Macomb Area Advantage

Transcription

1 Macomb Area Advantage July 2015 Marketing Opportunities for Members!

2 Welcome New Chamber Members... Homefield Energy A retail electricity supplier serving homes and businesses directly and through municipal aggregration programs. Contact Kristin Wood for additional information at Kristin.Wood@dynegy.com. Homefield Energy 1500 Eastport Plaza Drive Collinsville, IL Nuts4You! and Squeeze to Please! A catering food vendor offering a wide array of tantalizing temptations including roasted nuts, donuts, popcorn, Dippin' Dots, sandwiches including pulled pork, steam burgers, hot dogs and more. Contact Julie for all of your events including birthdays, graduation parties, weddings, showers and more! Nuts4You! and Squeeze to Please!

3 Julie Hood nuts 4 you@outlook.com Macomb Pet Land Please welcome new owner, Jessica Spangler. See Jessica for all of your pet's needs. Specializing in fresh water and salt water fish and exotic birds. Macomb Pet Land Jessica Spangler MacombPetLand@aol.com From the President's Desk Greetings! It has been two months since I assumed the Presidency of the Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce. I started this letter with the intention of laying out everything I have done in the last eight weeks, but it started to become like that question one is often asked on a Monday morning when returning to work: "So, what did you do this weekend?" You respond with, "Oh, just hung out with friends and family", however in reality it was six hours of lawn work, seven loads of laundry, three trips to the grocery store, cleaned the house, attended softball games, soccer games, drove the kids to camp, and, oh, the cookout at the Johnson's...Our days and weekend are often a blur as they are filled with so many things, large and small. However, for me, that is the best part! I love being so busy that it is easier to just say, "Oh, work stuff" then to truly answer the question. While we think that others might find the real answer boring, in reality, they truly want to know what you have been doing. And, as a member, you need to know what we are doing at the Chamber of Commerce, so here we go... I have spent the large part of the last two months getting to know the members. If I haven't made it to your business yet, don't worry, I will soon. It is my goal to meet every Chamber member in person, at your location. I want to learn about you, your business, what you do, what you produce and/or sell, tour your location, and especially, what you expect from the Chamber of Commerce. I have spent many hours meeting with other Chamber leaders in the area as well

4 as local leaders and officials. I have met with representatives from WIU, Spoon River College, McDonough County Public Transportation and many more to learn how the Chamber can partner with those organizations to improve the business climate in our community. I have made endless lists of people to meet, lunches to have, project ideas and more. I also continue to work on recruiting new members which leads to... Member Benefits! Entering July, one of my main focuses will be on increasing the perks of Chamber membership. We have a diverse group of 400+ members. While the needs of our larger businesses are often different than those of our smaller members, we all benefit from one thing: a healthy business climate. My goal is to add benefits that target all sectors of our membership from our manufacturers to our sole proprietors. Organizations join the Chamber for a variety of reasons, some for the networking, others for the affordable and effective advertising, many simply join to support our efforts in building the economy of Macomb. Regardless, we strive to offer benefits that every member can take advantage of. In June, we added The Spotlight. The Chamber's social media presence is booming! We will be featuring a different member every week in The Spotlight by posting pictures taken at that member's location. These posts are being seen by over 1,000 people. Members are chosen at random and there is no charge to be in The Spotlight. More benefits coming soon... Lastly, know that you do not have to sit back and wait for me to come visit you. If you have something you would like to discuss, please call or me at any time. We welcome and appreciate all comments and ideas. Have a wonderful and safe Independence Day and know that I truly appreciate the confidence you have shown in the Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce. A busy two months down, many more to come! Kathy Waters, Chamber President New networking features: Promoting local businesses with social media

5 Special Acknowledgements The Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce would like to acknowledge the fine work done by the 2015 Heritage Days Committee. Despite Mother Nature's plans, the fun and festivities continued, Chandler Park was packed with vendors and families and the parade was attended by most of Macomb! Additional acknowledgement to Cathy Early of Cathy Early State Farm Insurance for continuing her tradition of emceeing the parade with WGEM. Cathy allows those that cannot attend the parade to feel as if they are present through her engaging and witty commentary. Thank you, Cathy!

