The Greater Akron Chamber congratulates two member businesses that were recently honored by the Cleveland district office of the U.S. Small Business Administration at their award ceremony in May.
The Main Street Gourmet's founders, Steven Marks and Harvey Nelson, were named 2011 Small Business Persons of the Year by the SBA. Main Street Gourmet in Akron is a wholesaler of frozen bakery items.
AtNetPlus Inc.'s owners, Jay Mellon and Jim Laber, were runners-up for the Small Business Persons of the Year. AtNetPlus in Stow is a provider of IT services.
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The mission of the Greater Akron Chamber is to drive economic development and prosperity for the people of the Greater Akron Region.
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SummaCare and Chamber Widen Alliance |
 For many members, the savings alone in health plan premiums that come with joining the Greater Akron Chamber Alliance and SummaCare is worth the cost of Chamber membership. Over the past 14 years, this was only available to members in Summit, Portage and Medina counties. But this year, exciting changes are happening, featuring:
- Expanded location eligibility to Cuyahoga, Stark, Wayne and Geauga counties.
- No size limitations. Companies with 1-10,000+ employees can join.
- Alliance discounts that can be combined with network discounts, for greater savings.
- Expanded savings through affiliate chambers.
These Alliance changes are effective immediately. Contact your broker or go to GACsave.com to find out if joining the Alliance can help save on your premiums.
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30 for the Future Recipients |
| The Greater Akron Chamber announced the 30 young professionals, ages 25-39, whom were selected for the fifth annual 30 for the Future award. A celebration dinner is scheduled for Monday, September 12, 2011. Tickets are $50, or $60 for non-Chamber members.
Rami Ahmed, D.O.
Summa Health System
Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron
Amanda Barna
Center for Marketing and Opinion Research
Jason Bogniard
Apple Growth Partners
Susan P. Bruce, PharmD
Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Andrea Calo
Summa Foundation
Stephen Catalano
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
David V. Chand, M.D.
Akron Children's Hospital
Deepa H. Chand, M.D.
Akron Children's Hospital
Shon Christy
Christy Creative, LLC
Jason D. Dodson
County of Summit
Kimberly DuCharme
FirstEnergy
Tiffany Edwards
Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Scott E. Garchar
FedEx Custom Critical
Julia H. Hall
BCG & Company
James Hardy
Kent State University/Akron Public Schools
Dale Highsmith Jr.
ComDoc
Justin Everett Hilton
Kent State University
Michelle Hinton
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank
Cryshanna A. Jackson, Ph.D.
Youngstown State University
Sherry Neubert
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Nevin C. Nussbaum
Cohen & Company
Brad Pulley
Fifth Third Bank
Megan E. Raber
City of Tallmadge
Jennifer Savitski, M.D.
Akron General Medical Center
Sarah Sehm
FirstMerit Bank
Donald R. Scherer
Stark & Knoll Co., LPA
Jeana M. Singleton
Brenna, Manna & Diamond, LLC
Christopher Smith
Flexible Benefits Systems, Inc.
Jon Stefanik II
Buckingham, Doolittle and Burroughs, LLP
NiCole Swearingen-Hilker
Brouse McDowell, LPA |
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Diversity Conference Takes Aim at Profit and Job Growth |
More than 150 local business owners and entrepreneurs met with corporate leaders and government representatives at the second annual Greater Akron Diversity Conference at Quaker Station in May.
The event featured workshops, panel discussions and a Procurement Café, where entrepreneurs met one on one with purchasing agents from the public and private sectors. Hilton Smith, senior vice president of Turner Construction, provided the keynote address, along with opening remarks from Sam DeShazior, the City of Akron's Deputy Planning Director.
"Economic development events that promote diversity and inclusion are a priority for the Greater Akron Chamber," stated Rick Rebadow, executive vice president of the Greater Akron Chamber. "These events can make a real difference for local companies looking to grow sales and expand employment opportunities in our community." |
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Akron Represented Well at NYC Trade Shows |
At this year's Medical Design and Manufacturing Show (MD&M) in New York, a show that features the technological advances in medical devices, representatives from the Greater Akron Chamber were there to meet with exhibitors from across the nation, including 45 from Ohio and 15 from Northeast Ohio.
"It was a nice surprise to see the Greater Akron Chamber in New York, and it was good to see so many companies from Northeast Ohio," stated Alane Updegraff of the Rohrer Corporation in Wadsworth.
In addition to attending MD&M, the Greater Akron Chamber conducted meetings at three additional trade shows while in New York: East Pack Expo, the east coast's largest packaging and processing show; Green Manufacturing Expo, a show focused on sustainable manufacturing; and Atlantic Design & Manufacturing Show, a show for the east coast OEM (original equipment manufacturer) market.
The Greater Akron Chamber also conducted off-site meetings in Manhattan with a number of corporate real estate consultants and national site selectors to highlight recent economic development activity and investing benefits in the Greater Akron region. |
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Award Recognizes Chamber's
Progress in Economic Development |
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L to R: Sheri Shields, manager of business development for the Greater Akron Chamber, is presented with an award for its business retention and expansion efforts by John Helms, the C2ER Chair. |
In early June, the Greater Akron Chamber was awarded with a Recognition of Excellence in Supporting Collaborative Community/Regional Initiatives by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for its Business Visitation Program. The Chamber collaborates with the Summit County Department of Community & Economic Development on this effort.
C2ER praised the program's successful ability to bring the public and private sectors together to provide companies in Summit County with the research and economic development tools that lead to employment, opportunity and wealth. The initiative was launched in 2003 and recorded its 2,000th business visitation in 2011.
C2ER also heralded this collaborative effort for its ability to replicate the program to work for areas within the Greater Akron region. Currently, the Chamber is working with Medina and Portage Counties to develop their own business partnership programs.
To learn more about the Summit Business Partnership, contact the Chamber office at (330) 379-3164.
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Leadership Through Investment |
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When Chamber members commit to a new or renewed Investor status, they not only invest in the Chamber's economic development strategy to attract companies and jobs to our region, they also get increased direct value for their investment. Along with the benefits that come with membership to the Chamber, Investors are invited to exclusive participation, such as:
- Eligibility for nomination to the Chamber's Board of Directors;
- VIP receptions for Investors;
- Advanced briefings on community and legislative issues;
- Availability to promote events or discounts to other members;
- Customized research reports;
- Upgraded membership listing and additional recognition.
More than 150 Akron area businesses are part of the Investor network. Investor status begins at a $2,500 investment. Call us at (330) 376-5550 to take your leadership and connections within the community to the next level. |
The Chamber is excited to launch Next Gen Intern, a publication and website aimed at helping businesses with the resources and tips for developing exceptional internship programs. Look for more details soon!
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