2013-14Annual Report

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About UsMessage from the PresidentAs our fiscal year came to a close, I was reminded again of the successful year The Chamber enjoyed. This year brought many important milestones, including the federal authorization of funding for the diversion in May. Permanent flood protection is a crucial issue facing our business community, and we look forward to seeing this project move forward toward reality.

In our annual membership survey, we were pleased to discover that the consensus among the respondents was that we are doing a pretty good job. Seeing comments such as, “We have a strong, involved Chamber and their input and events promote a very positive impact on the region’s overall successful business environment,” and The Chamber is “one of the best avenues toward keeping us informed of events and trends vital to business” is a humbling experience that makes our jobs easy every day.

Thank you for recognizing our efforts, but most of all, thank you for your belief in what we do. We are excited about the coming year and the many new programs we intend to offer to continue making you more successful. After all, we are only as strong as the members we serve.

Chamber StaffCraig Whitney, President/CEO

Jim Parsons, Vice President of Finance/OperationsJulie Doggett, Information Systems AdministratorDarren Dunlop, Business Development Manager

Samantha Gust, Program Coordinator - Leadership FMWFJessica Lee, Government Affairs & Advocacy Manager

Tracy Meckler, Membership Sales ManagerGail Petersen, Membership Relations Coordinator

Elly Peterson, Program Coordinator – Young Professionals NetworkTracy Powell, Director of Events & Programs

Bobbi Jo Rehder, Events CoordinatorKaylyn Stroh, Publications & Program Marketing Coordinator

Danielle Teigen, Communications & Marketing ManagerMickayla Thompson, Administrative Services Coordinator

Julie Yourczek, Administrative Support Coordinator

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About UsThe Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce is a bi-state, regional federation of more than 2,100 private, public and non-profit member firms representing more than 94,000 people. As the largest local chamber in North Dakota and Minnesota, The Chamber advocates for a strong metropolitan community and supports the interests of its members, which are located in Cass and Clay Counties and beyond.

Since merging in 2010, The Chamber has been named a finalist three times in the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Chamber of the Year competition. In addition, Chamber events and publications have been recognized by the ACCE and Mid-America Chamber Executives (MACE).

Board of DirectorsBoard Chair | Bernie Dardis, Indigo Signworks

Chair Elect | Doug Restemayer, D-S Beverages, Inc.

Treasurer | Jon Riewer, Eventide Senior Living Communities

Immediate Past Chair | Wayne Bradley, Bradley Business Advisors

Thomas Astrup, American Crystal Sugar CompanyRenee Bourdeaux, North Dakota State University

Chuck Driscoll, Red River Refrigeration, Inc.Judd Graham, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Don Gronke, State Farm InsuranceKatie Hasbargen, Microsoft

Norm Leslie, National Hospitality ServicesKathy Lewin, City of West Fargo

Paul Richard, Sanford HealthEdna Szymanski, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Mission The Chamber promotes economic growth and prosperity for business and its members through advocacy, education and engagement.

Vision The Chamber is the leader in ensuring the growth and prosperity of our regional business community and members.

Strategic Objectives § Through effective public policy, foster an environment of economic growth.

§ Grow jobs and attract investment. § Achieve organization excellence to best serve members. § Provide bold and visionary leadership throughout the region.

Bernie Dardis

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Health Care and Social Assistance (12%)

Finance and Insurance (12%)

Accommodation and Food Services (10%)Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (10%)Retail Trade (9%)Other Services (8%)(except Public Administration)

Construction (7%)

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing (5%)

Wholesale Trade (5%)Administrative and Support and WasteManagement and Remediation Services (4%)

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (4%)Manufacturing (3%)

Information (3%)Transportation and Warehousing (2%)Educational Services (2%)

Public Administration (1%)Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (1%)Beauty Salons & Barbers (1%)

Utilities (<1%)

Mining (<1%)

Chamber Member Business NAICS* Segmentation

About You

*North American Industry Classification System

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0 100 200 300 400 500

Mem

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Years as a Chamber Member

50 or more

20 to 49

10 to 19

6 to 9

3 to 5

1 to 2

Less than 1

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Chamber Volunteers

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AdvocacyConnecting Voters to Elected Officials

Even when elections aren’t imminent, being educated about the issues is vital to maintaining an informed constituency. U.S. Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp each visited with Chamber members about Congressional issues, such as diversion funding, environmental safeguards, train safety and much more.

