Athena Award: And the winners are...

5 How to avoid foreclosure 7 Events calendar 14

emphasis M O N T H LY
April
2 0 11

Spruce up
your space
Chamber member Jack Laurie Group
and others help you look good for less.
There’s a Member for That, Pages 8-9

ALSO INSIDE
10 legislative lingo
words you should know

T H E G R E AT E R F O R T WAYN E C H A M B E R O F CO M M E R C E
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 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Chamber members and friends,
The month of March was quite a busy month
at the Chamber as it was for many of you. As we
look toward April, we begin to see the fruits of
our labor starting to take shape.
We recently awarded Marilyn Moran Townsend
with the highly coveted Athena Award. Marilyn
received this award because she exemplifies what
it means to be a true leader. Her leadership as a
Mike Landram
professional and in various civic duties makes her
CEO and President
an example both men and women in our com-
The Chamber
munity should follow. Additionally, we presented
mlandram@fwchamber.org Tonya Vojtkofsky with the first Young Profes-
sional Athena Award for her dedication and com-
mitment to serving young people in Fort Wayne.
Both of these women have reminded me of how
important it is to build leaders in our community.
On April 16, the Chamber’s Graduate Reten-
tion Program will host TechFest11 at Sweetwater
Sound. This program was brought to us by the
City of Fort Wayne and provides us yet another
opportunity to develop leadership skills in our
young people. This program encourages young
people to develop the skills necessary to go into
STEM related professions and provide them
opportunities to build solid futures right here in
Northeast Indiana. It will be a program you won’t
want to miss.
Leadership Development has been a continuing
theme this spring at the Chamber. We are proud
to partner with Ivy Tech to bring the Disney In-
stitute to Fort Wayne. This program has been so
popular that an extra day has been added. We’re
excited to see so many members of the business
community take advantage of the opportunities
available right here in Fort Wayne. By training
our employees and young people, we develop
skills that ultimately increase the bottom line for
business and make Fort Wayne a great place to
live and work.
Hope to see you in the month ahead!

emphasis M O N T H LY INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Volume 21, Issue 4 A limited amount of

4 10 legislative lingo words to know
Mike Landram advertising in Empha- 5 Our 2011 Athena Award winners
President/CEO sis Monthly is available
Maribeth Callicoat
exclusively to Greater Fort 5 TechFest registration closes soon
Wayne Chamber of Com-
Controller merce members. 6 Walk to lower health care costs
Dave Young For rates and information,
Vice President of Air contact KPC Media Group:
7 5 things you need to know about foreclosure
Service Development
Lynn Sroufe 8-9 There’s a Member for That: Great ways to
Michelle Merritt Fort Wayne general
Vice President of manager spruce up your space
Membership and lsroufe@kpcnews.net
Communications (260) 426-2640 ext. 304
10 Why “air service development”?
Katy Stafford Or visit the web site: 10 135 Random Acts of Kindness
Director of Government fwbusiness.com/emphasis
Affairs 11 Strategies for saving money from Prairie Quest
Jon Swerens
Director of
Consulting
Communications and 12 Your guide to Chamber discounts
Emphasis Editor
Lauren Richwine 12 New and renewing
Communications Specialist
CO V E R P H OTO CO U R T E S Y O F J A C K L AU R I E G R O U P

and Photographer members: February 2011

13 Affecting career goals from a different angle
Emphasis Monthly is a publication of The Greater Fort Wayne
Chamber of Commerce. 14 Chamber calendar of events
826 Ewing Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802
(260) 424-1435 | www.fwchamber.org
communications@fwchamber.org
Printed by KPC Media Group Inc., publishers of the Greater Fort
Wayne Business Weekly
The mission of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is
to create a vibrant economic environment by supporting business,
advocating on behalf of the business community, and fostering
community partnerships to advance a common economic vision.

