Post on 09-Aug-2020
Taste of Bessemer…Gearing up to be a Great Event…
The 2nd Annual Taste of Bessemer and Business Expo will be held on Thursday, April 21, 2016 from
4-7 pm at the beautifully renovated Bessemer Civic Center. The Taste of Bessemer and Business
Expo allows local businesses to expand their professional network and generate new customers which
will increase sales, while also showcasing the tasty food from local restaurants and chefs.
Not only is the Taste of Bessemer and Business Expo the perfect opportunity for small businesses in
the area to increase their exposure, but it is also a great community event. Families are welcome to
come out and participate in raffles and giveaways, and of course…taste some delicious food!
Our 94th Year Believe in Bessemer March 2016
Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce
Contents:
Taste of Bessemer & Business Expo…………...………...…..1
Bessemer is on the Move……………………………...…..….2
Chamber Calendar ……………………………..………..…...4
Membership Luncheon Meeting..………..…...……...….....5
Ribbon Cuttings / Bessemer BPW’s Pink.....……...…...6, 7
Community Celebrations…………………...................….….8
Business After Hours………………………………………...9
Taste of Bessemer & Business Expo 2016………...………10
Corporate Sponsorship………………………………………11
Sponsorship $250
Food Vendors $50
Business Display Vendors $100
Tickets $15 each
or 25 for $250
TASTE OF BESSEMER and
Whether you are a business who is sponsoring the event and setting up an exhibition, a local restaurant
or chef participating in the event or a community member excited to attend the event with your family,
we look forward to seeing you all at this year’s Taste of Bessemer and Business Expo! Come out and
give it a taste!
Think BESSEMER FIRST
bessemerchamber.com MARCH 2016
2
BUSINESS NEWS
Bessemer is on the Move
The Honorable Mayor Kenneth Gulley delivered the State of the City Address on February 8th at 6 pm at the Bessemer Civic Center. The State of
the City Address included highlights of the past year, updates on municipal building projects and plans for the upcoming year. Highlights of
improvements in city departments and agencies and new economic development projects were also addressed.
If you were not in attendance you can still review the State of the City Address by visiting the City of Bessemer website at www.bessemeral.org.
1) Buy Local - Support yourself Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally-owned business, rather than a
nationally-owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers, and
farms -- continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community; these include case studies showing that locally-owned businesses
generate a premium in enhanced economic impact to the community and our tax base.)
2) Support Community Groups Non-profit organizations receive on average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do
from large businesses.
3) Keep our Community Unique Where we shop, where we eat and have fun -- all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind
businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place. Our tourism businesses also benefit. “When people go on vacation they
generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.” ~ Richard Moe, President, National Historic
Preservation Trust
4) Reduce Environmental Impact Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation, and generally set up
shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss,
and pollution.
5) Create more good jobs Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally, and in our community, provide the most jobs to residents.
6) Get Better Service Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get
to know customers.
7) Invest In Community Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in
the community’s future.
Continued on page 8
Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Sponsorship Investments
Diamond $10,000
Platinum $ 7,500
Gold $5,000
Silver $3,000
SBP $1,000
Call us at 425-3253 for more details
2016 BOARD MEMBERS
MARCH 2016
3
bessemerchamber.com
Mitch Avery
Alabama Gas
Richard Bishop
ITT Technical Institute
Lynn Brown
Alabama Splash
Adventure
Trisha Galvez
Legacy YMCA
Carlton Jackson
Bessemer Fire
Department
Louis Jones
Mt. Hebron Baptist
Church
Vicki Lane
AAA Bessemer
Candice Lee
TBGS Holdings /
Masonry Arts
Reggie Mays
United Prosthetics and
Orthotics
Dr. Fred Primm
Bessemer Board of
Education
Cristy Richardson
America’s First Federal
Credit Union
John Sides
Alabama Power
Company
Hank Tyler
Town & Country Ford
Devron Veasley
Bessemer Business
Center
Trina Vines
Oak Trace Care and
Rehabilitation Center
Jerry Yarbrough
Bessemer Utilities
Past
Chairman
Eric Messer
Shoals
Ambulance
Chairman
Joni Holt
Holt
Insurance
Agency
Chairman
Elect
Nathan Clark
Medical
West
PROMOTIONAL ITEMS IN STOCK at the Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce
The Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce has
promotional items for sale. We have X-large
Beach towels and chairs for $20.00 each. Stop by
and pick up your items at 321 18th Street N.,
Bessemer, AL 35020.
