the advantage -...
TRANSCRIPT
The Advantage e-News
“And I heard him exclaim as he flew out of sight, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!” Don’t you just love Christmas classics? They give me a warm, fuzzy feeling and make me think of past Christ‐mas’s when I was young girl, times with my children when they were young and now times with my grand‐children. I am the Queen of Christmas decorat‐ing with 15 trees, 10 large Santa por‐traits, 42+ wreaths and multiple vi‐gnettes in everyone room. Sadly, that decorating will not take place this year nor will our annual Christmas recep‐tion due to my shoulder. It gives me the Christmas blues not having my Christmas decorations around me. It’s the same feeling I get when a program we designed for our members doesn’t reach it’s full potential, or it has poor atten‐dance because frankly, you don’t know what you are missing. Each of our programs is designed to meet our members requests and the communities needs. I know that we cannot do it all, but if you saw the list of programs that we provide, it sure looks like we try. Our board of directors and staff gather each year to plan and develop programming for the next year. They give me guidance, words of encour‐agement and this year they acknowl‐edged that we simply do too much. So in 2016 we will be looking at all of our programs and look at ways to streamline or potentially do away with some of the programming that does not meet our Mission. Each year we send out a short survey to our members asking about current programming and inquiring about programs that you would like to see us provide. It is important that these surveys are returned. Your opinion matters a great deal to us and we want to try to meet as many expecta‐tions and programmatic desires of our members as possible. So watch for the survey. You will have a chance to see all of the programs and events that the cham‐ber is involved in next month when we send out our year‐end report—the e–News Extra.
Now back to Christmas. Merrill is a great place to be during the holidays. This is a very giving community from large donations like the Aquatic Center to the food pantry to the mittens donated for the Mitten Tree or our Bundle Up Program to the coins that are dropped into the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle. Everyone can give something from cash to time volun‐teering or cleaning out your closets and donating warm clothing or your cupboard donating nutritious food. What is the Chamber doing this Christmas? We had a huge donation this year from Mitchell Metal Products when
we had an idea of a 20ft high wreath on the courthouse lawn. We went to them be‐cause they are the Kings of wreath forms. Did you know that they donate the wreath forms every year for every grave site at Arlington Ceme‐tery? They are so humble. But
of course they jumped at the chal‐lenge. How often can you build a 20ft wreath form? Did you know that this is our 25th Anniversary of the Lighted Christ‐mas Parade? No hoopla, just the joy of the season. The parade will be on December 5 at 5pm starting at S. Genesee and ending at the courthouse. And of course Santa is flying in as usual. He will be the end of the parade riding in his fa‐vorite fire truck. This year he will be lighting up two holiday displays. Our 5th Annual Merrill Christmas Cards are out. This years card de‐picts the 1st trolley in Merrill cele‐brating the 125th Anniversary of the Merrill Transit System. And new this year, we are hosting a raffle for the Big Merry Christmas Window Give away! The window display will be at Thelma’s and raf‐fle tickets are $10. The winner of the window will get everything in the window! Currently the window has a $2500 value, but that is grow‐ing as local businesses join in on the fun and donate to the give‐away. Tickets will be available at the Chamber and at several business locations. And the Big Bundle Up Program is
Volume XXXVI Issue XII
From The Director’s Doorway
December 2015
Business after Hours
2
Chamber Foundation 2
Ribbon Cuttings 3
Business of the Month 4
Member-to-Member 4
Chamber Chat 5
Taking Notes 5
Inside this issue:
Highlights Membership Counts
So What’s New?
