Inside this issue:• 2011 Legislative Review

June

201

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©2011 Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce

Table of ContentsArticle ................................................................. PageFeatured Member of the Month ..................................4Leadership of Five Seasons ........................................5Big Omaha 2011 .........................................................6Golf Outing .................................................................7Calendar of Events ......................................................8Chamber Academy ......................................................92011 Legislative Review ..................................... 10-11Champions at Work ...................................................12Priority One ...............................................................13EDC ...........................................................................14Business Success Initiative .......................................15Members in Motion ............................................ 16-17April PM Exchange Recap .......................................18PM Exchange ............................................................18Membership Drive ....................................................19

June 2011Volume 80 No 10 (uSPS558-200)

Chamber Report (ISSN 108-50775) is published monthly by the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, 424 First Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401.

Subscription price of $35 per year is included in an annual chamber membership.

Periodicals postage paid at Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Postmaster: Send changes to:Chamber Report Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce424 First Ave. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401-1196

Chair: Chuck PetersInterim President: Dee BairdEditor: Kari Stillman

Contact the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce at 319-398-5317 for reprint permission.

2010-2011 Board of Directors

OfficersChuck Peters, SourceMedia Group, ChairNancy Kasparek, U.S. Bank NA, Chair ElectBrad Hart, Bradley & Riley PC, Immediate Past Chair Rob Frederick, The AEGON Companies, Secretary William Vincent, Clifton Gunderson LLP, Treasurer

Board of DirectorsJill Ackerman, Marion Chamber of Commerce, Honorary DirectorDawn Ainger, Genova Technologies, DirectorThomas Anderson, Merrill Lynch, DirectorDee Baird, Priority One, President Priority OneTodd Barker, NAI Iowa Realty Commercial, DirectorDavid Benson, Cedar Rapids Community School District, Director Barry Boyer, Van Meter Industrial, Inc., Chair Priority OneScott Byers, NAI Iowa Realty Commercial, DirectorLijun Chadima, Thorland Company, DirectorRon Corbett, Mayor, City of Cedar Rapids, Honorary DirectorJeff Elgin, J & T Elgin, LLC, DirectorJames Ernst, Four Oaks Inc. of Iowa, DirectorGary Ficken, Bimm Ridder Sportswear, DirectorRonald Fielder, Grant Wood Area Education Agency, DirectorKristie Fisher, Kirkwood Community College, DirectorDon Garland, Chair Marion Chamber, Honorary Director Scott Gasway, J.P. Gasway Company, Inc., DirectorVern Gebhard, Alliant Energy – Interstate Power & Light Co., Director Bernard Gill, Ascott Transcription Services, Director Shannon Hanson, ImpactCR, Honorary Director Tom Hobson, Rockwell Collins, Inc., At Large DirectorTim Kintner, Bankers Trust Company, DirectorChristine Landa, Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa, Inc., DirectorRobb Loftsgard, Wells Fargo Bank, DirectorCurt Nelson, Entrepreneurial Development Center Inc. Honorary DirectorDoug Neumann, Cedar Rapids Downtown District, Honorary DirectorRon Olson, Paulson Electric Company, DirectorHazel Pegues, Diversity Focus, Honorary DirectorJohn Sheehan, St. Luke’s Hospital, DirectorTim Spain, United Fire Group, Director Vernon Squires, Leadership for Five Seasons, Honorary Director Michael Sundall, Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa, P.C., Director Monica Vernon, Cedar Rapids City Council, Honorary DirectorWilliam Vernon, Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC, DirectorBrandt Worley, Worley Warehousing, Inc, Director

From the Chairman’s Desk:

The month of May has strengthened your chamber’s resolve to be a positive and constructive voice in the development of our area. A thriving downtown Cedar Rapids is critical to regional economic development. In order for that to happen, we must have flood protection to protect the core of Cedar Rapids. We will work with many of our public and private partners to make that happen. We will be enlisting your support in this effort, and will be contacting you with more details as to how you can help as those details become available.

Another critical component in our competing in the networked global economy is a thriving culture of innovation. After months of study, we also strengthened our resolve to assist in the development of a culture of innovation in this area after deter-mining that building a new building with a grant from the Economic Development Administration was not the best way to proceed.

