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Weekly News &
Business Resource Update

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

This week's email includes:


  • A Welcome to 3 New Chamber Members
  • Photos from Last Week's Business After Hours at Street Volkswagen
  • Photos and Videos from 4 Recent Ribbon Cuttings
  • A Reminder to Check Your Directory Listing & Take Care of Outstanding Dues Invoices Before We Print the 2025 Directory
  • A Recap from the Business Council Lunch
  • A Video and Recap from Last Week's Ag Appreciation Lunch and an Announcement of the Farmer / Rancher of the Year
  • A New Agribusiness Brochure
  • Big Winners at the Round-Up Club Luncheon
  • Plans for Panhandle Days in Austin February -- Email Us Your Priorities by 12/31
  • More Upcoming Ribbon Cuttings, Ground Breakings, Council Meetings & Events Happening Soon
  • A Reminder of our Revised Chamber Hours -- Office Closes for Lunch
  • Additional Business Resources & Opportunities Including:
  • Brickly Newsletter | December 10
  • Visit Amarillo Newsletter | December 10
  • Chamber Job Bank -- List Your Job Openings For Free
  • Online Community Calendar - Promote Your Events
  • A List of Chamber Events Happening in 2024 & 2025
  • A Tip About Email Scammers
  • Authorized Third-Party Chamber Advertising Partners
  • 2024-25 Board of Directors
  • and More


On behalf of our staff, Board of Directors, and the Amarillo business community, we want to thank you for your continued support of the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce. We look forward to serving you now and in the future. Please let us know what we can do to help your business.


Penni F. Bentley

VP of Communications & Marketing

Amarillo Chamber of Commerce

1000 S Polk

Amarillo, TX 79101

806.373.7800

806.342.2005 direct

806.674.7334 cell

penni@amarillo-chamber.org

www.amarillo-chamber.org

Welcome to these New Chamber Members

 

If you know of a business that is not a member of the Chamber, we always appreciate referrals. For more information on joining the Chamber and the costs and benefits, click here, or give us a call at (806) 373-7800.

Drybar

Libby Ellington

2621 Wolflin 

Amarillo, TX 79109

(806) 410-2800

https://www.drybarshops.com

Beauty


Neighbors Regional Hospital

Jessica Salazar

2101 S Coulter St

Amarillo, TX 79106

(806) 375-3998

https://nec24.com/

Hospital


Ruft LLC

Jody Barrett

4450 Canyon Drive

Amarillo, TX 79109

(806) 340-8778

https://ruftllc.com/

Roofing Contractor

Thanks Street Volkswagen for Hosting

Last Week's Business After Hours

Click here or an image above to view, print, download or share more photos from our online Flickr album.


Huge thanks to Street Volkswagen for hosting a great holiday networking event with an amazing spread of food and prizes. And thanks to everyone who brought a toy or donated cash to the toy drive for the Maverick Boys and Girls Club.


Mark your calendar for TWO Business After Hours in January to kick off the new year. We'll be at Bomb City Distillery on Thursday, January 9th and at Street Toyota on Thursday, January 23rd. Make your new year's resolution to get more involved and get the most out of these FREE networking events to help you grow your business! Get the full list of 2025 After Hours Events and more information on our website.



Recent Ribbon Cutting Events

Click here or the image above to view, print or download their Ribbon Cutting photo,

or click here to watch their video.

Click here or the image above to view, print or download their Ribbon Cutting photo,

or click here to watch their video.

Click here or the image above to view, print or download their Ribbon Cutting photo.

Click here or the image above to view, print or download their Ribbon Cutting photo,

or click here to watch their video.

Last Chance to Check Your Listing & Pay Outstanding Invoices Before We Print the 2025 Membership Directory

Don't wait, look up your business listing in our ONLINE DIRECTORY now and check it for accuracy. We will export our database this FRIDAY to begin the process of publishing our annual Printed Directory that will be available in Spring 2025, so we want to have your listing as accurate as possible.


If you have an outstanding invoice for your membership dues, we encourage you to get those taken care of to make sure that you don't miss out on being included in the printed directory. If you would like to make a payment by phone, just call the Chamber at (806) 373-7800 to pay and verify your listing.


If you are new to the Chamber, one of your benefits includes a free listing in this annual publication that is distributed to all of our 2000+ members and all new members next year. This is a great resource with all current Chamber members listed in alphabetical order, as well as listings by business category. Hopefully you received a letter from us with more information on enhancing your listing in this directory with optional advertisements through the publisher, Cramer Marketing.