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY 3
CHAMBER NEWS
10 legislative lingo words to know
The General Assembly can be an intimidating
thing. By learning the “lingo,” these words and
phrases will help with understanding the process-
es the General Assembly undergoes and can assist
with communications with our Delegation.
Katy Stafford Author: The member who introduces a Senate
Director of Government or House bill or resolution and whose name ap-
Affairs pears first on the bill
The Chamber Coauthor: A member who joins with the author
and whose name appears after the name of the au-
kstafford@fwchamber.org thor.
Sponsor: The member who sponsors a bill or
resolution which originated in the other General
Meet your Assembly Chamber and whose name appears first
on the bill.
legislators Cosponsor: A member who joins with the spon-
and mayoral sor and whose name appears after the name of the
candidates sponsor.
Senate resolution: A resolution that is not to
April 16: Regional be presented to the House for adoption. Senate
Third House Forum, resolutions are abbreviated SR.
10 a.m.-noon, Wells House resolution: A resolution that is not to
County Arts, Com- be presented to the Senate for adoption.
merce and Visitors Concurrent resolution: A non-joint resolu-
Centre, Bluffton tion that must be presented to both houses of the
April 25: GOP General Assembly for adoption. SCR is the abbre-
Primary Mayoral viation of a Senate Concurrent Resolution; HCR
Debate, 7 p.m., IPFW is a House Concurrent Resolution. The name of
Details are on Page 14.
Gov. Mitch Daniels was among the many state leaders who spoke with Chamber members during Northeast
Indiana Day at the Statehouse on March 1. Connect with The Chamber on Facebook to view more photos and
coverage from Chamber happenings. Go to www.facebook.com/ftwaynechamber and click Like.
4 E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY
the resolution is based on the Chamber where the
resolution originated.
Joint resolution: A resolution that must meet
the same requirements for adoption as a bill.
Recess: A break in proceedings. The business
being discussed can be resumed upon return from
recess.
Adjourn: The official end of business. Adjourn-
ments generally take place when a committee has
concluded discussion of their calendar of bills, or
when a Chamber has finished their business of the
day on the Floor.
In addition to these important phrases, it is
important to know that the Statehouse is open
to the public during regular business hours every
week. Committee hearings and floor proceedings
are open to the public as well. Our Members are
encouraged to travel to Indianapolis and watch the
General Assembly in action.
Can’t find the time? With the growth of technol-
ogy, it has become even easier to see the business
of the Statehouse. All committee rooms and Sen-
ate and House Chambers stream live on the Inter-
net when meetings are in session. You can access it
here: www.in.gov/legislative.
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is
not enough; we must do.” ~ Johann von Goethe
CHAMBER NEWS

Two ATHENA Awards in 2011

At the ATHENA Awards luncheon on March 23,
The Chamber for the first time awarded two nomi-
nees with awards.
The ATHENA Award went to Marilyn Moran
Marilyn Moran Townsend Townsend, chairman and CEO of CVC Communi-
cations.
“Her diverse contributions and accomplish-
ments are just a few examples of why she is a
worthy ATHENA recipient,” said Mike Landram,
president and CEO of the Chamber. “Marilyn is an
example of mentorship in all areas personal and
professional. Her gifts to the community are price-
less and too numerous to list, embodying the es-
sence of the ATHENA award.”
Tonya Vojtkofsky Marilyn has provided executive speech coaching
for community leaders such as Olympic Greco-Ro-
Our sponsors man Gold Medallist Rulon Garder, a former Dis-
Business People ney executive, a mayor, and more.
Farmers Insurance In 2001, Marilyn was named Indiana Business
Leader of the Year by the Indiana Chamber of
Frontier Communications
Commerce.
Harrison College
Marilyn is the vice chair of the Indiana Chamber
Indiana Michigan Power of Commerce Foundation, chair of the Better Busi-
Prairie Quest Consulting ness Bureau Foundation, secretary to the board of
Raytheon directors for Parkview Hospital, and a member of
3 Rivers Federal Credit the board of directors for the History Center.
Union The new award is the ATHENA Young Profes-
Tower Bank sional Leadership Award, which was given to
Tonya Vojtkofsky, co-founder of the Fort Wayne
WANE-TV
Derby Girls.
“The community has sincerely benefited from
Tonya’s efforts through the Derby Girls in the
past seven years,” Landram said. “She consistently
gives of her time, talent, and resources to ensure
young women are encouraged, empowered and
educated in ways that allow them to avoid peer
pressure. Tonya is a true emerging leader in our
community and one we’re proud to honor.”
Tonya also founded the Fort Wayne Derby Brats
in January 2009, a junior flat track roller derby
league for girls 9-17, teaching young girls the fun-
damentals of playing in a team sport along with
empowerment, courage to avoid peer pressure and
acceptance of peers from all social backgrounds.
The Fort Wayne Derby Girls, now celebrating its
sixth season, have donated more than $55,000 to
local women and children organizations.
In 2009, she was nominated for the nation-
ally recognized “Break Thru Woman” with CNN’s
Robin Meade and last year was a nominee for the
ATHENA Award.
ATHENA recipients must meet each of three
specific criteria. They must:
 Assist women in reaching their full leadership
potential.
 Demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initia-
tive in their business or profession.
 Provide valuable service by devoting time and
energy to improve the quality of life for others in
the community.

TechFest registration closes April 5

Make plans now to attend the first
annual Northeast Indiana TechFest
on April 16 at Sweetwater Sound.
This event, which developed from
an idea between the Fort Wayne
Mayor’s Office and Atos Origin, pro-
Saturday, April 16 vides Northeast Indiana High School
students with the opportunity to
Visit neitechfest.com
compete in video game tournaments,
for more information
a problem solving competition, an
about the event.
iPod “Battle of the Bands,” a speed
texting competition, breakout ses-
sions with guest speakers, informa-
tional tables about area careers and
Zach Klein colleges with STEM related majors,
and much more.
Young people can register at www.
neitechfest.com for $10 to partici-
pate in up to two games. If you have
a high schooler, get them involved in
this fun and interactive day!
Entrepreneur Zach Klein, a native
of Fort Wayne, is a featured speaker
at TechFest this year. Klein’s experi-
ence includes working with College-
Humor.com and co-founding Vimeo
and Busted Tees. He is currently
chief product officer for Boxee.
Registration for Techfest closes
April 5.

