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April 2007

1. A Note From The Newsletter Committee
2. Welcome To Our Newest Members
3. Member Spotlight
4. Chamber News
5. Feature Article
6. Next Meeting
7. Bulletin Board
8. Credits

For example, be sure to open your copy of our “e-Newsletter” to learn more about Ron Harrington and his firm, Centereach-based Therese Marcel’s Inc. Kitchens & Baths, or to collect details about this month’s April 17 general membership meeting which will feature remarks by a pair of speakers, including Allstate’s Jeff Freund and Ed Fritz, Director of the Small Business Development Center at Stony Brook.

The value of this newsletter is limited only by what members of the Middle Country Chamber of Commerce are willing to contribute to it each month. Just as our luncheon meetings and evening networking events provide us with opportunities to interact directly, THE MESSENGER offers another outlet for you to reach the people you want to do business with in Centereach, Selden, or Lake Grove.

Send news of your firm’s accomplishments or scheduled events by e-mail to Newsletter@MiddleCountryChamber.com each month. Make this practice part of your marketing routine and you’re likely to be rewarded with new contacts or, possibly, increased sales.

The comments the members of the Newsletter Committee have fielded so far make it clear THE MESSENGER is being read, and used, by the business owners who receive it. So send your press release today! The deadline for May’s issue is Tuesday, May 1.

Sincerely,

Your Chamber Newsletter Committee

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April 2007

Please bring a new member to our April meeting and take advantage of the New Member Referral Program.  Remember, for each new member you refer, you will receive a $25 credit towards your annual membership dues.

March 2007

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*** Mea Culpa ***

Because of typographical errors in last month's featured member spotlight of Ron Harrington - the newsletter is re-running Ron Harrington as our member spotlight of the month for April, 2007.

Ron Harrington

Therese Marcel's Inc.
Kitchens and Baths

1456 Middle Country Road Centereach, NY 11720
(631) 698-8111
E-Mail: RonaldHarrington@yahoo.com
www.ThereseMarcels.com

From the outside, Therese Marcel’s Inc. Kitchens & Baths on Middle Country Road in Centereach looks like a quaint country store. Once inside, you’ll be amazed to find a full showroom of cabinetry and countertops on display.

“Our customers are usually surprised at how much there is to choose from here,” notes owner Ron Harrington. With the most modern technology at their fingertips and knowledge of the latest trends in mind, the folks at Therese Marcel’s Inc. specialize in start to finish kitchen or bathroom remodeling, including design, custom cabinetry, and installation.

As a teenager in Selden, Ron learned his trade at a local cabinet shop. In 1973, he became partners with the owner and created a new company.

Using a combination of his partner’s son’s name, “Marcel,” and his wife’s name, “Therese,” Therese Marcel’s Inc. Kitchen & Baths was born. “We started out working from my basement, building all of our own cabinets,” Ron remembers, “and working mostly on new construction. After we moved to Centereach, the industry changed, new construction slowed down and we began working with homeowners on updating and renovating.”

Around the same time, Ron and his wife became full owners of the company and realized it was too costly to do all the cabinetmaking work onsite, so Ron went through a long process of finding a manufacturer that made an excellent product at a reasonable price. Wisconsin-based Holiday Kitchen fit the bill. Today, Ron continues to offer the Holiday line to his customers in addition to the Aristokraft line of cabinetry.

With a workshop still in-house, expert fabrication of Formica countertops continues to be done onsite at Therese Marcel’s Inc. Kitchen & Baths. By far the most popular countertops are quartz and granite which are impervious to just about anything. “Stone countertops are extremely durable,” Ron observes, “and are chosen by 4 out 5 of our customers.” The firm also offers flooring through a wholesale floor covering division, named ProSource, as well as installation of tile, laminate, and real wood floors.

“These days, the value of your home is closely tied to the value of your kitchen,” Ron explains. Although renovating a kitchen can bring a return when the house is sold, Ron emphasizes that a decent kitchen remodeling job doesn’t have to break the bank and can be done for less than $10,000.

