May 2011 Archives

Melissa Jordan serves as the team lead for the Ambassador Cares Team.

This team is responsible for reaching out to new members that join the chamber to welcome them, get them involved and make sure that they are receiving everything they need. She is very active and committed to attending events and supporting the chamber.

Thanks Melissa for your volunteerism with the Chamber!

The Nurses of Las Colinas Medical Center (LCMC) have once again chosen to donate monies normally spent on Nurse's Week gifts for the staff to Irving Cares.  A check in the amount of $2500 was donated to Irving Cares during the month of May, in addition to the countless hours of volunteer time already donated by the staff of LCMC.  LCMC provides two people every Tuesday & Friday for four hours to work alongside other volunteers in the Irving Cares Food Pantry.  The time spent in service to others by the staff of LCMC who donate their time is life changing and rewarding.  LCMC hopes that in some small way, our efforts and partnership with Irving Cares, provides the resources and tools needed by the families who access the services provided at Irving Cares. 

"The Las Colinas family is happy to assist Irving Cares in its efforts to place Irving residents in need, on a path to self help and recovery.  With the needs of so many continuing to rise during these difficult economic times, our role as care-givers goes beyond the walls of the hospital and becomes ever more important," said Daniela Decell, CEO of Las Colinas Medical Center.

"One of the best ways to understand the programs at Irving Cares is to volunteer here. You see your efforts delivered directly to the client. You see your resources at work. We're so thankful for the financial support, as well as the many hours of work donated by LCMC," said Teddie Story, Irving Cares Executive Director.

In families without adequate financial resources, people typically go without basic human needs, such as food.  The consequences are lasting and jeopardize children's long-term health, employment and earnings potential, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.  For more information about the programs at Irving Cares and to donate, please visit our website at www.irvingcares.org.

The City of Irving released their "All About Irving" newsletter and here are some of the highlights.

§  Memorial Day Service: A Memorial Day service and reception will be hosted by the Veterans Memorial Park Committee at 2:30 p.m. May 29th at the Irving Central Library.

§  Cat Adoption Special: 140 Valley View Lane, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at PetSmart, 8100 Walton Blvd., with proof of a $10 donation to the American Red Cross to assist those affected by the tornado in Missouri. Those interested in adopting a cat can make a donation via check, or text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to donate $10 at the time of adoption.

§  Animal Adoptions: The Irving Animal Care Campus recently welcomed 80 animals from the southern Louisiana flood regions. ICTN has footage of staff and volunteers welcoming the animals to Irving. Read the full story. Watch ICTN video of animals arriving from flood zone on YouTube.

§  Mustangs of Las Colinas Museum: The Mustangs of Las Colinas Museum, 5205 N. O'Connor Blvd., Suite 155, is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, call (972) 869-9047.

§  Budget Hearings: Planning for the FY 2011-12 budget is under way. Residents will have the opportunity to provide input on the budget during several upcoming public hearings. Public input sessions are set for June 9 and 23, with adoption of the budget scheduled for Sept. 22. All hearings are at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 825 W. Irving Blvd.

§  Emergency Notification System: Sign up for iALERT, Irving's free emergency notification system, and be among the first to receive warnings and notices regarding local crises or emergencies. In the event of a situation that may pose a threat to the public, iALERT will provide subscribers with safety information or instruction via phone, email or text. Sign up today.

§  New Interactive Calendar: A new calendar application on the city website allows users to easily locate citywide classes and events, including those offered at the libraries and recreation centers. The user‐friendly interface features various filters and searches to find items by audience, location or type of event. Visit www.cityofirving.org to view the calendar.

Irving ISD announced today that it has cut nine central office administrative positions and added two new positions.  These changes have resulted in a reduction in payroll by $266,000, and fewer teacher layoffs.

Dr. Dana Bedden, Superintendent of Irving ISD stated, "Our priority remains in the classroom and serving students first."

The Chamber was also informed that the central reorganization and cuts resulted in a net savings of approximately $1.7 million dollars; accounting for almost 10% of the $20 million in budget cut the district has had to endure.  

Dr. Dana Bedden stressed the importance to note, in comparison to the statewide average reported by TEA, Irving ISD is spending 20% less per student on central administration cost to manage the school district.  Currently, the central administration makes up only 2.9% of IISD's overall budget

Pierce Early Childhood School will serve as the central host for Clifford the Big Red Dog and Scholastic, Inc., as Irving ISD and Scholastic kick off Irving Reads! with 10 minutes of reading at 10 a.m. May 27.

In Irving ISD "Our House is Your House", and to commemorate Irving Reads!, the school district and community will be taking part in the 10 minutes of reading event. Everyone will stop what they are doing at schools, places of business, and throughout our neighborhoods, to take time to read a book. At Pierce, IISD administrators, Scholastic representatives and Clifford will read with students for 10 minutes.

