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August 2013 The Number One Business Advocate In The Walla Walla Valley
29 East Sumach | PO Box 644 | Walla Walla, WA 99362 | Ph. 509.525.0850 | Fax 509.522.2038 | [email protected] | wwvchamber.com
ChamberNews
ach September the Chamber hosts the Business Awards Showcase. The Show-case is a chance to celebrate businesses and organizations doing great things.
The event is sponsored by our friends at Baker Boyer Bank and President and CEO, Megan Clubb, joins me for the evening to honor great local businesses. We hold the Business Awards Showcase in the lobby of Baker Boyer Bank after a fast conversion into the Baker Boyer Theatre! This year, the 7th Annual Showcase will be held Wednesday, September 18, at 5:30pm.
We need nominations from you! If you know of a company or organization that deserves recognition, let us hear from you by submitting a nomination form. Don’t be shy, it can even be you! Nomination forms are on our website at wwvchamber.com or call the Chamber for more information at 509-525-0850. We will forward your ideas to our Nomination and Selection Committee.
The Business Award Showcase celebrates success in seven categories:•BusinessoftheYear - Recognizes a business
for their contribution to the community.•Not-For-ProfitOrganizationof the Year
- Recognizes best business practices in a 501c(3), 501c(4) or 501c(6), any size.•SweetServiceWallaWalla - Recognizes a
business or not-for-profit organization with exceptional customer service.•Health&WellnessAward - Recognizes out-
standing commitment to employee wellness and development in the workplace.•CatalystAward- Recognizes an individual,
business or organization that collaborates and motivates to make BIG things happen in the Walla Walla Valley.•$martBusinessAward - Recognizes out-
standing commitment to environmentally
OUR MISSIONT h e Wa l l a Wa l l a Valley Chamber of Commerce is a mem-ber-focused organiza-tion and community partner that fosters a sustainable, healthy and vibrant economic environment through business promotion, education and services.
INSIDEPage 2—Rural~It Ain’t What It Used To Be
Page 3— 2013 Golf Tournament ”Hole-In-One” Success
Page 4-5—Members’ News Flash
Page 6-7—Business Classic Golf Tournament
Page 8— Why Membership Matters
Page 9— Welcome New Members
Page 10—Business Awards Showcase
Page 11—Monthly Statistics—Plan Center—Advertise Your Business or Event
The Envelope Please!• David Woolson, President / CEO
sound business prac-tices.•YouthEntrepreneurofthe Year - Recognizes youth, grade K through 12, who create and operate a business venture.
Let us hear from you! I hope you join us on September 18. After the awards presentation, we will have a great wine and hors d’oeuvre reception. Tickets are $25 for Chamber members and $30 for non-members.
PromotingtheValleyOne of the important roles of the Chamber
is to promote the Walla Walla Valley as a great place to do business, promote tourism and encourage economic growth.
Some recent efforts in promoting the Valley include:
1. I worked extensively with writers for ‘Via’ magazine to do a feature story on Walla Walla for their July issue. Via is the national magazine for the Automobile Association of America. It will hopefully attract additional visitors to the area.2. The Chamber has been building a great working relationship with the Washington State Department of Agriculture. We are working on two initiatives with them. First, the Department of Agriculture has a website entitled ‘Savor Washington’ to promote agricultural tourism and highlights the state’s agricultural and culinary regions. I noted a glaring omission…it did not include Walla Walla! So we worked with Ron Peck at Tourism Walla Walla and put together a great tour itinerary highlighting our local
Continued on page 9
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2 | August 2013
ADMINISTRATIVE TEAMDavid Woolson President/CEO
Damien Sinnott Vice President of Public Policy and Business Development
Betsy Hadden Director of Member Services
Casi Smith Director of Special Events
Jenny Buckley Office Manager/ Executive Assistant
Tammy Sutton Bookkeeper
Marissa Miller Special Projects Coordinator
Banner Bank
Capps Broadcast Group
Coffey Communications, Inc
Columbia REA
Gesa Credit Union
Inland Cellular
KUJ
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
Wine Valley Golf Club
VISIONARY MEMBERS
Rural ~ It Ain’t What It Used To Be• Damien Sinnott, Vice President of Public Policy and Business Development
Full Service Landscaping Professionals
529-2175
www.diamondcutwallawalla.com
FREE Estimates, Walla Walla Valley Chamber member
discounts available!
the high level gaming animation projects he has been working on, our visitor’s eyes lit up. In amazement, he com-mented that this program is more advanced than a similar program that happens to be located within five miles of the Microsoft campus, and he wondered out loud whether the future of the Washington technology sector is being trained right here in Walla Walla.
