How to thrive in a multi-generational work team 7

Chamber events calendar 14

M O N T H LY
November 2 0 11

emphasis

Great Taste
Taste of The Chamber Dec. 1

Representatives from three of the participating restaurants in this years Taste of The Chamber are, from left, Jesse Arnold of Club Soda, Leah Kenna of J.K. ODonnells and Sedina Husidic of DeBrand Fine Chocolates. Story on Page 8.

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

Gulya Alexander, Operations Manager, Destination: Your Future

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LETTER

FROM

THE

PRESIDENT

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

Chamber members and friends, As youre receiving the November copy of Emphasis Monthly magazine, Im wrapping up our amazing trip to China with many other Chamber members from our community. This great group of people has made this trip fun and interesting, to say the least. We are so proud to have provided this opportunity for the first time to the Fort Wayne community. You can be sure that well be offering other travel opportunities in the near future. What a great way to learn and explore other cultures while networking with your peers from Fort Wayne. I admit, even though were having a great time in China, Im looking forward to returning to Fort Wayne. Theres much to anticipate! Were very pleased to host Gov. Mitch Daniels as our keynote speaker at the Chambers annual meeting on November 15. This sold out event is going to be one to remember!

Also, as a way of using our resources better, The Chamber is switching to e-billing. When your invoice is due, youll receive an email that tells you how to login to your account and pay the bill online. This move will save money for The Chamber and for our members. Get the details on Page 13. As the tasty cover tells you, its also time for the Taste of the Chamber. This is the community holiday event of the year. With more than 30 restaurants and caterers, the return of the mini tree silent auction, and entertainment by Summit City Chorus, all for just $10 per person, you will not want to miss it. Check out the article by our Director of Communications Jon Swerens on Page 8 for all of the details. Hope to see you when I return!

emphasis
Volume 21, Issue 11 Mike Landram President/CEO Michelle Merritt Vice President of Membership and Communications Deb Boyd Controller Jennifer Fisher Graduate Retention Program Manager Katy Stafford Director of Government Affairs Dave Young Vice President of Air Service Development

M O N T H LY

INSIDE

THIS

ISSUE

Jon Swerens Director of Communications and Emphasis Editor Lauren Richwine Communications Specialist and Photographer
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

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

4 The ABCs of government affairs 5 How to host a strategic party 6 New in the Affordable Care Act 6 What you need to know about ink and toner 7 How to thrive in a multigenerational work team 8 The Taste gets even tastier 9 Your Chamber discount guide 10 In the word savings, time is money 11 The real power of Leads Groups 11 New and renewing members 12 Ribbon cuttings 13 Chamber saves money with e-billing 14 Chamber Calendar of Events

CO V E R P H OTO B Y L AU R E N R I C H W I N E

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

SPONSORS

NOVEMBER 2011

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY

GOVERNMENT

AFFAIRS

The ABCs of government affairs

Katy Stafford Director of Government Affairs The Chamber kstafford@fwchamber.org fwchamber.org/gov

Follow us on Twitter
Find us on Twitter at @FWGovConnect

The first week of October the Government Affairs Department traveled to Chicago for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Regional Government Affairs conference. Not only was this a perfect opportunity to network, but we were able to exchange ideas and learned how to grow our government affairs practice. The conference was a great opportunity to get back to basics, so I thought Id share a bit of what we learned using the ABCs. Andy Card: Former White House Chief of Staff under George W. Bush spoke about the over burdensome regulatory process. BANANA: Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone. Americas perceived attitude toward nuclear power. Chicago: A great host town. Defense: The Super Committee is trying to find a way to keep from cutting Defense spending by the recommended 25 percent. The Defense budget is 20 percent of the total budget. Effective lobbying tactics: A panel of former elected officials spoke to us about the most effective forms of lobbying. Funding: More projects are being put on hold due to a lack of funding and as a result, more public-private partnerships are coming about. Government Affairs: More ideas on how to get our message across. Hydropower: A fast-growing renewable energy source. Immigration: Employment-based immigration legislation is now looking closely at STEM. Janet Kavinoky: Executive Director of Americans for Transportation Mobility spoke about innovative ideas for funding transportation projects in our area. Karen Harbert: President and CEO of the Institute for 21st Century Energy updated us on our countrys oil dependence. Only 2 percent of the energy used in the U.S. is wind and solar. Labor: Learning about the impact of the labor movements in other states was very helpful in pushing our agenda. Money: The Super Committee is responsible for finding $1.2 trillion in total budget cuts by the end of November.

