Chamber Newsletter - December 2018
Volume 23 - Issue 12
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Chamber Chat with Amanda
Dear Chamber Members,
Another year is coming to a close and 2019 is just around the corner. Since becoming Executive Director of the Chamber last year, I have learned SO much. Even though I have been working here for over nine years, I still learn something new every day and every day is different than the day before. That is what makes working at the Chamber so exciting! My goal for 2019 is to continue to work hard for our members and our community and to improve our local economy. Everyone benefits when that occurs and it solidifies the Chamber's leadership role.
Before we close out 2018 and begin 2019, I thought it would be a good time to share some of the Black River Area Chamber of Commerce highlights from this year. We've had many positive developments over the past 12 months and we look forward to more in 2019.
Here were some of the Chamber highlights for 2018:
- We launched a completely redesigned website. It is responsive and mobile friendly. We’ve received great feedback from members and visitors to our area.
- We made the decision to work solely with The Print Shop on our 2019 Visitor’s Guide. We worked with them for many years before partnering with Lunar Cow and we decided that we wanted to keep the guide 100 percent local.
- We applied for and received a grant from WPPI Energy to use toward Oktoberfest expenses. We also applied for and received advertising funds from ITBEC (International Trade, Business and Economic Development Council) for the Karner Blue Race and Oktoberfest.
- We reinvigorated the Chamber Ambassador group. We started the year with five Ambassadors. We now have 13 Ambassadors!
- Our area was nominated for the La Crosse Tribune's Best of the Best promotion! The Black River State Forest was voted by readers as the Best Place to go Four Wheeling and Hatfield was a close second. The Black River State Forest was a top 4 finalist for Best Place to Cross Country Ski. The Black River was a top 4 finalist for Best Kayak Spot!
- In May 2018, the Black River Area Chamber of Commerce, the Department of Workforce Development and the Black River Falls Middle School held a Career Fair for eighth-grade students and a Community-Wide Job Fair for the public. A total of 36 businesses and Universities attended the Career Fair and Job Fair. Over 120 students attended the Career Fair portion and 73 job seekers attended the Job Fair portion. Many filled out applications on site and some were hired on the spot! We look forward to planning another Job Fair this Spring.
- We made much needed upgrades to some of our office equipment. We replaced our eight-year-old computers and our 12-year-old phone system and copier.
- Our staff made a strong push to promote our region, businesses, and events through social media. Our Facebook page has almost 17,000 likes!
None of this can be accomplished without the right people. I am blessed to work with an outstanding staff - Kathy Kopp, Sammi Windsor and Lynette LeGarde - and with a supportive board of directors. This is a team effort all the way. It's been a busy year but there's plenty more to be done. Here's to a prosperous 2019!
Thank you, as always, for your continued support of the Chamber. Together we build business, create community and promote tourism.
Sincerely,
Amanda Gunn
Executive Director
Black River Area Chamber of Commerce
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2019 Black River Country Visitor
Work is almost finished on the 2019 Black River Country Visitor's Guide. We are working with The Print Shop to produce and print the publication. Our goal is to get the publication printed by early 2019 so it is available for regional tourism and trade shows. Here is a sneak peek at the beautiful cover!
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Chamber Board Election Results
One Black River Area Chamber of Commerce board member was re-elected and three new members were elected to the board after the annual elections were conducted.
Re-elected to a second three-year term on the board was Tamra Soto from Comfort Inn & Suites.
Elected to a first three-year term on the board were Keith Brown from Farm Urban Realty, Wendy Trautsch from Pine View Terrace and Joe Williams from Theisen’s. They will join the board in January.
Thank you to Charles Betthauser and Brad Chown who are completing their terms on the board. We appreciate your service the past three years. Candy Christianson resigned from her board position two months ago after taking a new job out of the area.
Any Chamber member can run for election as a board member. Contact executive director Amanda Gunn if you are interested in being a candidate in the future.
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2019 Membership Drive
We are working on finalizing 2019 memberships. Membership Renewal Forms and Invoices for 2019 were sent to all members in October. Late notices were sent in November. If you haven't already done so, please submit payment no later than January 4th, 2019 to be included in the membership directory in the back of the Visitor's Guide.
If you have questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact our office.
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Events to Share
Please send us information on any upcoming events your business or organization is hosting. We will get them posted to the calendar on our website and in the printed calendar we distribute at our office. We also share many different events on our Facebook page!
