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Weekly News &
Business Resource Update
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Tuesday, February 28, 2023 | |
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This week's email includes:
- Photos from Last Week's Business After Hours at The Barfield Hotel
- Video Recap & Photos from Panhandle Days in Austin Last Week
- Chamber & Friends Earn AAF Addy Awards
- Photo and Video from Recent Ribbon Cutting Events
- BusinessConnection Pearl Anniversary Save the Date & Early Bird Registration Now Open for Last Year's Exhibitors
- 3 New Members to Welcome
- An Invitation to State of the Economy 3/2 with AEDC
- More Upcoming Ribbon Cuttings, Ground Breakings, Council Meetings & Events Happening Soon
- Text Message Reminders about Networking Events
- Additional Business Resources & Opportunities Including:
- Main Point Monday eNewsletter from Amarillo Matters | February 27
- Brickly eNewsletter | February 28
- Chamber Job Bank -- List Your Job Openings For Free
- Online Community Calendar - Promote Your Events
- A List of Chamber Events Coming in 2023
- Information about Promoting Your Business in Our 2023 Printed Directory, Map, or Relocation Guide
- 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
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Thanks to the Barfield Hotel for Hosting Last Week's After Hours | |
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"Business After Hours" are FREE business networking events for current and future members of the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce. You'll get free food, drinks, door prizes, and lots of networking. Click here for more information on our website, and click here to view more photos in our online Flickr album.
Stay tuned for more details on our next Business After Hours happening at the WTAMU Amarillo Center on Thursday, March 23rd coming soon.
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Final Recap from Panhandle Days in Austin Last Week | |
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Check out the fun 2-minute recap video to see highlights from our 2 day event in Austin. Watch it or share it from YouTube or Facebook.
One of the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce’s 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. If you have any questions about this event, call Jason at (806) 342-2018.
Visit our website for more information.
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2023 Panhandle Days Priorities for the 88th Session | |
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Panhandle Days attendees delivered packets to legislative offices with information on various topics for our area. A summary of those key priorities in specific industries is below. If you would like more information on this event or have a key issue affecting your business, reach out to Jason Harrison at (806) 342-2018.
Agriculture: Continued funding for infrastructure upgrades and training of young scientists to better meet Texas’ agriculture research priorities.
Criminal Justice: Fund partnership possibilities to develop all levels of career opportunities in the criminal justice system (grants, scholarships, employment commitments, etc…).
Economic Development: Support the proposed legislation to replace/reauthorize chapter 313 as a vital economic development program for Texas.
Energy: Increase funding for the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) with its role of overseeing critical electricity and water services in Texas.
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Film: Increasing the current rebate programs funding to $200M and capping the projects eligible at $14.9M. Supporting legislation creating a new transferable tax program using franchise and premium insurance taxes. This program would be eligible only for projects at $15M and up and would cap the percentage at 38%.
Healthcare: Funding for a comprehensive behavioral healthcare system in the Texas Panhandle that combines inpatient and outpatient services to meet the whole healthcare needs for those with serious mental illness, substance use disorders or co-occurring conditions. Funding for mental health crisis intervention and fund resources for treatment of persons who are suffering from mental illness.
Tourism: Seeking funds to dedicate to the Route 66 Centennial Celebration. Increase funding for upgrades and expansion of amenities in Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
Transportation: Increase Funding for the completion of Loop 335. Increase Funding for the expansion of Interstate 27 to the north and south.
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Thank You to these Panhandle Day Sponsors | |
Panhandle Days Supporters | |
Thank You to these Organizations Who Joined Us in Austin | |
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Amarillo Chamber of Commerce
Amarillo College
Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau
Amarillo Economic Development Corporation
Amarillo Independent School District
Atmos Energy
Bell
Bell Textron, Inc.
