Congratulations to Bully Tools!

In The Know

The Weekly Newsletter of The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce

July 21, 2017

Today's Featured Video

Don't Set Goals. Set Systems:

You'll Still End Up in the Same Place.

Most of us are all about goals, especially if we're overachievers. The problem with goals is, reaching them can feel pretty anticlimactic and we end up moving on to even bigger goals. The result is stress, discouragement, and a pervasive sense of failure whenever we're trying to reach our goals. Adam Alter, author of Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked, explains why goal-setting is a hamster wheel and why setting systems is a more fulfilling and psychologically beneficial approach.

Congratulations to Bully Tools!

As part of President Donald Trump's "Made in America" week, the administration recently invited businesses from around the country to a White House showcase event on Monday, July 17, where the president surveyed the various American-made products for himself.

Chamber member Bully Tools of Steubenville was invited to represent Ohio at the event and at a Made in America Roundtable on Wednesday, July 19.

"I got a call that said they were from the White House,” Mark Gracy, owner of Bully Tools, told WTOV News9. “It came in through our receptionist. They told me that the White House was on line one, and I was thinking that this must be one of my friends pranking me."

"Being recognized as the company to represent Ohio is a big honor for us as well," he added. "We came in, we were small, and we've grown and continue to grow." Bully Tools is unique among American-Made companies, Gracy told WTOV, because they have a huge selection of products.

"All 200 products are 100 percent American-made. That's a little bit unique. We're one of the few companies that have a large, broad category. Some companies may make a product out of their line. Every single product we make is made in the USA. 100 percent labor and materials."

To see Gracy's participation in the White House's Made in America Roundtable, go to this video and scroll ahead to the 12:20 mark. The chamber congratulates this local manufacturer and is proud to have them as a member.

Safety Council Recap

Topic: Creating Drug-Free Workplaces

This past Wednesday, at the Chamber's monthly Safety Council Luncheon, Don Ogden, director of the Behavioral Medicine Department for Trinity Health System in Steubenville, Ohio, gave an insightful presentation on how employers can create a drug-free workplace.

According to Ogden, drug abuse afflicts just about every workforce, from multinational corporations to small businesses, from Wall Street to the assembly line. In fact, he said, the United States has the highest rate of drug abuse of any industrial county and about 20 percent of any workforce abuse will involve some type of mood-altering chemical. Furthermore, 40 percent of all industrial fatalities can be linked to drug and/or alcohol use, and 65 percent of all accidents on the job are directly related to drug and/or alcohol use.

With these statistics in mind, Ogden said employers are becoming more proactive "in identifying workers who are impaired by their substance use." Key to any effective drug-free workplace program is Needs Assessment and Policy Development, he said. Policy development includes employee education, supervisor training, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and drug testing. It's vital, though, that an employee's privacy is protected, he added. Meetings with employees who are suspected of substance abuse should take place privately. Suspicions of certain employees should not be discussed openly, and only those who need to know should be aware of these meetings and suspicions.

Ultimately, though, it's important for employers to be proactive about the health and safety of their workplace and their employees. As Ogden reminded the crowd, "People don't check their substance-abuse problems at the door when they enter the workplace."

The next Safety Council Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, August 16. All are welcome and you need not be a member of Safety Council. D etails can be found below in the "Mark Your Calendar" section.

Keep your membership information up-to-date.

Make any changes to contacts, phone numbers, email addresses, and more by clicking below.

Member Information Update Form

Member Morsels

Remember to visit individual member websites by clicking on the business name or logo.

Valley Hospice will be hosting two uplifting evenings dedicated to remembering and celebrating the lives of loved ones who are no longer with us. The Thirteenth Annual Valley Hospice Memorial Butterfly Releases will be held on Monday, August 14, at the Steubenville Country Club, Steubenville and Thursday, August 17, at the Wheeling Park White Palace, Wheeling. Both releases will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

This event is open to the public. Butterflies are $7 each and must be pre-ordered by August 3. As an added feature, attendees will have the opportunity to submit their loved one’s name and/or photograph to be included in the memorial slideshow.

For further information contact Valley Hospice at 740-859-5650 or toll free at 877.HOSPICE.

On Sunday, August 20, the Jefferson County Humane Society will be hosting an All-You-Can-Eat Pasta Dinner to support its Humane Operations Division.

The dinner will be held at Sargus Hall behind Blessed Sacrament Church, located at 852 Main St. in Wintersville. The dinner will begin at 11 a.m. and will include pasta, a side salad, a roll, dessert, and a beverage.

The cost is $8 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Take-out will be available.

For more information on the Humane Operations Division, please visit here.

Did you know you can rent the Chamber's "traveling office" by the hour, day, or week at a very affordable price?

Conduct interviews, meet with clients, or get a couple of hours of work time in while in the downtown area. Call for pricing.

And the newly renovated chamber boardroom seats 20, has a coffee and beverage station, audio/visual equipment, podium, and access to phone, fax, copier, and more. It's all free of charge to Chamber members. Please call for availability or to reserve for any day during regular office hours.

Brown Bag Lunch

Thursday, July 27

12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Come at 11:30 a.m. to eat and/or mingle.

Topic: Creating An Easy-To-Use Social Media Marketing Calendar

Chamber Offices, 630 Market Street, Steubenville

$5 per person. No RSVP required.

More info can be found here.

"First Friday"

Friday, August 4

5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Gaslite

820 Canton Road, Wintersville

$10 per person

More info can be found here.

No RSVP necessary.

Coffee & Connections
Wednesday, August 9
8 to 9 a.m.
Holiday Inn of Weirton

3 50 Three Springs Drive, Weirton
$10 per person in advance
$12 per person if invoiced

More info can be found here .

Please RSVP by August 7.

Small Business Start-Up Class

Wednesday, August 9

10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Jefferson County Chamber Offices

630 Market Street, Steubenville

$30 Chamber Members

$ 40 Non-Chamber Members

Please use rear entrance; RSVP by clicking here .

Jefferson County Safety Council

"Lunch 'N Learn"

Wednesday, August 16

Registration/Lunch: 11:30 a.m.

Presentation: 12 p.m.

Speaker: Craig Petrella

"Heat Stress in the Workplace"

Hellenic Hall at
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
300 South 4th Street, Steubenville
$15 per person; RSVP by clicking here.

"Businesses Out for Blood"

American Red Cross/Chamber Blood Drive

Friday, August 18

10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

YWCA 320 North 4th Street, Steubenville

For more info, click here.

To RSVP or get more information on any Chamber event, please visit the Chamber website and click on the event you wish to view on the scrolling event calendar.

Around the State. Around the Country.

U p-to-Date Information from the Ohio and United States Chamber of Commerce

BWC Update: Rebates, True-Ups, and Future Dating

BWC Administrator/CEO Sarah Morrison is hitting the road this month to remind employers their “Third Billion Back” rebate checks are on the way.

First stop: Northwest Ohio. Morrison made stops at the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce and Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce on July 6.

She will make more stops around the state throughout July to remind employers to be on the lookout for their checks. The checks will arrive in a white envelope labeled IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS ENCLOSED and must be deposited before they expire in 90 days.

She also said employers are free to spend their rebates as they wish, but she hopes they will consider investing in workplace safety.

Read the article in its entirety by clicking here.

Why Most Americans Stayed Neutral on the Internet Day of Action

According to Recode, if you blinked you missed the Internet Day of Action last week. This day of action was promoted by net neutrality supporters in opposition to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) efforts to roll back the public-utility style regulation of broadband. A host of websites and advocacy groups expressed their support for net neutrality and urged users to make comments to the FCC.

Although the effort managed to garner nearly 2 million pre-written comments to the FCC supporting net neutrality (assuming each comment was actually sent by different individuals) only 1 percent of those who voted in the 2016 election formally commented to the FCC. Why did most Americans virtually “stay home” on the Day of Action?

Read the article in its entirety by clicking here.

The Library Link
Great Books About Business With Just A Click

Your link to success begins at the library. Each week in "In The Know,"

The Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County will directly connect

you to a business book or magazine that will inspire, teach, inform, or elevate you, professionally and personally. This week's book is:

Lead Yourself First:

Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude

by Raymond Michael Kethledge and Michael Erwin

This guide to the role of solitude in good leadership includes profiles of historical and contemporary figures who have used solitude to lead with courage, creativity, and strength. To find solitude today, a leader must make a conscious effort. This book explains why the effort is worthwhile and how to make it. Through gripping historical accounts and firsthand interviews with a wide range of contemporary leaders, Raymond Kethledge (a federal court of appeals judge) and Michael Erwin (a West Pointer and three-tour combat veteran) show how solitude can enhance clarity, spur creativity, sustain emotional balance, and generate the moral courage necessary to overcome adversity and criticism.

View or download the book by clicking here.

Today in History

- July 20-21, 1969 -

"That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind." With that immortal quote, Neil Armstrong became the first man to stand on the moon, stepping off the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, the "Eagle," at 02:56:15 UTC, while Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. became the second 20 minutes later. Half a billion people watched as this historic moment was televised live around the world. One of the highlights of the event was President Richard Nixon calling the men from the White House and telling them "the heavens have become a part of man's world." For the whole story, check out this archival front page from the Chicago Tribune.

- 160,000 -

The number of fast food restaurants in the United States. Today is National Junk Food Day, but for 50 million of us, every day is National Junk Food Day - that's how many people are served at one of the country's fast food joints on a daily basis.

Source: Statistic Brain