Obion County COC Logo - Horizontal

 June 2014 Newsletter
Mission Statement:  "It's our home, we make it better." 
Obion County COC Logo - Horizontal

The Obion County Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to providing education and support to strengthen and enhance economic success for its members, area businesses, and the region.  When you invest in the Obion County Chamber of Commerce, you join over 300 businesses and individuals whose focus is to make Obion County the best place to work, do business, and raise a family. Every business person needs to meet new people, make new contacts, and discover new prospects. We can help.  

 

The Obion County Chamber is an informational hub that stretches over all of Obion County.  Our goal is to be the "go to" organization to answer business and community questions.  All you need to do is call us when you have a question.

 

As a new chamber year approaches, we encourage you to continue your membership with the Obion County Chamber of Commerce in hopes that we can continue to be a marketing and information resource to help grow your business by providing an abundance of opportunities. Thank you for all of your support in making Obion County the best place to work, do business, and raise a family.

 

"As Membership Director, I am always out making chamber visits to our existing members as well as potential new members. I would love to have the opportunity to sit down with you and talk about what keeps you up at night.  Call me at 731-885-0211 or email kkeathley@obioncounty.org."

 

 

 

Katie Keathley

Membership Director

Welcome New Chamber Members! 
 

LA Speech Therapy

126 E. Main St. Suite C

Union City, TN 38261

Business Representative: Jennifer Thomas

P: 731-599-9896 F: 966-611-9554

Type of Business: Pediatric ST, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy 

Board Member Spotlight

 

 

Amber Jones

Commercial Bank and Trust Company

Secondary Market Mortgage Liaison Work

731-884-4247

ajones@cbtcnet.com

 

Areas of Expertise:

"I have worked in every area of banking over the last 15 years from the teller line to working with the secondary market mortgage department in my current role.  I also assist our loan officers in preparing documents for all types of loans."

 

 

Other Interests:

"I have two children, ages 12 and 6, and currently my spare time is spent keeping up with their various activities.  I am also an actively involved member of Second Baptist Church."

 


Why did you join the Chamber?

"I think the Chamber is an important part of commerce in a community, and I was interested in being a part of helping all our businesses, from industry to mom and pop shops, grow."

 

Why do you serve on the Board of Directors?

"Having grown up in Obion County, and now having children growing up here, I was eager to be involved in the growth of this amazing small town. It allows me to help, first hand, in making sure the businesses here are taken care of, and that their needs/requests are met. I also get to express my opinion as an employee of a local bank, a resident, and parent."

 

What is the Chamber's role in the business community?

"I have seen first-hand how the Chamber uses events, such as Business Matters and Business After Hours, to assist in all businesses in our community being able to network. This is crucial for businesses, new, old, small, and large, in our area to grow and succeed."

Ambassador Spotlight 

   

Dustin McBride

Cox Oil Company

Director of Human Resources

731-885-6444

dustin.mcbride@coxoilco.com

 
Areas of Expertise:
"I have worked in retail for over 8 years now. I have worked in many different roles starting as a cashier up to now through management. My strengths are customer service, sales growth, employee management, and human relations."

 

Other Interests: 

"In my spare time I love fishing and playing with my awesome 5-year-old son Keegan."

  

Why Serve: 

"I wanted to be more involved in the success of our community and to have a better understanding of the opportunities that other local businesses are facing. I am hopeful to be able to help other businesses with their struggles while gaining knowledge, resources, and connections."

  

Chamber's Role in the community: 

"The role of the Obion County Chamber of Commerce is to provide marketing material and informational resources to the local businesses to help them grow and be successful. The chamber also helps local businesses network with others for ideas and ways to be more successful."

June Small Business Spotlight

WCMT-AM 1410 was the first radio station to begin broadcasting in Weakley County on June 1957.  WCMT's call letters stand for "Weakley County, Martin, Tennessee" and was solely owned by Jones T. Sudbury of Blytheville, Arkansas.  The property was purchased from Cliff and Virginia Weldon on highway 45 North which would later become known as North Lindell Street in Martin.

 

Following deregulation of the FCC in the late 1980s, WCMT- AM became a 24-hour-a-day station but with reduced night time power so as to not cause interference with other stations. This allowed listeners never to have to turn the dial to other stations after sunset.  WCMT improved the station's coverage by constructing a new broadcast tower in 1989 which allowed for a stronger signal for listeners.

 

Thunderbolt Radio receives recognition for St Johns Radiothon. In July 1992 Brundige sold his interest and Tinkle was named President of Thunderbolt Broadcasting and joined a group of local investors to continue to enhance local radio. In March 1994, Thunderbolt purchased 6,000 watt WCDZ- FM 95.1 in Dresden from Valley Wide Broadcasting of Camden. In October 2004, WCDZ FM 95.1 increased its power from 6,000 watts to 25,000 watts.

 

Continuing to improve the listening signal, in July 2004, WCMT FM moved from 101.7 on the dial and 6,000 watts to 101.3 and increased power to 25,000 watts.

