job Board where member businesses can place up to three positions at no cost. The Job Board concept came about as the result of a meeting held at the Chamber in which local retailers and employment agencies discussed the trials and tribulations of finding interested and qualified employees. The decision to limit businesses to posting only three positions at one time was a recommendation by the Chamber’s Board of Directors who was concerned that larger businesses with multiple openings would make the task of overseeing the Job Board rather labor intensive. Tori Liebal, the Chamber’s Vice-President of Website Development and Social Media, is the staff member assigned to maintain the Job Board. Jobs will remain on the Board for one month unless the employer asks that they be removed or extended. At the present time, Job Board postings are limited to Chamber Members only. (For more information on the Job Board, contact Tori Liebal at 814-943-8151 or email her at tliebal@blairchamber.com.)
“Buy Here Bucks” a Win-Win for Buyers, Sellers
The Blair County Chamber’s new gift certificate program, known as “Buy Here Bucks,” is a way for local businesses to gain new customers and an even better way for people to give gift certificates with more than just a few places to redeem them. The larger the list of participating businesses, the greater the value of the certificates. For a business to register to be on that list (it costs Chamber Members nothing), contact Tori Liebal at (814) 943-8151 or email her at tliebal@blairchamber.com. To purchase Buy Here Bucks, visit the Chamber Website at www.blairchamber.com. You can also get them at the Chamber Office, located in the Devorris Center for Business Development.
Congratulations . . .
. . . to Stephanie Doliveira, Vice-President of Human Resources at Sheetz, Inc., who was awarded a “Great Place to Work For All Leadership Award,” as one of the country’s top women leaders.
. . . to Home Nursing Agency Private Duty Home Care, which received the 2018 Best of Home Care – Provider of Choice Award from Home Care Pulse. The award is granted only to the top-ranking home care providers, based on client satisfaction scores.
Power Card Offers: They’re Changing Every Day
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March 26, 2018
Upcoming Events
YEA! Investor Panel
Tuesday, April 3
5:00 p.m.
Devorris Downtown Center
Business BEFORE Hours
Thursday, April 5
7:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries
Register Here
Greece Informational Meeting
Thursday, April 5
6:00 p.m.
Devorris Center for Business Development
Small Business Partners Workshop
Wednesday, April 11
3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Devorris Center for Business Development
Register Here
Breakfast Club
Thursday, April 12
7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
Business After Hours
Thursday, April 19
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Seltzer Financial Strategies
Register Here
YP "Get Rooted" Activity Fair
Tuesday, April 24
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Hollidaysburg Area YMCA
Non-Profit Legislative Breakfast
Friday, April 27
7:30 - 10:00 a.m.
Altoona Grand Hotel
Register Here
Highmark/Chamber Golf Classic
Monday, May 7
11:00 a.m. - Lunch/Registration
Noon- Start
Iron Masters Country Club
Breakfast Club
Thursday, May 10
7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
Home Run for Safety Event
Wednesday, May 23
7:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
PNG Field
Register Here
Upcoming Committee Meetings Week of 3/26/18
Board Workforce Dev. Subcommittee
Monday, March 26, 8:30 a.m.
The Chamber
Board Goal Planning Subcommittee
Monday, March 26, 9:30 a.m.
The Chamber
Presidents' Forum Steering Committee
Monday, March 26, 1:30 p.m.
The Chamber
BASICS STEM Subcommittee
Wednesday, March 28, 9:30 a.m.
Devorris Center
Transportation Committee
Thursday, March 29, 8:15 a.m.
Devorris Center
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