Sweetwater Receives Green Honor

Chamber member Sweetwater, the third-largest music instrument and pro audio retailer in the world, has been awarded LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum is the USGBC’s highest rating for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy-efficient and high-performance buildings.

Sweetwater’s achievement was recognized at a special ceremony at Sweetwater’s campus, 5501 US HWY 30 W in Fort Wayne, earlier today.

Sweetwater’s $35 million, 150,000 square foot corporate headquarters was completed in January of 2008. It was designed by Fort Wayne architectural firm MSKTD to achieve LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use, as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies.

Next Morning Mix Scheduled for July 16

The next Morning Mix, hosted by Hyatt Place (111 W Washington Center Road) will take place Thursday, July 16 from 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m.

The Morning Mix offers fast-paced, lead generating opportunities and is designed for professionals who are involved in sales and business development. You will experience 20 minutes at three different tables, receiving the opportunity to present your "unique selling proposition" to a couple of dozen businesspersons in a fast-paced, fun and structured setting.

Admission is $5. In addition, please make sure to bring a stack of your business cards. Continental breakfast is included. For more information, or if you are interested in being a table captain for a Morning Mix, contact Laureen Voirol at (260) 424-1435, ext. 266 or lvoirol@fwchamber.org. You do not have to be a Chamber member to attend.

Parks & Rec Summer Concert Tomorrow

Memories of the King: Brent Cooper takes place at the Foellinger Theatre on Saturday, June 27 at 8 pm. Admission is $4. Brent Cooper returns this summer with his tribute to the “King.” Cooper brings back all the excitement, looks, sounds and electricity of a live Elvis concert. Sponsored by 102.9 The River.

For more information, please call the Parks and Recreation Department at (260) 427-6000 or visit http://www.fortwayneparks.org/.

The Chamber's Graduate Retention Program Receives English, Bonter, Mitchell Foundation Grant

The Workforce and Business Development Division of the Chamber is grateful to have received funding from English, Bonter, Mitchell Foundation in the amount of $25,000 for the sixth year of the Graduate Retention Program.

MedTech College Celebrates Grand Opening Of New Fort Wayne Campus

MedTech College celebrated the grand opening of their new Fort Wayne campus with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house yesterday evening. MedTech’s campus is located at 7230 Engle Road, on the corner of West Jefferson and Engle.

Mike Landram, Interim President & CEO of the Chamber, along with Deputy Mayor Greg Purcell and Ken Nicolet, Mayor's Southwest Area Advocate, participated in the ribbon cutting, along with MedTech College officials, staff and students.

MedTech College is an innovative and progressive private medical career college with three campuses in Indianapolis, Greenwood and Fort Wayne. The campus currently offers associate degrees in Medical Assisting, Medical Billing and Coding, Medical Lab Technology, Practical Nursing and Registered Nursing as initial program offerings with additional programs being added in the near future.

The college will surpass the 2,000 student enrollment mark with the addition of a Lexington, Kentucky campus in the Fall of 2009. The original five founding partners continue to be involved in the day-to-day operations of the college and plan to expand a campus a year throughout the Midwest.

For more information about MedTech College visit http://www.medtechcollege.edu/.

In This Issue...

In this issue of the Chamber's Emphasis magazine (appearing bi-weekly as the center section of the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly)...

Chamber member and local restaurant Joseph Decuis Receives AAA Four-Diamond Award...

Reach your clients for less with discounts on Chamber advertising - details inside...

How businesses can prepare for tornadoes this season...

Millennials - the future of the workplace...

For questions about the Chamber's Emphasis magazine contact Nicole Wilkins at nwilkins@fwchamber.org.

All America City 2009!

Show your civic pride and display "All America City 2009" at your business!

Fort Wayne entered the All America City Hall of Fame this year as a three-time winner of this prestigious designation. Help promote community pride, a positive image and boost interest in companies considering relocation and investment in the Fort Wayne area by making it known that we are an All America City.

Use this logo to put the "All America City 2009" designation on your outdoor signs, windows and Web sites. The award criteria required Fort Wayne to demonstrate how the public, private and non profit sectors work together, leveraging resources to address important needs in the community. The projects chosen documented significant impact on the community, and showed how Fort Wayne embraces its diverse citizenship and engages youth to create a vibrant community.

To learn more about the three projects Fort Wayne took to the finals visit the City's Web site . To request a hi-res logo for use at your business contact Dennis Robinson at dennis@visitfortwayne.com.

Real Men Read at TinCaps This Sunday!

United Way is raising awareness about the "Real Men Read" project and the importance of literacy. You can support the "Real Men" by buying books for kids in your life or making a donation in any amount. All the books at the game are about baseball, for both boys and girls! Books are just $5. Kids can even get autographs from Johnny and Clifford the Big Red Dog. Click here to see some of the great titles offered at the game.

All proceeds will support the books used in the Real Men Read project. This year 225 men read to 2nd and 3rd graders and distributed over 12,000 books in just 3 months!.Real Men Read is a volunteer opportunity offered through United Way's Learn United initiative, a 10 year plan to close the 3rd grade reading gap. For information about how you can volunteer or give, visit www.LearnUnited.org.

