Bremen Chamber of Commerce

Welcome New Member: BrynnCurry.com LLC

2011-03-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

The Bremen Chamber welcomes new business member BrynnCurry.com LLC. BrynnCurry.com is new business to the Bremen area and Brynn is eager to get involved in the community. He will be at the Networking After Hours event on Thursday March 31 (5-7 pm at Windmill Market) so be sure to stop by and welcome him to the Chamber.

BrynnCurry.com LLC
Brynn Curry, Manager
P.O. Box 24
Bremen, IN 46506
(574) 527-2832

Business Description: On-site home and business computer services.

Horse Saddle Shop Outlet to Host Grand Opening on Saturday

2011-03-22T04:54:00.001-07:00

The Bremen Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the grand opening of the retail outlet for the Horse Saddle Shop. The ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at noon on Saturday, March 26. The grand opening will also feature free refreshments and a sale on merchandise.

Chamber members are invited and encouraged to attend.

Horse Saddle Shop
1205 W. Plymouth St.
Bremen, IN 46506

For more information, see the full press release here.

Chamber Welcomes New Members

2011-03-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Bellman Oil Company and Marshall County Council on Aging!

Bellman Oil Company, Inc.
James Bellman, Owner
Joe Bellman, General Manager
P.O. Box 26
550 E. Second St.
Bremen, IN 46506
(574) 546-2342
Description: Fuel distributor

Marshall County Council on Aging
Jackie Wright, Executive Director
1305 W. Harrison
Plymouth, IN 46563
(574) 936-9904
Description: Public transportation services available to everyone in Marshall County, Meals on Wheels, information and referrals, Life Enrichment Center (classes, computer lab, social activities) and People's University.

March Chamber Events

2011-03-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, March 9, 7:30 am - 8:30 am:
Chamber Meeting at the Italian Coffee Bar.

Monday, March 28, time TBA:
Tentative date for the Grand Opening of the Horse Saddle Shop Outlet retail store in the Bremen Plaza.

Thursday, March 31, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm:
Networking After Hours at the Windmill Market. Free event open to anyone.

NEW Business Assistance at Marshall Co. EDC

2011-03-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

Marshall County Economic Development is pleased to announce that in partnership with the North Central Indiana Small Business Development Center, free, confidential, one-on-one business assistance will be available at our Plymouth office on Miller Drive once a month beginning Wednesday, March 23rd.

Individual appointments to meet with Alan Steele, ISBDC Business Advisor, will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. This opportunity is open to entrepreneurs considering starting a business and those new to business ownership. But it is important to note the wealth of information and support services that SBDC can provide to ANYONE making critical decisions about how to improve their small business – particularly useful for existing strong Marshall County businesses facing new challenges brought by the digital-global-information age!

See the range of services provided below and at the SBDC website at http://www.southbendbcg.com/ for more information on how SBDC can help you succeed in taking your business to the next level.

RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. Please call the North Central SBDC Office at 866.508.7232 TOLL FREE or 574.282.4350 x0 to schedule an appointment for March 23rd or subsequent monthly sessions, identifying yourself as a Marshall County participant and noting your availability for the following meeting times:

9 a.m. - 10 a.m.

10 a.m. - 11 a.m.

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

1 p.m. - 2 p.m.

2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Consulting Services Overview

Growing a small business is not easy. The Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) understands. We offer free, one-on-one confidential business consulting to help entrepreneurs through the process of starting or growing their businesses.

Across Indiana, ISBDC Business Advisors are available to help you work through your small business issues. Many of our Business Advisors have academic as well as personal experience starting and growing small businesses. Every month hundreds of entrepreneurs visit ISBDC offices for small business consulting.

Areas of Consulting

· Accounting and Record Keeping

· Business Acquisition

· Business Liquidation

· Business Start-up

· Cash Flow Analysis

· Financial and Business Analysis

· Human Resources Management

· Loan Packaging

· Market Research

· Marketing and Sales

· Marketing Plan Development

· Networking

· Operations

· Sources of Credit and Financing

· Strategic Planning

· Technology Transfer

More Than Just a Sounding Board

Business Advisors are trained and equipped with some of the most sophisticated business resources available. Partnerships developed with service providers allow the ISBDC to access the same information large corporations use when making strategic business decisions. Since the ISBDC is a non-profit organization, information provided to clients is often free or at a fraction of market price.