Member Programs
Ambassador News
Extra Nuts & Bolts
Calendar/Events
Advocacy Visibility
Networking Credibility
back. We have participated in this Dept. of Tourism event every year. So we are once again looking for new and gently used warm weather clothing. It can be brought to the Chamber during normal working hours M‐F from 9am‐5pm or dropped off in the information foyer that is open 24/hr. The Bun‐dle Up Program runs here from Dec. 1– Jan.3. All donations stay here in Merrill and are disbursed to local agencies. So clean out your closets and make a deposit. And one of the biggest holiday pro‐grams is our Merrill Gift Certificate program. We issue over 3500 gift certificates annually that are all used at Merrill businesses! They make great stocking stuffers or gifts for that hard to buy for person on your list. And of course, there is the Decem‐ber Christmas Business after Hours. This is one of our largest BaH’s. It will be held on Dec. 10 at Les & Jim’s beginning at 5pm. You will not want to miss this one. It’s a great networking opportunity and a chance to celebrate the season with other business friends. As you can see, the Chamber staff are very busy Christmas elves at this time of year. And winding down the month, the Chamber staff will take a small break. We will be closing at 12noon on Dec. 24 (so get your gift certifi‐cates early) and we will be closed all day on Dec. 25 in order to cele‐brate the season with our loved ones. Here is our Christmas gift sugges‐tions. To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect. It has been a pleasure working with you and we look forward to doing it all again next year. Merry Christmas from my doorway to yours,
Debbe
Date: December 10
Place: Les & Jim’s
Time: 5:00 pm
Sponsor: Merrill Federal Savings & loan, Courtside Furniture & Sunrise Broadcasting.
Join us for some networking & fun!
Date: TBA Place: Merrill Sheet Metal Works Time: 7:30—9:00 am
Sponsor: Merrill Sheet Metal Works Kurt has asked us to wait for his new sidewalk and parking lot to be completed. He wants everything perfect for
Business After Hours
PAGE 2 THE ADVANTAGE VOLUME XXXV I I S SUE X I I
Our Merrill Vision 20/20 Program is kicking off with a program designed to link our employers with middle school students. Now is the time to educate students about what it takes to work in your business! We will be working with all segments of our employer population linking Merrill employers with Merrill students. If you are interested in more information contact Debbe at 715-536-9474. Women of Distinction is changing a bit in 2015. We will be kicking off a Leadership Series and will end the year with an award dinner in November. Want to be a part of the Leadership Se-ries? Contact Debbe at 715-536-9474. We are changing our Legislative Group beginning this Fall. We will go to an every other month breakfast format with scheduled legislators & other government departments take part. Watch for details! We are sending out a Daily News from WMC that will highlight the daily news of interest. Just click on the links that interest you. A simple way to get today’s news highlights! We have started a new social media marketing program, ‘Chamber Moments’ that will include daily pho-tos & thoughts on Face Book, mini videos & articles. Watch for these ‘moments’! Chamber’s around the world are taking part & posting the same info simultaneously. We are also starting a weekly e-blast called ‘What’s Up Wednesday’ that will updates on upcoming events/activities & things you need to know. Members may include their text only messages for $15 up to 25 words—no pictures allowed. Call Cheryl for details at 715-536-9474.
Business After Hours
Additional Programs
Bricks make great gifts for any occasion! There are 4 sizes of bricks to choose from & each brick can be engraved with names, dates or special messages. The bricks make wonderful gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, holiday gifts or simply to honor someone in a permanent way.
River District Development Foundation
Phase 1 of the River Bend Trail will be finished being paving this summer. The new trailhead will be developed east of the Center Ave. bridge on Park Street. www.riverbendtrail.com You can also ‘friend’ us on Face Book now. The Chamber Foundation is the fiscal administrator of the River District Development Foundation & the Friends of the River District.
Merrill Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Inc.
News
Other Foundation Programs
Friends of Normal Park
Other programs that the Chamber Foundation administers include: Discover Downtown Merrill Emergency Relief Fund Courthouse Christmas Tree Lighting Foundation Community Fund For the Love of Merrill 125th Anniversary Fire Dept. Prints Merrill Events Community Enhancements (Hanging Flower Baskets) Please consider making a tax‐deductible contribution to any of the foundation programs. Send your tax‐deductible donations to:
Merrill Chamber Foundation 705 N. Center Avenue
Merrill, WI 54452
So...What’s New?
Morning Mixer
Ch[m\_r on Tour We believe that your business is a STAR. Showcase your business by joining the Chamber Tour Program. Contact us to get your business on the tour schedule today! Sign‐up now for 2015 tours….
