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Good Morning!
As the temperatures start to climb, it's a reminder that summer is just around the corner. For us, that means two exciting events are on the horizon! We're gearing up for June 28th's
Second Annual Public Safety Awards and July 13th's
28th Annual Commerce Cup Golf Tournament at Fountain Head Country Club!
Please note that our office will be closing at 2pm Friday, May 25th and re-open Tuesday, May 29th in observance of Memorial Day.
Lastly, do you have an interesting photo of your business / organization to share? Whether it's one from your beginning days, a fun polaroid snapped over the years, or something commemorative, please send it to Director of Member Services Tim Luipersbeck at
tim@hagerstown.org! We're working with
Worx Graphic Design to do some visual re-branding of our office space, and we'd love to incorporate some photos from our members!
Have a great holiday weekend,
Your Chamber Team!
PAUL FREY, DONNA MITCHELL, TIM LUIPERSBECK, ROD IRISH
& TYANA MONETTE
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Welcome Our New Members |
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15409 Molly Pitcher Highway
Greencastle, PA
717.494.7100
I.C.E. Firearms & Defensive Training
24129 Pecan Grove Lane
Gaithersburg, MD
301.828.5879
JLG / Jerrdan
13712 Crayton Blvd.
Hagerstown, MD
240.420.5268
Laced With Grace
14742 Fairview Church Rd.
Clear Spring, MD
240.520.3571
MLend
5078 Williamsport Pike
Martinsburg, WV
240.818.2687
Maryland International Film Festival
34 S. Potomac St., Suite 100
Hagerstown, MD
221 McRand Ct., Suite 100
Hagerstown, MD
301.739.2000
Natural Solutions Group
PO Box 697
Sharpsburg, MD
240.329.1969
New York Life
20 Willard St.
Hagerstown, MD
301.800.8879
S&L Water Solutions
19941 Beaver Creek Rd.
Hagerstown, MD
240.313.9190
28 W. Salisbury St.
Williamsport, MD
301.791.7304
28 W. Salisbury St.
Williamsport, MD
301.791.7304
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Members Making News
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Find Out What's New with Some of Our Members!
Meritus Health Successfully Fulfills Contract at Western Md. Hospital Center
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After nearly four years providing executive leadership and medical and nursing management,
Meritus Health's contract to support
Western Maryland Hospital Center or WMHC with the Maryland Department of Health will come to a close June 30.
"We would like to express appreciation to state officials and the employees and providers who have supported our efforts and continue to care for patients at WMHC," says
Joseph P. Ross, President & CEO of Meritus Health. "In addition to achieving the course correction of all state and federally-cited deficiencies for regulatory compliance in the first few months of management, we have made clinical, operational and facility improvements to ensure that all patients receive robust and high quality health care services. The entire community truly benefits from this valuable and unique facility in Washington County."
WHMC provides long-term hospital care and rehabilitation services to patients with chronic health problems, including those with brain and spinal cord injuries.
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Playhouse Seeking Two Male Actors for "The Woman in Black"
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ATTENTION MALE ACTORS,
The Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theater and Children's Theater is holding AUDITIONS for the thriller
The Woman in Black on Monday, June 4, 2018 at 6:30pm. Auditions will be held at The Playhouse which is located at 44 North Potomac Street Rear, in the heart of Hagerstown's Arts and Entertainment District and City Center.
Both male roles are open.
Scott Ruble
will direct the production.
The Woman in Black is a Stephen Mallatratt stage adaptation of the 1983 ghost novel written by Susan Hill. The intrigue begins when a lawyer hires an actor to tutor him in recounting to family and friends a story that has long troubled him concerning events that transpired when he attended the funeral of an elderly recluse. There he caught sight of the woman in black, the mere mention of whom terrifies the locals, for she is a specter who haunts the neighborhood where her illegitimate child was accidentally killed. Anyone who sees her dies! The lawyer has invited some friends to watch as he and the actor recreate the events of that dark and stormy night. A classic of the genre.
"A real theatrical spine chiller...A truly nerve shredding experience." - The Daily Mail
Performances are held at The Playhouse on Friday and Saturday evenings
from September 14 to October 26, there is one Sunday matinee on October 28.