Next Steps

Contact your local ISBDC office to start working with a Business Advisor. Please call 866.508.7232 TOLL FREE or 574.282.4350 to schedule an appointment with the North Central Indiana Small Business Development Center today.

This cooperative agreement is partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration. SBA’s funding is not an endorsement of any products, opinions or services. SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis.

If you know of someone who would benefit from business assistance, please forward this invitation along!

Jennifer Laurent
Executive Director
Marshall County Economic Development Corporation
2864 Miller Drive
Plymouth, IN 46563
PH: 574-935-8499
CELL: 574-780-8734
FX: 574-936-2645

Free Advertising Opportunity to Bremen Chamber Members

2011-03-01T06:20:00.000-08:00

Again for the 2011 RV rally season, the Goshen Chamber will organize the RVers Rally Savings Card program. This program prints and distributes Saving Cards to the thousands of RV campers who are coming to Elkhart County this summer. The card represents discounts for products and services at member businesses.

This program was developed as a high-quality valued added bonus for our members. RVers have a huge economic impact on our communities and the regional Coalition of Chambers wants a fair share of that to go to our members. The Elkhart County 4H fairgrounds in Goshen commissioned a study and found that each year the folks that attend RV rallies spend $2,478,560.00 in our communities.

The program is administered free of charge to Bremen Chamber members.

Would your business like to participate and capture some of that $2.4 million dollars of revenue from rally attendees? Call or email me and I will give you the contact information so that you can take advantage of this FREE members-only offer.

Thanks,
Larry

Larry Balsley
Bremen Chamber of Commerce

Photos: CHB's Ice Sculpting

2011-02-15T05:09:00.000-08:00

Photos courtesy of Michelle Donaghey.
Click on image to enlarge.

Chamber February Meeting Minutes

2011-02-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

BREMEN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Chamber Meeting
February 09, 2011

Attendance
Bill Davis (Ameriprise Financial), Russ Mikel (Bremem Public Schools, Scott Graybill (Community Hospital), Janet Anglemyer (Town of Bremen), Rich Martin (Town of Bremen), Matt Bixel (Lake City Bank), RT Henke (Historic Bremen), Steve Weaver (Weaver Arts), Ijino Flores (Bremen Theatre), Lisa Burch (1st Source Bank), Rene Burton (1st Source Bank), Larry Balsley (Bremen Chamber of Commerce), Tricia Ensley (Bremen Castings/American Red Cross), Kathleen Husband (American Red Cross)
Minutes
I. Acceptance of January 11, 2010 Minutes – Motion to approve by Russ Mikel. Motion passed.

II. Presentation by American Red Cross on Community Compression-Only CPR Training.
ARC is looking to fund a new program to offer free CPR training to every person in the community. The first training day will be March 26th, starting at 10am at the Senior Center across from Town Hall. Classes will be given every hour until 2pm. At 2pm, a bi-lingual class will be taught. There will be no cost to persons attending, but the ARC is trying to raise the funds to cover material costs, $1000.

Scott Graybill motioned to donate $250 to the ARC for this project. Janet Anglemyer seconded and the motion passed.

III. Acceptance of Treasurer's Report – No report presented.

IV. Chamber Coordinator Report – Larry Balsley
2011 Membership Drive Update – Currently have 23 expired memberships still awaiting payment. A second invoice will be sent this month. Working on 2 or 3 new potential members.
Mailers to businesses about fiber optic and networking meeting went out in early February.
Website Stats – Stats continue to improve. January boasted over 7,500 page hits during more than 2,500 visits to the site. Additionally, we can now pull reports on how many times a specific business listing was viewed.
Cubs Trip (Date TBA) – Larry is working with Edgerton's Travel on arranging the next Cubs Bus Trip. The group decided to try for an earlier date, possibly before the start of school (and hopefully a cooler day as well!)

V. Community Development – Bill Davis
Networking After Hours - Bill was pleased to report the success of the first networking event in January. Edward Christian dining provided the setting, food, and drinks at a cost of $90. The next networking event will be February 24th at Edward Christian. There was some discussion about whether or not to move the event so other chamber members can showcase their businesses, however, we may want to limit how often we move the event for simplicity sake. We may experiment with another location in March.

Next Meeting: March 9th, 2011 at 7:30 AM at the Italian Coffee Bar.

Networking After Hours

2011-01-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

January 27, 2011 5:00—7:00 pm
at Edward Christian Dining, Downtown Bremen

Join us for our first monthly networking event for
Bremen area business and community leaders.

Socialize with other Bremen business leaders in a casual,
relaxed atmosphere. There is no charge for this event;
appetizers and drinks provided by the Chamber.

For more information or for membership information:
Larry Balsley, Bremen Chamber of Commerce: 546-2044

Bremen-Area Business Networking Group Starts Up in January

2011-01-05T05:27:00.000-08:00

One of the Chamber's New Years Resolutions is to provide amonthly forum for business managers to network with each other in a casual, social setting.

Join us for our first "Networking After Hours" on Thursday, January 27th at Edward Christian Dining.

This is an exclusive event for members of the Bremen Chamber of Commerce.
Appetizers and drinks will be provided.

Interested in becoming a member?
Call us at 546-2044.

Location: Edward Christian Dining, Downtown Bremen
Time & Date: Thursday, January 27, 2011 from 5pm to 7pm
What to Bring: Business cards.

What is Networking and Why do I need it?

Networking is all about making connections with people
so as to build enduring and mutually beneficial relationships.

It ensures you meet the right people to include in your network
so that you expand your sphere of influence.
You can promote your products and services on a very personal
level. Such relationships enable you to stand out and rise
above the ruckus created by advertisements, emails and
random sales pitches. It adds more trust and credibility to
what you have to offer.
Most importantly, it helps you to tap into a wider business
group where you can share business ideas and opportunities.

Who knows, you may end up meeting prospective leads,
clients, efficient employees or even a mentor or business partner.

Fiber Optic Access in Bremen

2011-01-04T06:03:00.000-08:00

January 3, 2010

TO: All Bremen Businesses

FR: Bill Davis, President
Bremen Chamber of Commerce

RE: Access to Fiber Optic in Bremen

The Bremen Chamber of Commerce has been involved in many discussions and grant endeavors with key stakeholders in the state for several years regarding the need for reasonably priced fiber access to enhance our economic development competitive advantage. We are pleased to announce an important development in this area.

Indiana Fiber Network (IFN) recently extended their fiber network into the Bremen area and are now able to provide commercial fiber service to organizations (non-residential) looking for high bandwidth. Most recently, as part of a federal grant, Community Hospital of Bremen completed construction of a high speed fiber optic connection to IFN.

IFN’s core product offerings include fiber transport, Internet connectivity and Carrier/Enterprise Collocation services. Created in 2002, IFN has over 2,400 miles of fiber throughout Indiana, providing traditional circuits from DS1 to OC192, SONET Backbone Protection, Ethernet circuits from 5mbs to 10Gbps Wide Area Network services and Internet Tier-1 access.

IFN’s high bandwidth internet access for 10mb of bandwidth starts at $1,050 per month. For additional information, please contact August Zehner, Sales Manager – Enterprise at 317-777-7123 or email azehner@ifncom.net.

We hope this announcement and introduction will spark a broad-based interest from industry in Bremen since pricing of this product is complex based on number of users and the services they require. We are the first in Marshall County to have access to such services due to the success of our hospital in receiving a grant to run the fiber as close as their location on SR331.

Do not hesitate to contact Mr. Zehner or myself to receive additional information.

Best wishes for a successful new year!

Bill Davis
President

Plaza Jewelers Earns "Pride In Bremen Award"

2010-12-14T05:20:00.000-08:00

At the December 13, 2010 Town Council meeting, Angie and Heath Thornton received the Pride of Bremen Award for the newly renovated Plaza Jewelers location on 1311 W. Plymouth St.

The Bremen Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a ribbon cutting at the new location on Saturday, December 14, 2010 at noon. The Plaza Jewelers will have an Open House that same from from noon until 3:00 PM.

Ribbon Cutting & Open House for Plaza Jewelers

2010-12-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

Ribbon Cutting & Open House for Plaza Jewelry

You are invited to participate and celebrate with us.

Hosted by the Bremen Chamber of Commerce

Location:
At their beautiful newly opened location at:
1311 W. Plymouth St.
Bremen, IN 46506
(574) 546-4510

Date:
Saturday, December 18, 2010

Time:
Ribbon Cutting at Noon
Open House from Noon until 3:00 P.M.

