December 2014 Newsletter - Greater Olean Area Chamber of

On The
Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce
December 2014 • Volume 21 • Issue 12
HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS at GOACC
GO
Dear GOACC Member -- GREAT NEWS -- Starting January 1, 2015, GOACC
will be able to offer all of our members (no matter how many employees you
have) health insurance options.
Through our health insurance broker, Bene-Care Agency, LLC we can
offer many health insurance plans with BlueCross BlueShield of WNY,
Independent Health, Univera and a new carrier to Cattaraugus County,
Health Republic. Please visit our website, www.oleanny.com to view the
2015 health insurance plans we have to offer.
In this time of confusing and ever changing Healthcare Reform, Bene-Care
works diligently to keep the Chamber and its members well-informed of
emerging industry trends, product developments, legislative changes and
requirements.
Brenda Kasperski is still here in our Chamber office to offer you personalized
service for your health insurance needs. Please contact Brenda at 716-3724433 or [email protected] if you have any questions or want to set up an
appointment to discuss your health insurance needs.
Sincerely,
Meme K. Yanetsko
Chief Operating Officer
Congratulations • Congratulations • Congratulations
Eric Garvin, GOACC Board President, Mike Kasperski - Recognized for
Service to GOACC; Fr. Greg Dobson - Heart of Olean awardee; Jim McAfee
- 2014 L.O.U.I.E.; and Jim Burgeson with Olean Class Cars, Enterprising
Business Award; and Larry Sorokes, GOACC CEO. <Thanks Olean Times Herald for photo>
MISSION -- GOACC is a member driven business organization that provides benefits,
programs, services, and events to enhance the area’s quality of life and economic climate.
GOACC
Events
December 22
TWELVE ICE
SKATING DAYS
of CHRISTMAS,
Olean Recreation
Center, 551 E State
St, Olean, 6 - 8 PM,
FREE ice skating!
••••••••••
December 24
GOACC Office
Close at 11:30 AM
••••••••••
December 25
GOACC Office Closed
••••••••••
December 31
GOACC Office
Close at 11:30 AM
••••••••••
December 31
Moonlight Magic
Gala - New Year’s
Eve Party, Premier
Banquet Center,
Olean, 9 PM - 1 AM
••••••••••
January 1
GOACC Office Closed
••••••••••
January 17-18
Sports and Outdoor
Rec Show, Good
Times Event
Center, Olean
••••••••••
Moonlight
Magic Gala
Greater Olean Area Chamber of
Commerce presents Moonlight
Magic A New Year’s Eve Gala,
December 31, 2014, Premier
Banquet Center, Olean from 9 PM
- 1 AM. The event will feature
music by DJ Extreme with a wide
array of dancing & rocking music!
The evening menu will include
a delicious assortment of kabob
stations, dessert bar, butler served
appetizers and champagne at
Midnight! Gala dress is Business
to Black-Tie and everything in
between. Tickets are $50 per person.
An overnight accommodation
package is available at Country
Inn & Suites for $100. Please when
calling the inn (at 372-7500) mention
Moonlight Magic to receive special
rate. Questions? Please call Greater
Olean Area Chamber of Commerce
716-372-4433 or email betty@
oleanny.com.
Training Funds
Available
Training funds are still available from
the Greater Olean Area Chamber
of Commerce On-The-Job Training
Program. New full-time employees,
or current workers with new job titles,
may be eligible for these training funds,
which can help you offset up to 50% of
their wage/salary while the employee is
acquiring the skills necessary to perform
their job.
The training program does have a
few requirements: employers must be
located within Cattaraugus or Allegany
Counties; employees must be full time
(35-40 hours); employees must be NYS
residents; and employees paperwork
registration information needs to be
confirmed before work/train begins.
Please contact Nick Goodell, OJT
Coordinator at 373-9263 or email
[email protected].
2
Choosing an Energy Supplier
Should I?
If you own a home, you’ve probably received at least a dozen letters
or phone calls from companies claiming they can save you money on
your natural gas and electric bills. You may be asking yourself where
all these companies came from, and how are they going to magically
lower my utility costs.
The recent activities by these companies, also known as Energy Service
Supply Companies (ESCO’s), can be traced back to the late 90’s when
the natural gas and electricity markets were deregulated in New York
State, to increase competition in a previously monopolized industry.
This provides consumers with the ability to make a choice over who
supplies their energy. Unfortunately, this has inherently given people
the ability to make bad choice as well.
The advantages of choosing a supplier, include tax breaks, and most
importantly, the ability to fix your supply price. Homeowners however,
should use caution when selecting any particular offer.
