We just celebrated our 90^th Anniversary on Tuesday night at the Chamber office on the Public Square in downtown Lebanon. Over 150 Chamber members and friends attended the event as we enjoyed food and fellowship for about two hours. We had several former Board Chairs in attendance including Mac McClintock, Chris Crowell, Don Simpson, Mark Lee, Bob McDonald, Ken Caldwell, Rick Smith, John Lancaster, Paul Jewell.

Special thanks to Odell and Linda Bain and Peggy Simpson for their help with organizing the event and to those Chamber members who provided the food, drinks, and desserts: Cheers Wine & Liquors, Crystal Elegance, Jersey Mike’s, Jordan’s Catering, Michael’s Café, O’Charley’s, Publix, Sunset Family Restaurant, and Walker Creek Confections.

At lunchtime on Wednesday, we had a Member Connection meeting for new members. Each Vice-Chair was present to discuss their committee. Melanie Minter, Vice-Chair of the Membership Committee, did a great job putting the luncheon together and making it an enjoyable and informative experience for the new members who attended. If you are interested in joining the Chamber or learning about how to become more involved, call the Chamber office.

Thursday night everyone enjoyed the Business After Hours hosted by HotSpring Portable Spas of Music City. The guys at HotSpring’s always throw a great BAH, and Thursday night was no exception. If you or your business is interested in hosting a future Business After Hours event, contact the Chamber office.

On Wednesday, September 17, our Education Committee will be hosting a “Lunch and Learn” event featuring the new Wilson County Director of Schools Dr. Donna Wright. The lunch meeting begins at 11:30 and will be hosted at the Lebanon Golf & Country Club. Admission is $15 and your must RSVP by Monday, September 15. Contact the Chamber office for more details.

On Wednesday, October 22, our Government Relations & Economic Development Committee will be hosting a “Lunch and Learn” event featuring Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto. The lunch meeting begins at 11:30 and will be hosted at the Lebanon Golf & Country Club. Admission for that event is also $15, and you must RSVP by Friday, October 22. Contact the Chamber office for more details.

Be sure to check out the calendar of events on our Chamber website so you can make plans to attend the next Chamber event! Thanks for making your Chamber one of the largest and best in the state!

The Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce Government Relations Committee will host a series of forums for 2014 election candidates running for office in Wilson County.

A total of 3 forums will take place over the course of the summer at various locations. All candidates have been invited to participate in the forums.

The first will be held on June 5, 2014 at 7:30 a.m. at Labry Hall on Cumberland University’s campus. This forum will consist of judicial candidates: Chancellor, Circuit Court Judge Divisions I & II, Criminal Court Judge, and General Sessions Judge Divisions I, II & II. The following candidates will be recognized at the event: District Attorney, Public Defender, Trustee, Sheriff, County Clerk, Register of Deeds, Constables, and Circuit Court Clerk.

The second forum will take place on July 10, 2014 at  5:30 pm at West Wilson Middle School in Mt. Juliet. This forum will consist of candidates running for State Senate, State House, County Commission (west side) and Wilson County School Board Zone 4.

The third and final forum will be held on July 15, 2014 at 5:30 pm at Winfree Bryant Middle School. This forum will consist of candidate running for State House, County Commission (east side) Wilson County School Board Zone 2 & 5, and Lebanon Special School District Board.

The intent of the forums is to permit the candidates an opportunity to share their ideas and qualifications for serving in these important government roles. The forums will be moderated by Mr. Chris Crowell, former chairman of the board and Vice President of Liberty State Bank. The public will also have the opportunity to submit questions to candidates.

“This is an important opportunity for voters to learn firsthand about candidates’ seeking office.” said Mr. John Bryan, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce board and Vice President of Cedarstone Bank. “As a result we feel that we are helping citizens make informed decisions when they head to the polls.”

All forums are free and the public is encouraged to attend.

The Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to creating a healthy economy and improving the quality of life for all the people in the Wilson County community.

