VOLUME 36 I NUMBER 12 I DECEMBER 2012

The Riverview Building

100 Front Street, Suite 200

Marietta, OH 45750

740-373-5176; Fax: 740-373-7808

www.mariettachamber.com

Presort Standard

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Marietta, Ohio

Permit No. 27

Looking for that Perfect Gift? Look no more!

Let MACC make your holidays easier—consider giving Marietta Bucks this year. We guarantee

they will fit any size, fit any budget and are sure to please even your favorite curmudgeon.

Available in values of $5, $10, $20 and $25. Call 740-373-5176 to place an order.

A Merry Welcome with Ribbon Cuttings! Galore !

Seasons Greetings From Your Chamber

Board of Directors & Staff

Charlotte, Candi, Cody, & Carrie

From top left: MACC Ambassadors

conducted Ribbon Cuttings at

The Olde World Rug Washing Co. w/

owners Andy Fenton & Tom Sherman;

Pastime Lanes w/manager Russ Mercer

and Promanco’s Rick Coley; and

Mattress Warehouse w/Marietta

Mayor Joe Matthews and Manager

Victoria Brown

Happy Holidays!

The lamp posts in our

Historic Downtown are

decorated with sparkly

candy canes, thanks to

many donors and the hard

work of ReStore Marietta

and its volunteers.

Here’s the one in front of

The Riverview Building,

home of MACC!

Page 2 Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce Page 7 Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce

2012-2013 MACC Board

Colleen Cook, Chair of the Board

TheisenBrock

Executive Committee

Tom Betz, Past Chairman

Peoples Bank

Kin Brewer, Asst. Treasurer

Food 4 Less

Dan Harrison, Business Advocacy

Harrison Construction

Beth McNally, Education

Marietta College

Steve Porter, Member Benefits

The Career Center

Terry Rataiczak

Communications & Technology

Kinetic Networking

Donn Schafer, Treasurer

Settlers Bank

Terry Tamburini

Economic Development

Southeastern Ohio Port Authority

Directors

Ken Bowen

Americas Styrenics

DeeAnn Gehlauf

Memorial Health System

Marty Hansell

Skuttle Manufacturing

Wally Kandel

Solvay Specialty Polymers

Rob Schafer

Schafer Leather

David Vandenberg

Microbac Laboratories

Mike Williams

Document Solutions-Xerox

MACC Staff

Charlotte Keim, CCEO-AP President

Carrie Ankrom Program & Events Manager

MOV Safety Council Co-Manager

Cody M. Frye Member Services Manager

Candi Heiss Better Bookkeeping Services

MOV Safety Council Co-Manager

Charlotte Kuehn

RSVP Volunteer

As we look forward to 2013, the Chamber Board of Directors had to make a tough decision. In 2010 the Board de-cided to waive the planned 2% dues in-crease. In 2011, recognizing the difficul-ties many of member business faced, the Board again voted to waive any mem-bership fee increases. A year ago the Board voted for the third time to waive the planned dues increase. For three years the board and staff have focused on helping our member businesses through these tough eco-nomic times. This year as the board and staff reviewed our 2012 income and ex-pense reports as of 10/31/2012, it be-came apparent that we can not waive any membership fee increases a fourth time. A new simplified membership fee plan is proposed for implementation in 2013. It will raise the base membership rate to $200. Once approved, It will, on average, increase a member’s annual fee by 4.6 per cent. This was not an easy decision, but a necessary one. Now for a few highlights from 2012—inother words, what did we do to earn your membership?

In 2012 MACC programs helped saved area companies $500,000—that’s a cool half-million dollars! Ask us about our group health insurance program, our group workers comp program, our ener-gy program, and the MOV Safety Council to find your costs savings. Chambers excel at connecting people through networking. Chambers also provide affordable and timely business information. Here’s a few samples: “Catching the Wave” Oil & Gas forum

sold out with over 200 guests Candidates Forum—nearly 100 guests 97th Annual Meeting Dinner—nearly

700 people listened to Retired NYC Fire Chief Dan Nigro’s inspiring first-hand story of the 9/11 events.

In all MACC offered 73 programs/events attended by more than 1,300 people—a great opportunity to network, learn and discover ways to promote business.

Charlotte Keim

740-373-6256

keim@mariettachamber.com

Wednesday, December 19, 2012 Marietta Country Club

705 Pike Street, Marietta, OH Registration begins at 11:30;

Program Noon to 1 pm

TOPIC: “Anger ! One Letter Short Of Danger “

Speaker Don Hodkinson, Retired Ohio BWC

Sponsored By: Washington State

Community College

The meeting will be held at the Marietta Country Club. Registration begins at 11:30am, meeting is from

noon-1pm. Cost: $12 includes lunch

Mark Your Calendars

for the Upcoming

MOVSC Meeting

Save money on health benefits without pinching pennies!

