north coast business journal - january 2011

Focus on the Five countiesINSIDETHIS MONTH

www.ncbj.net

Overview of the 2010 Tax Relief Act ...5

Legal: Parent's Finances ...........6

Chamber Calendar ........10

Well-Booked Business: First Things First ....12

Sales: Do You Have a SWOT Team? .............21

Estate: Great Way to Pass Wealth ..26

IT: Beware of Microsoft ....27

Standard Mail U.S. Postage Paid

Tiffin, OH 44883 Permit #88

Published and Owned by Schaffner Publications, Inc.JANUARY 2011 Vol. 17 No. 1

“The Business Voice of Erie, Huron,Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca Counties”

POSTMASTER: TIMELY MATERIAL. PLEASE EXPEDITE.

Celebrating17 Years of Service

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

of Commerce

Chamber of Commerceof Sandusky County

Elmore Chamberof Commerce

Erie County Chamber of Commerce

Fostoria Area Chamber of Commerce

Genoa Chamberof Commerce

Huron Chamber of Commerce

Huron County Chamber of Commerce

Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

Milan Chamberof Commerce

Oak Harbor AreaChamber of Commerce

Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce

Put-in-Bay Chamberof Commerce

Tiffin Area Chamberof Commerce

Vermilion Chamberof Commerce

Willard Area Chamberof Commerce

By Jeffrey H. BrydenEditor

As we begin a new year of publishing for the North Coast Business Journal, we have just turned 17 years old! And this editor is not ashamed to say he likes the feeling of being a teenager (at least in print form) again!

The new year is always a good time, personally and professionally, to reflect on the past and to make plans and resolutions for the future. As we look back at last year, each month the NCBJ “editorially visited” and focused on every major city in our five county coverage. And, as we moved about these five counties, there was one thing that seemed to stand out on a fairly consistent basis – the leadership and dynamics of the local Chambers of Commerce.

In virtually every city our paper visited, the local Chamber served as our editorial “home base,” providing us insight and introductions into the community’s infrastructure 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 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 we have done in previous January issues, we asked the leadership of the sixteen chambers in our five-county

circulation area to share their thoughts

Happy New Year to our Readersand our Chambers of Commerce

Continued on Page 2

Published by Schaffner Publications, Inc.

“The Business Voice of Erie, Huron, Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca Counties”

Celebrating17 Yearsof Service

OVER 23,000 BUSINESS READERSEACH AND EVERY MONTH

Your #1 Way To Reach Business Executives and Decision Makers#1 IN BUSINESS COVERAGE!

#1 IN BUSINESS CIRCULATION!#1 IN BUSINESS READERS!

Published by Schaffner Publications, Inc.


Celebrating16 Yearsof Service

OVER 23,000 BUSINESS READERSEACH AND EVERY MONTH

Your #1 Way To Reach Business Executives and Decision Makers#1 IN BUSINESS COVERAGE!

#1 IN BUSINESS CIRCULATION!#1 IN BUSINESS READERS!

OTTAWA

SANDUSKY

SENECA

LAKEERIE

HURON

ERIE

• Elmore

• Oak Harbor• Genoa

• Port Clinton

• Fremont

• Clyde

Bellevue

• Marblehead

• Tiffin

• Sandusky

Huron •Vermilion •

• Milan

• Monroeville

• Willard

• Norwalk

• Fostoria

• Put-in-Bay

• Kelleys Island

2 January2011 North Coast Business Journal www.ncbj.net

205 S.E. Catawba Road, Suite G, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452

419-734-4838 • Fax 419-734-5382

Publisher JOHN SCHAFFNER

Editor JEFFREY H. BRYDEN [email protected]

DirectorofSales DAVE KAHLER [email protected]

AccountingManager CINDY CONSTIEN [email protected]

Layout&GraphicDesign JENNIFER DAUBEL [email protected]

ANGIE ADAIR [email protected]

CirculationManager BRUCE DINSE

NorthCoastBusinessJournal is owned and published monthly by Schaffner Publica-tions, Inc., and is mailed free to chamber of commerce members in a five-county area: Erie, Huron, Ottawa, Sandusky, and Seneca counties. The editorial deadline is the 25th of each month, with the advertising deadline the end of each month. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the expressed, written consent of the Publishers. We welcome submissions from readers in the form of letters, articles or photographs, although we reserve the right to edit and condense any articles submitted. Submissions should be sent to the editor at the above address. Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope if you would like an item returned. We prefer material (copy & photos) to be submitted electronically.


about last year and the year ahead. While the holidays and year-end 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.

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 2011, we will again take the North Coast Business Journal on the five-county road – with city-by-city focused editorial. 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; November – Tiffin; December – Western Ottawa County: Elmore, Genoa and Oak Harbor.

Or, since we cover news of all five counties each month, send it in whenever it’s “newsy.” It should be news, though, not an “ad-in-disguise.” If it’s too self-promoting, we’ll be very happy to show you how to convert it into a paid ad. (We gladly accept those too!)

We hope 2011 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!

Continued from Page 1

Exploring the Possibilities of Starting,Buying or Expanding a Business?

2011 ScheduleLocations and Times Dates

To register, contact: Bill Auxter, DirectorOhio Small Business Development Center at Terra Community CollegeToll-Free 800-826-2431 or 419-559-2210 or email [email protected]

Discover what it takes by charting your course withSmall Business Basics

presented byOhio Small Business Development Center

at Terra Community CollegeSmall Business Basics is a free, two-hour seminar that will answer your questions about starting, buying or expanding a small business. This seminar will take the confusion out of your efforts and help you to avoid costly mistakes and unnecessary steps.

Learn the Basics of:Name Registration • Licensing • Taxes • Advisors

Business Entities • Employees • Insurance • FinancingBusiness Planning • and More!

Ottawa County Improvement Corporation Jan. 5 – Feb. 2 – Mar. 2 – Apr. 68043 W. SR. 163, Oak Harbor, Conference Room May 4 – Jun. 1 – (no July) – Aug. 39:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Sept. 7 – Oct. 5 – Nov. 2 – (no Dec.)

Tiffin Area Chamber of Commerc Jan. 12 – Feb. 9 – Mar. 9 – Apr. 1319 W. Market Street, Tiffin, Conference Room May 11 – Jun. 8 – (no July) – Aug. 109:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Sept. 14 – Oct. 12 – Nov. 9 – (no Dec.)

Erie County Chamber of Commerce Jan. 19 – Feb. 16– Mar. 16– Apr. 2025 W. Washington Row, Sandusky, Conference Room May 18 – Jun. 15 – (no July) – Aug. 179:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Sept. 21 – Oct. 19 – Nov. 16 – (no Dec.)

Terra Community College Jan. 26 – Feb. 23 – Mar. 23 – Apr. 272830 Napoleon Road, Fremont, Building B, Room 101 May 25 – Jun. 22 – (no July) – Aug. 244:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28 – Oct. 26 – Nov. 22 – (no Dec.)

Sponsored by

Citizens Bank • Croghan Colonial BankFirst Merit Bank • Key Bank

PNC Bank • US Bank

The Small Business Development Center Program of Ohio (SBDC) is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBDC program is also funded in part by the Ohio Department of Development. All opinions, conclusions recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact the SBDC at Terra Community College, 419.559.2210.

Get The LatestBusiness News

Online atwww.ncbj.net

www.ncbj.net North Coast Business Journal January 2011 3

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Firelands Regional Medical Center Ranks

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Schedule your next appointment with the vascular surgeons at Firelands, recipient of the 2011 HealthGrades Vascular Surgery Excellen ce Award and distinctive ranking as Top 5% in the Nation and Best in the State of Ohio.

David H. Kim, DOBoard Certified in General

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North Ohio Vascular Surgery Associates419-621-7620 or 1-888-231-7620

From Pam VerhoffChamber Secretary

It is hard to imagine that the Chamber has been operating for 100 years. This anniversary is testament to the businesses that believe in and help support us today. Thank you to those who purchased the 100th anniversary items.

During the past two years the Chamber has made great strides to update our look, increase our presence in the community and offer our members more benefits. There is still a lot of work to do, but we’ll continue moving forward. Our directors are working hard to bring more programs and speakers to help our members develop and market their businesses.

Recently The Chamber along with the Willows of Bellevue sponsored “\Donuts with Doctors” at The Bellevue Hospital to thank our healthcare professionals for all they do for our community.

Speakers are being scheduled for the first quarter of next year that will be discussing the economic forecast of 2011 as well as the Mayors’ State of the City Address. Arrangements are also being made for our Annual Meeting that will be held in March.

The 2nd Annual Christmas Decorating Contest was held with 10 businesses participating. Rochelle Russell from Downtown Florist assisted in organizing this contest. The business selected “best decorated”

by judges, (William Brugnone, Dr. Kim Knight, and Pat Binsack) was A’La Chic.

Chamber Officers and Directors for 2011: Mick Dwyer, The Bellevue Hospital has been elected by

the Chamber Directors to serve as President. Additional Officers are: Bonnie Ball, Tower Automotive; 2nd Vice President, Steve Wasserman, Firelands Federal Credit Union; Treasurer, Jeff Cook, Cook & Associates; Secretary, Pam Verhoff and Kim Schell will serve as Past President.

Directors serving the Chamber are: William Brugnone, Bellevue Beverage Center; Ken Dendinger, Dendinger Brothers; JJ Foos, Foos & Foos Funeral Services; Steve Fuhr, Bellevue Development Corporation; Douglas Gildenmeister, Gildenmeister Wealth Management Group; Linda Grice, Croghan Colonial Bank; John Miller; Rick Miller, Gazette Publishing Company; Angela Sommers, A’La Chic; Andrea Stover, The Willows at Bellevue; Wilbur Wade, Wade Auctions; Ray Wasson, Seneca Railroad & Mining, Inc.; and Jon Wynbissinger, Bellevue ACE Hardware.

Here’s to another 100 years in Bellevue!Members proudly sporting their Chamber shirts are: (front left to right) Sherri Wilhelm, Andrea Stover, Pam Verhoff and Linda Grice. Back row Mick Dwyer and Doug Gildenmeister.

Bellevue Chamber Enters Second Hundred Years


From John MoldovanExecutive Director

While our local economy sawupticksincertainsectors,particularlyour tourism segment, 2010 was achallenging year for Erie Countybusinesses.

The Erie County Chambermaintained a heavy schedule ofevents, programs, and services, alldesigned to assist businesses withmaintaining their bottoms throughdirectsalesorintegratinginformationresultinginmoreefficientoperations.

TheChamber’sprogramsinvolvedasignificant number of networkingevents, ranging from Business AfterHours to our Elected OfficialsReception.OurBusinessAfterHoursprograms are not only fun formembers, but are growing in value,due to increased attendance by ourmembers. In several cases, theseeventsattractedintheneighborhood

of 200 members and guests.InformationalprogramsincludedourannualEconomicForecastwithnotedeconomist,Dr.KenMayland;seminarson power networking and usingsocialnetworking,andworkshopsonbusiness start-ups and workers’compensation.

Anewprogram,called“B/GX”,orBusiness/Government Exchange,kicked off in 2010 with StateRepresentative Dennis Murray, Jr.These programs will be conductedquarterly,andaredesignedtoprovideupdates on governmental activities,and get questions answered on veryspecific issues. This program is onemorepartoftheChamber’sadvocacyonbehalfof localbusinesses. Otherimportant ways we undertake pro-business advocacy is through ourcandidates’ forums, our politicalaction committee endorsements ofpro-business candidates, and regular

communicationswithelectedofficials.Yet another new program is being

developed, which will showcase theculinary variety and expertise of theNorth Coast’s restaurants and otherfood services to the public. Thisannual event is slated to take placeneartheendofFebruary.