For more information please contact the Lebanon Wilson Chamber of Commerce, 615-444-5503 or

office@lebanonwilsonchamber.com

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We were saddened by the news of the sudden passing of Dave Keltner.  Dave was President/CEO of Cerqa, a supply chain management, commercial printing, promotional items and media duplication company located in LaVergne.

Dave served on our Chamber board from 1998 to 2000. He was our Education Chair two years and under his leadership the Chamber Friends of Education award was started.

I knew Dave when he worked at Prospect, Inc.  I served on the board at Prospect and Dave was the Director of Marketing for the local non-profit.  He was most always smiling and would laugh at most all my not-so-funny jokes.  Dave loved the Chamber of Commerce.  He gave all during his tenure on the board.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Dave’s family.

The past two weeks were jammed packed with ribbon cuttings and Chamber related meetings.  We had a ribbon cutting at Sweet Things Bakery on West Main Street on April 1. We had a great crowd of folks on hand for the ribbon cutting, and it was great to see Leonard Tyree and his wife Joyce at their grand-daughter Staci Tyree’s event.

Our Economic Development committee met on Thursday, March 27 and hosted Tre Hargett, our Tennessee Secretary of State.  Committee Chair Jud Nave did a great job chairing the event as we had 20 committee members on hand to hear from Sec. Hargett.

Here’s what is happening in this week:

Tuesday, April 8th @ 12:00 noon, Governmental Relations Committee meeting will be held.

Wednesday at the Chamber board room, April 9th @ 12:00 noon, Membership Committee meeting will be meeting.

Thursday, April 10th, Books From Birth Imagination Library Dinner @ 6:30 p.m.  at the James E. Ward Ag Center.

Friday, April 11th @ 12:30, Ribbon Cutting @ Fiddlers Grove (General Store).

I would like to personally invite our membership to our 10th Anniversary Celebration at CedarStone Bank on Thursday, April 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. We will have live music for your entertaining pleasure as well as plenty of food and drink.

Thanks for reading my blog…and until next time…I will see you at the Chamber!

It’s been over a week since my last blog, and there has been plenty of activity at your Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber of Commerce.

Over 400 people attended the Chamber’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Open House. We had tremendous support from area restaurants and caterers, with over 30 of those businesses providing a great selection of food for the enjoyment of visitors to our Open House. This event seems to get bigger with each passing year, giving us an opportunity to showcase the Chamber facilities and thank the community for its continuing support.

We visited The Lebanon Democrat Thursday, March 20 for a “Business After Hours” and open house.  Jesse Lindsey, the new Publisher at the five-day-a-week newspaper, was a great host and gave away some terrific door prizes. All totaled we had over 80 chamber members and guests in attendance.

I would like to welcome two of our newest members to the Chamber:

Bed and Breakfast Treasures owned by Jerry Guffey. His business is located at 205 South Maple Street in Lebanon. Welcome Jerry!

Wilson County / TSU Alumni and Emma Tapley Stafford is also a new member.  Emma is a former Lebanon resident and joined the chamber to keep in touch with what’s going on in Lebanon and Wilson County. Welcome Emma!

Recently, we enjoyed a Business Before Hours at Nutter Equipment. Thanks to Jim and the gang for hosting this event on Friday morning, March 14.

Check out our calendar of events for April. I look forward to seeing you at the next Chamber of Commerce gathering.

The Wilson County Sports Council, a Division of the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce, welcomes the Mid-South Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to Cumberland University this week.

Sixteen college basketball teams are participating in tournament play, which begins Thursday, March 6, wrapping up March 9 with the Championship games. We are looking forward to seeing some talented athletes compete at CU’s Dallas Floyd Gymnasium, and encourage to public to come out for the games. For the tournament schedule, visit http://www.gocumberlandathletics.com/championships/2014-msc-bkb/

We are also welcoming this year’s Leadership Middle Tennessee class, visiting Wilson County March 5 and 6 and learning about many aspects of our community.

Next week, the Chamber will be visiting another Teacher Grant recipient, this time at Southside Elementary. First Grade Teacher Vicki Shelton will be showing members of our Education Committee how she is using the grant funds in her classroom.

