Business Briefs
July 10, 2007
IT’S ALL ABOUT OUR MEMBERS
Membership Survey
Thanks to each of you who took the time to participate in our Membership Survey. The survey was a success; we asked for your input and over 150 members or 30% responded. The survey consisted of questions in 9 major categories: Business Leadership, Advocacy, Business Assistance, Membership, Larger Business Community, Community in General, Management, Infrastructure and Top Level Approach. We will be analyzing the results: identifying issues that you are concerned about and how the Chamber can become proactive in addressing these issues; once completed we will communicate the results and plan of action back to you. Again, thank you for taking time to complete the Membership Survey!
Website Statistics
Our Chamber website statistics for the past month ………..
June 2007 129,293 website hits 8864 visits
8/06 – 6/07 1,725,136 website hits 99,159 visits
Visitor Center Update
Busy, Busy Busy! The Visitor Center was very busy during the month of May and June; 5,628 people stopped by the center in May and 5,300 in June. During Memorial Day weekend over 1400 people stopped by the center and the first four days of July over 1600! Tour buses continue to roll into town along with vacationers choosing to spend a few days in “Mayberry”. Responses from the Oprah Magazine ad have been pouring in with over 2500 visitor information requests since the first of May.
New Programs
TheChamber Surprise Patrol paid a surprise visit to and, a surprise visit to BB&T on June 12th, WSYD on June 18th and Carolina Carports on June 26th. John Priddy and the BB&T staff, Debbie Cochran radio personality at WSYD and Javier Herrera, Shannon Moncus and Brian Johnson at Carolina Carports were greeted by the Chamber Ambassadors with cookies, candy and balloons. The Chamber Surprise Patrol just wanted to let these Chamber members know how much we appreciate their support of the chamber! Photos from the surprise visit are on our website. The Chamber Surprise Patrol will be making surprise visits at least twice a month…will you be next?
The Good Neighbors Program has been a big success from the member’s standpoint and from the Chambers standpoint. We have been able to sit down and talk face to face with our members without taking away from their daily work routines by having lunch together. Thanks to our Chamber member, Sagebrush for making the Good Neighbor’s Program possible. Photos from previous Good Neighbors Program are on our website. We hope to be contacting your business to join us for lunch real soon!
Ongoing Programs
SCORE- Give your business every chance for success; ask SCORE for FREE Business advice. Thinking of starting your own business or if you are already in business our SCORE local chapter can guide you through the process with confidential no-charge business counseling sessions for as long as you need, to make your business a success.
Learn to write a business plan, apply for a loan, update your marketing plan, improve your cost management and examine ways to face those profitability challenges while becoming a more confident business owner. The local SCORE chapter has one-hour confidential counseling Services. SCORE not only serves the new potential business owners BUT existing businesses. Contact Membership Specialist Robin Dollyhigh at (336) 786-6116 to schedule an appointment.
Gifts/Rewards/Incentives
Looking for an employee gift, reward, incentive … while keeping dollars in the community? CertifiChecks is a gift certificate program offered by the GMACC redeemable only at Chamber member businesses. Log on to www.mtairyncchamber.org : go to Membership Information tab - Chamber Benefits tab.
Wired Grants
Grant applications for all three of the WIRED Focus Grants; Focus Talent Development Grants, Focus Entrepreneurial Job Creation/Training Grants, and Focus Workforce Training Grants are being accepted every month. Application deadlines for Spring/Summer 2007 are July 18, and August 15.
To help ensure broad participation and collaboration, and to take full advantage of existing regional resources, the grant guidelines require that individuals, businesses, trade associations, educational institutions, and community–based organizations who wish to propose a project do so in partnership with other stakeholders. All those with a project impacting one of the identified target clusters are encouraged to submit a grant application.
A Grants Application Guide with complete eligibility requirements and detailed application instructions along with an application form for each grant is now available at: http://www.wired.piedmonttriadnc.com.
