| Issue No. 233 Serving the Entire Business Community January 2004 | ||
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You have heard it said, “When it rains, it pours!” President's Letter
As I collect my thoughts for this year's letter to our Chamber membership, my primary heartfelt thought is to thank each of our members for your loyal support and extraordinary contributions in support of the Chamber's efforts to both our members and our community. Secondly, I would like to extend my greatest appreciation to the Chamber Board of Directors. This leadership is from our community, diverse in vocation, experience and background. This unselfish group of individuals represents an all encompassing and ever-expanding Chamber membership roster. These volunteers offer their time and expertise to guide the Chamber's efforts to make our community a better place to live, conduct business, and raise our families.Thank you for taking the time to vote for your new chamber representatives. First, along with the Chamber staff, I want to extend our great appreciation and thank you to the outgoing Chamber Board members. Leaving after completing their second terms of service to the Chamber membership are Dan Barden, Grand Rental Station, Dick Johnson, The Frame Shoppe, and Bill Schlosser, Plymouth Foundry. Re-elected to a second term is Linda Rippy, Marshall County Historical Society/Museum. The newly elected members are Dennis Hughes, Pactiv Corporation, Diana Nielsen, A.S.K. For Flowers, and Ren Van Gilder, Van Gilder Funeral Home. Welcome aboard! A couple of years ago, Barry Chase, of Kirk NationaLease and a long-time chamber member, said it best when he described some of the functions of the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce. A BUSINESS PARTNER: professional men and women who volunteer to provide local leadership for local business. They are people like us. A PAIR OF EYES: specialized observers who maintain watch on legislation which affects every citizen in the community, alert to be sure the "quality of life" of community is maintained. A VOICE: of business which represents your views on legislation, employment, trade and many other issues. A PAIR OF HANDS: researching, preparing letters, developing information, preparing publications, folders, and pamphlets to tell the story about your business and the Plymouth community as a whole. A SALES OFFICE: telling the real story daily about Plymouth and what it has to offer in the way of business services, housing, recreation, education, demographics, and how great your community really is. A FRONT OFFICE: the show window of your community....a place where visitors gain their first impressions of the soundness and hospitality of Plymouth. Along with your Chamber Staff, I wish you a safe and prosperous year! Susie Reinholt President 2003    The Cross Walk101 N. Michigan St., Plymouth; 574-936-2929 This was the second year of participation with the trick or treating event and Cross Walk reports that they were delighted with the experience. They had “Dreamer” the rhino standing at the door greeting children and parents. They then asked them to wind their way through the store to get their treat. This allowed all to see their store and the many children and family products that Cross Walk carries. They received many positive comments and have already seen some of these people return to shop. The Cross Walk thanks the Retail Merchants for sponsoring this event, giving them a chance to host many new visitors. CB Richard Ellis South Bend130 S. Main Street, Suite 450, South Bend; 574-237-6000; www.cbre.com/southbend Regina Molnar, director of Corporate Services for CB Richard Ellis South Bend, has been awarded the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation by the CCIM Institute. The designation was awarded November 13th in San Antonio, Texas. The CCIM designation is awarded to commercial real estate professionals upon completion of a graduate-level curriculum and attainment of a level of qualifying experience. CCIMs are recognized experts in commercial real estate brokerage, leasing, asset management, valuation and investment analysis, and form a business network encompassing 1,000 markets throughout North America, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. Of the estimated 125,000 commercial real estate practitioners in North America, 7,000 currently hold the CCIM designation. An additional 5,000 professionals are pursuing the designation as Institute candidates. Regina joined CB Richard Ellis in 1999 and works with clients in St. Joseph, Elkhart and Marshall counties who have a continual need for commercial real estate services. In addition to holding her CCIM designation, Regina is a licensed real estate salesperson in the State of Indiana; is a member of the CB Richard Ellis Women's Network; is a graduate of Class Twenty-Nine of Leadership South Bend/Mishawaka program through the Chamber of Commerce; is President of Pi Alpha Alpha, the honorary society for Indiana University South Bend's School of Public and Environmental Affairs; and is a member of the Community & Business Development Committee of the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce. Swan Lake Resort5203 Plymouth-LaPorte Trail, Plymouth; 574-935-5680 Now open for lunch at 11:00 a.m. ImageStream Internet Solutions7900 E. 8th Rd., Plymouth; 574-935-8484; www.imagestream.com ImageStream is now shipping its new entry-level router called the TransPort. The new TransPort provides business-class features in a high-performance chassis with a small footprint. The TransPort includes three 10/100 ethernet ports, and an expansion slot that supports up to two T1/E1 ports, ADSL, basic rate ISDN (BRI), dial-up modem, or 802.11a/b/g wireless. Excel Driving Instruction, Inc.1800 Jim Neu Dr., Plymouth or 2403 N. Campbell St., Valparaiso; 219-548-2788; Cell: 219-405-8164; www.exceldriving.com Stuart Summers, owner of Excel Driving Instruction, Inc., attended the 2003 International Conference of The Driving School Association of the Americas. Held in Tucson, Arizona the conference provided Summers with 21 hours of continuing education credits in the field of drivers training. The conference hosted speakers from around the country who presented programs on the most recent methods and advancements in driver instruction. Summers also learned of the latest research into the causes of auto accidents among teenage drivers and updated accident prevention techniques. These new findings will be incorporated into Excel's classroom and in-car instruction. Excel Driving Instruction, Inc. operates drivers training schools in Valparaiso and Plymouth, Indiana. The school can be reached by calling 219-548-2788 or toll-free at 866-411-7852. Meridian Title Corporation607 W. Jefferson St., Plymouth; 574-935-9380; www.meridiantitle.com Meridian Title Corporation has moved to its new location at 607 W. Jefferson St., Plymouth. The new location has plenty of off street Parking and is very accommodating to their growing client base. You are invited to meet their friendly staff: Patty Bell; Escrow Coordinator, who also does Hispanic Closings. Traci King; Escrow Coordinator, Paul Salyer and Beth Arnold; Title Examiners, and Lynn Beauchamp; Recording Specialist. Ancilla College9601 S. Union Rd., Donaldson; 574-936-8898 Ancilla College announces that it will be hosting a Valentine's Day dinner/dance and silent auction on Saturday, February 14, 2004. The event is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Swan Lake Golf Resort and Conference Center in Plymouth. WSBT news anchor Debra Daniel will be hosting this first annual event. Daniel, who co-anchors the 5:00 and 10:00 news with Cindy Ward, has been at the CBS affiliate since 1994. The event will feature the music and vocals of Francie Zucco from Fort Wayne, accompanied by a five-piece band. Francie's style ranges from jazz to Latin, and 1920's to contemporary. She was voted the number one jazz entertainer in Fort Wayne three years in a row. Tickets for the event are $50 per person, which includes a dinner buffet, wine, party favors, and entertainment. This is the first year for the event, which the College hopes will become an annual affair. All proceeds from the silent auction will benefit student aid for the College. For more information, contact the Ancilla College Office of Institutional Advancement at 574-936-8898, ext. 343. New Members
January 2004
January Inserts
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