Emphasis - May 2012

New! Legislative internships 4 The importance of training 5

Chamber events calendar 14

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M O N T H LY May 2 0 12

Drive for success

Tee up with local leaders at our second annual Links4Leaders and Chamber Golf School on June 4. Page 7 T H E G R E AT E R F O R T WAYN E C H A M B E R O F CO M M E R C E

f wc h am b e r.o rg/emph a si s

Human

Interaction

FWA

FLA

FORT WAYNE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

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Professional Collaborations & Partnerships

& So Close You Can Taste It Creatives

Amenities

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LETTER

FROM

Mike Landram CEO and President The Chamber mlandram@fwchamber.org

THE

PRESIDENT

Chamber members and friends, As President and CEO of The Chamber, I’m always proud of the work we do in the Greater Fort Wayne area. With more than 1,650 exceptional members and an exceptional team of Chamber employees, we really do make a difference in our community.

This month, I’m extra proud of the work we’re doing. On May 10, The Chamber will host Fort Wayne’s first “Hiring our Heroes” job fair. We are partnering with the U.S. Chamber, the DOL VETS, ESGR, 122nd Force Support Squadron, the 1-293 Infantry Batallion, NIHRA, and WorkOne Northeast to bring you this great event.

This career fair will allow veterans, reservists, and military family members the opportunity to meet with some of the community’s best employers who are all looking for talented individuals.

This month’s cover showcases our second annual Links 4 Leaders outing and Chamber Golf School. Pine Valley Country Club will be the backdrop for this event that has everyone mixing and mingling over lunch and dinner with some golf

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M O N T H LY

Michelle Merritt Vice President of Membership and Communications Deb Boyd Controller Jennifer Fisher Graduate Retention Program Manager Katy StaffordCunningham Vice President of Government Affairs

Jon Swerens Director of Communications and Emphasis Editor Emphasis Monthly is a publication of The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.

826 Ewing Street Fort Wayne, IN 46802 (260) 424-1435 www.fwchamber.org communications@fwchamber.org Printed by KPC Media Group Inc., publishers of the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly

CO V E R P H OTO B Y J O N S W E R E N S

Dave Young Vice President of Air Service Development

A limited amount of advertising in Emphasis Monthly is available exclusively to Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce members.

For rates and information, contact KPC Media Group: Lynn Sroufe Fort Wayne general manager lsroufe@kpcnews.net (260) 426-2640 ext. 304 Lynette Donley Fort Wayne advertising sales manager lynetted@kpcnews.net (260) 426-2640 ext. 305 Or visit the web site: fwbusiness.com/emphasis

The mission of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is to create a vibrant economic environment by supporting business, advocating on behalf of the business community, and fostering community partnerships to advance a common economic vision.

WEB

SITE

INSIDE

THIS

ISSUE

4 New! Legislative internships

Volume 22, Issue 5 Mike Landram President/CEO

in between. Key business professionals such as Lutheran’s Joe Dorko, Senator David Long, Steel Dynamic’s Keith Busse, the Honorable Wendy Davis, Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry, Ivy Tech Chancellor Jerrilee Mosier, STAR Financial’s Jim Marcuccilli, and Fort Wayne Newspapers Mike Christman will golf with Chamber members.

Also, The Chamber is a proud supporter of Lemonade Day. This is a great way for kids to learn about starting, owning and operating their own business. See Page 8 for more info.

In May, Anthony Juliano will join our Communications Director, Jon Swerens, to help you prefect your presentation skills at the Lunch n’ Learn on May 2.

We’ll follow that up with a Marketing Summit with experts helping you present yourself and your business better. I encourage you to take advantage of these programs.

Hope to see you in the month ahead!

