Blair Business Mirror to Be Published Tomorrow
Thursday’s Chamber “Breakfast Club” Focuses on Agriculture
Business Hall of Fame Dinner Only Two Weeks Away
“Issues” Program on Agriculture Debuts Today
Leadership Youth Session to Address Regional Appreciation, Ag Heritage
Local Attorneys to Speak at Workers’ Compensation Workshop
GRYP Halloween Party Set for Aldo’s Lounge
Small Businesses Invited to Join the State Chamber at No Cost
GRYP to Hold “next” Conference on Customer Service
Meeting Scheduled to Discuss New Healthcare Insurance Option
Great Sponsorship Opportunities Available for Two “Issues” Shows
Help Pay Tribute to the Bigelow Family
Chamber Will Again Support “Operation S.O.S.”
Unsecured Booths Now Available for 2014 Home & Garden Show
Chamber’s China Trip is Opportunity of a Lifetime
“White Cane Day” to Create Awareness of the Blind
Congratulations . . .
Blue Card Discounts
Blair Business Mirror to Be Published Tomorrow
The next issue of the Blair Business Mirror will be published tomorrow as a supplement to the Altoona Mirror. This month’s cover story will involve a look at how the U.S. is attempting to assist farmers in Iraq and Afghanistan to be more productive by improving their techniques and equipment. Three Blair County men from the agricultural community have played a significant role in that process and they are featured in the cover story. Among other feature stories in this month’s issue are a Q&A with Sam Phillips of Gardner’s Candies and a Leadership feature on Amanda Drumm of Saint Francis University. If you don’t get the Altoona Mirror, don’t despair. A copy of the Blair Business Mirror is mailed to every Chamber-member business.
Thursday’s Chamber “Breakfast Club” Focuses on Agriculture
The wit and wisdom of longtime Tyrone farmer David Hileman will be on display at the next Chamber Breakfast Club, set for this Thursday, October 10th at The Casino at Lakemont Park. The event begins at 7:45 a.m. Hileman owns and operates Hilecrest Farms Angus and is a past recipient of The Chamber’s prestigious Agricultural Community Excellence (ACE) Award. His keynote address at the Breakfast Club is entitled, “It’s Fun to Farm in Blair County” and will address the impact of agriculture on the Blair County economy and several issues that may adversely affect Blair County farmers. “Anyone who attends the Breakfast Club who hasn’t heard Dave speak is in for a real treat,” remarked Chamber President Joe Hurd. “He speaks with great knowledge but with even greater passion. As we observe Farm-City Month in Pennsylvania, his message is one that all of us should hear.” The cost to attend Breakfast Club is $16 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. A buffet breakfast is included. To register, contact the Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Business Hall of Fame Dinner Only Two Weeks Away
The Chamber’s Annual Business Hall of Fame Dinner will be held on Monday night, October 21st at the Blair County Convention Center. The event begins with a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception at 5:30 p.m. Dinner begins at 6:45. To make reservations, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. Cost to attend the Dinner is $65 a person. Hall of Fame honorees are: Bellwood-Antis School District, Stuckey Ford and Subaru in Hollidaysburg, and Tom and Joe’s Diner in Altoona. In the category of Excellence in Small Business, the honorees are: Altoona Lung Specialists, Kooman & Associates and Stoney Point Events. The Altoona Curve is the Community Service honoree. Three businesses will be honored in the category of Sustainability. They are: Hollidaysburg Area High School, Sheetz, Inc., and Word Processing Services, Inc. EcoIslands, LLC and Gwin, Dobson & Foreman, Inc. are the Technology honorees and the Committee Choice Award recipient is The Nehemiah Project.
“Issues” Program on Agriculture Debuts Today
October is Farm-City Month and The Chamber is drawing additional attention to the importance of agriculture as Blair County’s number one industry by producing an “Issues” program entitled, “The Opportunities and Challenges of Blair County Agriculture.” The program will debut today at 9:00 p.m. on Public Access Channel 14 and will run each Monday at that time and each Saturday at 9:00 a.m. throughout the month of October. Panelists are: Sarrah Biddle of Mill Hill Farm Supply, Dan Brogdon of AgChoice Farm Credit, Sinking Valley Retired Farmer Jim Crawford, Joe Diamond of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and Andrew Ritchey of Ritchey’s Dairy. Carolyn Donaldson of WTAJ Your News Leader moderates the program. Sponsors for this Issues program are: Altoona-Blair County Development Corporation, Altoona Mirror, Blair County Farm Bureau, Juniata College and Ritchey’s Dairy.
