Do it Best CEO Elected Chairman of National Association

Members of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), during the association’s Executive Summit held in Washington, D.C., elected Bob Taylor, president and CEO of Chamber member Do it Best Corp., as chairman of the NAW board of directors.

“Our company has long benefited from the services, support, industry expertise, and advocacy that the NAW provides, and I am honored to be elected to serve the NAW as its new chairman,” said Taylor. “I look forward to working with the NAW in the coming year and contributing to its continuing important work.”

Bob Taylor has served as president & CEO of Do it Best Corp. since January 1, 2002. Bob is only the fourth CEO since the company was founded in 1945. Prior to joining Do it Best Corp., Taylor served as president of Taylor’s Do it Centers in Virginia Beach, VA. Do it Best Corp. has been a member of the NAW since 1989.

Eggstravaganza Art Contest Raises Funds for Easter Seals Arc

The votes are in! Easter Seals Arc is proud to announce the three categorical winners of the 2nd annual EGGSTRAVAGANZA egg display, which wrapped up on April 4th at the Botanical Conservatory.  EGGSTRAVAGANZA is a community-wide art project in which local businesses sponsored different beautifully crafted and artistically designed fifteen inch tall, wooden eggs. With over 500 votes cast on more than a dozen large eggs, the winners have been determined.

The winner for Best of Shell goes to “Little Nemo-Night’s Dream,” a piece created by Frank Bougher and sponsored by Christoff & Christoff Attorneys and Stephen L. Chapman, Attorney of Counsel at Barrett and McNagny, LLP.

The winner for The Most Eggsquisite egg is “Elegance,” a piece created by April Ganser of T.A.G. Art Company and sponsored by DK Jewelry and Fashion Boutique.

The winner of The One That Cracks You Up egg is “Painted the Wrong Egg for Easter,” a piece created by Lawrence A. Davis, Jr. and sponsored by EJK and Grandchildren.

On April 15, 2010, the eggs will be making one last appearance at Bergstaff Place, to be auctioned off to the public, with proceeds benefiting children and adults with disabilities enrolled in programs at Easter Seals Arc.  The auction will begin at 5:30 pm at Bergstaff Place, located at 2020 E. Washington Blvd. Tickets are $30 per person or $50 per couple.

Got Sole?

By Lauren Richwine, Communications Specialist

Of all the things we take for granted, the last we might think of is our shoes. But oh what those shoes do for us! They give us style, take us from work to home and back again, all the while keeping our feet from suffering the indecency of gum or the pain of sharp, little pebbles. Yep. Where would we be without our shoes?

The Ambassadons of Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) are ready to show how much “sole” their university has. On April 5 and 6, “IPFW Got Sole” kicked off with the mission of collecting new shoes to donate to the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission and Charis House.

The drive will continue through April 30, with drop off barrels located throughout the campus. The students who donated a pair of shoes during the kick off received a shoe-shaped cookie and coupon book valued at more than $20 with discounts to local restaurants.

The Ambassadons is a leadership program for IPFW students. Ambassadons communicate IPFW’s commitment to excellence with a variety of constituencies. They host VIPs at high-profile events and interact with state legislators and community leaders. As IPFW representatives they lead campus tours, serve on university committees, and mentor new students.

For more information, contact Jillian Penny, IPFW Ambassadon, at 260-515-3720 or pennjk01@students.ipfw.edu. 

Help Light Fort Wayne Tonight

The Downtown Improvement District is asking you to help light Fort Wayne for "Bright Night." In conjunction with the opening night of the TinCaps new season, the DID is asking businesses to keep all of their lights on in an effort to light downtown Fort Wayne for visitors to see.

Not only that, but they are hosting a contest for local photographers to capture this event, with cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners, and People's Choice winner as well. Top prize is $500 cash. Photographers are asked to capture downtown's cultural and architectural beauty, night life, and atmosphere. Photographs will be judged on originality, artistic merit, and illustration of downtown as an attractive destination for people and activity. 

All photographs should be emailed to dswartz@downtownfortwayne.com by April 16, 2010.  The only accepted format is JPEG, and your entry should not exceed 1000x1600 dpi or 3 megabytes per electronic file. Please include the images as attachments. All contact information should be included with your submission. Rename your entry as your first and last name. One entry per photographer. Best of luck! 

Work Available this Summer for Young Hoosiers

Applications for the second year of the successful Young Hoosiers Conservation Corps (YHCC) are now being accepted. In addition to work at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) locations, the program will be expanded to the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) this summer.

Participants who work with DNR may revitalize historic buildings, create and rehabilitate trails and restore natural habitat areas. Participants employed at INDOT facilities may work in emergency cleanup, maintenance of traffic signs, equipment refurbishing and beautification of Indiana’s highway rest areas and interchanges.

“We put nearly 2,000 young Hoosiers to work last year, and they made big improvements to natural areas across the state,” said Daniels. “This summer we will expand our focus to improving the leadership skills of our best and brightest young people.”