Borger Inc. (the Borger Economic Development Corporation)
City of Amarillo
City of Borger
City of Dumas
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CNS Pantex
Dumas Downtown Association
Dumas/Moore County Chamber of Commerce
FirstCapital Bank of Texas
NCW Risk Management
Northwest Texas Healthcare System
Sharpened Iron Studios
State Representative Four Price
Tentative
Texas A&M Agrilife Research
Texas Panhandle Centers
Xcel Energy /Southwestern Public Service Co.
and more
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Chamber & Friends Earn AAF Addy Awards | |
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We had a great time at the AAF Amarillo American Advertising Awards gala last Friday. The Chamber’s 2022 Relocation Guide won two Silver Addys thanks to our partner Mitch Khoury with Cramer Marketing for his creative efforts. We’re especially proud of our Board Members who also took home awards! Congrats to our very own 2022-23 Chairman of the Board, John Luciano, owner of Street Volkswagen of Amarillo for receiving a Silver Award for Slugtoberfest, to Board Members Brent McClure with NewsChannel10 on their Community Service Award, and to Lindsey Murphy with Education Credit Union for receiving the AAF Silver Medal Award.
Congratulations to all the award winners! And thanks to Reed Beverage, Inc. for hosting the event!
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Click here or the image above to view or share the photo on Facebook,
or click here to watch their ribbon cutting video.
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Click here or the image above to view or share the photo on Facebook,
or click here to watch their ribbon cutting video.
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Mark Your Calendar for our 30th Annual BusinessConnection Tradeshow Happening Thursday, May 18th at the Amarillo Civic Center | |
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Early Bird Registration is now open for last year's exhibitors to reserve their booth again this year. If you had a booth in the 2022 event, check your email for the special reservation link. If you had a booth last year and did not receive the email, contact Mary Garcia at (806) 342-2009 or email mary@amarillo-chamber.org. If you did not have a booth last year but would like to be on the list when we open the reservations to everyone else, contact Mary at the number or email above. Reservation for new exhibitors will open in late February.
We are excited to offer our longest-running annual event for members, so make sure you are a part of this one-day business-to-business tradeshow that connects nearly 300 businesses with thousands of other members and the general public. It's a great way to show off your products and services and see new trends in a number of different industries. Stay tuned for more details on our website, or sign up as a sponsor to secure your space now and get tons of extra publicity and sponsor benefits.
Be sure to check out the quick video from Mary!
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Thanks to these sponsors who have already signed up: Gold Sponsors: Amarillo Economic Development Corporation, Amarillo National Bank, AW Broadband, Double U Marketing, and Excel Construction Group. Silver Sponsors: 1-800-Plumber + Air & Electric, Andrews & Associates, Bell, City of Amarillo, FirstBank Southwest, Happy State Bank, Jenny Edwards Photography, Polaris Healthcare, RedCap Staffing and Zip Print. | |
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 our Membership Director Ashley a call at (806) 373-7800. |
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Bacon Bash Texas
Callie Lubke
1207 S Rice
Hamilton, TX 76531
(928) 965-3397
www.baconbashtexas.com
A 501C3 Supporting Children with Type 1 Diabetes & Niki Warms the Cold. Bacon Bash will be held in October in Cranfills Gap, Texas, and Ball of the Bash will be held in Amarillo in April.
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Employbridge
Joshua Keesee
2500 S Coulter Ste 104
Amarillo, TX 79106
(806) 639-9122
www.employbridge.com
EmployBridge is the largest industrial staffing company in the U.S. with three decades of proven success. Most importantly, we're the backbone behind the nation’s leading workforce experts: ResourceMFG, ProLogistix, Select, ProDrivers, RemX, Remedy and Westaff. Our foundation is built upon our unmatched industry expertise and specialized staffing delivery model, which provides our customers with temporary associates in manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, contact centers and more.
Physical Therapy Today
Tifanie Newman
6017 Hillside Rd Ste 1100
Amarillo, TX 79109
(806) 680-5888
www.physicaltherapytoday.com
Physical Therapy Today is committed to providing you with the best possible care, compassion and respect you deserve in a safe and comfortable environment. You will never be “just another patient”. Our highly trained physical therapists and support staff is dedicated to helping people of all activity levels and ages continue to live work and play at the highest levels.
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State of the Economy 2023 -- March 2nd -- 7:30am - 9:00am | |
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Join us on Thursday, March 2, 2023, from 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. at the Amarillo Civic Center - Heritage Room for an update on Amarillo's economy and a deep dive into macro-economic issues and how they impact the Amarillo community. Our President and CEO, Kevin Carter, will give an update on the Amarillo EDC's latest projects and initiatives.
WHO: Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (Amarillo EDC)
WHEN: Thursday, March 2, 2023 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. (Doors open at 7:00 a.m.)
