Posts by growthzone
Join Us for the 2016 Small Business Award
Join Us for the 2016 Small Business Award Five area businesses will be honored on May 4 as finalists for the 2016 W. Curtis Strube Small Business Award. Here’s a look at this year’s honorees: Club Management Services, LLC is a comprehensive club and association administrative business. It offers professional services including board support, attendance tracking,…
Read MoreMoDOT director visits Springfield
MoDOT director visits Springfield Patrick McKenna, the new director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, made his first official visit to Springfield April 13 to offer a view of the transportation landscape in the Show-Me State. In a presentation at the Chamber, he said the funding picture is not as dire as it had been…
Read MoreYear in Review – 2015
Year in Review – 2015 The Chamber works hard every day to help create growth, advocate for our members, create connections and develop our workforce. This video offers a look at some of our biggest accomplishments in each of these areas in 2015. Supported by BKD CPAs & Advisors
Read MoreConnecting members with decision makers
Connecting members with decision makers An important aspect of the Chamber’s mission is facilitating connections—between business owners but also between members and decision makers at local, state and national levels March was a good month for making connections, as two state legislators visited the Springfield Chamber offices to offer their views of state-level progress and listen…
Read MoreMid-session legislative recap
Mid-session legislative recap As the Missouri General Assembly reaches the midway point of the 2016 session, Chamber staff continue to make weekly visits to the capitol, monitoring more than 140 bills on behalf of our members. We will encourage lawmakers to move on top priorities including transportation, workers’ compensation reforms, workforce and economic development and education…
Read MorePreparing to win: the back story on the Kraft Heinz expansion
Preparing to win: the back story on the Kraft Heinz expansion When major companies merge without warning, the effects can be damaging for communities that aren’t prepared … or a potential windfall for communities with a plan. That was the case with Kraft Heinz, one of Springfield’s largest manufacturing employers. When Kraft merged with Heinz…
Read MoreMaking the case for better roads
Making the case for better roads Making democracy work is, well, hard work. Elected officials are bombarded with information from staff, lobbyists, advocates and voters back home. Tweets, texts and emails compete for attention with floor speeches, committee meetings and phone calls. So when a constituent walks into the middle of this cacophony, the effect…
Read MoreEmployee education: What’s it worth?
Employee education: What’s it worth? In their quest to attract and retain talented employees, companies consider many options. One getting increased attention is support for education and professional development. That was the focus of a special session of the Chamber’s “60 Minutes to Success” educational series on March 29. The session, “Supporting Education Attainment,” included…
Read MoreTo find a true leader
To find a true leader They tower above most of us, those who have been honored as “Springfieldians.” At our annual meeting a few weeks ago, the 2016 Springfieldian award went to Bill Kirkman, an accountant by trade, a leader by nature. Here’s your chance to see a leader who inspires others to dream more…
Read MoreOur best intel comes from existing businesses
Our best intel comes from existing businesses Identifying business trends can be deceptively tricky. Who can provide the best insight? Who has the most reliable information? In its economic development work, Chamber staff decided to go to the source: CEOs and top business executives who spend each work day creating new possibilities, analyzing the bottom…
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