Deadline Today to Nominate for Annual Chamber Awards
Blair Business Mirror to Be Published Tuesday
Chamber Foundation Email Newsletter to Debut Wednesday
County Commissioners to Speak at Thursday’s “Breakfast Club”
Register Today for GRYP Blood Drive
Retailers Invited to Join Roundtable
GRYP to Hold Networking (and Snow Tubing) at Blue Knob
Great Sponsorship Opportunities to Help Promote Your Business
Chamber Television Programs Continue Throughout January
Non-Profit Organizations to Meet With State Legislators
Chamber, ABCD Partnering on Natural Gas Event
Sustainability Coalition to Feature Tour of “Shwellness Center”
Shwellness Center to Host “Business After Hours” Too
Blue Card Offers: Absolutely No Cost to Gain New Customers
L.R. Webber Offering Health Care Reform Seminar Free to Chamber Members
Congratulations . . .
Blue Card Discounts
Deadline Today to Nominate for Annual Chamber Awards
The Chamber will hold its 2013 Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation on Monday, February 1st at The Casino at Lakemont Park beginning at 7:30 a.m. and concluding by 9:30. One of the highlights of the event is the presentation of a number of awards to people who accomplished significant things during 2012. Awards to be presented are the Agricultural Community Excellence (ACE) Award, the George Award, the GRYP Impact Award, the Joseph P. Rosenhamer Chamber Spirit Award, the Donna D. Gority Servant Leadership Award, the Chamber Loyalty Award and the Small Business Person of the Year. Nomination forms are available for Chamber Members to nominate candidates for several of these awards (the ACE honoree has already been selected and the Loyalty Award recognizes longevity). To access a form, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or visit the Chamber Website. To register for the Annual Meeting – at $20-per-person – call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Blair Business Mirror to Be Published Tuesday
The January issue of the Blair Business Mirror will be published tomorrow as a supplement to the Altoona Mirror. The cover feature of the publication focuses on The Chamber’s Blue Card and the many businesses and consumers who have benefited from the card. Inside features include a look at a brother-sister combination who are making a positive impact on the Blair County business community and the first in a series of profiles on graduates of the Leadership Blair County program who have taken the challenge of being servant-leaders very seriously. So grab a copy of tomorrow’s Altoona Mirror. If you don’t get the Mirror, don’t despair: The Chamber mails a copy of the Blair Business Mirror to every business member.
Chamber Foundation Email Newsletter to Debut Wednesday
The Blair County Chamber Foundation plays a major role in helping to fund various Chamber initiatives involving young people. To better inform people about those initiatives, the Foundation has created a newsletter, “Your Foundation” that will be emailed once a month beginning this Wednesday, January 9th to Chamber Members and others in the community interested in supporting philanthropic efforts. For more information on the Blair County Chamber Foundation, contact Cindy Cessna at 943-8151.
County Commissioners to Speak at Thursday’s “Breakfast Club”
The Blair County Commissioners will be the featured speakers at this Thursday’s Chamber Breakfast Club. As in the past, the presentation will be a Q&A format with questions submitted in advance from the Chamber Membership. Commissioners Terry Tomassetti, Diane Meling and Ted Beam have all confirmed their attendance. The Breakfast Club is held at The Casino at Lakemont Park beginning at 7:45 a.m. The cost to attend is $16 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. Corporate sponsor for the January Breakfast Club is Saint Joseph Institute.
Register Today for GRYP Blood Drive
The Chamber’s GRYP program has partnered with the American Red Cross to hold a Blood Drive on Wednesday, January 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the ABCD Board Room, located in the Devorris Center for Business Development. To register, visit redcrossblood.org and enter: Blair Chamber.
Retailers Invited to Join Roundtable
Any Chamber-member retailers interested in being part of the organization’s Retail Roundtable are invited to attend the next Roundtable meeting this Wednesday from 8:15 to 9:30 a.m. at the Devorris Center. There is no cost or obligation involved with attending. “This group provides retailers with the chance to sit down on a bi-monthly basis to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with retail,” explained Chamber President Joe Hurd. “It’s made a very positive difference for those retailers who have participated during the three years that the Roundtable has been in operation. The more participation, the better.”