WHERE: Amarillo Civic Center Heritage Room – 401 S. Buchanan St. Amarillo, TX 79101
WHAT: The annual State of the Economy breakfast is free and open to the public. The event will
provide an update on Amarillo’s economic outlook and a deep dive into macro-economic
issues and how they impact our community. President & CEO Kevin Carter will discuss
recent projects and workforce initiatives. Guest speakers to discuss workforce attraction and
retention include Rebecca Gehman with Opportunity@Work and Amanda Ellis with
Livability.com. Those interested in attending the event can learn more and reserve their spot
at https://www.amarilloedc.com/state-of-economy-2023
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Chamber Events Coming Up Soon | |
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28
Council Meeting: Membership Council**
3:30PM
Offsite Location—by invitation only.
More Information: Ashley, (806) 342-2015
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THURSDAY, MARCH 2
Ribbon Cutting: CarMax Auto Superstore
10:00am
5000 S Soncy Rd
More Information: Paul, (806) 310-4774
Find this event on Facebook
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FRIDAY, MARCH 10
Ribbon Cutting: Hillside Self Storage
2:00pm
9375 Hillside Rd
More Information: Kimberly, (717) 900-8555
Find this event on Facebook soon.
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THURSDAY, MARCH 23
Club Meeting: Round-Up Luncheon**
11:45am
575 Pizzeria at 7710 Hillside Rd., Suite 700
More Information: Lindsey, (806) 342-2006
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TUESDAY, MARCH 28
Council Meeting: Business Council**
11:45am
Chamber Board Room
More Information: Mary, (806) 342-2009
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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.
* NOTE: We will help promote Ribbon Cutting or Ground Breaking events held outside of our normal business hours, however, we cannot guarantee the Chamber Staff or RoundUp Club members will be in attendance.
**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.
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Do you love networking at our After Hours Events but sometimes forget they are happening? Opt in to our text message reminders by texting the word CHAMBEREVENTS (without a space) to 71441. We send reminders of the date, time and location 2-3 hours before the event starts. It's free, but standard text message rates apply if you don't have unlimited texting. We also send out registration reminders about bigger events coming up through this special keyword. It's a great way to stay in the loop.
Please note, if you would like to opt in for reminders about ribbon cutting events, text the word REDCOAT to the same number. Note, ribbon cuttings are open to the public, but in order to serve on our Roundup Club as a Redcoat Representative, you must apply online.
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Sponsored Content. Click here or the ad above for more information.
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Additional Business Resources & Opportunities | | |
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MAIN POINT MONDAY FROM AMARILLO MATTERS | February 27
This week's newsletter includes information on:
- The Lead: Following the May Elections
- State News
- Local News
- What We're Listening To
- Out and About
- and more
Click here to read the entire update.
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BRICKLY NEWSLETTER FROM BRICK & ELM MAGAZINE | February 28
This week's newsletter includes information on:
- Area Still Recovering from Sunday Storms
- Local Focus
- New Turn Signals at Amarillo Lights:
- Amarillo’s Fast-Growing Economy:
- Top Truck Stop in Texas:
- Chip Chandler's "Can't Miss"
- Eye on Amarillo
- March/April Issue Available Now
- and more
Click here to read the entire update.
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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.
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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.
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Thank You SSBI Partners
More Partner Updates Coming Soon!
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The Chamber is thrilled recognize our sponsors that stepped up to be part of the Supporting Small Business Initiative for 2021-2022. 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. Stay tuned for our 2023 Partners being announced soon.
Please join us in thanking these generous underwriting partners that are serving the Chamber, our members, and the entire business community with their support.
If you would like to know more about this program and the benefits of partnership, contact Jason Harrison at (806) 373-7800 or jason@amarillo-chamber.org.
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Chamber Events Planned for 2023
All events are tentative and subject to change.
Watch the online calendar for more details and updates.
