Business Weekly E-Newsletter

Week of Nov. 26 – Nov. 30, 2007

• Reach the Top Campaign Records Early Successes 
• State Chamber/AIA Planning to Publish First Membership Directory and Buyer’s Guide
• Federal Legislative Emphasis, Five-Year Plan Highlight General Membership Session
• State Chamber/AIA, Arkansas Farm Bureau Sponsor “How to Win Election” Seminar
• Leadership Arkansas Class II Holding Tourism Session in Eureka Springs
• Save the Date for 2008 Washington Fly-In and Congressional Dinner
• Thanks to our Pinnacle Members
• Thanks to our Renewed Members
• Welcome to our New Members
• Calendar of Events

“Reach the Top” Campaign Records Early Successes

The State Chamberr/AIA successfully kicked off its Reach the Top Total Resource Campaign to finance new and existing programs with simultaneous events on Oct. 4 in Central Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas.

More than 80 volunteers, many of whom are participating on corporate teams, are selling memberships, program and event sponsorships, and advertising in our publications to help meet the campaign goal of $500,000. Randy Wilbourn of Alltel is serving as the state campaign chair.

Debbie Thomas, a member of Leadership Arkansas Class II, sold the $10,000 Leadership Arkansas Class II Graduation Sponsorship to Harps Food Stores, Inc. With that sale, she became the first volunteer to earn the top sales incentive prize of a trip to the Caribbean.

Celia McQuiston of Albemarle has joined Debbie reaching the $10,000 mark. Celia sold a combination of memberships, upgrades and sponsorships and plans to join Paul Harvel on the New York and Washington trip in April.  Congratulations, Celia, you’re Broadway bound!

Diane Tatum, also of the Leadership Arkansas Class II Team, sold a State Chamber membership and an Annual Meeting Gold Sponsorshp to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

For further information on “Reach the Top,” contact Susie Marks at (501) 210-4206 or smarks@arkansasstatechamber.com.

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State Chamber/AIA Planning to Publish First Membership Directory & Buyers’ Guide

The State Chamber/AIA is planning to publish our first Membership Directory & Buyers’ Guide. The publication will feature a full-color section with important resource information about businesses in Arkansas, governmental affairs, economic development, leadership and State Chamber partnerships, as well as services and benefits to membership.

Each member will be listed along with the type of business and contact information. This is your opportunity to promote and market your business to more than 1,000 businesses and organizations throughout Arkansas and will be a prime method for members to utilize referrals.

Don’t miss your chance to participate. The 2008 Membership Directory & Buyers’ Guide will be published in late January or early February 2008. The deadline to place an ad is January 15^th.

For information on advertising, call (501) 372-2222 or contact one of the following State Chamber/AIA staff: Bill Watson at bwatson@arkansasstatechamber.com; Marcus Turley at mturley@arkansasstatechamber.com, Susie Marks at smarks@arkansasstatechamber.com or Jeff Thatcher at jthatcher@arkansasstatechamber.com.

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Federal Legislative Emphasis, Five-Year Plan Highlight General Membership Session

A new National Legislative Committee and a new Washington Watch program were announced by State Chamber/AIA Executive Vice President Kenny Hall and Executive Committee member Ray Bracy of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. during the General Membership Session at the 79^th Annual Meeting of the State Chamber/AIA.

 

Also announced was a State Chamber/AIA Five-Year Plan by State Chamber Chairman Hugh McDonald of Entergy Arkansas. McDonald said that the Five-Year Plan idea is being modeled after the Oklahoma State Chamber’s Five-Year Plan, which has been extremely successful.

 

For the Arkansas State Chamber/AIA Five-Year Plan, meetings will be held statewide from January through March 2008. A first draft proposal of the plan will be presented in early May and the Five-Year Plan recommendation to the board will be presented sometime in June.

 

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State Chamber/AIA, Arkansas Farm Bureau Sponsor “How to Win Election Seminar”

As part of our plan to elect pro-business candidates to the Arkansas General Assembly, the State Chamber/AIA recently partnered with the Arkansas Farm Bureau to present “How to Win an Election” seminar on Nov. 13-14 in the State Chamber/AIA Conference Room. More than 20 potential candidates for public office participated.

