Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

Transcription

1 Chamber of Commerce Newsletter July, 2009 Volume 31, Issue 7 Chamber Premium Members Gold Members A+ Printing Albright Abstract & Title Guaranty Company Albright Insurance Agency, Inc Baskin, Stevens & Freeland, P.C. CableONE City of Ponca City ConocoPhillips Dancey-Meador Publications Eastman National Bank Evans and Associates Enterprises, Inc. First National Bank of Oklahoma Hays Sign/Precision Screen Home National Bank Jack Bowker Ford Lincoln Mercury Parker Pest Control, Inc. Personnel Staffing, Inc. Power KIXR FM Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority Otoe-Missouri Development Authority Ponca City News RCB Bank/ Pioneer Rick Scott Construction, Inc. Sooner Construction Company TPI Staffing Service Party at the Palace! Betting on Ponca City s Future Chamber Auction will be August 22nd This is the year for the Chamber of Commerce biennial fundraiser Auction! Mark your calendar for Saturday, August 22 nd at the Marland Mansion starting at 6 p.m. Ticket price is only $25 per person. This year s theme is Betting on Ponca City s Future, and we are planning a great menu including prime rib, shrimp, meatballs, mushrooms, fruit, veggies with dip and lots of different cheeses! There will be a live band performing during the evening featuring 70 s and 80 s music! Everyone attending will have a chance to win great door prizes including 2 airline tickets to anywhere Southwest Airlines flies!! The auction will feature both live and silent bidding, which is always lots of fun!! For a sneak preview of the auction items, go to the Ponca City Chamber web site More details to come...plan to attend! Tickets are now available. What an great way to end the summer and support our Chamber! Dress is very casual! Silver Members 89.7 The House/Praise 88.7 Food Pyramid Hospice of North Central OK Oklahoma Natural Gas Company Primerica Financial Services Bronze Members AT&T Brandt s Ace Hardware Century 21 Group One Realtors Cherokee Strip Credit Union Comfort Inn & Suites Davis Moore Auto Group The Gift Shoppe/The Emporium Larry Murphy Insurance Agency Lindsay Manufacturing, Inc. Ron M. Kreger, M.D. Project Analysis & Control Pryse Monument Company Stolhand Heating & Air Conditioning Team Radio WBBZ AM 1230 Both T.L Walker and Chuck Rager have been instrumental in creating and promoting the tourism program in Ponca City through the years. When the administration of Tourism was once again returned to the Chamber of Commerce 5 years ago, they were an integral part of escalating it to its current success. Additionally, they both currently serve on statewide groups. T.L is an Oklahoma Tourism Commissioner appointed by Governor Brad Henry. Chuck is president of the Red Carpet Country tourism group, promoting our entire northwest region including Ponca City. This is their last month serving on the Tourism Board, and we want to thank them both for their service to our city and tourism!! It has been outstanding!!

2 P a ge 2 V olume 31, I s s u e 7 All Right Now, Whatcha Gonna Bid! Steve Crank Chamber Chairperson Here it is, July already. Summer is such a wonderful time. Vacations, cook-outs, pool parties, lemonade stands and of course the Fourth of July! We are truly blessed to live in the United States and doubly blessed to live here in Ponca City. With all that is going on it can be easy to lose track of time, so I wanted this month s article to serve as an early reminder that our Chamber auction is coming up on Saturday, August 22 nd. The theme for this year s Party at the Palace will be Betting on Ponca City-Deal Me In! Be sure to save the date! This year s auction will be bigger and better than ever with incredible items in both the silent and live auctions, as well as a live band and great food and drink! Even though this will be a fun-filled evening, it is important to remember that this event is also a fundraiser to support the ongoing good work of your Chamber of Commerce. Unlike many other organizations, your Chamber only holds one fundraiser every other year. I certainly hope you keep this in mind when asked to donate auction items, or when you are bidding on items at the silent and live auction. This year we are taking a new approach to our auction and using it not only as a fund raiser for the Chamber, but also as a business development tool for you. We are soliciting items that are not only practical and useful to the winning bidder, but will also bring them into your business, giving you the opportunity to highlight your customer service and make collateral sales. Also, when you make a donation, your business name and your donated item will be available for viewing on the Chamber s web site. You will also receive a listing in the auction program the night of the event. Tickets to the event are now on sale for $25 each. This price includes heavy hors d oeuvres, three drink tickets, viewing of the numerous auctions items, as well as admission to the dance following the auction. When viewing the items ahead of the event, bear in mind that Christmas is only a few months away. What better way to support your Chamber while doing some early Christmas shopping! Also, 25% of the people you know will be having a birthday in the three months following the auction so don t forget about them either! I am really looking forward to this event. What could be better than spending an evening with good friends, good music, and great food and drink while having the chance to purchase some useful, interesting, and unique items all while supporting a great cause! So get ready to raise those hands high, enjoy a little friendly competition, and place your bet on Ponca City! We ll see you at the Party at the Palace! Ribbon Cutting set for Fred Boettcher Law Office A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held for the new Fred Boettcher Law Office Thursday, July 9 th at 2 p.m. Fred Boettcher s office is located at 222 East Grand Avenue on the mezzanine level of Eastman National Bank. Everyone is invited to this special event. Please plan to attend! Ribbon Cutting set for LSI Foot Clinic A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held for LSI Foot Clinic on Thursday, July 9 th at 10 a.m. LSI Foot Clinic is operated by Dr. Reed Burk. The ribbon cutting will take place at their new building site, 2200 North 14 th Street. Please plan to attend this special event. Everyone is invited! The Chamber Board of Directors, President s Club, and Ambassador Committee proudly introduce these businesses, and thank them for their investment in our Chamber of Commerce and Ponca City.