SPONSORS

4 Discounts available through PHP and The Chamber 5 Training and development: More important than you think 6 Sign up for our Marketing Summit 7 New non-stop service to Fort Myers 8 Lemonade Day teaches business skills 9 Our second annual Links 4 Leaders and Chamber Golf School 10 Pugh joins The Chamber 11 New and renewing members 11 Your Chamber discount guide 12-13 Ribbon cuttings 14 Chamber Calendar of Events

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GOVERNMENT

AFFAIRS

New! Legislative internships Katy StaffordCunningham Vice President of Government Affairs The Chamber kstafford@fwchamber.org fwchamber.org/gov

Follow us on Twitter Find us on Twitter at @FWGovConnect

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is excited to kickoff our 2012 Legislative Internship Program between our Graduate Retention Program and our Government Affairs Department.

We will be working together to make legislative internships more accessible to the students of Northeast Indiana. By reaching out to the nine area higher education institutions, we are hoping to bring more awareness about internship possibilities during the Indiana General Assembly session, as well as federal office internships and local government internships at the County and City.

All four caucuses of the General Assembly hire paid session interns. In addition, many government affairs firms hire hallway interns. There are also opportunities for local internships with federal offices, city and county government, and other organizations.

We believe these experiences can be beneficial to all students in Northeast Indiana.

Legislative internships cover a variety of issues and are ideal for all majors. Students can ben-

efit greatly from seeing concepts become law and hearing how these concepts take shape through testimony, representation by advocacy firms and organizations, and communication with the four political caucuses in the Statehouse. With a continuously tight job market, internships are becoming more and more valuable. In addition, the experiences students gain can expand their network exponentially.

Our program includes a panel discussion where students can hear from professionals at all levels of government to learn how an internship can best serve them. In addition, the Chamber hosts internships interview fairs where potential employers from Fort Wayne and Indianapolis interview students for internships.

This program is one that, while new, will grow rapidly. We look forward to its future success for students in Northeast Indiana.

To get involved, contact me at (260) 424-1435 or kstafford@fwchamber.org.

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

Discounts available through PHP, Chamber The Chamber discount If your business has 2 to 50 employees, you qualify for a discount of up to five percent on your small business insurance premiums from PHP. Average annual savings is $3,500.

To receive a free quote, call PHP at (800) 9826257 or visit www. phpni.com and click on the Chamber Discount Program link.

4

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce and Physicians Health Plan have partnered for over 10 years, all in effort to offer small business chamber members savings on their group health insurance through PHP. This value-added benefit program has grown and expanded over the years.

Currently, there are 379 chamber members participating in the Health Matters program, collectively saving over $1.4 million on their annual insurance premiums.

In 2001, the Chamber began looking for a way to relieve financial pressure on area employers that stemmed from the rising cost of healthcare.

PHP was a natural fit: a local, not-for-profit health insurance carrier who was also a member of the Chamber. PHP developed a program, Health Matters, for fellow Chamber members to help them lower their healthcare expense with reduced insurance premiums through PHP. Health Matters continues to be a joint effort be-

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tween PHP and the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, offering up to a 5% discount on employer sponsored health insurance. If a company joins the chamber or is already a member, and has between 2 and 50 employees who qualify for health insurance coverage, the company is eligible for the discount.

Discounts are not limited to just new members or clients, and don’t expire after an introductory period. Existing small business chamber members that currently have PHP coverage and the Health Matters discount will continue to receive the program discount upon the annual renewal of their coverage and chamber membership.

Take advantage of this opportunity and start saving today! If you are interested in receiving more information about the Health Matters discount program, contact your local insurance broker or a PHP Sales Representative at (260) 4326690 or 1-800-982-6257.

G R A D U AT E

RETENTION

Training and development: More important than you think Jennifer Fisher Graduate Retention Program Manager The Chamber jfisher@fwchamber.org fwchamber.org/grad Follow us on Twitter: @gradretention

When budgets start to get tight and cutbacks are made, training and development is sometimes one of the first things to go for many companies.

Many organizations look at training as an expense rather than a true necessity.

However, that thinking may actually be the exact opposite of what is best for employees and the organization as a whole.

Show me the money Training and development can be a great opportunity for employees to learn important new skills and build on existing competencies. What you may not know is that employee training increases employee effectiveness and ultimately increases company success.

