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Chamber of Commerce

Blake Benson

2011-07-01 08:19:00

Question: What's new?

Answer: One of the chamber’s top longtime priorities took a significant step forward on June 1, 2011, as close to 100 regional business, government and community leaders joined Kansas Governor Sam Brownback and Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Secretary Deb Miller to unveil those projects in the southeast region of the state to be included in the state’s new T-Works plan. This plan will pump approximately $190 million into Southeast Kansas via eight different major highway projects, including a $47 million upgrade of Highway 69 from Fort Scott to Arma. The state will build an upgradeable expressway on this stretch of Highway 69, which will only leave six miles of two-lane road between Pittsburg and Kansas City. Area leaders have long touted the economic development possibilities associated with a four-lane connecting Pittsburg with the bustling Kansas City area. The announcement will also help further nurture Pittsburg State University’s recruitment from the Kansas City area and will ensure that students, friends and families traveling Highway 69 will have access to a safer, more modern roadway. The chamber wishes to thank Governor Brownback, Secretary Miller and the Kansas legislature for their investment in southeast Kansas and the Pittsburg area. The chamber also thanks all those local and regional leaders who have championed this cause for the better part of a decade. The announcement is a major step in the chamber’s longtime goal of a four-lane Highway 69 from Kansas City to Interstate 44.

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Chamber of Commerce

Blake Benson

2011-06-01 10:57:00

Question: What's new?

Answer: The Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce an exciting new initiative aimed at delivering up to the minute news and event information to our members. RED (Real-time Events Delivered) is an application that allows members to opt-in to receive only the information they want to receive in the manner in which they wish to receive it. The RED system will help our members stay up-to-date with news and event information through text reminders and alerts, event calendar feeds and e-mail alerts. The application is free of charge and is open to any employee of a chamber business or organization. RED also features a mobile web application that is available to anyone with internet access. By visiting m.revdel.com on a mobile device and selecting Pittsburg Area Chamber, individuals can view a complete chamber membership directory. For additional information about the RED application, please contact the chamber office at 231.1000.

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Chamber of Commerce

Blake Benson

2011-05-01 10:03:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: The 2011 Chamber Foundation Golf Classic is taking place on Friday, May 13 at Crestwood Country Club in Pittsburg. Four-person teams will compete on the 18 course, with prizes being awarded to the top teams. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Youth Leadership and Leadership High programs. The Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet will be held on Thursday, May 26. A number of awards will be presented at the banquet, including the Past Spirit of Pittsburg Award and the 2011 Small Business of the Year Award. The three finalists for this year’s Small Business of the Year Award are: American Concrete Co., Inc., Broadway Animal Hospital and Pinamonti Physical Therapy, P.A.

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Chamber of Commerce

Blake Benson

2011-03-01 14:39:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Pittsburg icon Jack Overman received a special honor Wednesday, March 2, at Pittsburg Area Day on the Hill in Topeka. A special proclamation was made on the floor of the House of Representatives to honor Overman for his life’s work. Terry Calloway, R-Pittsburg, made the proclamation, for which Overman received a standing ovation from the entire House. Overman said that receiving the honor was one of the highlights of his life. As a Pittsburg resident, Calloway has witnessed firsthand the impact Overman has made in the Pittsburg area for decades. Calloway said Overman deserved the honor for the contributions and leadership he has provided to the Pittsburg community throughout his 92 years. A special delegation from the Pittsburg area meeting with legislators for Pittsburg Area Day on the Hill was able to witness the proclamation.

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Chamber of Commerce

Blake Benson

2011-03-01 10:15:00

Question: What's new?

Answer: The Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 2011 Biz Expo, on Friday and Saturday, March 25-26, starting at 10:00 a.m. each day at the Meadowbrook Mall in Pittsburg. This annual event attracts over 1,000 attendees and allows area businesses to showcase their products and services to the public. Participants at the Biz Expo represent various industries, including: banking, health care, retail, real estate and many more. For information on reserving a booth space, please contact the Pittsburg Area Chamber at 620.231.1000.

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Chamber of Commerce

Blake Benson

2011-02-01 14:09:00

Question: What's new?

Answer: With 2011 in full swing, it’s an exciting time to be in Pittsburg and Southeast Kansas. While much of the nation’s economy limped through the last year, many Pittsburg area businesses and institutions saw significant growth that will serve us well into this year and beyond. Via Christi Hospital further solidified Pittsburg’s position as the regional medical center of southeast Kansas with a $1 million upgrade to the hospital’s Heart Center. The investment coincides with other improvements totaling more than $7.1 million. The hospital’s foundation has also announced an effort to raise $1.2 million to construct a new, comprehensive Women’s Center. Miller’s Professional Imaging, the nation’s largest professional photography lab, is in the midst of a $1.5 million expansion that will add over 11,000 square feet to the Miller’s campus on Jefferson Street. The project will add storage space and should include some renovation of office and lab space. Company officials project that sales could top $90 million this year. Not bad for a business that began above Bill Miller’s downtown Pittsburg studio in 1964. Recent expansions have also created new jobs at Sugar Creek Packing Company, Progressive Products and Kendall Packaging. The growth of one of the region’s primary economic engines, Pittsburg State University, shows no end in sight. The university continued its track record of impressive growth last year, sporting a record fall enrollment of 7,277 students. This growth spawned eight construction projects over the summer, including the new Crimson Commons residence halls, a $10 million, five-building project housing 200 students. Projects like these will enable Pittsburg State to continue growing and reaching out to high-growth areas in this part of the country. Downtown Pittsburg got a significant boost recently, as Garrison Development Company completed a $9.4 million renovation of the historic Besse Hotel into 46 units of downtown apartment housing just last month. This location of 50 additional families within walking distance of our downtown shops, restaurants and professional offices should have a significant economic impact on the district. If you haven’t visited our downtown area in a while, I encourage you to make it a day trip and see what our local businesses have to offer. A longtime vision for the economic development of southeast Kansas is one step closer to reality. With the Kansas legislature’s recent approval of an $8.2 billion transportation funding package, the effort to complete a four-lane Highway 69 from Kansas City to Interstate 44 is almost certain to see significant progress. The Highway 69 project has been one of the area’s top priorities for almost a century and stands to significantly alter the economic landscape of Southeast Kansas. The Kansas Department of Transportation is expected to announce in February which of the state’s projects will be included in the next transportation plan. 2011 will be a perfect time for the chamber to join the City of Pittsburg, Pittsburg State University and several other partners in a community visioning effort. It’s been a decade since we had a focused effort to develop such a vision and we look forward to engaging our community and listening to how it wants to grow. There’s still an uncertainty about the nation’s economy. However, projects like these and several others in the making will continue to lead our area to recovery.