YOU’RE INVITED TO THE 113TH ANNUAL BANQUET & AUCTIONTHURSDAY, NOV 9, 2017 | HILTON GARDEN INN-KALISPELL

Without members like you, we would not be able to continue to develop our business, economic and community projects. Some outcomes from this last year include: net new member growth of 135; successfully advocated for state laws to support workforce training, community college dual credit and bonding, and retail beer license sales; and, ensured the voice of business was heard on local growth policies, downtown plans, and transportation plans.

I would like to invite you to join us at the Banquet this year. Our theme, “Downtown through the Decades” is meant to celebrate where our fantastic community has been, coupled with the historic opportunity Kalispell has to develop its downtown area due to the removal of the railroad tracks.

The proceeds of this year’s banquet and auction will go towards our 2018 top agenda items. Those initiatives will include: downtown development, growing Kalispell as a regional trade center, building on infrastructure momentum, accelerating non-resident tourism growth, and strengthening manufacturing and innovation.

Thank you for your commitment and financial leadership to improve our outstanding community. All of us at the Kalispell Chamber look forward to seeing you on Nov 9. Visit www.kalispellchamber.com fot tickets.

Sponsorship opportunities begin at just $250. Please contact Katie Brien, Administrative Services Manager, to learn more: (406) 758-2806 or k.brien@kalispellchamber.com.

Joe Unterreiner, President/CEO

KALISPELL CHAMBER NEWSLETTER

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

October 2017

Flathead Manufacturing Month Various Locations - See page 4

OCT 2 - 25

Thinking Thursday: Career Path Development with LC Staffing8:30-10:00am - Kalispell Chamber

OCT 12

October Luncheon: Featuring the Denver Urban Renewal Authority 11:45am-1:15pm - Red Lion Hotel

OCT 17

Exploring Fundraising for Non-profit Organizations8:30-10:00am - Kalispell Chamber

OCT 19

Flathead Timber Tour12:00-4:30pm - See page 4

OCT 19

UNWIND at Applied Materials, in partnership with LC Staffing5:00-6:30pm - 655 W Reserve Dr. Kalispell

OCT 25

113th Annual Banquet & Auction5:00pm - Hilton Garden Inn, Kalispell

NOV 9

Italy: Amalfi Coast & Rome Informational Meeting5:00-6:30pm - Kalispell Chamber

OCT 17

CAREER PATH DEVELOPMENTThursday, Oct12 | 8:30-10:00amKalispell Chamber Board RoomIt’s no secret that employees feel more engaged when they believe their employer is concerned about their personal and career development. In recent studies, the opportunity for growth has been found to be one of the top five most important workplace attributes for employees. Career paths provide employees with an ongoing mechanism to enhance their knowledge and skills, often leading to a mastery of their current job, promotions, and new or different positions.

Implementing career paths within your company can improve morale, career satisfaction, employee re-tention, productivity, and responsiveness in meeting company objectives. In this seminar, LC Staffing will outline ways to develop career path plans for several different Montana industries. Register soon, space is limited to 35 participants

FUNDRAISING FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONSThursday, Oct 19 | 8:30-10:00amKalispell Chamber Board RoomCommunity leaders are often expected to join nonprofit boards. Once on the Board, they are then expected to fundraise; yet, “asking for money” ranks as the first or second top fear for most people. As a result, many board members feel guilty or become involved in high risk, low return, time-consuming fundraising events.

This interactive seminar will give you an opportunity to explore your motivations for giving and how that understanding will help you serve non-profits more effectively when you are asked to participate in fundraising events and activities. Using the 7 Faces of Philanthropy framework, you will learn to identify your motivations for giving, learn to link common donor motivations to the mission and work of the non-profit you serve, and learn to look for key signals to discern the giving motives of prospective donors.

THINKING THURSDAY: FREE SEMINARS EVERY MONTH TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

CHAMBER BRIEFS

NEW OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS NAMED FOR 2018A slate of officers and directors has been approved by our Board of Directors for 2018. Two vacancies on the Board are proposed to be filled by Rob Ratkowski, Airport Director for Glacier Park International Airport, and Erica Wirtala, Government Affairs Director for the Northwest Montana Association of Realtors. Proposed officers are Bob Herron, Chairman; Dave Hergesheimer, Vice-Chair and Treasurer; Mike Smith, Secretary; and, Joe Carbonari as Past-Chairman.

