Saturday, May 10, 2014

ROCKin' the Clean-up?


Build pride in ROCK SPRINGS by cleaning up our community!  

The 11th Annual City-Wide Clean-Up is only a week away! 


Visit the Rock Springs Chamber located 1897 Dewar Drive to sign-up for an area or to 
pick-up your supplies. 

  • We have shirts, water, trash bags and gloves all available now through 12pm on May 17th!


Don't forget FREE lunch at the Young at Heart Senior Center at 1pm on May 17th! 
The Trash Queen Glennise Wendorf and Mayor Demshar hand
out prizes at last year's luncheon! 

Friday, May 9, 2014

Looking for Diapers!

The Sweetwater Leadership Class is looking for diaper donations! This year's class has taken on 3 exciting projects. The last of these projects is a Diaper Drive to benefit the United Way!
All sizes are accepted, however the diaper bank is most in need of sizes: 4 and 5 as well as pull-ups! 
Please feel free to drop off your donations at the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce or any of the other 15 locations listed to the left. 

Please feel free to call the Rock Springs Chamber at 362-3771 with any questions!

Thank you! 

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Embark to Ireland

Join the Chamber in Ireland! 

Embark with the Chamber to Ireland in March of 2015! This exciting 9 day trip features an exciting Castle Stay, the infamous Blarney Stone, the Cliffs or Moher, and much more. 
Reservations are due by September 23rd and your down payment of $500 is the only initial payment needed! 
Call Katie at the Rock Springs Chamber for more information, 362-3771! 
Come along and KISS the Blarney Stone! 



Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Three Days Grace at the Sweetwater County Fair!

For Immediate Release – April 8, 2014
Contact: Lena Warren, Marketing & Events Coordinator
Phone:  307-352-6789 ext. 103



                                                                                                                                                                       

Wyoming’s Big Show® Announces Platinum Artist-Three Days Grace

Rock Springs, Wyoming –Platinum selling artist Three Days Grace will perform on Thursday, July 31 at Wyoming’s Big Show®- the Sweetwater County Fair After Dark Concert Series. Three Days Grace is known for hits like “I Hate (Everything About You)”, “Animal I Have Become” and “Never too Late” and has sold more than 6 million records in the United States alone.
Three Days Grace is originally from Ontario, Canada and has released five heavy hitting albums: Three Days Grace (2003), One-X (2006), One-X/Live at the Palace (2008), Life Starts Now (2009) and Transit of Venus (2012).
The latest album, Transit of Venus, debuted at #5 on the Billboard Charts in the first week and the first single, “Chalk Outline”, reached #1 at Active Rock Single where it stayed for 10 weeks in 2012. Other Three Days Grace singles that reached the #1 Active Rock song include “Break”, “The Good Life”, “World So Cold”, “Never Too Late”, “Animal I Have Become” and “Pain”.
Three Days Grace has also won multiple awards including the Billboard Music Awards for #1 Rock Artist of the Year (2007), #2 Modern Rock/Alternative Artist of the Year (2007),  Rock Song of the Year for “Animal I Have Become” (2006), #5 The Billboard 200 (2006), #2 Top Canadian Albums One-X (2006) and Album of the Year “One-X” (2006). The band has also received additional awards from Mediabase, BDS Spin, BMI and multiple nominations from the Juno Awards.
Wyoming’s Big Show®- the Sweetwater County Fair After Dark Concert Series is currently featuring: David Nail on Tuesday, July 29; Adelitas Way on Wednesday, July 30; and Red on Friday, August 1. Additional attractions for the 2014 Fair include the Jest In Time Circus, Mango & Dango, Lady Houdini, Jason Huneke, Linda Hulet – Clown of Many Faces, Lanky the Clown, Animal Specialties Petting Zoo and much more.  You can check out all of the scheduled entertainment at SweetwaterEvents.com.
The Sweetwater County Fair is the largest annual event in Western Wyoming, drawing over 70,000 visitors in 2013. It features the largest midway in the area, a Grandstand Stage with top-ranked performing artists, traditional county fair exhibits and food, and fun for the whole family.  Additionally, the Sweetwater County Fair was named the NUMBER ONE summer event in Wyoming by Wyoming Lifestyle Magazine. 

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Photo: Three Days Grace

Friday, April 4, 2014

April Demographic Report

        
    As the year progresses so do positive Labor Force Trends in Wyoming and Sweetwater County. The Rock Springs Chamber Business Development Program tracks these changes and creates a Demographic Report, so that businesses and citizens can be informed about current trends in the community.
In this month’s Demographic report, it is reported the most current unemployment rate as of January, is at 4.4% for Sweetwater County. We ended the 2013 year with a 3.8% unemployment rate, and had a labor force of 25,355 compared to the 2012 number of 25,110.   The City of Rock Springs and Sweetwater County is continually growing. Currently the trends are showing an annual population increase of 3%, with our current median age of 31.5 years, and continuing to get younger. The monthly demographic update is generated based off reliable data released by City, County, State and Federal Government entities.
 The sole purpose of the monthly Demographic Update is to inform and educate not only the community of the changing demographics of Rock Springs and Sweetwater County, but to continue to keep our community and our business partners aware of the growing changes in our society and economy. The information that is released is also used to help attract and relocate new businesses to the area, aid in the growth and expansion of current businesses as well as help in retaining already established businesses in Rock Springs and Sweetwater County.

The Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to the community and its future success. Please feel free to contact the Chamber at 307-362-3771 or via email rschamber@sweetwaterhsa.com

Please click here to view the April Demographic Report.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Have you ever visited the oasis in the desert north of Rock Springs?

Have you ever visited the oasis in the desert north of Rock Springs?
The White Mountain Golf Course is ready for the Spring and Summer Golf Season!


The Rock Springs Chamber would like to invite you to a special After Hours event at the White Mountain Golf Course. This exciting After Hours will begin at 5pm and will last until 7pm on Thursday April 10th, 2014. During this time attendees can meet the new Golf-Pro, Aaron Allred and take tours of the course. Several giveaways will be provided including free rounds of golf and lessons!
The newly remodeled pro-shop will be the base for the event and appetizers are drinks will be served. The pro-shop carries many name brand golf clothing, including Under Armour, Nike, Titleist, Foot-Joy, Ping, Taylor Made, Callaway and many others.
Will you be joining us for this fun and relaxing night at the Golf Course?
Sponsored by: YAP, The City of Rock Springs, and the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce
Photo: This promises to be a great time!
The White Mountain Golf Course is a 27-hole championship course that is one of the best public golf courses in the state of Wyoming. There are three 9-hole courses that can be played in any configuration and vary greatly. The Course is open from daylight to dark, seven days a week during the season, which runs from late March to early November. Hours may vary due to weather.
Pro Shop Hours
March 9am - 6pm
April 8am - 7pm
May 7am - 8pm
June Daylight - 8pm
July Daylight - 8pm
August Daylight - 8pm
September 7am - 8pm
October 8am - 6pm

Friday, March 21, 2014

Free Small Business Roundtable


The Rock Springs Chamber in partnership with the Small Business Development Center and Commerce Bank Of Wyoming are featuring monthly small business rountables that are open to the public. These roundtables feature topics that are relevant to business owners, such as Taxes for Small Business, Investment Opportunities, and this month, Workforce Training Grants. Future topics are slated to include Social Media and Marketing. The program will run through May and begin again in September.
The roundtables are held on the 1st Wednesday of the month.  
The April Roundtable will be held on April 2nd and Pat Brown from Wyoming Workforce Services will be presenting. There will be a FREE lunch provided. All you have to do is RSVP by March 31st. 

The Rock Springs Chamber has utilized these grants on multiple occasions and we've been very impressed by the Wyoming Workforce Center. They were always very helpful and eager to assist us. These programs are available through the State of Wyoming and we are fortunate to have them. 


Free Small Business Roundtable

Wyoming Workforce
Training Grants

Presented by: 
Presentation by:
Pat Brown, Manager
Wyoming Department
of Workforce Services

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014
11:45a.m. until 1:00p.m.

Lunch will be provided.

Commerce Bank Conference Room
Located at  1575 Dewar Drive



Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Holy Spirit Catholic School Ribbon Cutting

Holy Spirit Catholic School's New Technology Upgrade on March 21st at 10am 
The new technology upgrade was a three phase plan.  Phase I and II were completed in January. 
Phase I consisted of new MacBook Pro laptops and iPads for each teacher and two iPad mini carts which include 30 total iPad minis.  This Phase was donated by the Estate of Mario Temperini.
Phase II included a new computer lab with 16 iMacs to accommodate all classes.  This Phase was donated by the Rock Springs Catholic School Foundation.
Our Phase III will consist of two iMacs per classroom (total of 16).  This should be implemented by the start of the next school year.

New Building, New Energy

New Building, New Energy
Promoting the Community, Providing Networking Opportunities and Business Contacts
            
           The Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce has been housed in the same building, in the same location since 1981. Whereas, the location is perfect, the building itself, reminiscent of a “Little Yellow Shed,” could a little (or more!) updates. In 2013, the opportunity to write, and then apply for two grants through the Wyoming Business Council occurred, and the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce dove head-first into $800,000 worth of grants.
            One grant will only be used to create a handicap accessible property, including handicap accessible public restrooms, picnic tables, walkways, doors, and counters. The current Chamber building is anything but handicap accessible, and although the Chamber does employ part-time help from physically disabled persons in the community, the current building set-up creates hazards and hardships for these employees.
            The second grant will be used to expand the Chamber building to construct a conference room on the first level of the building. This grant will also provide funds so that the main floor of the building will be laid out in a better organized fashion. The current layout is closed-off and does not create a sense of contentedness among the staff and customers. The new office interior will be much more open so that every staff member is aware of what is happening throughout the office.

