Welcome to the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce Blog
The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce Blog will discuss the news and issues impacting South Central Kentucky's business community. To join the conversation, click the comment link under any post.
Please note that the Chamber may reject comments for any reason we deem appropriate. This is a moderated site and comments will appear if and when they are approved. We will review the queue several times daily, so please don't resubmit if your comment doesn't appear immediately.
Posted by Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce - 5/29/2008 01:56:00 PM
The wait is over! While much speculation has been rumbling in the community about the new company locating in our region, the announcement was finally made today. N.E.W. Customer Services Companies, Inc. (NEW) will provide up to 350 work-at-home customer care representative jobs over a three-year time frame in South Central Kentucky. Nearly 80 community members attended the news conference at the Carroll Knicely Conference Center this morning. At the event, Board Chairman Doug Gorman welcomed NEW representatives Vice President, Contact Center Resource Planning Mitch Carroll, Work-at-Home Director Karen Rish, and Manager, Operations Planning Rebecca Alston, who all commented on the impressive community we have here in Bowling Green. NEW will initially begin their work in South Central Kentucky with 120 work-at-home jobs. Information sessions about these positions will be held at the Chamber on Tuesday, June 3, at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 6 p.m., and on Wednesday, June 4, at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Online applications are available at www.newhomebasedccr.com/. To learn more about NEW, read the news release or visit their website: http://www.newcorp.com/.     
Labels: Economic Development
Posted by Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce - 5/27/2008 07:25:00 AM
The Chamber's website provides online referrals through our Buyer's Guide, giving partners added exposure when visitors want to know about local hotels, banks, gift shops and more. The referrals are adding up--from March to April, our referrals increased by 40,699. No, that's not a typo - truly 40,699 more people visited the online Buyer's Guide during one month compared to past hits! Overall, our referalls increased to 92,011 from March to April. What a great opportunity to receive free exposure from the Chamber! All partners are listed in the online Buyer's Guide, but you can enhance your listing in order to receive more exposure. Online Directory Upgrades are available in two packages. For just $100, the online Buyer's Guide will feature a bold listing of your business, and we'll add a map feature to that listing. For $200, you'll receive all the benefits of Package 1, plus we'll add your logo to the listing, along with your 15-word-or-less description to all of your business listings. For more information about the specifications of these upgrades, visit bgchamber.com, or call 781-3200, or e-mail beth@bgchamber.com. Labels: Benefits
Posted by Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce - 5/19/2008 01:54:00 PM
 The Chamber announced today that Alex Stall has joined the staff at 710 College Street as research director. Alex is no stranger to the Chamber world--he was a college intern for us in the spring of 2007. Born in Ohio, Alex graduated from Indiana University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in public affairs management and a minor in small business and entrepreneurship. Prior to joining the Chamber as research director, he served as the director of communication and internal services for Dynastrosi Laboratories, Inc. Alex will be responsible for researching and organizing current, complete and pertinent data to support the South Central Kentucky regional marketing program in the areas of business and economic intelligence.
Welcome to the Chamber, Alex!
Labels: Chamber staff
Posted by Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce - 5/15/2008 09:10:00 AM
Don't forget to attend Coffee Hour on May 16 at Sloan Convention Center. Coffee Hours are great opportunities to meet with 300+ other Chamber partners, enjoy a hearty breakfast, and hear from special speakers. Breakfast begins at 7 a.m., with the program starting at 7:30 a.m. Tomorrow's event is sponsored by Greenview Regional Hospital. The featured speakers are CEO of Sarah Cannon Research Institute Dee Anna Smith, CPA and Chief Medical Officer Howard A Burriss, III, M.D. Register online to attend Coffee Hour and be entered into a special drawing! Hope to see you all there in the morning! Labels: Coffee Hour
Posted by Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce - 5/14/2008 03:13:00 PM
Over the past two days, we've had some exciting events at the Chamber. First, we offered our Chamber Partner Orientation on Tuesday afternoon. Then this morning we had a marketing/networking training session hosted by the Strategic Business Alliance. Chamber Partner OrientationMore than 40 new partners attended this great event to learn about the many different benefits of being a Chamber partner. Here are some takeaways from yesterday's Orientation, sponsored by Sam's Club. Being a Chamber partner shows support for economic development in South Central Kentucky. We influence economic development by supporting the staff's marketing efforts. This support pays off because bringing new jobs to the region ultimately effects everyone's business. For example, 100 new manufacturing jobs in Bowling Green and Warren County means - $4.37 million more personal income each year
- $2 million more in retail sales
- $1.64 million more financial deposits
- 304 more people
- 107 more families
- 103 more automobiles
- 87 more school-age children
- 4 more retail stores
In just 18 months, the Chamber has been part of economic development announcements to create more than 1,600 new jobs. Aside from supporting economic development, there are many ways to become involved with the Chamber. You can learn more about our committees and programs online. Strategic Business AllianceThe Strategic Business Alliance hosted a marketing/networking training session this morning that gave more than 20 attendees helpful information to build relationships and ultimately increase their business. Representatives from Hitcents.com, Wieland-Davco Corporation, and the Chamber gave great tips on the new wave of marketing, including using social media; practical guides to building relationships; and how to connect the dots in networking. And don't forget - Friday is Coffee Hour, sponsored by Greenview Regional Hospital at the Sloan Convention Center! Breakfast is at 7 a.m.; the program begins at 7:30 a.m. Join 300+ partners at this event!