2016 Investors
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
SMALL BUSINESS PARTNERS
AG Gaston Construction Company Alabama Splash Adventure
America’s First Federal Credit Union
Comfort Care Home Health & Hospice Engineering Environmental Forestry Service
Legacy YMCA Paden & Paden, PC
Regional Paramedical Services
State Farm Insurance Agent, Julie Bell Trustmark National Bank
William Parsons CPA
Treasurer
Connie Fuell
Dex Imaging
Finance
Chairman
Kela Pryor
City of
Bessemer
Place Your Ad in
the Chamber
Communique
FULL PAGE AD
$75 per occurrence
SMALL AD
$50 per month or 6
months for $240
MARCH 2016
4
CHAMBER NEWS (2016 Chamber Calendar)
bessemerchamber.com
January
Tuesday, January 5, 8:30am Ambassador Meeting
Tuesday, January 19, 11:00am Executive Committee Meeting
Tuesday, January 19, 11:30am Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, January 28, 5:30pm Chamber Annual Meeting
February
Tuesday, February 2, 8:30am Ambassadors Meeting
Tuesday, February 16, 11:00am Executive Committee Meeting
Tuesday, February 16, Noon Board of Directors Meeting
Wednesday, February 24, Noon Chamber Membership Meeting
March
Tuesday, March 1, 8:30am Ambassador Meeting
Tuesday, March 15, 11:00am Executive Committee Meeting
Tuesday, March 15, Noon Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, March 17, 5-7pm Business After Hours
(St. Patrick’s Day)
April
Tuesday, April 5, 8:30am Ambassador Meeting
Tuesday, April 19, 11:00am Executive Committee Meeting
Tuesday, April 19, Noon Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, April 21, 5-8pm Taste of Bessemer / Business
Expo
May
Tuesday, May 3, 8:30am Ambassador Meeting
Thursday, May 5th National Day of Prayer
Thursday, May 12, 5-7pm Business After Hours
(Membership Drive Wrap Up Party)
Tuesday, May 17 11:00am Executive Committee Meeting
Tuesday, May 17, Noon Board of Directors Meeting
June
No Meeting Ambassadors
Tuesday, June 21 11:00am Executive Committee Mtg.
Tuesday, June 21, Noon Board of Directors Meeting
July
No Meeting Ambassadors
Tuesday, July 19, 11:00am Executive Committee Mtg.
Tuesday, July 19, Noon Board of Directors Meeting
August
Tuesday, August 2, 8:30am Ambassadors Meeting
Thursday, August 11, 5:30pm First Responders / Business
Awards Gala
Tuesday, August 16, 11:00am Executive Committee Mtg.
Tuesday, August 16, Noon Board of Directors Meeting
September
Tuesday, September 13, 8:30am Ambassadors Meeting
Wednesday, September 14, Noon Chamber Membership Mtg.
Tuesday, September 20, 11:00am Executive Committee Mtg.
Tuesday, September 20, Noon Board of Directors Meeting
October
Tuesday, October 4, 8:30am Ambassadors Meeting
Thursday, October 6 Golf “FORE” Progress
Tuesday, October 18, 11:00am Executive Committee Mtg.
Tuesday, October 18, Noon Board of Directors Meeting
PINK & PURPLE PARADE
November
No Meeting Ambassadors
Tuesday, November 15, 11:00am Executive Committee Mtg.
Tuesday, November 15, Noon Board of Directors Meeting
December
Tuesday, December 6, 8:30am Ambassadors Meeting
Thursday, December 8, 5-7pm Chamber Christmas Open
House
Saturday, December 10, 2:00pm City of Bessemer Christmas
Parade
Tuesday, December 20, 11:00am Executive Committee Mtg.
Tuesday, December 20, Noon Board of Directors Mtg.
bessemerchamber.com MARCH 2016
5
CHAMBER
2016 CHAMBER
AMBASSADORS
Coordinator
Lori Chisem Lawson State Community College
Co-Coordinators
Daryl Owens
Bessemer City Schools
Andie Sloan
Comfort Care
Secretary
Nelda Pate, Retired
Kay Baggett, Retired
Sarah Beasley,
Joe Beasley Memorial Foundation, Inc
Sarah Belcher, Retired
Erin Cooney, Holt Insurance Agency
Sadie Harris, Retired
Shirley Horn, Retired
Latesia Jefferson,
Oak Trace Care and Rehab
Charles King,
Regional Paramedical Services
Doris Lewis, City of Bessemer
Claire Mitchell,
Visalus - Body by Vi
Kenya Rose
Lula Walter, City of Bessemer
Trisston Wright Burrows, Moore Coal Co.
Ambassadors are the key resource in
extending hospitality in the Bessemer area
and are experienced in business,
community, and promotional arenas.
An Ambassador must serve as an active
public relations arm of the Chamber and be
prepared to meet visitors, local businesses,
and various forms of the media.
We encourage you join the ambassador
program. The ambassadors meet on the 1st
Tuesday of each month at 8:30am at the
Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce.
Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce members packed Lawson State
Community College Bessemer Campus in the Ethel Hall Auditorium for the
Membership luncheon held on February 24th. The speaker of the hour was
Jefferson Traywick, Senior Project Manager of the Birmingham Business
Alliance. Traywick informed the attendees of projects and businesses that are
coming or new to the Bessemer area. Traywick provided informative
information. We commend Traywick on doing a great job and representing
the Bessemer area. The next membership meeting will be Wednesday,
September 14, 2016.
bessemerchamber.com
COMMUNITY
MARCH 2016
6
American Family Urgent Care
A ribbon ceremony was held for the new American Family Care Urgent
Care and Family Care facility located at 5911 Harris Lane in Bessemer.
