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Welcome New Chamber Members!
Friends of Reelfoot Lake State Park
P.O. Box 104
Hornbeak, TN 38232
Business Representative: Sheila Bell
Center Stage School of Dance
2203 Southlane Circle
Union City, TN 38261
731-592-3166
Business Representative: Bethany Patterson
Mahindra of Ken Tenn
505 W. Tate St.
Union City, TN 38261
731-599-9555
Business Representative: Jason Craig
Like them on Facebook!
MIA Seating
3919 Greenfield Products
Union City, TN 38261
731-885-7117
Business Representative: Darius Mir and Janice Bone
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October Ribbon Cuttings!
The Station Burger Co.
516 S. First St.
Union City, TN 38261
731-599-1402
Business Representative: Rodney Gregg
Center Stage School of Dance
2203 Southlane Circle
Union City, TN 38261
731-592-3166
Business Representative: Bethany Patterson
Foxy Zazz
219 South First Street
Union City, TN 38261
731-885-8015
Business Representative: Jenny Overrall
Zaxby's
2005 W. Reelfoot Ave.
Union City, TN 38261
Business Representative: Danny Wertz
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| Chamber Board Member Spotlight
Board Member Name: Kim Watts 
Company Name: Center Point Business Solutions
Position: Chief Operation Officer
Work Phone: 731-885-4810
Email: kim.watts@cpbsllc.com
Areas of Expertise: "Prior to joining Center Point in 2014, I had almost 14 years of experience in management, customer service, marketing, and strategic planning. In my role at Center Point, I have had an opportunity to use those skills while expanding my knowledge of HR compliance and employee training. My goal is to use my skills to help others achieve success. Whether it is my staff or a client, I want anyone I work with to feel that there was value gained from our interaction."
Other Interests: "Being married to a coach and mother to two very active boys, spare time is rare. I do enjoy reading and just spending time with my family - never a dull moment with them! Also, I've recently begun teaching the 3 year old Sunday school class at my church and that has been a fun adventure!"
Why did you join the Chamber? "I believe it's important to be connected to those you live and work with in your community. Also, while professional employer organizations are not a new concept, they are to this area and we knew that joining the Chamber would open doors for us to share what we do while learning about other businesses. The staff at the Chamber was eager to work with us and have been most helpful with any question we have had."
Why do you serve on the Board of Directors? "I want to see businesses in our area grow so that more young people choose to settle down here. It saddens me to see small towns crumble when businesses and industries close. We have a wonderful community with a solid foundation for growth. If I can play a small role in building something for future generations, then it is time well-spent."
What is the Chamber's role in the business community? "The Chamber's role is to keep us informed and connected and then it is up to the members as to how they utilize what has been provided. And let's not forget that they are a staff of two people! Katie and Lindsay do a phenomenal job of sharing information, connecting people, and maintaining a network of valuable business resources. Whether you are a small or large or old or new business, the Chamber has something to offer."
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Chamber Ambassador Member Spotlights
Ambassador Name: Terry Lynch
Business Name: The Shoe Shack
Business Position: Manager
Phone: 731-885-7677
Area of Expertise: Merchandising, sales and counseling as a pastor's wife
Other Interests: "I enjoy crafting art and painting."
Why did you join the chamber? "Shoe Shack joined the chamber to be involved in the community as a business and to meet and network with other small business owners."
Why do you serve as an ambassador? "Serving as an ambassador gives me the opportunity to build the relationships and connections with other small business owners that Shoe Shack needs in order to be successful, grow our business and hopefully implement new business ideas."
What is the Chamber's role in the business community? "The Chamber's role is assisting new, old, small or large businesses to succeed and grow while allowing businesses to network with each other to increase business."
 Ambassador Name: Dustin McBride
Company Name: Cox Oil Company
Position: Director of Human Resources
Work Phone: 731-885-6444
Area of Expertise: Human Resources, Employee Retail, Customer Service, Marketing
Other Interests: "I enjoy spending time with my family, bowfishing and tinkering with projects."
