2018 Annual Awards Celebration Sarpy County’s business and nonprofit leaders gathered on October 10th at Embassy Suites La Vista to attend Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Awards Celebration. The Sarpy Chamber recognized outstanding members of the Sarpy County business community and celebrated a year of robust growth. Awards were given in five categories and to special honorees for Chamber Excellence. Continued inside on page 2
FROM THE PRESIDENT 2018 is now in the books and it
growth, and a look back on how far
was an exciting year for the Sarpy
we’ve come together. Reflecting
Chamber. We added new events,
on such an amazing year only has
grew existing ones, purchased a
us more excited to take on the
new building, and we got to do it all
challenges and opportunities a new
with your support.
year brings. We also look forward to
In this issue you’ll find changes
helping YOU build a successful 2019!
coming to our 2019 events, New Year’s resolutions for professional
WHAT’S INSIDE
Karen Gibler ANNUAL AWARDS...............................1 UPCOMING EVENTS...........................4
2019 EVENT CHANGES
NEW YEAR, NEW STRATEGIES
See what changes are coming
Don’t forget about business goals
in the new year and which
when making your New Year’s
events are coming back!
Resolutions.
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SC WOW MODEL BEHAVIOR..............6 HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE.....................10
402.339.3050 WWW.SARPYCHAMBER.ORG 1243 GOLDEN GATE DRIVE
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Sarpy Chamber in Review In addition to handing out individual awards, the Annual Awards Celebration also highlights the Sarpy Chamber’s accomplishments in the past year. After years of saving and planning, the Sarpy Chamber purchased and moved into its new building. The chamber held its first ever membership drive and grew its membership by over 10%. New sources of revenue were added by producing the annual directory in house and adding publications like the quarterly Blueprint. The chamber’s membership retention rate climbed from 86% last year to 96% this year. The numbers below look even further back to 2013. The Sarpy Chamber has come a long way in just five years with the support and strength of its members.
Five Year’s Growth by the Numbers
3 18.5 40 2,145
MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT STAFF
PERFECNT MEMBERSHIP INCREASE
In 2013 the Sarpy Chamber had no staff for membership engagement. In the years since, the chamber has added three membership engagement positions dedicated to helping members navigate the resources and benefits of chamber membership. The Sarpy Chamber’s membership has grown by 18.5% over the last five years. Carefully planning manageable growth allows the chamber to effectively serve the fastest growing county in Nebraska. The Sarpy Chamber had 29 partners in 2013. By 2018 the Sarpy Chamber had 40 partners as well as a new “Community Pillar” partner level.
PARTNERS
FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS
The Sarpy Chamber has made significant efforts to increase its online presense. As a result, the chamber’s Facebook followers increased from 800 in 2013 to 2145 in 2018. The Sarpy Chamber also launched a new website and mobile app.
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Annual Awards Continued Sam’s Club - Papillion was recognized as Business of the Year 25-plus Employees. Sam’s Club credits their strengths to their employees, who volunteer hundreds of hours each year to dozens of local organizations. Sam’s Club – Papillion has added 20 additional associates and added employee benefits like 10-week paid maternity leave and 6-week paid leave for spouses.
Midlands Family Urgent Care was named New or Emerging Business of the Year. In just two years they have tripled their number of employees, provided free physicals for the Special Olympics, organized a community blood drive and awarded scholarships to local students. Fontenelle Forest was awarded Non-Profit of the Year for their work in preserving 2,000 acres of forest, rehabilitating injured or orphaned birds of prey in their recovery center, and providing environmental education to more than 40,000 school children each year in the Omaha area. White Castle Roofing took the title of Business of the Year 1-24 Employees. Community is their first core value and since 2012 they have donated more than $85,000 to local charities through their monthly grand giveaway program and have donated at least three free roofs each year to families in need.
The chamber honored Brian Mahlendorf, with The Weitz Company, as Business Leader of the Year. Brian acts as a resource to Sarpy County by taking an active role in organizations like the La Vista Community Foundation, 84th Street Redevelopment, and the ACE Mentoring Organization. At work, he encourages employees to engage in philanthropic activities and practices a family-first attitude by incorporating workday flexibility and staggered scheduling amongst project teams. Additionally, nine Chamber Excellence honorees were recognized: Adams & Sullivan P.C. LLC, Hy-Vee Papillion, Jason Crosier, Mimi Hanor, Thom Hazell, Marv Holst, Harlan Metschke, Lisa White, and Karissa Williams. Two of those honorees were further recognized with the Chamber Excellence Awards. Adams & Sullivan, P.C. LLC have been an invaluable resource for the chamber with their work behind the scenes, reviewing by-laws, policies, and contracts. Karissa Williams, with Offutt Collision Repair, has been active in multiple Sarpy Chamber event committees and groups. She is a constant advocate for the chamber and a key part of its growth in the community.
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The Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce is always thrilled to celebrate a business’ opening, new location, remodel, or groundbreaking. We celebrated those accomplishments with these businesses last quarter. We wish them success and can’t wait to see the ways they enhanced the Sarpy County business community.
