climate 4th quarter 2013

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Volume IV Issue IV Fourth Quarter 2013

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Page 1: CLIMATE 4th Quarter 2013

Volume IV Issue IV Fourth Quarter 2013

Page 2: CLIMATE 4th Quarter 2013

With the diverse array of businesses throughout McLean County, we sometimes forget that our number one industry is agriculture. It’s ironic that the county’s top industry is often the least understood. The reason is not a lack of interest, but the simple fact that we have moved from an agrarian to urban society.

To bridge the gap between the business and agribusiness com-munity the McLean County Chamber of Commerce launched a pilot program called Ag Exchange. The innaugural class of nine participants have been given the opportunity to meet with farmers and those involved with agribusiness on-site to gauge a better understanding of what it takes to produce, har-vest and process the grains that we often take for granted.

For many residents of McLean County outside of the viewing of corn and soybean fields from our cars, or the farm imple-ments on the road, our experience and understanding of this vital industry segment is limited. “When I first heard of the Ag Exchange program I was so excited because I felt it would give me, the city girl from Bloomington, the opportunity to actually experience some of the farming community that I grew up in the midst of, but never really knew much about,” said Fox N Hounds Salon and Day Spa Owner Vicki Tilton. “I have now driven a quarter of a million dollar tractor and seen

what actually goes on under the hood of a half a million dol-lar combine. This program has confirmed my inclinitions that farmers, their families and the related industries are some of the hardest working people in America.”

Ag Exchange links our community and corporate leaders to the people, businesses and organizations that are a part of the ag industry that creates thousands of jobs, millions of dol-lars in revenue, as well as associated products right here in McLean County.

“It has been especially help-ful to see how producers, implementers, buyers, and end users interact throughout the process,” claimed Brad Briney, Vice President & Area Manager for JPMorgan Chase Bank. “The experience has certainly furthered my under-standing of agriculture and agribusiness and provided a deeper appreciation of the economy of Mclean County.”

Fox N Hounds Owner Vicki Tilton takes her turn behind the wheel of a farm tractor.

It’s hard to believe that the final quarter of 2013 has arrived and that this is my last Chairman’s letter in the CLIMATE.

Over the last year I have had the opportunity to work closely with people I know and admire, all while making many new connections that I deeply value. While it has truly been a pleasure to lead and serve our Chamber, I certainly haven’t done it alone. I would like to recognize and applaud the efforts and accomplishments of my fel-low board members, community stakeholders, committee members, and the Chamber staff that have worked hand in hand to create a positive impact on our business com-

munities. In the past year we have relocated to a new facility, hired and trained additional staff, worked collaboratively in several public-private partnerships and successfully hosted numerous networking and professional development events throughout McLean County.

As strategy and budgets are being prepared for 2014, I would like to encourage every member to continue or increase their involvement with our Chamber. Be engaged! While time isn’t always easy to come by, there’s so much more that your membership allows that doesn’t required “time”. Being engaged can be easy and the potential for long-term gains are great! The Chamber is only as strong as its members, and your participation allows the Chamber to continue its mission to promote local commerce, advocate business perspectives, create relevant programs and establish relationships, all for YOUR business success!

I have taken great pride in serving as the Chamber’s Chairman of the Board this last year. It is with sincere gratitude that I say “thank you” for allowing me the opportunity.

Messagefrom theChairman

Sherri Chinski2013 Chairman of the Board

Ag Exchange Program Showcases the Power of Agriculture in McLean County’s Economy

Page 3: CLIMATE 4th Quarter 2013

The McLean County Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the Community Air Service Initiative (CASI) announced the results of a one-year public-private partnership investment agreement between CASI and Frontier Airlines.

CASI is an economic development and air transportation ini-tiative for Central Illinois, its mission is to assist with the attrac-tion of new air service to the Central Illinois Regional Airport by administering a community air-based service incentive program. The formation of CASI was a direct result of the loss of Air Tran Airways, which had been a 16-year partner in air travel at the Central Illinois Regional Airport.

At the conclusion of the first year of service between Central Illinois Regional Airport, and just over a year after the forma-tion of CASI, the group announced that they will be refunding

100 percent of CASI’s public sector investment as well as returning 100 percent of the private sector investment earmarked for the Frontier agreement.

“Without our investors we wouldn’t be here today,” said McLean County Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Charlie Moore. “Frontier Air-lines service to Denver and Orlando would not be here. Our investors are one of the primary reasons we are able to continue to offer low cost quality service from the Cen-tral Illinois Regional Airport, and for that we are sincerely grateful!”