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Community Anticipated for Longest Table Event
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"Community" is the hope, in its strongest sense of the word, for The Longest Table event Saturday, June 16th. The scene will be set in front of
The Washington County Free Library as South Potomac Street will be mostly shut down as table upon table will line the roadways. Seated at the tables? Community members from all walks of life, enjoying a meal and a hearty conversation about what can bring this town and its citizens together! Event organizers at the Library hope that this event will propagate change through moderated conversations between business owners, citizens, lawmakers, and all those in-between!
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Baxter Group, Inc. Celebrates National Small Business Week All Month Long
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Expressing their love for their community and supporting the people and businesses within it, they wanted to recognize a local organization also close to their hearts.
If the
Baxter Group, Inc. receives a combined total of 500
Facebook likes and/or
LinkedIn follows by the end of May 2018, they'll be donating $500 to Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County. They'll also be combining that with an additional $10 for each Google review received!
They chose Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County as their recipient as they work with families to help them build or improve a place they can call home. Their vision is a "world where everyone has a decent place to live" and every day, both of their organizations work towards that goal. When hearing about being picked as their recipient, Executive Director Thomas Reardon stated "That is wonderful," and that it was "greatly appreciated."
We encourage you to support Baxter Group through liking their page via the links above!
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Maryland Vascular Specialists Open Hagerstown Location
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Many patients have already come to know
Maryland Vascular Specialists
as a leading outpatient vascular care provider dedicated exclusively to the care of artery and vein disorders related to the circulatory system. They've recently added their 12th location right here in Hagerstown at 11110 Medical Campus Road (Green Entrance) - Suite 125. Get expert consultations, second opinion consultations, access to a vascular labl with diagnostic ultrasounds, endovascular procedures and venous procedures.
Pictured above, from L to R are
Dr. William Su
, Kathleen Su, and
Dr. Samer Saiedy
. The ribbon cutting event on Wednesday, May 2, was complete with a catering spread and a three piece band just behind the reception desk. Elected officials, Chamber officials, and board members alike joined the local medical community to celebrate this new addition to healthcare.
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Fresh Academicz Gearing Up for June Showcase at HCC
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Pete Arizmendi is a busy man these days, prepping and promoting "Individual Funk!", a hip-hop showcase with his talented students at
Fresh Academicz, Washington County's top breakdance academy.
Slated for June 10th at HCC's Kepler Theatre, this showcase promises to excite, inspire, and deliver the big talent with special guest Spinderella from Salt N' Pepa!
To purchase tickets, visit
HERE!
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Mary K. Bowman Fund for Historical and Fine Arts Grants More than $66,000 to Local Non-Profits
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The Mary K. Bowman Fund for Historical and Fine Arts, a fund of the
Community Foundation of Washington County MD, Inc. presented its 2018 grants at the C&O Canal in Williamsport. The Mary K. Bowman Fund provides financial support for current charitable and educational initiatives that preserve and maintain historical and cultural properties in Washington County. It also promotes the fine arts, history and historic preservation while encouraging the interest in and study of such matters. Preference may be given to initiatives supported by Miss Bowman prior to her passing.
This year's fund awarded $66,232 to the following 16 local nonprofit organizations:
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Barbara Ingram School for the Arts Foundation: $1,090 for the Summer Arts Academy for students in 5th-12th grade.
- C&O Canal Trust: $5,000 for canal classrooms in Williamsport providing a multidisciplinary STEAM program to 4th graders.
- Clear Spring District Historical Association: $723 to preserve Civil War era flags.
- Fort Ritchie Community Center: $4,500 for the Summer Arts & History program for children ages 6-13.
- Friends of Tolson's Chapel: $1,460 for the Chapel's on-site educational experience.
- Hagerstown Aviation Museum: $5,000 to support a mobile exhibit trailer project.
- Hagerstown Community Concert Association: $2,000 to provide students in grades 5-7 a high energy performance by Vocal Trash that teaches the importance of green sustainability and anti-bullying.
- Hagerstown Day Nursery: $4,150 for the children at the center to attend Kinder Konzerts.
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Maryland Symphony Orchestra: $10,000 to support the 2018-19 Kinder Konzert series.
