Chamberline April 2012

“The Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce

will provide leadership to promote a progressive

business environment”

Inside this issue:

New Members 2-3

Chamber Member

News

4

Election Information 6

Women & Money 8

Member Renewal &

Ribbon Cuttings

9

Chamber News 10

Business After Hours 11

Chamber Snapshot

March 2012

Phone Calls: 447

Walk-in: 162

Email Inquires: 33

Relocation Packets: 44

Phone Books 17

Misc. & Maps: 59

Web Hits 2209

Facebook Users 354

Page 2

Board of Directors

Dennis Cannon ..................................... President

Craig Kubas .......................................... Pres-Elect

Rachelle Schroeder ............................ Treasurer

Chris Johnson . ..................................... Past President

Elaine Myran ......................................... Director

Mike Renner .......................................... Director

Klint Sickler ........................................... Director

Harmony Kolling ................................. Director

Lisa Roers ............................................... Director

Christian Kostelecky ......................... Director

Terry Kovacevich ............................... Director

Nathan Bouray ..................................... Director

Committee Chairperson

Agriculture ............................................. Kevin Holten

Airport Promotions . ......................... Matt Remynse

Ambassador .......................................... Tasha Gartner

Education ............................................... Rebecca Pitkin

Governmental Affairs ....................... Nate Bouray

Promotions and Retail ..................... Betty Jo Noe

Officials .................................................... Rachelle Schroeder

STAFF

Kristi Tessier ........................................ Events & Marketing Coordinator

Cindy Brock ........................................... Administrative Assistant

Publication First Day of the Month

Published By C. Brock

Deadline Third Thursday of the month - For both copy and advertising

Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce

314 3rd Avenue West •P.O. Box C

Dickinson, ND 58602

Phone: 701-225-5115 Fax: 701-225-5116

E-mail: [email protected]

Board of Directors monthly meeting minutes

and annual financial statements are

available to Chamber Members.

.

Special Points of Interest

April 3rd—Business After Hours— Joy Haven

May 2nd—6th—Teacher Appreciation Week

May 3rd—Measure 2 Forum

May 5th & 6th—3on3 Hoopfest

May 19th—Fly-In Event— Dickinson Theodore Regional Airport

Water/Wastewater Engineering—Surveying/Mapping/GIS

Electrical/Structural Engineering—Land Development

Municipal Engineering—Instrumentation And Controls

Page 3 New Members

KAT Communications Todd Muggerud

1025 3rd St. N, Suite 1

Bismarck, ND 58501

701-224-9208

www.katcommunications.com

KAT is a solutions company focused on marketing, advertising, man-agement consulting, and training. Their core is to help organizations succeed by strategically identifying barriers and prescribing and execut-ing solutions to those barriers as well as organizational enhancements.

Lil l ians of Dickinson Cami Havelka

14 1st Street West

Dickinson, ND 58601

701-483-7216

www.lilliansshoppe.com\dickinson

Lillians’ is a fun, fabulous occasional shop open the second Thursday through Sunday, and the Third Thursday through Sat-urday of each Month. Lillians’ offers hip fashions, dresses, tops, sweaters, denim and more! They also offer handbags, fun totes and satchels, wallets, trendy jewelry, watches, sunglasses and scarves.

North Dakota CPA Society Jim Abbott, Executive Director

2701 South Columbia Road

Grand Forks, ND 58201

701-775-7100

www.andcpas.org

The North Dakota Society of CPAs is the statewide association of Cer-tified Public Accountants. It has approximately 1,600 members, con-sisting of CPAs and students planning to become CPAs. About 75% of all CPAs in North Dakota are members. The Society maintains an office and staff, based in Grand Forks. Our mission is to help members excel in their profession. Our Vision is to be SUPERB in member service and member satisfac-tion, by answering member needs, by fostering public respect for CPAs, by effectively advocating for CPAs, and by actively involving members.