The seminar used a professional campaign trainer, Linda Johnson, the director of policy implementation programs for the American Farm Bureau, of Washington, D.C. The seminar also used a computer simulation to take candidates through the entire campaign process.

The campaign was broken down into phases and participants were provided training on each phase. The training involved oral presentations by Johnson as well as videos specifically designed to point out dos and don’ts in the campaign process.

Participants were then divided into teams and periodically asked to make “campaign” decisions, which were then entered into a computer that provided “poll” results for that phase of the campaign. By the end of the second day, each team knew whether their campaign decisions resulted in a victory or a loss.

In addition to providing guidance on making budgets, how to spend campaign dollars and personal appearance, the seminar also provided much-needed experience in dealing with the media. Since many candidates have never given a television interview, the seminar required each participant to respond to a “reporter’s” questions with a TV camera in their face. The session culminated with the class critiquing the video interviews.

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Leadership Arkansas Class II Holding Tourism Session in Eureka Springs

Leadership Arkansas Class II is holding its Tourism Session this Thursday and Friday, November 29-30, in Eureka Springs at the Inn of the Ozarks and Crescent Hotel.

           

Leadership Arkansas is a program designed to take a statewide view of the economic and political challenges that face Arkansas. The program offers leadership opportunities that expand the impact of community leaders across the state. Created by the State Chamber/AIA, Leadership Arkansas builds a sense of statewide community by identifying and training individuals with the passion and commitment to become personally engaged in issues, programs and activities aimed at building a better Arkansas.

           

Upcoming sessions include:

 

• Agriculture, South Arkansas Economy, South Arkansas Issues - January 31 and February 1, Pine Bluff;
• Economic Development and Manufacturing - March 20 and 21, Fort Smith;
• Education/ Northeast Arkansas Economy - May 22 and 23, Jonesboro/Paragould;
• Northwest Arkansas Economy/Infrastructure Challenges - June 26 and 27, Fayetteville/Springdale

 

Leadership Class II Graduation will be sponsored by Harps Food Stores Inc. and held on June 27, 2008 at the Holiday Inn Springdale.  All sessions will be in conjunction with State Chamber/AIA regional board and membership meetings.

 

Leadership Arkansas Class II is sponsored by Southern Bancorp of Arkadelphia.

 

For additional information on Leadership Arkansas, contact Susie Marks at smarks@arkansasstatechamber.com or (501) 210-4206.

 

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Save the Date for 2008 Washington Fly-In and Congressional Dinner

Mark your calendar for the State Chamber/AIA 2008 Annual Washington Fly-In and Congressional Dinner. Next year’s event will be held April 26-29 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, the site of this year’s event.

For further information, contact Deb Mathis at (501) 372-2222 or dmathis@arkansasstatechamber.com.

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Thanks to our Pinnacle Members

We wish to express special thanks to our Pinnacle investors, the respected companies that support the State Chamber/AIA at the highest annual investment levels. We appreciate all that they do for us.

 

APEX

ALLTEL Corporation

Entergy Arkansas, Inc.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

 

SUMMIT

Chesapeake Energy, Inc.

Cox Communications

Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods

Tyson Foods, Inc.

 

PEAK

ARVEST Bank

AT&T Arkansas

CenterPoint Energy Southern Gas

Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas

FedEx Freight - East

Georgia-Pacific Corp.

Kraft Foods

Oaklawn Jockey Club

Pathfinder Exploration, LLC

Petrohawk Energy Corporation

SemGroup, L.P.
Southern Bancorp, Inc.

Southland Park

Southwestern Energy Company

Weyerhaeuser Company

Windstream Corporation

XTO Energy, Inc.

 

CROWN

Acxiom Corporation

AEP/Southwestern Electric Power Co.

