Business Weekly E-Newsletter
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February 4-8, 2008
Marketing and An unprecedented year in marketing and membership sales
and growth has positioned your State Chamber/AIA to add new programs and
products to further enhance our work on your behalf. We’re happy to report that in 2007 we recorded the
best membership sales effort in the history of the State Chamber/AIA,
bringing our total number of actual accounts to 1,038. In comparison, that
number was 642 as recently as June 2006. Through our research, no other State Chamber has had this
rate of increase, and our $280,000 in new sales in 2007 is a record in
membership sales. During this time, our number of Pinnacle members increased
by 37 to a total of 67. Total revenue from all sources increased 59 percent in
2007. A significant increase in non-dues revenue was powered by the
addition of 153 new advertisers and sponsors. Thanks to all of you for your
support. You are already seeing the results of our success in a
number of ways, including informative new communications methods. We launched
two new e-newsletters in January. Washington Watch
concentrates on national issues and will be e-mailed the second week of each
month. Industry Insight focuses on
manufacturing and industrial news and issues and will be e-mailed the fourth
week of each month. A new Membership Directory
& Buyers’ Guide is currently in production and other
publications and communications tools are under consideration. Sponsorship support helped us create Leadership Arkansas,
the successful program now in its second year that is designed to take a
statewide view of the economic and political challenges that face our great
state. You will soon be receiving notice of networking events in
target locations across the state in conjunction with Leadership Arkansas
sessions. We’re excited about the face-to-face interaction these will
allow between current members, prospective members, State Chamber/AIA staff
and board members. We are also pleased to report that our Reach the Top Total
Resource Campaign has played a big role in our growth, with almost $230,000
in sales to date. We appreciate the many volunteers who have come together to
promote the State Chamber/AIA and sell memberships, membership enhancements,
sponsorships and advertising. Congratulations to four of our volunteers
– Sherry Huddleston of CenturyTel, Celia McQuiston
of Albemarle, Diane Tatum of Entergy Arkansas and Debbie Thomas of Harps Food
Stores – for topping $10,000 in personal sales and earning the sales
incentive trip of their choice. The campaign will run through March 31.
These marketing and membership efforts help position the
State Chamber/AIA as the home of Workers’ Compensation Committee to
Meet February 20 The State Chamber/AIA Workers’ Compensation
Committee will meet at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, February 20, in the State
Chamber/AIA Bob Lamb Conference Room at The purpose of the meeting is to discuss workers’
compensation issues that need to be included on a list of items to negotiate
with labor. State Chamber/AIA Workers’ Compensation Committee
co-chairs Lynn Tatum and Max Koonce and State
Chamber/AIA Executive Vice President All Workers’ Compensation Committee members are
urged to attend the February 20 meeting. The meeting is open to any other
State Chamber/AIA members who are interested in attending. The State Chamber/AIA’s 49th
Annual Washington Congressional Dinner and Reception is scheduled for April 28.
This governmental affairs activity provides an excellent
opportunity for productive contact with members of our congressional
delegation and their staffs. In addition to the Congressional Dinner and Reception, we also
meet and greet our senators and representatives and their staffs at their
offices, at District dinners, luncheons and breakfasts April 27-29. The Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in The Washington Fly-In is organized to afford maximum
opportunity to discuss not only national issues that affect our state, but
also those of local importance and make our views known. Room reservations at the Crystal Gateway may be made by
calling 703-920-3230 or 1-800-228-9290. Be sure to mention the special rate of
$195 and that you are with the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce group when
calling. The deadline to make hotel reservations is April 3. The registration
deadline is April 11. Please make any/all revisions to your hotel
reservations through the State Chamber/AIA office by calling Final Rule Issued for Reduced Tax Rate for
Natural Gas and Electricity Used in Manufacturing The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration
(DFA) recently issued Final Rule 2007-5: Reduced Tax Rate for Natural Gas and
Electricity Used in Manufacturing. The DFA released a preliminary draft of the rule in
November 2007. The State Chamber/AIA Tax Committee met to review the draft
rule in December and identified several recommendations for changes. A
comment letter was then prepared by the committee. State Chamber/AIA Tax Counsel Mike Parker of Dover Dixon
Horne PLLC and State Chamber/AIA Executive Vice President Theis recently
notified Parker that the Final Rule was about to be released and asked him to
go over the revisions, advising Parker that most of the recommendations made
by the Tax Committee had been adopted or addressed in a manner he anticipated
the Tax Committee would find acceptable. After reviewing the changes, Parker
concurred. Among the more important changes that were addressed are
the following: offices for supporting personnel, exterior lighting,
recertification, recertification after 36 months and a refund process. “Overall, DFA’s
response to the Tax Committee’s input was very positive,” Parker
said. Click here to access the
Final Rule. Welcome to Our New Members Thanks to the following companies and organizations that
have recently joined the State Chamber/AIA: Haas Factory Outlet The Wilson Company AAMSCO Identification Products, Inc. The Hall Group Barnhart Crane and Rigging Time Warner Telecom Lions World Services for the Blind Lilac, LLC RedStone
Construction Company Harvel Speaks at Chamber of Commerce Banquets State Chamber/AIA President and CEO “A community should focus on its positives and not
its negatives, unless that community is truly worried about those things
having a negative impact,” Harvel said. “When I go into a
community, the first thing I look for is what makes that community different.
