Tag Archive for: #hvchamberofcommerce

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Calling All Young Professionals! H-V Chamber Organizing Group for Ages 21 – 40

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-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce

The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce is organizing a new Young Professionals group for ages 21 – 40. Who do you have in your business or organization that you could recommend?

This group will meet to socialize, network and share business referrals; receive professional development training; participate in community improvement projects; and be identified as leaders for civic club membership and board appointments in our community.

The participants must work for area businesses but do not have to have reside here. The group will meet during lunch hour or after work hours.

If you have business colleagues and associates in your business/organization that you would like to present for membership, please contact the Chamber at (252) 438-8414 or michele@hendersonvance.org.

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H-V Chamber Announces New E-Gift Card Program to Support Local Businesses

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce

The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce is working with local retail stores and restaurants to develop a new e-gift card program. The Chamber partnered with the Gift Fly company to make this process easy for local business owners in an effort to generate some additional business commerce in the city and county.

Citizens who want to shop online with local businesses can go to the Chamber’s website at www.hendersonvance.org, click on the tab “Shop E-Gift Card” at the top of the home page and view the list of local businesses who have signed on to the program. Three local businesses: Franklin Brothers Nursery and Greenhouses, Sadie’s Coffee Corner and The Home Decorator Shoppe have already signed up to participate and accept the e-gift cards.

More businesses will be added this week, just in time for Mother’s Day shopping and Teacher Appreciation Week.

If you are a business owner who wants to sign up – click this link: https://www.giftfly.com/?affiliate_code=WZS0-W7IM-75A1

Example of how the e-gift card program works:

When a citizen wants to give a gift to honor their child’s teacher next week for Teacher Appreciation Week, for example, they would go to the Chamber’s website, click on the shop tab, put in the amount they want to spend, put in the teacher’s email address, add a thank you message to him/her, add their own personal credit card number and hit send.

The e-gift card and thank you message immediately gets sent to the teacher’s email box. The teacher then prints out the e-gift card and takes it with them to that store at a later time to shop.

Local Area Eligible for U.S. Chamber’s Small Business Financial Relief Initiative

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-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce

To extend a helping hand to small businesses suffering from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation – in partnership with Vistaprint and a coalition of supporting companies, foundations, and philanthropic donors – is working to provide financial relief through the Save Small Business Fund.

The Fund is providing $5,000 in short-term relief to employers across the United States. These one-time supplemental cash grants are for businesses that have between three and 20 employees and operate in an economically vulnerable community.  You will be asked to put in your zip code (27536 is an approved area) and you will need your business W-9 form.

Grants will be awarded on a weekly basis, but you only need to apply one time to be eligible for funding. Once the grantee has been notified and submitted payment information that meets compliance checks, it will take 3-5 days to process the payment. The number of grants awarded will be scaled in proportion to the demand and available funds.

The grant application will go live on Monday, April 20, 2020, at 3 p.m. ET.  To learn more about the Save Small Business Fund and to apply for a grant, visit savesmallbusiness.com.

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Reminder: H-V Chamber’s 2019 Small Business of the Year Nominations Due April 17

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-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce

The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce is looking for nominees for the 2019 Small Business of the Year. This is your opportunity to recognize an outstanding business in the small business community.

You are encouraged to nominate chamber member businesses that are deserving of this recognition. Local small businesses are certainly deserving of recognition, as we have especially seen during these last few weeks.

 2019 Small Business of the Year Criteria:

  • Employs a maximum of 50 people
  • Member of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and must be located in Vance County
  • Must be a viable, on-going business for three or more years, experiencing growth or stability over its business life
  • Provides critical service or products, fills a void in the business community, or has a unique approach to the delivery of goods and services
  • May have overcome diverse or extraordinary circumstances to remain in business
  • Business is supportive of community growth and sustainability
  • Is not a governmental agency or municipality

Anyone can nominate a business they believe deserves recognition and meets the criteria. Companies may also nominate themselves.

Nominations are due to the H-V Chamber no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, April 17, 2020. All applications are confidential.

For a nomination form or if you have questions, please email michele@hendersonvance.org or call the H-V Chamber at (252) 438-8414.

The recipient of the award, sponsored by Duke Energy, will be announced in May.

