Greenville Chamber Logo
 Weekly Update October 5, 2011

NEXT Receives International Recognition
for 
Economic Development!

 

NEXT..Innovate. Commercialize. Grow. NEXT - an economic development initiative of the Greenville Chamber - received an Excellence in Economic Development Award/Honorable Mention in the category of Technology-Based Economic Development for communities with populations of 200,000 to 500,000 from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

 

The IEDC is the largest network of economic development professionals in the world, dedicated to helping economic development professionals create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities and improve the quality of life in their regions. "We recognize NEXT for providing successful strategies to promote new standards in economic development in this period of global recovery," said Dennis Coleman, IEDC chair. "Our awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in communities.They demonstrate that they are at the forefront of the economic development profession and are using innovative and effective practices that can be replicated in other communities."

 

NEXT Advisory Board Chair and CEO of Vigilix Andrew Kurtz notes, "We're very excited about the recognition NEXT has received regionally, nationally and internationally. The NEXT initiative has proven to be immensely valuable for innovative high-impact companies. There are many examples, but none more telling than the fact that the NEXT Innovation Center has been in very high demand since opening two years ago, even in a difficult economy. The future for NEXT is bigger and better. We recently convened a NEXT Strategic Summit and, thanks in large part to the input from this group, we expect the near-term and longer-term future to include an expanded NEXT Innovation Campus and other initiatives around improving access to capital and talent so critical in a successful innovation ecosystem."  

 

BBQ BashManufacturers across South Carolina pay an average of 64% MORE than do non-manufacturing firms. -National Association of Manufacturers


CELEBRATE UPSTATE MANUFACTURERS WITH US TOMORROW AT HARTNESS ESTATE FROM 5:30-8:30PM! 
 
Pre-registration is closed, but you can register at the tent! 

LEGISLATIVE SURVEY
Member input is critical to making our 2012 Legislative Agenda relevant for Upstate businesses. Click here to take the Legislative Survey. 
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
THIS WEEK:

Thursday, Oct. 13: 7 Experts-7 Tips-7 Minutes on Financing

Featuring tips for financing your small business. Each of these experts will have seven minutes to offer an actionable tip to help save you money, time or anxiety. Matthew Cotner, Certus Bank will moderate. 

  • Partnership: Jim Alexander, Special Services Corporation
  • Michelin Small Business Loan: Robin Bylenga, Pedal Chic
  • Friends/Family Sources: Bill Davis, Thomas Creek Brewery
  • SBA Loans: Jason Holeman, Greenville Refrigeration
  • Bootstrapping: Zac Painter, Loggerhead Apparel
  • Upstate Carolina Angel Network (UCAN): Evan Solida, Cerevellum
  • Traditional Bank Lending: Jim Twining, Southern Tide, LLC  

Friday, Oct. 14: Legislative Issues Committee Meeting

 

Oct. 14/15: St. Francis Fall for Greenville/FREE Greenlink Rides!

"Park and Ride" participants can drive, bike or walk to the parking garage at CUICAR and ride Greenlink for free to the downtown Transit Center, located on McBee Avenue in the heart of the Fall for Greenville festivities. The shuttle will operate at half hour intervals Friday from 5-11 pm and Saturday from 11am-9pm. Enjoy!

MORE UPCOMING EVENTS/SAVE THE DATES:

 

Tuesday, Oct. 18: Business After Hours at Brown Mackie College   

 

Wednesday, Oct. 19: Sales Roundtable: The Planned Sales Call

 

Thursday, Oct. 20: NationJob Partnership - NationJob CEO Ralph Hejlik will host a lunch at the Chamber to discuss new offerings available to the manufacturing community. For information, contact Hank Hyatt 

 

 

Cynthia Barnett, author of Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S. and Blue Revolution: Unmaking America's Water Crisis, will be speaking about a water ethic for America and South Carolina.

Lindsey Graham

   
 

   

  

Thursday, Nov. 3: Greenville Chamber Night w/ the Road Warriors!  Tickets are available for Chamber members for $6. Ben Haskew, Chamber President and CEO will be dropping the first puck!

 

  

Save the Date for the Chamber's Holiday Drop-In December 1st!  

The Holiday Drop-In is our annual holiday kick-off for members. We plan for 400 of our closest friends come by for some fabulous food and fun!
If you'd like to showcase your food and beverages to our business community, please contact Jennifer Powell at 864-239-3731.

 

View these calendars for more upcoming events: 
Group Savings for Greenville Chamber Members

SmartBuys: We've selected the best discount offerings for health insurance, office supplies, and telecommunications that we could find. Our SmartBuys partners are BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Office Depot, and Windstream Communications. Start saving with SmartBuys today!

 

As a participating member of the Office Depot Program, you can save your business up to 50-75% on professional copy and print services.  

  • 2.5� for Black & White single sided copies, 24 lb. paper (10� without discount)
  • 29� for Color single sided copies, 24 lb. paper (59� without discount)
If you prefer to do your own in-office printing, you can  save your business 15% on lowest Retail prices when you purchase select store brand and national paper and toner. To take advantage of these savings, contact Max Pierce at 888-213-8948,x.4604 or 

NationJob: Our members can post local job listings for FREE at NationJob! Take advantage of this valuable benefit by E-mailing the job description to [email protected] and note that you are a Greenville Chamber member. Call 888-256-0919 for further details. 

 

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Greenville Chamber
24 Cleveland Street
Greenville, South Carolina 29601