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As part of the Chamber’s  Members Only Benefit Programs, Chamber member Joe Gorzeman of JoeGoPhoto is offering an area-exclusive service that puts a company’s virtual tour online.

The service—Google Business Virtual Tours—is one that Gorzeman says can help a business “stand out from the ordinary” in its online presence.

Having an online presence is something that every business should have as a “basic” part of their marketing toolkit.   But the Google Business Virtual Tour takes that to the next level, by letting ‘visitors’ click their way in the front door before they take the time to arrive at the bricks and mortar premise.

Further information on this Members Only Benefit, you can contact Kim Inniss-Petersen at kim@slchamber.ca or visit JoeGophoto.com.

And make sure you tell Gorzeman you’re a Chamber member!

Spring is definitely “in the air” and Richard Bain’s work on an upcoming coffee table book is also heating up.

Production of “Sarnia Lambton Simply Sensational” is well underway and the publication will be delivered later this year.

As part of the project, Richard Bain is working with the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce and a limited number of partnering organizations.   Those spots are going fast, says CEO Shirley de Silva.

“We are very encouraged with the response so far,” she says. “But time is running out and we don’t want anyone to be disappointed.”

The foreword to “Simply Sensational” is being authored by now-retired astronaut Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian to command a mission at the International Space Station and who was born and raised in the area.

Demand for the book is expected to exceed supply, with Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley and Lambton County Warden Bill Weber both offering their enthusiastic support for the project.

Richard Bain’s past work has included a number of similar projects, completed successfully in partnership with several regional groups, including Chambers in Stratford, Niagara, London, Guelph, and Kitchener-Waterloo. Without exception, those with whom he has worked have seen positive results from those projects.

Partners—which may include businesses, organizations seeking visibility in the area, and local municipalities—will have several copies of Simply Sensational which can be distributed to clients, employees, and others. Additional copies will be made available through Ontario bookstores or directly from the Chamber.

If your organization would like to ensure your spot on the list of partners, contact Shirley de Silva, president and CEO of the Chamber, directly at (519) 336-2400, ext. 1, or by email: sdesilva@slchamber.ca.

Several companies have chosen to join the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce and that makes us both pleased and proud!

Our celebrations began early in 2018 when we welcomed Wellings of Corunna as the very first new members of the year. Pictured is Shelly Rodgers, the leasing and community consultant.

Since then, we’ve happily said “hello” to several others, including:

—Doug Krall Farms, third generation egg producers based in Petrolia.

—Smoke & Spice Barbecue, where our March Business After 5 will take place on Wednesday, March 21.

—Bodystream Medical Marijuana Services, located at 836 Upper Canada Drive, Unit 1F, Sarnia.

—Pinchin Ltd., an environmental engineering consulting firm.

—Walden Law Professional Corporation, headed by Deryck P.N. Walden of Forest.

—Locke Consulting, a licensed insolvency trustee.

—R&B Graham Trucking, 396 McGregor Side Road, Sarnia; and

—Concrete Solutions, 1994 Plank Road, Sarnia.

The local office of Express Employment Professionals, members of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce, recently earned an award for providing superior service to job seekers.

The award was a “Best of Staffing Talent” that was presented to Bruce Hein, owner of the Sarnia Express Employment Professionals franchise.

“We were very pleased to hear of this acknowledgment of professionalism from one of our own,” said Shirley de Silva, CEO of the Chamber. “They have clearly distinguished themselves in a very competitive field and we offer our congratulations to Bruce and everyone at Express Employment Professionals.”

As part of the ratings that lead to the award, Express Employment Professionals received satisfaction scores of nine or 10 out of 10 from 67% of their placed job candidates, higher than the industry’s average of 45%.

Congratulations for this achievement!  Chamber member Electrozad Supply Company Limited has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies in a program that saw hundreds of entrepreneurial companies compete for the designation, now in its 25th year.

The company, which has a Sarnia office on Scott Road, was selected for its commitment to service and quality, investment into the future, adaptive business strategies, and its focus on employee development. Electrozad and its dedicated staff contribute to numerous philanthropic endeavours through the Electrozad Foundation and OZAD Institute, as well as community volunteering initiatives and sponsorships.

“When we have a company like Electrozad so honoured with this distinction, it says a lot about the Chamber as a whole,” said Shirley de Silva, president and CEO. “We congratulate them on this amazing achievement.”

We have clearly entered an age of heightened awareness when it comes to what constitutes sexual harassment.

With recent exposes and resignations seemingly coming at us non-stop, there remains a critical opportunity for workplaces to take a stand to prevent inappropriate and harmful behaviours from taking root.

So says Andrew Harkness, strategy advisor with Workplace Safety & Prevention Services, who calls the recent news in the entertainment industry a “wake-up call for organizations.”

Here then are some tips to help your organization prevent this type of workplace harassment:

—Assume that harassment may exist in your organization. “I often hear people say violence and harassment isn’t a problem in their workplace,” said Harkness. “But how do you know if you haven’t looked into it.” Keeping an open mind toward understanding that some employees may be fearful of coming forward for various reasons and that one of those reasons may be workplace culture.

—Ensure you’re compliant with legal requirements. Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act sets out roles and responsibilities with respect to workplace violence and harassment, including sexual harassment. Employer responsibilities include developing and implementing policies and programs, and reporting, investigating and resolving incidents. Learn more about what the law says by clicking HERE.

—Communicate policies, programs, roles and responsibilities to all employees so they know that preventing violence and harassment is a company principle and understand what’s expected of them.

A motion that would see Lambton County Council approve the elimination of the Commercial Vacancy Rebate, first announced several weeks ago, has now been tabled to allow for consideration ahead of next month’s meeting on April 4, 2018.