Previous award winners include:

2018 Holland Industrial
2017 J.M. White Funeral Home
2016 Medical Arts Pharmacy
2015 Vanco Outdoor Equipment
2014 Quick Print
2013 Satterwhite Point Marina
2012 Data Forge
2011 Johnson’s Block and Concrete
2010 City Tire, Inc
2009 Henderson Wellness Center
2008 Franklin Brothers Nursery and Greenhouses
2007 Ballet Arts
2006 Interiors Downtown
2005 Fogg’s Exxon
2004 Vance Furniture
2003 Grays Gourmet
2002 The Peanut Roaster
2001 Raemac Transportation
Vance County NC

H-V Chamber, Economic Development & Partners Support Local Small Businesses

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce President Michele Burgess and Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission Director Dennis Jarvis appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

Burgess reported that the Chamber of Commerce and Vance County Economic Development offices are working together in partnership with Vance-Granville Community College, the Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments (COG), the Henderson Downtown Development Commission, and other entities to ensure local businesses, especially small business leaders, have updated information on remaining afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

With the U.S. Small Business Administration granting Governor Roy Cooper’s request for a disaster declaration, NC small businesses that are suffering economic losses due to coronavirus will have the opportunity to apply for low-interest economic injury disaster loans (EIDLs).

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov.

While encouraged by the assistance provided by the SBA, Jarvis stated that there are also local organizations, such as the Kerr Tar COG, offering business owners a range of low-interest loans to suit their needs.

“It’s not any different than going to a traditional lender – the terms are the same, your amortization schedule is the same,” said Jarvis. “What they are able to do is to wave some requirements that are on traditional funding programs.”

The COG serves the five-county area of Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Person and can be reached by phone at (252) 436-2040 or online at www.kerrtargcog.org.

For workers who have been laid off or temporarily furloughed due to the coronavirus shutdown, Governor Cooper’s office announced a relaxing of sorts on unemployment qualifications, including the removal of a one-week waiting period after termination and not holding employers responsible for benefits paid.

Burgess listed NC Works Career Center as a local Vance County agency that will assist with issues affecting your workforce such as lay-offs, hiring, etc. Visit them online at www.ncworks.gov or call (252) 438-6129 for assistance.

You may also visit the NC Department of Commerce’s Employment Security website for more detailed information (click here) and to apply for unemployment (click here).

Information regarding the coronavirus outbreak and its effect on local businesses and the economy may be obtained by visiting the Chamber’s website at www.hendersonvance.org and the Economic Development website at www.vancecountyedc.com.

According to Burgess, the website for the H-V Chamber of Commerce is being updated daily.  Clicking on the link at the top of the home page marked “COVID-19” will give viewers access to information including low-interest loans, phone numbers to call for questions about unemployment, employee layoffs, the latest news from the Granville Vance Public Health Department, etc.

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H-V Chamber Provides Local Financial Resources, Tips for Weathering Closures

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-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce

The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce is working together in partnership with Vance-Granville Community College, the Vance County Economic Development office, the Kerr Tar Council of Governments, the Henderson Downtown Development office, and others to equip our local business leaders with information and knowledge to weather the days ahead as we deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

Ideas to keep your business strong through Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis:

  • Communicate with your customers – Call, email, and use social media posts to let them know your status and how you are doing business during this time. Ask them to share this with others. Also, email your post, link, or graphic with post copy to the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce at michele@hendersonvance.org.
  • Consider ideas such as call-ahead (or online order, or via email) pickup services, delivery, take out, gift cards, encourage customers to reschedule instead of cancel, pre-payment of future services (deposit, subscription, membership), online orders, virtual services (consulting, training, problem-solving), etc.
  • Brainstorm and collaborate with fellow small business owners to help each other with ideas and to increase each other’s visibility.
  • Focus on purchasing local produce/meats to sustain local farmers and help with social distancing.

For Customers:

  • Buy now to enjoy later. Much like produce, you can also get carry-out meals to enjoy in the comfort of your home, whether you eat it while it’s still hot or freeze it for later.
  • Consider delivery from local stores where available.
  • Buy gift cards. Purchasing a gift card to use at another time helps local businesses by putting cash in their hands to use now.
  • Load up on entertainment on your devices and pull out the old board games to help distract your family and escape for a while.

Articles & Informative Links:

Coronavirus: 8 Things Your Small Business Needs to Do

US Small Business Administration – Guidance/Loan Information

Update: SBA has approved the request for North Carolina’s disaster declaration. Eligible applicants may now apply for economic injury disaster loans (EIDLs) as a result of the ongoing effects of COVID-19. 

If you would like to contact the Small Business Center at Vance-Granville Community College – you can put in your search bar “VGCC Small Business Center” or you can call Sheri Jones, Center Director at 252-738-3240.

SBA disaster assistance customer service center. Call 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or e-mail disastercustomerservice@sba.gov (link sends e-mail)

Kerr Tar Council of Governments Loan Programs – Diane Cox at 252-436-2040

VGCC Small Business Center:

Your local Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center is hoping to be back in the classroom soon. In the meantime, please feel free to take advantage of webinars across our state network.