 

In December 2005, Thunderbolt purchased KYTN- FM 104.9 and WQAK- FM 105.7 in Union City from Twin States Broadcasting and built a new state of the art studio was built in Union City in 2007.

Also in 2007, Thunderbolt began the addition of placing the first of its five repeater stations on the air called "translators" which allowed each station to broadcast on another frequency allowing more opportunities for local listeners to hear their favorite stations with 10 radio channels on the dial.  The first was for WCMT AM 1410 which now broadcasts on 100.5 FM.

 

In addition to its community involvement and public service programs, Thunderbolt stations have served as a training ground for UTM students through internships and college work opportunities.  Thunderbolt Broadcasting awards the WCMT Duke Drumm Scholarship to UTM students who major in communications.

 

2013 Cleats For Kids Thunderbolt has held radio-thons for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, St John's -CDS, We Care Ministries, have helped the needy with its "Can Caravan" food drive and "Coat Drive," broadcast thousands of ballgames through the years and has been a friendly companion to listeners for almost 60 years.

 

In 2004, WCMT and Thunderbolt Broadcasting were named Weakley County Chamber of Commerce "Business of the Year."  In 2005, Tinkle was named "Weakley Countian of the Year" for his commitment to community service.

 

In 2005, WCMT won the prestigious National Association of Broadcasters' "Crystal Award" for community and public service.

 

In 2013 KYTN-FM and WQAK FM were named recipients of the Obion County Joint Economic Development Committee's award "You Made It Happen" for its commitment to community service.

Adult Leadership Obion County 2013-2014 Class Graduates

 "Leadership is the art of getting people to want to do what needs to be done."

-Todd Hopkins

 

Graduates included (seated, from left) Sara Douglas, Deven McBride, Katie Keathley, Debbi Morris, Laura Oliver, Suzanna Doss, (standing, from left) Justin Keathley, Danny Hussey, Richard Pollock, Michael Hoffman, Phyllis Rauchle, Bill Futhey, Ryan Ellegood, Tim York, Greg Barclay. Not pictured: Jacob Cross, Dustin McBride

Commercial Bank Logo

Commercial Bank & Trust Company Ranked in the 2013 Top 15th Percentile of Community Banks

 

Seifried & Brew LLC, a community bank risk management firm, named Commercial Bank & Trust Company in its 2013 top 15th percentile of Community Banks. To gain entry into this distinguished ranking, the bank demonstrated exemplary performance of balancing risk and reward based on the Bank's S&B Total Risk/Return Composite Ranking. This is no small feat considering that the Bank not only survived the Financial Crisis, but actually thrived. This supports Seifried & Brew's belief that conservative, traditional community banking is the strength of our financial system.

 

"This recognition puts Commercial Bank & Trust in an elite group of banks," said Commercial Bank & Trust Company Community President Tim Shanks. "We are honored to be in the top 15% of banks in the nation. Our commitment to excellence, in every aspect of our bank, allows us to offer our customers a secure and responsive bank with a community focus."

 

Seifried & Brew rank institutions with assets between $100 million and $5 billion. This index models capital risk, credit risk, earnings at risk, liquidity risk and national/regional economic risk.

 

Commercial Bank & Trust provides full-service banking services including a broad array of checking, savings and retirement programs, money market accounts, mortgages, home equity loans, trust services and commercial and business loans.

 

For more information on Commercial Bank & Trust Company, visit www.cbtcnet.com.

Dedication of Eagle Tour History Sign 
 
Reelfoot Lake State Park has been working to update the bird of prey signage at the park and one of the goals was to create a new welcome sign for the Visitor Center detailing the History of our Eagle Tours. This has been an on going project since before my arrival but has just now been completed.

We have just received the last New Sign for the Visitor Center Kiosk. It is on Reelfoot Lakes History and the History of Eagle Tours. I would like to have a press release and ribbon cutting to remember the past and celebrate all the new things coming our way. I hope that this will be a day for the community to see that changes are coming soon and to update them on the progress we are seeing with our new cabins and visitor center. I hope June 29th at 1:00 pm would work for anyone who could attend. 

The Eagle Tours at Reelfoot Lake began with the first Park Manager Ralph Burrus and have continued each year since. His family along with others who have been connected with Reelfoot Lake State Parks Eagle Tours are looking forward to this day and seeing the new signage. 

Park Manager 
Alisha Weber




In This Issue
Membership Renewal Letter
New Chamber Members
Board Member Spotlight
Ambassador Spotlight
Small Business Spotlight
Adult Leadership Graduates
Commercial Bank Ranked in Top 15th Percentile
Dedication of Eagle Tour History Sign
Archived Obion County Chamber of Commerce Newsletters

Join Our Mailing List 

 

 
 

  

 

  
Speaker:
Phyllis Rauchle & Alumni Board Members

Topic:
Obion County Adult Leadership: 
Cultivating Leaders. Are you next? 

Date:
June 10, 2014
7:45am-9:00am

Location: 
Obion County Public Library

Sponsored by:
Lowe's Home Improvements 

We at Touching Hearts at Home are really enjoying being part of the Obion County Chamber of Commerce. I am impressed with the professionalism and energy of the staff, as well as the strong participation of the members. In our short time as members, we have already benefited from our involvement. We have developed new network referral partners, and have been directed to at least one client opportunity as a result of our association. We look forward to many years of being part of this great community service.

