May 2012 Newsletter

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Volume 12, Issue 5 May 2012 Ocial Newsleer of the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce T HE C HAMBER C ORNER /epchamber Your Company is Cordially Invited to Celebrate the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce’s 33rd Anniversary Celebration Annual Awards Banquet Monday, May 7, 2012 at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center Dining Hall RSVP (706) 485-7701 or [email protected] 6:30 p.m. Cocktails (Cash Bar) 7:15 p.m. Dinner 7:45 p.m. Awards Ceremony $35 per person (Cash, Check, Visa or MasterCard -Payable Upon Ordering) Business Casual The Annual Awards Banquet is sponsored by AT&T, Georgia Power Company,The Peoples Bank, Central Georgia Technical College, Putnam County Charter School System, Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, Smith Communications, Farmers & Merchants Bank and Putnam General Hospital. The Maximum Retail series is coming to Putnam County! This course is a $250 value but is being offered in Putnam County for FREE due to a One Georgia Grant for Chamber members. It’s limited to the first 20 at- tendees, two per business. This is a great learning opportunity that can help our business community thrive! Classes are now forming for Eatonton-Putnam businesses on Tuesday evenings May 15, 22 & 29 and June 5 & 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at The Plaza Arts Center, 305 N. Madison Ave. Eatonton, GA 31024. Maximum Retail is an interactive course that meets for two hours, once a week, over a ve week period. These sessions will help you enhance sales and protability by helping you to rene all areas of your dynamic retail business. Modules include: Know Your Customer; Sales and Service Enhancement; Loss Prevention and Security; Prot Enhancement; Online Retailing and Summary. To sign up or for more information, call (706) 485-7701 or email [email protected]. Annual Awards Banquet Sponsor a Table Centerpiece! A favorite tradition at the Annual Awards Banquet is the sponsorship of table centerpieces by our Chamber members. These fun arrangements, that represent the uniqueness of each busi- ness, are given away as door prizes throughout the evening. Remember to get creative with your centerpiece by making it a reflection on your business! Please drop off your centerpiece to the Chamber office by Friday, May 4. Fresh flowers may be delivered the day of the dinner, Monday, May 7. Table Centerpiece Sponsors signed up so far include: Allgood Pest Solutions, Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, Eatonton Chiropractic Center, Putnam County Farm Bureau, Farmers & Merchants Bank, FERST Foundation for Childhood Literacy, Fowler Flemis- ter Concrete, Justice Marine, Lake Oconee Dentistry, Long Shots Sports Bar, Maggie Lane, Neighborhood Cleaners, PeachState Cleaning and Restoration, The Peoples Bank, Putnam County Charter School System, Putnam General Hospital, Rock Eagle 4-H Center, Rountrees IGA, Salon 195, Sears at Lake Oconee, Serenity Hospice Care, SERVPRO of Baldwin, Putnam and Jones Counties, and Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers. Monday! MAXIMUM RETAIL is for you! Create a retailing strategy that will propel YOUR business to the next level! On Thursday, May 24, Celebrate Patriotism, a pre- memorial day celebration will begin at 5 p.m. at The Plaza Arts Center, presented by Eatonton Kiwanis Club and the Chamber. Bring the whole family for an evening honoring those who served our country. Enjoy free hot dogs and ice cream; a picto- rial tribute; and a concert by the 434th Signal Corps Band. For more information, call (706) 485-7701. Eatonton Kiwanis Club is currently raising funds for this patri- otic event; if you would like to make a donation, please mail it to Tom Rosseter at 205 N. Madison Ave., Eatonton, GA 31024. Celebrate Patriotism is sponsored by Putnam General Hospital, The Peoples Bank, Putnam County Charter School System, Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, Smith Communications and Farmers & Merchants Bank. Celebrate! PATRIOTISM Are YOU a retailer in Putnam County?

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The Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce's newsletter for the month of May highlighting Chamber events and new members.