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY 5
H E A LT H M AT T E R S
The Chamber
discount
If your business has 2 to
50 employees, you qualify
for a discount of up to
five percent on your small
business insurance pre-
miums from PHP. Average
annual savings is $2,500.
To receive a free quote,
call PHP at (800) 982-
6257 or visit www.
phpni.com and click on
the Chamber Discount
Program link.
SMART SOLUTIONS
The Chamber
discount
Chamber members can
save 60 percent on “core
catalog” items and four
percent off “retail catalog”
purchases. You can also
monitor expenses with
monthly reporting, and
order online, via phone
or fax, and through retail
stores.
For more info, contact
Chris Michaels at (260)
249-3977.
6 E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY
Walk to lower health care costs
Obesity costs American employers $225.8 bil-
lion annually in lost productivity and more than
$3,000 in average annual health care costs per
employee. These numbers are making a significant
impact to an employer’s bottom line.
Employers can help combat obesity, and there-
fore improve their bottom lines, by offering work-
place wellness programs and encouraging their
employees to become more physically active.
According to the American Heart Association
(AHA), walking is the single most effective form of
exercise to achieve heart health and it also has the
lowest drop-out rate of any type of exercise. Stud-
ies show that for every hour of brisk walking, life
expectancy may increase by two hours, even if you
don’t start until middle age.
AHA has some great way to help employers get
started. One is the Start! program, a free work-
place wellness program that employers can imple-
ment in their companies. Start! program tools and
resources can be found online at www.startwalk-
How our foundation serves you
The independent, non-profit Office Depot Foun-
dation reflects the values of Office Depot and its
associates by supporting charitable organizations
and worthy causes on a local and national scale.
The foundation’s key strategic priorities:
 Helping children succeed in school and in life.
 Enabling non-profit organizations to become
more efficient and effective.
 Strengthening local communities through
grants, product donations and volunteerism.
 Encouraging community development
through entrepreneurship and economic innova-
tion.
Key Office Depot Foundation initiatives in-
clude:
The National Backpack Program: The Foun-
dation donates backpacks each year to hundreds
of non-profit organizations and schools across
the U.S., in Canada and beyond.
Since the inception of the program in 2001, the
foundation has donated 2 million backpacks.
ingnow.org. You will find customized walking
programs, online tracking tools, and many other
great resources such as a grocery list builder and
heart healthy recipes.
PHP sponsors the Start! program locally, and
provides assistance to PHP employer groups to
help them offer and promote these resources to
their employees. An AHA representative is also
available to any area employer that would like
more information, or to begin using the Start! pro-
gram in their company.
Another way to get employees involved is to join
AHA on April 6 for National Start Walking Day,
which promotes physical activity through walk-
ing. Employers can plan their own National Start
Walking Day events by downloading the free tool-
kit at www.startwalkingnow.org.
To learn more about the American Heart As-
sociation’s Start! program or National Start Walk-
ing Day, please contact Vanessa Lauritsen at (260)
494-6530 or Vanessa.lauritsen@heart.org.
The Caring Connection: A user-friendly web
site that lets anyone find and sign up for volun-
teer opportunities in the community, this pro-
gram helps teens find ways to fulfill their schools’
community service requirements, gives families
opportunities to volunteer together and enables
companies to look for projects that their em-
ployees can work on for team-building and to
give back to the community. Visit the web site at
caringconnection.volunteermatch.org.
The Dream UP Career Exploration Pro-
gram: In partnership with USA Today and the Na-
tional Board for Professional Teaching Standards,
the Foundation is reaching out to 30,000 middle
school students to encourage them to start think-
ing about career options well before they get to
high school — a very important dropout preven-
tion strategy.
The Office Depot Foundation is an independent
foundation. For more information, visit its web
site at www.officedepotfoundation.org.
 TIPS AND TRICKS

5 things you need to know

About
Pathfinder
Community
about avoiding foreclosure
Worried about losing your home? Are you
Connections falling behind on your mortgage payments?
Are you afraid you will soon be behind?
Pathfinder Community
Here are some things Pathfinder Commu-
Connections is here to
nity Connections wants all homeowners to
help. The community
know:
development division of
Pathfinder Services, a non
Never, never, never pay for foreclosure
profit 501(c)3 organi-
help.
zation is located right
Many for-profit foreclosure providers
across from South Side
charge high fees, sometimes up to $2,000,
High School on Calhoun
and do little to help the situation. Often, ho-
Street, and offers free
meowners seek out non-profit, free provid-
Foreclosure Counseling.
ers after they have lost the fee paid to others.
Call (866) 892-0513 or
There is plenty of free help available in ev-
visit www.cchomes.org.
ery community. Pathfinder Community Con-
nections Foreclosure Prevention office is lo-
cated at 3326 S. Calhoun St., Suite 102, Fort
Wayne and can be reached at 866-892-0513.
They can be found online at www.cchomes.
org.

