| February 8, 2008 |
| Volume 05, Issue 2 |
| Chamber Events |
| Business Directory |
| Community Event Calendar |
| HutchChamber.com |
| Feb. 11 |
Gold Level Sponsors: Kwik Shop Lowen Corporation Mennonite Manor |
| Feb. 20 |
Sponsored by MAMTC |
| Feb. 23 |
Sponsored by: AT&T |
| The following businesses have recently become members of the Chamber. Welcome! Link for full contact information. | ||
Country Rose Gifts/Floral & Hutch Travel Colonial Shipping, LLC Interim HealthCare Wayne's Printing & Copying Carrie Lynn's Flowers & Gifts Walgreens Retail Drug Store Taco John's Daymon Worldwide, Inc. |
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To notify the membership of location and/or name changes, contact Tom Dooley at 662-3391 or tomd@hutchchamber.com to make changes to your account. Riddle's Jewelry has named Kim Rhoades the new store manager. KWBW has named John Brennan, the new station manager. People's Bank and Trust has named Michelle Inskeep the manager of the banks 11th Street branch. U.S. Custom Harvesting, Inc. has named Pam Schmidl the new operations manager. Lindburg & Vogel has added Mike Evans, Managing Shareholder, as a designated member. Oneok Hydrocarbon, LP has named Bob Wessel the new Plant Manager. Horizons Mental Health Center has named Michael Garrett the new CEO. |
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Plan to Attend the Upcoming Chamber Legislative Forum The Chamber's Legislative Affairs Committee and AT&T invite you to attend the 2008 Legislative Forum, scheduled for February 23, 9:30-11:00 AM at Wesley Towers.
All Reno County Legislators are invited to attend the forum. Members of the Chamber and the general public are encouraged to attend. There is no cost to attend these events. For more information regarding this event contact the Chamber at 662.3391 or online. |
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Chamber to Recognize National Ag-Week The Agri-Business Committee of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce is making plans to recognize National Ag-Week, March 16-22, 2008. Recognition will be made in The Hutchinson News, the Chamber's March Outlook Newsletter and at the Chamber's March 19 Membership Breakfast. The three Farm Focus Couples for 2008 are: Vernon & Arlene Bontrager - Hutchinson Miles & Joyce Hartman - Nickerson Orville & Mary Miller - Pleasantview Show your support of our local farming industry by participating in the ad that will run in The Hutchinson News. The cost of participation is $55.00. If you would like to show your support please contact the Chamber at 662-3391 or by e-mail at by February 27th. |
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Answer the Economic Census - - Time is Running Out The due date for the 2007 Economic Census forms is only a few days away, February 12. If your business received a form, the law (Title 13, U.S. Code) requires you complete and return it. (If your business is very small and you did not receive a form, no action is required.) Commerce Department Secretary Carlos Gutierrez calls answering the Economic Census "an act of corporate good citizenship. The Fed's Ben Bernanke calls the census "indispensable" and adds "returning your economic census form helps us all." So, if your company still has the 2007 Economic Census, fill it out and send it in today. You can get help with your paper form, or even file your information online, at www.census.gov/econhelp. If you prefer call 1.800.233.6136. |
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Ag-Business Committee Presented Agriculture Youth Leadership Awards At the Reno County Conservation District’s Annual Meeting and Banquet, January 19th, the Agri-Business Committee recognized Donovan Krehbiel and Tyler Jay Krehbiel, both of Pretty Prairie, with Agriculture Youth Leadership awards. Donovan Krehbiel is the son of Royce & Bella Krehbiel and a senior at Pretty Prairie High School where he holds a 4.0 grade point average. Honors and activities during high school include: National Honors Society, football (captain), basketball (captain), track, State Scholars Bowl, LifeSmarts Competition, senior class president and junior class secretary/treasurer. He also serves as president of the First Mennonite Church Youth. He states that his great-grandfather, Robert Krehbiel, was one of the first in Reno County to no-till farm, starting close to 60 years ago. His no-till practices continue today. Donovan plans to earn a degree in either agriculture or mechanical engineering and which he hopes will lead him to furthering efforts in conservation. Tyler Jay Krehbiel is son of Terry & Robin Krehbiel, and also a senior at Pretty Prairie High School, holding a grade point average of 3.8. Honors and activities during high school include: National Honors Society, basketball, cross country, track, Student Council, class president, class vice president, Scholars Bowl, LifeSmarts Competition, and Forensics. He states that he is a 5th generation farmer in his family. He plans to pursue a degree in civil engineering. Tyler believes that with a degree in civil engineering he will be able to help make changes in city and farm infra-structures to improve environmental standards & conservation. |
Membership Services:
Tourism:
Community Betterment:
Economic Development:
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Left Bar:
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This issue could be sponsored by your company. For more information please contact Holly Schmidt at 662.3391 or via e-mail. |