According to a study conducted by the American Society of Training and development, there is a positive correlation between the amount of money and time spent on employee training and the profitability of a company. In fact, according to skillstrac.com, an investment in higher-level training of as little as 10 percent can yield an 8.6 percent increase in productivity, compared to a 3.4 percent increase from investing the same amount in new equipment.

So what does that mean? Investing in employee training can actually impact your company’s bottom line!

Added Benefits But increased productivity of employees is not the only benefit a company receives. Studies show that training can also improve employee morale and happier employees are less likely to leave your company.

Consider this: According to pinpointperformance.net, In companies where training is conducted effectively, 12 percent of employees are considering leaving the company to find a new job.

In companies who do not train or the training is not conducted well, 41 percent of employees are planning to leave.

Plus, the average cost to replace an employee and train a new person on just the basics of a job are at least $17,000. The average cost of training is just 2.5 percent of an employee’s salary.

Upcoming events The Live, Learn and Intern program gets rolling in June.

If you have interns working for your company this summer, contact Cassie Cashman, our Live, Learn, and Intern Coordinator, at ccashman@fwchamber.org for details on how they can attend our free and fun summer event series.

More details: www.fwchamber.org/grad Training and development as an employee benefit You can see why training and development is important to your organization. The investment you make in your employees can have a huge impact on your company’s financial success.

But did you know that younger employees actually view training and development as a required benefit when they are looking for jobs?

According to a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Millennials ranked training and development as the Number One benefit they were looking for.

Many noted that they wanted more than “just a job” and that they were looking for something that could offer them professional growth with an opportunity for ongoing learning. (Source: www. hirestrategy.com).

So what does all this mean to your organization?

It means that you should definitely be looking at your training and development strategy as a retention and recruitment tool.

Statistics show you’ll have happier employees and a happier you (because you’ll have a happier bottom line, of course).

Need help with training?

The Graduate Retention Program offers free training for companies in Northeast Indiana who post internships on www.indianaintern.net.

For more details on the types of training we offer, contact jfisher@fwchamber.org.

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CHAMBER

PROGRAMS

Sign up for our Marketing Summit Responding to the needs of our members, The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce has created a Marketing Summit: Present Yourself, Present Your Business. This event will be held on Wednesday, May 16, at the Chamber building, 826 Ewing St., Fort Wayne.

Attendees may choose four sessions of the following sessions:  “Designing Your Space” by Cathy Waggoner, Design Collaborative  “Presenting Yourself in Print” by Bonnie Blackburn, Fort Wayne Newspapers  “Personal Image” by Tom Brookshire, L Spa Modern  “Presenting your new organization to the community” by Julie Fiechter, Lending A Hand  “Elevator Pitch” by Jerry Hogan, Resource Development Group, LLC  “Details, Details, Details,” by Vicki Johnson, Tower Bank  “Small Group/One on One” by Elizabeth Nulf MacDonald, The Verbal Edge

 “The Power of a Good First Impression,” by Tim Jones and Michelle Merritt, the Chamber The summit is open to members and nonmembers.

The early-bird registration ends at 5 p.m. Friday, May 4. The early-bird rate is $49 for Chamber members and $99 for nonmembers. After 5 p.m.

May 4, the registration rate is $69 for Chamber members and $129 for nonmembers.

The registration fee also includes breakfast, lunch, and all materials. Payment for this event is nonrefundable.

Sponsors of the Marketing Summit include Design Collaborative, Fort Wayne Newspapers, L Spa Modern, LendingAHand.net, Resource Development Group LLC, Tower Bank and The Verbal Edge.

Breakfast sponsored by Chick-fil-A at Jefferson Pointe. Lunch sponsored by Calhoun Street Soups, Salads & Spirits. Coffee sponsored by Office Depot.

Please sign up on our web site, fwchamber.org. by noon, Tuesday, May 15.