Why did you join the Chamber? "I joined the Chamber to network with other members of the Chamber and to support the great company that I work for."
Why do you serve as an ambassador? "I serve as an ambassador because it was a way for me to get my foo t in the door with the Chamber and really understand its mission and purpose. IT also allowed me to meet numerous business owners/employees in the community and helped me with some ideas on how to do some things better at the company I work for. Lastly, it allows me to help in molding the community in which we live to make it a better place for our children to be raised and more enjoyable for the families in the community."
What is the Chamber's role in the business community? "I feel the role Chamber's role is to help sustain, support, and promote the businesses that we have, along with trying to bring new businesses in to our community. The Chamber also provides times for business oriented people in the community to network and work together on ways to grow their companies and attack oppositions."
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November Small Business Spotlight
Mentors Needed for Local TN Promise Students
Obion County's partnering organization for TN Promise needs nearly 50 volunteer mentors locally to work with seniors in the Class of 2016. So far, about 30 have signed up, and almost 20 more are needed.
The time commitment is small, about one hour per month, but the impact is significant as volunteers assist students navigating the college going process and encourage them to reach their full potential.
TN Promise provides students the opportunity to attend one of the state's community or technical colleges tuition free for two years. The financial component is important, but many of the students in the program are the first person in their family to attend college, and the assistance and encouragement provided by the mentor can be the difference maker.
"The mentors are the critical piece of the program. They are the reason we are able to operate a program of this scale," Graham Thomas, tnAchieves Director of Community Partnerships, said. "Mentors provide the necessary support system and encouragement that TN Promise students need to be successful."
In its first year, 341 students in Obion County applied for TN Promise. Students who participate are required to complete at least eight hours of community service each semester of college. This creates a culture of giving back and allows the students to explore potential career opportunities within their communities. More than 700 hours of community service were performed by students locally.
The program does not have GPA or ACT requirements to participate. The universal acceptance policy allows tnAchieves to reach the student who lacks financial support via the state's lottery scholarship and/or other academic scholarships. This philosophy also ensures the program captures its target student, rather than serving as a supplemental program for students who planned to attend a post-secondary institution without its assistance.
More than 58,000 students in the Class of 2015 applied for TN Promise in its inaugural year, and the program is expecting more than 60,000 students to apply this year.
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Photos from Governor's Conference for Economic and Community Development
Obion County was once again certified as a ThreeStar Community at the Governor's Conference for Economic and Community Development. Lindsay Frilling accepted the plaque from Governor Haslam and Commissioner Boyd. Pictured left to right are Jody Sliger, Jo Ann Speer, Governor Haslam, Frilling, Rep. Bill Sanderson, Commissioner Boyd, Janna Hellums, Blake Swaggart, and Amy New.
 Main Street Union City was recently recognized as a National and Tennessee Main Street Community. Pictured are representatives from the Main Street Communities across Tennessee. |
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Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City Earned an 'A' Grade for Patient Safety in Leapfrog's Fall 2015 Hospital Safety Score
An announcement released nationally by the independent hospital watchdog The Leapfrog Group, shows key shifts among many hospitals on the A, B, C, D and F grades rating them on errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City earned an A in this elite national ratings program, recognizing its strong commitment to patient safety. The Hospital Safety Score is the gold standard rating for patient safety, compiled under the guidance of the nation's leading patient safety experts and administered by The Leapfrog Group, a national, independent nonprofit. The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety, the Hospital Safety Score is free to the public and designed to give consumers information they can use to protect themselves and their families when facing a hospital stay.
"Patient safety is a priority for Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City. Colleagues from multiple health care disciplines including nursing, pharmacy, and quality, research best practices, regulatory standards and evidence-based procedures. The most-effective ones are selected and implemented, creating standardized policies and procedures for Baptist Union City," said Skipper Bondurant, administrator and CEO.
"Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City's A grade is a powerful reminder of its commitment to putting patient safety above all else, and we are pleased to recognize the persistent efforts of their clinicians and staff to protect patients," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, which administers the Hospital Safety Score. "Our families, neighbors, colleagues and friends deserve a hospital that will pull out all the stops to keep them safe, and we urge Baptist Union City and all other A hospitals to preserve and renew their commitment to safety year after year."
