2019 July/Aug. Connections

CONNECTIONS

A Decade of Success.

When The Bank & Trust was formed in 2009, we never imagined where we would be today, Bryan/College Station’s largest, locally owned community bank with five banking locations to serve you. And with your help and a shared common vision, we’ve accomplished so much as a community. We’ve watched the region grow, as development brought new construction and new faces. We’ve listened to our customers and added new products and improved

better serve the community. Together, we’ve been able to

our community. And none of this would have been possible without the support of

and

and

and

and our loyal

From all of us at The Bank & Trust, THANK

I am so proud of the fact that our community is able and willing to come together in support of our local businesses. We are able to send a delegation of community, education and business leaders each year to Washington D.C., where we stand together and deliver our message from the Bryan/ College Station business community with a united front. In addition to delivering our local Federal Legislative Action Plan to each member of our Texas congressional delegation, our Congressman Bill Flores brings a group of nationally known officials to meet with us in person and inform us of what may be going on behind the scenes and also hear what we have to say. Thank you, Congressman Flores, for working to make this happen.

Cloudy skies and sporadic rain could not keep our local police and firefighters from battling it out at Bombers Park this year at our 12th annual Community Softball Classic. Our local businesses could not be successful without the protection of our first responders and we honor them and help raise money for the 100 Club at the Softball Classic. This year team “Hot Stuff,” made up of members of the Brazos Valley firefighting community, came out on top but I think the most important thing was the fact of our businesses

honoring local first responders. Thanks go to the men and women who risk it all each day for every one of us in B/CS.

Our Washington delegation and our Softball Classic are just two of the many ways your Chamber of Commerce is working to create a successful business climate here in Bryan/College Station. If you are new to the Chamber or maybe you just want to learn about the many different ways to get involved, our next New Member Orientation is scheduled for August 5th here in the Chamber board room from 3:30 to 5 p.m. There is no cost to attend but please reserve your seat in advance by calling the Chamber office.

As I have said before, your Chamber works to achieve our mission of “enhancing the economic well-being of the businesses in the B/CS market” in many different ways. If you have some ideas of how we can continue to develop our mission, please come by the Chamber offices or give me a call at 979-260-5200. As we celebrate our 101st year, we want to continue to improve and grow as we promote business and commerce in our worldclass community.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

VICKI REIM

Board Chair

PHIL SHACKELFORD

Chair-Elect

CRYSTAL DUPRE

Immediate Past Chairman

JASON CORNELIUS

Vice Chair of Leadership

JAMES LARKIN

Vice Chair of Finance & Physical Resources

SUSAN GIPSON

Vice Chair of Business Development

MARY MIKE HATCHER

Vice Chair of Communications

RICARDO DIAZ

Vice Chair of Community Enhancement

TAI LEE

Vice Chair of Membership Enhancement

BRAD BEARD

JOHN BUSH

AUSTIN BRYAN

SPENCER CLEMENTS

JOHN C. “JACK” CULPEPPER III

DAVID DOSS

ZACH ETHERIDGE

JILL GALLAGHER

TRACY KYLE

BARBIE PATTERSON

SHANE PHELPS

KORI RICH

TRAVIS ROLLINS

PAT SHIELDS

GREG ZWEIACKER

STAFF

GLEN BREWER

President/CEO

ROYCE HICKMAN

Community Liaison

CARRIE ARCHER

Manager of Membership

TOM TILTON Manager of Finance

JORDAN PRIHODA

Manager of Business Programs

BRIAN MILLER

Membership Investment Representative

TAYLOR CLARK

Communications Coordinator

ALLISON BATTE

Special Projects Coordinator

RACHEL NAVE

Executive Assistant

LINDA ESPIRIQUETA

Receptionist

BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE

HEALTH CLINICS (979) 207-3300

BSWHealth.com

BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE

COSMETIC SURGERY CENTERCOLLEGE STATION 1110 Earl Rudder Fwy S. College Station, TX 77840 (979) 691-3295

