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| November 2002 | |
Annual Meeting and Business-to-Business Expo November 13thExpo Display Space Sold Out The Metro South Chamber of Commerce will hold its 89th Annual Meeting on Wednesday, November 13, 2002, from 12:00 noon to 1:45 p.m., at the Ridder Country Club, Rte. 14, Whitman. As part of its Annual Meeting, the Chamber will host a Business-to-Business Expo from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. All of the expo display space is sold out. The Annual Meeting will be sponsored by First Federal Savings Bank. FirstFed, a full-service financial services Company, offers a wide range of products including deposit accounts, loans, insurance and comprehensive fiduciary services and products. The featured speaker at this year's Annual Meeting is William M. Bulger, President of the University of Massachusetts. Under President Bulger's leadership, the University has dramatically increased support from private sources, promoted higher standards for incoming students and expanded honors programs. The University has also attracted record amounts of research funding and began generating significant income from the licensing of intellectual property, and launched a $1 billion capital improvement program. President Bulger's appointment by the University's Board of Trustees followed his career as a leading state lawmaker. From 1978 to 1996, he served as President of the Massachusetts Senate, making him the longest serving Senate president in Massachusetts history. Tickets are $39/person and $390/table of ten. To register, fax the back cover of this Action Report to 508-587-1340 or call 508-586-0500 ext. 221.
Good News Chamber members are invited to send information for the Good News column to the Chamber office. Bridgewater State College recently inaugurated the college's 11th president, Dr. Dana Mohler-Faria, on October 18, 2002. He is the first person of color to lead the college and the second individual of Cape Verdean descent to ascend to lead one of the nation's 3,200 institutions of higher education. In addition, Raymond C. Guillette has been named assistant dean of graduate and continuing education at Bridgewater State College. He began his position on September 3. He will be responsible for recruitment and admissions for all graduate and continuing education programs. Mr. Bryan Baldwin has also been hired as a speechwriter at Bridgewater State College. He will work with the college's president to develop speeches for college and public events as well as write campus communicaitons. The Old Colony United Way is pleased to have Marguerite Nelson Sarson as a new board member and looks forward to the business knowledge and experince she has to share. Ms. Sarson, is the founder, owner and president of Nelson Copy Supply Company, Inc. which is located in Hanover, MA. Ms. Sarson is a member of many local business organizations including South Shore Women's Business Network and a Metro South, a Hanover, and a South Shore Chamber of Commerce member. Ms. Sarson and her husband John are the parents of four children and reside in Hanover. The Brockton Neighborhood Health Center (BNHC) has expanded capacity with two new staff doctors. Dr. Thomas Y. Chang has joined the Dental Clinic as a full time dentist and Dr. Mamatha Prabhakara has joined the medical staff as a full time primary care provider with a specialty in internal medicine. BNHC currently consists of four clinical sites within the city of Brockton. The primary clinical site, at 157 Main Street, opened in 1994. The Children's Museum in Easton is proud to announce that it has been selected to receive the prestigious IMLS General Operating Support grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. "An operating support grant is one of the most valuable types of funding sources available to non-profits", said Executive Director Paula Peterson. Dr. Robert S. Martin, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, commented, "General Operating Support grants are only given to museums that have the highest approval rating of their peers. Out of 839 applicants nationwide, The Children's Museum in Easton was one of only 179 awards that were approved. IMLS is a federal grant-making agency located in Washington, D.C. that fosters leadership, innovation and a lifetime of learning by supporting museums and libraries. For more information on the Children's Museum in Easton call the Museum at 508-230-3789. Rogers & Gray Insurance Agency, Inc., in an effort to thank all of its customers , is holding Customer Appreciation Week during the week of Thanksgiving, Nov. 25-29. The public is invited to drop in at any of its seven office locations to enjoy some refreshments and to pick up a beautiful 2003 calendar. Rogers & Gray offices are located on Davis Straits, Falmouth; in Tradewinds Plaza, Sanwich; on Route 132 in Hyannis; on Route 134 in South Dennis; on Route 6A in Orleans, on Court Street in Plymouth and on Tremont Road in Wareham. Due to public demand, an additional concert was added to the 55th anniversary season of the Brockton Symphony Orchestra. The nationally-known Diabelli String Quartet will perform with the Brockton Symphony Orchestra's music director, conductor, and clarinetist Jonathan Cohler, Sunday, November 17 at 3:30 p.m. Together the ensemble will perform the Quintet in B minor, Opus 11 by Johannes Brahms, and Quintet in B-flat Major, Opus 34 by Carl Maria von Weber. All symphony concerts are held at the Brockton High School. Single tickets are priced from $10-19.50. For more information call 508-588-3841.