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Tickets are Still Available for the Chamber Annual Meeting The Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting , “Inventing the Future” will feature keynote speaker Erik Wahl on Monday, February 11. The meeting will be held at the Grand Prairie Hotel & Convention Center beginning at 5:30 p.m. Attendees will enjoy a social/networking hour, an opportunity to visit display tables set up by sponsors of the event, and an art gallery set up by local Reno County artists. The dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m., and the program, including Wahl’s high-energy presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m. “In an effort to tie Erik’s love of art and creativity into our annual meeting, we’ve teamed up with the Hutchinson Art Association to offer a gallery of pieces from local Reno County artists,” said Dave Kerr, President of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce. The gallery will be open during the social/networking hour, in the Apollo rooms just across the hall from the convention center. Tickets for the event are still available. Tickets prices for the meal ticket is $33.00 or $39.00 (inclusive of 2 drink tickets). You may purchase tickets online or by contacting our office at 662-3391. Gold Sponsors:
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Wahl’s performance, which he terms “The Art of Vision”, is an entertaining and highly practical program that uncovers new ways to help make organizations become more creative and ultimately more profitable. Wahl is a nationally recognized artist and speaker who can inspire professionals to achieve greater levels of performance. He has keynoted meetings for America’s top corporations, guest lectured at the London School of Business and performed for organizations all over the world. His sought after paintings, of which he completes two on stage during the program, hang in many executive offices.
| Leadership Reno County Announces Spring Class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 27th Leadership Class, sponsored by the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce began the 2008 Spring program at the end of January. The class members of the Spring 2008 class will convene for 8 sessions beginning with a two-day retreat this past January. The sessions will focus on leadership skills combined with exposure to the attributes of, and issues and challenges facing, Reno County. Each class member will participate in developing a project to benefit Reno County youth as part of their leadership experience. During the three-month course, the members will learn about the community and how local governments operate and will also go on agriculture and business tours of the county. 2008 Fall Class Members
For more information on Leadership Reno County contact Program Co-Director Lynette Lacy or visit http://www.hutchchamber.com/chamber/leadership.htm. |
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| Two Local Attractions Part of "8 Wonder of Kansas" List |
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The recent announcement on January 29th of the “8 Wonders of Kansas” winners generated a lot of excitement for Hutchinson & Reno County. Of the final eight, Hutchinson was honored to have two winners named in the state contest!
The Kansas Underground Salt Museum and the KS Cosmosphere & Space Center were both on hand during the ceremony, held at the Capitol on Kansas Day. Governor Sebelius announced the winners to a crowd of 2,000 kids and many media and spectators. Each of the winners received a proclamation and group photo with Governor Sebelius.
An added benefit to the 8 Wonders winners was an email blast conducted by the State Travel & Tourism office to 20,000 people that have shown interest in traveling to Kansas. Those targeted were from Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. The goal was to bring additional travelers to each destination. “All of us in Hutchinson and Reno County should be extremely proud of our two winning attractions. Considering the votes came from all over the country, this speaks well for our quality attractions here in Hutchinson” said LeAnn Cox, Director of the CVB.
For more information on the “8 Wonders of Kansas”, go to www.travelKS.com. |
| February Breakfast Speaker to Discuss About Manufacturing in Kansas | |
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The February Chamber Membership Breakfast, sponsored by the MAMTC, Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center, will be at the Grand Prairie Hotel and Convention Center, February 20, at 7:15 a.m. The featured speaker is Sandy Johnson, with MAMTC. Ms. Johnson program will be titled "Manufacturing Counts in Kansas." She will speak on the condition of Manufacturing in Kansas. In addition she will share statistics, failures and victories in the manufacturing business community at the state wide level.
If you are interested in attending contact Belinda McClanahan at 662-3391, or register on-line. Cost is $10 per person or use your 2008 Flash Pass!
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| 2008 Visitor Guide Available Online | |
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The Greater Hutchinson Convention/Visitors Bureau (CVB) is now distributing their new 2008 Visitors Guide.
The Visitors Guide is produced annually and provides visitors with information on attractions, events, dining, accommodations and a map. There is also a coupon page that provides offers that are valid through the end of 2008.
