North Coast Business Journal - January 2012 by Paul Wallen

POSTMASTER: TIMELY MATERIAL. PLEASE EXPEDITE.

Celebrating 18 Years of Service Published and Owned by Schaffner Publications, Inc.

JANUARY 2012 Vol. 18 No. 1

INSIDE THIS MONTH Investment Goals............... 10 Well-Booked Business.......... 12 CHAMBER CALENDARS.... 18 Legal: How is it Owned?........ 21 Employer Responsibilities In Winter Weather ..........23 Home Office Expense Deductions...... 24 IT: Facebook Change Could Wreck Your New Year!...............25 Why Customers Hate Salespeople..... 26

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Standard Mail U.S. Postage Paid Tiffin, OH 44883 Permit #88

Cele 16 “The Business Voice of Erie, Huron, of S

Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca Counties”

The Five Counties

Happy New Year to our Readers Published by Schaffner Publications, Inc. and our “The Chambers of Commerce Business Voice of Erie, Huro By Jeffrey H. Bryden Editor

and, in some cases, helping our editorial planning with information on local business, education, government and healthcare. It was interesting and rewarding to see

not only how enthusiastic these Chamber executives were about their city’s history and its economic opportunities (both

Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca Coun

As we begin a new year of publishing for See NEW YEAR, Page the North C o a s t Business LAKE Journal, we have just ERIE • Put-in-Bay turned 18 years old! • Kelleys Island And this OTTAWA editor is not • Genoa • Oak Harbor ashamed to say he likes the • Marblehead feeling of being a teenager (at • Port Clinton • Elmore least in print form)! The new year is always a good time, personally and • professionally, to reflect on the Vermilion • Sandusky SANDUSKY past and to make plans and Huron • resolutions for the future. As • Fremont we look back at last year, each month the NCBJ “editorially • Clyde ERIE visited” and focused on every • Milan major city in our five-county Bellevue coverage. And, as we moved • Monroeville about these five counties, there • Norwalk was one thing that seemed to stand out on a fairly consistent SENECA basis – the leadership and • Fostoria dynamics of the local Chambers of Commerce. HURON • Tiffin In virtually every city we featured, the local Chamber served as our editorial “home • Willard base,” providing us insight and introductions into the community’s infrastructure

OVER 23,000 BUSINESS REA

We’re a proud member of the following: Bellevue Area Chamber of Commerce

Elmore Chamber of Commerce

Chamber of Commerce Erie County Chamber of Sandusky County of Commerce

Fostoria Area Chamber of Commerce

Huron Chamber of Commerce

Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

Genoa Chamber of Commerce

Huron County Chamber of Commerce

Milan Chamber of Commerce

Oak Harbor Area Put-in-Bay Chamber Chamber of Commerce of Commerce Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce

Seneca Regional

Chamber of Commerce

Vermilion Chamber of Commerce

Willard Area Chamber of Commerce

January 2012

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NEW YEAR, from Page 1 retail and industrial), but also how knowledgeable they were about “who to see,” or “who’s the expert,” for information on any particular question tossed at them. As in previous January issues, we have asked the leadership of the sixteen chambers in our five-county circulation area to share their thoughts about last year and the year ahead. While the holidays and yearend are a busy time, you will find the interesting contributions of the majority of them in the pages that follow. We know that the North Coast Business Journal’s membership in

local Chambers is one of the key reasons for our continued success – it fosters our ability to gather and deliver the news of businesses, business people and economic development in our area. In fact, if you received this issue of the NCBJ in the mail, it’s because of your membership in your local Chamber. We mail copies free of charge each month only to Chamber members -- It’s yet another benefit you get from your Chamber membership. In 2012, we will again take the North Coast Business Journal on the five-county road – with city-by-city

focused editorial each month. If you have a story about yourself or your business that would be of interest to other business readers, let us know. If the news is closely linked to your specific community, and you can wait a bit, you may opt to tie it in to your city’s local focus issue. Here is the lineup for the year: February – Bellevue; March – Fostoria; April – Sandusky County; May – Huron & Vermilion; June – Marblehead and the Islands; July – Milan & Willard; August – Norwalk; September – Port Clinton; October – Sandusky and Erie County; November – Tiffin; December – Western Ottawa County: Elmore,

Genoa and Oak Harbor. Or, since we cover news of all five counties each month, send the story in whenever it’s “newsy.” It should be news, though, not an “ad-indisguise.” If it’s too self-promoting, we’ll be very happy to show you how to convert it into a paid ad -- as we gladly accept those too! We hope 2012 will be a great year for our country, our state, our region and our readers. With your help and the help of our Chambers, we’ll do our part to make it so. And thanks for your continued support!

Hearing Held on Health of Lake By John Schaffner Publisher Five members of the Ohio House of Representatives, led by Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Dave Hall, descended on the Lake Erie Shores and Islands Visitor’s Center in Portage Township on Friday for a special public hearing. What they got was an earful on the causes and possible cures for the massive algae bloom that covered the Western Basin of Lake Erie last summer. The cause of the problem was simple and unanimous: phosphorus. However, the solutions may come much harder. Along with Hall were State Reps. Dennis Murray (who announced this week he would not seek a third term), Randy Gardner (who announced that he would run for the vacant State Senate Seat he formerly held), Rex Damschroeder and Catherine Clyde from Portage County. They heard from an array of witnesses for more than 2 hours, but perhaps the most compelling came from Dr. Jeffrey Reuters, director of the Ohio Sea Grant program. Reuters outlined a number of things in Lake Erie that need fixed: • Sediment bringing phosphorus into the lake • Harmful algal blooms, partially caused by excess phosphorus

• Aquatic invasive species that exacerbate the problem • The dead zone in the center of the lake north of Cleveland • The unusual recent weather which he believes has caused more storms and warmer lake temperatures Reuters gave the panel a little history lesson. In the mid-1960s, there were extraordinarily high phosphorus levels in Lake Erie, especially the Western Basin, and the lake was nationally known as “The Dead Lake.” After the Cuyahoga River caught on fire in 1969, measures were taken to limit phosphorus coming into the lake. By the early 1980s, the lake was cleaned up and this area became the Walleye Capital of the World. However, in 1985, phosphorus levels began to rise again. In the ’60s, the phosphorus came mostly from factories and power plants. Now, the primary cause of phosphorus in the lake is fertilizer run-off from farm fields surrounding Lake Erie and its tributaries, particularly the Maumee River. Reuters believes that we need a 50-66 percent reduction in phosphorus running off into the lake. The big issue is, how can agricultural interests around the Lake reduce the loads of phosphorus on their land used for fertilizer and still remain productive? Reuters noted that the heavy rains we received last spring

certainly impacted the size and scope of the algal blooms in the lake. Among those who testified were Jim Zehringer, who was recently appointed as the Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and Ohio EPA director Scott Nally. Zehringer said that he has directed all divisions within his department to make Lake Erie water quality a top priority. “I was appalled to see the pea green color of the lake last summer,” said Zehringer, a farm owner in western Ohio. “It is just not acceptable to allow that to continue … anybody who says this problem is due to sloppy agriculture hasn’t done enough research. “The big problem is dissolved phosphorus, and the data on how that is being created is incomplete.” Zehringer noted that he is bringing together the resources of several stakeholders in the state to work on the problem. Nally agreed. “We have a three-legged stool creating this problem — municipalities, agriculture and manufacturing,” he said. “All three of those groups need to work together to solve this problem.” According to Nally, one of the more significant problems is the sewage treatment plant that feeds poorly treated sewage into the Detroit River

that flows directly into Lake Erie. With Detroit flirting with bankruptcy and receivership, the belief was that the Federal Government may come in and mandate the State of Michigan to make a major fix there. Right now, a federal judge is “turning the screws” on Detroit to solve that issue. Sandy Bihn, spokesman for the Lake Erie Waterkeeper organization based in Oregon provided the committee with a jar of water taken from Lake Erie on Aug. 8, miles offshore. The green algae in the water has not settled at all in the jar. Others who testified on Friday include Joe Logan of the Ohio Environmental Council; Ken Alvey of the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association; Larry Fletcher, Director of Lake Erie Shores and Islands West (Ottawa County Visitor’s Bureau); and John Hildebrandt, general manager at Cedar Point. Perhaps Gardner summed it up best: “I get asked ‘how can we afford to solve the problem.’ After hearing the testimony here, I would have to say: how can we afford NOT to solve this problem?” All the officials at the state level who serve at the pleasure of Gov. Kasich noted that the Governor is well aware of this problem and that he has directed his government to get “all hands on deck” to solve it.

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Bellevue Chamber: Ready to Serve the Community Submitted by Bonnie Ball, President The Directors of the Bellevue Area Chamber of Commerce have recently updated and enhanced the mission statement so that the statement is aligned with the Chamber vision for the future. The statement reads as follows: The Bellevue Area Chamber of Commerce is a professional association consisting of regional and local businesses and individuals organized for the specific intent of promoting a healthy, vibrant and strong local economy, thereby enriching the community’s quality of life. We work to promote the interests of our Members by providing educational opportunities, hosting social networking events, encouraging local commerce, working bilaterally with government, and adding value to our Membership and the Bellevue Community as a whole. This statement served as the beginning of a Strategic Planning Process to move the organization forward, meet the community needs and serve the community both in the present and looking to the future. Board of Directors Bonnie Ball, President; Pam Verhoff, Secretary and Interim Director; Steve Wasserman, 1st Vice President; Doug Gildenmeister, 2nd Vice President; Jeff Cook, Treasurer; Mick Dwyer, Past President; William Brugnone, Steve Fuhr, Linda Grice, J. J. Foos, Dean Miller, John Miller, Rick Miller, Kim Schell, Angela Sommers, Andrea Stover, Wilbur Wade, Ray Wasson and Jon Wynbissinger Fundamental Beliefs of the Bellevue Area Chamber of Commerce • Be cognizant that membership in the Chamber is voluntary and there needs to be a certain sense of fulfillment, community, enjoyment, socializing and fun as a result of being a member. • Exhibit high levels of ethics and professionalism in every action taken. • Realize that our Members are out greatest asset and we use our Members’ skills as a resource while respecting their time limitations. • Provide for clear, open and

effective communications. • Be accessible and available to it s Members by maintaining consistent and regular business office hours. • At all times act in the best interest of our Members to promote a dynamic local economy. • Remain relevant to our Membership and Community by fostering progressive attitudes, keeping informed of changes, seeking out new opportunities to benefit our Membership. • In all things, ensure that our Members receive value in excess of their investment in the Chamber, regardless of their level of contribution. The Bellevue Chamber recently sponsored a luncheon with speaker Terry Boose, the Ohio 58th District State Representative, as well as monthly luncheons intended to give Chamber members access to valuable information in a relaxed business lunch environment. In March, the Chamber held their Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet. The awards include: Corporate Citizen – Solae Company, Citizen of the Year- Mayor David Kile, Commercial Award – Miller’s Drive In (Ken & Jan Miller), Community Enhancement Award- Bellevue Society for the Arts, Distinguished Service Award – Kim Schubert, Founders Award – Joyce Hayward, and Industry Founder’s Award – John Miller. This event is a popular, well attended community event. In April, the Chamber and the Bellevue Rec Department presented “A Night at the Races” held at the Bellevue Eagles Club. This was the first event of this type. The horse races were video tapes of previously run, actual races that were randomly chosen at the event. Participants were able to place $2 bets on horses during the evening. For $10 participants could purchase and name their own horse. The winning

horse from each race was automatically entered into the Breeder’s Cup race. The last race of the night all horses were auctioned off to the highest bidder by local Auctioneer Wilbur Wade. The winning horse was paid 50 percent of funds collected. This was another popular, well-attended event and we are looking forward to again sponsoring this event, in conjunction with the Bellevue Rec Department, in 2012. In May, the Bellevue Chamber’s second auction was held at Wilbur Wade’s business in Bellevue. This successful event benefitted two local charities. This event also featured a

motorcycle auction. We look forward to again presenting this event! It’s one of the Chamber’s premier events. Other events included “Meet the Candidates Night“sponsored in conjunction with Bellevue Kiwanis and Bellevue Society for the Arts. The Chamber participated in the Annual Safe Halloween at the Mad River & NKP Railroad Society. Ribbon cutting ceremonies were held for new businesses, as well as “After Hours” events held at local businesses. We are currently working on the new Chamber maps and directory, which will be completed soon. The Officers and Directors of the Bellevue Area Chamber of Commerce are committed to the betterment of Bellevue and look forward to serving the local community in 2012. We want to be available and accessible to the community and work with the Bellevue Development Corporation, the Bellevue Tourism Bureau and the Committee to Grow Bellevue to make 2012 a successful year!