NLRB: The National Labor Relations Board has pushed back their new posting rule to Jan. 31. Watch your e-mail for communication on this issue from The Chamber. Oil: We import 60 percent of our oil, compared to 30 percent during the Nixon administration. PAC: We participated in a roundtable of ways to fund our PAC to have the most impact. Queue: Immigration reform is looking at changing per-country caps for employmentbased immigration so the lines will be shorter for some immigrants. RTW: Right to Work was a hot topic during the conference and presenters spoke to the importance of being a Right to Work state to many business industries. States: States that attended the conference and provided their unique input included Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, California, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Tennessee, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Arizona, Maine, New Jersey, Florida, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., Colorado. Taxes: $1.2 trillion dollars of United States business is done overseas. The U.S. Chamber is in support of a repatriation tax holiday for two years at a rate of 5 percent. Unemployment: We discussed ways our regions were working to lower the 9 percent national unemployment rate. Vote: Your vote counts! Wrigley: Chicago is home to Wrigley gum and we learned one of their unique marketing tools that grew their business. Originally, Wrigley sold soap and you received a piece of gum with every soap purchase. Xylophones: During our labor discussions, we heard about unions reaching out to symphonies to attempt to organize instrument sections. You: Your voice is important, and we always want to hear from you so do not hesitate to contact us regarding any legislative issue you may have whether that is local, state or federal. Zimmerman, Delore: Dr. Zimmerman spoke to the critical investments in worker training, education and workforce development.

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY

NOVEMBER 2011

TIPS

AND

TRICKS

How to host a strategic party

Joel Sauer President and CEO Joel Sauer LLC Joel.Sauer@ SauerConsultingLLC.com sauerconsultingllc.com

More tips
In summary, here are tips for hosting a killer strategic party: Dont stay at your normal work place; find some place offsite and comfortable Devote ample time Have structure to keep things moving in the right direction Utilize an experienced outside moderator Hold more than one party, with ample time between for reflection Keep it simple

During the last couple months, Ive had the pleasure of leading two good old-fashioned strategic planning processes. You talk about energizing! These really get the creative juices flowing. In fact, it was so much fun I just cant call it planning. From here on out, its a Strategic Party! The two companies couldnt have been more diverse, in completely different industries. However, the process and outcomes were the same with benefits beyond just the resulting killer plans. Recommendation 1: Dont hold strategic parties in your normal work environment. Go somewhere neutral and comfortable. For starters, you pull your leadership away from the day-to-day grind where its often easy to lose the forest for the trees. In a more relaxed environment devoid of cell phones, email and other distractions true creativity can burst forth. Recommendation 2: Devote meaningful time to the party. The term think outside the box has become a clich, but in a world of dramatic change, we need dramatic thinking. This wont happen in an hourlong session with 35 interruptions. To get meaningful results youre going to have to devote meaningful time. My personal recommendation is to start with at least a half-day retreat somewhere offsite and comfortable. This extended format provides your team some decompression time; perhaps the first half-hour just chatting, getting comfortable and feeling safe with the process. You need this last attribute from your leadership the security to be honest so you get worthwhile information. Recommendation 3: Have some structure around the party. If youre making an investment like removing your leadership team from work for a significant period of time, you want to guarantee tangible results at the end. You want this opening party to be free-flowing and open, so audacious (my new favorite word) ideas can burst forth. At the same time, it has to have some structure and discipline. To get this, consider following the SWOT format: identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This structure has some redundancies, but with modification can pull out lots of valuable data. Without organization, the party ends and everyone had a grand ol time, but nothing of substance can be found.

