THE CHAMBER NEWS January 2013 | Vol. 13 | No. 1 A publication of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Shaping a Better Business Environment Creating an Inclusive & Magnetic Community Looking Ahead to 2013 Accelerating Business Growth Page 4 Achieving Organizational Excellence Page 12 Page 6 Page 8 Page 10 This is what good business looks like in West Michigan. And I’m proud to report that we’re making it happen. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff at the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, welcome to this special edition of The Chamber News, our 2012 Annual Report. Over the last year, we have been working to implement the many facets of our newly developed strategic plan, a plan that maps out where we will be by 2015. I am happy to report that we had an outstanding year of progress towards those goals. During 2012, we developed and launched several new programs. We helped local businesses grow and expand—often helping them navigate problematic regulations or overcome barriers to success. We offered professional development opportunities for our membership and provided chances to foster important member-to-member connections—building the relationships that help drive our businesses, non-profits, and community forward. We also had several big wins with our advocacy efforts last year, most notably our successful role in defending Michigan’s constitution from special interests. Thank you to everyone who supported our campaigns, came to our events, enjoyed our programming, served on a committee, or otherwise engaged with the Chamber in the many opportunities we offer throughout the year. Without you and your support the Chamber would not be the premier business organization it is and has been for the last 125 years. We are honored to serve you, our members, and the West Michigan community. We’re proud of our accomplishments in 2012 and are eagerly looking forward to great things in 2013! Sincerely, Rick Baker President & CEO SPECIAL EDITION: 2012 ANNUAL REPORT Strong leaders. A diverse workforce. An inclusive community fighting for business. A business environment built for success.
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THE CHAMBER NEWSJanuary 2013 | Vol. 13 | No. 1
A publication of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce
Shaping a Better Business Environment
Creating an Inclusive & Magnetic Community
Looking Ahead to 2013
Accelerating Business Growth
Page 4
Achieving Organizational Excellence
Page 12
Page 6
Page 8
Page 10
This is what good business looks like in West Michigan. And I’m proud to report that we’re making it happen.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff at the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, welcome to this special edition of The Chamber News, our 2012 Annual Report. Over the last year, we have been working to implement the many facets of our newly developed strategic plan, a plan that maps out where we will be by 2015.
I am happy to report that we had an outstanding year of progress towards those goals. During 2012, we developed and launched several new programs. We helped local businesses grow and expand—often helping them navigate problematic regulations or overcome barriers to success. We offered professional development opportunities for our membership and provided chances to foster important member-to-member connections—building the relationships that help drive our businesses, non-profits, and community forward. We also had several big wins with our advocacy efforts last year, most notably our successful role in defending Michigan’s constitution from special interests.
Thank you to everyone who supported our campaigns, came to our events, enjoyed our programming, served on a committee, or otherwise engaged with the Chamber in the many opportunities we offer throughout the year. Without you and your support the Chamber would not be the premier business organization it is and has been for the last 125 years. We are honored to serve you, our members, and the West Michigan community.
We’re proud of our accomplishments in 2012 and are eagerly looking forward to great things in 2013!
Sincerely,
Rick BakerPresident & CEO
SPECIAL EDITION: 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
Strong leaders.A diverse workforce.An inclusive community fighting for business.A business environment built for success.
Recycle Me
Articles written by outside authors do not necessarily reflect the view or position of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. The position of the Chamber will be clearly stated.
The Chamber reserves the right to reject advertising based on content and does not accept advertising that conflicts with a position of the Chamber.
The advertising of products and services in The Chamber News does not necessarily represent endorsement by the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber News (USPS 357-010) is published monthly by the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. 111 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.p: 616.771.0300 | f: 616.771.0318 | www.grandrapids.orgSenior Editor: Latricia Trice | 616.771.0332 | [email protected]: Leslee Fritz | 616.771.0357 | [email protected]: Blaine Puckett | [email protected] Editor: AliciaMarie Belchak | [email protected]
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STRATEGIC BY DESIGNNow more than ever, businesses need the confidence, connections, and resources that come with a strong Chamber. One source of strength lies in our vision for the future of business in West Michigan. In 2011, we created a three-year strategic plan to get us there. We listened closely to the business community’s needs and reached out for insights during the strategic planning process. As a result of your input, we developed four strategic goals and began implementation towards these goals in 2012.
