161 W Water St, Suite A Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449

Oak Harbor A rea Chamber o f Commerce

Phone: 419-898-0479 Fax: 419-898-2429

chamber@oakharborohio.net

ADDRE SS S ERVICE R EQUES TED

We’re on the web www.oakharborohio.net

The OhioMeansJobs Veteran Services Team of Erie, Huron, Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca counties are planning a Veteran Stand Down event to be held on Thursday ‐ May 26, 2016 at the AmVets Post 17 in Sandusky. The purpose of this

Stand Down is to provide information, services and support to our areas’ Veterans who are struggling to make ends meet and/or keep their housing. Veterans are more at risk of becoming homeless than non‐veterans, and the

recently separated Veterans find themselves having a more difficult time securing employment upon their return. Please help us help them with a

patriotic donation. All sponsors will be recognized at the event. Please share the information regarding our Veterans Stand Down with any Veteran in your

life. We will have posters available at the March 16th Safety meeting. If you are interested in sponsoring this event or donating gift cards or products , feel free

to contact any team member for more information. As a member of the Northcoast Veterans Team we are excited to bring our STAND Down to

Sandusky and hopefully to Ottawa County next year. Feel free to contact me at 419.559.2324 or Bonnie, Matt, Sara or Rob Bliss in Ottawa County for more information or if you would like us to drop off posters or yard signs or pick up

donations. Thank you for your Support!

Veteran Stand Down Event

Officers President Cherie Salazar Vice President Debi Heiks Treasurer Mike Barr Board Members Matt Adkins Don Douglas David Franck Mike Kelso Guy Parmigian She i l a Powel l Patricia Peters Austin Short Paulette Weirich

GOLD SPONSORS

Croghan Colonial Bank Carroll Township

Magruder Hospital

SILVER SPONSORS

McDonald’s

Oak Harbor BP

BRONZE SPONSORS

Civilian Marksmanship Program

Commodore Perry Federal

Credit Union

Health Management Solutions

Materion, Inc.

Molly Judge, DPM

The Beacon

US Bank

Village of Oak Harbor

MISSION STATEMENT The Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce is a membership of businesses and individuals organized to promote economic growth, development and quality of life.

Volume 10, I ssue 2

Apr i l 2016 Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce

CHAMBER CHATTER

We are excited for 2016 and all of our upcoming events! If you have not picked up a copy of our newest Ottawa County Directory, I encourage you to do so, or download a copy at www.ottawaco.info. This project is a collaboration between the Genoa, Marblehead, Port Clinton and Oak Harbor Area Chambers and is distributed at many shows and area events throughout the year. We are proud to be a part of this state of the art publication. Our Annual Easter Egg Hunt was held on March 19th, and despite the chilly weather we had nearly 400 children participate! We would like to thank everyone involved with that event. We have a new event this year, and it is our Fireworks Fund Reverse Raffle that will be held on May 21, 2016. The Independence Day Celebration has become a recognized event here in Oak Harbor, and despite some recent funding changes we are doing everything we can to keep the same quality show people have come to love. This is where we need your help. Please consider purchasing a ticket and attending our Reverse Raffle. Tickets are just $50 each and that includes your dinner and a chance at over $4,000 in cash and prizes! Please call or stop at the chamber to reserve your ticket today! We also plan to run the 7th Annual Village wide garage sale days June 3-4, 2016. This is a great way to get rid of things that have been piling up, plus it draws hundreds of visitors into Oak Harbor for a couple days. It is also very important to me to thank all of you, our members, for your continued support. We are a membership based organization and so everything we do is for and because of our members. You should have received 2016 stickers for your membership plaque in the mail, if you have not, or if you have misplaced your plaque, please contact the office and we will get one out to you.

CHAMBER UPDATE- By Valerie Winterfield- Executive Director:

Page 2 Volume 10, I ssue 2

Featured Business: Harbor Mattress

The 7th Annual Village Wide Garage Sale Days are scheduled for June 3 & 4, 2016. If you wish to participate and be included in our advertising and on our garage sale list, there is a minimum $3.00 donation to help defray advertising costs. Lists will be available at the Chamber, OH Public Library and on-line at www.oakharborohio.net. You must call or stop in to sign up by May 30, 2016.

Harbor Mattress Showroom and Warehouse is locally owned and operated and located at 262 West Water Street #2, next to Subway. Don’t let the front door fool you. They opened with 700 total square feet of space and now

expanded to 1,400 square feet of showroom and 1,900 square feet of warehouse stocked with all of their

products. Harbor Mattress’ moto is “Sleep Better Live Longer.” The owner, Scott Luce, is a trained sleep specialist

with over 18 years experience helping people get a better night’s sleep. All of their mattress sets are made here in the USA with full manufactures warranties.

