Business Weekly
October 19 -23, 2009
- Lincoln, Ross, Snyder and Beebe Address State Chamber/AIA Annual Meeting
- Fifteen Arkansas Organizations Receive Governor’s Quality Awards
- Chamber “Door-to-Door” Regional Meetings Continue
- Ad Deadline Extended for Arkansas Manufacturers’ Directory
- Arkansas Workforce Summit Scheduled for November 5 at Verizon Arena
- Leadership Arkansas Class IV Holds Governmental Session in Little Rock
- State Chamber Partnering with ADWS to Address Workforce Issues
- Small Business Council Sets Final Meeting for 2009
- Save the Date for 2010 Arkansas Procurement Opportunities Conference
- Nominations Being Accepted for 2010 Governor’s Work-Life Balance Awards
- Arkansas Health Care Town Halls Slated
- Electronic Equipment Recycling Dates Set in Pulaski County
- Little Rock SCORE Celebrates SCORE’s 45th Anniversary
- SBA Launches New Online Training Course for Women Who Own Small Businesses
- Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation to Establish New Centers for Working Families
- Welcome to Our New Members
- Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members
- Calendar of Events
Close to 500 attendees gathered Monday, October 19th at
the DoubleTree Hotel in
U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln provided the keynote address, touching on a number of topics including health care reform, the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) and proposed climate change legislation.
Also speaking during the Annual Meeting were U.S. Rep.
Mike Ross, U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder and Governor Mike Beebe. Ross focused primarily
on proposed health care legislation, while Snyder touched on various issues
including the war in
Beebe talked about efforts to promote economic development
in the state including a recent trip that he and other state officials took
to Europe in which the
During the business portion of the Annual Meeting, State Chamber/AIA President and CEO Randy Zook provided an update on recent initiatives including the “Door-to-Door” regional meetings. State Chamber Chairman Randy Wilbourn oversaw the election of State Chamber board and executive committee members while his counterpart, AIA Chairman Ray Dillon, presided over the election of AIA board and executive committee members.
We appreciate the support of all the Annual Meeting Sponsors, which are listed below.
Presenting Sponsors:
Allens Inc.
BP America
Petrohawk Energy Corporation
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Other Major Sponsors:
Harriet and Warren Stephens, Stephens Inc.
Morning Coffee Sponsors:
Cox Communications
Mitchell Williams Selig Gates & Woodyard, PLLC
Pfizer, Inc.
XTO Energy
Dessert Sponsors:
CenterPoint Energy
Deltic Timber Corp.
Nucor/Nucor-Yamato Steel
Southwestern Energy Company
Table Sponsors:
AT&T Arkansas
Central Moloney Inc.
CenturyTel
Cross Gunter Witherspoon & Galchus P.C.
Entergy
Kutak Rock LLP
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Windstream Corporation
Gold Sponsors:
McKee Foods Corporation
Riceland Foods Inc.
Silver Sponsors:
Arkansas Capital Corporation Group
Cintas
Domtar Industries, Inc.
Electric Cooperatives of
Global Strategy Group
The Heritage Company
Hiram Walker-Pernod Ricard
Home Depot
Impact Management Group
Langston Companies Inc.
Nabholz Construction Company
Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce
Bronze Sponsors:
Affiliated Real Estate Appraisers
Bentonville-Bella
Razor Chemical Inc.
Fifteen Arkansas Organizations Receive Governor’s Quality Awards
Fifteen organizations from throughout the state were
presented Arkansas Governor’s Quality Awards during the 15th Annual
Awards Celebration for the Governor’s Quality Award Program on Monday
evening, October 19th at the DoubleTree Hotel in
Taking top honors by receiving the Governor’s Award for Performance Excellence was White River Medical Center in Batesville
The Achievement Award was awarded to Drew Memorial Hospital in
Organizations receiving the Challenge Award were: Community Health Centers of Arkansas,
The awards ceremony includes four award levels of Performance Excellence (in descending order of qualifications): the Governor’s Award, the Achievement Award, the Commitment Award and the Challenge Award. As well as the recognition, recipients receive an in-depth evaluation of their management systems and a written feedback report citing strengths and areas for improvement. Industry-specific seminars were held last year for manufacturing, healthcare and insurance/financial services.
