Pres. Message: Page 2

Calendar: Page 3

PC City School: Page 4

Golf: Page 7

Main Street: Page 10

L.E.S.I: Page 14

Worker’s Comp :

Page 17

Partner Info: Page 18

110 Madison Street Port Clinton, Ohio 43452 419-734-5503 www.portclintonchamber.com

Fall 2018

in this

ISSUE

Port Clinton Chamber

Holiday Mixer DECEMBER 6, 2018

Music, food and fun!

Be sure to keep your

eye out for more

information

Gen X - Baby Boomer Expo 2018 Meet our Chamber Members and Learn from the Experts!

On Wednesday, October 24th our Chamber Ambassadors are excited to host a Gen X-Baby Boomer Expo focusing on Health & Wellness, Financial

Services, Cyber Security, Insurance, Retirement, Senior Services,

Volunteer Opportunities and other relevant topics.

We are looking for Chamber Businesses that would like to set up a table to

hand out information as well as those interested in hosting a short informa-

tional session. There is no cost to participate and tables will be provided.

Expo Hours:

Set-up 4:00pm-4:30pm

Expo 4:30pm-7:00pm

The Expo will take place at the Ida Rupp Public Library. To reserve a table

call our office at 419-734-5503. This is a great way to build community

relations and showcase your business and services!

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MAIN STREET HALLOWEEN PUB CRAWL & BALL TICKETS NOW ON SALE!

Fall 2018 2

President’s Message

Board of

DIRECTORS

Chairman of the Board

Scot Taylor

Pier 53

Vice Chairman

Todd Almendinger

Magruder Hospital

Treasurer

Deb Wierzba

Huntington National Bank

Past Chairman

Lance Woodworth

The Jet Express

Mike Sakal

Baumann Auto Center

Phillip Bolte

Bolte Real Estate

Curt “Shorty” Frabott

Shorty’s Custom Remodeling

Jim Sass

Ottawa County Commissioner

Olen Martin

City of Port Clinton

Doug Focht

Focht Construction

Jeff Wingate

Scenic Rock Ledge Inn

Tyler Brown

Barnes Nursery

MSPC Vice Chair

STAFF

President / CEO

Nikki Adams

Operations Manager

Nicole Kochensparger

Michele Biers

Administrative Assistant

Presidents Message

Hello Members,

Fall has arrived and October & November are gearing up to be busy months filled with lots to do. Remember to forward any special events, Holiday Open Houses or fundraisers to us so we can add them

to our Community Calendar and have Alexa tell “Whats Happening in Port Clinton.” We are excited that every month more and more people

are reaching out to Alexa and listening in! Thank you again to The

Frederick Agency and WPCR for bringing us this great benefit!

Currently, we are putting the final touches on two advertising opportu-

nities for our members. The Ottawa County map - which is an important fundraiser for our Chamber. Over 10,000 copies are

circulated over a 2 year period via visitor packets, travel shows, National Matches and placed at the turnpikes. The second is the LESI Travel Planner - participate on the Port Clinton page and save at least

$450 on your ad. Both of these advertising tools are a key resources for visitors and are the most requested items at our Chamber office.

For more details on either of these projects call our office.

This past week, MSPC’s Promotion Committee held its first Progressive

dinner where it had you visiting several downtown restaurants and enjoying some great food. We would like to thank the following business for participating– Pub 221, Rosies, Slater’s Madison Street

Pub, McCarthy’s, The Clinton House and Coffee Express. Plans are

underway for another one in spring 2019.

In September, Port Clinton welcomed a delegation from it’s sister city Jamao al Norte in the Dominican Republic. Their

busy schedule included a stop at our Chamber office where we discussed

everything that a Chamber of Commerce

does for a community.

Finally, the Ottawa County Community Foundation forwarded us infor-mation about 2 scholarships that are currently available to individuals for training and / or acquire new job skills. Information for both

scholarships can be found on their website www.ottawaccf.org or call

our office and we would be happy to forward the applications.

Wishing you a wonderful autumn season!

Nikki Adams

TRUNK OR TREAT Businesses decorate your vehicle with your favorite kid friendly

theme or character and joins us for our Downtown Trick or Treat - Saturday, October 27 from 1pm-3pm

Mark Your Calendars

Calendar of Events

3

Thursday, October 11

Candidates Night

Elks Lodge—Buckeye Blvd.