Stone Commissioned For Edison MemorialThe Metro South Chamber of Commerce has commmissioned Janos Stone to sculpt a memorial in honor of Thomas Edison. He was selected from more than a dozen artists who responded to a request for proposals. The proposals were reviewed and narrowed by Jennifer Atkinson, Director of the Fuller Museum of Art. Stone was then selected after a site visit by Atkinson and several Chamber representatives. Stone, produces his art at The Fenway Studios on Ipswich Street in Boston. He attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where he studied the human figure in sculpture, as well as a form of design with it's foundation deeply rooted in nature and naturalistic concepts. While he was attending RISD he was fortunate to be accepted into the European Honors Program. He lived and worked in Rome, Italy as part of the program that was geared toward the emersion into the classical forms of art. Stone's was commissioned to fabricate the Nagano Olypic Prize to be given out at the 1998 Olympic Games. Stone also studied the Human Anatomy with artist Eric Ericson at Brown University. Stone was then given the opportuniy to teach Figurative Sculpture at Brown University for the Visual Arts Department. He was then asked by the city of Providence, RI in tandem with the Feinstein family to design a memorial to Lillian Feinstein, the mother of the noted philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein. Stone has mainly worked on commissions for private and public clients while continuing his teaching of figure sculpture, design and figure drawing at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. Stone's work is also shown in galleries around the New England area.
Southeastern Massachusetts Venture Forum - Nov. 7The Southeastern Mass Venture Forum will hold its next monthly meeting on November 7. The forum's educational program brings together entrepreneurs and other individuals who may be interested in servicing and/or investing in growth companies. This event will feature a talk by Peter Quigley, President and Founder of Fiberspar. Fiberspar's spoolable fiber-reinforced pipe business was formed in 1997 to provide the oil and gas industry with a family of products to address the market requirements for a reliable, corrosion-resistant, cost-effective solution for tubulars used during the production and transportation of oil and gas. The company was originally founded in 1986 by Mr. Peter Quigley and was a spin-off of the Massachusetts Intitute of Technology. By 1989, Fiberspar had proved the base technology of producing continuous fiber-reinforced products, and the company's sports business became the world leader in the design and manufacture of high performance fiber-reinforced composite tubing used for windsurfing, masts, hockey sticks, and yacht battes. Because of unique technology and superior performance, Fiberspar products were used by twelve consecutive world champions in windsurfing, three consecutive leading scorers in the National Hockey League, and three consecutive winning America's Cup teams. The November 7 program will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will be held at the Moakley Center at Bridgewater State College. The forum is managed by Bridgewater State College's Corporate & Professional Development Office part of Graduate & Continuing Education. The Metro South Chamber of Commerce is a co-sponsor of the venture forum. The fee is $10, however, Metro South Chamber of Commerce members can pay a reduced fee of $5 by pre-registering. To register contact Lisa Turner at 508-531-2788 or visit the forum website www.semassventure.org.
Lean Manufacturing Orientation Monday, November 25The Metro South Chamber of Commerce will host a special seminar on lean manufacturing on Monday, November 25 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Chamber. This program, will teach businesses how to standardize work and organize the workplace, use visual controls and apply point of use storage to reduce inventory levels, apply quality at the source as an alternative to final inspection, and find and eliminate waste. A respresentative from Rolls-Royce will be a guest speaker to talk about their use of lean manufacturing techniques. Companies that attend the seminar, will also receive a Lean Assessment of their business practices. This assessment will include four hours of consulting time during which your company will be assessed and compared against standard lean processes and practices. A follow up report will be provided along with discussion on how lean principles can be applied to your operation. Registration includes breakfast. The cost for the seminar is $20 for members of the Metro South Chamber of Commerce and $35 for non-members. This seminar will be beneficial to all businesses. For more information, or to register for this seminar, contact Roy Nascimento at the Metro South Chamber of Commerce at 508-586-0500 ext. 225.
