New UPMC President/COO to Address “Breakfast Club”
Blair Business Mirror to Be Published Tomorrow
Chamber Advocating for Repeal of the “Cadillac Tax”
Transportation Committee Follows Request to Support New Project
Safety Committee to Hold Active Shooter Program
Chamber to Hold Meeting for “Spirit of the American Wild West” Trip
Economic Development Next-Up for LBC Class
Reserve Your Booth Today for the 2019 Home & Garden Show!
Congratulations . . .
New UPMC President/COO to Address “Breakfast Club”
Jan Fisher, the new President/COO of UPMC Altoona will be the keynote speaker at the next Chamber “Breakfast Club,” set for February 14th at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. Fisher will provide an overview of the hospital’s vision and will also talk about the importance of being the first female President of UPMC Altoona. The cost to attend Breakfast Club is $20 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. To register, contact the Chamber at (814) 943-8151 or register online. Corporate sponsor of the February Breakfast Club is Appalachia Intermediate Unit 08.
Blair Business Mirror to Be Published Tomorrow
The February issue of the Blair Business Mirror will be published as a supplement to tomorrow’s Altoona Mirror. The cover story of this issue focuses attention on the many benefits that the Blair County Chamber offers to its members. Inside features include a look at the final touches being put on the 49th Annual Blair County Home & Garden Show and a recap of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy’s recent CEO Roundtable event. A copy of the Blair Business Mirror will be mailed to each Chamber-member business by the end of the week.
Chamber Advocating for Repeal of the “Cadillac Tax”
The Blair County Chamber has joined forces with chambers across the country in asking Congress to pass legislation (HR 748) that would repeal the “Cadillac Tax” included in the Affordable Care Act. That tax has been opposed by the business community and Congress has twice postponed the harmful tax on employer-sponsored health plans. The bipartisan legislation would repeal a 40% tax on businesses that offer high-quality health insurance benefits to their employees and would safeguard small businesses from the unintended consequences of higher premium and deductibles. The U.S. Chamber has coordinated the effort of having chambers sign-on to the letter to Congress.
Transportation Committee Follows Request to Support New Project
The Blair County Chamber, through its Transportation Committee, approved a request from the Logan Township Supervisors to drop its support of the Park Avenue Connector Project to clear the way for the development of the Logan Town Shoppes Project. That project would provide additional retail to an undeveloped area adjacent to Logan Town Centre. The Chamber agreed to comply with the request with the caveat that the Logan Town Shoppes Project has made considerable progress between now and 2024. The Park Avenue Connector Project has been on the 2015-2040 Long Range Transportation Plan but is considered to be cost-prohibitive, based on PennDOT’s recent allocation levels.
Safety Committee to Hold Active Shooter Program
The Safety Committee of the Blair County Chamber will hold an “Active Shooter Preparation and Response” program on February 20th from 7:30 to 11:00 a.m. at Altoona Grand Hotel. The program is being offered by South Central Mountains Regional Task Force (SCMRTF) Business Continuity and Preparedness Coalition in conjunction with the SCMRTF Law Enforcement Committee and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Robert Winters, Protective Security Advisor of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will be the presenter. The purpose of the program is to prepare employees for an active shooter/assailant incident which is an integral component of an organization’s emergency planning. The three-hour presentation will provide information based on Homeland Security’s best practices, tailored for businesses. It will include information to use in assessing site security and methods to strengthen it. The cost to attend the Active Shooter program is $20 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. A continental breakfast is included in the cost. To register, call the Chamber at (814) 943-8151 or register online.