3 PV aolume ge 4 31, I s s u e 7 i tycha mber.com V olume 31, I s s u e P a5 ge 3 P a ge 4 The Chamber Board of Directors had a summer social on beautiful Lake Ponca at Daren and Melissa Wilson s dock. Thanks to everyone that brought such wonderful food, thank you Daren and Melissa for the boat rides and use of your dock, and thanks to Steve Crank for being our chef! This was a great way to thank our board members for their work and dedication to serving the Chamber. Thank You! July Business after Hours Ideal Auto Sales! The July Business after Hours is on a special date this year: Friday, July 10 th from 5 7 p.m. at Wentz Golf Course in the Golf Shop. Please make plans to attend this fun summer event, and bring a Chamber friend. The July Business after Hours this year is hosted by Ideal Auto Sales, Bill Murphy is the owner. Come and celebrate Bill s 30 th anniversary in business!! Food, fun, fellowship, and door prizes will be available to all that attend. Please bring your business cards to share with everyone. All members of the Chamber are welcome, and we encourage you to attend these fun events held each month at various locations during the year. Business After Hours is an outstanding opportunity to meet other Chamber members See you at Wentz Golf Course!! Crazy Days in July! The annual retail Crazy Days 2009 in Ponca City will be Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, July 30, 31, and August 1. The Ponca City Business Council of the Ponca City Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors Crazy Days. This event has been taking place in Ponca City for over 47 years! It will be a crazy time in Ponca City to can find great bargains, have great fun, and discover some crazy surprises from our merchants! Ponca City s businesses are first-rate, with quality merchandise, quality customer service, and great hours for your convenience. Take advantage of Crazy Days 2009 and shop Ponca City it does make a difference! Ponca City businesses support Ponca City Schools and all the organizations that make Ponca City a great place to live and work. When shopping at home you also support our local tax base! I know it may sound crazy but Shop Ponca City First, it does make a difference! Advertise Your Business If you would like to better promote your business, how about using the Chamber Newsletter? We offer two advertising options for your business. 1) Provide an insert to go in the Newsletter. The cost is only $75, and you provide the 1,200 copies of your insert. 2) Place an ad in the newsletter. The cost of an ad is $150.00, and it will run for 3 issues. For more information on either of these ways to promote your business, phone the Chamber Office at

4 P av ge olume 4 31, I s s u e 5 V olume 31, IPa s sge u e 7 Did We Make the List? David Myers Ponca City Development Authority Open your home page. Go ahead. Yes, I mean now. Chances are, there will be a list somewhere. That list may be something like the ten best cities in which to have a flat tire, or the five worst towns for getting a cold, or some other such thing. The web is full of them. The media loves them because they are seemingly so objective and full of data. You watch those lists to see your favorite community (Ponca City of course), your favorite state (Oklahoma), or your favorite school. Yet they don t show up, and you wonder why. You need to know something about these lists. There is no objective List-R-Us compiling them. Lists are often developed using different data sources and, therefore, not an apples-to-apples comparison. Data can be purchased from any number of private firms and one data set may not look anything like a similar sounding data set purchased from another firm. More importantly, the list you are reviewing may be put together based upon just a few data points. In addition, the list you are reading may contain an automatic disqualifier that, although possibly listed, is often overlooked. The list may also be compiled by a consultant or a group with an agenda of its own. When I was in California, I worked in an area known as the Antelope Valley. The AV, as it is known, was a suburb of Los Angeles and was one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation. A list came out in the Southern California media showing the two cities of the AV as being among the worst places in the nation to raise a child. The media had a field day. And the community was perplexed. How could an area which already had so many young families and children, which continued to build parks and schools, and continued to attract thousands of new families each year rank so poorly on a list like this? The answer was that the list was complied and sent out by a group known as Zero Population Growth, (ZPG). Not surprisingly, since ZPG was all about no growth, they gave big points to areas that did not grow and greatly penalized areas that grew quickly. The group s name was typically mentioned in the stories but to find out about the penalty for growth, you had to go to their web site which few people did. Fast-growing areas like the AV were listed low, even though that growth almost always included families with young children who moved to these areas because they offered a great place to raise kids. In another example, Money Magazine three years ago had a list of the best places to raise a family (different list than the ZPG list discussed above). The City of Los Angeles was ranked in one of the top spots, tempting many of us who had actually lived in Los Angeles to call Money and ask them if there was another