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Blake Elected Chamber ChairJames Blake, President and CEO of Brockton Credit Union, has accepted the position of Chairman of the Board for the Metro South Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Blake began his career in 1972 with the Atlantic Savings Bank of Chelsea where he was the assistant auditor. Over the years, he held senior management positions at various financial institutions including the Provident Institute for Savings of Boston and Mechanics Bank in Worcester where he was Senior Vice-President of Retail Banking and Marketing. He has served in a number of leadership positions within the financial services industry, including a Member of the Board of Directors of CUNA, which is the National Trade Association representing credit unions throughout the United States. In addition, Mr. Blake is an officer and board member of the Massachusetts Credit Union League representing credit unions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Additionally, he is a member of CUNA's Government Affairs Committee representing the legislative interests of credit unions throughout the country. Beyond Mr. Blake's professional affiliations he has served in a number of volunteer positions in the community, including Chairman of the Board of Brockton Hospital, past Chairman of the Brockton Housing Partnernship, member of the Bridgewater State College Foundation as well as numerous other organizations. Jim has served on the Chamber Board since 1995 and has held various positions including Chair of Economic Development, where he played a pivital role in establishing the Metro South Business Assistance Center. Working with the Board, staff and membership, Blake will lead the Chamber in its mission to serve the interests of member businesses while providing community leadership and ensuring economic advancement within the Metro South region.
Stonehill Hosts Legislative ReceptionThe Metro South Chamber's 13th Annual Legislative Reception, held on October 3, 2002, at Stonehill College, provided local business people with an opportunity to meet elected officials and discuss the needs and concerns of the local business community. The reception has evolved into one of the region's premier annual events, for legislators, business and political leaders the region. Over 100 people attended the event, including over thirty state senators, state representatives, mayors, city councilors, selectmen, candidates for public office, and city and town officials. Many thanks to Stonehill College and New England Sinai Hospital for sponsoring this important event.
November Calendar
December Calendar
Note: All meetings are held at the Metro South Chamber office or Metro South Business Assistance Center (BAC) unless otherwise indicated.
Chamber Leadership for 2003MISSION: To serve the interests of member businesses while providing community leadership to ensure the economic advancement of the Metro South region. The Chamber's Board of Directors is made up of thirty business and community leaders from throughout the Metro South region. Presently, the Board consists of Frederick Adami, Reed, Adami & Kaiser; Pam Bellino, Bay State Gas Company; James Blake, Brockton Credit Union; Leland Brockington, New Brock International; Pat Ciaramella, Old Colony Planning Council; Stephen Hall, Massachusetts Electric Company; Gregory Hart, Robert Ercolini and Company, LLC, CPA's; Walter Herlihy, Bristol Investment Management; John Hopkins, Brockton Plastics, Inc.; Christine Karavites, UMASS Donahue Institute; Robert Kenworthy, Fleet Bank; Paul LaBreche, The Enterprise; Reinald Ledoux, Brockton Area Transit Authority; Maria Martins, Moving Forward, Inc.; John McCluskey, McCluskey, Yunits & Buckley, P.C.; Stephen McDuffy, Holmes-McDuffy Florists; John McGovern, Rodman & Rodman, P.C.,CPA; Gerard Nadeau, Rockland Trust Company; Paula Peterson, The Children's Museum in Easton; Lou Russo, AT&T Broadband; Scott Sanborn, Sovereign Bank; Carmel Shields, Shields Health Care Group, Inc.; James S. Troup, LeBaron Foundry, Inc; and Charles Wall, Massasoit Community College. On Wednesday, November 13, 2002, at the Chamber's Annual Meeting and Business-to-Business Expo, six new Board members will be presented. They are Jack Conway, Conway Real Estate; Dr. Dana Mohler-Faria, Bridgewater State College; Kelly Carney Kelly, Carney Brothers; David Orloff, Sharkansky & Company; John Vlaco, Brophy & Phillips Company, Inc. and Hank Wolfson, Shaw's Supermarkets. Together the Chamber achieves what no one business can alone. To learn more about the Metro South Chamber, contact President and CEO Christopher Cooney at 508-586-0500 ext. 223. The December issue will feature the new Board members who were elected at the Chamber's 89th Annual Meeting.
BSC Students Gain Sales Experience at ChamberThree marketing students from Bridgewater State College are presently working for the Metro South Chamber. As part of their Sales Management course, James Barrett, Joseph Lomba, and Brian Siegal are selling ads for the 2003 Metro South Book for Business. Under the leadership of Professor Sylvia Keyes, the students are gaining first-hand experience with business-to-business sales. The students are learning how to work as a team, manage their time effectively and use what they are learning in the classroom in a professional atmosphere. They are following up on leads, making cold calls, developing prospects, and selling advertisements for the Chamber's Book for Business. The Metro South Book for Business is a 100-page, four-color publication featuring a complete membership directory and guide to the Metro South region. This year, 5,000 copies of the Book for Business will be distributed throughout the region to banks, real estate offices, hotels, town offices, all Chamber members and sent to all relocating businesses and families interested in the Metro South area. To advertise in the 2003 Book for Business, call Kerrie Blake at 508-586-0500 ext. 222 or e-mail kerrie@metrosouthchamber.com.
