Connections Winter 2017

gg gg “The road to success is not a path you find but a trail you blaze.”

Robert Brault

OCTOBER-DECEMBER OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2017 2017

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce. Here’s some of our significant third quarter accomplishments: Program Development 

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Youth Leadership Calhoun County participated in Quality of Life Day on Tuesday, October 3rd. Thirty one students toured the Oxford Performing Arts Center, The Freedom Riders Memorial, the Berman Museum of World History, and the Anniston Museum of Natural History.

Leadership Calhoun County, along with three CLIMB members (Barry Robertson, Jimmy Ulrey, & Greg Kernion), toured the Anniston Army Depot on Thursday, October 5th.

Leadership Calhoun County held their Media Day on the afternoon of Thursday, October 5th.

October 19th LCC held their Cultural Arts & Community Service Day. The class toured the Berman, the Natural History Museum, and St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church before having an etiquette lunch at Garfrerick's at the Club. Community Service Day was hosted by the United Way at the YMCA. The class participated in a poverty simulation.

LCC Alumni Fall Social was Tuesday, October 24th at the High Pointe Restaurant. Jacksonville State University Softball Coach Jana McGinnis was the guest speaker. There were 40 people in attendance.

Youth Leadership Calhoun County participated in Career & Mentors Day on November 7th. The 32 YLCC students participated in mock interviews, had lunch with a career mentor in their field of interest, and learned about employability skills.

Leadership Calhoun County's Economic Development and Industry Day was held on November 9th.

The 22 class members & CLIMB Executive Leadership Program class member, Everett King, learned about the Calhoun County Economic Development Council, as well as toured area manufacturing facilities (Tyler Union, Auto Custom Carpets, and Howard Core Company) YLCC Local Government Day was held on December 5th at the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce.

Mayor Jack Draper, City of Anniston, and Mayor Wayne Willis, City of Weaver, were joined by Jacksonville City Counsel President, Sandra Sudduth, as part of a panel discussion. Afterwards, County Commissioner of Licenses and Tags, Barry E. Robertson, led the students in a hands on budgeting exercise to learn more about the roles of county government. Students were treated to an etiquette lunch sponsored & taught by Eastman's Gayle MacollyHarris at Garfrerick's at the Anniston Country Club.

LCC Small Business Day was held on December 7th at Northeast Alabama Entrepreneurial Center. CLIMB Executive Leadership Class Members Greg Kernion and Jimmy Ulrey chaired the day. There were 22 participants, including CLIMB Executive Leadership class members Everett King and Jimmie Thompson, III. Northeast Alabama Entrepreneurial Center Manager, Jennifer Soehren, explained business incubators & JSU SBDC Director, Ken Grissom, along with Business Advisors, Joe Grimes & Lindsay Fray explained their role in small business development. Phil Webb (Webb Concrete & Building Supplies), Everett King (ERA King Realty), Larry Deason (F&M Bank), Greg Kernion (New Leaf Marketing), and Jimmy Ulrey (Southern Metal Processing Company) participated in a small business panel. Afterwards, the class split into groups to tour local businesses K.L. Brown Funeral Home, Wig's Wheels, & Southern Metal Processing Company.

LCC Financial Sector Day was held on the afternoon of December 7th. JSU Center for Economic Development & Business Research gave a report on the current climate of the market & future outlook. Fort McClellan Credit Union explained the difference between credit unions and banks. Farmers & Merchants, NobleBank & Trust, BBVA, and Regions Bank all participated in a financial panel.

LCC Advisory Committee, Alumni, and Current Class Members participated in the gift wrapping fundraiser for local nonprofit, 2nd Chance at the Quintard Mall on December 11th.

The quarterly Partners in Education meeting was held on October 18th. Calhoun County Schools, Jacksonville City Schools, and Anniston City Schools were represented. Gadsden State Community College President, Martha Lavender, was the guest speaker, and the city of Weaver's Mayor, Wayne Willis, held an open discussion on how the local government can work with the school systems.