Your chamber, in conjunction with the Economic Development Administration has determined that the $3 million grant contract received for an innovation center in April of 2010 will be terminated.

After months of research and exploration of entrepreneurial ecosystems across the country, Chamber leadership determined that managing a building of this magnitude was not within its core mission and would potentially put the Chamber at unnecessary risk. As a member organization it would not be fiscally sound nor in the best interest of our members to operate and manage a newly built innovation center.

The proposed $6 million project was a three-story, 30,000 square foot facility that would house multiple economic development organizations and provide at least 17,000 square feet of incubator space. The building was to be built at the Chamber’s current location on the corner of 1st Avenue and 5th Street.

The Chamber will continue to be a catalyst for economic vitality; one involving innovation and collaboration. It is imperative for us to create a culture of innovation in our region to be successful in today’s global economy. The Chamber will support and encourage an entrepreneurial ecosystem in our region by strengthening our partnerships with the many organizations involved in the effort.

Chuck PetersChairman, Board of Directors

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Events

Featured

At Work

New

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June 11 (Procter & Gamble)June 18 • July 2July 4 • July 9

THEME NIGHTS

Dueling PianosJune 9

Iowa State DayJune 12

Harry Potter NightJuly 9

Hawkeye Sports Night - June 17

June 2011 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5

The 2011 Leadership for Five Seasons Class completed its program by completing a project at Foundation 2 on May 6. The 2011 Class would like to thank its numerous sponsors that helped make their class project a success.

Financial DonationsAllan Custom HomesBank of America Merrill Lynch Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust Genencor HDRHills Bank and Trust CompanyHR GreenImOn Communications LFS Class of 2011

NordstromOPN Architects Inc.Van Meter Industrial

In-Kind DonationsAbsolute Painting & Construction Carpetland USACollins Woodworkers Guild Kirkwood Community College

To learn more or view the 2011 Class visit www.leadershipforfiveseasons.org

The 2011 class celebrated its graduation with a casino-themed evening at Elmcrest Country Club.

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Chamber Attend Big Omaha 2011

As the Chamber looks to encourage and support an entrepreneurial ecosystem a trip was made to experience Big Omaha by Chamber staff May 18-20. Big Omaha is a relatively young event created only three years ago but in that short time the sold out event brings together more than 600 people from over 20 states and 3 countries and a long waiting list of attendee hopefuls. The fast-paced, high energy event features a line-up of nearly 20 keynote speakers including experienced entrepreneurs, writers and developers, entrepreneurial support organizations and more.

Big Omaha’s tagline: “The nation’s most ambitious conference on innovation and entrepreneurship.” The intent is to provide inspiration, energy, drive and motivation to attendees that can return home and launch the idea(s) they have only been thinking of.

The conference is produced by Silicon Prairie News. Silicon Prairie News exists to highlight and support the burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystem on the Silicon Prairie. With the goal of connecting, educating and inspiring indi-viduals, Silicon Prairie News produces regular events, such as Big Omaha and has a hand in planning many more events throughout the year. Learn more at SiliconPrairieNews.com/about

Memorable Quotes“Entrepreneurship is happening all over,

but it’s not surfaced and made known like the Valley. We need to bring it to the surface in places

like Omaha. It’s less obvious here and needs to be drawn out. That is our hope.” Erich Broksas, Startup America Partnership

“For the first time ever your ears matter more than your mouth.” Gary Vaynerchuk, VaynerMedia

“The answer is always no — 100 percent of the time — if you don’t ask.”

Shervin Pishevar, Social Gaming Network

“This is the time to fix the broken immigration system in our country

because you can’t talk about entrepreneurship and innovation without acknowledging

the very real point that from 1995-2005, well over 25 percent of all of the startups in the United

States were founded by immigrant entrepreneurs.” Aneesh Chopra, United States CTO

June 2011 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7

Discover a New Way.

Employee Benefits Risk Management Financial Strategies Individual Solutions

www.truenorthcompanies.com

Presented by:

Shotgun start at NoonRegistration & Driving Range open at 11:00 a.m.

