www.coralgableschamber.org | CHAMBER CONNECTION | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010 DEVELOPING BUSINESS ♦ BUILDING COMMUNITY JANUARY/FEBRUARY | 2010 LARRY M. NOLAN Coral Gables Chamber CORAL GABLES CHAMBER’S GREEN EFFORTS TAKEROOT IN THIS ISSUE: • Chair’s Remarks • President’s Perspective • Trustee Talk • Realtor Showcase • Small Biz Seminar • Gables BID Corner • Calendar of Events • Sponsor Recognition page 2 page 3 page 4 page 5 page 5 page 6 page 7 page 8-9 T he Coral Gables Chamber’s Green initiaves are hitting full steam in 2010 with great new programs and expectations! The Go Green Task Force, headed by Anabella Smith and Carol Schafmeister, has been making preparations for the Chamber’s first- ever Eco Expo on Friday, February 5th, 2010. This event, sponsored by Resource 4 Floors, the American Institute of Architects, the Coral Gables Museum, the Eco Chamber and the U.S. Green Building Council, will feature a luncheon with renowned green pioneer, author and sustainability advocate Ray Anderson of Interface, Inc. Ray Anderson will headline the luncheon. Workshops that address topics such as “How To Green Your Business,” “Trash To Treasure,” “Maximize Your Tax Benefits for Energy Efficiency and Green Building” and “Water Conservation” will be offered by such leading “green” institutions as the AmericanAirlines Arena, Hyatt Regency Coral Gables and the soon-to-be-completed Coral Gables Museum. The afternoon concludes with a reception and green business Table-Top Expo featuring local companies and their green products and services. For sponsorship and table-top opportunities, please contact the Chamber at 305-446-1657. CONTIUED ON PAGE 5
IN THIS ISSUE:• Chair’s Remarks• President’s Perspective• Trustee Talk• Realtor Showcase• Small Biz Seminar• Gables BID Corner • Calendar of Events• Sponsor Recognition
The Coral Gables Chamber’s Green initiaves are hitting full steam in 2010 with great new programs and expectations!
The Go Green Task Force, headed by Anabella Smith and Carol Schafmeister, has been making preparations for the Chamber’s first-ever Eco Expo on Friday, February 5th, 2010.
This event, sponsored by Resource 4 Floors, the American Institute of Architects, the Coral Gables Museum, the Eco Chamber and the U.S. Green Building Council, will feature a luncheon with renowned green pioneer, author and sustainability advocate Ray Anderson of Interface, Inc.
Ray Anderson will headline the luncheon. Workshops that address topics such as “How To Green Your Business,” “Trash To Treasure,” “Maximize Your Tax Benefits for Energy Efficiency and Green Building” and “Water Conservation” will be offered by such leading “green” institutions as the AmericanAirlines Arena, Hyatt Regency Coral Gables and the soon-to-be-completed Coral Gables Museum. The afternoon concludes with a reception and green business Table-Top Expo featuring local companies and their green products and services.
For sponsorship and table-top opportunities, please contact the Chamber at 305-446-1657.
Members and Friends: Happy New Year! Never has the
phrase “out with the old, in with the new” meant so much. Like many of you, I am overjoyed that last year is behind us and we can have a clean slate with 2010.
After a well deserved break, your Chamber staff is enthusiastically back at work planning a number of initiatives and events.
As we are close to Pro Bowl and Super Bowl time, let me first give you an update on your Chamber’s efforts to engage in these important events for our local economy. Last month, members of the Travel and Tourism committee and your Chamber leadership attended a luncheon at LandShark Stadium featuring NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. We were joined by our good friends from the Kiwanis of Little Havana who, later this month, are the lead sponsor in the “Super Celebration” at Hartnett Park. Your Chamber and the City of Coral Gables, along with the BID, are proud co-sponsors of this free, officially sanctioned Super Bowl event which features four live bands and fun for the whole family. Mark your calendars for Friday, January 29 and join us for what will a spectacular Chamber evening.
Our Small Business Seminar Series, led by John Knowles from Photo Offset, continues to bring tools to our members
to keep their businesses up to date on the newest trends and ways to stay ahead of the curve in a challenging environment. Last month, social marketing was the topic and the standing-room only crowd who attended will surely be “friend-ing” their fellow Chamber members on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. We will hold more of these sessions in the coming months so I hope to see you.
Your Chamber has done an outstanding job of monitoring costs the first quarter of the fiscal year. They have also provided solid results in cultivating new members. However, the best reference is always from a Chamber member. Please keep potential members coming! Mark and his team are making this the #1 priority in the New Year.
If you promise to stay engaged and involved in your Chamber, I’ll promise good things will happen for you in the New Year.