As a chamber member with 2-50 employees, you can get a discount on any health plan from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield—including industry-leading HASs, HRAs, and HIAs.

Offered is health, vision, dental and life insurance policies at a discounted price for MACC members. .

And the best part you still work with a local agent. Call 740.373.5176 for a list of local agents offering the Chamber plan!

Our lobby and entrance to the Riverview

Building is beautifully decorated for the

holidays, thanks to those clever elves at

Greenleaf Landscapes!

Call 740-373-1639 or visit Greenleaf at

414 Muskingum Drive to find out how

they can fill your home and office with

the holiday spirit! Greenleaf Business Ad

Need Safety Training?

These fellow members offer a wide

variety of safety training that can be

tailored to suit your companies needs:

O’Brien’s Safety Services

Gary O’Brien

www.Obrienssafetyservices.com

740-336-8407

Regal Consulting Services

Jim Regal

www.regalconsulting.com

(740) 516-3360

Washington County Career Center

Sheri Becker

www.mycareerschool.com

740-373-2766

Washington State Community College

www.wscc.edu

740-568-1928

Did you know that the

Mid-Ohio Valley Safety Council can

help you:

Learn techniques for increasing

safety in your workplace. Learn how to better manage your

workers' compensation program. Network with other employers in

our community.

Access useful money-saving

workers' comp and risk manage-

ment information.

Hap-

py Holidays

From the

Mid Ohio Valley

Safety

Council

Have a Safe

Holiday Season!

Be Prepared for the Flu!

Flu season is upon us! Check out this fed-

eral website with everything you want to

know about influenza—www.flu.gov.

Here are some ways to avoid getting the

flu and passing it to others:

Wash your hands often with soap and

water.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and

mouth.

Avoid close contact with sick people.

Practice good health habits (get ade-

quate sleep, exercise, eat healthy and

drink plenty of fluids).

Cover your nose and mouth with a

tissue when you cough or sneeze.

If you have the flu, stay at home for at

least 24 hours after your fever has

returned to normal with out the use of

fever-reducing medications.

Please contact the Ohio BWC library at

library@bwc.state.oh.us or 614-466-7388

for more information on influenza.

The Ohio BWC library has a variety of

safety training videos for your convenience

and it is free of charge!

•Drug Testing •Audiometric Testing

•Breath Alcohol Testing •Vision Screening

•Pulmonary Function Testing •EKG

•Respirator Fit Testing •Diagnostic Testing

•Pre-Placement/Annual/ •Injury Care

DOT Exams •DOT/DFSP

•On-Site Testing Random Selection Program

401 Matthew Street • Marietta, OH 45750 • 740-374-9954

MARIETTA OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PARTNERS “Working to Keep Your Employees Safe!”

LETTER to our MACC MEMBERS

Swiss Valley Associates, Inc. (SVA) was established in 2000 by Ronald Palitto, William Brake, P.E., and Dana Indermuhle, P.E. The primary mission of the company is to provide high quality Professional Engi-neering and Construction Management services.

SVA provides Engineering Design and Construction Management Services.

This includes providing the drawings and specifications needed to con-struct about any project. Over the past 12 years, SVA has completed hundreds of projects ranging from water line extensions to churches. Fundamental business principles of SVA include ingenuity, hard work, and integrity and delivering their cli-ents rewarding and successful pro-jects.

SVA’s primary office is in Hannibal,

Ohio, with field offices as needed.

The SVA team utilizes modern com-

puters, CAD software, modeling soft-

ware, and surveying tools. With a

reputation for “getting out of the of-

fice” and being at the construction

site 100% of the time during con-

struction, their office is centrally lo-

cated in SVA’s service area which

generally covers West Virginia, Ohio

and Eastern Pennsylvania. SVA

also has completed projects in Illi-

nois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin.

In 2011 SVA significantly expanded

its Industrial Controls Design and

Installation Service. SVA now offers

a full line of Programmable Logic

Controls and Distributed Controls.

SVA’s two full time electrical controls

engineers are experienced in both

Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation)

and Wonderware (Intouch) Systems.

When you need engineering ser-

vices, you will appreciate SVA’s

friendly and knowledgeable engi-

neers. They will become an integral

part of your new project team. SVA’s

#1 reason for and advantage in do-

ing business in the Marietta/

Washington County is that all SVA

employees are natives to the Ohio

River Valley Area. They are thankful

for the peaceful life and continuity

the area brings.