COMMERCIAL

printing

PHP, in conjunction with the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, is offering a discount up to 5% on employee health insurance. All you have to do is be a Chamber member or join today, and have a business with 2-50 employees that are eligible for coverage. Save money by staying local with your health insurance, courtesy of PHP. To sign up or find out more contact PHP at 800-982-6257 or call the Chamber at 424-1435. www.phpni.com

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AIR

SERVICE

DEVELOPMENT

Starting on June 28, Allegiant will add non-stop flights from Fort Wayne International Airport to Southwest Florida.

New non-stop service to Fort Myers Officials at the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority are pleased to announce that Allegiant has added non-stop flights from FWA to Southwest Florida.

The service to Punta Gorda Airport (PGD), located just 30 minutes from popular Fort Myers, will operate two flights per week beginning June 28, 2012.

Allegiant has launched the new service with special introductory fares for those who book by Monday, April 30.

“This is great news for FWA and the residents of our region,” said Scott Hinderman, Executive Director of Airports. “Allegiant has been a great partner in providing service to Florida’s most popular vacation destinations from FWA and we anticipate this new route to be well received by the Fort Wayne community.”

Punta Gorda, Fla., is situated on the shores of Charlotte Harbor, about 100 miles south of Tampa and a convenient 24 miles north of Fort Myers.

In addition to the city’s beautiful historic district, Punta Gorda offers many natural attractions, waterside shopping, fishing, and fine dining.

“We’re excited to offer another affordable, convenient destination option for Fort Wayne residents,” said Andrew C. Levy, Allegiant Travel Company President. “We are confident the community will appreciate the value of flying nonstop to Southwest Florida and the great deals we offer on vacation packages.”

Allegiant also offers non-stop flights from FWA to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Orlando and

Tampa Bay, Florida.

To book a vacation, visit the Allegiant web site at www.Allegiant.com or call 702-505-8888.

The Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority (FWACAA) was created in 1985 and is responsible for managing the Fort Wayne International Airport and Smith Field. Since FWACAA’s inception, Fort Wayne International Airport has undergone an aggressive improvement plan which included expansion of the terminal and parking areas, upgrades to the runways, and the creation of an Air Trade Center and Foreign Trade Zone to promote economic development in Northeast Indiana.

As a result of FWACAA’s commitment to customer service, Fort Wayne International Airport was recognized by USA Today as one of the friendliest airports in the nation.

The Authority is governed by a six–member board appointed by both the Mayor of Fort Wayne and the Allen County Commissioners. For more information about the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority, visit www.FWAirport.com.

The Authority is supported by The Chamber’s Air Service Development Division, which promotes and markets Fort Wayne International Airport to current and potential customers both within and outside the community.

The Air Service Development Division is available to make presentations to any group who wishes to explore the advantages the airport offers and the challenges that lay ahead.

Find out more about The Chamber’s Air Service Division at fwchamber.org/air on our web site.

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CHAMBER

PROGRAMS

Lemonade Day, on May 12 in Fort Wayne, is free for students to get involved.

Lemonade Day teaches biz skills Lemonade Day is a free, fun, experiential learning program that teaches youth how to start, own and operate their own business â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a lemonade stand. Lemonade Day in Fort Wayne will be on May 12.

The foremost objective of Lemonade Day is to empower youth to take ownership of their lives and become productive members of society â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the business leaders, social advocates, volunteers, and forward thinking citizens of tomorrow.

Each child that registers receives a backpack with an Entrepreneur Workbook that teaches them the 14 lessons of Lemonade Day like creating budgets, setting profit-making goals, serving customers, repaying investors, and giving back to the community.

Along the way, they acquire skills in goal-setting, problem solving, and gain self-esteem critical for future success. They keep all the money they make and are encouraged to spend some, save some and share some.

Who can participate?

Youth of all ages, from Pre-K through high school, can register for an official Lemonade Day stand and adults are needed to participate as mentors and volunteers.

In addition, community support from schools, churches, businesses and youth organizations is essential to the success of Lemonade Day.

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How does it work?