Click to see the schedule of upcoming webinars
Click for Electronic Request for One-on-one counseling via phone or email

WEBINAR Wed 3/25 2-3:30 p.m. Preparing Your Business for the Threat of the Coronavirus

Local Financial Institutions:

BB&T (now Truist Bank) – Gaylen Hackemack – 252-492-2181

Benchmark Community Bank – Curtis Tyndall – 252-436-0051

Carter Bank & Trust Bank – Shannon Lewis – 252-438-6222

Coastal Credit Union – Sandra Braswell – 800-868-4262

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. – Bob Hubbard – 252-492-4145

Lendmark Financial – Becky Claiborne – 252-492-1166

State Employees Credit Union – Anna Lemert – 252-492-0168

Union Bank – Brad Baldwin – 252-430-0489

Woodforest National Bank – Jonathan Tyson – 252-430-8324

NC Works – Local Vance County agency that will assist you with issues affecting your workforce, lay-offs, hiring, etc. In Henderson, contact Jennifer Jones 252-438-6129 and in Oxford, contact Monica Satterwhite 919-693-2686.

Thread Capital (NC Rural Center) – contact 919-212-4943.  Jonathan Brereton, Executive Director; Email: connect@threadcap.org; Website: https://www.threadcap.org/; Thread Capital was launched in 2018 by the NC Rural Center and continues to be an operating subsidiary of the Center to handle business loans.

Carolina Small Business Development Fund (formerly The Support Center) – (919) 803-1437; Website: https://carolinasmallbusiness.org/; Loan Products: https://carolinasmallbusiness.org/loans/loan-products/

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE –  As an employer, you may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). DUA is a federal program that provides temporary payments to people in a federally declared disaster area whose employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of the disaster. Business owners that are self-employed, a farmer, or a commercial fisherman, who is unemployed as a direct result of the disaster may be eligible. For more information go to https://des.nc.gov/; Phone: 888-737-0259.

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H-V Chamber Announces Food Service Members With Open Drive-Thru, Delivery

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-Information courtesy Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce

Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday he plans to order restaurants and bars closed except for takeout and delivery orders. The move aims to lessen the spread of COVID-19 — the disease caused by the novel coronavirus — by limiting interactions between large groups of people.

A number of other states have issued similar orders, including New York and Ohio. Cooper said his executive order would be effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday and would also include an expansion of unemployment insurance.

We are encouraging all of our Chamber of Commerce member firms to support our local member restaurants and caterers by calling in your take-out orders, having meals catered to your house or your business, and using these businesses for special orders during this time of concern for their business income and staffing issues.

Bojangles’s – 252-438-8446 – Drive-Thru will remain open.

Chick-fil-A – 252-436-0010 – Drive-Thru will remain open.

Cook Shack Catering – 919-497-0669 – Call for catering and special delivery. www.cookshackcatering.com

George’s of Henderson Restaurant – 252-492-0090 – Call ahead and they will deliver to your car, for minimum orders of $30+ they will deliver to home/office.  www.georgesofhenderson.com

Golden Corral – 252-438-9500 – Call ahead to order.  They will offer curbside pick-up, catering to your business, special deliveries, and you can go to their website to order and see their menu.  www.goldencorral.com – 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. (7 days a week)

Golden Skillet – 252-492-4040 – Use their drive-thru.

JD Tacos Food Truck – 252-657-9430 – Food Truck set up on Dabney Drive in Henderson beside the Fire Station.  7 days a week – 11 am – 8 pm

Mayflower Seafood Restaurant – 252-738-2393 – Call ahead to order.

McDonald’s – Drive-Thru will remain open.

Middleburg Steak House – 252-431-0350 – (Have not heard from owners at this time)

Pino’s Italian Restaurant – 252-438-1341 – Call ahead for take-out.

Pizza Inn of Henderson – 252-492-2144 – Call ahead to order.

Ribeye’s of Henderson – 252-430-1117 – Call ahead to order.  Talk with them about catering and special delivery.

Sadie’s Coffee Corner – 252-572-2542 – Call ahead and they will deliver to your car.

Skipper Forsyth’s Bar-B-Q – 252-438-5228 – Call ahead for take-out.

Strickland Farms Catering – 919-497-6143 – Call for catering, special delivery.  www.stricklandfarmscatering.com

Subway – 252-430-1590 – Call for catering, take out.

Ted’s Catering Service – 252-438-0820 – Call for catering, delivery, special orders.  Can do box lunches with three-hour notice, can cook meat/sides by request. www.TedWheeler@earthlink.net

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Chamber Provides Coronavirus Info.; Members Have ‘Ample’ Supplies for Public

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-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce

We are all experiencing unprecedented circumstances with the coronavirus outbreak. Our Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce staff is available to help find the resources you need, research the information you want and help get important information out about your business.