Money-saving services, such asworkers’ compensation groupinsurance programs and groupmedical insurancecontinue toprovepopularwithmembers.

Noted here are just a few of theprogramsandservicesofferedbytheErie County Chamber. All localchambers of commerce strive tobenefit their members, and weencourage all businesses to becomemembersoftheirlocalchambers.Wefirmly believe that; you will findmembership in your chamber ofcommerce to be beneficial to yourbottomline.

The Erie County Chamber of Commerce: Varied Programs Help Members in a Difficult Economic Environment

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Taxes

By Jeffrey J. Rosengarten, CPAPayne, Nickles and Company

The recently enacted “Tax Relief, U n e m p l o y m e n t I n s u r a n c e Reauthorizat ion, and Job Creation Act of 2010” is a sweeping tax package that includes, among many other items, an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for two years, estate tax relief, a two-year “patch” of the alternative minimum tax (AMT), a two-percentage-point cut in employee-paid payroll taxes and in self-employment tax for 2011, new incentives to invest in machinery and equipment, and a host of retroactively resuscitated and extended tax breaks for individuals and businesses. Here’s a look at the key elements of the package:

The current income tax rates will be retained for two years (2011 and 2012), with a top rate of 35% on ordinary income and 15% on qualified dividends and long-term capital gains.

Employees and self-employed workers will receive a reduction of two percentage points in Social Security payroll tax in 2011, bringing the rate down from 6.2% to 4.2% for employees, and from 12.4% to 10.4% for the self-employed.

A two-year AMT “patch” for 2010 and 2011 will keep the AMT exemption near current levels and allow personal credits to offset AMT. Without the patch, an estimated 21 million additional taxpayers would have owed AMT for 2010.

Key tax credits for working families that were enacted or expanded in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will be retained. Specifically, the new law extends the $1,000 child tax credit and maintains its expanded refundability for two years, extends rules expanding the

earned income credit for larger families and married couples, and extends the higher education tax credit (the American Opportunity tax credit) and its partial refundability for two years.

Businesses can write off 100% of their equipment and machinery purchases, effective for property placed in service after September 8, 2010 and through December 31, 2011. For property placed in service in 2012, the new law provides for 50% additional first-year depreciation.

Many of the “traditional” tax extenders are extended for two years, retroactively to 2010 and through the end of 2011. Among many others, the extended provisions include the election to take an itemized deduction for state and local general sales taxes in lieu of the itemized deduction for state and local income taxes; the $250 above-the-line deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers; and the research credit.

After a one-year hiatus, the estate tax will be reinstated for 2011 and 2012, with a top rate of 35%. The exemption amount will be $5 million per individual in 2011 and will be indexed to inflation in following years. Estates of people who died in 2010 can choose to follow either 2010’s or 2011’s rules.

Omitted from the new law: Repeal of a controversial expansion of Form 1099 reporting requirements.

Also not included: Extension of the Build America Bonds program, which permits state and localities to issue federally-subsidized municipal bonds.

I hope this information is helpful. If you would like more details about these provisions or any other aspect of the new law, please consult your tax advisor.

(Authors note: This article is not intended to offer professional tax advice. Please consult your tax advisor.)

Overview of the 2010 Tax Relief Act

Excerpted from the November Chamber Newsletter By Greg Knestrick, Chairman

Like every other governmental entity, corporation, small business and organization - the Fostoria Area Chamber has been hit hard by this year’s struggling economy as the 2010 calendar year is fast approaching its conclusion. As the greater Fostoria business community struggles, it directly impacts our chamber membership. This financial impact has forced the Board of Directors to make some very difficult decisions in regards to personnel as well as an evaluation update of Chamber benefits and services. We as a Board are striving to maximize our benefits and services to our members that fall within our fragile economic budget. I must admit this task has become increasingly more daunting by the day. These times demand that we think efficiently and creatively as we build on our strengths and improve on our difficulties.

As we get closer to the conclusion of 2010, we look forward to the upcoming launch of our new website in conjunction with FEDC. This has been

Fostoria Area Chamber of Commerce

Continued on Page 6


Gabel & Associatesrealty

808 Croghan St. • Fremont, OH 43420419-333-1000 • [email protected]

Russ & Cindy Gabel

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •PRIME COMMERCIALBUILDING & LOCATION!

• Highway Access: SR 53, Ohio Turnpike & US 20

• Priced at only $368,000 – substantially under appraisal & under Auditor value

• Zoned I-1 (wholesale, light industry)• 20,942 sq.ft. with warehouse/mfg. area & office

areas• Fenced lot with paved parking for 54+ vehicles

NCBJGabelAssoc1210.indd 1 12/16/10 12:19:27 PM

By Jeff Roth

This month’s article relates to parent’s finances and the steps children should take to protect them.

SOLICITATONSTwo years after the

process starts, the child discovers that mom or dad answers all of the pleas for help from every charity legitimate or not so legitimate. These “nonprofits” know exactly how to place the guilt trip on the parent and receive ten or twenty dollars. Magazines and free gifts are not far behind in getting the parent’s attention. Psychology is needed here. You cannot just stop the process but need to find a way to intercept. Eventually, contact all of the charities as they come in and ask to be permanently removed from the list. The best answer is to have all of the mail go to your address. If this is unacceptable then ask mom or dad to put all of the mail in a box for a weekly joint review. If you are able to stop the process, normally the parent soon forgets this type of mail and the problem will temporarily go away. You can expect that the requests will resurface every year.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS Government backed insurance is

normally the answer as to why mom and dad have funds in seven banks. It

is your job to be a financial detective and determine where all of the accounts are located and how they are titled. Now that your parents are retired and staying at home more, it is not necessary to have so many accounts. The key is one maybe two banks that acknowledge your presence and will work closely with you to oversee and protect your parent’s funds. You need to have your name placed on the account along with a power of attorney to have the ability to sign and make any decisions necessary. Look at their prior income tax returns to determine that you have located every account.

INVESTMENTSThere are better ways to invest than

savings accounts. You need to have a good working relationship with the financial advisor and have the power to make decisions. It can be difficult to get involved with investment decisions without threatening your parent’s control. If they give you that power, keep your parents updated as to the earnings of the accounts. You do not need to explain every decision, but be sure that they are copied with statements and that they feel involved in the process. Eventually, they will not need to know and will fully trust your judgment. If you have brothers and sisters, it is recommended that you seek the opinion of a financial advisor. Have a team of third parties in the financial, legal and insurance professions to verify and offer a neutral opinion.

Legal

Parent's Finances

LOCATING DOCUMENTSLocate your parents’ wills, power of

attorneys, life insurance policies, trust documents, pension papers, funeral plan and any other documents that apply to them in the near or distant future. If there is a lock box, you need to take an inventory. Personally, I do not feel that they are necessary. Most documents can be duplicated. If you go to the box have a third party to witness the process and eliminate any questions as to your action. If you elect to keep the box, be sure to have your name added as a signatory if you need to reenter the box at a later date.

BILLSGet an accurate list of all monthly

bills. This will be very foreign to your parents, but arrange to have the majority of the bills automatically deducted from their checking account. This offers the assurance that everything will be paid in a timely manner. They can still receive a paper receipt showing payment. This will allow your parents to be current without you sitting at their kitchen table each week paying a new set of invoices. It may sound strange, but a few older individuals maintain and use a credit card to excess. They never study the statement for discrepancies. You will have to place parameters on the use of this card. Some companies will find a way to place automatic charges on the account that you will need to police the account. A credit card is a great way to keep track of expenses but can be abused by third parties.

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED

You have been selected to assist your parents with their financial affairs. All is well until they pass away. Then the second guessing starts by the brothers and sisters or more often their spouses.

Keep a journal of everything you do. Have a receipt or paper trail of every transaction. If it is an unusual transaction, have mom or dad initial. This may seem unnecessary but a majority of times there is one person who will be suspicious. They have no concept of the time you have spent. All of that is forgotten shortly after the funeral. It is actually best for you to be paid on a monthly basis but very few do. Keep everyone in the loop. With email, a monthly overview may be the best policy.

This all may seem elementary, but families have been split by lack of communication and information. Helping your parents with their finances is not an honor but a tedious job. Good Luck.

Jeff Roth is a partner with Forrest Bacon and David Bacon of the firm ROTH and BACON with offices in Port Clinton, Upper Sandusky and Marion, Ohio. Mr. Roth is also licensed in Florida. His 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. Additional articles expanding on this subject will be published in the future. 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 [email protected] (telephone: 419-732-9994) copyright@Jeffrey P. Roth 2006.

in the works for some time and we feel our members will be very pleased with the end product. We also will be having a holiday year-end event with further details to be released soon.

I would like to thank Darcy Foos for her years of service to both the Chamber as well as Fostoria Economic Development Council. Darcy has taken a position in the insurance industry that will enable her to work in Fremont where she will literally be

minutes from her home. Best of luck, as you surely will be missed.

In Darcy’s absence, Aymee Flores is facilitating the day-to-day business of the chamber on an interim basis.

On behalf of the entire Chamber Board, I would like to personally thank all of the Fostoria Area Chamber Members for your continued support through these trying economic times. As we move forward together, we can all benefit from our combined strengths and overcome our isolated weaknesses.

Fostoria ChamberContinued from


By Sheila Ehrhardt, DirectorThe New Year is a time for self-

examinationandsettinggoals.The Huron Chamber of Commerce

wouldliketotakethisopportunitytothank all of its members for theircontinuedsupportofourorganizationandtheNorthCoastBusinessJournalforspreadingthewordaboutChamberactivitiesandobjectives..

We realize that these are tougheconomic times, which can create ahardship when small businesses areconsideringwhetherornottocontinuetheirChambermembership.Pleasebeaware thatweareall in this togetherand that your membership providesyou with many benefits, some thatyoumaynoteverbeawareof.

First and foremost, Chambermembership is tax deductible as abusiness expense,not a contribution.Through the Huron Chamber’smembership in the Northern OhioArea Chambers of Commerce,members can receive a discount onhealth insurance, credit cardsprocessing,workman’scompinsuranceandpackageshipping.

Our Huron Chamber also offers itsmembers complimentary use of thegroup’s bulk mailing permit. It hasproven very popular and cost-savingwithmembers.

WestronglypromotetourismfortheHuron area, answering hundreds ofinquiries annually and sending out

informationonmemberbusinessestoprospective visitors all over thecountry. Relocation packets also goouttothoseconsideringamovetotheHuronarea.

The monthly Business After Hoursprovidememberswiththeopportunitytonetworkwithotherbusinessownersandincreasetheircustomerbase.Andthere are terrific advertisingopportunitiesavailableonourwebsite,www.huron.net,aswellasinourfull-colormonthlynewsletter,TheWave.

The Huron Chamber is a chartermember of the Business ResourceNetwork,agroupofareaprofessionalswho have created a website offeringassistance to business owners andvariouseducationalprograms.

Nomatterwhattownyourbusinessislocatedin,Chambermembershipisarealvalue.

Leaning on the black granite Bicen-tennial marker that they just attached with adhesive to a stainless steel time capsule sunk into a Compass Rose on a knoll overlooking the Huron River are Doug Steinwart, (l.) Basin facilities manager and Robb Harst, designer of the Bicenennial logo and chairman of the marker project.

Huron Chamber of Commerce

Huron Mayor Marilyn Shearer and ODNR director Sean Logan cut the ceremonial ribbon marking the grand opening of the four-lane boat launch ramp on the Huron River last June.