7:00pm

Saturday, October 27

Downtown Trick or Treat

Zombie Pub Crawl

Thursday, November 2

Business After Hours

Russell Real Estate

5:00pm-7:00pm

Thursday, November 15

Downtown Business and Property

Owners Roundtable

Knights of Columbus

5:00pm

Saturday, November 24

Small Business Saturday

Saturday, December 1

Community Christmas

Downtown Port Clinton

December

Holiday Mixer

For a complete list of all of the events visit

PortClintonChamber.com!

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS:

BeYouTiful

Nails by Danielle

419.732.8255

Salon located in downtown Port Clinton

Catawba Island Jewelers

419.573.6473

Retail and Jewelry Repair shop located in

Harbor Light Landing

David Brown

Resident

First Federal Savings of Lorain

https://www.fflorain.bank/

Full Service Bank in Port Clinton

Guy and Doll Flooring

419.508.7084

Flooring company located in Port Clinton

Promedica Physicians Group

Port Clinton Family

——————

Physician group located in Port Clinton

Pub 221

Facebook.com. Pub221

Restaurant located in downtown

Port Clinton

Welcome New Members!

Ribbon Cutting

The Chamber Compass

A Ribbon Cutting was held to celebrate the Grand

Opening of BeYOUtiful Nails by Danielle. Located in

downtown Port Clinton

Ribbon Cutting

Catawba Island

Jewelers celebrated

its Grand Opening

with a Ribbon

Cutting. Visit their

store in Harbor Light

Landing

4

Port Clinton City Schools

Fall 2018

Port Clinton High School has been updating

classrooms the past several summers. The summer of 2018, construction continued with

an ambitious project to update the Choir, Or-chestra, Art, Science classrooms, and office areas. Port Clinton High School welcomes

visitors with a state-of-the-art, student union themed media center that was unveiled in

November 2017. This media center is busy every day with students taking College Credit Plus classes, researching a classroom project or

working in small groups. The Media Center cafe area is open before and after school offering

snacks, smoothies, and bubble tea for our students involved in one of our numerous athletic or extra-curricular programs. The new

updated science classrooms will offer a brighter and better learning environment and talented

orchestra and choir students will also appreciate their updated classrooms. By being good

stewards of tax dollars, the school district is fortunate to be able to do this without placing an additional tax burden on the community. Port

Clinton City Schools is thankful for the continued support of the community that provides state-of-

the-art school buildings and a high quality education for children. The community is in-vited to see all the PCHS renovations during the

PCHS Alumni Weekend Tour on Saturday,

S e p t e m b e r 2 2 , 9 : 3 0 a m !

In addition to newly renovated facilities, Port

Clinton City School District continues work in

creating an “Elite” culture in the school system

with all staff and students working towards

creating an environment that fosters beliefs

that:

We are better “TOGETHER”

We will maintain a “relentless pursuit of

growth”

We will “own it”

Port Clinton City Schools believe that pursuing a

culture that supports these beliefs will drive

behavior and actions. The school district looks

forward to this journey and the impact it will

have on students, staff and the community

“Local Advertising Made Easy”

Shop Locally. Save Locally.

What is Town Money Saver? Click here.

See what our customers have to say! Click here.

5

Jerry Lippus Classic Car Show

The Chamber Compass

Classic Car Show

The 2018 Jerry Lippus Memorial Classic Car

Show was held on Saturday, August 4 in downtown Port Clinton. Perfect weather drew

over 120 cars and a great crowd. A portion of the registration fees will be donated to the 2019 Fireworks Fund in honor of Jerry Lippus.

C on g r a t u l a t i o n s t o t h e w i nn e r s !

Special Thanks To:

Thank you to the following business for donating

door prizes: African Safari Wildlife Park, Barnes

Nursery, Baumann Auto Center, Civilian Marks-

manship Program, Frederick Insurance Agency,

Friendship Food Stores, Great Lakes Popcorn,

Island Adventures, Jegs, Jolly Roger’s Seafood

House, Lake Disposal Services, Lake Erie Shores

& Islands, Marblehead Lions Club, Mary’s

Blossom Shoppe, Miller Ferries to Put-in-Bay and

Middle Bass, Mon Ami, Ohio Living Vineyard on

Catawba, Our Guest Inn, Summit Racing

Equipment, Ted Wierzba, The Commons of

Providence, Zink Calls.