November 13th 9Round Fitness Papillion
October 9th Citizens State Bank Papillion
December 4th Beyond Golf La Vista
November 30th Sing Omaha Omaha
October 12th Graley’s Creamery & Confections Papillion October 16th Bussey Physical Therapy Omaha
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October 17th American National Bank Papillion October 26th Evensen Personal Menus Bellevue November 9th Truly U Custom Bra Boutique La Vista
With great rates and low processing fees, buy your first or next home or refinance with confidence. Centris mortgage loans are underwritten and serviced locally, and we take pride in ensuring all home loans close on time, every time. Talk to our Sarpy mortgage service reps: n Janette R. Calabro • NMLS 400320 8250 S. 99th St., La Vista • (402) 697-6748 jcalabro@centrisfcu.org n Dan Harris • NMLS 663506 2207 Pratt Ave., Bellevue • (402) 758-6515 dharris@centrisfcu.org Federally insured by NCUA www.centrisfcu.org • Corporate NMLS 490617
Chamber Group Events Major 1st Quarter Events
SCYP Relaunch Event Date: Thursday, January 3rd Location: Cobalt Credit Union
Ambassador Quarterly Date: Wednesday, January 9th Location: Mutual 1st Credit Union
Leadership Sarpy Alumni Quarterly Date: Thursday, January 10th Location: PenFed Credit Union Legislative Coffee Date: Monday, January 21st Location: Bellevue University Military Veterans Service Center SC WOW Event Speed Networking Date: Tuesday, January 22nd Location: Eagle Hills Golf Course
Ambassador Business Blaster Date: Wednesday, February 13th Location: Twisted Vine
SC WOW Event Date: Tuesday, February 26th Location: La Vista Library
Grand Giveaway Date: Tuesday, March 12th
Government Affairs Date: First Wednesday of each month Location: SCCC Office
Monthly Luncheon Series:
Visit sarpychamber.org/events to check on updated event details and register for events.
Location: Scott Conference Center
Wednesday, January 23rd Sarpy County Sheriff’s Department Wednesday, February 27th Bellevue Firefighter’s Hall Wednesday, March 27th Tiburon Golf Course
TIPS Open House Date: Thursday, January 31st Location: North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters
SCYP Event Date: Thursday, February 7th Location: TBD
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2019 Chamber Event Changes The Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce hosts over 160 events each year and there will be several key changes for the 2019 event schedule.
Coffee & Contacts, the chamber’s monthly morning networking event, will now be held from 8:00-9:30am. Business After Hours, the chamber’s monthly afternoon networking event, will now be held from 3:30-5:30pm. These monthly networking events provide a relaxed and friendly environment for making meaningful connections within the Sarpy Chamber business community. Events are hosted at a variety of Sarpy Chamber members, so they’re a great way to expand your network as a guest or highlight your business as a host. Feedback is highly valued at the Sarpy Chamber and the shifts in hours for these networking events were made to better accommodate the schedules of chamber members. The Sarpy Chamber is also bringing back its Monthly Luncheon series. These monthly luncheons will feature key note speakers and
panels covering topics such as marketing, diversity, economic development and finance. The first of this series will be held on Wednesday, January 23rd at the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Department.
Featured Group: Government Affairs The Government Affairs Group comprised of elected officials and chamber members. The Government Affairs group researches, monitors and provides information on issues arising from local, state and federal government. This information is then communicated to the Sarpy Chamber Board of Directors and membership. To learn more about joining email president@sarpychamber.org
A new approach to corporate training The Metropolitan Community College Workforce Innovation Division offers corporate training on site, online or at the MCC Center for Advanced and Emerging Technology. Training classes can be scheduled for days, nights or weekends. WID offers: • Customized, company-specific employee training • Industry-recognized workshops • Job analysis to create training and proper resources • Post-hire coaching and training to help train and retain new hires To learn more about WID and its offerings, visit mccneb.edu/wid or call 531-MCC-4943.
Metropolitan Community College affirms a policy of equal education, employment opportunities and nondiscrimination in providing services to the public. To read our full policy statement, visit mccneb.edu/nondiscrimination.
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SC WOW Fashion Show One of the most requested SC WOW events was brought back this year on October 23rd at Soaring Wings Vineyard. It had been two years since the Women of Wisdom group held the WOW Fashion Show and dozens came out to support this unique event. The WOW Fashion Show highlights a handful of businesses whose products and services shine in on the runway. ReRuns provided looks for the office as well as fun and chic casual wear. Dream Dress Express showed off cocktail dresses and gowns perfect for a night out. Canvas Salon and Day Spa and Five Salon glammed out the volunteer models by styling a variety of hair and makeup looks. Attendees cheered on the models while enjoying a spread of wine and chocolate. Thank you to our volunteer models and businesses for making this event such a blast!