Available products: Adjustable power bases, Mattress and boxes (flat sets), Healthy Sleep Pillows,

Healthy Sleep Mattress protectors, Healthy Sleep Mattress encasements (Don’t let the bed bugs bite), Headboards & Complete bedroom sets

Delivery and Financing Available

For more information, please call (419) 707-1995.

Business Over Breakfast The next breakfast will be held on Thursday, May 12th at the

Ottawa County Resource Center. Please RSVP by Friday, May 6th. Thank you to Joyful Connections for sponsoring our May breakfast.

The guest speaker will be Michelle Ish, Human Resource Coordinator for Ottawa County and The HR

Department. Mrs. Ish will be speaking about Millennials in the Workplace.

Village Wide Garage Sale Days

2016 Members 1st Place Awards AAA Travel Agency Accu-Bean Chek ACE Diversified Services, LLC Adfilm LLC American Legion Post 114 American Municipal Power APEX Custom Concrete & Masonry Ashley Insurance Group Bakers Diversified Vehicle Technology Batdorff Real Estate Baumann Auto Group BCS Local Schools Beck Suppliers Benton Township Trustees Better Business Bureau of NW Ohio Black Swamp Bird Observatory Blatt’s Trucking Inc. BodyWorks Fitness Studio Brikmanis, John—Attorney Buehler Excavating LTD Buehler Farms & Fishery Camp Sabroske (Friends of) Carroll Township Catawba Island Club Cellular Central/Verizon Wireless-O.H. Civilian Marksmanship Program Classic Construction, LLC Clearwater Council of Governments Commodore Perry Federal Credit Union Community Markets Conley, Fred Croghan Colonial Bank Cros.net Inc. Crosser Funeral Homes Cultivate the Clover of Ottawa County Decko Products Drown’s Dairy Druckenmiller Insurance Eagle Fabrication Edward Jones-Jerrad Shiets First National Bank Frontier Communications Genoa Bank Gifts & More Galore Greer Automotive Guiding Hands Home Health Services Habitat for Humanity of Ottawa County Happy Hour Inn Harbor Mattress HMS Health Management Solutions Holcomb Enterprises, LLC Home Instead Senior Care Howey’s House of Brews Joyful Connections Julie’s Jammin Jewels

Kocher & Gillum Koepke Insurance Kozy Corners Restaurant Krishna Ragothaman MD, Inc. Lake Disposal Services of NW Ohio Lake Erie Marshes Association Luckey Farmers, Inc. Magruder Hospital Materion Inc. Mayor Joe Helle McDonald’s—Oak Harbor McKean & McKean Mercy St. Charles Hospital MJ’s Snow & Landscape, LLC Molly Judge, DPM Moore Orchards MT Business Technologies, Inc. Nationwide Insurance-Oak Harbor Neighborhood Resale Shop & Antiques News Herald North Coast Business Journal Northern Manufacturing Company Northwood Door Oak Harbor Auto Parts Oak Harbor BP Oak Harbor Dental Care Oak Harbor Golf Club Oak Harbor Hardware Oak Harbor Pet Haven Oak Harbor Public Library Oak Harbor Veterinary Hospital Oak N’ Harbor Distillery Ohio Means Jobs Ohio State Extension Office—Ottawa County OMI Transportation Ooo Glitter-Sweet Cart Oregon Board of Education Ottawa County Ag Society Ottawa County Board of DD Ottawa County Commissioners Ottawa County Historical Museum Ottawa County Improvement Corp. Ottawa Co. Riverview Healthcare Ottawa County Safety Council Ottawa County Transportation Agcy. Ottawa County Veterans Service Ottawa County Visitors Bureau Paradise Acres Campground Pisanello’s Pizza—Oak Harbor Poggemeyer Design Group Priesman Printery ProMedica Bay Park Hopsital ProMedica Memorial Hospital Radiant Windows & Remodeling, LLC Rainbow Acres Educational Daycare

