A special night for Barry Smith

The Chamber’s 10th Annual Business Excellence Dinner will be held tomorrow night at The Casino at Lakemont Park. The event will be highlighted by the presentation of the prestigious "Lifetime Achievement Award for Business Excellence" to Smith Transport founder and owner Barry Smith. Keynote speaker at this year’s dinner will be longtime NASCAR driver Mike Wallace who has been a key figure in the Nationwide Series since his debut in 1990. Wallace and Smith have been close friends and business associates for several years. Among the three people providing testimonial comments about Smith at the dinner are NPC Chairman of the Board Mark Barnhart, retired U.S. Congressman Bud Shuster and legendary automotive designer Carroll Shelby.  Shelby will be unable to attend the dinner so his comments will be videotaped and played at the event. The Master of Ceremonies for the Business Excellence Dinner will be Attorney Mark Gordon of the law firm of Pietragallo, Gordon, Alfano, Bosick & Raspanti, LLP. The reservation period to attend the dinner has ended.  There will be no reservations taken at the door.   

Hotel Roundtable to take proactive approach to pests

The hotel industry throughout the United States has had to deal with a rise in the incidences of bedbug infestations. While that problem has not been evident in Blair County lodging properties, members of The Chamber’s Hotel/Motel/Lodging Property Roundtable have decided to take a proactive approach to bedbugs and have scheduled a speaker for their meeting this Wednesday to provide more information. The speaker will be Randall Ridenour, Operations Manager at Orkin, who will speak on bedbug infestations and treatment measures. “Blair County is fortunate to have so many award-winning hotels but there’s often very little a hotel or lodging property can do if a guest brings something into a room on their clothing or in their luggage,” remarked Chamber President Joe Hurd. “We congratulate our lodging properties for their willingness to address these situations before they actually happen.” For more information on the Hotel/Motel/Lodging Property Roundtable, contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151.  

Breakfast Club date changed; Legislative topics to be discussed
The Chamber has changed the date of its next Breakfast Club to be able to feature an important update on key legislative issues. The new date is Thursday, June 16 beginning at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. Two of the top legislative staff members of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry will be on hand to talk about the state budget, legal reform and unemployment compensation -- issues that will dramatically affect the business community now and in the future. Gene Barr, Vice-President of Government & Public Affairs and Alex Halper, Manager of Governement Affairs, will tag team and answer questions from attendees. The corporate sponsor for the event is Precision Business Solutions. 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.

LBC Adult program to graduate twenty-three

The 17th class of The Chamber's Leadership Blair County Adult program will graduate on Thursday at a special reception held from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. Twenty-three class members will graduate. Anyone may attend the reception at a cost of $15 per person. Reservations can be made by calling The Chamber at 943-8151.      

Ribbon cutting set for Thursday at Tandoor King

The Chamber will cut a ribbon on Thursday at Tandoor King, a restaurant specializing in Indian cuisine located at 519 E. 25th Ave. Any Chamber Member is invited to attend. The Chamber Ambassadors will cut the ribbon at 11 a.m.   

Sign-ups continue for Chamber China t rip

As the numbers continue to grow for The Chamber's first-ever trip to China, one important date to remember is July 15. At 4:30 p.m. on that day, all money must be turned in at The Chamber Office for people planning to be part of the trip. We also want to remind everyone that passports must be brought to the office if you want The Chamber to submit information for your visa. Otherwise you must undertake the process by traveling to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.    

Hall of Fame application deadline is noon on Thursday

Still haven’t nominated a Blair County business for the Business Hall of Fame? Your time is running out. Nominated businesses must submit completed applications by June 9. So the closer to that date you nominate them, the less time they have to complete the applications. The Business Hall of Fame Dinner will be held on Oct. 17 at the Blair County Convention Center.  Nominate your own business or somebody else’s but do it today!  

Blue Card offers now over 100

Still The Chamber's Blue Card program continues to be a popular way for member businesses to gain new customers and for Chamber Members to save considerable dollars on the products and services that they buy most often. More than 100 discounted offers now are on the Blue card list. You can access that list by simply clicking here. If you are a Chamber Member and still do not have your Blue Card or you would like to place an offer, call The Chamber at 943-8151.