Each child that registers for Lemonade Day receives a yellow backpack containing an entrepreneurial workbook for the child and a caring adult guide. The workbooks outline the steps needed to start a business, from setting a goal, creating a business plan, forming a budget, finding an investor, to saving money and donating a portion back to their community. (Materials are available in Spanish.)

How does a child register?

A child can register online at this web page: http://fortwayne.lemonadeday.org.

What do children learn?

The objective of Lemonade Day is to teach youth how to start and run their own lemonade business. Through this enterprise, children will learn the entrepreneurial skills necessary to be successful in the future and become contributing members of their communities.

How can I get involved in Lemonade Day? Young entrepreneurs that have lemonade stands need mentors, investors, employees and customers! Sponsors and volunteers are also needed to make Lemonade Day a success. All money raised through local donations and sponsorships is used to directly support Lemonade Day in Fort Wayne.

CHAMBER

EVENTS

Local leaders, such as Mayor Tom Henry, center, have reserved their spaces in our Links 4 Leaders event on June 4.

Links 4 Leaders set for June 4 Greens sponsor Comcast Business Class

Eagle sponsor Parkview Health

Lunch sponsor Design Collaborative

Hole sponsor Tower Bank

A golf game often sets the perfect tone for business deals. In recognition of this, the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Pine Valley Country Club to host its second annual Links 4 Leaders golf event on Monday, June 4.

Each team of three in our golf scramble is paired with a northeast Indiana business leader to make a foursome. Golfers may sign up as individuals or as a team of three; individual golfers will be grouped into foursomes. Enjoy a leisurely day on the course while you make valuable business connections.

If you need to brush up on your golf skills or even start from square one, The Chamber Golf School is for you. The golf school will run concurrently with the scramble and feature high-quality, small-group instruction from a PGA pro. Seasoned golfers also can improve their game for a fraction of what individual lessons would cost.

Students will join Pine Valley Pro Mike Ahlers, Chamber President Mike Landram, and Ivy Tech Chancellor Jerrilee Mosier for an afternoon of golf lessons unlike any you will receive. Golf School students will learn the rules, etiquette, as well as the dos and don’ts of client golf. You’ll also perfect your long game, short game, chipping, and putting. Later in the day you’ll put those skills to work in a mini tournament with your fellow students.

Chamber Golf School provides you several weeks’

Participating local business leaders in 2012  Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry  Randy Borror of Bose Public Affairs  Keith Busse of Steel Dynamics  Mike Christman of Fort Wayne Newspapers  Hon. Wendy Davis of Allen County Superior Court  Joe Dorko of Lutheran Health Network  Sen. David Long  Jim Marcuccilli of STAR Financial Bank  Chancellor Jerrilee Mosier of Ivy Tech worth of lessons in one afternoon.

All attendees receive a lunch fresh off the grill and a festive awards and dinner reception, which both include networking with the leaders.

The cost for an individual golfer, which includes both meals, is $225. A team of three costs $650.

The cost of The Chamber Golf School event, which also includes both meals, is $150.

Go to fwchamber.org/links for details and to sign up today!

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CHAMBER

About Jordan Pugh Jordan is the new fulltime financial anayist at The Chamber. He reports to our controller, Deb Boyd.

He is a Fort Wayne native. He’s been married for three years to Natalie, a teacher at Smith-Green Community Schools.

They have a miniature schnauzer as a pet.

He enjoys walking, golf, Indiana University athletics, and Indianapolis Colts football.

Contact him at jpugh@ fwchamber.org or by calling (260) 424-1435.

C H AT

Pugh joins The Chamber as financial analyst How has your past employment prepared you for the work you are doing with The Chamber?

My past employment helped me because of working with critical information and timeliness of reports. While there isn’t as much data as I was working with before, you still want to deliver everything you can on time to either people here at The Chamber, or to your members.

What does your job entail as financial analyst?

Budgeting, Accounts Payable and Receivable, and analysis of The Chamber financials as well.

The challenges that are in this are making some changes in some reporting to a more standardized schedule and reducing some of the time spent on some tasks at The Chamber If you had to describe your experience with The Chamber thus far using one word, what would it be?