BSWHealth.com

BRAZOS VALLEY MAZDA

3100 Briarcrest Dr. Suite C Bryan, TX 77802 (979) 212-8877

BrazosValleyMazda.com

BMW OF COLLEGE STATION 3417 Texas 6 Frontage Rd College Station, TX 77840 (979) 314-2000

BMWofCollegeStation.com

4099 Hwy 6 South College Station, TX 77845 (979) 704-5400

COLLEGE STATION HYUNDAI 3405 Texas 6 Frontage Rd College Station, TX 77840 (979) 212-8877

CollegeStationHyundai.com

MERCEDES-BENZ

(979) 571-5215

LAST SHOT XPRESSO P.O. Box 6650 Katy, TX 77491 (504) 957-7588

MACY’S 1508 Harvey Rd College Station, TX 77840 (979) 764-3273

Macys.com

OPTIMAL WEIGHT SOLUTIONS

Chamber Photos Ambassadors of the Month

April

I am honored to serve as an Ambassador for the Girl Scouts of Central Texas, a position I intend to keep for a very long time. The friendships and networking opportunities available through the Ambassador program have greatly benefited both me and the local Girl Scouting organization. The Bryan/College Station Girl Scouts have grown over 140% during my tenure as Ambassador and we will continue to expand through chamber involvement.

The mission of Girl Scouting is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. We serve girls from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Our leadership experience is girl driven and girl led with each girl traveling her own unique path through Girl Scouts. Many girls fund their way through the program with our world-famous cookie sales while simultaneously developing the skills to become the future female leaders of their community. Check us out at www. GSCTX.org!

MayI was shocked to have won Ambassador of the Month again! I just love our Chamber of Commerce and the business opportunities that there are. Any chance I get to attend events and network with our community, I try to be there! I enjoy meeting new people and being able to make a difference in the Bryan/College Station Area.

Being an Aggie living in the B/CS area is something special as well. I enjoy the camaraderie that Texas A&M University brings to our businesses, especially for Hotels. I have a passion for tourism and hospitality and have worked with Home2 Suites College Station for the last 3 ½ years. We have grown tremendously in the lodging industry. The best part of my career is being able to welcome guests to our cities and offer recommendations to the wonderful restaurants, attractions, and even shopping we have here.

I look forward to saying hi to you at the next Chamber event and sharing with you and others about your business and how we can work together.

June

I am honored to be Ambassador of the Month and proud to serve alongside some pretty amazing volunteers that make up the Bryan/College Station Chamber of Commerce Ambassador program. Together, we represent the local community and the surrounding area. We collectively care about the pulse of our community and the businesses in and around, both small and large.

As President and CEO of Holladay & Associates, I am proud to lead my team of associates who have more than 80 years of combined experience in the tax and accounting fields. We provide tax preparation, payroll, bookkeeping, notary services and more to a broad-based roster of local and regional clients. As someone who sees the story beyond the numbers, you can often find me speaking to groups about financial, personal, and professional growth.

Please visit our website at www.holladayassociates.com for access to numerous resources for your personal and business needs. I look forward to meeting you out in the community or at future chamber events.

GINNY FORD GIRL SCOUTS OF CENTRAL TEXAS

DEBBIE HOLLADAY HOLLADAY & ASSOCIATES, INC.

CHRISTINA HULTQUIST AIMBRIDGE HOSPITALITY

AFTER HOURS

Leadership Brazos 2019

As we continue to strive toward economic excellence in the Brazos Valley, the Chamber of Commerce recognizes the need for strong leadership within the community. Over the years, the Chamber has cultivated a variety of leadership programs which encourage professional development and emphasize the value of community involvement. Our annual Founders Night raises money for Chamber leadership programs, including scholarships, luncheons, and more.