Transcript of May 2012 Newsletter

Volume 12, Issue 5 May 2012

Offi cial Newslett er of the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce

T HE C HAMBER C ORNER

/epchamber

Your Company is Cordially Invited to Celebrate theEatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce’s

33rd Anniversary Celebration

Annual Awards BanquetMonday, May 7, 2012

at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center Dining HallRSVP (706) 485-7701 or [email protected]

6:30 p.m. Cocktails (Cash Bar)7:15 p.m. Dinner

7:45 p.m. Awards Ceremony$35 per person (Cash, Check, Visa or MasterCard -Payable Upon Ordering)

Business CasualThe Annual Awards Banquet is sponsored by AT&T, Georgia Power Company, The Peoples Bank, Central

Georgia Technical College, Putnam County Charter School System, Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, Smith Communications, Farmers & Merchants Bank and Putnam General Hospital.

The Maximum Retail series is coming to Putnam County! This course is a $250 value but is being offered in Putnam County for FREE due to a One Georgia Grant for Chamber members. It’s limited to the first 20 at-tendees, two per business. This is a great learning opportunity that can help our business community thrive! Classes are now forming for Eatonton-Putnam businesses on Tuesday evenings May 15, 22 & 29 and June 5 & 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at The Plaza Arts Center, 305 N. Madison Ave. Eatonton, GA 31024. Maximum Retail is an interactive course that meets for two hours, once a week, over a fi ve week period. These sessions will help you enhance sales and profi tability by helping you to refi ne all areas of your dynamic retail business. Modules include: Know Your Customer; Sales and Service Enhancement; Loss Prevention and Security; Profi t Enhancement; Online Retailing and Summary. To sign up or for more information, call (706) 485-7701 or email [email protected].

Annual Awards Banquet

Sponsor a Table Centerpiece! A favorite tradition at the Annual Awards Banquet is the sponsorship of table centerpieces by our Chamber members. These fun arrangements, that represent the uniqueness of each busi-ness, are given away as door prizes throughout the evening. Remember to get creative with your centerpiece by making it a reflection on your business! Please drop off your centerpiece to the Chamber office by Friday, May 4. Fresh flowers may be delivered the day of the dinner, Monday, May 7. Table Centerpiece Sponsors signed up so far include: Allgood Pest Solutions, Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, Eatonton Chiropractic Center, Putnam County Farm Bureau, Farmers & Merchants Bank, FERST Foundation for Childhood Literacy, Fowler Flemis-ter Concrete, Justice Marine, Lake Oconee Dentistry, Long Shots Sports Bar, Maggie Lane, Neighborhood Cleaners, PeachState Cleaning and Restoration, The Peoples Bank, Putnam County Charter School System, Putnam General Hospital, Rock Eagle 4-H Center, Rountrees IGA, Salon 195, Sears at Lake Oconee, Serenity Hospice Care, SERVPRO of Baldwin, Putnam and Jones Counties, and Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers.

Monday!

MAXIMUM RETAIL is for you!Create a retailing strategy that will propel

YOUR business to the next level!

On Thursday, May 24, Celebrate Patriotism, a pre-memorial day celebration will begin at 5 p.m. at The

Plaza Arts Center, presented by Eatonton Kiwanis Club

and the Chamber. Bring the whole family for an evening honoring those who served our country. Enjoy free hot dogs and ice cream; a picto-rial tribute; and a concert by the 434th Signal Corps Band.

For more information, call (706) 485-7701. Eatonton Kiwanis Club is currently raising funds for this patri-

otic event; if you would like to make a donation, please mail it to Tom Rosseter at

205 N. Madison Ave., Eatonton, GA 31024.

Celebrate Patriotism is sponsored by Putnam General Hospital, The Peoples Bank, Putnam

County Charter School System, Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, Smith Communications and Farmers & Merchants Bank.

Celebrate!PATRIOTISM

Are YOU a retailer in Putnam County?

RSVP For Events!Wednesday, May 16: Networking @ Noon sponsored by Putnam General Hospital, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Plaza Arts Center, registration is $10.

Agenda includes lunch, table networking, Chamber updates, sponsor presentation, commercials and general networking. The Plaza Arts Center is located at 305 N. Madison Ave., Eatonton, GA 31024.