Foellinger Theatre Celebrates 60th Anniversary

Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation and the Foellinger Foundation are celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Foellinger Theatre as well as the completion of $1 million of improvements to Foellinger Outdoor Theatre at Franke Park.

The current (2009) enhancements mark the completion of over $1 million in improvements in the 2006-2009 time frame. Of those improvements, over 50 percent were made possible from private grants provided by the Foellinger Foundation. All of the 2009 or $275,000 improvements were the direct result of Foellinger Foundation funding and include painting the front wall of the stage and the sound clouds, putting up new curtains, installing new lighting and adding an aluminum covering to the entrance Theatre arch and end caps.

The Foellinger Outdoor Theatre was built in 1949 with funds from Helene Foellinger to honor her father. It was open to the air and without a roof for many years, but was the site of fun theatrical and musical performances. In the early ‘70s, it was damaged by fire and was rebuilt and sheltered in 1976 – again, thanks to Foellinger Foundation.

Foellinger Theatre’s summer season includes low-cost and free performances from an assorted selection of local and national groups, as well as movies for the whole family to enjoy. Upcoming events include:

June 26—The Blue River Big Band, a unique mix of a healthy portion of time-tested swing favorites along with a sprinkling of newer music such as jazz, rock and Latin charts. FREE
For a complete list of performances and times visit http://www.fortwayneparks.org/ or call the Parks and Recreation main office at (260) 427-6000 or the Theatre at (260) 427-6715.

Chamber Academy

Chamber Academy offers members the opportunity to share their expertise with others in the form of two to four-hour seminars designed to help members grow their business. All sessions are just $19.

Presenting for Impact by Chris Sanderson of Dale Carnegie Training
Tuesday, June 30 · 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. · Chamber of Commerce

Develop the ability to present with high impact in front of your teams, organizations and clients. Whether there are 2 or 200 in the room, it is essential to be clear, concise, compelling and to create an eager desire for people to take action. Presenting with More Impact can become your competitive advantage! Learn how to:

• Create a positive first impression and connect with your audience
• Speak without memorization
• Empower yourself with the ability to think on your feet

July 29 – “Grow Your Business in This Economy? Think Global!” will be presented by Charles Replane of Charles Replane Consulting & Business Services from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce. Markets outside of North America demonstrate opportunities for growth. Discover how to engage new business opportunities and adapt your product to a new market and business culture.

Learn how to:
Define the market.
Determine your options for market entry.
Prepare your company for global participation.

Old National Bank Celebrates 175th Anniversary

Old National Bank today celebrated the 175th anniversary of Old National Bank.

To celebrate the company's 175 year milestone, Old National Bank held special ceremonies at all of their 175 plus banking centers across Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, including their five Northern Indiana locations (two in Fort Wayne: Chestnut Hills & Maysville Road) Old National today also donated a total of $175,000 to not-for-profit organizations throughout their footprint in appreciation of the communities they serve.

Old National Bancorp is the largest financial holding company in Indiana. They currently serve the states of Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky with $7.9 billion in assets. The company provides a wide variety of financial services to a diverse audience.

For more information, contact Beverly Wolter at (574) 273-9700 or bev.wolter@oldnational.com. For more information about Old National Bank visit http://www.oldnational.com/.

Art Exhibit at Club Soda the first in Summer Series

Stop in at Club Soda for a special summer exhibit, “Summer Set: Audrey Riley.” The exhibit opened June 11th and will run until July 6th, and is designed as a survey of the artist’s work of the last 5 years. Audrey Riley’s work combines contemporary graphic design, high minimalism and abstract expressionism.

Golfers: It's Time to Tee Off!

Showcase your skills on the green at the Chamber's Golfopoly: Thursday, August 27 at Autumn Ridge Golf Club.

Golfers can sign up individually or with a team for morning and afternoon tee times. In addition to golfing, there will be a variety of fun games, including a special Hole-in-One chance to win a New Car from O'Daniel Automotive!Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Closing reception with hors d'oeuvres, cash bar and a chocolate fountain and cheese fountain from Fort Wayne Chocolate Fountain will begin at 6:30 p.m. Register online now!

Take advantage of additional exposure as a Sponsor. E-mail us or give us a call at (260) 424-1435, ext. 266 and we will help you identify a sponsorship package that meets your promotional needs.

Thank you to our Silver Sponsor, Comcast Business Class and our Beverage Cart Sponsor, PHP!

Fort Wayne Philharmonic Announces New Director

The Fort Wayne Philharmonic introduced Andrew Constantine to the public Tuesday night. The search for a new music director took two and a half years to complete. Eight candidates auditioned this year alone.

Constantine gained a reputation in the U.K. as a skilled and versatile conductor before moving to the U.S. He currently serves as Music Director of the Reading Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania. The Philharmonic search committee unanimously chose Constantine, because of his ability to reach out to the community and his unconventional shows.

