Business Weekly
March 2 – 6, 2009
- 50th Annual Washington Fly-In and Congressional Dinner Set for April 18-21
- Arkansas State Chamber/AIA Holds First Legislative Event
- Leadership Arkansas Holds Legislative Session in Little Rock
- Next Small Business Council Meeting Scheduled for March 19
- State Chamber/AIA Leadership Conference – Revived, Refocused, Inspired
- State Chamber to Host Procurement Conference
- State Chamber/AIA Planning to Publish Arkansas Manufacturers Directory
- Participate in the Governor’s Quality Award Program
- ”Graduating to the Workplace” Event Planned for March 19
- Welcome to Our New Members
- Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members
- Calendar of Events
50th Annual
The State Chamber/AIA is hosting the 50th Annual Washington Fly-In and Congressional Dinner at the Crystal Gateway
Marriott Hotel in
If you have not participated in this event in the past, this is a perfect opportunity for you to do so. Given the extraordinary level of business issues ranging from the Employee Free Choice Act to economic stimulus bill provisions to all sorts of other mischief, it’s imperative that we have a large crowd for this event.
In addition to encouraging you to register to participate in this event—as a repeat attendee or as a first-timer—we are seeking sponsors to partner with us as hosts. This governmental affairs activity provides an excellent opportunity for productive contact with our senators, representatives and their staffs.
We meet and greet our senators, representatives and their staffs at their offices, at luncheons and breakfasts and at the reception and dinner. The Fly-In is organized to afford maximum opportunity to discuss not only federal issues that affect our state, but also those of local importance.
The State Chamber/AIA e-mailed information to our members last week on the Washington Fly-In and Congressional Dinner including a Registration Form and Sponsorship Opportunities. We are also sending the information out by regular mail this week to make certain all members receive it. All sponsorship opportunities include recognition in the printed materials for the event.
If you have questions on the Fly-In and Congressional Dinner, need a copy of the Registration Form and Sponsorship Opportunities, or would like to help sponsor this important event, call Deb Mathis at (501) 210-4212 or email her at dmathis@arkansasstatechamber.com.
The Arkansas State Chamber/AIA hosted its first
Legislative event on February 23rd in
The Legislative Luncheon drew more than 300 legislators and their staffs, State Chamber/AIA members and Leadership Arkansas Alumni. The event was an excellent opportunity for legislators to network with members of the state’s business community as well as an opportunity for business leaders to discuss issues of concern with their legislators in a one-on-one setting.
A State Chamber/AIA Board meeting in the Bob Lamb Conference Room, which drew 32 board members, preceded the luncheon. Board members heard presentations on the financial report/budget, membership, events and the calendar, a card check update and a legislative issues update.
For photos from the Legislative Luncheon, click here.
Leadership
Leadership Arkansas Class III held its Legislative Session
on Monday, February 23 in
Presenting Sponsors for the Session were Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the City of
Speakers for the Session included Representative Steve Harrelson, a Class Member and Majority Leader from District 1; Representative Robbie Willis, Speaker of the House; Mike Gaines, Deputy Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission; Kenny Hall, Executive Vice President of the State Chamber/AIA, and Lamar Davis, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Governor’s Office
Leadership Arkansas Class III will hold its next session
covering Economic Development on Thursday and Friday, February 26-27 in
Additional sessions planned for the coming months throughout the state include:
- Session
VI – Northeast Arkansas Economy, May 21-22, 2009,
- Session
VII – Northwest Arkansas Economy, June 25-26, 2009,
- Leadership
Class III Graduation will be held June 26, 2009 in
Leadership
The Chairman for this year’s Leadership Arkansas
class is program founder Paul H. Harvel. Curriculum Chairman is Michele Bond.
Leadership Arkansas Class III is sponsored by
If you would like to be a session sponsor or need further information about Leadership Arkansas, please call Susie Marks at 501-210-4206 or e-mail her at smarks@arkansasstatechamber.com.
Next Small Business Council Meeting Scheduled for March 19
The State Chamber/AIA Small Business Council will hold its next meeting
from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 19 in the Conference Room of the
State Chamber building in
Karen Light of Strategic People Solution will provide a presentation on Employee Benefits. Joyce Raynor of the Center for Healing Hearts & Spirits will provide the lunch.