Albemarle Corporation

Alta Resources, LLC

American Greetings Corporation

American Insurance Association

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Arkansas Employees Federal Credit Union

Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

Arkansas Western Gas Co.

Bank of the Ozarks, Incorporated

Deltic Timber Corp.

Dynegy

Entegra Power Group LLC

Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Arkansas, Inc.

Forest Oil Corporation

Glad Manufacturing/a Clorox Company

Golden Ventures

International Paper Company

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Lion Oil

Metropolitan National Bank

Murphy Oil Corp.

Nucor-Yamato Steel

OG+E

Pfizer Pharmaceuticals

Philander Smith College

Pinnacle Foods

Potlatch Forest Products Corp.

Rheem Air Conditioning Division

Riceland Foods Inc.

Signature Bank of Arkansas

State Farm Insurance – Public Affairs

Stephens Inc.

Storm Cat Energy

Suez Energy North America

The Clorox Company

The Trane Company

US Bank

Wright Lindsey & Jennings

 

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Thanks to our Renewed Members

The following State Chamber/AIA members have renewed their investment in our organizations since July 1^st. Thanks to these renewed members:

A. Tenenbaum Company Inc. ACE Glass Company All Steel Construction Inc.

Alliance Rubber Company Alma Area Chamber

Alumacraft Boat Company American Greetings Corporation AR Assn. of Two-Year Colleges AR Bankers Association

AR Cable Telecomunications

AR Children's Hospital AR Employees Federal Credit Union AR Environmental Federation AR Health Care Association AR Independent Living Council AR Optometric Assoc. Inc. AR Ready Mixed Concrete Assn. AR State Fair AR Transit Assoc. Inc.

Arcelor Pine Bluff Arkansans for Education Reform Foundation Arkansas Eastman Arkansas Human Development Corp. Arkansas Lime Company Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative

Arkansas Tech University

Arkansas Tool and Die

Arkansas Warehouse Arkansas Waterways Commission

Baldwin & Shell Construction Bank of the Ozarks Barrett and Deacon Batesville Area Chamber Berry & Associates

BKD, LLP Blytheville-Gosnell Regional Airport Authority

Bost, Inc. Brent Stevenson and Associates

Bridges, Young, Matthews & Drake Brinkley Chamber of Commerce Bruce Oakley Incorporated Busch Agricultural Resources Inc. Butler and Cook Inc.

Calhoun County Bank Cal-Maine Foods

Camden Housing Authority

Carter & Burgess CDI Contractors Inc. Central Flying Service Inc. Chisenhall Nestrud & Julian P.A. Citizens State Bank

City of Fort Smith City of West Memphis/Office of Economic Development

CMC Steel – Arkansas/Southern Post Comcast, Arkansas Commercial National Bank

ConAgra Foods Conway Corporation Cooper Management Corporation Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Crafton Tull Sparks & Associates Inc. Cross Gunter Witherspoon & Galchus P.C. Dean Crowder Construction Decatur State Bank Delta Dental of Arkansas Inc. Deltic Timber Corp. Des Arc Chamber of Commerce Domtar Industries Inc. Donald V. Allen-Consultant

Drumco of Arkansas Inc. Embassy Suites NW Arkansas Engines Inc.

Entergy Arkansas, Inc.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Erwin & Company P.A. FASTSIGNS

FDC Holdings, Inc. FedEx Express

Fidelity National Bank Financial Centre Corporation First National Bank of Fort Smith

Fleming Electric, Inc. Flintco, Inc. Flowers Baking Company

FM Corporation Fort Smith Plating Company Fort Smith Regional Airport Frances Flower Shop Franklin Electric Company Inc. Friday Eldredge & Clark FTN Associates Ltd.

Future Fuel Chemical Co.

General Dynamics Armament Systems Inc. Gilchrist Bag Company Inc. Gilster-Mary Lee Corporation

Glidewell Distributing Co., Inc. Government Solutions, LLC Grandeur Fasteners Inc. Great River Economic Development Area H. G. Toler & Son Lumber Co.