MONTANA HIGH-TECH JOBS SUMMIT OCT 8-9The Montana High Tech Jobs Summit, organized by U.S. Senator Steve Daines, will be held at The University of Montana Oct 8-9. The second biannual summit serves as a unique opportunity to bring together the na-tion’s tech leaders in the hub of Montana’s growing tech sector and to discuss ways to create more good-pay-ing Montana tech jobs. For more information or to register, visit https://montanatechsummit.com/.

J-1 VISAS USED BY FLATHEAD BUSINESSES AT NO COST TO TAXPAYERSWe support the continuation of the J-1 visa program, which is privately funded and operates at no cost to the American taxpayer. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester recently signed letters to Secretary Tillerson urging him to continue this reciprocal exchange program that is heavily used by some of the Flathead’s major employers of seasonal workers. Interested in learning more? Click here to read the letter.

MONTANA DISASTER RECOVERY SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAMSmall businesses impacted by disaster, including this year’s fire season, are encouraged to apply for the Montana Department of Commerce grant program that encourages affected businesses to create and retain jobs, re-open, or stay open due to an adjacent disaster event. An online application is required and can be found at: http://marketmt.com/grants/recovery.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! OCTOBER MEMBERSHIP MILESTONES

30 YEARSKalispell School District No. 5

10 YEARSTorrent Technologies

5 YEARSEckstrom Consulting LLCMontana Trolley Co.

1 YEARKalispell Elks Lodge No 725Plexus - Stephanie MurrayFlathead Moms for MomsJLS ConservationGolden Ratio Media LLC/Website ExpressHygge Montana Purpose Coach & Hygge ConsultantMurphy Business & Financial Corp.Batavia Self Storage & U-HaulChick-fil-ALisa Lorge - National Parks RealtyBridgewater, LLCHealing Hands Chiropractic & WellnessKrispy Kreme Kalispell

• Local club team, the Flathead DragonFlies, took Silver Lining, a breast cancer survivor team fromMissoula, and the Las Vegas Paddle Warriors for a paddle on Flathead Lake that included a rose ceremonymemorial honoring a Silver Lining team member who had passed away several days earlier.

• The KCVB and local Dragon Boat teams hosted visiting paddlers at the Kalispell Brewing CompanySaturday afternoon.

• Several teams attended the Live at Lakeside event Friday night that had been planned as a paddlerwelcome party. The Lakeside community turned the event into a wildfire relief benefit and raised $3,800.

Many thanks to event sponsors who have agreed to defer their sponsorships to the 2018 festival and to Kalispell lodging facilities for allowing Dragon Boaters to cancel reservations without a penalty.

Thank you to the following businesses and organizations for your renewed

commitment to the Kalispell Chamber and to making our community a better place to live and do business.

PLANNING AHEAD: OCTOBER LUNCHEON FT. DENVER URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITYTUESDAY, OCT 17 | 11:45AM - 1:15PM | RED LION HOTEL-KALISPELLHow can Kalispell accelerate investment in the downtown core area now that the timeline is set for the removal of the railroad tracks? That is the subject of our Oct 17 luncheon program. We will feature the executive director of the Denver Urban Renewal Authority, Tracy Huggins, who will tell the story of the redevelopment of the Lower Downtown area of Denver through the ‘90s and ‘00s, which is considered one of the most successful recent downtown redevelopment examples in the western U.S. Her presentation will cover challenges, successes, and steps our local community can take to accelerate growth, investment, and jobs in a downtown urban renewal.

Register for this luncheon here, or visit the calendar tab on our website for more information.

MONTANA DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL CANCELLEDTHE FLATHEAD VALLEY COMMUNITY REACHES OUT TO VISITING PADDLERSUnhealthy air conditions caused by forest fire smoke forced the cancellation of this year’s Montana Dragon Boat Festival. The cancellation announcement was made Sept 7, however several teams and individual paddlers had already made the trip or were unable to cancel travel plans so they spent the weekend in the area anyway and were welcomed by the Flathead Valley community:

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FLATHEAD MANUFACTURING MONTH

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25:00pm at Flathead Lake Brewing Company

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 33:00pm at Weyerhaeuser - THIS TOUR IS FULL4:00pm at Weyerhaeuser

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 511:00am at Kalispell Kreamery1:00pm at Bio Energy Systems2:00pm at Bio Energy Systems2:30pm at PROOF Research - THIS TOUR IS FULL3:00pm at Aluma Glass4:00pm at Aluma Glass5:00pm at Glacier Sun Winery

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 68:30am at Colter Coffee Roasting10:00am at Defiance Machine11:00am at Applied Materials1:00pm at Nomad GCS2:30pm at Glacier Precast Concerete3:30pm Northern Plastics, Inc. 5:00pm at Kalispell Brewing Co.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 128:30am - 10:00am: Career Path Development Presented by LC Staffing

