Measure 2, an initiative to eliminate property tax in North Dakota, will be up for a vote in June. Petitioned onto the summer ballot through eff orts spearheaded by the group “Empower the Taxpayers of North Dakota,” the measure, if passed, will constitutionally alter the state’s tax structure by eliminating property tax as a revenue source for local government entities.
While the prospect of eliminating property taxes is appealing on the surface, many in both the public and private sectors believe the proposal could be detrimental to state, county and local …

By Kylie Blanchard, Clearwater Communications
The oil boom in Western North Dakota is generating a lot of income. The State coffers are filling fast and business tills are taking in extra income along with many individuals. But although money is coming in quickly for many businesses, it is also going out in the form of higher wages.
Since North Dakota’s Bakken activity erupted in 2005, employers in the western part of the state have been steadily increasing wages to both attract and retain employees for a variety of positions and services. Recently, …

Speakers from around the region to convene in Bismarck-Mandan
The Chamber will host a flood recovery conference on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at the Bismarck Civic Center. The conference will feature speakers from cities around the region including: Fargo, Grand Forks, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Iowa. The goal of the day is to learn lessons in recovery from other communities.
“In recent years, other communities have experienced significant flooding,” said Kelvin Hullet, president of the Chamber. “With this event, we hope to learn how these communities dealt with the aftermath, ensured the …

More than 50 members turned out for the first Dinner on the Plaza at the Chamber on Thursday, July14. The event featured live music by Luke Graner, a gourmet spread prepared by Pirogue Grille and a variety of wines courtesy of Captain Jack’s.
“This is the third season of Dinners on the Plaza,” said Chamber President Kelvin Hullet. “They continue to be an excellent venue for members to have deeper conversations that lead to connections and friendship.”
The series is presented by MDU Resources Group and one dinner will be hosted each …

The Bismarck-Mandan Chamber is hosting a lunch and learn event to educate local businesses about the assistance available for flood recovery. On Wednesday, July 6 representatives from the Small Business Administration and FEMA will present information about disaster assistance. The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber.
“There is a visible impact on local residents and business owners,” Chamber President Kelvin Hullet said of the 2011 flood. “In addition, there is a large contingency of our members who have experienced an economic impact that …

The Bismarck-Mandan Chamber hosted its annual Golf Outing on Monday, June 13 at Hawktree Golf Course. Weekend thunderstorms had staff worried about a potential rainout, but the poor weather pattern broke to provide a sun-filled day.
“It poured on Sunday, was beautiful on Monday and rained again on Tuesday. We lucked out with the weather, which resulted in excellent attendance and a lot of excitement,” said Senior Program Director for the Chamber Susie Kocourek.
The golf outing has been taking place for the past 21 years. The annual event continues to attract …

The Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce staff recently participated in a team building retreat hosted by Soaring Spirits Riding Center. What the staff soon learned is that you can lead a horse to water and horses can lead a group of novice handlers too.
Soaring Spirits is a newer member of the Chamber; enrolled since November of 2010. Owner and Certified EAP Facilitator Vanessa Graham invited the Chamber to experience first-hand what her company can provide businesses and organizations.
Nine staff members drove out to Soaring Spirits and the Graham family ranch near …

Businesses play role in curbing spending
By Kylie Blanchard, Clearwater Communications
Recently the Chamber co-hosted a presentation with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) to educate businesses about the state of the healthcare industry. The meeting outlined the state’s largest insurance provider’s aggressive plan to contain health insurance premiums and also provided business owners and employers with strategies to help curb healthcare costs.
“With the recent focus on healthcare reform, there has been a huge amount of attention on the cost of health insurance,” says Paul von Ebers, BCBSND president …

