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the Chamber's twice monthly e-newsletter
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President's Message
Welcome to The Phoenix, the Chamber’s e-newsletter.
The Chamber has finalized its key 2007 goals and the committee leaders who will help us accomplish our regional agenda. Read the Jan. 26 Atlanta Business Chronicle Op-Ed from our 2007 Chairman Dick Anderson to hear about our 2007 agenda.
You will also learn about how Delta Air Lines has set its sights on the 2008 direct air routes to China, which would connect the world’s busiest airport to China’s commercial and financial capital of Shanghai.
I hope you’ll also enjoy reading about a new logistics innovation study released by the Chamber that revealed metro Atlanta is the fifth-largest producer of patents in logistics.
This month we also mourn the loss of Haverty Furniture Chairman Emeritus Rawson Haverty Jr., 86, who died on Jan. 26 in Atlanta after a brief illness. Haverty was a long-time member and former chairman of the Chamber. Our thoughts are with his family.
Thanks for reading. We will continue to keep you informed on the issues you care about.
Sam A. Williams
President
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Hot Topics:
Chamber Sets Goals for 2007
The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce brings the region’s leaders together to tackle the big issues that matter most -- quality jobs and quality of life.
Key goals this year include:
Create jobs
Attract 50 new companies and 3,900 new jobs, spurring a ripple effect that brings the Chamber’s contribution to new job growth to 10,000 this year.
Fight traffic gridlock
Support a legislative proposal backed by 15 chambers of commerce and the Regional Business Coalition that would allow regions to tax themselves through a voter referendum – and use those funds for high-impact regional transportation projects.
Strengthen our public schools
Engage the business community through Atlanta Partners for Education, which has matched more than 200 businesses and 3,700 volunteers with schools. Regionwide, focus on four key areas: workforce quality, teacher recruitment, high school completion and creating effective school boards.
Protect our water resources
Work with the state’s Environmental Protection Division – and other business and government groups across the state – to develop a fact-based state water plan that protects our state’s water supply and ensures sustainable growth.
Click here to Dick Anderson’s Jan. 26 Atlanta Business Chronicle Op-Ed highlighting the goals for 2007.
Click here for the 2007 Officers and Committee Leadership.
Delta Makes First Move for 2008 China Routes
In a news conference on Jan. 19, Delta Air Lines announced its application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to offer customers the first and only nonstop flights between the world’s largest airline hub in Atlanta and China’s commercial and financial capital of Shanghai. The application officially launches Delta’s case for entry into the U.S.-China market.
“Direct air routes are critical to building global commerce, and we applaud Delta’s longtime commitment to opening doors for Atlanta around the world. The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce fully supports Delta Air Lines in its quest to win a direct air route between Atlanta and Shanghai, China’s business center,” said Sam A. Williams.
“As the U.S. Department of Transportation makes its decision in 2008, we hope it will consider that while m ore passengers come through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport than any airport in the world , the Southeast is still the only region in the U nited S tates with no direct passenger access to China. The Southeast is the fastest growing region in the country, and trade with China has seen explosive growth during the last 10 years.
Delta is well positioned to compete for a designation to serve China in 2008, and we look forward to working with them and other key partners to win this route,” said Williams.
Study Reveals Atlanta Innovation in Logistics is Top Five
Logistics Cluster Recognized by Porter
A new logistics innovation study released by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce revealed that metro Atlanta is the fifth-largest producer of patents in logistics. U.S. patents in four principal areas were studied from 1995 to 2005 to identify and rank the top areas for logistics innovation. These principal areas were value chain service providers, inventory monitoring, RF transponder tags and automated warehousing. Metro Atlanta ranks fourth in its share of national logistics employment and the study now proves that innovation is one of the driving factors of the area’s exceptional growth rate in logistics business and employment.
Harvard's economic development and cluster expert, Michael Porter, recently recognized the Atlanta region as one of the best examples of logistics cluster development in the country.
“Atlanta is a powerhouse for transportation and logistics, ranking fourth in the nation behind cities more than twice its size -- New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. And Atlanta keeps gaining momentum. In the last 15 years, Atlanta has gained more and more of the national market share of logistics employment in the nation, and grown jobs in this industry faster than any of the top 20 clusters,” said Porter.
Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter is the author of the 17 books, including Competitive Strategy, Competitive Advantage and Competitive Advantage of Nations.
To view the full study, please go to http://www.logisticsatlanta.com/logisticsFullStudy.pdf
News from the Gold Dome
One of the many ways we serve our members is proactively representing the business community at the state capitol.
Our efforts center on quality-of-life issues—transportation, education, environment—and on economic development policies that help bring quality jobs to this region and state. To ensure that you are kept up-to-date on all of the issues at the Capitol, the Chamber distributes the Gold Dome Report.
The Gold Dome Report arrives in your e-mail inbox every Thursday during the session, and provides an update on the latest happenings at the Capitol. This edition of the Gold Dome Report included a report on the progress of our major transportation initiative, and highlighted two pieces of legislation that could have a negative impact on water usage in metropolitan Atlanta.