Tuesday, May 22: Coffee Connections, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., at Spillin the Beans. Connect over coffee with a rep-resentative of the Chamber board and staff along with fellow members. Cof-fee Connections is sponsored by Put-

nam County Charter School System, Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, Smith Communications, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Putnam Gen-eral Hospital, Central Georgia Technical College and The Peoples Bank. Spillin the Beans is located at 646 Old Phoenix Rd., Suite B, Eatonton, GA 31024.

Thursday, May 24: Liberty Builders Chamber Open House and Greene County Chamber Business After Hours, 6 to 8 p.m. Enjoy music by Tim Cadiere, a delicious spread of food in-cluding pork tenderloin and beer / wine while you tour the Irish Pub and beautiful grounds and gardens. There will be lots of door prizes

to win! RSVP to (706) 467-3322. Liberty Builders is located at 4010 Liberty Church Road, Whiteplains, GA 30678.

Thursday, June 14: Busi-ness After Hours sponsored by Brand Mortgage, 5 to 7 p.m. Enjoy networking, re-freshments and a 50/50 cash

raffle. Brand Mortgage is located at 946 Harmony Road, Eatonton, GA 31024.

Wednesday, June 20: Lunch-N-Learn: Learn: “Are You a Savvy Networker?,” 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Lodge on Lake Oconee, presented by Bonnie Ross-Parker, America’s Connection Diva. Registration is $20. The Lunch-N-Learn series is spon-sored by The Peoples Bank, Putnam County Charter School System, Cuscowilla on

Lake Oconee, Central Georgia Technical College, Smith Communi-cations, Farmers & Merchants Bank and Putnam General Hospital. The Lodge on Lake Oconee is located at 930 Lake Oconee Parkway, Eatonton, GA 31024.

For more information or to RSVP, call (706) 485-7701 or email [email protected]. Visit www.eatontonchamber.com for a full Chamber Calendar of Events. May 2012 / Page 2

-Eatonton welcomed visitors participating in the 4th Annual Ante-bellum Trail Pilgrimage April 19 through 22. In Eatonton, partici-pants were treated to a tour of four of our historic homes on Madison Avenue including the Riley-Williams House, Napier-Reid-Rainey-Stubbs-Eagle Tavern (Bronson House), Ezell-Tatum House and the Thomas-Clark-Dennis-Harrison House. The Antebellum Trail is a 100 mile trek through seven communities, including Eatonton, that escaped Sherman’s burning march through Georgia. The Trail is available for self-guided tours year round. For a full itinerary, visit www.antebellumtrail.org.

Tourism & Visitor News & Review

-The Chamber served over 500 bike riders on Friday, April 20, as an official rest stop for BRAG (Bike Riders Across Georgia). Chamber staff and volunteers spent the morning welcoming our visitors on wheels with fresh made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit, chips, cookies, water, Powerade and the BRAG famous Fig New-tons. Bikers took the time to pose for a photo with Cleo the cow, who made an appearance courtesy of her Master Mike Curtis.

-On Friday, April 13, the Chamber made goody bags and arranged for Local Historian Larry Moore and Commissioner Reid to give a tour of the Alice Walker driving trail to a group of ladies from Atlanta!

-On Thursday, April 19, the Chamber co-sponsored Ladies Night with Eatonton Mainstreet as part of the Flamingo Days Celebration pro-moting Downtown Eatonton. Ladies enjoyed great fellowship, food and entertainment in the Adelle Theatre within Blackwell Furniture.

May 2012 / Page 3

On Wednesday, April 18, the Chamber held the Lunch-N-Learn titled Balance is a Myth. The presentation was given by Kris Cavanaugh who is owner of ShiftTM as well as a speaker, trainer and ICF certified Coach. For more information on working with Kris, contact www.begintoshift.com. The Lunch-N-Learn Series is sponsored by Putnam County Charter School System, Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, Smith Communications, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Putnam General Hos-pital, Central Georgia Technical College and The Peoples Bank. Right, following the seminar, members purchased the speaker’s book to learn more.

