Business Weekly
April 20 – 24, 2009
- 50th Annual Washington Fly-In and Congressional Dinner Draws Big Crowd
- Alltel’s Randy Wilbourn Joining CJRW
- Next Small Business Council Meeting Scheduled for May 6
- State Chamber/AIA Leadership Conference – Revived, Refocused, Inspired
- Board Meeting, New Member Luncheon Slated for May 13
- Leadership Arkansas to Hold Next Session in Jonesboro
- State Chamber to Host Procurement Conference
- 2009 Legislative Summary Planned
- State Chamber/AIA to Publish Manufacturers Directory
- Jonesboro Young Professionals Network Hosting Conference
- Welcome to Our New Members
- Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members
- Calendar of Events
50th Annual
The 50th Annual Washington Fly-In and
Congressional Dinner was held April 18-21 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott
Hotel in
The event also included remarks from special guests U.S.
Sen. Blanche Lincoln, U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, Congressman Mike Ross,
Congressman John Boozman and Congressman
While members of the Congressional delegation essentially focused on health care and the economy, the Chamber re-emphasized its concerns about the Employee Free Choice Act. "In this unique economic climate, it is more important than ever that business have a voice," Zook said.
The Washington Fly-In also included a State Chamber/AIA board meeting and breakfast and lunch meetings with members of the Arkansas Congressional Delegation. Special thanks to the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce Executives who hosted the hospitality suite at the hotel.
Thanks to all of our sponsors for the Washington Fly-In and Congressional Dinner, which included: WorkSource, Presenting; Nucor, Partner; The Harriet and Warren Stephens, Stephens Inc. Charitable Contributions Committee, Patron; Global Strategy Group, LLC and Wal-Mart Stores, Wine; The Alliance of Jefferson County and Cox Communications, Dessert; Acxiom, America’s Car Mart, Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance, Central Moloney, Crossland Construction Company, Kimberly-Clark Corp., Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, McKee Foods, Nabholz Construction Corp., Tyson Foods and Windstream Corp., Gold; AEP/SWEPCO and Langston Companies Inc., Silver, ASU-Beebe, CardinalHealth, CenturyTel, Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce and Securitas Security Services, Bronze; and Arkansas Petroleum Council, Oce/Copy Systems and Troutman Sanders Public Affairs, Contributor.
Alltel's Randy Wilbourn Joining CJRW
Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods of
In a news release, Wilbourn said he was happy
to join the advertising, marketing and public relations firm.
"I am humbled at the opportunity of joining the agency, and contributing
to the firm's expertise in marketing, corporate communications and public
affairs to the variety of clients that CJRW serves," he said.
Wilbourn began his career at the telecommunications company in 1971 when it was named Allied Telephone Co. He is also chairman of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and former chairman of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Wilbourn is the son of Hugh Wilbourn, who founded Allied Telephone with Charles Miller.
CJRW was founded in 1961 and has more than 100 employees and an estimated $84 million in annual capitalized billings, according to the news release.
Next Small Business Council Meeting Scheduled for May 6
The next meeting of the State Chamber/AIA Small Business Council is
scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6th in the
Bob Lamb Conference Room at the
Finnegan & Company, Inc. will provide the lunch for the meeting.
Derek Federowski of All Computing Net, Inc. will provide a presentation on
“Information Technology.” A legislative update will also be
presented. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP by contacting
Small Business Council meetings are open to all State Chamber/AIA members. Future meetings are scheduled for July 9, September 3 and November 5.
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.
Board Meeting, New Member Luncheon Slated for May 13
The next State Chamber/AIA Board Meeting is set for 10 a.m. May 13 in the State Chamber Conference Room. It will be followed by a New Member Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. in the same location.
If you are a new members and have not already responded to your invitation, please RSVP to Deb Mathis at dmathis@arkansasstatechamber.com or call her at 501-210-4212 to make your reservation.
Leadership
Leadership Arkansas Class III will hold its next session
covering the Northeast Arkansas Economy on Thursday and Friday, May 21-22 in
Sponsors for the Session to date include: ASU Delta Center, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation and Ritter Communications.
Additional sessions planned for the coming months throughout the state include:
- 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.
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), Small and Minority Business
Division 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, state and 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 state and federal agencies, prime contractors and major corporations.
Sponsorship opportunities for this event are available.
For further information, contact Susie Marks or
2009 Legislative Summary Planned
The State Chamber/AIA will publish a 2009 Legislative Summary in May covering the recently concluded 87th General Assembly. The Legislative Summary will have a two-year shelf life, will be distributed to State Chamber/AIA members and membership prospects and will be a good marketing tool for you to promote your company or organization’s services.
For information on ad rates and ad specifications, contact
State Chamber/AIA to Publish
The State Chamber/AIA plans 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
The Jonesboro Young Professionals Network, a branch of the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, is hosting their first annual professional development conference themed “Realize the Magic of Your Potential” May 14-16 at the campus of Arkansas State University.
The conference will feature keynote speaker Brad Montgomery, a nationally recognized speaker and business person whose clients include the CIA, the FBI, USA Today, Allstate, and several others. Throughout the weekend, conference attendees will have the chance to hear from other nationally-recognized speakers, listen in on track sessions, and enjoy networking opportunities with young professionals throughout the state.
Conference registration is only $225 for a weekend of professional development training, networking opportunities, and social activities that will undoubtedly give any young professional the skills they need to add to the success of their company. If three employees attend, the cost is only $600 and if five employees attend the cost is only $900.
To register, visit www.realizethemagic.com or call the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce at 870-932-6691. Proceeds
from the event will be used for a scholarship for the
Thanks to the following companies and organizations that have recently joined the State Chamber/AIA:
Aerial Patrol, Inc.
Baxley Equipment Co.
Dukes Capital Management
Impact Management Group Inc.
James Electric, Inc.
Nordex USA Inc.
RebeccaRice & Associates
Triumph Fabrications – Hot Springs, Inc.
Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members
We wish to recognize RebeccaRice & Associates, which recently joined the State Chamber/AIA as a Pinnacle Member at the Crown level. We would also like 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
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
RebeccaRice & Associates
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
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
July 9 Small Business Council Meeting
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
State Chamber Conference Room
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
September 3 Small Business Council Meeting
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
State Chamber Conference Room
October 19 State Chamber/AIA Annual Meeting
State Chamber/AIA Board Meeting
DoubleTree Hotel
November 5 Small Business Council Meeting
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
State Chamber Conference Room