- National Road Heritage Foundation: $1,200 to obtain an illustration for the engineering and paving exhibit at the National Road Museum.
- Robert W. Johnson Community Center: $924 for an after school fine arts program open to children ages 6-12.
- St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church: $3,500 for the restoration and preservation of the historic "Rabboni" stained-glass window.
- Washington County Arts Council: $1,000 for the Art Educators of Washington County 2019 Exhibit.
- Washington County Historical Trust: $7,500 to restore the Saylor House at Kiwanis Park.
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Washington County Museum of Fine Arts: $16,635 to support youth art education programs during 2018-19.
- Women's Club Foundation: $1,550 to restore and refurbish the front portico on the building.
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Something exciting and/or notable happening within your company? Has someone done something remarkable and you think it should be shared with our extensive list of newsletter recipients? Simply excited about an upcoming event?
We're here to help you get the word out!
Chamber Newsletter!
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Chamber Connects News |
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Chamber Connects is a free professional networking group within the Chamber for select members to create opportunities for each other!
Interested in joining a Chamber Connects referral group??
Sometimes the best form of connection is slowly cultivated with some of the same great members over time. It's often a nice contrast to the rest of our Chamber events! Email Tim Luipersbeck, Director of Member Services at tim@hagerstown.org if interested!
To find out which industries are represented in each group, & much more:
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Upcoming Chamber Events |
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Register for one of these upcoming Chamber functions!
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"The Heart of Leadership" with Randy Scott of Chick-fil-A Hagerstown
Hager Hall Conference & Event Center
Tuesday, June 5 - 11:30am - 1:00pm
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Washington County Department of Business Development
An Economic Update!
brought to you by Bowman Development
Wednesday, June 6 - 7:30am - 9:00am |
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Book Club: "Utopia is Creepy and Other Provocations" by Nicholas Carr
Washington County Chamber of Commerce Board Room
Tuesday, June 20th - 12:00-1:00pm
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Maximize Your Membership
Thursday, June 21st - 9:00am - 10:00am
Chamber of Commerce Training Room, Hagerstown, MD
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Business After Hours
Hosted by Bank of Charles Town
CHAMBER PRIZE DRAWING: $3,250
Thursday, June 21st - 5:00pm - 7:00pm
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Second Annual Washington County Public Safety Awards
Thursday, June 28th - Fairplay Fire Hall, 7:30-9:30am
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BEP Corner |
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A contribution from our Business and Education Partnership Committee
ENSURING EMPLOYEE SAFETY MAKES GOOD BUSINESS SENSE
A contribution from Wayne Rummel of Potomac Edison
Many times, leaders of businesses (large and small) focus on the basics of their business such as product and service quality, customer satisfaction, productivity and profit. The focus on these basics is for good reason- to be successful, business need to be profitable, and three components to achieving profitability include quality, customer satisfaction, and productivity. However, one key contributor to the success level of a business is employee safety. Consider the following:
- Product and Service Quality - Employees are the foundation of any business. Companies invest in their employees to retain them and develop skills, which can lead to a higher quality product and/or service. Often, the loss of a more tenured employee due to injury has a greater impact on quality and services.
- Customer Satisfaction - Studies support satisfied employees interact in a more favorable manner than unsatisfied. Likewise, studies show that injury-free employees tend to be more satisfied than those who have been injured on the job. Therefore, if we want our employees to excel at customer satisfaction, ensuring their safety is one step in achieving that goal.
- Productivity-Over time, business leaders have developed methods of doing more with less. Typically, this involves figuring out techniques to help employees be more productive. It goes without saying when a productive employee is absent for any reason, including an injury, productivity declines. Sure, we can replace the employee, but not without a learning curve.
- Profit-Workplace injuries directly affect the bottom line of a business. Employee injuries can result in legal costs, inspections by regulators potentially resulting in fines, higher insurance premiums, etc.
There are several considerations for improving employee safety. Some companies choose to hire a representative to serve as a resource to management for evaluating and making recommendations for improvement, others choose an outside consultant or assign responsibility to an existing group within the organization, while others simply lack the financial resources to go to this extent and must opt for a lower cost method. If you are a small business owner in this category, understand that Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) offers a free consultative service to small businesses. This service can provide technical support and training to help begin the journey.