Online registration is available for the 13th Annual Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce golf outing. Entry Fee: $150/golfer or $600/foursome The 4-person best shot event sells out each year. Contact Jeff Schamberger at 319.730.1402 or jschamberger@cedarrapids.org for more information.

Hole sponsorships available.

Elmcrest country club

Outing

8 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ June 2011

Events Calendar

June ❖ May 31 – June 2

Investing in Leadership Workshop – Phase IICedar Rapids Museum of Art 410 3rd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids

This is the second half of our Investing in Leadership workshop where we will create a vision and active plan for our community. Individuals must complete Phase I before attending Phase II. The workshop will be conducted by Inside Results, an affiliate of Pacific Institute. Details are available at www.cedarrapids.org

Registration fee: $350

❖ Wednesday, June 1

ImpactCR Siren Wednesday5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Capones 1201 Third Street SE, Cedar Rapids

Siren Wednesday provides a casual atmosphere for ImpactCR members and friends to network and meet new people.

Complimentary

❖ Thursday, June 2

Breakfast of ChampionsCedar Rapids Marriott 1200 Collins Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids 2020 Vision is a future view of the new livable and walkable Cedar Rapids; once again the envy of the Midwest, doing what can only be done here. Attend this inspiring event presented by OPN Architects.

$20 members/$30 future members

Sponsored by

❖ Tuesday, June 14

Chamber Academy – Preparing for the Unthinkable: Disaster Planning7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

The Flamingo, 1211 Ellis Blvd

Disasters can occur regardless of where you locate your business so consider preparing for the unthinkable in order to keep you business safe. Details on page 9.

$10 members/ $25 future members

Sponsored by

❖ Tuesday, June 14

Chamber Academy – Preparing for the Unthinkable: Disaster Planning11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

The Flamingo, 1211 Ellis Blvd

Disasters can occur regardless of where you locate your business so consider preparing for the unthinkable in order to keep you business safe. Details on page 9.

$25 members/ $40 future members

Sponsored by

❖ Thursday, June 16

PM Exchange5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Ohnward Bank & Trust 11125 High Life Ct SW, Cedar Rapids

Member Event

Complimentary

For the latest listing of events or to register and pay on-line please visit

www.cedarrapids.org

Sponsorship opportunities are available for most Chamber events. Contact Candy Nanke for details at

cnanke@cedarrapids.org

ImpactCR EventsImpactCR hosts a number of committee meetings each month. To learn more about the organiza-tion’s various committees or find out when the next committee meeting is visit impactcr.org for details.

Community Calendar

As a Chamber member,

businesses can login at

www.cedarrapids.org

and submit their own event. Visit

www.cedarrapids.org/events

to view the numerous events

being held by Chamber members

throughout the community.

❖ Tuesday, June 28

Downtown Partner Mixer5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

White Star Alehouse 303 Second Ave SE, Cedar Rapids

The original Social Network is Built for Successfacebook.com/crchamber

June 2011 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9

The Chamber Academy event will be presented by Gary Ficken, owner of Bimm Ridder Sportswear; Scott Loggins, case manager with the Chamber’s Business Success Initiative; and Safegaurd Iowa Partnership. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about preparing a business continuity plan - what’s involved, how to do it, and most importantly – keeping your business protected in a future disaster.

From strategic and broad-based thinking, to most crucial elements of the first four hours of a disaster, you will feel more prepared with a good plan in place. In addition to the presentation, break-out sessions will be held so you can share your thoughts with one another.

Sponsored by:

Preparing for the Unthinkable: Disaster Planning

Tuesday, June 14The Flamingo, 1211 Ellis Blvd, Cedar Rapids

This workshop is being offered twice on June 14:7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

$10 members/$25 future members; light breakfast offered11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

$25 members/$40 future members; lunch provided

As reported at the U.S. Chamber Small Business Summit on May 24th; 44% of small businesses do not have a disaster or continuity plan but more than 90% are confident they would be fine. Attend this workshop and learn about creating your business’ continuity plan.

