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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 2016)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Sept. 7, 2016 CHAMBER 5B NEWSLETTER Our Mission: Th e Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce is organized to promote the economy and business environment of the Cottage Grove area so its citizens and businesses will prosper. Travis Palmer, Executive Director DIRECTOR’S NOTE Over the summer (thanks to some help from Marc Bass), the Chamber of Commerce has been lucky to have some students from Cottage Grove High School doing an internship with us. A strong and energetic young man named Jesus is a junior attending CGHS, and has been helping with set-up and take down at our weekly Concerts in the Park. Rain and Savannah are both seniors at CGHS and have been a tremendous help in the Chamber offi ce. In addition to spending several hours each week helping with website updates, one of Rain and Savannah’s projects has been to contact and interview chamber member businesses and write a “Chamber Member Spotlight” that we can publish each month. I’m pleased to be able to present some of their work in this month’s Chamber newsletter. You’ll see more of these “member spotlights” in future newsletters so if you’d like your business to be featured, please contact us at the Chamber offi ce at 942-2411. Chamber Member Spotlight: Les Schwab Tire Center – written by Savannah P. & Rain K. Les Schwab has been a member of the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce since 1982, so we decided to chat with Les Schwab’s assistant manager, Arik Moore, to ask him some questions about the business. As a chamber member, Les Schwab is active and involved in the community, sponsoring many events around town. A personal favorite of Arik’s is KNND’s Rock Roll and Rumble Car Show, where many old cars hit the roads once again for a cruise around Main Street. This car show is produced in collaboration with the Main Street Chili Cook Off, an annual event put on by the Chamber of Commerce. Arik believes that being a Chamber Member is a great thing because it keeps them involved in the community. He says, “I think we’re just really involved with every event that comes through here and try to help out and sponsor as much as possible.” Though having the word ‘tire’ in the name may be a bit misleading, Les Schwab offers more than just tire services. They also do “a lot of brake work, a lot of service work on vehicles, and a lot of stuff to help people passing through town.” They will often help people stuck on the side of the road both in town and on I5. From those just passing through who break down, to local residents in need, they come across “every single type of person.” Les Schwab is dedicated to providing excellent service to all customers. As Arik puts it, “We are a people fi rst organization. It’s what we’re here to do.” Les Schwab strives to be the best they can be, and to provide the best, quickest service possible. “People’s time is very valuable, so we want to get them in and out as fast as possible.” Les Schwab understands not just the value of quality in their work, but also in their relationship with customers. We asked Arik what set Les Schwab apart from the rest and he replied, “Les Schwab is unique because we are about people building people. We have world class customer service. We don’t just strive to be the best tire center, we strive to be the best business. We really treat our people like gold when they come into the store and I think that’s pretty well recepted.” Les Schwab even tries to make the children feel at home in the store. The popcorn machine in the lobby is there as a way to do this. As the one who makes the popcorn, Arik has had some fi rst-hand experience with the children. He says, “They come in and they’re real nervous” when they ask if they can have some. “We want them to feel comfortable coming into the store” and that is one thing the popcorn machine is very good at doing. Les Schwab cares about giving every person, young or old, quality service. Les Schwab is an active member with the Chamber of Commerce, as well as an important member of the community, supporting the people and events that make it great. It is on their behalf that Arik added with fi nality, “We appreciate everybody that comes and walks through the door and we just want to give them the best experience possible.” Information Centers Tourism Promotion Referring Agency A Chamber’s success is dependent upon what fi ve things? An active working membership Its ability to anticipate and meet its community’s needs and potential Success in recruiting and involving volunteers Adequate income to support its programs A skilled staff supported by the membership, because the fi rst four things can only happen because of the manpower, resources and prestige off ered by the members. Don’t Miss Out! There’s only two concerts left so join us on Wednesday, September 7 th & 14 th s at Bohemia Park Amphitheatre from 6:30 – 8:00pm for our fi nal concerts of the season. Bring a friend and support the musicians and their sponsors by attending. These concerts are made possible with fi nancial support through sponsorships. 9/07 Abandon Shoe Abandon Shoe is a four-piece band that brings all fl avors of musical madness to the table. Abandon Shoe has been known to be vocally driven with awe-inspiring and percussive singing that has been compared to bands like Blues Traveler, Sublime, and Bare Naked Ladies. 