Just in case some of our members are not aware, the Alabama Community College System is currently in the process of consolidang a number of colleges to create a more regionalized system. Southern Union State Community College, located in Opelika, is one of the three campuses in our part of the state that will be consolidated into one. As this process moves forward, I wanted to share with you an overview of the efforts of the trustees and administraon of the two- year system. Dr. Susan Burrow, recently named president of the consolidaon of the three campuses, spoke at a town hall meeng in Opelika several weeks ago with hundreds of local cizens and leaders in aendance to share their concerns about the process. Dr. Burrow lives and works from the Central Alabama campus in Alexander City. Dr. Burrow has been deemed as the one who will make the final recommendaons to the board of trustees to complete the consolidaon process. We are working with Dr. Burrow’s office now to secure her for an upcoming Tuesday Talk for an update on the process. Chancellor of the postsecondary system, Mark Heinrich, was a guest speaker for a recent industry luncheon held here at the Auburn Chamber. The luncheon, co- sponsored by the East Alabama Society for Human Resource Management and the Auburn Training Connecon, was aended by managers of Auburn industries, human resource managers and business leaders for an update from Dr. Heinrich, who presented a thorough report of the overall health of the system and its instuons. He also shared with the group a brief update on the current consolidaon process and the overall meline. He assured the group that the process would be fair and that all concerns about the name and locaon of the central office(s) would be considered. The following are a few facts and thoughts on what seem to be the most obvious reasons why Southern Union should be the locaon choice for the administrave office(s) of the consolidated region. • Southern Union’s enrollment for fall semester 2015 was 4,684. That is 1,326 more students than both Chaahoochee Valley Community College and the Central Alabama Community College, the other two campuses being consolidated with Southern Union. • Southern Union has almost $2.2 million in reserves from the prior year as compared to Chaahoochee Valley with a $455,000 decrease in reserves and Central Alabama with a $2.6 million decrease in reserves. • Auburn and Opelika have welcomed over 7,000 new jobs in the past ten years, with more being announced almost monthly. Capital Investment in these new jobs in the last ten years exceeds $2 billion dollars. • Southern Union recently completed construcon on a state-of-the-art integrated manufacturing facility and a brand new business center. • Southern Union is in close proximity to the majority of its end users: Auburn University, East Alabama Medical Center (a regional healthcare facility) and the industries of both Auburn and Opelika. Unfortunately, the other two community campuses do not have the same network of resources as Lee County. The board of directors of the Auburn Chamber has agreed to send a formal message in support of Southern Union to the governor, local legislators, and to the board of trustees for the Alabama Department of Postsecondary/Alabama Community College System. AUBURN ADVANTAGE a membership publication of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce 714 East Glenn Avenue I P.O. Box 1370 I Auburn, AL 36830 I www.auburnchamber.com I (334) 887-7011 MARCH/APRIL 2016 MISSION STATEMENT: The Auburn Chamber provides resources and leadership to strengthen the Auburn business community and create a thriving business environment. STAFF: Lolly Steiner President [email protected]Jennifer Fincher VP of Communicaons & Markeng [email protected]Stephanie Calhoun Director of Membership Development [email protected]Tangela Todd Frazier Business Manager [email protected]Jenna Morgan Resource Specialist [email protected]If you would like to submit content for the Auburn Advantage, contact Jennifer Fincher at (334) 887-7011 or [email protected]. Lolly Steiner SUPPORT OF SOUTHERN UNION STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Lolly Steiner President CityFest will be held April 30 at Kiesel Park.
Transcript
Just in case some of our members are not aware, the Alabama Community College System is currently in the process of consolidating a number of colleges to create a more regionalized system. Southern Union State
Community College, located in Opelika, is one of the three campuses in our part of the state that will be consolidated into one. As this process moves forward, I wanted to share with you an overview of the efforts of the trustees and administration of the two-year system.
Dr. Susan Burrow, recently named president of the consolidation of the three campuses, spoke at a town hall meeting in Opelika several weeks ago with hundreds of local citizens and leaders in attendance to share their concerns about the process. Dr. Burrow lives and works from the Central Alabama campus in Alexander City. Dr. Burrow has been deemed as the one who will make the final recommendations to the board of trustees to complete the consolidation process. We are working with Dr. Burrow’s office now to secure her for an upcoming Tuesday Talk for an update on the process.
