My Business Advocate

Building Better Communities by Building Better Businesses

November 2009 Volume 29, Issue 11

Coming Events

Government Matters @ Chamber Ofce 11/2Finance and Executive Board 11/18Orientation Breakfast 11/19Chamber After Hours - Ramada Plaza 11/123rd Fridays! @ Hilton GR Airport Hotel 11/20Board of Directors 11/24Santa Parade 12/5Finance and Executive Board 12/9Board of Directors 12/17Annual Meeting and Silent Auction 1/22/10

Calendars on Pages 6 & 7

Jamie and Bret VanderKolk, attornies from

VanderKolk & VanderKolk, PLC

(left) and Sue and Tommy Brann (right) from

Brann's Steakhouse & Grille

, took the opportunity,before the evening began, to chat with

StateRepresentative Kevin Green, R-77thDistrict

, (center) at the 28th Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner.

Plan to join us on Friday evening, January 22, 2010 as we gather

Noto's Old World ItalianDining

located at 6600 28thSt SE in Cascade for our 29thAnnual Meeting and AwardsDinner.We'll wrap up 2009, gear upfor 2010 and recognize specialaccomplishments by volunteersand area businesses at our 29thAnnual Meeting and AwardsDinner. There will be bidding at a SilentAuction during the evening, upuntil we present the Business of the Year Awards. Proceeds willbe used to benet 2010 Eventsas outlined in the Program of Work completed by your newlyelected Board of Directors. Join us for a very special night,some great food, powerful

2010 Silent AuctionSeeks Donations

Sponsorships Available

Sponsoring the Annual Meeting andSilent Auction means high visibility at aprice meant to t your business budget.With your pre-paid sponsorship, yourcompany name will appear on all thepre-event publicity, in press releases,on nearly 500 event invitations and ona banner at the event.

Donations are now being acceptedat the Chamber Ofce. We arelooking for merchandise, giftcards and gift baskets that willencourage our members to bidhigh and bid often. All proceedsbenet 2010 Chamber Programs.You may receive a call fromsomeone on the committeeasking for your donation. Takethe opportunity to remind thoseattending the Annual Meetingand Awards Dinner that you're amembers. All donating businesses will be mentioned during theAwards Dinner, from the podium.

networking and an all aroundfun event you'll remember for along time. The evening is black-tie optional, business formalattire.

Watch for your invitation

in the mail in early Januaryand send in your RSVP rightaway. Don't forget to makereservations for your guests atthe same time.Unlike many things lately,the cost to attend the AnnualMeeting remains $45 per person with your reservation before January 15. Reservations areonly $65 from January 16.Cost at the door will be $85.Many sponsorships includereservations for dinner.

Get the details

and registeron line at www.southkent.orgor email sue@southkent.org forassistance.

Noto's Site of 29th Annual Meeting andAwards Dinner

YOUR CHAMBER MANAGEMENT

2009 Board of Directors

*indicates Executive Committee Member

*John Crawford - President & CEO*Todd Duncan - Consumers Energy, Board Chair*Steve Marshall- MAS Advisory Service, Chair, Fin. &Budget*Norine Mulvihill - Sr. V. Chair - American DiabetesAssociation*Kathey Batey - Priority Health/SpiritedPresentations*Brent Holland - Chameleon Ltd.*Skip Knapp - EdwardJones Investments*Tom Kruisenga - The Kruisenga Agency, PastChair*Brent Vander Kolk - Vander Kolk & Vander KolkPLC, Legal Counsel

Community Relations Division (Blue)*Kathey Batey - Vice ChairTommy Brann - Brann’s Steakhouse & GrilleDan Van Dyke - PCO Associates, LLC*Brent Vander Kolk - Vander Kolk & VanderKolk,.PLCLillian VanderVeen - Lenger Travel ServicesMember Relations Division (Red)*Brent Holland - Vice ChairRichard Chrisman - Hungerford, Aldrin, Nichols &CarterDanna Mathiesen - Mercantile BankJohn Schwartz - AT&TMembership Development Division (Gold)*Skip Knapp - Vice ChairBob O'Callaghan - Citadel BroadcastingRob Wells - VantagePointe Financial GroupFinancial Development Division (Green)*Norine Mulvihill - Sr. Vice ChairBetsy Artz - Loeks Theaters (Celebration Cinema)Joel Iakiri - Huntington Bank

David Szidik - Proforma Innite Marketing

Matt Uhl - National City

Ex-Ofcio

Carol Sheets - City of Wyoming, MayorRichard Root - City of Kentwood, MayorCurtis Holt - City of Wyoming, ManagerBill Doren - Chamber Foundation Chair

My Business Advocate,

Building Better Communities by Building Better Businesses

Opinion by John

November 2009By John J. Crawford, Jr.President & CEO

Defending Free Enterprise

It is a sad commentary when the U.S. Chamber of Commerceannounced this month that it was spending $25 Million on anadvertising campaign extolling the virtues of Free Enterprise. Wow!Back in the 1992 Presidential campaign Arkansas GovernorBill Clinton energized his campaign team and kept them onmessage with his slogan

“It’s the Economy, Stupid!”

