FirstBank, a member of the Paris/Henry County community since 1999, opened the Mineral Wells branch in 2000 and the Downtown Branch in 2007. Troy Buttrey serves as FirstBank’s President in Paris with Robert Newcomb, interim Financial Center Manager at the Downtown location and Scott Morrison, Financial Center Manager at Mineral Wells. The Bank has grown dramatically over the past few years. FirstBank has over $2 billion in total assets, and our team is made up of more than 650 associates. There are 47 branches across the state of Tennessee. That growth is due to the community-banking philosophy that defines FirstBank and differentiates it from small and large banks in Tennessee. FirstBank follows a community-banking model, developed by its charter, Farmers State Bank, in Scotts Hill in 1906, and it has the resources to serve the needs of a wide variety of customers. Our business model is focused around always providing excellent customer service. FirstBank, headquartered in Lexington, TN, values its customers as neighbors, and the decisions at FirstBank are made by people who interact with customers on a daily basis in the bank or out in the

November Calendar of Opportunity

NOVEMBER 2013

CHAMBER NEWS2508 East Wood Street • Paris, Tennessee 38242 • www.paristnchamber.com

NOVEMBER CHAMBER COFFEE HOSTNovember 26, 2013

Nov 13 Leadership Henry County Chamber Office 8:00 AMNov 21 Board of Directors Chamber Office 8:00 AMNov 26 Chamber Coffee FirstBank Downtown 8:00 AM

Paris-Henry County

community. Community banking is the cornerstone of FirstBank’s operations. FirstBank was recognized as one of Tennessee’s best employers by Business Tennessee magazine, the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Tennessee Society for Human Resource

Management. FirstBank employees value the community in which we live and work. That’s why

FirstBank invests in the community through education initiatives. FirstBank is a partner in education with Harrelson School and E.W. Grove School. FirstBank is well represented in local civic organizations, non-profit associations, as well as special events in the community. Ask us about the FirstBank Patriot Card…Get Yours Today!!With more than 100 years of community banking history, FirstBank can offer a banking experience unlike any other in the area. Our products and services are exceptional in every market we serve and providing excellent customer service is always our priority! Please join us at 8:00 A.M. November 26th at FirstBank Downtown, 101 West Wood Street in Paris for a Chamber Coffee. We look forward to seeing you!

From The Executive Director

From The President

Paris / Henry County Chamber of Commerce

2508 E. Wood Street Paris, TN. 38242731-642-3431

Tourism: 800-345-1103Fax: 731-642-3454

Email: pariscoc@paristnchamber.comWebsite: www.paristnchamber.com

Office Hours: 8 AM - 4:30 PM

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEPresident: Andrea Lamb, Commercial BankPresident-elect &VP of Organizational Development: Chip Anderson, Bone and Joint SpecialistsTreasurer: Gary McEntire, Paris Landing State ParkVP Tourism Development: Tony Lawrence, Paris Parks and RecreationVice President of MembershipDevelopment and Training: Jennifer Hayden, Hamilton-RykerVP Community Development: Jamie Orr, Edward JonesPast President: Dr. L. Jeff Seaton

BOARD OF DIRECTORSMichele Atkins, Emory Bradley, Kevin Buie, Lisa Casteel, Randy Geiger, Gayle Griffith, Mandy Hamlin, Jeremy Lindsey, Gary McEntire, Robert Newcomb, Jamie Orr, Stacia Puckett, Darrin Thompson, Terry Wimberley

EX-OFFICIOCarl Holder, Sam Tharpe, Brent Greer, Joe Qualls, David Varner, Mike Waddey

Chamber Executive Director: Jennifer Wheatley

Henry County Alliance CEO: David Hamilton

Henry County Alliance Administrative Assistant: Galia Greer

The mission of the Paris-Henry CountyChamber of Commerce is to improve the

economy and quality of life in our community.