LEADERSHIP BRAZOS

Leadership Brazos is a nine-month leadership program which identifies and provides developmental opportunities for outstanding men and women in Bryan-College Station. The program was first introduced in 1983 and was modeled after leadership programs around the state. LB hopefuls must first submit a detailed application outlining their professional experience, community involvement, leadership aspirations, and goals for the program. The applications are then redacted of all identifying personal information and presented to an anonymous committee that scores and selects each class. The program begins with an overnight retreat in September and continues with one full day of programming per month, concluding with graduation in May. Each day focuses on a different topic and highlights that industry’s impact within Brazos County. Participants hear from local leaders and experience a behind-the-scenes look into local government, healthcare, education, agriculture, and more. LB applications are typically released at the Leadership Luncheon in mid-July, and they are also available on the Chamber’s website. Each July, the Leadership Brazos Alumni Association hosts a Leadership Luncheon to raise money for LB and JLB scholarships. Applications for the new Leadership

Brazos class will be released at this this time. This year’s luncheon will be held on July 10th at Phillips Event Center and will feature keynote speaker Rob Rodriguez, Whataburger’s Chief Restaurant Operating Officer.

JUNIOR LEADERSHIP BRAZOS

The incredible success of the Chamber’s Leadership Brazos program prompted the creation of Junior Leadership Brazos in 1992. This nine-week program serves as a condensed version of LB for outstanding high school

JLB applications are distributed to area high school counselors in early October and will be due in early November. For more information on the value of JLB or for questions about the program, please email allison@bcschamber.org.

LEADERSHIP BRAZOS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

The Leadership Brazos Alumni Association is composed of dues-paying graduates of Leadership Brazos. The purpose of LBAA is to allow graduates to continue to maintain relationships formed during the program and forge new relationships with graduates of previous years. Revenue generated from LBAA dues helps provide scholarships for future Leadership Brazos and Junior Leadership Brazos participants and assists the Chamber in conducting all leadership programs. LBAA conducts a number of social events during the year designed for recruiting past LB graduates to join LBAA and for networking among members.

INSIDE B/CS: A BRIEFING BY COMMUNITY LEADERS

juniors in our area. The application process is very similar to that of LB, and challenges students to think critically about local issues and future leadership goals. Students are given the opportunity to speak with elected officials and community leaders in an intimate setting. They are also exposed to many local industries and potential career paths to consider as they prepare for high school graduation and continued education. Most importantly, the program underscores the value of philanthropy and the responsibility we have to give back to our community.

A member of Leadership Brazos’s first class, County Commissioner, Steve Aldrich, stands with the 1,000th LB graduate, Cody Kerr, owner of Smitty K’s Bar & Grill.

This one-day briefing is designed for individuals new to the community and for those seeking an update on current community topics. The program covers the same topics explored in Leadership Brazos with many of the same speakers, but they are presented in a much more condensed time-frame. This year, Inside B/CS, sponsored by Patterson Architects, will be held on July 17th at the George Bush Presidential Library & Museum. Attendees will hear from the mayors of both Bryan and College Station, the superintendents of both school districts, representatives from Texas A&M University and Blinn College, elected officials, law enforcement officers, and more. For a complete list of speakers and to purchase tickets for this event, please visit bcschamber.org or call (979) 2605200.

Additional information on our leadership programs can be found at bcschamber. org/leadership.

Leadership Brazos graduated its 35th class in May 2019.

BUILDING A LEGACY

THE IMPACT OF THE GEORGE BUSH PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM

“Then you are saying you are not going to put your Library at Texas A&M?” Texas Oil Man Michel Halbouty asked then-Vice President George Bush. “No, Michel, I am not saying that—it’s just too soon to make a decision.”

The process that led to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum being located in College Station on the Texas A&M campus began with this meeting between Vice President George Bush and Halbouty.

Mr. Halbouty was in Washington for a meeting with the then-Vice President soon after the November election, in which Bush had defeated his Democratic opponent Michael Dukakis, to discuss energy policy. Halbouty asked Bush if he had thought any about where he might locate his Presidential Library after he left office. Bush’s reaction was noncommittal, and he told Halbouty

that he was not even President yet and had not put much thought into where to locate the Library.

Halbouty took the absence of a no as a yes and a committee of University and Civic leaders was established to begin lobbing for the Library.

