Fort Wayne TinCaps are Midwest League Champions!!

Last night, the TinCaps won their third game in the Midwest League championship, concluding a sweep of the series. The TinCaps have finished a record-breaking season with another record - the Fort Wayne team's first Midwest League Championship title!

The TinCaps have invited the community to help celebrate - join them at Parkview Field tonight at 6:30 p.m. for a free Championship Celebration. You will see Mike Nutter, the TinCaps President, Doug Dascenzo, the TinCaps Manager, enjoy highlights from the season, even have the opportunity to get autographs from the players and much more!

For more information on the TinCaps visit TinCaps.com.

Public Safety Academy Director Chosen

The Public Safety Foundation of Northeast Indiana recently announced its selection of a Director for the Public Safety Academy of Northeast Indiana. Bernie Beier, who currently serves as Director of Homeland Security for Fort Wayne and Allen County, will also now serve as the Director of the Public Safety Academy of Northeast Indiana.

Fort Wayne Travel Leaders Honored

Recently 21 Travel Leaders Associates from across the United States were selected and recognized with the annual "Award of Excellence". Among those 21 selected was Chamber member Ann Waters of the Fort Wayne Travel Leaders branch. Recipients were scored in categories including business growth and use of resources to improve the customer's experience. Look for Business Travel Tips from Ann in an upcoming issue of the Chamber's Emphasis. Congratulations Ann!

Allen County Code Available Online

Thanks to a partnership between the Allen County Commissioners and IPFW, the Allen County Code is now available free online and will include all county laws and referenced documents.

You can access the Allen County Code through the "featured sites" heading at http://www.allencounty.us/ or at the site http://acc.mdon.lib.ipfw.edu/. It should be noted that the digital code is not considered an official copy to be used in any legal manners. For official copies, contact the Allen County Commissioners office.

Fort Wayne Museum of Art Trolley Tour '09

On Thursday, September 24 from 5:30 - 10:30, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art will once again be proudly sponsoring the Trolley Tour. The tour will include visits to 13 art studios and food from some of Fort Wayne's most popular restaurants.

Art galleries included in the trip are: 604 West Wayne Street, Allen Country Public Library – Jeffrey R. Krull Gallery, Artlink, DK Design Gallery, First Presbyterian Gallery, Fort Wayne ArtSource Gallery, Galliher Photography, Great Panes Glass Co., Kachmann Gallery, Karen Moriarty Studio & Gallery, Orchard Gallery, Rat aRt Studio & Gallery, University of Saint Francis – John P. Weatherhead Gallery.

Restaurants and caterers participating this year include: AVI, Bagel Station, Bourbon Street Hideaway, Casa, Catablu, Chop’s Steak & Seafood, Club Soda, Deli 620, DeBrand Fine Chocolates, Firefly Coffee House, Granite City Food & Brewery, Mad Anthony Brewing Company, Nutcracker Sweet Shoppe, The Oyster Bar, and Peony Tea House.

Tickets are $20 per person for FWMoA members and $25 per person for non-members. Tickets can be obtained online at http://www.fwmoa.org/ or by calling 260-422-6467 ext. 310.

New Procurement Technical Assistance Center Opens

Partners in Contracting Corporation (PICC) has collaborated to open a new Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) that will be based in Chamber member IPFW's Hobson Center at 4312 Hobson Road, Suite B. The goal of the new PTAC will be to connect regional businesses with government agencies that may have a need of their services.

Fort Wayne businessman F.G. "Gil" Perry has been selected to serve as the PICC counselor and trainer for the new PTAC. Perry has over 40 years of experience in management and served as vice president of eXcellon Technologies for the past eight years.

The local PTAC is anticipated to be a strategic link in supply chain development and it has been predicted that the PTAC will bring more defense business to Northeast Indiana. While the PTAC will be working closely with many of the area defense contractors, these businesses are not going to be the sole focus. The PICC also provides staffing, training, construction, information technology, and engineering design services as well.

To schedule an appointment with the Northeast Indiana PTAC, contact Gil Perry at 260-413-1109 or email at fgperry@piccorp.org. To learn more about the PICC, visit www.piccorp.org.

