Monthly Update January 18, 2014 Chamber Annual Dinner Plans Underway
Transcription
Monthly Update January 18, 2014 Chamber Annual Dinner Plans Underway
Monthly Update www.desotoks.org January 2014 January 18, 2014 Chamber Annual Dinner Plans Underway Announces Chamber Member of the Year Recipient – City of De Soto Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 18, 2014 for the Annual Membership Dinner of the De Soto Chamber of Commerce! Chamber Member of the Year for their contributions to the local business community, support of economic development and chamber tourism events. Here’s what is in store for our special evening of entertainment and networking…. • • • Registration begins at 6:00 p.m. and Social Hour Networking begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy the wine fountain, light hors d’oeuvres and great networking with your fellow members. Check out and bid on the fantastic Silent Auction items which were donated by the membership! Enjoy a buffet dinner provided by Two Guys and a Grill, back by popular demand! Recognition of the Chamber Members of the Year, Ambassador of the Year and Extra Mile Recipient. The City of De Soto will be honored as the 2013 • Alan Mayer “Keeping Goals” Goalkeeper Coach for the KC Comets and the UMKC Roos Men’s Soccer Team. Mayer was the 1978 National American League Player of the Year and 1983 Major Indoor Soccer League MVP and Two-Time All Star. Currently Mayer is enjoying retired life, coaching and will be working with Sporting Academy Youth Keepers. Chamber Offices Relocating The cramped quarters of the De Soto Chamber of Commerce office will be no more by the end of January. The De Soto Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the City of De Soto will be relocating to 32905 W. 84th Street, the former De Soto Multi-Purpose Center at De Soto City Hall, on Jan. 24th. For the past decade, the Chamber has called the fire station in downtown De Soto home. Having experienced membership growth since that time, the Chamber requires a more functional work environment, which the new location will offer space for member services and business counseling. Executive Director Sara Ritter said the roughly 800 square feet the office has now was not enough for two employees and a consultant, whereas the nearly 1,500 sq. ft. of office space will provide enhanced visibility for its members and the community. The relocation also provides Northwest Consolidated Fire District with more space within the station and clears the way for discussions on the future of their existing building. It is expected that there will be delay in telephone and e-mail communication on Friday, January 24th during the move and installation of services. Phone and fax numbers will remain the same. J De Soto Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 70 32905 W. 84th Street De Soto, Kansas 66018 Tel: (913) 583-1585 Fax: (913) 585-1821 Reservations and prepayment are required no later than Friday, January 10th. Cost is $40 per person or a discounted rate $360 for a Reserved Table of 10. It’s not too late to help underwrite this event. Contact the Chamber Office at 913583-1585 to reserve your exclusive benefits that are provided for underwriters. A very special Thank You to Premier Underwriters Great American Bank and Shawnee Mission Medical Center, and to all of our underwriters! See you on January 18, 2014! J What’s Inside: President’s Update...................... 2 From the Director’s Corner......... 2 USD 232 ....................................... 4 Calendar of Events...................... 5 President’s Update by Mathew Little, Chamber President Welcome to 2014, a new year filled with new beginnings! I hope that your 2013 finished strong within your business, and joyful within your families. With a new year, comes a new Chamber of Commerce Board and President. With this first month as your President, I want to do a sort of self-bio for our members to get to know me a little better. My name is Matthew Little. I was named after the John Denver song, “Matthew” about a boy raised on a farm South of Colby, Kansas. Though I was not raised on a farm, I did spend most of my childhood in Western Kansas. My father is a second generation United Methodist Pastor and my mother spent most of my childhood days as a City Clerk in whatever small Western Kansas town the United Methodist Church decided to move us to that year. My parents both reside in Wichita, Kansas now, where my father serves as Lead Pastor at College Hill UMC and my mother serves on the administrative staff for the Kansas West UMC. I’m happily married to my wife, Emily Little. We met in Hays, Kansas a little over 6 years ago. We have two Boston Terriers that are spoiled rotten. Emily is happily employed as an office manager for Marquette Physical Therapy here in De Soto. I graduated from South Central High School in Coldwater, Kansas in 2002 and then attended Hutchinson Community College for 2 years to obtain a certificate in Computer Hardware Support. From HCC, I went on to attend Wichita State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science. I’m