COMMITTEE OF 100 RESUMES IN AUGUST
The next Committee of 100 meeting is set for Friday, August 14, 2015, at 8:00 a.m. Committee of 100 meetings are held at the Health and Life Center (old Hospital), 1239 E. Main Street. If you are interested in becoming a member of this prestigious group, contact Chairman Brian Hinton at (863) 533-4196. CLICK FOR A LIST OF MEMBERS
SCORE ROUNDTABLE IN BARTOW COMING UP
MARK YOUR CALENDAR! FREE to Business Owners and those interested in starting a business, on the second Thursday of each month, 7:30-8:30 a.m. at the Chamber: The popular SCORE Roundtable for businesses! Join us the 2nd Thursday of every month as we explore various topics of interest to our members. Chamber Business Roundtable is brought to you through the partnership between SCORE, Polk County SBA Center and the Chamber. To register, go to www.bartowchamber.com, or you may click here.
NEXT ROUNDTABLE:
Really Helpful Accounting Tips!
NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS
RESTAURANT
JK'S Cafe
Mr. Todd L. Sapulski, Sr.
211 1st Ave., NW
Mulberry, FL 33860
(863) 425-5080
Join Date:06/22/2015
COMIC BOOKS
Main Street Comics & Memorabilia
Mr. John Harrison
415 E. Main St., Suite C
Bartow, FL 33830
(Open Soon!)
Join Date:07/06/2015
RESTAURANT
Joshua's Kitchen
Mr. Todd L. Sapulski, Sr.
2020 Shepherd Rd.
Mulberry, FL 33860
(863) 701-7230
Join Date:07/08/2015
SMALL BUSINESS HELP IS ON ITS WAY
SBDC Is Available At
Chamber On August 13
The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at University of South Florida, assists existing and emerging businesses in Polk County, through no-cost confidential business consulting, and low-cost training. Consultants can assist entrepreneurs in a variety of business topics, including: marketing, business certification, capital access, market diversification, developing strategic business plans, export services, and web optimization. A consultant will be at the Chamber on August 13, 2015 and available to Chamber Businesses. To schedule an appointment, visit www.bartowchamber.com and follow the links on the home page, or call (863) 678.4182, ext. 227.
2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Sharon Casey, President
Community Southern Bank
Myrtice Young, Immediate Past President
Polk County Board of County Commissioners
Jennifer Hall, President-elect, Vice President
SEMCO Construction
Gail Smith, Treasurer
Community Southern Bank
Emily Spath Clark, Vice President
Spath Jewelers
Clint Edwards, Vice President
Tom Edwards Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
Rob Clancey, Vice President
Polk State College
Carole McKenzie, Vice President
Polk County Farm Bureau
Shannon Medley, Vice President
Florida Industrial and Phosphate
Research Institute
DIRECTORS
David Carmichael
Boswell & Dunlap, LLP
Lennon Jordan
Madrid Engineering Group
Jeremy M. Katzmann, MD
Watson Clinic
Jeff Kincart
A-C-T Environmental & Infrastructure
J.C. Martin
Kelley Buick GMC
Phil Minden
Bartow Regional Medical Center
Callie Neslund
Mosaic
Josh Palmer
Palmer Insurance Agency, Inc.
Freda Ridgway
Mosaic
Carlos Sandoval
Bartow Ford Company
David Sandow
Spherion Staffing
Anita Stasiak
CenterState Bank
Lea Ann Thomas
Polk County Board of County Commissioners
Valerie Tillmon
Citizens Bank & Trust
REACH 22K HOMES WITH YOUR MESSAGE
 Reserve your space now in the Fall Chamber Quarterly Magazine and hand your business card out to more than 20,000 households for only $85 per issue. Call Barbara Adamson at 863-533-7125 for more information. |
FROM THE PRESIDENT:
 As many of you already know, I'm retiring this month from the world of commerce. This is my last month of getting up early, getting dressed and heading to the office. It's a bitter-sweet event in my life. I'm looking forward to all the opportunities I'll have to travel, work on hobbies, etc., but I'll be sad to leave the professional world of banking. It's been very good to me.