1st– John Bauer

1937 Cord 812

2nd– David & Angelika Goode

1931 Oldsmobile

3rd– Bob Mack

1959 Chevy

Peoples Choice Award–

Randy Hensinger

1970 Javelin

We would also like to thank our volunteers:

Will Moore, Curt (Shorty) Frabott, (PC Chamber

Board) Mike Snider, Gary Macko (Main Street

Board) and Snip Snider

Thank you to our Car Show

Corporate Sponsors

6 Fall 2018

Premier Member Spotlight

7

Ken Gill Construction Golf Outing

Members PREMIER

The Beacon

Civilian

Marksmanship

Program

Croghan Colonial Bank

First Energy Foundation

First National Bank

Gerner-Wolf-Walker

Funeral Home

Huntington Bank

Jet Express

Magruder Hospital

Neidecker, LeVeck, &

Crosser Funeral Home

News Herald

NWO Beverage

Ohio Telecom

R Coffee Corner

US Bank

Members PREMIER

Honorary

Can’t Miss Charters

Catawba Island Club

City of Port Clinton

Lake Erie Shores & Islands

The Chamber Compass

The Chamber’s Golf Outing presented by Ken Gill Construction was held

on Wednesday, September 5th at the Catawba Island Club. The course was full with 22 teams that competed for bragging rights of 1st, 2nd,

3rd and last place! The weather was just perfect for a beautiful

afternoon on the golf course!

1st Place– Genoa Bank / Marty Sutter & Team with a score of 59

2nd Place– Magruder Hospital / Todd Almendinger, Barry Cover, Nick

Mansico and Dave Bodie with a score of 61

3rd Place– Palmer Energy / Kirk Mizerek, Bob Snavely, Olen Martin and

Chris Maple with a score of 64

Last Place– Croghan Colonial Bank

Other winners included Jason Kraus - Closest to the pin (men); Ashley

Burgone– Closest to the pin (ladies); Dr. Mike Habitizel - Longest drive

(men); Katie Harrington - Longest drive (ladies); John Givonni - Longest

putt and Brian Harr– Closest to the line.

Thank you to all who came out to join us! You Helped Provide a Scholarship! A percentage of the net income will be used to award a

2018 scholarship for an Ottawa County High School Senior !

We would also like to thank our volunteers; Cheryl Devore with US

Bank, Brittany Griffin with Genoa Bank and , Kristen Roberts with

Schill Landscaping .

Catawba Island Club

PORT CLINTON AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Annual Golf Outing

Presented by Ken Gill Construction

Top left: Todd Almendinger gets ready to tee off.

The Ken Gill team enjoying a great afternoon of

golf. Lee Vivod and John Givonni take time for a

cold drink and photo. Casey Madison with the help

of Wayne Nault tries to sink a putt.

Events Coming Up…...

9 The Chamber Compass

Business After Hours

Save the Date!

Member Spotlight

Members we hope to see you at our

Monthly Business After Hours!

First Thursday of Every month

from 5:00pm-7:00pm

November 1st

Russell Real Estate

Candidate’s Night

Voters Attend Candidate’s Night

The Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce

has again teamed up with Port Clinton’s

chapter of Business and Professional Women to

organize Candidate’s Night.

All Candidates which will be on November’s

ballot were invited to speak briefly at the Elks

Lodge on Thursday, October 11th.

Thank you to WPCR and David Brown for hosting

a live Video Feed for those who could not attend

in person.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2018

Your PC Chamber has created a YouTube

channel to feature our members with 1-2 minute

videos of their business. Our new Member Spot-

light will feature these videos weekly with links

sent out through our email blasts and will be

played on the Member Spotlight portion of our

website . If you currently have a promotional

video you would like us to use, please send it

in . If not, we will be creating one for you. To

view the past Member Spotlights follow the link…

http://www.portclintonchamber.com/member-

spotlight.html

VIDEO

Save the Date

Finishing Touches–

Ottawa County Map

We are in the final stages of the

creation of 2019 Ottawa County

Map! There are only a few spots left

for advertising! We cannot wait for

you too see the new edition! It’s not

too late to participate… call our

office today!

PC Chamber Gift Certificates

With the holidays are right around the corner,

we are encouraging our member businesses to

participate in our Gift Certificate program. The

program is easy and another great way to get

your business name in front of residents of the

community and visitors to the area. Participating

businesses can attract new customers and

increase revenues. The PC Chamber can

customize the gift certificates with logos and

other personal information. For more

information, contact the Chamber.