Posted by Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce - 5/12/2008 01:40:00 PM
 The Chamber is happy to announce that R. Marc Elliott, CEcD, AICP has joined us as vice president, property development. Marc comes to the Chamber from Clark County, Indiana, where he was the consultant to the River Ridge Development Authority. Marc brings great talent and experience to the Chamber team. It's unusual for a team this size to have more than one Certified Economic Developer, but Marc holds this designation alongside our president and CEO, James N. Hizer, CEcD. In addition to his CEcD designation from the International Economic Development Council, Marc has been a Certified Planner by the American Institute of Certified Planners since 1978, and he became a Certified Community Development Grant Manager by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation in 1999. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in urban planning and a Master of Public Administration degree, both from Ball State University. He has also completed 17 hours of real estate studies at Eastern Kentucky University. As vice president, property development, Marc manage the business operations of the Inter-Modal Transportation Authority, Inc. and the Bowling Green Area Economic Development Authority, Inc. Welcome to Bowling Green, Marc! Labels: Chamber staff
Posted by Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce - 5/07/2008 02:13:00 PM
 The Chamber's Women in Business Breakfast was held this morning at The Medical Center. Seventy-five women gathered together to hear from Jenny Golden, community/worksite wellness manager for The Medical Center. Jenny provided many insights into what it takes to bring worksite wellness to your small business. With her practical tips on how to implement a program, breakfast attendees came away with plenty of information. Not only does a wellness program positively influence employees, but it is also creates a trickle-down effect into employees' personal lives and it helps manage healthcare costs. What a great message to hear.  It was great to see so many businesses and non-profit organizations represented at today's event, as well as yesterday's luncheon during which we honored Carl Chaney. The Chamber's proud to honor small businesses in our community. Bowling Green wouldn't be what it is without them! Thanks again to the breakfast sponsor, The Medical Center, as well as all the other partners who sponsored Small Business Appreciation Week events and/or donated items for our programs. We appreciate you all! Labels: Small Business, Special Events
Posted by Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce - 5/06/2008 05:31:00 PM
 Carl Chaney received the 2008 Small Business Person of the Year Award today at the Small Business Appreciation Luncheon at the Carroll Knicely Conference Center. Carl is the owner of agri-tourism site and local source of pride, Chaney's Dairy Barn.
More than 200 partners attending the event heard Carl speak about the importance of his family on his business. "This is truly a family-earned award," he said.
Congratulations again, Carl!
What an outstanding day for the Chamber and our partners.  The luncheon really was a time for us to show how much we appreciate small business and what everyone involved with small businesses does each day. Thanks again to all involved, especially the Small Business Appreciation Committee and our sponsors for making today such a great event! Labels: Small Business, Special Events
Posted by Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce - 5/05/2008 12:37:00 PM
Green is the new black! We hear about sustainability every day--from advertisements to news media, from celebrities making eco-friendly choices to local efforts right in our own community. Now the Chamber wants to hear your stories! Posted in the E-News today, the Chamber is launching The Chamber Green Scene. We want our partners to share their sustainable/energy-saving business practice success stories with us. Has your business saved money by implementing sustainable or energy-saving business practices? Or can your business help others save money by offering sustainable or energy-saving solutions? Simply submit your story, and you could be featured in the Green Scene, the Chamber’s newest feature in the weekly E-News, which is received by more than 1,200 Chamber partners every week! Please submit your story to Office Manager Amanda Johnson at amanda@bgchamber.com today! We'll also post these success stories on our blog - so be on the lookout for them! Labels: The Chamber Green Scene
Posted by Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce - 5/02/2008 03:10:00 PM
Monday marks the start of Small Business Appreciation Week! We'll celebrate Carl Chaney, owner of Chaney's Dairy Barn, on Tuesday at the Small Business Appreciation Luncheon. Then on Wednesday, we'll enjoy a Women in Business Breakfast sponsored by The Medical Center.  Last Monday was a great day for the Chamber Golf Challenge. The big winners of the day were Team Citizens First: Ben Medley, Scott Hidgon, Fred Smith and Eric Riemer. Check out their photo here. The Chamber celebrates small businesses because of the great impact these entities bring to our community. Nearly 90% of our partnership are small businesses (less than 100 employees), and we appreciate every one of them! Labels: Small Business, Special Events
Posted by Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce - 5/02/2008 11:35:00 AM
Welcome to the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce's blog. We at 710 College Street are looking forward to venturing into the Web 2.0 world with this blog. Above all, we're searching for new ways to reach our 1,300+ partners and the business community at large. We hope you'll enjoy the regular posts here and even utilize our Comments feature.
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