GRYP to Hold Networking (and Snow Tubing) at Blue Knob
Join GRYP (Growth and Relationships of Young Professionals) for an evening of networking fun on Thursday, January 17th from 6-9 p.m. at Blue Knob All Seasons Resort. This will be like a normal networking event, but we will also offer members the opportunity to go snow tubing at a discounted rate. We will also have a carpool available for those who would like to take advantage of 4-wheel drive vehicles. There will be free appetizers and a cash bar. There is no cost to attend this event (other than those snow tubing) so invite your friends and co-workers to come and check out GRYP! Register by calling The Chamber or by register online.
Great Sponsorship Opportunities to Help Promote Your Business
As 2013 gets underway, The Chamber has a number of ways to help you to promote your business by attaching your name to some high profile events. The first opportunity is to sponsor a “Blair County: It’s Our Business” television program. Two programs will tape on January 15th and will run on several occasions during February on the Altoona Public Access Channel. The cost to sponsor? Just $100-per-show. The shows will focus on two of Blair County’s most prominent industry sectors – retail and restaurants. Don’t miss out on this inexpensive opportunity! Speaking of great promotional events, The Chamber still has some sponsorships available for both its Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation on February 1st and its monthly Breakfast Club. To take advantage of any of these opportunities, contact Jessica Meck at 943-8151.
Chamber Television Programs Continue Throughout January
Manufacturing and insurance are the industry sectors on which the Blair County Chamber focused its two most recent television programs. The programs – officially entitled “Blair County: It’s Our Business” – use a panel discussion format to educate and inform the viewing public on the challenges and opportunities that confront various sectors of the local economy. The programs are broadcast on the Altoona Public Access Channel (14) and are thirty minutes each in duration. The manufacturing panel consisted of Harry Benjamin of Edgemate in Roaring Spring, Dave Grazier of Kunzler & Company in Tyrone, Doug Irvin of Fine Line Cabinets in Hollidaysburg and Mike Sweitzer of Chicago Rivet in Tyrone. Comprising the insurance panel were Barry D’Andrea of Saleme Insurance Services of Altoona, Mark Gingrich of Warren A. Gingrich Agency in Altoona, Heidi Kennedy of The Baltimore Life Companies in Duncansville and Gary Shetter of Shetter Insurance Agency in Altoona. Carolyn Donaldson of WTAJ Your News Leader moderated both programs. The manufacturing program will be aired each Monday at 6:00 p.m. and each Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. (This was a time change from 11:00 a.m.), concluding January 29th. The insurance program will run on those same dates only thirty minutes later. Sponsors for the two “Blair County: It’s Our Business” programs are: Altoona Mirror, Blair Companies, Shirley’s Cookie Company and WPS. Complete Insurance Services sponsored only the insurance program.
Non-Profit Organizations to Meet With State Legislators
The Chamber’s Community Benefit Coalition of Non-Profits has scheduled a breakfast meeting on January 18th to dialogue with state elected officials on proposed legislation that could threaten the tax status of Pennsylvania’s non-profit businesses and organizations. The meeting will begin at 8:00 a.m. at The Arc of Blair County. State Senator John Eichelberger and State Representatives Jerry Stern, John McGinnis and Mike Fleck have all indicated that they plan to attend the event which is expected to last approximately ninety minutes. Any non-profit business or organization is invited to attend as well. The cost is $13.00 for Chamber Members and $25 for non-members. A full buffet breakfast is included. Pre-registration is required and non-members must pay in advance. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Chamber, ABCD Partnering on Natural Gas Event
The Blair County Chamber and the Altoona-Blair County Development Corporation are partnering on an event that is designed to assist companies in our region to benefit from the opportunities available through the Marcellus and Utica Shale Plays. The event is scheduled for January 22nd from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Blair County Convention Center and features an impressive array of speakers from the oil and gas industry. The cost to attend is $85 for Chamber Members and non-members. Attendance is limited to the first 125 people who register. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. Non-members must pay in advance; Chamber Members can be billed.