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Sandusky County Chamber

Super Bowl of Awards Kicks Off the New Year Submitted by Holly Stacy CEO/President To kick off the New Year the Chamber of Commerce of Sandusky County will be holding the 65th annual Super Bowl of Awards on Jan. 26, at Anjulina’s Catering & Banquet Hall. This annual recognition dinner event is taking on a new twist as it will be themed for the upcoming Super Bowl. Plus, the Chamber Foundation will be incorporating a grid iron game to raise money for the foundation. During the annual dinner the leadership of the Chamber of Commerce will be passed on from current Chairman of the Board Mr. Paul Martin, Green Bay Packaging, to Mr. Mike Jay, City of Fremont Economic Development Director, as

the incoming Chairman. Highlights of the evening will be the Chamber’s recognition of the Member of Year Awards and the community-wide awards including Citizen of the Year, Distinguished Service, Clark Ambassador and the Award of Excellence. Registration begins at 6 p.m. with the dinner program beginning at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are due by January 17, 2012 and can be made by contacting the Chamber office. The Chamber is accepting nominations for all the community awards, including the Farmer of the Year and Ag Service Awards, which will be presented at the Annual Ag Breakfast in March. The fifth annual “Best of Sandusky County Pizza Challenge,” an event to raise the dough for scholarships, will

Winners of the 2011 Best of Sandusky County’s People’s Choice, Quality, Celebrity and Kid’s Choice awards pose with their trophies. R3Nutrition Center opened its doors in downtown Fremont in 2011 with a Chamber Ambassador Ribbon Cutting.

be held on April 15 at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds. This popular community wide event will include some great sponsorship opportunities for businesses. Interested sponsors and pizza vendors should contact the Chamber in January by calling 419332-1591. Be watching for our big announcement on the pizza vendors taking the Challenge and the sponsors helping raise the dough! A new service the Chamber is reviewing to offer in 2012 to Chamber members is ethics training. This program would be coordinated with the Better Business Bureau. As the year begins, Chamber members will be polled to find out which industry types are interested in this type of training. It would a program that provides continued education units for various professions. The Chamber’s Ag Committee will be teaming up with The Anderson’s and other local groups to bring a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day to

Chamber President/ CEO presents a check for $2,950 to Abby Slemmer, Director, Sandusky County United Way. the county for children this spring or summer. Be watching for more information on this new event soon. The Chamber of Commerce has proudly served the Sandusky County business community since 1946. For membership benefit information and for a complete membership directory log onto www.scchamber.org. The Chamber hours in 2011 will remain as Monday through Thursday, 8:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Real Estate Owners and First Time Buyers: Take Note Submitted by Leonard A. Partin, Realtor and Broker Home sales throughout Ohio in November posted gains for the fifth consecutive month, helping the marketplace nearly mirror the results of a year ago for the first 11 months, according to statistics provided to the Ohio Association of REALTORS® by the state’s Multiple Listing Services. “In all corners of Ohio, we’ve experienced a significant uptick in activity since midyear…a hopeful sign of an improving and stable marketplace,” said OAR President Meg Hudson. “This current stretch of five monthly sales gains marks the first time since 2005 (July to November) that we’ve experienced similar increases over the prior year. Our market continues making strides toward fully regaining its footing and overcoming the challenges that have beset the sector since the onset of the recession in 2008.” Ohio sales in November 2011

January 2012

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reached 7,415, marking an 11.1 percent increase from the 6,672 sales posted during the month a year ago. The month’s average sale price posted a 3.8 percent decrease to $124,140, compared to the $129,071 mark of November 2010. The total dollar volume during the month surpassed $920 million, a 6.9 percent jump from the more than $861 million posted a year ago. President Hudson notes that a recent survey of the state’s real estate professionals suggests that the industry remains optimistic about the market’s outlook in the coming months. Locally Fireland’s Board of Realtor’s market areas for Port Clinton, Oak Harbor, Marblehead, Put-in-Bay and surrounding townships have reflected a sales gain, however not as much as the combined sales within the State . The local market as reported in Fireland’s MLS reflected an up-tick of 4.3% for residential properties sold (December 1, to November 31) in 2011 compared to 2010. The

! Y E H g n i k r o w I'm e r e h

Genoa Chamber

sales total volume for 2011 was $66,766,570.00 reflecting a gain of 3.16% . Notably, one of the best reflections was for the Danbury Township, Marblehead and, Lakeside market area reflecting a gain of 14.55% in units sales having a total volume gain of 3.74%. Catawba Island Township on the other hand, reflected a decline of 9.52% for units sold with a decline of 3.74% in total volume. Interestingly. the median price declined from $130,000.00 to $128,500.00, illustrating that lower priced properties have had more buyer activity. A positive market reflection is that the average days on market for sales in 2011 declined from 162 to 143 days. In all, the market appears to have bottomed out and is on the up-tick. Smart buyers realize the benefits of the all-time-low for interest rates, and are taking advantage of the soft market prior to the up-tick becoming an up-swing.

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Community Active All Year Long Notes from the annual meeting: The Genoa Chamber sponsors five car shows with raffles from May through September, which include the Genoa Homecoming and the Genoa Street Fair. The raffle proceeds are always given to charities and this year went to the Rails to Trails fund, which is trying to connect a bike path from Genoa to Elmore via the old railroad/interurban tracks. The Chamber also sponsored Business After Hours this year at Gordon Lumber Company and the Robinson-Walker Funeral Home & Crematory. The Genoa Chamber’s website now includes online credit payment. The Genoa Chamber sponsors an annual scholarship. The Chamber continues to support the Village with various projects and has representatives to all Ottawa County Chambers, Visitor’s Bureau and Merchants meetings, as well as the Rails to Trails effort.

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Huron Chamber:

Where History Blasts Into the Future We are about to begin writing a new chapter in the history of our town with the implosion of the ConAgra facility on Sunday, Jan. 8. This is an event that has been eagerly anticipated by Huron residents for many years now. This will be the latest in numerous upgrades to our community that have come to fruition in the recent past. Our schools have undergone a reshuffling of grades to various buildings, resulting in much less in behavior problems as children share the buildings with other closer to their own age. A Northern Power wind turbine, donated by the SUREnergy Corporation, has resulted in some $25,000 in energy savings for the school district since its installation in March, 2010.. A new bridge on Cleveland Road West is just a part of the completely new infrastructure and roadway installed this summer from the boat basin out to Rye Beach Road. Many other streets in the Old Plat area have also been resurfaced. The boat launch ramp on the Huron River has now been open for a full season and it has proven to have a positive economic impact on local businesses. From early spring to late November, the 125 parking spaces for trucks and boat trailers have been at near capacity, as fishermen take advantage of the great walleye and perch fishery that lies just offshore. Plans are under way for a town celebration as the local landmark comes down. But more importantly, we now embark on determining the very best use of this invaluable piece of waterfront property. Residents and city officials are working together to come up with a redevelopment plan that will be a year-round boon to businesses, a delight for shoppers, an attraction for boaters and a place where families can take a leisurely walk along a tree-lined path bordering on the river. These are exciting times that will write the next page in Huron’s history.

This aerial picture was taken by pilot Tom Root in 1949, shortly after the grain facility opened on the Huron River. Work was started in 1937 but was put on hold during WWII. As a part of a major redevelopment plan, the structures will be imploded at 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 8.

Civil War Destination Guide Available New Brochure Highlights Lake Erie Shores & Islands Civil War Sites A new full-color brochure detailing important Civil War sites in and around Erie County has just been released by the Erie County Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee. The “Lake Erie Shores & Islands Civil War Destination Guide” features several museums, libraries, monuments and pertinent sites with regards to the American Civil War in this region. The photo-filled brochure was created by the committee to promote the region’s rich Civil War-

era heritage and was funded by a grant from the Sandusky/Erie County Community Foundation and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center. The Erie County, Ohio Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee is committed to sharing the region’s rich Civil War era heritage. Erie County CW 150 is made up of site representatives, tourism marketing professionals and community members with an interest in local history. The group coordinates and

promotes a variety of Civil War-related special events, programs and historical sites. For more information, follow “Erie County Civil War 150 Committee” on Facebook or contact the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center. Brochures are available at both LES&I Welcome Centers and many area libraries and museums. Outside of the area, call 1.800.255.3743 or email info@shoresandislands.com and the LES&I Welcome Center will mail one to you.

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January 2012

Huron County: A Busy 2012 Awaits Us! From Melissa James Executive Director Wow! 2012 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for the Huron County Chamber, Visitors Bureau and the Safety Council. First, the chamber welcomes newly elected Mayor, Rob Duncan, to office. Mayor Duncan’s work with the NFIB gives him a great understanding of the business community and organizations like the chamber. We anticipate good things happening for the Norwalk area and are excited to be working with Mayor Duncan. We have several seminars already slated for the year and more on the way. First up is a disaster planning seminar the will be conducted by the Firelands Chapter of the American Red Cross. Mark your calendar for Tuesday, January 10th, 7:30am at the chamber office, 10 West Main St., Norwalk. The seminar is free to all businesses, member or not. Disasters happen, businesses need to be prepared, unfortunately, most are not. Estimates show only about 30% have a business continuity plan in place, or, on the flip side, 70% have failed to plan! The chamber will continue to encourage area businesses to get a plan in place as well as provide resources to help them do so. A disaster doesn’t have to be weather related. It can

be contained to a single business or affect hundreds at once. It could even be yours, are you prepared? Next will be a seminar focused on our Veterans and the programs available specifically for them to start or grow a business. We are anticipating representatives from state and federal government programs as well as providing information on more local programs. If you are a Vet or you know a Vet, please mark February 28th on your calendar and make plans to attend this seminar. More info will be on our web site, www.HuronCountyChamber. com, as the date draws nearer. The Huron County Visitors Bureau is exploding with opportunities this year. We are gearing up for 4 AutoRama Shows, which we will be attending with Summit Motorsports Park, as well as a travel show in Cincinnati. The auto shows are amazing opportunities and we are appreciative of SMP’s generosity to take us with them. Plans are also underway for a spring time FAM Tour during which we look to host numerous group tour operators to encourage them to make the area part of their itinerary on future trips or to create special tours specifically for the area. This is going to be an exciting happening for us, the potential is huge and we need every business to be aware and prepared. Along with a

“Familiarization Tour” for tour operators we’ll also be conducting FAM Tours for area businesses and their employees. Making sure everyone is well versed about what to do, when, where, etc., is important if we want to be outstanding hosts. If you would like to include your employees, or yourself, on this local FAM tour, contact the office. Tourism is an important segment of the economy and realizing what it can bring to your business can be eye opening, don’t miss out. The Huron County Safety Council has awarded our first safety grant to Glenn Brooks Construction. Every quarter the safety council is offering a grant up $500.00 for council member businesses to use to enhance their safety program. Keeping our workforce safe is a full time job and a basic responsibility of an employer. Utilizing safety council programs is one way to accomplish that right in your own backyard. There are more than 80 councils around the state, including in our surrounding counties. Join in, get your safety team involved, start the New Year off on the right foot. May every business have a prosperous 2012 and remember to utilize the resources of your local chamber.

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Memorial Hospital in Fremont and ProMedica to Consider Affiliation On December 21, 2011, the Memorial Hospital Board of Directors voted to enter into a letter of intent to pursue an affiliation between Memorial Hospital and ProMedica. During this period, expected to take approximately 90 days, the terms of the transaction will be negotiated and due diligence will be completed. Following the board’s vote, Al Mehlow, Board Chairman, Memorial Hospital stated, “We are pleased to enter into this discussion with ProMedica. As a strong health care provider serving the greater Fremont community for nearly 100 years, this anticipated partnership with ProMedica will further strengthen both organizations and allow us to continue to meet the health needs of

our community for generations to come.” Randy Oostra, President and CEO, ProMedica stated that, "As a mission-based, not-for-profit" health system, our focus is to help ensure that MEHLOW we meet the health and well-being needs of all the communities we serve. We are grateful for this opportunity, as this relationship with Memorial Hospital will most certainly reinforce our commitment to Fremont and all of the Northwest Ohio community."

Please Join us for a Community Open House & Ribbon Cutting! Thursday, January 26 3 pm – 7 pm Meet the staff, tour the facility and enjoy refreshments. Ribbon cutting will take place at 3:30 pm.