Students from Alexandria, Ohatchee, and Weaver participated in the Chamber of Commerce Award of

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Excellence Contest for the month of October by drawing their favorite place to visit in Calhoun County. Winners will be announced at the next Calhoun County Board of Education Meeting.

Kitty Stone Elementary School & Jacksonville High School participated in the Chamber Award of Excellence for the month of November.

Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce Fall Job Shadow Day was Tuesday, October 31st. There were 80 students participating from Jacksonville & Anniston High Schools.

Attended the 2018 Advantage Plus Committee meeting on Tuesday, October 3rd at Piedmont High School.

Attended an Alabama Community Leadership Network Forum in Clanton, Alabama on October 12th. Topics discussed included Best Practices, Community Development, and Leadership Development.

Attended the annual Farm City Banquet, hosted by the Women's Leadership Committee of Calhoun County Farmers Federation on November 14th.

Alexandria Elementary & Alexandria High School were featured on the School Spotlight Table for November.

Public Affairs     

Committee held Chat with Senator Marsh on Tuesday, October 31st about upcoming Legislative Session.

Co-sponsored with AUSA a breakfast with guest speaker: Commander of the Anniston Army Depot, Colonel Joel Warhurst State & Legislative Agendas have been adopted.

Military & Security Affairs Committee had a luncheon with an update on the Military & Security Affairs partners. There were 30 Military & Security Affairs Members present.

There are now 73 members of the MSAC. Goal is 100 committee members.

Business Development     

We had 95 exhibitors, 15 restaurants, and almost 1500 attendees at this year's Business to Business EXPO on October 17.

Small Business Committee met at the NE AL Entrepreneurial Center on Oct. 18th.

The Small Business Committee kicked off Shop Small November with 18 small businesses offering discounts during the month of November.

November 15, our Small Business Committee Meeting included a roundtable discussion with State Senator Del Marsh.

During December, the Chamber staff created a Small Business Resource Guide to share with entrepreneurs.

Organizational Development   

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Chamber Ambassadors monthly meeting was held on October 10.

Chamber Ambassadors monthly meeting was held on November 14 at the Chamber.

Ambassadors held an informational meeting for members interested in participating in the Ambassador program next year. 8 new Ambassadors signed up for the program in 2018.

Chamber Ambassadors held their annual Holiday get together on December 12.

Ribbon Cuttings were held for Trump Auto Sales, Kemp Flooring America, Thistle Café, Thai One On's New Pho Vietnamese Noodle Bar, Valkyries Austere Medical Solutions & Consulting, Pate's Design, Build, & Remodel, Pine Hill Country Club, J Spot Bar & Lounge, Guild Mortgage, Hannah Closet. Wiseguys’ new Jacksonville location, Simply Shabby, Kindred Hospice's new location, Kelly Services 11th Anniversary, Rosa Lee Jewelry's new location, 3 Guys Stogies & Stuff, Sprint by Absolute Wireless, J&J Electric, and Model City Ink LLC .

A Chamber longevity award was presented to Multimetco, Inc., ARC of Calhoun & Cleburne Counties, WVOK K98, and Walmart of Oxford for their support of the Chamber for 30 years or more.

Business & Biscuits was sponsored and hosted by Webb Concrete & Building Materials at the Webb Showroom in Oxford with 72 in attendance.

Business & Biscuits was sponsored and hosted by the Military and Security Affairs Committee at the Chamber, with 54 in attendance. Committee Co-Chairman Greg Brown discussed the importance of the committee, 4 members joined the MSAC Committee after the meeting.

Business & Biscuits was sponsored by and hosted at K.L. Brown Memory Chapel in Golden Springs, with 58 in attendance.

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Lunch & Leads was sponsored by Samco and hosted at Garfrerick's at the Anniston Country Club with 55 in attendance. Samco representatives presented a $5000 check to The Donoho School and a $35,000 check to the Calhoun County School System.

