Newsletter

June 2009

June 4th membership meeting to feature Dr. Paul Dunn

Dr. John Paul Dunn, distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Small Business at the University of Louisiana in Monroe will serve as guest speaker for the Winnsboro-Franklin Chamber of Commerce monthly membership meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 4th at noon in the Princess Room, historic downtown in Winnsboro.

Dr. Dunn has a PhD in Economics from the University of Arkansas and has taught entrepreneurship and small business since 1972.  He has also directed the ULM Small Business Institute and Small Business Development Center since 1977. His research and writing involves understanding entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship and small business, families in business, and improving entrepreneurship education.

Dr. Dunn has published scores of articles, monographs, and books on entrepreneurship and small business. He is a Fellow of the Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the Small Business Institute Directors Association, and the Price Babson Symposium for Entrepreneurship Education.

Please call the Chamber office at 435-4488 to reserve your spot for this very informative meeting. Lunch is $9 for members and $11 for non-members.

Lunch is $9 for member/ $11 for non-members Call the Chamber office at 435-4488 to reserve your spot for the event. Cancelations will be accepted until noon on Wednesday, the day before the event. All non-canceled reservations will be billed for payment.

The Franklin Parish Library seeks to foster a lifelong love of reading in all its patrons, to serve as a central source of information, to facilitate research and study both formal and informal, and to offer its services and resources equally to all.

The Franklin Parish Library is committed to faithful stewardship of the financial resources entrusted to it by the taxpayers of Franklin Parish.

Voters in Franklin Parish approved the 7.61 mill/10 year library support tax in the year 2000. This tax produces revenue of about $340,000 per year. Added to this are the amounts received from revenue sharing ($40,000 this year) and state aid ($26,000 this year).

The Main Branch, located in Winnsboro, occupies a handsome renovated and remodeled building in the Historic District. This building has 15,000 square feet of space with a large open area on the ground floor that houses the general collection, circulation, a reading area, computer work stations, and staff work space.

The Main Branch is open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Wisner Branch is located in the former Wisner City Hall, which was recently remodeled into an attractive and efficient small full-service library that offers traditional services and internet access in its 1800 square feet of floor space.

The Wisner Branch is open Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Library has an outstanding staff of 14 on regular full- and part-time status.

The Franklin Parish Library was established in 1950, and has 13,447 registered borrowers.

Members of the Library Board of Control (Trustees) are appointed by the Police Jury for five-year terms. This Board is responsible for making the policies that guide the operation of the Library. The Board intends for the Franklin Parish Library to offer high quality, professional service in a user friendly, pleasant, well-mannered, safe environment that can be enjoyed by both patrons and staff, and that will be a source of price for all citizens of the Parish.

We’re Going Green!

Your Chamber Newsletter will be available in e-mail format soon. Sign up on the top right of this page.

“Chamber Business News” to join newsletter headlines

The Chamber Newsletter will feature a new section beginning with the July issue that will focus on news of interest from our business members.

This new section, entitled “Chamber Business News” is being developed to provide Chamber members a way to let other members know the good things that are going on at their places of business.

Success stories, new employees, employee accolades, changes or expansions in a business, innovative products, anything that is pertinent to economic growth and development in Franklin Parish is requested.

Please send business news articles along with a 2x3 or 3x2 photo that you’d like to share in the newsletter or have posted on the website to attention Lindy at info@winnsborochamber.com

Information articles are requested in MSWord format, a maximum of 3 paragraphs. Photos should be high resolution JPG files only. Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis and must be received before the last Monday of each month to be eligible for inclusion in the next month’s newsletter. Articles may be edited in length to fit space requirements.

Remember, we’re all about promoting Chamber members, so members only need apply.

(All published articles are subject to board approval.)

Northeast La. Workforce Centers offers Tuition-Free training

Grant Director for Northeast Louisiana Workforce Centers, Inc., LaNita Cleveland, announced on Thursday, May 14, that tuition-free training classes are to begin on June 8 at Louisiana Delta Community College. Interested persons must apply at their local Career Solutions Center.

Louisiana Delta Community College’s Workforce Development will be providing classes this summer designed to prepare people for the skills required at the expanding Gardner Denver Thomas plant in Monroe, as well as other companies in the area.

Delta will offer both Certified Manufacturing Specialist (CMS) and Computer Numeric Controls (CNC) training. Classes will begin June 8.

The training program known as, Building a Louisiana Delta Workforce Initiative, is funded through a U.S. Department of Labor grant awarded to Northeast Louisiana Workforce Centers.

Depending on demand of interested persons, Delta will offer training during the day and evenings to accommodate individual schedules according to Bob Hammack, Delta’s Director of Workforce Development.