Recommendation 4: Bring in an experienced third party for moderation. To further avoid a great party with no results, have an experienced third-party moderator lead the process (shameless plug #1). An outsider can ask tough questions even of the CEO that colleagues may not be comfortable risking. Further, he/she can cut off unproductive conversations and push the dialogue back on course. This isnt easy and often doesnt happen at all when colleagues, who still have to work together when the party ends, dont want to offend one another. Recommendation 5: Dont try to complete your plan in one party. Use multiple meetings with ample time between for reflection. After this original gathering, come back together a week later for a shorter (say, two hours) session and spend some time polishing the output. In the week between, send the raw notes from the original event to your team so they can gestate on the data and come prepared to drill it down to something concise and valuable. Unlike the longer first session above, this shorter party has to be much more focused. This is where an outside moderator (shameless plug #2) will earn his/her money, to come prepared and organized to hone conversations to a concise and simple draft strategic plan. As a last step, send the draft plan above around to your leadership and get feedback. Give them about a week. Once received, its up to you, the CEO/owner, to make any final changes and then issue. If you did the right thing and hired a third party (shameless plug #3), this last step can be done together, probably in an hour or less. Recommendation 6: Keep it simple. I mentioned keeping it simple above. Theres nothing that makes me more crazy than these beautiful, 50-page, bound and tabbed strategic plans. Why? No one ever reads them! Instead, I like bullet lists; 3 to 5 strategic initiatives that guide your companies decisions over the next 12 to 36 months. If you must have more content, add narrative at the bottom just dont get rid of the concise bullets! If done right, I should be able to ask any (and I mean any) employee in your organization to tell me the strategic plan and, with 90 percent accuracy, they can do it. Otherwise, it must be too complicated. Now, go throw a party!

NOVEMBER 2011

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY

CHAMBER

PARTNERS

New in the Affordable Care Act

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.

The Affordable Care Act requires health plans to comply with certain mandates and also provide new benefits to employees. There is much uncertainty about what choices employers will make over the next few years as a result of these new requirements. Many of the regulations went into effect Sept. 23, 2010, with new provisions being released as recently as this past month. Womens Health Act For health plans renewing on or after August 1, 2012, several new womens health services are required to be covered under the Affordable Care Act. These new regulations require plans to cover the following preventive services at no additional out-of-pocket costs to the member: All FDA-approved birth control for women Sterilization Breastfeeding support Gestational diabetes screening Well-woman visits Sexually transmitted infections counseling Domestic violence screening Uniform Explanation of Benefits The Department of Health and Human Services is seeking comment on the new regulations governing uniform coverage documents. Beginning in March 2012, employers and insurers will

be required to provide a Uniform Explanation of Benefits or Summary of Benefits and Coverage. The regulation outlines this document as a pre-defined, four-page format containing the following: Disclosure of insurance and medical terms and definitions Coverage provisions Benefits and limitations Additional mandates under the regulation define who must receive the EOB/SBC, timing for sending the document, and notification requirements for coverage changes. Many health plans are requesting an extension for this regulation due to the short time frame for implementation. Still to Come Additional clarification and interpretation on the following provisions are still being defined and communicated: Medical loss ratio standards and rebating Reporting requirements on the federal webbased tool (compares rates and information for several private health carriers) Over the next two years, we expect to see more guidance from HHS on non-discrimination regulations, essential benefits, and exchanges. For further technical guidance, consumer information, and complete regulations, go to www.dol.gov/ ebsa/healthreform.

What you need to know about ink, toner

The Chamber discount
Chamber members can save 60 percent on core catalog items and four percent off retail catalog purchases. Monitor expenses with monthly reporting, and order online, via phone or fax, and through retail stores. For more info, contact Chris Michaels at (260) 249-3977.

With ink and toner making up 30 percent of office supply spending, its always a great area to find ways to cut costs. To save on purchases if you prefer to use the Original Manufacturer Equipment, try to look for the combo packs of ink that include the black and color together. This could save you up to 10 percent. Also, when looking for black ink or toner, try the dual packs. Another great cost-saver for toner is on the X model versus the A. This is the same cartridge, just with more toner. You can save up to 25 percent with these larger-capacity toners. If you really want to save, try remanufactured cartridges. Improvements have moved the quality of remanufactured toners to the highest level ever. Producers like Clover, which Office Depot

uses, are very particular about their manufacturing process. Clover rebuilds the cartridge to the original manufacturer specs. This ensures a high quality product. You can save up to 50 percent, especially if you work with a representative to figure out your needs and goals. Also, Office Depot offers a 100 percent guarantee on all its remanufactured toners, even including replacement of your printer if you have a problem that cannot be fixed. Refilling is not recommended. Manufacturers have patented their cartridges to be used only once and refilling them runs the risk of leakage. If you choose to refill, make sure your source guarantees the quality. For more cost-saving tips, call Chris Michaels of Office Depot at (260) 249-3977.