Chancellor of the postsecondary system, Mark Heinrich, was a guest speaker for a recent industry luncheon held here at the Auburn Chamber. The luncheon, co-sponsored by the East Alabama Society for Human Resource Management and the Auburn Training Connection, was attended by managers of Auburn industries, human resource managers and business leaders for an update from Dr. Heinrich, who presented a thorough report of the overall health of the system and its institutions. He also shared with the group a brief update on the current consolidation process and the overall timeline. He assured the group that the process would be fair and that all concerns about the name and location of the central office(s) would be considered.
The following are a few facts and thoughts on what seem to be the most obvious reasons why Southern Union should be the location choice for the administrative office(s) of the consolidated region.
• Southern Union’s enrollment for fall semester 2015 was 4,684. That is 1,326 more students than both Chattahoochee Valley Community College and the Central Alabama Community College, the other two campuses being consolidated with Southern Union.
• Southern Union has almost $2.2 million in reserves from the prior year as compared to Chattahoochee Valley with a $455,000 decrease in reserves and Central Alabama with a $2.6 million decrease in reserves.
• Auburn and Opelika have welcomed over 7,000 new jobs in the past ten years, with more being announced almost monthly. Capital Investment in these new jobs in the last ten years exceeds $2 billion dollars.
• Southern Union recently completed construction on a state-of-the-art integrated manufacturing facility and a brand new business center.
• Southern Union is in close proximity to the majority of its end users: Auburn University, East Alabama Medical Center (a regional healthcare facility) and the industries of both Auburn and Opelika. Unfortunately, the other two community campuses do not have the same network of resources as Lee County.
The board of directors of the Auburn Chamber has agreed to send a formal message in support of Southern Union to the governor, local legislators, and to the board of trustees for the Alabama Department of Postsecondary/Alabama Community College System.
AUBURN ADVANTAGEa membership publication of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce
714 East Glenn Avenue I P.O. Box 1370 I Auburn, AL 36830 I www.auburnchamber.com I (334) 887-7011
MARCH/APRIL 2016
MISSION STATEMENT:The Auburn Chamber provides
resources and leadership to strengthen the Auburn business community
INTERSCAPESSecurity Systems & ConsultantsJason Williams1452 Opelika Rd.Auburn, AL 36830(334) [email protected]
SURGE STAFFINGEmployment ServicesRomy Petrina2021 S. College St., Ste. DAuburn, AL 36830(334) [email protected]
ECONOMY AIR HEATING & AC, LLCContractors – Plumbing & HeatingCarter Pitts501 Webster Rd., Lot 9Auburn, AL 36832(334) [email protected]
TIGERS UNLIMITEDSchoolsJanie Boles392 S. Donahue DriveAuburn, AL 36830(334) [email protected]
714 East Glenn Avenue I P.O. Box 1370 I Auburn, AL 36830 I www.auburnchamber.com I (334) 887-7011
&NEW MEMBERSRIBBON CUTTINGS
FEBRUARY 2016
COLLEGE TOWN PROPERTIESReal Estate – Property Management Jessica Kohn2005 S. Milledge Ave., Ste. 105Atlanta, GA 30605(706) 850-7740www.collegetownproperties.comJessica@collegetown-properties.com
BRADLEY PLUMBING & HEATING, INC.ContractorBlake Houser1445 Lee Rd. 10Auburn, AL 36832(334) [email protected]
EINSTEIN BROS. BAGELSRestaurantChris Klein2105 Interstate Dr.Opelika, AL 36801(770) [email protected]
MARCH 2016
DALE CARNEGIE TRAININGTraining & Consulting Will Goldsborough5168 Point Shores Ln.Gulf Breeze, FL 32563(850) 206-5691www.centralalabama.dalecarnegie.comwgoldsborough@gmail.com
WAYNESLandscape ServicesEric Frye2183 Parkway Lake DriveHoover, AL 35244(334) [email protected]
THE MINT JULEP BOUTIQUERetail StoreAlyson Sims1750 Opelika Rd., Ste. CAuburn, AL 36830(334) [email protected]
NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESSOrganizationJoyce Powell200 Ballard Ave.Opelika, AL 36804
NANCY PEARSON (WEICHERT, REALTORS-PORTER PROPERTIES)Realtor472 N. Dean Rd., Ste. 200Auburn, AL 36830(334) [email protected]
SILVER DOLLAR STORES LLCRetail StoreNikki Clark1409 S. College St. Auburn, AL 36832(334) [email protected]