Potential. There is a lot of potential with this job, and with The Chamber. Not just for myself, but for all of the community and our members.

In your free time, what are you most likely to be found doing?

I like to walk with our dog, play golf when I can, and spend time with my wife.

When you were a little boy, what did you want to be when you grew up (and why)?

I always wanted to be a meteorologist when I was growing up. I was fascinated by the weather, and still am to this day. In high school and college

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I realized it wasn’t a good career prospect for me though.

What are some of your goals for your first year with The Chamber?

Some of my first year goals are to streamline some processes in the finance department and to absorb as much information I can about this job.

It’s easy to see what you are doing on a daily basis, but need to see what some others are doing as well to make it all work.

What’s your favorite place to vacation outside of Fort Wayne?

Anywhere in the Caribbean. In a cost saving sense though, I’m a Colts season ticket holder so visiting Indianapolis for a day usually is a fun small day get-a-way.

What advice would you give to new members to help them get the most out of their Chamber membership?

To use your membership to your full advantage, it seems like there is always something going on at The Chamber that can be of interest to our members.

NEW

AND

New members March 2012 21st Century Homes 3 Rivers Computer Solutions AJ Logistics Ampro Fleet Systems Excellon Technologies Fern HR French Lick Resort Pfister Sprinklers Prevail Prosthetics-Orthotics Summit City Fitness Summit City Insurance Tec-Hacket Telectro-Mek Tradewell Tax Unity Performing Art Foundation Water Furnace WBCL Western Southern Renewing members March 2012 3 Rivers Metal Recycling All Star Construction & Excavating, Inc. Allen County 4-H Clubs, Inc. Allen County Indiana Bar Association, Inc. Allied Physicians, Inc. Arbor Lakes Apartments Atos Attero Tech, LLC Azar’s, Inc. Beers Mallers Backs & Salin, LLP Best Western Luxbury Inn Fort Wayne BIB Group

RENEWING

Big C Lumber Company Brainfood for Business Campbell & Fetter Bank CBRE/Sturges Century 21 Bradley Realty, Inc. CF Construction LLC Cintas Colonial Development, Inc. Colonial Homes, Inc. Complete Drives, Inc. Coyote Creek Golf Club, Inc. Custom Poly Packaging Deckard Mechanical, LLC Design Collaborative Do it Best Corp.

EOS Experienced Office Solutions Fort Wayne Country Club Fort Wayne Shows, Inc. Fort Wayne Urban League Frontier Communications Gordon Food Service Hampton Inn Dupont Road HealthSource Chiropractic & Progressive Rehab Heartland Coffee Company Hunt Club Hyatt Place Fort Wayne In Balance Books, Inc. Indiana Benefits Recovery Indiana Research Service Inverness Surgery Center Jess Lewis Transmission Kelley Chevrolet King & Knight, LLC Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse Merrill Lynch

MEMBERS

Michiana Business Publications Midwest Pipe & Steel, Inc. Moore & Associates Park Place Senior Living Personal Touch Specialties & Gifts Pine Valley Country Club Quality Tool Company, Inc. Rainbow Spouting, Inc. Renaissance Title Co. Ronald McDonald House Charities Rose Agency, Inc. Schenkel Construction, Inc. Spherion Staffing Services Steel Dynamics, Inc. Swiss Re Life & Health America, Inc. Sylvan Learning Centers Taylor University MBA The Chapel The Family Business Consulting Group The Garrett State Bank The Otis R. Bowen Center For Human Services Thistle Group Tradewell Tax & Financial Tri State Christian TV Trine University Vital Living WellSpa Wallen Hills WANE-TV Wayne Combustion Systems Whitley Mfg. Co. Woolman Financial Group, LLC World Baseball Academy

CLICK & CONNECT Download our free smart phone app for iPhone and Android  Business directory of Chamber members  Touch-to-call option  Chamber calendar of events

 Community calendar of festivals and events  Sponsored business listings near you  And much more!