What to Avoid
Introductory Offers – These entice you in with a special promotional price
that’s significantly lower than what you’re currently paying, but after the
initial term, you could find yourself paying more than the utility price.
Telemarketers – This is good thing to avoid no matter what the offer is,
but especially with energy supply. These callers request your account
number and then they enroll your account.
Cash Back – If the company is willing to provide you with cash back at
the end of your supply term, this means that they were overcharging
you the entire time, plain and simple.
Pyramid Schemes – Some companies charge you a monthly fee to sell
energy for them, and offer “free” supply should you sign up others
into the program. The business model operates like a pyramid scheme
and should be avoided.
What to Look For
Go Local - Most the bad offers come from national companies with
purely financial interest in the Buffalo/Niagara region. Local companies
serving larger users tend to have better offers, because they service their
neighbors, and will makes sure to serve them well.
It’s More Than Energy - Reliable, inexpensive energy means we can heat
and cool our homes to comfortable levels, and live better and healthier
lives. You shouldn’t simply reject the notion of choosing a supplier just
because of the bad offers out there.
There are companies such as EnergyMark of Williamsville that will save
you money on your bills. They provide a monthly guarantee for natural
gas. You just need to find the right one that suits your needs.
Team
GOACC
Larry Sorokes
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]
Betty Burrows
Administrative Assistant
[email protected]
Pam Caldwell
Bookkeeper
[email protected]
Nick Goodell
Ex. Dir. Family Partners Group Michelle Joyce Staff Accountant
[email protected]
Brenda Kasperski
Health Insurance [email protected]
Nancy Morgan
Member Services Coordinator [email protected]
Meme Krahe Yanetsko Chief Operating Officer [email protected]
Visit Chamber’s Web Site
www.oleanny.com
Find Us on FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/OleanNYChamber
LEADERSHIP CATTARAUGUS SEEKS APPLICANTS
FOR CLASS OF 2015
Leadership Cattaraugus, a program that helps to “grow” future civic and
community leaders, is accepting applications for its 12th year in 2015.
Applications for the 2015 program, which begins in March, will be screened
by a selection committee and those selected will be notified in February. The
selection criteria include leadership potential, commitment to service, and a
clear desire to contribute to the county’s well-being.
Leadership Cattaraugus was established in November 2003 as a joint effort
of Jamestown Community College’s Cattaraugus County Campus, The
ReHabilitation Center, Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce, and St.
Bonaventure University. The founding partners include: Alcas Corporation,
Cattaraugus Empire Zone Corp., Cooper Power Systems, Cytec Industries,
Dresser-Rand, Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce, The Iroquois Group,
Jamestown Community College, Olean Advanced Products/AVX, Olean General
Hospital, The ReHabilitation Center, and St. Bonaventure University.
The organization now has nearly 220 alums who have participated in sessions
on economic development, education, tourism, government, health and medical
issues, human services, justice, and manufacturing.
The success of the program has been built on the experiential program days.
This format will help participants identify individual strengths and weaknesses;
setting a path for continued professional development.
“As a participant in the class of 2012, I thought
Leadership Cattaraugus gave me a great opportunity
to network and meet with other professionals in other
fields throughout Cattaraugus County. The experience
has also left me with a greater appreciation for what
others do throughout the county to make it such a
wonderful place to live. The learning experience has
been great and I would recommend this program to
others who have an interest in working with others
and building leadership skills,” said Andrew Studley,
Director of Youth and Family Services for Cattaraugus Community Action.
“Leadership Cattaraugus was a real eye opener for me!
My eyes have been opened to the many areas within
our beautiful Cattaraugus County that are in need of
assistance. The program inspired good learning sessions
that helped us all grow as leaders. I am very proud to be
representative of the Leadership Cattaraugus Class of 2011,”
said Larry A. Penman, Shipping / Warehousing Supervisor
at Cutco Cutlery Corporation.
Tuition for the 10-month program is $1,200. For more
details and an application form, visit the Leadership
Cattaraugus website at www.leadershipcattaraugus.
org or call Jesse Gugino, administrator of Leadership
Cattaraugus, at 716-376-7506.
2014 GOACC
Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Eric Garvin,
Community Bank, NA
VICE-PRESIDENT
Dennis Pezzimenti,
DBP Realty
SECRETARY
Colleen Taggerty,
Olean City School
District
TREASURER
Tim O’Keefe,
Cutco Cutlery Corp.