Leadership Youth Session to Address Regional Appreciation, Ag Heritage
The Chamber’s Leadership Blair County Youth class will get a heavy dose of agriculture and the many industry sectors that contribute to its success on Wednesday of this week. The “Regional Appreciation – Agricultural Heritage” session will visit two local farms and then tour Ritchey’s Dairy before returning to the Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center to discuss how agriculture impacts the county’s economy. For more information on Leadership Blair County Youth, contact Judy Juda at 943-8151 or visit The Chamber website.
Local Attorneys to Speak at Workers’ Compensation Workshop
Attorney Michael J. Wagner of Wagner & Finn and Michael P. Routch of McQuaide, Blasko, Inc. will be the featured speakers at the next workshop sponsored by The Chamber’s Safety Committee. Entitled, “Workers Compensation: Recent Updates and Practical Solutions,” the workshop will be held on October 16th from 7:45 to 10:00 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. Attorneys Wagner and Routch will provide information on recent Workers’ Compensation legislation and case law and will then generate conversation by providing scenarios based on recent cases. The cost to attend the workshop is $25 for Chamber Members and $35 for non-members. Members with three or more people who attend can do so for $20/person. Breakfast is included in the cost of the workshop. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
GRYP Halloween Party Set for Aldo’s Lounge
Aldo’s Lounge in Altoona will be the site of GRYP’s (Growth and Relationships of Young Professionals) Annual Halloween Party. The party will take place on Thursday, October 17 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and will include appetizers, a cash bar and prizes for the best costumes. There is no cost to attend for GRYP members; non-members can attend for $5.00. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Small Businesses Invited to Join the State Chamber at No Cost
The Chamber Board of Directors has approved the organization’s participation in a new program being offered by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry. That program would make it possible for any member of the Blair County Chamber with ten employees or fewer to become members of PCBI as no cost. “This program will provide valuable information to our smaller businesses as they deal with issues of great importance,” explained Chamber Board Chair Doug Mingle. “From what we see, there is no ulterior motive by the State Chamber other than being able to reach out to a segment of the business population that has been difficult from them to reach in the past.” The Chamber Board approved a similar program at its August meeting that made it possible for members in certain categories to gain free membership in the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. Any Chamber member-business with ten or fewer employees that would not wish to participate in the PCBI program should contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151.
GRYP to Hold “next” Conference on Customer Service
The Chamber’s Growth and Relationships of Young Professionals (GRYP) is holding a “next” Conference on October 23rd from 8:00 until noon at The Casino at Lakemont Park. The conference will focus on the importance of customer service to the success of a business. Speakers will share their philosophies on how to create customer satisfaction in a variety of ways and will engage attendees on current methods of customer retention. The cost to attend the conference is $25 for Chamber Members and $35 for non-members. Members with three or more people who attend can do so for $20/person. Breakfast is included in the cost of the conference. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Meeting Scheduled to Discuss New Healthcare Insurance Option
If you are a small business that has never been able to offer affordable healthcare insurance to your employees, your ship may have come in. The Blair County Chamber is partnering with Empower3 Center for Health on a program designed solely for the uninsured. If you’d like to learn more, an informational session will be held on Tuesday, October 22nd from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. at the Devorris Center for Business Development. There is no cost or obligation to attend but pre-registration is encouraged. Call The Chamber at 943-8151 to register.
Great Sponsorship Opportunities Available for Two “Issues” Shows
The Chamber’s “Issues” programs have been featured on the Altoona Public Access Channel for many years. The programs look at those aspects of the business community and the Blair County community in general that impact how we live and work. The Chamber will be doing two more programs this Fall. The first highlights Leadership Blair County; and the second, young professionals in our county. Not only will these one hour programs, moderated by Carolyn Donaldson, be interesting to watch, they also provide great sponsorship opportunities for businesses that are looking for ways to get their names out while also supporting The Chamber’s effort to better educate and inform the public on key topics. The cost to sponsor an “Issues” program is just $100 a show. It’s an inexpensive way to get a whole lot of exposure. Interested? Call Joe Hurd at 943-8151 or email him.
Help Pay Tribute to the Bigelow Family
Randy & Twila Bigelow & Family are the 2013 recipient of the Blair County Chamber’s Agricultural Community Excellence (ACE) Award. The Bigelow family serves as outstanding ambassadors for agriculture. The ACE Award will be presented to the Bigelow Family at the Annual Farm-City Dinner, set for October 29th at The Park at Morrisons Cove. Sponsorships and advertising can be secured by contacting Christine Perkins at The Chamber, 814-943-8151 or emailing her. Tickets for the dinner can be obtained by calling The Chamber at 943-8151. Cost to attend is only $20 and inlcudes a family-style turkey dinner!
Chamber Will Again Support “Operation S.O.S.”