Morning Mixer Sign‐up now to host/sponsor a quarterly program in 2015. Business before Hours is a great way to showcase your business & have social interaction with your fellow business members—especially if you are unable to attend Business after Hours! Government News This program will email blast government informa‐tion to members such as City of Merrill agendas & other state & fed‐eral government information, pro‐grams & newsletters.
Additional Programs
Courthouse Christmas Tree Lighting
Help us keep the lights shining on the trees/decorations at the courthouse this Christmas season by making a donation to Lighting Fund. We must pay for electricity at this site year round and we try to purchase additional LED lights each season to help bring down the costs. Help keep the Christmas lights on this season by making a tax‐deductible donation to this worthy community fund. Send your donation today! Here’s the address….
Ribbon Cuttings
Pat Weber Home’s
Red Roof Storage
PAGE 3 THE ADVANTAGE VOLUME XXXV I I S SUE X I I
Ambassador of the Month Charise Lewer
Red Carpet Pak Did you know that only mem-bers can advertise & make special offers in our Red Car-pet Pak’s that given to new Merrill residents to welcome them & intro-duce them the Merrill area? Webvertising Advertise on our website! Cost for this great new webvertising is only $25 per month! Great way to grab attention to your business Our website & links receive 7000+ hits per month so it’s an economical way to advertise!
Shear Essentials
The Ambassador’s wish you all a Merry Christ‐mas and thank you for opening your doors to them when they make annual member visits.
Ambassador News & Ribbon Cuttings
We are looking to grow our Ambassadors Club in 2015 and we need YOU! Our Ambassadors are the ’welcome wagon’ of the Chamber. They celebrate new businesses, business ex‐pansions & membership!
Want to meet new businesses? Then become an Ambassador! Contact us for all the details. It’s a great way to grow your business & cele‐brate what makes Merrill so great—our local business members!
24-Hour Information Center Did you know that only Chamber members & other Chamber/visitor centers can advertise in the Information Center? Place your bro-chures, flyers and/or business cards for FREE. The Information Center is a very busy place & is restocked daily. Newsletter Inserts Did you know that only members can adver-tise in the Chamber e-news/newsletter? Cost is only $25 & your message will reach over 500 people. It’s also on our website that receives over 6000 hits per month. Member to Member Did you know that you can offer other mem-bers discounts on purchases and services as a way of advertising & marketing your business? If you are willing to offer a discount to other Chamber members, please contact us so that we can get the word out to other mem-bers! Office Assistance Did you know that only members can make copies free of charge at the Chamber? Or use our fax machine? Or bulk mail stamp for large bulk mailings? Contact us for details.
Our membership depends on volunteers! Here are some ways that you can help:
Golf Outing ■ Crazy Daze ■ Pork in the Park Promotions Committee ■ Ambassador Club
Women of Distinction ■ Music Fest Contact Debbe for more information. Email [email protected]
At the Chamber, it’s all about You! We are bringing the Best to the Best!
Do you know someone opening a new business that would like to have a ribbon cutting? Have you recently remodeled your business or façade & would like a ribbon cutting? Contact us & let us know!
Member Programs
Building Business One Ribbon at a Time
Charise Lewer is Ambassador of the month for December! Charise is the Pharmacy Manager at Walgreens.
Charise graduated from Tomahawk High school and then went to UW‐Marathon for pre‐pharmacy coursework. She later transferred to the School of Pharmacy in Madison. She began managing upon graduating from college and has worked at over 50 Walgreens locations.
Charise has been at the Merrill location for a year and says it is honestly the best location yet! The community has been very welcoming & she enjoys the staff that she works with.
Charise specializes in diabetes care, heath screenings and immunizations. She has been volunteering at Merrill’s St. Vincent De Paul free clinic for several years.
Charise also enjoys her role as a Chamber Am‐bassador. She is also involved with a new group Merrill Under 40.
Charise is also a piano player, event planner and a holiday enthusiast.
Congratulations Charise! You are a great repre‐sentation of the Merrill Chamber Ambassador program.
Ambassadors Club: Beautification & Facade Recognitions & Ribbon Cuttings
VOLUNTEER
Chamber Education: 2016 Workshops
PAGE 4 VOLUME XXXV I I S SUE X I I
residential. They have a strong philosophy using both internal & external training pro‐grams. Their staff are comprehensively trained in disciplines of technology, customer service & support, product knowledge, rela‐tionship building & engineering expertise. Each year associates undergo a rigorous Cor‐porate Review Process making sure they meet Comfort Gallery’s standards.
