220 E. Tulare Ave.
Tulare, CA 93274
559.686.1547

   The Tulare Chamber of Commerce exists to serve its members and citizens by advocating for, and engaging in,
efforts to encourage economic opportunity and business prosperity.
T ULARE  B USINESS & COMMUNITY  C ONNECTION

In This Issue
Chamber Calendar
3/14, 8:00 am - 9:45 am

Grandma's House Ribbon Cutting
3/9, 4 pm

3/9, 5:30 pm -7:00 pm

3/13, 12:00 -1:15 pm

3/21, 10 am


For our entire month of Chamber/Community events, click on above calendar.
RIBBON CUTTINGS



SAVE THE DATE
STATE OF THE CITY
May 19, 2017


 
Western Jubilee
May 20, 2017

Sponsorship Opportunities
Available
Crush Party 
September 22, 2017
 
Salute to Dairy & Dairy Princess Coronation

June 9, 2017
Member News
Want to know what's new with fellow Chamber Members? Check out the 

City Meetings



City Council Meeting
3/7, 7:00 pm


City Meeting Location: 
Tulare Public Library & 
Council Chambers, 
491 N. M. St., Tulare


Free resources to grow your business!

Community Impact Partners
Businesses making an investment in our community  

PLATINUM PARTNERS


 
   
 GOLD PARTNERS

 

SILVER PARTNERS

 


 
 

 

BRONZE PARTNER

River Valley Church

Want to learn how your business can become a Community Impact Partner?
Call the Chamber for an overview, 559-686-1547.

Executive Officers
Kelsey Jones
Chair

Renee Soto
Chair Elect

Kerissa Chapman
Immediate Past Chair

Teresa Menezes
Vice Chair of Membership

Mike Watson 
Vice Chair of Finance

Board of Directors
Ronald Smith

Keith Reynolds

Karen Bravo

Graciela Soto-Perez

Ken Dodson

John Harman

Lisa Garcia

Danny Giotto

Kathleen Johnson

Kevin Mooney

Marc Limas
Professional Support
Patrick Isherwood
Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman

Dennis Mederos
General Counsel 
Professional Staff
Donnette Silva Carter
Chief Executive Officer

Staci Zeller
Community Partnership Director

Charlotte Smith
Interim Information Coordinator

Leah Saldana
Business Intern
Our Core Competencies

*Creating a strong local economy

*Promoting the community

*Representing the interests of business with government

*Providing business engagement opportunities

March 2017
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS NETWORKING MIXER
       
CHAMBER BUSINESS AFTER HOURS
                 
Network & Connect for Business
Don't miss out on the great opportunity to Network and Grow your Business. Engaging in networking opportunities has proven to be a successful marketing strategy for building and sustaining lasting business relation ships.

CALIFORNIA COMPETES TAX CREDIT

      GO-Biz Hosting Webinars for Businesses Interested in Applying 
The next California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC) application period starts Monday, March 6, 2017, with more than $68 million in available tax credits. Businesses interested in applying can register to view a live webinar explaining the application process. This program is open to any business planning to create new full-time jobs in the state, regardless of size or location. Since 2014, GO-Biz has awarded over $400 Million to 574 companies that are projected to create over 60,000 jobs and make $13.5 billion in  investments. T he deadline to submit applications is Monday, March 27, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) and the online application website will automatically close once this deadline has passed. The online application can be accessed starting March 6, 2017 at   www.calcompetes.ca.gov .   Members of the CCTC team are available to provide technical application assistance ( CalCompetes@gov.ca.gov / (916) 322-4051). An application guide, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), program regulations, and a downloadable version of the webinar presentation is available  here .                                           
              Complete List of Upcoming Webinars                  
March 1, 2017
March 7, 2017
March 16, 2017
ECONOMIC SUMMIT

CAL CHAMBER
Cal Chamber Logo
FREE SMALL BUSINESS WEBINAR
On March 30, the California Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a free 30-minute free webinar for small businesses to discuss the five most common labor law issues impacting small businesses. This is a unique opportunity for you to learn how to avoid costly fines and penalties for inadvertent violations of California's complex employment laws.
 Top 5 Labor and Employment Laws Perplexing Small Businesses
Thursday, March 30, 2017, 10:00 am - 10:30 a.m. PT
            Register here 
___________________________________________________________________________

California Restroom Sign Law Effective March 1
Starting March 1, 2017, all single-user toilet facilities in any business establishment, place of public accommodation or government agency must be identified as "all-gender" toilet facilities. The law authorizes inspectors or other building or local officials responsible for code enforcement to inspect for compliance.
                                                        ( Read More Here)       

______________________________________________________________________________________________

2017 CalChamber Issues Guide Available

The California Chamber of Commerce 2017 Business Issues and Legislative Guide is available now on the CalChamber website at http://www.calchamber.com/businessissues

This easy-to-reference publication compiles a cohesive answer to the state's complex economic dilemma: Expanding Opportunity.
FREE E-BOOK EDITION   http://www.calchamber.com/businessissues
______________________________________________________________________________________________



Are your HR products up-to-date? Mandatory changes went into effect January 1st. Avoid potential fines. Contact the Chamber to get copies today!