My retirement has made me think about change, and I wonder if change is always good or bad. I'm inclined to think that change is more often good, and here's why.
Change brings about new opportunities. You never know what path is waiting for you. You'll have new choices for happiness in your life. Change begins a new journey - it's like closing a chapter and beginning a new one in your book. This could lead to much excitement to life. Change breaks up the routine. I've heard that time seems to fly by because we are doing the same thing over and over again. When we break up our routine, time slows down for us. At my age, this is a good thing. Things move forward and progress happens with change. Change helps us improve ourselves, it makes us flexible enough to adapt to new situations, surroundings and unexpected shifts in our lives. It helps us grow. When change causes us to struggle, we take stock in ourselves and look at things from a new perspective and this introspection makes us stronger.
With all this being said, I wanted you to know that your Executive Director, Jeff Clark and the Board of Directors are also thinking about change and are currently reevaluating the Chamber. We're on the cusp of making some decisions to enable the Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce become stronger and more effective as an economic development entity for Bartow. We're looking for exciting things to happen in Bartow!
Until next week,
Sharon Casey
Community Southern Bank, VP
Chamber President, 2015
BUSINESS OF THE MONTH: AFFORDABLE APPLIANCE
Monday the Dog and his helpers invite you to stop by and see the July Business of the Month, Affordable Appliance. Left to right are Joey Cain, Sherri Savary, and Monday, all from Affordable Appliance; and Barbara Adamson, Membership Director at the Chamber.
Business of the Month of July is . . .
AFFORDABLE APPLIANCE
Stop by and wish Monday the Dog a Happy Birthday and receive 10% off any major appliance purchase at Affordable Appliance, the Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month for July! Affordable Appliance is located at 220 Manor Dr., Bartow. Call 863-533-8775; or visit the Affordable website at www.appliancesbartowfo.com for more information.
TRAVEL WITH THE CHAMBER!
We have two very exciting Chamber trips coming up:
NEW YORK CITY HOLIDAY
November 30 - December 4, 2015
(Deadline: June 23, 2015. Reservations made after this date are subject to availability)
and
DISCOVER TUSCANY
April 14 - April 23, 2016
Call Linda Holcomb, 533-7125, for more information!
MEMBERSHIP MILESTONES
30 YEARS
Barbara Osthoff
Church Service Center
5 YEARS
Paula A. Jackson
ENGAGE NEWS: STUFF THE BUS, SOCIAL
 Mark your calendars for July 17, 2015, because ENGAGE Chamber Young Professionals are planning activities for the entire Chamber membership, you won't want to miss!
The kickoff for the annual STUFF THE BUS initiative, a program that helps more than 3,000 homeless students in Polk County, is Friday, July 17. The program will run through August 7, so bring school supplies to the Chamber; or to the ENGAGE Social, which will be held July 17 at The Wine Stable at 5:00 p.m. - AND YOU ARE INVITED!
EVERYONE who is a member of the Chamber is invited to attend the Social, hosted by ENGAGE. Immediately following is Main Street Bartow's FRIDAY FEST, 6:00 p.m., downtown Bartow. It's going to be a great evening of fun!
BARTOW RETAIL ACADEMY DATES CHANGE
BARTOW RETAIL ACADEMY TO TEACH
MARKETING & SALES TACTICS TO BUSINESSES
Polk County business owners are invited to learn new marketing and sales tactics for their small businesses at the Bartow Retail Academy, beginning July 21 at DMAR Business Center, 300 East Summerlin Street, Bartow. The Academy, presented by Main Street Bartow, Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce, Bartow’s Community Redevelopment Agency, and the Florida Small Business Development Center at University of South Florida, will include four seminars for just $120. The seminars take place June July 21, 23, 28 & 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Businesses in the Bartow CRA District qualify for a scholarship and can register by calling Main Street Bartow at 863-519-0508 or Greater Bartow Chamber at 863-533-7125.