YHCC will expand to include positions at more than 30 Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and 80 Department of Natural Resources (DNR) locations. The program will also include hiring and training youth supervisors. Those hired will be offered higher wages and additional training to help prepare them for management positions later in life.

Daniels created YHCC in 2009 using federal stimulus funds available for summer employment and training to young Hoosiers. In 2009, YHCC participants:

·         Renovated 380 buildings and 50 historic buildings

·         Created 30 miles of new trails

·         Rehabilitated 500 miles of existing trails

·         Restored 4,700 acres of natural habitat

YHCC will provide opportunities to approximately 2,000 Hoosiers ages 18 to 24. The positions pay $8.50 per hour and last approximately 16 weeks. YHCC youth supervisors will work 18-24 weeks and earn $9.50 per hour. All positions will begin no earlier than May 3 and are scheduled to end October 2.

Interested Hoosiers can begin applying immediately at www.in.gov/yhcc.

The state is using about $12 million of federal stimulus funds allocated through the Workforce Investment Act for this program. This is a 91-county program. Under federal law, Marion County qualifies to use its portion of this funding on a separate summer jobs program. 

Regional Green Business Conference Coming to Fort Wayne

Just in time for Earth Day, the City of Fort Wayne is bringing a regional sustainability conference to Fort Wayne on April 22. Initiated by participants in Fort Wayne's Green City Business program, the day-long session will present ideas from the Natural Step Network, an international non-profit organization that helps integrate sustainability concepts into strategic planning. The network has trained well-known organizations including Nike, IKEA, Nissan, Starbucks, Dow Chemical, CH2M Hill and the City of Madison, Wisconsin.

The conference's systems-based approach is designed to develop a continuous learning environment. It helps organizations and communities accelerate progress on meeting the economic needs of today without compromising the environmental needs of future generations. To facilitate last impact, Webinars, online discussions and peer-to-peer events will be available to attendees through The Natural Step after the Earth Day conference.

More than 90 local companies have gone through Fort Wayne's Green City Business training, many of them Chamber members. The voluntary program encourages existing facilities to improve efficiencies through pollution prevention, solid waste reduction, energy conservation and water conservation. The conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Grand Wayne Center, and cost is $75 per attendee and includes lunch. Register here, and read more here. 

Author Christopher Buckley to Speak at IPFW

Author and satirist Christopher Buckley is the final speaker of the 09–10 Omnibus Lecture Series at IPFW Thursday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m. His presentation is titled “An Evening with Christopher Buckley.” No tickets are required for this free lecture. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Buckley’s works will be on sale and he will be available for book signings following the lecture.

Following college, Buckley joined the Merchant Marines, and by age 24 he had landed the managing editor position at Esquire magazine. At age 29, he published his first best-seller, Steaming to Bamboola: The World of a Tramp Freighter (1982), and became chief speechwriter to Vice President George H. W. Bush. Today, Buckley is the author of 13 books including his most recent, Losing Mum and Pup: A Memoir (2009), which documents the 11 months between 2007 and 2008 when he coped with the passing of his father, William F. Buckley Jr., the father of the modern conservative movement, and his mother, Patricia Taylor Buckley, one of New York’s most glamorous socialites.

His body of work includes Washington Schlepped Here (2003), Florence of Arabia (2007), Supreme Courtship (2008), and Thank You for Smoking (1995), which was made into a movie by the same title in 2006. Buckley has written for most national newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time, Vanity Fair, and Vogue. In 2002, Buckley received the Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence. He is the current editor in chief of Forbes Life (formerly Forbes FYI) magazine. For more visit www.omnibuslectures.org. 

ALDI Invests in Fort Wayne with New Location

Mark your schedules for a special event happening this Friday in Fort Wayne. ALDI, Inc. will be celebrating the grand opening of Fort Wayne's newest ALDI location, at 10007 Lima Road, and YOU are invited to come by any time from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. for product sampling and to speak with ALDI executives. Here's a few fun facts about ALDI:

• They sell more than 1,400 of the most frequently purchased grocery and household items in manageable, non-bulk packaging. Customers find 90 percent of their average weekly shopping list at ALDI.
• ALDI passes on savings to consumers with prices up to 50 percent below traditional supermarkets.
• Almost 95 percent of ALDI’s premium products are sold under its exclusive, select brands to further keep costs down and are manufactured by many of the nation’s leading food producers. 
• In its test kitchen, ALDI ensures its products meet or exceed the quality and taste of the national name brands.
• ALDI takes a cost-effective and environmentally conscious approach to one of the greatest grocery polluters – bags. Customers can bring their own or opt to purchase a reusable, long-lasting ALDI bag, saving money and precious resources.

We hope you'll take advantage of this new location that ALDI has invested in Fort Wayne, and save a few dollars for yourself in the process! To learn more about ALDI, visit www.aldi.us. 

