May 5-9, 2008

GOV. BEEBE, DELEGATES ADDRESS CONGRESSIONAL DINNER

Gov. Mike Beebe served as the master of ceremonies for the Congressional Dinner on Monday evening, April 28, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. More than 250 State Chamber/AIA members, Arkansas Chamber of Commerce executives, the Arkansas Congressional delegation and members of the delegation’s staffs attended the event.

State Chamber Chairman Hugh McDonald presented information on the newly formed National Issues Committee and the committee’s work to develop a legislative agenda to guide State Chamber/AIA advocacy on national issues. The committee has identified nine priority issues with economic development being the ultimate driving force and mission. Of the nine, McDonald said the membership believes education, healthcare and defeating the employee free choice act or union check card legislation to be the top three priorities.

Beebe provided brief remarks including confirmation that the state’s Washington office has been closed and sublet. Beebe said he works closely with every member of the state’s congressional delegation and ultimately determined the D.C. office was not necessary and not in the best interest of the taxpayers of Arkansas. Beebe then provided introductions for members of the Congressional delegation.

Other events included five congressional events which were hosted by local Chamber executives.

LETTER TO CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION READ AT CONGRESSIONAL DINNER

The following is the text of a letter, signed by State Chamber Chairman Hugh McDonald and AIA Chairman Benny Baker, which was hand delivered to members of the Arkansas Congressional Delegation and read during the Congressional Dinner:

The State Chamber/AIA’s National Issues Committee has developed its legislative agenda to guide the organization’s advocacy on national issues. These priority issues are: health care, the farm bill, education and workforce development, union card check legislation, climate change, energy policy, economic stimulus, taxes and immigration. While this list appears broad, a common mission runs through all nine priority issues and ultimately is the driving force behind everything the State Chamber/AIA does – that mission is economic development.

The State Chamber/AIA will continue to develop specific position statements on each issue. However, it is initially concentrating on three that our membership believes are most critical – education, health care, and the employee free choice act or union check card legislation. 

The State Chamber/AIA has held for many years that education and economic development are inseparable. We have worked diligently to pass and protect significant education reform that has successfully improved many aspects of the Arkansas education system. We are supportive of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation and encourage its reauthorization.

Years of double-digit premium increases have hit employees and employers hard, especially small business. Approximately 48 million Americans lack health insurance, making this perhaps the largest challenge of our time. We believe everyone deserves the right to have medical coverage, but it should not cause U.S. employers to become less competitive and place at risk the very jobs the medical coverage provides.  America’s healthcare crisis must be solved at the federal level through open dialogue between government, healthcare industries, labor and business representatives. It is through this type of exchange and action that meaningful solutions will be reached. 

Congress voted last year on legislation called the Employee Free Choice Act and we understand the same legislation is being considered for next year.  Our organizations expressed wide opposition to this legislation as we believe it is not in the best long-term interest to Arkansas’ economy and creates a barrier for the expansion and recruitment of new jobs and capital investment in our state. We ask our delegation to oppose any and all union card check legislation that may come before Congress. Please help us protect the democratic principle of private ballot elections to establish labor unions in our work environment.

We look forward to working with you on each of these issues and many others in order to promote business and economic development in Arkansas. 

Applications Being Accepted for Leadership Arkansas Class III

Applications are now being accepted for Leadership Arkansas Class III, which is again being sponsored by Southern Bancorp. In just two years, this program has become one of Arkansas’s most respected and trusted leadership organizations. Before clicking on the link below to the application, please review the following information designed to provide you with a greater understanding of Leadership Arkansas.

Leadership Arkansas’s mission is to build a strong, diverse, statewide network of leaders with a shared commitment to connect our communities and to make Arkansas a better place in which to live and prosper.

One of the many ways the organization is working to accomplish that mission is through its annual class program. Class members are chosen to participate in a stimulating and thought-provoking educational program that consists of a series of six day-and-a-half sessions held in locations throughout the state.

These sessions include programming on issues critical to Arkansas, leadership skills assessment, and relevant information on Arkansas’s history, demography, diversities and opportunities. One of the most rewarding and lasting  benefits of the program is the valuable time spent interacting with other leaders from a variety of professions, philosophies and parts of the state who represent Arkansas’s diverse ethnic and racial composition.

Graduation from the class does not signify the end, but the beginning of a lifetime of opportunity as a member of Leadership Arkansas. For the graduates of the Leadership Arkansas program, we will convene regular meetings, regional and statewide, to facilitate continuing issues-oriented education, advanced leadership training, networking and the opportunity for members to work together toward shared goals. 