Ray’s Electronics Inc. Republic Services (Allied Waste) Riders Unlimited Robert Apling & Associates Robinson-Walker Funeral Homes Russell Maringer, OD-Oak Harbor Family Eyecare RvI, Inc. Sandco Industries Senior Helpers of NW Ohio Shoreline Church Soderberg & Brenner CPAs, LLC Spangler Motor Sales Sprouse Agency St. Boniface Catholic Church St. Bonore Financial Services St. John’s Lutheran Church St. Paul United Church of Christ Stein Hospice Straight Arrow Modulars, LLC Suburban Press Swim Rite Pool Co. Taco Bell Terra State Community College The Beacon The HR Department The Pit Stop The Rocket Shop by River Ridge Creations Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Tri Motor Sales & Service Turtle Point Marina United Way in Ottawa County US Bank Varga Custom Concrete Village Bake Shop Village Creations Village of Oak Harbor Wild Wings, Inc. Winterfield, Roy Wistinghausen Florist & Greenhouses Witt & Gaines Workplace Resources WPCR-Port Clinton Radio XakBee Electronics Young’s Carpet One Floor & Home YWCA Child Care Resource & Referral

Indicates: Gold Sponsor Silver Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor

Page 15 CHAMBER CHATTER

Page 14 Volume 10, I ssue 2

National Matches Discount Program

Each year over 5,500 competitors and their families’ travel to Ottawa County to compete in the National Rifle and Pistol Matches held at Camp Perry. These

competitors and their families from around the U.S. support many of the businesses in the area and are a substantial source of revenue for our economy.

To help assure their continued support of these businesses, the Ottawa

County Chambers of Commerce, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) and the National Rifle Association (NRA) would like to encourage your business to

participate in the Competitor Discount Program. Both CMP and NRA Competitors will be issued a 2016 National Match souvenir button to identify themselves and will be encouraged to visit businesses that display a Competitor Appreciation

Certificate in their establishment. Your business may extend a discount or other special offer to competitors wearing this souvenir button. If you choose to

participate, your name and a short summary of your business will be featured on an information sheet included in each competitors “Welcome Packet” upon

their arrival at Camp Perry. If you wish to participate in the Competitor Discount Program, please complete the attached form and return it to the CMP

by Friday, June 17th.

We would also like to offer Chamber Members a chance to drop off their menus, flyers or coupons to the CMP so that it is included in the Competitor Welcome Packet. All materials should be delivered to the CMP, Camp Perry

Training Site, Bldg 3 (CMP Headquarters), no later than Friday, June 17th. Over 5,000 packets will be assembled. Materials may be dropped off

Monday - Friday, 8:30AM - 4:00PM. If you have any questions, please contact the CMP at (419) 635-2141 ext. 616 or email mhille@thecmp.org.

The National Matches include the CMP National Trophy Rifle and Pistol Matches,

the Pistol and Rifle Small Arms Firing Schools, CMP Games rifle events and the NRA National Pistol, Smallbore Rifle and Highpower Rifle Championships. The

matches are conducted jointly by the CMP, NRA and the Ohio National Guard.

CHAMBER CHATTER Page 3

Adult Programs Being Offered at Oak Harbor Library Monday, April 18th, 6-7pm, Janice Voll will lead us in making May Day Baskets. All

materials will be provided. Please bring a hot glue gun and extension cord ,if able. Monday, April 25th, 6-7pm ,Beauty for Ashes Counselor Julie Weyandt, MA,LPC, will

present mindfulness and self-care.

All classes are free and held at the Oak Harbor Public Library. Please sign - up at the info counter or call (419) 898-7001 to register.

Walker Funeral Home Receives High Ranking Keith Walker, owner and managing director of Walker Funeral Homes with locations in Sylvania, Maumee, Genoa, Oak Harbor and Port Clinton, announced that Walker Funeral Homes was rated among the “Best of the Best” for the 2015 calendar year

by Houston based Funeral Service Research Group (FSRG). Funeral Service Research Group surveys more than 80,000 individuals annually who experience the loss of a

loved one throughout the United States and Canada. Walker ranked near the top of the more than 95 elite rated funeral homes who were surveyed during the calendar

year 2015 period. Walker earned "excellent" ratings for Overall Satisfaction from 97.25% of the customers that responded to the survey. This ranked Walker #2 of all the firms surveyed by FSRG. "Receiving 97.25% excellent Overall Satisfaction is quite

an achievement and displays the compassion and attention that Walker provides to each family that they serve", stated Terrie Groeneman, Director of Funeral Service Research Group. "In fact, Walker was ranked at the top in nearly every category

that we surveyed during this time period. It is obvious that they strive to exceed the expectations of each and every family that they serve. Keith Walker and his entire staff should be very proud of their very high level of customer service." "We strive to serve families in a way that we would like our own families to be treated. Every one of our employees is committed to delivering a memorable and meaningful service

to all of our client families. We pay attention to the details which we know are important to our families. We care about their experience and focus on exceeding

their expectations”, said Walker. “Delivering excellent service is truly a team effort. All of our staff works together to make a real difference.” "The feedback we receive from the families on the surveys is very important to us. We survey every family we serve in an effort to learn from their experiences. Their input pinpoints areas where

we are doing well along with areas we can improve upon. We truly appreciate the honest feedback from the client families", Walker explained. Founded in 1980,

Funeral Service Research Group has surveyed hundreds of thousands of families. Their research has led to groundbreaking improvements in funeral service.

