Photo Gallery
Member Spotlight
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Calendar
Upcoming Events. Page 5
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June 2012
by Andy Dill
The Chamber offered a taste of Texas at ‘Wine, Hawgs & Chocolate’ Event Do you enjoy sampling new wines, beers and foods? The Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery County gave locals a chance to sample Texas wines, Texas beer & Texas food Friday June 8th at the Harley Davidson of Kingwood dealership. Guests sipped and shopped in the fun atmosphere while sampling the offerings from Cork This! Winery, Messina Hof Winery, Retreat Hill Cellars, Southern Star Brewery , Spotezl Brewing Co. and Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Food tastings were offered by My Fit Foods, Texas Roadhouse, Sam’s Club and Top Hat Catering.
Business • Salon Rae Ann’s • Apple Moving Company • Aspire Behavioural Hospital • Jones & Carter, Inc. • Holiday Inn Express & Suites
EMCID Harley-Davidson of Kingwood Anderson Ford Raymark Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc.
Flags Real Estate, LLC
Welcome!
• Healing Therapeutic Massage
A special thank you to the following chamber members who generously sponsored this event:
Embody Fitness Center
New Members Bronze
Attendees received with their admission; five tasting tickets, complimentary wine glass, voting ballot, and wrist band. Guests voted on their favourite winery during the event. Messina Hof winery took top honours this year as “Best Winery” - Congratulations!
Segrest Homeland Realty Constable Rowdy Hayden LogoStuff, Inc. Wendell Hefton, CPA
President’sMessage by Andy Dill
Kindness Works
I recently read an article by General Colin Powell where he recounted a story when he was the senior layperson of a small suburban Episcopal church in northern Virginia. The bishop of the area assigned an elderly priest to the congregation and obviously this individual was in some type of stress and in need of a parish. General Powell stated he never knew the nature of the problem and they just welcomed him to the church, treated him like one of them, and ministered to one another. After being with them a year the senior priest was leaving and on his last Sunday delivered a message that included these last words, “Always show more kindness than seems necessary, because the person receiving it needs it more than you will ever know.” General Powell stated that those words stayed with him for four decades reminding him that the lesson was clear. He went on to state that “Kindness is not just about being nice, it’s about recognizing another human being who deserves care and respect.” Kindness certainly applies when we are thinking about our customers too. Kindness shown to a long established customer is just as important to kindness and a warm welcome to a fist time customer, and probably more importantly to a difficult customer. One of the great ways to build a business is to show
kindness to everyone who walks through your door. Don’t think for a minute that they don’t see it because they do. For about six years, beginning in 1980 my wife and her college roommate owned a small specialty children’s clothing store in East Texas. The store wasn’t big but it carried a very nice array of specialty children’s clothing that wasn’t available in the larger retail stores. They built their customer base by providing a quality product, at an affordable price, but prided themselves on providing the highest possible customer care in the area. Their goal was to treat their customers like family, knowing that family took care of family. Just as we treat our family with kindness, even when they make us mad, they treated their customer with that same kindness and the dividends were returned many times over. Even in the worst of times we find a way to take care of our family, regardless of what the situation is. Over the year’s customer service and showing kindness to those customers has unfortunately taken a back seat to simply selling the product or service and making a good return. Kindness is not a thing of the past and should be taught in every employee orientation session you hold. Kindness must be shown to every customer if you are going to be successful. Kindness is really just doing what the Golden Rule states “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” General Powell’s words on kindness and other stories can be found in his new book “It Worked for Me” (Harper Collins).
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Community Chamber of Commerce 21575 Hwy 59 N. #100 New Caney, TX 77357 Chamber Connections is a publication of the Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery County. Published monthly, it is intended as a public service to Chamber members. No part may be reprinted without permission of the Chamber. Advertisements do not reflect endorsements by the Chamber of any product or service.
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Photo Gallery
May Beautification Award - Coonican’s Cajun & Mexican Restaurant in Splendora, TX
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Cork This! Winery pours a sample for Isidor Ybarra.
The ladies enjoying the wine!
The crew from Anderson Ford trying out the beer. Thanks again for the sponsorship!
Bonnie from Top Hat Catering seems to be having fun!
Committee members Teri Kropik and Jo Neil Snider with guests enjoying the wine and food.
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People & Places Recent chamber events.
New Members Welcomed
We welcomed new members this month.... • Healing Therapeutic Massage • Apple Moving Company • Jones & Carter, Inc.
June Luncheon
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The June Luncheon program was pure networking. Attendees made new connections “Speed Connecting” . Every two minutes they moved to a new location and met and talked with a new potential contact.