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Services at our New Facility Include: Corporate Health Center will begin seeing clients at its new location on January 3, 2012. Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday: 7 am – 5 pm Physical Therapy now has a new satellite location. Hours of Operation: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 7 am – 5 pm (You do not have to be a client of Corporate Health to use the physical therapy services.) Lab Services and X-ray Services all under one roof for one-stop convenience. (You do not have to be a client of Corporate Health to use lab services; however, you do need to be a client to use x-ray services.) Home Health Services providing skilled nursing, physical, occupational, speech and social services in the comfort of your home. Now serving 13 counties.

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Most Employees Didn’t Use All Their Vacation in 2011 Most workers did not take all their vacation in 2011, according to a survey by workforce consulting firm Right Management. As many as 70% of employees indicated they would not take all of their vacation time, and 30% said they would. Right Management surveyed 814 workers throughout North America via an online poll that closed on December 15 and asked “Have you used all of your vacation time this year?” The results were as follows: No - 70% Yes - 30% The findings are consistent with the 2009 survey

when it was found that two-thirds of employees did not take all vacation time due them. According to Right Management Senior Vice President Michael Haid, “The perceived workplace culture that prevails at many organizations seems to recognize devotion to the job to the exclusion of almost all else. Whether this culture is real or imagined, employees everywhere are forsaking vacations and even family time for the primacy of work. If there’s no balance in people’s lives there will soon be resentment and health problems.” The findings suggest that many employees in the U.S. and Canada are anxious about their job, Haid said. “We know from ongoing research that there’s a lot of stress in the workplace. Staffing is lean, workloads are heavier, job security uncertain, and the job market is weak.” 1310 West Fourth St Mansfield, OH 44906 419.529.4456

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Vacation is a core benefit earned by employees, Haid observed. “Vacation is fundamental to a healthy, productive workforce. By itself, foregoing a few days off may not be significant, but when so many people think they shouldn’t take the time they’re entitled to we have problems. These may include unnecessary turnover, low retention, absenteeism, frequent health or safety claims or a host of other HR issues.” About Right Management Right Management is the talent and career management experts within ManpowerGroup. The firm designs and delivers solutions to align talent strategy with business strategy. Expertise spans Talent Assessment, Leader Development, Organizational Effectiveness, Employee Engagement, and Workforce Transition and Outplacement.

Are Customers Always Right? In business, the squeaky wheel almost always winds up getting the grease. Customers tend to be rewarded for complaining, but that strategy leaves money on the table, according to marketing consultant Betsy Kruger. “No one likes hearing a complaint, so when a customer complains, a business quickly and resoundingly rectifies the complaint,” said Kruger, author of Top Market Strategy: Applying the 80/20 Rule (www.BetsyKruger. com). “The problem with this strategy is that disgruntled customers bring in less profit than loyal customers. Your business should focus on gratifying your most profitable customers.” Contrary to popular opinion, the customer is not always right, Kruger says. “It’s wrong to reward complainers,” she says. “You should reward loyal customers since they reward your business with higher profit. You should value their business since loyal customers value your business.” Kruger says the 80/20 rule governs all results, including profits from customers. “When you sort customers by their

profitability, this universal law predicts that the top 20 percent of your customers will generate 80 percent of your profit. Conversely, the bottom 80 percent of your customers will generate only 20 percent of your profit – and virtually all of your complaints. This means you should target the top 20 percent with a top market strategy.” Your business can profit from the 80/20 rule by enacting these steps: • Distinguish your top customers – Identify ways the top 20 percent of your customers differ from other customers and what characteristics they have in common. Realize that your top customers are highly profitable. • Target your top customers – Gratify your top customers with a top market strategy. Discontinue marketing to the bottom 80 percent of your customers by automating all interactions with that group. • Promote to top prospects – Focus resources on converting similar prospects into top customers. When you replace your less profitable customers with these new customers, you can expect your total profit from customers to quadruple. “You may feel it’s rude to consider some customers as less valuable than others, but research proves it’s true,” Kruger says. “The top 20 percent of your customers magnifies your profit, whereas the bottom 20 percent of your customers magnifies your complaints.” “I feel it’s rude to reward complainers since loyal customers deserve to be rewarded. When you prioritize your customers with the 80/20 rule, you are prioritizing your profit.” About Betsy Kruger Betsy Kruger heads Strategic Power, a marketing consultancy committed to empowering world prosperity, one business at a time. Business Expert Press released her book, Top Market Strategy: Applying the 80/20 Rule, in August 2011.

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Small Business Basics Seminars Now Set for January The Ohio Small Business Development Center at Terra State Community College is offering free, two-hour seminars, “Small Business Basics,” that will answer questions about starting, buying or expanding a small business. This seminar will take the confusion out of your efforts and help you avoid costly mistakes and unnecessary steps. Learn the basics of: name registration, licensing, taxes, zoning, business entities, employees, insurance, financing and business planning. The January schedule is: • Wednesday, Jan. 11 – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tiffin Area Chamber of Commerce (conference room), 19 W. Market St., Tiffin • Wednesday, Jan. 18 – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Erie County Chamber of Commerce (conference room), 225 W. Washington Row, Sandusky • Wednesday, Jan. 25 – 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Terra State Community College (Building B, Room 101), 2830 Napoleon Road, Fremont These events are free and open to the public. To register or for more information, call Bill Auxter, Director of the Ohio Small Business Development Center at Terra Community College, toll-free 800-826-2431 or 419-559-2210. Or contact him by email at bauxter@terra.edu.

Northcoast Jobs Connection Schedule for Ottawa County The Northcoast Jobs Connection Job Stores offer numerous services and resources for job seekers and employers. Seminars are free and open to anyone in the community. The area seminar dates in January are: At the Ottawa County Community Resource Centre, 8043 W. SR. 163, Oak Harbor, unless otherwise noted: “Get a Job, Get a Better Job” – 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Jan. 12, 19 and 26. For more information on The Job Stores, log onto www. northcoastjobs.org. Or in Ottawa County, call The Job Store at 800-665-1677, ext. 270 or 419-898-3688, ext. 270. The Job Store is a collaboration of 23 partners in Erie, Huron, Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca counties and is funded by those organizations through the Workforce Investment Act under contract with Terra Community College. It is located at 8043 W. State Route 163, Oak Harbor and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All basic services are free of charge.

Coming in February: Focus on Bellevue

North Coast Business Journal

January 2012

YOU TAKE RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS VERY SERIOUSLY. SO DO WE!

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1-866-347-3440 Mark Egbert Commercial Banker 419-334-2989 x 1736 Christine Simmons Treasury Management 419-447-1513 x 1910

10 January 2012

North Coast Business Journal

Estate

Setting and Targeting Investment Goals Douglas Gildenmeister Senior Vice President, Investments Retirement Plan Consultant The Gildenmeister Wealth Management Group of Raymond James Go out into your yard and dig a big hole. Every month, throw $50 into it, but don’t take any money out until you’re ready to buy a house, send your child to college, or retire. It sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it? But that’s what investing without setting clear-cut goals is like. If you’re

lucky, you may end up with enough money to meet your needs, but you have no way to know for sure. How do you set investment goals? Setting investment goals means defining your dreams for the future. When you’re setting goals, it’s best to be as specific as possible. For instance, you know you want to retire, but when? You know you want to send your child to college, but to an Ivy League school or to the community college down the street? Writing down and prioritizing your investment goals is an important first step toward developing an investment plan. What is your time horizon? Your investment time horizon is the

www.ncbj.net number of years you have to invest toward a specific goal. Each investment goal you set will have a different time horizon. For example, some of your investment goals will be long term (e.g., you have more than 15 years to plan), some will be short term (e.g., you have 5 years or less to plan), and some will be intermediate (e.g., you have between 5 and 15 years to plan). Establishing time horizons will help you determine how aggressively you will need to invest to accumulate the amount needed to meet your goals. How much will you need to invest? Although you can invest a lump sum of cash, many people find that regular, systematic investing is also a great way to build wealth over time. Start by determining how much you’ll need to set aside monthly or annually to meet each goal. Although you’ll want to invest as much as possible, choose a realistic amount that takes into account your other financial obligations, so that you can easily stick with your plan. But always be on the lookout for opportunities to increase the amount you’re investing, such as participating in an automatic investment program that boosts your contribution by a certain percentage each year, or by dedicating a portion of every raise, bonus, cash gift, or tax refund you receive to your investment objectives. Which investments should you choose? No matter what your financial goals, you’ll need to decide how to best allocate your investment dollars. One important consideration is your tolerance for risk. All investments carry some risk, but some carry more than others. How well can you handle market ups and downs? Are you willing to accept a higher degree of risk in exchange for the opportunity to earn a higher rate of return? Whether you’re investing for retirement, college, or another financial goal, your overall objective is to maximize returns without taking on more risk than you can bear. But no matter what level of risk you’re comfortable with, make sure to choose investments that are consistent with your goals and time horizon. A financial professional can help you construct a diversified investment portfolio that takes these factors into account. Investing for retirement After a hard day at the office, do you

ask, “Is it time to retire yet?” Retirement may seem a long way off, but it’s never too early to start planning--especially if you want retirement to be the good life you imagine. For example, let’s say that your goal is to retire at age 65. At age 20 you begin contributing $3,000 per year to your tax-deferred 401(k) account. If your investment earns 6 percent per year, compounded annually, you’ll have approximately $679,000 in your investment account when you retire. But what would happen if you left things to chance instead? Let’s say that you’re not really worried about retirement, so you wait until you’re 35 to begin investing. Assuming you contributed the same amount to your 401(k) and the rate of return on your investment dollars was the same, you would end up with approximately $254,400. And, as this chart illustrates, if you were to wait until age 45 to begin investing for retirement, you would end up with only about $120,000 by the time you retire. (This is a hypothetical example and is not intended to reflect the actual performance of any investment.) Investing for college Perhaps you faced the truth the day your child was born. Or maybe it hit you when your child started first grade: You only have so much time to save for college. In fact, for many people, saving for college is an intermediate-term goal--if you start saving when your child is in elementary school, you’ll have 10 to 15 years to build your college fund. Of course, the earlier you start the better. The more time you have before you need the money, the greater chance you have to build a substantial college fund due to compounding. With a longer investment time frame and a tolerance for some risk, you might also be willing to put some of your money into investments that offer the potential for growth. Investing for a major purchase At some point, you’ll probably want to buy a home, a car, or the yacht that you’ve always wanted. Although they’re hardly impulse items, large purchases are usually not something for which you plan far in advance-one to five years is a common time frame. Because you don’t have much time to invest, you’ll have to budget your investment dollars wisely. Rather than choosing growth investments, you may want to put

See ESTATE, Page 20

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North Coast Business Journal

January 2012 11

Kalahari Resort Invests $22 Million in Meetings Venue to Accommodate Larger Groups/Offer One-of-a-Kind Convention Center in the Region Kalahari Resort today officially announced it will break ground this March on a $22 million expansion that will more than double the size of its convention center, making Kalahari ResortOhio the only under-one-roof complex in the Midwest to feature a convention center and hotel of this scope. Having filled a void in the region since opening its 95,000-square-foot convention center in 2006, Kalahari Resort plans to significantly increase its meeting capacity from 2,200 to 5,200 attendees. The 120,000-square-foot addition, which will bring Kalahari’s convention center total square footage to 215,000, will include a 38,000-squarefoot grand ballroom /expo center, a 12,000-squarefoot junior ballroom, 14 meeting rooms, a 4,000-square-foot themed outdoor plaza connected to an indoor ballroom and 30,000 square feet of pre-function space. “We pride ourselves in striking the right balance of features for convention guests and leisure travelers to ensure that each has a top-notch, yet very different experience,” says Todd Nelson, president and owner of Kalahari Resorts who notes that, with this addition, the resort will have added more than $175 million in expansions since opening in 2005. “This expansion further demonstrates our commitment to building a premier meeting and convention venue in Northeast Ohio.” The distinctive meetings philosophy, for which Kalahari Resort is known, will be carried over in to the new convention space to include state-of-theart audio visual, such as interactive whiteboards, video conferencing options, high-end acoustical sound systems, HD-quality projectors and

formatted screens, advanced lighting control systems and digital signage. Meeting planners will also appreciate smart design elements including electronically lockable built-in bars and registration areas as well as added warming kitchens in key areas to enhance food and beverage service options. Kalahari’s attention to detail flows through to its décor with its use of earthy colors that are proven to enhance the ability to focus and aid in productivity. Meeting and convention attendees will also be greeted by authentic African artwork, décor and furnishings that have been hand-selected by Kalahari staff in Africa, as well as one-of-a-kind fixtures designed by the resort’s private theme shop. “Many groups we’ve hosted have been surprised to discover the level of our meetings and event offerings. Although groups want to bring larger statewide or national conventions to us, in the past we were able to accommodate their guest room needs, but we couldn’t accommodate their function space needs,” says Maris Brenner, director of sales for Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio. “We’re excited to open new doors for Kalahari Resort and the surrounding community with our added meeting space which will draw significantly more attendees.” The authentically African themed resort has generated $27.4 million in taxes and fees

for the public sector from 2005 to 2009 thanks to its wide array of offerings that include America’s largest indoor waterpark, outdoor waterpark and adventure park, restaurants, shops and Spa Kalahari. Named business of the year by the Erie County Chamber of Commerce in 2010, Kalahari Resort, the second largest employer in the area with 1,200 employees, will add 141 full-time jobs and 98 one-time construction jobs and as part of its expansion. “We support this expansion and are excited to see Kalahari Resort continue to grow and bring added visitors to the area, thus spurring economic growth and adding jobs in Erie County,” says Erie County Commissioner Patrick Shenigo. “We’re fortunate to have this level of private investment in our community.” Kalahari Resort is committed to working with Ohio-based contractors and subcontractors and will invite them to submit bids through its construction manager, Kraemer Brothers of Plain, Wis.