Los Angeles. The data points used by them included the number of museums, accessibility to the arts, public transportation, universities, the number of jobs and more. Large cities, almost by definition, have more of these because they are, well, large. These data points, however, penalize the suburbs of those same cities since they just don t have the population density or the history to have the same things. The irony, of course, is that those suburbs, by and large, grew precisely because people fled the large city in order to raise their family in a better place (i.e., the Antelope Valley). A couple of years ago, one of the lists said that Norman, Oklahoma, was the sixth best small city in the United States in which to live. A good friend, who knows my passion for Oklahoma State, teased me about this as if it somehow diminished OSU by not including Stillwater. Now I have nothing against Norman and think it is a lovely town with a great university, but a truly small city, Norman is not. In fact the criteria used by the list specifically excluded any community under 50,000 people, including Stillwater, Ponca City and other fine small cities. This is not to diminish Norman s listing, just to point out how these lists often cull the herd. Nevertheless, good for Norman for making that list. Oklahoma is often overlooked since our size, population density, and youth as a state puts us at a demographic disadvantage for many of these list makers. Furthermore, there are no data points for being friendly, honest, helpful, or even hard-working. Cary Underwood never would have won American Idol based upon the judges criteria. She won because real people voted for her. The only community list I ve seen that actually counted people s opinions did include Ponca City as a great place to relocate. I can t think of a list I d rather make.

5 PV aolume ge 8 31, I s s u e 7 V olume 31, I ss P auge e 5 Largest Ponca City Event of the Year! Grand National Championship Motocross Races Local AMBUCS help make this Possible! The 2009 Grand National Championship Motocross Races will be held July 28 August 1 at the Jack Blevins Ambuc Motocross Race Track, 1005 West Prospect, in Ponca City. Thousands of visitors will be in Ponca City for these exciting races. Practice runs will be held on Monday, July 27 th, and the actual races start on Tuesday, running through Saturday. The races commence every day at 7 a.m. and last until 5 p.m. Admission price is $10 per day per person, under age 6 is free. Please do what you can to show our guests Ponca City hospitality. If you have a marquee sign, please put on your sign, and in your windows Welcome Racers to Ponca City. This really gets our guests excited when they know we are happy to have them here! This is the largest event held in Ponca City. The Chamber/Tourism Office provided bags and information for over 800 Welcome Bags put together for the families of the race participants. This year the welcome bags feature a map of Ponca City, a flyer on Crazy Days and a gift from the Chamber. The Chamber of Commerce/Tourism Office will also have a Ponca City Welcome Office each day at the races, and pass out free water and information about Ponca City. We are fortunate to have a great event like this in Ponca City at a beautiful race facility. Thank you Ponca City Ambucs for all you do to make this event happen every year in Ponca City! Go out and enjoy the races! The talent level of these racers is outstanding, and the best in the nation. We recently had a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new Garrett Wrangler Restaurant located at 421 S. 14 th Street. This is a family-run and operated business. Our staff ate lunch after the Ribbon Cutting. Wow! Awesome food in a beautiful environment! The service was outstanding! Our coffee cups were NEVER empty! Check them out you will be impressed, we sure were! Member-to-Member Discount Cards! Remember to use your Member-to-Member Discount Card for some great bargains with our participating Chamber Members. A complete list is in this Chamber Newsletter. Every member receives a Member-to-Member Card. Shop with other Chamber Members for great prices and service! Thank you Senator David Myers, Molly Kyler, and Representative Ken Luttrell for all you do for our region and Ponca City. The Chamber Ponca Politics this legislative session was well attended and informative! Thank you! New Teach er Lun ch eo n Mo n d ay August 3 rd Th e Po n ca Cit y Pub lic Sch o o l n ew t each er lun cheo n w ill b e h eld o n Mo n d ay August 3 rd at Zin o s, st art in g at 11:30 a.m., en d in g b y 1 p.m. We d o n o t yet kn o w h o w m an y n ew t each ers w e w ill h ave, b ut w e n eed t o st art p rep ar in g. We p air m em b ers o f o ur b usin ess co m m un it y w it h t h ese n ew in st ruct o r s so t h ey can see w h at w e h ave t o o f f er in Po n ca Cit y. We ask sp o n so r s t o p urch ase t h eir m eal, p lus a t each er s m eal. Co st f o r t h e lun ch is $12 a p er so n. Th is is a great o p p o rt un it y t o m eet n ew p eo p le, m an y o f w h om are b ran d n ew t o Po n ca Cit y. Please p h o n e t h e Ch am b er Of f ice at , if yo u w o uld like t o b e a sp o n so r an d at t en d t h e lun ch eo n. Rem em b er yo u p urch ase yo ur m eal p lus t h e t each er s m eal; t h e t o t al co st w ill b e $24. We ask t h at yo u just sig n up f o r o n e sp o n so rsh ip so w e can get as m an y d if f eren t Ch am b er Mem b er s as p o ssib le. Shop Ponca First! Shop Ponca First! Shop Ponca First! Shop Ponca First!