Sign Up Today

Main Street Port Clinton

Board of

DIRECTORS President

Dana Bacak-Lynd

Civilian Marksmanship

Program

Vice-President

Tyler Brown

Barns Nursery

Treasurer

Casey Madison

Croghan Colonial Bank

Secretary

Lori Madison

Frederick Insurance

Lisa Black

Ala Carte Café

Shanon Rogers

Buckeye Tech

Jan Gluth

Port Clinton City Schools

Mike Snider

Lake Erie Vacation Rentals

Gary Macko

First National Bank

Mike Roder

Catawba Island Brewing

Beth Gillman

City of Port Clinton

Mayor Hugh Wheeler

City of Port Clinton

Duane Myers

Lake Erie Shores & Islands

Todd Almindinger

Magruder Hospital

PC Chamber Vice Chair

Fall 2018 10

Trick or Treat

Halloween Pub Crawl

Best of the Best: Walleye Fest

Trick or Treat in Downtown PC. All young ghouls and goblins are

invited to come downtown to trick or treat on Saturday October 27th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. Just look for the balloons at participat-

ing businesses! Beginning at 2pm Norhalla, Inc will be performing the “Witches Dance” in downtown. Now calling all Trunk or Treaters. Decorate your vehicle with your favorite kid friendly Halloween theme

or character and join our downtown businesses. Call our office to

reserve a spot.

Thank you for voting Walleye Festival Best of the Best 2018

making it the best 5 years in a row! and Main Street invites you to be part of the planning for 2019! The Walleye Festival Committee

meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 8:30am at 110 Madison Street in downtown. Please bring your ideas and suggestions to help make our Festival the best ever! For more information, please contact

Main Street PC at 419-734-5503.

Mark your calendars for Community Christmas in Downtown Port

Clinton on December 1st. Families will be able to visit with Santa and

many Businesses will be hosting activities all afternoon along!

Don’t Miss the Halloween Pub Crawl October 27. Downtown Port

Clinton will welcome creatures from all shuffles of undead on Saturday, October 27 from 7:00pm to Midnight for our annual Halloween Pub

Crawl and Ball presented by Heidelberg Distributing. Participants will crawl to eight participating pubs: Bait House, Clinton House, Jeds,

McCarthy’s, Mr. Eds, Pub 221, Rosie’s and Slater’s Madison Street Pub.

$800 in cash prizes will be given to the top three costumes as well as for Best Group Costume judging will take place at the McCarthy’s from

7:30pm to 10:00pm. Tickets must be purchased to be judged. At 11:00pm, head to Pub 221 for the Ball where costume contest

winners will be announced.

The first 100 tickets sold will receive a free Zombie t-shirt. Tickets can be purchased for $10 at Main Street’s office. For more information,

please contact 419-734-5503. New this year Poker Run. Best hand drawn at ball after getting your tickets stamped at each location wins

$200.

Start the evening by eating downtown, many restaurants will have Halloween-themed menu items to satisfy your Monster appetite and Ala

Carte will be open late for your breakfast needs!

Community Christmas

Main Street Continued

Riverfront Live! Grant Received

MSPC would like to thank everyone who partici-

pated in this year’s Riverfront Live, our free concert series that took place every Friday

evening all summer long. Many area Business supported this event by handing out samples and coupons to all that attended; Ala Carte Café,

the Marshall Inn, Fremont Federal Credit Union, Ohler and Holzhauer, Frederick Agency, Jim

Recker / Gerner Wolf Walker Funeral Home, Mary’s Blossom Shoppe, Slater’s Madison Street Café, Lily & Gerts, Magruder Hospital Founda-

tion, Pub 221, Barb Clemons / Lakefront Publica-

tions and Northern Exposure.

Also, to all of the entertainers who donated their e to perform; JK All Day, John Davenport, Ot-

tawa County Blue Grass Band, David Ninke, Denny R., Jordan Wiewandt, Casey Redmond &

the Walleyes, Richie Kilken, David Lester, John Pickle, Mike

Barone, The Nitwits, Touch of Class as

well as our amazing emcee throughout the summer, Judi

Halstead.

