SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2015
9 A
Florence Area Business Beat
A service of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce
August 5, 2015 UPDATE
Welcome New Members!
Call or visit these new Chamber members and tell
them you’re glad they joined!
www.florencechamber.com
541-997-3128
Underwriters
2014-2015
Three Rivers Casino Resort
Distinguished Sponsors
101 Things to Do
Banner Bank
Bi-Mart
Burns’s Riverside Chapel
Driftwood Shores Resort
Florence Heating & Sheet Metal
Fred Meyer Stores
KCST/Coast Radio
Oregon Pacific Bank
PeaceHealth Peace Harbor
Medical Center
Sea Lion Caves
Shippin’ Shack/Siuslaw Signs
& Graphics
Spruce Point Assisted Living
TR Hunter Real Estate
The Siuslaw News
Be sure to thank these
members for their investment
in our community!
Coming Events
For even more information on
other exciting local events, visit
www.FlorenceChamber.com/
Calendar.
Noon Forum:
Th ird Th ursday of each month at the
Bay View Bistro at teh Best Western
Pier Point Inn – visit Chamber’s
website for updates. Come enjoy
food, friends, and fun! Meet area
business leaders and fi nd out what’s
going on in the Florence business
community!
August 20: Central Lincoln PUD will
provide informative and useful
information for your business.
Business Aft er Hours:
Chamber members and the public
are invited to Business Aft er Hours,
an opportunity to network at a
local business, exchange business
leads and tips, and learn about the
business that is hosting.
August 6: BeauxArts Fine Art Materials,
2285 Highway 101. 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
August 20: Coast Insurance Services,
777 Maple St. 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
OTHER IMPORTANT
DATES & EVENTS
August
7: First Friday—Shop and Dine in
Historic Old Town ’til 8:00 p.m.
September
11-13: Rods ‘n’ Rhodies Invitational Car
Show
12, 13: City Wide Garage Sale—FEC…
and everywhere around town
October
3 Oktoberfest—FEC
11 Chowder Festival—Historic Old
Town
November
11 Veterans’ Day Parade—Historic Old
Town
December
Florence Holiday Festival—City Wide
Get the Chamber’s
Membership
Advantages
• Networking
• Business Tips
• Cooperative Promotions
• Preferred Trade Status
BeauxArts Fine Art Materials & Gallery
2285 Hwy 101 Suite H, Florence, 541-991-8213
Fine arts supplies and inspiration for the cre-
ative community.
Old Town Barbershop
1341 Bay Street, Florence
Classic old-school barbershop
Meet Our
Distinguished Sponsors
Spruce Point
Spruce Point Assisted Living and Memory
Care Community is a beautiful 65-apartment
senior living community located on the majestic
Oregon Coast, just off of scenic Highway 101.
At Spruce Point, residents enjoy the comfort of
independence, coupled with the convenience and
camaraderie of community living. Apartments
feature private baths, full kitchenettes, and the
peace of mind knowing that you’re always steps
away from programs and services designed to
make life easy and exciting.
Th ey provide numerous community
participation activities for residents throughout
the year, and Chamber members really enjoy each
year when we visit with our Rhody Court young
ladies. Spruce Point’s staff and management are
great people to work with! We have enjoyed their
support as a Distinguished Sponsor for many years
here at the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce.
Banner Bank
Banner Bank is a full-service bank
headquartered in Walla Walla, Washington, with
roots dating to 1890, and now with a branch
in Florence. As a community bank, they are
committed to supporting the communities in
which they operate with employee volunteerism
and
corporate
philanthropy.
Available
banking services include commercial banking,
construction and residential lending, and
personal banking services. Th ey also off er online
and mobile banking services for personal and
business accounts. Th e Chamber is proud to have
Banner Bank continue the tradition as one of
the Chamber’s Distinguished Sponsors. Banner
Bank is a member of FDIC and an Equal Housing
Lender.
Membership Matters
It’s time again to
renew your member-
ship in the Florence
Area Chamber of
Commerce. Renewal
reminders went out
in June; however,
vacations and the
increase in business
during this busy
season may have led
you to put it off until
things slow down this
fall. Don’t delay! I
encourage you to get your renewal in and avoid
the interruption of your Chamber benefi ts.
Th ere is a lot of work that goes into making
your Chamber a viable partner in the Florence
business community. Th e value of the many
member benefi ts and eff orts far exceed the dollar
investment of a Chamber membership. When
you belong to the Florence Area Chamber of
Commerce you’re investing in your business
community and the economic health of the
Florence area!
Th e support of the Chamber’s Distinguished
Sponsors, the paid membership of approximately
300 leaders in the business community, and
the contributions by other members enable
us to accomplish all that we do for both our
membership and the Florence community. Your
community and fellow Chamber members value
your membership and the investment you make
in our organization and the business community
as a whole. Together we can accomplish more
than we can individually.
Please send in your Chamber membership
renewal today, or contact me at cal@
fl orencechamber.com or 997-3128, or drop by the
Chamber offi ce at 290 Highway 101 if you have
questions. If you’re not yet a member, join today!
Wishing you the best of success as we work
together to strengthen our community.
Cal Applebee
Executive Director
Florence Area Chamber of Commerce
Robbie Wright, Siuslaw Broadband, moderates a lively and informative discussion
on IT security for businesses with a panel of local business tech experts during July’s
Noon Forum at the Bay View Bistro at Pier Point Inn. The public is welcome to attend
Noon Forums every third Thursday.