Comfort Gallery also sells & services outdoor grills by Vermont Castings and hearth prod‐ucts. They carry a complete line Majestic & Vermont Castings hearth & fireplace prod‐ucts, known to be the best in the industry. Frank Lloyd Wright said it best, “The hearth is the heart of the home”.
We can vouch for Comfort Gallery’s service because they visit us each year to clean & service the Chamber’s heating system before winter. Their customer service is superb!
Comfort Gallery has a long history with the Merrill Chamber & the Merrill area!
Comfort Gallery, just one more area business who is in the business of making you warm, cool and comfort‐able!
Member-to-Member Club Join Today & Save
The Chamber’s Member to Member Club, is a product discount program for Chamber members only. If your business is willing to offer a discount to other Chamber members contact us now! Gain marketing exposure & potential new business customers. Be a part of the Club! As a Chamber member you will receive a dis-count at the following businesses:
Put Your Business Name Here!
*Ye Old Sweet Shoppe—10%
*Blooming Wishes —10%
*Super Lube—15%
*Creative Card Acceptance—1/2 priced USB reader or $25 off USB signature pad
The Business of the Month for Decem‐ber is Comfort Gallery, LLC . It is located atT286 Copper Lane in Wausau (between Merrill & Wausau). Their telephone number is 715‐845‐HEAT.
Comfort Gallery opened in 2004 by Dale Lind‐wall. Dale had been the President of Stainless Steel Specialists for 18 years prior to his retire‐ment & starting Comfort Gallery. Dale was also the President of the Merrill Chamber Board of Directors in 2004.
Comfort Gallery is a family owned business. Dale sold the business to his son Paul in 2013 and retired again. Other family members in the business include Scott Lindwall.
Paul is just as good as his father & Comfort Gallery continues to provide services in heat‐ing, ventilation & air conditioning. When you call them you get more than a team that simply installs HVAC products. You’ll get experts, highly trained professionals that can improve the level of comfort in your home. They can even analyze your home with a revolutionary Infiltrometer, a computerized device utilized by NASA that tracks & records the air infiltration in your home.
Comfort Gallery services both commercial &
*VIP On-line Member Discounts— to join email them at [email protected] for complete details on discounts.
*Northwood's Evergreen & Wire Co. —20%
*Ziesemer Photography - 15% on business portraits
*Off the Grid Technologies—they build your website & receive 1/yr Free web- hosting
*Lincoln & Timeline Windows—factory di-rect—10%
Just mention the Member-to-Member Club & start saving today!
Business of the Month Comfort Gallery, LLC.
What’s Up Wednesday?
Watch for your mini weekly newslet‐ter of upcoming events every Wednesday via email and on our Face Book page at Merrill Chamber.
THE ADVANTAGE
S h o p
m _ r r I l l
Reminders
Coming in 2016 Dept. of Revenue Theft: How to Protect your Business DOA: Working for Small Business Networking 101 If there are other educational programs that you would like the Chamber to bring to you, please contact us with your ideas. Send us your suggestions via email at [email protected] In the subject line type: Education Topic
New Merry Christmas Window We will have a Christmas window give-away dis-played at the old Thelma’s/Guy Shop loca-tion on East Main this season. RAFFLE TICK-ETS WILL BE SOLD for only $10. The drawing be held on Dec. 18 and the winner gets the entire window of gifts! Want to display a gift & have your business name included in the advertising? Contact Cheryl at the Chamber office at 715-536-9474. Proceeds will used towards the commu-nity Christmas decorations!
Christmas Lights It’s that time of year when we need help with the cost of the lights/electricity costs for the courthouse display. We have a great new display this year, a 20ft wreath that will need to be lit up! All donations are tax-deductible. Please make
your tax deductible donations for this worthy community event. Send your donation to the Chamber at 705 N. Center Avenue to keep this lighting tradition alive.