Heifer Project International

HelmsBriscoe

Hendrix College

Henley's Wholesale Meats, Inc. HomeCare Assn. of Arkansas

House of  Webster Inc.

Independent Insurance Agents of AR Inspec Foams, Inc. J V Manufacturing Inc. J.M. Products Inc. Jones Undertaking Company Just Communities of Central Arkansas

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Klaasmeyer Construction Co. Kraft Foods L. A. Darling Company Leisure Arts Incorporated Liberty Bank Lion Oil Company

Lisenne Rockefeller

Lonoke Co. Co-op., Inc.

L'Oreal USA, Inc.

Lori Lemley

LTS Logistics, LLC

MacLean ESNA LLC MacSteel – AR Division of Quanex Corp.

Magnolia Economic Development Corporation

Martin Sprocket and Gear, Inc. Matthews International Corporation

May Construction Company McCormick Painting Company

McKay & Company Realtors McKee Foods Corporation Mechanisms Inc. Melbourne Area Chamber of Commerce Merchants & Planters Bank Mid-America Manufacturing Corp.

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. Mississippi County Electric Cooperative

Missouri & Northern Arkansas Railroad Mitchell Williams Selig Gates & Woodyard, PLLC

Moore Forest Products, Inc.

Morrilton Packing Co., Inc. Mountain View Area Chamber of Commerce

MSI Mold Builders

Munro & Company, Inc. National Lift of Arkansas Newport Economic Development Commission

NLR Advertising & Promotion NLR Visitors Bureau Northwest Arkansas Community College

NWA Steel Company

O.D. Funk Manufacturing, Inc. OG+E Omnium

Ormond Insurance Agency Otto Lienhart Inc.

Ozarks Electric Cooperative Corp. Pace Industries Pascale Industries Inc. Pathfinder Schools, Inc. Pernod Ricard USA Petit Jean Electric Cooperative Phillips County Chamber of Commerce

POM Incorporated

Preformed Line Products Prescotech Industries Inc.

Pulaski Technical College Quebecor World

R & R Pinepline Construction & Repair Ramsons Inc. Razor Chemical, Inc.

Rich Mountain Community College Rineco Chemical Industries River Bend Industries

River Rock Video Productions Rock-Tenn Company

Roddy McCaskill Realty

Sanders Plumbing Supply Inc. Sanofi-aventis

Sanyo Manufacturing Corp. Service Finance Corporation Signature Bank of Arkansas

Sloan Valve Company

South Arkansas Telephone Co.

Southeast Arkansas College Southern Perforators, Inc. Spurlock Incorporated SSI Inc. Stampede Transportation, LLC Stamps Chamber of Commerce State Farm Insurance – Public Affairs Superior Graphite

SW AR Technology Learning Center Synergy Tech

Tate & Lyle

Technisource, Inc. Teleflora The Bilco Company The Cashion Company The Clorox Company The Communications Group, Inc. The Trane Company The Two J J Ranch, LLC Timberland Enterprises

Timex Corporation Transamerica Worksite Marketing

Tri-State Enterprises Inc. Tyson Foods, Inc. U of A Community College at Morrilton

U of A Economic Development Institute

U of A Fayetteville U of A Sam Walton College of Business Administration

UA Fort Smith UALR Unilever United Fence and Construction Company, Inc. United Healthcare

US Food Service

USAble Life

VIRCO Manufacturing Corporation Vulcan Materials Company

Warner, Smith & Harris, PLC

Wendy's Old Fashion Hamburgers

Williford Realty Co., Inc. Winstream Corporation Winrock International Wright, Lindsey & Jennings Xpress Boat Company

 

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Welcome to our New Members

The following companies have joined the State Chamber/AIA since July 1. Welcome to our new members:

 

A-1 Daniel Moving & Storage

Advisor Alliance, LLC

Apartment Hunters/Arkansas Suites

AR Employees Federal Credit Union

Arkansas Human Development Corporation

AR Procurement Assistance Center

AR Research Medical Testing, LLC

Arkansas Poly, Inc.

