Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Newsletter
January 2016
Make it a great year! On behalf of the Chamber Staff and Board of Directors, we would like to wish you a Happy New Year and thank you for your continued support of the Heart of the Valley Chamber! Over the past few months, the Chamber has been busy! We recently launched our new Website. Please take some time and visit www.heartofthevalleychamber.com and click on our membership directory! It is very important for us to make sure we have the correct information for your business as well as the right contact. If you have any changes, please contact the chamber so we can make sure to update your information.
“Nicolet National Bank is proud to be a Heart of the Valley Chamber member. Among the primary reasons for our involvement is the Chamber’s ongoing efforts to aid in the growth of local
Your involvement with the Chamber is what you make of it…and the possibilities are endless! I encourage you to use the Chamber as a means of developing relationships and participating in our monthly events. We have recently formed some new committees and started some new roundtable groups. Every month we offer educational seminars, business after hours networking and a business card exchange. There is place in the Chamber for everyone from your business! I encourage you to get involved today!
small businesses, as well
Finally, Mark Your Calendar! Our Annual Awards event will be held on Thursday, February 18th! Award Applications are located on our website – make sure to check it out and nominate a deserving business today!
members that call of this
as the energy they put forth to better our local community. The Chamber has been an excellent venue to connect with the great region home.” - Kari Stockinger, Nicolet National Bank
if you have questions about your membership or if you are looking for ways to get more involved, please do not hesitate to call the chamber at 920-766-1616 or email kclussman@heartofthevalleychamber.com! I look forward to hearing from you! Kelli Clussman Executive Director
In This Issue Member Spotlight: Party and Print 2011 E. Main St. Little Chute, WI 54140
Upcoming Events
Heart of the Valley Area Safety Training
Thank You Small Business Owners
Good News Is Worth Repeating
Upcoming Events Name: Business Before Hours: Learning RX - "Cognition and Workplace Performance" Date: January 12, 2016 Time: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Location: Chamber Office Name: Business After Hours: Badger Sports Park Date: January 14, 2016 Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Location: Badger Sports Park 3600 E Evergreen Dr. Appleton, WI 54913 Name: Government Relations Roundtable Group Date: January 15, 2016 Time: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Location: Chamber Office Name: Business Card Exchange Date: January 20, 2016 Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Location: Chamber Office Name: Business Card Exchange Date: January 21, 2016 Time: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Location: Chamber Offfice Name: Non-Profit Roundtable Group Date: January 25, 2016 Time: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Location: Chamber Office
To register for an event, go to www.heartofthevalleychamber.com call (920) 766-1616 or email jamie@heartofthevalleychamber.com.
“Fork in the Road” Food Truck at the Chamber Thanks to “Fork in the Road” food truck for stopping in front of the Chamber which allowed us to try their delicious food!
4 Connecting People – Promoting Business
Business After Hours: Mr. Brews Taphouse
Thank You, Small Business Owners Knowing That Following Your Dream is Priceless Following your dream is priceless but also expensive. Some small business owners mortgage their homes to follow their dreams. Kudos for having the fortitude to make it a reality, to go for it even when it seems impossible. Working 80 Hours to Avoid Working 40 for Someone Else Owning a small business often means working around the clock. Even when your business is closed, you’re working on ways to improve it, market it, and serve your customers better. You know hard work is the only way to be successful but when it’s your passion and livelihood you don’t question work/life balance because you’re working to make your life better.
Setting an Example and Carrying on a Tradition Small business owners are often described as the backbone of our economy but they’re also the foundation. When driving down Main Street in a town where most of the windows are soaped and the storefronts are empty, that tells a dismal story of the town to residents and visitors. Small business owners, you keep the community’s dreams alive, as well as your own. You give us hope that our towns will continue to thrive.