9/14 The Sugar Beets For over 25 years the Sugar Beets have been bringing people to their feet with their blend of traditional music and contemporary original songwriting. Moving effortlessly from bluegrass, or Celtic and old-time fi ddle music, to Motown, country, swing and pop, the sound is fresh and inspiring. The Sugar Beets are an eight piece ensemble that formed the group as students at the University of Oregon in 1990. The rapport among these long time friends is as endearing as it is entertaining. Fun Facts - Th e History of Chamber Chambers were evolved from what Medieval organizations? Guilds Guilds and subsequently chambers were organized for what one basic reason or goal? To improve the well-being of the community using cooperative self-help. Th e fi rst offi cially chartered Chambers of Commerce were established in 1802 in what country? France and membership was mandatory Th e oldest Chamber in the English speaking world was established to raise the quality of goods, abolish smuggling and to lobby against tariff s in what city? Glasgow Scotland Th e fi rst American Chamber was established in New York to promote and protect commerce. In the past 200 + years the American Chamber has evolved to include: Developing and expressing business opinions Promotion of the best interest of the community Could your business be the next Dutch Bros? Dutch Bros got its start with Small Business Management classes through their local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) where the owners learned the skills they needed to create a coffee empire. Whether your business is small and growing or remaining the same size, you can get the skills you need for success through Lane Community College’s Small Business Management program. LCC’s SBDC offers classes alongside individual counseling from experienced business people. This fall, the Small Business Management program will be offered in Cottage Grove. Stayed tuned for more information regarding an upcoming networking session or call 541-463-6200 to get started today! September Business Aft er Hours Emerald People’s Utility District will host Business Aft er Hours this month. Cottage Grove and Creswell Chamber members are encouraged to attend this classic, fun networking event! Please join us on Th ursday, September 15 from 5:30 – 7:00pm at Saginaw Vineyard, 80247 Delight Valley School Road, for a time to network with others, learn something new, and have some fun! Catering provided by Shady Oaks. Bring your business card be ready to talk about your businesses to other business representative from the area and enter the door prize drawing. Your attendance reinforces the spirit in which the Chamber provides these monthly activities. Th ank you to EPUD for being our host for this month’s Chamber of Commerce Business Aft er Hours! Future Business Aft er Hours October 20 PeaceHealth Cottage Grove Community Medical Center November17 Village Green Resort December 15 Cottage Grove Sentinel Board Elections As a membership organization our members have the right to petition additional names of candidates for directors on the board. Nominations by Petition as stated in our by-laws: Additional names of candidates for directors can be nominated by petition, bearing the genuine signatures of at least three (3) qualifi ed members of the Chamber. Such petition shall be fi led with the Nominating Committee within ten (10) days after notice has been given of the names of those nominated. So look for those letters in the mail later in Septeember! Member Benefi t Highlight Chamber Membership Directory It’s time to prepare for the production of our 2017 Chamber Membership Directory. Letters will be in the mail soon requesting members review the listing information we have on fi le and make any corrections you want to occur in the new directory. It is also an excellent reminder to “Shop Chamber Members First”. In addition, the directory is another one of the ways we promote our member businesses. As a chamber member you receive a free listing in our directory and have the opportunity to purchase advertising. Travis will be contacting you to discuss a variety of ways you can promote your business through the directory. For those of you who have thought about membership, if you wish to be in next year’s directory, now is the time to move ahead with your plans to join the Chamber. Participate in chamber membership and watch your marketing dollars stretch. To those of you who are already members, we thank you and hope you enjoy this great chamber benefi t! Please contact Travis at the chamber offi ce regarding your intent to join so that we do not miss including your business in the 2017 publication. 2016 Chamber Board of Directors, Advisors and Staff Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce 700 E. Gibbs • Cottage Grove, OR info@cgchamber.com • www.cgchamber.com P. (541) 942-2411 2016 Chamber Board of Directors: Thank you for your hours upon hours of volunteer time, commitment, and service! Offi cers Joe Raade, President South Lane County Fire & Rescue Candace Solesbee, Vice President Shampoo Dolls Salon Rhonda Worley, Secretary CJW, LLC Amanda Akers, Treasurer Commonwealth Financial Network Tiffany Thackara, Past President Emerald Valley Resort Event Center Directors Chloe Becks Dean Kruschke Lindsay Laycock Gary Manly Cameron Reiten Danny Solesbee Don Williams Lloyd Williams Judd Van Gorder Jack Sprats Cascade Home Center Lindsay Laycock – Keller Williams Realty Cottage Grove Sentinel KNND Five Flying Monkeys Retired, Past Board President South Lane Television Carousel Delicatessen & Ice Cream Shoppe Advisors Garrett Bridgens Tim Herrmann Diana Knous Richard Meyers Mayor Tom Munroe Shauna Neigh South Lane School District PeaceHealth Cottage Grove Community Medical Center Public Utilities City of Cottage Grove City of Cottage Grove Main Street Coordinator Visitor Center Volunteers: Heidi Abbott, Dotti Bittner, Tara Sue Hughart, Susan Jeppesen, Suzy Kanich, Marie Longfellow, Jennifer Robinson, 2016 Chamber Goals Sunny Kennedy, Sharon Van Gorder, • Increase membership by 25/year Sherry Wendt, Jim Vander Plaat, • Increase networking opportunities by one/ Penny Westling month Staff: Travis Palmer Beth Martin Mavis Bradsby Executive Director Offi ce Manager Bookkeeper • Increase advertising eff orts outside Cottage Grove • Organize and be viewed as a business conduit and resource for businesses • Improve communication about legislative issues aff ecting business