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LARRY M. NOLAN | CORAL GABLES
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
NETWORKING FUN!: Board Member and Trustee Diplomat George Feliciano and Chamber Chair Sarah Nesbitt Artecona are all smiles at the 20/30 Group’s Wind Down Wednesday Networking Reception at Por Fin.
FLAGS ON PONCE A STUNNING SUCCESS!
The Flags on Ponce Program is a stunning visual display of Coral Gables’ rich diversity and the focal point of our international
business community. Each year, flags from over 120 countries are flown along Ponce de Leon Boulevard during the months of December through June. For three years now, the International Affairs Committee of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce has supported and directed the Flags on Ponce program, which for many years was maintained by the City of Coral Gables. The sponsors for this year’s Flags on
Ponce Program are: Tribute Sponsor: Nero Immigration Law, P.L. and the City
of Coral Gables, Corporate Sponsors: Brasserie Les Halles, Eliptek Technology, Generations Skin Therapy, M2E Consultants, Residential Sponsors: Inna Mladenovich, Maria Fernandez-Leon, Thomas and Susan Snook and Perry Adair. The Chamber created the program as
an initiative to showcase our community’s international character and to recognize the significant number of consulates, trade affairs and multinational business that call Coral Gables home.To sponsor a flag, please contact Event
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE - A HEALTHY CHOICE FOR 2010!
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Mark A. Trowbridge, President & CEOCoral Gables Chamber of [email protected]
The arrival of 2010 just got a bit more fresh and exciting in Coral Gables with the opening of Giardino Gourmet Salad’s new flagship store located at
2346 Ponce de Leon Boulevard right in the heart of the City Beautiful’s commercial district. I spent my final CEO (Chamber Educational Outreach) Workday of the year there this past month and enjoyed every minute of my delicious experience.
To say that owners Odalys and Kenny Lugo are entrepreneurs is an understatement. They are visionaries who took an idea several years ago and grew it into an amazingly fresh reality, one gourmet salad at a time. Now, as the proud owners of Giardino Gourmet Salads (with seven locations in Miami-Dade and Broward), they are just as driven, just as focused, and just as determined to deliver a quality product every time you dine, take-out, or have it delivered.
Now, as most of you know, I am not much of a salad person unless it is drenched in dressing and covered in cheese and bacon (with a side of bacon). However, I did grow up in the fast-food restaurant environment and have always appreciated the hard work that our restaurant owners do, day-in and day-out. They are up before dawn prepping for the day and leave long after most of us have left the office to head home and power down. It is a busy life with many challenges.
Kenny and Ody put a little bit of magic into each salad they create – from the incredible variety of salads you can order that will satisfy any taste or craving to the fact that each crouton is carefully made right there in the store. Amazing in that these croutons are a metaphor of the care and compassion they instill
each day.I spent my workday helping make salads (thank goodness they
have a little cheat sheet you can review as you make each salad), of which the Mama Mia was by far the most popular. It must be the goat cheese and the sun dried tomatoes – or maybe the red peppers. Of course, it is really about fresh ingredients, portion control, presentation, and delivering a consistent product each time a salad is made.
I also helped cut bread and pitas for the eventual transformation into delicious croutons and crunchy pita chips. Who knew this magic happens right there in the back of the restaurant? Everything is fresh and I have never seen a more pristine food preparation environment. You can count on that.
The employees are young and dedicated - a clear indication of the care and compassion that Kenny and Ody show toward them. They are more than just employees – they are family and learn the high level of expectation first-hand under the careful tutelage of the owners. Ody was a teacher in her past life and so mentoring comes naturally to her, especially with young people. Kenny was a firefighter, so he is the chief analyst and spokesman and literally helps maintain calm even during the busiest of lunch hours.
In closing, my workday was a real winner. I am constantly amazed at the stories that exist in small business right in the middle of our community. They are the stories worth telling, then repeating, and then experiencing first-hand. Such was my experience at Giardino.
This is so much more than ordering a great salad and receiving it just the way you want it prepared and then it tasting even better than you imagined. It is about quality, flavor, freshness, and passion – every time you order. Promise me that as you commit to lose a few pounds in 2010 (yes, we always want to) that you will make Giardino Gourmet Salads part of your big plan. You will be glad you did, one crouton at a time!
LARRY M. NOLAN | CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
DELICIOUS DISCOURSE!: Kenny Lugo, Mark A. Trowbridge and Odalys Lugo share a salad and some fresh conversation.
OUR PRESIDENT HARD AT “WORK” AT GIARDINO’S GOURMET SALADS!
LARRY M. NOLAN | CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
HEALTHY CHOICES!: Chamber President & CEO Mark A Trowbridge and Odalys Lugo preparing a delicious Mama Mia salad.