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3/23/23 Business After Hours at Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center with Special Guests
Scarborough Specialties & Northwest Texas Healthcare System
4/6/23 Business After Hours at Happy State Bank
5/4/23 Business After Hours at Sharpened Iron Studios
5/18/23 30th Annual BusinessConnection Tradeshow
6/22/23 Business After Hours at Adobe Walls Stoneworks
7/13/23 Business After Hours at Amarillo National Bank Skyline Conf. Room
7/20/23 Chamber Open Golf Tournament
8/10/23 Business After Hours at the Tri-State Exposition / Fairgrounds
8/24/23 Chamber Annual Banquet & Business Excellence Awards
9/7/23 Business After Hours at Casey Carpet One
9/21/23 Business After Hours at FirstBank Southwest Downtown Tower
10/5/23 27th Annual Chamber Barbecue Cook-Off
10/19/23 Business After Hours at Rockwood Furniture
11/9/23 Business After Hours at Four Points Sheraton (Hosted by RAM Hotels)
12/7/23 Business After Hours at 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.
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Chamber Partner Cramer Marketing Offers
Advertising Options to Members
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The Chamber has had a partnership with Cramer Marketing (formerly Data Flow) for more than 15 years. Cramer is great at helping us promote our Members in our Printed Directory and our community through our Relocation Guides and City Maps. We are proud to offer these high-quality publications to our members and people looking to call Amarillo home at no cost thanks to our generous supporters and advertisers. Sold, produced, and printed locally! If you would like to showcase your business in these great publications, give us or the Cramer Marketing team a call at (806) 371-7310.
Note: All members receive a complimentary business listing in the printed directory. Keep in mind the deadline for new and current members to be included in the 2023 Printed Membership Directory is December 2nd, so make sure your membership dues are current so you aren't left out of this important publication or if you know of a business who is not yet a member of the Chamber, tell them to sign up soon! Get more exposure for your business with a paid advertisement in one of the above mentioned publications.
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Chamber Partner CGI Communications Offers
Advertising Options to Members
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CGI Communications has been a partner of the Amarillo Chamber for a number of years. CGI handles several advertising products offered to our members including website banner ads, community videos, ReviewTube reviews, and now has a new Magellan tool for voice-activated website searching for text and videos.
Our representatives and their team of associates will be reaching out to some of our members to offer more information about these tools that may be beneficial for your business.
Should you want more information on any of their products, reach out to Zeke or Stacey at the contact information below.
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Zeke Siembor
(585) 427-0020 Ext. 548 or (585) 301-5301
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Stacey Siembor
(800) 398-3029 Ext. 538 or (585) 305-4909
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Associates:
Corey Mulhern, Ken Wuest, and Maura Saraco
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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.
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See our Staff Directory with photos, direct phone numbers and more on our Contact Us page of the website.
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2022-23 Chamber Board of Directors | |
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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
John Luciano
Chair
Street Volkswagen
Spanky Assiter
Chair-Elect
Assiter Auctioneers
Richard Constancio
Finance Chair
Shiver-Megert & Associates
Chris Reed
Past Chair
Reed Beverage
Jason Harrison
President & CEO
Amarillo Chamber of Commerce
Wes Wright
Business Chair
Wright Law TX, PLLC
Julie Imke
Membership & Quality of Life Chair
Harrington Academic Hall
WTAMU Amarillo Center
Ed Nichols
Governmental Affairs Council Chair
Brown Graham & Company, P.C.
Brice Sheets
Ag & Natural Resources Chair
Alpha Media
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DIRECTORS
Tyler Andrews, Andrews & Associates / cat.man.du
Blaine Baker, Crown House Insurance
Brad Baldridge, Xcel Energy
Scott Bentley, Amarillo EDC
Kevin Carter, Amarillo EDC
Sonja Clark, Bell
Tony Ensor, Amarillo Sod Poodles
Michael Gonzales, Atmos Energy
Mark Hodges, FirstCapital Bank of Texas
Jody Holland, Jody Holland Training & Speaking
Matt Irwin, Insurica DFB
Karen Isern, Amarillo National Bank
Wade King, AgTexas Farm Credit
Charles Leard, M&R Liquor
Brent McClure, KFDA NewsChannel 10
Jared Miller, Amarillo City Representative
Joby Mills, Happy State Bank
Trent Morris, Workforce Solutions Panhandle
Lindsey Murphy, Education Credit Union
Joseph Peterson, Edward Jones
Brady Ragland, Tri-State Expo
Lindsay Reynolds, Elevate Amarillo President
Chris Rhynehart, Rhynehart Roofing
Doug Street, Affiliated Foods
Wendi Swope, Double U Marketing
Sean Wright, GVH Distribution
Ryan Zimmer, A-1 Rocket Industries
Learn more about our Board of Directors
on our website.
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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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