The Creative Economy was well represented on a tour of the Walla Walla Foundry where our guest laid eyes on world class works of art bound for exhibits in Paris, London, and New York.
Next, we stopped by a small business that is owned by one of the participants in the Chamber’s Hispanic Business Round- table, where our guest had the opportunity to hear firsthand about a business model that is not only succeeding in a big way, but is also building much needed bridges between two cultures.
Our introduction to the Chamber Works Project concluded with a fine example of our Plow 2 Plate initiative courtesy of T. Macca-rone’s, where we just let the food speak for itself. Our guest departed impressed, and left us with the comment that since Walla Walla has so many incredible things going on he simply couldn’t believe that we qualified as a rural community.
I suppose that this confusion about what it means to be rural in the modern age is not surprising. After all, the last time I checked the federal government had fifteen separate definitions of rural. The bottom line is that Walla Walla is a fine example of what rural America can and should look like. Rural and world-class are not mutually exclusive. With modern technology, rural America can now compete on a world stage like never before. Rural—it ain’t what it used to be; it’s better.
alla Walla is a quintessential small rural town. We have strong agricultural roots, a fierce independent spirit, and a deep
respect for our historical way of life. Walla Walla is small enough that folks are on a first name basis with the mayor, we look out for one another’s children, and nobody is a stranger for long. I have heard people refer to Walla Walla as a modern day Mayberry, and in some ways that is a fair description. Our historic downtown is well preserved. We have breakfast joints like Clarette’s that are packed with regulars on Sunday morning, many of whom have been coming for so long that they have designated seats and preferred coffee cups. A stroll down Main Street with your children will almost certainly lead you to Bright’s where you can watch the chocolatier performing his craft and where you feel like you are in a soda shop from a bygone era. In these, and many other wonderful ways, Walla Walla may, in fact, have a lot in common with Mayberry. However, unlike Andy Griffith’s mythical small town, Walla Walla is not a one diner town in which entertainment is limited to a shoeless trek to the local fishing hole and the cultural experiences involve a choice between listening to the church choir or attending the junior high production of Oklahoma. Walla Walla has a lot more to offer. Walla Walla has become synonymous with world class in many ways, and in fact, Walla Walla has so much going on that it has caused some to ask whether it can still be defined as rural.
Recently, a representative from the Washington State Department of Commerce visited Walla Walla to see what economic development looked like in the rural sections of the eastern side of the state. We introduced him to the Chamber Works Project, and took him to see examples of each of its industry sectors. The introduction to Digital Walla Walla started with a tour of the digital media lab at Walla Walla High School. As a student demonstrated
PhotobyKimberlyMiner
W
August 2013 | 3
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEBoardChair Shannon Bergevin Express Employment Professionals
ViceChair Tom Scribner Minnick-Hayner
Treasurer John Tombari Banner Bank
ImmediatePastChair Jon Bren Baker Boyer Bank
PastChair Monty Knittel Walla Walla General Hospital
Secretary David Woolson Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce President/CEO
Continued on page 11
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2013 Golf Tournament “Hole-In-One” Success!!! • Casi Smith, Director of Special Events
olfers came out successfully swing-ing Tuesday, July 9, for our 2013 Business Classic Golf Tournament held at Wine Valley Golf Club! A
total of 132 golfers showed off their stuff for an all day tournament of play, contests, scramble, prizes and raffles galore. It was a day of fun, sun and “let’s go get ‘em” play when golfers took to 18 holes of glorious golfing at the beautiful golf course!