Congratulations Our Leadership awards were presented on Nov. 19. Winner are: Rising Star awarded to Amanda Kostman of UW-Extension; Women of Distinction Professional Leadership was awarded to Dr. Shelly Mondeik of NTC; Women of Distinction Community Leadership was presented to Ginger Beltram of Geiss Soil & Samples; and the Lifetime Achievement Award was pre-sented to Gene Bebel, longtime educator & volunteer extraordi-naire. Congratulations to all our winners!
“Positive Possibilities”
Thanks to our members, sponsors & nu-merous partnerships, the Chamber sup-ports dozens of community programs & is actively involved in many initiatives that you may not be aware of.
Look for this symbol to learn more about our history & our future & the community pro-grams we are involved in.
Requests for Merrill information only during the month of Novem-ber:
Phone calls: 180
Emails: 99
Walk-ins: 158
Info mailed out: 122
Website Visits: 3791 Viewed: N/A
Restock Center: 92
Taking Notes…..
Extra Nuts & Bolts
PAGE 5 THE ADVANTAGE VOLUME XXXV I I S SUE X I I
Chamber Chat….did you know?
Salvation Army Bell Ringers Tis the Season for bell ringers at local shopping locations! That familiar sound & red kettle are just waiting for you to make a donation. Don’t walk by, drop your change & make a difference in the lives of those in our community. Bell ringers are always needed, to bundle up and contact Sharon Ander-son at 715-536-9166 & volunteer today!
Chamber
Arby’s Catering Just in time for holiday season, Arby’s now offers catering serves. Choose from a variety of sandwich lunch boxes and platters for your next business meeting or party.
Merry Christmas From your Chamber Staff!
2015 Christmas are now available The 5th Annual Merry Christmas Cards and prints are now available. This years card, ALL ABOARD THE CHRISTMAS TROLLET is in celebration of the 125th anniversary of Merrill’s public transit system. And as a special 5th anniversary of the card, a limited pack of all five years of cards is available and a limited number of year one 8x10 prints are available of the courthouse.
25th Annual Lighted Parade Did you know that this year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Chamber’s Lighted Christmas Parade? Join us on December 5 to kick off the holiday season in Merrill. Parade starts at 5pm & Santa will light up the holiday decorations on the courthouse lawn.
Thank you Mitchell Metal Products A big thank you to Mitchell Metal Products for making our new 20ft wreath for the courthouse lawn! You did an awesome job! You are the nation’s best wreath ring manufacturer & now the best big wreath maker!
Legislative Speaker Join us for our Legislative meeting on Dec. 14 at 8:00 am at City Hall. Our guest speaker will be Nancy Mistele from the WI Dept. of Administration.
Promote your upcoming events
Contact Cheryl at [email protected]
Sponsor‐a‐Light
705 North Center Avenue Merrill, Wisconsin 54452 TOLL FREE Phone: 877-907-2757
MERRILL AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE THE ADVANTAGE
Dec. 12– Breakfast with Santa Bring the kids for annual Breakfast with Santa at the MARC from 8-11am. Be sure to make reservations by calling the MARC at 715-536-7313. And bring your camera for photos!
Dec. 19—Swing Shift Christmas The Merrill Concert Association presents a matinee per-formance of Christmas-Holiday music with John Greiner’s Big Band. Held at the Merrill High School auditorium at 3pm. For information contact Megan at 715-252-6295.
Dec. 24-25—Merry Christmas The Chamber office will close at 12:00 Noon on the 24th and all day on the 25th in celebration of the Christmas holiday.
Check the Chamber Calendar 1st
For a complete listing of area events & activities check out the Chamber of Commerce website www.merrillchamber.org or the digital sign at the Chamber office for event info. Listen to us every Wednesday on WJJQ 92.5FM & the 2nd & 4th Friday on WJMT 730 AM.
Dec. 1-Jan 3—Annual Bundle Up Project The Chamber is once again hosting the Dept. of Tourism’s clothing drive. Drop off new or gently used warm weather clothing at the Chamber. There is a box in the informa-tion foyer open 24 hours or during normal work hours M-F 9am-5pm. All donations are disbursed to local organiza-tions for families & the elderly.