EX-OFFICIO
Vic Vena,
Vic Vena Pharmacy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
William Aiello,
Mayor, City of Olean
Louis “Ledgie” DeRose,
Mazza Mechanical
Services
Cory Duckworth,
Jamestown Community
College
John Gerringer,
Besecker & Coss
Appliances
Mari Howard,
The ReHabilitation
Center
Amy Schneggenburger,
Five Star Bank
Jim Snyder,
Cattaraugus Co.
Legislature
Jay Sorokes,
EATON’s
Cooper Power Systems
John Stahley,
Dresser-Rand Co.
3
MEMBER NEWS
•NEW NAME -- Abbott Welding
Supply Co., Inc. was acquired by
Airgas, Inc. in early November.
Airgas is the nation’s leading
distributor of industrial, medical and
specialty gases and related supplies
and services. All three locations
of Abbott in Olean, Jamestown,
and Hornell, NY have been fully
integrated to Airgas USA. Welcome
to the area -- Airgas!
•SPECIAL SAVINGS -- Paragon
Interior Designs is offering Holiday
and Event Decorating services.
Specializing in banquets, and
business and family parties. Add
that professional yet personal
touch! Contact by email at
[email protected]
or
phone 716-372-2784. 10% off with
this ad through Dec 31, 2014.
•NEW BUSINESS NAME and
CONTACT -- First Class Siding will
now be doing business as Maple Leaf
Contracting. Maple Leaf’s contact is
Bob Woolhizer. No worries, Janet and
Katie are still working there if you
need to contact them. :)
•NEW CONTACT -- The Connection
was accidentally listed alphabetically
in
the
GOACC
Membership
Directory as Data Listing Services.
Our apologizes, their name was
never changed. They continue to
do business as ‘The Connection’.
General contact for the company here
in Olean is Jane Gonter. Her email is
[email protected].
•SPEAKER BUREAU AT SBU
-- A new Speakers Bureau at St.
Bonaventure
University
offers
experts from a variety of disciplines
to speak at no charge to high school
classes, high school assemblies,
community groups, school and
youth organizations, and businesses.
Experts are also available for media
interviews.
From history, literature, mathematics,
art, athletics and education to
business, and pop culture, St.
Bonaventure faculty and staff are
pleased to share their experience
and research with surrounding
community organizations. A list of
speakers and topics is available at
www.sbu.edu/speakers. The website
also has an electronic form to request
a speaker. Requests should be made
at least four weeks in advance.
•K of C NEW ADDRESS -- The
Knights of Columbus have changed
their mailing address to PO Box
338, Olean, NY. The contact phone
number is Bob Moser at 307-9765 or
373-3650.
•WE
FORGOT
THE
DASH!!
-- Tony Ludden is with RICOH
here in Olean. His correct email is
[email protected].
Our
member directory autocorrected
and took out the dash. Sorry for the
inconvenience.
•NEW
LOCATION,
NEW
BANKING HOURS -- M&T Bank of
Olean has moved out of Tops Markets
and is now located at 2604 West State
Street. The bank’s phone is same at
716-376-1701, but hours are now
9 AM – 4 PM Monday – Thursday
9 AM – 5 PM - Friday
9 AM – 12 PM - Saturday
•WINDOW DISPLAYS NEEDED
-- Calling all GOACC members -we have west-facing windows at
the Chamber office that would love
to give your company some added
exposure. Please call our office and
schedule your two-week time frame.
Once scheduled, you would come
in decorate the window and then
also come in and take the window
display down. Certain months will
be scheduled for GOACC events.
CHAMBER word of the month! -- PhotoBombing -- Intentionally
posing in other people’s photos, for a later surprise. Usually people making
funny faces in the background, without the knowledge of the main subjects.
4
NEW
CHAMBER
MEMBERS!!
Please Welcome
These New Members
Randy’s Fire Side
Restaurant
1644 Haskell Rd
Olean, NY
(716) 373-3473
Law Office of
Christopher A.
Spence
Attorney
316 Community
Bank Building
201 North Union
Olean, NY
(716) 373-2260
Oishi Sushi &
Hibachi LLC
Restaurant
2234 W State St
Olean, NY
(716) 373-8889
Market on Main
Grocery / Organic
124 West Main
Allegany, NY
716-378-1277
[email protected]
Please remember
to call GOACC
members when you
need a product or
service. It’s
GOOD Business
to do Business
with Chamber members
On The Go is a published
newsletter of Greater Olean Area
Chamber of Commerce
120 North Union • Olean, NY 14760
(716) 372-4433 • Fax 372-7912
©2014 GOACC
CATTARAUGUS REGION COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Nonprofit Networking Day -- Another Success!