A good community is one that you can tell when you’re there the people
work really well together.” Harvel praised the community of He said he saw several things in Leadership Leadership Arkansas Class II held its third session in The class was welcomed to the The class had lunch at Harbor Oaks Golf Club and heard a
presentation from Dr. Ruth Hawkins of During the Thursday night reception and diner, class
members networked with community leaders and elected officials from the The session concluded with outstanding presentations by
Arkansas Farm Bureau President Stanley Reed and LouAnn
Nisbett, Michelle Rocha and Ann Green of the
Economic Development Alliance of Jefferson County. Leadership Arkansas Class II is sponsored by Leadership Leadership Arkansas
Class II will meet March 27-28 in Sponsors to date
for the During the session
in Harps Foods
to Sponsor Leadership The State
Chamber/AIA wishes to give a special thanks to Harps Foods for their generous
support as the Presenting Sponsor of the Leadership Arkansas Class II
Graduation on June 27 in Committees Play Vital Role in State Chamber/AIA’s Success Comprised of business leaders from member companies across
the state, issue committees meet throughout the year to help identify and
develop key issues that are critical to the future of These committees provide the State Chamber/AIA
governmental affairs team guidance in understanding complex topics that often
require a great deal of specific expertise. This equips our lobbyists with
insights and knowledge about an issue’s potential impact on our member
companies and our state. The Issue Committees and their leaders include: Education Committee Chairman: Luke Gordy, Arkansans for
Education Reform Foundation Co-Chairman: Greg Nabholz,
Nabholz Properties Governmental Affairs Committee Co-Chairmen: Sammie
Cox, AEP Southwestern Electric Power, and Robert D. Smith, III, Attorney Health Care Committee Chairman: Stephen W. Jones, Jack Nelson
Jones Fink Jiles & Gregory Co-Chairman: Kurt Knickrehm,
Regions Insurance Group National Issues Committee Chairman: Ray Bracy,
Wal-Mart Stores Co-Chairman: Archie Schaffer III, Tyson
Foods Tax Committee Chairman: Tom Kennedy, Entergy Co-Chairman: Jim Davis, Georgia-Pacific Legal Counsel: Michael O. Parker, Unemployment Insurance/HR Committee Co-Chairmen: Daniel H. Woods, Timex (retired), and Russell Gunter, Cross
Gunter Witherspoon & Galchus Workers’ Compensation Committee Chairman: Lynn Tatum, Tyson Foods Co-Chairman: Max Koonce,
Wal-Mart Stores
Other non-issue committees support the State Chamber/AIA’s plan of action. The Non-Issue Committees and
their leaders include: Chairman: Marketing/Membership Development
Committee Chairman: Michele Bond, CJRW Northwest The State Chamber/AIA invites our members to become
involved by serving on one or more committees. If you are interested, please
contact State Chamber/AIA Welcomes Dr. Jim Purcell to
Governor Mike Beebe was among the more than 100 educators, legislators,
civic and business leaders who attended a January 28 reception hosted by the
State Chamber/AIA at Trapnall Hall in downtown
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