“We really do offer a quality kitchen to fit any budget,” he says. “Our workmen can completely renovate a space, including knocking down walls, installing flooring, windows, and doors, in addition to installing premium cabinetry and countertops or we’ll help you choose designs and styles to fit your budget. We will even order and deliver materials for do-it-yourselfers.”

Long-time Middle Country residents, Ron and his wife, Therese, grew up in Selden and graduated from Newfield High School. Today, they’re Lake Grove residents. It’s the town in which they raised their three kids and the place their first grandchild visits often.

To learn more about Therese Marcel’s Inc. Kitchens & Baths drop-by their showroom at 1456 Middle Country Road, a quarter-mile east of Nicolls Road or visit their web site at www.ThereseMarcels.com. Ron and his staff are available by phone, too, at (631) 698-8111.

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Sharlene Iadanza Elected To Chamber Board of Directors

As we continue to grow so does our need for strong leadership. With that being said we'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our Board of Directors, Sharlene Iadanza.

Sharlene is currently Vice-President of the JPMorgan Chase Bank located at 999 Middle Country Rd in Selden and brings a breadth of wisdom and ability to the Chamber's Board. Please join us in welcoming her to the team!

Chamber Launches a New Membership Committee

In an effort to increase membership and further bring our community together, we have just launched a new committee - appropriately dubbed the "Membership Committee" to spearhead that effort.

Sharlene Iadanza of JPMorgan Chase & Co. has agreed to take the reigns and lead that committee on our behalf.  If you are interested in participating in that committee, please call Sharlene at (631) 736-4770 or email her at Sharlene.Iadanza@chase.com.

Chamber Web Site Is Now Even Easier To Find

We have purchased the rights to use of the Internet domain names of the 3 main areas that we serve Centereach, Selden, and Lake Grove.  What does that mean to you and our community?  Well simply it means that we will be easier to find  for anyone looking for a Chamber that represents those areas.  For example you can now access our Chamber's web site by going to any of the following web site addresses:

www.CentereachChamber.com
www.SeldenChamber.com
www.LakeGroveChamber.com

and of course...

www.MiddleCountryChamber.com

These will all bring you to the same web site... ours.

Job Fair

Presented by Suffolk County Department of Labor's One-Stop Employment Center and Middle Country Public Library's Miller Business Resource Center

Date: Friday, April 13th
Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Place: Middle Country Public Library, 101 Eastwood Blvd, Centereach

Over 20 companies representing various industries will be on-hand to discuss job opportunities and employment information with job seekers.

Come on down and visit our Chamber booth!

Chamber Benefits Update

Did you know? As a member of the Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce you are entitled to discounted medical and dental plans as well as savings on vision care.

The Chamber has recently become a member of the IBA (Island Business Association) which enables Chamber members to enroll in a Dental plan (insurance not discount) for groups as small as one. This coverage pays even if your dentist is not a network provider. This dental coverage includes a discount vision plan as well. Normally this plan requires three employees to enroll in order to have this coverage. Because the Chamber is a member of IBA every member can enroll in this dental plan as a sole proprietor without each individual business joining IBA themselves. This is an annual savings of $35.

IBA also allows Chamber members to enroll in MDNY's and HIP's sole proprietor plans without the member having to join the IBA (or any other association --a possible savings on annual fees of between $35 and $75).

Chamber membership also offers members the Davis Vision card which can save up to 50% on lenses, frames and exams as well as a 25% discount on Lasik eye surgery

To take advantage of these benefits, contact Charles Eggleton, Chamber benefits advisor at the Delphi Group – 864-3668.

Middle Country Public Library's 50th Anniversary Celebration

Library Business Connection Meeting on April 19th

Please join the Miller Business Center for a Library Business Connection meeting on Thursday April 19th at 8:00am at the Middle Country Public Library in Centereach. The topic will be "How to Respond to Customer Complaints: Restore Customer Relationships & Minimize Liability Risks" presented by Lisa Renee Pomerantz, Attorney at Law.

The Miller Business Resource Center is a service of the Middle Country Public Library.

Customer Service Training Workshop

The Middle Country Public Library in Selden will be hosting a Customer Service Training Workshop, to be presented by the Long Island Sales and Customer Service Learning Center. The dates of the workshop will be Wed. 4/18 6-8PM (Mandatory orientation session), and then Wed 4/25-5/23 6-8:45PM. The workshop is free; for registration info please call Sophia Serlis-McPhillips @ 631.585.9393 x219 or Elizabeth Malafi @ 631.585.9393 x296.