Before we tell you this years’ winners, we simply could not do this tournament without our fabulous sponsors: Title Sponsor, Columbia Rural Electric Association, Corporate Sponsors Abadan, Sykes and Walla Walla General Hospital, as well as our Putting Contest Sponsor CommunityBank and Hole-In-One Sponsor AbajianToyota-Scion, who was offering a beautiful car for the winner. (Bummer, no one won the car, but Monty Knittel of Walla Walla General Hospital received a $250 gift card from Abajian Toyota-Scion for scoring a hole-in-one on the 14th hole! Way to go, Monty!) Also, a huge “Thank You” to our Golf Cart Sponsor, InlandCellular; Longest Drive Contest Sponsor, KVEW/KAPP-TV; Beverage Cart Sponsor, ArdorCellars; Lunch Box Sponsor, Ranch & Home; Score Card Sponsor, Abadan and Wine Sponsors, ArdorCellars&ResultofACrush.
Our Hole Sponsors included Andrae’sKitchen, Block, Maughan & Associates,CenturyLink, CH2M Hill, Dura-Shine,Impress Salon, Les Schwab, Patton &Associates, Garden Vegan Café, MarcusWhitman,TotalOfficeConcepts,WellFaceand Body, Walla Faces, Wildhorse Resort&Casino,WildWallaWallaWineWoman and WallaWallaSweetOnionCommittee, which we thank all tremendously!
A shout-out to our fabulous Golf Tournament Committee & Chamber Ambassadors: Wade Robbins of BannerBank, Peter Early of Abadan, ShannonBlock of Block, Maughan & Associates,Chris Coates of Marcus Whitman Hotel and TomStokesofWindemereRealEstate. Thank you for all of your time and much
G appreciated efforts!Our prize donors
provided some of the finest gifts to be found, including everything from overnight resort packages to concert/show tickets, $500 watches, golf lessons, spa treatments and dinners to awesome gift baskets, plus so much more! Our special thank you to all of our prize donors this year including: Andrae’s Kitchen, Abajian Toyota-Scion,Wine Valley Golf Club, Martin’s Jewelers,Wildhorse Resort & Casino, KVEW/KAPPTV, Marc Restaurant, Gesa Power HouseTheater, Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman,Well Face and Body, Big Cheese Pizza,ImpressSalon,BakerBoyerBank,Bright’sCandies,Holiday Inn, Result of A Crush,Bergevin Lanes,Walla Faces, Kontos, TheGarden Vegan Café, CH2M Hill, Colum-biaREA,CommunityBank,AvondaleGolfCourse, CenturyLink and GESA CreditUnion.
A Wing&APrayerBarbecueandCater-ing provided our fabulous lunch and awards dinner. Special Thanks to you!
Now, what you’ve all been waiting for…First Place Net Prize Winner went to Team Dura-Shine (Jason Hogue, Michael Mackay, Carlos Martinez & Jason Spence). Second Place Net Prize Winner: Team Ardor Winery (Brandon & Emma Kubrock, Tyler Daniels & Mike Byerley). Third Place Net Prize Winner: Team Seattle Tour & Trolley Company (Jeremy Butzlaff, Tyler Ketelsen, Kenneth Bertelsen & Duane Wollmuth.
First Place Gross Prize Winner went to Team Wannabe Winners (Ed Barragar, Rick Taylor, Sean Taylor & Bruce Murr). Second Place Gross Prize Winner went to Herring Groseclose Funeral Home (Jeff Mahan, Jim Sanders, Chris Long & Jeff Thomas). Third Place Gross Prize Winners: (Gyle Balmer, Dee Balmer, Jim Greene and Robin Greene).
Putting Contest Winners were Gyle Balmer and Ramon Zamora with the Longest Drive
4 |August 2013
ScottAbajian Abajian Toyota-Scion
MeaganAnderson-Pira Children’s Home Society
ShannonBergevin Express Employment Professionals
RobBlethen Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
ToddBrandenburg PocketiNet Communications
JonBren Baker Boyer Bank
GeorgeBridges Whitman College
ChaundraDominguez Vault Accounting and Business Consulting
ValerieFayetteOne Meadow Lane
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Members’ News FlashJazz&WineAmongFriends
A jazz festival benefitting Friends of Children of Walla Walla has grown from humble beginnings to take its place on the annual Walla Walla community calendar. With your attendance, you can help provide a caring, consistent adult for a child in need and, at the same time, enjoy some of the finest jazz in the Northwest. Imagine an entire weekend of music, wine and sun, with clear night skies to cap off the festival days—now imagine yourself there!