6 VP aolume ge 6 31, I s s u e 6 V olume 31, I ss u e 7 Tourism Report June, 2009 By Tourism Coordinator MaryBeth Moore Summer is here and we ve already started our domestic and international travel writers tours. K.C. Compton, Editor in Chief for Grit, The Herb Companion, Capper s, and Good Things to Eat magazines spent the weekend with us, as well as Helen Burkett, Ad Executive for Ogden Publications, Mother Earth News, and Adam Gault, Oklahoma Today were all here to attend the annual Draggin Grand and Herb Festival weekend, including the Eagles Tribute concert at the Poncan. Saturday morning started with the Fly-In Breakfast, a vine cutting by Lt. Governor Jari Askins at the Herb Festival, a tour of Silvertop Farm and Vineyard as we joined with 86 people from Touchstone Energy and St. John s Lutheran Church of Moore, Oklahoma, for a tour of many more of our attractions and local entertainment at the Poncan Opry! It was a busy weekend, and I m excited to add, Ms. Compton auditioned for the Fall Opry, and was selected! We look forward to having her back among us for Oktoberfest weekend, where we plan on watching her perform at our very own Poncan Opry in the Poncan Theatre! If you missed Draggin Grand, you should know there were hundreds of cars cruising up and down Grand Avenue with thousands of spectators, including alumni from Ponca City High School celebrating various class reunions, it s great to see the streets packed with people and the weather could not have been better. The Herb Festival was packed, and Lt. Governor Jari Askins was in attendance as well as our local dignitaries, including Senator David Myers, Representative Ken Luttrell and Mayor Homer Nicholson. Don Swift, Editor of Distinctly Oklahoma magazine attended the Herb Festival and later stopped by a local restaurant for a rack of ribs to take back to Oklahoma City! You can go to the Oklahoma Moments website and find the Herb Festival listed. Just type in then click on Archives and look for Ponca City Herb Festival. Our first International travel writer arrived on Thursday, June 11th. Mr. John Ellingham, production Editor for The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday spent the day enjoying our attractions. Both newspapers aspire to carry a travel piece on the sights and sounds of the Kansas/Oklahoma prairies. John wanted to experience our wide open spaces and diverse cultures, and this was his first trip to our area, so we stopped by the RSNC (Ranch Sorting National Championships) at Play Pen Arena. Wow! We enjoyed a few sets of competition sorting then headed out back to talk with a few of the cooks who had a pig on the pit! John compared the sorting to be similar to their sheep and sheepdog competitions, however he had nothing to compare to an entire pig roasting over an open fire! He then enjoyed a personal tour of Standing Bear Native American Park and Museum as well as a personal tour of the Marland Mansion, then a driving tour of all our other attractions including a walk around Centennial Plaza and tour of City Hall. The Mural Committee is at it again! Take a drive down 2 nd street just past Cleveland and look at the murals that received a new coat of paint. Ponca City Tourism will be represented during the 2009 National H.O.G. Rally June in Oklahoma City. We will have a booth set up at Thunder Mountain Harley Davidson all three days of the rally. We look forward to working with our local H.O.G. members in soliciting registrations to attend the State Rally being hosted in Ponca City in October, 2009 at Wentz Camp. Itineraries/Tours: As mentioned, Touchstone Energy/St. John s Lutheran arrived with 86 people. This group enjoyed a guided tour of the Marland Mansion and then a driving tour of Ponca City ending up at Silvertop Farm and Vineyard for lunch, entertainment, and tours of Saltfork s Ranch venue. We are excited about the 101 Rodeo s 50 th Anniversary Celebration and look forward to hosting Kincaid Tours with 2 motor coaches booked so far! This group will be attending the Saturday, August 8 rodeo performance at the 101 Rodeo Grounds. I received confirmation that the Kansas City Missouri unit of the Wally Byam Caravan Club International will be meeting in Ponca City on September 25 th and have scheduled a tour at the Marland Mansion with lunch in Lydie s Cottage followed by a full afternoon of tours, then spending the evening at the Standing Bear Pow-Wow. They will be parking their Airstream RV s at Lake Ponca for the night some arriving early and some staying later than Sunday, September 27 th. Keep in mind we really do have the most unique attractions, culture, and recreation to offer, as well as a larger number of events than any city our size. Be proud. Get out and re-invent yourself right here in Ponca City!