Following Moore’s remarks, checks in the amount of $100,000 were presented to Mayor Tari Renner from the City of Bloom-ington, Mayor Chris Koos from the Town of Normal, and to Matt Sorenson, Chairman of the McLean County Board.

“Any airport that receives funds for improvements has strict requirements on how airport funds can be spent, and giving money to an airline is strictly prohibited, “said Central Illinois Regional Airport Executive Director Carl Olson. “Having the opportunity to work with CASI, which is a program of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce, provided us an op-portunity that isn’t typically open to the airport authority. It’s a compliment to all the things that we do, and had it not been for the Chamber it wouldn’t have been possible.”

Mayor Tari Renner from the City of Bloomington, Matt Sorenson, Chairman of the McLean County Board, and Mayor Chris Koos from the Town of Normal check out the new Make Your Money Mean More sign in baggage claim after the event!

CIRA Executive Director, Carl Olson delivers his thanks to the CASI investors.

Charlie Moore, President & CEO of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce addresses members of the media.

CASI Holds Press Conference to Return Funds to Both Public and Private Investors

Page 4: CLIMATE 4th Quarter 2013

tax providing 10% of the town’s revenue. “Sales tax is the largest source of revenue for the City’s General Fund,” ex-plains Justine Robinson, Economic Development Coordina-tor for the City of Bloomington. “Many people think that real estate or property taxes are where most of our funding comes from, but it is sales tax, which is the largest and most important source of revenue that we have. It funds a variety of local government activities, including police and fire pro-tection, parks and recreation, planning and economic de-velopment, general administration of the City and any other activity for which a special fund has not been created.”

In comparison to surrounding communities of similar size Bloomington and Normal share one of the lowest sales tax rates in Central Illinois. But with a number of options avail-able and several interested parties investigating the possibil-ity, it appears that the conversation surrounding sales tax is only going to get hotter. In the coming months local munici-palities and residents will most likely face several tough deci-sions as to the extent of any possible sales tax increases, decisions that will have both immediate and long term effects on the busi-ness community of McLean County.

The McLean County Cham-ber of Commerce supports a competitive and fair tax climate that promotes and fosters economic growth while maintaining our com-munity’s competitive ad-vantage for continued busi-ness success. The Chamber will continue to follow the sales tax conversations as they progress. For more information regarding the Chamber’s stance on taxes and fees please contact Government and Public Af-fairs Manager Todd Lowery at 309-829-6344.

As municipalities, school districts and community organiza-tions continue to feel the financial pinch of state and federal budget cuts they have been forced to look elsewhere to find the necessary funds to maintain and improve the services many have come to depend on. As of late, one of the most common discussions to help find the dollars needed has been through the increase of local sales tax.

On a macro level our community is seeing a continued de-cline in state and federal contributions to local projects. In a time when Illinois has the lowest credit rating in the state’s history and boasts the lowest credit rating of any state in the union, the dollars that used to be hard to get are now becom-ing impossible to find.

Of course these issues are not specific to just McLean County. Communities throughout the state of Illinois and across the nation have been looking to sales tax increases to help fill the gaps that state and federal funding have left behind. Voter indications from California to Florida show that the American public wants to see less government spending which means the projects that depend heavily on government subsidy are left with an ultimatum to innovate and find new sources of revenue or cease to exist.

Currently there are several groups investigating the option of requesting a local sales tax increase to help fund projects. At the time of this publication’s printing no official proposals have been made to either the Bloomington or Normal coun-cils and Normal City Manager Mark Peterson says it is not uncommon to have multiple groups looking for a sales tax increase to help fund local projects. “The moral of the story is that there may be some capacity to increase, and even that is a matter of opinion. But we can’t do it all. So the question becomes who gets the benefit.” Peterson was also quick to point out that the popularity of requesting a sales tax increase is enticing to organizations because they can request a rela-tively low percentage, but even a fraction of a percent can add up. “Sales tax is one of those taxes that can generate a lot of money very quickly,” continued Peterson. “Just a quarter of a percent increase will, over seven to eight years, generate more than $30million.”

The City of Bloomington 2012 calendar year local sales tax collections represented $29,547,929 making up 16% of the city’s revenue. In Normal, $8,759,152 was collected in sales

Can Sales Tax Fill the Gaps Left by State and Federal

Governments?