Dec. 5—25th Annual Lighted Parade Santa is coming to town! The Christmas Parade begins at S. Genesee & W. Main and ends at the courthouse where Santa will turn on the Christmas lights/decorations. The parade starts at 5:00pm.
Dec. 5-6—O’Tannenbaum Tour Enjoy Christmas as you wonder through the forest of trees, wreaths & baskets. Purchase raffle tickets & place them the decorative entries for a chance to win! This festive event is at St. Stephen’s Church with proceeds benefitting 4-H. Saturday 10am-7pm & Sunday 10am-3pm. Entry price is $4/pp.
Dec. 5—Park Lane Luminaria Enjoy a wagon ride or drive through & see the magic of Christmas with the neighborhoods thousands of luminaries guiding the way. Stop at Assisi Hall & enjoy hot chocolate, hot cider, popcorn & cookies. Bring kids & get a free photo with Santa right after the parade from 6-8pm.
December 5-18—Christmas Window Raffle Check out the windows at the old Thelma’s shop & buy a raffle ticket to win the entire window. The value of the window is more than $..... Raffle tickets are only $10 with proceeds going to community Christmas decorations. The second place winner will receive framed prints of all 5 years of the Merrill Christmas Card. Get your raffle tickets at the Chamber or from several members!
Mark Your Calendar
Phone: 715-536-9474 Fax: 715-539-2043 Website: www.merrillchamber.org
Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce Mission Statement The Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce is directed by its membership to support the area’s businesses to grow, succeed and thrive Vision Statement To promote Merrill as a community to live, work and play for today Mailing Label
Executive Board Board Members Marty Heyne– Chairman Dan Frick Tonia Speener—Chair Elect Pat Hinner Randy Wixson—Vice Chair Nancy Kwiesielewicz Noel Bushor – Financial Officer Jim Medley Kurt Rust – Past Chairman Val Mindak Shelly Mondeik Kent Reinhardt Craig Rezin Brian Richards Kurt Wendt Mayor Bill Bialecki Ex-Officio Dave Johnson—Ex-Officio
Staff Debbe Kinsey – Chief Executive Officer Cheryl Skoug – Programs Manager Autumn Doyle – Office Assistant
Comments, Questions & Concerns
PRESORTED STANDARD
US POSTAGE PAID
MERRILL WI PERMIT NO. 11
CHAMBER MEETINGS
Return Service Requested
Legislative – 12/14
Foundation— 1/15/16
Ambassador Club – 12/15
Board of Directors— 12/16
Retail Promotions—No Meeting
Pork in the Park—No Meetings
The Merrill Area Chamber of Com-merce wants you to read about area businesses and other information that we feel is important to our members. If there are any topics you think we should cover, please let us know. Call the office (715-536-9474), fax us (715-539-2043) or stop in at our office (705 N. Center Ave).
Our individual emails are:
Debbe Kinsey—Chief Executive Officer
Cheryl Skoug—Program Manager
Autumn Doyle—Office Assistant
Website -
www.merrillchamber.org
merrillchamber
Members…..working together since 1911
The tree is lit, the lights are aglow, Let’s celebrate with people we know!
Come on over, Drop on by, By automobile or sleigh to our annual Christmas gathering.
Christmas Spirits are making us bright, so you best think twice before missing Business after Hours on Thursday December 10th starting at 5pm at Les and Jim’s
Lincoln Lanes. Keep Calm and Jingle on as Merrill Federal Savings & Loan, Courtside Furniture, and Sunrise Broadcasting are letting Santa know who is
naughty or nice!
Cheers
My
Dee
rs
Noses are Red
Fingers are Blue
Grab the mic
And carol all night.
Business after Hours
Thursday December 10th
5:00pm to 8:00pm
Les & Jim’s Lincoln Lanes
Cost: $2.00
50/50 Raffle ~ Your business card and $1.00
Raffles
Sponsored by Merrill Federal Savings & Loan, Courtside Furniture, and Sunrise Broadcasting.
4th Annual Christmas Tree
Lot Proceeds going to the
Lincoln County Humane Society
Stop at Skipper’s Family
Restaurant for your fresh cut Christmas Tree or
Wreath. While Supplies last.
During regular Business hours
