Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore Moves to New Location

Habitat for Humanity has found a new location for its ReStore, at 3837 N. Wells St., that more than doubles its selling space and provide additional storage area. A ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony will be held on Monday, July 20 at 10:30 a.m. with Mayor Tom Henry and Mike Landram, the Chamber’s Interim President/CEO in attendance.

The new building has 13,000 square feet of space. Signs will guide visitors to various sections of the new store reserved for lighting, plumbing, housewares and other products.

Since it was founded in 2003, the Fort Wayne ReStore has increased its sales every year. The sales of the building materials and other home remodeling and decor items support Habitat’s home-building activities.

The new store’s hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays. ReStore’s new phone number is (260) 470-4200.

Upcoming Chamber Academy Seminars

Chamber Academy offers members the opportunity to share their expertise with others in the form of seminars designed to help members grow their business. All sessions are just $19 and take place from 8-10 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce.

July 29 - "Grow Your Business in This Economy? Think Global!" will be presented by Charles Replane of Charles Replane Consulting & Business Services. Markets outside of North America demonstrate opportunities for growth. Discover how to engage new business opportunities and adapt your product to a new market and business culture.

To RSVP visit fwchamber.org. If you are interested in being a presenter for a future Chamber Academy session contact Katelyn Jacquay-Daniel at (260) 424-1435, ext. 270 or kjacquay@fwchamber.org. You do not have to be a Chamber member to attend.

Morning Mix Tomorrow at Hyatt Place

The next Morning Mix, hosted by Hyatt Place (111 W Washington Center Road) will take place tomorrow - Thursday, July 16 from 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m.

The Morning Mix offers fast-paced, lead generating opportunities and is designed for professionals who are involved in sales and business development. You will experience 20 minutes at three different tables, receiving the opportunity to present your "unique selling proposition" to a couple of dozen business persons in a fast-paced, fun and structured setting.

Admission is $5. In addition, please make sure to bring a stack of your business cards. Continental breakfast is included. For more information, or if you are interested in being a table captain for a Morning Mix, contact Laureen Voirol at (260) 424-1435, ext. 266 or lvoirol@fwchamber.org. You do not have to be a Chamber member to attend.

Fort Wayne to Host Big Ten in 2010 Nat'l Soccer Festival

For the first time ever the Big Ten conference’s seven men’s soccer teams will participate 2010 National Soccer Festival in Fort Wayne. The City of Fort Wayne gave the National Soccer Festival a $10,000 sports business development grant to attract the Big Ten.

“Sports tourism generates between $13 and $15 million annually in our community...,” said Dan O’Connell, president and CEO Fort Wayne/Allen County CVB. “Hosting a Big Ten Conference competition puts Fort Wayne in a position to host future Big Ten events.”

Festival organizers do not know how many attendees to expect for the 2010 festival since it will be the first time for Big Ten Conference play, but it has traditionally had more than 1,000 visitors. Fort Wayne is an attractive location geographically for the conference as it is centrally located to the universities and many of their alumni.

The Big Ten Challenge, the working name for the preseason event, will be part of the festival that also features teams from IPFW, Indiana Tech and St. Francis as well as other Division I teams. The 2010 festival also includes a conference coaches meeting, player picnic, preseason media event and soccer clinics for youth players.

Founded in 2000, the festival is held at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne’s Hefner Soccer Complex. The 2010 National Soccer Festival will be Aug. 26 to Aug. 29. This year’s festival will be Aug. 21, 22 and Aug. 27 through Aug. 29.

Selling Thru Service

Don't miss this informative 2-part seminar in the Business Brown Bag series! In sales or business development? Then this series is a must! Learn how to identify those who can benefit from your services and make cold calls that will lead to productive relationships.

Part 1: Sales Development · Wednesday, July 22
Learn the six steps to building a successful inventory of prospects - Featuring an expert panel on sales development, Part 1 will prepare you to make that first connection with a prospect.

