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A Message from our President
Spring is here and with the nice weather comes a buzz of activity and excitement- and the atmosphere is the same at the Chamber.
Our membership campaign is in full swing, and through the efforts of our Vice Chairman of Membership Tavis Tindall of Tindall Law Firm, along with our many dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers, we have welcomed just over 50 new members so far- halfway to our goal of 100. We have a few more weeks to grow by an additional 50 members and offer them the
great incentives included in our membership campaign. If you know someone who could benefit from Chamber membership, I encourage you to send them our way to take advantage of some really great offers, and I thank all of those who have given their valuable time to the campaign already.
Best Regards,
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The 2017 Legislative Session is in full swing! We know you're busy running your business- that's why our Public Policy and Economic Development Director Dave Krechevsky strives to keep you updated on the key developments happening in Hartford that could affect your business. Follow Dave's Public Policy Blog to stay in the know and on top of developments in Public Policy.
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Join Us! - Upcoming Chamber Events
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YPOWR Professional Development: Boost Your Business Rapport
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Business Matters: The Wheel of Life
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23rd Annual Waterbury Regional Chamber Golf Outing
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May Out for Business and New Member Welcome Reception
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12th Annual Duck Day and Race
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Leadership Greater Waterbury Graduation
Class of 2017
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Join us at upcoming ribbon cuttings to celebrate your fellow members!
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Thursday, May 4
12:00 PM
20 Putnam Place,
Cheshire
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Wednesday, May 24
1:00 PM
Princeton East Building, 76 Westbury Park Road, Suite 207e, Watertown
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*To schedule an upcoming ribbon cutting for your business with the Chamber, contact Membership Services and Communications Director Julie Donato at jdonato@waterburychamber.comor at (203) 757-0701 ext. 311.
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Welcome to all of our new members who have joined over the past month*. We encourage you to click on the names below to visit their web sites and hope you can connect with them soon.
| All About Service S & P Carting Inc. |
Murphy Boyz Printing & Marketing, LLC |
| Bank Street Kitchen |
Mutual of America |
| Belonick Plumbing |
Naugatuck Valley Lawn Maintenance (N.V.L.M. Inc.) |
| Berkshire Hathaway Home Services New England |
Ogham Art |
| Better Hands Companions and Homemakers |
Pereira Academy of Karate |
| Connecticut Counseling Centers, Inc. |
Polletta Realty LLC |
| Continental Merchants |
RAA Greenfield Transportation LLC |
| Crystal Bees |
Ready to Exhale, LLC |
| Dance Attitude |
Red Barn Consulting, LLC |
| DCI Resources (The Learning Academy) |
Reliable Pools & Spas |
| Doosan Fuel Cell America, Inc. |
Slavin Stauffacher & Scott, LLC |
| DT Media Group |
Southbury Barber Shop |
| Hartford Healthcare at Home-Southbury |
Sprint Business Solutions-Maria Xavier |
| Hawk Ridge Winery |
Stanley's Auto Body, Inc. |
| Industrial Paper & Plastic |
Sunrise Family Dental Care |
| Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy |
Sweet Bella Home Cooking |
| J & J Precision Eyelet, Inc. |
Tender Years Preschool |
| KarTele Cellular Phones |
The Gun Store, LLC |
| Lashes by Tania |
Thomaston Physical Therapy, LLC |
| Lasky Enterprises, LLC |
Thunder Sports and Fitness |
| Manzi Insurance |
VNA Northwest Inc. |
| Mary's Diner 2 |
Watertown Auto and Truck Parts, Inc |
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Work It |
*New Members from April 1- May 3
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HR Corner: "Health Care Reform"
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We began the first 100 days of the Trump administration wondering what would happen to the ACA ("Obamacare"). Our questions included:
- Would the AHCA be passed?
- What reporting would be required?
The Republican Party pulled the bill before the vote when they realized they didn't have the votes to pass "AHCA". "What happens now", you ask?
The ACA remains the law of the land and both individuals and organizations are expected to meet the requirements of this law. While we all hoped the reporting would go away, this is not the case. I would advise everyone to continue providing the required reporting to the IRS and employees, ensuring compliance.
There was talk that the Trump Administration was going to "relax" the enforcement of these requirements, however; the IRS is one of the agencies we must all report to, so I suggest to not "anger the IRS" and do the reporting!
I will have more information shortly - stay tuned!
The HR Corner is brought to you by Lois Krause of Kardas Larson - Human Resources Solutions. Learn more at www.kardaslarson.com
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Your Health Care Council Update
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The Health Care Council is excited to welcome just under 30 new Council members since January 1, 2017.* With industry-focused programming, publications and networking opportunities, we welcome our newest Council members and their participation and insight. Please keep these businesses in mind when considering your healthcare, wellness and nutrition needs!
| Allumé Home Care |
PhysicianOne Urgent Care |
| Bank Street Kitchen |
RAA Greenfield Transportation LLC |
| Better Hands Companions and Homemakers |
Ready to Exhale, LLC |
| Connecticut Counseling Centers, Inc. |
Red Barn Consulting, LLC |
| doTerra Wellness Advocate |
Relaxing Getaway Massage |
| Elderly Caregivers LLC |
Scrub Wear House |
| Emerest Health Care |
Sprint Business Solutions-Maria Xavier |
| Hartford Healthcare at Home-Southbury |
Sweet Bella Home Cooking |
| Hartford Healthcare Federal Credit Union |
Tender Years Preschool |
| Head Zone Concussion Care |
Theraplant |
| Infinity Home Care Services, LLC |
Thomaston Physical Therapy, LLC |
| Mutual of America |
Thunder Sports and Fitness |
| My Eye Dr. |
Town Plot Supermarket |
| Oronoque Eye Care |
Wigshack.com/A Cut Above |
| Pereira Academy of Karate |
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Is your company interested in the Health Care Council or are you a current council member and want to get re-engaged please contact Courtney at cligi@waterburychamber.com or 203-757-0701.