Requests for technical assistance or further information should be emailed to: wiredgrants@piedmonttriadnc.coPiedmont Triad Partnership 7025 Albert Pick Rd, Suite 303 Greensboro, NC 27409
Phone: 336-668-4556
Email: wiredgrants@piedmonttriadnc.com Web: http://www.wired.piedmonttriadnc.com;
Upcoming Chamber Events/Programs/Meetings
· July 16, 2007 9:15am Chamber Speaks Live on WSYD Radio 1300 on your dial
· July 17, 2007 10:00am Executive Committee Meeting Chamber
· July 19, 2007 8:00am Chamber Board Meeting Hampton Inn
· July 19, 2007 12:00 noon Business Development Committee Meeting Chamber
· August 18, 2007 10:00am Ribbon Cutting B52’s Bar & Grill, 972 North Andy Griffith Parkway Mount Airy
· August 21, 2007 10:00am Executive Committee meeting Chamber
· August 23, 2007 8:00am Chamber Board Meeting Hampton Inn
· August 23, 2007 12:00noon Business Development Committee Meeting Chamber
Chamber’s monthly calendar along with current event photos can be viewed at www.mtairyncchamber.org…just click on chamber calendar tab. Community events and entertainment can be viewed by clicking on the community events tab. We encourage you to visit the Chamber calendar so that you don’t miss any of our upcoming events and programs and to visit the community event calendar so you can support local events!
Business after Hours
· August 2, 2007 - 5:30pm – 7:00pm RBC Centura
· August 16, 2007 - 5:30pm – 7:00pm Mount Airy News
· September 6, 2007 - 5:30pm – 7:00pmSagebrush Steakhouse
· September 20, 2007 5:30pm – 7:00pm Bright Leaf Drive-in
· October 25, 2007 -5:30pm – 7:00pm RogersRealty
**We are currently scheduling 2007 Business after Hours events and we would love to include your business on our calendar. ** The interest has been so great that we are booking more than one Business after Hours a month! This is a great way to show off your business while meeting and networking with other Chamber Members and their guests!
For more information about planning a Business after Hours event call the office today…336-786-6116
Welcome
Welcome New Members
· Transportation Services Company, Inc. – 194 Johnson Avenue Mount Airy, NC 336.786.9894. www.tscisfcm@aol.com. CEO is Sam Clarke. Transportation Services Company Inc. handles all logistics to and from in the trucking industry; covering East Coast to West Coast and back.
· Joy Ranch Home for Children –813 Joy Ranch Road, Woodlawn, VA 24381 phone 276.236.5578. www.joyranch.orgJoy Ranch Home for Children serves children in distress family situations. The mission of Joy Ranch Home for Children is to provide physical, emotional, social and spiritual healing. Edward Hix is the Director, Brain Burns, Development Director, Jr. Stoots, Development Coordinator and D.M. Dalton Human Resource Director.
· B-52’s Bar & Grill- 972 North Andy Griffith Parkway Mount Airy NC.Phone 336-719-2411. America’s Favorite Bar & Grill. Open Monday – Saturday 11:00am and Sunday 1:00pm. Menu includes appetizers, salads and specialty sandwiches…Music…Fun…Food…Sports. Nightly entertainment Wednesday – Saturday. Stop by and say hello to Tim Elliot, the owner. The Chamber Staff has eaten at B-52’s and highly recommend it! Tim is planning a Grand Opening on August 18th noon – 4:00pm with live music, food and giveaways….so mark your calendars!
· Salem Logistics Distribution Services, LLC – 312 East 52 Bypass Pilot Mountain, NC 27041. 336-368-4435 www.salemlogistics.com. Salem Logistics is a full service warehouse and distribution operation offering short and long term storage. On site services include sorting, tagging, reverse logistics, kitting, 24/7 security and high tech tracking systems.
· North State Physician Services, LLC -131 West Lebanon Street Suite F, Mount Airy. Phone 336-786-5155 www.nsps.mysite.com. Suzannah Brown, Esq. and Carol Burke have partnered together to form North State Physician Services, LLC a new recruiting company for physicians and other health care providers.
· Surry Publishing Group, Inc. – 645 Independence Boulevard, Mount Airy NC.336.719.0040. www.surrymessenger.com. The Messenger is a free all –day newspaper that publishes daily Monday-Friday with local news. Surry Publishing Group, Inc. is committed to providing a quality locally-owned community newspaper.
Announcements
· IESNewsNorth Carolina State Industrial Extension Service (IES) provides professional education and technical assistance to businesses and industries in lean, Six Sigma, ISO/TS 16949:2002, ISO 9001:2000; ISO 14001, safety and health management systems and more to improve productivity, profitability and competitiveness. Courses and Events run through August. For more details www.ies.ncsu.eduor contact Dennis Atkins in Dobson at 336.362.5170.