Don’t wait until the foreclosure notice

arrives before you ask for help.
Lenders often tell homeowners they will do
nothing to renegotiate their mortgage unless they
are at least three months behind in payments.
Pathfinder Community Connections urges hom-
eowners to ask for assistance as soon as they know
they might soon be delinquent. The sooner they
ask for help, the better the chances are their house
can be saved.
The place you pay your mortgage may not
hold the deed.
Mortgages are bought and sold to large financial
institutions through the secondary market. This
reduces risk to smaller banks.
If you pay your mortgage to ABC Bank Inc., that
does not mean they own your house until you pay
P H OTO : K E V I N D O O L E Y V I A F L I C K R
Unemployment does not mean there is no
hope.
There are options other than foreclosure for
owners who have lost their job or who have had
decreases in income. Lenders might agree to op-
tions in which an owner loses their home, but
owes no more to the bank, or does not have a fore-
closure on their record. Short sales (the house is
sold for less than the amount owed), and Deed In
Lieu (the owner gives the house to the lender to
prevent foreclosure) are two such options.
The Hardest Hit Funds program may be able
to help.
A new Federal program, Hardest Hit Funds, will
soon arrive in Indiana under the name of Unem-

if off. Most mortgages are held by banks around
the world. This makes it difficult to negotiate
reduced payments or other ways to avoid fore-
closure. Free Foreclosure Counselors have been
trained to find the correct lien holder so negotia-
tions can take place.
ployment Bridge Program. This program will help
eligible homeowners make their mortgage pay-
ments while they receive unemployment insur-
ance. When the program begins in late Spring
2011, Pathfinder Community Connections will
help homeowners apply for these funds.

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY 7
THERE’S A MEMBER FOR T H AT

Great ways to spruce up yo

By Lauren Richwine
For more
As general membership at the Greater Fort Wayne
information Chamber of Commerce continues to grow, so does the
Visit the featured variety of organizations and companies that make up
members online: that membership. Each issue of Emphasis will introduce
or reacquaint you with a few Chamber members who fall
HVAC Systems Services under that month’s specific theme. Whether your need is
www.hvacss.com industrial, medical, or retail related, there’s a member for
Jack Laurie Group that!
www.jacklauriegroup.com
The First Impression of Furniture
Productive Business Have you ever considered the impression your cor-
Interiors porate furniture is creating on potential clients? It’s
www.pbiftwayne.com not just your advertising that is sending out mes-
sages. The way we design and fill our workspace sends
messages as well, says Carol A. Emrick, VP of Sales &
Marketing for Productive Business Interiors.
“First impressions are important, and your furnish-
ings can definitely help define your company’s profes-
sionalism,” Emrick said.
In recent years businesses have had to cut expen-
ditures by downsizing and becoming more creative,
specifically with its work spaces. The fact is that peo-
ple are working differently than they did 20 years ago.
Many companies find that workstations stand empty
for long periods of time because employees work
from home, or collaborate in team spaces offsite.
“Benching is gaining popularity, and is an applica-
(Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Control)
tion approach for supporting parallel work surfaces
has seen firsthand how much avoiding regular main-
along a spine, with little dedicated storage or privacy.
tenance can cost a company in the long run. There’s
The idea is that people can ‘touch down’ for private
also the wasted energy to account for.
work with a laptop at these stations, then move to
“Simple things like cleaning coils can reduce your
a variety of group work spaces, cafes, and lounge
utility bills and preserve compressors. Dirty coils
areas,” Emrick said. “Benching strategies, versus in-
alone can increase energy costs by up to 35 percent,”
dividual workstations, can show an initial cost sav-
said Rick Jones, CEO of HVAC SS. “Maintaining prop-
ings of 10-15 percent, and a space savings of 22-26
er pressures in your units prolongs their lifespan. A
percent.”
problem with low refrigerant will cause the unit to
Companies today are looking to create spaces that
run longer to cool, wear parts out quicker, and use 45
attract and retain talent, maximize collaboration,
percent more energy.”
reinforce the culture of the organization and align
Located in Fort Wayne, HVAC Systems Service Inc.
technology strategies. Emrick’s advice on that front?
P H OTO S : CO U R T E S Y J A C K L AU R I E G R O U P

has grown from a one-man operation in 1981 to a

“Make every square foot of your real estate count.
fleet of service trucks equipped with numerous parts
Maximize your ability to create a destination that will
and materials. As a Honeywell energy management
attract and retain good employees.”
specialist and national award winner for energy inno-
vation, HVAC specializes in the analysis, repair and
Clean the Coils
preventative maintenance of heating, cooling and
Clients and customers aren’t going to spend much
control systems.
time admiring your fabulous work space if they are
“With over three decades of experience, you can
sweating or shivering. HVAC Systems Services Inc.
count on us to fit your specifications,” Jones said.