The CDC issued new guidance last night recommending that for the next eight weeks, organizers should consider canceling or postponing in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the US:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/index.html

We also wanted to make sure you knew about the North Carolina Chamber’s Coronavirus Resource Guide on their website https://ncchamber.com/coronavirus-resource-guide/

The US Chamber has also launched a Coronavirus Response Toolkit:

https://www.uschamber.com/coronavirus-response-toolkit

The Vance County Public School System – information on meal pick-up and distance learning:

https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=5479&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=3300&PageID=1

We have heard from our Chamber member ServPro, commercial cleaning service covering Vance County and surrounding counties. Their cleaning services use the EPA designated hospital-grade disinfectant that the CDC is recommending. You can contact owner Melissa Paul at (252) 433-0005 for more information.

Henderson Fruit and Produce has an ample supply of toilet paper, latex gloves, and spray disinfectant at this time. Lowes Home Improvement has an ample supply of bottled water and paper towels.

We will be making announcements and posting information to the Chamber’s Facebook page.  Be sure to stay in touch by liking our FB page.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

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H-V Chamber Seeks Nominees for 2020 Small Business of the Year Award

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce

The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce is looking for nominees for the 2020 Small Business of the Year. This is your opportunity to recognize an outstanding business in the small business community.

You are encouraged to nominate chamber member businesses that are deserving of this recognition.

 2020 Small Business of the Year Criteria:

  • Employs a maximum of 50 people
  • Member of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and must be located in Vance County
  • Must be a viable, on-going business for three or more years, experiencing growth or stability over its business life
  • Provides critical service or products, fills a void in the business community, or has a unique approach to the delivery of goods and services
  • May have overcome diverse or extraordinary circumstances to remain in business
  • Business is supportive of community growth and sustainability
  • Is not a governmental agency or municipality

Anyone can nominate a business they believe deserves recognition and meets the criteria. Companies may also nominate themselves.

All nominated companies will be required to submit a written application and return it to the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, April 17, 2020, to be considered. All applications are confidential.

For a nomination form or if you have questions, please email michele@hendersonvance.org or call the H-V Chamber at (252) 438-8414.

H-V Chamber Thanks Community for Support of Annual Membership Banquet (Pics)

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Information and photos courtesy Michele Burgess, president of the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce:

The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce had a very successful 2020 Annual Membership Meeting and Banquet. We had an early sell-out of our 400 available seats, so I wanted to share some highlights with those of you who were unable to attend.

We appreciate the efforts of our 2019 Outgoing Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nancy Wykle (The Daily Dispatch) and we were excited to welcome Tyler Brewer (Brewer Cycles) as our new 2020 Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Our Annual Meeting Planning Committee did an outstanding job of recommending new and exciting features to reinvigorate this signature event. The members of the Planning Committee were Stephanie Hoyle, Diane Finch, Julia Langston, Melissa Paul, John Charles Rose, Micheal Shaw, Ana Vaughan, Gayle Watkins and Nancy Wykle.

I hope you will enjoy the Chamber video that was shown at the Annual Meeting – Click on this link to watch: https://youtu.be/D2zykVWh4G4.

Special thanks to Edward Ortega with Vance County Schools, Jeannie Rose and John Charles Rose with WIZS Radio who volunteered many, many hours of their time and talent to produce this video for our Chamber.

Congratulations to our 2019 Citizen of the Year – Tommy and Carolyn Farmer – and congratulations to Desiree Brooks (The Daily Dispatch) our Chamber Ambassador of the Year.

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor – Duke Energy. Other sponsors included: (Gold) Benchmark Community Bank, MARS Petcare, and Walmart Distribution Center; (Silver) Truist Bank, Maria Parham Health, and Wake Electric Membership Corp; (Bronze) EnviroLink and Union Bank.

We added a Social event prior to dinner at this year’s banquet; thank you to  Rose Oil Company for sponsoring the hot beverage bar and to Maria Parham Health for providing the appetizers.

Catering for dinner was provided by Ted Wheeler, Ted’s Catering Service.

We enjoyed entertainment by the Vance County High School chorus and the Just Friends band that played during our Social.

Thank you to Chick-fil-A for donating meal gift cards for the students and the band members. MARS Petcare contributed chocolate candy table favors to everyone and Emily Arner Freeman provided homemade cupcakes for a special dessert.

Door Prizes were donated by Document Systems (office supplies); Henderson Family YMCA (6-month membership); Henderson Wellness (spa package gift certificates); Lowe’s Home Improvement ($50 gift certificate); Mast Drug Company (gift basket); Ribeye’s of Henderson ($50 gift certificate); Schewels Home (LG 32” Television); Southern Laundry ($25 gift certificate); The Daily Dispatch (1-year subscription); and The Peanut Roaster (peanuts gift basket).

We appreciate your support of our Chamber and we encourage you to become involved in one of our many Chamber of Commerce committees or attend one of our networking events. Contact the Chamber at (252) 438-8414 for more information.