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Brochures, Rack Cards and Business Cards
Make sure to drop off a supply of your brochures, rack cards and business cards at the Chamber office. Help us help your business by passing along information to both our out-of-town visitors and to local residents who come to the Chamber. If you can't make it to the office, give us a call and we will gladly pick them up at your business!
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Save the Date - Customer Service Training with
Julie Fox from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism - January 24, 2019
Bringing Fun to Life in Wisconsin
Research shows that 68% of your customers may not choose to return to your business, not because of the product that they receive, but because they experience an attitude of indifference or rudeness by the owner, manager, or an employee. While marketing our state as the Midwest’s premier destination for fun, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism recognizes that in order to deliver on this brand and have visitors return to our state and your business, our customers must receive great customer service. To support this, a customer service program has been developed for businesses and communities throughout Wisconsin. While the premise of the program is rooted in service for the tourism industry, the basic customer service skills discussed apply to owners and employees in all industries. This session will provide attendees with the basic knowledge and skills to deliver outstanding customer service experiences.
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December Business After 5
Thank you to everyone who attended the Holiday Business After 5 and Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Chamber office on Wednesday, December 5th. We had a great turnout and everyone had a wonderful time! We would like to thank the following businesses and organizations for contributing to the event:
Remember - all employees of any Chamber member business are welcome to attend Business After 5.
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The 2018 Black River Area Chamber of Commerce Tree Lighting
Nancy Stevens (left), representative from the 2017 Customer Service Award winner, Cell.Plus/US Cellular Agent and Lois Corey (right), representative from the 2017 Service Organization winner, the Black River Area Community Band had the honor of lighting the tree during the Holiday Business After 5 event. The 2017 Business of the Year Award winner, Northern Family Farms was not able to attend.
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Members from the Black River Area Community Band played festive music during the event.
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Members enjoyed music, food and beverages during the event.
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Join us for the next Business After 5 event at Millie J's Wednesday, January 9th from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. There will also be a Ribbon Cutting at 5:15 p.m. We hope to see you there!
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Looking for the Perfect Holiday Gift?
Purchase Chamber Bucks for the Holiday Season!
Chamber Bucks are similar to a gift certificate – but can be used to purchase merchandise, products or services at over 90 Black River Area Chamber of Commerce member businesses.
Chamber Bucks can be purchased in any denomination and anyone can purchase them. Below is a list of members that accept Chamber Bucks. Participating members are also listed on the back of Chamber Bucks.
To purchase Chamber Bucks, stop into our office, give us a call at 715-284-4658 or email us at chamber@blackrivercountry.net.
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Jackson in Action
227 S 11
th
Street
Black River Falls, WI 54615
Phone: 715-284-1330
Jackson in Action (JIA) is a community coalition that promotes healthy lifestyles for children, their families, and the greater community. To help combat obesity and promote wellness in the Jackson County area, JIA offers events such as The Pace and Pedal Duathlon, Hunter Fitness classes, Laces to Leaders, snowshoe events and more. For more information, visit
www.jacksoninaction.org.
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Rotary Club of Black River Falls names November Youth Rotars
Logan Von Der Hellen and Abigail Ross were the November Youth Rotars for the Rotary Club of Black River Falls. Both are seniors at the Black River Falls High School. Youth Rotars are selected by their school and Rotary as representatives of “good citizens” in both their school and their community. Youth Rotars spend one month attending the Rotary Club’s meetings and give reports on school events. At their last meeting, they are presented with the Black River Falls Rotary Club’s flag. The Youth Rotar Program runs from September through May with two representatives each month, except the month of December.
Logan is the son of Joel Von Der Hellen and Rachel Warr. He has one sister and two step-brothers. In school, Logan is involved in the Gay Straight Alliance and the Green Club. He also attends classes at Western Technical College in Black River Falls. He currently works at Pine View Care Center as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Outside of school and work he enjoys spending time with friends and his boyfriend, singing and spending time outdoors. Logan aspires to be a Registered Nurse one day.
Abigail is the daughter of Sandy and Adam Ross of Black River Falls. She has two brothers. In school, Abigail is involved in Student Reporting Labs, Future Business Leaders of America, Teens Against Tobacco Use, Tiger Investment Club and she is a member of the National Honor Society. She also plays volleyball, basketball and participates in track and field. She currently works at Culver’s. In her free time, she enjoys cooking. Abigail plans on becoming a Speech Pathologist one day.