8 E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY
your space

Among some of the cleaning of your interior surfaces to make everything

spruced-up spaces by look like new again. Clean your carpets and uphol-
Jack Laurie Group are: stery, scrub and wax tile, wash the walls, you will be
Above left: One amazed at the difference. You can re-paint walls with
Resource Group in current color trends without much expense. Also re-
Roanoke paint file cabinets that are mismatched or scratched,
or reupholster workstation panels or chairs for 25
Above right: The Public
percent of the cost of new. An update of your accesso-
Safety Academy of
ries — new plants, artwork, and signage — will give
Northeast Indiana in Fort
your facility a fresh look at a minimal expense. And
Wayne
we would recommend replacing flooring materials or
Right: Shindigz in South ceiling tiles in your more high-image areas first.”
Whitley How to Look Good for Less A common mistake in selecting interior products
Freshening up a workplace without spending big is basing the decision only on initial cost. Waggoner
bucks is possible but it takes a bit of creativity. If highly recommend looking at life cycle cost including
you’re short on ideas, Cathy Waggoner, Business De- the initial material and labor costs, as well as mainte-
velopment Manager for Jack Laurie Group, is full of nance costs over the life of the product.
them. “Many times, it is just pennies per day over a 5-to-
“Get rid of the clutter first. Just a couple of extra 10-year period to upgrade to a better product or im-
storage or file cabinets can get everything organized plement a maintenance program that will extend the
and put away,” Waggoner said. “Second, do a deep life of your investment,” Waggoner said.

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY 9
CHAMBER NEWS
Why ‘air service development’?
It comes as a surprise to quite a few people,
members and non-members alike, that The Cham-
ber has a person dedicated to being an advocate
on behalf of the community on issues surround-
ing “air service development.” In fact, you may be
Dave Young saying to yourself, “What exactly is air service de-
Vice President of Air velopment?” and “Why should I care about devel-
Service Development oping air service?” or perhaps a number of other
The Chamber questions will come to mind.
The issue becomes a little clearer when one re-
dyoung@fwchamber.org
alizes, that without air service, an airport is little
more than very long parking lot.
Air service development, at its basic, is the pro-
motion of the airport to both the airlines and pas-
sengers alike. Airlines need to be made aware there
is opportunity for them to fly their aircraft into
an airport, and the community needs to be made
aware of the flight and destination opportunities
the airport provides for them. For without one,
there is not the other.
Although the needs for the airlines may be dif-
ferent from those of the passengers — in fact,
sometimes they seem diametrically opposed to
one another — success for both groups is mea-
sured by how many airline tickets are sold. Air ser-
vice marketing is directed to addressing this issue.
Air service development continues as a top
priority at The Chamber, and efforts continue to
From left are Chamber President and CEO Mike Landram, AIDS Task Force Board
President Mark T. Carboni, Asher Agency Vice President Larry Wardlaw, and Lu-
theran Hospital President and CEO Joe Dorko.
10 E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY
secure more flights to more destinations for the
people of Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana.
However, successful advancement is a long-term
proposition. There are not very many announce-
ments for new service that happens; in fact, most
of the work is done out of the public eye on mun-
dane issues like operational integrity, forecasting,
number reconciliation, and endless phone calls.
But these need to be done in order that the op-
portunities that exist at Fort Wayne International
Airport (FWA) are communicated to both the
airlines that serve FWA and those we would very
much like to have fly to Fort Wayne.
To that end, air service development has taken
the position that FWA needs to maintain its cur-
rent airlines and schedules, enhance the current
airlines flight options by adding larger aircraft or
more destinations, and expand the number of air-
lines serving FWA. It’s a position I refer to as ME2,
or maintain, enhance, and expand.
As we go forward, The Chamber will be aggres-
sively promoting the opportunities that exist here,
while continuing to address the issues which have
not been resolved.
Thank you for flying FWA during the past year,
and we look forward to seeing you again soon. And
to those of you that have not flown FWA recently,
check us out. You might be surprised.
135 Random Acts of Kindness
The inaugural event of The Chamber’s 135 Ran-
dom Acts of Kindness campaign was assisting
the AIDS Task Force of Northeast Indiana in the
establishment of the Larry Wardlaw Humanitar-
ian Award. The award was created to honor those
individuals and organizations that showed excep-
tional support to the task force.
Larry Wardlaw, vice president at the Asher
Agency, was honored with the name of the award
for his tireless dedication to education and advo-
cacy on behalf of the AIDS Task Force.
The first recipient of the award was Lutheran
Hospital for its longtime support of the work of
the AIDS Task Force.
Companies interested in donating to the
135 Random Acts of Kindness Campaign
can request more information by writing to
135randomacts@fwchamber.org.
TIPS AND TRICKS pl tim
ay e
goto
Strategies for saving lf
!
Every business owner knows that watching business expenses
is a daily task. As we launch the new Group Purchasing Orga-
nization focused on saving you money, the BuyWithPQC team The Region’s Only Affordable
would like to share some proven strategies.
Private Golf Club • 4935 Hillegas Road
Banks Fees and Interest
Understanding fees is critical. In CHAMBER MEMBERS
the past, small businesses worked to
be debt-free—a difficult goal to attain GET 10% OFF
in present day. Fees have changed a ANNUAL CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP!
lot recently, and thus small business
owners must pay more attention to Our annual corporate membership rates just got even more
their impact on cash flow. If you need affordable with this special offer for Chamber members.
a loan, ask for a line of credit rather Hurry in and join up for a full season of private golf!
than a traditional loan. This ensures Now Booking 2011 Golf Outings
that you pay interest only on what
Find out more at 10% Off for Chamber Members!
you use and not the full loan. Check
Learn more at an all options regarding available loans. Call 260-483-3148 to Reserve Your Date
informational meeting
April 14. More details inMonitor Invoices Visit Coyote Creek at 4935 Hillegas Road or at
our calendar on Page 14. Sometimes suppliers make errors www.coyotecreekonline.com
on invoices. It is wise to check in- HURRY! THIS CHAMBER OFFER EXPIRES MAY 15, 2011
Visit buywithpqc.com
voices against your purchase order to
or call the office at
avoid being overcharged. Some sup-
260-420-7374 for more
pliers ship more quantity than you
information.
ordered, thereby charging you more.
Make sure that you were shipped only
the quantity you ordered. This simple check can help keep your
budget under control.