Having the Courage to Try Something New Small businesses are often able to be more agile than larger business who have to run everything through “corporate.” You wear many hats and are tasked with knowing a little about every aspect of your business. If you weren’t versed in marketing or sales before Defying the Odds and Rebelling Against opening your business, you will be. If you knew nothing Convention about social media, you’ll learn. Small businesses must The easier route is to work for someone else, to punch always be learning to thrive. Stagnation is equal to stara clock and get a pay check, even when you go on va- vation in a small business. Thank you for going outside cation. But you didn’t take the easy way out and you’ve of your comfort zone to experiment with things traded in today’s vacations for a future of them. Thank unknown. We realize you work hard so you and your you for not listening to the laughs and the NOs you family can have better lives but you also keep the heard along the way. dreams of future business owners burning bright. Let’s support one another in attaining our dreams. 6 Connecting People – Promoting Business
Member Spotlight
Party and Print
One big challenge we have faced is competing with the "Big Box" stores. We feel our niche is that you get personal service that can be very hard to find in larger stores. You also don't have drive far to get that personalized service. Our handmade crafts are all local crafters, so that is a plus many people like. I feel some of our customers are already like friends. Karen Anderson - Owner
We joined the HOTV Chamber last year and I am very glad we did. Party and Print has been around a lot longer than most I have people realize. As far as I can tell, this business has enjoyed the been around since the 60's. You may recognize us by events I or former name, Paper Seconds. We have changed a have lot from the Paper Seconds days, but some things attended. have not changed. We still do embossed napkins the Especially same way we always have - stamping each napkin the individually by hand. Business after Hours Some things have really changed. We have added and the scrapbooking and handmade crafts to our store in the Business last few years. Including a wall of paper by the sheet Card for scrapbooking and card making. We also make Exchange. It has custom T-shirts, vinyl wall decor and saying and vinyl worked both ways. signage. They have been fantastic networking My husband and I purchased the store almost 2 years opportunities and I ago. I had been working here for a while and was given have received the opportunity to become the owner. It has been a business directly little scary navigating this new venture, but lots of fun 2011 E. Main St. from those events. and very rewarding too. I am able to use my crafty side I also made Little Chute, WI 54140 and make custom items for my clients. My husband contacts that will P: (920) 372-3525 Mike says I am right in my element. help my business in the future. Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10am-6pm Some new and exciting news is that we will be adding partyandprintllc@gmail.com helium balloons to what we offer soon. We are taking I believe our best over the helium business from King's Variety. King's days are ahead of Visit us on the web at: owner is very happy that her balloon customers won't us and that says a http://www.partyandprint.com/ have to leave town and we are excited to step into this lot, given our many new arena for us. It goes right along with all the rest of years of history. FB: https://www.facebook.com/ the party supplies we already have, so it will be a nice Party-and-Print-LLCfit.
Contact Party & Print
8 Connecting People – Promoting Business
Good News is Worth Repeating J.J. Trucking broke ground on a new 48,400 square foot facility in Plymouth in September.
Kevin Schmidt to Sales Director. First National Bank – Fox Valley (FNB Fox Valley) will sponsor their second Red Kettle Match Day for The Salvation Army–Fox Cities, matching up to $5,000 in donations at red kettle sites throughout the Fox Cities on Wednesday, December 9thfrom 8am to 8pm.
Hackbarth
Neighborhood Partners has become a permanent program of Goodwill NCW, marking Goodwill’s 28th program in its 35-county region.
Stellar Blue Technologies, a Fox Valley, Wis. based digital marketing firm, launched three custom websites for companies this November. The websites include Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce, Promotional Concepts Inc. and Sales and Marketing Professionals of Northeast Wisconsin (SMPNEW). They have also launched a new custom website for the Building for Kids Children’s Museum in Appleton, Wis. Schenck SC is pleased to announce Sandy Risgaard, CFP®, MBA, and Jeff Daye, CRPS®, RPA, have joined the firm as investment consultants. They will serve clients firm-wide. Jewelers Mutual Insurance Sandy Risgaard, CFP®, MBA Company has earned 29 consecutive A+ Superior financial strength ratings from A.M. Best Company, one of the world's most respected insurance rating and information sources. Congratulations to Attorney Daniel J. Walsh from Stellpflug Law on being selected by his peers for Jeff Daye, CRPS®, RPA inclusion in the 22nd Edition of the Best Lawyers in America in the Elder Law practice area. Additionally, Dan was named Best Lawyers’ 2016 Elder Law “Lawyer of the Year” for Green Bay. Only a single lawyer in each practice area in each community is honored as a “Lawyer of the Year”. Marco, Inc. recently announced the promotion of
Frontier Builders & Consultants recently announced that it is constructing a 41,250 sq. ft. addition to Mod Tech Industries’ manufacturing facility located at 1523 Industrial Drive in Shawano. Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) recently awarded a two-year $34,000 grant to CAP Services to help it build corporate capacity, attract additional investments and increase staff capacity to manage those investments. First National Bank – Fox Valley (FNB Fox Valley) has hired Keegan Langkau as a Senior Relationship Banker, Chad Hackbarth as a Relationship Banker, Lea Ann Kolb as a Universal Teller and Alexis Rupple as a Drive Thru Teller.
Langkau
Ruppel
Kolb
With only 10 days left in the calendar and tax year, now is the time to make a financial contribution or a material donation to Goodwill NCW Give us a call for more or another nonprofit information about our services and organization. products
Contact Us
Making a taxdeductible contribution is a move that helps all parties, said Nancy Heykes, Goodwill NCW’s vice president of development.
Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce 101 E. Wisconsin Ave. Kaukauna, WI 54130 (920) 766-1616 info@heartofthevalleychamber.com Visit us on the web at www.heartofthevalleychamber.com
101 E. Wisconsin Ave. Kaukauna, WI 54130 920.766.1616. www.heartofthevalleychamber.com