Hanson Trucking, Inc. Steve Hanson

225 Truck Route

Columbia Falls, MT 59912

406-892-3900

www.hansontrucking.com

As with any successful business, a company's ability to provide service is a good measure for their standing in the specific industry. Hanson Trucking has 55 employees, including 40 drivers and nine mechanics. There can be no down time with the amount of service they provide and the number of trucks that they run. The fleet is made up from a constant rotation of well-maintained used

trucks. Up until this year the company had never purchased a new

truck; always opting for two to three year old tractors that previous

owners had traded in.

Bakken Dakota Group Sam Gunderson

99 26th Street East

Dickinson, ND 58601

701-264-9994

www.bakkendakotagroup.com

The Bakken Dakota Group is an affiliation of Engineers & Contrac-tors that have come together to offer their collective or individual services to the ND market. The Group is headed by Sam Gunderson & consists of Hermanson Egge Engineering, West Plains Engineer-ing, Quantum Integrated Services, Muth Electrical Construction, Action Mechanical Construction, Pacific Coast Drilling, Heavy Constructors, & its divisions Gustafson Builders & Excavation Spe-cialists.

Development, Construction, Property Management and Commercial & Residential Real Estate.

Page 4 Leadership Dickinson

Karli Mann This week we explored Health and Human Services in the Dickinson area. In the afternoon we visited ABLE where we took a tour and learned how it was founded, what they do for our community, and how they work every day. We then visited VocRehab, where we were shown all the gadgets that people with disabilities need to use every day. We learned that just because someone has a disability, does not mean they cannot do the same things as someone without a disabil-ity. All in all, this education and fun-filled day taught us to appreci-ate the things we have, and to help those in need.

Nikki Grinsteinner During the March Leadership Dickinson, we focused on Health Care and Human Services. We started out at the hospital with a tour. This tour was very interesting because we got to see a lot of behind the scenes activity that goes on at the hospital. We toured the lab, the MRI unit, the surgery department, and the baby floor. After the tour, important hospital figures came and talked to us. I think the tour, along with the speakers, really draws each student's atten-tion, even if they are not entering into a health-related ca-reer. In conclusion of our morning, we had lunch with the Rotary Club. This experience was unique and something I know I've never done before. That is why Leadership Dick-inson is so awesome; it provides its students with so many opportunities.

Page 5

Dickinson Airport

receives Award American Welcomes

New Employees

Member News

American Bank Center is pleased to announce Steve Glasser, Zach Mcoy, and Kirsten Heinrich.

Steve Glasser is the new Credit Administration Specialist.

Steve most cur-rently worked as the Executive Director at the

DSU Strom Center.

Zach McCoy is a new part-time Credit Analyst at the down-town Dickinson location. Zach is currently attend-ing Dickinson State University and pursuing a degree in Busi-ness Administration.

Kirsten Heinrich is a part-time Teller at the north Dickinson location. Kirsten has previous

teller experi-ence and is currently at-tending Dick-inson State

University pursing a degree in Business Administration.

American Bancor, Ltd is pleased to announce Chad Skretteberg has taken on the

additional role of Security Officer. Chad will con-tinue his duties in the Information Systems Depart-

ment as well as serve his role as security officer. Chad joined American in June of 2011.

The Dickinson Regional Airport has received the 2011 Commercial Airport of the Year award, according to a press release.

Tim Thorsen, the Airport Association of North Da-kota president, presented the award Tuesday at the Upper Midwest Aviation Symposium in Bismarck. Those receiving the award were Dickinson Airport Authority Chairman Jon Frantsvog, Secretary and Treasurer Craig Steve and Airport Manager Matthew Remynse.

Excellence in maintaining safety, project management and community awareness played a part in deciding which North Dakota airport got the award, according to the release. The Dickinson Airport completed expan-sions to the passenger ter-minal.

The airport also saw “an explosive 83.1 percent an-nual increase” last year.

Airport staff reached out to the community by holding two open houses, Remynse said. In addition, it held its first annual Youth Aviation Adventure Day, an event where children got a hands-on experience in different areas of aviation.

