Did you know?

During their March 22-26 stay in Hutchinson, the 16 teams participating in the 2005 Tournament, will eat over 6,400 meals in our local restaurants. Is your business ready?

Tickets are still available
for Celebration '05 -
The Chamber's
Annual Meeting.

Monday, Feb 7, 5:30 p.m.

KS State Fairgrounds
Sunflower South Building

Valet Parking Available!

Link to order your tickets!

Want more of your employees to receive Chamber communications?

Send their e-mail addresses to: krisd@hutchchamber.com

Advocacy for Your Business
Star Lumber and Newcomers
Annual Celebration
Understanding Education Reform
Garber Surveying Receives Award

CVB - 2005 Plan of Work

The Chamber is the community's Business Advocate and serves as the strong voice of Reno County businesses at local, state and federal government levels. The Chamber monitors and advocates for initiatives vital to a prosperous business climate. One of those initiatives is Business Taxation.

Why is this important? In an increasingly competitive environment, a favorable corporate income tax structure and a stable and fair property tax structure are needed in order to facilitate retention of existing businesses as well as to attract new business. Specifically:

• The Chamber supports a tax system that will stimulate investment and enhance the state's competitive position for economic growth.
• The Chamber supports efforts to prevent unfair appraisal increases and opposes a return to the taxation of inventories.
• The Chamber recommends that any review of sales tax exemptions should carefully consider the economic development and employment consequences of eliminating exemptions.
• The Chamber supports consolidation of public entities where efficiencies and quality can be enhanced.

Additional information on this initiative and others will be brought to you as the 2005 Legislative Session progresses. Want to hear specifics from your legislative representatives? Plan to attend:

Legislative Forum

Sponsored by SBC and
The Chamber's Legislative Affairs Committee

Saturday, February 5, 9:30-11 am

Wesley Towers Chapel

700 Monterey Place
This forum is free and open to the public.
No reservation required.

When your company hires someone who is a new resident to Reno County - do you know where to refer them? The February Membership Breakfast, sponsored by Star Lumber, will help to answer that question.

In addition to learning about the scope of operations of Star Lumber, attendees will learn about the "NewComers in Reno County" organization which has been developed for new, or recently new, residents to meet other newcomers and learn about Reno County.

Wednesday, February 16, 7:15 a.m.
Grand Prairie Hotel & Convention Center

$10 per person (unless you have a 2005 Event Flash Pass)

Link to make a reservation or to order your Flash Pass.
(Flash Pass holders do not need to do anything but show up!)

Star Lumber has been family-owned and operated since it was founded in 1939. Star Lumber employs over 500 at eight locations in Hutchinson, Wichita and Salina including: four retail stores; a 26-acre contractor distribution/manufacturing facility; two floor covering stores; and an outlet center.

Star Lumber is in the Top 100 building supply dealers in the U.S.; is in the Top 65 professional dealers in the U.S.; and is in the Top 50 flooring dealers in the U.S.

Understanding Education Reform
Chamber offers Members "Teleconferencing" Seminar

Want access to nationally-known speakers for a reasonable cost? Watch for upcoming "DIALogues" which will provide information on a variety of topics pertinent to businesses across the nation. Each DIALogue will connect via the Internet for a live presentation.

The first session "Understanding Education Reform" will answer why you should make education reform your business. Futurists tell us that in just fifteen years, by the year 2020, over 84% of the available jobs will require a college degree (either two-year or four-year). Yet current national statistics indicate that by age 29, only 34% of whites, 18% of African Americans, and 9% of Hispanics have earned a Bachelor's degree. Unless we change our current demographics, 12 to 14 million jobs will be left unfilled, resulting in a loss of $230 billion in national wealth and $80 billion in new tax revenue.

For chambers to develop and maintain vibrant business environments, our communities and their schools must develop what is the most critical component of successful economic development - a qualified workforce. Our businesses - now and in the future - rely on schools to produce those workers, and only a small proportion of our young adults leave school equipped for the future. Community issues become business issues and have a great impact upon the overall business climate. The struggles and successes spawned by education reform can affect the economy of a community.

Change needs to happen in our school systems, but "what to" change is the controversy. Are charter schools, vouchers, or complete privatization the answer? Or will the No Child Left Behind Act ensure quality education for our children? In this session, gain a better understanding of what education reform means to the economy of the community. Learn how the chamber can play a vital role in the debate.

Education Reform is not just about our children, it is about our communities' - and our business members - future.

Chamber DIALogue

Wednesday, February 16, Noon - 1 pm

Chamber Conference Room

Cost: $10 per person

Bring your lunch and the Chamber will provide iced tea and coffee.

Seating is limited to the first 30 participants - so sign-up today!

Garber Surveying Service, P.A. will be recognized with the Small Business Spotlight Award at the February 16 Chamber Membership Breakfast. Members of the Small Business Council selected Garber Surveying from nominees made by Chamber members.

Garber Surveying provides land surveying services for mortgage, urban lot, and rural agricultural survey and specializes in residential development planning and platting, commercial site planning and construction surveying for commercial, municipal and state construction projects. President/owner Dan Garber, a Licensed Land Surveyor, founded the company in 1978 with one employee. The company has grown to 24 employees with a branch office in Newton. Garber purchased the records of three former surveying companies and thus maintains extensive land survey records for the central Kansas area.

Garber Surveying utilizes technologies such as Global Positioning Systems for various types of survey projects and strives to provide professional surveying services for his clients and a meaningful career for his employees. Over half of the employees have worked for Garber Surveying for more than 10 years and two employees over 20 years.

Dan was elected by professional peers to serve two terms as President and one term as Secretary/Treasurer of the Kansas Society of Land Surveyors. He is also a member of the National Society of Professional Surveyors and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. Dan's principle of providing quality service has driven the Garber Surveying team to embrace the goal of providing "Service Beyond Measure."

The Small Business Spotlight Award is sponsored by First National Bank of Hutchinson, Hutchinson Credit Union and Kwik Shop.

CVB Advisory Board
Develops 2005 Plan of Work

The Advisory Board of the Greater Hutchinson Convention/Visitors Bureau (CVB) recently released their 2005 Plan of Work. Highlights of the plan include:

Website Enhancement

The CVB will continue to completely revamp the www.visithutch.com website.

Sports Tourism

The CVB will make an effort to increase the community's exposure to the Sports Tourism market by focusing on promotion of the new Gowans Stadium, working closer with KSHSAA and national sports organizations and trade shows.

Convention Center Marketing

With the recent completion of phases 1 and 2 of the Grand Prairie Hotel & Convention Center, the CVB will work collaboratively with the convention center sales staff to reintroduce the property to the meetings market.

Community Marketing

The CVB will reintroduce the VIP Program to all front-line employees within the hospitality industry in Reno County.

Off-Season Community Promotion

The CVB will formulate a sub-committee of board members in an effort to make a concentrated effort in marketing the community during the months of Nov-Feb.

For a complete copy of the 2005 Plan, contact a CVB staff member.