We recently sent all members a link to verify your Chamber listing before our deadline, but if you missed it, you can look up your business now and email us if we have anything not quite right, or give us a call if you have questions or changes at (806) 373-7800.

Business Council Holiday Luncheon Last Week

The Chamber's Business Council met last week at Macaroni Joe's for their monthly meeting. This special holiday luncheon featured a fun gift exchange, and was held to show appreciation for all this group does for the Chamber and our members.


Pictured LtoR: Christy King, Mary Garcia, Lindsey Arbeiter, Ana Rameriz, Justin Smiley, Mary Bralley, Kimberly Brandyberry Jones, Jerome Pratt, Ashley Gutierrez, Matt Mathias, Amy Henderson, Darin Stollings, Jason Burr, Lew Bradshaw, Mike Ohm, and Steve Bowen.


If you have questions about the Business Council, click here or contact Lindsey Arbeiter at (806) 342-2006.

Ag Appreciation Luncheon Recap & Farmer/Rancher of the Year

If you missed Last Week's Texas Wheat Symposium and Ag Appreciation Luncheon during the Amarillo Farm & Ranch Show, you can rewatch it on Facebook or YouTube.


Congratulations to the Justin Freeman with Clint & Son's on being named the 2024 Farmer/Rancher of the Year presented by Graham Brothers Jewelers.


The program featured a guest keynote from the Farm Babe, Michelle Miller.


The Ag Appreciation Lunch is hosted in part by the Ag & Natural Resources Council.

Thank you to these sponsors for making the 2024 Texas Wheat Symposium a success:


AgTexas Farm Credit Services

Amarillo Chamber of Commerce

Amarillo National Bank

Atmos Energy

Attebury Grain

BNSF Railway

Broken Arrow Crop Insurance

Capital Farm Credit

Crop and Range Insurance

High Plains Water District

First United Bank

Plains Land Bank

Prosperity Bank

Texas Cattle Feeders Association

Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network

Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension

Texans for Ronny Jackson

West Texas A&M University – Ag

Xcel Energy

Hot off the press is the new ag brochure, "The Impact of Agribusiness in the High Plains Trade Area." This free publication was distributed at the Ag Luncheon last week and is available to be picked up at the Chamber offices at 1000 S Polk. Click here to view or download a PDF version, or stop by the Chamber to grab some for your office or clients.

Round-Up Club Celebrates at Christmas Luncheon

The Round-Up Club still has a couple of events before the end of the year, but today they were rewarded and celebrated for all they do to with a lunch at Joe Taco.


Pictured Above LtoR: Bernie DeBrango, Jason Harrison, Kathy Ray, Brayden Ruthart, Lani Potts, Christy King, Sydney Frye, Lesley Donnell, Hillary Chavez, Susan Bowers, Traci Bigham, Mary Kay Kuhrtz, Lindsey Arbeiter, Bob Lile, Rusty Williamson, and Jack Light. 


Pictured Right: Jack Light & Bernie DeBrango were the big winners at the Round-Up Luncheon walking away with gift cards. Both of them have attended at least 50% of all ribbon cutting and ground breaking events this year which put their name in the hat for a chance to win. We are so thankful to each and every member of the Round-Up Club who takes time out of their schedules and away from their businesses to help us celebrate our members' events.


For more information on the Round-Up Club, contact Sydney Frye at (806) 342-2019,

Plans Underway for Panhandle Days in Austin

February 11-13, 2025

 

February 11-13, 2025

Austin, Texas

Click to Email Legislation Recommendations

One of the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce’s most important roles is to continuously examine legislation that impacts business owners and residents in the Panhandle. Therefore, every two years the Chamber travels to our State Capitol with business and community leaders to meet with our state legislators to discuss important legislative issues that affect the 26 counties located in the Texas Panhandle.  


The purpose of Panhandle Days is to deliver a unified message to our state legislators on important legislative issues, such as agriculture, the arts, education, energy, healthcare, tourism, transportation, and workforce development. The Chamber is currently accepting recommendations for legislation that you believe should be presented to our state legislators at Panhandle Days. The deadline to submit a recommendation to the Chamber is December 31. 


We encourage you to save February 11-13, 2025, to join forces with business and community leaders by traveling to our State Capitol in Austin for Panhandle Days. Event participants and state legislators will attend a reception on February 11, will meet for a breakfast on February 12, and then spend the remainder of the day on the Capitol grounds visiting state legislators. The registration fee to attend the reception, breakfast and meet with our state legislators is $150 / person. (The registration fee does NOT include your hotel or transportation expenses. Those are on your own.) 