TOpS 2015 Executive Director Announced

Leonard Helfrich has been officially announced by Community Partnerships Inc. (an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne) and the Northeast Indiana Foundation as the Executive Director of Talent Opportunities Success (TOpS) 2015, a Lilly Endowment-funded Northeast Indiana initiative.

Helfrich spent almost 30 years with Lincoln Financial Group as an in-house attorney. He is currently president of the Board of Trustees for the Fort Wayne Museum of Art and previously served as the president of the Fort Wayne Cinema Center. His time will be spent overseeing the implementation of region-wide education and workforce training efforts and building collaborations among industy, workforce, and education partners.

The Community Foundation of Fort Wayne was established in 1956 and is a public, charitable foundation serving Allen County for more than 50 years.

Next Brown Bag Focuses on Social Media Marketing

Don't miss the Chamber's next informative lunch seminar in the Business Brown Bag series, presented by Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc. Wondering how to use social media to promote your business? Experts from Digital Hill will present an interactive overview of various social media tools.

You will learn about new cost-effective and measurable marketing techniques including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, and how these social media platforms can be used to market your business, product and services. You will have these and many more questions answered:

• How have other businesses like mine been successful using Social Media?
• I thought Social Media was just for my kids or to connect with friends; can it really help my business?
• Can Social Media Marketing work for my type of business?
• I don't know much about Facebook or other Social Media; so is this something I'd have to learn and would require lots of time and money?

This event will take place Thursday, September 24 from Noon - 1 p.m. Cost is $5 for Members, $10 for non-members (pay at the door). Please RSVP ahead of time to troy@digitalhill.com.

Learn United is Calling for more Real Men

Last year the United Way and the Urban League recruited 225 men for the Real Men Read campaign. Those volunteers read to over 5,000 kids and distributed over 15,000 books.

This year the program is expanding to include all 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms in East Allen County Schools and Fort Wayne Community Schools. There are still approximately 75 classrooms open, waiting for a "real man" to come encourage children to read for life.

Step up to the plate along with Chamber Interim President Mike Landram and many others. If you're a real man, please register as soon as possible by clicking here. Registration only takes a few short minutes, and the reward is worth it!

Home Builders Association Announces Fall Parade of Homes

The Fall Parade of Homes returns to Fort Wayne September 26-October 4. The Parade of Homes hasn't taken place for three years so the return is much anticipated! The 2009 parade will be held in the southwest subdivision of Veracruz, located on Covington Road, just past West Hamilton Road. The show is open to the public from noon - 9 p.m. daily, Sunday from noon - 6 p.m. Admission is $9.

For more information about the 2009 Parade of Homes contact Maurine Holle, Executive Director of the Home Builders Association of Fort Wayne at (260) 420-2020.

Correction

Correction: Mark Kittaka of Barnes & Thornburg LLP will be presenting along with the Chamber and Indiana Department of Workforce Development officials for the Unemployment Insurance Compensation Workshop. In previous posts Kittaka was listed as a presenter for the EFCA Update Workshop. Our apologies!

EFCA Legislation Continues to Move Forward

According to TheHill.com, Senators have hammered out a compromise that would allow unions to swell their ranks, and a key lawmaker said it should pass this year.

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) on Tuesday told the AFL-CIO convention in Pittsburgh that he has been working hard “for hours” on a deal with other key senators, such as Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), as well as labor leaders, on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).

“We have pounded out an Employees Choice bill which will meet labor’s objectives,” Specter said. “I believe before the year is out, and I will join my colleague Sen. [Bob] Casey [Jr. (D-Pa.)] in predicting, that there will be passage of an Employees Free Choice Act which will be totally satisfactory to labor.”

The bill is one of the labor movement’s most important legislative priorities this Congress, one they believe is necessary to protect workers’ rights. Specter’s prediction was greeted by a prolonged standing ovation from the convention’s attendees, members of the nation’s largest union federation.

Specter cited three principles pushed by unions for labor law reform that he agrees with: no delays in union certification, tough penalties for labor law violations and binding arbitration for management and workers to reach union contracts more quickly.

What was unsaid in the senator’s speech was whether a core provision in the bill was part of the deal. Click here for the full article.