Leaders of many large companies view success in safety as a measuring stick for other important metrics. Whatever path you choose, please understand that a solid safety program pays dividends. Ensuring employee safety makes good business sense for all types and sizes of businesses!
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Upcoming Ribbon Cuttings |
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Join Us for These Fun Celebrations!
Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
Join us in the downtown Arts District for this rededication reception! The street will be closed from 10am until Noon for this public event. The program will include music from the students, recognition from local and state dignitaries and remarks from current faculty, the Washington County Board of Education, and Foundation Board members. This event kicks off their 10 year celebration!
Thursday, May 31st - 11:00am
38 S. Potomac St., Suite 305
Hagerstown, MD
The Maryland Theatre
Groundbreaking Ceremony
Saturday, June 2nd - Noon
27 S. Potomac St.
Hagerstown, MD
Sprint - Maugans Ave.
Join us for this grand re-opening event with our friends at Sprint as they celebrate their remodeled retail location!
Thursday, May 31st - 11:00am
18634 Maugans Ave.
Hagerstown, MD
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Delta Dental - A New Members-Only Benefit! |
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As the nation's leading dental insurance company, Delta Dental's core purpose is the advancement of the oral health of our customers, partners
and
consumers through dental insurance and the philanthropic efforts of Delta Dental companies.
Delta Dental Plans Association is a not-for-profit organization. Through their national network of Delta Dental companies, they offer dental coverage in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories, with a local presence in communities across the country, providing groups and individuals with quality, cost-effective dental insurance
and
superior customer service.
Delta Dental protects more smiles than any other dental insurance company, with the largest network of dentists nationwide, quick answers and personalized service!
Right now is the perfect time to evaluate your company's dental plan and know that cost matters! Whether you provide your employees with dental insurance already, or they're required to purchase it on their own, Delta Dental could be your best option! There's only one way to find out, though.
Interested in learning more about how you can get started for less cost just by being a Chamber member? Our Chamber-approved Delta Dental Rep
Tim Harrison is available to take your questions at
301-473-3007
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SBDC Corner |
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Ready to turn your business dream into a reality? Check out SBDC Western Region's Smart Start Assessment at
marylandsbdc.org, or give
Herb Melrath a call at 888-237-9007 ext. 4. This month is Older Americans Month, and it's truly never too late to be your own boss. Find out how!
 
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Meet Your Local SBDC Rep,
Herb Melrath!
In 2017, the
Maryland SBDC (www. marylandsbdc.org) consulted over
2281 entrepreneurs which accounted for
208 business starts,
1251 jobs created,
$47,229,691 million in new sales, and
$49,638,382 million in capital investments.
The
Western Region of Maryland SBDC covers Frederick, Washington, Allegany and Garrett Counties. Our regional headquarters is located at Frostburg State University. We have consultants in the economic development offices in Allegany, Washington and Frederick Counties.
For Western Maryland SBDC activities visit our Facebook page @WesternMdSBDC
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GenNext Happenings |
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Our Young Professionals Network!
Are you between the ages of 21-39? Are some of your colleagues? GenNext may be a great asset! Founded through the Chamber, this group is open to members and non-members alike with a vested interest in networking and giving back to the Washington County community.
Visit here for more information!
SOME UPCOMING EVENTS:
Networking Happy Hour
May 30th, 5-8pm
Cushwa Brewing Co.
10212 Governor Lane Blvd.
Williamsport, MD
Revitalize Hagerstown! A Panel Discussion
June 14th, 5:30-8:30pm
The Maryland Theatre
27 S. Potomac St.
Hagerstown, MD
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About Us |
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Washington County Chamber of Commerce members include more than 600 organizations, representing over 40,000 local jobs in a wide variety of industries: Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Skilled Trades, Service and Hospitality, Technology, Government, Nonprofit, and Education.
We can't wait for our next opportunity to work with you, and
for you!
Washington County Chamber of Commerce
1 South Potomac Street
Hagerstown, Maryland 21740
Washington County Chamber of Commerce
(301) 739-2015
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