Lunch & Leads was sponsored by RMC and hosted at Hubbard's Off Main in Oxford with 68 in attendance.

Lunch & Leads was sponsored by Regions and hosted at Classic on Noble with 55 in attendance.

Business After Hours was held at the Annual Business Expo, with several hundred in attendance.

Business After Hours was held at Calhoun Pickers and catered by The Peerless Saloon & Grille. Over one hundred members attended.

Member Appreciation Day was held at the Chamber on Friday, October 27. 200 members enjoyed lunch and participated in fun outdoor activities including adult tricycle races, a pizza eating contest, and the Alabama National Guard's rock climbing wall.

Hosted Google Livestream: Help Holiday Shoppers Find Your Business.

The Chamber's Board of Directors made phone calls to members to thank them for their involvement.

The Chamber has 1152 members.

7 new members joined the Chamber in October.

7 new members joined the Chamber in November.

6 new members joined the Chamber in December.

Tourism 

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The Chamber Staff was invited to set up at JSU's Fall Preview Day, meeting hundreds of students considering JSU to further their education.

Oct. 19, we hosted the state welcome center managers for their retreat.

Oct. 23, we held our quarterly attractions meeting at the Museum of Natural History.

Oct. 25, we hosted the quarterly Ladiga Meeting at the Chamber & Visitors Center.

The Chamber staff assisted with the FatTire Fest at Zinn Park and on Coldwater Mountain.

The Chamber & Visitors Center continues to run Weather Channel app ads and distribute pom-poms during JSU Home game weekends.

November 14, Tyson Fine Wines & Things hosted a wine tasting in conjunction with our quarterly hotel meeting.

November 28-30, we participated in the Freedom Riders National Monument Foundation Document Session with the National Parks Service.

November 30, we secured a state tourism matching grant to host a travel writer from PinkBike, the largest action sports website in the world.

Held our quarterly Restaurant Meeting on December 6 at the Chamber & Visitors Center.

Partnered with Anniston Museum of Natural History to present Art of Natural History press conference announcing the 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12 Grade Free field trip winners.

Exhibited alongside the Oxford Main Street Program, Oxford Performing Arts Center, Wren's Nest and Anniston Museums and Gardens at the State Welcome Center Holiday Open House on December 13.

175 visitor packets sent out during the last quarter of 2018.

Public Relations                

The Visit Calhoun County Facebook Page now has 1262 likes.

The Chamber's October E-Newsletter, distributed October 2, had 622 opens, of the 2106 sent.

The Chamber's November E-Newsletter, distributed October 30, had 496 opens, of the 2091 sent.

The Chamber's December E-Newsletter, distributed December 4, had 506 opens, of the 2113 sent.

VisitCalhounCounty.com had more than 4,300 visitors.

The Visit Calhoun County blog has generated more than 1266 page views. @VisitCalhounCo has 536 followers on Twitter. @VisitCalhounCo has 370 followers on Instagram, with 1349 new likes and 18 comments from 22 pictures.

The Chamber Facebook page has 4307 likes/Followers.

CalhounChamber.com had more than 15,000 visitors, with 3478 directory searches of our online.

With active job postings garnered 1279 views.

Our Calhounchamber.com event calendar received more than 8,782 searches.

Our 27 Hot Deals received 710 hits.

The Chamber's Twitter, @CalhounChamber, has 1269 followers.

The Chamber's Blog garnered 113 views.

The Chamber's App, Calhoun2Go, has 182 users.

October Events

October 3, Trump Auto Sales celebrated their opening with ribbon cutting at 1430 South Quintard Avenue in Anniston.

October 5, Leadership Calhoun County had their Depot Day and Media Day. On this day, LCC has the opportunity to tour one of our largest employers, Anniston Army Depot, and tour the Anniston Star and TV24.