· Surrey Bank & Trust has announced a new loan program for veterans; Patriot Express. A new U.S. Small Business Administration program to help veterans and other members of the military community establish or expand their small business. Applications are now being accepted for the Patriot Express program. For more information contact John Canosa at 336.783.3917 or email jcanosa@surreybank.com
· More Books, Please is a community fund raising campaign sponsored by the Mount Airy Library. Their goal is $100,000 and to date have collected $30,000…leaving $70,000. This campaign will run through the end of August so your monetary support is needed. Your donations will be used to strengthen the following collections: children’s, modern fiction, classic fiction, large print books, electronic formats, research collections, business collection and biographies. Please send your donation ear-marked for the More Books, Please campaign to the Mount Airy Public Library145 Rockford Street Mount Airy, N.C. 27030.
Congratulations
· Tonda Phillips Hall was awarded the Agency Hands in Community Award for her commitment to volunteering in the community. With this award comes a $500 grant from The Allstate Foundation for the Mount Airy Habitat for Humanity, where Tonda serves on the board of directors. Tonda is the owner of the Allstate Insurance Agency located at 502 West Lebanon Street, Mount Airy. Tonda also owns Tonda Hall real Estate. She is actively involved in the chamber of Commerce. Congratulations Tonda!
· Patterson Toyota was recently honored by being the recipient of Toyota’s President Award for the third time. The President’s Award is only given to dealerships that demonstrated excellence in sales, service and parts. Only 473 of the nation’s 1300 dealership qualified for the award in 2006. Congratulations Nicky York and staff!
· The Mount Airy Parks & Recreation Department recently was awarded a $500,000 grant to develop the Ararat Riverside Park. The money will be used for river-restoration work, to build a nature greenway connector trails, a canoe launch, a kiosk and add lighting.
· John S. Clark Company, Inc. ranked # 9 in theLargest N.C. Metro-Area General Contractors (ranked by statewide billings for 2006) listed by the Triad Business Journal issue June 15-21 2007.
· Pike Electric Corporation ranked #11 andInsteel Industries Incorporation ranked #14 inThe Largest Triad Public Companies listed in the Triad Business Journal issue July 6 -12, 2007.
· Domino’s Pizza is celebrating 22 years in business in Mount Airy. Domino’s is located at 336 North South Street Mount airy. 336.786.1414. Look for upcoming weekend specials at our local Domino’s Pizza.
· The North Carolina Department of Labor held their annual Safety Awards Banquet on June 28, 2007 at Cross Creek Country Club. The event was sponsored by Duke Energy Carolinas and The Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce. Businesses and Governments from Surry, Stokes, Forsyth and Davie counties were present for the banquet. Commissioner of Labor, Cherie K. Berry made the presentations to 69 recipients.
Local Chamber members awarded 2006 Safety Awards were:
First Year Silver - Surry Telephone Membership Corp.
First Year Gold – City of Mount Airy Recreation Department
First Year Gold – Insteel Industries, Inc.
First Year Gold – Smith-Rowe, Inc.
Second Consecutive Year – Gold– City of Mount Airy
Third Consecutive Year – Gold – City of Mount Airy Wastewater Treatment Plant
Third Consecutive Year – Gold – City of Mount Airy Water Treatment Plant
Third Consecutive Year – Gold – John S. Clark Company, Inc.
In the News
GDP, Homes, Income Up; Durables Down; FOMC
July 3, 2007--The GDP grew a paltry 0.7% in the 1st quarter as the weak housing market and soft trade hindered growth. New home sales fell 1.6% in May and are down 15.8% compared to a year ago. Personal income and consumption both increased in May, rising 0.4% and 0.5%, respectively. New orders for durable goods fell 2.8% and lastly, the Fed kept the funds rate steady at 5.25%.
U. S. Retail sales
The U.S. Census Bureau reported U.S. retail sales increased by 1.4% in May following a 0.1% decrease in April.
The retail sales data shows households’ balance sheets are strong enough to sustain moderate growth in spending in spite of high energy and food prices.
Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales expanded by 1.3% in May.
Consumer spending is pulling volume through the supply chain, since the inventory correction is over.
Producer Price Index
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the Producer Price Index increased 0.9% in May following increases of 0.7% and 1.0% in April and March.
Excluding food and energy items, the Producer Price Index increased 0.2% in May after remaining unchanged in April.
Excluding food and energy, inflation remains moderate, but the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged since the economy is expanding and inflation remains a concern.
The correction in the housing market will not be aided by lower interest rates.
CMVC predicts residential construction activity will trend downward throughout the year.
Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserve Board reported industrial production was unchanged in May following growth of 0.4% in April.
Manufacturing output increased 0.1% in May following growth of 0.2% in April.
CMVC expects manufacturing output to slowly gain momentum as inventory-to-sales ratios decrease within the supply chain.
