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News

The latest from the Chamber, our members, and Jefferson County

Holiday

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Chamber!

The year 2021 brought with it a sense of hope – hope that business would return to normal, hope that we would no longer carry the burden of others health and safety, and hope that the term “pandemic” would be a thing of the past. While the hope for a normal year faded in the early months, we still found ways to make the most of 2021. We took the challenges and lessons learned in 2020 and turned them into strengths for the year ahead.

The Chamber saw businesses, new and seasoned, anxious to learn, grow, and connect. Our members reached across the table and asked their neighbor for help and offered support to those in need. There was a sharing of knowledge and resources unlike anything we’ve seen before. The last two years have shown us that we are a resilient community. Though there is still more work to be done, I am confident that, together, we will continue to build a stronger economy and community for all of us in Jefferson County.

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Holiday

“Shift Your Shopping” Receipt Drawing

It’s back again this year! The Chamber’s “Shift Your Shopping” receipt drawing. It’s simple. Keep the receipts from all of your local purchases made at Jefferson County businesses OR Chamber member businesses just across the river, and submit them online or via mail. For every $50 you spend between November 15th and Christmas Day, your name is entered in a drawing for $250 cash! Click here to learn more or start logging.


The Chamber’s Ohio Valley Shop Where I Live website is growing! You can now purchase gift cards and products from over 20 local businesses online.

The Ohio Valley Shop Where I Live website promotes local spending like no other platform in the Valley and finally allows our local small businesses to compete for online shopping dollars. It’s free, easy to set up, and creates a modern, streamlined promotional and revenue opportunity for your business or organization. For many of our members, this is providing a “mini website” and shopping cart for them for the first time ever.

Purchase Gift Cards >

View All Products >

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Employment

Struggling to Find Employees?

The Chamber’s Project Workforce program is designed to help improve the connection between businesses and quality employees.

Many local businesses are struggling, post-Covid, to fill important jobs that are crucial to staying open. We want to assist them by getting the word out to job seekers, local and out of the area, who may want to come here to work/live.

When a member submits their job opening information to the Chamber they will receive:

  • Their listing information sent to our 800+ database of member businesses and organizations and their employees.
  • Their listing information posted to the Chamber job bank at www.jeffersoncountychamber.com.
  • A post to the chamber Facebook page with their listing details. (1700 followers)
  • Personal assistance from Dan Wilson at Ohio Means Jobs in creating and posting it to the OMJ site.
  • Their listing information sent to all Jefferson County high school administrators to be sent on to students/parents.
  • Their listing information sent to EGCC and Franciscan University for their student/faculty job boards.
  • Their listing information gets three mentions on 106.3 The River (They are doing this for $1 each which the Chamber will cover for the member)

Post A Job Opening >

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Holiday

‘Tis the Season to Support Your Chamber Member Businesses!

We know you’re busy. And we know that this holiday season will not be quite back to normal. The Chamber is happy to have a full slate of holiday programming & events to help you promote, engage and ensure that your business is prepared for success. Please use the checklist below and share it with employees and/or managers who can help you take advantage of all we have to offer.

Be a part of helping us optimize local buying & increase awareness of all that is good right here at home. All of the items below are free of charge to chamber members and take just a few minutes to do. Contact the Chamber offices at 740.282.6226 or by email at hannah@jeffersoncountychamber.com with questions or for assistance.

– Ohio Valley Shop Where I Live Website – Just a year old, this exciting, free platform has already captured over $12,000 in local sales for our small businesses. It allows members to offer gift cards and products, complete with shopping cart capabilities, free of charge.

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Coffee & ConnectionsHoliday

Mark Your Calendar Now For 2021 Holiday Coffee & Connections & Holiday Open House!

Keep an eye out for your official Holiday Coffee & Connections invitation and join us on Wednesday, December 8th, at the Holiday Inn of Weirton/Steubenville- Area.

Coffee & Connections is casual, fun, and the perfect way to share news about all that your business or organization has to offer. After a delicious hot breakfast, each attendee gets the opportunity to give a brief commercial about their business or organization and distribute business cards, brochures, coupons or other promotions. Be thinking about your ugliest sweater too, and compete for a full year of complimentary admission to Coffee & Connections in the ugly sweater contest.

Later in the day, from 11 a.m. until 3, don’t miss the Chamber’s Holiday Open house generously sponsored once again by Apollo Pro Cleaning & Restoration. The location is Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in downtown Steubenville. There will be live music, amazing food and a visit from Santa himself. Watch your email for more information and details.

What: December “Coffee & Connections”
When: Wednesday, December 8th, 2021 – 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. (Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.)
Where: Holiday Inn Weirton, 350 Three Springs Drive, Weirton.
How Much?: $15 Per Person. $20 for walk-ins.

What: Holiday Open House
When: Wednesday, December 8th, 2021 – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 300 S 4th St, Steubenville.
How Much?: No charge. RSVP strongly encouraged. Watch your email for details.

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Veteran's Day

Remember Veterans Day Next Week – Thursday, November 11th

The origin of Veteran’s Day dates back to November 11, 1918 when the Allied powers signed a ceasefire agreement ending World War I. On the first anniversary, the United States celebrated Armistice Day. It became a national holiday in 1938 and, in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name to Veterans Day.

According to the U.S. Small Business Association, approximately 9 percent of all business owners are veterans with nearly one in 10 small businesses nationwide being veteran-owned. Collectively, these 2.4 million small businesses employ almost 6 million Americans and generate more than $1 trillion in receipts.

