Headline News

On April 30th, 2013 the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its 75th anniversary! It is truly a milestone for our business community and the Chamber itself. Not many organizations have the distinguished opportunity to say they have been serving their membership for 75 years. It is my honor to be the 2013 Chairman of Board and I am excited to celebrate our history as well as participate in our future.

Your Chamber of Commerce is made up of 3 major divisions designed to serve you, the Member.

• Business Advocacy - Actively participates in the political process at the local, state and federals levels.
• Economic Development - Collaborates with industry, workforce development and community leaders to strengthen our local economy and business climate.
• Member Services - Seeks to strengthen individual members through networking events, benefits programs and exposure opportunities.

Your Chamber Board of Directors spent 2 days (at their own expense) working through the challenges and opportunities ahead of us. On the horizon for 2013:

• Ongoing advocacy for laws and regulations that encourage business growth
• A relationship with our schools that continues to encourage partnerships and synergies
• New and exciting member programs including networking, a joint golf outing with the Brunswick Chamber and educational opportunities
• A second year for our YEA (Young Entrepreneurs Academy) ... which is now offered county-wide!
• Assist our Members as they continue to navigate through a changing economy

I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Valerie Rapp who is our past Chairperson. Valerie has worked tirelessly for many years on the Chamber board and in 2012 did some amazing things for our Chamber and community. Her passion for our community is demonstrated daily through her advocacy, expertise, volunteering and hard work. I am grateful to you Valerie!

I look forward to serving you and the rest of the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce in 2013.

Chad Wilson
Chairperson of the Board 2013

• Determine a solid business idea
• Pitch the idea to bankers to make sure they are on a good track
• Develop a business plan
• Develop a marketing plan
• Develop a business identity (logo, website, etc.)
• Go for funding to our investor panel
• Participate in a trade show
• Network with business leaders throughout our community.

• Saved Ohio’s private employers $130 million in premiums over two years by reducing average base rates by 4 percent from the 2011 policy year.
• Reduced public employer rates by 5 percent, saving local governments $22 million a year.
• Saved an additional $80 million by reducing our budget by 12 percent over this biennium.
• Created the Grow Ohio Program to help boost economic development.  The program allows new employers to save up to 53 percent on workers’ compensation premiums.
• As part of the Lt. Governor’s Common Sense Initiative, BWC established a one-time forgiveness program that waives penalties and interest for first-time lapsed premium.
• Created Destination: Excellence, a new rating plan that aims to improve return-to-work rates by rewarding employers for building a risk management plan that focuses on safety, prevention, and returning those who are injured to their jobs more quickly. Nearly 5,000 employers signed up during its first enrollment period.
• Promoted workplace safety by expanding the safety council rebate program, which rewards employers for reducing workplace accidents, as well as by creating a $4 million wellness grant program to help employers meet the challenges related to rising incidences of obesity and chronic disease, as well as an aging workforce—all factors that contribute to workplace injuries and slow the recovery of injured workers.
• Increased funding that supports Ohio’s 80 safety councils by 10 percent.
• Improved Pharmacy Management to ensure workers are being prescribed drugs that help, not hinder, their recovery.
  • Created the first-ever formulary, which will save an estimated savings of $15 million in its first 18 months. Early data show the number of narcotics prescribed to injured workers by decreased by 12 percent, or 1.1 million doses, in the first three months following the full implementation of the formulary.
  • Initiated measures to ensure BWC will only cover drugs related to the specific injury.
  • Changed rules to prohibit decertified providers from prescribing drugs for injured workers.
  • Established a lock-in program to improve the safety of medication prescribed to injured workers and limit the practice of doctor and pharmacy shopping.
• Emphasized fraud department efforts and broadened the focus to all types of fraud.
  • First-ever attempt to close a non-compliant business through an injunction.
  • Decertified one of the state’s most prolific providers for inappropriately prescribing narcotics.
    • From January, 2011 to present, BWC’s Special Investigations Department obtained 191 convictions, identifying a total of $85.9 million in savings for the State Insurance Fund. We receive a 6-1 return on investment in Fraud detection.

• Jim Gerspacher – Gerspacher Real Estate Group

• Chad Wilson – Rapid Marketplace

•  Keith Hughes -  Dyer, Hughes, Roche & Wilson, Inc.Being an active member of the Chamber is the key, in my opinion.  Doing so allows members to:

• Delmar Jones – Jonesy’s Classic Cleaners

• Michael Baach – Philpott Rubber Company

• Jim Bigam – Medina Hospital

• Larry Johns – McJak Candy Company

• Kathy Breitenbucher – The Pedestal Group

• Amy Demlow – Critchfield, Critchfield and Johnston, Ltd

• Dave Mueller – BPR/Rico Equipment, Inc.

• Mark Williams – Williams on the Lake

• Don Simmons – Simmons Brothers Corporation

• is responsible for the design and implementation of a comprehensive marketing plan that achieves the Chambers annual budget revenue goals. 
• manages the design and production of all internal and external marketing tools, including, but not limited to: Chamber event promotional media, social media, website, newsletter, membership sales materials, signage, presentation tools & materials; and membership retention tools. 
• is responsible for developing an annual membership plan which includes calendar and budget goals. 
• manages all event sponsorships and membership acquisition and retention campaigns.
• reports to the President.

• Eliminate standing water/mosquito-breeding sites around your home (such as cans; bottles; bird baths; swimming, wading, or decorative pools; pool covers; tarps; buckets; tires; holes in trees; clogged ditches or drainage ways; clogged rain gutters; tire ruts; and animal hoof prints).
• Keep weeds and tall grass to a minimum.
• Make sure doors and windows have screens to keep mosquitoes out. Repair or replace screens that have tears or holes.
• Avoid being outside when mosquitoes are most active and likely to bite – evening, nighttime, and dawn hours.
• If you must be outside during active times, wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and socks, and use an insect repellant containing DEET.

• Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry. Also wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot soapy water. Clean up spills right away.
• Keep raw meat, fish and poultry away from other food that will not be cooked. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and egg products and cooked foods.
• Cook raw meat and poultry to safe internal temperatures before eating. The safe internal temperature for ground meat such as beef and pork is 160° F, and 165° F for poultry, as determined with a food thermometer.

• Wash hands and kitchen tools with soap and water. Wash items that are in contact with raw meat or poultry. Disinfect kitchen surfaces using a solution of one tablespoon unscented liquid chlorine bleach to one gallon of water.
• Test food temperatures using a food thermometer.
• Cook poultry thoroughly. Cook ground turkey to 165 °F internal temperature. Reheat leftovers to 165 °F.
• Do not eat undercooked poultry.
• Separate raw meats from all other foods. Wash hands and kitchen tools after touching raw foods. Wash hands before handling food, and between handling different food items.
• Refrigerate raw and cooked meat and poultry within two hours after purchase. Refrigerate meats in one hour if temperatures are above 90° F. Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours after cooking. Set refrigerator temperatures at 40 °F or below.
• Do not put cooked meat on a plate that had raw meat.

Click here to download the
April 2011 Chamber Link