GOAL 1 Be a champion for an inclusive and magnetic community with premiere resources for inclusion and communityleadership development.
GOAL 2 Provide a positive business climate by aggressively advocating on behalf of West Michigan business.
GOAL 3 Accelerate business growth through cutting-edge programming and dynamic resources.
GOAL 4 Be a nationally recognized, high performing Chamber of Commerce.
Sustainable health care solutions for your small business
Learn more today.Contact the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce at
1-616-771-0300 or visit www.grandrapids.org.
Your Chamber Exclusively Endorses
bcbsm.com/grow
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
The future of business will not be defined by any one strategy, the domination of a particu-lar industry, or a breakthrough product. In the face of changing times and a revolution in how, where, and why work happens, the only certain path to the future is one of adaptation. Nothing is more powerful for business and our community than people—the perspec-tives they share, the conversations they spark, and the action they take. Encouraging the diversity of our people is the key to creating a community where everyone is welcome and where businesses thrive through new ideas. The Chamber is an ally and change agent on the road to creating strong leaders and a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
STRONG LEADERS + DIVERSE WORKFORCE + CULTURAL EXPERIENCES = MAGNETIC COMUNITY
During 2012, we:• Provided diversity and inclusion training to 660 individuals.
• Delivered leadership development programs through the Center for Community Leadership (CCL)
to 627 participants.
• Served 1916 attendees through our talent attraction, engagement, and retention programs (Cultural
• Developed new programs to welcome new residents to the Grand Rapids community, including partnering with Crain’s Detroit Business for the Grand Rapids House Party with more than 180 participants in its inaugural year.
“It is not an overstatement to say that Leadership Advantage changed my life. I was empowered to live strong into my new roles while releasing old expectations and roles that no longer fit. I seize the opportunities to grow where I am planted as I stretch my wings and soar.”
– Erica Curry VanEe (LA ’12), The Community Research Institute, Grand Valley State University
INCLUSIVE & MAGNETIC COMMUNITY
CREATING ANLast year, we successfully worked alongside businesses as they welcomed, connected, and engaged the talent they needed. The Chamber helped newcomers and long-time community members explore Grand Rapids and our cultural history, expand their personal leadership skills, and examine the issues facing ethnic communities and businesses today.
“A lot of young professionals are coming to West Michigan specifi-cally, and we might not otherwise know where to meet each other. I appreciated that the MAP Intern Reception allowed me the chance to network with everybody!”
– Nnamdi Anozie, Varnum Law
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SHAPING A BETTER BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
In the midst of changing times, businesses need an advocate that speaks their language. The Chamber is more than a cheerleader for West Michigan businesses—we are shaping the environment that drives bottom-line busi-ness success. Our relentless advocacy supports members of all sizes and types, helping them navigate policies that affect their industry. We bring the voice of business to the table when new opportunities arise, and we are especially engaged in influencing policies and practices that save money and lead to job creation.
A SHARED AGENDA + POLICY EXPERTISE + LEGISLATIVE CONNECTIONS = RELENTLESS ADVOCACYNo other business organization in West Michigan provides businesses with such depth of information, action, and access to legislators. Each year, we engage members in setting a course for change in Michigan by focusing on specific policies that will spur business growth. Our priorities are directly shaped by the voices and needs of Chamber members. In addition to help-ing set the Chamber’s policy agenda, our members have many opportunities to learn about the legislative process and share their voice directly. These programs include Breakfast with Legislators, Politics & Pints, West Michigan Business Day at the Capitol, issue forums, online resources, and more.
In 2012, we successfully:
“The opportunity to meet with representatives and discuss issues critical to business in Michigan is truly appreciated.”
