Home & Garden Show opens Friday at Jaffa Shrine

The 41st edition of the Blair County Home & Garden Show opens Friday at 1 p.m. at the Jaffa Shrine. Event hours are 1-9 p.m. on Friday; 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.  All display booths are expected to be sold by the start of the show.  Highlighting this year’s show will be the awarding of a door prize worth $5,000 toward some product or service offered by one of the show’s exhibitors. Sponsors for the Home & Garden Show are: Re-Bath; Advanced Concrete Systems, Inc.; Wilkins Contracting Inc.; Cook, Covert & Simonis Custom Building & Remodeling, Inc.; Forsheys Ag and Industrial; and Wolf Furniture. Once again this year, the Home & Garden Show is a collaborative effort by the Blair County Chamber and the Blair-Bedford Builders Association.

Penelec raises residential rates on power; Chamber Members benefit

This deal just keeps getting better. Penelec’s announcement that it would raise its residential rate on electricity to 7.68 cents/kwh, effective March 1 means that Chamber Members who have locked-in a rate of 6.99 cents/kwh under The Chamber's Energy Program will avoid an increase of nearly $10 a month. And it's not too late for members who haven't made the move to do so, according to Chamber President Joe Hurd. "Our concern was that any of our members who didn't lock-in the 6.99 by March 1 would have to look at a higher rate," Hurd noted. "We were notified last Friday that the 6.99 rate would probably hold throughout the remainder of 2011." Hurd encouraged Chamber Members to alert their employees of the cost savings. "Like anything else we do on behalf of our members, the real challenge continues to be getting the word out." For information on how members can access the Chamber Energy Program, call 943-8151. 

Has your business picked-up its “Blue Cards” yet?

Any Chamber-Member business that hasn't yet picked-up its "Blue Cards," can do so by stopping at the Chamber Office, located in the Devorris Center.  These laminated membership cards are to be distributed to your employees along with a list of discounted offers that they can access for their own use. It's an employee benefit that you're providing by being a member of the Blair County Chamber. To view all the Blue Card offers to date, visit the Chamber website at www.blairchamber.com. The Chamber Office is open Monday thru Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.   

Business Excellence Award nominations being accepted

The Chamber's prestigious "Lifetime Achievement Award for Business Excellence" will be presented at the Annual Business Excellence Dinner, to be held on Tuesday, June 7 at The Casino at Lakemont Park.  The award recipient will once again be selected from nominations received from members of The Chamber. Click here to access a nomination form.  

Interested in being a Chamber Ambassador?

The Chamber Ambassadors play a key role in The Chamber's ability to recruit, retain and recognize new members. The Ambassadors are restructuring and are looking to add new committee members.  Interested? It's a great opportunity to make valuable business connections while helping The Chamber to meet its goals of serving the needs of the Blair County business community. If you’re interested in applying to be a Chamber Ambassador, contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151 and he’ll provide details on how to get involved.  

Sign-ups for China trip begin in earnest (and Altoona!)

Sign-ups have begun for The Chamber’s China Trip which will take place from Nov. 3-11. A $200 non-refundable deposit is all that is necessary to hold your spot! Space is limited and the level of interest is extremely high, so don’t delay. Visit the Chamber Office, located in the Devorris Center to get more information on the specifics.

Safety program on importance of good health now March 8

The Chamber Safety Committee program on healthy lifestyles, which was scheduled for Feb. 18, was postponed and has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 8 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Hampton Inn Altoona. The program is entitled "Minding Your Health." Presentations will be by Terri Henry, licensed dietician at Altoona Regional Health System who will present, “Healthy Eating the Mediterranean Way ” and by Andrea Young, a yoga instructor at Bloom Yoga & Wellness” who will present, "Breathing and Movement to Relieve Stress at Work." The cost to attend is just $15 for Chamber Members and $25 for non-members. Price includes a continental breakfast. To register call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.  

March Breakfast Club to focus on organized labor

Labor Unions failed to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as Card Check. But now they're attempting to get through regulation what they could not get by legislation. Come and hear how organized labor's "Plan B" can impact your business and how you can fight back in 2011. The Chamber's next Breakfast Club, to be held March 10 at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park will feature a presentation by Attorney Theodore Phlegar, Senior Counsel with the Workforce Freedom Initiative of the US Chamber of Commerce. The cost to attend the Breakfast Club is $16 for Chamber members and $30 for non-members. To register, contact The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. The corporate sponsor for the event is M&T Bank. This information is critical for businesses of all sizes. Register today!

Sustainable strategies for businesses topic of upcoming Lunch ’n’ Learn

Too many businesses have the opinion that measures of sustainability result in too much cost and too little benefit. At the next Chamber Lunch 'n' Learn program, three of the region's most knowledgeable experts on the subject will show evidence of why the opposite is true. Dr. Richard Flarend, Associate Professor of Physics at Penn State Altoona, will discuss the potential for local businesses to capitalize on alternative energy; Donna Fisher, District Manager of Blair County Conservation District, will explain what new environmental regulations will mean to local businesses; and Colin Lennox, CEO of EcoIslands, LLC, will identify cost-cutting solutions that are in compliance with the regulations. The date of the Lunch 'n' Learn is March 17, from noon to 1:15 p.m. and the place is Park Hills Country Club. The cost is $22 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. The corporate sponsor for the program is the Intermunicipal Relations Committee.