Middle Country Chamber of Commerce 5th Anniversary Event Is On Deck

Yes, it's true - As a Chamber, we are officially in our 5th year of existence!  My how time flies when you're having fun.  To celebrate we are assembling a gala affair to be held sometime around late September/ early October - stay tuned for more details!

Chamber Wins In Wheelchair Basketball!

Could this be true? Yes it is! It came down to the wire but we squeaked out a 2 point victory in the final seconds of the game!

Alright, alright... we have to admit it, Mike Anderson brought in the ringers - a half-dozen or so members from the Centereach High School football team - and yes they can play wheelchair basketball fairly well too!

A great time was had by all in attendance!  Take a peek at some of the photos below...

Stay tuned for the further details on the upcoming wheelchair softball challenge.

Two of our Chamber stars Kevin McCormack and Diane Catinella

Mike Anderson coaching a few of our hired muscle

Let the game begin!

Our Victory Photo!

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Networking: 5+ Tips to Get the Most Value Out of Your Chamber Membership

"When you play, play hard; when you work, don't play at all." – Theodore Roosevelt (26th President of the United States (1858 - 1919))

So, you’ve taken the initiative to join the Chamber, now what? In a nutshell, go for it… play hard… work hard… make your membership worthwhile. Milk it for all it's worth. How do you do that you ask? Well there are tons of ways; however what I've done for you here is compile a list of 5 staple tips geared to help you get the most value out of your Chamber membership.

1. Show Up

As they say in the world of lotto, "you've got to be in it to win it". It's simply not enough to just join the Chamber on paper though; you really need to show up. Attend the general membership meetings, functions, and events. Isn't the whole idea behind joining a networking organization such as the Chamber to network and connect with others? Well you certainly can't do that very effectively if you're not there – so try your luck and come to the dance.

2. Come Prepared To Play

Now there are tons of tips I can pile into this one alone – too much for this article – but here are a few that pack lots of punch.

Every networking organization has its movers and shakers – find out who they are and a take a few minutes to learn a little bit about them. Additionally, peruse the membership directory and pinpoint specific members that you want to network with and do the same. I think you'll find that a little advanced homework can go a long way – generally people can tell if you've done your homework and are usually quite flattered.

Be prepared to introduce yourself as well as be able to answer that dreaded question "so, what do you do?" I recommend having both a 10-second introduction that clearly says who you are, what you do, and who you do it for; as well as a more detailed 30-second version that expands on that a bit to use when connecting more deeply with other members.

Bring plenty of business cards! I can't tell you how many times I've encountered networkers without them – I hate to sound harsh but, in the world of business networking that's just unacceptable.

3. Get Involved

One of the things that separate the good networkers from the great ones are their willingness to get involved beyond the general membership meetings – If there are committees available, they pick the one or ones that resonate with them and participate. If there are leadership positions such as a "Board of Directors", they ante up and let it be known that they're interested. They actively seek to deepen their relationships with the movers and the shakers by getting more involved.

4. Network between Meetings

I don't know of any business organizations that prohibit networking with other members between general meetings – our Chamber certainly doesn't, so why wait? Follow-up with those you met at previous meetings and reach out and introduce yourself to others that you want to connect with whom for whatever reason didn't attend.

5. Leverage the "Other" Benefits

Besides the one obvious benefit of networking, most business organizations also provide a variety of other useful benefits to its membership. Not sure what those are exactly? – Ask. For example, you may be able to get yourself and your business listed on their high-traffic web site. Also, there may be member-to-member discounts on products and services that you could take advantage of. Some organizations such as Chambers of Commerce even offer discounted medical and dental benefit plans for its membership. Remember, if you don't ask, you don't get.