From Melissa JamesExecutive Director

There were many positive efforts to assist Huron County businesses open new doors for their goods and services in 2010. PTAC seminars and registering for HUBZone certifications were high on the list of many businesses and the chamber was pleased to provide outstanding resources to accomplish those goals. Any Huron County business that has yet to take advantage of these avenues is encouraged to make the effort this year and of course, call the Chamber office if you need assistance.

While we’re excited to have helped open some doors in 2010, that’s all history. All the action is in the future, so let’s see how we can assist your business with growth and prosperity in 2011.

The year is shaping up with a couple of outstanding seminar opportunities along with several returning events. Starting off in January we will sponsor a PERRP injury & illness reporting workshop for area public employers. Ohio public employers (townships, cities, counties, school districts, villages, etc.) are required

to submit an annual injury and illness report to BWC’s Public Employment Risk Reduction Program (PERRP) on or before February 1, 2011. If you are a public employer and need assistance in making sure you are in compliance with BWC be sure to RSVP for this seminar. It will be held Thursday, January 13th, 9:00am-noon in the chamber office at 10 West Main Street, Norwalk. Call or email us for reservations. The seminar is free to attend.

March 11th will feature two intense customer service seminars by Bill Drury. Not sure your business needs customer service training? Consider this: 68% of customers leave companies due to perceived indifference. 98% of unhappy customers never report a problem to the owner or manager, but 91% of them will never buy again from a business that has offended them. Poor customer service is the number one consumer complaint. If you are in need of bolstering your bottom line, start with your front line; start with your customer service. These seminars will be open to members and non-members. For more information log onto: www.HuronCountyChamber.com.

Our next seminar will be the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast on May 6th. Nine headline speakers, including John Maxwell, will take the stage live in Atlanta with a live feed to Norwalk. This event will be held in the auditorium at Fisher-Titus Medical Center, 272 Benedict Ave., Norwalk. Nurses take note; this event will be certified for 5.3 CEUs. Other professionals required to take continuing education courses may want to check with their respective organizations about receiving credit for this event. Space will be limited and the event is open to all so RSVP early. Additional information, including sponsorship opportunities and attendance costs will be available on our Web site or contact the office at 419-668-4155.

Our 10th Annual Home & Business Show will be held on February 26th at the Norwalk Middle School on Christie Ave. Approximately 70-75 businesses showcase their goods and services at this one day event. It is packed with demonstrations and special offers from chamber businesses, so far we have the Huron County Farm Bureau featuring the Master Gardeners with demonstrations on planting and Berardi’s doing cooking demos. Gardener’s SuperValu will be doing cupcake & cake decorating and feature an array of Ohio Proud products.

Several additional demonstrations are in the planning stages so watch our web site for updates. As always, we have free admission and lunch is available with proceeds going to the United Fund. Exhibitors are required to be members of the Huron County Chamber.

A large, on-going project the Board of Directors has been working on is a business recruitment tool for use by Huron County Economic Development interests. Information on taxes, government, housing, schools, health care, industrial parks, etc., will make this a one-stop resource for businesses considering expansion, relocation or start-up.

Another new venture we have undertaken is offering our community organizations space on the Chamber Web site. Most of our civic groups want Web sites but lack either the funds to support one or don’t have the volunteers that can commit to keeping a site updated. The long range goal of this effort is to make the chamber site the one-stop site for community information for the whole county.

The year 2011 is shaping up to be a busy one but there’s nothing more important than our businesses -- so if you need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us.

One Day does make a difference A comforting, soothing massage. A friendly visit from a volunteer to hold your hand. A nurse who stays by your bedside until all your questions have been answered.

These are just a few of the gifts Stein Hospice delivers to patients and families every day. For some patients, one day is all they have with Stein Hospice. But look at what can be accomplished in 24 hours. Or less.

At 52, Deb Smith fought for four years to rid her body of cancer. But when the fi ght was over, Deb and her family did not want her life to end in a hospital room. On a spring afternoon Deb arrived at the Stein Hospice Care Center. By sunrise she had died. But in those 16 hours Deb and her family received many gifts...

A chaplain stopped by to pray. Volunteers helped the family with meals. Nurses watched over Deb to make sure she was not in pain.

“Everybody was so nice and considerate and would stop to talk, not small talk. It was personal to them. They felt like family,” said Deb’s daughter, Stephanie.

Whether a patient is staying at the Care Center, in a nursing home or private home, services such as the ones Deb and her family received can begin within two hours of admission and are provided around the clock.

The Smith family will tell you: One day does make a difference.

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Submitted by Melissa James

The Huron County Visitors Bureau continues to grow and as we do, positive returns are coming back to those businesses participating with us. The HCVB is operated by the Huron County Chamber but does not require a membership in the Chamber. Our only focus is to market the area and the businesses that participate with the bureau.

This year we will return to the AAA Great Vacations Expo. The show is January 21-23rd at the Veterans Memorial Hall in Columbus. Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel will be there sharing her favorite vacation spots with show attendees. The hall is packed with exhibitors from all sorts of destination spots, including Disney vacations, luxury cruises, sports venues, and us! This will be our third year at the show and we will feature the Soldier car from Summit Motorsports Park. Last year’s Flame Car drew huge crowds to the booth and we are excited to once again be partnering with SMP. Additionally, we’ll be featuring several of the area hotels, bed & breakfasts’, retail & restaurant destinations, etc.

In February we are exhibiting at a 5 day show on the east side of Pittsburgh in Monroeville, PA. With nearly 40 hours of floor time this shows will offer us the opportunity to showcase Huron County to thousands of people. The demographics of this show seem to fit our area very well

and we are looking forward to opening new markets for our businesses. Show dates are February 15-20th and we’ll repeat the same display from the AAA show. We love getting the opportunity to talk to folks about our businesses, attractions and the great place Huron County is. Our displays & our staff’s enthusiasm reflect that and we’d love to include your business!

Here at home we’ll provide visitor packs to any convenience mart, restaurant, hotel, or shop that will make them available to visitors throughout the year. There is no cost to do this, just provide space for the bags to be visible to guests. The more information we make available the more opportunities we create for all area businesses.

The VB web site, VisitHuronCounty.com, continues to draw good traffic and we work at keeping events throughout the county front and center on the home page. Visitors will also find some videos of a couple of our area museums and veterans memorials, listings for VB businesses, etc. If you know of an event in Huron County that visitors would be welcomed to, festivals, concerts, tours, sporting events, etc., please contact the office with the details so we may include it on our community calendar. There’s an amazing amount of interesting things to do and see in Huron County and we are determined to open the doors for our area businesses.

Huron County Visitors Bureau

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CHAMBER CALENDARS for JanuaryBellevue Chamber of Commerce

6 MonthlyLuncheon DouglasGildenmeister “GoodPolicyDoesNot MakeGoodPolitics”

12 RibbonCutting Hogue’s50thAnniversary 9:00a.m.

Erie County Chamber of Commerce

5 Workers’Compensation Workshop

10:00a.m.,Chamberoffice Spaceislimited RSVPto419-625-6421 Nochargeforthisevent12 BusinessAfterHours CrushWineBar ANDZincBrasserie

5:00p.m.,Wednesday RSVP Nochargeforthisevent28 B/GX(Business/Government

Exchange) StateSenatorRandyGardner 7:30a.m.,RoomT110,

BuildingF, EHOVECareerCenter RSVP;$10.00fee

Huron County Chamber of Commerce

6 SafetyCouncilConstruction, 7:30a.m.,Chamberoffice, RSVPrequired

ProgramCommittee, 8am,Chamberoffice

12 OSHA10hr.Construction, RSVPrequired(session1of2)

13 SafetyCouncil, 7:30a.m.,GeneralRisk, Chamberoffice, RSVPReq’d

PERRPTraining, 9a.m.-Noon, Chamberoffice, RSVPReq’d

19 OSHA10hr.Construction (session2of2)

EducationCommittee, 8a.m.,Chamberoffice

20 SafetyCouncil Manufacturing,7:30a.m., Chamberoffice,RSVP

Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

6 DirectorsMeeting 7:00p.m. OtterbeinNorthShore

20 BusinessAfterHours 5:00-7:00p.m. Host:BaysideComfort

Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce

13 OttawaCountyChambers Meeting

MarbleheadChamberof Commerce

2:00p.m.

28 AnnualDinnerMeeting VFWMemorialHall 6:00p.m.


6 BusinessAfterHours HomeInsteadSeniorCare 5:00-7:00p.m.

10 BoardMeeting ChamberOffice 8:30a.m.

12 MainStreetPortClinton EconomicRestructuring CommitteeMeeting MSPCOffice,9:00a.m.

13 MainStreetPortClinton OrganizationExecutive CommitteeMeeting MSPCOffice,8:30a.m.

17 WalleyeFestival CommitteeMeeting IdaRuppLibrary,5:00p.m.20 MainStreetPortClinton BoardMeeting MSPCOffice,8:30a.m.31 ChamberMembership CommitteeMeeting ChamberOffice,9:00a.m.

Sandusky County Chamber of Commerce

25 ChamberAmbassador Meeting,

8a.m.,ChamberOffice

27 AnnualAwardsDinner, OleZim’sWagonShed 6p.m.,Reservationsrequired

Tiffin Area Chamber of Commerce

11 GeneralMembershipMeeting 11:30a.m.to1:30p.m.

TrophyRoomat Carmie’sGrill&Bar Lunchis$10 RSVP419-447-4141 ore-mail [email protected]

12 SmallBusinessBasics Free,two-hourSeminar

OhioSmallBusiness DevelopmentCenter atTerraCommunityCollege RegisterwithBillAuxter@ 800-826-2431 [email protected] ChamberBoardMeeting

7:30a.m.

13 AmbassadorMeeting 8a.m.,Conferenceroom

Willard Area Chamber of Commerce

20 “21stAnnualBanquet” WillardHighSchool 6:00p.m.

of Erie, Huron, Ottawa and Sandusky Counties, Inc.419 W. Market St. Sandusky, OH 44870, phone: (419) 625-4744


By Valerie WinterfieldExecutive Director

As we look forward to 2011, it is important to look back at all of the accomplishments we have seen in 2010. First and foremost we would like to extend a huge thank to our 2010 Major Partners; The National Bank of Oak Harbor, Community Markets, The Village of Oak Harbor, Carroll Township, Magruder Hospital, and Toft’s Dairy for their generous contribution to the chamber and our community. In 2010 we were fortunate enough to have 26 new members join our ranks. In addition to all of the wonderful cost savings benefits already available, we added long term care discounts, Fed-Ex shipping discounts, advertising discounts, and free seminars and workshops to our list of benefits available to all chamber member businesses.

2010 has brought some additional positive changes to the Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce. In May 2010 we completely redesigned our website to be easily navigable and more user-friendly. We are pleased with the results and the new website has allowed us to archive our newsletters, have an on-line community calendar, add pictures, and much more. Please check it out at www.oakharborohio.net. In early June 2010 we also sponsored the first annual Village Wide Garage Sale Days. This event was a huge success for those who had sales as well as businesses, restaurants and gas stations in town. We had over 65 sales on the list and the town was buzzing with activity. We plan to continue this event in the future and add more sales to our list.

In late June 2010 our most significant change took place; we purchased a downtown building and re-located the Chamber of Commerce. After years of renting, and looking over the numbers we discovered it would be more cost effective to own, and we also wanted to show our commitment and faith in the Village of Oak Harbor by making an investment in the community. We now have an attractive downtown storefront with a conference room available for use by members, as well as two additional suites, that are currently rented by

local businesses.Business After Hours events continue

to offer a great way to network with peers and friends. They are held on the 4th Thursday of every other month starting in January with the Chamber Annual Dinner, and all members and their employees are invited. Please contact the chamber office at 419-898-0479 if you are interested in hosting a Business After Hours in 2011. Don’t miss out on the monthly gift certificate drawing, and our 50/50 raffle!

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. Below is our schedule of events for 2011:

• Jan. 28 — Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner 6pm

• April 16 — Annual Easter Egg Hunt 2pm

• May 27 — Annual Golf Outing• June 3-4 — Annual Village Wide

Garage Sale Days• July 3 — Independence Day

Celebration• Oct. 8-9 — Annual Chamber of

Commerce Apple Festival• Dec. 3 — Olde’ Fashioned

Christmas CelebrationWe look forward to promoting our

businesses and our community in 2011 and wish to thank all of our members and businesses for their continuing support. Happy Holidays and best wishes for a prosperous New Year from the Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce!

Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce

The Ohio Small Business Development Center at Terra 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. 5 – 9:30 to

11:30 a.m. Ottawa County Improvement Corporation (conference room), 8043 W. S.R. 163, Oak Harbor

Wednesday, Jan. 12 – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tiffin Area Chamber of Commerce (conference room), 19 W. Market St., TiffinWednesday, Jan. 19 – 9:30 to

11:30 a.m. Erie County Chamber of Commerce (conference room), 225 W. Washington Row, Sandusky Wednesday, Jan. 26 – 4:30 to

6:30 p.m. Terra 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 [email protected].

Small Business Basics Seminars Set for January

www.ncbj.net


By Cathy Allen

Are the tasks on your to-do list important, or are they merely urgent? Will accomplishing them advance your personal or professional goals, or merely satisfy a deadline? If you are like me, whole days can sometimes go by without a minute spent on anything that matters. But if it is true that great achievement and personal fulfillment are more about living on purpose than about our daily to-do list, then we have to use the hours of our days to advance that purpose. At a time of year when goal-setting is a common practice, I offer this synopsis of another wonderful book from the Stephen R. Covey collection. I wish all of you a happy and productive 2011. May you get one year closer to accomplishing your life’s dream.

First Things First: To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy by Stephen R. Covey with A. Roger Merrill and Rebecca Merrill, Franklin Covey Co/Simon and Schuster, 1994.

SUMMARY:Pleasing other people and responding

to the demands on our time created by urgencies and deadlines can produce short-term satisfactions, but more fulfilled lives are lived with purpose and fidelity to conscience. In this follow up to The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey and his co-authors show us how (and why) to determine our life’s unique purpose, organize our physical, mental, social, and spiritual lives according to timeless principles, and work productively and synergistically with others.

KEY LEARNINGS:• Time is measured with clocks. We

can manage time, especially if we employ checklists and planning. It is

with a compass, however, that we set direction. Handling a crisis can cause an adrenaline rush that many of us get hooked on. Racing around on deadline and handling urgent matters efficiently makes us feel important. But urgency and importance are not the same thing.

• Life is governed by principles. One cannot eat all manner of unhealthy food, sleep little, exercise less, smoke, and drink and also be physically fit. Similar principles exist for our mental, spiritual and social lives. To have trusting relationships, one must be trustworthy. Neglecting one or the other area of life can throw us out of balance and fuel urgency addiction. When we choose to live according to principles, we reclaim ourselves from external forces and create our own future.

• We are putting first things first when we connect with our personal mission and vision, identify the roles we play in life (i.e. worker, mother, volunteer, etc.), select important but not urgent goals for each role, set aside time for those, stick to the plan, and evaluate our progress.

• To create time for what’s important, we must jettison what is not. When we develop a vision for our lives that is strong enough to motivate, it will also allow us to easily decline to do what others want us to do.

• The key to finding dynamic equilibrium among one’s roles in life is synergy. Success in one area of life influences success in all others. There may be times when we must spend a great deal of time working in order to have time later on for family, but neglecting one facet or the other will cause a downward spiral for both.

• Goal achievement helps us feel better about ourselves and increases our personal integrity, especially when that goal is carefully connected to an important purpose. Effective goals are characterized by conscience, importance and balance between the physical, mental, social and spiritual.

• The daily planning most of us have been trained to do tends to keep us focused on the urgent tasks before us, whereas long-term goal planning is vital but difficult to implement. A week is the right amount of time for putting the content of the daily activities into the context of our life’s mission.

• Having chosen how we want to spend our time each week, we will face a series of choices… whether to act according to our plan or allow ourselves to be distracted by the urgencies of daily living. It takes courage to act with integrity to our

vision, and to subordinate the less important to the more important, but that can come from educating our hearts and nurturing our inner wisdom according to “true north” principles in all four of life’s dimensions.

• We are all connected to others. Relationships can’t be quick-fixed, faked, neglected, or controlled. It is only through a long-haul commitment to personal integrity, self-awareness and valuing others that we can build the interdependence to accomplish our purpose and achieve our dreams.

• When people with seemingly competing interests are committed to working together, they must discover synergies and create win-win options for mutual success and satisfaction. Shared vision, empowering mission statements, synergies among roles and goals, and implementable agreements don’t just happen: they require effort and dedication. But the effect is profound.

• To effectively tap the power of interdependence, one must be trusted by others. The path to trust is trustworthiness. That is an internal exercise no one can do for us… but it is a high-yield investment of time and emotional resources. There is no substitute for high quality feedback concerning whether others perceive us as we intend. We may then develop the personal characteristics to successfully work interdependently with others.

• Peace comes from putting first things first, from using our self-awareness, conscience, will and creative imagination to move through our lives in accordance with natural principles. When we set a goal and achieve it, we build the courage and integrity we need for a higher quality of life.

TOOLS:The book contains self-assessment

tools, a “Mission Statement Workshop,” and two literature reviews.

Cathy Allen is the owner of Creative Option C, LLC, a facilitation and organizational development consulting firm in Marblehead. An avid reader and writer, Cathy has posted a series of two-page synopses of classic books in the field of business, leadership and personal development to www.CreativeOptionC.com. Visitors can sign up to receive a monthly email newsletter full of information about all the latest happenings at Creative Option C.

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By Laura Schlachter, AICPPresident

In 2011, the Port Clinton Area Chamber will continue to search out additional benefits for our members. The opportunity to network is perhaps one of the most important benefits of Chamber membership. The Chamber’s monthly Business After Hours events are attended by approximately 100 people each month. 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. If you have not looked into these benefits, I strongly encourage you to do so.

The 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. During the summer months, the Chamber is also open on the weekends to welcome tourists to the community and answer inquiries.

Before heading out for shopping and dining or making your hotel reservations, don’t forget to go to the Chamber’s Web site. It is your online resource for coupons, events and specials presented by Port Clinton Chamber members. It’s easy. Just go to www.portclintonchamber.com and click on Hot Deals and Cool Happenings.

New for our 2011/2012 year is our Member Discount Card program. As a PC

Chamber member, you have the opportunity to participate in this free program offering members and their employees discounts on products and services from other Chamber members. For more information on the Member Discount Card program, please contact 419-734-5503.

The Chamber’s Port Clinton Area Street Map and Resource Guide has just arrived. This full-color map is the only map endorsed by the PC Chamber. Thousands of copies of this map will be distributed over the next two years. Thanks to our advertisers for helping to make this map possible.

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 2011 Guide to Local Activities. Guides will be available at the Chamber office in early 2011. This guide is a great community resource outlining activities in our community. I encourage you to take advantage of the many events and activities in the Port Clinton community.

Exciting news! The Ohio Chamber of Commerce selected the PC Chamber and the Sandusky County Chamber to host a Business Symposium in May 2011. The Business Symposium will feature an expert speaker and is open to our Chamber members. Please watch for details in the near future.

We will again this year partner with the five Ottawa County Chambers of Commerce and the Ottawa County Visitors Bureau at the Great Lakes Home and Garden Show and the National Matches at Camp Perry. Our participation in this joint adventure allows us to showcase our County and tourism partners to

thousands of visitors who will attend these events.

The PC Chamber is requesting that you help us recognize those businesses and individuals that have positively contributed to the Greater Port Clinton Community. Please nominate businesses and individuals for the Lighthouse Award, Outstanding Citizen, Beautification Award and Business of the Year that will be announced on Thursday, April 21 at our Annual Dinner and Awards Program. To learn more about the awards, please contact the Chamber.

The Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce has proudly served the Greater Port Clinton Area for 72 years. Thank you for your continued support of the Chamber and the Greater Port Clinton community.


The Jerry Lippus Memorial Classic Car Show displayed 162 cars in downtown Port Clinton. The 2011 event is scheduled for Aug. 6.


For the second year in a row, Payne, Nickles and Company has been named as one of the 100 Best Accounting Firms to Work for by Accounting Today.

We are proud to receive this honor for the second consecutive year. Our employees make the difference. We are very proud of them, the positive workplace atmosphere they helped create, and the outstanding service they provide to our clients.

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Congratulations and Thank you to our employees, our most important asset.• Awards Banquets • Golf Outings

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• WeddingsFor information, contact Tom Smerillo at 419-625-5394

Membership not Required

The construction of Mercy Willard Hospital’s replacement facility has been progressing quickly over the past five months. On December 1, the new facility campus was the scene for a “topping off” of steel in celebration of the final beam placement on the new facility. Invited guests of the hospital met at the existing Mercy Willard Hospital where they were transported to the new facility site.

Lynn Detterman, President & CEO, thanked those in attendance and welcomed everyone to the second significant event in the construction of the new facility and reminded everyone that it was less than five months ago that ground was broken on the site. Since then grading, excavation and construction of the foundation have been completed.

“Topping Off” is a term used when ironworkers place the final piece of steel in the superstructure of a building. This tradition began in the Scandinavian sector of Europe. An Evergreen tree is attached to the final

beam in Europe as a symbol indicating a job completed without the loss of life and to bring good luck to the future building occupants. In the United States the tradition has evolved slightly, with an American flag taking the place of honor on that final beam.

The week before the Topping Off Ceremony, employees, physicians, Board of Trustees members, volunteers and other Mercy family members were invited to sign their names on this final piece of steel while it rested in front of the main entrance of the existing hospital. Sofco Erection Crew was the company that erected the steel for the project, and Art Iron provided the steel for the facility.

The beam was taken to the site for placement during the special ceremony attended by approximately 40 individuals. Prior to raising the last of the steel Sister Rita Mary Wasserman, RSM, asked those in attendance to join her in a prayer asking for God’s blessing on the new hospital.

Mercy Willard Hospital Celebrates “Topping Off”


Mercy Willard Hospital Is Now Offering

Urogynecology and Reconstructive Gynecology Surgical Services

Prolapse• Prolapse is a condition where

the pelvic floor muscles weaken, causing the vagina to bulge, protrude or feel like something has “fallen”.

• 1 out of 2 women over the age of 45 suffer from some form of prolapse.

• Women suffering from prolapse may have vaginal pain or difficulty, and pain with intercourse.

Urinary Incontinence• Urinary Incontinence is

sudden, unexplained urine leakage.

• Between the ages of 18 and 44, 1 in 4 women experience incontinence.

• If you leak urine when you cough, sneeze or laugh hard, wear pads or liners to protect against unplanned leakage, or plan activities based on where a restroom is located, you may have urinary incontinence.

If you think you may have urinary incontinence or prolapse, contact Mercy Gynecology Specialists to learn about the new, minimally invasive procedures available.