Business After Hours at Bodyplex Fitness AdventureOn Thursday, April 12, Bodyplex Fitness Adventure sponsored Business After Hours. Chamber members connected while enjoying the delicious spread of refreshments, a networking activity and 50/50 cash raffle. Judy Schneider won the six month membership door prize given by Bodyplex and Justin Lance of Pathway to Healing won the 50/50 Cash Raffle. Bodyplex

reminded members about the Corporate Membership Program that can be offered to employees. Bodyplex is located off of Harmony Road at 106 Village Lane, Eatonton, GA 31024. For more information, call Alanna Oliver at (706) 485-9916.

On Tuesday, April 24, Coffee Connections was held at The Plaza Arts Center. Members representing Putnam County Farm Bureau and Serenity Hospice Care, LLC met with Board Member Wes Lewis and Membership Manager Becky Needham. Coffee Connections is sponsored by Central Georgia Technical College, Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, Smith Communications, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Put-nam General Hospital, The Peoples Bank and Putnam Coun-ty Charter School System.

On Tuesday, April 24, Putnam General Hospital Medical Associates in Cowles Clinic held an open house welcoming Dr. Aurelio Manto, Rich-ard Baehler and Andrew Abernathy at the new office location at Cowles Clinic (1000 Cowles Clinic Way, Willow Building, Suite W-200, Greens-boro, GA 30642). For more information, email [email protected]. Left, Dr. Eddie Richardson of Lake Oconee Urgent & Speciality Care meets Dr. Manto at the Open House.

Lunch-N-Learn teaches how to be the CEO of your life

PGH Medical Associates host Open House

Members meet with Board and Staff at Coffee Connections

Prayer, Noon on the Putnam County Courthouse Lawn. Please join us for prayer, praise, fellowship and free lunch.

May 3: Wall Breakers presents Girl’s Night Out, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Peoples Bank at Lake Oconee. No Charge, bring your dinner (water provided). Come eat, enjoy some music and take a different look at “The Power of 3.” For more informa-tion contact Jennifer Camp at (770) 617-5991 or visit www.wallbreakers.org. RSVP appreciated but not required to attend.

May 5: The Plaza Arts Center presents Platters, Coasters, & Marvelettes, 7:30 p.m. It’s not a concert, it’s a Party! Enjoy a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame show, starring three beloved groups whose songs were at the top of the charts for years! For more information, visit www.ThePlazaArtsCenter.com or call (706) 923-1655.

May 5: Spotlight Theatres presents Trash to Treasures, 8 a.m. to noon, Lake Oconee Village. $25 for a space. For more infor-mation, call (706) 999-9990 or email [email protected].

May 4: Lake Oconee Urgent and Specialty Care Center all day Open House celebrating the one year anniversary at Lake Oconee. Stop in for refreshments, meet the staff and get a few treats! Located at 105 Harmony Crossing, Suite 3, Eatonton, GA. For more information, call (706) 484-0884.

May 4: The Village at Harmony Crossing presents First Fri-day. There will be live entertainment, kids events on the lawn and merchants will be open late offering specials and discounts to shoppers. For more information, visit www.vharmonycross-ing.com.

May 8: Central Georgia Technical College presents “Skills for 21st Century Leadership,” 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. What are the “must have” leadership skills for the 21st century? $10, re-freshments will be served. To register, visit www.astdatlanta.org/Events. For more information, contact Ann Lear, [email protected] or call (478) 757-3517.

May 11: Lake Oconee Dentistry presents the 3rd Annual Dentistry from the Heart, a free day of dentistry, 8 a.m. If you or someone you know is in need of dental services, get in line early and receive a free cleaning, filling or extraction (the first 130 pa-tients will be treated or however many more than can serve again this year). Patients must be at least 12 years of age to be seen and accompanied by a parent or guardian if under the age of 18. Lake

Member News & EventsMember News_______________________

Goodwill Lake Oconee will be offering Job Connection class-es every month to assist in job searching, resume building and more. For more information, call (706) 485-0245.

Steffen Thomas Museum of Art is accepting applications for the Junior Docent Program being held July 9-13, 2012, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., includes docent training, museum tours and art work-shops. Limited to fifteen rising 4th through 7th graders. Can-didate interviews determine acceptance. Graduation reception Friday evening features tours by Junior Docents. $40. Members $30. Information: www.steffenthomas.org or (706) 342-7557.