• Played a significant role in defeating all five constitutional ballot proposals with the “One is a YES, Vote NO on the Rest” campaign, over 1.2 million contacts were made with voters statewide.
• Fought for Personal Property Tax relief for manufacturers and small businesses. The phasing out of this out-dated and burdensome tax on business equipment was a top priority for the Chamber.
• Advocated for Workplace Fairness and Equality Act to protect workers from being required to join and/or pay dues to a labor union as a condition of employment, making Michigan the 24th Right to Work state.
• Prevented a costly health care claims tax increase and stopped costly health care mandates.
• Supported funding for evidenced-based early childhood programs.
• Vetted, endorsed and supported 33 pro-business candidates for elected offices.
• Brought 40 leading companies together to make West Michigan goods more competitive globally. Through the first ever regional Logistics Assessments, the Chamber identified barriers and opportunities to connect goods to the global marketplace.
• Led a statewide fly-in to Washington D.C. to aggressively advocate for the construction of the New International Trade Crossing (NITC).
• Provided over 3,000 member contacts to elected officials through Chamber hosted advocacy events such as Breakfast with Legislators, Politics & Pints, Capitol Day and issue roundtables.
– John Roggow, Marshall Plastic Film
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ACCELERATING BUSINESS GROWTHThe Chamber makes business ownership in West Michigan more accessible and reward-ing. While our members are doing what is best for their customers, co-workers, and commu-nity, we’re at their side to help them grow and thrive. We work with businesses of all sizes and business owners of all experience levels. With a variety of individualized and group services, we help members identify new opportunities to grow and connect them with peers who are excited to advise and support along the way.
BUSINESS RESOURCES + BUSINESS CONNECTIONS = BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTIn 2012, we connected our members to the planning tools, and other business development services they needed. We focused on everything from developing new offerings to expanding customer bases. Plus, the Chamber facilitated connections with members, customers and community leaders through our many events and programs. With programming geared toward individuals at every level of leadership and in various sectors, Chamber members had a wide range of opportunities to benefit from the relevant insight of peers and meaningful interactions with decision-makers.
Among our 2012 accomplishments, we:• Delivered 102 programs and events to more than 7943 attendees.
• Provided direct assistance to more than 130 businesses by connecting them with resources that helped elimi-nate barriers to business growth.
• Celebrated 96 Ribbon Cuttings for new and expanded businesses.
• Kicked-off Business Matters—The Breakfast Series a new, monthly program designed to help businesses grow and keep in touch with community happenings and developments.
• Added a new Minority Business Enterprise group to our CEO & Management Roundtable program.
• Launched Business by Referrals, a new program in which a close circle of trusted individuals from non-com-peting businesses share referrals and sales leads.
• Hosted a Ready NOW! employability program to help manufacturers find talent that trained 176 candidates in attendance—90 of which were in the process of being hired after the event.
• Connected 300 veterans seeking employment with employers seeking talent during a Hiring Our Heroes event.
I am blown away by the commit-ment of the job seekers and your willingness to put together what I believe will be a life-changing event for so many people. I am humbled to have been a part of this.”
– Todd Hubbard, Everest Institute Career Services and Ready NOW!
Table facilitator
“Chamber membership is a great way to tap into networking opportuni-ties and business-to-business relationships.”
– Garry VonMyhr, Genius Phone Repair
ACHIEVING ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE
With 125 years of experience creating opportunities for business success, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce is the premier business membership organization in West Michigan. We are a champion for eco-nomic prosperity and an ally, an advocate, and a change agent for our 2,700 member businesses. Our vision is to be a leader for business and community growth in West Michigan. And to do that, we believe that excel-lence must be ingrained in everything that we do.
A HIGH-PERFORMING TEAM + STRATEGIC INITIATIVES + NEW IMAGE = WORLD-CLASS CHAMBER
Over the last year, the Chamber has been focused internally on providing exceptional service, high-quality programming, and superior team performance in order to provide value to our members and the commu-nity at large. We recognize the need for bold, new initiatives that bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary business needs. And will continue to move our plan forward to achieve organizational excellence.