HERITAGE HOUSEB&B, LodgingHaley Wilder714 2nd Ave.Opelika, AL 36801(334) [email protected]
AL EARNEST (WEICHERT, REALTORS-PORTER PROPERTIES)Realtor472 N. Dean Road, Ste. 200Auburn, AL 36830(334) [email protected]
ELéVéSpa Susie Litkenhous1575 Professional Pkwy. Auburn, AL 36830(334) [email protected]
S & S TERMITE & PEST CONTROLPest ControlScott Ballard1406 FitzpatrickOpelika, AL 36801 (Physical)P.O. Box 3079Opelika, AL 36803 (Mailing)(887) [email protected]
HOAR PROGRAM MANAGEMENT Construction/Program Management Jared Scheeter570 Devall Dr., Ste. 303Auburn, AL 36832(334) 539-3711
714 East Glenn Avenue I P.O. Box 1370 I Auburn, AL 36830 I www.auburnchamber.com I (334) 887-7011
celebrating SMALL BUSINESS
Every year since 1963, the president has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business
Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business
owners. Even though National Small Business Week is officially
designated as May 1-7, all month long we’re celebrating the hard
working entrepreneurs who are the backbone of our community. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and
they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year
(www.sba.gov).
This year, for the first time, we’re recognizing one small business
with a special
BEST OF SMALL BUSINESS AWARD.
Nominate your favorite! Have a business that’s your go-to? That you
couldn’t live without? That makes your life happier, easier, better? We
want to hear about it! Please submit nominations of businesses with 25 employees
or less (no industries, please) by May 20 to
[email protected]. Ideal candidates are involved in the community and offer
exceptional customer service and a knowledgeable staff.
714 East Glenn Avenue I P.O. Box 1370 I Auburn, AL 36830 I www.auburnchamber.com I (334) 887-7011
AUBURN DENTAL SPADentist/Spa
1575 Professional Parkway(334) 821-2846
www.auburndentalspa.com
KREHER PRESERVE & NATURE CENTER—SPIDER WEB
Organization2222 North College Street
www.auburn.edu/preserve
arts in auburnAUBURN CITYFEST 2016: ARTS AND ACROBATSJoin Auburn Parks and Recreation for Auburn CityFest 2016: Arts and Acrobats, presented by the Opelika-Auburn News and co-sponsored by MAX Credit Union, on Saturday, April 30, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Kiesel Park. Auburn CityFest is the area’s largest, FREE, outdoor arts and crafts festival, complete with live music, children’s activities, arts & crafts and fine arts exhibitors, food, nonprofit booths and much more.
Patrons will enjoy the gravity-defying talents of headlining entertainment, the ZuZu Acrobats, on the Children’s Entertainment Stage along with longtime CityFest favorites like face painting, Lew-E the Clown, Jubilee Farms and inflatables! Musical entertainment will include Trace Pridgen, BB Palmer & Kudzu, and Jive Mother Mary. The Lindy Bugs of the Auburn University Swing Dance Association will also take a turn on the stage.
Auburn CityFest is FREE to the public and is a rain or shine event. Visit www.auburncityfest.com for more information or call (334) 501-2936.
INSIDER–OUTSIDER ART FESTIVAL ON GAY STREETThe first Insider-Outsider Art Festival on Gay Street will be held at Southside Marketplace on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Southside Marketplace is located at 416 South Gay Street in Auburn. The festival will feature a juried collection of Southern artists headlined by folk artist Charlie Lucas. The festival is free and includes potters, welders, clothing designers, farmers, brewers and numerous musicians. Interactive activities for children will include a live mural. For more information, call (334) 209-1378, email [email protected], or visit https://www.facebook.com/Insider-Outsider-on-Gay-Street-260260084314759/.
MUSIC ON THE HILLMusic on the Hill, benefiting the Auburn Arts Association, will be held on Saturday, May 14, from 5-10 p.m. at Ag Heritage Park. The event will be tailgate style and feature Bonerama, a New Orleans brass band, and the AU faculty jazz ensemble. Tickets are $25 at the door or $20 in advance through auburnarts.org.
Mark your calendar!
The Summe
rNight Dow
ntown
Art Walk w
ill be hel
d June 10
in downtow
n Auburn!
Visit
www.auburn
summernig
ht.org
for detail
s and appl
ications!
