Chamber office closed Monday
Blair Business Mirror hits the streets tomorrow
Finance Committee to get first look at 2011 budget
Altoona Hotel to host Tuesday's "Green Drinks"
Thursday's Breakfast Club will focus on mid-term elections
Safety Committee Certification Workshop set for Friday
GRYP Halloween Networking Happy Hour at U.S. Hotel
Business Hall of Fame Dinner only one week away
WE-LEaD networking targets business women
Deputy Ag Secretary keynote for Farm-City Dinner
Marketing to customers topic of October Lunch 'n' Learn
Business After Hours has vacancy for February
Know a Chamber member not receiving the Business Bulletin?
Congratulations . . .
Chamber office closed Monday
The Blair County
Chamber Office will be closed today, Oct. 11, in recognition of Columbus Day. The Office will re-open Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. To register for Chamber programs or events, visit The Chamber website.
Blair Business Mirror hits the streets tomorrow
Farm-City Month will be the focus of the next Blair Business Mirror as the cover feature will look at several key individuals and businesses that help promote local agriculture. The publication also includes a story on the Teeter Group as well as a look at a college professor who has helped make the Blair County Business Hall of Fame event such an ongoing success. The Blair
Business Mirror is a supplement to the Altoona Mirror on the second Tuesday of each month. A copy is then mailed to each Chamber-member business.
Finance Committee to get first look at 2011 Budget
The Chamber’s Finance Committee will meet Tuesday to take its first look at the organization’s 2011 Budget. “Just like other businesses, The Chamber is being challenged to do more with less,” explained Vice-President of Finance & Membership Information Cindy Cessna. Once the budget is approved by the Finance Committee, it will be sent-on
for final approval to The Chamber Board.
Altoona Hotel to host Tuesday's "Green Drinks"
The Chamber’s Coalition on Environmental Sustainability will hold its monthly “Green Drinks” at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday at The Altoona Hotel. This informal gathering of people with some interest in environmental issues is part of a worldwide network
taking place in 430 cities. There is no cost to attend. You pay for what you eat and drink! For further information, contact Katrina Pope.
Thursday's Breakfast Club will focus on mid-term elections
John
Callahan, Director of Government Affairs for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry will be the speaker at the next Chamber Breakfast Club, set for at 7:45 a.m. Thursday at The Casino at Lakemont Park. Callahan will give an overview of the upcoming mid-term elections and will discuss the consequences to the business community of the outcomes of those elections. Callahan’s address will be informative as well
as interactive as Chamber Members will have the opportunity to ask questions. The cost to attend the Breakfast Club is $16 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. Peoples Natural Gas
is the corporate sponsor for this month's Breakfast Club.
Safety Committee Certification Workshop set for Friday
After a one-year hiatus, The Chamber’s Safety Committee is once again holding a Safety Committee Certification Workshop, designed to improve workplace safety while providing a 5 percent discount on Workers Compensation premiums. “We
took a year off and many past attendees noticed,” explained Mike McMullen, The Chamber’s Vice-President of Membership Services & Development. “Let’s just say this presentation is back by popular demand.” The date is Friday, Oct. 15 from 7:45 to 11:30 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. Michael Cuff of PennSafe will be the presenter. The
cost to attend is $30 for Chamber Members and $50 for non-members. The price includes materials and a buffet breakfast. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. Note: A
minimum of two employer and two employee safety/risk management committee members from each company must attend to qualify for certification.
GRYP Halloween Networking Happy Hour at U.S. Hotel
The Chamber’s Growth and Relationships of Young Professionals (GRYP) will hold a Halloween Happy Hour from 6 to 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 15 at the U.S. Hotel Restaurant and Tavern. There will be a Halloween costume contest with a $50 gift
certificate awarded to the best costume. There is no charge to attend for GRYP members and a $5 charge for non-members. The event includes free appetizers and a cash bar. To register, contact The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Business Hall of Fame Dinner only one week away
The Chamber’s Business Hall of Fame Dinner will once again create an opportunity for the
Blair
County
business community to pay tribute to the many outstanding businesses and organizations that help make our area a great place to live and work. This year’s dinner will be held next Monday, Oct. 18 at the Blair County Convention Center beginning with a cocktail and hors d’oeuvre reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:45 p.m. The 2010 Hall of Fame class will consist of Boyer Candy, Digital Solutions/Inmate Telephone, Inc.,
Spring
Cove
School District
and U.S Foodservice – Western PA Group. The Logan House enters the Hall in the Heritage category. The General Awards of Distinction also feature some familiar names. In the Excellence in Small Business
Category, Allegheny Supply and Maintenance Company and Beatty’s Carpet Cleaners will be honored. Young Emerging Business honorees will be art4 . . . inc. and Freedom Excursions by Scully, LLC. AMTRAN and PC Works Plus will receive Technology awards and the Committee Choice Award will go to The Miracle League. For reservations, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
WE-LEaD networking targets business women
Business women who understand and appreciate the value of effective networking are invited to attend the next WE-LEaD networking event on Oct. 25 from 5 to 7:00 p.m. at Marzoni’s in Duncansville. Great hot hors d’oeuvres, excellent cold
beverages and a terrific forum for interactive networking are all part of this night. The cost is just $12 for Chamber members and $20 for non-members. Corporate host is Evolution Physical Therapy & Wellness Studio. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. WE-LEaD is an acronym
for Women Encouraging – Leadership, Education and Development. It is a program of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce.