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BUILDING POLICY FOR A BETTER BUSINESS CLIMATE2011 Legislative Review

It is not news that the Iowa Legislature continues in overtime trying to reach agreements on many impactful state issues. This was scheduled to be the Chamber’s year end wrap up article but as we go to print the 2011 legislative session had not yet ended. Leadership is dealing with the budget negotiations and until some type of agreement is reached a majority of the delegation await a call back to the Capitol.

There are boulders standing as roadblocks for the end of the session. These boulders center on disagreements related to commercial and industrial property tax reform, the redesign of the Iowa Department of Economic Development to the Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress, allowable growth, preschool funding and multi-year budgeting. There are other issues that get tied to these because of the negotiations (passenger rail for one) but for the most part the vari-ance of opinion is mainly on budget issues.

Property Tax ReformThe Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce has

supported commercial and industrial property tax reform for decades. There are inequities in the current property tax system that needs to be addressed. The House, Senate and Governor all had proposals for relief or restructuring but are now caught in the negotiations and it has yet to be deter-mined if something impactful will be done. The last move was the House amending the Senate proposal with a much more aggressive proposal supported by House Republicans and the Governor. The Senate has not expressed interest in taking up the amended bill. It will be disappointing if another year goes by with no meaningful reform.

Iowa Department of Economic Development

The Chamber is also supportive of the restructuring of the Department of Economic Development. Job growth should be a priority of the State of Iowa. This is beyond the often used phrase critics like to use that the State should not be in the business of “picking winners and losers”. The need for an entity that can be proactive but also reactive to meet the needs of business of all size in Iowa and those that may come to Iowa is necessary for continued growth. This new structure can do that and we hope that it is passed by the Senate so we can move on with creating much needed private sector jobs in Iowa.

A strong business climate for creating jobs is critical and we all agree that is a component to economic development that should not be ignored. We appreciate the efforts to improve the business climate in Iowa and encourage elected officials at all levels to not lose sight of this on a daily basis.

Brownfields/Grayfields BillIn addition tools are needed in the economic

development toolbox. We applaud the Senate, House and Governor for passing the Brownfields/Grayfields bill. (SF514) We have long advocating for more programs to address blighted areas in communities. Rebuilding areas within communities benefits everyone. There are numerous projects in the Cedar Rapids area that can benefit from the passage of this bill and we thank our legislators for voting for it.

Angel Investor Tax Credit BillAlong with recruiting companies and helping

others expand, it is essential to grow our entrepreneurs. One of the last bills passed before we went “on hold” mode was the Angel Investor Tax Credit bill. While The Chamber supported the House amendment that was ruled not germane, we thank our legislators in the Senate and House for passing the bill. It is another tool for growing jobs in Iowa.

Tax Credits ImprovementsThis year the legislature, through SF 302, increased

the amount of tax credits available under the Endow Iowa program. We applaud the passage of this bill and the benefit it has for local communities.

Additions to the Historic Tax Credit program also passed this session. We have some concerns on the pool for disaster areas that has been diffi-

cult to access but the overall program is great for our area and Iowa.

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BUILDING POLICY FOR A BETTER BUSINESS CLIMATEGrowth Reinvestment Initiative Bill

The Chamber was disappointed to see the Growth Reinvestment Initiative (GRI) bill that would have assisted in the match of federal funding for flood protection in Cedar Rapids did not make it through this year. The promise from legislators to address it in the next session is a promise The Chamber will hold legislators to. Yes, we have to have a local component and that is the responsibility of the community to solve, but the State cannot let the second largest economy remain unprotected.

Flood RecoveryIn addition to our work with the Iowa Legislature,

The Chamber continues to work with state agencies to address the needs of flood impacted businesses and the distribution of federal funding awarded in the fall of 2008. Approximately a quarter of the business funding is distrib-uted and a much larger percentage has been allocated to applicants. We thank the Department of Economic Development for the work on ensuring every dollar allocated to business recovery will go to business recovery through one of the developed programs. A small task forces consisting of flood impacted businesses, the City of Cedar Rapids and the State of Iowa meet regularly to oversee any funds yet to be allocated within the business programs.

Highway 100The Chamber is working closely with the Iowa

Department of Transportation on the completion of Highway 100. Transportation dollars are more and more scarce each year yet the need for funds continue to grow. Highway 100 is a priority project for this community and must be completed in the coming years.