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY

NOVEMBER 2011

G R A D U AT E

RETENTION

How to thrive in a work team thats multi-generational

Jennifer Fisher Graduate Retention Program Manager The Chamber

I had the opportunity last month to give a presentation on Surviving and Thriving in a MultiGenerational Work Team. I thought I would share with you some highlights from that presentation.

It all starts with respect and understanding No matter how hard you try to understand other generations, there is always a point when conflict fwchamber.org/grad arises for one reason or another. Almost without failure, when I start talking about different generations working together, someUpcoming events one makes the statement, I just dont understand why they do that. During November 2, 7:30-9 a.m. the presentation, this statement actu GRP Re-Launch Breakally came up from one of the Gen Xers in fast, (Rescheduled from the group who wanted to know why Baby October 19): Michael Hicks Boomers needed to meet all the time to will join us as the keynote discuss things. speaker and share wonderful For the Gen Xers in the room, they just information about Northeast wanted the freedom to start working on Indiana and our future. For something rather than getting together to more details on all our guest discuss everything. The Boomers wanted speakers and to register, go to talk about it and gain consensus and to www.fwchamber.org/grad new ideas from the group. December 14 High The discussion really showed how there School Educator Consoris potential for conflict when different tium, Fort Wayne Airport: generations work together. I think in the Open to all High School end both generations walked away with educators. Please visit www. an understanding of why each thought the fwchamber.org/grad for way they did. more details or contact Jules My hope is that open discussions in the Overby at joverby@fwchamworkplace will lead to opportunities for ber.org to sign up. each generation to understand one anothMarch 10, 2012 Techer and begin to find ways to work successFest12: Details coming fully as a team. I truly believe that respect soon! Interested in being of others can come by simply understanda sponsor? Contact Jules ing them better. Overby at joverby@fwchamber.org. Get your comWorking together makes your team pany in front of High School stronger students, educators, and While it may be easier to stick with peoparents from all over Northple who work like you, thats not always east Indiana at this one day the best approach for work teams. Differgaming event. ent perspectives, ideas, and energy can
jfisher@fwchamber.org

make a huge difference in the success of your work team.

Think about how critical it can be to have a Millennial on your team who brings enthusiasm and fresh ideas (even if youve tried them before and they didnt work, sometimes a little twist can create new opportunities that didnt exist before). What about the Gen Xer and the get it done attitude, or the Baby Boomer who can bring everyone together to talk through the issues and bring about renewed focus? Even the Veteran who remains steady and brings in the knowledge and experience of years of work can help your team move forward. Each generation brings different values and ideas that can all be beneficial to your teams success. If your team is struggling to work together, try sitting down and looking at the unique characteristics of your group and where each individuals strengths have an opportunity to help the team. You also have to be aware of any potential barriers that may exist in your team. Open communication is always the first step to building a strong team, and understanding your team make up is a critical building block to an effective and successful work environment. Sometimes doing simple team-building activities that allow people to get to know others in the group followed by a discussion of how individuals worked through the activity can allow your team to learn to function together while gaining an understanding of the others in the group. Volunteering Qld has some really great activities to help you get started: http://bit.ly/fwgrad1. More than anything it is important to know that every team will have some form of conflict whether its related to different generations or just different personalities. I always believe in the Platinum Rule, which is one step beyond the Golden Rule, Treat others the way THEY want to be treated. Not everyone will want to be treated the way you do, so you have to get to know people as individuals and learn how to work with them. This is what will truly make your team a success and help you work in a multi-generational work environment.

NOVEMBER 2011

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY

Taste gets even tastier

Above: Angela Dipple of Fort Wayne Chocolate Fountain shows off some of the goodies that will be available for patrons of this years Taste of the Chamber.