The airport is working on a master plan which will lay out what needs to be ac-complished to meet de-mands that the airport will see in the upcoming years due to an oil boom in west-ern North Dakota.

Administrative Professionals Luncheon

Monday, April 23, 2012 Elks Lodge 11:30—1pm

Speaker/Presenter, Scott Hanson of DSU.

“Past, Present, and Future" of Administrative Professionals.

Registration Deadline: April 13, 2012

Contact: Renee Kilzer,

E-mail - [email protected], Phone: 701-824-3276

Sponsored by Southwest Area Support Staff

Page 6 Election Information

Dickinson, ND City Commissioners (Four positions will be up for election, they are elected as four year terms)

Stark County Commissioners (Three positions will be up for election, they are elected as four year terms)

Earliest day to begin circulating Petitions ……………………………….Saturday, January 14, 2012

Earliest day to file Petitions…………..…………………… Monday, January 16, 2012 Last day to file Petitions…………………………4:00p.m., Friday, April 13, 2012

To Contact Our Local Legislators:

District 36 Senator George L. Nodland (R) Email:[email protected] Representative Shirley Meyer (D) Email:[email protected] Representative Mike Schatz (R) Email:[email protected]

District 37 Senator Rich Wardner (R): Majority Leader Email: [email protected] Representative Nancy Johnson (R) Email: [email protected] Representative Vicky Steiner (R) Email: [email protected]

To Contact North Dakota’s Pro-Business Legislation: North Dakota Chamber of Commerce www.ndchamber.com Phone: 701-222-0929 Toll Free: 1-800-382-1405 Fax: 701-222-1611

Primary Election June 12, 2012

Page 7 Election Information

Measure 2

This init iated measure would amend sections 1, 4 , 14, 15, and 16 of article X of the North Da-

kota Consti tution and repeal sections 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 of that same article, el iminating prop-

erty taxes, poll taxes and acreage taxes, effective January 1, 2012. The measure would replace

the lost revenue with allocations of various state level taxes and other revenues, without re-

strictions on how these revenues may be spent.

Support

In November 2009, Robert Hale, a Minot, North Dakota resident announced that he was in the process of forming a committee,

known as the Empower the Taxpayer committee, to propose the measure. According to Hale, the ballot language was similar to that

of Rep. Dan Ruby's proposal during the 2009 legislative session. The proposed legislation called for amending the North Dakota

Constitution to remove property taxes as a sources of state revenue. The measure is also sponsored by Charlene Nelson of Cassel-

ton, North Dakota.

Supporters

Robert Hale, Charlene Nelson, Empower the Taxpayer committee

Arguments

In response to arguments that removal of the property tax may lead to questions about other types of taxes that are intended as

property tax substitutes, sponsors of the proposed amendment said that issue could be resolved by "specifying that some types of

taxes are not based on their property value."

Supporters of the measure also argue that eliminating property taxes may make the state more attractive to businesses, which may

lead to increased revenue for the state. "This would remove the property tax disincentive across the state. I believe that we would

see many industries taking a very, very serious look at this state as a place to settle," said Hale.

Opposit ion

Opponents argue that it is dangerous to "eliminate an entire source of revenue" and that the proposal is misleading. The proposal,

they argue, may appear like a tax cut but may instead force other state taxes upward in order to compensate.

Opponents

Wahpeton Finance Director Darcie Huwe, Williams County Auditor Beth Innis, North Dakota Public Instruction Superintendent

Wayne Sanstead, Rep. Charles Damschen, Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce

Arguments

In response to the proposed measure Wahpeton Finance Director Darcie Huwe said, "This will be monumental. Property tax is one

way for local governments to kind of control their destiny, with their ability to raise bulk revenue to provide local services. And if

we lose that ability or diminish that ability to raise local revenue that provides local services, I think you end up with a disconnect

between funding and priorities." If property taxes were eliminated as a source of revenue, local governments would have to depend

on the state to replace the source, said Huwe. "In what form and how would it come and would it be the same amount and what

would control how much that amount would be... a lot of big unknowns that aren't necessarily defined in the proposed legislation,"

she said.