Deputy Ag Secretary keynote for Farm-City Dinner
Mike Pechart,
Pennsylvania
’s Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, will be the keynote speaker at The Chamber’s Annual Farm-City Dinner, set for Oct. 26 at The Park at Morrisons Cove. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with a Milk-Punch Reception followed by dinner at 7 p.m. A major focus of the Farm-City Dinner is the presentation of the Agricultural Community Excellence (ACE) Award which this year goes to David and Janet Hileman of Hilecrest Farm
in
Sinking
Valley
. The Hileman’s have been instrumental in helping young people from throughout
Blair
County
to better understand the importance of agriculture on the local economy. What has changed about the 2010 dinner is that for the first time, the event has been moved from the banquet hall to the gym at The Park at Morrisons Cove to better accommodate the crowd. What hasn’t changed is that the dinner itself will once again be turkey and all the fixings served family-style, and
for only $15 a person. To register, contact The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Marketing to customers topic of October Lunch 'n' Learn
Marketing
is not just about finding ways to bring-in new customers. It’s also about hanging-on to the ones you have. How do you effectively accomplish customer retention? That question, and many more, will be the basis of The Chamber’s October Lunch ’n’ Learn program, set for Thursday, Oct. 21 from noon to 1:15 p.m. at Park Hills Country Club. Mike
Cox, President of Nittany Business Coaching in
State College
, will present: “How to Market Effectively to Your Existing Customers.” The cost to attend the Lunch ’n’ Learn is $22 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. Lunch and materials are included in the cost. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Business
After Hours has vacancy for February
A
scheduling conflict has created an opportunity for a Chamber Member-business to host the Business After Hours in February of 2011. Anyone who is interested should contact Stacy Hoover at 943-8151.
Know
a Chamber Member not receiving the Business Bulletin?
The
Business Bulletin is published each Monday morning and is emailed to more than 3,000 subscribers to help them keep apprised of what’s happening at The Chamber. There is no cost to receive it, so if you know of someone who’s not getting it, send us their email and we’ll add them to the list. Email addresses should be sent to Mike McMullen.
Congratulations
. . .
. . . to Gleason Insurance, Inc., which was recently named to the 2010 Best Practices Agencies by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America and Reagan Consulting Principals. The study, which began in 1993, is an annual benchmark of the nation’s top independent agents and brokers.
. . . to Giant Food Stores, which includes Martin’s Food Markets, for receiving the Golden Grocer Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food & Nutrition Service in recognition of the company’s commitment to ending hunger and improving the nutrition and health of customers.
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October 11, 2010
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Upcoming Events
Register online |
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October Breakfast Club
Oct. 14, 7:45 a.m. to 9 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Overview of the upcoming mid-term elections
presented by:
John Callahan
Director of Government Affairs for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry
Sponsored by:
Register here
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GRYP Halloween Happy Hour
Oct. 15, 6 to 8 p.m..
Hosted by:
U.S. Hotel Restaurant & Tavern
Event features the annual GRYP Costume Contest
Register here
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Follow The Chamber
on Facebook
Click here
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Safety Committee
Certified Training
Oct. 15, 7:45 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Training provided by Mike Cuff of PennSafe.
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Register here |
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Upcoming Committee Meetings
Week of 10/11/10
BASICS Steering Committee
Monday, Oct. 11, 8 a.m.
GACTC
Home & Garden Show Committee
Tuesday, Oct. 12, 8:30 a.m.
The Chamber
Chamber Finance Committee
Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2 p.m.
The Chamber
LBC Adult Committee
Wednesday, Oct. 13, 3 p.m.
Devorris Center
BASICS Career Development Subcommittee
Thursday, Oct. 14, 3:30 p.m.
Devorris Center |
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Don't be left out! If you haven't already submitted your information for "Buy The Alleghenies" Click Here!
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