After becoming President, Bush was invited by the University to be the spring commencement speaker—which he accepted—and by the time he arrived in town, a three-dimensional rendering of the Library had been completed and the site was selected. Bush was driven by the site and then shown the architectural renderings prior to the commencement address. To seal the deal, Michel Halbouty had the results of the campus voting boxes of the three Texas Universities who had interest in obtaining the Library in his coat pocket. Only the students at Texas A&M had given Bush a majority on Election Day. Mr. Halbouty asked the President if that made a difference and the President responded “Mike, that does make a difference”.

President Bush announced his decision to put his Library at Texas A&M midway through the first of what looked like a two-term Presidency. Alas, even with a successful foreign and domestic policy and one of the most impressive resumes of any modern President, it was not to be, which left the National Archives scrambling to find a temporary location for Bush’s presidential and vice presidential records, Dan Quayle’s vice presidential records and a vast collection of personal papers, which included all the letters he wrote home to his parents during world War II, and audio-visual materials from as far back as 1924 showing the president taking his first steps at Kennebunkport, Maine.

...BUSH’S RECORDS WERE “LANGUISHING AWAY IN AN OLD BOWLING ALLEY IN A BACKWATER TOWN IN TEXAS”.

In December 1992, a temporary site was found in an old bowling alley in College Station and the records were flown from Washington D.C. to Ft. Hood outside Temple, Texas in a feat of military precision that would make anyone proud of the U.S. Army. By

ON JUNE 12TH, 2019—WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE FORMER PRESIDENT’S 95TH BIRTHDAY— THE US POSTAL SERVICE ISSUED A COMMEMORATIVE GEORGE H.W. BUSH “FOREVER” STAMP.

noon on January 21, everything was placed on prearranged shelving, which prompted a newspaper article in The New York Times to remark that Bush’s records were “languishing away in an old bowling alley in a backwater town in Texas”. The director at the time, Dave Alsobrook, wrote a letter to the editor objecting to the assertion that the records were languishing away, pointing out that they were in fact being cared for by a professional staff of archivists. He also took issue with the claim that we were a “backwater town,” noting College Station’s status as home to Texas A&M, one of the nation’s largest and most premiere Land Grant University. But the deepest cut of all was the claim that the records were being stored in an old bowling alley because we weren’t in just an old bowling alley, but also the space of the Chinese restaurant which had been next door.

Construction of the permanent facility began shortly after the National Archives’ arrival in College Station. The ninety-acre site included, in addition to the Library and Museum,

an academic building to house the Bush School of Government and Public Service and a building which included two auditoriums, a general meeting space, offices for the Bush Foundation and an apartment and office for the former president. The Bush Museum opened to the public on a crisp and clear day in November 1997. In addition to President Bush, three of the four living Presidents, plus Texas Governor George W. Bush, were on hand for the building’s dedication and the ceremony of handing the building over to the National Archives as a gift to the American people. As has been the custom and codified in the Presidential Libraries Act, a Foundation had been established after the President left office and funds were raised to pay for the forty-three million dollar building, furnishings and exhibits.

The collection which came to the Library included over 40 million pages of Bush Presidential and VicePresidential records, thousands of hours of video recordings and over a million photographic images, and since this was in the days before digital photography they were all on negatives which were stored in cold storage to mitigate fading of color. The collection also included a vast trove of personal papers from Bush’s long career of pubic service. There were the letters he wrote home during the war, as well as a diary he kept as U.S. Liaison to the Peoples’ Republic of China, both now open to the public. In addition, there were records from his two terms as Congressman for Texas, his time as Ambassador for

the United Nations, his year with the CIA as Director of Intelligence and materials from his days in business.

One of the most valuable collections is over one hundred scrapbooks donated by Barbara Bush that she had begun early in her marriage, and which she continued to create throughout the Presidency. They include a gold mine of historical materials.

Since the Library’s opening, the processing of the collection has made great progress thanks to a cadre of dedicated archivists.

Thanks to our friends at the Bush School who began the process of filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests as soon as they were eligible, and have been systematically filing mandatory review requests for declassification. It has taken time, but the records of an important time in American history are open for research; records dealing with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first Gulf War, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the North American Free Trade Act, which waited until the beginning of the Clinton Administration to go into effect.