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North Coast Business Journal

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The Well-Booked Business By Cathy Allen Negotiation. Few words in business create as much anxiety as this one. Fear of losing, of paying too much, or of being out-maneuvered causes many of us to shrink from the bargaining table. And yet, we are involved in give and take with others every day. Formally around a board room table, or in a quick gathering in the parking lot, whenever two or more people are involved in deciding some question, a difference of perspective and opinion is inevitable. How much additional inventory should we purchase? Who will work the New Year’s Eve shift? Do we need to upgrade our computers, or our security system, or our marketing strategy? How shall we respond to the customer feedback we just received? Whether we realize it or not, a negotiation is underway. Information is shared, ideas are developed, priorities and values established, and options are created. There is always someone in every group who sees

such discussions as an opportunity to assert his or her position, go one-up, and come out of top by forcing someone else down, but I think the majority of us are regularly looking for the win-win. At least, the most effective among us are. This month’s book is a classic, from the syllabus of “How to Succeed in Business 101,” and well worth another look. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton of the Harvard Negotiation Project; Penguin Books, 1981 SUMMARY: This is a how-to manual for a technique called “principled negotiation” which allows parties to decide questions on their merits rather than on the haggling skill – or willpower – of the people involved. Whether we want to or not and whether we know it or not, we all negotiate something nearly every day. What to have for supper tonight, which co-worker will stay late, and which location to have the next committee meeting in are all examples of questions that are decided among people with competing interests. But maybe the interests aren’t competing – maybe they overlap, or they complement one another and only the positions of the parties are actually at odds. By focusing on the interests, rather than the positions, and by remaining committed to the relationship, parties can almost always invent options for mutual gain and resolve issues to everyone’s satisfaction. • Positional bargaining – the process where each side takes a position, defends it, and makes concessions until some middle ground is reached – is inefficient, produces poor outcomes, and endangers relationships. Those who prefer “soft” bargaining can be over run by “hard” bargainers. The actual interests of the negotiators are buried as positions are locked in and movement without loss of “face” becomes difficult. • In the vast majority of cases, people involved in negotiations have two interests – in the substance of the agreement, and also in

maintaining the relationship. Truly looking at the problem from the other side’s perspective is an important aspect of principled negotiation. Understanding is not the same as agreeing. • Two people are in a dispute about an orange. Each holds the position that it belongs to them and not to the other. Deadlocked, they may decide to split the orange and each take half. Calm conversation reveals, however, that one has an interest in the juice, while the other has an interest in the zest. If they talk about why they hold their positions, they will invent a solution that makes them both happy and preserves their relationship. It is the responsibility of each party in a principled negotiation to be specific about their interests. • With the interests of all parties clearly understood, it is time to begin coming up with mutuallysatisfactory solutions. One effective technique for idea creation is brainstorming – where participants are invited to pitch ideas without critique from others. Look for shared interests (common goals) and compatible interests (that complement or dovetail one another as in the orange example.) • When interests truly are in conflict, and no winwin can be developed, criteria for deciding must be agreed upon between the parties. This leads to a solution based on merits rather than on who has the strongest will. • A negotiated agreement should leave both parties better off than they are in the absence of an agreement. If your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) is better than the proposal on the table, you can reject the offer. Knowing in advance what your BATNA is will help you know when you should settle and when you should not. • In jujitsu, one moves out of the way of an attack and uses the force of the attacker against them. In negotiation jujitsu, one steps out of the way of an attack and uses the force of the attacker to address the problem. Ask them to critique your case. Seek their opinion on how your interests can be met. Avoid becoming defensive. Say “Please correct me if I am wrong,” or “Let me see if I understand what you are saying.” • The authors provide a laundry list of common dirty tricks hard bargainers sometimes use and give guidance on how to avoid being defeated by them. In general, the thing to do is 1) recognize the tactic, 2) raise the issue explicitly, and 3) question its legitimacy. In essence, you will be negotiating over negotiation tactics. • In the end, principled negotiation accomplishes the twin goals of superior outcomes and relationship protection. Parties who use principled negotiation are able to achieve their goals and treat others fairly without risk of feeling taken. When “winning” is redefined to mean a happy outcome for all parties, success is more readily achieved. Have a book you’d like to see synopsized in The WellBooked Business? Tell us about it by taking the one-question poll posted to our website. Creative Option C, LLC is a facilitation and organizational development consulting firm in Marblehead owned and managed by Cathy Allen since 2003. In addition to making a book recommendation, visitors to www.CreativeOptionC.com can download additional synopses and original articles.

North Coast Business Journal

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Port Clinton Women’s Club Awarded Gift of Lights Main Street Port Clinton and the City of Port Clinton are pleased to announce that the Port Clinton Women’s Club won the Gift of Lights for the third year in a row. Eighteen organizations and businesses decorated a Christmas tree in Veterans Park and competed for the traveling Snowman Trophy. The $337.25 raised goes to Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) as selected by the 2010 winner, Port Clinton Women’s Club. Special thanks to the American Legion, Civilian Marksmanship Program, the Compassionate Friends, Conestoga West End, DECA, DZ Radio, First Federal Savings of Lorain, Greater Port Clinton Area

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January 2012 13

Oak Harbor "Thanks"

Arts Council, Howard Hanna, Original Conestoga- home of The Community Garden, Ottawa Residential Services, PCHS – International Club, Port Clinton Leadership Council, Port Clinton Rotary Club, Port Clinton Women’s Club, Real Living Morgan Realty Group, Rock Ledge Inn, and Slater’s Madison Street Pub for making our downtown festive.

The Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who helped make the 2011 Olde’ Fashioned Christmas celebration a success this year. Nearly 200 children visited with Santa, enjoyed cookies & hot cocoa, and shopped in the secret Santa shop for gifts for their loved ones. We would like to thank: 2011-2012 Apple Festival Royalty Court & Families, Amy Lutman, Carroll Township, Community Markets, Gordon Lumber Company-Port Clinton, Julie Solis, Magruder Hospital, McDonalds-Oak Harbor, National Bank of Oak Harbor, Oak Harbor DECA , Oak Harbor Hardware, Oak Harbor Pet Haven, Pat Peters, Paulette Weirich, Poggemeyer Design Group, Portage Fire Department & Volunteers, Roger & Sue Radsick, Toft’s Dairy, Village of Oak Harbor

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14 January 2012

North Coast Business Journal

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Oak Harbor Area Chamber

“It was a Year of Growth…” Submitted by Valerie Winterfield Executive Director

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2011 was a year of growth, development and excitement for the Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce. The continued efforts of our members, staff, board, volunteers and businesses resulted in the successes that continue our mission statement to promote, support, and advocate for our members, and strengthen the economic climate of the Oak Harbor area. First and foremost we would like to extend a huge thank to our 2011 Gold Sponsors; The National Bank of Ohio, Community Markets/Toft’s Dairy, The Village of Oak Harbor, Carroll Township, and Magruder Hospital for their generous contribution to the chamber and our community. Below is a look back at 2011 and all of the accomplishments the chamber has realized this past year: • Co-hosted booth at Ottawa County Fair with Ottawa County Chambers • Held 4 quarterly FREE small business seminars for our members • Offered S.E.E. (Service Excellence Experience) Customer Service Certification Program • Hosted Annual Community Easter Egg Hunt • Displayed local military pictures in Flat Iron Park-Donated proceeds to Honor Flight of Northwest Ohio • Created Oak Harbor Downtown Committee • Hosted the Annual Golf Outing at Oak Harbor Golf Club to benefit 2 BCS Scholarships • Coordinated Annual Spring Community Clean-up • Co-hosted booth at Great Lakes Home & Flower Show held at Kalahari Resort • Helped over 20 member businesses save money on health care through our discount partnership with Anthem and NOACC • Hosted Independence Day Celebration in downtown Oak Harbor

• Added new member benefits-Long term care insurance discounts and FedEx shipping discounts • Assisted 4 new businesses with Ribbon Cuttings/Grand Openings • Contributed input from 2010 survey to Bird-Houk to assist in downtown development plan • Coordinated 2nd Annual Village Wide Garage Sale Days • Hosted Olde Fashioned Christmas Celebration at Portage Fire Station • Coordinated Business After Hours; Average attendance—25 guests • Co-hosted a table with the Ottawa County Chambers at Shooter’s Reception for the National Rifle Matches • Apple Festival Royalty attended over 15 parades and events throughout NW Ohio to promote the Oak Harbor area. • Published bi-monthly newsletter; the Chamber Chatter, and distributed it to over 225 businesses and individuals • Festival representatives attended two OFEA conferences • Over 200 referrals to member businesses • Displayed Parade of Trees downtown Oak Harbor • Over 100 vendors participated in the Apple Festival • 13 new members joined • Coordinated first ever Farmers Markets in cooperation with the Downtown Committee.

See OAK HARBOR, Page 15

North Coast Business Journal

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Free Rent Available for New Businesses If you drive through downtown Oak Harbor, you will notice a couple of the empty buildings have a free rent sign in the window. Sound too good to be true? Well, it actually isn’t. Adam Snyder, of Snyder Real Estate and Rentals, is offering free rent to new businesses interested in opening up in downtown. “The buildings are completely remodeled and ready for business,” Snyder said. “All they have to do is put their computer down and start doing business.” The landlord — who owns 80 rentals in the area — said with tough economic times, he’s really willing to work with people. “To me, it’s not about the money,

it’s about bringing new business into town,” he said. Agreements for the rent-free spaces will be set up on a case-by-case business and will depend on a number of factors including the type of business. Snyder said the two spaces available downtown are in renovated and in mint condition but if somebody wants something else, he has other options available. “With the economy these days, people are a little hesitant to start up a business,” said Valerie Winterfield, executive director of the Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce. “I think this is a wonderful idea.” For information on the free rent offer, call Snyder at 419-898-4339.

Below is our schedule of events for 2012: • Jan. 27 — Chamber Annual Dinner, VFW Hall • March 31 — Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Log Cabin • April 28 — Annual Community Clean-up Day, Downtown Oak Harbor • May 25 — Annual Golf Outing, OH Golf Club • June 1-2 — Annual Village Wide Garage Sale Days, Downtown Oak Harbor • June 23 — Farmers Market, Flat Iron Park • July 3 — Annual Independence Day Celebration, Mill Street Riverfront • July 28 — Farmers Market, Flat

call 419-898-4339

In addition to the free rent, there are also small business seminars and tools available through Terra Community College’s Small Business Development Center. Their services include training, counseling, business plan development assistance and more. For more information:

Oak Harbor Downtown Committee The Oak Harbor Downtown Committee — a new group working to revitalize and improve the downtown — is looking for new members. Those interested can call the Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce at 419-898-0479.

Member FDIC

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• Call 419-559-2210 • Visit http://www.terra. edu/ContiniuingEducation/SmallBusinessDevelopment.html.

YOUR COMMUNITY BANK

n so U K! e k O i L O

Iron Park • Aug. 25 — Farmers Market, Flat Iron Park • Sept. 22 — Farmers Market, Flat Iron Park • Oct. 13-14 — Annual Apple Festival, Downtown Oak Harbor • Oct. 27 — Farmers Market, Flat Iron Park • Dec. — Olde Fashioned Christmas Celebration, Portage Fire Station

Small Business Seminars

OAK HARBOR, from Page 14 • Log Cabin Committee hosted “Music in the Park” Series June through August As always the Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce looks forward to continuing to bring you quality family events throughout the year and promoting this great village in which we live. We look forward to promoting our businesses and our community in 2012 and wish to thank all of our members for their continuing support.

