Contact:
Jessica M.L. Thompson, Communications Coordinator
781-3200; jessica@bgchamber.com
BOWLING GREEN, KY-Today marks the start of the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Appreciation Week. The Chamber's Small Business Appreciation Committee uses this week as a special time to honor those partners affiliated with small businesses.
"The Chamber recognizes small businesses for a simple reason," said Doug Gorman, chairman of the Chamber Board of Directors. "Our business community would not be what it is today without the impact that small businesses bring to Bowling Green. We're proud to say that nearly 90% of our partnership is made up of small businesses, and the events planned by the Small Business Appreciation Committee are designed to show our appreciation for these business owners and their employees."
The celebration began on April 28 with the Chamber Golf Challenge at Indian Hills Country Club. Thirty teams of four participated in the challenge, enjoying a friendly game of golf and participating in prize giveaways and hole-in-one competitions. Adam Tabor, chair of the 2008 Small Business Appreciation Committee, said, "The Golf Challenge was a great day! Despite rain in the late afternoon, everyone enjoyed themselves. A special thanks goes out to Indian Hills and our other sponsors for making the event happen."
Winners for the Chamber Golf Challenge were Ben Medley, Scott Hidgon, Fred Smith and Eric Riemer of Team Citizens First Bank.
On Tuesday, May 6, the Chamber will honor Carl Chaney, owner of Chaney's Dairy Barn, as the 2008 Small Business Person of the Year at a luncheon at Carroll Knicely Conference Center beginning at 11 a.m. Now in its fifth year of business, Chaney's Dairy Barn is a must-see site for agritourism in South Central Kentucky. Chaney is a lifelong resident of Warren County, where he was raised on his family's dairy farm. He and wife Debra Stahl Chaney have been married for nearly 38 years and are the parents of three children. After selling half his herd and researching entrepreneurial ventures with his wife, Chaney decided to add ice cream to his dairy. Once they presented a business plan to local bankers and builders, Chaney's Dairy Barn was born and the family business began to boom.
The featured speakers at the luncheon on Tuesday will be Chaney; Gorman, who received the Small Business Person of the Year Award in 2000; and Joe Natcher, 1996 award recipient and owner of Southern Foods, Inc. Past recipients of the Small Business Person of the Year award will be recognized as well.
On Wednesday, May 7, The Medical Center will sponsor a Women in Business Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. in The Medical Center Auditorium. The Small Business Appreciation Committee designed this event to honor women in business. Jenny Golden, community/worksite wellness manager for The Medical Center, will be the speaker for the event.
The Small Business Appreciation Committee will also host an Employee Appreciation Event for the employees of Chaney's Dairy Barn in honor of Carl Chaney's award.
"Small business owners are integral to the strength of a community's economy," said James N. Hizer, CEcD, Chamber president and CEO. "Since 2004, 6,909 jobs have been created in South Central Kentucky and have directly impacted our region's economy. While the perception may be that all of these jobs have come from new industries, small businesses have created the majority of these new jobs.
"From 2000 to 2007, Warren County grew at a rate of 12.4%, faster than any other county in our state," continued Hizer. "Without the commitment of our small business sector to continually reinvest in South Central Kentucky, Bowling Green would not be the fastest growing city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and we would not have the high GDP rate that we have today."
For information about any of the events listed here, please contact Program Director Jennifer Breiwa at 781-3200.
Incorporated in 1935, the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce is the driving force for economic development in South Central Kentucky. As one of only 336 chambers nationwide to be accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the fourth largest chamber in Kentucky, the Chamber serves as a premier business advocate for its more than 1,300 partners. Its primary goals are to promote growth and success in the business community, reaching its small business partners and those in large industries alike. With leadership programs, governmental relations projects, educational initiatives and involvement opportunities, the Chamber aims to support the community and its neighbors in order to enhance the business climate and continue to grow the region.