Advertisement:

The Main Street Port

Clinton Board of Directors is pleased to announce

that MSPC received a $2550.00 grant from Lake Erie Shores & Islands to help with the marketing of the MSPC Rock

the Light held September 7 & 8. All profits from the event go back into downtown by way of

grants, benches, planters, etc. This grant greatly

helps decrease our overall expenses.

MSPC Improvement Grant

Main Street PC Presents a Downtown

Improvement Check to Ala Carte Café

The Board of Directors for Main Street Port Clinton is pleased to announce that MSPC has

awarded Ala Carte Cafe a

$2,500.00 grant to purchase an awning for outdoor

seating.

Pictured: Left: Lee Vivod, Brittany Griffin,

Gary Macko, Owner- Lisa Black and Jeff

Morgan

The Downtown Improvement Grant is a project

of MSPC’s Economic Development Committee with the focus to provide financial support to

downtown business owners and downtown property owners to improve their property, posi-tively influence economic growth and enhance

aesthetic appeal.

Since 2013 Main Street Port Clinton has awarded

$90,000 in grants; all made possible because of

the Walleye Festival. The next Downtown Im-

provement Grant funding cycle will be available

November 15th. For more information, contact

our Main Street Office at 419-734-5503.

Main Street PC Presents a Downtown

Improvement Check to McCarthy’s

The Board of Directors for Main Street Port Clinton is pleased to announce that MSPC has awarded McCarthy’s a

$4500 grant to purchase

for outdoor seating.

Pictured: The Economic Restructur-

ing Committee presents check to McCarthy’s

Promotion Committee

MSPC Promotion Committee is

selling ornaments for the up-

coming Holiday Season. The

2018 edition will be available

in November for only $5. Stop

by the Chamber / Main Street

office to pick one up for family

and friends.

Fall 2018 12

Premier Member Spotlight

Magruder Hospital Breaks Ground on Surgery Expansion and Renovation

Magruder Hospital recently broke ground on a $3.9 million construction project that is the hospital’s larg-

est since the 2004 Surgery Renovation and Fulton Street Expansion.

“Over the last few years we have experienced an increased demand in our number of surgery cases, es-

pecially orthopedics. Our goal with this project is to increase our ability to grow surgical services with future

demand,” said Todd Almendinger, President & CEO of Magruder. “By analyzing the types of technology we could

incorporate now, we were able to plan ahead for our future surgical needs.”

Almendinger said after much discussion between the senior leadership team of the hospital and medical

staff, a multi-disciplinary team was formed to plan the project. “We brought in departments such as nursing,

technology, materials management and facilities and had them sit down with the architect to formulate the

goals this project needs to meet.”

According to Lori Koethe, RN, MS, Magruder’s Chief Nursing Officer, the planning of the renovation and

expansion was also patient-focused. “We paid close attention to details when it came to the patient areas. We

wanted our pre and post-op areas to offer convenience and comfort to patients and families.” Koethe said a

color palette of blues and greys along with neutral woods was chosen to give the new area a seaside resort feel.

Rob Kerro, MD, Magruder’s Medical Director of Surgery, and one of Magruder’s anesthesiologists, played

a big part in the overall surgical work flow design of the project. “As a physician, you want everything in the op-

erating room to go the best it can – every time. By improving work flow efficiency, patient monitoring and tech-

nology upgrades, our surgical team is securing one more piece to ensure the best patient outcomes.”

Dr. Kerro added that the new upgraded technology allows for the hospital’s picture archiving and com-

munication system (PACS) integration to be shown on high resolution large screens in the operating room (OR).

“Before we had to wheel over computers to view patient images, now they display right to the large

screen and this is just one example of better flow in the OR. Overall the project gives us a state of the art surgi-

cal area, sterile processing, enhanced lighting, sensitive temperature controls and the ability to add technology

as demand increases. And of course we are all excited about the new sound system. Having music in the OR is

very relaxing for the entire team,” he added

The project is scheduled to be complete by spring of 2019. As construction progresses, follow Magruder’s

facebook page for updates.

13

Advertisement

The Chamber Compass

14 Fall 2018

Premier Member Spotlight

Lake Erie Shores & Islands

15 The Chamber Compass

Sports is Important Part of Marketing Strategy

Ohio’s Lake Erie Shores & Islands is America’s

Sports & Family Fun Capital! This tagline,

adopted last year, has driven much of our group

marketing efforts in 2018.