All members of the State Chamber/AIA are invited to attend Small
Business Council meetings. If you would like to attend the March meeting,
please contact
State Chamber/AIA Leadership Conference – Revived, Refocused, Inspired
The
Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce Leadership Arkansas program will present
its first Leadership Conference – Revived, Refocused, Inspired on Friday, May 8, 2009 at the
Featured speakers for this exciting event include golfing legend Jack Nicklaus, former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Tony Blair and Liz Murray, whose true-life story inspired the Lifetime movie “Homeless to Harvard”. Ernie Johnson, professional sports announcer and host of TNT’s Inside the NBA, will serve as master of ceremonies for the event.
This event
will be live simulcast broadcast from
You will leave this Leadership Conference refreshed and enlightened - and you will offer your team a renewed sense of hope and vision as you take your learning experiences back to them.
Leadership
Tickets are $75 each and a limited number are available, so act fast. To order tickets or for further information, contact Susie Marks at (501) 210-4206 or smarks@arkansasstatechamber.com.
State Chamber to Host Procurement Conference
The Arkansas State Chamber is partnering with the U.S.
Small Business Administration, the state congressional offices and the
Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) to bring the Arkansas Procurement
Opportunities Conference to
The Procurement Opportunities Conference will include the Annual Small Business Awards Luncheon, networking, training and procurement opportunities. It will also feature a business exposition/matchmaking event, pairing small business owners with prime contractors, federal agencies and major corporations in a one-on-one setting
Some 350 local and regional small business owners (SBEs, MBEs, WBEs and DBEs) will come together for a full day of procurement opportunities with 150 buyers from federal agencies, prime contractors and major corporations.
Sponsorship opportunities for this event are possible. For
further information, please contact Susie Marks or
State Chamber/AIA Planning to Publish
The State Chamber/AIA is planning to publish the Arkansas
Manufacturers Directory in June. This publication will contain in-depth
company profiles of more than 4,000 industrial businesses. Each
The Arkansas Manufacturers Directory will also serve as a valuable resource
if you are looking for suppliers here in the state. Copies of the Directory
will be distributed to State Chamber/AIA members, membership prospects and
manufacturers throughout
The Directory will have a one-year shelf life and be a good marketing vehicle for you to promote your services among our members, membership prospects and manufacturers throughout the state.
For information on ad rates and specifications, contact
Participate in the Governor’s Quality Award Program
In any economic environment, but especially in the
challenges of today’s economy, the importance of a strong foundational
structure for organizations has never been more important. The
Governor’s Quality Award Program, which is now affiliated with the
Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas will
present, along with its sponsors, a Healthcare Challenge Seminar on June 10
at the
Applicants to the program can send 10 employees to the
seminars. The keynote speaker for the Healthcare Seminar will be Carl
E. Couch, MD, MMM, Co-Chair of the Best Care Committee of the Baylor
Healthcare System. Dr. Couch’s session is entitled
“Practical Steps to Cross the Quality Chasm.” The
Manufacturing Seminar will include a session led by
The Governor’s Quality Award Program offers a proven approach in improving quality, productivity and financial effectiveness. The program uses the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria to assess applicants to the program. The Criteria contain questions of what leaders do, how they plan, what their customers want, what employees require to be engaged, how processes work and results are measured. A feedback report enlightens an organization to its strengths and areas for improvement. This provides a special appeal because it allows changes based on local circumstances for all organizations including manufacturing, education, healthcare and non-profit.
This year, there is emphasis on added value to organizations applying to the program. The Governor’s Quality Award Program will offer manufacturing applicants crosswalks between ISO 9001 and 14001, Shingo and Baldrige. There has been a $150 reduction in the total cost of application. All applicants may attend Benchmark Tours at Baxter Healthcare in Mountain Home June16 and Clearwater Paper in McGehee June 18. Examiner training, an intensive three-day seminar where examiners are taught how to assess applications, is provided tuition-free to those who serve as examiners for 2009. Processes learned by examiners can be implemented in their own organizations.