*As of May 1, 2017
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Leadership Greater Waterbury 2017: Team Projects
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The Leadership Greater Waterbury Class of 2017 is preparing community projects as part of their annual curriculum. Participants in the program are tasked with creating a project that will give back to the Waterbury community.
Team Projects Coming Up:
Brass Quest Waterbury Community Scavenger Hunt - Saturday, May 6th, Rain or Shine. Participants will check in beginning at 12:30 PM at City Hall and will travel to local businesses and organizations in order to earn points and enter a drawing to win the $500 grand prize, among other prizes. Free and open to the public. You can find more details on the group's
Facebook page by clicking here or by emailing brassquest2017@gmail.com. Brass Quest group members: Olivia Jefferson of Waterbury Youth Services, Julie Donato of Waterbury Regional Chamber, Paul Pannicia of Post University, Morgan Luschenat of Post University and Lori Nemec of Ion Bank.
Vet Fest - Saturday, May 20th in Library Park (Rain Date: May 21)-
VETFEST 2017 is a free family fun day celebrating and appreciating Veterans from 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM. Inspired by USO concerts, we believe Veterans deserve concerts too! Come out and enjoy comedy, food trucks, and featured music from Mason West and Ripcord Military Band. We Are For Vets team Members: Melanie Silva of MacDermid Performance Solutions, Lauresha Xhihani of Waterbury Hospital and Caitlin McCullough of Crystal Rock. For more information call (203) 573-6717
Project REL for West Side Middle School - Wine and Beer Tasting on Wednesday, May 24th from 6:00 - 9:00 PM at the Grand Oak Villa. Project Revive, Enhance, Learn is raising funds to purchase new shelves, books and research equipment for West Side Middle School. Tickets for the wine and beer tasting are $40 in advance, $50 at the door, and include appetizers, pasta, carving station, and dessert. Tickets can be purchased through the Project REL Team Members: Rita Marie Manville of Easterseals (rmanville@eswct.com), Erik Anthony of FD Community Federal Credit Union (
eanthony@fdcommunityfcu.org) and Leanna Coiro of Eversource Energy (leanna.coiro@eversource.com)
STEPS Team - Strive, Transform. Empower. Prepare. Succeed. (STEPS) Is an ongoing Mentorship Program with students at Waterbury's
Enlightenment School. The group is planning a graduation ceremony for students who complete the STEPS program. Team Members: Tiffany Swiatlon of Ion Bank, Keon Blackledge of Saint Mary's Hospital, Jonathan Draper of UCONN Waterbury, Monique Dolphy of MacDermid Performance Solutions, Ryan Cooke of Post Univeristy and Roger Ames of People's United Bank.
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Business Matters Seminar: Cindy Donaldson, Red Barn Consulting
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The Small Business Council and Health Care Council have once again teamed up to present their Business Matters seminar Series. The first session in this educational workshop series featured Cindy Donaldson of Red Barn Consulting, who shared some valuable insight on motivating and connecting with your team. Attendees gained an understanding on the importance of effectively communicating with your team and of recognizing employees and making them feel valued. The second seminar in this series will be held on May 12th with Bob Dickson of Dale Carnegie Training, who will focus on setting SMART Goals and outlining your "Wheel of Life."
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YPOWR Socks for All Sock Drive
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On Sunday April 30th, YPOWR Members volunteer
ed for their first Sock Drive Collection which took place at WalMart in Naugatuck
. With great success they collected hundreds of infant, toddler, child and adult socks to be donated to
Chamber member organizations including Carolyn's Place, Naugatuck YMCA, Greater Waterbury YMCA, Naugatuck Youth Services and St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury.
Pictured top from left to right: Douglas Balko, Carmody, Torrance Sandak & Hennessey; Robyn Ricciardone, bottom left to right: Courtney Ligi, YPOWR Program Director; Sorrina Salvatore, Ion Bank; Caitlin Sheedy, FD Community Credit Union and James Higgins, Webster Bank.
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Promote Your Business with Door Prize Donations
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Promote your products and services and get great exposure by donating a gift certificate or item to a Chamber function.
Donated items are drawn as prizes for our monthly Out for Business events, Young Professionals of Waterbury Region networking events, Out for Health events, and more. Donations can also be made specifically to the annual Malcolm Baldrige Awards Dinner silent auction.
When you donate, you can gain a new customer and your business is publicly spotlighted by the Chamber.
Start a Donation Today! - Click Here
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Enhanced Web Listings: Stand out from the Competition
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Members now have the exciting ability to upgrade to an enhanced listing on waterburychamber.com. Our staff is working hard to bring the benefits of these enhanced listings to you. These listings offer members the ability to stand out from their competition with features such as your company logo, a bolder listing, your social media links, videos and photos and a business description. Our goal is to help members generate more online referrals, website clicks, social media interaction and more potential customers. Click here for more details. For questions or to activate your enhanced listing, email Alison at
aamato@waterburychamber.com
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We're working to promote shopping local and shopping Chamber! Our new digital initiative provides the opportunity to promote your business through our e-mail, newsletter, and social media exposure to encourage your fellow members to shop local and utilize your business. Every month, different members will be showcased- and YOU can be a part of it. Click here for further details and consider which month you'd like to sign up for. Contact Julie at
jdonato@waterburychamber.com today!
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