We’re also excited about our New Member Orientation, set for March 12 at the Chamber office. We have over 20 new members who have joined the Chamber since the calendar flipped over to 2014.

A Business Before Hours, the first of 2014, is set for Friday morning, March 14, Come on out to Nutter Equipment , 101 Jennings Ave., Lebanon, at 7:30 a.m. to enjoy a breakfast reception an networking with other Chamber members.

And be sure to mark your calendar for our St. Patrick’s Day Open House at the Chamber office, 149 Public Square, on Monday, March 17, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. We’ll have lots of great food from area restaurants and caterers!

We are also live on www.active.com and accepting registrations for Go Johnny Go, our 5K/10K/Run/Walk set for May 17. Proceeds benefit the Johnny Keel Wellness Foundation.

It’s been a couple of weeks since my last blog. That may tell you how busy we have been at the Chamber. Ribbon cuttings, a few committee meetings and our February board meeting filled the last two weeks.

Serenity Dental held their grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, February 13.  Dr. Teresa Larkins and her staff have a fabulous new dental office, and the addition of that new structure to West Main definitely adds to the neighborhood. I appreciate Dr. Larkins’ investment in this community.
Southern Kitchen on Cedar Street cut the ribbon on their new location on Wednesday, February 19. Michael and LaToya Lewis offer barbecue and southern cooking at its finest. It’s exciting to see this restaurant add to the flavor of Lebanon’s dining community.
Our Tourism Committee met on Tuesday, February 18, and plans are in full swing for the Second Annual Jammin’ With the General. Three consecutive musical masterpieces are planned for the summer on the Public Square in Lebanon. Additional sponsors for the event are being sought, so if you or your business has an interest, please contact the Chamber office. Stay tuned for more on these special events.
Our Education Committee Chair Scott Jasper and I met with another Teacher Grant recipient at Byars Dowdy Elementary on Thursday. Cathy Fraley, a kindergarten teacher, used the funds to purchase three Leappads for her class. The kids love learning on the devices, and we could easily see that was money well invested.
On Monday, February 24 Frank and Patties celebrated a ribbon cutting at the Outlet Village in Lebanon at 2 p.m. The next day Southern Bank of Tennessee held a ribbon cutting at their new full service branch office on West Main Street in Lebanon at 12 noon.
The community is always welcome and encouraged to come out and help us welcome new businesses to the Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber of Commerce.

What a fantastic evening last night as we celebrated our annual Chamber Membership Banquet and Awards Show at Lebanon’s Capitol Theatre. Some 330 Chamber members and their guests enjoyed a great meal and fellowship as 16 community leaders or businesses were acknowledged for their contributions to Lebanon and Wilson County. We unveiled our Wilson County promotional video that was funded in part through a State of Tennessee grant. This video tells Wilson County’s story and highlights each community within it. Our plans are to incorporate all or parts of the video on our website later this year. 

It is truly an honor to serve as the Chairman of our Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber of Commerce. My thoughts from last night’s speech were sincere when I challenged our membership to stay involved and participate in Chamber events. You definitely get out what you put in and the benefits of getting involved in Chamber events outweigh the effort tenfold. 

Here is a run-down of the awards that were given last night:

1. The Best New Professional or Commercial Building, completed this year:

WILSON COUNTY CHEVROLET BUICK GMC

2. The Best Structure Converted to a New Use/Conversion/Adaptive Use completed this year:

CUSTOM PACKAGING INC.

3. The Best Improvement of Land Usage to enhance the area’s aesthetic or quality of life completed this year:

CEDARSTONE BANK for the Acquisition, Clearing and Development of Adjacent Property at 900 West Main Street 

4. The Best Restoration or Preservation of a Historical Site:

THE CAPITOL THEATRE

5. Industrialist of the Year: 

MIKE & RICHARD MOSCARDELLI – PFP, INC.