October 3, Youth Leadership Calhoun County had their Quality of Life/ Tourism Day, and they toured the Oxford Performing Arts Center, heard from Reggie Tiller the Superintendent of Freedom Riders National Monument and toured the Berman Museum of World History and Anniston Museum of Natural History.

October 6, the Thistle Cafe celebrated a ribbon cutting for their food truck at their Friday Food Truck Stop at 2nd & Charles, located at 900 South Quintard Avenue in Oxford.

October 5, Webb Concrete & Building Materials hosted Business & Biscuits at their Showroom, located at 1021 Snow Street in Oxford. It's was also Phil's Birthday!

October 11, SAMCO hosted Lunch & Leads at Garfrerick's at the Club, located at Anniston Country Club, 601 Highland Avenue in Anniston. During the lunch, SAMCO presented Donoho School and Calhoun County Schools a check donation.

October 5, Kemp Flooring America celebrated their Grand Re-Opening under new ownership with a ribbon cutting at their 825 Snow Street location in Oxford.

October 12, New Flyer Industries celebrated the ribbon cutting and grand opening for their Vehicle Innovation Center. This is the first innovation lab in North America dedicated to the advancement of bus and coach technology.

EXPO 2017 Best Pizza: WiseguysChicago Don October 17, 1500 attendees perused 95 exhibitors at the 33rd Calhoun County Business to Business EXPO at the Anniston City Meeting Center.

Best BBQ & People’s Choice on Facebook: Golden CorralBBQ Pork

Best Lunch & Best Dinner: Peerless Saloon & Grille

Best Sandwich: Honeybaked Ham- Tavern

Best Wings: Thai One OnThai Chicken Curry Wings

Best Dessert & Best Customer Experience: Artisanal Baked Goods Kouiqn Amann (Queen Aman) Pastry

Best Chicken: Heroes Voodoo Chicken

October 16, Thai One On celebrated a ribbon cutting for their New Pho Vietnamese Noodle Bar at their 911 Noble Street location in Anniston.

Best Exhibitors Best in Show: Tempforce

Best Giveaway: J Brittain Associates

Most Innovative: AOD Federal Credit Union

October 18, Valkyries Austere Medical Solutions & Consultants LLC celebrated the ribbon cutting for their Anniston location at 141 14th Army Band Road.

October 19, Pate’s Design, Build & Remodel celebrated the ribbon cutting for their new showroom at their 1900 S Quintard location in Anniston.

Most Fun Exhibitors: Abbey Carpet & Floor & New Leaf Marketing

Best 1st Time Exhibitor: Home Advantage Living Assistance Services LLC

October 19, the current Leadership Calhoun County class received guided, behind the scenes tours of the Natural History Museum and the Berman Museum. They also toured St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church and conducted a Community Service Day Poverty Simulation with the United Way of East Central Alabama at the YMCA of Calhoun County.

October Events

October 20, Pine Hill Country Club celebrated a ribbon cutting for the golf course's new ownership, with refreshments, prizes and more.

October 24, J Spot Bar & Lounge celebrated a ribbon cutting for their 107 Old Gadsden Highway location in Anniston.

October 24, Leadership Calhoun County hosted a Fall Alumni Social for the Alumni and current class, featuring JSU's Head Softball Coach Jana McGinnis as the speaker.

October 26, the Chamber Board of Directors met for their monthly meeting, including an update from the Military & Security Affairs Committee by B.R. Williams' Greg Brown.

October 26, Guild Mortgage celebrated a ribbon cutting for their 1225 Snow Street location in Oxford with snacks, Halloween treats, door prizes, and a raffle giveaway for attendees!

October 26, Hannah Closet celebrated a ribbon cutting for their new location at 813 Snow street in Oxford with deals for those who attended.

Each year, we take a day to celebrate our members and host Member Appreciation Day, complete with lunch and fun for all, this year on October 27.