"I've done concerts with motorbikes on stage revving away. I've done concerts with flamingo dancers. With storytellers and great images being projected," Constantine said. "I have ideas that I hope will help open the door to people who want to come into occasionally maybe shorter concerts or concerts that are developed as a tease to just let them experience the atmosphere a bit."

Constantine will take on his new position while staying on as a music director in Pennsylvania. The Philharmonic's 66th season starts in September. You can find more information about dates and tickets here.

Citilink Offering Free Fare for Air Quality Action Day

Tomorrow - Wednesday, June 24 has been declared an Air Quality Action Day for ozone by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. On these days ground level ozone is particularly high and can be unhealthy for people with breathing problems.

Citilink has received a grant allowing it to offer free fares on these days. The goal is to improve air quality by reducing the number of cars on the road; mass public transportation produces 50 percent less pollution per mile. Save money & help the environment. Extend your trip by bringing your bike on the bus, all fixed route buses are equipped with bike racks.

Unsure about how to take a Citilink bus? Give Citilink a call at (260) 432-4546 and customer service representatives will help you plan your trip. Or, check out the Citilink Web site for instruction on how to take the bus and current schedules.

Take a Break from Work and Enjoy Live Music and Lunch This July

The Downtown Improvement District (DID) will unveil its newest event series, Lunch on the Square, this July. Lunch on the Square will take place every Wednesday in July from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at One Summit Square (on Wayne and Calhoun Streets). Bring your lunch and enjoy the sunshine, summer air and free live music.

Or, find downtown restaurants offering box lunches at affordable prices at http://www.downtownfortwayne.com/!

July 1 - Good Night Gracie (Rock/Pop Jam Band)
July 8 - Keith Flye (Eclectic Soul)
July 15 - TRIAAC Jenbe Ensemble (Traditional African)
July 22 - Eric Clancy Trio (Jazz)
July 29 - Ty Causey (R&B)

Attendees can also unwind with a “Health & Wellness Corner” including free chair massages by Vital Living Therapeutic Massage, Gyrotonic demonstrations by Pure Movement and special activities each week by St. Joseph Hospital.

Fort Wayne Chosen to Host 2010 IHSAA Girls Basketball State Finals

The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum has announced Fort Wayne’s selection as the host of the 2010 Indiana High School Athletic Association Girls Basketball State Finals.

The agreement is for one year and calls for the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum to host the 35th Annual IHSAA Girls Basketball State Finals and its four state championship games on Saturday, March 6, 2010.

"The proposal submitted by the Fort Wayne business community to host our girls basketball state finals in 2010 was simply too attractive to pass over," said IHSAA
Commissioner Blake Ress. "Even though this decision may create some additional travel for some schools, I think the reception they will receive in Fort Wayne will outweigh those issues. We are excited about hosting this event in Fort Wayne."

Fort Wayne Wins Third All-America City Award

Fort Wayne was named an All-America City last Friday night at the National Civic League’s 60th annual All-America City awards in Tampa, Fla. The National Civic League’s award honors communities that work together to solve issues facing cities. Fort Wayne was one of 10 cities selected for the 2009 honor.

The win is Fort Wayne’s third All-America City honor which puts it in the All-America City Hall of Fame. The designation is given to cities that have won the award at least three times. Fort Wayne won the award in 1982, 1998 and now 2009.

Fort Wayne, with the theme of All Together Now, was recognized for its efforts in assisting refugees and helping them integrate and succeed in the community, assisting children through the Great Kids Make Great Communities program, and efforts to raise more funds from the community to improve connectivity of the local trail network and create safer neighborhoods.

Feet on the Street

by Teresa Royer
Member Relations Specialist

Have you ever been hungry, but don’t know what you’re hungry for? Then Greg McCrory’s new website may be just what you need to add to your “Favorites” tab on your computer!

A new adventure and service that Chamber member Greg McCrory of McCrory publishing has added to his publishing business is a restaurant website where folks can visit and research restaurants complete with coupons! There are separate categories of restaurant types such as American, Italian, Asian, Mexican, Coffee, Seafood, Fun Food and Fine Dining. You may want to check it out at: http://fortwaynerestaurant.net/

The Web site is pretty cool as it is helpful to both the patron and the restaurant owner. Helpful to the patron as it’s kind of nice to have a resource to help decide where to go if you’re not sure, because we only have so much time and money--coupled with the fact that Fort Wayne is blessed with so many restaurants; which I am very glad of!

The Web site is nice for the restaurants as well, because there is an “Our Favorite Choice” section right in the middle of the page; where you can scroll down and see the restaurants that have advertised with Greg. Along with each restaurant are valuable contact information and a coupon of course (another help to the patron!)

In addition to the Web site, McCrory Publishing will send a monthly newsletter informing us of what’s new at their Favorite Restaurants and will feature one particular eatery.

If you’re a restaurant or a patron, I’m sure Greg wouldn’t mind if you contacted him at
mccpub@comcast.net or (260) 485-1812.