Apple Valley Pizza Ranch Opens!
The President’s Perspective by Edward Kearney Chamber Members received a free lunch prior to opening compliments of owner Dan Peterson! (photo left)
A crowd of over 200 welcomed Pizza Ranch to Apple Valley the day before its grand opening! Members agreed that the food and service were outstanding!
If you haven’t read our new Chairman’s letter on the cover of this newsletter, go back and read it. You will laugh at his creativity and it will cheer up your week.
”
TRENDING UP When reviewing the Chamber’s end of year numbers: • Our membership is up significantly. Larry Dowell, former President of St. Paul Chamber who just completed assisting our Board with a new 4 year Strategic Plan, said that is against the trend as he said most chambers have been going downward during and late in this recession. We are very proud of your loyalty. We think the retention is so high as well as gaining new members due to us being involved in issues on your behalf from preventing special tax assessments, signage issues, access (especially Cedar), economic development efforts in filling dark space, community marketing and great weekly/monthly/annual events. Thank you for your continuing membership! UPCOMING • Business Resident Guide: We just completed printing and mailing it first class to 22,600 homes and 50,000 people. Every home has your number at their fingertips now on a laminated one-page fold out card. • Chamber Directory: Looking ahead, we have a new Chamber Directory about ready to have your ads and logos sold into it and to be distributed to about the 1,000 of you involved with the Chamber. • New Website: Our website was really cool with a 3D wall of photos four years ago but in today’s new “Mobile, want it now” world, we have redesigned the website to be simple and find info in an instant. That means visitors, customers, new-comers etc. will find “you” in an instant. It will go live in early February. We’ll have computer, mobile and tablet versions. • Social Networking: We have had Facebook and Twitter for several years, however the Board wants new emphasis placed on it. Look for that to become a much more interactive tool to keep you informed and for you to keep us informed. We will begin posting photos of you at our events so everyone can see how active and involved you are and it will be another reason to go to Facebook, to see all the photos the day after events. Kristy Cleveland, our Business Manager is really good at social networking and will contribute a great deal of time getting us right. YOUR IDEAS We don’t have all the ideas or answers to keep our events successful, fresh and fun. Please contact me at the Chamber if you have any ideas or at edkearney@applevalleychamber.com and let me know your ideas. If you think of it, I will be sure to let everyone know how creative and great your idea is. Think about how we can improve and make things better for you. • Home and Garden Expo on Saturday, April 6th • Annual Gala by the second week of May, on a Thursday or Friday. • Chamber Golf Classic, September 5th at the new Clubhouse at Valleywood.
Pictured above between Mayor Mary and Chamber President Ed is Stay Stanton, GM along with Chamber Chair Eric Iverson at the Pizza Ranch ribbon cutting Wednesday, December 5th.
BEST IS YET TO COME I’m not sure what it is but I came into work on January 2nd fired up like it is my first day on the job and not my second decade. I told several people that I know we can take the Chamber to higher heights, more relevance, more influence, better events and more effective at marketing and growing our businesses. If we are the “Voice of Business,” then lets SCREAM!
Dedication
With the construction over except for minor overlays and landscaping this Spring for Cedar Transit BRT, our town looks new, our economy seems to be trending upward, home values are rising again and people are showing great sales results again, at least all of you whom I visit regularly. Speeches below from Mayor Mary, Chamber President Ed Kearney,
Commissioner Will Branning and MET Council Chair Susan Haigh.
It’s not about the “News”; it’s about “Views”. We control our own destiny. Day to day life isn’t about news or politics but a lot to do with attitude. As they say:
A healthy attitude is contagious but don't wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier.