CHAMBER NEWS
September 2017
Thank You, Galion!

We would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciations to all those involved in making Third Fridays In Galion a success for 2017. So many businesses, individuals and organizations came together to help make these events a success.

First, thank you to the Chamber Board of Directors for allowing us to run with this idea and having our back through it all. Thank you to the many vendors that took time out of their busy schedules and sacrificed a Friday night to set up at the square.

Thank you to the musicians who took that brave step to be in the public spotlight at the Gazebo. Thank you to the businesses in Uptowne Galion that took a chance and stayed open late and offered specials

Thank you to the schools that got their kids involved and planned special performances. Thanks to the Galion Safety Council for taking a chance and holding their June meeting on the Square. Thank you to the Fire Department for bringing the new ladder truck and holding fire extinguisher training as part of the June Safety Council meeting.

Thanks to the Galion Graders Baseball team for meeting with your fans at the Gazebo, not once but twice. Thank you to the young dancers from the Eagle Dance Center for learning a new routine just for their performance on the Square.

Thanks to the many businesses that donated school supplies to the Stuff the Bus event. Thank you to Avita Health System for pulling off an amazing last minute hog roast.

Finally, thank you to the people of Galion for attending these events, visiting the open businesses, checking out the vendors, and thank you to the City of Galion for supporting us and helping to ensure the safety of all those involved.

THANK YOU! You make us proud to be Galion Tigers!

Someday, we hope others will look at the Uptowne Galion business district and see the potential that we see. If you would like to be a part of the revitalization efforts, please consider attending the September 6 th Chamber Chat at 8am at the Candi Bar, 125 Harding Way East, Galion. We will use this monthly networking meeting as a chance to obtain feedback from the 2017 TFIGs and get ideas on how to make the 2018 Third Fridays In Galion even better!

Thank you again for all your support!

Galion-Crestline Area Chamber of Commerce

Joe Kleinknecht, President/CEO
Miranda Jones, Member Engagement Director
Pictures from the August Third Friday in Galion

DATE CHANGE MADE TO THE OCTOBER
MANUFACTURING BREAKFAST   


In observance of October being designated as Manufacturing Month in Ohio, the chamber had originally scheduled its second annual Manufacturers Breakfast to take place on October 5th.

This date has been changed to October 18th at 7:30 am at the Galion High School Cafetorium. Please mark your calendars now.
NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS

Jim & Roxanne Gerstenslager , 1895 Bucyrus-Nevada Rd., Bucyrus, Ohio 44820, (associate members)

Clady’s Flooring & Decoration s (wallpaper & framing), Melinda Tubbs, 315 S. Sandusky St, Bucyrus, Ohio 44820, 419-562-2272 
Galion Elks #1191: The Elks have completely remodeled their banquet room and is now available for rental. Please call them at 419-468-5423 for more information.
The Galion Historical Society: recently provided us with a framed history of our building. "I am Galion" is a wonderful addition to our office wall.

Firelands Federal Credit Union: recently presented Ohio Heartland Community Action with a check for school supplies and uniform vouchers at part of the "Stuff the Bus" event.
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.
The Crawford Partnership for Education & Economic Development is pleased to announce the addition of Hannah Jacobs as communications director, effective August 7.

Jacobs is a graduate of Bucyrus High School and The University of Findlay, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations. While in college, she held a two-year internship with the then newly-developed Crawford: 20/20 Vision initiative, establishing and maintaining social media and communications efforts. Through this internship, Jacobs connected with Ohio Mutual Insurance Group for an opportunity to return to her hometown to begin her career as a communications specialist.

In her role at Ohio Mutual, Jacobs regularly provided communications support for community efforts and The Partnership, including Crawford: 20/20 Vision. She currently serves as a member of the Quality of Life Action Team, leading a strategic effort to enhance childcare offerings and availability in the county.

“The addition of Hannah to the Crawford Partnership completes the team we need to be able to accomplish our vision to improve the livelihood of individuals, families, and businesses in Crawford County,” said Gary Frankhouse, executive and economic development director at the Partnership. “Hannah offers the Crawford Partnership the ability to establish our purpose with a communication style focused on relationship building and storytelling, which truly allows others to understand our ‘why’ in both economic and community development.”

Jacobs is a graduate of Crawford Unlimited Leadership (CU Lead), and she is actively involved in the community as a board member for the United Way of Crawford County, a founding member of the Crawford County Young Professionals, and a planning committee member for the Crawford County Hullabaloo for the House.

As communications director, Jacobs will be responsible for managing strategic communications at the Partnership, including the organization’s brand, marketing efforts, web presence, and social media. She will also develop and lead public relations initiatives and communications campaigns in partnership with the board and Vision committee members, volunteers, leaders, and community members.

“For me, joining the Partnership team is truly an opportunity to connect work and passion,” said Jacobs. “Crawford County is my home and I can’t wait to help share the stories of the people who are working to make it a better place to live and work. As a young professional, I’m energized by the collaboration and momentum we have in economic and community development here. I look forward to building relationships, hearing new ideas, and working collaboratively to make a difference in Crawford County.”

To contact Jacobs, email hannahj@crawfordpartnership.org or call the Partnership at 419-563-1809.
Hot Dogs at the Gazebo


Hot dogs, chips, cookies and beverages were enjoyed at the Gazebo In Galion on Friday, August 18th.

The Galion-Crestline Area Chamber of Commerce event was sponsored by First Federal Bank of Ohio.

The final Hot Dogs at the Gazebo will be held on September 15th in Galion from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm.
CONTACT Miranda Jones at the Chamber for more information on becoming an exhibitor or to register to attend!
Join Us for a Cup of Coffee and Conversation.
Free and Open to All!
From the Manager -

My name is Jillian Tuttle, and I am the manager for your United Way of Crawford County. I'm thankful for this opportunity and have already been working with a great team of colleagues and volunteers to get ready for this year's annual investment campaign. Prior to my role at United Way of Crawford County, I was at the Bucyrus Public Library and Ohio Mutual Insurance Group. I hold a Bachelor’s in English from Bowling Green State University and am working on completing a Master’s in Library Information and Science with a focus in community outreach from Kent State University.
 
I’m excited to be with United Way and represent an organization that has such a positive impact on our community. This year’s investment campaign motto is "United We Fight. United We Win." I'm excited to work alongside our partner agencies and local leaders to ensure a future in which all Crawford County residents Win. When we Live United, we can mobilize our resources as a community to improve the education, health, and financial stability of those in the entire county - from helping kids start school ready to learn to helping people gain the skills they need to become self-sufficient.
 
My husband and I reside in Bucyrus; we’re both originally from Crawford County and are happy to be back in the area with family and friends. I’m active in the community and currently sit as Communications Chair on the Crawford County Young Professional’s Board as well as advise on both the Bucyrus Area Chamber of Commerce and Crawford County Community Concert Association’s Boards. 
We're happy to help.

Once you've set up your profile -- or if you have any questions during the process -- please set up a free in-person session with Adam Knapp, Community Opportunity Project Coordinator. Adam is also available to take professional photos of your organization for the website.
Phone: 419-569-8807
Storage Report – 08/31/2017
Thursday’s storage report cited an injection of 30 Bcf, which was right on target with market estimates of 30 Bcf. Last year’s injection was 46 Bcf and the five-year average injection is 67 Bcf.

Working gas in storage was 3,155 Bcf as of Friday, August 25 th , 2017, per EIA estimates. Inventory was reported at 239 Bcf (-7.0%) less than last year for the same week and 8 Bcf (+0.3%) above the 5-year average of 3,147 Bcf.
Natural Gas Trends:
 September NYMEX: Moved off the board, Tuesday, August 29 th , settling the month at $2.961/Dth, down less than a penny from August’s settle. As a comparison, September 2016 NYMEX closed a year ago at $2.853/Dth and the 3-year average settle price for September is $2.817/Dth.
 
October NYMEX: Settled Thursday up 10.1 cents at $3.040/Dth. As of this writing the market is trading at $3.010/Dth.
 
Strips: With the Labor Day holiday here the coming winter strip (NOV17-MAR18) settled Thursday at $3.252/Dth, up 4.0 cents from the week prior. Looking forward to next summer (APR18-OCT18), the strip settled Thursday at $2.922/Dth, up 1.5 cents from the week prior.

12 Month Strip: Settled Thursday at $3.068/Dth, up 2.4 cents from the week prior and up 14.4 cents from a month ago.

Summary:
September is in the books and we are on our last month of injections officially for the upcoming winter. As of today, the impact of Hurricane Harvey has not had an appreciable impact on the natural gas market.
Our diminished surplus compared to the 5-year average of (+0.3%) and below last year’s level (-7.0%) is driving the upswing. This should be tempered with the very mild (below average) temperatures for most of the eastern side of the country, however, the western side of the country is experiencing extreme heat. The supply surplus that kept a lid on the market has all but been erased.
With the holiday weekend upon us, let us all keep in our thoughts and prayers the people and businesses devastated by Hurricane Harvey as they have a long road ahead of them to rebuild and return to some form of normalcy.
Future Dating of BWC Premium Payments : As of June 30, BWC began allowing for future dating of premium payments, available through their website, www.bwc.ohio.gov . You can now schedule future payments to avoid missed or late payments and for true-up reconciliation.
 
Please note the following:
*          BWC only accepts ACH transactions for future dating
*          BWC does not allow future credit card payments
*          Since you select the payment date, be certain you have the correct premium installment deadlines for reference
*          Payment may be blocked by your bank; be sure to confirm the transaction was authorized
*          In case your bank requires it, the BWC debit blocker code is: #3311334187 .

It is your responsibility to provide this to your bank if necessary
If you would like to schedule multiple installment payments, you can do so through the “Accounts Receivable” screen by choosing different dates for each one. All payments must be ACH. 
 
2018 Group Programs : Group Rating renewals have been sent out to our current clients, and Group Rating and Group Retro invitations are being sent now through the end of summer. Businesses may have eligibility for multiple programs , or dual eligibility, in which case they have or will receive both a Group Rating invitation and a Group Retro invitation. We are eager to discuss what looks best financially, and in form and function. Here’s to another tremendous year of administrating successful workers’ comp savings programs for our clients!

New Payroll Reporting Caps :
For the 2017 policy year (7/1/17-6/30/18), BWC has updated the payroll reporting caps for corporate officers. The minimum reportable wage per person/per week is $451, and $1353 is the maximum .
 
Those affected by the payroll reporting limitation are defined by BWC as such:
 
Active executive officers of a corporation

Note: Officers are considered active if they are engaged in any work on behalf of the corporation.
 
Employers listed below who choose elective coverage (because they are not required to carry workers’ compensation insurance).
- Sole proprietors
- Partnership
- Family farm corporate officers
- Limited liability company acting as a partnership
- Limited liability company acting as a sole proprietor
- Individual incorporated as a corporation (with no employees)
* Non-officer board members are not subject to the officer minimum/maximum rules.

For the construction industry (those in Industry Group 4), the payroll limitation reporting cap is also $1353 . BWC states to “apply the weekly cap on an employee-by-employee basis. In the absence of weekly records, you can only take advantage of the cap on the whole payroll reporting basis. It makes no difference if the employee is full time, part time or seasonal. Section 125 cafeteria plan deductions must be deducted PRIOR to calculating the excess amount. Bonuses paid in the policy year are to spread out among the weeks worked. The weekly construction cap does not affect officers of the corporation or owners with elective coverage since the weekly officer cap is the same as the weekly construction cap.”

Incident checklist : Please click here to download the updated Incident Reporting Checklist that our safety department, RiskControl360°, created for our clients. You probably (hopefully) already have something similar in place but please look this over in case there areas you didn’t think about. It also ties in when to contact your MCO, and when to contact us, your TPA, as this is always a bit of a gray area.
GALION CITY COUNCIL