Distinguished Investors Platinum Level Members East Montgomery County Improvement District Yellow Rose Reception Hall Diamond Level Members Hallett Materials TDG General Contractors, Inc. Walmart - Supercenter Gold Level Members Backyard Paradise Pools Commissioner Ed Rinehart Entergy Texas Inc Kingwood Medical Center Memorial Hermann Northeast The Signorelli Company Silver Level Members Alamo Hydraulics of Houston, Inc. Conroe/Nacogdoches Coca Cola Sales Center Friendswood Development Co. Hearst Media Services Kingwood.com Rosewood Funeral Home
Bronze Level Members Allied Power Mart Inc. Amegy Bank of Texas American Fixtures Cabinet Co., Inc. Buster Brown Propane CenturyLink Champion Rentals, Inc. Commercial State Bank of El Campo Constable Kenneth ‘’Rowdy’’ Hayden EGA Printing First Bank & Trust East Texas - Splendora Flagship Car Wash & Lube Center Fred Haas Toyota World FWM Tubular & Equipment Corporation Harley Davidson - Kingwood Healing Therapeutic Massage Hydra Tan Joiner Partnership, Inc. Joslin Texas Living Earth LJA Engineering, Inc Lone Star College-Kingwood Marks Richardson PC, Attorneys at Law Mike Harris, CLTC,CSA My Fit Foods-Kingwood
Chamber members who go the extra mile in their support of the chamber. Observer Newspapers Pace Stancil Funeral Home Plains State Bank Porter Kwik Kar Republic Waste Riverside Waste Service Salons At The Loft Shank Wealth Management Spirit Exposition Service, LLC Starplex Cinemas TIGER Texas Industrial Gas & Equipment Rental, Inc. Wells Fargo Bank of Texas
CommunityCalendar • Jul 3 Rotary Club of EMC
• Jul 27 Breakfast Connections
• Jul 4 Independence Day -
• Jul 31 Rotary Club of EMC
Chamber closed No Luncheon in July
• August 1
• Jul 9 Commissioner’s Court 9:30 am
• Jul 9 Education Committee Meeting 12 pm
• Jul 10 Rotary Club of EMC • Jul 11 Observer Networking Lunch @ Hofbrau in Porter 11:30am
• Jul 12 Business Development Committee Meeting 9 am • Jul 12 Twin City Lions Club • Jul 16 Splendora ISD Trustee Meeting • Jul 17 Chamber Board Meeting 8am • Jul 17 Rotary Club of EMC • Jul 18 Golf Committee Meeting @ 9:15 am • Jul 19 EMC Fair Assoc. Meeting • Jul 24 Rotary Club of EMC
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Chamber Luncheon 11:30 am - 1 pm, $15 Speaker - Joe Turner / Lake Houston Wilderness Park
New Teacher Orientation Chamber Goodie Bags
Start thinking about what promotional items you want to include in the new teacher welcome bags the chamber distributes in mid August. More information to come soon.
SAVE THE DATES • Teacher of the Year Luncheon on September 5th. • Chamber Golf Tournament October 18th • Principal of the Day Program on November 15th.
ChamberBoard EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
One Year Appointees 2012
TERM Expires 2012
STAFF
Angela Allen, Allied Power Mart…..............Chairman of the Board Judy Hayes…………........ RE/MAX Rewards Scott Brady, Joiner Partnership……..…........................Chair-Elect Kevin Kennedy...................Kennedy Fabricating Rob Burgess, Community Print & Copy….........…..........Secretary Guy Hancock.....................Guy’s A/C & Heating Gary Southard, RISING STAR People Concepts…..........Treasurer Gary Gardner, FBTET-Splendora.………........Immediate Past-Chair EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS Frank McCrady…………………..EMCID TERM Expires 2014 Ed Rinehart………………………Montgomery County Pct 4 Kenneth “Rowdy” Hayden......Pct 4 Constable Kenn Franklin……………………New Caney ISD Katie Paris...............................Embody Fitness Dr. Thomas Price…………….......Splendora ISD Juanita Popowitz......................Yellow Rose Reception Hall Vikki Munoz……………………..City of Patton Village Dr.Rebecca Riley......................Lone Star College - Kingwood Floyd Jackson, Jr………………....City of Roman Forest Dorothy Welch…………………..City of Splendora TERM Expires 2013 Chuck Cardoza………………......City of Woodbranch Village Scott Brady..............................Joiner Partnership Brandon Creighton………………State Representative District 16 Rob Burgess………………….Community Print & Copy John Otto………………………..State Representative District 18 Megan Marietta……………...Kingwood Medical Center Tommy Williams…………………State Senator District 4 Leonard Rogers………………Let’s Mechanical Kevin Brady……………………...U S Congress District 8 Angela Allen…………………Allied Power Mart Gary Gardner………………..First Bank & Trust East Texas-Splendora Mike Harris………………….Long Term Care Partners Gary Southard…………........ RISING STAR People Concepts
Andy Dill……………………President Delilah Lewis……………......Director of Membership/Special Events Rhonda Behnken……………Administrative Assistant & Webmaster Tonie Jones.............................Clerical Assistant
MISSION STATEMENT
To promote the economic well being and quality of life of East Montgomery County.