Alan RandolphThe Bank of MiamiCGCC Trustee Council [email protected]
2010 is finally here and it is shaping up to being a great year. We have some exciting lunches and receptions
coming up for the Trustee Council.From September 1st through December 31st, 17 new
Trustees joined, which reflected solid support and confidence in the efforts of the Coral Gables Chamber and its programs.
We have two wonderful events in the month of January, beginning with our Trustee Reception on Tuesday, January 12th at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse sponsored by Goldstein Schechter Koch. Our monthly luncheon, sponsored by the Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands - Curacao Tourist Board, will be held on Wednesday, January 27th at the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables featuring Jane Wooldridge, Business Editor of the Miami Herald.
In February we will host our reception at WLRN Studios on Tuesday, February 9th and our Trustee luncheon will take
place on Wednesday, February 24th sponsored by Colliers Abood Wood-Fay.
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TRUSTEE RECEPTION AT MONTICA JEWELRY!
TRUSTEE TALK
LARRY M. NOLAN | CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
FUN NETWORKING!: TOP PHOTOS L-R, Eddy Cruz, Sarah Nesbitt
Artecona and Frits Bingham; Host Marichi O’Rourke, John Knowles,
John Antieau and John O’Rourke, Sponsor and Owner of Montica
Jewelry; Veronica Soto and Natalie de Rojas; MIDDLE PHOTOS L-R,
Burton Hersh, Brad Rosenblatt, Diana Carballeira and Vanessa Estrada;
Past Chair Jerry Santeiro and Bill Murphy. BOTTOM L-R, Province
Zamek, Betty Park, Drew Kern and Marco Ibarra; Marichi O’Rourke
and Roberto Smith; Perry Adair and Past Chair Marc Berenfeld
LARRY NOLAN | CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
SPECIAL THANKS TO RASCO-KLOCK!: L-R: Trustee Chair Alan Randolph, Regional Executive of the Federal Reserve Bank Branch Juan Del Busto, Chair Sarah Nesbitt Artecona, Chamber President Mark A. Trowbridge, Sponsors Alfonso Perez and Joe Klock.
Berenfeld, Spritzer, Shechter & Sheer LLP will play host to another seminar in a series of small business-focused workshops conducted by Dale Carnegie Training on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 from 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Past Dale Carnegie workshops have dealt with such small business topics as enhancing the customer experience and improving
the fiscal efficiency of a business.
This small business seminar will focus on a topic that is a major factor in any success of the company: the workforce that maintains it.
“Tools of Engagement - Innovative Ways to Gain Employee Commitment Through Workplace Learning and Performance
is guaranteed to sell out!”This workshop is intended
to educate managers and supervisors on the intricacies of creating alignment and purpose in a team.
In this workshop, we will look at ways to strengthen the sense of common purpose among employees. The powerful forces of values and vision unite employees to give them direction.
For more information on this workshop, call 305-446-1657 or visit www.coralgableschamber.org
The Business & Education Committee of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce is planning a Realtor Showcase.
On January 29th, 2010 at the Coral Gables Youth Center, the Chamber, in association with the Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches, is hosting this expo. The program will run from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. and will include
a table-top showcase of the various public and private schools in Coral Gables,
as well as remarks from a variety of leaders from the City of Coral Gables and our partner organizations.
This event is an opportunity for real estate professionals who sell the City Beautiful on a regular basis to educate themselves on all things Coral Gables.
The Showcase, once a road show that visited the local public schools via caravan, has been expanded to include City leaders and partners, as well as private schools.
The City’s Education
Compact calls for the Chamber and the City to support education by informing our realtors on what is commonly the most often asked question when purchasing a new home - how are the local schools?
The cost for realtors & members to participate is $25 and will include a breakfast and program.
For more information on this important, informative and timely program, please call the Chamber at 305-446-1657 or visit www.coralgableschamber.org
EXPO SEEKS TO BROADEN APPEAL OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
LARRY M. NOLANCoral Gables Chamber
An honors graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology and a world renowned speaker, Ray Anderson learned the carpet trade through 14-plus years at various positions at Deering-Milliken and Callaway Mills, and in 1973, set about founding a company to produce the first free-lay carpet tiles in America. Today, he chairs the world’s largest producer of commercial floor coverings. Interface has diversified and globalized its businesses, with sales in 110 countries and manufacturing facilities on four continents.
The Eco Expo will also
provide the opportunity for businesses and consumers to convene in a single venue to showcase the impact that the green movement is having on
every aspect of our economy and society, from energy and transportation to education, health and travel, among many other areas.
“Our mission is to continue promoting sustainable practices in our community, commerce and everyday living,” said Anabella Smith about the Go Green Task Force at the Coral Gables Chamber.