SUPPORT CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATiON

The Career Technical Education Department at College of the Sequoias, would like to invite
local industry professionals to our mentor night called "Entrée to Employment." Meet our
most promising students over a catered meal and share information about your
organization and career!

The event will be held on
Thursday, March 30th from 5 pm -7 p.m. at the
COS Tulare College Center
and is free of charge to our industry guests who RSVP to our   EventBrite site.
 
Spring 2017 Featured Programs:
  •          Manufacturing (Welding & Industrial Maintenance)
  •          Culinary Arts
  •          Automotive Technology
  •          Agriculture Business
  •          Plant Science
 
For additional information, please contact Emily Jahr at 688-3042 or Loren Kelly at 423-0411.

WORLD AG EXPO REVIEW
Tulare, CA 
-The 2017 World Ag Expo came to a close on February 16, 2017, with large crowds, cutting-edge exhibits and a little bit of rain. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the world's largest annual agricultural exposition was held at the International Agri-Center and featured 1,480 exhibitors on 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space. The three day show hosted 105,780 attendees representing 43 states and 71 countries.
"World Ag Expo has been a platform for the best and brightest in the ag industry for 50 years now. We couldn't have asked for a better group of exhibitors and attendees to commemorate our anniversary," said Jerry Sinift, CEO of the International Agri-Center. "World Ag Expo is a celebration of all things ag, and we are honored to play a small role in supporting the industry that never stops working to feed and clothe the world." 
Attendees came from all over the world to learn about the newest ag equipment, services and technology. Educational seminars were held all three days and covered a variety of topics for virtually every type of agriculture operation. 
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS-JANUARY




 
LOYAL RENEWING MEMBERS
The Tulare Chamber would like to thank the following businesses and individuals for renewing their membership.

Agnaldo's Welding, Inc.
AMVETS Department of California
B.J. Perch Construction
Curti Family, Inc.
Faria, Manuel & Dollie
Gary E. M. Smith OD, Inc.
George Watte & Sons
Gist-Langiano, Sandra
H & R Block
Hands in the Community
Julie's Little Flower Shop
Lampe Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram & Fiat
Lily Pad Cafe`
Mayflower Tours
Mid-Valley Cotton Growers, Inc.
Pitching Wedge Restaurant & Lounge
Res-Com Pest Control
Smart & Final
Sousa & Sousa Dairy
Subway #2713
T F Tire & Service
T-N-T Quick Lube, Wash & Smog
Tulare County Office Of Education
Tulare Shoe Repair

COMMUNITY 

You're Somebody's Type! 
Please 'drop' by our Blood Drive on Tuesday, March 7th, 12pm to 4pm. The Central California Blood Center will be at Tulare's Hospital parking lot. All donors will receive a free reusable grocery tote bag.
 
_________________________________


The Tulare Public Library has so much to offer;
Computer Classes, Book Clubs, Adult Crafts,and Weigh to Success
Check out the calendar by clicking on the logo to the right.


_________________________________

Tulare Kiwanis Club will Honor
 Doug Mederos as
  Farmer of the Year 
The Kiwanis Club of Tulare will present its 57th  Farmer of the Year award to Doug Mederos, owner of Doug Les Farms. The award luncheon will be held Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at 12:00 pm at the Heritage Complex in Tulare. Doug grew up on a dairy and diversified farm just four miles from Tulare. He graduated from Tulare Western High School, College of the Sequoias and Cal Poly. He returned to the family dairy after graduating college and became a partner in P & M Farms with his father, uncle and cousin. Later, he was the owner of a dairy and farm with his cousin, Larry Pires for over 15 years operating under the business name of Pires and Mederos Dairy. In 1996, Doug branched off on his own and began farming with his wife, Leslie as Doug Les Farms. Today he farms over 1,000 acres, which includes land he owns, leases and custom farms for others.
Tickets are $25 each in advance from Kiwanis Club members and various businesses in Tulare (Garton Tractor, Machado Hay and Rabobank). For information, contact Celeste Moore at 686-5854.