Sustainability Coalition to Feature Tour of “Shwellness Center”
One of the region’s most environmentally impressive structures will host Chamber Members on January 23rd at 4:00 p.m. The “Shwellness Center,” built by Sheetz in Claysburg to offer wellness services to Sheetz employees and dependents, will feature tours of that facility that focus on the many environmental nuances required for LEED certification. The Chamber’s Coalition on Sustainability will coordinate the tour which will have a maximum registration of forty persons. There is no cost to be part of the tour. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Shwellness Center to Host “Business After Hours” Too
Not only will Sheetz, Inc. host The Chamber’s Sustainability tour at the company’s new Shwellness Center in Claysburg on January 23rd, the company will also host The Chamber’s monthly Business After Hours on January 31st from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The cost to attend the Business After Hours is $6.00 for Chamber Members in advance and $7.00 at the door. Non-members can attend for $12.00 in advance and $15.00 at the door. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Blue Card Offers: Absolutely No Cost to Gain New Customers
Do you realize that the Blair County Chamber currently has 42,000 membership cards in local circulation? These “Blue Cards” not only validate someone’s membership in The Chamber but also provide them access to the many offers on discounted products and services posted by other Chamber Members. If you are not one of those members, you are undoubtedly missing-out on a customer base that could be yours. There is no charge to place an offer – it just needs to be an offer that customers are not eligible for anywhere else. To place an offer, contact Jessica Meck at 943-8151.
L.R. Webber Offering Health Care Reform Seminar Free to Chamber Members
L.R. Webber Associates of Duncansville is conducting a seminar on February 6th from 11:30 to 2:00 p.m. at the Blair County Convention Center and Chamber members are invited to attend free-of-charge. The seminar is entitled, “Health Care Reform: What Does It Mean for Your Business?” Topics will include: Pay or play mandate; Health Insurance Exchanges; the impact of the rules on HR functions and the impact on your business; building a total compensation strategy to avoid the excise tax on health plans; effective dates for specific provisions of the new law and much more. Lunch is included. Register here or email Brad Webber.
Congratulations . . .
. . . to Your Building Centers of Altoona which received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2013 in the category of “Sales in Excess of $50 Million” from LBM Journal, the leading magazine for the lumber/building material distribution channel.
. . . to Gilden Barton Funeral Home of Altoona which recently celebrated its 100th year as a Blair County Business.
Blue Card Discounts
Here are a few of the discounts you can receive with your Chamber Blue Card. Click here to see the full list of Blue Card Discounts. To have an offer listed contact Stacy Hoover at The Chamber at 943-8151.
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Sam's Club
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Present your Chamber Blue Card to receive a $25 gift card when you join or renew as an Advantage Plus or Business Plus Member. Receive a $10 gift card when you join or renew as an Advantage or Busniess Member.
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Teeter Group
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Present your Blue Card on your purchase of your business insurance through Penn National Insurance and (depending on total group premium and claims experience) you could earn an annual dividend.
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The Bistro at the Village Green at The Village at
Morrisons Cove
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Receive 15% off Dinner Purchase when you present your Blue Card at The Bistro at the Village Green (The Village at Morrisons Cove). Limit one coupon per customer per visit. *Only good with purchase of an entree.
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Blair Mill Outlet
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Blue Card must be present at time of purchase. 10% off Regular Price in Stock Merchandise Only. Can not be combined with any other offer.
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Corl-Grove Services
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Blue Card holders and their businesses qualify for 10% off standard fees when certifying 5 or more employees per session. CPR and First Aid Certifications are issued through the American Heart Association and are valid for 2 years.
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For more information, visit the website
To subscribe or unsubscribe please email us.
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January 7, 2013
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Upcoming Events
Register online
Breakfast Club
Thursday, January 10, 2013
7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
GRYP Blood Drive
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Devorris Center for Business Development
Non-Profit Breakfast
Friday, January 18, 2013
8:00 a.m.
The ARC of Blair County
Register Here
Natural Gas Business Development Seminar
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
7:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Blair County Convention Center
Register Here
Sustainability Coalition Tour
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
4:00 p.m.
Sheetz Shwellness Center
Register Here
Business After Hours
Thursday, January 31, 2013
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Sheetz Center for SHWELLNESS
Claysburg
Register Here
Annual Meeting
Friday, February 1, 2013
7:30 - 9:30 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
Upcoming
Committee Meetings
Week of 1/7/2013
Home & Garden Show Committee
Tuesday, January 8, 8:30 a.m.
The Chamber
Regional BASICS Coalition
Tuesday, January 8, 10:00 a.m.
Devorris Center
Retail Roundtable
Wednesday, January 9, 8:15 a.m.
Devorris Center
Follow The Chamber
on Facebook
Click here
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