Page 4 Volume 10, I ssue 2

NOACC Announces New Medical Benefit Plan

It is important for us to take pride in our communities. Here is an opportunity to participate in the 6th Annual Oak Harbor Community Cleanup Day on May 7, 2016. We encourage service clubs, youth groups, homeowner associations, community

groups, businesses, families and individuals to take part in this annual event. Our goal is to clean up debris and trash from the downtown community. Community Markets will

be providing the dumpsters for this event. We will be meeting in the back of Community Markets parking lot at 9:00 a.m. and will clean until approximately 11:00

a.m. This event is being coordinated by the Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce. Community Cleanup Day can bring area residents closer as well as preserve the beauty

of our downtown and we hope you will join our efforts.

Oak Harbor Community Cleanup Day

Northern Ohio Area Chambers of Commerce (NOACC) has joined forces with the Southern Ohio Chamber Alliance (SOCA) in a collaborative effort with the Central Ohio

Chambers of Commerce, the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber to form a self-funded medical benefit plan

aimed at small employers with 2 to 50 employees. SOCA recently received authorization from the Ohio Department of Insurance to form the Southern Ohio Chamber Alliance Benefit Plan. This Plan will be available to businesses through their membership in the

chamber associations and chambers mentioned above. The SOCA Benefit Plan (hereafter, the Plan) is a multiple employer welfare arrangement. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield provides claims administration and stop loss protection. Participating employers are required to maintain membership with a Chamber of Commerce that is authorized to offer

the Plan. Initially, distribution of the Plan is limited to Anthem Champion and Elite brokers who have completed specified training. The Plan is governed by a Board of Trustees

elected by participating employers. State law requires the Plan to have a minimum of 300 enrolled employees. Efforts are under way to begin operations on May 1, 2016 if the

minimum enrollment is met. The authorization from the ODI comes after nearly three years of vetting the idea and planning among various partners, according to Matt Appenzeller, Executive Director for SOCA. “This is a great example of Chambers of Commerce and our partners throughout Ohio coming together for a common goal of providing value to the business community,” he said. “We have great partners. I think we’re all pretty excited to get started.” The SOCA Benefit Plan will be offered through approximately 250 Chambers of Commerce initially. “NOACC is very pleased to be able to offer a new opportunity to

our members that ultimately increases the value of their chamber membership while providing savings on the health insurance that is important in keeping our businesses

competitive. We are looking forward to working with SOCA and the other chambers in Ohio to make this viable for everyone” said Vicky Hawke, Executive Director of NOACC. Additional details regarding the Plan will be disseminated in the coming months through

qualified Chambers of Commerce and brokers certified to sell the Plan.

CHAMBER CHATTER Page 13

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Oak Harbor Development Group Friday Night Movies In an effort to encourage community togetherness and downtown awareness, the Oak Harbor Development Group will be hosting Friday Night Movie Nights in downtown Oak Harbor this summer. The group has planned an event for June, July & August. There will be a chicken dinner before the movie that is available for drive thru, carryout and eat-in. The OHDG is looking at creating a downtown scavenger hunt to bring people into downtown and giving away a free movie

candy if the scavenger hunt is completed. They are looking for downtown businesses that are willing to stay open until 7pm on a Friday night as a stop on

the scavenger hunt. If your business is willing to stay open and participate, please call Friday Night Movie Event Chairperson, Kim Gaeth at 419-706-7341.

Network on the Golf Course What a better way to network with other business leaders than to spend 2 hours on the golf course with them? With a scramble format you don’t even need to be an

accomplished golfer to enjoy the experience. The focus will be on the social aspect of golf, and will help people meet new people in the business community.

