Business Weekly
May 18 – 22, 2009
- State Chamber to Host Procurement Conference
- 2009 Legislative Summary Planned
- State Chamber/AIA to Publish Second Membership Directory in July
- AMS Offering Stimulus Package for Manufacturers
- Welcome to Our New Members
- Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members
- Calendar of Events
State Chamber to Host Procurement Conference
The Arkansas State Chamber is partnering with the U.S.
Small Business Administration, the office of U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder, the office
of U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, the office of U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Arkansas
Workforce Development Services to bring the Arkansas Procurement
Opportunities Conference to
The Arkansas Procurement Opportunities Conference will match approximately 350 local and regional small business owners (SBEs, MBEs, WBEs and DBEs) with approximately 150 buyers from state and federal agencies, prime contractors and major corporations.
Sponsors for the Procurement Conference include Title Sponsor Department of Workforce Services; Gold Sponsors Aerojet Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Tyson Foods, Inc. and Verizon Wireless; and Supporting Sponsors AEP/SWEPCO, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Arkansas Employees Federal Credit Union, Bank of the Ozarks and the Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center.
The Procurement Opportunities Conference will also include the 19th Annual Arkansas Small Business Awards Luncheon from 11:45 a.m. until 1 p.m. The Small Business Awards Luncheon is being sponsored by Table Sponsors CenterPoint Energy, Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield and Metropolitan National Bank, and Patron Sponsors Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions and The Heritage Company. Tickets for the Luncheon are $35 each; tables of eight are $300.
Sponsorship opportunities for the Procurement Conference
and the Small Business Awards Luncheon are still available. For further information, please contact
Susie Marks or
2009 Legislative Summary Planned
The State Chamber/AIA will soon publish a 2009 Legislative Summary 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 Second Membership Directory in July
The State Chamber/AIA plans to publish its second
Membership Directory in July. The 2009 State Chamber/AIA Membership
Directory and Buyer’s Guide will be an excellent resource
guide for the
It will feature a full-color section with important
resource information about businesses in
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
For information on ad rates and specifications, contact
AMS Offering Stimulus Package for Manufacturers
To stimulate growth in the state’s manufacturing industry, Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions (AMS) is offering its expertise and services at no charge for a full-day of individualized consultancy to businesses throughout the state. Through June 30, 2009, AMS has set up the Arkansas Manufacturing Stimulus Package, a free day of consulting and training from an AMS expert to help identify areas of improvement and new strategies for growth and development.
“Some of the state's valued manufacturers have been on the unfortunate end of a struggling market,” said Dan Curtis, AMS Director. “This package is an effort to spark momentum within the industry by helping businesses improve performance, productivity and profitability. Such services can typically exceed several thousand dollars when contracted with a private firm, yet we understand the current challenges manufacturers are facing and want to help by providing this assistance at no cost.”
The Arkansas Manufacturing Stimulus Package includes four key areas of concentration. Businesses may choose one of the following services:
Business Growth and Sales
An experienced AMS growth expert will help identify new/different strategies and find opportunities to maintain and improve profitability.
Lean
Lean Manufacturing is a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste. By following Lean Manufacturing principles, manufacturers will improve quality and delivery performance, reduce cycle time, minimize Work-In-Progress (WIP) and ultimately increase profit.
Quality Management
Customers place a high value on predictable consistent business processes. AMS' RAB Lead Auditor with 25 years experience can provide insights and techniques to maintain a sound quality program, retain customers and target new ones.
Website Marketing
AMS' website marketing professionals will look at the critical website marketing elements to make your website deliver more qualified leads resulting in more sales, profitability and growth.
“We
have five offices spread throughout the state, and we’re available to
any site in
To schedule a manufacturing expert, visit mfgsolutions.org or contact Tovia Chan at 501-683-4410 or tovia.chan@mfgsolutions.org
For more information about the Arkansas Manufacturing Stimulus Package, click here. This program is not part of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act.
For more information on the Federal Recovery Act, click here.
AMS
provides technical and management assistance that improves the quality,
productivity and global competitiveness of
Welcome to Our New Members
Thanks to the following companies and organizations that have recently joined the State Chamber/AIA:
Absolute Wildlife Solutions
Fiber Resources Inc.
Harbor Environmental & Safety
Russellville Steel Co. Inc.
Snyder Environmental & Construction, Inc.
Whiting Systems, Inc.
Workplace Resource of
Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members
We would like to express special thanks to Russellville Steel Co. Inc., which recently joined as a Crown member and Nucor/Nucor-Yamato, which have upgraded their membership to the Peak level. 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
Nucor/Nucor-Yamato
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
OG+E
Petrohawk
Philander
Potlatch Forest Products Corporation
RebeccaRice & Associates
Rheem Air Conditioning Division
Riceland Foods, Inc.
Russellville Steel Co. Inc.
Signature Bank of
Stephens, Inc.
Storm Cat Energy
The Clorox Company
The Trane Company
US Bank
Waste Management
Weyerhaeuser Company
Wright Lindsey & Jennings
Calendar of Events
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