National Aviation Expert to Speak on Fort Wayne Air Industry

We hope that you will join us on Tuesday, April 27 at Noon for a special luncheon with national aviation expert Michael Boyd. Michael is the founder and president of Boyd Group International, and is well known as an expert in futurist aviation issues, often called upon by the national media to provide input regarding events and trends affecting airlines, airports, and aircraft manufacturers. 

He will speak about the state of the airline industry in the United States as well as address the state of local air service in Fort Wayne. Boyd Group is known for cutting edge forecasting trends of the aviation industry and the ability to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the local and regional aviation industry. Learn more and register for the luncheon here, and, look for a Q&A with Michael in the April 16 issue of Emphasis magazine. 

Feet on the Street: Qui’s Vietnamese

by Teresa Royer, Member Relations Specialist

I was recently out to Qui’s Restaurant (pronounced “Wee”) in Woodland Plaza off Dupont Road. My response to Qui was “how did I NOT know that” when I learned he has owned the restaurant for the last 10 years – well, the secret is – he had kept the name of The Mandarin after purchasing it 10 years ago and recently changed the name to “Qui’s.”  (Of course, I knew of the Mandarin.) Qui was just keeping with the old adage, “if it aint broke, don’t fix it.”

A main focus of Qui changing the name is introducing Vietnamese food in addition to the Chinese food that’s already been their specialty. Qui shared (and I would have to agree) there are many more Chinese restaurants in Fort Wayne than Vietnamese restaurants. He said Vietnamese food is cooked with much less grease, and a lot of vegetables.

I’m always trying to eat more health conscious these days, and recently made a lunch date with my co-worker, Lauren Richwine to discuss a book we both read recently. I’m going to suggest we go to Qui’s.

If you are signed up for Connect For Lunch, you may be eating there too, as Qui’s just became a participating restaurant in the program. Yum, Yum!

Hint:  If you go, you can save money by downloading a coupon at fellow Chamber member, Greg McCrory’s website:  http://www.fortwaynerestaurant.net/. 

RiverFest: Fire on the River

By Lauren Richwine, Communications Specialist

Fans of summer festivals now have a new event to mark down on their calendars. IPFW Riverfest will take place this year on Saturday, June 26, from 9 a.m. until midnight at the IPFW campus. And yes, there will be fire on the river. Rockin’ the River, which will take place from 4 p.m. to midnight, will include performances from multiple musical groups, flaming cauldrons of fire, and fireworks which will be set off from a barge anchored in the middle of the river.

Not to worry, the day will hold plenty of family fun as well. The event, as presented by Steel Dynamics (the event’s title sponsor for the first three years) will celebrate the city’s most prominent natural resource: our rivers. Family friendly events will include a 4K walk/run designed for families, a FamilyFest area with interactive games for everyone, and live entertainment. A fine art competition, The Rivers and Bridges of Northeast Indiana, and a fine arts and crafts sale will feature artists from around the region. There will also be river rides, educational river walks, and much more. A variety of concession stands will offer food throughout the day and evening, when adult beverages will also be available.

Irene Walters, executive director of university relations and communications at IPFW, recipient of the 2010 ATHENA Award, and director of IPFW RiverFest 2010, said the river itself will be an integral part of the days’ activities. “There will be fun activities for everyone throughout the day,” said Walters. “We’ll have flat water races with kayaks and canoes, a water ski show, pontoon boat rides, and much more.” She encouraged all pontoon boat owners to decorate their boats, bring them down to the river, and join the party.

There’s even been an online competition established that will extend an invitation to play at RiverFest to one lucky group. Any band that wants to play at IPFW RiverFest 2010 can enter the contest by submitting an MP3 or video recording from now through April 26.  Beginning May 1, the public can begin voting for their favorite band by going to www.ipfwriverfest.org/bandcontest. Voting concludes at midnight, May 14, 2010. The band with the most votes will be invited to perform at IPFW RiverFest 2010.

“There’s going to be something for everyone to enjoy here at the river, and along the way, if you learn something about our rivers and how to protect and preserve them, then I think we can say we’ll have a very successful event,” said Chancelor Wartell. 

For more information on IPFW RiverFest 2010 or how you can get involved, contact Louise Teague, IPFW RiverFest 2010 coordinator, at 260-481-6495 or teaguel@ipfw.edu or go to www.ipfwriverfest.org. 

In this Issue...

Have you taken a look at your most recent complimentary issue of the Fort Wayne Business Weekly? In Friday's issue you will find the Emphasis, our bi-weekly publication. This issue of Emphasis features highlights from the 2010 ATHENA Award Program, an inside look at Chamber member Northern Insurance LLC/Goff Agency, tips from Aptera, Inc. on search engine optimization (SEO), and more.

For this and other issues of Emphasis, visit fwchamber.org. As a Chamber member, one of your privileges is the opportunity to be featured in the Emphasis. If you are interested in some additional promotion for your business, I'm here to help you! Contact me at jjessup@fwchamber.org or (260) 424-1435.