The next Gold Dome Report will come to you on Thursday, Feb. 1, unless there is breaking news to report in the interim.
You can access the report here: Gold Dome Report, Vol. 2.
Haverty Furniture Exec and Civic Leader Rawson Haverty Dies
Haverty Furniture Chairman Emeritus Rawson Haverty Jr., 86, who died on Jan. 26 in Atlanta after a brief illness.
Haverty was a long-time member and former chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. He filled leadership roles in a number of business, public serve and charitable activities. He served as a director and as chairman of the board of Bank South and other corporate boards. He worked as a member of the MARTA study commission and as chairman of the board that helped make MARTA a reality.
Mr. Haverty will be remembered in Atlanta not only as an outstanding business executive who led a stellar family business to even greater heights of success -- but as a family man, a war hero, a visionary chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and a citizen dedicated to making Atlanta great through his personal commitment to countless business and civic organizations.
Click here to read the AJC obituary
Sports Corner
Chick-fil-A Bowl Re-writes Its Record Book
The 2006 edition of the Chick-fil-A Bowl turned out to be the best in the Atlanta bowl’s 39-year history – setting all-time records in five categories – and served to raise the future standard for a bowl game that has truly arrived on the national college football scene.
The Dec. 30 match-up between Georgia and Virginia Tech, the game’s 10 th straight sellout, drew a Chick-fil-A Bowl-record and new Georgia Dome-record crowd of 75,406 fans to watch Georgia come from behind in dramatic fashion and defeat a heavily favored Virginia Tech team 31-24. The only two bowls to draw more fans this year were the Rose and Sugar Bowls. The Georgia Dome’s previous record was 75,125 for the 2003 Chick-fil-A Bowl between Clemson and Tennessee.
Link to the release "Other Bowl Records"
Russell Athletic Shootout Honors Influential Atlanta Women
A group of 10 of Atlanta’s most successful and influential businesswomen will be recognized with the Women of Distinction Award at the Russell Athletic Shootout women’s basketball doubleheader Sunday, Jan. 21, at the Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth.
The women, who represent the highest in professional achievement, will be honored for their commitment to excellence in business, their dedication to their professions and the example each sets for future women leaders. This is the second year the Women of Distinction Award winners have been recognized at the Russell Athletic Shootout – a Chick-fil-A Bowl event – and the sixth year for the women’s basketball doubleheader that matches Georgia and Georgia Tech against top-ranked teams from the ACC and SEC.
Chamber Events
"Small Business Matters” Welcomes Humana President and CEO Mike McCallister
The Small Business Matters series will host Mike McCallister, CEO and president of Humana on Feb. 20, at 7:30 a.m. at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Board Room.
The program will address health care and the changes that will impact everyone at every level.
McCallister has an extensive history with Humana, having joined the company in 1974. Prior to being named president and CEO in 2000, he had senior management responsibility for health plan operations throughout the company.
In 2006, Business Week magazine named McCallister one of five S&P 500 CEOs whose stocks have posted the largest total returns in the past five years. Forbes magazine also ranked McCallister last year third among CEOs who delivered the most value to shareholders over the previous six years.
A large crowd is anticipated, so please RSVP to events@macoc.com.
Chamber to host Polish Ambassadors
On Feb. 9, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce will host the Honorable Victor Ashe, U.S. Ambassador to Poland, and His Excellency Janusz Reiter, Polish Ambassador to the U.S. The two ambassadors will be at the Metro Atlanta Chamber for a luncheon to discuss reasons and opportunities for U.S. businesses to expand into Poland.
A business delegation of commercial trade specialists from the U.S. Embassy in Poland and representatives from several polish economic development agencies will accompany the ambassadors to assist with questions.
Poland has quickly become a destination for foreign investment due to its central location within Europe and its young, talented workforce. Poland offers prime access to approximately 250 million consumers in both the established markets of Western Europe and the emerging markets of Eastern Europe. In addition, Poland boasts one of the youngest populations in Europe, including 20 million young, highly-educated, multi-lingual citizens.
The luncheon is being hosted by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Polish-American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
If you would like more information, please contact Ric Hubler in Global Commerce at
(404) 586-8455 or via e-mail at rhubler@macoc.com.
February
7 Wednesday
New Member Orientation
Members are invited to join this breakfast networking session to make the most of their
Chamber connections by “power networking” with other Chamber members and potential clients.
Time: 10:15 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
235 Andrew Young International Blvd.
Lunch Sponsor: Low Country Barbeque
Members ONLY
RSVP required
8 Tuesday
Quick Business Connections
Time: 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Location: Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Members Only
RSVP required
13 Tuesday
Leads to Business
Time: 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Location: Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
RSVP required
14 Wednesday
Power Networking Luncheon
Time: 11:30-1:30 p.m.
Location: The Levy Restaurant in the Georgia World Congress Center
Non Members: $50
Members: $12.00
RSVP required
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