January Meeting

2010-12-08T10:31:00.002-08:00

The next Bremen Chamber of Commerce meeting will be January 12, 7:30 am  at the Italian Coffee Bar in Downtown Bremen. Members are encouraged to  attend.

 If you have questions or would like to reserve room on the agenda,  please contact Larry at 546-2044.

Bremen Bucks

2010-12-08T10:31:00.001-08:00

The Bremen Chamber of Commerce offers "Bremen Bucks" Gift Certificates  to area businesses and individuals. A great way to reward employees or  for use as gifts for family and friends, giving Bremen Bucks means that  your money is kept local and supports Bremen area businesses. Bremen  Bucks can be redeemed anywhere in Bremen that accepts a check and are  available in any denomination.

Contact Larry or Phyllis at 546-2044 for more information on Bremen  Bucks Gift Certificates.

Networking After Hours

2010-12-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

Beginning in January 2011, the Bremen Chamber of Commerce will host a  monthly business networking group. The goal is to provide a casual  environment for business leaders to discuss and talk about their  business while learning about other businesses in our area. This will be  a great opportunity to grow your business contacts. The event is free to  Chamber members and does not require a reservation.

More information about Networking After Hours will be sent out in early January.

New Chamber Member

2010-12-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

Netters Restaurant  1106 W. Plymouth St.  Bremen, IN 46506

Description: Locally-owned and operated family restaurant serving  breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Reason for joining: Networking & Marketing Opportunities

2011 Regional Legislative Positions

2010-12-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

Maintain competitive K-12 education funding:

Schools are facing critical funding issues. Local districts, which face wide ranges of economic, cultural and school-readiness challenges, should be granted great latitude in seeking solutions, perhaps the same flexibility granted charter schools. Charter schools must meet the same education requirements as public schools. We must provide an environment where the resources are available to meet the needs of our diverse student population.

Work to address unemployment insurance debt while fostering economic growth:

The unemployment insurance increases passed in 2009 needs to be resolved without negatively impacting efforts to grow the Indiana economy. A strategy must be developed to phase-in the expected tax burden. The issue of seasonal employees, filling the gap between benefits and jobs, as well as false claims needs to be addressed.

Support Right-to-Work legislation

Indiana is losing job creation opportunities simply because we are not a Right-to-Work state. While labor unions have accomplished many important improvements to working conditions in America, employees should have the freedom whether or not to join a union. Major economic development site selectors will not consider Indiana for job-creating projects because we are not one of the 22 states who have right-to-work laws.

Protect long-term funding for transportation infrastructure:

All Major Moves dollars at the state or local level generated from the lease of the Toll Road, or other roadways in the future, should be used exclusively for capital road construction projects. To expand needed road funds, continue to study and implement alternative funding mechanisms including toll roads, public/private partnerships, leasing of state property, state gas sales in excess of state budget forecasted needs and re-capture of the $121 million of fuel tax annually diverted to other state agencies.

Support federal immigration reform:

Illegal immigration and the hiring of illegal workers should be opposed. We support companies who use verification systems. However, immigration is essentially a matter that must be legislated at the federal level. The state legislature should not attempt to address the immigration issue at the state level, particularly by revoking an employer's license to operate in the state if it employs even one undocumented worker.

Grant local government modernization:

Increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of governmental services is essential to providing a system that benefits taxpayers, communities, business growth and job creation. We believe local governments should be given great latitude, including pilot projects, to explore efficiencies that work.

In addition, we support legislation for a more transparent collection of local income taxes. Local governments need to know how much local income tax is owed and collected in their communities to ensure that money is returned from the Department of Revenue. Alternatively, allow local governments to collect those taxes themselves.

Support sustainable alternative energy

Indiana is blessed with inexpensive energy and abundant coal. Innovative companies in our state could lead the way in development of alternative energy, with a sustainable business model, if our utilities are not crippled by regulations and our companies not faced with increased energy costs. Increasing the net metering limit and allowing businesses to sell power back to the grid may be the incentive needed.

Improve access to health care:

As the federal government continues to debate the recently passed health care plan, the state needs to search for ways to control costs to allow businesses to offer health insurance to employees. At the very least, the state must not create additional mandates on coverage.