Find Us On FacebookParis, TN Henry CountyChamber of Commerce

JENNIFER WHEATLEY

ANDREA LAMB

Many thanks to all of the great local businesses who supported our Spirited Small Business Expo this year: Abbotts Print Shop; Arbor Place; Be Local; Beasley Antenna and Satellite; Behavioral Healthcare; Bethel SUCCESS, Bethel University, Brooks Home Advisor; Carey Counseling Center; Commercial Bank; Downtown Paris Association; DPC Inc., Cran-Carty Medical Spa; E&W Electrical; Eiffel Gardens; FirstBank; Foundation Bank; Freedom Fitness and Tanning; Hamilton-Ryker; Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Henry County Medical Center, Indoor Air Solutions; JC Educational and Office Supplies; K and B Supplies for Success; Lakeway IGA; Lalo’s Mexican Grill; Manpower; McDonald’s; Meo Mio’s; Mineral Wells Animal Clinic; Modern Woodmen; Morningside of Paris; Mr. Sandless; Nerium; Orthoworks Therapy; Paris Civic Center; Paris Family Chiropractic; Paris Healthcare and Rehab; Paris-Henry County Public Utility District; Peddler Advantage; Pepsi; REED Center TSBDC; Robbie to the Rescue; Roberts and Todd ADT; Silpada; The Toggery; Thunderbolt; Tennessee Career Center; Tennessee College of Applied Technology; Tennessee Quality Homecare; Tri-County Publishing; Volunteer Home Care; West Tennessee Printing; Youth Villages; Hulme’s Sporting Goods; and Joe Mahan Ford. One of the most rewarding aspects of working for all of you is watching committees come together and accomplish a big goal. The Small Business Expo Committee, led so ably by Tory Daughrity, Henry County Medical Center, added both a cooking demonstration and a fashion show this year and it required the support of the whole team – Kevin Buie, K and B Supplies for Success; Jennifer Hayden, Hamilton-Ryker; Rena Barker, Regions Bank; Mary Beth Puckett, My Favorite Things; Scott Morrison, FirstBank; Lance Pierce, WMUF; Alane Paschall, McWorth Management; our Vice President for Community Development Jamie Orr, Edward Jones; and the merchants who supplied talent and product, the Toggery; Kroger; Boutique Marimac; Maggies and Lakeway IGA. We are also grateful to our models, Henry County Alliance CEO David Hamilton, Sheriff Monte Belew and Brian Wimberly, Wimberly Agency. (Names of our female models were not available at press time, but many thanks to you all!) Food for the Business After Hours which preceded the event was provided by Pepsi Mid-America and Meo-Mio’s. We are grateful to everyone who attended and made this such a fun and successful event.

Wow! What a GREAT Small Business Expo. Congratulations to Eiffel Gardens, winner of the Best Use of Theme, sporting their best Wizard of Oz costumes. This year’s expo was a COMPLETE sell-out! The fashion show was a HUGE success. Thank you to Botique MariMac, Maggie’s and the Toggery for participating, along with Marty Beth Puckett and Rena Barker for coordinating. Also, a big shout-out goes to Brooks Home Advisor, one of our newest Chamber members who took the opportunity and had a booth for the first time. The Expo was also the launch date for the Chamber’s initiative: Shop Local, Eat Local, Live Local, Be Local. This is an educational campaign to explain how spending money locally can affect each of us, including our children, on a daily basis. Shirts have been made and are available at the chamber office. Short sleeve shirts are $10 and long sleeve shirts are $15. Serving on the Buy Local committee are: Chairperson Carlton Gerrell, David Hamilton, Marty Visser, Jennifer Wheatley, Jennifer Morris, Michael Williams, Laura Daugherty, Gary Benton, Mary Beth Puckett, Tori Daugherty and myself. This campaign has already had a positive impact because the local Office on Aging is currently planning a Be Local Shopping Tour. This program can be as big as we make it and local businesses can use this as a marketing tool. Please feel free to contact any committee member with any ideas, suggestions, etc. November is going to be another busy month. There are plenty of opportunities this month to come out and support your Chamber and fellow businesses. On the 5th Peppers had a ribbon cutting for their new Dodge building. The coffee will be held at the Downtown Branch of First Bank on the 26th. As the holiday season begins, I hope everyone will take time out of their busy schedule, just relax and enjoy your family and friends….not to mention all the wonderful food…Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

