Business Weekly
December 7 – 11, 2009
Chamber 2009 Door-to-Door Regional Meetings to Conclude The State Chamber/AIA will conclude its 2009 series of
=A1=B0Door-to-Door=A1=B1 Regional Meetings with events today in Batesville and tomorrow
in
The Regional meetings, which began this past summer and
have continued throughout this fall, have drawn more than 650 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
=A1=B0Door-to-Door=A1=B1 meetings have previously been held in
McGehee,
Leadership
Leadership Arkansas Class IV held its Central Arkansas
Session, focusing on K-12 Education and the Workforce, on December 3-4 at
Mills Library in the
The Session was presented by Nabholz
Construction Corp. and
The session included:
Additional Leadership Arkansas sessions planned for 2010 include: 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 (Patron). Contact
For additional information on the Leadership Arkansas
program, contact
In October 2008, Governor Mike Beebe set a new course for
the state at Arkansas Works 2008, The Governor's
In early November, Beebe announced
A critical component of this new initiative is Connect 2 Business=A2=E7, a tool that helps adults find employment and students find internships and apprenticeships with local businesses. In turn, Connect 2 Business provides businesses access to a pipeline of skilled workers, allows businesses to showcase themselves and their career opportunities, and helps students connect the relevance of their coursework to the real world of work. Connect 2 Business is a critical component of the Governor's overall initiative to dramatically improve education in Arkansas, create a competitive, qualified workforce and help move our business community successfully into the future.
For
more information or to register for Connect 2 Business, click here and then click on the "
State Chamber/AIA Annual Report Planned
The State Chamber/AIA will publish its 2009 Annual Report in January. The publication will consist of recaps from various State Chamber/AIA programs and events that have occurred during 2009 including the Washington Fly-In and Congressional Dinner, the Annual Meeting, Leadership Arkansas, and the Arkansas Procurement Opportunities Conference and Annual Small Business Awards Luncheon. Also featured will be sections on Governmental Affairs, Marketing/Outreach Efforts, Committee Goals and Successes, Affiliate Efforts, a listing of New Members, the Pinnacle Member list and the Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
Ads for the Annual Report are available in the following locations, sizes and rates:
$500 for fourth-page inside ad (black and white, 3=A8=FD x 4=A8=FE inches, multiple) $650 for fourth-page inside ad (full color, 3=A8=FD x 4=A8=FE inches, multiple) $750 for half-page inside ad (black and white, 7=A8=F6 x 4=A8=FE inches, multiple) $900 for half-page inside ad (full color, 7=A8=F6 x 4=A8=FE inches, multiple) $1,000 for full-page inside ad (black and white, 7=A8=F6 x 10 inches, multiple) $1,150 for full-page inside ad (full color, 7=A8=F6 x 10 inches, multiple) $2,000 for page three full-page ad (full color, 7=A8=F6 x 10 inches, one each) $2,500 for back inside cover (four color, 7=A8=F6 x 10 inches, one each) $5,000 for back cover (four color, 7=A8=F6 x 10 inches, one each)
Ads need to be provided in either a PDF or TIF format or in a camera-ready, hard-copy format.
If you are interested in placing an ad in the Annual
Report, contact
Governor=A1=AFs Quality Award Program Slates Training for Potential Applicants Have you ever had an interest in the Governor=A1=AFs Quality Award Program but were not sure of where to start? If so, don=A1=AFt miss out on a great opportunity to gain a better understanding of the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria and practical ways you can use it to improve your overall business processes. You will: learn how to write an application for the Governor=A1=AFs Quality Award Program, gain a better understanding of what the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria is asking and what examiners look for in an application, assess your business more thoroughly in every category of the Criteria, benchmark for results and much more!
The Governor=A1=AFs Quality Award will be providing Applicant
Training on January 20 and March 18 next year. Major David Harrison,
Senior Instructor for the
To register, click here and then click on Applicant
Training Seminar for either January 20 or March 18. Complete the application
with the award level your organization is considering. Return the
application with a $150 registration fee to the Governor=A1=AFs Quality Award
office. Registration for the January 20 seminar is due January 13. Up
to five representatives from your organization may attend the seminar.