By Jon Swerens Bigger. Better. Tastier. This years Taste of the Chamber, the community holiday party of the year, will be Thursday, December 1, from 5-8 p.m. All three floors of the Chamber building at 826 Ewing St. will be overflowing with an array of meats, sweets, beverages, soups, and finger foods. Each floor will also offer a cash bar. Attendees can enjoy all the complimentary hors doeuvres while networking with hundreds of area business professionals. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Purchase your tickets online at fwchamber.org/ taste or at the front desk of the Chamber building. Improvements for this years event include: Better food: Among the new, tantalizing dishes to be offered are barbecue kangaroo and caramelized bacon by Pine Valley, Guinness beef

and barley soup by J.K. ODonnells, a whole suckling pig with an array of sauces and chutneys by the Memorial Coliseum/Aramark, and Orchard Ridges filet-a-tini: garlic whipped potatoes, sauted mushrooms and a filet tenderloin drizzled with a red wine demi-glaze in a mini martini glass. Mini Christmas trees: Back by popular demand, the silent auction for these one-foot-tall symbols of the holiday spirit is returning. The trees will be decorated by various Chamber members and will be auctioned off during the Taste. Better signage: The Chamber stairwells can be hard for first-time visitors to find. This year we are installing large signs directing visitors to the beautiful third floor via stairs or the elevator. Two entrances: To help with crowd control, The Chamber will use the entrances on Wayne Street as well as the entrance on Ewing Street. One door will be for those who purchased advance

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY

NOVEMBER 2011

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 $2,500. 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. Contact Chris Michaels at (260) 249-3977. PCQ Group Purchasing Organization Prairie Quests GPO provides Chamber members with the opportunity to purchase products and services at prices typically only available to large companies. Info at buywithpqc.com. 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. Sams 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.

This years vendors

Local food and beverage specialists participating this year, as of our magazine deadline of Oct. 11, are: J.K. ODonnells Club Soda Calhoun Street Soups, Salads and Spirits Fort Wayne Off-Track Betting Splendid Fare Green B.E.A.N. Delivery HoneyBaked Ham Nutcracker Sweet Shoppe Five Star Distributing Mad Anthony Brewing Co. Fort Wayne Chocolate Fountain Hyatt Place Cerutis Catering DeBrand Chocolatier The Olive Twist Orchard Ridge Country Club

Pine Valley Country Club Office Depot (coffee) Lighted Gardens Catering IPFW Hospitality Ivy Tech Catering Sams Club Aramark Catering/ Memorial Coliseum The Landmark Conference and Reception Centre

This years event

Thursday, December 1, from 5-8 p.m. at The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St. Tickets: $10 advance; $15 at the door. Purchase advance tickets at The Chamber or online at fwchamber.org/taste.

P H OTO B Y L AU R E N R I C H W I N E

tickets, the other will be for those who need to buy them at the door. Signs will direct every guest to the appropriate entrance. Better maps: Each visitor will receive a map showing where every vendor is located, in addition to the entrances and exits for each floor. Any Chamber member restaurant, caterer or food vendor interested in taking part in this years Taste of the Chamber should contact Liz Struckholz at 424-1435, extension 259 or by email at lstruckholz@fwchamber.org. Special thanks to Taste of the Chamber sponsor Comcast Business Class.

Get complete details online at fwchamber.org/getsaving

NOVEMBER 2011 E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY 9

CHAMBER

PARTNERS

In the word savings, time is money

The word savings itself can be somewhat ambiguous. Everyone has a concept of what savings are, but how to define it is something else altogether. Some organizations define it as a unit cost reduction (I paid $2, now I pay $1). Others include cost avoidance in their definition (I paid $2 in the past, now I pay $3, but I would have paid $4). Sometimes savings definitions include total cost-of-ownership factors, such as storage and distribution, or process improvements that make transactions more efficient. For the BuyWithPQC program, we believe that savings are defined as anything that results in a budgetary reduction, when compared to the previous year. But we also look at the efficiency of the organization. If an employee spends 10 hours a month looking for the best deal on products, this needs to be considered an additional expense to the purchase. An executive secretarys extra 10 hours for a simple purchase can add about $150 to the total, and made all her savings irrelevant. The BuyWithPQC program allows members to take that search out of the purchase. Start saving today by buying products and services at greatly reduced prices and let the executive secretary get back to work on that newsletter.

Find out more

Visit buywithpqc.com or call the office at 260-420-7374 for more information.