The upturn in manufacturing output will be gradual and moderate, since consumer spending is moderately expanding as high energy and food prices soften consumers’ real purchasing power (wages adjusted for inflation).
The Conference Board reported the Leading Economic Indicator (LEI) increased by 0.3% in May following a 0.3% decrease in April and a 0.6% increase in March.
CMVC believes the improvement in consumer confidence is being driven by the tight labor market, as high energy and food prices are a drag on consumer confidence.
Employment, ISM Index Up; Factory Orders Down
July 10, 2007--The labor market created 132,000 net new jobs in June as the unemployment rate remained at 4.5%. The manufacturing industry continued to gain momentum, as the ISM index increased 1.0 point to 56.0. Lastly, factory orders fell 0.5% in May, reversing the 0.5% increase in April.
For further analysis, visit:
http://www.uschamber.com/publications/weekly/outlook/070710
Population Changes
Phoenix has overtaken Philadelphia as the nation's fifth largest city, underscoring decades of population losses in America's big industrial centers.
The nation's population has nearly doubled since 1950 — adding about 150 million people. But of the 20 largest cities at mid-century, all but four have shrunk, some by a lot.
Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Buffalo, N.Y., have all lost more than half their population in the past half-century.
Philadelphia lost nearly a third of its residents, slipping to about 1.4 million people in 2006, according to estimates being released Thursday by the Census Bureau.
Like many big cities in the Northeast and Midwest, Philadelphia has suffered through a decline in the nation's manufacturing economy. City officials, however, have vowed to rebound.
"Philadelphia is not going to disappear," said Gary Jastrzab, deputy executive director of the city planning commission. "We have a good quality of life here. We have major universities, major health facilities and a very active pharmaceutical industry."
The Census Bureau is releasing 2006 population estimates for U.S. cities on Thursday. The Associated Press compared those estimates with population totals from the 1950 census.
Phoenix was barely in the top 100 cities in 1950 — it ranked 99th, with about 107,000 people. Last year, it had 1.5 million.
Phoenix added 43,000 people from 2005 to 2006, more than any other city, according to the Census Bureau estimates. It was followed by San Antonio; Fort Worth, Texas; Houston; and North Las Vegas, Nev.
New Orleans, which is still struggling to rebuild following Hurricane Katrina, lost the most people, about 228,000. The Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 223,400 in 2006, a little less than half its size before the storm.
Americans have been migrating south and west for decades in search of better job opportunities and warmer climates. They have also been moving to the suburbs and beyond, in search of bigger yards and houses, lower crime rates and better schools.
In 1950, nearly a fifth of the population lived in the nation's 20 largest cities. In 2006, it was about one in 10.
*Local Crime Rate
Reported crimes decreased in Surry County from 2005 to 2006
North Carolina did see a +0.9% increase in violent crimes and a –0.5% decrease in property crimes –burglaries, thefts and car thefts. The number of murders and aggravated assaults decreased statewide but the number of rapes and robberies increased. National figures reported +1.3% increase in violent crimes and -2.9% decrease in property crime.
Breaking Into Trade
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 96% of exporters are small companies. Thanks to the growth of the Internet, even the smallest companies can take advantage of the growing global marketplace. But where do you start?
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Trade Toolkit contains reports, directories, contacts and scores of specific opportunities to help you expand into overseas markets. To get started, go to: http://www.uschamber.com/sb/trade
Informative web-sites
North Carolina Chamber of Commerce Institute for a competitive workforce
http://www.ncchamber.net www.ncchamber.com/icw
Piedmont Triad Partnership A Service of the NC Dept. of Commerce Business Rec http://www.investnc.com/
http://www.piedmonttriadnc.com
United State Chamber of Commerce
www.uschamber.com
N.C. LEGISLATION NEWS
To look up a N.C. bill to view the full text and find its status, visit http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl
Last Action on Bills with Actions in 2007http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/lastaction/lastaction.pl?bPrintable=true&Biennium=2007&SessionNumber=1&StartIndex=100
The North Carolina Chamber's two-part newsletter called THIS WEEK AT THE CAPITAL has moved to the Chamber's website. Check out the Chamber's Competitiveness Update for new bills and changes in status on recurring bills as well as read about the hot topics in the capital city this week: http://www.ncchamber.net/mx/hm.asp?id=ThisWeek
MissionStatement
The mission of the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce is to be the leading advocate for business, to facilitate community alliances, to provide valuable benefits and services to our members, all in a financially responsible manner.
Contact us at…….
Phone: (336) 786-6116