For our 2012 improvements, we:• Increased our accountability and transparency with an internal dashboard and scorecard, tracking our
progress towards our strategic initiatives and measuring their successes.• Rebranded our image and earned an average of 16.4 media mentions per month.• Garnered 3,000 new social media followers.• Restructured our departments and promoted within—aiming for an efficient, productive, and high-
achieving Chamber team.• Built a stronger collaboration with the West Michigan Chamber Coalition, The Right Place, Inc., and the
Detroit Regional Chamber.
“In my experience in working with the Grand Rapids Chamber, I have yet to meet an employee of the Chamber that was not personable, professional and extremely good at their job. I have enjoyed all of my experiences.”
– Brett Blythe, Northwood University
“Jayne and I walked in to the most warm and welcoming environment we have en-countered in a great while. I felt at home. From the looks of it to me, it really is OUR chamber of commerce.”
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Sign up at business.comcast.com/chambers and use the code 252051. Or call your local Comcast Business Account Executive, Jessica Forst, to tailor an offer that fits your unique business needs.
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LOOKING AHEAD: 2013
We believe that Chamber membership is a valuable tool in the arsenal for business growth, leadership devel-opment, and community engagement. We have a clear mission and a strong vision for the future. We’re here to serve our members—more than 80% of whom are small companies with 50 or fewer employees. And we’re here to collaborate with the area’s largest employers—corporate citizens who are seeking opportunities to actively invest in the entire West Michigan business community. We know it takes strong leaders, a diverse workforce, and a business environment that fosters economic prosperity to move our community forward.
• Planning a West Michigan D.C. Fly-in April 23-24 for business, civic, and community leaders to join the West Michigan Cham-ber Coalition as we lobby Congress and the Administration on issues and projects critically important to our region’s vitality and economic growth.
• Hosting “Energize Your Business 2013” on May 7—a forum for connecting with national and local experts on business growth topics.
• Developing programs to fast-track the growth of Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), offering the specialized services needed to face barriers to MBE expansion.
• Delivering exceptional signature events—such as Diversity Visionary Awards, EPIC Awards, and Grand Rapids House Par-ty—to celebrate remarkable developments and extraordinary accomplishments happening in business and the community.
ENGAGE: Together, we can make good business happen in West Michigan. There are many ways you can become involved with the Chamber to connect with members and the community.
Join us. Volunteer. Engage as an individual or as a corporate citizen. Here’s how:
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIESBy participating in one of our committees, you can add your voice to the conversations that shape business, share expertise, and get first-hand knowledge of the issues and initiatives that impact your business growth. Involvement can include addressing policy change through advocacy and education committees, represent-ing the Chamber as part of our membership advisory group, or helping to plan signature Chamber events, such as the Chamber Open and ATHENA Awards.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Chamber sponsorship allows your business to share your marketing message with more than 2,700 Chamber member companies that represent 175,000 employees in the greater Grand Rapids community. Every Cham-ber event and program has sponsorship opportunities fitting various budgets that are designed to provide maximum exposure for your company.
“I’m involved in several other professional organizations, and I can say that the Grand Rapids Chamber easily outpaces all the others in terms of meeting more people, exposure and opportunities to get involved.”
– Rob Morgenstern, MRK Asset Management and Chamber Ambassador
“We believe that maintaining a desire to serve in the community is vital to the culture of our firm. We want to be affiliated with an organization that is growing, innovative and staying responsive to what matters to the local business community, and that is what we have in the Chamber.”
– Ryan Holtz, Baker Holtz CPAs and Advisors
As we look ahead to 2013, we are advancing our goals by:
GET INVOLVED
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*Denotes members of the executive committee. Rick Baker is also a member of the executive committee and board of directors.
THE CHAMBER BOARD
Bill Benson*WilliamCharles Search GroupChairperson of the Board
