All of us at DCR Chamber wish you and yours a happy and safe holiday season. We look forward to seeing you in the new year!
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Committed to Business... for YOU.
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New Rules on Paid Sick and Safe Leave: What You Need to Know
Join us on Friday, January 6 at your Chamber's Legislative Breakfast for a discussion on Paid Sick and Safe Leave. This new workplace mandate will likely impact your business, regardless of where you are located. Mandated sick and safe leave, minimum wages, and scheduling requirements are all being proposed at a municipal level in cities nearby. Could they be coming to your city? In 2015, legislation requiring all Minnesota employers to provide employees with paid sick and safe leave time was proposed but fortunately stalled in committee. Since then, Minneapolis and Saint Paul have adopted their own local ordinances, thereby creating significant impacts on all Minnesota employers, especially on small businesses. In fact, if you do any type of business in these cities, you must comply. Learn more about the steps you must take to comply with this ordinance and how you can help us advocate for a statewide preemption solution. Register today.
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Interested in Meeting Your Legislator?
Connect with fellow Chamber members and Dakota County legislators for an evening of conversation on Thursday, January 12. Our annual Legislative Reception provides an opportunity for the business community to exchange ideas with elected officials on the best ways to ensure an economic climate for new investment and job creation in the region. Register today.
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Live or Work in West St. Paul?
Join us for our West St. Paul Business Council, a roundtable discussion of local issues happening in your community, on Thursday, December 22. Whether its the latest economic development project proposal, road improvement plans, or a local ordinance affecting how you do business, business councils provide business owners and community leaders a chance to learn more, provide feedback and voice your opinion, meet with elected officials, city, county, and school district staff members, and network with your peers. Register today.
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Events Calendar
Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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19
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20
Board of Directors
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21
7:30 a.m.
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22
8:00 a.m.
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23
Noon
Chamber Office Closed
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26
Chamber Office Closed
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27
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28
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29
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30
Noon
Chamber Office Closed
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2
Chamber Office Closed
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3
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4
5:00 p.m.
Session Priorities Dinner
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5
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6
7:30 a.m.
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9
11:00 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
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10
7:30 a.m.
Executive Committee
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11
8:00 a.m.
Noon
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12
8:00 a.m.
4:30 p.m.
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13
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Did you Know?
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Schedule Your Grow Minnesota! Visit Today
Grow Minnesota! is the business retention, expansion and assistance program of the
Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. The program is in its 14th year and operates in partnership with more than 70 local and regional chambers of commerce, including DCR Chamber. The primary focus is to retain Minnesota businesses and encourage them to expand here. Check out the Grow Minnesota! Quarterly Update to learn more about the program, featured businesses and resources that are available to your business. Interested in scheduling a visit for your business? Contact Vicki Stute.
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STEM Internship Funding Available for Businesses
By 2020, Minnesota will need to fill an estimated 155,000 high-wage, high tech jobs. Workforce development in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields is crucial to helping meet this demand and improving the economic outlook for employers and families across the state.
Minnesota is faced with a STEM workforce conundrum: students need experience to get a job, but need a job to get experience. Meanwhile, small companies across the state are struggling to find ways to connect to bright, young talent that can help their businesses grow.
SciTechsperience is a free, statewide, state-funded program that connects small to mid-sized companies to college STEM majors who are seeking paid internship opportunities. The program not only recruits and pre-screens students, it also provides a 50 percent wage reimbursement on the intern's wages up to $2,500. Employers maintain hiring decisions and the paperwork is minimal.
Click here to learn more and find out if your business is eligible.
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Local Focus: Find Out What's Happening In Your Community
Farmington City Council meets December 19 - see the agenda
Rosemount Planning Commission meets December 19 - see the agenda
Eagan City Council meets December 20 - see the agenda
Mendota Heights City Council meets December 20 - see the agenda
West St. Paul Planning Commission meets December 20 - see the agenda
Rosemount Port Authority meets December 20 - see the agenda
Rosemount City Council meets December 20 - see the agenda
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Member Spotlight: Welcoming New Businesses
Jim Hickle, Velocity Telephone, Inc.and Gigabit Minnesota
I began my career in sales of business forms and supplies, direct marketing programs, boxed chocolates (yes, I can tell you how to make a chocolate covered cherry) and finally telecommunications. I started with Velocity in 2004 when it had no products and no customers and have been growing the company ever since. Velocity provides phone and fiber services for businesses. We went into the fiber to the home business in 2014 when we acquired fiber to the home assets in Rosemount. We have invested over $1,000,000 and doubled the size of the footprint. I joined the Chamber in 2010 to help me learn how to navigate the world of city and state governments. As an Ambassador, I welcome many new businesses to the Chamber and help them get the most of their membership. I have been the Business Owner Roundtable (BOR) chair for over 4 years now and enjoy the relationships and advice from all of the other BOR members.
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New Members
We welcome the following new members!
Colliers International
Parkway Building Services
Summerfield Financial Services
Bay Equity Home Loans
Best Western Premier Nicollet Inn
Keeping it Personal
Kim Leqve
7900 International Parkway, Suite 300
Bloomington, MN 55425
(952) 356-5245
Visit website here
Keeping it Personal is a national faith-based personal growth and business development organization. Our mission is to renew, encourage, fulfill, inspire, nurture, and equip women entrepreneurs, business owners, and sales professionals who desire expediential growth in their lives personally and professionally. We offer 1:1 consulting, group coaching, online courses, conferences, retreats, workshops, in-person networking events, and community.
Watch for more information about these fine companies in upcoming Weekly Updates.
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Last week these awesome members renewed their Chamber membership. Thank you!!
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Celebrate Business Success
News on what's happening with our members and in the community!
 Our Ambassadors helped Cricket Wireless in Eagan celebrate the opening of their new store. Congrats to Cricket Wireless!
Goff Public recently welcomed
Pierre Willette to their staff. Pierre joins the growing government relations practice as an account executive/lobbyist. Congrats Pierre!
 Let's celebrate high ethical standards in Minnesota business. The Minnesota Business Ethics Award® (MBEA) invites all Minnesotans to nominate one or more Minnesota-based businesses for the 2017 awards. Click here to nominate a company. The nominations deadline is January 20, 2017.
 Neighbors, Inc. Executive Director,
John Kemp, recently announced that he will be retiring in April 2017. Their
Board is currently conducting a regional search for John's successor. Click here for details. Congratulations on your retirement John!
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