Irving Reads! is an effort to inspire reading throughout the summer. Irving ISD, in conjunction with Scholastic, will be providing more than 75,000 books to students in kindergarten through seventh grade to take home. Additionally, Scholastic donated book packs to Irving Public Libraries to support the summer reading program.

Join Scholastic, IISD and Clifford the Big Red Dog at Pierce for 10 minutes of reading at 10 a.m. May 27. Pierce is located at 901 Britain in Irving. For more information about the 10 minutes of reading event, or about Irving Reads!, call Billy Rudolph, IISD media coordinator at 972-600-5200.

On the second day of the Small Business Summit, Irving's Blue Ribbon Winners received their awards from U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue. In attendance were small business owners Brian Smith with Big State Drug Store, Jo Ann Goin with Glory House Catering, and Ricky and Sherry Stephenson with Car Concepts Inc/Rick's Independent Car Kare.

Congratulations to Brian Smith, Jo Ann Goin, and Ricky Stephenson for their awards!

After the Irving delegation received their awards, the U.S. Chamber had multiple guest appearances including Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett Packard, Andy Card, former Chief of Staff for President George W. Bush, and retired U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal.

Ms. Firorina told her story of starting out of college with a small firm and learning business from the ground up.  She also encouraged the delegation to share their stories with their elected officials to always consider the impact of legislation on small businesses.

The Irving delegation heard Mr. Card tell of his experience on September 11, 2001 and advising the President that America was under attack at the classroom in Florida.  Card also explained that the Constitution of the United States is an invitation that citizens can accept by voting, running for office, serve in the military, or other government service.

General Stanley McChrystal shared his experiences as Commander of U.S. and International forces in Afghanistan and how he adapted his leadership skills to meet and exceed the changes of an elusive enemy.  He discussed utilizing technology while maintaining a personal presence to ensure that information flowed throughout the organization.  He shared a vision of allowing the lower levels of the organization take ownership while allowing decisions at the lowest levels of the organization.  He mentioned that his hand-written notes were always noticed as it demonstrated that he knew their name and had taken the time to write it himself.

Shortly after, the delegation continued their D.C. tour as they visited George McCormick, Legislative Counsel for Congressman Michael Burgess, and Josh Saltzman, Chief of Staff for Congressman Pete Sessions and Robert Cousins from Congressman Session's office, to discuss small business issues.

Later in the day, Congressman Kenny Marchant spent some time with the Irving delegation to discuss business issues including healthcare legislation and listening to the delegation's concerns about high fuel costs.

Lastly, at the Chamber's request, Senator John Cornyn met with the entire Texas delegation to the US Chamber's Small Business Summit to listen to the concerns of small businesses. Joining Irving's delegation were delegates from Lubbock, Rockport, Dallas and Pearland. Senator Cornyn discussed issues that were priorities to him and then took questions from nearly 50 delegates.

Customers and friends gathered yesterday for the ribbon ceremony at the grand opening of the newest All Source Security Container USA warehouse in Irving. Pete Pancel, President & General Manager, was joined by members of the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian/American Chamber to proudly make the announcement.

"Texas asked for it and we delivered on it," said Pancel. "With everyday low prices on the highest quality security containers in the document destruction industry, readily available, in any quantity."

The construction of an Irving location was a decision made very easily by management. Quality products, coupled with fast turnaround times and deliveries, dictated the company's expansion into the Midwest.  Irving, Texas is now the 4^th fully-stocked warehouse in North America, joining the All Source Security Container USA family of locations in: Barrie, Ontario; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Ontario, California.

All Source Security Container USA is North America's largest manufacturer of document shredding bins, carts and consoles. All Source Security Container USA products include: paper shred carts, desk side shredding containers, paper collection consoles, shred cabinets and recycling bins for the document destruction industry. All Source Security Container USA is committed to providing the industry's highest quality products, superior customer service and leading turnaround times.

Come and visit the brand new fully-stocked All Source Security Container USA warehouse located at:  

3002 Skyway Circle South
Irving, Texas
75038

Below are pictures from the event:

Your Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce and members of the Irving delegation to the U.S. Chamber Small Business Summit arrived in D.C. on Sunday for an exciting three day event in the capital. Between meetings with Congressman Pete Sessions, the honoring of our Blue Ribbon Winners by U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue, and a tour in the halls of the Pentagon, the Chamber certainly has plenty to look forward too during the three day visit.

On the morning of May 23, 2011, the delegation received a private issues briefing from the legislative staff of the U.S. Chamber (photo shown below).  Included in the discussions were a healthcare policy update, an update on the immigration policy, and an energy policy update. Chamber members attending included Brian Smith with Big State Drug Store, Charity Van Vleet with Eagle Eye Web Services, Jo Ann Goin with Glory House Catering, Chairman Robert Martinez with Cotten Schmidt & Abbott, Arika Pierce with HMS, Ricky and Sherry Stephenson with Car Concepts Inc/Rick's Independent Car Kare, and David Schmid with HMS.

