December Newsletter

2022 DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

Photo by Kristy Cardinal

POINTS TO PONDER

From the Executive Director

Global economic troubles have led to uncertainty at the local level, and many of our members have concerns about the future of their businesses.

What is Inflation?

Inflation describes the increase in prices of goods and services over time, meaning that the money in your pocket has less purchasing power as time passes, and if inflation is high, your money can lose value very quickly. Most governments calculate inflation by tracking the price of a standard basket of goods such as bread, milk, and coffee, mortgage payments, and gas prices. Its opposite, deflation, describes where prices decline and purchasing power increases, although deflation is far less common historically.

The primary cause of inflation is usually an increase in the money supply, which can occur in several ways. First, by a government printing more money or, second, by banks loaning more money into existence as reserve account credits by purchasing government bonds. Sometimes a government might devalue its currency, again reducing spending power.

How Does Inflation Affect Local Businesses?

In some ways, a small amount of inflation can be good for your business. Any assets you own will grow in value, and any stock in your business will increase its value. So if wage demands from employees and our costs of living roughly keep pace with inflation, this is generally sustainable and good for business.

On the other hand, high inflation leads to reduced spending power, as customers have less money in their pockets. It also becomes more expensive to buy materials, keep the lights on, and pay staff. At this point, businesses have tough choices to make. Raising prices might keep profit margins up, but it also might put goods and services out of reach for customers. On the other hand, not raising prices might wipe out profits altogether.

The Big Picture

Understanding the big picture of how national and global economies work may not seem relevant to local business owners. However, understanding how larger economic concerns work can help our members adapt and cushion their companies.

Owen Sweeney Executive Director

Lander Chamber of Commerce

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Eric Andrews President

Summit West CPA Group Ann Espinosa Vice President

Home Source Realty, Inter Mountain Builders Chris VonHoltum Treasurer Central Bank & Trust

Jon Tonkowich, Past President Summit West CPA Group

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dave Fehringer Fremont Engineering James Whiting Whiting Law

Alyssa Lozier Edward Jones

Tom Davis Fremont Therapy Group

Jennifer Hamilton SageWest Healthcare

PROFESSIONAL STAFF

Owen Sweeney

Executive Director

Associate Director

Dayna LaTorre Event Coordinator

Carol King

EVERY TUESDAY

Carnegie Book Nook at the Lander Library 1-5 pm

EVERY WEDNESDAY

--Rotary Club noon, Oxbow Restaurant

EVERY THURSDAY

--Parkinson’s Support Group, Lander Senior Center 2-3 pm

--Kiwanis Club, noon, Mamaw’s Kitchen @ Inn at Lander (formerly Summit)

EVERY FRIDAY

--Carnegie Book Nook at the Lander Library noon-4 pm

EVERY SATURDAY

--Improv Acoustic Music Jams Lander Art Center 10 am-noon

1-4 A Christmas Story: The Musical Robert A. Peck Theater at CWC, Th-Sa 7 pm, Su 2 pm

1-17 The Art of Home - A Celebratin of Indigenous Art Lander Art Center

2 Lander Chamber of Commerce hosts Legislative Session Preview Luncheon Lander Community Center, noon-1:30, register online or call 332-3892

3 Light Up Lander Main Street parade starts 6 pm, Santa at Centennial Park

3 Dubois Museum Open House 10am-1pm

3 Wind River Memories art exhibit opening Pioneer Museum, 7 pm

3-5 San Diego Ballet’s Nutcracker Ballet LVHS auditorium, 7 pm

4 Art in the Afternoon Lander Community Center, noon-6pm

8 Lander Middle School Winter Concert LVHS auditor 7 pm

10 Santa’s Workshop 2-4 pm Christmas Open House 10-4 Riverton Museum

10 Met Opera “The Hours” Lander Library 10:55 am

December Events CALENDAR

10 Holiday Open House Dandelion Floral, 11-5

12 LVHS Choir Concert LVHS auditor 7 pm

13 LVHS Band Performance LVHS auditor 7 pm

15 Business After Hours hosted by White Heart Foundation Coalter Loft, 5:30-7 pm

17 Wreaths Across America ceremony Mount Hope Cemetery, 10 am

17 Old-time Christmas Open House Pioneer Museum, 5-7 pm

Thank You, Renewing Members!

Artery Construction 57 Tweed Lane, Lander

Black Hills Energy 1535 E. Yellowstone Highway, Casper

Brace, Marty 28 Pinto Lane, Lander

Cornerstone Group Realty 215 S. Broadway, Riverton

Edward Jones-Financial Advisor John P. Shade 704 Main St., Lander

Family Chiropractic 8135 Highway 789, Lander

Farm Bureau Financial Services, Jacob Huhnke 450 Main St., Lander

Farmers Insurance/Wurth Agency 535 E. Main, Suite E, Lander

Fremont County Pioneer Museum 1443 Main St., Lander

Good Place, The Marla Lemm 155 Main St., Lander

Holy Rosary Catholic Church 163 Leedy Drive, Lander

Jones, Mike 2316 Baldwin Creek Road, Lander

Lander Library Friends Association 451 N 2nd St., Lander

Lander Vision Center 556 Main St., Lander

Law Office of Zachary Hamilton Mahlum, LLC 933 Main St, Suite 6, Lander

Oxbow Restaurant 170 E. Main St., Lander

Pronghorn Lodge 150 E. Main St., Lander

Reed’s Moghaun Office Supply 155 S. 5th St., Lander

Sweetwater Food & Beverage LLC 8116 Hwy 789, Lander

Union Wireless 850 N. Hwy 414, Mountain View

Western Vista Credit Union 586 Main St., Suite A, Lander

Wind River Hotel & Casino 180 Red Wolf Place, Riverton

Wyoming Community Bank 685 Main St., Lander

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

3 Spear Ranch Chandler Minton 901 Little Warm Springs Road, Dubois

Brodie Law, LLC Amanda Brodie 550 Main St., Suite 5, Lander

Jenna Ackerman

Associate Real Estate Broker 101 Main St., Lander

Book Your Next Meeting at the Chamber!

Looking for a brighter, roomier, more profes sional and technologically advanced place to host a meeting? The Chamber’s got you covered!

Full Zoom Room Functionality

Our two DTEN video conferencing boards provide our members with a simplified pro fessional meeting experience. The dual setup provides a multi-touch video display along side a digital whiteboard that allows live onscreen annotation of documents and content sharing.

Contact Us to Reserve Your Meeting Today! You don’t need a Zoom account to take advantage of this benefit. Chamber members without their own Zoom license can use ours to host meetings with unlimited minutes for up to 100 participants. Member-only rental pricing makes this an affordable benefit for your business, and conference room is included in some memberships. Contact us today to schedule your meeting!

RENEWING MEMBERS