January 2012

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16 January 2012

North Coast Business Journal

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Port Clinton Chamber: “A Fantastic Year Ahead!” By Laura Schlachter, AICP President 2012 is going to be a fantastic year for the Port Clinton Area Chamber! The PC Chamber and Main Street Port Clinton are involved in a number of activities designed to enhance our community including grant requests, business recruitment/enhancement projects, and educational workshops and trainings. The PC Chamber is the front door for the area’s business community. Referrals are a key benefit for members, and we only refer and promote Chamber members in all of our business practices. The opportunity for networking with potential customers is perhaps one of the most important benefits of Chamber membership. There are several ‘fun’ events that are designed for your benefit, such as monthly Business After Hours, Casino Night, Golf Outing, Sunset Cruise, and the Holiday Mixer. As a Chamber member, you receive discounts on your health insurance with Anthem and you also receive a discount on your workers comp with V&A Risk Services. All members of the PC Chamber are also members of Main Street Port Clinton, a nonprofit organization striving to revitalize our historic downtown. Back by popular demand, the Port Clinton Area Chamber will be offering the Member Discount Card again this year. The Member Discount Card will list 42 discounts and specials for our Chamber member businesses that can be used only by other PC Chamber members and their employees. To learn more, please contact the Chamber.

See PC CHAMBER, Page 17 Members enjoy the Chamber’s annual Sunset Cruise on the Jet Express.

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PC CHAMBER, from Page 16 The PC Chamber strongly promotes business and tourism for the Greater Port Clinton area, answering hundreds of phone calls and emails monthly. Relocation packets also go out to those considering a move to our area or starting a business in the community. The Ottawa County Chambers Directory is in its final stages with completion scheduled for the end of January. This useful new edition is made possible only through the advertising support of our members. We appreciate your contribution toward making this outstanding, professionally prepared publication a success! The Port Clinton Area Chamber has teamed up with the Port Clinton City School District, Magruder Hospital, and the City of Port Clinton to create the 2012 Guide to Local Activities. Guides will be available at the Chamber office in January. This guide is a great community resource outlining activities in our community. We encourage you to take advantage of the many events and activities in the Port Clinton community. We will again this year partner with the five Ottawa County Chambers of Commerce and Lake Erie Shores & Islands at the Great Lakes Home and Garden Show, the National Matches at Camp Perry, and the Ottawa County Fair. Our participation in this joint venture allows us to showcase our County and tourism partners to thousands of visitors who will attend these events. For an entire listing of membership benefit information and for a complete membership directory, please go to our website – www.portclintonchamber. com or call the Chamber at 419.734.5503. The Chamber is open Monday – Friday from 9am – 5pm.

Members gather at the Catawba Island Club after the Chamber’s Golf Outing.

Submit stories for next month's edition of the North Coast Business Journal by e-mailing

jbryden@ncbj.net

January 2012

18 January 2012

North Coast Business Journal

www.ncbj.net

CHAMBER CALENDARS for January Erie County Chamber of Commerce 6

TASTE of the North Coast Committee meeting, 8 a.m.

Ribbon Cutting/Open House Mattress Warehouse Crossings Plaza, 5:00 p.m.

Chamber office closed

SBDC Small Business Start-up Workshop Chamber office, 9:30 a.m.

Business After Hours NOMS Healthcare, Rt. 4 & Strub Road, 5:15 p.m.

Board of Directors Perkins Restaurant, 7:30 a.m.

Ribbon Cutting Firelands Regional Medical Center Corporate Health Center, 3:00 p.m. Milan Road @ Walmart entrance.

Gallery of Achievers Board of Selectors meeting, 7:30 a.m.

Fostoria Chamber of Commerce 4

Safety Council Steering Committee 11:30 am @ Chamber office

Safety Council Meeting Fostoria Community Hospital 11:30 am @ lower level board room

Chamber board meeting Fostoria Community Hospital Noon @ lower level board room

Annual Meeting Luncheon 11:30 am - 1:00 p.m. Good Shepherd Home banquet room

Genoa Chamber of Commerce 12

Chamber Board Meeting 5:30 p.m.

Huron County Chamber of Commerce

Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce 5

Directors Meeting 7:00 p.m., Location TBA

Business After Hours Hosted by: Sam’s Club, Grande Maison, and Lake Erie Shores & Islands 5-7 p.m. @ Lake Erie Shores & Islands in Port Clinton

Executive Meeting 10:00 am @ Chamber Office.

Safety Council, Construction, 7:30 am, Chamber office, RSVP required

Program Committee, 8:00 am, Chamber office

Red Cross Disaster Planning for your Business, 7:30 am, Chamber office, Free, RSVP requested

Downtown Committee Meeting Noon, Chamber Building

Membership Committee, 8:00 am, Chamber office

Annual Dinner 6 p.m. @ VFW Memorial Hall

Safety Council, General/Service, 7:30 am, Chamber office, RSVP required

Board of Directors meeting, 4:00 p.m.

Ribbon Cutting Norwalk Custom Order Furniture, 9:00 am

Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce

Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce 5

Business After Hours Hosted by CMP/Camp Perry 5 – 7 p.m.

Chamber Board Meeting at Chamber Office, 8:30 am

Main Street Port Clinton Design Committee Meeting at MSPC Office, 3:00 p.m.

Education committee, 8:00 am, Janesville Acoustics, 10 12406 Rte 250 North, Milan Ribbon cutting, 4:00 p.m., Myers-Ziemke Insurance, 12 Historic Hess Hardware Monroeville Safety Council, Manufacturing, 7:30 am, Chamber office, RSVP required

Main Street Port Clinton Economic Restructuring Committee Meeting at MSPC Office, 8:30 am Main Street Port Clinton Promotion Committee Meeting at Slater’s Pub 8:30 am Main Street Port Clinton Organization Executive Committee Meeting at MSPC Office, 8:30 am

Walleye Festival Committee Meeting at MSPC Office 8:30 am

Main Street Port Clinton Board Meeting at MSPC Office, 8:30 am

Port Clinton Chamber Foundation Board Meeting at Chamber Office, 8:30 am

“What Your Library of the Future Looks Like and What It Can Do for You” Workshop at Ida Rupp Public Library, 8:30 am

Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Services 11

Small Business Basics Seminar 9:30 am to 11:30 am . Free seminar about starting, buying or expanding a small business. By the Ohio Small Business Development Center at Terra Community College. Chamber Community room Register at 800-826-2431 or 419-559-2210 e-mail at bauxter@terra.edu

Ambassador Meeting Noon. Chamber Offices, 19 W. Market St., Ste., C. Please RSVP.

Chamber Economic Forecast Breakfast 7:30 - 9:00 am Speakers provided by US Bank.

Willard Area Chamber 26

Chamber Annual Banquet Willard High School

North Coast Business Journal

On The Move Eating Well for a Good Cause It’s time again for EHOVE Career Center student chefs to create their spectacular cuisine at the 12th Annual Scholarship Dinner from the American Culinary Federation and the Sandusky Bay Area Chef s Association! On February 4 at 6 pm at Sawmill Creek Resort, diners can enjoy a cash bar and hors d oeuvres. At 7 pm, a wide variety of small plate entrees, including meats, seafood and vegetarian offerings, and desserts often found in the best restaurants menus will be available, all while supporting a good cause. The yearly meal is an opportunity to raise funds for various projects promoting culinary education for local students. To date, over $50.000 in scholarships have been awarded to local Culinary Arts students. This year s fundraising goal through event ticket sales, financial donations and the silent auction is $4000. The funds will be used to support all educational forums in our chapter, such as scholarships, cooks camp registration, and supporting chefs to attend regional ACF conferences. The association is about education and the betterment of our profession, said EHOVE Chef Michael Edwards. Dinner tickets are $45 each. Monetary gifts or donations of products or services for the silent auction will be greatly a p p r e c i a t e d . Your assistance will help local culinary arts students further their education. To donate,

purchase your ticket or get more information, please contact Chef Edwards at (419) 499-4663 x237 or medwards@ehove.net. EHOVE Career Center is a leading career tech school in Milan Township. This high school and adult education facility draws students from a variety of locales, and serves multiple school districts as well in Erie, Huron and Ottawa Counties. Students are given the opportunity to take challenging academic classes in a customized and relevant curriculum to prepare them for a specific career or college, and learn skills to advance in the trade of their choice, for now or the future. A wide variety of career paths and training opportunities are available for many professions. More information is available at www. EHOVE.net.

January 2012

Willard Medical Center is now

Mercy Primary Care – Willard. Insurance Plans accepted by Mercy Primary Care - Willard:

James E. Rosso, MD* Internal Medicine/Pediatrics

Aetna

HealthSpan*

Anthem – PPO, HMO, Medicare PFFS

Humana – PPO

BeechStreet PPO*

Immergrun

Buckeye Community Health Plan – Medicaid CFC*

Medicare – Ohio Multiplan*

CareSource – Medicaid ABD*

Railroad Medicare

Cigna ChoiceCare - PPO

National Provider Network* Ohio Bureau Workers Compensation Ohio Health Choice Ohio Health Group

Cofinity*

Ohio Preferred Network*

Direct Care America / HealthSmart

PHCS

Emerald Health Network PPO* First Health/ Coventry* FrontPath Health Coalition* Nancy L. Verhoff, MD* Family Medicine

Medical Mutual of Ohio

Buckeye Community Health Plan – Advantage*

CareSource Advantage* Robert W. Secor, MD* Family Medicine

Humana Medicare

GreatWest Healthcare (Cigna) - PPO* HealthReach* HealthScope*

Physicians Health Collaborative Three Rivers Provider Network* United Community Health Plan – Medicaid ABD* United Healthcare USA Managed Care Organization* Wellcare Advantage*

*Mercy Primary Care - Willard will accept these plans effective 10/1/11.

www.ncbj.net

*denotes Board Certification

Mercy Primary Care - Willard 218 S. Myrtle Avenue | Willard, Ohio 44890 419.933.2811

mercyweb.org

20 January 2012

North Coast Business Journal

www.ncbj.net

“Ramped Up for 2012” Submitted by John Detwiler President and CEO As I’m sure with many of you as we approach the end of the calendar year we’ve been busy assembling 2012 budgets and programs. Budgets certainly are what they are, and are built based upon anticipated revenue streams consisting primarily of dues income and fundraisers. Programs that we sponsor or co-sponsor are already locked and loaded: Tiffin Area Safety Council, Seneca County Industrial Management Council, Leadership Seneca County and the Small Business Basics series. We’re continuing our monthly General Membership Meetings, begun in early 2011. We’ll kick off the year with an Economic Forecast breakfast on January 24 with representative of US Bank. Throughout the year, we’ll focus on local, state and federal issues that are business impacting; training and how-to-topics, education and

workforce development. We feel strongly that social media and e-commerce are topics that our small businesses need to understand and embrace to generate new business. We’ve engaged our local universities to help develop handson, meaningful seminars to address the gaps. Of course, we’ll continue our Downtown Tiffin Farmers Markets as well as begin to develop other Downtown events with our Tiffin Tomorrow and other partners. As you already know, the Chamber will be the home of Seneca County Visitor Services effective January 1, 2012. With that comes further website and Facebook development, all designed to enhance our area as a quality location to work, play, live and visit. Like all of you, much to do with limited resources. Working together will insure our ultimate success. Thank you for your support in 2011 and the best to all of you in 2012.

Community Hospice Care

Rebecca S. Shank, R.N. Executive Director

With Community Hospice Care, it’s not the destination, but the journey that matters

Proudly Serving Seneca & Huron counties since 1983

Not for Profit - No Patient ever receives a bill for our care

Community Hospice Care

181 E. Perry Street; Tiffin, OH 44883 (419) 447-4040 1-800-834-8100 Visit our website: www.communityhospicecare.com or contact us via email at: info@communityhospicecare.com

ESTATE, from Page 10 your money into less volatile, highly liquid investments that have some potential for growth, but that offer you quick and easy access to your money should you need it. Review and revise Over time, you may need to update your investment plan. No matter what your investment goal, get in the habit of checking up on your portfolio at least once a year, more frequently if the market is particularly volatile or when there have been significant changes in your life. You may need to rebalance your portfolio to bring it back in line with your investment goals and risk tolerance. If you need help, a financial professional can help.

This information was developed by Broadridge, an independent third party. It is general in nature, is not a complete statement of all information necessary for making an investment decision, and is not a recommendation or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investments and strategies mentioned may not be suitable for all investors. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC does not provide advice on tax, legal or mortgage issues. These matters should be discussed with an appropriate professional. Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member NYSE/SIPC.