SELECTION CRITERIA

The Leadership Arkansas Recruitment Committee seeks to identify those individuals most likely to utilize their leadership abilities for the long-term benefit of Arkansas. The Selection Committee strives to select participants who will provide the class with broad professional, geographic, ethnic and gender representation. Basic criteria for selection are:

• A commitment, motivation and interest in serving Arkansas.
• A concern for Arkansas’s welfare, demonstrated by past community and statewide activities.
• An interest in seeking key volunteer and/or appointed state leadership roles.
• Potential or existing occupational responsibilities that have significant influence on important issues facing the state.
• A commitment to continued involvement in Leadership Arkansas.

Should you have any questions about the application, or about Leadership Arkansas, please call Susie Marks at 501-210-4206. Click here to download the application.

Leadership Arkansas Plans Two Final Sessions

Leadership Arkansas Class II plans two final sessions. The Jonesboro/Paragould session on May 22-23 will focus on education and the Northeast Arkansas economy. The Fayetteville/Springdale session on June 26-27 will cover infrastructure challenges, the Northwest Arkansas economy and the graduation for members of Class II.

These remaining Leadership Arkansas sessions represent outstanding investment opportunities in which companies and organizations can participate. By helping sponsor one of the remaining activities – the sessions in Jonesboro/Paragould and Northwest Arkansas as well as the graduation – companies and organizations have the chance to personally meet and get to know these individuals who will be leading Arkansas in the future.

Partner sponsorships at $1,000 include an invitation to a reception and dinner with Leadership Arkansas class members, signage at the event and inclusion in the promotional and printed materials for the session. Presenting sponsorships at $2,500 include all of the above plus an opportunity to present during the session and an opportunity to place a company brochure or message in the participants’ notebooks.

Leadership Arkansas Class II is sponsored by Southern Bancorp. For further information on Leadership Arkansas, contact Susie Marks at 501-210-4206 or e-mail her at smarks@arkansasstatechamber.com .
Annual Small Business Awards Luncheon Set for June 3
The 18th Annual Arkansas Small Business Awards Luncheon hosted by the State Chamber/AIA and honoring the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Arkansas Small Business Persons of the Year, will be held at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, June 3, at the Embassy Suites in west Little Rock.

Phil Baldwin, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Bancorp, America’s largest rural development bank, will be the keynote speaker and Roby Brock, host of Talk Business, will be the master of ceremonies.

The winners of this year’s awards represent a wide variety of locations within the state including Ozark, Jonesboro, Pine Bluff, North Little Rock, Arkadelphia and Little Rock.

We are seeking sponsors for this event at the following levels:

Presenting Sponsor (1) - $3,500
Speaker Sponsor (1) - $2,500
Award Sponsors (multiple) - $1,000
Table Sponsors (multiple) - $750
Partner Sponsors (multiple) - $500
Patron Sponsors (multiple) - $250

Individual tickets are $30 each and reserved tables for eight are $225 each. To register for a ticket or a table, click here .
If your company or organization would like to help sponsor this event, contact Jeff Thatcher at jthatcher@arkansasstatechamber.com  or (501) 210-4205.
Workers’ Compensation Rates Continue to Decline

State Insurance Commissioner Julie Benafield Bowman has announced a 12.8 percent decrease in workers’ compensation rates effective July 1.

Since the passage of an all-encompassing workers’ compensation legislative reform package in 1993 (which a coalition led by the State Chamber/AIA worked hard to bring about) and the implementation of high workplace standards and aggressive health and safety programs, Arkansas has experienced a steady decline in workers’ compensation costs. Including this year’s 12.8 percent decrease, rates today are approximately 52 percent lower than in 1995, resulting in millions of dollars of savings for Arkansas employers.

Despite the overall decline in premium rates, statewide premium volume has grown since 2001, indicating that wages and employment have also grown during this period. These factors, since the mid-1990s, demonstrate the importance of focusing on long-term goals and investing in communities and citizens to continue efforts to attract industry and create jobs.

Bowman credited all constituencies including workers, employers, legislators and regulators for this progress. “State officials are committed to ongoing efforts to stimulate the economy, while driving down the cost of doing business in Arkansas,” she said. “Today, we are seeing the tangible benefits of these efforts to support and implement advanced public policy. Because of these investments in a stable workers’ compensation system, which is recognized as a prime economic development tool, rates are down and employers are finding Arkansas a great place for business.”