Vote for Economic Growth

Fort Wayne Mayor
Tom Henry

The Greater Fort Wayne Political Action Committee (BizPAC) Board of Directors conducted written and in-person candidate evaluations of those running in local elections. Endorsements were given to candidates who BizPAC believes demonstrated leadership in economic development and local business enhancement. As a result of the candidate evaluations, BizPAC formally endorses the following candidates:

Fort Wayne City Council

District 1: Tom Smith District 2: Karen Goldner District 3: Tom Didier District 3: Christian Nagal District 5: Geoff Paddock

At-Large: Marty Bender At-Large: John Shoaff At-Large: John Crawford At-Large: Tom Freistroffer

About BizPAC

The Greater Fort Wayne Business Political Action Committee, or BizPAC, is an organization directed by its own board. Board members are Co-Chairman Ben Eisbart, Co-Chairman Tom Kimbrough, Treasurer Fred Eckart, Chris Battell, Walt Branson, John Brogan, John Gerni, Tom Jones, Matt Kelley, Ric Zehr and Tim Zumbaugh. BizPAC supports, on a non-partisan basis, elected officials or candidates who are advocates for limited government, free enterprise and a pro-business, pro-economic growth environment in the greater Fort Wayne area.

10

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY

NOVEMBER 2011

CHAMBER

INSIDER

The real power of Leads Groups

Tom Reynolds Chamber Leads Group Chairman treynolds@kpcnews.net (260) 426-2640, ext. 326 fwchamber.org/leads

By Tom Reynolds The real power of Leads Groups is something I call Real Work Networking. What is it? Its significant. If the Leads Groups are to be successful for their members, then they have to effectively work the resource. Members have to invest themselves in understanding one another and in general this is best done with another member for whom there is a native affinity with your products and services. This enables you to easily help one another in that you are pursuing similar prospects. Architects with builders is perhaps an easy example. When I sold cash registers to restaurants, I got great leads from advertising and food representatives. You have to give to gain. When you receive leads, RENEWING MEMBERS

report the outcome back to the givers to build their confidence in you. You can reap a significant increase in business if you work a Leads Group membership consistently and give of yourself. People will respond. And you will make new friends and uncover high value products and services for yourself as your network expands. But you wont if you are passive and wait for someone to act on your behalf. The good news is that hundreds of people have gone before you and current members are glad to welcome you and help you get going. Contact myself, Tom Reynolds, at (260) 4262640, ext. 326, or Teresa Royer at The Chamber, (260) 424-1435. We can help you arrange to visit groups and then apply for membership in the ones that interest you to start your experience!

NEW

AND

Renewing members

More online
Find more about these businesses and all of our members in our online business directory at fwchamber.org/ directory.
New members September 2011 Alcatraz Storage Brady Benefits & Associates, LLC Bug Free Pest Control, LLC HoneyBaked Ham Local Guerrilla Marketing Quality Applied Systems, Inc. Schaab Metal Products, Inc. Sherry Laboratories STARBASE Indiana, Inc. Summit Logistics, Inc. Technical Operations Corp. Todd P. Briscoe, DDS, PC With Love Left Over Inc. Renewing members September 2011 Allen County Council on Aging Allen County SPCA Ambassador Enterprises, LLC American Red Cross Blood Services

Applebee Restaurants Aquatic Management, Inc. Automotive Hardware Service B2B CFO Bair CPA Group Baker Street Office Furnishings Best Value Inn Bobilya Law Group Brogan Outdoor Advertising, Inc. Busheys Windows & Doors Cash Flow Advisors, Inc. Catalyst Marketing Design, Inc. Cavanaugh Consulting Group, Inc. CenturyLink ChromaSource, Inc. Circle City Audio Closet Tamers of Indiana Colen Moving & Storage, Inc. Community Transportation Network Convergence Technologies Crumback-Symons Chevrolet Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc. Embassy Theatre Foundation Engineering Resources, Inc. Farmers & Merchants Bank Fifth Third Bank Five Star Distributing Foellinger Foundation, Inc. Forge Industrial Staffing Fort Wayne Rescue Mission Ministries, Inc. Freeman Jewelers, Inc. Frontier Communications GT Automation Group Gabbard Environmental Services