employed by Great American Bank in De Soto, Kansas and just celebrated my 1 year anniversary with this excellent bank! Getting to know each other can serve a very valuable lesson in doing business well, and succeeding in growing more business. In my experiences, my relationship with a person has earned me far more business than any product that I can offer. This new year, take time to get to know your customers. Get to know your staff and your business contacts. People in general appreciate and enjoy sharing information about their lives, whether that information is personal or professional. If you don’t feel comfortable coming right out of the gate to develop a new relationship, use me as an excuse. Tell that client that your chamber president challenged you to get to know someone better. Over the next year, you’ll hear me refer to community a lot. There are a lot of things that community can mean. We live within communities: towns, suburbs, even blocks. We belong to communities: church groups, Rotary clubs, Kiwanis clubs, Boy Scouts, VFW’s, and this Chamber of Commerce. Our chamber members are a community that I believe in. We have the ability to make our community strong and support one another. Take the time to get to know someone in your community and improve that relationship that will profit your business not only financially, but will strengthen and deepen your relationship and your bond to one another. Matthew Little 2 From the Directors Corner by Sara Ritter, Executive Director As we celebrate a new year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful members for their support in 2013 and welcome them back to the Chamber in 2014. From marketing advantages, networking opportunities and showcasing all that your company has to offer, the Chamber is a vital tool to enhance your company’s success. Please be sure to contact us if you have any thoughts, ideas or comments that you’d like to share to help us grow our services and to maximize your membership. We’re here to help you! The Chamber Board of Directors will begin planning our scope of work for the 2014 year. It is interesting to note that roughly 75% of our operating budget comes from fundraising and marketing activities. While these events are fun for all, they also contribute to our overall success of the organization which in turn provides services to our members. These fundraisers, such as our Annual Dinner Silent Auction, allow us to grow our organization while keeping dues and other fees to a minimum. The events also promote De Soto as a great place to live, work and play. The festival events will be held at De Soto Riverfest Park, which will drive more visitors off K-10 Highway and through De Soto to frequent our businesses. It is our hope that the Chamber’s fundraising activities also help promote and provide you with an opportunity to get the word out about your company. The new Chamber Board of Directors, consisting of Chamber President Matthew Little, Great American Bank; Vice President Mike Rogers, Mike’s Liquor; Secretary Julie Coover, American Family Insurance; Treasurer Bob McCoy, Keller Williams Legacy Partners, Inc. and Past Chamber President Curtis Arnold, Curtis M. Arnold & Associates have momentum and great plans in store for the organization and you, our valued member. Please plan on attending as many chamber functions as you can to build relationships and get the most out of your Chamber membership. On a personal note, I would like to thank everyone for their support during the illness and loss of my mother, Audrey “Marie” Welch. Many of you had an opportunity to visit her when she worked the Annual Dinner and when she attended Great American Bank’s Night on the Kaw. She loved attending the Chamber events and you were all so generous with her. I sincerely appreciate all of your kind words, cards and flowers and was humbled by all of your love and support during our time of sorrow. Your De Soto Chamber of Commerce is off to a great start in 2014, and I look forward to enjoying our accomplishments with you at our Annual Dinner on January 18th! J Office Furniture Needed!! The De Soto Chamber of Commerce Offices are moving and we are in need of good, used office furniture. If your company has any surplus furniture that needs a new home, please contact Maureen at [email protected] so that we can see if it would be able to be utilized in our new offices. Examples of items that are needed: Office Desk Book case Receptionist Desk Waiting room chair/couch Waiting room end table Conference chairs We are also looking at obtaining carpet for the 1,500 sq. ft. office and appreciate any assistance you can provide. Thank you in advance for your consideration! 