7 V olume 31, I s s u e 7 P a ge 7 Do you recognize these folks? Isn t Ponca City filled with beautiful art? PRIDE Training Available for Chamber Businesses Please consider taking advantage of the PRIDE Training that is available for Ponca City Chamber Businesses. This important program will help improve customer service and knowledge of Ponca City with your employees. You may think your business would not benefit from this training or that your employees don t need the training, but...your business and employees will benefit from PRIDE Training! Please give it a try. The cost is minimal but the results are unlimited! The letters in the word PRIDE stands for Producing, Resourceful, Informed, Dedicated, Employees. PRIDE training is an exciting and affordable opportunity for employees to create better customer service, help employees become excited about their job, and have a good knowledge of Ponca City attractions and events. Many times we don t realize how we treat people until we learn how we should be treating people. This training helps address this issue, and also the appearance of your employees and your workplace. It is important to our economy that people respond in a positive way about Ponca City. PRIDE provides this positive response to the questions asked of employees. For example is there anything to do in Ponca City? Is there a good place to eat in Ponca City? The PRIDE training will last approximately two hours and only costs $5 per employee. Please phone the Chamber Office today at to register your business, or for more information. We do want to allow 2 to 3 weeks for scheduling a time that is convenient for your business. Did you know For an annual fee of as little as $50.00, you can get an enhanced listing in the Membership Directory on the Chamber of Commerce website? With just a mouse click, we can link your website to the Chamber s, and add a map icon for ease in locating you. Congratulations! Stan Wheeler of Lamp Post Liquor is shown at right as he accepts the Business of the Month Award for the month of June, This award is given by the Ponca City Business Council.

8 P a ge 8 V olume 31, I ss u e Community Wide Holiday Giveaway Sign up today by phoning ! We are starting to sign up businesses right now for the 2009 CWHG Promotion. This year s will be the biggest Chamber promotion in history! Again this year we are announcing the winners over local radio stations (and not at Sullin Stadium as has been done in years past.) Using our local Radio Stations made last year s CWHG one of the largest ever! We had over 740,000 tickets distributed with each ticket representing $10 in sales. What that means to our participating businesses is that they had over 7 million dollars in sales to our community. What a fantastic Chamber of Commerce promotion to have people Shop Ponca City First and then show our appreciation to the people that do! The Ponca City Business Council is responsible for coordinating this important effort. We are in the process of asking Chamber Businesses to sign up now if they plan to participate. The Community Wide Holiday Giveaway cost is only $250 per business and we ask that it be paid to the Chamber by October 1, Last year we had 76 participants. That was the most we have ever had! For your participation in this promotion you will receive radio, television, and newspaper advertising both local and area wide. Your business will receive 1 roll of 2,000 tickets with each additional roll only costing $10 per roll by the way that is our cost for the roll of tickets. Your business will receive a window poster and a Christmas wrapped ticket box. Other benefits of participating include prizes given in only Ponca Bucks these bucks are good only at our participating businesses! We promote increased sales during the Holiday Season for your business. We keep shoppers in Ponca City. We bring in shoppers from the surrounding trade area. Having a joint promotion of our businesses means a much stronger impact than having each business do an individual promotion. We encourage you to tailor this promotion to become your own customer appreciation event. Remember: We are providing a low cost way to enhance your regular promotions plans. Most importantly, our Chamber promotion increases your business and our city sales tax revenue! The 1 st Saturday in November will be the date we start distributing tickets for purchases. You will not be invoiced until August 1, Call the Chamber Office today if you would like to sign up to participate ! FYI All funds for the retail promotion go only to the promotion and not any to the operation of the Chamber. Please participate!