It's not all tricks, but October 31st was full of treats for our city schools' students who were able to participate in Job Shadow Day on Halloween!

November Events

November 2, the Chamber's Military & Security Affairs Committee hosted Business & Biscuits at the Chamber, sharing with attendees how to join the committee, the role and perks of the committee, and the economic impact of Military and Security installations in our communities.

November 9, the Chamber & Visitors Center partnered with Jacksonville State University's Small Business Development Center, SCORE and the City of Jacksonville to present "Business Basics."

November 6, the City of Oxford and Oxford Main Street celebrated a groundbreaking for their Downtown Streetscape Project.

November 14, Wiseguys Pizzeria & Bar celebrated the ribbon cutting for their brand new location at 2 Public Square West in Jacksonville.

November 15, Simply Shabby celebrated the ribbon cutting and grand opening for their 1026 Noble Street location in downtown Anniston.

November 7, Youth Leadership Calhoun County held their Career and Mentors Day, including presentations from Gadsden State and JSU Career Services, mock interviews, interviews with TV-24, and lunch with career mentors in their fields of interest.

November 8, Regional Medical Center hosted the Chamber's Lunch & Leads at Hubbard's Off Main, located at November 15, Kindred Hospice celebrated the ribbon 16 Choccolocco cutting for their new location at 801 Noble Street, Suite Road in Oxford. 924, in Anniston.

Kelly Services held an open house to celebrate their 11th anniversary.

Their office is located at 1994 Hwy 78 E in Oxford.

November Events

November 21, Calhoun Pickers hosted the Chamber’s Business After Hours at their 801 Wilmer Avenue location in Anniston.

November 16, the Chamber’s Board of Directors met at the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s Talladega Marksmanship Park for our retreat to plan for 2018.

November 17, Rosa Lee Jewelry celebrated the ribbon cutting for their brand new location at 909 Noble Street in Anniston.

November 30, the Chamber hosted a Prospective Ambassador Meeting for members interested in joining the Chamber Ambassadors Program. For more information, call our Membership Director Kim Boyd at (256)237-3536.

Thank you to all our members who participated in our 2017 Mini-Tree Contest. More than 1275 canned goods were donated!

November 17, Direct Auto & Life Insurance celebrated the ribbon cutting for their 1118 S. Quintard Avenue location in Anniston.

Congratulations to our 2017 Contest Winner, Escape Zone!

December Events

December 5, Youth Leadership Calhoun County was joined by local mayors, Weaver's Wayne Willis and Anniston's Jack Draper, Jacksonville City Council Member Sandra Sudduth, and License Commissioner Barry E. Robertson for Local Government Day. Then, EASTMAN's Gayle Harris facilitated their etiquette lunch at Anniston Country Club.

December 7, K.L. Brown Memory Chapel hosted the Chamber’s monthly Business & Biscuits at their 620 Golden Springs Road location in Anniston.

December 7, Leadership Calhoun County had their Small Business & Financial Sector Day, which included visits to area small businesses and a panel of small business owners to aid in the class’ awareness of entrepreneurship. The day also included a panel of area bankers to share information on financial planning and the current climate and financial market outlook.

December 7, 3 Guys Stogies & Stuff celebrated the ribbon cutting for their new business, located at 721 Snow Street in Oxford.

December 13, the Chamber & Visitors Center exhibited alongside the Anniston Museums & Gardens, the Oxford Performing Arts Center, the Wren’s Nest and Oxford’s Main Street at the Welcome Center’s Holiday Open House.

December 13, Regions Bank hosted the Chamber’s monthly Lunch & Leads at Classic on Noble in Anniston.

December 14, the Chamber’s Military & Security Affairs Committee held a luncheon at the Chamber. MSAC offers familiarization, education, training, demonstrations, documentation, marketing and socialization with Calhoun County's military and security affairs resources to our businesses and residents. To sign up for the committee, contact Linda Hearn at (256)237-3536.

