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P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E G R E AT E R S P R I N G F I E L D C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E
THE BUCK CREEK CORRIDOR
RECLAIMING OUR WATERWAY PAGE 4
AT HOME. U.S. Open Qualifier 2
AT WORK. Job Fair 6
AT PLAY.
Swap Meet & Car Show 7 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
INSIDE VIEWS
Springfield Country Club
U.S.Open Qualifier SPRINGFIELD COUNTRY CLUB IS HOME TO A MEMBERSONLY GOLF COURSE, BUT ONE MONDAY THIS YEAR, IT INVITED THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND ENJOY A GREAT DAY OF GOLF.
“It gives our members a lot of pride to be associated with this national tournament,” said Craig Taylor, Springfield County Club general manager. “It also brings a certain prestige to the community.”
On June 4, the club was one of only 11 locations in the country to host a U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier.
Nationwide Tour player Brice Garnett and 2011 NCAA Champion John Peterson took the top two spots at the Springfield qualifier.
This was the fourth year Springfield was chosen by the USGA to host one of the “Super Monday” events. Forty-four players - amateur and professional - competed to qualify for the U.S. Open, which was held June 14 in San Francisco.
Peterson went on to tie for 4th place at the U.S. Open, finishing just two strokes behind winner Webb Simpson. Attendance at this year’s qualifier was the largest yet, Taylor said. He credited the day’s beautiful weather and an increased awareness about the event. It also didn’t hurt that Seung-yul Noh, who is 44th in the FEDex Cup Standings, was returning this year. “He wanted to come back. ” Taylor said. The 36 holes of golf lasts the entire day and often players will come three or four days before the event to familiarize themselves with the course, he said. The Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau hosted lunch for the players and caddies and provided visitor information for all attendees. The event gives both Springfield and the club a chance to shine, he said. “Admission is free to spectators, so we want people to come out and enjoy a great game of golf.”
Greater Springfield Moving Forward:
REGIONVIEW SPONSORED BY:
Leading the Way
“GOOD BUSINESS LEADERS CREATE A VISION, ARTICULATE THE VISION, PASSIONATELY OWN THE VISION, AND RELENTLESSLY DRIVE IT TO COMPLETION.” JACK WALSH
Since it was launched by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce in 2010, the Greater Springfield Moving Forward program has taken on a life of its own.
1146 E. Home Road Springfield 399-1100 Individual & Business Tax Preparation Tax Planning & Consulting Business Accounting Services Payroll
And through the hundreds of volunteers that serve on its five committees, GSMF has created a vision, articulated the vision and passionately owned the vision for a greater community. Each day those volunteers are relentlessly driving that vision to completion. Two of GSMF focus areas – Parks & Green Spaces and Jobs & Job Readiness show up in this edition of Regionview magazine. The other three focus areas: Corridors & Gateways, Student Achievement and Downtown Development, have been featured in recent news articles as they are also making great strides toward the goals you as a community set for them to accomplish. This month, the Chamber will be launching our redesigned Website where we will be able to keep you up to date on what GSMF is doing and how you can get involved. If you haven’t been to our website in awhile, go to GreaterSpringfield.com and look around. You’ll find all kinds of information on growing your business and our community. Thank you to all of the individuals who volunteer their time and talent to Greater Springfield Moving Forward. I have never seen our community more focused on a common vision, than I do now. I’m excited about what we are accomplishing together. Have a great Chamber day!
22nd Annual P. Dennis Sheehan Memorial Chamber Golf Open Monday, August 20 Windy Knoll Golf Club 1 p.m. Shotgun Start • The field is limited to 144 golfers • $175 per player/$650 per foursome • Includes lunch, player gift and after party Scan this code to register via your mobile phone or call us at 937-325-7621 or visit GreaterSpringfield.com.
www.greaterspringfield.com
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YOURCOMMUNITY
Buck Creek Corridor:
The Green Beltway
Kayakers and canoers enjoy the beauty of scenic Buck Creek. WITH THE SUCCESSFUL PASSAGE OF A PARKS LEVY IN NOVEMBER, the Greater Springfield Moving Forward Parks &
Green Space Committee is soliciting residents to get involved in efforts to capitalize on the area’s natural assets – specifically the Buck Creek Corridor that meanders throughout the county providing recreational venues for everyone to enjoy. The Greater Springfield Moving Forward Parks & Green Space Committee is part of the larger Greater Springfield Moving Forward strategic initiative, launched in 2010. The plan was prioritized through resident surveys and public forums.