Developed under the guidance of Leapfrog's Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single A, B, C, D, or F score, representing a hospital's overall capacity to keep patients safe from preventable harm. More than 2,500 U.S. general hospitals were assigned scores in October 2015, with 773 hospitals receiving an A grade. The Hospital Safety Score is fully transparent, offering a full analysis of the data and methodology used in determining grades on the website. Patients can also review their hospital's past safety performance alongside its current grade on the Hospital Safety Score site, allowing them to determine which local hospitals have the best track record in patient safety and which have demonstrated consistent improvement.
To see Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City's full score, and to access consumer-friendly tips for patients and loved ones visiting the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org or follow The Hospital Safety Score on Twitter or Facebook. Consumers can also download the free Hospital Safety Score mobile app for Apple and Android devices.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. Hospital Safety Score, Leapfrog's other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.
Baptist Union City Earns ACR Accreditation
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City, has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in mammography as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Mammography is a specific type of imaging test that uses a low-dose x-ray system to examine breasts. A mammography exam, called a mammogram, is used to aid in the early detection and diagnosis of breast diseases in women.
The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report they can use for continuous practice improvement.
The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 36,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.
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Roker To Broadcast Weather From Discovery Park
 Union City, Tenn.-Discovery Park of America will be receiving national exposure this month when NBC "Today Show" Weatherman Al Roker will broadcast the morning weather from Discovery Park.
The show will air the morning of November 10.
The announcement of Roker's appearance was made at last night's Obion County Joint Economic Development Corporation annual banquet.
Roker is doing the weather from locations in all 50 states over seven days and Discovery Park of America and Union City will represent Tennessee.
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Topic:
"Healthcare Advancement Workshop"
Presenters:
The team at Golden Living Center
When:
November 17, 2015
8:00am-9:00am
Where:
Obion County Public LIbrary
Sponsored By:
Obion County Farm Bureau
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"Breakfast with the President"
Quarterly, new chamber members gather to have breakfast with our Chamber President to engage and inform our new members of networking opportunities available included in their chamber membership.
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October Business Matters "Human Resources"
Kim Watts with Center Point Business Solutions did a great job talking about human resources, job profiling, interviewing and much more. We had a packed out house this morning. Be sure to join us next month! Thanks to Center Point Business Solutions for being our sponsor!
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Frilling Named in Forty Under 40
 Lindsay Frilling, CEO of the Obion County Joint Economic Development Council was recently recognized as one of West Tennessee's Up-And-Comer Forty Under 40 by the The Jackson Sun and Jackson Chamber. Nominees were chosen for making significant contributions to their industries, their companies or who are active in the community and have a heart and drive to make West Tennessee a better place. To be considered, candidates must be 39 years old or younger, live or work in West Tennessee outside of Shelby County, serve as a role model to others in their profession or in the community, and display creativity an innovation and contributes these talents to the growth of their profession or community. To read more and see a full list of recipients, click here.
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Reshoring U.S. Manufacturing by Tennessee ECD
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Featuring Darius Mir, MIA Seating
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Thank you for your continued support be renewing your OCIDC membership!
ATMOS Energy Baptist Memorial Hospital
Carpenter Real Estate Company
Darling Industries
Dixie Gun Works
Dr. Jere W. Crenshaw
Farm Credit Services
Fuller Partners Real Estate
G & H Tool & Die, Inc.
Herman Jenkins Motors
Obion County Farm Bureau-Hadley Malone
Quality Inn
Reelfoot Bank
Republic Services
Sullivan Dentistry
Tyson
Union City Electric System
Union City Ford
Union City Rotary Club
Vaughn Electric Company
White-Ranson Funeral Home
Williams Sausage |
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What does a new hire cost your industrial business?
The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry and its industrial division, the Tennessee Manufacturers Association, are always in search of tools that will most directly assist our manufacturing members.