So in closing, be clear that no matter what business you're in, it's all about relationships and there's no better marketing strategy to connect with people than networking. Networking really does need to be a core marketing strategy of every business, but remember, if you’re going to do it, go all out and do it to the best of your ability.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Online entrepreneur Dean Mercado, "The Motivational Marketer", is creator of the acclaimed 'Pumped Up Networking' system geared to explode your business through professional relationships. To learn more about it and to sign up for his FREE eZine the 'Marketing Minute' – a weekly multimedia eZine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes, visit www.OnlineMarketingMuscle.com.

Want To Have Your Article Featured Here?

Then email a copy of your article to your newsletter committee at:  Newsletter@MiddleCountryChamber.com to be considered for inclusion in future newsletters.  Note: All articles must be ones that your fellow Chamber members could benefit from - meaning these are to be information-based articles, not sales presentations.  All requests to publish articles will be subject to the approval of your Chamber Newsletter Committee.

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Next General Chamber Meeting

Tuesday, April 17th from 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm at The Middle Country Public Library's Selden location at 575 Middle Country Road

*** Note the temporary location change ***

Lunch will be catered by: TBD

Meeting Fee: $15 per person

Our Guest Speaker will be: Ed Fritz, Director of the Small Business Development Center at Stony Brook. Mr. Fritz will be on hand to discuss the vast array of services they provide to the local small business community such as:

• understanding the importance of a business plan
• discovering sources of funding
• preparing for e-commerce
• identifying avenues for exporting goods & services
• developing marketing plans
• assessing an invention’s viability
• complying with licensing & regulations
• and more...

Note: Please bring a new member and take advantage of the New Member Referral Program.

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Post Your Complementary Classified Ad Here

 GET BETTER RESULTS FROM YOUR NETWORKING ACTIVITIES!
Wisdom & tools to make business networking easy, lucrative, and fun.
For details… call Dean Mercado at 730-8285 or visit http://www.PumpedUpNetworking.com/

 ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHAMBER MEMBERS
 Special advertising rates for members in upcoming publication honoring Library. Call Laura at 751-7744, ext 122 for info.

Thinking of Buying or Selling a Home?
Call Jane Zilpelwar, LBA@ Remax Signature, Cell# 631-889-2997 visit my website: jaishreezilpelwar.signatureonline.net 

SAVE ON YANKEE TRADER & THIS WEEK ADS!
 Special discounts on Middle Country’s most popular mid-week, weekend shopper newspapers. Call Richard, 687-5729, for details.

KITCHEN & BATH DESIGNS TO FIT EVERY BUDGET!
 Complete installation or do-it-yourself. FREE in-home consultation. All work guaranteed. Therese Marcel’s Inc., 698-8111 10% off cabinets and counters for Chamber members.

HELP WANTED
 F/T office manager, with sales experience, for Blinds N’ All, a busy Centereach window furnishings distributor. Fax resume, (631) 696-7605, or visit showroom, 1707 Middle Country Road.

DOING THE WASH MADE EASY… New Pickup & Delivery Service Available for both Residential & Commercial Accounts. Lake Grove Laundry (across from the Good Steer), 738-6968. Come Clean With Us.

 WANT TO SEE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD HERE FOR FREE?

To be considered for inclusion in our e-Newsletter, ads must meet the following criteria:

• Business-related

• Maximum 30 words or 5 lines of text whichever occurs first

• Ready-to-go as is

• Includes contact information of whom respondents should contact for more information

• Sent via email to your Chamber Newsletter Committee at:  Newsletter@MiddleCountryChamber.com.

 Note: All requests to publish ads will be subject to the approval of your Chamber Newsletter Committee.  Only 1 ad per month per member.   Lifespan for each published ad is 1 month - if you wish it to appear again, you must resubmit your ad to the Chamber Newsletter Committee for consideration.

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Newsletter Committee

Dean Mercado - Online Marketing Muscle
Laura Satchwill - Times Beacon Record
Richard Van Allen - Star Community Publishing Group
Jane Zilpelwar - Re/Max Signature Real Estate
 

Share the Wealth!

You may absolutely share this newsletter with anyone you think may enjoy it! When doing so, please forward it in its entirety - including our copyright information. Thank you!

Like To Join the Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce?

Click here to go to the chamber's web site.  Once there, click on the "Join Now" sign to download an application that you can print, fill out and send in today!  Membership is only $100 annually!

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©2007 The Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce - All Rights Reserved