The goal of the Governor’s Quality Award Program is
to encourage
The Chairman of the Board of the Governor’s Quality Award program is Cal Kellogg, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Organizations and companies interested in participating in the program should contact Governor’s Quality Award Executive Director, Sue Weatter with the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce by calling 501-372-2222 or go to www.arkansas-quality.org.
Chamber “Door to Door” Regional Meetings Continue
The State Chamber/AIA continued its series of “Door to Door” Regional Meetings with events on
October 13 in
The Regional meetings have drawn more than 450 state and
local chamber leaders, community leaders, local business representatives and
state legislators. They feature presentations on state and federal
governmental affairs issues and State Chamber/AIA programs and events by
State Chamber/AIA President and CEO Randy Zook, Executive Vice President
Additional “Door to Door” meetings are planned
for October 28 in
For further information, contact
Ad Deadline Extended for
The advertising deadline for the State Chamber/AIA Arkansas Manufacturers' Directory has been extended to October 30. Ad material is due November 6th.
The Directory will be published in December and will
contain in-depth company profiles of more than 4,000 industrial businesses.
Each
Copies of the Manufacturers' Directory will be distributed to State
Chamber/AIA members, membership prospects and manufacturers throughout
The Arkansas Manufacturers' Directory will have a one-year
shelf life and will be a good marketing vehicle for you to promote your
services among our members, membership prospects and manufacturers throughout
the state.
For information on advertising rates and specifications, contact
Mark your calendar for the Arkansas Workforce Summit to be held November
5, 2009, at the Verizon Arena in
The Arkansas Workforce Summit is an
interactive conference, delivering practical, demand-driven solutions for
today's workforce challenges. The
Plenary Sessions will include:
- The Governor's Workforce Cabinet: Integrating Education, Workforce and Economic Development
- Building Work Ready Communities
- State Sector Strategies: Regional Solutions to Address Skill Needs
Breakout Sessions will address:
- Retaining
- Town Hall: Hear From Employers What Employers Need in Skilled Workers
-
-
- Registered
Apprenticeship: Meeting the Skilled Workforce Needs of
- Educating
The
For more information, please call 1-888-281-9717 or visit www.dws.arkansas.gov.
Leadership
Leadership Arkansas Class IV held its Governmental Session
on October 19-20 in
This entire session allowed the class members to
participate in a mock legislative session. They walked in the shoes of state
legislators and interacted with real members of the General Assembly,
lobbyists and state bureaucrats. The mock session, organized by State
Chamber/AIA Executive Vice President Kenny Hall and Director of Governmental
Affairs
Class members drew for seats in a mock House and Senate and were provided orientation by leaders of each chamber. Senate Secretary Ann Cornwell, Constituency Services/Research & Special Project Manager Sabrina Lewellen and Senate Attorney Steve Cook provided the Senator orientation while House Parliamentarian Tim Massanelli, Administrative Assistant to the Speaker/Director, Constituency Services Bill Stovall and Coordinator of Legislative Services Buddy Johnson provided the orientation for the House members.
The class members then participated in four mock committee meetings presided by Rep. Eddie Hawkins, Rep. Linda Tyler, Rep. Greg Reep, Rep. Monty Davenport, Senator Shane Broadway and Senator Tracy Steele. The first day’s activities ended with a legislative style reception.
Class members opened the second day of their Mock Legislative session with a breakfast in the State Capitol and then conducted mock floor sessions of the House and Senate. Former House Speaker Bill Stovall presided over the House session while Sen. Mary Ann Salmon led the Senate meeting.
Future Leadership Arkansas Class IV Sessions include:
Session II – Central
Arkansas, K-12 Education/Workforce, December 3-4,
Session III –
Session IV – South
Arkansas Economy, Timber, Oil & Gas, March 18-19, 2010,
Session V –
Northeast/Delta Economy, Healthcare & Agriculture, May 20-21, 2010,
Session VI –
Leadership
Sponsorships for each of the sessions are available at the
$2,500 level (Presenting) and the $1,000 level (Participating). Contact
For additional information on the Leadership Arkansas
program, contact
State Chamber Partnering with ADWS to Address Workforce Issues
Do you want to own
your own business, be your own boss, and use the entrepreneurial mindset to
take control of your future? Do you own a business and want to make it grow
and be more profitable? Then plan to attend the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services' Get in the
Game Entrepreneurial Conference on Tuesday, November 3rd at
Verizon Arena in
The Get in the Game Entrepreneurial Conference will focus on providing individuals with the necessary information to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. These range from self-employment opportunities to creating a new venture with employees, as well as outreach to dislocated workers across the state. Your organization has valuable information to share, so we invite your participation in this event as an exhibitor. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED; FREE ADMISSION and COMPLIMENTARY LUNCH!
