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

Christmas is a special season – a time for coming together with friends and family. And what better way to create memorable holiday moments than Christmas 1 2 3 Lebanon?
Christmas 1 2 3 consists of three events organized by the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce: the Festival of Lights, Christmas on the Square in Lebanon, and the Lebanon Christmas Parade with Grand Marshal Daryle Singletary, country music recording artist.

 
The 16th Annual Festival of Lights opens early this year on Thursday, Nov. 21 and remains open every Thursday through Sunday for the remainder of 2013, along with being open weeknights from Dec. 19 through Dec. 31. The popular drive-through Christmas light show is located at the James E. Ward Agricultural and Community Center in Lebanon and is open from 5 until 9 p.m. Admission is $5 per car or $10 for vans and buses carrying 12 or more passengers.
Christmas on the Square, on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 4 to 8 p.m, is hosted by downtown merchants and businesses, along with the Chamber of Commerce. Enjoy shopping, visits with Santa, sending off your child’s letter to the Jolly Ol’ Elf, storytelling, musical entertainment, Big O’s Concessions and more on Lebanon’s historic square. Additionally, Lebanon Mayor Phillip Craighead will flip the lights on for the city’s Christmas Tree at 5 p.m.
A highlight of the evening is Dinner at the Arcade. Enjoy a delicious holiday meal in the Arcade for $25 per person. Recording Artist Terry Weeks of the Music Lab will provide piano and vocal ambience focusing on Christmas favorites to set the tone for a relaxing and festive meal. Dinner is limited to 50 individuals per seating, with serving times at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. In addition, ticket holders will be treated to a carriage ride. Tickets must be purchased by Tuesday, Dec. 3 for the Arcade dinner package including entertainment and carriage ride. Tickets are available at the Lebanon Chamber office.
Historic Lebanon is also hosting their 6th Annual Historic Places Tour from 5 to 8:30 p.m. in conjunction with Christmas on the Square. Tickets are $10 and are available in advance at the Chamber of Commerce, the main office of Wilson Bank & Trust and Historic Lebanon. Tickets will also be sold on Dec. 7 at the Capitol Theatre’s box office.
Finally, on Sunday, Dec. 8, come out on Main Street to enjoy the Lebanon Christmas Parade. This year’s parade theme is “A Taste of Christmas Fun” and begins at 2 p.m. from the old Lebanon High School, traveling down Main Street to the D.T. McCall shopping center parking lot.
The deadline for parade entries is 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3. For a parade entry form, visit the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce at 149 Public Square, Lebanon, call 444-5503 or visit www.lebanonwilsonchamber.comand download the application.