The $150 Intent-to-Apply fee is due April 1. The remaining $600 will be due May
1 with the application. Companies who have applied to the program
before may apply at any level of application and send representatives to the
Seminars and participate in the benchmark tours. If you’re
interested in applying to the program for 2009, go to www.arkansas-quality.org for more information. You can contact
Give your organization a competitive edge. Become involved in the Governor’s Quality Award Program.
2009 Healthcare Challenge Seminar Sponsors
American Data Network
Community Health Centers of
2009 Manufacturing Challenge Seminar Sponsors
Southwest Times Record
“Graduating to the Workplace” Event Planned for March 19
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Arkansas
Department of Workforce Education and
The event, known as “Graduating to the
Workplace,” is designed as an opportunity to recognize high school
seniors who have completed a Career and Technical Education program of study.
Attending the event will be approximately 750 students from 26 schools in the
CRESC area (Craighead, Cross, Jackson,
Businesses, industries, military recruiters and post-secondary institutions will have booths set up highlighting their products, services and entry-level qualifications and expectations from 9 – 11. At this time, students will be able to emphasize their industry certifications and career readiness certificates that will help them successfully enter the world of work. A formal luncheon to recognize CTE completers will begin at 11 a.m.
For additional information, contact John L. Davidson, Deputy Director, CTE, Arkansas Department of Workforce Education, 501-682-1040.
Thanks to the following companies and organizations that have recently joined the State Chamber/AIA:
ABC Financial Services, Inc.
Bemberg Iron Works
BizTek Connection Inc.
Block
BT Environmental Inc.
Cameron
Double Tree Hotel
Friendship Community Care
Kharma Consulting Inc.
Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members
We 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.
Chesapeake Energy, Inc.
Cox Communications
Tyson Foods, Inc.
XTO Energy, Inc.
PEAK
Arvest Bank
AT&T Arkansas
CenterPoint Energy Southern Gas
Electric Cooperatives of
FedEx Freight - East
Georgia-Pacific Corporation
Kraft Foods
Oaklawn Jockey Club
SemGroup LP
Southern Bancorp, Inc.
Southwestern Energy Company
State Farm Insurance
Verizon Wireless
Windstream Corporation
CROWN
Acxiom Corporation
AEP Southwestern Electric Power
Albemarle Corporation
Alcoa Inc.
American Greetings Corporation
Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corporation
Bank of the Ozarks
BP America, Inc.
CardinalHealth
CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company
Crossland Construction
Deltic Timber Corporation
Dynegy
Entegra Power Group LLC
Evergreen Packaging Company
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
McKee Foods Corporation
Metropolitan National Bank
Nabholz Construction Corporation
Nucor-Yamato Steel
OG+E
Petrohawk
Philander
Potlatch Forest Products Corporation
Rheem Air Conditioning Division
Riceland Foods, Inc.
Signature Bank of
Stephens, Inc.
Storm Cat Energy
The Clorox Company
The Trane Company
US Bank
Waste Management
Weyerhaeuser Company
Wright Lindsey & Jennings
March 19 Small Business Council Meeting
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Conference Room
March 26-27 Leadership
Economic Development Session
March 26 Regional Board Member Meeting
In
Conjunction with Leadership
Class
III Meeting,
April 20 State Chamber/AIA Board Meeting
Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel
April 20
Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel
May 6 Small Business Council Meeting
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Conference Room
May 8 Maximum Impact Simulcast Leadership Conference
7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
May 13 State Chamber/AIA Board Meeting
10 a.m.
State Chamber Conference Room
May 13 New Member Luncheon
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
State Chamber Conference Room
May 21-22 Leadership
June 2
June 2 Nineteenth
Annual
Small Business Awards Luncheon
June 25-26 Leadership
June 26 Leadership
Graduation
August 12 State Chamber/AIA Board Meeting
10 a.m.
State Chamber Conference Room
August 12 New Member Luncheon
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
State Chamber Conference Room
October 19 State Chamber/AIA Annual Meeting
State Chamber/AIA Board Meeting
Double Tree Hotel
