Golf Cart Classic promo planned

The Commercial Review and the Jay County of Chamber of Commerce are looking for 17 businesses to promote an inaugural Merchant Golf Cart Classic.
The event, which will allow both local residents and attendees of the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Show to mini-golf at businesses around Portland, is looking for businesses to host holes during the classic from Aug. 23 to 27. Completed scorecards will be entered into a drawing for a gift basket.
Anyone interested must be able to provide and host a mini-golf hole at least 5 feet long, a gift for the prize basket and a $100 fee that will help defray the cost of scorecards and three full-page full-color ads in The Commercial Review promoting the event.
Interested businesses should contact Carl Ronald at 260-726-8141.

Funds available
A local nonprofit organization still has grant funds remaining to help Portland-area employers retain existing jobs in the community.
The grant can provide a partial wage subsidy to the employer for income-eligible employees who may be in danger of layoff or who are already on layoff.
Community & Family Services, Inc. (CFS) obtained the grant through the state, and the wage subsidy is available through Sept. 30, 2010. Funding is through federal economic stimulus dollars intended to provide a boost for the economy, as well as to help income-eligible individuals.
Interested employers should contact Tom McFarland or Geoff Frank of Community and Family Services at (260) 726-9318 for more information.
The program is available to employers located in any of the six counties served by CFS – Jay, Adams, Blackford, Wells, Huntington, and Randolph counties. The income-eligible employees must live in one of those six counties.
The project funding is from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) through a community service block grant from the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority.
The program has a simple income eligibility test: If the employer shows that the employee’s hourly rate is $10.41 or under ($21,660 annualized), and the individual is either on layoff or at risk of being laid off, then the employer could receive a subsidy under the program to help preserve that job in the community. The employee would not have to be involved in that discussion or be aware of the subsidy.
The wage subsidy is up to 50 percent of the worker’s eligible full-time wage with subsidy caps of $5 per hour worked, 40 hours per week and $200 per week per employee. The subsidy is paid to the employer after each payroll. Positions to be subsidized should be full-time. Jobs compensated through commissions or tips are not eligible for the subsidy.
If an employer has an employee who earns more than the $10.41 per hour income guideline, and the employer would like to inquire further about eligibility, CFS can work with both the employer and employee for an expanded look at family size and income to see if that individual might qualify.
CFS has tried to make the program as easy as possible for employers to sign up and to receive subsidy reimbursements through the program. Funding is limited. More information is available through the organization’s central administrative office in Portland at (260) 726-9318.

Networking luncheon
Jay Julian, president and CEO of the Muncie/Delaware Chamber of Commerce, will present at the next Jay County Chamber of Commerce networking luncheon.
The luncheon will take place July 27 at noon at Jay County Hospital.
Cost is $8 and reservations can be made by calling (260) 726-4481 or by e-mailing [email protected].

KFCs closing?
Yum Brands Inc. chairman hinted that KFC locations around the country may close to keep the company profitable.
David C. Novak, chairman of Yum, which owns restaurant chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, said he would rather have fewer “great-looking KFCs” than having “drive-by assets” and claimed the company would be “prepared to do whatever it takes to get this system to look like a leader,” in a conference call with industry analysts.
At the end of the most recent quarter, KFC had 5,040 restaurants in the U.S. The company has been highly successful recently with KFC locations in China.

Abatements granted
The Berne City Council gave preliminary approval to Smith Bros. furniture for tax abatements for a planned $1.7 million expansion.
The expansion would add a 32,000 square-foot building that could add 12 new jobs by September. The company requested 10-year tax abatements for real estate and for personal property.
The company also asked the city to vacate a portion of Berne Street between Behring and Railroad streets.
The city, however, hesitated at the request, as Smith Bros. planned to install a gravel drive as opposed to a paved throughway.

Turkey trip
Energize-ECI director E. Roy Budd recently traveled with a Ball State University team to Turkey on an educational business relations and economic development trip.
The group visisted eight cities and met with educational and government officials as well as business leaders and chamber of commerce representatives.

Fleetwood launch
Fleetwood RV Inc. launched Thursday its 2011 Storm “crossover” motor home line with a starting price of $82,000.
The Decatur manufacturer designed three floor plans which include captan’s chairs, a sofa, a convertible dinette, a 26-inch LCD TV with DVD player, rear-vision camera and remote mirrors.[[In-content Ad]]