Chamber to Hold Meeting for “Spirit of the American Wild West” Trip
The Blair County Chamber and Heritage Travel are offering a “Spirit of the American Wild West” trip to replace the Southern Sounds trip that was cancelled earlier. The Wild West trip will leave Altoona on August 23rd and return September 1st. The flight will be from Pittsburgh to Denver, returning on the same route. Among the attractions included on the trip are Mount Rushmore, Red Rock Amphitheater, Colorado Music Hall of Fame, Buckhorn Exchange, Buffalo Bill’s Grave/Museum, Rocky Mountain National Park, the Continental Divide, Crazy Horse Monument, Estes Park and Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. An informational meeting on the trip will be held on February 19th at 6:00 p.m. at the Devorris Center for Business Development. Anyone interested in attending that meeting should contact the Chamber at 943-8151.
Economic Development Next-Up for LBC Class
Session #5 of the Chamber’s Leadership Blair County program will focus on the development of the local economy. The session will feature a “big picture” presentation from Pat Miller and Matt Fox of Altoona-Blair County Development Corporation, one on entrepreneurship from Paul Cooney of Penn State Altoona and finally a panel discussion involving local experts on economic development. For more information on the Leadership Blair County program, contact the Chamber at (814) 943-8151 or visit the Chamber Website.
Reserve Your Booth Today for the 2019 Home & Garden Show!
The Blair County Chamber of Commerce and the Blair Bedford Builders Association are continuing to accept vendor booth reservations for the 49th annual Blair County Home & Garden Show to be held March 1, 2 & 3, 2019 at the Jaffa Shrine in Altoona. Exhibitor booth space is open for home and garden-related businesses interested in showcasing their products or services. The show is also accepting vendor applications for the Home Treasures room. Home Treasures offers a boutique-style setting that features home interior items, candles, spices, hand-crafted items, and much more. To reserve a booth or for more information, call Stacy Hoover at the Blair County Chamber of Commerce at 814-943-8151.
Congratulations . . .
. . . to Advanced Vein Care of Altoona, which was recently granted a three-year reaccreditation from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission for vascular testing in the specialty of peripheral venous testing.
. . . to Grannas Bros. Stone & Asphalt Company, which has been recognized by the National Asphalt Paving Association and the Pennsylvania Asphalt Paving Association for the I-99 resurfacing project in Blair County. NAPA awarded Grannas Bros. a 2018 Quality in Construction Award for Excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement.
. . . to Marty Kooman of Kooman & Associates, LLC, who was named a member of the 2019 Chairman’s Council at Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. This marks the 11th year that Kooman has qualified for the recognition, which distinguishes the firm’s top advisors.
. . . to the five Chamber businesses that recently participated in the 10th Annual “Engineers Fight to CAN Hunger Event” that benefitted the American Rescue Workers in Hollidaysburg and the Altoona Food Bank. Those businesses are: The EADS Group, Keller Engineers, Gwin, Dobson & Foreman, Stiffler McGraw and McLanahan Corporation.
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February 11, 2019
Upcoming Events
Breakfast Club
Thursday, February 14
7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
Safety Workshop
Wednesday, February 20
7:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Altoona Grand Hotel
Register Here
Business After Hours
Thursday, February 21
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Stuckey Automotive - Stuckey Buick GMC, Inc.
Register Here
Blair County Home & Garden Show
March 1, 2, & 3, 2019
Jaffa Shrine, Altoona
www.blairhomeshow.com
Upcoming Committee Meetings
Week of 2/11/19
BASICS Steering Committee
Monday, February 11, 8:00 a.m.
GACTC
Committee of Non-Profits
Monday, February 11, 9:00 a.m.
Devorris Center
Golf Committee
Tuesday, February 12, 3:30 p.m.
The Chamber
YP of Blair County
Wednesday, February 13, 8:00 a.m.
The Clay Clup
Attrctions/Hotel Roundtable
Wednesday, February 13, 8:15 a.m.
Comfort Suites
Home & Garden Show Committee
Wednesday, February 13, 8:30 a.m.
The Chamber
Safety Committee
Thursday, February 14, 9:00 a.m.
The Chamber
Safety Subcommittee
Thursday, February 14, 10:00 a.m.
The Chamber
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