SINCE OPENING IN 1997, THE GEORGE BUSH PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM HAS GENERATED APPROXIMATELY

$90-100 MILLION OF ECONOMIC IMPACT IN BRYAN COLLEGE STATION” –EXPERIENCE BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION

foreign and domestic policy and, thanks to all those scrap books Mrs. Bush kept over the years, photos and artifacts of almost the entire life of the President, which includes the personal side of the President, Mrs. Bush and the family. Built into the Museum is a temporary exhibit gallery (Ansary Gallery of American History). Temporary exhibits are rotated about once a year, so there is always something new to see. And to add to the excitement, you never know who is going to drop in. Three times the former President had parachuted onto the Library grounds; once for his 75th Birthday, again on his 80th Birthday and most recently on the 10th anniversary of the Library’s opening for the rededication of the Museum following a redesign of the core exhibits. In fact, The President and First Lady had been active participants in programs on the campus of the Library and Museum, Bush School and the Conference Center. The impact of the Bush Library and Museum in the community has been very significant. The museum employs 30 permanent staff, 11 custodial workers, 17 security services personnel, 29 interns and over 120 volunteers. Since opening in November of 1997, the museum has welcomed 3,318,494 visitors through May 2019.

One of the constants of the Bush Library and Museum has been Director Warren Finch, who has been in with the museum since before the groundbreaking of the museum. “With the recent passing of President Bush and Barbara Bush, the mission of the museum will continue” said Finch. “President Bush was intimately involved in the Presidential Library and local community from attending exhibit openings and forums to frequently being seen in the museum and surrounding grounds. So many people here have been touched by his life and knowing him personally. Through his Presidential Library and Museum we will continue to honor his life and legacy with our utmost reverence.”

Visitors who come to the Museum find an engaging experience with interactive exhibits: buttons to push, drawers to open which include spy gadgets from the CIA, audio kiosks with first person narratives of the administration’s

GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH JUNE 12, 1924 - NOVEMBER 30, 2018

BARBARA PIERCE BUSH JUNE 8, 1925 - APRIL 17, 2018

BRYAN MIDTOWN

In late 2018, the City of Bryan embarked on a proactive planning process to tackle the challenges and uncover the opportunities in approximately twosquare miles surrounding the Travis B. Bryan Municipal Park property from historic Downtown Bryan to the city limits shared with the City of College Station and adjacent to the Texas A&M University, generally bounded by Finfeather Road to the west and South Texas Avenue to the east. The City wanted to create a focused guide in the planning area, called Midtown, which facilitates a growing demand for quality housing, commercial services, restaurants and entertainment offerings while enhancing the existing neighborhood fabric.

“The level of excitement and interest from the public during the Midtown planning process has matched what the City of Bryan experienced during the Downtown Master Plan 20 years ago. Bryan citizens and stakeholders want to see the Midtown area enhanced, and they are eager to shape this unique part of our community in a way that is meaningful and enduring. It is remarkable how far Downtown has come as a result of effective citizen engagement and community pride; we anticipate a similar outcome for Midtown Bryan.” – Joey Dunn, Deputy City Manager, City of Bryan

The consultant team hired to facilitate the planning process is led by Fayetteville, Arkansas based firm Miller, Boskus, Lack Architecture and supported by a multi-disciplinary team that includes architects, urban planners, developers, elected officials, non-profit management, economic developers and community engagement specialists. In addition, the city formed the Midtown Plan Advisory Committee made up of community members to provide detailed oversight and feedback on the process. This broad-spectrum point of view, coupled with the collective wisdom and experience of Bryan citizens, business owners, supporting agencies and city staff, ensures the plan takes a comprehensive view of the district’s future.

The team facilitated multiple individual stakeholder meetings, numerous public feedback sessions and focused community work sessions, along with online surveys, a dynamic website, social media posts, video recaps and local media interviews to both engage and inform the public of the Midtown process. As the planning process progressed over the past year, each functional component was informed by the touchstones defined in preceding tasks and were anchored to a robust community engagement program. The results have developed a multi-layered and nuanced plan that offers a flexible approach to short term challenges and long-range opportunities.

