Locally Made Products in the Spotlight

Everyone knows that manufacturing has steadily declined in Ohio and the U.S. in recent decades.  That is true locally as well, but Muskingum County companies still produce an interesting and sizable variety of industrial and consumer products.  So, an effort is being made to increase awareness in the community about what those are.

A display with a sampling of local products has been set up at Colony Square Mall in a window in the corridor near the movie theater.  Actual products, photos and packaging are used to illustrate locally manufactured goods such as O-I made glass bottles, Conn's chips, Kellogg's food products, and Ohio Stoneware crocks.  The display also includes intellectual property - which of course is not commonly considered manufactured goods - from Muskingum County, such as works by area artists and software by Cerner.

Also, the chamber has established a page on its website - www.zmchamber.com - with a list of locally made products.  The list, which is nearly 70 companies long, includes links to more information about the companies on the list that are chamber member firms.  Industrial products from companies like AK Steel and Casting Solutions and consumer goods from places like Longaberger and Bloomer Candy are included.  The list also covers agri-business, with companies like Terra Cotta Vineyards, Huston Farms and two local greenhouse growers - McDonald's and Timber Run - included.  The web page can be found at this link or by going to zmchamber.com and entering the search term "made in".

The purpose of the display and the web page is to recognize the accomplishments of area production businesses and celebrate the creativity, ingenuity and craftsmanship of local people and companies.  The overall goal is to create a positive business environment for these companies and retain them in the community.

The project is funded by the Chamber's Muskingum Growth Partnership.  Two college student interns, Rachel Thomas and Brianna Burke, helped plan and implement the initiative over the past year.

TV Campaign Promotes Local Buying and Free Enterprise

Our latest TV campaign is hitting the airwaves as we speak.  It features local business people promoting the benefits of buying locally and celebrating the American tradition of free enterprise.  You can watch the videos (and our previous video campaigns) here.  Thanks to WHIZ TV for their support and cooperation, and thanks to the participating companies for making these TV announcements possible.

Options Exist to Reduce Workers Comp Costs

The cost of workers compensation coverage is commonly cited as a major burden when we do surveys of area businesses and talk to members.  But you do have some savings options available to you and now is the time to explore those. Please read on for more about the Chamber's workers comp program.

 

You can save significantly on your workers' compensation premium by joining the Zanesville-Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce workers' compensation program administered by CareWorks Consultants, Inc. (CCI).

  

We partner with CareWorks Consultants to deliver the most significant cost savings to our members. CareWorks Consultants embraces a results-oriented approach that fully integrates safety prevention and risk control with aggressive claims management to deliver a significant return on investment. The Chamber and CareWorks Consultants can analyze your company to determine the BEST workers' compensation premium-saving program for you.

• Group Rating - CCI's group rating program is the only plan endorsed by the Chamber.In 2012 the program's estimated return on investment averaged 533%. (see Safety Council information below, too.)
• Group Retrospective Rating - This program offers premium savings projected as high as 83% and can be a great alternative for companies unable to qualify for traditional group experience rating. (see Safety Council information below, too.)
• Deductible Program - This program offers discounts (up to 77%) on premium rates in exchange for accepting a specified deductible amount.
• 100% EM Cap -Companies becoming penalty rated for the upcoming policy year can have increases to their Experience Modifier (EM) limited, or capped, at 100%, thereby limiting rate and premium increases.
• Other Alternative Rating & Discount Programs -Drug-Free Safety Program, One Claim Program, Safety Council, Salary Continuation, and others.
• Self Insurance - Companies pay compensation and medical costs directly for work-related injuries avoiding escalating reserves and premiums charged by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. CareWorks Consultants serves more Ohio self-insured employers than any other third party administrator.

As a result of their best-in-class service, CareWorks Consultants has consistently maintained a 97% retention rate - one of the highest in the industry. Put their team to work for you. For a no-cost, no-obligation program analysis, please click here and complete the form. You may also contact CareWorks Consultants' Jason Bainum, toll-free, at 1-800-837-3200, ext. 7114, jason.bainum@ccitpa.com.   