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Business New Year Resolutions You probably spent some of the end of 2018 reflecting on your business’s progress over the past year and developing goals for 2019. Now that the new year is here it’s time to start reaching for those goals, and committing to some business-orientated New Year’s resolutions can help you achieve them. 1. Promote Your Business Regularly and Consistently This is particularly true for small businesses. If you want to attract new customers, you have to make promotion a priority. One of your top New Year’s resolutions should be to take a serious look at your marketing efforts. Is it time to hire a marketing expert? Maybe all you need is to take the time to create a marketing plan on your own and follow through. Talk to your Sarpy Chamber membership specialist to learn more about the free and low-cost promotion resources you have through the chamber.
vital to a healthy, growing business, so don’t limit it to just once a year or once a quarter. Set aside time each month or week to review, adjust, and look forward. This can help you stay on track and be prepared. Joining a chamber group like Executive Dialogue can help you make your business planning more consistent. 3. Get More Active with Business Organizations or Networking Groups There’s nothing like talking to other business people for sparking new ideas, refining old ones, and making contacts. Making the effort to be a part of a group will not only revitalize you and your business, but it will be another avenue of regular promotion for your business. Approaching networking events with a strategy will make your next time out a more successful experience. Set up a time to talk with your Sarpy Chamber membership specialist to discuss which chamber events or groups will help you achieve your goals.
2. Be More Consistent With Business Planning Planning is vital if you want a healthy, growing business. Business planning lets you take stock of what worked and what didn’t work, and helps you set new directions or adjust old goals. It’s
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TIPS Open House Joining a TIPS group is a great way to build and expand your network and on Thursday, January 31st, the TIPS Open House event will be the perfect opportunity for you to meet members and learn more. The purpose of these groups is to provide members of various businesses the opportunity to further their business interests through the exchange of tips, leads and information. The Sarpy Chamber currently has eight TIPS 1 Friday 7:30am at SCCC Offices TIPS 2 Friday 7:30am at First Watch-Papillion TIPS 3 Friday Noon at SCCC Offices TIPS 4 Tuesday 9am at SCCC Offices
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different TIPS Groups and each one has their own energy and dynamic. Most groups are limited to one member per industry but some are not industry-specific, so there are plenty of options when trying to decide which group works best for you. Listed below are all the TIPS Groups along with their dates, times, and meeting locations. Be sure to attend the TIPS Open House on January 31st at the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters in Papillion to recieve a comprehensive look at joining a TIPS Group. TIPS 5 * Friday 9:45am at SCCC Offices (Non Industry-Specific) TIPS 6 * Thursday Noon at SCCC Offices (Non Industry-Specific) TIPS 8 Wednesdays 7:30am at Chariots4Hope TIPS West Wednesday 9am at Kangen Water
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Insight into Making your Membership Work for You! Maximize Your Membership In Person Membership Breakfasts are a great way to get a comprehensive overview of the resources available through chamber membership, but this event is not limited to new or prospective members. Even if you’ve been a member for years, attending a Membership Breakfast is a great opportunity to meet new members, make new connections, and get updated on what the chamber can do for you. These events are free but seats are limited so be sure to register! Check www.sarpychamber.org/events for upcoming Membership Breakfast dates.
Maximize Your Membership Online When you become a Sarpy Chamber member, your business or organization gets listed in our online directory. Information like your contact numbers get automically listed but you need to log into your account to complete it. Our online directory is one of the top visited pages on our website, so making sure you’re listing is filled out completely is important in order to take advantage of website traffic. Your presence as a member on our website is like participating in a tradeshow that is open 24/7. Completeing the information in your listing helps you make that connection with potential clients, customers or leads. Contact us at marketing@sarpychamber.org for help with completing your online directory listing.
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Holiday Open House
The Sarpy Chamber hosted its last major event in 2018 with the annual Holiday Open House on December 13th. It was the first year the popular event was hosted in the chamber’s new building and over 150 guests came out to make the event very merry and bright. The event was filled with delicious food and drinks thanks to the donations from several chamber members. The Amazing Pizza Machine in Omaha, Evensen Personal Menus, Hog Wild Pit Bar-B-Q, Hy-Vee, Lucky Bucket Brewing Company, and Sam’s Club all contributed to the amazing spread of treats. The Holiday Open House provides the perfect opportunity for the Sarpy Chamber to end the year by celebrating and making fun memories with the chamber’s members, board, and volunteers. They have made 2018 a particularly exciting year and the Sarpy Chamber looks forward to all they accomplish together in 2019.
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SARPY CHAMBER STAFF Karen Gibler President Annisa Visty Vice President Candice Jacobs Membership Engagement Manager Celeste Pille Communications & Design Associate
OUR MEMBERS PUT THE HEART IN SARPY!
Jessica Philippus Membership Specialist Brian White Membership Specialist Brian Kamin Administrative Assistant Jim Masters Leadership Sarpy Facilitator
“I’m definitely happy with my membership in the Sarpy Chamber. I am especially impressed by the personal attention that I have received by the staff at the events I’ve attended.” -Marcus Chavez, Owner of Electric Express
EVERY NEED, EVERY DAY, EVERY WAY. logistics logistics is is our our business. business.
402.339.3050 WWW.SARPYCHAMBER.ORG 7775 OLSON DRIVE