Page 6 Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce Page 3 Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce

Marietta SBDC Office

Pamela Lankford, Director

740-373-5150

plankford@sbdcmarietta.org

Welcome New MACC Members

Kay Jewelers

239 Captain D. Seeley Marietta, OH 45750

740-374-8276 Store Manager: Michael Price

Marietta Adventure Company

219 - B Second Street Marietta, OH 45750

740-538-0801 Owner: Ryan Smith

MedExpress South Parkersburg

2832 Pike Street, Ste. 1 Parkersburg, WV 26101

304-489-3815 Primary Contact: Jamie Anderson

St. Moritz Security Services 1118 20th Street, Ste. 227 Parkersburg, WV 26101

304-422-4299 Primary Contact: John Romine

Washington Resources

Group 406 Colegate Drive Marietta, OH 45750

740-538-8838 President: Patrick McGonagle

You are invited

MACC’s Annual

Holiday BAH and Open House on Friday, Dec. 7,

2012.

Join us in our offices in the River-view Building at 100 Front Street

for nibbles and libations between 4:00 and 7:00 pm.

We love to show off our beautiful build-ing, from the marble stairs and lobby with a magnificent antique stain glass

window to our ornate walk-in bank vault that is over 110 years old.

It's also time to shop and save at

Merry-etta Moonlight Savings Sale in our historic district. Pull your discount from the ‘bucket of savings’ and steal a deal of 10-50% off your entire purchase.

Sales begin at 5pm and last until Mid-night at participating locations

NETWORKING in DECEMBER

B2B

Tuesday, December 4

No meeting on December 18

Noon to 1 pm

Levee House

127 Ohio Street, Marietta

PoWeR - cancelled

Professional Women’s Roundtable

Enjoy the Holiday with Family and

Friends!

We’ll catch up on Wednesday,

January 23, 2012

December’s Tech Tips

Tech Tuesday Tuesday, December 11

8 am-9 am MACC Conference Room

100 Front Street

More Business Apps These work on Most Smart Phones

and Tablets.

Office Suite: Documents to Go: you can open and edit Microsoft Office 2007 files, including those stored on memory cards.

Note-Taking/Data Capture: Evernote:

A digital repository for all kinds of info including text notes, audio files, and photos. Key feature is it can sync with cloud and allows you to create a note on your phone which will also show up on your desktop application.

To Do: Remember the Milk. An easy to use online app to create your to do list and your shopping list , then sync to your smart phone. Never forget the milk again!

Communications with Others: Skype. Provides free video calling and a way to save on long distance charges.

File Syncing: SugarSync. App ser-vice to automatically back up, sync and enable file sharing across multiple smart devices.

Did you know that The Marietta Times now has a mobile app? Sure makes it easier staying on top of the local news from your cell phone.

Tech Tips and Tech Tuesday are co-sponsored by MACC and

Get the Chamber Connection! Let’s Celebrate Christmas

in Marietta Swiss Valley Associates

Marietta and the Mid-Ohio Valley offer many ways to enjoy this special holiday season with your family. Be sure to look for more in our weekly e-news and on our Facebook page.

Marietta College offers a special holi-

day planetarium program “Season of

Light.” This full dome show traces the

history and development of numerous

holiday traditions, including the Yule log,

mistletoe, and the Christmas tree; it con-

cludes by exploring possible astronomical

explanations for the Christmas star.

Shows are 7 pm. on Dec. 6 & Dec. 13;

2 pm on Dec. 16 & Dec. 18; and a

matinee 3:30 pm show on Dec. 16.

Call (740) 376-4827 or send an email to

planetarium@marietta.edu. To reserve.

Enjoy Pioneer Style Celebrations at

Campus Martius Museum on Dec. 2

from 1 to 4 pm. Stroll through our local

museum and talk to Pioneer Interpreters

about the holidays of times past. Guest

Speaker Louise Zimmer will share stories

about early pioneer celebrations. Regular

Museum Admission applies.

Victorian Christmas Tours at The Castle

on Dec. 2 and Dec. 9 from 1 pm to 5 pm.

Enjoy Victorian Christmas splendor and

learn the history behind our cherished

Christmas traditions. The Trillium Trio

will perform on Dec. 9. Tickets are $10.

What is the Value of your Chamber Membership?

“We appreciate the networking and marketing opportunities the Chamber

brings. It also helps to keep us aware of needs in the community where

we can of service.”

Dana Indermuhle, Co-Owner

Swiss Valley Associates

Page 4 Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce Page 5 Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce

Next Congress Likely To Take Up

Home Ownership Issues

Sponsored Advertisement

Home owners could be affected as Con-

gress argues over budget issues. Home

ownership is pivotal in the recovery of

the economy, as has been proven since

the crash in 2008. Gradually in most are-

as of the country, prices have started to

rise slightly and buyers are still able to

finance, although with more documenta-

tion and time needed.