Assoc. of Fundraising Professionals-AR Chapter

Balm Innovations, LLC

CAREfully Catered, Inc.

CDX Gas, LLC

Chesapeake Energy, Inc.

Colliers Dickson Flake Partners, Inc.

The Crucial Writing Group

Dynamic Information Solutions Company, Inc.

Davis & Garratt Insurance Group, Inc.

DC Custom Homes LLC

Dennis Burrow, M.D.

Dynegy

ECCI

Educators Book Depository of AR, Inc.

enVision Marketing Group – LR

Essick Air Products/Champion Cooler

Executive Aviation Services Management, LLC

Exploration Geodesy, Inc.

Express Personnel Services

Fennell Purifoy Hammock Architects

Finnegan & Associates, Inc

First Capital Presidential, LLC

Frac Tech Services

Gill Elrod Ragon Owen & Sherman, P.A.

Glad Manufacturing/A Clorox Co.

Historic Arkansas Museum Foundation

Holiday Island Chamber of Commerce

Hurd-Long Architects

Innerplan Office Interiors

Inter-Tel Technologies, Inc.

ITT Koni Friction Products Division

James Lee Witt Associates dba Global Options Group

Jay S. Stanley & Associates

Just Communities of Central Arkansas

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International

Kraft Foods

Kutak Rock LLP

Legacy Hotel

Little Rock National Airport

Littler Mendelson, P.C.

Lynn Institute of the Ozarks

Mainstream

Mainstream Technologies, Inc.

March of Dimes, Arkansas Chapter

Mendel Capital Management, Inc.

Mercury Public Affairs

Metropolitan National Bank

Miller & Company, PLLC

Morris Beck Construction Services Inc.

National Bank of Arkansas

NovaSys Health

Novus Arkansas, LLC

Office Recruiters

Otter Creek Land

Pace Industries

Petrohawk Energy Corporation

PetroQuest Energy, LLC

Philander Smith College

Pinnacle Foods Group LLC

Pinnacle Healthcare

Pinnacle Signs & Graphics

Ranch @ Pinnacle Point

Ring Container

Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc.

Shred-It

SEECO, Inc.

Spectra Technologies, LLC

Stampede Transportation, LLC

Steve Fineberg and Associates Inc.

Suez Energy North America

Sunbelt Convention Services Co., Inc.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure – Ozark Affiliate

AR Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Telecom Management, Inc.

Terminix International

Tipton and Hurst, Inc.

Transamerica Worksite Marketing

Trinity Consultants

Twillie Realty, Inc.

U of A Clinton School of Public Service

United Fence and Construction Company, Inc.

University of Phoenix-Little Rock

Weldit Corporation

The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation

 

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Calendar of Events

November 29-30                  Leadership Arkansas Class II Session

                                              Tourism

                                              Eureka Springs

 

January 25, 2008                  State Chamber/AIA Board Meeting

                                              State Chamber Building

                                              Little Rock

 

Jan. 31 – Feb. 1, 2008          Leadership Arkansas Class II Session

                                              Agriculture and South Arkansas Economy and Issues

                                              Pine Bluff

 

Feb. 4 – 5, 2008                   ACCE Mini-Institute

                                              Little Rock

 

March 20-21, 2008               Leadership Arkansas Class II Session

                                             Economic Development and Manufacturing

                                             Fort Smith

 

March 28, 2008                    State Chamber/AIA Board Meeting

                                             State Chamber Building

                                             Little Rock

 

April 26-29, 2008                  Annual Washington Fly-In and Congressional Dinner

                                             Crystal Gateway Marriott

                                             Arlington, Virginia

 

May 22-23, 2008                  Leadership Arkansas Class II Session

                                             Education and Northeast Arkansas Economy

                                             Jonesboro/Paragould

 

June 3, 2008                        Annual Small Business Awards Luncheon

                                             Embassy Suites Hotel

                                             Little Rock

 

June 26-27, 2008                Leadership Arkansas Class II Session

                                            Northwest Arkansas Economy/Infrastrucure Challenges

                                            Fayetteville/Springdale

 

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