The Rotary Club of Black River Falls is part of an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people all over the world. Its purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards and to advance goodwill and peace throughout the world. The Club meets every Monday at noon at the Skyline Golf Course. For more information visit
www.brfrotary.org
or find the club on Facebook.
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Kristin Franks, President of the Rotary Club of Black River Falls, presents the Rotary flag to Logan Van Der Hellen and Abigail Ross, the club’s November Youth Rotars.
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BRF School District Looking to Increase Internship and Apprenticeship Opportunities
The School District of Black River Falls would like to increase internship and apprenticeship opportunities for students in our area. Career Coordinator Ryan Johnson can meet face-to-face with employers, help coordinate and support interns and apprentices in local businesses and assist with finding and developing training opportunities for student workers. If your business would be interested in having student interns/apprentices, contact Tom Chambers at 715-284-4324 ext 2001 or by email at
Tom.Chambers@brf.org
or Ryan Johnson at 715-284-4324 ext 6511 or by email at
ryan.johnson@brf.org
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Black River Falls Downtown Association Awards Grant to
The Wright Place
The Black River Falls Downtown Association (DTA) recently awarded a $1,500 Business Improvement Grant to The Wright Place for significant improvements and renovations that were made to the Main Street building. The DTA provides these grants for business owners and operators who seek to improve and maintain the historic qualities of downtown BRF. Lauren Wright, owner of The Wright Place accepted the check from DTA President Charles Betthauser.
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Black River Falls High School Establishes Interact Club
Through the leadership of Rotary Club of Black River Falls President Kristin Franks and Rotary Member and High School Principal Tom Chambers, the Black River Falls High School has established an Interact Club. Franks was an Interact Club member in High School and thought it would be beneficial to start an Interact Club locally.
Interact is a group of students at the high school who are dedicated to serving their community. Both Rotary and Interact's motto is Service Above Self. Interact is a student-led organization, and the club's officers work hard to find service projects around the community for their members to participate in. Their goal is to complete at least one community-based service project and one international service project during the school year. The club gives students an opportunity to develop their leadership skills while giving back. The Interact club is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Black River Falls which provides support and guidance, but the club is a self-governing and self-supporting organization. The Rotary Club of Black River Falls recently gave $500 to the new Black River Falls High School Interact Club.
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Kristin Franks, President of the Rotary Club of Black River Falls, presented a check to Interact Club board members. Back row from left: Rotary Members Barb Brower and Tom Chambers. Front row from left: Interact Club members Victoria Mouradian, Ellie Wirtz, Lois WhiteEagle, Interact Club President Grace Engebretson and Rotary President Kristin Franks.
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Black River Memorial Hospital Earns Wisconsin Forward Award
Wisconsin Forward Award Inc., recognized Black River Memorial Hospital (BRMH) with the Wisconsin Forward Award of Excellence in December of 2018. This is the highest level of achievement possible.
Wisconsin Forward Award, was created in 1997 by the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment. Their mission is to advance the competitive position and world-class status of Wisconsin organizations in the international marketplace, and to enhance learning, continuous improvement and enterprise performance. The award is modeled after the Baldrige National Quality Award program.
Excellence recipients are considered industry leaders and role models for others. BRMH began its journey of excellence in 2009. Since then, BRMH has been recognized by various organizations for being an excellent place to receive care as well as being an employer of choice.
There are three levels of recognition determined by a team of examiners. BRMH was first recognized at the Proficiency level in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, BRMH earned the next level, Mastery and then took six years to streamline processes and work even more at organizational improvements.
Mary Beth White-Jacobs said, “The National Baldrige criteria are an integral part of our ‘Excellence Always Journey’. Using the criteria allows us to focus our work in areas that have the most impact on our patients, our employees and community. As a result, our outcomes for customer service, quality of care and employee engagement are leading the industry. Our team of dedicated providers and staff work tirelessly every day to ensure Jackson County has access to the ‘best community hospital in the nation’.”
BRMH will be honored at a special ceremony in January 2019.
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7 Rivers Alliance Updates
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Inspire Program
With a new school year underway, the Inspire 7 Rivers team has taken initiative to grow its network of employers and students. Inspire is a way to link together education and industry to help students and job seekers achieve their goals and address communities’ workforce development needs. Inspire 7 Rivers is launched in school districts within Black River Falls, Holmen, Tomah, Hillsboro and Blair-Taylor, and over the next three years, the program will expand to include school districts throughout the entire 7 Rivers Region.
The Inspire program is now up to over 100 employers and 80 coaches that collaborate with over 1,000 active students in the area.