Get the community app for Fort Wayne from The Chamber: fwchamber.org/app

DISCOUNT GUIDE PHP member discount If your business has 2 to 50 employees, you qualify for a discount of up to five percent on your small business insurance premiums from PHP. Average annual savings is $3,300. To receive a quote, call PHP at (800) 982-6257 or visit phpni.com and click on the Chamber Discount Program link.

Office Depot savings Chamber members can save 60 percent on “core catalog” items and four percent off retail catalog purchases. The average member using this discount saves $534 a year. Contact Chris Michaels at (260) 249-3977.

Cirrus ABS eBusiness Suite for the Web The Cirrus ABS eBusiness Suite provides web site services for members seeking more affordable alternatives to traditional web site designs and set up.

Read more at fwchamber.org/cirrus.

Comcast Business Class This program provides Chamber members with exceptional Internet services at a substantial discount of up to $29.95 per month. Info: fwchamber.org/ comcast.

Sam’s Club savings Chamber members receive a $25 gift card for a Plus membership or a $10 for a Business membership.

Info at samsclub.com/membership.

Event discounts and admittance Every employee of each of our members receives the member price for Chamber events. Also, all employees of members can attend member-only events, such as the Third House Forums.

Meeting rooms Members get free usage of meeting rooms large and small in the Chamber building during business hours. Call 424-1435 for details.

Promotion and referrals Members can create and offer member-to-member coupons on the web site. Members also get free promotion to a readership of 24,000 through Emphasis and free phone and web referrals.

Notarization and certification of origin Free for members by our front desk staff.

Get complete details online at fwchamber.org/getsaving M AY 2 0 1 2

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RIBBON

CUTTINGS

Chamber member Aflac celebrated the grand opening of its new regional office at 220 Insurance Drive on March 2. Participants included Aflac staff Justin Finton, Don Springer and Matt Mitman, plus Allen County Commissioner Nelson Peters and The Chamber’s president and CEO Mike Landram.

Taking part in the March 3 ribbon cutting at Kumon Math & Reading Center on Illinois Road were The Chamber’s Katy Stafford-Cunningham; Yashika Gupta; Prabha Gupta; Indu Goel; Ankita Gupta, owner of Kumon’s north location; owner Meera Jain; Prakriti Guragain; Matthias Bowie; Brittany Hancock; Alisha Rajdev; Daniel Long; and The Chamber’s Teresa Royer.

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P H OTO S B Y J O N S W E R E N S

On March 16 at 11:45 a.m., Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce member Coliseum Productions held a ribbon cutting celebrating its Outdoor Sports, Lake & Cabin Show at Memorial Coliseum, 4000 Parnell Ave., Fort Wayne.

Among those in attendance at the ribbon cutting for the Outdoor Sports, Lake & Cabin Show were David Marquart, Coliseum Productions; Michelle Merritt, The Chamber; and Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry.

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RIBBON

CUTTINGS

Chamber member 11 Eleven Lyceum celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, March 22. The ceremony took place at 10 a.m. at the 11 Eleven Lyceum, 6325 Illinois Road, next to Lucky Harley-Davidson.

From left: The Chamberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Teresa Royer, 11 Eleven assistant Cindy Nissen, 11 Eleven manager Brittany Rickord, 11 Eleven general manager Jason Breckenridge, and Anthony Glaub.

The Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority, along with The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, held a ribbon cutting Thursday for the new 12-unit T-Hangar facility at Smith Field Airport (SMD). From left are Chuck Austin, project foreman from Strebig Construction; Mike Smejkal, engineer at CMT; County Commissioner Nelson Peters; Scott Hinderman, director of operations and facilities; Mike Landram, president and CEO of The Chamber; Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry; Ben Johnston, airport authority board member; and hangar tenant Dan Leonard.

Golf Etc. at 4824 Illinois Road celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting on March 30.

Among those taking part were Jerry Touchet, general manager; Eric Touchet, managing partner; Nancy Touchet, managing partner; Robin Ryles, head golf professional; and Chamber president and CEO Mike Landram.