Genesis Telecommunications Graphic Advertising Group Insurance Services of Fort Wayne, Inc. H & H Sales Company, Inc. Holiday Inn Express-New Haven Hospital Laundry Service, Inc. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance Indiana Golf Advertising & Marketing Services Interim HealthCare Jensen Cabinet, Inc. Kemna Restoration and Construction, Inc. David Kirk Photography Lifeline Youth & Family Services, Inc. The Literacy Alliance LOTUS Yoga, Wellness & Gallery Lutheran Health Network Mad Anthony Childrens Hope House Martin Luther King Montessori School Medical Informatics Engineering, Inc. Mill Supplies, Inc. Bud Miller Supply, Inc. Moreau & Sons Concrete, Inc. Moss Building Products North Side Plumbing & Heating Company, Inc. Pampered Coach Truck Center Panera Bread Company Pella Windows & Doors Peters Body Shop, Inc. Philmore on Broadway

Precision Mechanical Contractors, Inc. Pro-Claim Plus, Inc. Q3 Business Technology Corp. Quality Inn QuikCut, Inc. Quincy Recycle Rabb/Kinetico Water Systems Remedy Live Reusser Design, LLC SES Environmental Sauder Feeds, Inc. Christine M. Schaefer/North Eastern Group Realty Phillip Shirmeyer, Inc. Solstice Coaching Splendid Fare by Figaros Staffmark State Farm/Scott Robinson Strahm Group, Inc. Summit Engineering & Design, Inc. TechEdge Corp. Three Rivers Dermatology Timberlin Properties, LLC Tri State Maintenance, Inc. US Cellular Valbruna Slater Stainless, Inc. Vera Bradley Designs, Inc. Vital Living Therapeutic Massage WM Imaging Solutions, Inc. Wechter Guitars, Inc. Workspace Solutions Zimmerman Brothers Excavating Service, Inc.

NOVEMBER 2011

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RIBBON

CUTTINGS

Homewood Suites by Hilton Garden Inn: Participating in the September 15 ribbon cutting ceremony at 8621 U.S. 24 were, from left, Comptroller Tom Fidanza, Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mike Landram, Consultant Jerry White, Vice President of Hoosier Hospitality Samir Lakhany, President and CEO of Hoosier Hospitality Ash Lakhany, Vice President of Operations Lindsay Morgan, Meher Lakhany, Hilton Garden Inn Director of Sales Tina Stacy, Safia Lakhany, Deputy Mayor Beth Malloy, Homewood Suites Director of Sales Sheila Dean, and mascot Lewis the duck. Century 21 Bradley Realty: Participating in the September 20 ribbon cutting ceremony at 2928 E. Dupont Road were, from left, Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Member Relations and Communications Michelle Merritt, President of Realogy Alex Pierrello, President of Century 21 Real Estate LLC Rick Davidson, City of Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry, Owner of Century 21 Bradley Realty Jim Bradley, Regional Manager of Wells Fargo Mortgage Steve Siegel, and Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mike Landram.

ProFed: Participating in the September 21 ribbon cutting ceremony at 1551 W. Dupont Road were, from left, Alonzo Epps, ProFed Board Member; Molly Conner, ProFed Northwest Branch Member Service Associate; Edward Mason, ProFed Board Treasurer; Thomas F. Didier, Fort Wayne City Council 3rd District; Linda Hinrichs, ProFed Assistant Vice President; Gregory T. Troutner, ProFed President and CEO; Richard R. Smith, ProFed Board Chairman; Nina Baker, ProFed Executive Vice President; John McKenzie, Indiana Credit Union League President; Victor Martin, MartinRiley; Aimee Shimasaki, MartinRiley; and ELizia Schmidt, ProFed Northwest Branch Member Service Associate.

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CHAMBER

NEWS

Saving member dollars with e-billing

If youve renewed your Chamber membership in the last two months, you might have noticed something different. The Chamber is moving to e-billing. The Chamber is now sending all invoices to members via email with information on how to login to your account and pay the bill online. By using e-billing, The Chamber makes better use of each member dollar. Such a green business practices cuts down on excess waste. Were excited to put technology to use for our members in a way that supports efficiencies for all of us, said Deb Boyd, Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce Controller. Of course, if you prefer to receive your invoice the old-fashioned way, all you have to do is call The Chambers Karen Patterson at (260) 4241435 and shell be sure its mailed to you.