Friday evening, August 23, features three downtown venues with performances from 6:00 to 10:30pm, headlined by the extraordi-nary Seattle vocalist, Gail Pettis and her trio. Saturday afternoon, the focus shifts to the Airport Incubators for a concert on the lawn with Gary Hemmenway, Doug Scarborough and Portland’s own, Saeeda Wright. The festival’s gala event takes place Saturday evening, with Portland’s Shanghai Woolies returning to take the stage at Three Rivers Winery. On Sunday morning, the festival wraps up with a New Orleans-style parade through downtown, culminating in a jazz brunch at Whitehouse Crawford with music provided by the Uptown Lowdown Jazz Quartet. To support Friends and be a part of this exciting weekend, go to www.wallawallafriends.org for tickets!
WelcomeHomeVeteransEventVeterans, Service Members and their
families, are invited to Walla Walla VA’s second annual Welcome Home Event on August 23, 2013, from 10am to 2pm in the Columbia Point Marina Park, 660 Columbia Point Dr., Richland, Washington.
This event is located in TriCities, and all Veterans, service members and families from the Walla Walla area, TriCities, and surrounding areas are invited.
There will be representatives on hand from the VA, Veterans Organizations and community partners to answer your questions. Plus, there will be great food, drinks, and musical entertainment, along with raffles and kids games. So come and
FocalPointMarketingAwardsIn March, Focal Point Marketing (FPM)
was awarded three ADDY Awards within the Spokane Chapter for 2013. The ADDY Awards are given by the American Advertising Federation, the nation’s oldest national advertising trade association, and the only association representing all facets of the advertising industry.
SILVER ADDY: Elements of Advertising: Logo Made in the Tri-Cities – TRIDEC – Thomas Manley – Art Director
SILVER ADDY: Elements of Advertising: Photography, Color - Three Rivers Convention Center by Mitch Lewis, Photographer, Managing Partner and Energy Northwest Lake Photo by Mitch Lewis, Photographer, Managing Partner
CUNA AWARDS: FPM was also honored for work done for Gesa Credit Union at the Credit Union National Association’s CUNA Diamond Awards for Excellence in marketing. F P M a n d G e s a r e c e i v e d t w o national honors for the following work: Radio Spot, single: “99 Reasons Auto Refinance” Video and Youth Marketing Campaign: “5 Reasons Why”
In May, FPM in partnership with Gesa Credit Union, won the 2013 Best Print Ad Series at the Credit Union National Associa-tion Spectrum Awards. The award was given for the Business Newsprint series.
ASTER AWARDS: Also in May, FPM won three National Aster Awards. The Aster Awards Program is an elite competition recognizing the nation’s most talented healthcare marketing professionals for outstanding excellence in advertising.
GOLDASTER: Invitations: Neurological Resource Centers Kadlec Neurological Resource Center and KNRC 2013 Variete Invitation
SILVER ASTER: Website: 501c(3) Volunteer Physicians & Surgeons Implant Devices SIGN Fracture Care at www.sign-fracturecare.org
SILVER ASTER: TV/Video Advertising Single: Cancer Treatment Center Tri-Cities Cancer Center “War on Cancer” 30-Second TV Commercial.
Members’ News Flashbring the whole family!
For more information, visit the website: http://www.wallawalla.va.gov/news/Wel-come_Home.asp or call Mary Gordon at 509-525-5200, Ext. 22671
Visitthe1920satKirkmanHouseTurn the clock back 90 years to a time
when some women were “flappers,” gin was made in bathtubs, good times were enjoyed by many and few foresaw the Depression just around the corner.
Beginning July 19, the Kirkman House Museum presents “The Roaring Twenties” - an exhibit that looks at how Walla Walla lived after the “War to End All Wars” and before the Crash of 1929.
The 1920s brought momentous change to Walla Walla as its borders and businesses grew rapidly. Even as other Washington cities flourished, Walla Walla continued to be an important Northwest center of agriculture and culture. Vegetable farming expanded as canneries were established.
Washington women had been voting since 1910 and in 1920, women through-out the US won this right. Even in Walla Walla jazz became a mainstream enthusi-asm. And at the end of the decade, the Walla Walla business community bankrolled the construction of one of the grandest ho-tels west of the Mississippi, the Marcus Whitman Hotel.