Community leaders did not recognize how important the parks were to residents until they received the results of the citizen surveys, said Springfield Mayor Warren Copeland. “Parks ranked second on the priority list,” he said. The passage of the five-year joint parks district levy has given the Clark County Parks District and the National Trail Parks and Recreation District the funds needed to maintain the thousands of acres of rich parkland and bike trails. Larry Tourney, a 48-year employee of Navistar, inspects the grill on one of the plant’s newest large truck models. 4
VOLUME 4, 2012
It has also provided the groundwork for the committee’s planned improvements along the waterways. “Springfield is lucky to have this corridor that runs from the C.J. Brown Reservoir to George Rogers Clark Park,” Copeland said, “not just the waterways but the park resources that lie along that corridor.” The committee’s early discussions about improving the corridor were strictly geographical, such as focusing on one section of the corridor at a time. That approach has now changed, said businessman Tom Loftis, who also serves on the Parks & Green Space Committee. “There are a lot of people who are passionate about different recreational opportunities along the corridor – whether it’s kayaking, canoeing, bike riding or hiking,” he said. “We’re asking these groups, such as Greater Springfield Friends of the Trail or Friends of Snyder Park, to come up with their ideas. “These people are very enthusiastic,” he said. “They’re the kind of people who, if you let them loose, will get things done.”
A perfect example of that kind of initiative is the ECO Sports Corridor spearheaded by Loftis’ sons John and Kevin. Having returned to Springfield after living in Colorado for several years, the brothers saw the potential to create a whitewater playground just blocks from downtown. Through community partnerships and their own financial investment, dams were removed, rapids were created and aesthetic improvements were made along the whitewater launching site, where kayakers and spectators can take in the action or just enjoy the water. Since then, kayakers from a multi-state area are converging on the city daily to enjoy the only whitewater playground in Ohio. With them they bring their tourism dollars, shopping in our stores, and eating in our restaurants. “It’s also bringing a younger demographic to our community,” said Horton Hobbs, Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. “This is the demographic we need to pay attention to.” Copeland, who is a faculty member at Wittenberg University agrees. “When we take students on tours of the city they are especially interested in the ECO Sports Corridor,” he said.
Development along the corridor such as restaurants, outfitters and connectors to the bike path and entertainment venues could bring more activity to the area and help fuel downtown redevelopment efforts. “If we can make the corridor more attractive with more activities, we could hold onto our capable young people and attract more of those people to our community,” Copeland said. While some residents might be attracted to water sports and the rock climbing near the corridor, others can enjoy the beauty the corridor provides along the bike and walking trails, Loftis said. “Ask any realtor and they’ll tell you that people want to be near water,” he said. “They may never get in the water, but just being close to it increases the value of that property in their mind.” You can get involved in the Buck Creek Corridor project by contacting: Clark County Parks District: clarkcountyparkdistrict.org National Trail Parks & Recreation District: ntprd.org Greater Springfield Friends of the Trail OSUE Master Gardeners: mastergardener.osu.edu Friends of Buck Creek: ecosportscorridor.com Friends of Snyder Park www.greaterspringfield.com
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CIC NEWS+VIEWS
Making the Connection: Greater Springfield Job Fair On May 18, the Courtyard By Marriott became a link between job seekers and jobs. The downtown hotel was the site for the Spring Job Fair, hosted by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce and WorkPlus One Stop Center. The event drew more than 750 job seekers. Community Mercy Health Partners was one of 40 businesses that participated, taking resumes for numerous clinical and nursing positions, said Don Austin, health recruiter. “First impressions are very important to both the recruiter and the job seeker, Austin said. “It’s challenging for job seekers when they don’t get a chance to meet face to face with a recruiter,” he said. This gives them a chance to show their motivation and energy to a recruiter.” A major goal that came out of the Greater Springfield Moving Forward initiative was to help current businesses expand, attract new businesses and help the unemployed or underemployed find gainful employment, said Lehan Peters, director of WorkPlus. “Hosting a community-wide job fair gives local employers an opportunity to recruit and select potential job candidates,” Peters said, “and it gives job seekers a chance to talk to a ‘live’ recruiter rather than competing for jobs through an online job portal.” With skills ranging from line work to advanced manufacturing to professional services these individuals represent the quality workforce Greater Springfield needs to keep its companies competitive, its industry base diverse and attractive to new businesses, said Chamber President Mike McDorman. “That’s why the Chamber’s partnership with WorkPlus is so important,” he said. “In addition to coordinating the Job Fair every spring, this partnership matches employers with qualified employees on a daily basis. Not only that, but they help with preparing potential employees for job success.” WorkPlus serves both the unskilled and experienced professionals in their job search. They also help employers fill positions, from entry level to upper management. The Chamber’s HITS program (Hire, Invest, Train, Space) is designed to help employees with training issues for existing and or new hires. For more information, contact WorkPlus at 327-1961, WorkPlus.cc or call the Chamber at 325-7621.