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1912:00pm - 4:30pm: Timber Tour, visiting Weyerhaeuser and FH Stoltze Lumber Plants

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 255:00pm - 6:30pm UNWIND wtih Applied Materials and LC Staffing

You’re invited to celebrate the breadth and quality of products made in the Flathead Valley during Flathead Manufacturing Month and the events surrounding National Manufacturing Day. Take this opportunity to attend a free tour of many of the finest manufacturing companies in the world, specializing in making computer equipment, energy, communications, machined products, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, wood products, food and beverage, and more. All Manufacturing Month events are open to students, parents, educators, media, customers, suppliers, and the entire Flathead Valley community. Register for any of these free events below at www.kalispellchamber.com/manufacturing.

All of these tours and events are free to attend, but many of them have attendance limits. Please register at www.kalispellchamber.com/manufacturing.

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY | NOV 25, 2017Small, local businesses help create jobs, boost the economy, and invigorate neighborhoods all across the Flathead Valley. Small Business Saturday is back in the Flathead for the 6th year, and we’re encouraging all small businesses to sign up with us before Nov 1. Businesses who sign up with the Kalispell Chamber by Nov 1 will receive expanded marketing this fall via our social media and communications channels, additional SBS promotional materials, and a customized listing as we develop our 3rd annual special edition insert that will run in the Flathead Beacon on Nov 15. Participation in Small Business Saturday is free for every small, local businesses. For elligibility requirements, or to sign up today please contact us at (406) 758-2803 or info@kalispellchamber.com.

THE BEST OF THE AMALFI COAST & ROME

ITALYMARCH 14-21, 2018

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8 DAYS, 6 NIGHTS INCLUDING HOTELS, MEALS, DAY TRIPS, AND AIRFARE FROM KALISPELL

Please Join Us at Our Next Informational MeetingOctober 17 | 5:30-6:30pm | Kalispell Chamber Board Room | 15 Depot Park

LEADERSHIP FLATHEAD KICKS OF 2017-2018 YEARLeadership Flathead is proud to announce the Class of 2018. The new program year started off with a bang at an overnight leadership and personal development retreat at Glacier Camp on Flathead Lake, Sept 21-22.

Thirty-five participants from a variety of businesses and organizations in our Valley engaged in leadership training, team building activities, and dialogue. This class will be involved in nine full-day sessions this year, focused on continued leadership skills building and community awareness. Welcome to these new members of our Leadership Flathead program.

Anton Kaufer - Daily Inter LakeBJ Hattel - Flathead Electric Co-OpBrian Heino - Flathead County Sherrif’s OfficeCara Ballard - Glacier BankCathy Allard - FVCCConnor Welles - Flathead BeaconDawn Hendrickson - Homewood SuitesDoug Overman - Kalispell Police DepartmentHannah Brown - Immanuel Lutheran CommunitiesJacqueline Vigil - KRMCJanie Hunter - Loyal Care In-Home AssistanceJeff Steffens - North Valley Hospital

MB Bertram - Glacier BankMelanie Bettis - Whitefish Credit UnionMellody Sharpton - KRMCNathan Stoll - Learned RealityPaige Doda - Morning Star Lawn CareSarah Smith - First Interstate BankStephanie Juneau - FVCCSunni Green - SGITad Wehunt - U.S. Forest ServiceTim Ells - Park Side Credit UnionTobias Liechti - APEC Engineering

Jenn Cronk - Keller Williams Realty NWMTJaren Knaff - Jackola Engineering & ArchitectureJeri Moon - NWMT Association of RealtorsJill Parish - WeyerhaeuserKat Dodd - Keller Williams Realty NWMTKeith Haskins - City of KalispellKendall Massie - Montana First Insurance, IncKendra Moore - Sunnyview PediatricsLisa Owens - The WaveMarc Rold - Wild Horse LimousineMary Wysong - Glacier National ParkMatthew Shaffer - U.S. Forest Service

CLASSES AROUND THE COMMUNITYPROFIT MASTERY - WITH THE KALISPELL SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER | OCT 4 - 25 Profit Mastery: Getting Control of Your Business is a 16-hour course designed to help business owners and managers get more from their financial statements. Through case studies and a down-to-earth style, experience this remarkably powerful program today. Click here for more information.

INTERNAL QUALITY AUDITOR TRAINING WITH THE MT MFG EXTENSION CENTER | NOV 14 - 16 Internal audits drive continuous improvement. Skilled internal auditors are an integral part of a solid quality management system that helps your company meet and/or maintain compliance with recognized standards in your industry. Click here for more information.