“Most people don’t know that Whitman College owned the Kirkman House during the Twenties,” said Carolyn Priest, exhibit curator, “and used it as a men’s dormitory. One of the student-residents was Walter Brat-tain. Brattain went on to win a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1956 for his contributions to the development of the transistor. And he used to study physics right here.”
“The Roaring Twenties” runs through October 27 and will be followed by “Hope in Hard Times,” an extraordinary presentation of life during the Depression era produced by Humanities Washington.
The Kirkman House Museum is located at 214 N Colville Street. Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm
Electrical ContractorResidential • Commercial
Security • Telecom24 Hour Service
Walla Walla Electric509-525-8672 Fx: 509-525-8642
www.wwelectric.com
Since
1975
and Sunday, 1pm to 4pm. Admission is $5/person up to $20 for a family.
Museum and NARM members enjoy free admission. For more information, visit our website at www.kirkmanhousemuseum.org or call 509-529-4373.
MerchantofVeniceatGPHTShakespeare Walla Walla (SWW) is
proud to announce their summer production of The Merchant of Venice, with twelve performances at the Gesa Power House Theatre (GPHT) running from August 8 to August 18. SWW Artistic Director Stephanie Shine has assembled a cast and crew of professional actors and artists locally and from around the country.
The Merchant of Venice will preview at the Gesa Power House Theatre at 7:30 pm on Thursday, August 8, with a special “Pay-What-You-Will” performance. Opening Night follows on Friday, August 9, at 7:30pm and includes a celebratory post-show reception with the actors. The run then includes 7:30 pm evening performances on August 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, with 3:00pm matinee performances on August 10, 11, 17 and 18. Doors open one hour prior to show time. Ticket prices range from $9 to $29 for reserved seating with special pricing available through FLEX ticket packages. For full program details and to buy tickets, visit www.PHTWW.com or ShakespeareWalla-Walla.org.
SalmonDinnerBenefitsSeniorsSenior Round Table, which brings area
communities the Meals on Wheels nutrition program, will host its tenth annual Bristol Bay wild Alaskan red salmon barbecue dinner. The fundraiser, including a raffle, will be 4:30-7:00pm, Friday, August 23, at The Center at the Park/Walla Walla Senior Citizens Center, 720 Sprague Ave. Tickets are $20 in advance or at the door (if available).
A complete dinner with salad bar and dessert will be served up with entertainment. It’s a fun evening for a local cause, organizers say. For more details, call 527-3775.
BOARD OF DIRECTORSAnitaFunk Key Technology
MontyKnittel Walla Walla General Hospital
CourtneyMoore Zalaznik, Moore & Associates
SteveRose Walla Walla University
TomScribner Minnick-Hayner
DougSimcock Windermere Real Estate
LesTeel Columbia Rural Electric Association
JohnTombari Banner Bank
DavidWoolson Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce
1417 Plaza Way, Walla Walla, WA [email protected] | bluepalmyo.com509.876.2389
Blue Palm Frozen Yogurt
6 | August 2013
RENEWING MEMBERS(SINCE)
AWingandaPrayerBarbecue&Canteen(‘10)
AffinityatWallaWalla(‘11)
AmericanWestBank(‘77)
AssociatedVeterinaryMedicalCenter(‘81)
BarberConstruction(‘12)
BetterBusinessBureau(‘88)
Blue32andTheGalleryInn(‘08)
Bright’sCandies(‘04)
CityCenterMotel(‘61)
DunhamCellars(‘93)
FarwestMaterials(‘00)
FortWallaWallaMuseum(‘95)
Continued on page 7
2nd &Tietan • 1355 W. Poplar • 522.2010 • gesa.com176 Wine Valley Road, Walla Walla, Washington
www.winevalleygolfclub.com
August 2013 | 7
RENEWING MEMBERS(SINCE)
Our Personalized Products include:• Calendars• Caps• Shirts• Jackets• Mugs• Pens & Pencils and much more!