Page 5: CLIMATE 4th Quarter 2013

McLean County already boasts an educated, skilled work-force, but a new initiative underway through the McLean County COMPACT could make that workforce stand out even more by becoming an ACT Certified Work Ready Community (CWRC).

At the crux of the ACT CWRC program, the National Ca-reer Readiness Certificate (NCRC) is a portable, nationally-recognized credential that clearly identifies an individual’s skills through assessments called WorkKeys, which measure individual skills in key areas: reading for information, applied math and locating information--soft skills required for 85 per-cent of all jobs. Individuals take the assessments and receive the National Career Readiness Certificate based upon their scores. Businesses use the assessments to determine if a job applicant has the soft skills necessary to perform a specific job. ACT, a not-for-profit public trust headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa, has developed a database of profiled jobs and as-sessments for those jobs, which businesses can utilize as part of their hiring process.

“What makes this certificate different from others you may have seen is that it is nationally recognized,” says Paige Van-derhyden, Director of Workforce Development at Joliet Ju-nior College a WorkKeys Solutions Provider. “There are many states throughout the nation that are implementing this pro-gram state wide. So if you are an employer and you see some-one’s NCRC certificate it doesn’t matter what state they took it in, it’s the same.”

The certification program offers opportunities to improve workforce readiness, prepare workers of all ages and stages for the jobs that will bring them long-term success, and pro-vide employers with assurance that McLean County will be able to supply the well-trained workers they need now and in the future.

“As a business owner you want people to come in your door and you want them to succeed,” says Paul Calvagna, Human Resource Director at Berner Food and Beverage in Dakota, Illinois. Berner Foods has been implementing the NCRC certi-fication in their human resources department since 2009 and Calvagna has seen nothing but success with the program. “In 2009 we were doing almost $80million in sales. In 2013 we’re projected to be over $115million in sales. Can I draw a direct line to WorkKeys and putting the right person in the right job the first time? I definitely can.”

The McLean County Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with several other community partners are working with the McLean County COMPACT to help develop this new oppor-tunity. For more information about the National Work Ready Communities program or the National Career Readiness Cer-tificate please visit www.act.org or contact the Chamber of-fice at 309-829-6344.

Tobin’s Pizza has completely revamped their pizza delivery fleet opting for 12 new Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric vehicles.

Becoming a Certified WorkReady Community

Making Pizza Delivery Economic and Eco-friendly

Business fleets are increasingly considering the switch to electric vehicles. Reduced operational costs, an eco-friendly persona and newer vehicles featuring longer ranges between charges have all helped to increase their appeal. With the creation and implementation of EV Town, citizens of McLean County are used to seeing electric vehicles zip around the twin cities, and now they are showing up in driveways with pizza.

Tobin’s Pizza, located at 1513 N. Main St. in Bloomington, has made a few changes to their delivery fleet in the past seven months, all in the name of saving money. With their gas vehicles, Tobin’s was spending upwards of $3.60 per de-livery, which in the pizza industry equates to roughly three deliveries per gallon. The restaurant was one of the first in Bloomington-Normal to charge a delivery fee to customers and although this was not a welcomed change initially, it did help them cover their gasoline expense while other restau-rants had to close their doors due to rocketing fuel prices.

Now Tobin’s is stocked with 12 all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV vehicles, cutting their monthly gas bill by nearly two-thirds. With 60 percent of business coming from their delivery ser-vice, this is a significant cost savings.

Each day, Tobin’s uses 8 to 10 of their 12 electric cars to de-liver pizza to customers. Each vehicle can go 75 to 90 miles before it needs to be recharged, more than enough miles for an average night of pizza deliveries. However, the true test will come this winter when the vehicles will use up more energy and will need to be charged every 45 to 50 miles.

State and Federal incentives paired with the lowering of vehicle maintenance and fuel expense made the decision easy for Tobin’s who worked closely with Mitsubishi on this endeavor, knowing that their investment is supporting the local economy.

For more information on incentives currently offered with the purchase of electric vehicles, visit www.evtown.org.

Page 6: CLIMATE 4th Quarter 2013

Employers are always trying to do what’s best for their busi-nesses. Whether its managing expenses, investing in new marketing initiatives or improving employee work conditions, employers make decisions with the success of their business in mind. The same principle holds true as employers look at the future of health insurance and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. For some, the Affordable Care Act will require dramatic changes like providing coverage to employ-ees or making it possible for employees to purchase it on their own. For others, the changes won’t be as significant.