Mercy Willard Recognizes Goodsite with Star of Excellence Beth Goodsite was awarded the annual Star of Excellence Memorial Award by Dr. David Jump at the hospital’s Holiday Celebration, for demonstrating the Mercy Core Values of Compassion, Excellence, Human Dignity, Justice, Sacredness of Life and Service. For the last 22 years, Dr. Jump has memorialized his father, Harry Jump, through the annual Star of Excellence Memorial Award. A committee awards quarterly Star of Excellence Awards to hospital employees who demonstrate a high standard of caring and compassion and then selects the annual Star of Excellence Memorial Award winner.

January 2012

North Coast Business Journal

www.ncbj.net

Now Available in Sandusky

Legal

Quality Fisher-Titus Pain Management Services

How Is It Owned? By Jeff Roth How an asset is titled is the first question in determining a proper estate plan. These articles have repeated this topic several times. It is a waste of time and money to have a spouse or child go through the probate process when it can easily be avoided with preplanning and legwork to correct the improper titling of assets. Death is a taxable event. Even if the Federal Estate tax is repealed there will always be an income tax consequence. This is a review of the titling of assets and possible income tax ramifications. The purpose of this article is to have you question you or your parent’s actual ownership and make any corrections to insure the optimum result in case of death. TITLE ALTERNATIVES. The extent of planning during life will dictate the result at death. Here are a few examples of titling during life and the affect of that ownership at the time of death. SOLE OWNERSHIP. If the deceased owned property in his sole name, then a full probate administration will be necessary to transfer title. There is a shorter version if the property value is under certain levels, but the court is still very much involved. A lengthy time of administration and money spent to follow the law is a result of very little planning and your list of assets is permanently placed on record for the public to see in the Probate Court. JOINT TENANCY, PAYABLE ON DEATH, LIFE ESTATE. These are all forms of title that will allow the asset to be transferred to the named survivor upon the presentation of a death certificate. These title transfers can be completed soon after the death without court involvement. In most cases, these types of ownership will avoid probate, provide immediate transfer and allow the successor

owner to proceed with business and life after your death with very few complications. This type of structure should be reviewed during life to insure the correct outcome and predetermine any income tax problems that may be created by use of these title designations. REVOCABLE OR IRREVOCABLE TRUST. Technically, the named successor Trustee holds the title to these assets and can transfer them immediately in accordance with the terms of the trust. The work of transferring title was accomplished during life. The job of the trustee is to complete the wishes of the deceased in accordance with the directions set forth in the trust document. This is done within the family circle as a private matter, not involving the public. STATED BENIFICIARIES. Life Insurance, 401K’s and IRAs all have listed beneficiaries. Upon the presentation of a death certificate, the company or institution holding title to these accounts will distribute these funds to the named beneficiary. The distribution can happen quickly but one should know the exact income tax consequence before requesting these funds. IF THE TRANSFER IS AUTOMATIC, DO I NEED TO HAVE THE PROPERTY APPRAISED? Surviving spouses and children are quick to tell me to get the property valued low so they will not have to pay tax. Under today’s rules, this is normally a very bad idea. With the new high estate tax exemptions, death provides a time to raise the cost basis of property to save income taxes in the future. Normally all real estate and tangible personal property used in business should be appraised at its highest legitimate value. If a person paid $10,000.00 for a building in 1950 and it is now worth $100,000.00, then that will be the new basis (cost) established at death. If the spouse or children later sell the property for $105,000.00 then they will have to pay income tax only on $5,000.00. If

See LEGAL, Page 24

Zach Zumbar, M.D.

Adam Hedaya, M.D.

Interventional Pain Specialist

PAIN MANAGEMENT

CLOSE TO HOME Greater Erie County residents suffering from chronic pain can now improve their quality of life with convenient, high-quality pain management services from the new Fisher-Titus Pain Management Center office in Sandusky. Conveniently located in the Northern Ohio Medical Specialists (NOMS) building, we’re bringing relief from chronic pain closer to home.

CALL 419-660-6901 TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

Board certified in pain management, Interventional Pain Specialist Dr. Adam Hedaya will direct diagnose and treatment along with Dr. Zach Zumbar who completed fellowship training in pain medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. Our team of experts provides you with the advanced care you need for:

• Arthritis pain in neck or lower back • Chronic pelvic pain, including interstitial cystitis • Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) • Neck pain

• Persistent pain after back or neck surgery • Back pain and sciatica • Nerve damage or muscle spasm pain • Shingles pain

If patients require interventional procedures as part of their treatment, they will be referred to either the Fisher-Titus Pain Management Center in Norwalk or the Magruder Hospital Pain Management Center in Port Clinton.

Call 419-660-6901 today to schedule an appointment, and be on your way to pain relief. F

Fisher-Titus Pain Management Center Office Northern Ohio Medical Specialists (NOMS) 2500 W. Strub Road, Suite 350 Sandusky, OH

Simply Smarter Care

22 January 2012

North Coast Business Journal

www.ncbj.net

Port Clinton: Customer Service Program Announced While every business recognizes the importance of customer service, less than 5% of businesses have implemented a program to assure that they are delivering consistent excellent customer service to their customers. It’s typical for employees to get caught up in their day to day activities and lose sight of the fact that customers are the backbone of a business’ success and profitability. If you, as an owner/manager want your employees to make consistent excellent customer service a priority, then it must become a priority for you. Do you monitor the customer service that your business provides? Are you able to take an independent look at your business through your customers’ eyes? Are you constantly looking for ways to improve? The Ottawa County Chambers of Commerce and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center would like to invite area business owners and managers to take advantage of a unique opportunity to improve their business. Six years ago, the Chambers and Welcome Center initiated a customer service certification program “Service Excellence Experience” (SEE) with its mission being to “Implement a standard of excellence in Customer Service in Ottawa County through an established certification process with a recognized trademark.” This unique customer service program sets a measurable standard that businesses must meet and maintain to be “SEE Certified.” Taking an active role during and after this customer focused training facilitates the application of the techniques and strategies learned from these valuable sessions. It’s guaranteed to improve the image of your business and achieve customer satisfaction. The SEE customer service training program is designed for owners/managers and supervisors. The SEE program is a cost effective approach to incorporate your own in-house customer service training program. The training modules are scheduled on the following dates: Session 1: Friday, February 3, 2012 Session 2: Friday, February 17, 2012 Session 3: Friday, March 3, 2012 All sessions are from 8:30 am until 12:30 pm and are held at the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center at 770 SE Catawba Road, Port Clinton, OH 43452. Prior to starting the training modules and after completion, a mystery shop is conducted at the participant’s place of business. A mystery shop is designed to provide an independent view of your business through your customer’s eyes. The business receives a report and narrative evaluation of the mystery-shop to review. The cost of the program is $325. It can be paid by check or by Visa or Master Card. If you pay the entire amount at application, the cost is $300.00 with a saving of $25.00. Registration and the first payment are due by Monday, January 7th. Class size is limited to 20 participants. Contact Program Administrator, Sheila Powell, at 419-366-7420 to receive an application. We hope you will take advantage of this program and discover how to set your business apart from others by becoming a customer’s first choice when conducting business.

www.ncbj.net

January 2012

North Coast Business Journal

Insurance Employer Responsibilities in Winter Weather By Mark T. Reilly Snow days were a highlight of winter when many of us were children, but now winter weather presents a host of difficulties for employers. There are safety concerns, OSHA regulations to comply with, potential liability risks, attendance confusion and pay-related issues to address. It’s important to be prepared for all scenarios associated with inclement weather before the weather arrives, and to make sure employees are properly informed of all relevant policies and procedures. Working in Adverse Conditions Your biggest concern should be the safety of your employees. This is especially important for any job in which employees work outside or are exposed to the weather conditions throughout the day. Cold Stress Working in the extreme cold can be dangerous for employees, and precipitation and wind exacerbate that danger. OSHA has issued guidelines offering precautionary measures to prevent cold stress, which can lead to tissue damage, hypothermia, frostbite and trench foot – conditions that can cause serious injury or death. Factors that contribute to cold stress are: cold air temperatures, high velocity air movement, dampness of the air, and contact with cold water or surfaces. Therefore, it is important to remember that even temperatures of 50 degrees with enough rain and wind can cause cold stress. Preventing Cold Stress There are several precautions that employees should take while working in cold or dangerous weather: • Take breaks to get warm • Drink plenty of liquids, but avoid caffeine and alcohol • Avoid smoking, which constricts blood flow to skin •Be aware of any cold weather related side-effects that their medication may have • Know and understand symptoms of cold-related illnesses and injuries

• Stretch before physical work to prevent muscle pulls and injuries •Wear protective clothing: •At least three layers: something close to skin to wick moisture away, an insulation layer, and an outer wind and waterproof layer (outer layers should be loose to allow ventilation and prevent overheating) • Hat or hood • Insulated boots • Gloves – not only can the cold cause injuries to exposed skin, but cold hands also make one more prone to injury when handling machinery or other objects (Note: OSHA requires employers to pay only for protective gear that is out of the ordinary; employees are responsible for everyday clothing like those listed above.) Proper Training Winter weather can cause unusual conditions and higher risks, so it is important to train employees on safety procedures. They should understand the danger of exposed skin, insufficient protective wear and cold/wet/slippery equipment. Employees also should be trained to recognize cold-weather illnesses and injuries in themselves and co-workers, and should be aware of how to treat such incidents. Driving on Company Time Another concern regarding winter weather is employees who drive a company car or vehicle as part of their workday. Driving in severe weather can be extremely dangerous, so it is important to take precautions. All vehicles should be given a safety check by a mechanic before the bad weather hits, and they should also be equipped with emergency materials such as a snow scraper, blanket, first aid kit and flashlight. In order to protect your company against liability, any employees who may drive in bad weather on company time should be trained in safe, cautious driving techniques and what to do in case of an accident. All of these cold and inclement weather provisions should be included in your safety plan, and discussed before and during the onset of such weather. Pay-Related Issues Pay issues arise when weather forces your business to close for any length of time or prevents employees from

making it to work even if your business remains open. For non-exempt (typically hourly) employees, you are only required to pay them for the hours they actually work. Thus, if your business opens late, closes early, closes for an entire day or if they cannot come in, you are not required to pay them for any time missed. Exempt (typically salaried) employees are a different situation. If an exempt employee works any part of the day, you must pay them for a full day. Similarly, if the business is closed for the day, you must also pay them (unless the business is closed for a week or more). You may, however, require that they use available paid time off or vacation time, if available. If your business remains open but an exempt employee cannot come in due to weather, this is a personal reason and you do not need to pay them. ncbj1111AHAC.pdf One option to ease 11/2/11 the loss11:18:48 of a AM

business day or any missed productivity is to ask exempt employees to work from home (if you are already paying them for the day). Be Prepared Employees should be informed of your company policies related to inclement weather — safety, attendance and pay-related. You should have an established communication method to inform your employees of a business closing or delay. When bad weather is coming, address all your policies again, remind employees of communication channels to address attendance and plan for the worst potential outcome to ensure your company is prepared for the weather. For more information about the risks in involved for business owners contact Mark T. Reilly of Diversified Insurance Service or visit our website at www.divinsurance.com.

branding. it’s not just for the big ranchers anymore.

garden-fresh, creative ideas for any budget

identity • print design • advertising • web design o

231 w water street • sandusky oh 44870 t 419.341.1117 e amy@aha4creative.com w www.aha4creative.com