WE’RE HERE!860 NE Rose, CP • 525.7630
8187
0 sl
Gary’sPaint&Decorating(‘83)
Holly’sFlowers(‘07)
InnatBlackberryCreek(‘01)
Jacobi’sCafe(‘09)
Jill&RobertZagelow(‘09)
JonathanM.WainwrightMemorialVAMedicalCenter(‘96)
L’EcoleNo41(‘94)
LodmellCellars(‘12)
NewcombArchitecture(‘12)
NorthestPublicRadio(‘04)
OilCanHenry’s(‘08)
OrganixInc(‘04)
BUTLER CARPET CLEANING No-Soap Cleaning Process Carpet Cleaning Upholstery Cleaning Tile Cleaning Locally Owned & Operated Commercial & Residential
TONY RUKAVINA Owner
509-956-9996 Let the “BUTLER” Do it!
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Continued on page 10
8 |August 2013
AMBASSADORS
529-2500 1421 Dell Ave., Walla Walla WA DOYLE EI277CL • OR CCB#19588
• WIRING & REPAIR • PUMP SALES & SERVICE • SECURITY SYSTEMS • FIRE ALARMS • • COMPUTER SALES & SERVICE
24 HR EMERGENCY SERVICE
Service Since 1972
Kris Youd President Coldwell Banker
Casey Richards Vice President Camp Fire USA
Chris Coates Secretary Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center
Tara Crain Past President Copier Service, Inc.
Shannon Block Block, Maughan & Associates
Brenda Breshears Elsom Roofing, Inc
Willy Breshears CH2M Hill
Doug Case Columbia Rural Electric Association
Peggy Chavez-Cazier AFLAC
Michelle Conner Baker Boyer Bank
Peter Early Abadan
heChamberIsSelf-SupportingThe Walla Walla Valley Chamber
of Commerce receives no public funding for our operations and initiatives. The Chamber is funded
100% by member dues and event revenue. Your strong support of the Chamber makes things happen in the Valley!
With the Chamber office serving as the “Welcome Mat” at the gateway to the Walla Walla Valley, the Chamber and its staff are often the first point of contact for visitors and relocaters. In 2012, the Chamber staff provided more than 10,000 individual community and visitor services. There were over 3,000 referrals to our Chamber Member businesses. This was all funded by your membership dollars. The Chamber recognizes the value of welcoming guests and newcom-ers to our community.
Our new website, wwvchamber.com serves as a digital welcome mat, greeting virtual visitors from the UK, Australia, Spain, Germany Canada, all across the United States and, mostly, points closer to home. The information that is provided to visitors helps all bottom lines, both directly and indirectly. Your Chamber of Commerce is actively guiding these folks to our local businesses and community resources. The virtual and actual network that is the Chamber actively supports business so that your own customers, clients, and patients can take advantage of a variety of products and services in their hometown. Simply put, more businesses are better for all business.
OurEventsDrawThousandstotheValleyOur Chamber events draw thousands to
the Walla Walla Valley annually. Chamber membership demonstrates a commitment to the local economy, and insofar as the Chamber stages such events as the Walla Walla Business Summit and the Walla Walla Balloon Stampede and we partner with the Downtown Walla Walla Association and Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance on their core events. These sustaining events are what define our community character. Chamber events draw thousands of patrons to the Valley to spend money; our members are support-ing the overhead involved in presenting these events. Our members also supported
Why Membership Mattersthe over 700 community events that are posted on wwvchamber.com. The on-line community calendar is a service to membership and the community at large. Your Chamber’s goal is to provide the area’s most comprehensive digital community calendar to aid our local businesses and organizations in event planning, as well as increasing attendance and exposure. Recognizing the beneficial effect of events on business and civic spirit, your Chamber maintains a self-submission interface to make event promotion easy and accessible to the public. With our new website we are able to track your views, not only on your member category, but on hits linked to your website from ours. Give me a call at any time to receive these stats. Our website works for our member businesses!MembersReceiveDirectBenefits
Aside from the satisfaction of supporting an organization that sustains the community, Chamber members receive direct benefits, including listings in the online business directory, display of promotional materials in our visitor’s center, business briefs in our weekly Valley Business News (e-news blast), news releases in our monthly Chamber News, discounted rates to all of our events, such as Quarterly Luncheons, Business Summit, Awards Showcase, Golf Tournament and Annual Banquet. Members also receive discounted booth space at the Balloon Stampede. Additionally, it is the Chamber’s policy to refer member businesses to phone and walk-in requests. Whether you are running a small business or a large corpora-tion, you measure every penny you spend. The Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce brings you innovative member benefits and programs that can make the most of your marketing dollar, reduce business costs and save you time!
The Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Com-merce is here for our members to promote, improve and support the Walla Walla Valley community and beyond, as an outstanding place to live, work and do business!
T• Betsy Hadden, Director of Member Services
August 2013 | 9
Chris Jonlick Inland Cellular
Terra Luthi Holiday Inn Express
Kimberly McDaniels Krivoshein Financial
Judy McDole Walla Walla School District
Jim Pease Windermere Real Estate
Sheila Peterson McDonald Zaring Insurance
Joel Petty Individual Member
Wade Robbins Banner Bank
Sandi Rowe Community Bank
Andre Selfa Gesa Credit Union
Tom Stokes Windermere Real Estate
AMBASSADORS
Continued from page 1
farms, businesses and restaurants. So now everyone can ‘Savor Walla Walla.’3. I am also working with the agriculture folks on putting together a familiarization tour for agricultural and culinary travel writers. We will host these writers, give them lots of story ideas (and there are plenty!) and hopefully generate some great publicity for the Valley. Stay tuned on this effort.4. Another recent initiative I have been involved in is bringing the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office to Walla Walla on August 6. Representatives from their office in San Francisco will be here to give a seminar on exporting opportunities for the wine industry to Hong Kong. If you are interested in attending and learning about this area in your wine business, please RSVP to the Chamber. We will also be meeting with their delegation to explore additional business opportunities. I also want to thank our local partners in this effort including,
Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance, the City of Walla Walla and Walla Walla Community College.
Another way we promote the Valley is the daily phone, email and walk-in traffic seeking information on local businesses, attractions, visitor and relocation information. It is extremely busy! We handle thousands of requests a year for information about Walla Walla! You would be amazed at the people that walk through our door from all over the United States and beyond. We are getting discovered!
In ancient Rome, the Dog Days of Summer ran from July 24 through August 24. The hot weather coincided with the star Sirius being the brightest in the night sky as part of constellation Canis Major (large dog). So I hope you are enjoying the Dog Days and take the time to soak up a glorious summer nights and look for the Large Dog!
Welcome To Our New Chamber MembersCookieConstructionCompany,706WRoseSt,WW509-572-0728
Custom design cookies that complement and add style to your special event. Our deli-cious cookies are all hand decorated to match any theme or occasion.
ElCorazonWinery,37SPalouseSt,WW509-520-4408We are a small wine producer in the Walla Walla valley specializing in unique varietals such as Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carmenere.
FocalPointMarketing&Multimedia,8551GageBlvd,SteK,Kennewick509-378-3041Focal Point Marketing, an award winning, full-service advertising agency, offers strategic marketing, brand development, audio/video production, graphic/ web design, media placement and photography.
FraternalOrderofEagles,350SSecondAve,WW509-529-3333Fraternal non-profit organization whose motto is ‘People Helping People’. We support location & national charities. Catering, dinners, banquet and meeting rooms available.
PendletonGrainGrowers(PGG),POBox1248,Pendleton,OR541-278-5033PGG delivers quality agricultural products and services at a competitive price to its coop-erative members and customers with superior service.
win
10 | August 2013
RENEWING MEMBERS (SINCE)
Ranch&Home(‘12)
RobisonRanchCellars,LLC(‘11)
RussellCreekRanch(‘09)
Sandy’sU-Rent(‘05)
SaviahCellars(‘12)
TheInnatWoodhavenFarm(‘07)
TheMom’sNetwork(‘12)
TheTukanInnGuestHouse(‘07)
VirtualIn-HouseCounsel,PLLC(‘01)
509.529.2020
Valley Vision Clinic 22 West Main Street
Walla Walla, WA 99362 www.valleyvisionclinic.com
Eye Examinations Eye Health Management
Contact Lenses / Sunglasses Large Frame Selection
Accepting New Patients
Optometric Physicians
Dennis Poffenroth, O.D. Luther Ness, O.D.
Rebecca Musick, O.D. Angela Ferguson, O.D.
Jeremy Beam, O.D. Rick Harrison, O.D.