World Trade Month Being Celebrated During May

The Arkansas World Trade Center (ARWTC) and the Department of Commerce are hosting the “Brown Bag Lunch, Informative Lecture Series” held every Thursday during May.  The series of events are presented by State Department experts in international trade covering a wide range of issues and topics as they relate to exporting and global commerce.

What:                        “Opportunities and Challenges in Doing Business with India”                       
When:                        Thursday, May 8, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.                       
Where:            Arkansas World Trade Center, 3300 Market Street, Suite 400, Rogers, AR  72758
Speaker:            Dr. Abdul Shaikh, senior international economist and regional coordinator for Africa, Middle East and South Asia trade information center

What:                        “State of Trade in the Western Hemisphere and the Columbia Free Trade Act”
When:                        Thursday, May 15, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.                       
Where:            Arkansas World Trade Center           
Speaker:             John Anderson, senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs, International Trade Administration

What:                        “Opportunities and Resources in China”           
When:                        Thursday, May 22, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.                       
Where:            Arkansas World Trade Center           
Speaker:             Matthew Quigley, international trade specialist, China Business Information Center

What:              “African Growth and Opportunity Act and African Trade Initiatives”           
When:              Thursday, May 29, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.                       
Where:              Arkansas World Trade Center           
Speaker:             Karoli Ssemogerere, attorney and expert on U.S./Africa affairs

These events are free and open to the public.  For more information, contact Denise Thomas
at 479-418-4821 or dthomas@arwtc.org .

IRS Launches Campaign to Help New Small Businesses

The Internal Revenue Service has launched a year-long campaign to help educate new self-employed small business owners about federal tax responsibilities and about filing Schedule C , Profit or Loss from Business.
The campaign will provide new Schedule C , Profit or Loss from Business, filers with improved and updated educational materials through a variety of channels, including IRS.gov , small business workshops and other outreach events.
For additional information, contact John Berger at 410-962-9025 or John.R.Berger@irs.gov .
Welcome to Our New Members

Thanks to the following companies and organizations that joined the State Chamber/AIA during the month of April.

Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members

We wish to welcome America’s Car Mart, Inc. as our newest Pinnacle member at the Crown level.

We also wish to express special thanks to all of 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
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Arvest Bank
AT&T Arkansas
CenterPoint Energy Southern Gas
Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas
FedEx Freight - East
Georgia-Pacific Corporation
Harps Food Stores, Inc.
Kraft Foods
Oaklawn Jockey Club
Pathfinder Exploration LLC
Petrohawk Energy Corporation
SemGroup LP
Southern Bancorp, Inc.
Southland Park Gaming & Racing
Southwestern Energy Company
State Farm Insurance
Weyerhaeuser Company
Windstream Corporation
XTO Energy, Inc.

CROWN
Acxiom Corporation
AEP Southwestern Electric Power
Albemarle Corporation
Alta Resources LLC
American Greetings Corporation
America's Car-Mart, Inc.
Arkansas Employees Federal Credit Union
Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corporation
Arkansas Western Gas Company
Bank of the Ozarks
CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company
Deltic Timber Corporation
Dynegy
Entegra Power Group LLC
Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Arkansas, Inc.
Forest Oil Corporation
Glad Manufacturing/A Clorox Company
Golden Living
International Paper Company
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Lion Oil Company
Metropolitan National Bank
Murphy Oil Corporation
Nabholz Construction Corporation
Nucor-Yamato Steel
OG+E
Pfizer Pharmaceuticals
Philander Smith College
Pinnacle Foods Group LLC
Potlatch Forest Products Corporation
Pulaski Technical College
Rheem Air Conditioning Division
Riceland Foods, Inc.
Signature Bank of Arkansas
Simmons First National Corporation
Stephens, Inc.
Storm Cat Energy
Suez Energy North America
The Clorox Company
The Trane Company
US Bank
Waste Management
Wright Lindsey & Jennings

Calendar of Events

May 7                                    State Chamber/AIA Small Business Council Meeting
                                    11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
                                    Bob Lamb Conference Room, State Chamber/AIA Building
                                    Little Rock

May 20 – 23                        Northeast Arkansas Membership Blitz

May 22 – 23                        Leadership Arkansas Class II Session
                                    Education and Northeast Arkansas Economy
                                    Jonesboro/Paragould

June 3                                    Annual Small Business Awards Luncheon
                                    11:45 a.m., Embassy Suites Hotel
                                    Little Rock

June 26 – 27                        Leadership Arkansas Class II Session
                                    Northwest Arkansas Economy/Infrastructure Challenges
                                    Fayetteville/Springdale

June 27                        Leadership Arkansas Class II Graduation
                                    Presented by Harps Food Stores, Inc.