In an article in Entrepreneur Magazine, Carol Tice highlights six ways that businesses and families can celebrate, to honor the men and women that bravely served.


Patronize veteran-owned businesses. Forbes Magazine has a great listing of the top 25 below.

If you have employees, give them the day off, if possible, or at least time off to attend a ceremony or program honoring veterans.

Offer veterans a discount. Promote it early and often on your social media platforms and with signage at your business.

Help a veteran start or grow a business. There are great organizations such as The Veterans Corporation that exist just to help vets become entrepreneurs. And many franchisors also offer special programs to assist veterans in becoming franchisees. The U.S. Small Business Association has programs specifically designed to assist aspiring veteran entrepreneurs. See below for information.


Tell a veteran you appreciate their service.

Talk to your kids about the holiday. It’s important that the next generation understands all that’s
been sacrificed for their benefit.

SBA Veteran-Owned Business Information >

Top 25 Veteran-Founded Start Ups >

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Membership Directory

Announcing The Jefferson County Chamber Virtual Membership Directory & Community Guide!

Please take a moment to check out the Chamber’s beautiful, new online publication. Click the button below to view and remember that all ads link directly to the business or organization’s website.

A great big thank you goes out to all of the advertisers who participated and made this new publication possible. It’s a great marketing and PR tool that will be featured on the Chamber website and used in multiple ways to promote local businesses and the entire Jefferson County and Ohio Valley area in the coming year. In addition, the hard copy version will soon be available at the Chamber offices and will be an important part of relocation and visitors packets.

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Annual Awards Dinner

113th Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner

Nearly 200 guests were on hand Wednesday evening at St. Florian Hall for the Chamber’s 113th Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner. Fittingly held on National Chamber of Commerce Day, the evening’s activities and program ranged from lively and informational to touching and impactful as members gathered for the first time in the regular format since 2019. The opening video featured a collage of Gold Sponsors’ businesses and was followed by taped comments from Cameron Mitchell of the Columbus, Ohio-based Cameron Mitchell Restaurants who shared his rags-to-riches story and thoughts on the restaurant industry in a post-Covid world. (Check out his book in the Library Link below) Paul Hoback Jr., Chief Development Officer for the Pittsburgh International Airport, shared a bit of history about this great facility along with exciting details of the recently-launched $1.4 billion terminal project, complete with architect’s renderings.

Rounding out the evening were two important awards: Ambassador of the Year, which went to Jeffrey Schuetz of Schuetz Funeral Home, and the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented posthumously to Suzanne Kresser. This being the last annual dinner for Tricia Maple, Chamber President, who is stepping down at the end of the year, the board presented her with parting gifts and she introduced the newly named president, Kate Sedgmer, who will take the reigns on January 1st.

Click here to read the complete Herald Star article by Linda Harris.
The evening was made possible by a long list of Chamber member sponsors:

Gold:
Apollo Pro Cleaning & Restoration
The Ridgefield Group
Trinity Health System
McKinley Architecture & Engineering
Omni Strategic Technologies
Eastern Gateway Community College
Franciscan University of Steubenville
WTOV9
Grae-Con Construction

Silver Sponsor
Hancock County Savings Bank.

Bronze Sponsors:
Voto Manufacturers Sales Co.
First Choice America Community Federal Credit Union
Barium & Chemicals, Inc.
Capital Healthcare Network – Carriage In of Steubenville
Exquisite Creations by Joel
Valley Wine Cellar, Inc.
Main Street Bank
Encino Energy
M & M True Value Hardware

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Chamber News

A Message from the Chamber President

As you may already know, I will be leaving the Chamber at the end of 2021, after seven years in this role. It will be a bittersweet departure, but it’s time to move on and re-focus on my own businesses and projects, which have taken a backseat for a long time.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Chamber – the incredible people I have gotten to know, the relationships that were sparked or strengthened, and the work that we have done together. The challenges and successes I have shared with so many of you, especially in the past couple of years, have left me very humbled and inspired by our local business community. And I’m prouder than ever before to call Jefferson County my home and to own a business here.

I thank you all for the great memories I’ll take with me and I look forward to continuing our work in making the area better and stronger.

Remember that there’s still time to get tickets for next Wednesday’s 113th Annual Awards Dinner & Meeting at St. Florian Hall. Come out for great food and drink, exciting speakers and an evening celebrating our members and their importance to the local business community.

Sincerely,

Tricia Maple-Damewood
President

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Annual Awards Dinner

Annual Dinner Presenters Announced

The past 18 months have put unimaginable challenges in front of business and industry worldwide, with two of the hardest hit being travel and food service. With that in mind, The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce that the theme for its 113th Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner is “The Long Road Back: Business In A New World.”

Even more exciting is the duo of speakers lined up for the evening: Cameron Mitchell of the Columbus, Ohio-based Cameron Mitchell Restaurants and Paul Hoback Jr., Chief Development Officer for the Allegheny County Airport Authority that operates both the Pittsburgh International Airport and the Allegheny County Airport. These dynamic and interesting business leaders will discuss how they navigated through the past 18 months and what the future looks like in a post-COVID world.

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants began in a very humble place– Cameron Mitchell’s mother’s dining room table. It was there that Cameron mapped out his career goals that would eventually set the course for his restaurant industry career.

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