9 P a ge 9 V olume 31, I s s u e 7 Chamber Member Business Notes for July! AT & T Announces Discount Program Jerry Bayliss, AT&T External Affairs Oklahoma, said existing AT&T wireless customers may qualify for a 15 percent discount on their personal wireless account. All federal employees; active and retired military; all city, county, and state government employees; all school district employees; and all tribal employees qualify for participation in the company s Individual Responsibility User (IRU) program. Employees of these specified entities should take proof of employment to a local AT&T wireless retail store to have the discount placed on their account. If your company is interested in participating in AT&T s IRU program, you can visit the AT&T website to see if your business qualifies at This program allows you to offer your employees a valuable benefit at no cost to you. If you have any questions, feel free to give Jerry Bayliss a call at , , or Jerry at jerrybayliss@att.com. Verona Mair is proud to announce the Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio in Ponca City is the very 1st in the nation to be appointed the prestigious distributorship of the very popular OPI nail polish products. Stop by at 303 E. Grand and check out the variety of colors available. The Conoco Museum has openings for volunteers. Available shifts include mornings 10 1:30, afternoons 1:30 5:00, or on standby as needed. Meet interesting people and help show off our world-class museum! Contact Carla O Neill at or the museum at Cope Photography is offering 20% off senior portraits when you schedule your session between July 5th and August 7th. Join us on Facebook! Phone to schedule your session. General Motors Corporation Attention: Rodney Pemberton On behalf of the entire GM team, as GM embarks on an exciting new future, I am extremely pleased that Pemberton, Inc. has been identified by GM as one of its key dealers. Your selection as a dealer for GM shows the confidence we have in your dealership being part of the new GM. In closing, please know that GM has great respect for, and appreciation of, your past efforts as a GM dealer. We are enthusiastic about the prospects of our mutual success under this new structure. Sincerely, General Motors Corporation Ponca-City based Pioneer Equipment Rental, co-owned by John Redwine, of Ponca City, Oklahoma and Larry Redwine of Yukon, OK was recognized as among the nation s leaders in the rental industry. Pioneer was ranked among the top 100 companies in rental according to the Rental Equipment Register (RER), a trade publication for the equipment rental industry. The company has nine locations in Ponca City, Stillwater, Shawnee, Newcastle, Chickasha, Enid, Lawton, Durant and Denton, TX. RER rankings are based on total rental revenue. However, Pioneer also offers sales, parts and service in a number of equipment and construction product lines. John Redwine commented, We re very excited about this recognition. We greatly appreciate the customer loyalty and hard work of our associates that makes this recognition possible. Our top goal always is to provide our customers top-rate equipment products and service second to none. Larry Redwine added, This recognition reflects our continued optimism regarding the long-term economic outlook in the communities we service. We intend to continue to pursue growth opportunities in order to better serve our customers. Remember Business After Hours, July 10 from 5 7. Drop in at the Golf Shop at Wentz Golf Course and wish Bill Murpy of Ideal Auto Sales a Happy 30th anniversary. 30 years in Ponca City WOW! Need Help with Your Health Insurance Costs? Check out or phone for more information!

10 V olume 31, I s s u e 7 P a ge 10 Your Chamber of Commerce at Work in June! Friday and Saturday, July 3 and 4: Office is closed for the 4 th of July Celebration! Thursday, July 9: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for LSI Foot Clinic at 10 a.m. located at 2200 N. 14 th Street. Thursday, July 9: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Fred Boettcher Law Office at 2 p.m. located at 222 East Grand on the mezzanine floor. Friday, July 10: Business after Hours from 5 7 p.m. at Wentz Golf Course hosted by Ideal Auto Bill Murphy. Tuesday, July 14: Ponca City Business Council will meet at 8 a.m. in the Chamber Office Patt Hughes Board Room. Earl Ball with Earl Ball Insurance is the Chairperson. Tuesday, July 15: Finance Committee will meet at 11 a.m. in the Chamber Office Patt Hughes Board Room. Ryan Schwabe with Baskin, Stevens and Freeland is the Chairperson. Tuesday, July 15: Executive Committee will meet at 11:30 a.m. in the Chamber Office Patt Hughes Board Room. Steve Crank with Oklahoma Employment Security Commission is the Chairperson. Thursday, July 16: Community Development Committee will meet at 10 a.m. in the Chamber Office Patt Hughes Board Room. Barry Bickle with Eastman National Bank is the Chairperson. Tuesday, July 21: Ambassador Committee will meet at 8 a.m. in the Chamber Office Patt Hughes Board Room. Joe DeNoya with Pemberton s is the Chairperson. Thursday, July 23: Tourism Bureau will meet at 8 a.m. in the Chamber Office Patt Hughes Board Room. Kelly Johnson with Quality Water is the Chairperson. Tuesday, July 28: Chamber Board of Directors will meet at 11 a.m. in the Chamber Office Patt Hughes Board Room. Steve Crank with the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission is the Chairperson. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday July 30 August 1: Crazy Days in Ponca City! Don t miss out on all the fun events taking place in Ponca City! For a complete list of events please go to the tourism web site: For more information on any of these Chamber events or meetings please contact our Chamber Office Did you lose something of value at the Herb Festival? If you left something behind the counter at the Children s booth area, please contact our office, (580) From the Ponca City Tourism website, July: 4 - Freedom Festival at Lake Ponca 4 - Camp McFadden 4th of July Family Night Firecracker 2009 Open Car, Truck, & Motorcycle Show at Southwind Casino. 5 - Ray Hendley s Photography at the Ponca City Fine Arts Center (all month) Grease live and on stage at the Ponca Theatre 10 - Street Dance after the Grease performance in front of the Poncan Theatre th Annual Christmas in July Boat Flotilla at Kaw Lake Jumbo Radio Controlled Fly-In at GOOFs Field Missoula Children s Theatre Beauty Lou and the Country Beast workshop at the Poncan Theatre Scraplahoma Crop til You Drop Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Arts Adventure at Northern Oklahoma College 27-August 1 - Grand National Moto-Cross Races at AMBUC Race Park 31-August 2 - Kaw Pow-wow To learn more, visit the website or call our office, (580)

11 P a ge 11 V olume 31, I s s u e 7 May BAH Joey Campbell Office Manager Express Employment Professionals Phone: N. 14th Street Cell: Ponca City, OK Joey.Campbell@ExpressPros.com BUSINESS CARD WINNER! Eastman National Bank did an outstanding job this month with Business after Hours. It was a luau theme and the attendance was super. Thank you for hosting!! Did you know that we have created a new look for our website? Check it out at Let us know what you think! Your Chamber of Commerce putting dollars back into Ponca City Businesses! Chamber Buck Annual Sales as of June 25, 2009 $71, Did you know The University Center at Ponca City offers a Bachelors Degree in Nursing from Northeastern State University (RN to BSN), and a Masters in Health Care Administration from Oklahoma State University right here in Ponca City! LEARN Is it time for a Chamber upgrade? Our premium members enjoy special membership benefits! Ask us what an enhanced membership status can do for you Gold Silver Bronze. Maximize your membership with us!

12 Volume 31, Issue 7 P a ge 12 Member-to-Member Discounts Following are the discounts being offered to Chamber members by other members. To receive the discount, simply show the participating business your Discount Card. If your business needs additional cards, or would like to participate in this free program, call the Chamber at All Star Advertising & Promotions, 820 W. College: Free $15 set-up fee on any new order. For chamber members only! Call Dale at Offer expires At Home Medical, 1209 E. Prospect Ave.: 10% discount on anything in the store. Cash Sales only. Call Offer expires Bob s Glass Plus, 619 S. 1st: Free Glass Cleaner with full tint. Call or and make an appointment. Offer expires Bodyworks Massage & Spa, 2002 N. 14th: $5 off one hour massage. $5 off 1/2 hour massage. For chamber members only! Call Offer expires Jack Bowker Ford Lincoln Mercury, 2415 N. 14th: Receive 10% off any rental vehicle. Call Kim Ochoa For chamber members only! Offer expires Brown s Shoe Fit Company, 2101 N. 14th: 15% off purchase of $65.00 and up. Offer expires Chimney Doctor, 5911 E. 68th : Certified Sweep Service offers $20.00 off regular cleaning & inspection price. Call or toll free at (888) 477-SOOT (7668). Offer expires Completely Quilted Bernina Sewing Center, 315 E. Grand: Free Fat Quarter with $20 or more purchase. Call Offer expires Cope Photography, 205 E. Grand: One free 8x10 with any portrait package purchase. Call for your appointment today! Offer expires The Daily Grind, 202 E. Grand: Any large drink for a medium charge. Call David Broome at Offer expires Enterprise Rent-A-Car, 3214 N. 14th: We have everything from compact cars to sport utilities to 15 passenger vans. Receive 10% off daily and weekly rental rates and over 40% off daily rates for weekends. Call Dewey Wilson or Katy Smith at No expiration. Galaxy Mattress, 2501 N. 14th: 5% off, or free local delivery, to any Chamber member Offer expires The Gift Shoppe The Emporium-Delilicious Diner, East Grand: 15% off any regular priced items. Members only! Offer expires 12/1/2009 (Excludes Dec 2009). Golden Villa Adult Day Services, 1722 N. 4th Street, Suite B: Visit our day program for one day at no charge. Must be a new appointment. Call Melissa at Grand Flowers & Gifts, 217 East Grand: 10% off Total Purchase. Call Offer expires Happy Days Café, 423 East Grand: 10% off Full Breakfast, Sandwiches, Salads and Dinners (Beverages not included). Call Lee Vernon at Member meals only. Offer expires Head Country Bar B Q, 1217 E. Prospect: 10% off regular price dinners. Call Charlie Ryan at Offer expires Kay Office Equipment Company, 1401 N. 7th: Your old copier is worth at least $500 as trade in on a new Toshiba or Samsung Digital Copier. 