Our team continues to communicate about the benefits of the program to local organizations. We are currently working on creating a more effective, user friendly registration process for employers to join. If you or any employer is interested in learning more please email Jeff at
Jeff@7riversalliance.org
.
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WisConnect is your source for Wisconsin internships!
Employers can recruit interns on WisConnect to enhance their skilled talent pipeline. Create an employer profile, post internships, search for Wisconsin college students and find resources to build or expand internship programs.
It's easy to get started.
Create a free WisConnect account
to start your search for interns today. Once registered, you can build your employer profile to showcase and attract interns, post internships and search for qualified interns who meet your talent needs.
College students are joining WisConnect daily. Visit the site frequently to make new talent connections.
Students can seek internships to gain valuable job skills and launch their career. Create a professional profile, up
load your resume, and search for internships with Wisconsin employers. Create a free WisConnect account to start your internship search today. Once registered, students can search for internships, explore Wisconsin businesses that offer internships and identify opportunities to gain valuable job skills. New internship postings are added frequently. Visit WisConnect often to find new opportunities.
For more information visit the link below!
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Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation News
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THINK•MAKE•HAPPEN IN WISCONSIN
Throughout our history, we’ve shown that if you
THINK
big and strive to
MAKE
your mark, anything can
HAPPEN
in Wisconsin. From our nationally recognized education system and our renowned work ethic to innovative thinking that fuels ground-breaking discoveries, our culture and traditions create opportunities for personal and professional fulfillment.
To further guide our approach, we conducted a national survey of business leaders, investors and people representing the general population. Among the insights this study uncovered is the fact that Wisconsin is a state well-known for its thinkers, makers and doers. You can
view a summary of our research findings here.
There are several ways to engage with Think-Make-Happen:
- Join the conversation on social media using hashtag #ThinkMakeHappen.
- Share your story and what you love about Wisconsin.
- Check out our library of Wisconsin Stories and Wisconsin alumni testimonials and share them through your social media networks.
- Just for Wisconsin alumni: Click here to tell your story and share what you love about Wisconsin.
- Employers are encouraged to use the Think-Make-Happen video in their employee recruitment efforts. The video promotes opportunities in Wisconsin and why the state is a great place to live and work.
- If you would like to adopt Think-Make-Happen In Wisconsin® messaging to help promote business and talent initiatives in your area, please contact us.
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Made in Wisconsin
High-Quality Products from Hard-Working People
When something is produced in Wisconsin, it is a point of pride for those who had a hand in its creation. WEDC created a cost-free logo for businesses to use to proclaim their products' Wisconsin origin. The Made In Wisconsin logo can be adapted to reflect a company's production process.
Join the hundreds of companies who are already participating in the Made In Wisconsin program by filling out an application
here
!
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Ho-Chunk Gaming Black River Falls
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Miller's Antiques & Auction Company
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Gross Motors of Black River Falls
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2019 Business After 5 Calendar
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January 9
: Millie J's
February 13:
UMOS
March: No Business After 5 in March
April 10:
Norgaard Agency
May 8: Black Creek Lodge
June 12: Lunda Community Center
July: No Business After 5 in July
August 14:
WWIS Radio
September 11: Dale's Refrigeration & Heating
October 9: Co-op Credit Union
November 13: Revolution Coffee House & Wine Bar
December 4: Black River Area Chamber of Commerce
Our 2019 Business After 5 calendar is full! We do have
openings for Business After 5 in 2020. Give us a call today to reserve your spot.
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2018 Chamber Board of Directors
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President -
Robert Crampes, Land O'Lakes
Vice President -
Dave Meyer, WWIS Radio
Treasurer -
Sue Miller, Co-op Credit Union
Secretary -
Justin Dougherty, Dynamic Audio & Video LLC
Board Members
Charles Betthauser, Sherman Law
Karman Briggs, Western Dairyland
Brad Chown, City of Black River Falls
Kristin Franks, Edward Jones
Grady Gutknecht, Jackson County Board Rep
Melissa Porter, Ho-Chunk Gaming-Black River Falls
Scott Johnson, Aptiv
Tamra Soto, Comfort Inn & Suites
Matt Streeter, Black River Memorial Hospital
Carrie Timp, Revolution BRF
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We wish you a Merry Christmas and a
Happy and Prosperous New Year!
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Black River Area Chamber of Commerce
120 N Water St
Black River Falls, WI 54615
715-284-4658
www.blackrivercountry.net
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