According to Williams County Auditor Beth Innis eliminating the property tax would have had a serious impact on citizens and

could have caused an increase in sales taxes or income taxes in order to compensate for the lost revenue. In particular, Innis said

she believed the elimination of property taxes would have impacted people with low or fixed incomes.

North Dakota Public Instruction Superintendent Wayne Sanstead said, "It has ramifications that could be severe for certainly, I'd

say, school districts, but all political subdivisions." Sanstead argues that the legislature has taken strides to reduce property taxes.

"We're down around 30 percent now. It's a lot less than it was when I came into this office, and I'm happy about that, but the first is,

to eliminate totally, that`s a whole different kettle of fish," said Sanstead.

Rep. Charles Damschen said that he is concerned that voters may assume that the proposed amendment means a tax cut. Damschen

argues that it may in fact force state taxes upward. "This really is not going to be a net tax cut, and if people believe that, or are told

that, it’s really misleading. That revenue isn’t going to just appear (elsewhere) when we abolish property tax," he said.

Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Craig Whitney said, "To eliminate an entire source of

revenue for nearly 3,000 political subdivisions without an approved methodology to replace that funding is dangerous. Instead, we

need to explore alternative, sustainable revenue sources in order to lower the tax burden on property owners."

For more information on the proposed measures and the primary election go to www.nd.gov

Page 8

MAC’S Donates to Local Charities and Organizations

MAC’S Inc. will be presenting donation checks to local Dickinson organizations on Friday, March 23, 2012 at 11:00am at their Dickinson store location of 241 26th St W. A total of $6250 in donations will be handed out, representing the amount raised during their grand opening last month.

It is common to see grand openings feature free item giveaways, but MAC’S wanted to turn this event into an opportunity to give back to the Dickinson community. After gathering item donations from various vendors, MAC’S assessed the value of the items and decided to host a silent auction, with all proceeds to benefit four local charities and organizations: Domestic Violence & Rape Crisis Center, American Red Cross, Dickinson Rural Fire & Rescue, and Elder Care.

Held during their grand opening sale the week of February 19-25, 2012, the silent auction was a huge success, raising a total of $6250 in donations while allowing auction winners to get an array of items at a discount of their retail value. The proceeds will be divided equally among the selected organizations for a donation amount of $1562.50 to each, which MAC’S is excited to present on Friday. The media is invited to attend this event.

About MAC’S Inc.:

MAC’S Inc. is a 4th generation, family-owned North Dakota company that was originally incorporated in 1932. Known to be “NOT Just Another Hardware Store,” MAC’S offers not only the standard hardware you expect, but also bolts in bulk, industrial and surplus items, a large selection of chain, rope, and cable, and great customer service. MAC’S has eleven other locations in the tri-state area: Minot, Bismarck, Fargo, Jamestown, Devils Lake, Huron, Watertown, Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, Moorhead, and Detroit Lakes.

Page 9

Thank you for renewing 2011-2012 memberships

4 Bears Casino Allan’s Decorating Center American Family Insurance—Todd Schweitzer Baranko Brothers, Inc Century Link, Inc. City of Dickinson Dacotah Insurance Endeavor Engineering, Inc. Farmers Union Insurance Four Seasons Trophies Helena Chemical Company Hope Christian Academy I Keating Furniture World KDIX Radio KQCD Legend Homes Microtel Inn & Suites Missouri Basin Nitro Green Professional Lawn/Tree Care Northern Lights Council Boys Scouts—Roughrider District Roene Hulsing—CPA The real estate company

Ribbon Cuttings March 21st

RDO Equipment Company

My Place

CHAMBER COMMITTEES

Education Committee: Teacher Appreciation Week

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6th—11th. Leadership Dickinson 1 sessions left. Energy will be the topic.

Educator & Business of the Year Nominees were presented. Community Engagement Ideas were brought up to make the business area more aware of what is going on in the Education area.

