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Our Annual Garden Tour & Tea on July 16 was a great success with almost 90 attendees. Thanks to our sponsors, garden hosts, attendees and volunteers for making this year's tour one of the most successful ever! Thanks to Mother Nature as well for providing us with perfect weather despite an early threat of clouds and rain! And....a very special thanks to to
Anne Dall for being the major force behind making this event a reality this year!
By the time you read this, our Farm Tour will have occurred. We hope this event will also be a great success and a chance for the public to experience the "working landscape" of our region.
We are busily preparing for our 7th Annual Cohase 48 Hour Film Slam. It looks to be an exciting event this year with six teams already signed up to participate and interested filmmakers continuing to contact us..
We are also finalizing plans for a Business Financing Forum, a bi-state Health Insurance Forum and two Business After Hours events to be held in the next few months! Whew! There's a lot going on at the Chamber.
Details about these events can be found below.
Please note that we are postponing our "Cohase Passport Program" as we did not have enough interest at this time to make it a reality. However, we will revisit the idea early next year if we can garner additional interest and/or tweak the program to make it more appealing to area businesses. Let us know your thoughts!
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Upcoming Events
Please visit our WEB page or Calendar of Events for more details on any of these events as well as other events scheduled in our region..
August 28 - The Uncommon Jam, Newbury VT
September 3 - So Long Summer/Hello Fall Festival, Wells River VT
September 3 - Sleeping Sentinel Concert/Banjo Dan, Groton, VT
September 3 - Stagecoach Transportation - "Stuff the Bus" Food Drive, Bradford, VT
September 10 - Stagecoach Transportation 40th Anniversary Event, Randolph, VT
September 11 - Cohase 48 Hour Film Slam Public Showing, Bradford, VT
September 21 - Chamber Business After Hours, Woodsville, NH
September 24 - Fall Foliage Bike Ride, Groton/Newbury, VT
October 2 - Paddle the Border, Newbury/Bradford, VT
October 4 - Chamber Business Financing Forum, Haverhill Corner, NH
October 18 - Chamber Health Insurance Forum, Woodsville, NH
November 2 - Chamber Business After Hours, Fairlee, VT
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Martin Farm
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A Wonderful Day For a Garden Party!
We were so happy to have such a great turnout at our Garden Tour & Tea on Saturday, July 16. With just under 90 attendees, the event turned out beautifully! Beautiful gardens, delicious food and smiling faces made for a wonderful day. Thanks so much to Wells River Savings Bank, Odell Insurance, Blackmount Equipment, Ariana's Restaurant, North Country Organics, North Haverhill Agway, E. C. Brown's Nursery, Gardenhouse Studio and DD Country Supply for sponsoring the event. Thanks very much also to our garden hosts who opened up their homes to the public.
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Stewart Garden
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This year's featured gardens included Marianne & Robert Kuchel's gardens in Fairlee, 3 Sisters Vineyard in Bradford, the Martin Farm in Bradford, Bob and Paula Stewart's gardens in Fairlee, the Cottonstone Farm in Orford and Ariana's Restaurant garden in Orford. Thanks also to all the volunteers who helped out before and during the event. Special thanks to Anne Dall who has been our driving force behind the event each year, including this year!
We have an assortment of photos from the event in case you missed it. Please click
here to see the photos!
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48 Hour Film Slam Scheduled for September 9-11
Our Annual 48 Hour Film Slam is progressing nicely and we hope you can join us for the pubic showing on September 11 at 7:30 PM at the Bradford Academy in Bradford , Vermont! Admission is by donation at the door.
We are still accepting new teams so if you or someone you know is interested in participating for cash prizes, please have them contact us at
[email protected]!
As of this writing, we have seven confirmed teams but continue to receive new inquiries about the event. Our current team roster includes the following teams:
- Monkey See Films
- Fairy House Films
- E & E Productions
- Twin Cottage Studios
- Malone!
- Going to 11
- Ben Gwitt Team (Team Name to be determined)
This event is always a wonderful showcase of area talent and it is amazing what teams can produce in 48 hours! Although final details are still being made, the teams normally have 48 hours to produce a film that has an assigned genre, a common line of dialogue, a common area location, a common prop and must display product placement from our key sponsor Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank.
Thanks so much once again to our sponsors this year for helping to make this annual event a reality. Our sponsors this year are Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank, Valley Floors, Odell Insurance Agency, Alarmco, White River Indie Films, Wells River Savings Bank and Wells River Chevrolet.
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Dan Perry |
Member Moment
This month we were pleased to speak with Dan Perry, owner of the Tool Barn in Bradford, Vermont.
The Tool Barn is a tool rental, sales, and service center located in Bradford, VT. They rent various types of tools and equipment for use by every level for expertise from Do-It-Yourself-ers, to contractors. In addition to a wide array of rentals, they also sell and service various brands of power tools and are an Authorized Service Center for a number of brands including Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt, PorterCable, Delta and Tanaka. The Tool Barn is located at 1233 Lower Plain in Bradford. Dan can be reached at (802) 222-9311, by email at
[email protected] or visit them online at www.renttoolbarn.com
When did you start the Tool Barn business?
I bought it from the guy that started the business in June 2005. He had run the business for 11 years prior to that. At that time, it was in Fairlee. In 2010 we bought and renovated this building (in Bradford). The business is (now) mainly myself and my wife although my wife is mainly a Principal and not involved in the day-to-day operations. My son Daniel used to work here but he is now married and off doing his own thing. My father still comes in to help once in a while. We have one other employee who works as a Tool Technician.