RIBBON

CUTTINGS

Citizens Square Caf by Cerutis: Participating in the September 26 ribbon cutting ceremony at 200 E. Berry St. were Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry and Citizens Square Caf manager Rahim Pirani. Also participating were Jon Swerens, director of communications at The Chamber, and additional staff members from the caf and with the city.

Beckman Lawson: Participating in the September 30 ribbon cutting ceremony at 201 W. Wayne St. were, from left, City of Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry and lawyer Gary D. Johnson.

P H OTO S B Y L AU R E N R I C H W I N E

Let us host your ribbon cutting or groundbreaking! Details: www.fwchamber.org/openings

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CHAMBER

CALENDAR

OF

EVENTS

More information on events

Get the most updated events listing at fwchamber.org/ events Contact Liz Struckholz at (260) 424-1435 or lstruckholz@ fwchamber.org.

NOV

Graduate Retention Relaunch Party

Hear from interns and employers about how an intern could help your business. Cost: Free. Includes catered breakfast. Wednesday, Nov. 2 | 7:30-9 a.m. The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.

NOV

Chairmans Reception
Enjoy hors doeuvres and a cash bar Meet Fort Waynes whos who of leadership. Hosted by Past Chamber Chairman Don Schenkel. Cost: Member: $10 | Nonmember: $20 Wednesday, Nov. 9 | 5-7 p.m. University of Saint Francis, Historic Brookside, 2701 Spring St.

NOV

Breakthrough Planning
A Chamber Academy Learn the seven critical steps that can put your plans into action. Cost: Member: $19 | Nonmember: $39. Wednesday, Nov. 2 | 8-10 a.m. The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.
NOV

16

Chambers Connection to Government

A Chamber Lunch n Learn Join our Director of Government Affairs Katy Stafford and learn about the issues that affect members at the local, state and federal levels. Cost: Member: $10 | Nonmember: $15 Wednesday, Nov. 16 | noon-1 p.m. The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.

NOV

Presidents Lunch with Mike Christman

Every month, meet a local business leader Chamber President/CEO Mike Landram hosts this lunch with Mike Christman, President/CEO of Fort Wayne Newspapers and Chamber Chairman. Cost: $25, including meal | Limited to the first 10 Chamber members to sign up Thursday, Nov. 3 | noon-1 p.m. BakerStreet Restaurant, 4820 N. Clinton St.

NOV

17

INDOT Update
Discuss area transportation priorities with INDOT officials and economic development experts. Cost: $25, which includes lunch Thursday, Nov. 17 | 11:15 a.m.-1 p.m. The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.

NOV

Arming America Preview

Learn about the six-week executive program called Arming Fort Wayne with Knowledge, a multi-media educational experience focused on money, investing and entrepreneurship, offered by The Steve Beaman Group, in partnership with the Chamber. Cost: Member: Free Nonmember: $10 Monday, Nov. 7 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.

NOV

17

Meet Me @ 5: The Philmore on Broadway

Enjoy an evening of networking with hors doeuvres and a cash bar Meet our new members from our June membership event! Cost: Member: $5 | Nonmember: $10 Thursday, Nov. 17 | 5-7 p.m. The Philmore, 2441 Broadway

Sign up for our events!

Go to our web site at fwchamber.org/ events to get more details and register.
NOV

DEC

Taste of The Chamber

Bigger. Better. Tastier! Join The Chamber for the community holiday party of the year! Three floors of networking, food, and beverages, plus a cash bar on all three floors. Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door Thursday, Dec. 1 | 5-8 p.m. The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.

Cirrus ABS Info Session

A new Chamber member benefit Hear the Cirrus ABS team describe the benefits of their eBusiness Suite. Cost: Free Tuesday, Nov. 8 | 7:30-8:30 a.m. The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.

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Thank you to

for its generous sponsorship of The Chambers web site

See PHPs member page on The Chambers web site at www.fwchamber.org/towerbank

www.fwchamber.org

The holiday party of the year!

TASTE
OF THE CHAMBER
Three floors of networking and delicious food and beverages Thursday, December 1st 5-8 p.m.
The Chamber, 826 Ewing St. Advance tickets: $10 at fwchamber.org/taste or at The Chamber At the door: $15

fwchamber.org/taste