VISION STATEMENT
The purpose of the Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery County is to provide leadership that encourages community involvement, economic growth and promotes local business development and an enhanced quality of life.
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RenewingMembers Platinum East Montgomery County Improvement District
Bronze
Buster Brown Propane My Fit Foods-Kingwood Wells Fargo Bank
Associates Level
RE/MAX Rewards-Kendra Dempsey RE/MAX Rewards-Shawn Kneale
Business
Denny’s #8625 EMC Towing Extension Nineteen Answering Service Flags Real Estate, LLC Fred Wetz Insurance Agency Gerland’s Food Fair #92 Houston Community Bank Kingwood Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc Kingwood Garden Center McDonald’s of Porter Mills Branch Salon & Spa Montgomery & Barnes Oakhurst Golf Club Raymark Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. RE/MAX Associates Northeast
Individual
John Dalton Lowell J. Little
Non-Profit
City of Roman Forest City of Splendora Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery C Porter Fire Department Porter SUD Splendora Assembly of God Church Village Learning & Achievement Center Wright-Way Community Development
Ambassador of the Month (April)
Sheila Hebert 32 Points Hebert Photography
Silverado Senior Living Telephone Technical Services, Inc Travis Barber Shop Tri County Services Turnco Sheetmetal Design Wild Country Recreation Park
Ambassador of the Month (May)
Kim Province 32 Points Kingwood Signs
Mike Harris 20 Points Mike Harris, CLTC, CSA
Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Katie Paris- Embody Fitness, Judy Hayes- Re/Max Rewards, Juanita Popowitz- Yellow Rose Reception Hall, Jackie Barnard-Barnard Architects, Sandy Seelye-EMCID, Mike Harris-Mike Harris CLTC,CSA, Kim Province-Kingwood Signs, Carole Newton-Parkway Family Insurance, Mary Evans-Amegy Bank-Porter, Sheila Hebert-Hebert Photography, Vern Reichert-Texas Fast Track, Gary Southard-Rising Star People Concepts, Barbara Egan, Isidor Ybarra
Thank you! 7
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Member Spotlight Buster Brown Propane 20126 Loop 494 New Caney, TX 77357 http://www.busterbrownpropane.com
I really enjoyed visiting with Jan and Matt Peterson. They have won numerous industry awards and have served on several industry boards. They keep current with new technologies and industry standards. Q. What does your company produce or what service do you offer to customers? Residential and Commercial LP delivery 60 miles any direction, tanks, fork lift cylinders and more. We also offer a pre-buy program where a customer can purchase 1,000 gallons or more at a substantial discount and that price is locked in until the 1,000 gallons is used. Q. How do you differentiate your business from the competition in your market? In other words – what is your unique selling proposition? We have a full time service department for our customers. We are long-time owners and insist on adhering to laws, ensuring tank safety for both our customers and drivers. Q. What do you enjoy most about running your business? The relationships that we have developed with our customers and in the community over the years. Q. Tell me about your companies past successes or projects. We are planning a future expansion into Liberty and Chambers counties with another office to service that area. 7.
What one tool or resource do you rely on the most
in the marketing and operation of your business? Networking within the business community and our website at www. busterbrownpropane.com Q.. What does the potential new economic development in EMC mean for your company? We hope that new residential developments allow propane. There is also potential for new commercial customers with the planned commercial projects. Q. What kind of challenges are you facing? With our growth over the years we are outgrowing our office space and traffic has become very heavy on this corner at Loop 494 and FM 1485 making it difficult to turn into and out of the office. Q. What other issues are important to you? Ongoing issues that we keep tabs on are regulatory issues, deed restrictions and legislation affecting the industry. I see you have been a chamber member since 1995. Thanks for your continued support. Q. How would you describe your involvement with the Chamber? We had become so busy with the business that we were not actively participating in networking events. Now our son has become very involved in the business and we are planning on getting out more. What really got us interested in being active again was when one day Delilah stopped by just to visit and check on us. Q. What can we do for you? Continue giving relocation prospects and builders information about our services. We like that the chamber is community oriented and seems to care about the community.