December 14, Sprint by Absolute Wireless celebrated the ribbon cutting for their new location at 2113 Quintard Avenue in Anniston.

December Events

December 15, J&J Electric celebrated the ribbon cutting for their 80 Spring Branch Drive, Suite D, location in Alexandria.

December 21, Model City Ink LLC celebrated the ribbon cutting for their 401 Quintard Avenue location in Anniston.

Thank You for your continued support of the Chamber!

Thank you Multimetco for your support of the Chamber for more than 30 years!

Thank you to the ARC of Calhoun & Cleburne Counties for your contributions to the community and Chamber for over 30 years!

Thank you to Walmart of Oxford for your contributions to the community and Chamber for over 30 years!

Thank you to WVOK K98 for your contributions to the community, region and Chamber for over 30 years!

New Members October-December Kevin Goodwin The Lilly Company 2816 5th Avenue South Irondale, AL 35210 (205) 957-2250 Industrial Machinery & Equipment Sue Murphree How Eventful, LLC Ashville, AL 35953 (205) 585-4373 Event Planning Stephanie Payne J & J Electric 80 Spring Branch Dr. Suite D Alexandria, AL 36250 (256) 453-4255 Contractors - Electrical Carrie Cook The Rustic Farmhouse 175 Plaza Lane Oxford, AL 36203 (256) 499-5112 Retail Chad Lincoln McCullars & Lincoln Insurance Agency 1027 S. Quintard Ave. Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 237-1100 Insurance Natalie McDonald Simply Shabby 1026 Noble Street Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 770-4203 Retail John K. Robinson J Spot Bar & Lounge 107 Old Gadsden Hwy Anniston, AL 36201 Sports Bar Dr. Richard Maughon Medical Pain Management 701 Leighton Avenue Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 231-1231 Physician

Baron T. Sandlin J.D. Northeast Alabama Community Development Corporation 7 E. 13th St. Liberty Square Suite 111 Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 235-8018 Non-Profit Karen Godsey B & S Sporting Goods 19 West 12th St. Anniston, AL 36201 Screen Printing, Trophies, Awards & Gifts Scott Shiflett 3 Guys Stogies & Stuff, LLC 721 Snow Street Oxford, AL 36203 (256) 342-5190 Cigar Shop Rick Singleton Plexamedia, Inc. 311 E. South Fifth Street Gadsden, AL 35901 (256) 393-0920 Web Site Design & Development Katie Backovski Belt & Bruner, P.C. 880 Montclair Road, Suite 300 Birmingham, AL 35213 (205) 933-1500 Attorneys Carla Reynolds Tina Herron Trinity Ceramics Gifts & More 1230 Noble Street Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 236-3136 Ceramic Shop Steve Williams Model City Ink LLC 401 Quintard Ave. Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 369-7094 Tattoos Terry Howell 717 Cherokee Trail Anniston, AL 36206 (256) 820-9500 Friends of the Chamber

Jason Hollingsworth Sprint by Absolute Wireless 2113 Quintard Ave. Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 322-1033 Cellular Services and Equipment Cindy Kerr Abernathy Calhoun County Concrete, a Kerr’s Redi Mix Company 745 Vigo Ladiga Rd. Piedmont, AL 36272 (256) 927-3530 Concrete-Ready Mix Tracie McKelvin Home2 Suites by Hilton 300 Colonial Dr. Oxford, AL 36203 (256) 831-7008 Hotel Walt Brothers Lowe’s Home Improvement 4901 McClellan Blvd.

Anniston, AL 36206 (256) 499-9030 Home Improvement Raynard Lowler Walk Jog Run, LLC Anniston, AL 36207 (256) 282-0691 Sports & Recreation Jason Maddux Mosquito Joe of Northeast Alabama Ohatchee, AL 36271 (256) 666-9061 Pest Control Robert Lowery Oxford, AL 36203 (256) 835-0667 Friends of the Chamber