As part of Lake Erie Shores & Islands’ commit-

ment to increasing sports tourism to the region,

the organization recently hired a full-time Sports

Tourism Manager, Weston Strayer. To effectively

compete in the $11.4 billion sports tourism

industry (according to 2017 numbers from the

National Association of Sports Commissions), we

determined we needed a dedicated, full-time

sports tourism manager. In this newly-created

position, Stayer is selling the destination to

sports events rights holders, coaches, and fami-

lies in a manner that maximizes economic

impact and increases hotel occupancy. Addition-

ally, he will be supporting and growing existing

events, building stronger relationships with part-

ners, maintaining the leisure sports calendar,

and attending sports-related tradeshows.

Having Strayer on board will allow us to gener-

ate even more sports-related tourism at shows

we’ve attended in the past including Connect Sports, National Association of Sports Commis-sions Annual Symposium, and S.P.O.R.T.S.-The Relationship Conference. So far this year these

conferences have resulted in 63 leads from

organizations such as Fishers of Men (fishing

tournament), Firefighter Combat Challenge,

Pro-Am Beach Soccer, and Kickball 365.

These conferences get our destination in front of

event planners and give us the ability to sell our

venues and location. In addition to one-on-one

meetings with planners, Lake Erie Shores &

Islands increases our visibility by sponsoring

portions of the conferences. For example, at

Connect Sports we sponsored the overall mar-

ketplace appointments with the Shores & Islands

logo on signage and appointment countdown

time clocks. We also sponsored the event organ-

izer tables and each attendee received Lake Erie

Shores & Islands-branded merchandise. At the

S.P.O.R.T.S. show, we sponsored a morning

meet-up to encourage attendees to come meet

Weston.

But how else are we getting the word out about

sports tourism in our region? In 2018, our sport-

focused group advertising budget nearly doubled

with additional print and digital ads targeting

sports events planners. Lake Erie Shores &

Islands also entered into a five-year sponsorship

agreement with Sports Force Parks at Cedar

Point Sports Center. This sponsorship provides

our organization the ability to communicate with

those planning to come to the area about the

variety and number of fun things to do. As part

of this sponsorship, Lake Erie Shores & Islands is

featured with a link in emails sent to parents and

coaches of tournament participants prior to the

event. We also have a presence at the park itself

with field banners and information on park map

signage and printed handouts.

As we look forward to the new indoor sports

facility coming online in 2019, our commitment

to sports marketing remains strong and will

continue to grow. Families of sports participants

love our destination, not only because of our

amazing venues, but also because we’re already

one of the Midwest’s most popular vacation des-

tinations. Earlier this year we were honored to

be named “Favorite Overall Destination” and

“Best Destination for Amenities” by the readers

of Sports Destination Management, the leading

publication with the largest circulation of sports

event planners and tournament directors in the

sports tourism market. In addition, Sports Force

Park at Cedar Point Sports Center was awarded

“Favorite Outdoor Venue” and Lighthouse Point

at Cedar Point was named “Favorite Camp-

ground.” We look forward to generating even

more economic impact for the region by

capturing additional sports events and allowing

more families the opportunity to experience a

Shores & Islands getaway.

16 Fall 2018

Great Chamber Benefit!

The Chamber Compass 17

Bureau of Worker’s Comp

Benefits

Over the last 12 years, the prevalence of social media prevalence in our society has absolutely exploded.

The percentage of adults who use at least one social media site has grown from 11% in 2006 to 69% in 2018.

This 58% shift in social media usage is staggering, and businesses large and small have taken notice

Where Are Your Customers? So, you know that social media can play a huge role in your business, but how

do you go about reaching your customers? Try video. The video platform YouTube has emerged as the most-

used social network in America, and that goes for every age group over the age of 18, according to the Pew Re-

search Center. Among 18-24 year-olds, usage is at an amazing 94%, followed (not surprisingly) by 25-29 year-

olds (83%) and 30-49 year-olds (80%). Even among those 50 and older, more than half use YouTube on a

regular basis (56%).

Not far behind YouTube is Facebook, the second most-used network among all age groups. Among the all-

important 18-49 age bracket, a steady 80% of people use Facebook. For those over 50, it’s still pretty popular,

with 55% using it regularly.