Crooked Pines Farm’s construction of the Barn for special event booking is at the midpoint. For more information, vid-eos and pictures of the barn visit www.crookedpinesfarm.com/cpf-blog.html. Also, the Crooked Pines Farm summer camps are filling up quickly! The week of June 18-22 and July 23 -27 are completely full. Each day, the kids play with the animals, receive an educational lesson based on the topic, make a craft, play games and participate in a variety of activities. For more information on the barn or camps, call (706) 347-0274 or visit www.crooked-pinesfarm.com.

Saltamacchio Tang Soo Do Karate School announces its Martial Arts Summer Camp. The martial arts summer camp is a safe, high-energy, supervised environment where your child will have fun as he/she learns how to defend themselves, grow in confidence and develop a positive attitude. Daily, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Four weeks available: June 4-8, June 25-29, July 9-13 and July 23-27. For more information, call (706) 991-9925.

Member Events______________________

The Village at Harmony Crossing presents the Farmers Market, every Saturday. Local merchants offering fresh produce, dairy, meats and an assortment of handmade arts and crafts. For more information, call (706) 923-0190 or visit www.vhar-monycrossing.com.

Eenoco Japanese Steak & Sushi presents Eenoco Loco Thursdays, every Thursday receive 25 percent off entire check from 5 p.m. to close end enjoy Karaoke from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.

May 3: Commissioner Janie B. Reid, Wall Breakers and Stronghold Church East & more present National Day of

May 2012 Insert Continued on back...

by Tim Cadiere, a delicious spread of food including pork ten-derloin, beer/wine, while you tour the Irish Pub and beautiful grounds and gardens. There will be lots of door prizes to win! RSVP to (706) 467-3322. Located at 4010 Liberty Church Road, Whiteplains, GA 30678.

June 2: Pilot Club of Eatonton presents the Dairy Festival and Farmers & Merchants Bank presents the 10K Torture Trail / One Mile Fun Run, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Road Race begins at 8 a.m., booths open at 9 a.m., parade starts at 10 a.m. and program and BBQ begin at 11 a.m. For booth spaces contact Charlotte Green at (706) 473-0336 or Yvonne Harrell at (706) 485-8112; Parade, Jann Brown at (706) 473-5705; Entertainment, Gerrye Jenkins at (706) 485-5187; Road Race & Fun Run, Joey Davis at (706) 485-9941; and for General Information, Glenda Ridley at (706) 473-0763.

June 16: Rock Eagle 4-H Center presents Saturday at the Rock “Snakes, Turtles and More” from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Rock Eagle 4-H Center. Saturday at the Rock is geared for all ages and is $5 for participants five years old and up and free to anyone four and younger. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is needed prior to arrival. Call Matt Hammons at (706) 484-2862 or e-mail [email protected] to register. For more information www.rockeagle4h.org/ee/com-munity/SaturdayattheRock.html.

June 23: The Plaza Arts Center presents Meet Me at The Plaza Outdoor Summer Concert Series “East Beach Blues Band,” 7:30 p.m. on the lawn of The Plaza Arts Center. Bring lawn chairs and picnic baskets, fun for the whole family! Tickets available at the gate, both branches of Farmers and Merchants Bank or online at www.theplazaartscenter.com

June 28: Infinity Network Solutions presents Pasta & Print at Natalia’s, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Do you know how much printing costs your organization each year? If you don’t, odds are good you are spending way more than you should. Join us to learn the benefits of fixed-cost, managed print services. Visit www.techtartare.com.

Member News & EventsOconee Dentistry is located off of Highway 44 at the entrance to Harbor Club. For more information visit LakeOconeeDental.com or call (706) 453-1333. May 12: The Farmers & Merchants Bank presents Shred Day at the Lake Oconee Branch within the Harmony Cross-ing Shopping Center from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Bring in those personal and financial documents you no longer need and let us shred them for you. New this year will we be able to “shred” the data on all computer hard drives and can take donations of old computers that are no longer needed. For more information on Shred Day please call the Farmers & Merchants Bank at (706) 485-9941 or visit www.ibankfmb.com.