Mercy Gynecology Specialists is now offering advanced treatment options for incontinence and prolapse. Approximately 13 million women in the US cope with urinary incontinence, and more than 30 million women suffer from prolapse. For many women their quality of life has been affected by these conditions.

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Mercy Gynecology SpecialistsWoo H. Paik, MD, FACOG1506 S. Conwell Ave.Willard, Ohio 44890419.935.0187

Submitted by Curt Laubner,President

The year 2010 has been a good year for the Marblehead Peninsula Chamber. Membership was increased from 175 to 192 members. The Chamber participated with the five Ottawa County chambers by having a booth at the Cleveland Home and Garden Expo and the Kalahari Home and Flower Show. The annual Chamber ‘golf outing’ at the Catawba Island Club course saw an increase of six teams. Arts and craft vendors increased by ten at the Lakeside-Marblehead Lighthouse Festival. The monthly Business after Hours gatherings saw an increase in attendance. 55,000 visitor guide map brochures were distributed at trade shows, at Ohio Turnpike and ODOT rest areas, and locally.

The year 2011 looks to be just as successful. An improving economy will only increase the number of “visitors” to the peninsula. Take a drive “around the horn” and see what’s happening.

March 4-6 Kalahari Home and Flower Show

May 19 Annual Banquet/Business Meeting

June 3 Golf Outing at the Catawba Island Club

October 8 Lakeside-Marblehead Lighthouse Festival

3rd Thursday (except May) Business After Hours, 5-7 pm

1st Thursday (except May) Directors’ Meeting, 7 pm at Otterbein Northshore

The Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce


C A R R A F F L EThe Bellevue Hospital Foundation

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Additional Information: 419.483.4040, Ext. 4319

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Mail to: The Bellevue Hospital Foundation1400 West Main Street, Bellevue, Ohio 44811-8004

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The Erie County E c o n o m i c D e v e l o p m e n t Corporation (ECEDC) will begin to coordinate the distribution and processing of e c o n o m i c development leads from the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) for all communities in Erie County.

“It is important that every community in Erie County is informed of the opportunities that the Ohio Department of Development or any other source makes available. This is our opportunity to market and showcase available land, buildings and/or other resources” says Peter Zaehringer, Executive Director with ECEDC. “This initiative will also ensure inclusion of sites not available in common economic development databases yet” Zaehringer says.

Currently ODOD distributes information about companies looking to relocate and/or expand and are in need of vacant buildings, land, greenfields, brownfields etc. to various economic development practitioners around the state.

Local communities then collect and submit feasible sites back to ODOD. Sometimes in this process leads get lost or not received because an email address changed, or fewer resources might make it difficult to respond in a timely manner. The result might be a missed opportunity to attract new jobs to Erie County.

In order to avoid missed opportunities and to streamline this process and maximize participation by actively including all communities within Erie County, ECEDC will introduce the County’s first “Lead Referral Initiative.”

ECEDC will act as a “one-stop-shop” and distribute the leads to all Erie County communities, compile the data received from the responses, update ODOD’s database and submit the lead.

Erie County Economic Development Corp. Announces New Lead Referral Initiative

ZAEHRINGER

Nearly half of employees failed to take all their vacation time in 2010, according to a survey by Right Management. Right Management is the talent and career management expert within Manpower, the world leader in innovative workforce solutions.

Right Management surveyed 627 workers via an online poll and asked “Have you used all of your vacation time this year?” The results were as follows:

• 46% - No• 54% - Yes “This may appear to be a disturbing

finding,” said Douglas J. Matthews, President and Chief Operating Officer for Right Management. “But it’s an improvement over a year ago, when in the identical survey we found that two-thirds of workers weren’t taking all the time that was due to them. We concluded then that fears of job insecurity and work pressures after layoffs were probably why so many gave up vacation time. So it may be that our latest finding reflects a somewhat healthier workplace mindset.”

With only half of employees actually

taking all of their vacation in 2010, many employees are likely uncertain about their futures Matthews said. “There’s clearly a lot of stress among employees in both Canada and the U.S. There are heavier workloads as well as uncertainty about business viability and the chance of more cutbacks.”

Nevertheless, vacation time is an earned employee benefit, observed Matthews, and it affects work-life balance and overall wellness. “Vacation plays a fundamental role in fostering a healthy, productive workforce. Foregoing some vacation days may by itself not prove significant, but when many employees come to feel they can’t take the time to which they’re entitled real harm may be done…and the results can be high turnover, low retention, absenteeism, frequent health or safety claims or a host of other HR problems. Vacation time is essential for balance and wellness.”

“Employers should do all they can to encourage their workers to take the vacation time due to them,” Matthews said. “What’s good for the workforce is almost always good for the business.”

Half of Workers Did Not Take All Their Vacation in 2010


Submitted by Holly StaceyPresidentChamber of Commerce of Sandusky County

The Chamber of Commerce of Sandusky County would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! The Chamber Board of Trustees and Staff are working on a few “new” things for 2011 and bringing back an “old” favorite event. Chamber mixers, focused on the interest of the four divisions of membership, are being added to the annual calendar as a new approach in 2011. And, to benefit the Chamber Foundation and the Sandusky County Cancer Care Fund, the Christmas Tree & Wreath Auction will return to the event calendar in November as an “oldie but goodie”. Plus, 2011 will see the production of a new Sandusky County View Book and the beginning of a “Chairman’s Club,” a new appreciation program to our members. To stay updated with these and the many other activities of the Chamber log onto the web site at www.scchamber.org.

To kick off the year the Chamber’s Annual Dinner will be held on January 27, 2011 at Ole Zims Wagon Shed. During the program the leadership of the Chamber of Commerce will be passed on from current Chairman of the Board Ms. Stephanie Deneau, UPS Store, to Mr. Paul Martin, Green Bay Packaging, 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 Athena Award being sponsored by Memorial Health Care Systems. Registration begins at 6 p.m. with the dinner program beginning at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are due by January 17, 2011 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 Fourth Annual “Best of Sandusky County Pizza Challenge,” an event to raise the dough for scholarships, will be held on April 10th at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds. This year 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 419-332-1591. Be watching for our big announcement on the pizza vendors taking the Challenge and the sponsors helping raise the dough!

To show appreciation to Chamber members who refer new members, we are starting a “Chairman’s Club.” Each member making a referral of a new Chamber member is added to the Chairman’s Club and will receive recognition on our website and in other communications. Then, all the members of the Chairman’s Club will be recognized at the Annual Dinner in 2012.

To help celebrate the Chamber Foundation’s 5th Anniversary, and to benefit the Sandusky County Cancer Care Fund, an “oldie but goodie” returns to the Chamber calendar on Sunday, November 27th. Back by popular demand, the Christmas Tree & Wreath Auction will be held once again. Members interested in donating a tree or wreath are encouraged to contact the Chamber for more information, as this is a limited sponsor opportunity.

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 be Monday through Thursday, 8:30 – 4:30 p.m.

“New” And “Old” Events Lined Up for Chambers’ New Year

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From President John Detwiler

Dear Chamber Members & Friends:As we begin our march to our

centennial in 2014, it’s appropriate to reflect upon our progress during the past year. I would characterize 2010 as the year that we rebuilt our organization. As a result of your continuing support, as well as a return to business fundamentals we will finish the year in the black, a goal not always realized in the past. Since our last meeting, we added 40 new members to our ranks, implemented credit card processing, and improved our value proposition through our alignment with Northern Ohio Area Chambers of Commerce (NOACC). We initiated or collaborated in many programs this year. I’d like to take a few moments to share some of those with you.

Business VisitationsGetting to know our customers and

their needs has and continues to be job 1. Early on, it was my personal goal to visit every member and non-member business in the Tiffin area and I’m proud to say that the goal is essentially complete.

Buy LocalWe implemented two important

buy-local programs with our member-to-member coupons and most recently, our chamber gift certificate program in collaboration with Old Fort Bank.

Holiday LightingSanta’s path was well lit in 2009 as

we returned holiday lighting to Downtown, absent for two years.

BrandingWe are currently implementing an

overall image and branding campaign and have already made dramatic

improvements to our communications vehicles including e-mail marketing, newsletter and website. We also implemented social media during the period with our Facebook and Twitter pages. From a facility perspective we improved our display windows, thanks to the creativity of some of our retail members.

Downtown Strategic PlanIn collaboration with the City,

County, SIEDC and others, we completed the Downtown Strategic Plan and are presently working with the Tiffin Tomorrow group on its implementation.

Downtown Tiffin Farmers’ Market

We initiated the Downtown Tiffin Farmers’ Market which drove hundreds to each of our 4 market days. As a matter of fact, our final market of the year is on Saturday and we invite you to come down and see what the buzz is all about.

Education InitiativesOn the education front, we rolled

out the Business Breakfast Break Series in collaboration with Tiffin University. These early morning sessions provide refreshers on such topics as budgeting, marketing, coaching and customer service. A similar collaborative project with North Central Ohio Educational Service Center provided hands-on

workshops in Microsoft Office, QuickBooks and Reporting & Budgeting.

We provided important learning opportunities for 8 University students through our intern program.

We are establishing and facilitating a Business/Education forum where discussions of workforce preparedness take place between educators and business leaders.

Legislative InitiativesOn the legislative front, we are

resurrecting the Seneca Highway Improvement Plan and are mounting an aggressive campaign to lobby for the improvement of our highway infrastructure in Seneca County.

Although we made significant strides this year it is but one step in a 4 year plan. We have much more to accomplish. We’re currently evaluating a proposal to relocate our facility to what is known as the Bradley Building on West Market St. This location has been identified as a Gateway to Downtown in the Downtown Tiffin Strategic Plan. More to come on that project as we finalize the details.

As I’m sure you can see, our mission is multi-faceted. At times, we lead a project, at other times we support a project. But I can assure you that at all times we have the best interests of you, our members, in mind.

Thank you for your continuing support as we march toward our centennial.

Tiffin Chamber of Commerce


By Roger Bostdorff

Does your company have a S.W.O.T. Team? I am not referring to a group of guys toting rifles to shoot down the guy that has robbed the bank and taken hostages. I am talking about a group of leaders that are focused on understanding the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) of your organization. As this economy becomes more and more global and challenging, we have to at least annually do an internal grade card on how our organizations measure up.

How does an organization get started in doing one of these? They take some time away from the day to day grind and go ask themselves the following questions and then discuss and debate the answers.

Strengths• What Advantages Does Your

Company/Organization Have In the Marketplace?

• What Does Your Company Do Better Than Anyone Else?

• What Unique or Low Cost Resources Does Your Company/Organization Have Access To?

• What Do Others See As Your Company’s Strengths?

Weaknesses• What Could Your Company

Improve On?• Where Does Your Company Have

Fewer Resources Than Your Competition? (People, $, Manufacturing Capacity, etc.)

• What Should Your Company Avoid?

• What Are Others Likely to See As Your Company’s Weaknesses?

Threats-• What Obstacles Does Your

Company Face?• What is Your Company’s

Competition Doing? • Are The Required Specifications

For Your Job, Products or Services Changing?

• Is Changing Technology Threatening Your Company’s Position in the Marketplace?

• Could Any of Your Company’s Weaknesses Seriously Threaten Your Business?

Opportunities-• What Good Opportunities Are

Open To Your Company?• What Trends Could You Take

Advantage of? (I.e. Changes in Age of Population, Lifestyle, etc.)

• Looking At Your Company’s Strengths, How Can You Turn These Into Opportunities?