Since 1949
Business of the Year Recognizing a business for their contribution to the community.
Not-For-Profit Organization of the Year Recognizing Best Business Practices in a 501c(3), 501c(4) or 501c(6), any size.
Sweet Service Walla Walla Recognizing a business or non-for-profit organization with exceptional customer service.
Health & Wellness Award Recognizing outstanding commitment to employee wellness and development in the workplace.
Catalyst Award Recognizing an individual, business or organization that collaborates and motivates to make BIG things happen in the Walla Walla Valley.
$mart Business Award Recognizing outstanding commitment to environmentally sound business practices.
Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Recognizing youth, grade K through 12, who create and operate a business venture.
Do you know a business that deserves special recognition?
It could even be yours!
Nomination Deadline is August 5, 2013
August 2013 | 11
Advertise Your Business or Event
Newsletter insert advertising has been rated one of the best, most cost-effective forms of advertising by members. For just pennies per reader, you can put your information in front of highly targeted local businesses and community members.
Your Chamber membership entitles you to advertise your business or event in the monthly ChamberNews. Only Chamber members can advertise in the newsletter, so you are able to target other committed businesses who care about our community and the success of business in the Walla Walla Valley.
Provide 900 copies of your inser t on regular weight, 8.5”x11” non-glossy paper that is not folded. The cost for this insert is $150, which covers postage. The insert is an excellent, cost-effective way to promote your Chamber member business.To get your insert into the September
ChamberNews,pleasehaveyourinsertstousby5:00pmonAugust12,2013. Inserts are typically due the second Monday of each month.
Increase Your Construction Business!
Gain Access to Area and Regional
Construction Projects!
In as little as five minutes, you could be accessing local or regional projects.
For more information, contact Marissa or Lori at (509) 629-1267.
Or email [email protected]
Two membership
options available,
with affordable
payment plans!
We can set you up
with a membership to
suit your business needs.
Already a member? Ask about our New Member Referral
Incentive program.
Monthly Statistics - JunePlanCenter
Tourism Relocation EventInfo
BusinessAssistance
MemberInfo/Referrals
Phone 9 79 18 51 58 78
Walk-in 8 75 10 9 4 57
Totals 17 154 28 60 62 135
YTD 246 830 223 971 364 859
Continued from page 3
Men’s Winner going to Ryan Munsey. Longest Drive Women’s went to Robin Greene with Closest to the Pin going to Jeff Mahan for a distance of 1-foot 2-inches.
A soft and very well done from the heat this year was our newest contest…our Marshmallow Drive where winner, Sean Taylor, drove for a total distance of 102 feet! And our Booby Prize this year went to Columbia REA’s Jim Cooper, Walla Walla Tourism’s Ron Peck, GESA Powerhouse Theater’s Erica Walters and Steve Sutton of Ranch & Home.
So, an overall “Thank You” to all for a very exciting and successful 2013 Business Classic Golf Tournament for 2013!
The Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce works to foster a strong and sustainable economic environment in the Walla Walla Valley. Your support of the Chamber helps to further our mission and to protect our economy and jobs in the Valley.
We look forward to seeing all of you again next year for yet another Chamber Business Classic Event!
BUSINESS AFTER HOURSAugust 13, 2013Woodward Canyon Winery 11920 W Hwy 12, Lowden, WA
September 10 2013Red Reina Cuisine & Delicatessen
PO Box 644 Walla Walla, WA 99362
Pre-SortedStandard U.S.Postage PaidCollege Place
WA 99324Permit #44
Ribbon Cuttings
2013 CHAMBER EVENTS
BusinessAwardsShowcaseSeptember 18
AnnualBanquetDecember 4
CONTACT US29 East Sumach | PO Box 644 | Walla Walla, WA 99362 | Phone 509.525.0850 | Fax 509.522.2038 [email protected] | wwvchamber.com
Connected Since 1890.
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www.bannerbank.com Member FDIC
Walla Walla Main Eastgate Ninth Avenue College Place (509) 526-8731 (509) 529-8181 (509) 527-6460 (509) 527-3646
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Call 525-3304 for more information.
51 E. Main
Stone Creek Dental Care Andrae’s Kitchen at the C-Store
Alder Family Dental