You can visit their office from 8 am – 6 pm seven days a week.
Bessemer City Middle School
Bessemer City Middle School held a ribbon cutting for their Family
and Consumer Science Classroom on Monday, February 26, 2016
at 10am. The new classroom was sponsored by Lowe’s in
Bessemer. Great things are happening at Bessemer City Middle
School. They are located at 100 High School Drive in Bessemer.
COMMUNITY
bessemerchamber.com MARCH 2016
7
Ninja Japanese Sushi and Steakhouse
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for Ninja Japanese Sushi and Steak House, located at 4847 Promenade Parkway, Suite #115. The new
restaurant is open 7 days a week, from 11 am until 10 pm Monday thru Thursday, from 11 am until 11 pm on Fridays and from noon until 11 pm
on Saturdays and 11:30 am until 9 pm on Sundays. Welcome to the Marvel City of Bessemer.
Bessemer Business and Professional
Women along with Bessemer Middle
School PINK girls delivered Teddy
Bears to all the residents at Medical
West Hospital as a service project in the
month of February. The monty of
February is a month that a special
expression of love is shown and it is
also heart apprecition month. Over 100
teddy bears were delivered to the
hospital. Special thanks to Nathan
Clark and CEO Keith Pennington for
Supporting this effort.
Give me a HUG……Teddy Bears for Medical West Patients
Think BESSEMER FIRST
COMMUNITY
bessemerchamber.com MARCH 2016
8
Continued from page 2
8) Put Your Taxes To Good Use Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient
use of public services as compared to nationally- owned stores entering the community.
9) Buy What You Want, Not What Someone Wants You To Buy A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to
ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan
but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers guarantees a much broader range of product choices.
10) Encourage Local Prosperity A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and
skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.
Alabama Kidney Action Day
The city of Bessemer, in partnership with the American Kidney Fund, is hosting "Alabama Kidney Action Day" on March 19, 2016
from 11 am to 4 pm in Debardeleben Park. The event is free.
There will be free health screenings (blood pressure, blood glucose, kidney function and more), health food samples, family-
friendly entertainment, fitness demos and more. Come join us as we take action to prevent Kidney disease. Bring your friends and
family.
Bessemer Hall of History Celebrates 100 years
The Bessemer Hall of History will host a Destination Depot on Saturday, March 19, from 9 am until 3:30 pm. The free event will celebrate the
100th year of the Southern Depot, which is the current location of the Bessemer Hall of History Museum.
Congratulations to Bessemer Fire Department
The City of Bessemer's ISO rating improved from a rating of "4" to a "2", placing us among the top 2 percent of communities in
the United States. The ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating impacts the insurance premiums residents and businesses pay for
personal property. The scoring ranges from 1 to 10, with one being the best score. The lower the score for a city, the lower the
insurance rates residents...
Gold SPONSORSHIP $5,000.00 94th Annual Meeting - Table of 8
25th Annual Bessemer Business Awards and First Responders Gala – Table of 8
1 full page ad in the 2017 Bessemer Magazine (preferred spot)
¼ page Story in the 2017 Bessemer Magazine
Silver Sponsor for Golf “FORE” Progress
Plan a business after hours on your behalf (Not to exceed $250)
Up to $400 credit toward annual membership dues
½ page ad in chamber Communiqué
Company Logo with website link on Chamber website
Chamber listing for up to 3 company representatives
Pre/Post event advertising
Silver SPONSORSHIP $3,000.00
94th Annual Meeting - Table of 8
25th Annual Bessemer Business Awards and First Responders Gala – 2 tickets
$500 credit toward an ad in 2017 Bessemer Magazine
Golf “FORE” Progress Golf Tournament (Team of 4 and Name/Logo on all promotional material)
94th Annual Meeting - Table of 8
25th Annual Bessemer Business Awards and First Responders Gala – 2 tickets
$500 credit toward an ad in 2017 Bessemer Magazine
Golf “FORE” Progress Golf Tournament (Team of 4 and Name/Logo on all promotional material)
Small Business Partner SPONSORSHIP $1,000.00
94th Annual Meeting (4 tickets) with option to upgrade
$200 credit toward an ad in the 2017 Bessemer Magazine
Golf “FORE” Progress Golf Tournament - Hole Sponsorship
Business Card ad in one issue of the Communique newsletter
Chamber listing for up to 2 company representatives
Pre/Post event advertising
2016 Sponsorship
Opportunities
The mission of the Bessemer Area Chamber of
Commerce is to promote the economic well-
being of regional businesses and represent the
business community in economic, political, civic,
educational and cultural development of the
region.
We hope you will consider supporting the
Bessemer Chamber of Commerce programs in
2016. This investment is tax deductible, so sign up
today!