Accounts Payable
Paying bills on time is an imperative good habit. This will save
you money on late fees, improve your credit rating, and help
you get a loan and low interest credit card in the future. Do not
ignore an offer from your supplier or service provider to pay less
if you pay your bill before the due date. Paying bills early can
translate to significant savings.

Supplier Quality
Implement and use a Receiving Inspection process to moni-
tor your parts/products for non-conforming material or parts.
Make sure you have a firm understanding of your suppliers’ re-
turn/replacement policy. If you find issues, deal with them im-
mediately. You should not pay for rejected parts, and part short-
ages can cause time delays to your product delivery.

Postage
Use e-mails instead of regular mail whenever possible. Check
postage meters for possible errors. Avoid overnight and express
shipments. Enforce strict mailing and shipping policy through-
out your organization.

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY 11
MEMBER BENEFITS

PHP Plus membership or a $10 for a Business member-

Your If your business has 2 to 50 employees, you
qualify for a discount of up to five percent on your
ship. Info at samsclub.com/membership.

Chamber small business insurance premiums from PHP. Av-

erage annual savings is $2,500. To receive a quote,
call PHP at (800) 982-6257 or visit phpni.com and
discount click on the Chamber Discount Program link.
Event discounts and admittance
Every employee of each of our members receives
the member price for Chamber events. Also, all
employees of members can attend member-only
events, such as the Third House Forums.

guide Office Depot

For more
information
Call (260) 424-1435 or
visit our web site at
www.fwchamber.org.
Chamber members can save 60 percent on “core
catalog” items and four percent off “retail catalog”
purchases. For more info, contact Chris Michaels
at (260) 249-3977.
Group Purchasing Organization
Prairie Quest’s GPO provides Chamber mem-
bers with the opportunity to purchase products
and services at prices typically only available to
large companies. Info at buywithpqc.com.
Meeting rooms
Members get free usage of meeting rooms large
and small in the Chamber building during busi-
ness hours. Call 424-1435 for details.
Promotion and referrals
Members can create and offer member-to-mem-
ber coupons on the web site. Members also get
free promotion to a readership of 24,000 through
Emphasis and free phone and web referrals.

Sam’s Club savings Notarization and certification of origin

Chamber members receive a $25 gift card for a Free for members by our front desk staff.