24 January 2012

North Coast Business Journal

Taxes Home Office Expense Deductions By Jeffrey J. Rosengarten, CPA PAYNE, NICKLES & COMPANY If you’re self-employed and work out of an office in your home, and if you satisfy the strict rules that govern those deductions (discussed later), you will be entitled to favorable “home office” deductions—that is, above-the-line business expense deductions for the following: the “direct expenses” of the home office—e.g., the costs of painting or repairing the home office, depreciation deductions for furniture and fixtures used in the home office, etc.; and the “indirect” expenses of maintaining the home office—e.g., the properly allocable share of utility costs, depreciation, insurance, etc., for your home, as well as an allocable share of mortgage interest, real estate taxes, and casualty losses. In addition, if your home office is your “principal place of business” under the rules discussed below, the costs of travelling between your home office and other work locations in that business are deductible transportation expenses, rather than nondeductible commuting costs. And you may also deduct the cost of computers and related equipment that you use in the home office, without being subject to the “listed property” restrictions that would otherwise apply. Tests for home office deductions. You may deduct your home office expenses if you meet any of the three tests described below: the principal place of business test, the place for meeting patients, clients or customers test, or the separate structure test. You may also deduct the expenses of certain storage space if you qualify under the rules described further below. Principal place of business. You’re entitled to home office deductions if you use your home office, exclusively and on a regular basis, as your principal place of business. Your home office is your principal place of business if it satisfies either a “management or administrative activities” test, or a “relative importance” test. You satisfy the management or administrative activities test if you use your home office for administrative or management activities of your business, and if you meet certain other requirements. You meet the relative importance test if your home office is the most important place where you conduct your business, in comparison with all the other locations where you conduct that business. Home office used for meeting patients, clients, or customers. You’re entitled to home office deductions if you use your home office, exclusively and on a regular basis, to meet or deal with patients, clients, or customers. The patients, clients

or customers must be physically present in the home office. Separate structures. You’re entitled to home office deductions for a home office, used exclusively and on a regular basis for business, that’s located in a separate unattached structure on the same property as your home—for example, an unattached garage, artist’s studio, workshop, or office building. Space for storing inventory or product samples. If you’re in the business of selling products at retail or wholesale, and if your home is your sole fixed business location, you can deduct home expenses allocable to space that you use regularly (but not necessarily exclusively) to store inventory or product samples. Exclusive and regular use requirements. As noted above, when you claim to be using your home office under any of the tests previously outlined, the home office must be used exclusively and on a regular basis in connection with your work. The exclusive use requirement means that you must use your home solely for the purpose of carrying on your work. Any other use of the home office will result in loss of all deductions for your home office expenses. For example, if you work in a den that your children use to watch television, the den fails the exclusive use requirement. The regular use requirement means that you must use the home office in connection with your work on a continuous, ongoing or recurring basis. Generally, this means a few hours a week, every week. Occasional business use won’t do. Amount limitations on home office deductions. The amount of your home office deductions is subject to limitations based on the income attributable to your use of the home office, your residence-based deductions that aren’t dependent on use of your home for business (e.g., mortgage interest and real estate taxes), and your business deductions that aren’t attributable to your use of the home office. But any home office expenses that can’t be deducted because of these limitations may be carried over and deducted in later years. Sales of homes with home offices. If you sell—at a profit—a home that contains, or contained, a home office, the otherwise available $250,000/$500,000 exclusion for gain on the sale of a principal residence won’t apply to the portion of your profit equal to the amount of depreciation you claimed on the home office. In addition, the exclusion won’t apply to the portion of your profit allocable to a home office that’s separate from the dwelling unit. Otherwise, the home office won’t affect your eligibility for the exclusion. (Author’s note: This article is not intended to offer professional tax advice. Please consult your tax advisor.)

www.ncbj.net LEGAL, from Page 21 they had appraised the property at $80,000.00 at death, they would have to pay income tax on an additional $25,000.00 at the time of sale. One must look into the future when these valuation decisions are made. IF ALL OF THE PROPERTY GOES TO MY MOTHER, WHY WOULD SHE NEED AN APPRAISAL? All property that passes to a surviving spouse has an unlimited marital deduction which means there will not be any Ohio or Federal estate tax. Placing a high value on the asset at the first spouse’s death will allow the surviving spouse to avoid income tax upon the later sale. There is another tax rule that states if a gift is made of property, then the basis for the property follows the gift and will become the basis (cost) to the person to whom the gift is made. This means if a high value is placed on the asset at dad’s death and it passes to mom tax free, she can give this property to the children with the same high basis. Someday if the children sell the property, they will not have any income tax to pay on that value. MY BROTHER IS GOING TO BUY MY SHARE OF THE FARM, SO WHY WOULD I CARE WHAT VALUE IS PLACED ON IT IN MY MOTHER’S ESTATE? As stated above, the value established at the death of your mother is YOUR new cost basis. If your brother buys your one-half interest in the building that was appraised for $100,000.00, you will not owe any income tax. If you had the building appraised very low, then you would have had to pay income tax at the date of sale on the difference between the lower value and your asking price. There are no income tax breaks because he is your brother. Having to figure out how your parents titled their assets after one of them has passed away is not planning, it is surveying the damage. A little time spent asking the right questions when they are alive can save much time and money for your surviving parent and your brothers and sisters. Jeff Roth is a partner with Forrest Bacon, David Bacon and associate Jessica Moon of the firm ROTH and BACON with offices in Port Clinton, Upper Sandusky, Marion, Ohio and Fort Myers, Florida. All members of the firm are licensed in the State of Florida. Mr. Roth’s practice is limited to wealth strategy planning and elder law in both states. Nothing in this article is intended for, nor should be relied upon as individual legal advice. The purpose of this article is to help educate the public on concepts of law as they pertain to estate and business planning. If you have any questions you would like to have answered in this area of law, please direct your question to this journal and your question will be considered for use as the topic of subsequent articles. Jeff Roth can be reached at ohiofloridatrust@aol.com (telephone: 419732-9994) copyright Jeffrey P. Roth 2011.

North Coast Business Journal

www.ncbj.net

January 2012

IT Facebook Change Could Wreck Your New Year! By Don Knaur Facebook has decided we don’t have enough to worry about, so it is going to make our full Facebook history available to everyone, unless we protect ourselves. This new practice is known as the Facebook Timeline. It is available now and has been for a few months if you request it from Facebook. Eventually they will post a message in your profile offering the change to you. Finally, at some point in the future, they will simply enact it for you. This timeline is going to post all of the actions you have taken on Facebook in reverse chronological order starting with the day it is enabled and going back to the first day you used Facebook. This includes everything, be it “Likes,” “Comments” or posts. Unless you take corrective action, this information will be available to everyone on Facebook. Unless you are a far better

person than I am, this will probably include some things that you would prefer to be forgotten. This is especially true if you are in business or are looking for employment. Remember, prospective employers will be able to see not only what you said but also they will see when you were on Facebook during working hours. This might be a strike against you no matter what your previous employer’s policy was. Fortunately, you do have the ability to restrict access to your timeline. You also have the ability to hide or delete individual activities. It is simple to activate your timeline. Just go to Facebook’s “Help” section and search for “timeline.” Once your timeline has been activated, you will be the only one able to access it for the first seven days. In other words, you have one week to review and clean up your history before the public has access to it. I recommend that you look for a week that you will have extra spare time and activate the timeline at the start of that week. Otherwise, you may be in trouble if Facebook decides to enable your timeline at a time when you are busy.

Facebook is an excellent networking tool for you and/or your business. However, it is also a doubleedged blade as I described it in my article printed in March 2011. (The past year’s back Issues of the North Coast Business Journal including my articles are available at www.ncbj.net ) Unfortunately, many times Facebook elicits the following misquote: “We have met the Enemy and he is us!” Armed with this information, you will stand a much better chance of having a Happy New Year! Don is the CWO (Chief Working Officer) of Help-Desk, Ohio, a complete computer service center, located in Suite A of the Courtlee Interiors’ Building, 2499 W. Market in Tiffin. Don has a degree in Computer Programming from Tiffin University and has been an Information Technology Professional for over 23 years. He started Help-Desk, Ohio in the spring of 1996 and opened his shop in March 2001. Don welcomes calls for advice or information at 419-448-8020.

Magruder Employees Earn National Certification The National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators announced that Kathy Buckingham, RD,LD and Director of Nutritional Services at Magruder Hospital and Krista Jeffries, RN, Nurse Diabetic Educator at Magruder, have achieved Certified Diabetes Educator® (CDE®) status by successfully completing the Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators. Magruder’s Diabetic Education Program is nationally recognized by the American Diabetes Association for the quality of educational offerings for patients. “The achievement of the CDE by Buckingham and Jeffries certainly demonstrates their level of expertise, as well as reaffirming Magruder’s commitment to our patients and the community,” according to Mike Long, President & CEO of Magruder. “It was not required that they earn this certification. They took it upon themselves to go one step further in demonstrating the distinct level of expertise we are offering to our diabetic education patients at Magruder,” says Long. “Their dedication is reflective on the entire organization.”

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26 January 2012

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Sales Why Customers Hate Sales People By Roger Bostdorff Just prior to graduating from college (a long time ago) my father asked me if I had lined up a job as of yet. My dad was a small plumbing, heating and electrical contractor. I explained that I had indeed secured a job with IBM. He then asked me what I would be doing. I answered that I was going to be a salesman for IBM. My father’s reaction was classic, “You went to college for 4 years and you are going to be a “g?# d$#& salesman”? Now you must understand that my father’s exposure to salespeople was not very positive. I later got back into his good graces when someone he knew explained that IBM was a great company and that the salesman for that company was NOT like the salesman that my father had encountered during his career. I used to kid my Dad later by asking him if he knew how to tell if a salesman was lying? His lips are moving. Why does the term salesman have such a negative connotation with some folks? I came across the top 7 reasons why customers hate salespeople, by Kelley Robertson. 1. Not listening. This was the most cited reason customers dislike salespeople. Too many salespeople neglect to listen to what their

customers or prospects say, which means they fail to address the key issues that their customer has emphasized. I remember one interaction I had with a couple of salespeople a few years ago. One of them asked some great questions to learn more about my particular situation. However, his counterpart did not listen to my responses. As a result, his solution did not address my business challenges and buying requirements. In fact, his presentation was so far off base, I abruptly called an end to the meeting. Time is a precious commodity for people and when you don’t listen you disrespect your prospect. 2. Talking too much. It still amazes me how many salespeople think that telling is selling. I see this in virtually every type of sales environment, from B2B to B2C to retail. My personal belief is that your prospect or customer should do most of the talking in a sales conversation. Salespeople react to this idea with, “But if they’re doing all the talking, how can I sell my product?” The key is to let your customer do enough talking so that you can properly present a solution to their problem or situation. 3. Lack of knowledge. In today’s information-rich world, there is no reason for a salesperson to lack knowledge about the products and services they sell. I was recently impressed by the person who gave us an estimate on a new roof for our

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house. He knew his products and was able to speak intelligently about them. I know that the life-cycles of many products are very short and that many companies introduce new products at an alarming rate; however, if you don’t know enough about your products, you are going to lose your customer’s respect—and, in all likelihood, the sale. Do yourself a favor and invest the necessary time learning about your products and services. 4. Lack of follow-up. Many sales people say they will do something then fail to follow through. This ranges from promising to get information to taking care of a problem or concern. Many people use this as a barometer before they make a final buying decision. Here’s how: A potential customer asks for a particular piece of information and the sales person promises to deliver it by a certain date. The deadline passes and the prospect has to call and remind the salesperson. Because the sale has not been finalized, warning signals sound in the customer’s mind. After all, if the sales person is this slow to respond BEFORE the sale is made (the courting stage), how long will it take him to respond AFTER the sale? Lack of follow up results in lost sales. A person contacts two or three companies about a particular item or project. All three submit a quote but only one makes the effort to follow up. Who is more likely going to get the sale? 5. Lying. “I don’t care about the customer, and I’ll tell them anything I have to in order to get the sale.” Believe it or not, I heard this comment from a participant in one of my sales training workshops. Unfortunately, the number of salespeople who lie or intentionally mislead their customers is staggering. This behavior includes overstating the capabilities of your product, stretching the truth or giving people the wrong information. Almost everyone has bought a product from someone who was less than truthful, and, as a result, has become more

skeptical with their buying decisions. 6. Failing to understand their needs. This is an extension of the first two reasons customers dislike salespeople. When a sales rep talks too much and listens too little, they don’t get a full understanding of their prospect’s situation. I have worked and interacted with thousands of salespeople over the years, both as a trainer and a buyer. I can state without hesitation that a mere 20% of them actually take the time to understand their customer’s needs, situation, concerns, etc. And it’s this group of individuals who are the most successful. 7. Refusal to take “no” for an answer. Almost everyone in sales knows the importance of persistence. However, there is a fine line between persistence and stalking. While you shouldn’t drop your efforts after the first “no,” it is critical to recognize that you won’t gain anything by pressuring people. In many cases, the reason someone says declines your offer is because they don’t see the value in your product/service, or because they are not a highly-qualified prospect. Sales is really pretty simple. You must get the customer to talk about his issues or concerns. You must listen when the client talks. I mean really listen!! Craft a good solution that will address or solve his issues and/or challenges, and then do what you say you are going to do when you say you are going to do it. If you have sales personnel this is the creed that they need to live by. If sales are lagging at your organization maybe someone needs to analyze your team and their sales process. Roger Bostdorff is the President of B2B Sales Boost, LLC. He spent over 30 years with IBM in sales and sales management. B2B Sales Boost is a consulting company helping organizations improve their sales and overall business processes. You can find more about B2B Sales Boost on the web at www.b2bsalesboost. com or calling 419-351-4347. If you would like to receive the B2B Sales Boost Newsletter please send an email to sales@b2bsalesboost.com

North Coast Business Journal

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January 2012

Terra Dean Elected President Fisher-Titus Medical Center of National Math Association Announces Expansion of Pain Mgmt. Services

SATTLER

Dr. Nancy Sattler, Dean of the Liberal Arts and Public Services Division at Terra State C o m m u n i t y College, has just been elected President of the A m e r i c a n Mathematical Association of Two-

Year Colleges. AMATYC is a national organization comprised of approximately 2,500 individual members and more than 100 institutional members in the United States and Canada. The mission of this organization is to

promote and increase awareness of the role of two-year colleges in mathematics education. Sattler will spend the next two years in the President-Elect position and then will assume the role of President in 2013, which marks AMATYC’s 40th anniversary. A Fremont resident, Sattler has been a member of the organization for 20 years. She began attending conferences in 1991 and first served on the group’s Placement and Assessment Committee. She chaired the Task Force on Distance Education and the Distance Learning Committee before being elected treasurer in 2005.