The Minnesota Legislature was hard at work at the beginning of 2014, and three local legislators — Senator Kent Eken, along with Representatives Ben Lien and Paul Marquart — provided Chamber members an in-depth recap once the session concluded. Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Director of Tax and Fiscal Policy Beth Strinden Kadoun, noted the repeal of harmful business-to-business taxes and highlighted aspects of the business climate in Minnesota.

With a fresh face on the stage and a sold-out crowd, the 2014 State of the Cities featured a variety of new elements that offered attendees excitement and insight. The mayors of Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo and Dilworth answered a number of questions regarding their city’s growth, future endeavors, the role of education and the arts and answered questions audience members had. In a live poll, 71 percent of the audience indicated that downtown is the ideal location for a new city hall/convention. In a second live poll, 58 percent of the audience responded that comprehensive flood protection was the number one issue affecting the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo region.

Where would you most like to see anew convention center located?

Somewhereelse

(16%)

Current Space is adequate (2%)

At theFargoDome

(10%)

Downtown Fargo (71%)

What do you see as the #1 issue affecting the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo region that you'd

like to see city leaders address?

LowerTaxes (12%)

Housing (4%)

Comprehensiveflood protection

(58%)

Workforce(18%)

Arts &EntertainmentOptions (7%)

State of the Cities

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Advocacy Advocacy

Educating the Electorate Elections are an important opportunity for civic involvement, and we are committed to offering the electorate opportunities to learn about candidates seeking public office.

In October, we hosted a mayoral debate for the Moorhead candidates where Mark Hintermeyer, Mike Hulett and Del Rae Williams discussed issues facing the city. Williams was elected, earning the distinction of the first female City of Moorhead mayor.

In May, we held candidate forums for the City of Fargo commission and mayoral races as well as the City of West Fargo commission race. Twelve individuals were vying for five positions, and the forums offered voters the chance to hear differences between candidates and their ideas for moving each growing city forward.

Supporting Sound LegislationThe Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber Board of Directors voted unanimously to oppose the Clean Water, Wildlife and Parks Measure petition currently being circulated in North Dakota. The constitutional measure would commit an estimated $300-$400 million per biennium into a new fund and mandates 75 percent of the funds to be spent at the end of the biennium, regardless of whether projects are warranted.

Backing Permanent Flood ProtectionSenator John Hoeven and Business Leaders for Permanent Flood Protection Task Force announced the congressional authorization of the FM Diversion project in May at The Chamber. Passing the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) was a critical step in securing federal funding for the FM Diversion Project, which will protect more than $23 billion in structures, 103,000 jobs,

$2.77 billion in taxable sales and the lives of more than 200,000 residents. WRRDA authorizes the federal funding share of $846 million for the diversion project. City officials and legislators continue to credit the task force as being the key to gaining the necessary support to secure state funding during the 2013 North Dakota Legislative Session.

In July, the Business Leaders for Flood Protection Task Force held its regular quarterly meeting with an exclusive focus on Minnesota. More than 50 people attended that meeting, including City of Moorhead officials, Clay County commissioners and local legislators. Several business leaders commented on the importance of regional cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring this project continues to move forward.

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ADVERTISEMENTChamber opposes ND conservation measurePosted Today at 1:57 p.m.

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he Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber board of directors voted unanimously to oppose the Clean Water, Wildlife and Parks measure petition currently being circulated in North Dakota.The constitutional measure would commit an estimated $300 million to $400 million per biennium into a new fund and mandates 75 percent of the funds to be spent at the end of the biennium, regardless of whether projects are warranted.