The photography and video platform Instagram, along with the rapid-fire network Twitter, are both widely used

by younger demographics, but they aren’t as popular among older adults. According to Pew, Instagram is used

by 71% of 18-24 year-olds, but the decline is precipitous in subsequent age groups, dropping to 53% among 25

-29 year-olds, 25% among 30-49 year-olds and just 16% among people over 50. Twitter followed a downward

trend along the same lines, with a 45% usage among 19-24 year-olds, a 36% usage among 25-29 year-olds, a

24% usage among 30-49 year-olds, and a 14% usage among people over 50.

How Can Social Media Help Your Business? Knowing the usage rates among different age groups allows

businesses to focus their messages more creatively and target prospects better from platform to platform.

1. Brand Awareness With 69% of adults on at least one social media platform, getting your brand no-

ticed is much easier than it was 12 years ago. Forty-four percent of local businesses and 90 percent of

marketers credit social media for helping to increase their brand awareness. Posting about your business

and engaging with consumers through comments, shares, and direct messages can go a long way toward

elevating your brand’s public exposure.

2. Customer Service Social media is a fantastic tool for making internal improvements to customer ser-

vice. Networks like Twitter and Facebook provide an ever-flowing stream of information, allowing busi-

nesses to receive instant customer feedback or inquiries. This quick communication method seems to have

gone over well with Americans, because 59% of them think customer service through social media makes

it easier to get issues resolved. Being quick and friendly in your engagement helps build relationships and

lets people know your company stands up for its customers and behind its products or services.

3. Sales Whether you decide to do paid advertising on social media or stick to traditional posting and en-

gaging, social networking can deliver customers. At least 41% of business owners say they depend on so-

cial media to drive revenue. Of course, to truly cash in on social, it’s important to understand who’s using

which platform and why. Knowing, for example, that 41% of women are on Pinterest, businesses in cer-

tain industries will want to make that platform a priority with gender-specific messages. Likewise, when

targeting recent college graduates for job-searching products and services, LinkedIn can be a valuable

tool, since half of all college graduates say they use that platform for networking.

Connecting with customers and getting your products or services recognized by them has historically been one

of the biggest challenges facing businesses. With almost 70% of adults on social media, however, it’s never

been easier. More than 77% of small businesses are already using social media, and, regardless of your indus-

try, you’d be wise to consider using it for yours, as well.

How Your Small Business Can

Succeed with Social Media

Bridgett Weston Pollack

Vice President of Marketing and Communications

19

Spreading the Word

Ways to Cut 100 Calories

Maintaining a healthy weight depends on achieving energy balance. This is accomplished by balancing the amount of energy burned and food consumed each day. To stop weight gain, most Americans need to do just two simple things:

Add 2000 more steps each day AND Eat 100 fewer calories daily Small changes in the types of foods you eat and in the portion sizes you choose will quickly add up to 100 reduced calories, or even more! By pledging to walk an extra mile (equivalent to approximately 2000 steps) and reduce 100 calories (equivalent to 1 pat of butter) you'll see how easy it can be to achieve energy balance. Find some easy ways to cut calories during your day with this list of 100 Ways to Cut 100 Calories, courtesy of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Breakfast – Give your day a healthy start with these breakfast tips: Select nonfat or 1% milk instead of whole milk. Use a small glass for your juice and a small bowl for your cereal. Savor a bowl of bananas, berries, low-fat milk, and sugar substitute. Substitute a no-calorie sweetener for sugar in your coffee, tea, and cereal. Choose light yogurt made with no-calorie sweetener. Substitute no-sugar-added jelly or jam for the sugar-rich varieties. Spread your muffin, bagel, or toast with 2 teaspoons of fat-free or light cream cheese. Split a bagel with someone, or wrap up the other half for tomorrow's breakfast. Use a non-stick skillet with cooking spray in place of butter or margarine to prepare your eggs. Try turkey sausage or Canadian bacon for less fat than regular sausage. Fill your omelet with onions, peppers, spinach, and mushrooms instead of cheese and meat. Lighten up your omelet, frittata, or scrambled eggs by using 4 egg whites or 1/2 cup egg substitute. Trade regular butter for light whipped or low-calorie butter substitute.