A SWOT analysis helps an organization define what makes them unique while outlining the organization’s strategic advantages so that they can leverage these in the marketplace. Pretty simple, right? Wrong!!These are hard questions that need a hard look with objective viewpoints being discussed/debated. The stripes need to come off during these discussions. By that I mean that

the head of the organization needs to insure that his team opens up and really tells it like it is. This discussion needs to be free of rank and penalty relative to opinions. Many organizations enlist the help of an outside facilitator to make this happen.

Now you are half way home. If you agree that it is important to understand the SWOT for your organization, then you should also agree that you should do this exercise for your major competitor. If your business is in a market that is growing, then everyone can ride the positive curve. However, if your market is not growing then the only way to grow is to take market share from someone else. In order to do that you need to focus your strengths on your competitor’s weaknesses.

As you contemplate whether your

company has the time, energy, manpower, etc. to spend on this endeavor let me ask you a question. How will you feel if you discover your major competitor is doing their SWOT right now? By the way, what if they will be wrapping up their strategic planning by doing a SWOT on your company?

Roger Bostdorff is the President of B2B Sales Boost. 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 [email protected]

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Submitted by Pam Cooper President

The year 2010 was a very successful and productive year for the Chamber. And we would like to thank our Board, Members, Volunteers, Friends and Family for all of the support you showed and gave to help us succeed.

The Chamber just kicked off the Holiday Season with its Annual Holiday Party. This party could not be pulled off without the tremendous support of Kingston of Vermilion. Every year Kingston hosts the Vermilion Chamber Holiday Party and we want to send out a huge “THANK YOU” to Kingston of Vermilion and all of their staff for such a job well done. We would also like to thank the following for their generous donations of door prizes and gifts. Swan Creek Candle Company for their generous gift of candles to each guest, Bill & Marsha Bissell of Bissell’s Green house for the poinsettias for guest and door prizes, Quaker Steak & Lube for their yummy wings, Dave and Theresa Hoffman of

Liberty Auto Wash for car wash door prizes and Brummer’s Chocolates for their scrumptious chocolate for door prizes. It is always so nice to spend the evening with all of our guests and to thank you for all of the support you give the Chamber throughout the year. Be sure to check out the pictures from the Christmas Party on Vermilion Chamber Facebook page. The Vermilion Chamber wishes you all a joyous and safe holiday.

The Chamber wants to help We are all feeling the negative

impact of the economy and we as a Chamber have been looking for ways to save money for our members. Advertising is very expensive but is needed to succeed as a business so we have looked at ways to save you money. First, send us your updated email address. This is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to advertise. Through the Chamber we send out E-blast, which is email marketing. This is a form of direct marketing which uses electronic mail as a means of communicating commercial or

fund-raising messages to an audience. Next, send us your flyers, announcements, etc. And we will post it on the Vermilion Chamber Facebook and various other Facebook media sites.

We have a variety of benefits that fit your needs. A few are Workers Comp through Benefits 1, Office supplies through IBS, Anthem Health Insurance and our newest benefit, FedEx, which could save you up to 27%. You can apply for a temporary authorization for most of the above mentioned benefits to see how much you may save. Give us a call and we can help you with questions regarding the different benefits.

Vermilion RecognitionAwards Banquet

Please send us your nomination for an individual or group that you feel deserves recognition. We have listed some categories; please feel free to add to our list. It is very important that you send your nominations for the past year “January 1 thru December 31st 2010” by January 21, 2011. The nomination form can be downloaded off our website at www.vermilionohio.com or visit Vermilion Chamber at Facebook to download a form.

Night at the Races

The “Night at the Races” will be Friday March 11th at German’s Villa. The doors open at 6:00 p.m. There will be food, beverages, prizes and raffles. Call the Chamber office to purchase tickets, buy a horse or to sponsor a race. Tickets are $15.00/person. Watch for more information and how to buy horses at www.vermilionohio.com

2010 Woollybear Festival

The 2010 Woollybear Festival was a blast. Visitors poured into our town making the attendance for the Festival this year record breaking. The one mile long parade route had seven deep rows with parade watchers. The day was beautiful with lots of sunshine. In the upper 60’s.

Dick Goddard’s Official 2010 Woollybear Forecast is winter will get off to a very cold, harsh start, with temperatures from November thru December below normal. January

and February will see temperatures s e a s o n a b l y f r i g i d . Snowfall figures to be a bit below normal, except in the traditional snowbelts in Northeast Ohio (As usual). The good news is that winter will give away to an early spring, with temperatures rising to above normal.

The Woollybear Festival could not happen without our many dedicated volunteers and sponsors. We want to thank you for making the Woollybear Festival one of the best Festivals in the State of Ohio. The 2010 Woollybear Corporate Sponsors were FOX8 News, Ohio Lottery, Discount Drug Mart, Pat O’Brien Chevrolet, Liberty Auto Group, Columbia Gas of Ohio and Quaker Steak & Lube. The 2010 Woollybear Stage Sponsors CenturyLink, Giant Eagle, Vermilion PhotoJournal, South Shore Plaza, Mega Nites, Parties-To-Go, Inc. and IBEW Local #129. We will see you next year for the 39th Annual Woollybear Festival. The date will be announced in mid-April so be sure to check the Chamber website and Facebook page for the official 2011 date.

2010 Festival of the Fish

We had an awesome weekend for the 2010 Festival of the Fish. We could not have asked for better weather. Festival goers enjoyed fish sanwiciches, live entertainment, parades, water fights, crazy craft race, sandcastle contest, craft market, lighted boat parade, fish crafts and much more. Thank you to our wonderful volunteers and sponsors for making the 44th Annual Festival of the Fish such a success. Festival of the Fish Corporate Sponsors KeyBank, Liberty Auto Group, Quaker Steak & Lube and Pat O’Brien Chevrolet. 2010 Festival of the Fish Stage Sponsors Allied Waste, The Vermilion PhotoJournal, Kingston of Vermilion, Harbortown Marine & Flag, Domino’s Pizza, Steinacker & Sons Ace Hardware, IBEW Local #129 and Mega Nites. Thank You! We hope to see you all at the 45th Annual Festival of the Fish June 17th-19th 2011 (held every year over Father’s Day weekend). Bring Dad, Grandpa and Uncles down for a fun filled weekend and celebrate in a “Fishy” kind of a way.

A Great Year for the Vermilion Chamber

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Continued on Page 31


At EHOVE’s JumpStart Your Year Day, a teambuilding event to celebrate the students who chose to attend EHOVE, students competed in fun competitions modeled after NBC’s Minute to Win It game show. Videos of EHOVE students taken at the school event were discovered and viewed by NBC Universal staff on EHOVE’s YouTube channel a t w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m /EHOVEworks. NBC Universal staff contacted EHOVE and requested the videos for possible use in broadcasts of the Minute to Win It television show, website, corporate functions and other internal presentations.

"This activity was intended to get our students excited about the school year and to offer a little inner-school competition between the programs at EHOVE," said Principal Rod Smith. "It was great to see our student body cheer for and support each other. This was an awesome way to start the year and to build a team atmosphere among students and staff."

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 in Erie, Huron and Ottawa Counties. Students are given the opportunity to take challenging academic classes in a customized and relevant curriculum, and gain hands-on training and real world experience to prepare them for college, a specific career, or the military. For more information, go to www.EHOVE.net or call 419-499-4663, x232.

EHOVE Auto Technology student Matt Fitch (West-ern Reserve High School) celebrates after winning the Oreo competition.

NBC finds EHOVE on YouTube


The Bellevue Hospital (TBH) has acquired the latest and most sophisticated fixed (1.5 Tesla) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit available when it upgraded to a Vantage Titan ™ MRI unit from Toshiba. The new ultra-short, open-bore MRI is nearly 20 percent larger than TBH’s previous MRI. The new MRI also features the largest available clinical field-of-view (FOV) of 55 x 55 x 50 centimeters allowing your doctor to see what he needs to see but still keep you comfortable while in the scanner.

The hospital’s MRI unit is the largest open-bore MRI in the four-county area, according to Marc Schoen, TBH’s Diagnostic Imaging Leader. “This unit replaces both the previous fixed and mobile MRI units. With the addition of this new Toshiba MRI, TBH now has the largest opening, and highest quality, of any MRI unit in the area, fixed or mobile,” added Schoen.

MRIs use a combination of radio waves and a strong magnetic field to create computer reconstructed images of the body.

“The Vantage Titan system offers the largest and widest bore available with a significant increase in signal to noise ratio which results in better images” said David West, M.D, a board certified Radiologist with TBH’s Diagnostic Imaging Department. “The large field of view is unique for this bore size and produces high-quality images without compromising overall image performance. In addition, the unit offers more room for patients and decreased noise creating a better experience for the patient.”

Because of the wide opening, this new Vantage Titan unit is perfect for claustrophobic patients, especially since 70% of all procedures can be performed feet first, meaning the patient’s head can be kept outside the bore.

“Overall, with the larger open-bore, we can offer imaging for patients up to 550 pounds and it is also a real benefit for patients who are claustrophobic,” added Dr. West.

According to Dr. West, perhaps the most significant advancement with this MRI unit is Toshiba’s Jet technology. “Using sophisticated state of the art computer algorithms, Jet allows for improvement in image quality with motion compensation. Often, small movements by patients during an MRI test are unavoidable. With our previous unit, if there was significant patient motion, the image was often non-diagnostic (useless). Now, we can adjust not only for the unavoidable small movements, but often even for large movements. We worked hand-in hand with Toshiba during installation and setup and the end result is are images that are simply stunning.”

Dr. West notes that JET technology especially benefits patients with uncontrolled motion such as in multiple sclerosis. Parkinson’s Disease, restless leg syndrome, and other patients who simply cannot lie still for extended periods of time.

Continued Dr. West, “Our new MRI also allows us to perform non-contrast imaging. Before, patients were almost always injected with ‘contrast,’ a solution that allows us to ‘map’ and ‘see’ areas of the body that we could not see without the contrast. While contrast is still sometimes necessary, often we can get better images without contrast on the new MRI than we could with contrast on the old MRI. New studies

are now possible that we simply could not do before. We can now perform CSF flow studies (cerebral spinal fluid flow), a test we could not perform with our previous unit.”

The new unit also has Toshiba’s patented Pianissimo technology, which dramatically reduces acoustic noise, the most significant cause of patient discomfort during an MRI exam, according to studies.

Other advantages to The Bellevue Hospital’s new MRI unit:

• Table flexibility: Serves patients with a table that lowers to less than 17 inches off the floor, offering greater access for pediatric and geriatric patients.

• Arm rests: Conveniently located on both sides of the table, improving patient comfort.

• Quicker processing: SPEEDER parallel processing supports faster scanning techniques with high-quality images.

• Atlas Integrated Coil Technology: Integrated coils increase the speed of the imaging process during multiple exam requests.

• Non-contrast MRA exams: Vantage Titan offers a safer alternative for performing rapid, high resolution MRA’s (magnetic resonance angiograms) without using contrast agents. This helps to shorten exam time and increase patient comfort and safety. MRA’s provide pictures of blood vessels inside the body.

Open view exams: The design of the machine allows patients’ views to remain unobstructed during an exam, which significantly reduces the feeling of claustrophobia.

Newest, Most Sophisticated MRI Testing Available at TBHFrom left to right, the MRI staff at The Bel-levue Hospital – Bette Mapus, Teresa Hartley, Brian Decker, Radiologist Dr. Steven Zieber, and Diagnostic Imaging Leader Marc Schoen – show off TBH’s new Vantage Titan MRI unit. It is currently the largest open-bore MRI in the four-county area.