 

Steve Smith

Co-Owner

Touching Hearts at Home of West Tennessee

    Farmer's Market June 2011
Obion County Farmers Market
June-October
Tuesdays & Thursdays: 2pm-4pm
Saturdays: 7am
 UC Carpet Celebrating 42 years in business! 
Debbie and Trent Ams of Union City Carpet are celebrating 42 years in business! The professional staff with more than 30 years of experience is ready to attend to all your needs. Whether you're building a home or would simply like to renovate, we're the name to trust! Our name stands for excellence.Thank you Union City Carpet for all of your years of service to Obion County and the surrounding areas! 
 

602 Perkins St., Union City, TN 38261

731-885-2830

 

 Lindsay Frilling, Economic Development Director at the Obion County Chamber of Commerce spoke on how she markets Obion County to potential prospect looking to locate to Obion County. Our event this morning was sponsored by White & Associates Insurance. The door prize was provided by Five Seasons Mens Shop.

Industry Appreciation Breakfast

 

UT-Center for Industrial Services sponsored our annual Industry Appreciation Breakfast on Friday, May 16. We appreciate all of our businesses and partners in Obion County!! Thank you for continuing to invest in Obion County to help make it a great place to live, work and play! 

 

Don Dugger Says Goodbye to the Tie

 

Don Dugger, with the Tennessee Career Center has officially said goodbye to the tie. We appreciate all your years of hard work and dedication to the Obion County area! Take time to rest, relax and enjoy all the years ahead of you. You deserve it! 

 

Tyson Foods Honored for Sustainability Work

 

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods magazine recognized our company this week with their fourth annual Sustainable Supply Chain of the Year award.

 

We group our various sustainability efforts into four broad areas: people, planet, products, and profit. The award reflects our efforts to continuously improve in each of these areas, says Leigh Ann Johnston, director, Sustainability.

 

"We define sustainability as doing the right thing in all aspects of our business, so our company can stand strong for many years to come," Leigh Ann says. "It's a process of continual improvement that involves building responsibility and accountability into everything we do."

 

You can read the Refrigerated & Frozen Foods story here, which includes several highlights from our new, soon-to-be-released sustainability report and website. The new site has been revised, updated, and redesigned to make it more accessible to our Team Members, customers, consumers, and shareholders.


The Tennessee Career Center at Union City is offering Resume' Writing workshops on Tuesday afternoons at 1 PM. Job seekers interested in attending a workshop will need to complete a resume' worksheet prior to attending a session. Space is limited, so registration is required. Register by calling 731-884-3868 between 8-4:30 Monday - Friday.

Touching Hearts at Home of West Tennessee is taking on-line applications for Caregivers in Obion and Weakly Counties. Experience in caring for the elderly and a passion for serving are required. Contact Touching Hearts at Home for additional information on qualifications and instructions for applying, at 731-613-2526. Also, visit us on the web at www.touchingheartswesttn.com.

Giveit2goodwill

If you haven't used it, worn it, or played with it in the last year, it's time to give it to Goodwill.

 

DE cluttering doesn't have to be daunting. Get tips for combating clutter, and learn more about how your donations change lives, on our website.

 

12 Donation Sites Extending Hours

 

January 2014 turned out to be the coldest month in more than a decade. When the weather turns cold, donations tend to drop. That's why we're extending hours at more donation sites, giving more people an opportunity to donate. Find your nearest Donation Express Center.

 

Goodwill relies heavily on donations to fulfill its mission of providing employment and training opportunities to people who have trouble finding and keeping jobs. You can make an immediate impact by shopping in the stores, or by donating the following items: clothing, household goods, shoes and accessories.

Searching for good employees?

 

Let Goodwill Career Solutions help. We not only help employees go to work; we also help employers find qualified, ready to work job applicants. We are a free service for the community.

 

For employers, we can host a job fair for your company. We will handle all the work whether you use online or paper applications.

 

We can also keep your applications on file.  You can have all your job application traffic flow through our office.

 

We are available to help in a number of ways.  Please call to set up a time to meet with our Career Counselor, Sandy Hickey at 731-884-4324.

 

1430 S. First Street, Union City, TN 38261 731-884-4324

List Your Available Commercial Property With Us

 

Let us help you spread the word about your available commercial property by listing it at www.obioncounty.org. If you have commercial property you would like to list, please contact Lindsay Frilling, Economic Development Director.

lfrilling@obioncounty.org

South Fulton Community Alerts

For community alerts in the South Fulton area...text "SOUTHFULTON" to 888777 and enter your zip code when directed.  For more information visit www.nixle.com

Interested in sponsoring Business Matters or Business After Hours?

Contact Lindsay Frilling at

 731-885-0211 or lfrilling@obioncounty.org  

Any time you want to "visit" or to know what's happening in Union City and the surrounding area, just pop into this site and catch up: