CHAMBER NEWS
July 2018
16 th Annual McDonalds/Galion-Crestline Chamber Golf Outing

The 16th Annual McDonald's/ Galion-Crestline Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing took place on June 21 st at Valley View Golf Course. A total of 120 golfers hit the links with a shotgun start at noon.
Corporate Sponsor for the event was once again McDonald's of Galion, owners Randi & Scott Nickell. 

Co-Sponsors for the event were Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Galion Community Hospital-Avita Health System, Jag Healthcare (Galion Pointe), Mill Creek Nursing & Rehab Center, Coopers Mill/Crossroads Candles, Plymale Ins./Wilson Insurance Agency, Longstreth Memorials, Keep It Classy Car Wash and Bowlin Real Estate LLC.   A special thank you to Signature HealthCare of Galion for providing multiple volunteers for us on the course.

This annual event generates operating income for the Chamber to continue its Economic Development and Business Advocacy efforts on behalf of the business community and serves as a fund raiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities.  

Various contests on the course generated $2,097 for Ronald McDonald House Charities and since beginning this partnership in 2003, a total of $27,154 has been raised for the charity.  

Cander Excavating was this year's first place team with a 54. Team Members were Scott Betts, Tom Cander, Mike Dennison & Clayton Kendall.

Two teams tied for second place, Plymale Insurance (Brad Seibert, Lee Plymale, Joe Ford & Michael Powers) and ADM Benefits Plans Agency (Dawn Ratliff, Jill Kinn, Tom Brown & Steve Ritzhaupt).

The afternoon meal consisting of pulled pork, chicken chunks, macaroni & cheese, cole slaw & assorted cookies and brownies and was catered by Ralphie's. After dinner, announcements and awards were held at the Jefferson Township Meeting Hall across the street from Valley View Golf Course. 

Our sincere gratitude to the Jefferson Township Fire Department and the Jefferson Township Trustees for the use of their space for our event.

We again extend our thanks and appreciation to our sponsors, golfers, volunteers and those who donated goodie bag items, door prizes and raffle prizes. This event would not be possible without those who invest their time and resources to making this event a huge success.  

Mark your calendars now for next year’s outing that will be held on June 27th at the Valley View Golf Course. 
NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS

FCBank, 105 Washington Square, Bucyrus, Ohio 44820, 419-562-7040

Christ United Methodist Church, 130 E. Walnut Street, Galion, Ohio 44833, 419-468-1504

Emmanuel's Bread , Non-Profit, Crestline, Ohio, 419-631-8551
Thank you to Firelands Federal Credit Union for sponsoring the June 8th, Hot Dogs at the Gazebo. Galion area residents enjoyed hot dogs, chips, cookies and drinks! THANK YOU!
HomeCare Matters Welcomes New Executive Director

GALION – June 18, 2018 – The Board of Directors for HomeCare Matters Home Health and Hospice has selected Misty Taylor, RN, CDP as its Executive Director. She replaces Bert Maglott, RN who held the position for 32 years.
Taylor comes to HomeCare Matters with a wealth of experience in the healthcare industry, both as a nurse and executive leader . For more information on the services available at HomeCare Matters, visit www.homecarematters.org .
The Galion Community Theatre; recently installed new electronic signs in their Marquee.

The Galion Historical Society; recognized, Office Manager, Tanisha Pickering, for her outstanding work at the society during her first year.
Shawna Kleinknecht, owner of Duffy Learning Solutions; recently earned her Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Management from Capella University. She will be traveling to Minneapolis, Minnesota in early August to attend the hooding ceremony. Dr. Kleinknecht consistently appeared on the President’s List as a result of maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. Consequently, her diploma will contain the honored Seal of Distinction to denote her accomplishment.  
Dr. Kleinknecht also has two master’s degrees, one in instructional design for online learning, and the other in training and performance improvement. She has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and is a certified teacher in her eighth year of teaching online. Dr. Kleinknecht said, “I hope to use the concepts and skills from my experience and education to move Duffy Learning Solutions from helping students with tutoring, test prep, and college counseling to helping school leaders in performance improvement. I strongly believe that making a significant impact on the educational system can be better accomplished through working with all levels: students, teachers, and administrators.” For more information, visit duffylearning.com or @duffylearning on Facebook.  
The Ohio State University President Visits Avita Ontario Hospital

ONTARIO – June 22, 2018 – The Ohio State University President Michael V. Drake, MD visited Avita Health System’s Ontario Hospital as part of his annual summer tour across Ohio.  

For more information on Avita Health System, visit www.avitahealth.org
Do you have an anniversary, new associate or employee, sign, or business update? Contact Joe or Miranda at the Chamber Office, 419-468-7737 or email mjones@galion-crestlinechamber.org so we can add your business to the Member Spotlight in our next Newsletter.
Our next Chamber Chat will be held Wednesday, August 1st at 8am at the Candi Bar.

Chamber Chat is a free networking event open to all. We try to have a fun, relaxed morning with no set agenda.

Please remember to bring a business card for a chance to win fun prizes!


Longstreth Memorials Celebrates 150 Years with Open House

The Chamber helped Longstreth Memorials celebrated its 150th year in the monument business during an open house on Thursday, June 28th from 5 to 8pm.

More than 160 people visited their new facility on Ohio 598 for a tour, a chance to win door prizes, complimentary beverages and dinner catered by Carle's Bratwurst in Bucyrus.
Owners Sean and Terri Longstreth are pictured here with Chamber President/CEO Joe Kleinknecht and Lu Cooke, Northwest Ohio Regional Liaison who presented the Longstreths with declarations from Governor Kasich for their 150 years in business.
The Chamber held a ribbon cutting on Thursday, June 28th at the new BellStores.
The Chamber held a ribbon cutting on Monday, July 2nd at the new Dairy Queen
Firelands FCU Board of Directors
Announces Transition of Leadership
Wasserman Anticipating Retirement,
Montague Preparing To Succeed
Stephen M. Wasserman, President/CEO of Firelands Federal Credit Union since 2011, has announced his intention to retire in 2019. Upon his retirement, Steve will have over 47 years in the financial services industry. Prior to his time at the credit union, Steve worked at financial institutions in Clyde, Ohio and Hastings, Michigan. He joined Firelands FCU as EVP of Lending and Business Development in September of 2006, and was named President/CEO upon Kevin Wadsworth’s retirement in 2011.

Brett Montague has been selected to succeed Steve as President/CEO of Firelands Federal Credit Union. He is a native of Galion and currently resides in Bellevue. Brett has been employed by Firelands FCU since 2007, first as a Teller, Member Service Representative and Loan Clerk before being promoted to Indirect Lending Supervisor in 2008. He was promoted to VP of Lending in 2011 and Executive Vice President in early 2017.

Over the course of the next year, Steve and Brett will be working together to provide a smooth transition. During the transition process, Steve will serve as Chief Executive Officer and Brett will serve as President. We appreciate the leadership that Steve has provided during his years of service with the credit union and look forward to the continued success that Brett will provide in the future.
CRESTLINE CONCERT SCHEDULE
All concerts start at 7:00pm

Thursday, July 19 th ………….Ribtickler Four & Ingle Sisters
Thursday, August 2 nd ……....Baker 47 / The Stovers
Thursday, August 16 th ……..Darryl & Andrea Gatlin
Thursday, August 30 th ………Michelle Romary Trio 
Third Fridays In Galion, or TFIG, will return to the square in Uptowne Galion on Friday, July 20th at 5pm. This is an opportunity for the Galion community to gather Uptowne and support local Galion merchants.
A MESSAGE FROM THE US CHAMBER

Tariffs, retaliation and international trade in general have been in the news a lot lately (and the news has not been great).

Check out these two blog posts:
1.      By-the-numbers piece on the threat of retaliatory tariffs, higher consumer prices due to increased protectionism, and what a disastrous NAFTA withdrawal (handy breakdown of hardest hit states) would mean for American jobs.
2.      Case-study post by our Senior Economist on aluminum tariffs, and a humble suggestion to work with China on legitimate trade disputes.
Finally, please see the below for a more granular view on recently announced tariffs and a list of threatened retaliatory actions by major trading partners (up-to-date as of yesterday…more could be rolling in).
Sec. 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum
  • ACTION: On March 23, the White House imposed new import tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum from most countries. Temporary reprieves for Canada, Mexico and the EU expired on June 1, effectively doubling the volume of imports subjected to tariffs. South Korea, Brazil and Argentina accepted quotas instead of tariffs; only Australia, a trivial producer of these metals, escaped unscathed.
  • IMPACT: The impact is both direct and indirect —
  • In terms of direct effects, U.S. steel prices have risen by 40% since Jan. 1 and are now nearly 50% higher than prices in Europe; aluminum prices have been highly volatile. The June 1 move to double the metals imports subject to tariffs will lead to additional price hikes. U.S. manufacturers and construction firms are feeling the bite.
  • Retaliatory tariffs on tens of billions of U.S. exports will soon be in place, including:
  • Canada, targeting $12.8 billion of U.S.-produced steel, aluminum, orange juice, maple syrup, whiskey, and other products
  • Mexico, targeting approximately $3 billion of U.S.-produced steel, pork, apples, grapes, and cheeses;
  • the EU, targeting $3.3 billion of U.S.-produced bourbon, rice, cranberries, corn, peanut butter, orange juice, jeans, and steel;
  • India, targeting $165 million of soy products, cashews, almonds, peas, and apples;
  • Turkey, targeting $267 million of nuts, rice, tobacco, autos and auto parts, and steel;
  • Russia, targeting $538 million of undefined U.S. exports; and
  • Japan, targeting $440 million of undefined U.S. exports. 
One study shows these tariffs will cost nearly 470,000 U.S. jobs.
  • ADMINISTRTATION ACTIVITY: The product exclusion process managed by the Department of Commerce is not delivering: Despite an onerous and detailed filing process — with approximately 10,000 petitions for specific product exclusions submitted — not one has been granted. Country exclusion negotiations with foreign governments appears to have ended, with U.S. allies forming a united front against the U.S. action ahead of the G7 Summit.
 
Sec. 232 Tariffs on Autos and Auto Parts
  • ACTION: On May 23, the Administration announced it is launching a Sec. 232 investigation into whether imports of autos and auto parts threaten U.S. national security. Multiple White House sources have confirmed that the Administration is considering using this process to place a 25% tariff on all auto and auto parts imports as a threat to leverage in trade negotiations.
  • IMPACT: Such an action would impact $350 billion in U.S. imports, principally from Mexico, Canada, Japan, Germany, and South Korea. It would be highly disruptive to all auto manufacturers — ranging from domestic and foreign OEMs to small parts manufacturers. Neither domestic nor foreign-headquartered companies support this measure. One study shows these tariffs and the certain retaliation would cost 624,000 U.S. jobs.
  • ADMINISTRATION ACTIVITY: The Commerce Department is launching a formal 232 investigation, which is being expedited.

Sec. 301 Tariffs on Imports from China
  • ACTION: On June 15, the United States will finalize a list of $50 billion worth of imports from China to be subjected to 25% tariffs as a result of its Section 301 investigation into Chinese forced technology transfer and intellectual property practices; the White House has stated that the tariffs will be imposed shortly thereafter. The Administration has also threatened to triple the volume of imports to be subjected to these tariffs (to a total of $150 billion).
  • IMPACT: The targeted products are from sectors related to the Made in China 2025 plan, and most are intermediate goods (about 40%) and capital goods (another 40%) imported by U.S. manufacturers. If applied, these tariffs would undermine the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers in substantial ways; Chinese retaliation would be even more painful. One study shows these actions would cost 134,000 American jobs.
  • ADMINISTRTATION ACTIVITY: U.S. and Chinese officials have met repeatedly in recent weeks. The two sides are far apart, with Beijing resistant to the policy reforms sought by the U.S.
GALION CITY COUNCIL