A Collaborative Effort is Key to Success

The Chamber will continue its collaborative work with our many state association partners. The Chamber is a member of the Iowa Chamber Alliance, Iowa Chamber of Commerce Executives, Iowa Taxpayers Association, Association of Business and Industry and Professional Developers of Iowa. We are also active participants in many state and local coalitions including the Cedar River Watershed, Highway 30, Highway 100, Tower Terrace Road and CaseEnergy.

Legislative Wrap-UpA Corridor Legislative Wrap Up will be scheduled

once the Iowa Legislature adjourns or there is a firm date for adjournment. The wrap-up event will be held at the North Liberty Community Center and sponsored by Paulsen Electric. Look for an email from the Chamber announcing this date or contact Sara Mentzer at smentzer@cedarrapids.org or 319-730-1404 with any questions.

Grassroots Meetings The 2011 Session has not yet ended but preparations

for the 2012 session will begin soon. Be part of the grassroots network that shapes the pro business agenda of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce agenda for 2012 by attending one of our planning meetings beginning in August. Your company must be a member of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber to participate and The Chamber Board will approve and finalize the agenda by December of 2011.

To keep conversations on task, we ask that the company you represent works with, or is impacted by, the topic session(s) you attend.

Manufacturing and Environmental: Thursday, August 25, 2011

Small Business: Friday, August 26, 2011

Legal, Tax and Finance: Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Healthcare Providers: Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Education: Thursday, September 1, 2011

Technology Companies: Friday, September 2, 2011

Builders, Real Estate and Developers: Thursday, September 8, 2011

All meetings will be held in the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Board Room at noon. RSVP is required (smentzer@cedarrapids.org). Free to attend, refreshments will be provided and attendees are welcome to bring their own lunch.

June 2011 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11

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Fastest Growing Companies RecognizedA number of Chamber members were recently featured at the Corridor Business Journal’s Fastest Growing

Companies event held on May 24th at the Coralville Marriott. The event recognizes companies for their revenue growth during the past three years. The Chamber congratulates these companies for their success and continued growth in the region.

AES Corp.Crystal GroupGenova TechnologiesGeonetric

HH Ventures (Ready Mobile)HR GreenHealth SolutionsMindFire Communications

MobileDemandOvation NetworksRaining RoseSkywalk GroupTrueNorth

Van Meter Industrial Named 2011 ESOP

Company of the YearVan Meter Industrial was selected by The ESOP

Association as the 2011 ESOP Company of the Year. Van Meter was awarded the honor at the Association’s 24th Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. The ESOP Association is the national trade association for companies with employee stock ownership plans and the leading voice in America for employee ownership.

Van Meter Industrial became 100% employee-owned in 2005 and now has more than 350 employee owners.

Raining Rose Recognized Raining Rose has been recognized by the Initiative

for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) as one of America’s fastest growing urban businesses. For the 2011 list, ICIC received more than 2,000 nominations. Raining Rose ranked number 58 on the list and was the only Iowa company recognized.

Raining Rose was also awarded the 2011 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Ribbon Small Business Award in Washington, D.C. on May 24th. The award honors the nation’s job creators and recognizes their significant contributions as drivers of economic growth. Raining Rose joined 75 other top small businesses around the country as a Blue Ribbon Small Business Award Recipients.

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Events

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June 2011 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 13

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Over the spring and summer months, Priority One staff will be calling on the corporate head-quarters of several of our existing businesses and traveling to a number of conferences specific to our targeted industry clusters. Our headquarter contact program provides essential feedback on key issues for business growth and expansion, and the strong and lasting relationships built by these visits often lead to new business ventures for the Cedar Rapids area. Conferences and industry events allow us to connect with potential clients, maintain relationships with companies we’ve worked with in the past, and stay up to date on industry trends. Additionally, they provide an opportunity to promote our region to site location consultants, ensuring that the Corridor is on the shortlist of recommended communities.

In April, Priority One staff traveled to St. Louis and Memphis for meetings with the corporate offices of International Paper and Nestle Purina, as well as with the location consulting divisions of Ernst & Young and J.M Mullis.