Recreational Events: 3on3 Hoopfest Committee: The Hoopfest is scheduled for May 5 and 6th.

Promotions Committee: Two new members were introduced, Cami Havelka of Lillians and Ben Shroyer of BAC.

Holiday Craft Show The craft show is 12/1 at the BAC. It was suggested to use the large reader boards for advertising by the BAC. Business After Hours BAH will be held at Joy Haven on April 3, Public Transit on May 1st and LaQuinta on June 5th. The only months without one scheduled is October & November. 4th of July Coupons The letter was reviewed and will be sent out 4/15. We will print 5,000.

Government Affairs Committee: Measure 2 Forum Measure 2 Forum will take place 5/3. The Dickinson Press will be the spon-sor. Press releases will be sent out.

SW Night at the Legislature This will be held 1/21/13 in Bis-marck. We will start looking for entertainment and sponsors.

Page 10 Chamber News

Airport Committee: Committee Members We are looking for new committee members interested in joining. February Flight Statistics The flight statistics sheet was reviewed. The Dickinson Airport has seen about 97% increase this last month. 2012 Fly In May 19th(Armed Forces Day) will be the Fly In Day. Some of the events were reviewed and sponsors are still needed. Air Service Update Dickinson Airport Authority will hire a consultant to assist them in choosing the right air service for our area. The bid will be this fall.

Agriculture Committee: Ag Week Awareness An ad was run in the Dickinson Press along with a signature page about Na-tional Ag Day. Fliers were distributed at Dan’s along with posters around town. Ag BBQ Subcommittee The subcommittee and presented their new ideas to the Ag committee.

Ambassadors /Membership Committee: Cami Havelka of Lillians was intro-duced to the Committee; she is a new committee member. Hometown Pride Award The business must be a Chamber Mem-ber, have completed a major renova-tion/beautification project or new construction within the past 12 months, be part of the Dickinson Busi-ness Community. Hometown Pride will be award in March to My Place. We will vote on April’s Hometown Pride award by email. Ribbon Cuttings On March 21st will be RDO Equip-ment Company and My Place. On April 12th will be Lillians and Weston Solutions. The following businesses were added: Old Time Tobacco Shop, ABLE Thrift Shop, and Lufkin. Golf Scramble Dennis from the BOD will contact Harvey to update him.

March Coffee Sponsor

Continental Real Estate

135 Sims PO Box 1121

Dickinson, ND 58601 701-483-9107

www.crealestate.com

Residential, Commercial,

Investment, & Farm/Ranch

Airport Statistics

February

Passenger Traffic 2012 2012 % Diff.

Enplaned 2121 1076 97%

Deplaned 2071 967 114%

Total 4192 2043 105%

Page 11 Business After Hours

Check out our website to see how your business

looks at www.dickinsonchamber.org. We can

update your information about your business

and your logo by sending it to

[email protected].

Dickinson Chamber of Commerce

PO Box C

Dickinson, ND 58602

Ideas for Parents to show Appreciation for Your Child’s Teacher

*Parents can take time to write personal thank-you notes to their children’s teachers. Make sure to say thanks the next time they talk to their children’s teachers, or to send a quick e-mail expressing their gratitude.

*Offer your child’s teachers small tokens for appreciation, such as apples, bookmarks, homemade goodies or crafts, “World’s Greatest Teacher” mugs, or coffee shop gift cards, at the beginning of Teacher Appreciation Week or each day of the week.

*Contribute classroom materials, such as paper, stickers, chalk, stamps, ink pads, or books, instead of giving knickknacks to your children’s teachers. Teachers also appreciate gift certificates that help them purchase the little extras needed in their classrooms.

*Drop by for a simple coffee reception for teachers.

*Use Teacher Appreciation Week as a launching point for develop stronger partnerships with your child's teachers. Ex-pressions of appreciation can build mutual respect and open the door to better communication about expectations, stu-dent performance, and more.

Visit http://www.teacher-appreciation.info/

for more information on what you can do to show your appreciation.