Many small businesses already provide insurance for their employees. For most, keeping their current plan for as long as possible will provide security against the unknown, especially if they are happy with their coverage. “Business owners and health care decision makers should work with their broker and accountant to explore the options of renewing their cur-rent policy, before it is too late” says ECHI Relationship Man-ager, Brian Thede.

While there are many major changes taking place in 2014, traditional insurance plans are still available until the end of 2013, allowing businesses to lock in current rates through the 2014 calendar year.

The exchanges allow consumers to apply for insurance effec-tive on or after January 1, 2014, with a group of newly trained assistors available to help consumers with questions as they attempt to navigate the online marketplace. Licensed agents and brokers are also qualified to provide the same help. Since insurance will cost the same whether it is purchased on the Marketplace or through an agent, ECHI recommends busi-nesses seek consultation or direction from an experienced broker when making changes to health insurance plans.

For more information regarding health insurance or the tran-sition and implementation of the Affordable Care Act, busi-nesses or individuals should contact ECHI at 309-829-1185.

The McLean County Chamber of Com-merce welcomes the addition of Todd

Lowery and Jessica Mann to the Cham-ber staff. Formerly the midmorning host for local radio station WJBC, Lowery is fill-ing the role of Gov-ernment and Public Affairs Manager, a position focused on

advocating business perspectives at all levels of government. A graduate from Illinois State University (’92) Lowery first cut his teeth in politics working with for-mer Congressman Tom Ewing.

Mann joins the Chamber as the Membership Devel-opment Manager af-ter previously work-ing at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Soci-ety Illinois Chapter in Chicago, Illinois. A native of Daytona Beach, Florida, Mann brings more than ten years of marketing and fundraising experience to the Chamber.

Leadership McLean County Announces Class of 2014

The 2014 Class of Leadership McLean County takes a moment for a group photo during their opening retreat at Timber Pointe Outdoor Center in Hudson.

Chamber Welcomes New Staff

The McLean County Chamber of Com-merce is proud to announce the 32 exceptional professionals who have been accepted in to the 2014 class of Leadership McLean County. Leadership McLean County celebrates its 21st class in the 2013- 2014 program year. With over 600 alumni in its history, Leader-ship McLean County has worked to build our community into a stronger place to live and work.

For a complete list of our 2014 Leader-ship McLean County Participants please visit www.mcleancochamber.org.

Mark your calendars and make plans to join the McLean County Chamber of Commerce as we host our 2014 Annual Gala. The black-tie optional event will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Conference Center on Sat-urday, February 1 at 5pm. The McLean County Chamber of Commerce Annual Gala celebrates the spirit and creativity of our local visionaries and pays trib-ute to their accomplishments with the presentation of the 5th Annual Business Excellence Awards. Stay tuned to future Chamber communication regarding registration details for this memorable evening affair.

Save the Date for Gala 2014

Jessica Mann

Todd Lowery

Health Care Reform Update Presented by

Page 7: CLIMATE 4th Quarter 2013

Donations Sought for Community Kids Christmas PartyThis year marks the 31st year of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce & Trades and Labor Unions joining forces to serve local children with parents that are unemployed or under-employed. All of the kids who attend the Community Kids Christmas Party are referred by social service agencies, school counselors, and teachers as children who are truly in need.

Can you help us create an amazing Christmas experience for these kids with a financial contribution that would be used to buy toys, books, scarves, hats and gloves? All donations can be sent directly to the McLean County Chamber of Commerce, 2203 East Empire, Bloomington, 61704 with checks made payable to the Children’s Christmas Fund. Should you have any questions, please contact the Chamber office at 309-829-6344.

Dunkin Donuts

W.M. Putnam Company

Orange Leaf

Frontier Communications

A5.com

Fleet Feet Sports

Representative Dan Brady and Congressman Rodney Davis

Trillium

The Chateau Hotel &Conference Center

Marco’s Pizza

Fox N Hounds Shoe ShineUptown Station

Bloomington Primary Care

Economic Development Council

Ginger Bread House

Eastland Suites

Vitesse Cycle & Often Running

Immanuel Health

Cherry Berry

Page 8: CLIMATE 4th Quarter 2013

2203 E Empire StreetBloomington, IL 61704www.mcleancochamber.org

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Bloomington, IL61701