The Chamber in conjunction with Mark Kittaka of Barnes & Thornburg LLP and Tom Kimbrough of Barrett & McNagny LLP is providing an update on this controversial legislation and informing employers of the impact it could have on their business. Click here for more information.

Fort Wayne Recipient of Environmental Excellence Award

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) Commissioner Thomas Easterly recently presented City of Fort Wayne representatives John Urbahns and Gary Lyman with an award for achievements in the category of "Land Use" during the 2009 Indiana Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence ceremony.

Fort Wayne redeveloped a downtown brownfield site into the new ballpark stadium, Parkview Field, for the Fort Wayne TinCaps minor league baseball team. The old site was underutilized property covered with substandard housing and asphalt parking lots. Parkview Stadium held the first game on April 16, 2009 and is valued at $30 million.

Employers: Are you Prepared?

Unemployment Insurance Compensation Workshop - September 23

Did you know that state taxes on employers will increase by nearly $650 million dollars as a result of HB1379? Nearly 47,000 businesses will see a tax increase due to Unemployment Insurance Compensation legislation.

The Chamber and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development will equip you with the information you need to ensure compliance with Indiana's new law, effective this January. Click here for more information.

EFCA Update Workshop - September 30

Join the Chamber, Tom Kimbrough of Barrett & McNagny LLP and Mark Kittaka of Barnes & Thornburg LLP for an update on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), currently being considered at the federal level, and what employers should know about the legislation's impact on their business.

Topics include an overview of the status of the legislation and possible outcomes, as well as preparations for employers including assessing an organization's vulnerability to unionization, do's and don'ts for supervisors and management and much more. Click here for more information.

These workshops will keep you informed and help you prepare - click on the links for discount pricing!

International Blast coming to Downtown Fort Wayne

The Downtown Improvement District and JK O’Donnell’s have partnered up again to present International Blast on Wayne Street. International Blast is an all ages block party with no cover right in the middle of the city where we will celebrate the vibrant mix of cultures that find their home in downtown Fort Wayne.

The event will take place on Friday, September 18 from 5 - 11 p.m., on Wayne Street between Harrison & Calhoun (in front of JK O’Donnell’s).

The music is local…
The beer is local, English and Irish…
The food is Italian, Chinese, Macedonian, Irish and American…
The good times are in the streets of downtown!

2009 Outstanding Philanthropists Nominations Needed

The Northeast Indiana Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is requesting nominations to reward individuals whose gifts of time, expertise, and resources have made Northeast Indiana a better place. Nominations may be submitted from any of the following counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, and Whitley.

To learn more about the AFP or to download a nomination form visit www.afpnein.org. Forms must be marked "CONFIDENTIAL" and mailed to: 2009 NPD Awards, AFP, P.O. Box 13498, Fort Wayne, IN 46869-3498. All nominations must be postmarked by Friday, September 18, 2009.

Breath of Afrika Cultural Arts Festival

Featuring food, music, vendors, and activities for children, the Breath of Afrika Cultural Arts Festival is to be the first of its kind in the region. Held in collaboration with Chamber member The African/African-American Historical Museum, the festival will be held this Saturday, September 19 from 11-6 p.m. For more information, call (260)969-9442 or email triaacadmin@verizon.net.

Fort Wayne Newspapers Holds Career Expo Tomorrow at the Chamber

Positive Outlook for Steel Dynamics Third Quarter

Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce member Steel Dynamics, Inc. recently announced that third quarter earnings are expected to be higher than first anticipated. They expect the range to be 20 cents to 25 cents per share, an estimate up from the original 10 cents to 20 cents estimate. The outlook for the fourth quarter is still uncertain but Steel Dynamic's production and processing facilities are ready to react to increased demand whenever it may come.

Green City Growth

City businesses continue to embrace the concept of going “green.” Eight additional businesses have achieved Green City Business certification:

Lincoln Financial Group
Morrison Kattman Menze, Incorporated
Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corporation
Grand Wayne Convention Center
Citilink
Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, A Nestlé Company
The Hagerman Group
Parkview Family YMCA.