May 18: Infinity Network Solutions presents Low Country Golf & Grub at The Brickyard, Golf at 12 p.m. / Grub at 5 p.m. Interested in playing Macon’s premier golf course? Bring your clubs, your “A” game and a hearty appetite. Don’t want to play golf? Just come for the grub! Visit www.techtartare.com.

May 19: Rock Eagle 4-H Center presents Saturday at the Rock “Inside the Beehive” from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Rock is geared for all ages and is $5 for participants five years old and up and free to anyone four and younger. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is needed prior to arrival. Call Matt Hammons at (706) 484-2862 or e-mail [email protected] to register. For more information, visit www.rockeagle4h.org/ee/community/SaturdayattheRock.html.

May 19: Mothers Against Crime presents the 20th Anniver-sary Banquet at The Plaza Arts Center, 7 p.m. Tickets are $10. For more information, call (706) 485-5332.

May 24: Eatonton Kiwanis Club and the Eatonton-Put-nam Chamber of Commerce presents Celebrate Patriotism, a pre-memorial day celebration, at The Plaza Arts Center. Bring the whole family for an evening honoring those who served our country. Enjoy free hot dogs and ice cream; a pictorial tribute; and a concert by the 434th Signal Corps Band. If you would like to make a donation, please mail it to Tom Rosseter at 205 N. Madison Ave., Eatonton, GA 31024. For more informa-tion, call (706) 485-7701.

May 24: Liberty Builders Chamber Open House and Greene County Chamber Business After Hours, 6 to 8 p.m. Enjoy music

Please remember to submit your Member to Member News & Events formatted to 50 words or less to

[email protected] by the 20th of each month to be included in the

following month’s newsletter. May 2012 Insert

Events continued from front..

Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce, Purchasing Alliance Solutions and UnitedHealthcare Announce Expansion of Chamber Sponsored

Employee Benefits Options Through Healthy Business Alliance™

We are pleased to announce our new initiative to reduce the increasing cost trend of health insurance through the introduction of healthy lifestyle tools for employees and their families, and to assist small business owners in improving the health and efficiency of their business operations by making available value-added services and business management tools through a program sponsored by the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce and distributed through brokers. The Healthy Business Alliance™ is in addition to the MemberCare AllianceTM program already offered. It is available to employer groups who are members of Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce or who commit to joining the Chamber upon enrollment in the health plan. The advantages of the UnitedHealthcare (UHC) insurance offering are:

Discounts off medical premium, subject to small group rating regulations, of up to 5% for new groups with 2-19 employees and up to 3% for new groups with 20-50 employees. Groups currently with UHC may enroll in this program at their annual renewal and receive up to a 2% renewal premium discount subject to small group rating regulations.

Up to a 5% discount on specialty products such as dental, vision, life and disability

An attractive wellness program available only to program participants including At-home biometric screening kits Wellness coaching Gym reimbursements

One bill and one application for medical and other coverages

COBRA administration, at no additional cost

Pre-tax Premium Only Plans and FSA plans for groups down to 2 employees, at no additional cost

Broad network access and low cost local and national coverage

Administrative savings of up to $7.00 per employee per month when specialty products are combined with medical

We are all excited to be able to offer you expanded options as a benefit of your Chamber membership. For more information please call your local insurance broker, your local Chamber of Commerce or Barbara Barber of Purchasing Alliance Solutions at (770) 579-1214 or email [email protected].  

FAQs about the On-the-Job (OJT) Training Program

These FAQs answer the questions most often asked by those looking into OJT.

1. What is OJT?

OJT provides reimbursements to employers to help compensate for the costs associated with skills

upgrade training and loss of production for newly hired employees. OJT training can assist

employers who are looking to expand their businesses and who need additional staff trained with

specialized skills. OJT employers may receive up to 90% (depending on employer size) of the wage rate

of OJT trainees to help defray personnel training costs.