Operation S.O.S. (Support Our Soldiers) will kick off its 10th annual campaign and the Blair County Chamber will once again help to promote the program whose purpose is to make the holidays a little brighter for American troops stationed overseas. Once again, the packages that will be sent to soldiers should contain specific items of food and drinks, toiletry items and miscellaneous items such as ornaments, games and recently published magazines. Items may be dropped-off between October 28th and November 22nd at Smith Furniture in Duncansville. To access a list of needed items, go to www.smithfurniturehof.com.
Unsecured Booths Now Available for 2014 Home & Garden Show
Although the Blair County Home & Garden Show will not take place until February 28, March 1 and 2 of next year, the committee overseeing that event has already started the booth selection process. Beginning October 7th, unsecured booths were made available to new exhibitors. To renew a booth or be put on the list to receive information, contact Stacy Hoover at 943-8151. Payments can be made with cash, check, Discover Card, Master Card or VISA. The Blair County Home & Garden Show is a partnership of the Blair County Chamber and the Blair-Bedford Builders Association.
Chamber’s China Trip is Opportunity of a Lifetime
The Chamber’s next China Trip (April 4-12, 2014) is an opportunity for people to broaden their perspectives on what is happening in the world. It is also a whole lot of fun. If you haven’t secured information on what the trip entails and haven’t marveled at its ridiculously low price, simply stop-by the Chamber Office, located in the Devorris Center for Business Development. This will be the third trip to China in the past four years and the cost is just $2,399 pp/dou.occ., which includes all flights, meals and 5-star hotels. It’s the trip of a lifetime!
“White Cane Day” to Create Awareness of the Blind
The Blair/Clearfield Association for the Blind will celebrate “White Cane Day” with fall fun activities on October 15th from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Legion Park in Hollidaysburg. The white cane is a symbol of a blind or visually impaired person’s ability to achieve an independent life. The event will include games, a bake sale, a bounce house, raffles, crafts, face painting, plenty of great food and much, much more. Chamber Members of all ages and interests are encouraged to support this important effort. This is not a fundraiser but an opportunity to learn about a segment of the community that is often overlooked and underappreciated. For more information, contact Gloria Pattie at 944-2021.
Congratulations . . .
. . . to Coldwell Banker Town & Country Real Estate of Altoona which was ranked fifth in North America in July for total units sold among Coldwell Banker affiliate offices with 11-20 sales associates. There are 444 affiliate offices in the category.
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 Christine Perkins at The Chamber at 943-8151.
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Reiki Center for Body and Mind
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Present your Chamber Blue Card to receive 20% off your first Reiki Session or Massage Therapy Session.
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Snap Fitness
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Present your Chamber Blue Card to receive 10% off monthly dues. Also, when you present your Chamber Blue Card, you will receive a 7 day free trial.
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Steve Seltzer Powersports
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Present your Blue Card to receive half off of your Pennsylvania State Inpection for your motorcycle or motor scooter AND OR
receive 15% off regularly-priced parts and accessory items AND OR receive a FREE gas can with your purchase of a Honda lawn mower, snow blower, tiller, generator or trimmer. (A $25 to $40 value)
AND OR receive an extra year of extended warranty with your purchase of a Honda motorcycle, Scooters or ATV. (Value of more than $200)
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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 Cashman Financial Group
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Present your Chamber Blue Card to receive one hour free consultation on: planning for a successful retirement; making the best Social Security Choices; how to roll your 401K. Also receive a free guide to understanding your social security with every consultation.
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For more information, visit the website
To subscribe or unsubscribe please email us.
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October 7, 2013
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Upcoming Events
Register online
Breakfast Club
Thursday, October 10, 2013
7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
Safety Workshop
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
7:45 - 10:00 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
Lunch 'n' Learn
Thursday, October 17, 2013
12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
The Blairmont
Register Here
GRYP Halloween Party
Thursday, October 17, 2013
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Aldo's Lounge
Register Here
Business Hall of Fame Dinner
Monday, October 21, 2013
5:30 - Reception
6:45 - Dinner & Progam
Blair County Convention Center
Register Here
GRYP next Conference
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
8:00 - Noon
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
Busines After Hours
Thursday, October 24, 2013
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Michanowicz Endodontics
Register Here
Speed Networking Blair County
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
Devorris Center for Business Development
Register Here
Farm-City Dinner
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
6:30 p.m.- Reception
7:00 p.m. - Dinner/Program
The Park at Morrisons Cove
Register Here
Upcoming
Committee Meetings
Week of 10/7/2013
GRYP Steering Committee
Tuesday, October 8, 8:15 a.m.
Ramada Inn Altoona
Home & Garden Show Committee
Tuesday, October 8, 8:30 a.m.
The Chamber
Safety Committee
Tuesday, October 8, 10:00 a.m.
The Chamber
LBC Adult Committee
Wednesday, October 9, 10:00 a.m.
The Chamber
Follow The Chamber
on Facebook
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