Below is a link with more details on the event as well as a button for sponsorship information and to get registered for the event or book your hotel room.  


https://www.amarillo-chamber.org/panhandle-days.html


Thank you again for supporting Amarillo and the Panhandle of Texas! If you have questions about the event or want to submit recommendations for legislation or priorities that affect your business, contact Jason Harrison or call (806) 342-2018.

 

SSBI Partner Content: Click here or on the image above for more information,

or click here to email a representative directly.

Chamber Events Coming Up Soon
 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11


Council Meeting: Ag & Natural Resources Council**

11:00 a.m.

Chamber Bush Room

Closed Meeting for Council Members Only

More Information: Jason, (806) 342-2018

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11


Council Meeting: Governmental Affairs Council**

12:00 p.m.

Chamber Board Room

Closed Meeting for Council Members Only

More Information: Jason, (806) 342-2018

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12


Ribbon Cutting: PJ's Coffee

10:30 a.m.

9201 Town Square Blvd Suite 1310

New Business Grand Opening

More Information: Alexandra, (806) 318-3016

Find this event on Facebook

 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12


Ribbon Cutting: BSA Health System's High-Risk OB Flight Team

12:00 p.m.

1600 Wallace 

Major Expansion / New Service

More Information: Kirstyn, (806) 212-0343

Find this event on Facebook

 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13


Ribbon Cutting: Richard Artisan Jewelers

1:00 p.m.

6017 Hillside Rd, Suite 400

New Business Grand Opening

More Information: PJ, (806) 334-3013

Find this event on Facebook​

 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 16


Ribbon Cutting: Buc-ee's Amarillo

10:00 a.m.

9900 East I-40

New Business Grand Opening

More Information: Kim, (346) 774-2253

Find this event on Facebook

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18


Ribbon Cutting: Neighbors Regional Hospital

4:00 p.m.

2101 S Coulter

New Business Grand Opening

More Information: Jessica, (512) 998-1216

Find this event on Facebook

 

DECEMBER 19-31


Due to the busy holiday season and limited number of staff or volunteers available, the Chamber will not have any ribbon cuttings, ground breakings, or events the last two weeks of the year. We look forward to celebrating many more events in 2025.


Please note, the Chamber may have limited hours during the week of Christmas, so if you need to meet with a Chamber staff person, please call (806) 373-7800 to ensure someone is able to help you before you come.

 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9


Chamber Event: Business After Hours at Bomb City Distillery

5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

306 S Cleveland

Free Networking Event

More Information: Christy, (806) 342-2015

Find this event on Facebook soon

 

See more upcoming ribbon cutting & ground breaking events on our Week's Sneak Peek page or on our online calendar. If you would like more information on scheduling an event like this for your business, complete the online Ribbon Cutting Request Form.


**Meeting requires RSVP and is open to council/committee members only and is closed to the public. If you would like more information on the meeting or open council/committee seats, please contact the staff member listed.


* NOTE: We will help promote Ribbon Cutting or Ground Breaking events held outside of our normal business hours, however, Chamber Staff or RoundUp Club members will not be in attendance. 

Chamber Building Closes for Lunch Daily from 12pm - 1pm

Please make note of our new hours for the Chamber of Commerce. Our Office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and most Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Chamber building will be closed for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. daily with the exception of days we have a Chamber Council or Chamber Board meeting scheduled in the building. Should you have business with Center City of Amarillo during those times, call (806) 372-6744, or if you need the Amarillo Convention & Visitor Bureau / Visit Amarillo, call (806) 374-1497.


If you need to do business with the Chamber or get a certificate of origin, please call (806) 373-7800, and if we miss your call, please leave us a voicemail and someone will be back to you soon.

Sponsored Content. Click here or the ad above for more information.
Additional Business Resources & Opportunities
 

BRICKLY NEWSLETTER FROM BRICK & ELM MAGAZINE | December 10


  • City of Amarillo Launches Digital Assistant
  • Local Focus
  • Black Man & Woman of the Year
  • The Panhandle Gives Sets Another Record
  • Candidate Packets Available This Weekend
  • Ascension Academy Adds Fifth Grade
  • Amarillo College Presidential Forums Underway
  • In the Current Brick & Elm
  • Chip Chandler’s “Can’t Miss”
  • Local Job Listings
  • Eye on Amarillo
  • What is Amarillo Ramp?
  • Local Obituaries (First Week of December)
  • and More


Click here to read the entire update.