In May, representatives from Priority One, as well as the Iowa Department of Economic Development and other regions throughout the state, attended the World Congress on Industrial Bioprocessing and Biotechnology in Toronto, Ontario. The conference also gave Priority One staff an opportunity to call on several corporate headquarters in the Toronto area, including SunOpta Inc.

Also in May, Priority One, IDED, and other Iowa community representatives attended the American Wind Energy Association’s WINDPOWER 2011 in Anaheim, California, the largest wind industry event in North America. Priority One met with several companies supplying critical components in the wind energy supply chain that are considering the Midwest for upcoming expansions.

In the coming months, Priority One is scheduled to attend the International Food Technology Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans, and will also be calling on corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, Chicago, and the Great Lakes region.

ENTREPRENEURS’ CORNERCreating Successful Boards

Curt Nelson, President & CEO, Entrepreneurial Development Center (EDC)

Business after business is hampered, rather than supported, by dysfunctional boards. Board members are picked for all the wrong reasons and are then created out of balance when it comes to the help needed because there was no plan put in place before the selection process started.

Boards should serve two main purposes. Primarily, your board should help you, the CEO or director, make better decisions and grow your business more effectively. Second, they must provide the fiduciary oversight needed to manage risk and support shareholder/ stakeholder investments; holding you accountable.

If you are setting up a board for the first time, you must build a plan for what you need, from talent to meeting structure and frequency. When it comes to the members selected, you should staff your board with a balanced set of talent needed to help you grow your business. From marketing to financial or development disciplines, it is critical that you staff your board like you would an execu-tive team. Also essential is to get board talent that has the

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14 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ June 2011

needed experience in your field of operation. If you build a board with significant experience in your field and a balanced set of professional disciplines, you will have a team that can and will help you succeed.

Yes, as you accept equity investments, you will need to allow specific board positions, so in these cases, select the best possible person from the investor group / fund and build the right talent around them to create balance.

Select a meeting frequency that supports what you need. Build a meeting outline that provides the board the needed information to remain comfortable with your progress and when needed, provide strategic input. If you allow your board chair or board in general to get into tactical day-to-day operational issues, you will spend many frustrating hours defending your position to people who only engage in your business a few hours a year. If, on the other hand, you provide your board with leadership like you do your own executive team, you can create a relationship where you get the support you need, when you need it, without unnecessary projects or procedures.

June 2011 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 15

Cedar Rapids SCORE Chapter Named National SCORE Chapter of the YearSCORE of East Central Iowa was the recipient of

the National SCORE Chapter of the Year Award for their work with small businesses in the Cedar Rapids area. Greg Tomsic, chair of the chapter, accepted the award in Washington D.C., during National Small Business Week events in the capitol in May.

The chapter was selected based on excellent client satisfaction, exceptional growth in serving entrepreneurs, and successful community outreach. SCORE of East Central Iowa has seen tremendous growth over the last year with services increasing by 93 percent, recurring mentoring opportunities growing by 44 percent, and volunteer membership growing by 53 percent.

The partnership with the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce also played a part in the selection. SCORE partnered with the Chamber’s Business Success Initiative (BSI), to provide mentoring opportunities for flooded business owners.

“There’s no question that our partnership with the

Chamber caught the attention of people in Washington, D.C.,” Tomsic said.

Bob Harschnek, BSI case management team leader, said he was interested in forming the partnership feeling both organizations had the common goal of offering professional expertise to help local businesses find success.

“With the depth of our mutual business experience, our colleagues have been able to collaborate and deliver quality advisory services to our flooded businesses,” Harschnek said.

SCORE’s efforts to increase communication within the community was also a big part of the chapter’s successful growth, according to Tomsic. The various areas of exper-tise of the 70 counselors in the local chapter increase SCORE’s unique offerings. With the average counselor having 30 years of success in their field, the chapter has a combined 2,100 years of experience. For more information on this local SCORE chapter, visit http://eastcentraliowa.score.org.