The
For more information on attending these events, please call 1-888-281-9717 or visit www.dws.arkansas.gov.
If you would like to
be an exhibitor on November 3 or November 4, please call
Small Business Council Sets Final Meeting for 2009
The State Chamber/AIA Small Business Council has scheduled its final meeting for 2009 on Thursday, November 5th. The meeting will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the State Chamber/AIA Conference Room.
The topic for the November 5th meeting will be “Disaster Preparedness.” Lunch will be provided as well as a legislative update.
A survey was recently distributed to everyone on the Small
Business Council roster. If you have not filled out and returned your copy of
the survey, please do so as soon as possible. If you need another copy of the
survey, contact
The date for the 2010 Arkansas Procurement Opportunities Conference and the Annual Small Business Awards Luncheon has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 27th. Please mark your calendars and make plans to attend.
The events are hosted by the Arkansas State Chamber/AIA and the following partner agencies and organizations: U.S. Small Business Administration, SCORE, Office of Congressman Vic Snyder, Office of Senator Blanche Lincoln, Office of Senator Mark Pryor, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center, Arkansas Small Business & Technology Development Center, Arkansas/Mississippi Supplier Development Council and the Arkansas Minority Business Development Roundtable.
For sponsorship information, contact
More details will be forthcoming
Nominations Being Accepted for 2010 Governor’s Work-Life Balance Awards
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2010 Governor’s Work-Life Balance Awards.
Companies are sought that: encourage their employees to balance work responsibilities with family needs; inspire and energize their workforce; implement creative strategies and programs to benefit their employees, and people beg to be hired.
Categories include: Small: 1 – 50 employees; Medium: 50 – 500 employees, and Large: More than 500 employees.
The contest is being hosted by
To nominate a company, click here
Arkansas Health Care Town Halls Slat
The Americans for Prosperity, a conservative political advocacy group, is holding Arkansas Health Care Town Hall meetings on Thursday, October 29th at the following locations:
7 – 8 a.m.
John Stossel & Tim Phillips
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
John Stossel, Tim Phillips, Shaun Danko, Dave Elswick
7 Statehouse Plaza (Main and
5 – 6 p.m.
John Stossel & Tim Phillips
Hilton Garden Inn, Ballroom
2840 South Caraway
For additional information, contact Teresa Crossland-Oelke, the Arkansas State Director of Americans for Prosperity, at 479-531-9778 or teresa.oelke@afphq.org.
Electronic Equipment Recycling Dates Set in
A Special Electronic Collection will be held from 8 a.m.
until 3 p.m. on December 2-3 in the VIP parking lot of Verizon Arena, which
is located in
Businesses, schools, hospitals, churches, non-profit organizations and individuals are welcome to drop off electronic equipment for recycling.
The following guidelines apply:
- All businesses will be required to present a statement indicating company name and amount of electronics delivered to collection or fill out an information statement at the collection site.
- All businesses dropping off more than five (5) electronic units will be required to shrink wrap or place electronics on in gaylord boxes on pallets.
- All agencies or groups including churches, schools and non-profit organization must follow new electronics collection guidelines.
- Only individuals with electronics from households are exempt from the new guidelines.
Items that will be accepted include: computers, monitors, printers, copiers, VCR/DVD players, televisions, microwaves, cell phones, radios and fax machines. Other electric items will not be accepted.
For additional information, click here.
Little Rock SCORE Celebrates SCORE’S 45th Anniversary
SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” is celebrating 45 years of volunteer service and mentoring to help small businesses nationwide start up, grow and succeed.
Little Rock SCORE has offered small business mentoring and
training services to the
Nationally, SCORE provides free and confidential business
mentoring to more than 350,000 small business clients each year. There are
27.2 million small businesses in
For information about starting or operating a small business, call Little Rock SCORE at 501-324-7379, ext. 302, or visit Little Rock SCORE on the web by clicking here.