Florence First Friday!
As the sun sets, the refl ections on the waters
of the Siuslaw River calmly bring you into the
evening hours. Come, enjoy shopping and dining
in the many fi ne stores and restaurants in Historic
Old Town Florence and the Antique District
during the extended shopping hours on Bay Street
this Friday. Many shops and restaurants will be
open until 8:00 p.m. with special First Friday
prices and promotions!
Some merchants off er inviting music to
enhance your time in these unique shops and
restaurants. As you shop during the week, look
for the signs in the windows of the participating
businesses and then plan to enjoy First Friday
with friends and family in our idyllic town!
Be sure to visit these participating businesses:
Kitchen Klutter
Perriwinkle Station
PS Winkles
On Your Feet with a
Splash
Silver Sand Dollar
Bay Street Family Tyes
Captain’s Lady
Kenneth B Gallery
Siuslaw River Coff ee
Rosters
All About Olives
Le Bouchon
Frienze Wine &
Chocolates - LIVE
MUSIC
Flashback Photo
Th rift y Th reads
Old Town T-Shirt
River Gallery
Jambo
Back Street Gallery
Books N Bears
Bonjour
Divine Decadence
Wizard of Odds
Old Town Barbershop
First Fridays are produced by the Old Town
Committee of the Florence Area Chamber of
Commerce. To add your business to the list please
email cal@fl orencechamber.com
Chamber Welcomes New
Events Coordinator
Th e Florence Area
Chamber of Commerce is
pleased to announce the
arrival of Sherri Bollinger to
the newly-created position
of events coordinator. As
the Florence area’s tourism
strengthens,
Bollinger
brings the much needed
support essential to elevate
our economic vitality and community events.
“I am very excited to work with the Florence
community,” says Bollinger. “I look forward to
sharing my experience and working with a well-
respected community team.”
Board President Jenna Bartlett noted “Sherri
has been a great addition to our meager staff and
has hit the ground running, taking on tasks for
upcoming events such as Rods & Rhodies and
Oktoberfest.”
Bollinger brings diverse experience in many
events. Th ese include president of Waldport
Beachcomber Days and managing event staff for
the Portland Rose Festival, Portland Marathon,
Cirque du Soleil, Oregon Armories, Portland area
music venues, and many more. Bollinger also
has many years of volunteering with Wilderness
Search and Rescue, Outrigger Gorge Games, and
many charitable events with the Moose Lodge.
This Month’s Business Tip:
Achieving Community and
Customer Satisfaction
This month’s business tip is offered by Michael
Falter, co-owner with Susan Tive of City Lights
Cinemas. If you’d like to submit a tip for Business
Beat on how to operate a successful business, contact
Cal Applebee at Cal@FlorenceChamber.com.
My guiding personal and business principle is
to do my best to help create community—bringing
people together, whether for entertainment or
education, reaffi rms our connections to each other
and, through fi lm, the rest of the world. Helping to
maintain or grow a thriving community makes for
a better cultural—and business—environment.
City Lights Cinemas fulfi lls a variety of roles
beyond showing movies. For example, as a state-
of-the-art theater, we are available for professional
conferences with a number of multimedia options
for presentations. Alternatively, businesses can
rent a theater for events. Assisting other businesses
to succeed will inevitably circle back to our own
success—creating community again.
Regarding customer service, I believe that the
customer may not always be correct, but they are
always right. I model excellent customer service
for our staff so that our culture is that of delivering
a four-star experience for everyone. When it
comes to caring for customers, always empathize.
Empathy can transcend barriers. We never know
what it is like to be in another person’s shoes, but
we can do our best to provide a memorable and
friendly experience regardless.
Some of the best business tips I can off er are
to always be generous of heart and be not afraid
of change. Oh, and that a half-teaspoon of salt
will absorb enough moisture to make a great
batch of popcorn. You can build a great sense of
community around great popcorn.
I believe a strong Chamber is necessary
for a thriving local economy and a generous,
empathetic community of enthusiastic, successful
business leaders—and satisfi ed customers. Th at’s
why City Lights Cinemas is a member of the
Florence Area Chamber of Commerce.
Community Invited to Meet Business
Leaders After Hours
Come connect with fellow community members and business leaders during two
upcoming events, sponsored by the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce.
BeauxArts Fine Art Materials is hosting an open house on Th ursday, August 6,
from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the Coastal Fitness Plaza, 2285 Highway 101. Owner Jo
Beaudreaux invites everyone to come for refreshments, prizes, and a special event
surprise. BeauxArts is a local, family-owned and operated fi ne art supply shop
dedicated to supporting the creative community.
Th en, on Th ursday, August 20, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., John and Jean Murphey,
owners of Coast Insurance Services, 777 Maple St. (across from the post offi ce) invite
you to meet their staff , wander through their offi ce, visit with friends and neighbors,
and enjoy some refreshments. Plus, if you can spot Nationwide’s NASCAR driver Dale
Earnhardt, Jr. while you’re there, your name will be entered into a drawing!
Join the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce! • www.florencechamber.com • 541-997-3128
Have some good business advice? An event to promote? A story about your Chamber membership? To get an
article or notice published in Business Beat, e-mail Cal@FlorenceChamber.com by the third Friday of the month.
Publisher: Cal Applebee, Executive Director. Editor: Scott Steward, Creative Wave Marketing Solutions.