“I AM GLAD THAT THE CITY OF BRYAN IS WORKING TO PROTECT THE CULTURE OF MIDTOWN. CARNEYS AS WELL AS A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES AND BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A VERY LONG TIME. BEING ON THE MIDTOWN PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS REALLY EXCITING BECAUSE IT WILL GIVE US A CHANCE TO EXPAND AND GROW AND KEEP THE CULTURE INSTEAD OF BEING TORN DOWN FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS WITH NO SENSE OF COMMUNITY.”

MIDTOWN PLANNING AREA BRYAN, TEXAS

Recognizing that the entire Midtown area does not share the same needs, the initial community input guided the creation of an experience district map that includes Gateway, Railyard, Park, Union Hill and North of Northgate Districts. This approach then set the stage for a unique set of 5 1 2 3 4 5

These included:

• Cultivating connected and safe neighborhoods with convenient access to the goods, services and a wide variety of housing that meets the needs of all ages and abilities.

• Prioritizing neighborhood infill on context appropriate small and medium scale buildings that foster an incremental approach for new development, is compatible with existing adjacent structures and addresses the needs of projected future demand.

• Reuse existing structures whenever feasible.

• Align City of Bryan municipal investment with strategies that foster appropriate private development to ensure projects maximize taxpayer

The Midtown Area Plan proposed a new approach to engaging the imagination and buy-in of the community because relevant planning approaches don’t work in isolation. The end goal was to disrupt the standard planning document that presents an incredible vision, but then relies on “recruiting developers” or outside investors as a catch-all implementation strategy. Advancing a neighborhood or a corridor requires many small steps, with ongoing governance requirements and many actors coordinating their work. The success of any community relies on both an inclusive vision and clear implementable actions. The Midtown Area Plan strives to incorporate both.

The local community gathers to discuss the planning of the Bryan Midtown project, led by Arkansas firm Miller, Boskus, and Lack.

The Floor is Yours...

The Chamber Spotlight shares company news with the community. New leadership, major changes, anniversaries, employee achievements - celebrate milestones with a message!

Kona Ice of Bryan

comes to your corporate event, wedding, employee appreciation, schools, and sports events. We are known for our generous giveback program. In less than one year we have given the great community of Bryan over $9,000 in profit share. We are committed to building partnerships with our community!

The Ranch Harley-Davidson has officially won the prestigious HarleyDavidson Gold Bar & Shield Circle of Excellence Award for the second year in a row, making us the #1 Dealer in the HoustonArea District and one of the Top 25 Dealers in the Nation! We have been graded (by our customers) #1 in Customer Satisfaction out of all 11 dealers in the Houston-Area.

Aggieland Scuba

is proud to celebrate its 5th anniversary in BCS this summer and welcome a new instructor, Katey Lenox, to our shop! We now have 9 instructors to teach Open Water scuba lessons, Advanced Scuba Specialties, as well as CPR/AED, First Aid, and Seal Team for 8-10 year olds.

Northwestern Mutual College Station

is excited to welcome new advisors, Dan Drake, Kervin Simmons, and Heather Willis to our team. They join a team of twenty dedicated individuals who seek to serve the B-CS business owners and professionals with all of their financial planning needs.

Main St. Market

in Iola is excited to share with you our recently added services to complete your celebration, whether it is a wedding, reception, shower, or reunion! We now offer the following services that can be added to ANY of your venue packages – Coordinator (day of or entire event), Valet, Bartending Services, Catering (Buffet Style/Plate Service), Service Staffing, Photography, Videography, DJ Services, Live Music Services, Set-Up/Take-Down/CleanUp, Grazing Tables, Dessert Bars, Custom Cakes/Baked Items, and much more! Please contact us at www.iolamainstmarket.com or (936) 727-0615.

Hidden Creek RV & Cabin Resort

in Bryan has won a Texas Association of Campground Owners in the “Best Accommodations” category for small parks. The 98-site resort has six cabins with three floor plans, and the park has two creeks that run through the campground as well as walking trails. Amenities include a resortstyle clubhouse, a swimming pool and spa. Felisia Boegner and her husband, Allan, opened the 25-acre park in 2017.