SBA Launches New Online Training Course for Women Who Own Small Businesses
Women who own small businesses will be able to use a new online U.S. Small Business Administration training course to learn how to identify and take advantage of federal contracting opportunities.
The new training course, Winning Federal Contracts: A Guide for Women Entrepreneurs, is part of an ongoing government-wide initiative to promote opportunities for women-owned businesses in the area of government contracting.
The free online tutorial is a practical and easy-to-use guild that walks a woman-owned small business through the contracting process. SBA is committed to ensuring that women-owned businesses receive at least 5 percent of federal contracts and believes that better training opportunities are essential to meeting this government-wide goal.
The Winning Federal Contracts course is designed to help women entrepreneurs learn about the federal procurement process and to prepare them to compete for contracting opportunities. The self-paced guide uses audio and script to provide information about contract rules, how to sell to the government and where to find contracts.
The course is available by clicking here. It is indexed by subject matter and includes direct links to additional contracting resources.
A model program that brings coordinated support to
students at three community colleges in
“These community colleges serve student populations with a high percentage of students who live in poverty, need educational remediation services and have challenges such as child care, transportation and money management,” said Dr. Sherece West, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation president and CEO. “The Center for Working Families approach will bring together access to a full range of economic resources to help these students address these issues and move forward to graduation and employment.”
The three colleges serve 13
- Coordinated job training and career development services (Earn It),
- Comprehensive training and assistance to help them reduce the cost of their financial transactions (Keep It), and
- Facilitated connections to financial institutions that can help them build wealth for themselves and their communities (Grow It).
Welcome to Our New Members
Thanks to the following companies and organizations that have recently joined the State Chamber/AIA:
Ace Signs of
Altria Client Services, Inc.
CaseStack
CDP Strategies LLC
Commerce Title & Closing Services LLC
Plinth Technology
Quest Diagnostics Inc.
The Circumference Group
Web-Jive LLC
Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members
Thanks to Altria Client Services, Inc., which recently joined as a Crown member. We would like to express 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
Entergy Arkansas, Inc.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Chesapeake Energy, Inc.
Cox Communications
Southern Bancorp, Inc.
Tyson Foods, Inc.
XTO Energy, Inc.
PEAK
Arvest Bank
AT&T Arkansas
BP America, Inc.
CenterPoint Energy Southern Gas
Electric Cooperatives of
FedEx Freight - East
Georgia-Pacific Corporation
Kraft Foods
Nucor/Nucor-Yamato
Oaklawn Jockey Club
Southwestern Energy Company
State Farm Insurance
Verizon Wireless
Windstream Corporation
CROWN
Acxiom Corporation
AEP Southwestern Electric Power
Albemarle Corporation
Altria Client Services, Inc.
American Greetings Corporation
Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corporation
Bank of the Ozarks
CardinalHealth
CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company
Crossland Construction
Delta Dental of
Deltic Timber Corporation
Dynegy
Evergreen Packaging Company
Experian
Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Arkansas, Inc.
Fidelity National Information Services
Forest Oil Corporation
Glad Manufacturing/A Clorox Company
International Paper Company
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Lion Oil Company
McKee Foods Corporation
Nabholz Construction Corporation
Nice-Pak
OG+E
Petrohawk
Philander
RebeccaRice & Associates
Riceland Foods, Inc.
Russellville Steel Company Inc.
Signature Bank of
Stephens Inc.
The Clorox Company
The Trane Company
Transplace
US Bank
Waste Management
Weyerhaeuser Company
Wright Lindsey & Jennings
Calendar of Events
October 28 State Chamber/AIA “Door-to-Door” Meeting
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Harbor Oaks
October 29 State Chamber/AIA “Door-to-Door” Meeting
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Town Club
November 2 State Chamber/AIA Tax Committee Meeting
1:30 p.m.
State Chamber Conference Room
November 5 Small Business Council Meeting
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
State Chamber Conference Room
November 11 State Chamber/AIA “Door-to-Door” Meeting
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location TBD
November 12 State Chamber/AIA “Door-to-Door” Meeting
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
December 3-4 Leadership
December 9 State Chamber/AIA “Door-to-Door” Meeting
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location TBD
Batesville