Pirozzola Joins Bettcher Industries Bettcher Industries, Inc. announces that Paul Pirozzola has joined the company as Vice President of Marketing. In this position, Pirozzola will be responsible for marketing strategy and execution, including product development and marketing communications pertaining to Bettcher Industries’ products and services across all market segments. Pirozzola has more than 15 years of sales, marketing and product management experience working with major manufacturing and

processing firms. Immediately prior to joining Bettcher Industries, he was global marketing manager at L u b r i z o l Corporation. Pirozzola holds a B.S. degree in Chemistry from PIROZZOLA the University of Pittsburgh, and an M.B.A. degree in Marketing from Indiana University.

Meyers joins First National Bank

MEYERS

Dean Miller, President of First National Bank announces that Bryan P Myers will be joining the bank this month as Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer. He will be located at the main office in

Bellevue. He has over 26 years of experience

in the financial industry including a role as Chief Credit Officer. He is a member of the Norwalk Rotary Club, member of the Norwalk Revolving Loan Fund, Board member and Past President of Norwalk Library and has served on boards of other local organizations and non-profit groups. Meyers is a graduate of Heidelberg College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He is a native of Norwalk, Ohio where he resides with his wife Sharon and their children.

Fisher-Titus Medical Center is expanding services of its Pain Management Center to include an office in the Northern Ohio Medical Specialists (NOMS) building at 2500 W. Strub Road in Sandusky, according to Patrick J. Martin, president and CEO of Fisher-Titus Medical Center. The Fisher-Titus Pain Management Center offices at NOMS will open December 15 to serve residents of Erie County and surrounding areas with advanced and comprehensive treatments for chronic and acute pain. The office will initially be located in Suite 350 at NOMS. ZUMBAR Interventional Pain Specialist Dr. Adam Hedaya will direct diagnosis and treatment at the Fisher-Titus Pain Management Center at NOMS along with Dr. Zach Zumbar who recently completed fellowship-training in pain medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Hedaya, board certified in pain management, joined the medical staff at Fisher-Titus Medical Center in 2009 and at Magruder Hospital in Port Clinton in 2010. Dr. Zach Zumbar, who earned his doctor of medicine from The Ohio State University, recently joined the12:42:47 Pain Management teams JKruppNCBJad0111.pdf 1/18/11 PM at both Fisher-Titus and Magruder. HEDAYA

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28 January 2012

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Payne, Nickles & Co.’s Klein is QuickBooks Certified Jackie Klein of Payne, Nickles & Company with offices in Sandusky and Norwalk has completed Intuit’s coursework and examination and is now accredited as an official QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks 2012. Intuit is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small businesses, consumers and accounting professionals. Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors

are independent accounting professionals and consultants who work with small businesses that have completed a comprehensive training curriculum developed by Intuit. “Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors represent those professionals who have demonstrated not only their expertise in QuickBooks, but also their commitment to excellence,” said Intuit’s manager of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor program.

Mark Egbert Joins Old Fort Bank as City Executive, VP Michael C. Spragg, President and CEO of The Old Fort Banking Company, is pleased to announce that Mark Egbert has joined Old Fort Bank as City Executive and Vice President of Commercial Banking. “Mark’s leadership and expertise in commercial banking for the past 28 years, along with his dedication to and knowledge of the Fremont community, will provide additional depth to our staff of bankers located in the area. We are pleased to welcome Mark to our staff and look forward to his contribution in helping the Bank continue to grow its market presence,”

stated Michael Spragg. A graduate of The University of Toledo with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Egbert has continued his education by attending industry related programs throughout the years. Mark and his wife Susan have two children and reside in Sandusky County. Very active in the community, Egbert is a member of the Terra College Foundation Board and the Sandusky County Communities Foundation board and is a member of Fremont Rotary and the Greater Fremont Industrial Park.

Old Fort Banking Company Receives a 5-Star Rating Bauer Financial has awarded the Old Fort Banking Company a five-star “Superior” rating. Star ratings are assigned on a scale of zero-to-five stars with five-stars being the strongest, and are based on the current overall financial picture of the bank. Bauer Financial is the nation’s leading independent bank rating firm. Bauer Financial is also an unbiased third party that has been

well respected for its fair bank evaluations since 1983. No bank pays to be rated, nor can any institution avoid being rated. Michael C. Spragg, President and CEO of The Old Fort Banking Company stated, “Despite the current economic situation, Old Fort remains a strong institution. The Bauer five star rating simply confirms our message of strength, stability and security.”

Mercy Tiffin Hospital Presents Managerial Excellence Award The sixth annual Mercy Tiffin Hospital Managerial Excellence Award was presented to Marie Balliet at a special luncheon in December. Balliet is the Manager of Patient Access at Mercy Tiffin. She started her career at Mercy Tiffin over 16 years ago as an admitting clerk, switchboard operator and cashier. In

2000, She became the supervisor of registration, and in 2006 she became the manager of the patient access department. Balliet leads the Employee Engagement Team and is a member of the Patient Safety Committee. Balliet lives in Sycamore, Ohio with her husband Kyle and her son Cole.

VP of Counseling & Recovery Services Earns Fellow Status Marsha Mruk, MPA, Vice President of Firelands Counseling & Recovery Services at Firelands Regional Medical Center, recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders. “Because healthcare management ultimately affects the people in our communities, it is critically important to have a standard of excellence promoted by a professional organization,” said Thomas C. Dolan, PhD, FACHE, CAE, president and chief executive officer of ACHE. “By becoming an ACHE Fellow and simultaneously earning board certification from ACHE, healthcare leaders can show that they are committed to providing highquality service to their patients and community.” Fellow status represents

achievement of the highest standard of professional development. In fact, only 7,500 healthcare executives hold this distinction. To obtain Fellow status, candidates must fulfill multiple requirements, including passing a comprehensive examination, meeting academic and experiential criteria, earning continuing education credits and demonstrating professional/ community involvement. Fellows are also committed to ongoing professional development and undergo recertification every three years. Mruk has been with Firelands Regional Medical Center for more than 26 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from California State College and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Mruk resides with her husband Chris in Perkins Township.

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Magruder Hires Supervisor of Pain Management Clinic

Magruder Hospital recently hired Becky Anderson, RN, as Supervisor of the hospital’s Pain Management Clinic. Anderson earned her Bachelor of Nursing from Lourdes College and her Associate Degree in Allied Health from the University of Toledo. She has worked at Magruder most recently as a staff nurse in the ICCU . Prior to that she worked at Firelands Regional Medical Center where she was a staff nurse in the Chem/Infusion Center, Practice Manager with Firelands Physician Group, Director of Physician Networking/Relations and a Nurse Recruiter for Human Resources. In her new role as Pain Management Clinic Supervisor, Anderson is responsible for planning, organizing and directing the specialty staff and communicating pertinent information for patient care. She is also responsible for monitoring quality improvement, administering policies and procedures and serves as the clinical resource for other hospital departments. Anderson lives in Port Clinton with her daughter Laura. Her son Geoff lives in Wheaton, Illinois and daughter Emily lives in Key West.

North Coast Business Journal

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30 January 2012

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New President is Long-Tenured Executive of Marblehead Bank The Marblehead Bank, the Peninsula’s only community bank with local headquarters, has announced the appointment of William M. Tuttamore as their next President. Following a welldesigned succession plan, the bank has promoted Tuttamore to succeed the retiring David King. Tuttamore has been with The Marblehead Bank since 1992 as Vice President of Lending and a Director. He has nearly 29 years experience in banking. Under Tuttamore, the bank’s loan portfolio has grown 300% and Marblehead Bank has established the reputation as a leader in local funding and maintaining a strong commitment to local communities.

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Magruder Hospital Auxiliary Makes Donation The Magruder Hospital Auxiliary recently presented a check in the amount of $75,000 to Mike Long, President & CEO of Magruder, at the Auxiliary Annual Meeting. The donation is a cumulative result of two years of fundraising efforts by the auxiliary. Some of the fundraising efforts include the charity balls, golf outings, book sales and revenue from the gift shop. Kathy Tischler, President of the Auxiliary, commented on the donation. “It is with great pride that we donate this money to the hospital. To support the continuing advancement of the hospital within the community is a cause that benefits us all.” Over the years, the auxiliary has raised and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the hospital to assist in the purchase of various medical equipment, technology and renovation expenditures. Long commented on the latest donation to the hospital. “I am honored to accept this donation

on behalf of Magruder and thank the entire auxiliary for working so hard to support the initiatives of the hospital over the years. I also thank all of you for your donation of time and talents to the hospital every day in many departments throughout our organization.”

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Ottawa County: What Your Library Can Do For You

Main Street Port Clinton Announces New Event Planner The Main Street Port Clinton Board of Directors announces the appointment of Carolyn Rodenhauser, President of Pazzazz, llc as the Main Street Port Clinton Event Planner. She is working with committee members to coordinate this year’s Walleye Festival and working with the leadership of Main Street Port Clinton to develop and redesign existing and new

January 2012 31

downtown community events. Dawn Zink, President of Main Street Port Clinton stated, “The Board of Directors and staff are excited as we take Main Street Port Clinton and downtown events to the next level. Ms. Rodenhauser comes to us with strong recommendations and brings years of event and community development to our team.”

The Ida Rupp Public Library and the Port Clinton Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to offer an exceptional business presentation, What your Library of the Future Looks Like and What It Can Do for You. As a business professional, you know how hard it is to keep up with the explosion of technology and remain relevant in the changing workplace. Nowhere is that more of an issue than in your public library. The community looks to the Library to deliver current information and show patrons how to keep up with today’s world and struggling economy. During the past year, the Library has been the center of it all, and the next several years promise more changes. Join us for this futuristic presentation and find out what to watch for. Learn about free business resources. See how to turn output into outcomes. Most importantly, find out how to play an active role in positive change for your business and your community. January 26 - 8 am - Registration/refreshments, 8:30-9:30 am Program RSVP to the Port Clinton Area Chamber at 419-734-5503 or pcacc2@ cros.net by January 23.

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32 January 2012

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Serving the Community COMMUNITY BENEFIT REPORT 2011

SAVING LIVES

QUALITY CARE Emergency Department Visits.................... 18,212 Inpatient Admissions ................................... 2,476 Inpatient/Outpatient Visits ........................ 82,261 Surgery Procedures ..................................... 4,455

For more than 90 years, Memorial Hospital has been serving the

Lab Tests .............................................. 1,190,715

local community. As we continue to be a non-prof it organization

Physical Therapy Treatments ................... 107,573

that is dedicated to making Sandusky County a better place to live,

Diagnostic Imaging Procedures ................. 39,440

the hospital accounts for a total economic impact to the community

Pain Management Patients ........................ 11,644

of more than $155 million. In addition to the economic benefit

Home Health Care Visits .............................. 7,803

to our community, Memorial Hospital provides essential services

Hospice Visits............................................. 14,264

that educate, save lives, and keep Sandusky County healthy.

HealthLink Visits ........................................ 17,556

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Over 150 physicians on staff, with more than 100 specialists

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13 bay Emergency Department, completely renovated in 2010

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT Mobile Meals............................................. 14,069 Total Volunteer Hours ................................ 35,453

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Auxiliary of Memorial Hospital Women’s Diagnostic Center, opened in 2010

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Weitzel-Kern Surgery Center, opened in 2001

Charity/Uncompensated Care ............$8.9 Million

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Herbert-Perna Center for Physical Health, opened in 2007

Capital Investments ............................$2.7 Million

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Inpatient obstetric and pediatric care

Utility Payments .................................$1.1 Million

Nationally recognized and accredited home health, diagnostic imaging and cancer services

Dollars Spent Locally ........................$10.4 Million

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Total Payroll and Benefits..................$31.1 Million

memorialhcs.org