Submitted by Ricky BranhamExecutive Director

The year 2010 was generally expected to be a troubling year for many big cities and especially small towns throughout our great country. No one knew exactly what would happen with businesses and economist tried their best to speculate. I am glad to report that Willard has weathered the storm and many businesses have reported solid earnings. I was excited to receive calls throughout the year from small businesses that wanted to relocate to Willard and wanted help making business plans. This says to me that people recognize that our “small city” has a lot to offer and a lot of momentum. In 2010 Willard had a successful 224 project and the start of a new hospital. Twenty-one businesses participated in Willard’s historical downtown revitalization project by improving their building in some way: new awnings, signs, painting and construction.

The Chamber also had a successful year in 2010 with 14 businesses coming on-board and many of those are first time members. The Chamber started an Annual Car Show and updated the Annual Fall Market and Tractor Show. The Chamber also financially supported and/or helped out with in 2010: the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, the Snowflake Contest, the Annual Banquet, the

Annual State of the City, Arbor Day, Soccer Complex, Festival in the Park, Back Pack for Kids, Hispanic Heritage Festival, Downtown Revitalization Project, the Annual Tree Lighting and Kiddie King and Queen, and the Annual Christmas Parade. All the events were very well attended.

Ricky Branham, the Executive Director, represented the Chamber and the City in 2010 by attending many local and county boards. Some of the boards included: Downtown Business Association, Huron County Development Council, Loan Review Committee, Willard Area Economic Development Corporation, Willard Area Ministerial Association, Willard Community Diversity Council and the Willard Healthcare Center Community Board.

The overall sense is that the Willard Area needs to bring the momentum of 2010 into 2011. Please plan on attending the 21st Annual Banquet on January 20th 2011 at 6:00 pm at the Willard High School. An excellent line up speakers has been put together, entertainment will be provided and high-quality food will be served. In April 2011 the 20th Annual State of the City Address will take place.

If you are interested in joining or have any questions, please contact the Willard Area Chamber of Commerce: PO Box 73 ∙ 16 S Myrtle Ave ∙ Willard, OH 44890 ∙ 419-935-1888 ∙ Email: [email protected] ∙ Website: www.willardareachamber.com

Willard Area Chamber of Commerce


Douglas GildenmeisterSenior Vice President, InvestmentsRetirement Plan ConsultantThe Gildenmeister Wealth Manage-ment Group ofRaymond James & Associates, Inc.

Thinking about transferring your business or other property to your children; but, want to keep the income stream for a while longer? Incorporating a grantor retained annuity trust (“GRAT”) into your comprehensive financial plan can be a simple and effective way for you to transfer your business or property to a child or other person and still retain all or most of the income. Additional benefits you receive in return may include (1) minimizing gift tax upon transfer, (2) avoiding the expense and publicity associated with probate, (3) protecting your assets from claims of potential creditors, including disinherited individuals, and (4)

minimizing your estate tax at death.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to transfer ownership during your life with little or no gift tax due on the transfer? When you transfer your assets to an irrevocable GRAT, you retain the right to receive a payment stream of a fixed dollar amount which generally continues for the shorter of your life or a fixed number of years. If you transfer assets whose value, or discounted value, is exactly the same as the value of your payment stream, your transfer to the GRAT will be tax free – no gift tax due!

Ownership of GRAT assets passes under the terms of your GRAT document, not your will. Because the terms of your GRAT are private, no one will know how much you left to

whom…unless you want them to know. Your will, however, is a matter of public record available for anyone’s viewing. Transferring assets through your GRAT not only provides privacy it also protects them from falling subject to a will contest by potential creditors or disinherited individuals. And, as the assets in the GRAT are not included in your probate estate, there will be no probate expenses incurred on the trust assets.

The most valuable benefit to the GRAT is that, if you outlive your payment stream – even for one day - the value of the assets in the GRAT will not be included in your taxable estate. The value of this benefit can be substantial if the assets in the trust have appreciated significantly. Why not consider funding your GRAT with your small business or other rapidly-appreciating investment assets.

Of course, there are some risks involved. The largest of which is

probably that, if you die before the end of your payment stream, then a portion of the assets in the GRAT will be included in your taxable estate. To eliminate this risk, your GRAT may be able to purchase an inexpensive, term life insurance policy on your life which will provide your beneficiaries with the money to pay any resulting estate taxes.

To maximize your financial planning and to avoid any GRAT pitfalls, you will need professional assistance. Please, consult with your financial advisor as to whether a GRAT should be a component in your comprehensive financial plan.

This material was prepared by Raymond James for use by Douglas Gildenmeister, Senior Vice President, Investments of Raymond James & Associates, Member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC.

EstateGReAT Way To Pass Wealth

John K. Flickinger, CIC

Chamber Discounton Commerical and Health Insurance

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419-668-4406/800-947-3700

The Mercy Willard Foundation is pleased to announce the public phase of the capital campaign to raise funds in support of the construction of the replacement hospital in Willard. The project will replace the 80 year old facility that currently serves the community.

The Mercy Willard Foundation’s goal to support the “bricks and mortar” construction of a new state-of-the-art hospital is the successful completion of a $1,000,000 fund-raising campaign. After reaching that goal, the campaign’s stretch goal is to raise an additional $2,000,000. With these additional donations, the Board of Trustees will be able to add new services and additional equipment in the replacement hospital.

“Our employees, board members

and physicians have already pledged over a half a million dollars to the capital campaign,” said Lynn Detterman, President and CEO of Mercy Willard Hospital. “Now, we are asking the public to assist us in reaching our goal.” The construction project to replace the current aging facility is underway.

The replacement facility will incorporate all private patient rooms, a more efficient Emergency Department including a helipad, a greatly expanded and more efficient Surgical Suite and an attractive Outpatient Service area. These changes will allow Mercy Willard Hospital to continue to provide the quality, compassionate, community-based care that the people of our area expect.

Mercy Willard Foundation Announces Launch of Capital Campaign


By Don Knaur

Microsoft is definitely the p r e d o m i n a n t software developer for PC’s. This is not by chance but by design. Giving the Devil his due, Microsoft has s y s t e m a t i c a l l y destroyed its competition even when, in many cases, Microsoft has had inferior products. Over the years, the list of superior products that have been vanquished by Microsoft is quite long. It includes such products as Apple Computer, Novell Networking, Corel Word Perfect, Netscape Navigator, Dbase, Lotus 123, Pagemaker and many, many more.

I am not writing this to bad mouth Microsoft, but rather to point out that Microsoft is not the computing expert that their Public Relations department would like you to believe they are. If Microsoft were as brilliant as they think, we would have all switched to Vista and the new Windows 7 would not exist. Microsoft’s Vista was an Operating System that did things the way Microsoft thought they should be done and not the way users wanted it

to be done, so most users hated it.In every version of Windows as an

Operating System, Microsoft has included an Automatic Update feature that has been set to routinely install every update that Microsoft creates. This has caused a myriad of problems for the users. Frankly, most of the updates have been of little or no value to the normal user. I have had many PC’s brought to my shop due to problems caused by automatic updates. Just to clarify- this isn’t normally due to a bad update, but to problems that occur during the automatic update process. Files sometimes become corrupted during the download, which then can cause problems when the automatic loading starts. These problems usually require professional assistance to repair. Of course, the automatic installation can also be interrupted by brown outs or power failures, etc. which has the same result- a trip to the repair shop.

The best way to protect yourself from these problems is to turn the Automatic Updates off. Yes, you read correctly, I advising you to turn the updates off. Here’s how to do it, if you are using Windows XP:

“Left click” on the Start button.“Right click” on the “My Computer”

selection from the “Start Menu.” “Left click” on “Properties” which

will bring up a tabbed window. “Left click” on the tab that says

“Automatic Updates” “Left click” on the “Radio Button”

next to “Turn off Automatic Updates.” The first three steps of the procedure

with Vista and Windows 7 are the same. However, after the third step, the window will not be tabbed. It will have “Windows Updates” as a choice on the left-hand side toward the bottom of the window. Once you open the “Windows Update” section, you have to look on the left side of the screen of the window for the “Change Settings” option. When you bring up that screen, you will find a “drop box” that will offer you a choice of settings. The setting you want is “Never Check for Updates” and it tells you that this is not recommended. Ignore that warning!

After you have turned off the Automatic Updates, Microsoft will pester you periodically with security warnings. These warnings are persistent, but just ignore them. I am sure that sooner or later, there will be worthwhile updates for Windows 7 but there will not be any useful updates for Vista or Windows XP. When the updates for Windows 7 are beneficial, I am sure you will hear

about them from someone other than Microsoft. You will probably even read about them in this column. When this happens, it is still to your advantage to do the update manually, rather than trust an automated system. I strongly recommend that you install these the same way I recommend any other download installations. You should download the file and save the update. Then install it; so that you will not be hindered by any corrupted downloads.

I hope this warning to be skeptical of Microsoft’s advice will help you to experience Happy Computing in 2011. Have 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 25 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.

ITBeware of Microsoft

The Ohio Small Business Development Center at Terra 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. 5 – 9:30 to 11:30

a.m. Ottawa County Improvement Corp., 8043 W. S.R. 163, Oak Harbor

Wednesday, Jan. 12 – 9:30 to 11:30

a.m. Tiffin Area Chamber of Commerce (conference room), 19 W. Market St., Tiffin

Wednesday, Jan. 19 – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Erie County Chamber of Commerce (conference room), 225 W. Washington Row, Sandusky

Wednesday, Jan. 26 – 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Terra 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 [email protected].

Small Business Basics Seminars


It’s time you stand up on your own stage and take back control of your life. Whether young or just young at heart, pain can affect your ability to live life to the fullest. With the help of Magruder Hospital’s Pain Management Clinic, acute or chronic pain can become a thing of the past. Call today to schedule an appointment.

Now Accepting PatientsMost insurances accepted, inluding Worker’s Compensation

611 Fulton Street, Suite GPort Clinton, Ohio 43452419-732-3972

Get Back Out Therewith Magruder Hospital’s New Pain Management Clinic

PA IN MANAGEMENT CL IN ICsupported by Midwest Pain Physicians

Neck painBack pain and SciaticaPersistent pain after back or neck surgeryHeadachesArthritis pain in neck or lower backReflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or (RSD)Nerve damage or muscle spasm painChronic pelvic pain, including interstitial cystitisShingles pain

PM1adHPncbj.indd 1 10/27/10 1:37:23 PM

Goodwill Industries of Erie, Huron, Ottawa and Sandusky Counties Inc. has earned accreditation for its major employment programs.

The accreditation from CARF International (known earlier as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities,) an independent body that accredits agencies providing vocational rehabilitation services, is effective through November 2013, and demonstrates Goodwill’s conformance with CARF standards.

“We underwent a rigorous, on-site peer review in which a team of CARF surveyors determined that our programs and services are of the highest quality, and that’s what we strive for,” Robert M. Talcott Jr., Goodwill president and CEO, said.

Goodwill’s mission is to provide training and employment

services for the disabled and disadvantaged. Last year the Sandusky-based organization helped nearly 600 such individuals in its four-county service area. The employment programs approved were job development, job supports and job-site training, all within CARF’s “community employment services” category.

Also accredited were Goodwill’s employment development and organizational employment services. “We applied for accreditation of our five most important programs and all five were approved,” Talcott said. “We’re also very proud of the fact that this is our 11th straight, three-year accreditation. “This is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of our staff, and even the generosity of area residents, whose donations to our retail stores help fund our programs,” he said.