714 East Glenn Avenue I P.O. Box 1370 I Auburn, AL 36830 I www.auburnchamber.com I (334) 887-7011
BUSINESSbriefs
THREE SIXTY {REAL ESTATE} LAUNCHES NEW COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE VENTURE
Three Sixty recently announced the formation of Three Sixty Commercial Real Estate, a division headed up by realtors Evan Crawford and Matthew Willis. The group will specialize in development/re- development strategies, brokerage and management services, and investment opportunity and land use strategy consulting. Well- versed in the city zoning codes and the Future Land Use Plan as proposedby city officials, Three Sixty Commercial Real Estate seeksto be the leading force in innovative commercial development in Auburn and beyond.
“We are so proud to have Evan and Matthew leading the way in this new venture for our company. Their loveof our community shows in their passion and drive to improve it every single day and we are excited to see what they will accomplish,” said Tricia Peterson, Three Sixty owner.
The addition of Three Sixty Commercial Real Estate is the newest in a string of exciting changes for the growing company. Three Sixty recently moved to a new office at 411 Opelika Road and is now situated much closer to the heart of downtown Auburn. The company’s improved accessibility to clients and realtors alike is more important than ever, as business has grown remarkably and staff has jumped from 17 to 28 team members since last year.
“Our journey as a company continues with the new office, new team members, and now expanded service offerings. We are delighted to be able to further serve our community in a bigger way,” said Nonet Reese, Three Sixty owner.
Three Sixty is a full service real estate and development needs firm whose goal is to take a project from concept to closing. Three Sixty makes the development, construction and sales process assmooth as possible by providing a consistent partner to maintain the integrity of projects as a whole. To learn more about Three Sixty, visit www.concepttoclosing.com or call (334) 887-3601.
WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Porter Properties recently announced the addition of realtor Imo Holstick. Holstick will be assisting home buyers and sellers in Auburn, Opelika and Lee County.
“We are thrilled to have Imo join our talented team of agents,” said broker Stacey Sanders. “Imo strives to provide an exceptional buying or selling experience for each of her clients by assessing their needs and using all of the resources available to find the best value on the market.”
A native of Goodwater, Alabama, Holstick attended Auburn University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in information systems. She fell in love
with the Auburn area while in college and decided to make the community her home. She has lived in Auburn for the past 15 years.
Holstick is also a member of the Lee County Association of Realtors, the Alabama Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. She comes to WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Porter Properties with a background in real estate. She previously worked at Keller Williams Realty and looks forward to introducing her clients and customers to the community she calls home and all of the things that make Auburn, Opelika and Lee County such a great place to live.
Holstick joins a team of knowledgeable and dedicated agents at WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Porter Properties who bring many years of combined real estate experience to their clients. WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Porter Properties is an independently owned and operated Weichert® affiliated office. For more information about WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Porter Properties, located at 472 N. Dean Road, Suite 200, in Auburn, call (334) 887-2070 or visit www.porterproperties.com.
EDWARD JONES RANKS NO. 10 ON FORTUNE MAGAZINE’S BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR LISTFortune magazine partners annually with Great Place to Work to conduct an extensive employee survey to identify the 100 best companies to work for. Financial services firm Edward Jones recently ranked No. 10 on Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For 2016” list in its 17th appearance. The full list and related stories are available in the March 7 issue of Fortune magazine or by visiting www.fortune.com/best-companies. To learn more about Edward Jones, visit www.edwardjones.com.
714 East Glenn Avenue I P.O. Box 1370 I Auburn, AL 36830 I www.auburnchamber.com I (334) 887-7011
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As this year’s chair elect, Taylor Buckner will oversee all of the chamber committees and make their programs of work his main focus. In addition to Taylor’s role, all other board members are asked to serve in
a leadership role for at least one of the chamber’s five committees.
Each committee met this week to establish a program of work for each focus. The chamber’s current strategic plan will serve as the roadmap, but each committee is responsible for specific objectives and action steps.
As a member of the chamber, you will be receiving a committee preference sheet and an opportunity to review each focus and choose to engage in a committee—or committees. Please get involved! Our members are the lifeblood of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. Remember our favorite Peter Drucker quote: “The best way to predict the future is to create it!” The focuses of the committees of the Auburn Chamber are as follows: education; city, university and governmental affairs; economic and business development; restaurant and retail; and special events.