3 Unified School District 232 By Alvie L. Cater, II – Director of Community Relations Huhtamaki, Inc., of De Soto, Kansas recognized by Board of Education The Board of Education of Unified School District No. 232, Johnson County, KS, presented its first Partner in Education Award to Huhtamaki, Inc., during a special ceremony on Monday, December 9, 2014. USD 232 created the award to recognize businesses and organizations that work with the school district to provide students amazing life opportunities and real-world experiences. “We are pleased to recognize Huhtamaki as the first recipient of our Partner in Education Award,” said Superintendent Doug Sumner. “Huhtamaki is a pillar in our business community and continues to be a strong supporter of our great schools.” Accepting the award on behalf of Huhtamaki was Amy Peterson, human resources and safety manager. The company was selected for the Partner in Education Award for creating an apprenticeship program for high school seniors. During the winter months of 2013, Huhtamaki approached the school district with the idea of creating a unique opportunity for students. The company said it was experiencing a challenge in finding skilled machinists to employ. This labor shortage triggered the idea of an apprenticeship program in order to grow a new generation of skilled machinists. Working with high school counselors, Amy Peterson and Norman Kump, machine shop manager at Huhtamaki, presented the apprenticeship program in May 2013 to students at De Soto High School. As a result of that presentation and an interview process, Huhtamaki hired Isaac Garrison, a senior at De Soto High School. If Garrison remains with the apprenticeship program, the company will pay for his formal training at an area technical college following his graduation in May 2014 with a bright and promising career with a growing international company. Pictured left to right: Superintendent Doug Sumner, Amy Peterson (Huhtamaki), Isaac Garrison, and Board Member Bill Fletcher. Superintendent Doug Sumner was joined by Board Member Bill Fletcher in presenting the award to Amy Peterson. The Board of Education also recognized Senior Isaac Garrison for his participation in the apprenticeship program. About Huhtamaki Huhtamaki’s North American segment is home to 16 production units in the United States and Mexico with more than 3,200 employees. This segment serves local markets with Chinet® disposable tableware, packaging for consumer goods and foodservice packaging. Corporate offices are located in De Soto, KS. The growth of Huhtamaki in America is largely due to the acquisition of established companies like Sealright and the Keyes Fibre Company in the late 1990s. The Chinet® brand traces its roots back to 1903 and inventor Martin Keyes, whose molded fiber technology laid the foundation for the Keyes Fibre Company in Waterville, ME where the famous product is still made today. >> http://www2.us.huhtamaki.com/home J De Soto Rotary Club News 4 The Kansas City South Rotary Club shared some incredible news about a hospital they built in the Dominican Republic and how the De Soto Rotary Club’s involvement jumpstarted the entire project. The De Soto Rotary donated $1,000 for their hospital project, which ended up generating $11,500 with several matching grants. The funds were used to purchase supplies and an EKG machine for the hospital. used equipment as well. Duffy will visit the Dominican Republic hospital in February and in May. The project began with a simple bricks and mortar to construct the hospital, and through the Kansas City South Rotary Club project equipment has been purchased for the hospital. John Duffy, Kansas City South Rotary Club and project manager for the hospital project, states that North Kansas City hospital donated Congratulations to the De Soto Rotary Club for their donation which enabled the hospital to receive much-needed equipment! J In addition, the hospital has been selected by the US Navy to do a mission in May, 2014. The Navy will have a ship in the area and should get National attention and Rotary International Attention. This is a fascinating project for the Kansas City South Rotary Club. There will not be a luncheon in January due to the Annual Dinner. De Soto Chamber of Commerce Annual Membership Dinner Saturday, January 18, 2014 Registration 6:00 p.m. Social Hour 6:30 p.m. Location: De Soto V.F.W. 33725 W. 83rd St. De Soto, KS 66018 Reservations and Prepayment are required. Cost is $40/pp or $360 for a Reserved Table of 10 RSVP to Maureen at 913-583-1585 or via e-mail [email protected] by 1/11/2012 January 2014 Sun da y M onda y T uesd a y Due to the Annual Dinner, there will not be a monthly chamber luncheon in January. The next luncheon will be the State of the City Address on February 13th. W edn e sda y T hursd a y 1 2 New Year's Day De Soto City Council Meeting Fri da y S atu rd a y 3 4 10 11 7:00 p.m. De Soto City Hall 5 6 7 8 9 Ambassador Meeting 12 13 14 15 Movie Night “Finding Neverland” 1:00 p.m. Chamber Offices 7:00 p.m. Methodist Church Bring a snack/drinks 16 17 18 24 25 Annual Chamber Dinner De Soto VFW Registration 6 p.m. Social Hour 6:30 p.m. -Prepaid event- De Soto City Council Meeting 7:00 p.m. De Soto City Hall 19 20 21 Martin Luther King Day 26 27 28 22 EDC Board of Directors 11:30 a.m. Equity Bank, Lower Level 29 23 Moving Day! Telephone and e-mail services interrupted 30 31 Deadline to remit Chamber/EDC Membership Dues Items in BOLD indicate Chamber Events