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VOLUME 4, 2012
CVBNEWS+VIEWS
:Car
Nation
Swap Meet and Car Show brings 30,000 to fairgrounds
WITH CAR ENTHUSIASTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY ATTENDING HIS ANNUAL SWAP MEET & CAR SHOW, GREENE COUNTY RESIDENT JIM WIRTH COULD EASILY HOLD THE EVENT ANYWHERE HE WOULD CHOOSE.
Thankfully for Greater Springfield, he chose the Clark County Fairgrounds 27 years ago and has no intentions to move. Wirth took over the show at the request of Cars and Parts Magazine in 1984. He has since grown the show from 3,000 visitors to 30,000. “The fairgrounds is a former airport so it’s nice and flat,” he said. “And the fair officials are always willing to work with me, which was a big plus.” The largest in the Midwest, the May event draws around 4,000 vendors to the 126acre site. Parking overflows to adjacent fields. “We sell out every hotel in town and even farther than that,” he said. The result: an economic impact of nearly $8 million.
On the weekend of Sept. 7, the 23rd Annual IH Scout & Light Truck Nationals will be held at the fairgrounds in conjunction with the fall Swap Meet and Car Show. The event will bring International Truck enthusiasts from around the country to make a pilgrimage to Springfield - where IH was founded more than 100 years ago. The winter show will be held Nov. 10-11. For more information about upcoming shows, go to: OhioSwapMeet.com Clarkcoag.com
He sees no signs of it slowing down. “No other country loves their cars like we do in America,” he said. “We all remember our first cars and we’ve all been attached to one car or another in our life.” The son of an antique car enthusiast, Wirth cherishes the antique Hupmobile his late father left him. He is also enthused by the muscle cars of his generation, such as Chevelle SS and Pontiac GTOs that parade into the fairgrounds in pristine condition the first day of the show.
www.greaterspringfield.com
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HELPING OUR COMMUNITY
Focus on:
Chamber Ambassadors AS A TAX ACCOUNTANT, BLAKE SHAFFER KNOWS A GOOD DEDUCTION WHEN HE SEES ONE.
That’s why the chamber ambassador had no trouble introducing nine companies to chamber membership during Spring Membership Campaign. “Sure, chamber membership is tax deductible, but that’s almost an afterthought when I talk to people about joining” said Shaffer, president and owner of LWS Tax and Accounting Services. “With all the good things the chamber’s been doing lately, it almost sells itself. I tell people if you have money to invest, the chamber is a good place to put it. It’s a way to invest in your community.” In strict monetary terms, Shaffer said the chamber’s electric discount program, Speedway gas cards and the prescription drugs cards are just some of the ways his company and employees have saved. He said companies are always surprised to learn about the chamber benefits. “Also, I’ve gotten a lot of business from chamber events and being an ambassador,” he said. “When you’re involved as an ambassador you meet a lot of people and the more they see you, the more likely they’re going to think of you when they need your services.” “The chamber appreciates the hard work of all of our ambassadors who helped us exceed our goal for the spring campaign,” said Kathy McPommell, the chamber’s vice president of operations. Special “thanks” goes out to the following Chamber Ambassadors: • Barb Carpenter, WorkPlus • Rita Sneed, ARC Staffing • Charlene Roberge, Roediger Realty Co. • Karen Ehman, Ehman’s Garage • Nancy Cavanaugh, Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co. • Julia Maiolo, OIC of Clark County • Barb Long, PuroClean • Jennifer Price • Andrew Lell, The Cerium Group • Michele Hemphill, Villa Springfield • Trisha Church, KeyBank • Richard Spangler, Christ Episcopal Church • Karen Brodbeck, Strategic Leadership Solutions • Lenee Landry, WesBanco 8
VOLUME 4, 2012
Welcome to our new members! Independent Living of Ohio Springfield Wellness Center O’Conner’s Irish Pub Springfield Auto Supply, Inc. /dba: Napa Delille Oxygen Co. Northridge Lanes, Inc. Ohio Auto Sales Imperial Express, Inc. Randall’s Audio, Video & Visual LLC /dba WWRD TV Bug Stoppers, Inc. Jenks & Associates, Inc. Alpha & Omega Staffing Solutions Young Life New Touch Restorations Scholl Surveying LLC Paychex Bone-A-Fido Bakery Shaffer’s Auto Sales Christ Episcopal Church – Free Membership Freedom Health Clinic LLC Springfield Family Practice Inc. Emerald Green Windy Knoll Golf Club Mershon’s World of Cars, Inc. Beacon of Hope & Kairos Koffee Bob Evans- Leffel Lane Store Disability Management Process Solutions LLC Stonecipher Hughes SODEXO/ Wittenberg Dining Services Grandpa’s Garage, LLC The Buckeye Sports Lodge TRECA Digital Academy Job1USA Valeo Insurance and Financial Services Springfield Scrubs Profero Team, LLC