            The Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce will not know the status of the grants until early summer of 2014. If approved, the Rock Springs Chamber will be able to begin construction as soon as fall of 2014. The improvement of the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce and the surrounding park will set the tone for visitors to Rock Springs. The updated building will announce that Rock Springs is continually moving forward, all the while welcoming businesses, residents, and visitors with open arms.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Join us at YAP tonight!!


Next YAP meet-up is tonight, Thursday, March 13, at 6pm! Join us at Coyote Creek Steakhouse & Saloon for our monthly social event and listen to a brief presentation from Big Brothers Big Sisters. 

See you there!

What is YAP? 
In 2012, the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce conducted a business survey that consisted of a cross-section of our member businesses throughout Sweetwater County to assess the needs, economic stability, future plans, and struggles of companies that operate in this area. A pattern quickly emerged. Businesses were having trouble finding and keeping employees, especially employees from the younger generations. Armed with this information, the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce gathered together a small group of professionals from the younger generation that work in Sweetwater County to create an opportunity for young professionals to come together once a month for social, educational, and civic events.
            YAP was born. The first event took place in January of 2013, and every month thereafter. YAP membership is $25 per person, per year for members of the Chamber, and $35 per person, per year for non-members. YAP donated time to the Boys and Girls Club of Sweetwater County, took a float trip in the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, had speakers come to events to inform the membership about the Affordable Healthcare Act, and many other challenges that professionals faced in 2013, and had a BBQ to kick off the summer events.
            YAP membership is open to any professional between the ages of 21 and 39. Demographics of Sweetwater County show a population with an average age of 31 years. This is much younger than the national average age. As the Baby Boomer generation is leaving the workforce, and generations X, Y, and the Millennials enter into the workforce, shifts have to take place throughout the community to ensure that the younger workforce needs are being met so that employees will be retained, and businesses can focus on improving operations, instead of recruiting, hiring, and training workforce.

            In its first year, YAP was extremely successful, and 2014 will keep the momentum by keeping all of the members involved in community, social, and educational activities.

Check out our plans for the rest of 2014!

Tentative Events:
                        March 13th, 2014-Big Brothers/Big Sisters-Malinda Baas
                        April 12th, 2014-Easter Bunny Activity
                        May 8th, 2014-Recreational Activities with Jenissa
                        June 19th, 2014-Family BBQ
                        July– Break
                        August 16th-Blues and Brews-URA
                        August 23rd, 2014-Raft Trip
                        September 11th, 2014-Mortgages with Cody Pierpoint
                        October 16, 2014-URA Activities with Chad Banks
                        October 9th, 2014 Halloween Party
                        November 13th, 2014-Food Drive
                        December 11th, 2014-Christmas Party 

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Your Gateway to the Community!

The Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce is your gateway to the community. While not being a division of the City of Rock Springs or Sweetwater County, the Chamber works very closely with both entities to ensure that our community is continually progressing for businesses, and that livability for residents improves year by year. Travelers are also a cheery sight for the Chamber. Housed in the front doors of the Chamber building is a twenty-four hour information center, and the office is staffed from 8a.m. to 5p.m. Monday through Friday.

           
Funding for the Rock Springs Chamber comes mainly from businesses, organizations, and individuals who believe in being a member of an organization that is dedicated to promoting Sweetwater County and the surrounding areas. Additional funding is derived from contracts for services and some of the projects that the Chamber sponsors.  Funding is used for day-to-day operations, salaries, and education and training for the staff and CEO.

Staff in 2014 include: Dave Hanks, CEO; Daisy Martinez, Finances; Katie Yedinak, Office Coordinator; Meg Torgersen, Membership Director; Kayla McDonald, Business Development Manager; David Freeman, Delivery Specialist, and Johno Green, Public Relations.

The 2014 Board of Directors Includes: Mark Wilson, President; Keaton West, VP of Internal Affairs; Mark Dale, Treasurer, Jerry Klein, President Elect; Jane Daniels, Director; Stacy Pivic, Director; Jason Campbell, Director; Christina Magagna, Director; Jana Pastor, Director; Paul Moorman, Director; Dr. Karla Leach, Director; Kirsi Anselmi-Stith, Youth Director; and Doug Linn, BLM Representative.

Everyone can benefit by having a strong local Chamber of Commerce. As the eyes and ears of the community, we have a passion to sell the community to locals and visitors, allowing growth and prosperity. We are continually striving to find creative solutions to the challenges faced by businesses, and we are grateful to be able to offer many different ways in which to ease the everyday stress of running a business.
2014 promises to be another active year in Sweetwater County and at the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce and we look forward supporting those that support you.