The

slogan was correct and Clinton went on to an impressivevictory over incumbent President Bush (41).Although it has taken enormous hits in the last few years,I will always be a defender of Capitalism and the FreeEnterprise system. There is no question that it has worked toelevate the living conditions of masses of people everywherethat it has been tried far better than any other system everdevised.Has it done so perfectly? No, because humans are involved.But its records of achievement are still far superior to everyother system tried.

Economic Liberty

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Our nation was born on this foundational concept, despiteefforts over the last 40 years to re-write history. It isfunctionally impossible to have Liberty without havingEconomic Liberty. Just ask those around you who live withpersonal debt how much Liberty they really feel. Businessentities are merely the devices used by We the People toorganize our efforts for the greater good and to achieve someEconomic Liberty for ourselves.Free Enterprise allows anyone a shot at becoming amillionaire - or a “hundred-thousandaire” – or simply thechance to leave their kids with something more than theyhad. When the rules are followed, Free Enterprise cannotcreate millionaires without creating dozens of hundred-thousandiares and often, other millionaires! Ray Kroc, forexample, had created 15 millionaires in his McDonaldssystem in his rst 7 years before he even took a steadypaycheck The U.S. is experimenting with wealth redistribution andsocialist programs right now. Let’s not ever forget, though,the Free Enterprise system and work to restore

it.. ThisChamber needs to remain proud of defending FreeEnterprise and every business man and woman puttingit all on the line to make it work. It is the rising tidethat will lift all boats.

At least, that’s my Opinion by John.

A tip of the Hat to Blair and Crew - Blair Entenmann of MarketingHelp!

– you and your Business Connections Expoteam did a super job on last month’s Expo! Congratulations!

Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of CommerceNominate Businesses of the Year 2009

The Chamber’s Businesses of theYear Awards will be presented onFriday evening, January 22, 2010 atthe Chamber’s Annual Meeting. Thisis our chance to recognize exceptionalarea businesses in each of three cate-gories for going above and beyond thecall of duty. This has been anothergreat year for many enterprises andthe Chamber wants to celebrate byrecognizing outstanding businessesin these classes. The Chamber Executive Committeeand past award winners serve as the judging committee and will be lookingat several areas of contribution. It ispossible to win with contributions in just one area.Although it is encouraged and willlikely be used as a tie breaker, Cham-ber Membership is not a requirementto be a nominee or to submit a nomi-nation. Contributions of the nomi-nees must have been in the 2009calendar year.

Submission deadlineis Monday, December 14, 2009.

Award Nomination Criteria.

Business Operations

Activity thatthat exemplies community leader-ship and/or exceptional customerservice in a retail, service or manu-facturing business.

Chamber Support

Activity or con-tribution which is above and beyondthe call of Chamber membership and which helped the Chamber of Com-merce further its mission in somesignicant way.

Economic Development

Activitythat resulted in the creation of jobsor an increase in wealth or capitalinvestment in the Wyoming-Kent- wood Area.

Education

Development or partici-pation in training and education pro-grams resulting in a better-trained workforce either currently or for thefuture.

Humanitarian Efforts

Activitiesor signicant contributions that re-sulted in the improvement of humanconditions anywhere in the world.

Quality of Life

Coordination of anylocal project or activity that improvedthe quality of life for residents of theGreater Wyoming-Kentwood com-munity.

Forms must be received at the Chamber ofces by 5:00 pm onMonday, December 14, 2009. You may also e-mail form to

sue@southkent.org

Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce



590 32

Street SE



Wyoming, MI 49548

Businesses of the Year 2009NOMINATION FORM

Category (check one):



Retail



Manufacturing



Service

Nominee’s Company Name:

___________________________________________________

Address:

___________________________________________________________________

City, State: _____________________________________

Zip:

___________________

Contact Name:

_____________________________

Phone: ____________

____________

Nominator’s Name:

__________________________

Relationship to Nominee:

_________

Nominator’s e-Mail:

___________________________

Phone:

_______________________

Please provide a detailed description of the nominee’s contributions on a second sheet of paper. Explain whenand under what circumstances these contributions were made. Please provide as much detailed informationas possible relative to career, family, education and volunteer commitments. A judging committee shall revieweach nomination and select a winning organization in each category. The judges’ decisions shall be nal.Complete and return the form to Sue Bynum via mail to the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce,590 32

Street SE, Wyoming, MI 49548-2345, or fax to 616-531-0252 or e-mail tosue@southkent.or