ALSO, you can save on workers comp by participating in the Safety Council program.  More than 60 companies participate and save each year.  The deadline to join is this month - July 31 - so be sure to submit your enrollment form NOW.  Make note: Participants in Group Rating and Group Retrospective can now earn half the rebate for Safety Council too, so don't assume you are not eligible for both discounts - you now are!

Earn a Rebate On Workers Comp

NOW is the time to enroll in the local Safety Council program and earn a rebate from the state on your workers compensation premiums. The deadline to enroll is July 31, so read on about the program, and get your application form in this month. 

Safety Council is a program of the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation Division of Safety & Hygiene. Its purpose is to promote workplace safety through education, information and training, and to enable employers to earn a rebate on their workers comp premium in the process. In other words, the Ohio BWC believes that prevention of workplace safety and health issues is a priority and that employers who make an effort to maintain safe workplaces should be rewarded. The result for employers is a program that is an effective way to reduce workers comp premiums.

The rebate is earned by fulfilling specific annual requirements, which are specified here. The program offers employers two separate 2% discounts, or a total possible savings of 4%. The first is a 2% premium rebate for completing the program eligibility requirements, and the second is 2% performance bonus for employers who reduce their frequency or severity of claims by 10 percent or more below the previous year's frequency or severity, or employers who maintain both frequency and severity at zero. Rebate payments are sent by the Ohio BWC to employers who earn the rebate in the last quarter of each calendar year.

An enrollment form and more information are available at this section of the Chamber website.

Webinar on Health Care Law This Week

On July 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the Ohio Chamber's HR Academy will present a webinar on the Affordable Care Act and the recent Supreme Court ruling. HR Academy webinars are $55 for Ohio Chamber members and $110 for nonmembers. HOWEVER, the Ohio Chamber has agreed to extend the $55 Ohio Chamber member rate to our members as well.

The full title of this webinar is Not All Employers Are Created Equal, and Some May Not Remain Equal: Impact of the Affordable Care Act and the Recent Supreme Court Ruling on Different Employing Organizations. This webinar is being presented by John McGowan Jr., Jennifer Mills and Susan Whittaker Hughes of Baker Hostetler. This course has been approved for CLE credits through the Ohio Supreme Court and has been approved for Human Resource Certification Institute recertification credits.

To watch the webinar you will need to register on the Ohio Chamber website. To qualify for the Ohio Chamber member discount you will need to enter the discount code which is: Employers.

If you have any questions, please email Michelle Donovan at the Ohio Chamber or call her at 614-228-4201. To register, click here.

Business people often ask "Are there programs to help my business"?  They hear about economic development programs like tax incentives and government loans and the endless (and usually empty) promises of grants, and they logically want to know if they are missing out on programs from the government or non profit organizations that could help them financially. 

That's why we started a new newsletter called, simply, "Financial Assistance Programs".  It will be sent by email to the in-boxes of chamber members each month.  The newsletter summarizes programs that help the bottom line by cutting costs or providing new business opportunties. 

Examples include loan programs, tax credits, exporting opportunities, workers' comp discounts and equity investments.  Federal, state and local assistance programs are included.

Here's a link to our latest edition of the newsletter.

Oil & Gas Coalition Meeting Features Artex CEO

Over 70 business people attended a meeting yesterday to learn about the new Muskingum Oil & Gas Coalition and hear from a leading oil and gas industry executive. 

Jerry James, president of Artex Oil Company based in Marietta Ohio, talked about the economics of the industry, what producers are active in Ohio, and his concerns about the Governor's proposal to raise the severance tax on shale oil and gas production.  James is also president of the Ohio OIl & Gas Association which is strongly opposed to increasing taxes on oil and gas since shale exploration is still in its infancy and unproven.  The Chamber is also opposed to increasing taxes on the industry since it could stifle economic investment in the state.

Information was also provided on the benefits of joining the coalition. The coalition has plans to conduct marketing activities at trade shows and in industry publications in order to help its members reach out to companies involved in the oil and gas production supply chain. The coalition website, www.muskingumshale.com, has more details on marketing plans for the group.