According to the 2013 National Associa-

tion of Realtors President, Gary Thomas,

Congress is expected to focus on tax

policy and reform to address the federal

deficit. As lawmakers continue to argue

from each side of the aisle, programs and

benefits that encourage home ownership

may be affected. One very important

incentive is the mortgage interest deduc-

tions (MID) and it is being talked about

as coming to an end yet again. As Frank-

lin D. Roosevelt said, “A nation of home

owners is unconquerable.” Our country’s

emphasis on home ownership is one of

the reasons we have remained so strong.

For home buyers, nearly nine out of ten

buyers have to borrow money to buy a

home. Tax benefits such as MID help

hard working families by using this de-

duction. Home owners take pride in their

homes and make their communities

stronger.

Realtors are also concerned about the

availability of affordable financing.

Granted we need more strict guidelines

than from a few years ago where some

could literally get a loan on projected

income without proving it. But some of

the restrictions being considered by Con-

gress right now would severely limit the

number of home buyers.

The reason the housing market is so im-

portant is simple: the domino effect.

Think of this scenario—a house is sold,

the new buyer goes to the home improve-

ment store to buy lumber to build a new

recreation room in the basement and a

hardware store for a new mailbox. Then

a stop is made at a furniture store and an

appliance store for a new refrigerator.

Someone has to build the furniture or

refrigerator and a trucking company has

to haul them to the store for the clerk to

sell. Or maybe a contractor is hired to

build an addition or a garage, so his crew

of people are employed and taking mon-

ey home to their families.

Buying a home sets off a chain reaction

of other purchases and spending deci-

sions, strengthening our economy.

740-374-7325

www.advantagerealestatemov.com

Nancy Arthur

740-525-7479

Karen Strahler

740-350-2224

Desni Crock

740-525-9958 Justin Arthur

740-525-2451

Martha Seevers

740-525-0976

Traci Chichester

740-516-1774

Meet the

Advantage Team!

Office located at:

228 Pike Street

Marietta, Ohio 45750

MACC and Volunteer Energy

have partnered to provide area

businesses substantial savings

on commercial electric and

natural gas prices.

Electric savings of 20 percent

or more gas savings of up to 10

percent are possible.

Call 1-888-506-1574 toll-free and tell them you are a member of the

Marietta Area Chamber and get a price quote.

Just one more way Chamber membership pays— by saving you money.

THIS YEAR GIVE MARIETTA BUCKS!

The Perfect Gift—Fits any size,

any budget, any taste!

And they are good for redemption

at 90+ local establishments.

In the past five years, MACC has

sold over $600,000 in Marietta

Bucks. These are dollars that stay

in our local economy, so it’s a per-

fect way to invite people to shop in

our local stores this holiday season.

Available in denominations of

$5, $10, $20 or $25, these gift

certificates are ideal for your

Employees, friends and family.

With Marietta Bucks, they can

shop at their favorite local store

and get the perfect gift!

To order your Bucks or become a

Buck’s redemption store, please

contact the Chamber at

373-5176 or by email at in-

fo@mariettachamber.com.

Another MACC member-exclusive

service helping build our local

From the Staff of

Advantage

Real Estate!

The re-election of President Barack

Obama, coupled with June’s U.S. Supreme

Court decision upholding the constitution-

ality of most of the Affordable Care Act

(ACA), means “Obamacare” is here to

stay. And with this reality Ohio – and oth-

er states – now must directly confront

some important policy questions.

The first of these came on November 16 –

the deadline by which the U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services (HHS) had

given states to decide whether or not to

create their own health insurance ex-

change, enter into a partnership to jointly

run one with HHS, or just let the federal

government run the exchange for them.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich notified the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services

that Ohio will not run a health exchange in

Ohio, but will instead leave that to the

federal government to do. This decision

was made after thoroughly investigating

all options available to Ohio under the law,

including conducting separate studies by

the respected health policy research

specialists Milliman, Inc. and the global

business and information technology

consultancy KPMG.

The full press release is posted on the

chamber website . As we receive more

info, we will keep you informed.

www.mariettachamber.com

Healthcare News Mark Your Calendars

Ohio Chamber

Business Symposium

December 7

Marietta Country Club 11:30am Registration & Buffet

Program is from Noon-1pm $12 Lunch Buffet

Social Media:

The Brave New Workplace

Featured Speaker: Todd Sarver, attorney

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

What to Do If...the legal impact of social media in the workplace:

Hiring process Monitoring employees Employee (mis)conduct & ter-

mination Protected employee activities

on-line Best practices and policy

considerations for employers

As businesses get more and more involved in social media, there are many HR and legal questions pop-ping up. Thanks to the Ohio Cham-ber, we are pleased to offer advice from an attorney who is focusing on

this topic.

RSVP by calling MACC at 740-373-5176 or in-

fo@mariettachamber.com