Counting American Business 2002 Economic CensusThe Commerce Department's Census Bureau will send questionnaires to more than 5 million businesses in December, launching the 2002 Economic Census, which Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has called, "indispensable to understanding America's economy." "The Economic Census produces our most widely used business statistics," said Kathleen B. Cooper, Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs. "It is the primary benchmark for measurement of 96 percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the Foundation for most of our economic indicators." The Economic Census also provides reports on hundreds of industries and data for states, counties and places - even some for zip codes. Businesses, communities, and governments use Economic Census data for planning and market development. Reports and statistics are published on the Census Bureau's Internet site www.census.gov. Several initiatives will be used to make it easier for businesses to complete their census forms. For the first time, about 3.5 million locations will be able to file their forms electronically. The Census Bureau also has an Internet help site for businesses www.census.gov/econhelp. A toll-free "help line" (1-800-233-6136) will be answered by Census Bureau employees during business hours ( 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., EST, Monday through Friday). Data covering calendar year 2002 will be collected and processed during 2003, and the first data will be released beginning in early 2004. Ultimately, the Economic Census will yield over 1,600 data products, with information on more than 1,000 industries and over 50,000 geographic areas.
Thank You Renewing Members
Abby Mae's Limousine A special thanks to Spaces that Work for sponsoring the October Good Morning Metro South breakfast.
High School Students Shadow Local EmployersLast year over 35 Stoughton High School students participated in job shadow activities at Franklin Sports in Stoughton. The students, who are juniors or seniors in Helen Rabouin's Management and Marketing class or other business classes, spent a morning shadowing employees in various areas at the company, including Product Development, Accounting, Graphic Arts, and Human Resources. The experience allowed the students to shadow a work place mentor as the employee went through his or her daily activities. By providing job shadow opportunities, students were able to obtain an up-close look at how the skills they were learning in the classroom were put into action at the company. Rabouin began utilizing job shadow activites in her Business classes in 1997 as a way to help students connect the work they were doing in the classroom to real life experience in the workforce. "Knowing that we can take a group of high school students to job sites and have them respond to the experience, both in and out of school, makes me feel that we've accomplished something." Through job shadows, students interact with company employees thereby helping them to learn about careers and job opportunities in the industry. Ultimately, these experiences help students to make more informed career choices in the future. George Small, Vice President of Finance and Accounting, who worked closely with Rabouin last year to provide job shadow experiences for the students, explained the company's experience this way, "overall, our people welcome the opportunity to meet with the students. Our employees derive some personal satisfaction believing that they have provided the students with some useful information for their education and career development." Each month during the school year Rabouin took a team of 5 students from her class to Franklin Sports to learn about the company. Students prepared for their job shadows through classroom activities that included researching the company using the internet to learn about the company's products and departments. Next, students developed questions to use during their shadow experience to gain more information about the company including a better understanding on the type of skills, training, and education that are needed for specific positions in the company. After shadowing their mentors in the morning, the students returned to SHS where they participated in a group reflection activity to discuss the different departments of the organization that the students saw. Finally, the team of students gave a presentation about their experiece to other students in Rabouin's class. This year Rabouin will expand her job shadow program to include Franklin Sports and Jordan's Furniture, both companies have participated in the past, and she will add two new companies, Brockton Credit Union, and Casual Male. By engaging more companies to participate in the job shadow program, Rabouin will be able to introduce her students to a variety of industry clusters throughout the year. For more information on how to become involved in School to Career Activities, please contact Meghan Abella-Bowen at the Brockton Area Workforce Investment Board at 508-584-3234.
Government AffairsNext Committee Meeting: Friday, November 8, 2001 at 7:45 a.m. Metro South Chamber Conference Room 1 The next Government Affairs Committee Meeting will be held on Friday, November 8, at 7:45 a.m., at the Chamber's headquarters located at Sixty School Street in Brockton. Dr. Marylou Buyse, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans will be the guest speaker. Dr. Buyse is board-certified in several medical specialties including medical genetics, pediatrics, and medical management, and continues to maintain a primary care practice at New England Baptist Medical Associates. MAHP represents 9 health plans providing coverage for over 2.2 million Massachusetts Residents. Dr. Buyse will discuss MAHP's public policy initiatives and take questions from the committee. Health care costs are expected to increase by 15% for employers next year. The monthly Government Affairs meetings provide an opportunity for member businesses to discuss issues important to them with their elected officials. Join other Chamber members for this opportunity to interact with legislators and hear first hand what is in store for the business community on Beacon Hill. If you would like to attend, or if you would like further information on the Chamber's Government Affairs Committee, please contact Roy Nascimento at 508-586-0500 ext. 225 or roy@metrosouthchamber.com.
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