Oak Harbor Golf Club is going to host a series of 9 hole scrambles on the first Tuesday of the month, at 6:00 pm, May – September. Each business can enter two

person teams, and they will be paired up with another business, then play as a 4 person team. For beginners we will have a free 20 minute clinic at 5:30 conducted

by PGA Professionals. The cost will be $20 per person and includes golf, cart & prizes. They will hold a 50-50 raffle each week benefiting an area Chamber of

Commerce. Every summer businesses are invited to play in charity golf events to help a good cause and promote their own brand. Golf can sometimes be an

intimidating experience for people with no experience or knowledge of the game. Golf is a fun sport that anyone can play, and it is good for business. Whether you are a pro or a first time beginner, you will find this format will be fun, no pressure event. Businesses can enter as many 2 person teams as they like, and play in as

many events as they want. For planning purposes all teams must be signed up by 5:00 the Monday before. To sign up just call the Oak Harbor Golf Club Golf Shop.

Entry fees will be collected the day of the event. Rental clubs will be provided at no charge for those who do not have them. After golf players will be invited to

continue the fun in their new restaurant, The Village Grille and Patio. Any questions call OHGC (419-898-1493) or Chuck Benes (419-707-0477).

CHAMBER CHATTER Page 5

Page 6 Volume 10, I ssue 2

Cultivate the Clover of Ottawa County

P.O. Box 444 Oak Harbor, Ohio

43449

Julie’s Jammin Jewels

(419) 262-3151 Www.marykay.com/

jsolis5

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

Taco Bell 115 East Water Street

Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449

419-898-7707

Greer Automotive 1413 N. SR 19

Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449

419-341-4102

Visitor’s Bureau Announces Tourism Marketing Grant Program

The Ottawa County Visitors Bureau (Lake Erie Shores & Islands West) is pleased to announce its 2016 Tourism

Marketing Grant program. The program is available for new and existing community friendly events that take

place in Ottawa County. It is designed to assist non-profit organizations and small businesses in promoting events that generate overnight stays, create media exposure,

increase area economic impact, and generate awareness that Lake Erie Shores & Islands is a year-round destination. The primary mission of the Visitors Bureau is to encourage economic development in Ottawa County through promotion of tourism for business, pleasure and enrichment. Organizations that hold events that fit within this mission are encouraged to take advantage of the

availability of the grant funds. Applications must be submitted at least 90 days prior to the event date. (This is

a change to our program and therefore this year exceptions will be made if the event will be held prior to

May 31, 2016). All applicants who have not previously applied for an Ottawa County Visitors Bureau Tourism

Marketing Grant are required to attend a pre-application meeting with the grant program coordinator at a

mutually convenient time. More information and a grant form are available by contacting Larry Fletcher at

419.734.4386 ext. 223 or larry@shoresandislands.com

CHAMBER CHATTER Page 11

Joyful Connections has spruced up their place with new carpet and they are ready to show it off! Join them for appetizers and wine! Their open house will be held on Monday, April 18th from 4:30pm - 6:30pm. To RSVP, please call (567) 262-3181 or

email joyfuldirector@gmail.com. Joyful Connections is located at 8200 West State Route 163 in Oak Harbor.

Joyful Connection Holds Open House

THE VILLAGE GRILL AND PATIO- A Casual and Comfortable Atmosphere Where

You’re Treated Like Family Village Grill and Patio, a NEW RESTAURANT located at the Oak Harbor Golf Club (10433 Oak Harbor Southeast Road) will open in April according to Matt Jennings, President of OHGC. “We are very excited about this new venture! When people learned I was assuming management of all operations at the OHGC, most, about 90%, asked what plans I had for the clubhouse and added a restaurant would really be great! What most people do not know is that I started working in the restaurant business at age 12. I worked most positions at The Moosehead Grill in Vermillion, now located in Amherst Ohio. I later teamed up with Eddie Solomon who owned McGarvey’s in Vermillion, to develop and teach Customer Service and Presentation. To this day, I enjoy a close friendship with the owner of Moosehead. He has given me great ideas and advice for the restaurant and helped in developing the menu.” The Village Grill and Patio will be open seven days a week. Hours are: Monday 4:00 - 9:00. Tuesday through Thursday 11:00 -9:00. Friday 11:00 - 10:00. Saturday 4:00 - 10:00 and Sunday 11:00 - 4:00. It is a scratch kitchen. The home cooked menu offers something for everyone! From burgers to BBQ! Steaks to Seafood! Pierogis and Pasta. A full service bar is available. Outdoor dining is available for 80 people to enjoy the fun, festive atmosphere on the patio and unwind while enjoying music, the views of the course and patio landscaping. New fun lighting will extend the evening and fire pits offer a relaxing venue to visit with friends after dinner. Matt says, “We invite everyone to come out and enjoy the Village Grill and Patio.”

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