THE AMARILLO WEEKLY EDIT | December 10



The Amarillo Weekly Edit is produced and distributed by the Amarillo Convention & Visitor Bureau (CVB) that maintains the VisitAmarillo.com website. This weekly newsletter includes upcoming events and things to see and do in Amarillo.


  • Christmas in the Sky
  • Buc-ee's Opens in Amarillo
  • Happening this Week
  • On-Going Exhibits / Shows
  • and More!


Click here to read the entire newsletter.

CHAMBER JOB BANK -- LIST YOUR JOB OPENINGS FOR FREE


Is your company hiring? Did you know you can put job openings in our online Job Bank for FREE?


Check out our website and click the buttons for "Job Seeker" or "Employer" and you can either view job openings or post your own with an online form.


Have questions, contact Denise at (806) 373-7800.

ONLINE COMMUNITY CALENDAR - PROMOTE YOUR EVENTS


Are you holding a fundraising event, open house, or other special events you want to share with the public? You can add events to our Online Community Calendar for FREE. Click here to complete the online form and submit it to the Chamber. Your event will not be visible until our staff approves the event, typically within 1-2 business days.


Please do not use this form to request or schedule a ribbon cutting or ground breaking event.


If you have questions about using the calendar, or what kinds of events are allowed, contact Denise at 806-373-7800.

 

Chamber Events Planned for 2024 & 2025

All events are tentative and subject to change.

Watch the online calendar for more details and updates.

 

Events in Bold have a fee to participate. Other events list are the hosts for Business After Hours which are free to attend.


2025


1/9/25 - Bomb City Distillery

1/23/25 - Street Toyota

2/11-13/25 - Panhandle Days in Austin

2/20/25 - New Member Reception & Orientation (Private event before the After Hours)

2/20/25 - Reed Beverage

3/20/25 - Home2Suites by Hilton (Thirty-Nine 23 Management, LLC)

4/10/25 - Happy State Bank

4/24/25 - Casey Carpet One

5/8/25 - Hampton (Hosted by RAM Hotels)

5/15/25 - 32nd Annual BusinessConnection Tradeshow

6/5/25 - Adobe Walls Stoneworks

6/TBD - Coffee with the Chamber -- Legislative Update

7/10/25 - Amarillo National Bank

7/24/25 - Chamber Open Golf Tournament

8/7/25 - Tri-State Exposition / Fairgrounds

9/18/25 - FirstBank Southwest

10/2/25 - 29th Annual Chamber Barbecue Cook-Off

10/16/25 - Cactus Cove Inn & Suites

11/6/25 - WTAMU Amarillo Center with co-hosts NWTHS & Brandability

11/TBD - Coffee with the Chamber for Global Entrepreneurship Week

12/4/25 - Street Volkswagen


If you have questions about participating in or sponsoring any events, please call the Chamber at (806) 373-7800 or email chamber@amarillo-chamber.org.

Thank You 2024-25 Supporting Small Business Initiative Partners

 

The Chamber is thrilled to recognize our sponsors that stepped up to be part of the Supporting Small Business Initiative for 2024-25. This program is designed to support the Chamber's efforts to serve our small business community better by offering programs, seminars, virtual events, and more for little to no cost to our members throughout the year.


Please join us in thanking these generous underwriting partners that are serving the Chamber, our members, and the entire business community with their support. DIAMOND PARTNERS: City of Amarillo, Amarillo Economic Development Corporation, Amarillo National Bank, Atmos Energy, FirstBank Southwest, Happy State Bank, Northwest Texas Healthcare System, CNS Pantex, Reed Beverage, and Xcel Energy. RUBY PARTNERS: Amarillo College, Bank of America, Casey Carpet One, Double U Marketing, Insurica, Prosperity Bank, Rabern Rentals, Southwest Airlines, Street Volkswagen, TEEMS Manufacturing, and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. SAPPHIRE PARTNERS: Adobe Walls Stoneworks, Albers Aerospace, Andrews & Associates, AT&T, AW Broadband, BSA Health System, Carson Wealth Management, Caviness Beef Packers, Fuller & Sons Construction, KT Black, Off the Court Property Maintenance, and WT Enterprise Center.


If you would like to know more about this program and the benefits of partnership, contact Jason Harrison at (806) 373-7800.