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Sign up for our events!

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EVENTS

Lunch ’n Learn: Perfecting Your Presentation

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Now offered quarterly, our luncheon events pack a wealth of business knowledge into 90 minutes — and include lunch!

Learn to deliver a presentation that involves your audience. Taught by Asher Agency’s Anthony Juliano and The Chamber’s Jon Swerens.

Cost: Member: $10 | Nonmember: $20.

Includes a catered lunch Wednesday, May 2 | 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. with Q&A until 1:30 p.m.

The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.

Go online at fwchamber.org/ events to get more details and register.

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Our summits are quarterly events that offer in-depth education on relevant business topics.

Local professionals teach you about your professional image, for your business and yourself. More details on Page 7.

Cost: Early-bird Registration (Good through 5 p.m. Friday, May 4): $49 Chamber Members, $99 Nonmembers.

Regular Registration: $69 Chamber Members, $129 Nonmembers Wednesday, May 16 | 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.

President’s Lunch Every month, meet a local business leader Chamber President and CEO Mike Landram hosts lunch with Col. David Augustine of the 122nd Fighter Wing/ Indiana Air National Guard.

Cost: $25, including meal | Limited to the first 10 Chamber members to sign up Thursday, May 3 | noon-1 p.m.

Chops Steaks & Seafood, 6421 W. Jefferson Blvd.

Hiring Our Heroes veterans event A hiring fair for veteran job seekers, active duty military members, Guard and Reserve members and eligible spouses.

For more information, see the ad on the opposite page.

Cost: Free for veterans and employers Thursday, May 10 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Memorial Coliseum, 4000 Parnell Ave.

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Marketing Summit: Present Yourself.

Present Your Business.

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Meet Me @ 5 at Courtyard

by Marriott Downtown Enjoy an evening of networking with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar Cost: Member: $5 | Nonmember: $10 Thursday, May 17 | 5-7 p.m.

Courtyard by Marriott Downtown, 1150 S. Harrison St.

Links 4 Leaders and Chamber Golf School Enjoy a leisurely day on the course while you make valuable business connections.

Each team of three in our golf scramble is paired with a northeast Indiana business leader to make a foursome. The golf school will run concurrently with the scramble and feature small-group instruction from a PGA pro.

Cost: Individual golfer, which includes both meals, is $225. A team of three costs $650. Chamber Golf School, which also includes both meals, is $150.

Monday, June 4 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Pine Valley Country Club

May 10 · 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Memorial Coliseum Free for veterans and employers Join us for a hiring fair for veteran job seekers active duty military members, Guard and Reserve members and eligible spouses. This event will be a one-of-a-kind free hiring fair for employers who are committed to hiring our veterans and job seekers.

This hiring event is being conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (DOL VETS), the Indiana Committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), the 122 Force Support Squadron, the 1-293 Infantry Batallion, NBC News, and other local partners.

Walk-ins are welcome but space is not guaranteed. If you need assistance registering, please contact us at hiringourheroes@uschamber.com.

www.uschamber.com/hiringourheroes

Linksand Chamber 4 Leaders Golf School MONDAY, JUNE 4, 11 A.M.-6 P.M. AT PINE VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB Reserved exclusively for Chamber members!

Each team of three in our golf scramble is paired with a northeast Indiana business leader to make a foursome. Golfers may sign up as individuals or as a team of three; individual golfers will be grouped into foursomes. Enjoy a leisurely day on the course while you make valuable business connections.

If you need to brush up on your golf skills or even start from square one, The Chamber Golf School is for you. The golf school will run concurrently with the scramble and feature high-quality, small-group instruction from a PGA pro. Seasoned golfers also can improve their game for a fraction of what individual lessons would cost.

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All attendees receive a lunch fresh off the grill and a festive awards and dinner reception, which both include networking with the leaders.

The cost for an individual golfer, which includes both meals, is $225. A team of three costs $650. The cost of The Chamber Golf School event, which also includes both meals, is $150.

Register online at fwchamber.org/links