NEW AND RENEWING MEMBERS

New members Renewing members Delagrange Homes, LLC Center Partnership

February 2011
Absolute Angels Home
Health
Bose Public Affairs Group,
LLC
Boyden & Youngblutt Adver-
tising & Marketing, Inc.
Bulldog Consulting Services,
LLC
DaVita Fort Wayne Home
Dialysis
Extra Space Storage
General Motors Fort Wayne
Assembly
Hampton Inn Dupont Road
King & Knight, LLC
Personal Training Institute
R. I. C. Corporation
Sweeney Law Firm
SweetCars, LLC
3 Rivers Metal Recycling
Tiberius Arms
Triscape, Inc.
WebLink International
Find more about these
businesses in our
online directory at
www.fwchamber.org.
February 2011
A Party Apart
Abonmarche Consultants,
LLC
Aldi, Inc.
Allen County Indiana Bar
Association, Inc.
Allied Physicians, Inc.
Alpha Rae Personnel, Inc.
Alpha Rae Training Center
Inc.
Andrew Davis Menswear
Arrotin Plastic Materials of
Indiana, Inc.
Arts United of Greater Fort
Wayne
AVANT Group
BIB Group
Bond Records Management
The Otis R. Bowen Center
For Human Services
Brown Equipment Co., Inc.
CIM Technology Solutions,
Inc.
Central Indiana Hardware
Company, Inc.
Chapel Oaks Apartments
Comfort Keepers
Country Kitchen SweetArt
Craft Laboratories, Inc.
Crossroad-Fort Wayne Chil-
dren’s Home
DR Lubricants, Inc.
Do it Best Corp.
Downtown Improvement
District
Dulin, Ward & DeWald, Inc.
E & V Construction, Inc.
Edward Jones - Jim Solon
Sharon Eisbart-Corporate
Art
Ellison Bakery, Inc.
Employer’s Administrative
Services of Indiana, LLC
Environmental Management
Specialists, Inc.
EOS Experienced Office Solu-
tions
Excursions Trailways
The Family Business Consult-
ing Group
Farmers Insurance
Federal Roofing Co., Inc.
Fort Wayne Audiology
Center
Fort Wayne Nissan/Infiniti
Fort Wayne Philharmonic
G & L Corporation
Gordon Food Service
Grand Wayne Convention
Center
H & R Block Tax & Business
Services
Heartland Coffee Company
Hilton Fort Wayne at the
Grand Wayne Convention
Holiday Inn Express Hotel
& Suites
Hyndman Industrial Prod-
ucts, Inc.
Impex International, Inc.
Indiana Benefits Recovery
Indiana Golf Advertising &
Marketing Services
Indiana Michigan Power
Indiana Research Service
Indiana Telephone Network
Integrity Tax Consulting,
Inc.
Intra Health Solutions, Inc.
Isaac Knapp District Dental
Society
Ivy Tech Community College
JAM Impressions
KONE Elevator & Escalator
Leadership Management
Institute
Lowe’s of Fort Wayne (Lima
Road)
Lutheran Life Villages
Lutheran School Partnership
MacAllister Machinery
Company
Maintenance Management
Co., Inc.
Mickey’s Linen & Towel Sup-
ply, Inc.
Nob Brick & Fireplace
Northeast Indiana Regional
Oberlin Marketing Co., Inc.
Old National Bank
Phoenix America, Inc.
Physicians Health Plan
Picture Perfect Catering &
Floral Design
Pyromation, Inc.
Rehabilitation Hospital of
Fort Wayne
Rose Agency, Inc.
Safety Kleen Systems, Inc.
Sauder Feeds, Inc.
SCORE
Sentry Management Ser-
vices, Inc.
Smartguys Advertising
Sperry Van Ness/Parke
Group
Star Homes by Delagrange &
Richhart, Inc.
State Farm
Steel Dynamics, Inc.
Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc.
Summit City Reporting, Inc.
TDS
Tecton Corporation
Tobacco Free Allen County,
Inc.
Tradesmen International
U.S. Automation, LLC
Verstynen Behavioral Ser-
vices, L.L.C.
Witherspoon & Assoc., Inc.

12 E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY
 G R A D U AT E RETENTION

Affecting career goals

Jennifer Fisher
from a different angle
Last week I had an opportunity to participate in
Graduate Retention the Industry to Educator Summit at the Greater
Program Manager Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber This event brought together teachers and com-
panies who participated in an externship program
jfisher@fwchamber.org
last year for high school teachers in Northeast In-
diana. It was great to meet teachers who are mak-
ing a difference in the lives of our young people.
As I was listening to the teachers and industry
professionals from Raytheon, ITT, Northrop Gru-
men, and BAE Systems talk about their experi-
ences, I was excited to consider the fact that this
experience not only affected these teachers, it im-
pacted the students they teach.
It’s wonderful to know that a program exists to Participants in the panel at the Educator Summit
connect teachers to professionals who are in ca- at The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce
reers that many of their students want to do. Call included, from left, Bruce Menshy of Raytheon, Ben
it the “bird’s eye view” of a career. Shappell of Leo Junior/Senior High School, Alan Bell of
Saturday, April 16
I think what really struck me most was one of ITT, Gregg Norris of BAE, and Shoshannah McKinney of
This event will feature the teachers explaining that she now had an an- Huntington North-Viking New Tech.
video game tournaments, swer for the student who asks, “When will I ever
problem solving use this information?” Now she knows exactly
how students will use it because of her experience
competitions, an iPod
last summer in the externship program.
Upcoming events
battle of the bands,
guest speakers who will I think the real value here is that educators get Summer Internship search season:
talk about STEM related the chance to see just how important their role is February-May 2011, www.indianaintern.net
careers in the region, and in teaching young people and inspiring them to Northeast Indiana TechFest 2011: April
much more. pursue careers that are related to science, technol- 16, 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., Sweetwater Sound. Info at
ogy, engineering, and mathematics. neitechfest.com.
See our story on Page 5
These careers are Northeast Indiana’s future. If Supervisor Bootcamp: April 28, 3-5 p.m.,
and visit neitechfest.
we don’t have young people who are interested in The Chamber
com for more
pursuing them, we’ll already be ten steps behind
information about the Intern Bootcamp: April 29, 3-5 p.m., The
other regions.
event and sponsorship Chamber
Ask a young person why they chose a major or
opportunities. Sign up at www.fwchamber.org or call for
career and often they will tell you that they had
a really great teacher in that subject during high more information at (260) 424-1435.
school. Our teachers are critical to helping our
young people understand their career options and cator Externship program exists to provide teach-
providing them with the skills they need to be suc- ers with first-hand knowledge of the types of ca-
cessful. reers and projects that are taking place right here
A young person who gets engaged in a career in Northeast Indiana.
PHOTO: JON SWERENS