CHAMBER EVENTS
CHAMBER EVENTS & MEETINGS
(Unless otherwise noted, all meetings will be in the Chamber conference room.)
JULY
Now through July 21, every Tuesday
BIZ KIDS PROGRAM
Thursday, July 17, 5:00 p.m.
ENGAGE SOCIAL at the WINE STABLE
ALL CHAMBER MEMBERS INVITED TO THIS EVENT!
to kick off ENGAGE Young Professional's STUFF THE BUS Program
Bring school supplies to the Chamber now through August 7th and help homeless Polk County students.
July 21, 23, 28, 30, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
BARTOW RETAIL ACADEMY at DMAR Business Centers USA
300 E. Summerlin St., Bartow. Sign up here.
Tuesday, August 21, 3:00 p.m.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Wednesday, July 29, 10:00 a.m.-noon
HOW TO BID ON SCHOOL BOARD PROJECTS
at Florida Industrial and Phosphate Institute Conference Room
1855 W. Main Street, Bartow. Sign up here.
Wednesday, July 29, noon
DIPLOMATS BIRTHDAY BASH
AUGUST
Tuesday, August 11, 6:00 p.m.
EMERGING LEADERS AWARDS BANQUET
Bartow Civic Center
2250 S. Floral Avenue, Bartow
BUY TICKETS HERE.
Thursday, August 13, 7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m.
SCORE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
Sign up here.
Thursday, August 13, all day
FLORIDA SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER Representative Available to All Chamber Business Members. Call to schedule an appointment: (863) 678.4182, ext. 227.
Thursday, August 13, 5:15 p.m.
TOM EDWARDS CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM FUN THURSDAY
1425 W. Main Street, Bartow
MEMBER MICRONEWS
MAIN STREET'S FRIDAY FEST IS JULY 17th
Bartow’s next monthly Friday Fest will be held on Friday, July 17, from 6:00 - 9:00 P.M., along East Main Street and Central Avenue in downtown Bartow. This DJ Dance Party will be sponsored by Citizens Bank & Trust and will feature music by Emcee Randy D, activities for the children, and a variety of food from vendors on the street as well as the downtown restaurants. There will also be an open car cruise-in. Friday Fest is held on the third Friday of every month and is hosted by Main Street Bartow, Inc., Bartow’s Community Redevelopment Agency, the City of Bartow, the Polk County Democrat, and Kelley Buick GMC. For more information, call 863-519-0508.
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 ALL GAVE SOME, SOME GAVE ALL . . .
Bartow’s Purple Heart Committee and The Bartow Area Chamber Foundation, Inc. need your help in honoring our local PurpleHeart and POW Veterans. Monuments will be erected in theirmemory at the Civic Plaza located on Davidson Street, across from the Polk County History Center in Downtown Bartow. Your tax-deductible gift, in its entirety, will be used to fund a Purple Heart Memorial and a POW Memorial similar to the ones pictured below. The goal is to raise $25,000 that will be used to erect the memorials and necessary enhancements to accommodate these important tributes to those who have fought to protect our freedoms. Donations may be dropped off at the Chamber. read more...
COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES IN BARTOW
Looking for a commercially zoned lot, building for rent or to buy for your business? Please check out this site :
You'll get to create an account for free and check out MLS commercial listings for Bartow.
For a downloadable CRA District map, click here, scroll down and look under IMPORTANT LINKS in the right hand column of the Chamber's website.
$25 per run (up to 35 words), call 533-7125 or email Virginia.
COMMERCIAL RENTAL SPACE perfect for small business client consultation and/or satellite office space in Polk County's county seat. Minutes from the courthouse and county administration buildings. The 40-600 square foot move in ready space is located at 1480 N. Broadway Ave., Suite C in Bartow. Rental rates $450-$650 per month. Interested parties should call (863) 559-3180 or (863) 559-0101. |
