Job Fair
AccuForce Staffing Agency will be having a job fair on Tuesday, May 6th at the Morganton location (104 Fiddler’s Run Blvd. ) from 8:00 – 5:00 pm. For more information contact AccuForce at (828) 432-2950.
AccuForce Staffing Agency will be having a job fair on Tuesday, May 6th at the Morganton location (104 Fiddler’s Run Blvd. ) from 8:00 – 5:00 pm. For more information contact AccuForce at (828) 432-2950.
Businesses and organizations that advertised in the 2014 Chamber Directory know a good thing when they see it. They are renewing their ads for the 2015 Directory that is now in the planning stage and is set for December delivery. Most of the 5,000 copies of the 66-page full color, glossy magazine will be placed directly in the hands of persons and businesses looking to relocate to Burke County. “That said, we will also hold copies in reserve for Chamber members to use as part of their own marketing, recruiting and public relations plans,” said Jerry Davis, the Chamber’s Interim President & CEO. Advertising rates for the 2015 publication are the same as this year. Nick Yankosky is the Project Sales Director contacting Chamber members about advertising opportunities for the next directory.
Chamber members’ opinions on government are as diverse as their businesses, based on the results of the 2014 Legislative Survey.
The closest that members came to consensus was that both Washington and Raleigh are moving in the “wrong direction” on laws, regulations, taxation and other government oversight of business. On a 10-point rating scale of right-to-wrong direction, the state, at 6.4, fared slightly better than its federal counterpart at 7.9.
When it came to the top three concerns on the federal front affecting business and industry, members said healthcare, taxes and regulations/ government waste topped the list.
The top three concerns on the state front were jobs/economic development, education and taxes, with healthcare a close fourth among the priorities.
There was even less agreement among members on one thing the state could for their business to help them create jobs.
To see a broad sampling of these suggestions and to read a more complete report of survey results,
The 2014 Legislative Survey
During February 2014, the Burke County Chamber of Commerce conducted a survey of the membership to determine their perspectives on the overall direction of state and federal governments regarding the business sector and legislative priorities for Washington and Raleigh. The following report of findings Includes representative comments from the survey on questions 3, 4, and 5.
1) Please indicate on a 1-10 scale whether you believe changes in FEDERAL laws, regulations, taxation and other government oversight of business are generally moving in the right or wrong direction (with 1 being “Right Direction” and 10 being “Wrong Direction”).
Overall result: 7.9 Wrong Direction
2) Please indicate on a 1-10 scale whether you believe changes in NORTH CAROLINA laws, regulations, taxation and other government oversight of business are generally moving in the right or wrong direction (with 1 being “Right Direction” and 10 being “Wrong Direction”).
Overall result: 6.4 Wrong Direction
3) In order of importance to you, please list your top three concerns or issues at the FEDERAL level affecting your business or industry. Results in order of prevalence:
Healthcare – Including “ObamaCare mandates,” overall costs; impact on small businesses, complexity; uncertainty, no real competition for plans in NC, mental health disparities, cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, “both parties need to work together” )
Taxes – “excessive,” complex, “business killing taxes and regulations,” disparities between salaries/benefits of federal vs. state employees
Regulations/Government Waste (Tied for third) – Cost to business, lack of clear direction, complex, too many regulations, regulations not keeping pace with changes in technology, influence peddling, too many incentives not to work, minimum wage proposals, environmental regulations, regulations on financial services
4) In order of importance to you, please list your top three concerns or issues at the STATE (i.e., NORTH CAROLINA) level affecting your business or industry. Results in order of prevalence:
Jobs/Economic Development – Lack of direction in economic development, need greater focus on creating job skills, need long-term solution to unemployment benefits and cost to business,” unfavorable laws to commercial and industrial development,” oppressive/unfavorable zoning and environmental laws/regulations, failing to address deteriorating infrastructure, economic development process needs streamlining, film incentive should continue, under-funding of Department of Tourism, “red tape” running off businesses, concerned over regulations limiting offshore drilling, taxes still to high to attract “:mega-industry,” economic stagnation in rural areas, too many regulations
Education – Teacher salaries and raises, cuts in education, need more accountability for school systems budget and curriculum, need more options for students who are not college-bound,
Taxes – Concerns over shifting tax burden to local governments, sales tax more fair than property tax, government waste, “additional sales taxes plus 5.8% income tax equate to more than I used to pay,”
A close fourth on this question was Healthcare – Costs, failure to expand Medicaid hurting business, need to implement Medicaid reform, Medicaid inefficiencies, lack of mental health reform leaving people homeless/without care/crowding emergency rooms, cherry-picking of insured patients from non- profit hospital by groups exempt from CON under proposed changes to law, completion of Broughton Hospital project, concerned over ObamaCare, assault on tax-exempt organizations, potential loss of tax-exempt status for non-profit hospitals, “Medicaid fiasco=less disposable income”
5) If the North Carolina General Assembly and/or the State of North Carolina could enact one change that would have the most positive impact on your company’s ability to create jobs, what would that change be?
Respondent Mix;
Small Business or Organization – 44%
Medium-sized Business – 15%
Large Employer – 29%
Other – 21%
Save the Date for our next Business After Hours May 1, 2014!
Phifer Wellness Center will host this activity filled event with activities, healthy food and drink tastings, & prizes. Details coming soon!
The closest that members came to consensus was that both Washington and Raleigh are moving in the “wrong direction” on laws, regulations, taxation and other government oversight of business. On a 10-point rating scale of right-to-wrong direction, the state, at 6.4, fared slightly better than its federal counterpart at 7.9.
When it came to the top three concerns on the federal front affecting business and industry, members said healthcare, taxes and regulations/ government waste topped the list.
The top three concerns on the state front were jobs/economic development, education and taxes, with healthcare a close fourth among the priorities.
There was even less agreement among members on one thing the state could for their business to help them create jobs.
Business for Breakfast on February 7
President Jim Burnett and his leadership team will be our special guests for an exciting program on “Western Piedmont Community College: The Past, The Present, The Future” on Friday, February 7, at 8 am, in the Ervin Community Room at Grace Ridge Retirement Community. The event is free to Chamber members so to make your reservation please click here. In addition to perspectives on WPCC, the program will include a video recently produced and aired by NC Public Television about our community college. There will be another delicious breakfast prepared by the Grace Ridge culinary team, too. Special thanks to our 2014 Business for Breakfast sponsor, Grace Ridge Retirement Community.