6. Business Person of the Year: 

MIKE MANOUS – MANOUS DESIGN

7. Retailer of the Year:  

CARLTON BEAL, CHICK-FIL-A

8. Ambassador of the Year: 

DEREK TRUELOVE

9. Tapped by Tourism:

GWEN SCOTT  

10. Public Servant of the Year:

MR. W.J. “MAC” MCCLUSKEY

11. Lebanon Wilson County Sports Council  “Sportsman of the Year”

LEBANON YOUTH BASEBALL

12. Friend of Education: 

MEL BROWN, PRINCIPAL OF MT. JULIET HIGH SCHOOL

13. Corporate Friend of Education: 

BAYS SOUTHERN BREAD

14. Distinguished Alumni: 

RANDALL HUTTO, MAYOR OF WILSON COUNTY

15. Volunteer of the Year:

ANDREW & BEVERLY VALENTINE

16.  Lifetime Member: 

B.F. “JACK” LOWERY

Another packed week for our Chamber is a wrap!

We celebrated three ribbon cuttings and open house events on Thursday, January 30. The activities started with a ribbon cutting at Pro Equities on East Main at noon and ended with two ribbon cuttings back-to-back at Premier Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine at 4:30 and Dr. Nancy Barrett of Wilson Surgical Associates at 5:30 – both located just off South Hartman Drive on Physicians Way in Lebanon.

Earlier in the week I had the pleasure of speaking at the Kiwanis Club of Lebanon (Monday) and the Noon Rotary Club (Tuesday) about our upcoming Chamber year.  These two fine civic organizations do a great deal for our community. The recent (2013) combining of our youth baseball leagues within the two clubs set a great example of what can happen when two separate organizations, both working for the good of the citizens of Lebanon and Wilson County, come together, check egos at the door and produce a product that is second to none in the mid-state. Lebanon Youth Baseball serves over 600 kids in the Lebanon area who want to play youth baseball. They charge zero to play, and it has been that way for 60-plus years.

We held our second Chamber of Commerce Past-Chair/Presidents Luncheon on Wednesday, January 29 at the Chamber Board Room. We had a great meeting and got some great insight from these fine ladies and gentlemen. Those attending included Ed Callis, Paul Stumb, Paul Jewell, Chris Crowell, Max Smith, Don McDougle, Bob Vanhoosier, Randall Clemons, Richard Macon, Don Simpson, Eric Thompson, Barry Tatum, Ken Caldwell, Becky Jennings and Pat Bone. Chris Crowell chairs that committee.

The Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber will be honoring all the past chairpersons at the upcoming annual Membership Banquet and Awards Ceremony next Thursday, February 6 at Lebanon’s newly renovated Capital Theater. This event is probably sold out by the time this blog hits the website, but call the Chamber office to see if any seats are left.

We have another busy week and month ahead of us in February, stay tuned for more and check back with us next Friday for a new blog from your Chairman.

John B. Bryan
Chairman
Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber of Commerce

We finished a busy week of Chamber activities with our annual Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce Board retreat on Friday, January 24. The Chamber staff lined up our retreat at The Mitchell House, the new home of Sigma Pi Fraternity International Headquarters. We had a great day of planning and enjoyed a wonderful meal catered by Sammy B’s.

Several committee meetings were held this week along with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday at Tony Bates Equipment. The new WEMA Station No. 9, located on the north side of Lebanon on Hwy. 231 North and Rutledge Lane, held an open house and ribbon cutting on Thursday.

We have a busy week ahead of us with our Chamber Education Committee meeting on Tuesday, our Past Chairs Luncheon on Wednesday, and a ribbon cutting at Pro Equities on Thursday at noon. Later on Thursday a ribbon cutting is set at 4:30 at Premier Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine at 100 Physicians Way, Suite 110. A special guest from Duck Dynasty will also be on hand. Just an hour after that, a ribbon cutting will be held at the medical practice of Dr. Nancy Barrett. Dr. Barrett will host a Ribbon Cutting ceremony & Open House till 7:00 to showcase her new office location, (103 Physicians Way, Suite 140) in front of the Physicians Plaza.

Please remember to make your reservations to our annual Membership Meeting and Awards Banquet to be held Thursday, February 6, at Lebanon’s newly renovated Capitol Theatre.

Until next week,
John B. Bryan,
Chairman
Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber of Commerce