10% discount off all supplies in stock. Call Dan Stahl at Offer expires Mayer Eye Care, 1722 N. 4th, Suite C: 10% off Regular Priced Items. Call for your appointment today! Offer expires Mazzio s Pizza, 720 E. Prospect: Mazzio s Pizza will give a 30 % discount on 5 or more pizzas. A 10% discount for members on any menu item. Void with daily specials, coupons, discounts, or Mazzio s special offers. Marc & Kathy Leavell. Offer expires McGee Jewelers, 219 East Grand: 30% off store wide excluding repairs and class rings. Call Matt McGee at Offer expires Parker Pest Control, 3614 Lake Road: First treatment on five step lawn program, 1/2 price for new customers. Call Brad Parker at Offer expires Pecan Place Apartments, 3550 N Pecan Road: $50.00 off move-in rent on a 1 or 2 bedroom unfurnished apartment. Members only. Call Kaleen Mills at Offer expires Personnel Staffing, Inc., 715 E. Hartford: Four hours free on a forty hour work week. Only one per customer. New job orders only. Please contact Mikki or Tricia at No expiration date. Ponca Bowl, 2000 Lake Road: Buy 1 Get 1 Free, Open play only. Call Offer expires Ponca Tech Squad & E-Sell, 426 West Grand: 20% off labor. Call Mike or Matt at Offer expires Prairie Rose, 407 East Grand: 15% off regular price items. Call Lori George at Offer expires Simply Unique, 100 East Hartford: 15% discount on all items excluding Bells of Vienna. Call Al or Linda at Offer expires Spray s Jewelry, 210 East Grand: 20% discount on all merchandise excluding class rings and repairs and sale items. Call Carter Buller at Offer expires Take Ten Tire & Lube, 3015 N. 14th: Your one stop shop for all your automotive needs! $3 off full service oil change, free brake & tire inspection. Give us a call Offer expires The Ranch Wellness Center, 1043 N. Union: 15% off any service. Call for your appointment today. Offer expires 12/31/2009. The U.P.S. Store., 522 North 14th: $3 off Package Service for Shipment from the U.P.S. Store. Call Pam Childs at Offer expires Throop Propane Company, Highway 177 South: $2 off any 20 lb gas grill fill. Call Leslie Throop at Offer expires Village Green Apartments, 2700 N. 5th St.: $50 off first month s rent with 6 month lease on 2BR apt. Call Ask for Paula. Offer expires Visual Solutions, Inc., 211 N. 2nd St.: 10% discount on all orders. Call Roger or Wendy at No expiration date. Is Your Business Here? If not, call the Chamber to promote your business. This is a benefit of being a member and there is no cost to you. Call Nancy Kruckeberg at to take advantage of this free advertising.

13 P a ge 13 V olume 31, I s s u e 7 Ponca City Area Chamber of Commerce Proudly announces our 2009 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Brett Austin RCB Bank/Pioneer Ryan Austin First National Bank of OK Earl Ball Earl Ball Insurance Agency Troy Campbell Home National Bank Jim Cochran Ponca Plaza, Inc. Kimberly Cotton GK Tire & Auto Mike Culver A + Printing Steve Crank Oklahoma State Employment Services Lee Evans Evans & Associates, Inc. Mary Graham ConocoPhillips Scott Jackson Boettcher, Martin, Jean & Jackson Molly Kyler Pioneer Technology Center Erin Liberton City National Bank Sue Lunsford Community Volunteer Dr. Steve Tiger Pioneer Technology Center Janet Martin Eastman National Bank Homer Nicholson Mayor of Ponca City Dr. David Pennington Ponca City Public Schools Ryan Schwabe Baskin, Stevens & Freeland, PC Dr. Roger Stacy Northern Oklahoma College Rhonda Stolhand Stolhand Heating & Air Andy Wachtel Ponca City Medical Center Daren Wilson Albright Insurance Agency Welcome New Chamber Members! As of the printing of this newsletter, these are the new members to our Chamber of Commerce. Please make them feel welcome as the newest additions to our Chamber family! TS Industries Supercuts Rightway Roofing Schaefer Jonson Cox Frey Architecture Official Publication The Ponca City Chamber of Commerce Newsletter (ISSN ) is published monthly by the Ponca City Area Chamber of Commerce, Rich Cantillon, Publisher, 420 East Grand Avenue, Ponca City, Oklahoma Subscription rate to members is one dollar, payable with membership. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to: PONCA CITY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE NEWSLETTER P.O. Box 1109 Ponca City, Oklahoma (580) E. Grand Ave N. 14th Street 1420 Pioneer Road Wichita, KS Periodical Postage Paid at Ponca City, OK E. Grand P.O. Box 1109 Ponca City, OK (580)