More than 130 board members, volunteers and staff from area nonprofits
gathered to learn and network at the 4th annual Nonprofit Networking Day
hosted by CRCF on November 7 at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts
on the St. Bonaventure University campus.
Keynote speaker Robert Gioia,
John R. Oishei Foundation
president, extolled the virtues of
organizations working together
in his keynote presentation,
“Cultivating Successful
Collaborations.”
“It’s essential that we collaborate
in order to make long-time change
within our communities,” he said.
While collaboration can be
“messy,” Gioia said it will succeed
when there is transparency and
trust among partners who have a shared vision for effective solutions.
He noted scaling was not as important as alignment among collaborating
nonprofits – which he also described as “for purpose” organizations.
Gioia ended his presentation with David Amerland’s quote, “Collaboration
is the new competition.”
Four breakout sessions were offered including:
· “Strategic Planning – There is more than One Path to the Future. Selecting
Yours” with Lisa Olszak Zumstein, president, Olszak Management Consulting.
· “Planned Giving and Leave a Legacy Collaboration” with Jeffrey P. Reisner,
attorney, Shane & Reisner, and Ward “Skip” Wilday, senior vice president,
Morgan Stanley.
· “Creating a Sense of Greater Impact through Donor Collaboration” with
Cindy Eller, Roswell Park Alliance Foundation vice president for development
and executive director.
· “Google Apps for Nonprofits” with Josh Curcio, vice president and coowner of protocol 80, Inc.
CRCF Executive Director Karen Niemic Buchheit said the program was
designed to not only offer educational sessions as part of the Foundation’s
capacity-building services, but to also provide a forum for nonprofit members
in the area to network with each other and the speakers.
The event culminated in a networking lunch where Larry Sorokes, Greater
Olean Area Chamber of Commerce CEO and CRCF board member,
encouraged participants to think about networking and collaborating beyond
just this one day a year.
“As wonderful as this day is, how do we make it so things happen over the
next year before the next networking day?” he asked.
He also spoke to members about plans for a new business incubator and
nonprofit center in Downtown Olean in the former Olean Business Institute
building, noting that sharing spaces and essential services is a fiscally
responsible way for nonprofits to collaborate.
Sorokes added the Jamestown Community College Olean Campus will be
offering a series of classes in nonprofit management January through April
2015 and urged attendees to enroll.
The event was co-sponsored by St. Bonaventure University and GOACC.
Sr. Margaret Carney, SBU president, and Carol Stitt, CRCF president, gave
welcoming remarks.
CRCF
board
President
Carol Stitt
Vice President
Wendy Brand
Treasurer
Mike Kasperski
Secretary
Doug Price
directors
Vicki Blessing
Ted Branch
Dennis Casey
Barbara Chew
Tony Evans
Karen Fohl
Eric Garvin
Dr. Naheed Hilal
Dr. Yogini Kothari
Dennis Pezzimenti
Bob Simon
Larry Sorokes
Audra Stevens
Ward “Skip” Wilday
staff
Executive Director
Karen Niemic Buchheit
[email protected]
Director of
Communications and
Donor Services
Ryan Michelle Wilcox
[email protected]
Staff Accountant
Michelle Joyce
[email protected]
5
PRESRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
Olean, NY
Permit No. 137
Greater Olean Area
CHAMBER of COMMERCE
120 North Union Street
Olean, NY 14760
or current resident
OPERATION TOASTY TOES -- The snow has begun to fall and the SPCA of
Cattaraugus County need to make sure the animals will be warm at the shelter when the
temperature dips! They are launching Operation Toasty Toes again this winter with the hopes
of raising money for fuel. Their goal is to get 500 people to donate just $20 each - and that
would be $10,000 - which would heat the shelter for over two months! For more information,
please call the SPCA at 716-372-8492.
Moonlight Magic Gala
December 29
Premier Banquet Center
2000 Constitution Avenue, Olean, NY
PRINCESS CAMP
has FROZEN OVER
Neighborhood
School of Dance,
Olean
3-6 year olds
10 AM – Noon;
7 – 12 year olds
12:30 – 2:30 PM
New Year’s Eve PARTY
December 31
9 PM - 1 AM
The event will feature music by
DJ Extreme with a wide array
of dancing & rocking music!
The evening menu will include a delicious
assortment of kabob stations, dessert bar,
butler served appetizers and champagne at
Midnight! Gala dress is Business to BlackTie and everything in between.
Tickets $50 per person.
The fee is $15 per child. Camp includes
game, snack, craft, dance and activity. To
register login online at nsdolean.com.