Disaster Planning Forum in Cedar RapidsCommunity forums are planned across the state to

help with residential disaster planning. The Cedar Rapids forum will take place June 15 at Coe College Auditorium with various government agencies presenting. This event is sponsored by Iowa’s Flood Awareness Interagency Coalition and Iowa Insurance Division. For more information, visit www.donttestthewatersiowa.gov.

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16 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ June 2011

Events

Featured

At Work

New

Linn Area Community Credit UnionMarch 11

KernelsMarch 19

Interstate All Battery CenterApril 8

Sears Hometown StoreApril 9

Human Services Campus of East Central IowaApril 12

Habegger Corp. April 14

Mercy Outpatient Psychiatry DepartmentMarch 24

Brent’s Computer ServicesMarch 30

June 2011 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 17

Four OaksApril 20

Oakhill Jackson BrickstonesMay 13

Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa, P.C. GroundbreakingMay 19

Hall-Perrine Regional Cancer Center GroundbreakingApril 21

Griggs MusicApril 25

Truck Country of Cedar Rapids GroundbreakingApril 18

City of Cedar Rapids Council ChambersApril 26

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Ohnward Bank & Trust invites you to a

PM Exchange See our newly remodeled location!

Thursday June 16th 5-7pm

665 Marion Blvd, Marion

May PM Exchange Recap

Fleck Sales Company hosted the Corridor PM Exchange in May. The corridor event brings together members from both the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids Area Chambers. Fleck Sales celebrated American Craft Beer Week by inviting attendees to taste beers from across the country as well providing fantastic music and food for the more than 500 guests in attendance.

Contact the Chamber and learn more about the numerous opportunities to maximize your market-ing dollars. From PM Exchanges, Featured Member

of the Month, newsletter, on-line and more; The Chamber can help you gain exposure and

positively impact your bottom line. Contact Kari Stillman at kstillman@cedarrapids.org

June 2011 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 19

Membership Drive, June 2011

The Chamber will host a membership drive throughout the month of June. The Chamber has nearly 1,300 members and a retention rate greater than 90 percent.

So why the need for a membership drive?

❖ A larger membership means a stronger voice. The Chamber is always advocating for the businesses in Linn County. It creates an impact to elected officials when we represent 1,300 businesses and more than 75,000 employees. It would mean even more if we represented 1,800 businesses and more than 100,000 employees.

❖ A stronger Chamber means more services for our members. An increase in membership will result in more flexibility when it comes to adding additional programs and services for our members.

❖ A larger Chamber means better networking. Obviously, for every new member joining The Chamber that’s one additional business who will see your ad in the newsletter, meet you at one of our networking events and find your services in our membership directory.

Consider supporting this membership drive by talking to customers, suppliers and others that are nonmembers about joining or simply pass along their information to one of our teams. Businesses that join during the month of June receive 15 months for the price of 12! The goal is to recruit 50 businesses to join our business community by June 30.

The membership department has recruited a robust group of volunteers that have been divided into two teams to actively recruit new members throughout June. We thank them for their support and energy as they assist us in this effort.

Team Champion (For a Greater Cedar Rapids)Mary Gehris, Four Oaks – Team CaptainJanet Fuller, Pioneer Workspace SolutionsAmy Grotewold, SOS Sales HelpLyle Hanson, Wells Fargo AdvisorsBrad Hart, Bradley & Riley PCChristine Landa, Junior Achievement

of Eastern IowaBrendan Murphy, Guaranty Bank & Trust Co.Chuck Peters, SourceMedia GroupPaul Schultz, Per Mar SecurityLaurie Wahlert, Guaranty Bank & Trust Co. Staff Liaison: Kirk Watson, 730-1417

or kwatson@cedarrapids.org

Team Strength in NumbersTodd Barker, NAI Iowa Realty CommercialBrian Brant, Principal Financial GroupMolly Friedman, Principal Financial GroupScott Gasway, JP GaswayKelly Harris, Harris ReconstructionMonica Hunter, Recover HealthNatalie Owens, GrouponBarb Randall, Ohnward Bank & TrustAllen Witt, Hall & Hall Engineers, Inc.Bart Woods, Primus ConstructionStaff Liaison: Julie Lane, 730-1405

or jlane@cedarrapids.org

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