Goodwill EarnsAccreditation

Cambridge Earns HonorA k r o n - b a s e d

Cambridge Home Health Care was honored with the Weatherhead 100 Award at an awards banquet held at Executive Caterers at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heights last month. The Weatherhead 100 honors the one hundred fastest growing companies in Northeast Ohio based on revenues from 2005-2009.

Companies on the Weatherhead 100 list must have had sales of at least $100,000 in 2005 and more than $1 million in 2009, and must have employed a minimum of sixteen full-time employees in 2009. Within the 2005-2009 five year time period, Cambridge Home Health Care had sales growth of 52% and employee growth of 28%. The Weatherhead 100 Awards were presented by COSE (Council of Smaller Enterprises) and by Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management.

This is the eighth year for Cambridge Home Health Care to receive the Weatherhead 100 Award (previous years the award was received were 2000-2005 and 2009).

Left to right: John Montgomery, Network Administrator Todd Morgan, Chief Operating Officer Barbie Riggleman, Regional Director of Operations and Quality Improvement


Join Our Growing Family!

Locally Owned ...User Friendly.

www.basohio.com

Due to the increased demand for skilled nursing services at Elmwood Healthcare Centers at The Springs west campus, extensive floor renovations continue.

The third floor of the Healthcare Center was the first floor renovated since Elmwood acquired the west campus Healthcare Center in October 2009. Within three months, Elmwood moved their long-term, total-care residents from their current, first floor St. Clair unit to the newly renovated, third floor unit, Teals Trail. St. Clair was also now ready to undergo renovations.

Remodeling crews have been very busy. Last month, another milestone took place as staff, management, and longtime Elmwood resident,

Albert Diringer, took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony and opening of Pintail Pond, Elmwood’s new, skilled nursing wing located in the former St. Clair unit. Eleven residents made the initial move into the unit.

“This new unit’s layout and design has allowed us to expand our skilled services.” stated Jean Smith, nursing home administrator. “This unit will specialize in Orthopedic Surgery patients needing short stays. Our comprehensive therapy program is known for its proven results, so our goal is to help our patients gain their independence faster, so they can return home more quickly. Those coming to us after elective surgeries, such as hip replacement and knee surgeries, will not only find

out how quickly they can return home once involved with our therapy program, but will also discover just how nice an Elmwood truly is! Our new wing is so warm and inviting, we are sure our patients and their families will appreciate its many amenities, along with the care they receive from our dedicated staff.”

The new, 18-bed unit offers roomy, semi-private and private rooms, colorful wall art, beautiful furnishings, carpeting, indirect lighting, and provides a true, home-like feel. Whistler’s Cafe, the unit’s spacious dining room and coffee bar attracted much attention on opening day. It offers a large 52-inch TV, breakfast and snack bar, computer lounge, and of course, plenty of room for

activities and socialization. Renovations will continue

as planned for other areas of the center.

Elmwood at The Springs west campus services include a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital, Skilled Nursing and Outpatient Therapy Services. East campus offers:

Independent Living, Assisted Living and Nursing Home care.

Elmwood Communities are located in Tiffin, Fremont, Green Springs and New Bremen, Ohio.

For information about Elmwood, please visit www.elmwoodatthesprings.com

Albert Dininger, longtime Elmwood resident, helps Kathy Hunt, Elmwood owner & CEO; Jean Smith, nursing home ad-ministrator; and care staff at Pintail Pond’s ribbon-cutting.

Elmwood at The Springs Opens Renovated Skilled Nursing Unit


Community Hospice Care

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

Visit our website: www.communityhospicecare.comor contact us via email at: [email protected]

Proudly ServingSeneca & Huron counties

since 1983

Not for Profit - No Patient everreceives a bill for our care

Community Hospice Care181 E. Perry Street; Tiffin, OH 44883

(419) 447-40401-800-834-8100

OTM

Dr. Jeffrey Harwood of New London Family Practice was recently an invited participant at the Payment Reform Summit held by the Ohio Health Care Coverage and Quality Council last month in Columbus, Ohio. The meeting brought together health system payers, providers, employers and consumers for a day-long discussion of health care payment reform.

Participants discussed ways to advance primary care in Ohio by realigning payment strategies to

improve health outcomes and better value across different health-care settings. The Summit focused on action steps to reform payment to encourage the effective use of patient-centered primary care homes and services, improve the coordination of care, and avoid preventable use of more intensive or duplicative services. Results of the Summit will help guide the State of Ohio in implementing needed changes in our healthcare system.

Dr. Harwood, who is a member of Fisher-Titus Medical Center’s medical staff, attended as a representative of the Ohio State Medical Association. He also is the immediate past-President of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians.

Wade Young, M.D. was elected the Medical Staff President at Mercy Tiffin Hospital. Dr. Young will begin his term as Mercy Tiffin Hospital Medical Staff President on January 1, 2011.

Dr. Young, who specializes in ophthalmology, will replace James Bosse, D.O., who will complete his term as President on December 31, 2010. As Medical Staff President, Dr. Young will also serve as a member of the hospital’s Board of Trustees during his year of service.

Mark Akers, M.D., who specializes in internal medicine, will serve as P r e s i d e n t - E l e c t during 2011. The new Secretary/Treasurer will be Mohamed Salem, M.D., who specializes in general surgery. The E x e c u t i v e C o m m i t t e e ’ s Member At-Large will be Steven Copeland, M.D., who

specializes in orthopedic surgery.“I look forward to working with the

new medical staff officers in 2011,” said Dale Thornton, President and CEO of Mercy Tiffin Hospital. “Their leadership will be e x t r e m e l y important as we attempt to expand services and recruit new members for the medical staff.”

A special thank you to the 2010 Medical Staff Officers: James Bosse, D.O., Medical Staff President; Wade Young, M.D., Medical Staff P r e s i d e n t - E l e c t ; Romena Moorjani, M.D., Secretary/Treasurer; John W. Bremyer, D.P.M., E x e c u t i v e Committee Member At-Large.

Medical staff officers are elected by their peers on the active medical staff of Mercy Tiffin.

Krista Sowers was awarded the annual Star of Excellence Memorial Award by Dr. David Jump at the hospital’s Holiday Celebration, for demonstrating the core values that are a high priority at Mercy Willard Hospital.

She was nominated for the annual Star of Excellence Memorial Award by Tony Ginter, RN and Sister Diane Hay. On July 13, a patient was brought to the Mercy Willard emergency department after collapsing at a Little League baseball game. Krista Sowers, RT and another

local nurse were present at the game, and they performed life-saving procedures until the ambulance and

EMTs arrived. Sowers demonstrated the Core Values of Se rv ice & Compassion. She jumped into action to help another who was in distress. Her actions reflected service, not only to that gentleman and his family, but to the whole community. The compassion she displayed was selfless. Not only did she help in an emergency

situation but she came to work early to assist with this patient.

Wade Young, M.D. Elected Medical Staff President at Mercy Tiffin Hospital

FTMC’s Harwood at Payment Reform Summit

Dr. David Jump recognizes Krista Sowers with 2010 Star of Excellence Award

YOUNG

AKERS

COPELAND

SALEM

Dr. David Jump presented the annual Star Of Excellence Me-morial Award to Krista Sowers, RT at the Mercy Willard Hospi-tal Holiday Celebration.

HARWOOD


Abby SlemmerWest Branch Office ManagerMortgage Loan Originator

2374 W. State St. • Fremont, OH 43420Phone: (419) 333-2936Fax: (419) [email protected]

“Committed to Excellence”

www.fremontfcu.com

Christopher D. palmerBranch Manager/Sales

Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation402 Columbus Avenue | Sandusky, Ohio 44870

phone: 419-626-4475 fax: 419-626-8333toll free: 800-442-7767 mobile: 419-656-1209

email: [email protected]: www.palmerltic.com

www.hmehouse.com

Business Marketplace|To advertise, call Dave at 419-732-2154

Concert in the ParkThe Concerts in the Park was enjoyed

by many individuals this year. This event is always a pleasant & enjoyable way to wrap-up your Sunday evenings in the summer. Bring a lawn chair and sit back and enjoy the sounds in the Gazebo in Victory Park every Sunday starting July 10, 2011 until August 28th 2011 7:00pm-8:30pm. Be sure to visit www.vermilionohio.com and Vermilion Chamber Facebook page for a schedule of bands, which will be posted in the near future. Thank you to our 2010 Sponsors: Brummer’s Chocolates, Kingston of Vermilion, Lorain National Bank and Community Health Partners (Now known as Mercy Regional Medical Center).

Chamber Executive Board& Board of Directors Thank you to the 2010 Chairman of

the Board Mark Riddle, Riddle’s Funeral Home, 1st Vice Caron Kreicher, HeathSource, 2nd Vice Barb Flaczynski, First Merit Bank, Treasurer John Dunn, Pepsi, Secretary John Rupert, Edward Jones and our Board of Directors: Betsy Wakefield, Sara Stepp, Louise Woehrle, Carolyn Darrow, Leona Phillips, Charl Gabel, Susie Sharpnackk-Dunn, Bridgett German, Alan Szmania, Heather Shirley, Peggy Day, Jan Koehn, Jeremy Kennison, Vickie Dyke, Gary Mortus, Victoria Wilson, Sandy Moore, Mayor Eileen Bulan, Phil Pempin and Police Chief Bob Kish.

Vermilion Chamber from Page 22

The certified program for Diabetes Self-Management Education at Firelands Regional Medical Center successfully completed an on-site audit by the American Diabetes Association. Firelands Diabetes Self-Management Education program received Continued Recognition from the American Diabetes Association.

The American Diabetes Association, the largest and most widely known organization in the field of diabetes, identifies quality diabetes self-

management education services that meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education

and meet the criteria for Medicare reimbursement. Programs must continue to meet National Standards during the three-year Recognition period.

Firelands Diabetes Program Receives Successful Audit


COMMUNITY BENEFIT REPORT 2010

QUALITY CARE

Emergency Department Visits.................17,450

Inpatient Admissions ................................2,311

Inpatient/Outpatient Visits .....................80,976

Surgical Procedures ..................................4,444

Lab Tests ...........................................1,138,667

Physical Therapy Treatments ................110,954

Diagnostic Imaging Procedures ..............44,857

Pain Management Patients .......................9,128

Home Health Care Visits ...........................7,994

Hospice Visits..........................................15,428

HealthLink Visits .....................................15,554

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT

Mobile Meals..........................................10,688

Total Volunteer Hours .............................39,160

Total Payroll and Benefits.............. $29.3 Million

Charity/Uncompensated Care ........ $7.3 Million

Capital Investments ........................ $4.2 Million

Utility Payments .................................$870,069

Dollars Spent Locally .................... $12.7 Million

Serving the Community

SAVINGLIVES

For more than 90 years, Memorial Health Care System has been serving the local community. As we continue to be a non-prof it organization that is dedicated to making Sandusky County a better place to live, MHCS accounts for a total economic impact to the community of over $150 million. In addition to the economic benef it to our community, Memorial Health Care System provides essential services that educate, save lives, and keep Sandusky County healthy.

■ Over 150 physicians on staff, with more than 100 specialists■ Memorial Women’s Health Services, featuring OB/GYN specialists■ Child and Adult Specialty Clinic, featuring infectious disease specialty care■ Newly renovated 13 bay Emergency Department■ Auxiliary of Memorial Hospital Women’s Diagnostic Center, opened in 2010■ Weitzel-Kern Surgery Center■ Herbert-Perna Center for Physical Health

memorialhcs.org

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Cmty Benefits 2010 NC Biz.pdf 12/16/10 10:08:31 AM

north coast business journal - january 2011

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