KBTX N ews

was recently honored with three regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for the region’s best breaking new coverage, continuing coverage, and newscast. The Texas Associated Press Broadcasters also honored KBTX with a best-in-state award, including awards for spot coverage, anchor team (Rusty Surette and Karla Castillo), best weathercast (Shel Winkley & Erika Paige), best news reporter (Rusty Surette), best sports special (Aggie Gameday), special content, investigative reporting, feature reporting, and news series. KBTX thanks the community for 62 years of trusting us as their overwhelming choice for local news and looks forward to our continuing shared success.

Ray Criswell Distributing

is celebrating its 73rd year of serving the Brazos Valley. Come see us and speak to our experienced staff for all your home and business cleaning and paper supplies.

U Paint-It Pottery

a contemporary paint-your-own ceramics studio, celebrates 15 amazing years on August 16th! We have enjoyed providing a place for family, friends and colleagues to relax, share time together, and create lasting memories. We appreciate the community’s support and look forward to many more fun-filled years!

ABC Home & Commercial Services

opened their new office in April of 2019 located at 1009 N Earl Rudder Fwy, with construction on both the new 7,000 square foot warehouse and existing 14,000 square foot office building for managers, service personnel, sales inspectors, and customer service representatives. “I am so excited about our new facilities. It is a great investment into the Brazos Valley community,” said Bo Jenkins, General Manager of ABC Home & Commercial Services - Bryan/College Station. “The new office is fun to drive up to and open the doors each morning. It makes you proud to be part of such a great family.”

Sunshine Fun Pools

has been named a National Top 50 Builder for the second year in a row by Pool and Spa News. This prestigious award recognizes the best custom pool builders in the industry. This success would not be possible without the local support of our great customers, home builders, and fellow Chamber members.

Code Ninjas College Station

is a learning center dedicated to teaching children ages 7-14 how to code using interactive game-based curriculum! Just recently, Code Ninjas celebrated its first anniversary here in College Station. We offer year-round coding classes, Summer Camps, and other STEM-related activities for kids to have fun and parents to see results!

RNL Homes

wants to congratulate Josh Mitchell for his one-year anniversary with the company. Josh leads construction operations at our Greenbrier Community and has built homes for numerous happy families since joining in

June of 2018. He is not just a great colleague, but an exemplary family man and trusted friend.

Bryan-College Station Regional Association of Realtors raised $12,000 for Brazos Valley Cares with our 2019 Bowl for Brazos Valley Veterans event on Friday, June 7th at Grand Station. We had 40 teams bowling, which included 37 purchased teams and 3 sponsored Veteran teams. We also had a great silent auction and an appearance by Gutter Ball Granny!

WHY

YOU A CHAMBER MEMBER?

“

The B/CS Chamber of Commerce has developed a great reputation on Capitol Hill as one that is committed to serving the best interests of its community. Each year we spend a week in Washington D.C. presenting our legislative action plan to members of Congress, and we do the same in Austin, on a biannual basis when the Texas Legislature is in session.

”LYNCH

JOHN ANDERSON MERRILL

Deluxe Ribbon Cuttings

Are you celebrating an important milestone? Anniversary? Opened a new location? Re-branding? Let us help you! Call (979) 260-5200 or email Brian@bcschamber.org to schedule your B/CS Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting today!

ASHLEY FURNITURE HOMESTORE, THE WILKS GROUP

1201 Earl Rudder Frwy S

College Station, TX 77845

(979) 694-0202

www.ashleyfurniturehomestore.com

DRAKE ENVIRONMENTAL, LLC

750 William D. Fitch Parkway, Suite 440 College Station, TX 77845 (979) 431-5224 www.drakeenv.com

HILL CARTER LAW, PLLC

750 William D. Fitch Parkway, Suite 440 College Station, TX 77845 (979) 985-5001 www.hillcarterlaw.com

www.suiteson6.com

www.trubryancollegestation.trubyhilton.com

BRYAN / COLLEGE STATION

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

P.O. BOX 3579

BRYAN, TX 77805-3579

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