2. What’s in it for my company?• You get a pool of pre-screened applica nts for your position—you decide who to hire.

• This is a great opportunity to bring on employees that are eager to learn new skills and up-skill your workforce.

• Reimbursement for the costs associated with training this new employee, which are usually calculated at up to half the pay rate for the agreed-upon training period.

• Prompt payments with a minimum of paperwork.

• OJT staff to assist you through all phases of the OJT.

3. Are there any restrictions?

Yes, there are. For example-

• You cannot use OJT funded trainees to replace employees laid off within six months prior to the date of your application.

• You must agree to hire any OJT trainees as regular, full-time employees.

• The rate of pay and benefits must be commensurate with what you pay others doing similar work.

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The MOWD staff can assist you in determining your company’s eligibility.

4. Who selects the OJT trainees?

As the OJT employer, your company will determine the selection criteria for OJT trainees. Then, MOWD will identify those of its clients who meet the criteria and will refer those clients to your company. Your company will decide the final selection of OJT trainees.

5. What if an employer has already selected a candidate for OJT training?

If an employer has already selected a candidate AND the candidate is approved by OJT staff as eligible, MOWD can set up an OJT with the employer candidate.

6. How do we get the process started?

A standardized OJT contract will be completed with your company. That contract will contain all of the terms of agreement for both MOWD and your company. With this contract in place, we will start to identify and screen candidates for your company’s position(s).

7. How long will the process take to get the OJT approved?

This process will not take much longer than hiring a non-OJT employee. In order to ensure that your needs are met, the process of writing and negotiating the contract and establishing a training plan for the individual could take up to a few weeks. The individual can be hired effective the date of the award letter.

8. Who should I contact at MOWD about applying for OJT funding?

Contact: Sheknita DavisProgram Coordinator200 Cherry St. ste 400BMacon, GA 31201(478) 751-7345www.macon-mowd.com

The MOWD staff will be able to answer most of your remaining questions for you or will find out the answers.

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On-the- Job Training (OJT) Overview

Why OJT?• We’ll help you find eligible candidates for your open positions

• We’ll reimburse you for the costs associated with training this new employee, which are usually calculated at up to half the pay rate for the agreed-upon training period.

What is OJT?

• Hands on training that you design

• A payment to offset training costs

• An opportunity to train employees your way

• An investment in your company

How does it work?

• We match qualified candidates with approved job openings

• We design a training plan to meet your unique business needs

Interested in hiring an employee through the OJT Program?• The Macon-Bibb Office of Workforce Development staff would be happy to meet with

you to explain the details of the program. Contact our office at (478) 751-7333, and ask for Sheknita Davis, Program Coordinator.

Macon-Bibb Office of Workforce Development Office (478) 751-7333200 Cherry St. Ste 400B Fax (478) 803-2606 Macon, GA 31201 www.macon-mowd.com

Presorted StandardU.S. Postage

PAIDEatonton, GAPermit No. 6

Contact Us:305 N. Madison AvenueP.O. Box 4088, Eatonton, GA 31024(706) 485-7701(706) 485-3277 (F)[email protected] www.EatontonChamber.com!

Advertise in this newsletter: Reach over 600 contacts with a newsletter insert for only $50. Submission deadline is the 20th of each month. Supply 250 copies and an electronic fi le.

Chamber Staff Roddie Anne Blackwell, President

Becky Needham, Membership ManagerBonnie Simmons, Tourism Manager

Chairman:Mike Rowland

Vice Chair: Laura Gailey, The Gailey Law Firm, LLC

Treasurer:Jon Butler, The Peoples Bank

Terri Camp, Rock Eagle 4-H CenterRita Daniel, Eatonton Chiropractic Center

Bernard Holston, Bernard’s Family Funeral CareJoe Hudson, Farmers & Merchants Bank

Wes Lewis, Georgia Power Company Land DepartmentMarty Phillips, Techknow Gurus

Gene Thurston, Neighborhood CleanersCynthia Wallace, Sycamore Oconee Real Estate

Lowell White, III, Calvert & White Custom Homes

www.facebook.com/epchamber

Annual Awards Banquet

May 2012

Thank you to our 2012 Chamber Champions!

Monday!