“The Chamber is on record in support of responsible environmental stewardship. We supported the creation of the Outdoor Heritage Fund, which was passed by Legislature in 2013,” said Chamber President and CEO Craig Whitney in a news release. “We feel this

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Experiencing Military FirsthandHonor Star members spent a day with the Minnesota National Guard during Annual Training in June at Camp Ripley. The day-long expedition was offered at no cost as a way to increase understanding and appreciation for the skill and commitment of our service members. While onsite, participants fired pneumatic M16A4 rifle simulators, learned about the camp and its various facets, received an overview of a 120mm Mortar Gun Tube mounted in an M1064 Mortar Track Carrier and ate a meal ready to eat, or MRE, for lunch while tank gunnery launch occurred down range.

AdvocacyRedefining the Honor Star Program

In its second year of existence, the Honor Star program embraced a new logo to serve as the symbolic

display of recognition and appreciation for service members, their families and the missions they carry out. In its inaugural year, 140 businesses became Honor Star members. This year, 163 have pledged their support of the military

community. This image adorns the windows of Honor Star businesses, indicating to patrons that

the business doesn’t take freedom for granted.

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honor star

Honoring Our Service Members

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AdvocacyAdvocacyHonoring Military Members and Families

This year, The Chamber hosted its largest Military Appreciation Night at the RedHawks event with more than 750 military members and their families attending a night full of fun and games. From a pre-game picnic featuring inflatable games and pictures with RedHawks players to watching 16 men and women commit themselves to service to the nation, the event served

as an acme of The Chamber’s efforts to support the local military community. Dozens of member businesses made the event possible through sponsorship of the event and tickets for military families.

I just wanted to say a very sincere thank you for the absolutely wonderful military appreciation event you put on at the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks game. My family and I had such a fun time! The cool t-shirts, inflatable obstacle course and photos with the players and Hawkeye were my kids’ favorite parts! This was the second year we attended and thoroughly enjoyed this event, so I wanted to ensure you knew how appreciated your hard work is. THANK YOU!

Sgt 1st Class Jennifer Schwind

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EducationLeadership Fargo Moorhead West FargoBusiness leaders from 39 area companies graduated in May from The Chamber’s Leadership Fargo Moorhead West Fargo program, which develops knowledgeable leaders committed to growing professionally and personally to benefit their employers, community and themselves. For more than 30 years, the program has helped emerging leaders understand the important issues facing the community while offering skills and knowledge to confront them.

The graduates of our program are equipped with the knowledge and network they need to make a significant impact on our community. These leaders take with them a heightened sense of community and the tools and resources they need to help their organizations succeed.

Chamber President/CEO Craig Whitney

94% of recent graduates said they were “highly satisfied” with the program.

40dynamic, thought-provoking and interactive sessions were held at various locations throughout the community.

participants were selected after an application and interview process.

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EducationEducationBusiness Training During the past year, we educated the local workforce on a variety of issues ranging from accountability to marketing to motivational sales action plans to leadership. We held our first marketing mixer in November and look forward to incorporating feedback and ideas we received to improve future mixer events. In addition, we hosted another business summit that featured breakout sessions on cloud computing, collaborative work environments, public speaking, social media and more.

The chance to share our successes and our leadership philosophies here at the Cass County Sheriff’s Office with members of our community was a very positive experience. Presenting through The Chamber’s Business Training series allowed us to share with our public how we operate as leaders, as a team and as an office.

Sheriff Paul Laney, Cass County Commission and Department Heads

37Local presenters spoke at

sessions throughout the year.

250

People obtained knowledge on the importance of how we do

things in the workplace.

1924Individuals attended training

sessions in the past year.

37Local presenters spoke at

sessions throughout the year.

250

People obtained knowledge on the importance of how we do

things in the workplace.

1924Individuals attended training

sessions in the past year.

486Attendees learned about

current fraud techniques and how to avoid becoming a

victim from nationally recognized fraud expert and

former con artist extraordinaire Frank Abagnale.