New this year is the online version of the ’08 Visitors Guide. For the first time, potential visitors will be able to access all the same information simply by clicking on the online version on the CVB’s home page at www.visithutch.com. The new online version is expected to launch by February 11. “We’re very pleased to be able to offer the online version of the Visitors Guide. This should decrease some of our costs while increasing customer service as people will be able to access the identical information just by going to our website” said LeAnn Cox, Director of the CVB. Only a couple of communities across the state offer this option on their website.
If your business is interested in obtaining a supply of Visitors Guides to distribute, please contact the CVB at 662-3391 or email leannc@hutchchamber.com to make arrangements. |
| Employers Invited to Participate in Upcoming Reno County Job Fair |
Reno County employers are invited to participate in the 2008 Reno County Job Fair. The event will take place Saturday, March 29, 2008 at the Hutchinson Mall, 1500 East 11th Ave., from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM and will be sponsored by the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, Hutchinson Community College, and KANSASWORKS – Hutchinson Workforce Development Center.
“Last year’s job fair brought over 200 prospective employees, and while we were pleased with the turn out, we hope that having the event on a Saturday will expand the applicant pool,” said Dana Regehr, Economic Development Director, Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce. “Moving the 2008 Job Fair to the Hutchinson Mall will provide room for more employer participation and increase visibility and access to job seekers.” “We encourage employers to sign up by February 18, to be included in our pre-event marketing campaign,” said Allison Stewart, Manager of the Workforce Development Center. “We will be featuring booth participants in radio and print advertising during the month of March.” The deadline for securing a booth space is February 18. Cost for a booth is $25. Booth space includes one 8’ table and two chairs. Interested employers may contact Dana Regehr at 662-3391 or danar@hutchchamber.com to sign up for a booth space. More details are available on the Chamber’s economic development website at hutchecodevo.com. |
Young Professionals of Reno County, an organization created to connect young people ages 21-40ish to their peer group and Reno County community, announce efforts are underway to survey the population about their goals and vision for Reno County.
The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and is being administered by Next Generation Consulting, an independent third party market research firm who specializes in helping communities and companies engage the next generation.
“To date, over 200 people have signed up through our website expressing an interest in our organization and their desire to be more involved,” said Lance Patterson, chair of the Voice committee and survey initiative. “Next Generation Consulting provided us with the opportunity to gauge in a scientific fashion the true scope of ideas, goals, and perceived strengths and weaknesses that exist about our community. We plan to use this tool to shape the direction of our organization, as well as sharing the outcomes with others in the community.”
Anyone interested in taking the survey can link to it from the yprenocounty.com website. Survey respondents can be from any age demographic.
"The data compiled from this survey is very important to us and we encourage people of any age to complete the survey," said Nathan Meyer, co-chair of YP. "Though collecting data from those 21-40ish is crucial to what we're trying to accomplish, we also want to weigh the differences and similarities across generations."
The public has one month to complete the survey online before it will be removed from the organization’s website. When the information is compiled, the YP organization plans to share and disseminate the information with interested parties throughout the county.
Young Professionals of Reno County was established in July 2007 and has since held social and professional development opportunities for interested persons who have signed up on the yprenocounty.com website. Annual memberships to YP are available for $30 a year. Anyone age 21-40ish who lives or works in Reno County may join the organization. Information about membership benefits and the YP are available at yprenocounty.com. |
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| Chamber Announces New Economic Development Director | |
The Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Dana Regehr has been promoted to the Director of Economic Development.
Ms. Regehr has served as the Coordinator of Economic Development since August 2005. She is responsible for coordinating The Chamber’s efforts for new business recruitment and existing business retention and expansion. These responsibilities will include preparing formal proposals for prospective companies, assisting companies in obtaining local and state incentives and representing the community at business recruitment functions. In addition, she will coordinate the department web site that includes a Buildings & Sites Database of available properties in the area.
In an effort to increase the Chamber’s presence within our business community, Ms. Regehr will spend time meeting with local businesses. “These meetings will provide us with a better understanding of our local businesses, their successes and challenges, and will ultimately allow us to help with retention and growth,” said Regehr.
“I am confident that Dana will continue to do an excellent job focusing on new business recruitment and existing business retention and expansion,” stated Dave Kerr, President, Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce. “This year, the Chamber is giving particular attention to growing our local workforce, by both attracting and retaining quality workers. Dana will concentrate much of her time on these efforts.”
If you or your company is in need of business assistance or would like to schedule a business visit with The Chamber, contact Dana Regehr at 662.3391 or via e-mail at danar@hutchchamber.com. |