T-Shirt Order Form

Chamber Expo Unveils Be Local Campaign

The Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, a partner of the Henry County Alliance, the County of Henry and the City of Paris unveiled “Shop Local, Eat Local, Live Local, Be Local” at a booth during the Small Business Expo, a community education campaign designed to high-light the benefits of keeping shopping dollars at home and the impact of city and county sales taxes on education, community events and public services. Henry County generated approximately $1.2 million in sales taxes in 2012. Sales taxes make up approximately 10% of the county’s $11.7 million budget. Half of the sales tax generated in Henry County goes to fund education. Sales taxes generate approximately 11% of the schools’ $36.8 million operating budget. The City of Paris’ sales taxes generated approximately $3.3 million last year. This is approxi-mately 36% of the city’s $9 million dollar operating and maintenance budget. The remaining 64% of the city’s revenue is generated from property taxes (21%), user fees, business licenses, alcohol taxes and other sources. “In Henry County, over $18 million of local tax revenue goes to education. Most of this revenue comes from sales tax and property tax collections,” according to Henry County Alliance CEO David Hamilton. “Over $4 million comes from the local option sales tax. With this dependence on the sales tax, it becomes obvious when our citizens and those of other counties shop in Henry County, our children benefit greatly.” Chamber President Andrea Lamb, Commercial Bank, added “We all know that small businesses are a core part of our local economy and we want to support them. They provide jobs and they are the people who pay for youth sports and commit resources to community projects. Each of us can choose to spend our money here, where it returns to us and helps keep our property taxes low.” “Be Local” t-shirts are available at the Chamber office, 2508 East Wood Street, for $10. City Commissioner Carlton Gerrell, TVCC, is chairman of the Be Local committee, which also includes County Commissioner Marty Visser; Lamb; Hamilton; Jennifer Morris, City of Paris; Gary Benton, WMUF and the Peddler; Michael Williams, Paris Post-Intelligencer; Laura Dougherty, PMB Services; Tory Daughrity, Henry County Medical Center; and Mary Beth Puckett, My Favorite Things. Gerrell said “This is an ongoing campaign to make everyone aware of the power in every pur-chase to increase the strength and viability of our community.”

Kay Foust and Bruce Reed, Commercial Bank, and Leadership Henry County class member Melanie Antonino, FirstBank, heard about the plans for the new kiost at BPU during the October Chamber coffee.

Small Business Expo Committtee member Rena Barker, Regions Bank, congratulates grand prize drawing winner Sherry Poiner on the basket provided by vendors at the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce’s 2013 Small Business Expo at the Henry County Fairgrounds Event Center.

Sheriff Monte Belew and Troy Buttrey visited at the Chamber’s October Coffee at the BPU.

Gerry Scholes, owner of Maggie’s, describes the clothes worn during the fashion show at the Chamber’s 2013 Expo.

Loria Plunk, Arrowhead Home Sales; Chamber President Andrea Lamb, Commercial Bank; Chamber Board member Michele Atkins, Henry County Extension; and former Chamber President Dan Jackson, JC Education and Office Supplies; visit during the Business After Hours preceding the Small Business Expo. Food was provided by Meo-Mio’s and Pepsi.

Jennifer Dial and Leatha McCroskey, Thunderbolt Broadcasting, staffed a booth at the Small Business Expo.

LHC 2013-2014 prepare to lift classmates.

Toggery owner Charles Hopkins chats with Henry County Alliance CEO David Hamilton during the Chamber’s 2013 Small Business Expo.

Leadership Henry County class members Chuck Elizondo, Paris Police Chief; Tony Brown, BPU; Kevin Buie, K and B Supplies for Success; Rob Markum, Paris Landing State Park; Jeremy Stone, Cowart, Reese, Sargent, CPAs; and Melanie Antonino, FirstBank; chose a core value from the floor banner to discuss during the team building session.

Eiffel Gardens’ Wizard of Oz booth was named Best Use of Theme.

October Happenings

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FIRSTBANK DOWNTOWN

Paris, TN 38242Tuesday, November 26, 20138:00 am - 9:00 am

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2508 E. Wood StreetParis, TN 38242-0008

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