To that end, I would like to introduce you to the Return on Investment Calculator, designed specifically for manufacturers at CostofAHire.com. This free, web-based tool offers employers a structure to identify the cost of an open position and offers several ways to reduce costs. Key indicators include on-the-job training, turnover, and productivity loss.
Please see the link below for additional information and direct access.
We hope you'll find this tool of value.
Another valuable option the Tennessee Manufacturers Association offers to its members to directly resolve your talent pipeline issues, is a unique program called WorkAmerica. We invite you to visit their website at: www.workamerica.co, and for directly contact, please reach out to their co-founder, Michael Colonesse at 770-616-8895.
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*Located downtown First St. in Union City
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 Christmas Open House
Sunday, November 8, 2015
1pm-5pm
Fun, door prizes and refreshments!
We have lots of new arrivals including Brighton and everyone is welcome!
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When an existing client refers someone to White & Associates for business, the Union City office will make a $10 donation to Chimes for Charity. This will go on for the rest of this year and will present a check to Chimes at the end of the year. |
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Attention: Microenterprises (less than five employees) in the areas of construction and manufacturing
The Nashville Business Incubation Center at Tennessee State University recently received a grant to help you grow your small business. Our management and technical assistance program has helped businesses like yours stabilize and grow over the past 29 years. Our goal is to help your business grow and become more sustainable through individualized business coaching and by providing access to funding that will support, in part, one of the core foundational areas of legal, accounting, marketing, and human resources. We will be offering the Incubator Without Walls program to a limited number of participants in your community free for one year.
Program participants will receive:
- Coaching that will equip them with at least one government certification
- Consulting that will teach direct and indirect rates for bid proposals
- Access to small business loan programs to create increased business opportunities
- Coaching and tools needed to hire at least one employee including HR strategic planning, organizational chart, application, job description, employee handbook, compliance, etc...
- Access to management and technical assistance funding to start the process through one (or more) of the four foundational pillars; Marketing, Accounting, Human Resources and Legal as identified in the Acorn to Mighty Oak Assessment
- Weekly, one-on-one coaching sessions
- Quarterly Incubator Without Walls-specific newsletter to include events, resources, and best practices tips
One-on-one coaching will provide information and strategies on Financial Management including evaluating capitalization options, company and project cash flow analysis, lease/purchase analysis, loan package creation and review, and improving personal and business credit score, Training on Bids and Proposals including provisional indirect rates-cost plus contracting, forward pricing per FAR 15-base and option years, and certification readiness, Accounting System Set-up to include installation and optimization, DCAA compliance, estimating and accounting systems integration, actual indirect rates and multipliers development, and subsidies are available for outside consultants, and Marketing Assistance including marketing plans, social media, and capability statement.
Program participants are expected to make weekly meetings, make a good-faith effort to progress in the program, submit monthly and quarterly reports as requested, and complete video and written testimonials as requested.
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Any Chamber member interested in receiving the hospital's cafeteria menu weekly may contact Emily Medley, food and nutrition services director, at emily.medley@bmhcc.org. |
 Obion County Featured in Goodwill Impact 2014 Annual Report "With Goodwill I don't think the economic recovery would have been possible in the short amount of time it occurred," Frilling said. "Goodwill has been a major player in the entities that have come together to try to reduce the unemployment rate." Click here to read the full article. |
 The Workforce Board is pursuing Work Ready Community status for all 11 of the counties we serve, including Obion County. One of the goals is Employer Support. By completing the form, employers are simply stating they are in favor of the Work Ready Community initiative and see value in the NCRC assessment. In no way is an employer committing to do anything, buy anything, require the certification, or anything of that nature. The employer is stating support for the initiative. You can visit the website and see our progress at http://workreadycommunities.com/TN/13. |
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Attention Job Seekers and Employers!
 The Tennessee Career Center at Union City is offering Resume Writing work shops 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.
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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
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Interested in sponsoring Business Matters or Business After Hours?
Contact Lindsay Frilling at
731-885-0211 or lfrilling@obioncounty.org
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