To learn more about the Go Green Task Force and the Eco Expo, please call 305-446-1657 or visit www.coralgableschamber.org.
CORAL GABLES CHAMBER | FILE
SWITCHING CONVICTIONS: Ray Anderson, above, chronicles his journey to sustainability in his new book: Confessions Of A Radical Industrialist.
Our inaugural Eco Expo on February 5th will feature a wide spectrum of Green products, services and ideas.
BUSINESS & EDUCATION COMMITTEE PRESENTS REALTOR SHOWCASE
BERENFELD HOSTS SEMINAR ON EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION TACTICS
$5,000 and aboveThe Allen Morris CompanyAXA Advisors, LLCBaptist Health South FloridaBay Plumbing CompanyBerenfeld Spritzer Shechter & Sheer LLPThe Biltmore HotelCity of Coral GablesCoconut Grove BankColliers Abood Wood-FayGulliver SchoolsHyatt Regency Coral GablesInternational Finance BankMontica Jewelry TotalBankUniversity of Miami
$2,500 - $4,999Aetna, Inc.AT&T
Becker & PoliakoffBlueCross Blueshield of FloridaBusiness Improvement District of Coral GablesFlorida Power & LightGables Financial Group, Inc.Home Financing Center, Inc.Junior Orange Bowl Committee Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton, P.A. Mercantil Commercebank, N.A.Miami Christian SchoolNero Immigration LawNew England FinancialResource 4 FloorsRight Space ManagementTurner Contruction CompanyVictoria & Associates Career ServicesWalmart
• Angelique Euro Cafe• Asisa Research Group• ChateauBleau Hotel
• Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, LLP• City Construction Group
• Dade Medical College• Dental Partners of the Gables
• DooleyMack Constructors of South Florida, LLC
• Education Partners• Giardino Gourmet Salads
• I Designs Optical Boutique Inc• Il Grissino
• Jimmy John’s• Kreativa for Kids, Inc.
• Lopez & Partners, LLC • McNamara/Salvia Inc.
• Marco Drugs & Compounding • Mom Corps
• Original Impressions • Palindrome Consulting
• Premier Weight Loss and Cosmetic Center
• Prudential Florida Realty• Saveso.com Inc
• Sherwin Williams Paint Company• Southern Strategy Group
• Talavera Cocina Mexicana • Towncare Dental Group• VIA Design Studio LLC
WELCOME OURNEW CHAMBER MEMBERS!
VISION INVESTORSBank of New York MellonBaptist Health South FloridaBay Plumbing Company*Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.Berenfeld Spritzer Shechter & Sheer LLPThe Biltmore HotelCoconut Grove BankCoral Gables Trust Co.EWM RealtorsExpress TravelGulliver SchoolsHollySime RealtyHotel St. MichelHyatt Regency Coral GablesInternational Finance BankMercantil Commercebank, N.A.Mercedes-Benz of Coral GablesMontica JewelryNordstrom at The Village of Merrick ParkPhoto OffsetRight Space ManagementRobert J. Shafer & AssociatesSharff, Wittmer, Kurtz & JacksonThe Intelligent OfficeTrusted Alliance, LLC*University of MiamiVictoria & Associates Career ServicesWaste ManagementWestin Colonnade Coral Gables HotelWilliamson Cadillac - HUMMER
* Commitment Paid In Full
*BOLD Denotes TRUSTEE
SAVE THE 2010 DATES!
JAN. 29
Realtor ShowcaseCoral Gables Youth Center, 8:30 a.m.
JAN. 12
Trustee ReceptionRuth’s Chris Steakhouse, 5:30 p.m.
JAN. 6
Wind Down Wednesday Westin Colonnade Roof-Top Pool, 5:30 p.m.
JAN. 21
Good Morning Coral GablesThe Biltmore Hotel, 7:30 a.m.
JAN. 19
Women’s Business Network Luncheon Hyatt Regency Coral Gables, 11:30 a.m.
Giralda Under the Stars!Next is Friday, January 8th, 2010
Starting at 6 p.m.
Downtown Coral Gables’ Restaurant Row (located on the 100 block of Giralda Ave. between Ponce de
Leon Blvd. and Galiano Street) will be bustling with al fresco dining and live entertainment as part of “Giralda Under the Stars” on Friday, January 8th, 2010. The street will be closed allowing for pedestrians to enjoy dinner and an evening stroll under the stars. From the local dinner crowd looking to walk to their
favorite neighborhood restaurant to the traveling gourmand seeking a new scene, Downtown Coral Gables has something for every palate.
JAN. 29
Super Art In the Park, Super Bowl XLIVPonce Circle Park, 6:00 p.m.