The certified businesses serve as a resource and example to other businesses in the community that are working toward sustainability. The Green City Business program is designed to help businesses and organizations voluntarily adopt more environmentally friendly business practices and save on energy costs. In the initial year of the Green City Business program 61 Fort Wayne businesses enrolled in training programs. The goal is to have 100 businesses enrolled by the end of the year.

Fort Wayne’s Energy and Environmental Services Department conducts free training sessions that provide consolidated resource education, a business matched mentor to assist in the certification process, and the opportunity to connect with other businesses pursuing the same goal. The next free Green City Business training session is Wednesday, October 7, 2009. Registration is required and available online at www.cityoffortwayne.org/energy/gb or by contacting Julia Gorrell at 427-6059.

Community Harvest Food Bank Open House

This Thursday, September 17, you're invited to attend the Community Harvest Food Bank's open house from 1-6 p.m. The event is intended to educate on how many individuals, especially children, are living with hunger all around us. Families, businesses, and organizations are invited to participate. For more information on this and ways to help feed the hungry, visit www.chfb.org.

Red Cross: National Preparedness Month

Did you know that while the majority of Americans agree it's a good idea to be ready for emergencies and disasters, only 7 percent have actually prepared. September is National Preparedness Month and the American Red Cross is urging businesses, families and individuals to take time to do the following.

1. Get a kit.
2. Make a plan.
3. Be informed.

For more details on each of these steps, visit www.redcrossofnei.org or call (260)484-9336.

Outlook on the Recession

According to Reuters news service, private economists are saying the worst of the economic crisis is over. They estimate that the unemployment rate will most likely reach 10% in early 2010 and then drop very slowly over the remaining portion of the year.

They also foresee gross domestic product to expand at a 3.0% annual rate in the third quarter of 2009 and rise 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Lastly, they cite the economic growth taking place in the second half of 2009 as being due to restocking inventories that have reached record lows, a modest rebound in consumer spending, and improvements in residential investments.

TinCaps Set Records... Lots of Them.

Chamber member the Fort Wayne TinCaps finished their regular season with a record of 94-46, a record that happens to be the best in all of Minor League baseball and the best season of the Midwest League in 22 years.

That wasn't the only record the TinCaps set. Walks drawn totalled 681 (4.9 per game) and they had a proud 97 homeruns to their name. Defensively, they were the best in franchise history by committing 130 errors which broke the old record of 156. Even TinCaps fans broke records by setting a new franchise attendance record of 378,529. The TinCap's popularity has been a positive influence on the local economy.

Tonight at Parkview Field the TinCaps play the Loons (Class-A Los Angelos Dodgers) in game 3 of the Eastern Division Championship Series. The winner will advance to the MidWest League Championship Series - which would be another first for the Fort Wayne franchise.

Playoff tickets are available at (260)482-6400 or at http://www.tincaps.com/.

Easter Seals ARC to co-sponsor IPFW Omnibus Lecture

The first IPFW Omnibus Lecture of 2009-10, "A Conversation with Marlee Matlin and Henry Winkler", is slated to be held in the Rhinehart Music Center of IPFW on Thursday, September 17 at 7:30.

Henry Winkler, known most widely as "The Fonz" from ABC's Happy Days struggled through many years of undiagnosed dyslexia. He met and encouraged Marlee Matlin to pursue acting early in her career despite her profound deafness. She has since appeared on Dancing with the Stars, Hear No Evil, and The L Word. She is also an honorary member of the Board of Directors for Easter Seals National due to her advocacy and humanitarian work. Both Winkler and Matlin are passionate about seeing others overcome their obstacles.

Tickets are free but are held on a first come, first serve basis. They can be obtained by calling 260-481-6555 M-F from 12:30 - 6:30 p.m. or by requesting tickets online at www.ipfw.edu/rhinehart. For more information, call Tony Belton, Public Relations Coordinator at Easter Seals Arc at 260-469-2777 or IPFW University Relations and Communications at 260-481-6808.

We Want to Hear from You!

The Chamber wants to hear from Members about what you need from Chamber services such as events, promotion, government advocacy and more. Please take a moment to answer this brief one-question survey: What Time of Day Would You Prefer to Attend Chamber Academy? Click here to answer the survey question. Thank you for participating!