Hammack informed that students must first take Certified Manufacturing Specialist training. He then explained, “The CMS program is ‘holistic,’ in that all courses are interrelated. To be an effective employee requires skills to function in today’s high-paced, high-tech, global business environment. Finally, skills that increase personal effectiveness with coworkers and customers also create a better business environment.”

Based on performance and evaluations by the instructors, some of the students will be offered the opportunity to enter the CNC training. CNC is a method of controlling certain types of machine tools by using a programmable control system.

Rather than requiring the operator to move the axes and tool of a machine tool, such as a mill or lathe, using hand wheels, a CNC machine is programmed beforehand. The CNC controller executes those pre-programmed instructions. Those successfully completing the CNC traing will be offered an interview opportunity at Gardner Denver Thomas.

“Through partnerships with industrial representatives, the Northeast Louisiana Workforce Centers and Delta, we hope to be offering more programs similar to this in the near future,” Hammack said.

To apply for this training program or for information please visit your local Center Solutions Center of call Northeast Louisiana Workforce Centers, Inc. at 1-800-895-4384.

Chamber magazine scheduled for update

The Winnsboro-Franklin Chamber of Commerce official publication is in the process of being updated and is expected to be available for distribution by late fall. Franklin Parish Tourism is sponsoring a portion of the cost of the magazine with the Chamber organization funding the remainder of the project.

Based on the success of the previous magazine, this updated version will provide extended exposure for our Franklin Parish community within our immediate region and throughout the entire state of Louisiana and neighboring states as well. Chamber members who take advantage of magazine ad space will reap the rewards of this popular marketing tool.

Limited ad space will go on sale by the last week of June and will be available to Chamber members only.

The updated magazine will feature full color ads only in full page, half page, and quarter-page sizes.

If you haven’t seen the publication, stop by the Chamber office and take a look. A limited number of the current issue magazine is still available at the Chamber office.

Additional information and ad costs will be available at the Chamber office and on the Chamber website, www.winnsborochamber.com, by June 22.

Summer Half Price Sale Begins

Invite a friend or business acquaintance to join the ranks of ‘those in the know’ by becoming a member of the Winnsboro-Franklin Chamber of Commerce during the Chamber’s summer half price membership drive. Summer membership dues are as follows: Individuals, Retirees, Clergy, Educators $25; Clubs and Organizations, $50; Professionals, Business under 15 employees, $62.50; Businesses employing 15-50, $87.50; Businesses employing over 50, $150 and Banks, Savings & Loans, Utilities, $150.

Your investment brings great dividends such as:
A listing and link on the Chamber website
Free newsletter
Members only advertising opportunity in the Chamber magazine
Referrals to member businesses and networking opportunities
A voice in the business and community-related issues affecting our parish
The opportunity to be a part of a parish-wide organization geared toward business and community development, and
The continued enhancement of our strong sense of community throughout Franklin Parish.

Additional information and opportunities for Chamber members can be viewed on the Chamber website at www.winnsborochamber.com

5 Tips on Establishing a Presence in Your Community

Create an advisory board representative of your customers (even if they’re kids) and publicize it. Listen to the board’s ideas.

Publish a newsletter about your business for customers and potential customers. Send it via regular mail or email and post it on your Web page.

Make your values clear. One couple promotes their commitment to family—sometimes closing their store early to attend soccer games when their children or employees’ children are competing.

Make donations that represent your business. If you have a garden supply business, for example, contribute seeds and simple tools for a community garden.

Serve as a volunteer in your community and encourage your employees to follow suit. Marketing by getting involved.

Information from SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” at http://www.score.org/business_tips.html

SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

We Need Your Help!

Please send chamber member business or community information that you’d like to share in the newsletter or have posted on the website to the info@winnsborochamber.com e-mail address attention Lindy. Many good things are happening in our business community and we’d like to help get the word out. Success stories, employee accolades, increases in business sales or expansions, new products, anything that is pertinent to economic growth we’d like to share with our members. Remember though, we’re all about promoting Chamber members, so members only need apply. (All published articles are subject to board approval.)

Business website info needed

Business links for Chamber members are needed for the new updated website, www.winnsborochamber.com.

If your business has a website they would like to link from their listing on the Chamber website directory, contact the Chamber office and let Jane know the information.

Please check your business information on the website to be sure it is accurate, and report any discrepancies to the Chamber office as soon as possible.

NewBirth Creative Design Agency, located in Winnsboro, designed and is maintaining the Chamber site. For more examples of their work, visit their website at www.newbirthcreative.com.

Chamber calendar available online

Chamber members are urged to use the Chamber Calendar to post events of interest. The calendar is located on the Chamber website at www.winnsborochamber.com, and posting an event is easy. Simply press the submit an event tab, fill out the fields as indicated, and submit.

This site is being developed and enhanced by the Chamber as a calendar of events for the entire parish.

Email addresses are needed at the Chamber office. Call Jane with yours today!