Tag Archives: Monroe County

President Jeb Conrad Talks I-69 Summit Success

Your Chamber was proud to be the lead organizer for the I-69 Regional Summit…Driving Opportunity here in Bloomington on October 20-21. The Summit brought together more than 350 representatives from various sectors including business, government, higher education, defense, economic development, tourism, agriculture, trade and logistics to examine ways to enable collaboration and leverage the new and existing I-69 corridor from a statewide perspective.

The Chamber conceived the Summit for a series of reasons, but most importantly to have a forum for strategic discussions with respect to the impact and opportunities this new major infrastructure project will have on the business environment locally, regionally, statewide and nationally.

Highlights included a panel luncheon with Congressmen Todd Rokita, Larry Bucshon and Todd Young, who are all members of the I-69 Congressional Caucus, moderated by Gerry Dick of Inside INdiana Business. Keynote speakers Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann and Becky Skillman, President and CEO of Radius Indiana, shared their vision and perspective.  Attendees participated in breakouts and panel discussions on topics including trade/logistics, land use planning, understanding P3s, site selection and economic development. Other highlights included a tour of the Section 4 project and an evening reception at the IU Memorial Stadium.

The Summit provided a forum for interested parties and experts to come together, learn of the progress of I-69 in each of the corridor states, understand the global influence of its future and a chance to make new contacts. I was amazed at the significance this interstate will have for enabling trade and logistics from Mexico to Canada, and opening new avenues for connecting our region to the world. It is easy to see the local challenges and opportunities as the road pushes through, but a realistic view from 35,000 feet is necessary to be well prepared and take advantage of the opportunities the infrastructure brings to our region.

The State of Indiana also sees I-69 as the most impactful project for the tourism industry. Having interstate access to the State’s unique assets that attract visitors, is expected to generate new ways to capture travelers’ dollars in Indiana, expose a broader audience to these assets, and attract new business opportunities in this industry sector.

Locally, I-69 will bring safe and efficient connectivity for our businesses, employees and customers between Evansville and Indianapolis, not to mention Crane Naval Base. This will open new doors for employers to operate more effectively in the region, expand their employee base and capture additional business and residential investment.

The Summit was an excellent way for our Chamber to showcase our local businesses, connect them to other key contacts and open the door to see what Bloomington, Monroe County and the region have to offer.

It was a huge task for us to take on, but with the support of a great Committee, key partners like the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Hoosier Voices for I-69, and our sponsors, this event puts us on the map on a broader scale as we move forward. A public thank you to all those who made this event possible and we look forward to hosting again in 2015, our Chamber’s 100th Anniversary!

If you are interested in more information from the Summit, you can access such at www.I69Summit.com or our Chamber website.

 

 

 

Start Strong: Indiana Business Taxes for New and Small Businesses

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is pleased to share this opportunity with our area businesses.  If you are a new or small business, we encourage you to attend the September 4th presentation offered here in Bloomington.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently offered a sobering statistic for anyone following their business dreams: forty-nine percent of businesses fail in the first five years.

download (1)One factor that can contribute to business failure is failing to understand taxes. When new and small businesses have difficulty with taxes it is often due to not understanding regulations regarding filing and paying Indiana taxes.

To address this issue, the Indiana Department of Revenue is partnering with the Indiana CPA Society to host three free presentations throughout the state. The presentation, Start Strong: Indiana Business Taxes for New and Small Businesses, discusses pertinent tax information for new businesses, and attendees will have the opportunity to have questions answered by an experienced business tax auditor and network with community business members.

Register for a free Start Strong presentation on Sept. 4, 2014 in Bloomington, Ind. here.

If you’re interested in attending a different Start Strong presentation, or hosting the presentation for your community, visit www.in.gov/dor/5176.htm.

Chamber Calls to Amend Proposed Monroe County Comprehensive Plan

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce issued a statement yesterday calling for significant amendments to the proposed draft of the Monroe County Comprehensive Plan, the 20-year visioning document that provides guidelines for the County’s land use policies.

This is a central planning document with specific implications for the business community and our community’s ability to grow and retain jobs. We have raised concerns with the Plan Commission that this plan is prohibitive to expanding economic vitality in our community over the 20-year planning period. Additionally, little has been done to address the concerns brought forth by community representatives and landowners in the most current proposed draft.

The Plan Commission is expected to take a final vote on the current draft Continue reading →

Monroe County Comprehensive Plan Returns

This Thursday, May 13th, the Monroe County Plan Commission will listen to public comment regarding the recently updated Comprehensive Plan draft from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Monroe County Courthouse.

For the better part of this year, the Plan Commission has been reviewing and discussing public comments made on the initial draft as well as offering their own edits and ideas for how to address subjects such as the subdivision of rural property – one of the more contentious issues of the plan.

A new 182-page version of the document (not a red-lined version of the first draft) was made available to the public in late April, and a public open house was held May 5th to view and informally discuss the final draft. Continue reading →

Kudos to Business Expo 2010

It is an annual tradition with a 25 year history of offering businesses an opportunity to showcase their wares to Monroe County.  This year was no exception to the excellent one day, B2B trade show that Business Expo has always been known for.

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce vendor booth experienced steady traffic throughout the event.  It was great visiting with current and potential members, plus the general public as they strolled by.  Many attendees were pleased to learn of the new and extensive menu of programs and events The Chamber has scheduled this year.  They also had the opportunity to learn about the augmented benefits Chamber membership has to offer with the new Membership Investment Level model.

The BIRA sponsored Taste of Expo was a good example of “the best in local food”.  Plus it was tasty.  That was obvious with the plates of food being devoured all around.

This is the part of the Expo that really draws a crowd.

I met new contacts, potential business members and was able to re-connect with others that I have not seen in awhile.  That is what the Expo is all about.  Again, kudos to Business Expo 2010 for a job well done.