We know that some members are not able to join more than one committee, or maybe none at all, so Taylor will update the membership on all committee efforts in the upcoming Auburn Advantage publications.
“Ilook forward to being a part of al l the chamber committees this year, hearing from our members and making progress on the goals of our strategic plan. I anticipate learning so much by being part of the process. I hope every member wil l consider joining me!” Taylor BucknerDavis, Bingham, Hudson & Buckner, P.C.
COMMITTTEE PROGRESS REPORT
THANK YOU FOR REINVESTING FEBRUARY/MARCHAcreAirport Motors, Inc.Alliance InsuranceAmerican Cancer SocietyAmerican Family CareApartments Services & Management Co., Inc.Arbor Springs Health and Rehab Center, Ltd.Asheton Lakes at NorthlakesAT&T AlabamaAuburn Audio VisualAuburn Dental SpaAuburn FurnitureAuburn HardwareAuburn MallAuburn Preservation LeagueAuburn RealtyAuburn Reprographics & Supply, Inc.Auburn University BookstoreAuburn University Career CenterBancorpSouthBB&TBBVA CompassThe BeaconNancy Carlton Bendinger (Three Sixty {real estate} )Bent Creek MotorsBeverly Jennings (First Realty)Blue Cross & Blue Shield of AlabamaBolt Engineering, Inc.The Bottling Plant Event CenterBoys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee CountyTaylor Britton (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred Real Estate)Buffalo RockBuffalo Wild WingsBuilders FirstSourceByerly & Associates, CPACameragraphicsCentury 21 Koullas RealtyCharterBankThe Chicken Salad Chick Foundation, Inc.Chick-fil-A (Magnolia)Cleveland Brothers, Inc.Cook’s Pest ControlCraftmaster Printers, Inc.The Cup & Saucer, LLCDavis, Bingham, Hudson & Buckner, P.C.
Delaware Consulting USDonald H. Allen Development, Inc.Donghee Kautex LLCThe Drug StoreAshley Smith Durham (Prestige Properties)Bill Dyas (First Realty)EASE ServicesEcological InsulationEdward Jones Investments - Sonya GreenEdward Jones Investments - Jay GreeneElegant Bridal BoutiquePam Enloe (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred Real Estate)Enterprise Rent-A-CarFellowship of Christian AthletesFirst Choice PersonnelFirst South Farm CreditFood Bank of East AlabamaGranade Technology SolutionsHertz Rental CarHimmelwright, Huguley & Boles, LLCHyundai of AuburniHeartMediaInterstate Electrical SupplyJana Rawls Jager (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred Real Estate)Lee Alice Johnson (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred Real Estate - Commercial Division)Kiwanis Club of AuburnKroger CompanyLaredo Mexican GrillLee County Democratic ClubLee County District Attorney’s OfficeLee County Humane SocietyLee County Literacy CoalitionLee County Republican PartyLeonard Peterson & Co., Inc.J. A. Lett Construction Co., Inc.Lyons HRMarquirette’s Exquisite JewelryMartin MariettaMAX Credit UnionMcCollum & Wilson, P.C.Medi-Weightloss Clinics of Auburn
Mercedes-Benz of ColumbusMerrill LynchModern Media Consulting, LLCNew Penn Financial, LLCNicholas Hayes (Century 21 Koullas Realty)Niffer’s PlaceO’Brien DentalOffice DepotOpelika Career CenterOpelika-Auburn NewsThe Owen CenterBrooke Pierce (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred Real Estate)PNC BankMary Prater (Weichert, Realtors - Porter Properties)Oline W. PriceR&R Landscaping and Lawn Care LLCRenasant BankRexnord IndustriesRiver Bank & TrustRiverchase Homes, LLCSam’s Club #4989Laura Sellers (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred Real Estate)Servpro1716Shelby Kelley, Licensed Massage TherapistShelton Mill TownhousesSides Drywall, Inc.Katherine Lipscomb Smith (First Realty)Staffing ConnectionsSteamexSusan Webb (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred Real Estate)Taziki’s Mediterranean CafeThree Sixty {real estate}Tigertown Family DentistryTigertown Veterinary HospitalTrustmarkTwo Men and a TruckUniversity Ace HardwareUniversity Station Motorcoach & RV Resort
714 East Glenn Avenue I P.O. Box 1370 I Auburn, AL 36830 I www.auburnchamber.com I (334) 887-7011