Part 2: Getting to the Decision-Maker · Wednesday, August 5Discover the tools for making a successful cold call - From first introductions to winning an appointment and beyond, develop the skills to create an engaging pitch that will lead to future sales.

Each seminar takes place from noon - 1 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce. Cost for each session is $5 for Chamber members and $10 for non-members. For more information contact Laureen Voirol or register online now!

Chamber Academy Seminars

July 29 – “Grow Your Business in This Economy? Think Global!” will be presented by Charles Replane of Charles Replane Consulting & Business Services. Markets outside of North America demonstrate opportunities for growth. Discover how to engage new business opportunities and adapt your product to a new market and business culture.

August 5 – “Value Driven Innovation: How to Drive New Growth” presented by Steve Franks of the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (NIIC).

Cost for each Chamber Academy session is just $19. All sessions take place from 8-10 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce. To register visit fwchamber.org. For more information contact Katelyn Jacquay-Daniel at (260) 424-1435, ext. 270 or kjacquay@fwchamber.org.

Aptera Software Receives Honor as a "Company to Watch"

Congratulations to Chamber member Aptera Software, Inc., the only Fort Wayne company to make it on the "Companies to Watch" list just released by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

Fifty companies from 17 Indiana counties have earned a place in Indiana's second annual field of "Companies to Watch." The accolade, presented by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, its Small Business Development Center network, Purdue University and the Edward Lowe Foundation, recognizes the state's privately held businesses that employ up to 150 employees and have between $750,000 to $100 million in annual revenue or working capital.

The 50 "Companies to Watch," which were named after evaluating the more than 500 nominations for the awards, represent industries ranging from food manufacturers to software developers and medical device makers to financial services firms. The 50 chosen companies project to have combined revenues in excess of $671 million and create more than 560 new jobs this year. The revenue projections represent an increase of more than $200 million from 2008. Nearly 3,800 mid-sized companies with between $5 million and $100 million in annual sales operate in Indiana, according to a 2008 Indiana Chamber of Commerce Foundation study. Those companies employed more than 386,000 workers and produced more than $55 billion in annual sales.

The 50 "Companies to Watch" will be honored at an Aug. 27 ceremony at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis. Tickets for the ceremony and dinner are still available and may be purchased online or by calling (888) 472-3244.

Legislative Wrap-Up Breakfast Scheduled

With the conclusion of the General Assembly session, the Chamber has scheduled our annual Legislative Wrap-up Breakfast for Wednesday, July 22, at 8 a.m. in the Anthony Wayne Room at the Chamber. Members of the Northeast Indiana Legislative Delegation will review the recently concluded special session and the newly passed biennial state budget.

Cost for the breakfast is $5 per person and is open to all Chamber members. Please RSVP to Keith Knepp at (260) 424-1435, ext. 228 or kknepp@fwchamber.org.

Special thanks to our breakfast sponsors: GAI Consultants, NIPSCO, and WaterFurnace International.

Lunch on the Square

Every Wednesday in July from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., the courtyard at One Summit Square will be tranformed with free live music so that people can take a break from their day and enjoy the summer sunshine and downtown's beautiful outdoor spaces. Bring your lunch and join us for an "out of office" experience!

Performance Schedule
July 15th: TRIAAC Jenbe EnsembleStyle: Traditional African
July 22nd: Eric Clancy TrioStyle: Jazz
July 29th: Ty CauseyStyle: R&B

For more information, visit www.downtownfortwayne.com
Made possible in part by a neighborhood grant from Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne.

Summit Club Open House on July 17

The Summit Club is opening its doors to the public for a special open house on Friday, July 17 with "Churrasco Extravaganza." Enjoy Churrascarian Meals...a style of Portuguese barbecuing! Generally skewered and cooked rotisserie over an open flame, churrascaria is the style of which it is served. Sit back and relax as the chefs and servers bring around different types of meats sliced table side along with side selections.

The cost is just $39 per person. To make reservations call the Summit Club at (260) 424-5372.