path early, and gets experience through intern- If you would like more information about this
ships will be more likely to have then type of skills great program, go to www.industry2educators.
companies are looking for in their employees. com or email me at jfisher@fwchamber.org.
I am so happy to know that the Industry to Edu-

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY 13
CHAMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS

APR
6 from Stealing Your
More
information
on events
Get the most updated
events listing at our web
site: www.fwchamber.org
Do you have an interest APR
in teaching one of
our events, such as a
12
Chamber Academy or
Lunch ’n Learn? Or do
you have questions about
an upcoming event?
Contact Liz Struckholz
at (260) 424-1435 or
lstruckholz@fwchamber.
org.
APR
12
APR
14
How To Stop Cyber Criminals
Information
A Chamber Academy
Join Dunn Consulting’s Mark Hart and
get a detailed look at how hackers
and identity thieves trick people and
businesses into giving information.
Cost: Members: $19 | Nonmembers: $39
Wednesday, April 6 | 8 a.m.-noon
The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.
Register online at fwchamber.org
President’s Lunch
Every month, meet a local business leader
The April guest is PHP President and
CEO Jay Gilbert. Hosted by Chamber
President Mike Landram.
Cost: $25, including meal | Limited to the
first 10 Chamber members to sign up
Tuesday, April 12 | noon-1 p.m.
Chop’s Steaks and Seafood, 6421 W.
Jefferson Blvd.
Register online at fwchamber.org
CEO Roundtable Kickoff
Learn about our confidential forums of peers
at this free event
Tuesday, April 12 | 7:30-9:30 a.m.
The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.
Register online at fwchamber.org
GPO Informational Session
Learn about our new group purchasing benefit
Free meeting for members includes
continental breakfast and coffee.
Thursday, April 14 | 7:30-9 a.m.
The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.
Register online at fwchamber.org
APR Regional Third House Forum
16 Meet your Northeast Indiana legislators
Event is free, but open to members only
Saturday, April 16 | 10 a.m.-noon
Wells County Arts, Commerce and Visitors
Centre, 211 Water St., Bluffton.
Register online at fwchamber.org
APR The Business Case for Private
20 Cloud Computing
A Chamber Lunch ’n Learn
Host: Chris Butler of ENS Group
Cost: Members: $10 | Nonmembers: $15
Wednesday, April 20 | noon-1 p.m.
The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.
Register online at fwchamber.org
APR Leads Group Meet & Mingle
20 Learn how Leads Groups build relationships
and your business at this free event
Wednesday, April 20 | 8-10 a.m.
The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.
Register online at fwchamber.org
APR Meet Me @ 5
21 Enjoy an evening of networking with hors
d’œuvres and a cash bar.
Cost: Members: $5 | Nonmembers: $10
Thursday, April 21 | 5-7 p.m.
Lotus Wellness Yoga and Gallery, 1301
Lafayette St.
Register online at fwchamber.org
GOP Primary Mayoral Debate
APR
25 Fort Wayne’s Republican candidates
Event is free
Monday, April 25 | 7 p.m.
IPFW campus
More info online at fwchamber.org

APR Chamber Academy Encore

APR Northeast Indiana TechFest
16 This event will feature video game tournaments, problem solving 27 Social Media Tools and Strategies: Proven
Ways to Maximize ROI
competitions, an iPod battle of the bands, guest speakers who will
Anthony Juliano, Kevin Erb and Julianne
talk about STEM related careers in the region, and much more.
Will of Asher Agency examine Facebook,
Cost: Local high school students: $10 | Visitors: $5
Twitter and other social media tools.
Saturday, April 16 | 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Cost: Members: $19 | Nonmembers: $39
Sweetwater Sound, 5501 U.S. 30 West
Wednesday, April 27 | 8-10 a.m.
Register online by April 5 at neitechfest.com
The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.
Register online at fwchamber.org

14 E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY
 C e l e b r a t i n g 10 Ye a r s

Friday, April 29
www.ipfw.edu/tapestry
Molly Ringwald
1980’s “Brat Pack”
actress, theatre favorite,
best-selling author,
and current star in the
breakout hit The Secret
Life of the American
Teenager
Celebrate the fabric of women at this day of
inspiration, renewal and education.
Preregistration required by April 11
“I really do love getting Business Weekly and reading it as soon as possible.
It is more current, accurate and relevant than anything else I read.”
Chuck Surack, Founder Sweetwater Sound & SweetCars

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