If you do apply for an award, the $150 will be applied to your application
fee. For questions or additional information, call Governor=A1=AFs Quality
Award Executive Director
2010
The date for the 2010 Arkansas Procurement Opportunities Conference and the Annual Small Business Awards Luncheon is 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.
Sponsors to date for the Arkansas Procurement Opportunities Conference include: Allens Quality Vegetables, Gold Partner; Tyson Foods, Inc., Silver Partner; and the Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center, Facility Sponsor.
For sponsorship information, contact
Additional information on the Procurement Opportunities Conference can be found by clicking here.
SBA Seeks Nominations for 2010 Small Business Week Awards
The Arkansas District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is seeking nominations for its annual Arkansas Small Business Awards to be presented April 27th during the Annual Small Business Awards Luncheon, which will be hosted by the State Chamber/AIA.
Each year SBA recognizes successful business owners and community leaders that champion the cause of small businesses. The 2010 awards will include Arkansas Small Business of the Year, Exporter of the Year, Family-Owned Business of the Year, and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. SBA will also present Champion Awards to individuals or organizations dedicated to supporting small businesses. Champion Awards include Financial Services, Minority Small Business, Home-Based Business, Veteran Small Business, and Women in Business.
SBA invites any individual or organization dedicated to
the support of the
Please call Carol Silverstrom at (501) 324-7379, x227 with any questions. A copy of the nomination guidelines can be found by clicking here.
College Education, Good Grades Factors in Mobility of Self-Employed Workers
It=A1=AFs a story that comes with its own truism: =A1=B0nothing succeeds like success.=A1=B1 States with higher gross state product growth are more likely to attract highly mobile and high-achieving college graduates, both self-employed and wage-and-salary workers, according to Office of Advocacy research based on the U.S. Department of Education=A1=AFs 2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B) data base.
=A1=B0With states devoting millions of dollars in investments to economic development and education, state policymakers are naturally concerned when the most talented workers leave to explore opportunities elsewhere.=A1=B1 said Susan Walthall, Acting Chief Counsel for Advocacy. =A1=B0For states, particularly those experiencing this =A1=AEbrain drain=A1=AF phenomenon, it=A1=AFs important to understand how various factors affect the migration patterns of college graduates.=A1=B1
The paper, Educational Attainment, =A1=B0Brain Drain,=A1=B1 and Self-employment: Examining the Interstate Mobility of Baccalaureate Graduates, 1993-2003, uses the B&B data to study the employment and location of self-employed and wage-and-salary workers 10 years after graduation. The paper=A1=AFs author, Advocacy Chief Economist Chad Moutray, finds that the mobility of the self-employed is very similar to that of their wage-and-salary counterparts in this data base. Among the findings are the following:
=A1=A4 A student=A1=AFs academic achievement level—which comes down to whether they earned mostly As and Bs in their majors—is more likely to indicate higher mobility than the choice of major. =A1=A4 Students with an expensive, high-caliber education and / or graduate degrees, and those with well-educated spouses are more likely to be mobile. =A1=A4 States that tend to be more focused on the =A1=B0knowledge economy=A1=B1 are attracting many of these mobile new workers. States with gross state product growth of 10 percent or more are 13 percent more likely to be the landing place for these high-achieving, mobile college graduates. =A1=A4 Workers with strong ties to home—including those who are older, married, with children, and homeowners—are less likely to move out of state.
For a copy of the paper, visit the Office of Advocacy website by clicking here.
Thanks to the following companies and organizations that have recently joined the State Chamber/AIA:
Bentley Plastics Enjoy
Progress
Waco Tile Company Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members
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 Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs Crossland Construction Delta Dental of Arkansas Inc. Delta Natural Kraft 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 Mid-America Packaging, LLC 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
December 9 State Chamber/AIA =A1=B0Door-to-Door=A1=B1 Meeting 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. The
Course at
Batesville
December 10 State Chamber/AIA =A1=B0Door-to-Door=A1=B1 Meeting 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
January 21-22 Leadership
Russellville
March 18-19 Leadership
May 20-21 Leadership
Northeast/Delta Economy Session
June 24-25 Leadership
Bentonville
June 25 Leadership
Graduation Bentonville
|