299Professionals acquired

techniques for building morale in thier organization from Cass county Sheriff Paul D. Laney.

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EngagementEach year, our Annual Meeting is an opportunity to highlight successes of the past year, thank the countless volunteers who help us with our mission, recognize the volunteers who have stepped up in various roles as well as outline our priorities for the coming year.

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush educated nearly 800 attendees on topics ranging from education to immigration to the current state of the Bush family at our fourth annual Voices of Vision. Each year, Voices of Vision brings globally renowned thought leaders to the metro.

The annual Economic Outlook Forum offered nearly 500 attendees a glimpse of the various factors affecting the regional economy: energy exploration, workforce availability, technology, entrepreneurism and health care. A highlight of the event was the social interaction among attendees via Twitter using #EOF14. Pam Sharp from the North Dakota Office of Management and Budget citing different ways North Dakota’s economy has been recognized based on Moody’s Analytics.

Nearly 600 members of the business community learned about the latest technology revolutionizing commerce at State of Technology 2014 from a variety of speakers such as Doug Burgum from Arthur Ventures/Kilbourne Group, Bison Tracker app developer Tim Brookins from Microsoft and Myriad Mobile founder and CEO Jake Joraanstad.

488 attendees watched as Margie Bailly earned the 2013 Legacy Leader award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the community.

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Engagement

Engagement

142 RibbonCuttings

72 grand-opening or ground-breaking

events11 other events

19 anniversary celebrations

11 business remodels

29 new locations

125Years

Chamber Around TownEvery year, The Chamber holds numerous ribbon-cutting ceremonies for new and expanding member businesses in Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo. Our Public Relations Ambassadors attend these events as representatives of The Chamber to welcome the business and celebrate accomplishments.

Business After Hours continues to set records as the region’s largest networking event. Booth space is frequently sold out with exhibitors ranging from cell phone companies to banks to the North Dakota Horse Park. More than 3,500 Chamber members attended this year’s six events.

We received 450 nominations for ChamberChoice Awards,

and 57 companies successfully completed applications to

become candidates for six awards. Nearly 800 people attended

the lunch to learn what companies would take home the coveted

awards. In addition, the inaugural People’s Choice Award was given

after more than 4,500 votes were tallied.

Congratulations to the 2014 ChamberChoice Winners!

Entrepreneur of the Year

Kory AndersonAnderson Industries

Small Not-for-Profit of the Year

Small Business of the Year

Not-for-Profit of the Year

Business of the Year

Young Professionals Best Place to Work

People’s Choice Award

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Engagement

More than2,100businessesemploying94,000people

350members serveon one of

7committees

Largest LocalChamber inNorth Dakota and Minnesota

The Chamber promotes economic growth andprosperity for businesses

and its members through advocacy, education

and engagement.

114 of serviceyears

The Young Professionals Network continues to engage the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs. This year marked the 10th Anniversary for the organization, which has seen tremendous growth, boasting more than 500 members and an average event attendance of 50. Events include networking and training lunches, happy hours, new member socials, member tours and talks and the annual Corporate Cup.

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Engagement EngagementPremier Partners are an elite group of engaged businesses that give above and beyond their initial Chamber dues investment to make a significant commitment to the health of the region. These businesses sponsor events in support of our mission to promote economic growth and prosperity for our members. Premier Partners receive a unique set of privileges and benefits as well as access to an extensive network of businesses and professionals.

We are proud to call the following businesses our Premier Partners:

2013-14 Business BuildersAmerican Crystal Sugar Company

Beverage Wholesalers, Inc.Choice Financial

Cornerstone BankDawson InsuranceD-S Beverages, Inc.

EnventisFlint Communications

InterceptEFTKFGO-AM Mighty 790

Midcontinent CommunicationsNDSU Research and Technology Park

NetWork Center Inc.ROERS

Vogel Law FirmWanzek Construction

WDAY-TV Inc./WDAY-AM/CWFargoWest Acres Development, L.L.P.

2013-14 Community Builders

PO Box 2443Fargo, ND 58108-2443