What did you do before starting the business? Is your background in equipment repair?
I graduated in 1976 and worked with my cousins and all the boys at Perry's Oil. I worked at Perry's for 14 years in appliance parts and services and was also out on the road as a technician. I also worked at the Water Department in town for 11 years before starting this business.
Do you get a lot of "Do-It-Yourself" customers?
Our main customers are Do-It-Yourselfers but contractors run a close second. Popular rental items for Do-It-Yourself customers are floor sanders, floor nailers, carpet cleaners, water pumps (for swimming pools) and pressure washers although they rent all sorts of things.
What are the biggest challenges for your business?
The biggest challenge is the general economy. 2005-2007 was really good. From 2008-2010, the business went down a bit and it levelled off during 2011-2013 but it hasn't come back to the 2005-2007 levels yet. Weather plays an important role as well. Rentals fall off when the weather is bad. We also do well in the summer but business tends to drop off in the winter.
What are some of the things you have available for rent or services you provide that people may not be aware of?
We have mid-size excavators and tractors and a big thing currently are the man-lifts. Those have been rolling right out of here lately. Tool repair has also become a big part of the business in the past few years as well although we've been doing repair for a long time. Our business is currently about ¾ rental and ¼ tool repair.
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Ask The Chamber
Q. How can our business become more involved with the events the Chamber hosts? We would like to help the Chamber as well as promote our business.
A. Thanks for your question! We would love to have you become more involved in the events that we host. There are basically three ways you can use our Chamber events to promote your business and help the Chamber at the same time.
1. Sponsor An Event
All member businesses are welcome to sponsor one of our events during the year. Our main sponsorable events include:
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- Annual Meeting - January
- Paddle the Border - May/October
- Garden Tour & Tea - July
- Farm Tour - August
- 48 Hour Film Slam - September
- Business Workshops - Various times of the year
We usually secure sponsors for these events during our yearly membership drive and you can indicate which event(s) you wish to sponsor on your membership renewal form. Major Sponsorships are $300 per event and Minor Sponsorships are $150 per event. Major sponsorships will feature your company logo on most publicity materials and minor sponsorships will feature your business name. However, sponsorships are welcome any time so if you decide to sponsor mid-year, we are happy to add you to our sponsor list for your desired event.
Event sponsorship shows your commitment to the community and provides another advertising avenue for you since your logo or company name will appear in most promotional materials for the event. Keep your eye out for sponsorship opportunities at the end of the year when you receive your membership renewal or contact us directly regarding a specific event you would like to host.
2. Host An Event
We are constantly looking at expanding the events we offer and this year we are resurrecting our Business After Hours events. We will be holding two before the end of the year, both of which are sponsored by area businesses. In addition, our Health Care Insurance Forum planned for October will be hosted by two of our health care industry members. Hosting a Chamber event is a great way to promote your business to other members and to forge relationships that can result in new customers and expand your business. All that is usually needed is some food, drink and good cheer! Please contact us to schedule a date if your are interested in hosting an event!
3. Volunteer At An Event
Although we don't always put out a call for volunteers to our general membership, we usually need volunteers for many of our events. Specifically, our Garden Tour, Film Slam and Paddle the Border events can always use additional volunteers. You can make your presence known the day of the event by wearing a T-Shirt, ball cap, name tag or other items advertising your business while you help out. For those events where we host a booth, you are also welcome to provide literature or other swag at our booth location. If you are interested in assisting at any of our events, please let us know!
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Mark Your Calendar for These Newly Scheduled Events!
Although we are ironing out the specifics of these events, be sure to mark your calendar for these exciting new events the Chamber has scheduled! More details will be sent soon!
Business After Hours
Wednesday, September 21
5:30 PM
Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank
Woodsville, NH
Join us for a fun filled evening and a chance to mingle with your peers while enjoying food and drink. We also plan to show some of the winning films from the 48 Hour Film Slam at this event if you miss the public showing. Sponsored by Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank
Business Financing Options/Opportunities Forum
Tuesday, October 4
5:30-7:30 PM
Alumni Hall/Court Street Arts
Haverhill Corner, NH
Explore the wide variety of funding sources and information resources available to businesses in New Hampshire and Vermont. Existing small businesses, "creative economy" businesses and those thinking of starting a new small business are encouraged to attend. Presenters will include Chis Wellington/Grafton Count Economic Council, Ross Hart/Vermont Small Business Center and David Parker/Community Capital of Vermont. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP to [email protected]
VT/NH Health Insurance Forum
Tuesday, October 18
Time TBD
Cottage Hospital
Woodsville, NH
Learn more about the health insurance options available to you and your employees as well as recent and upcoming changes to health insurance and how they impact businesses and employees in Vermont and New Hampshire. This is your chance to get your health insurance questions answered! Experts from both New Hampshire and Vermont will be available to answer any health insurance questions you have! Refreshments will be served. This event is sponsored by Cottage Hospital and Little Rivers Health Care. More details to come!
Business After Hours
Wednesday, November 2
5:30 PM
Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty
Fairlee, VT
Another chance to network and socialize with your peers and have a little fun down south! Beverages and food provided. Details still being finalized but reserve the date! Sponsored by Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty. More info to come soon!
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