By Dot Frank
The Bismarck-Mandan Chamber is using concepts drafted at a fall strategizing session to drive their processes in 2011. Members of the board of directors met with Chamber staff in late October to discuss the direction the Chamber should move in the coming year and years ahead. At that time, the group establishes a series of strategic directions and staff was challenged to:
• Think and Act Strategically
• Communicate Value
• Provide Cultural Alignment
• Drive Wealth Creation
• Pursue Operational Efficiency
“The strategic directions have really helped the Chamber stay focused in 2011 …

There are many steps businesses take to increase their chances for success. With the 62nd Legislative Session underway, the opportunity exists for business leaders to take an important step in strengthening their companies and the community through communication with local representatives.
Actively communicating with both legislators and local officials helps ensure regulations promote business growth and expansion, and the voice of the business community is heard. “Legislators hear from a variety of constituencies and it’s important the business community has their voice and perspective represented to the Legislature,” says Kelvin Hullet, …

Organization focuses on its members and the future
With the new year comes new opportunities, and the Chamber is ushering in 2011 with a stronger focus on opportunities to build membership involvement and prepare for the future.
“Our overarching goal for this year is to make sure our vision is aligned appropriately with the expectations and needs of our members and the community,” says Kelvin Hullet, president of the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce. “We also want to address those issues that are going to be driving the economy in the future.”
The Chamber …

The Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce hosted more than 260 people for the annual State of the Cities Address on Nov. 4. The event featured brief presentations by Bismarck Mayor John Warford and Mandan Mayor Tim Helbling. Both shared success stories and struggles, but the scale tipped in favor of the first with business development driving much of discussion.
“I think we have a really positive economy in North Dakota, like everybody knows, and Mandan is no different,” said Helbling. He later referenced increased sales tax revenue, an upswing in housing starts …

Protecting intellectual property, when collaborating on an international, level is a key concern. To provide insight into this topic, the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) and the North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO) co-sponsored a seminar covering this very topic.
“Protecting your Intellectual Property in the International Marketplace” was held Sept. 22 at the Chamber and featured Matt Targett, head of innovation at Bayer Technology Services Asia.
“Over the past ten years, more and more technology has been deployed overseas, specifically to China,” explained Kelvin Hullet, president of the Chamber. “In the process, …

The Bismarck-Mandan Chamber is conducting the area’s first candidate prep course. Intended to provide information about elected, public-service positions and to encourage candidacy, the Candidate Information Forum will occur from 7-9 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 7 at the Chamber office located at 1640 Burnt Boat Drive in Bismarck.
“The Chamber takes an active role in legislative aff airs that impact business,” said President Kelvin Hullet. “Now we’re taking an active role rounding up those interested in running for office.”
Forum attendees will have the opportunity to hear about the various city and county …

CNNMoney.com recently released a list of the top places to launch a small business. Among small metro areas, Bismarck has claimed the number two slot.
“We are proud of the fact that Bismarck is being recognized as a great place to start a business,” said Kelvin Hullet, president of the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce (Chamber). “Many of our most successful businesses have started here. Bismarck- Mandan is a great place to look toward the future when it comes to business and so much more.”
CNNMoney.com points out the low unemployment rate (3.3 …

Is it really November? 2009 is going by in a blink. I hope you and your family were able to avoid the H1N1 virus in October. Fortunately, when the virus reappeared this fall, it still produced somewhat mild symptoms. The Chamber sent out some guidelines to our businesses in October. Please take a moment to review them. The virus will be with us through the winter so looking at business practices and making sure contingency plans are in place is essential.
On the other health care front, the Chamber’s task force on health care reform continued to meet through October. With the Senate Finance Committee putting out …

By Dot Frank
The Bismarck-Mandan Chamber has fielded calls for relocation requests since the organization was founded. It was only recently, however, that the Chamber began answering the call for community information kits online.
“Our redesigned Web site gave us the opportunity create a place for people to request relocation information online,” said Chamber President Kelvin Hullet.
Prior to the online form, all requests were taken over the phone. While the Chamber still gets calls, the demand from online requests has more than doubled the number of community information kits mailed each month.
“We’re …