Lunch/Dinner – Try these ideas for lighter lunches and downsized dinners: Put lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles on your burger or sandwich instead of cheese. Prepare tuna or chicken salad with a smaller amount of fat-free or light mayonnaise or try spicy mustard. Grill your sandwich using nonstick cooking spray instead of butter. Stuff a pita pocket with more fresh vegetables, less meat and cheese. Pick water-packed tuna instead of tuna packed in oil. Wrap romaine and sprouts with smoked ham or turkey in a tortilla. Make your sandwich with light, whole-wheat bread. Try a veggie burger. Select soft taco size (6-8 inch) flour tortillas instead of the larger burrito size. Substitute low-fat or fat-free sour cream in recipes. Choose 1% cottage cheese. Skim the fat off soups, stews, and sauces before serving. Enjoy your salad without the croutons. Substitute 2 Tbsp reduced-calorie salad dressing for regular. Use diet margarine. Trim all fat from beef, pork, and chicken (also remove the skin from chicken). Bake, broil, or grill chicken and fish rather than frying. Limit meat portions to 3-4 ounces (the size of a deck of cards). Customize spaghetti sauce with fresh zucchini, green peppers, mushrooms and onions. Turn a mixed green or spinach salad into a main dish by including blueberries, diced apples, or strawberries, almonds, and

grilled chicken. Reduce your portion of cooked rice and pasta by ½ cup. Grill portabella mushrooms as a main or side dish. Use 1 Tbsp less butter, margarine, or oil in your recipe. Try reduced-fat cheese in casseroles and appetizers, or use less of a sharp cheese. Season steamed vegetables with fresh lemon and herbs. Use vegetable cooking spray and nonstick cookware instead of butter, margarine, or oil when stovetop cooking. Omit or use half the amount of butter, margarine, or oil called for in macaroni and cheese, rice, pasta, and stuffing. Leave 3-4 bites on your plate. Eat slowly to make your meal last and reduce the urge for second helpings.

This information is brought to you through collaboration between your chamber, NOACC and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

The Chamber Compass

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Partner Benefits

Fall 2018

Energy Market Update Bring on college football and pumpkin spice lattes, we’re

ready for Fall! After a sweltering summer, many are welcoming the cooler temperatures. The natural gas and electric markets continue to present pricing opportunities

for many consumers, so if you have not reviewed your electric purchasing strategy recently, please reach out to your CES representative as winter weather

can create market volatility!

Chamber Energy Solutions Representative: Trevor Kendrick 419-491-1011

Natural Gas:

August 2018 final NYMEX settlement = $2.82/MMBtu

September 2018 final NYMEX settlement = $2.90/MMBtu

Hurricane Florence and Tropical Storm Gordon have contrived unpleasant effects across the Southeast and East Coast. Historically, hurricane season has carried the potential for pricing upside in the NY-

MEX natural gas market along with regional basis prices. In recent years, however, hurricane season

has actually introduced some slight downside to gas futures pricing.

In the early-2000’s, offshore gas production from the Gulf of Mexico accounted for roughly 25% of total U.S. domestic supply levels. With this location being a hotspot for tropical storms, any such occurrences coincidentally led to production shutdowns (as they still do today) until the storm activity

cleared. In today’s industry, this dynamic has shifted as Gulf of Mexico production now only accounts for 3-5% of total domestic supplies due to the onshore shale gas boom over the past decade.

Correspondingly, offshore drilling interruptions don’t carry the same bullish punch. Rather, storm activity has temporarily eliminated some cooling demand throughout the South while having the aforementioned negligible effect on supply. As demand decreases at a more rapid pace than supply, a

commodity’s futures price will tend to have more downside (all other factors being equal).

Electric: As the summer comes to an end, it will go down as one of the hottest on record across

much of the Country. According to the NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Information, May through August 2018 ranked the warmest to date across the contiguous United States. Toledo alone

recorded approximately 26 days above 90 degrees since the beginning of June to mid-September, up

from the annual average of 16 days.

Hot weather created an increase in electricity demand and the use of natural-gas fired generation

continued. PJM, the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) responsible for ensuring grid reliability in Ohio and a number of other states, recorded hourly system peak demands above 150 MW, which

could end up being in the top 10 peaks of all time. While the five peak hours of the summer are not officially announced until the fall, it appears that four out of the five days will likely fall in August and

September.

The increase in electric demand coupled with natural gas storage deficits pointed towards a supply

and demand shift where many were expecting to see an increase in pricing based upon market funda-mentals. Aside from small shifts up and down, market pricing has stayed fairly consistent continuing to afford many customers favorable pricing. As has been the case recently, the market continues its

trend of backwardation offering lower rates further into the future.