A Reminder to Check the Address BEFORE You Click Links or Open Attachments

WE HATE SPAMMERS! Here's a reminder to always check before you click on any attachments or links in emails that look like they are sent from the Amarillo Chamber. BEFORE you click on html links or attachments, hover over the name that sent the email so that you can see the actual address that sent the email. Just because the name says "Amarillo-chamber," the email address was not one of our staff members. And if the email shows our name but the email address is not one shown below, delete it and mark it as junk. Any other sender claiming to be the Chamber is fake or a scammer and you should never click links or provide personal information. Even if it looks like an invoice, those would only come from one of the email addresses below.



or



Please add our emails to your address book and mark us as a safe sender. If you are unsure if an email you received that looks like it was from us is real or not, don't hesitate to give us a call at 806-373-7800. Be diligent and help us keep your information and computer networks safe.

Authorized Chamber Advertising Partners

We try to alert you anytime a third party may contact you so that you know they are a trusted and legitimate partner of the Amarillo Chamber. You may see our complete list of advertising options and partners on the Advertising Opportunities page of our website. We encourage you to always check this site or contact Penni Bentley at (806) 373-7800 to verify our official program partners before giving out personal or financial information.


Thank you to the advertisers and video partners featured in the two programs offered below for the financial generated for the Amarillo Chamber.

 

Cramer Marketing produces the Chamber's annual printed directory, relocation guide, membership certificate, and detailed city map. All current members get a free listing in the directory, but Cramer offers enhanced listings and full-color ads within these publications to give your business even more exposure.

CGI Digital offers video content featured on the Chamber's website to our members. CGI created a series of videos for the Chamber to promote Amarillo as a great place to live, learn, work, and play to feature great parts of our community to visitors and those who may be considering relocating to the area. CGI representatives may reach out to you as a Chamber member to offer their products and services to you to be featured in our website's Community Video Tour player.


View our Community Video Tour here to watch the Chamber's videos and see list of current video partners.

 
Chamber Staff

Jason Harrison

President & CEO


Lindsey Arbeiter  

Executive Vice President


Penni Bentley

VP of Communications & Marketing


Christy King

Membership Director


Mary Garcia

Business Development Director


Mandie Klein

Finance Director / Database Administrator


Sydney Frye

Digital Marketing Manager


Denise Rayford

Director of First Impressions


See our Staff Directory with photos, direct phone numbers and more

on our Contact Us page of the website.

2024-25 Chamber Board of Directors

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE


Richard Constancio

Chair

Shiver-Megert & Associates


Julie Imke

Chair-Elect

Harrington Academic Hall 

WTAMU Amarillo Center


Michael Gonzales

Finance Chair

Atmos Energy


Spanky Assiter

Past Chair

Assiter Auctioneers


Dusty Doyle

Membership & Quality of Life Chair

Casey Carpet One


Jason Harrison

President & CEO

Amarillo Chamber of Commerce


Wes Wright

Business Chair

Wright Law TX, PLLC


Ed Nichols

Governmental Affairs Council Chair

Brown, Graham & Company

 

Brice Sheets

Ag & Natural Resources Chair

Alpha Media

DIRECTORS


Heath Acker, Amarillo National Bank

Brad Baldridge, Xcel Energy

Patricia Bara, M&R Liqour

Kevin Carter, AmarilloEDC

Travis Chaney, United Supermarkets

Sonja Clark, Bell

Julie Doty, Nothing Bundt Cakes

Tony Ensor, Amarillo Sod Poodles

Jake Foust, Whitney Russell

Joey Graham, Graham Brothers Jewelers

Jack Light, Cumulus Media

Matt Mathias, Firstbank Southwest

Brent McClure, KFDA NewsChannel 10

David Meraz, Street Volkswagen

Joby Mills, Happy State Bank

Lindsey Murphy, Education Credit Union

Mike Ohm, Lemert, Holder, Ohm

Grayson Path, Amarillo City Representative

Brady Ragland, Tri-State Fair & Rodeo

Wendi Swope, Double U Marketing

John David Terry, Elevate Amarillo Representative

Debbie Walker, Moreland Real Estate Group

Tawanna Walker, Toot'n Totum

Trevor Williams, Reed Beverage

Colby Yeary, Pantex

Ryan Zimmer, A-1 Rocket Industries


Learn more about our Board of Directors

on our website. 


The Chamber cannot guarantee your success or your profitability,
but it can guarantee the right business climate for you to succeed.   

                                                   –  Author Unknown
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