6 McDonough District Hospital opens new facilities Kenny Boyd, MDH CEO, surrounded by MDH board members and staff cut the ribbon to a round of applause The Ambassador Committee of the Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting on June 12, 2015 for the McDonough District Hospital's new Emergency Services Expansion Project and Senior Behavioral Health Unit. MDH also held a public open house that evening. The Chamber welcomes Macomb Dry Cleaners

7 The Ambassador Committee of the Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting on June 30 for the recently opened Macomb Dry Cleaners. Owners Eric and Dr. Karen Blakeley opened the business after learning that Macomb's previous two dry cleaning businesses were closing. The Blakeley's, owners of Macomb Auto Parts and All Pets Veterinary Clinic, were able to employ most of the workers from the businesses that closed, keeping those jobs in Macomb. Macomb Dry Cleaners located at 1215 W. Jackson St., next to Macomb Auto Parts, is open Monday Friday, 7 am 6 pm and Saturday from 7 am 1 pm. They can be reached at They are a full service dry cleaner offering leather cleaning, bridal gown cleaning and restoration, area rugs up to 12x18, pillows, cushions and more. In addition, they offer alterations and repairs for most textiles. Most turn around times are 3 4 days or less. Bring your suits, dresses and ties and stop in and see local business owners Eric and Dr. Karen Blakeley today! Don't Miss This Month's Flyers! July 2015 Flyers Sneak Peak: Office Specialists Inc., WIU Think Purple, WIU Alumni Assoc., A 1 Lock

8 Upcoming Events Young Business Professionals: Wed., July 1, noon, Old Dairy Government & Legal Affairs: Thurs., July 2, noon, 510 N. Pearl LVHRA: Thurs., July 9, 11:30 a.m., Old Dairy Park 'N'Cruise: Fri., July 10, 6 9 p.m., Courthouse Square Free Range Yoga Anniversary Party: Sat., July 11, 5 to 7 p.m., Free Range Yoga and Community Wellness Center MTC Macomb Open: Sat. Sun. July 11 12, various local golf courses Ambassadors meeting: Mon., July 13, noon, City Hall Summer Youth Program: Mon. Thurs., July 13 16, noon, Spoon River College Community CPR Class: Tues., July 14, 6 p.m., McDonough District Hospital MACC Board of Directors meeting: Wed., July 15, 7:30 a.m., Citizens Bank Business After Hours: Wed., July 15, 4:30 6 p.m., Prestige Communications Transportation Committee: Thurs., July 16, noon, Aurelio's Pizza Business Before Hours: Wed., July 22, 7:30 8:30 a.m., Shelter Insurance Movie in the Park, ET: Fri., July 31, 8:30 p.m., Veteran's Park Performing Arts Society Dueling Diamonds and Denim: Fri., Aug. 14, Forum Farmers Market: Every Thurs./Sat., 7 a.m. 1 p.m., Courthouse Square Brown Bag Concerts: Wednesdays, noon, Chandler Park For more information on these events, please visit macombareachamber.com Announcements & Opportunities There are openings to host the always popular Business Before Hours and Business After Hours events in 2016, To reserve a date, call the Chamber office at (309) Dr. Tamara Smith, D.O., F.A.C.O.O.G, a member of the McDonough

9 Medical Group will begin providing obstetrical/prenatal outpatient services at Culbertson Memorial Hospital in Rushville beginning Tues., July 21 and every first and third Tuesday of each month. To schedule an appointment, contact MMG Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic at (309) Kaskaskia Engineering Group, LLC (KEG) is pleased to announce the hiring of their newest employee, Ben "BJ" Bovee, a licensed structural engineer in the State of Illinois and a licensed engineer in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Iowa. With this new staff addition, KEG has expanded their client services. In accordance with the Smoke Free Illinois Act, businesses are required to display "No Smoking" signs at each building entrance to avoid fines. Decals like the one below are available at the McDonough County Health Department or may be printed online in compliance with the law. Please note, all ashtrays shall be removed from any area where smoking is prohibited. For more information, call the McDonough County Health Department at (309) The Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce office will be closed Friday, July 3 in observance of Independence Day. Have a safe and happy holiday! If you know someone who might be interested in receiving this newsletter,

10 please forward on or add their name to the distribution list by ing Local Statistics Taxes May 2015 May 2014 Sales $234,854 $228,470 Bed $18,092 $20,312 Motor Fuel $50,042 $30,800 Airport May 2015 May 2014 Landings Fuel Sales (gallons) 8,932 12,649 Building Permits May 2015 May 2014 Total Issued Real Estate May 2015 May 2014 Listings Sold Volume Sold $1,804,300 $1,528,005 Avg. Sale Price $94,963 $127,333 Avg. Days on Market Labor Force May 2015 May 2014 Labor Force 14,311 15,921 Employed 13,576 15,006 Unemployed 735 Rate 5.1% 5.7%

11 Copyright 20XX. All Rights Reserved. Forward this This was sent to by Update Profile/ Address Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe Privacy Policy. Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Development Corporation PO Box N Lafayette Macomb IL 61455