To celebrate Allied Industries, Inc's new Texas Branch office, they are extending an invitation for their Casino Party Open House. The Texas branch opened its doors in Irving on February 1, 2011 and continues to expand by creating over 90 new jobs in just 90 days! Your odds couldn't be better! So come on down to Allied Industries, Inc's Casino Party Open House to have to some clean card fun and learn more about the Allied Team.

RSVP by email to Jessica Ruiz at jruiz@alliedlead.com

The Washington Post and Jay Matthews recently published the "top 100 public high schools in the U.S." ranking from Newsweek magazine. 

North Hills has been in the top 20 of the Newsweek list for the past 5 years.    
 

#10 best public high school in the country:  NORTH HILLS PREP

#11 best public high school in the country: PEAK PREP

Congratulations to the parents, staff, students, and local board members at North Hills and Peak for this amazing accomplishment!

Note: two of Dallas Magnet schools Science/Engineering and Gifted and Talented were #1 and #2 which means Dallas had 4 schools in the top 11 schools. 

Highland Park was in the high 30s.  

Below is the link to the ranking:

http://apps.washingtonpost.com/highschoolchallenge/schools/2011/list/national/

Prior to FLI:

67% of participants had NEVER met and spoke with anyone they believed to be of influence in their career field of choice.

35% reported NO leadership experience

40% reported poor to fair knowledge of Irving opportunities

After Successful Completion of the Program:

FLI participants reported the following changes after sessions:

"I might consider running for a council member someday"

"I learned to fight for what I believe in and not give up"

"I explored more career fields."

At the final session of FLI, 100% of participants reported that the program had a positive impact on their lives. The following are areas that participants reported high levels of impact:

Exposure to Irving Opportunities 91%

Leadership Skills 82%

Exposure to Positive Adult Role Model(s) 72%

Personal Growth 72%

Participants were asked how the program impacted their lives, See sample responses below:

"This program has taught me a lot about speaking, being a leader, and also being a better person."

"It (FLI) has impacted me by having more ideas of where to go to college and seeing behind the scenes footage."

"I have learned a lot about the way our city functions and I have become more concerned with politics and having a voice."

"The mayor of Irving impacted my life; the way he spoke was just so clear and changed my point of view."

"I have gotten a chance to experience many things that I would not have gotten the chance to experience if it weren't for this program."

The Irving-Las Colinas and Lubbock Chamber delegations received a briefing  at the Pentagon this morning during their time in D.C. for the U.S. Small Business Summit.

FigDesign celebrated 25 years in business by hosting the Chamber's Five Star Business Mixer Tuesday, May 17^th on the patio of their office, the historical home of former Irving Mayor Caldwell. 

A proclamation was presented declaring it FigDesign Day in Irving, and State Representative Linda Harper-Brown has introduced a resolution in the Texas House of Representatives recognizing this great small business. 

The Five Star Business Mixer was part of the Chamber's celebration of national Small Business Week.  This event provided opportunities for business leaders to develop new business relationships in an informal environment.

In May 2011, two Irving Chamber investors were recognized with the 2011 Dallas Business Journal's Minority Business Leader Awards. 

"Every year, we have the great fortune of being introduced to outstanding minority business leaders who are creating jobs and inspiring new generations of entrepreneurs and executives," said DBJ Editor Juan Elizondo. "It is a pleasure to recognize these leaders' hard work and to be certain that our readers know them."

Grace Davis, founder and President of Omega Environmental Technologies, a wholesale distributor of aftermarket vehicle air conditioning components and systems, was recognized as one of the Metroplex's leading Minority Business Owners. 

Luis Spinola, President and CEO of Azteca-Omega Group, a construction company, was recognized as the Minority Business Advocate of the Year. Congratulations Grace and Luis!

Grace and Thom Davis, who serves on the Chamber's Board of Directors, are shown with her award.  

As Spinola, who also serves on the Chamber's Board, was unable to attend, his son, Luis R. Spinola, accepted the award on behalf of his father.

A public hearing has been scheduled to receive comments on the Draft EA, and a related Service Plan Amendment, which will identify the alignment, grade separations, a storage yard and the station location for the LRT line into DFW Airport. The Public Hearing is part of a comment period extending from May 16, 2011 through June 17, 2011. All comments, written or oral will be incorporated into the Final Environmental Assessment. The DART Board will then make the official decisions regarding the Draft EA and Service Plan Amendment for the DART Orange Line DFW Extension Project. Oral comments may be provided at the Public Hearing.

PUBLIC HEARING:
Thursday, June 2, 2011
(Open House at 6 p.m. - Presentation at 6:30 p.m.)
DFW Airport Marriott
8440 Freeport Parkway, Irving, Texas 75063

What to know more about the Orange Line?

·         View the Orange Line Map

·         Orange Line Fact Sheet

·         Draft Environmental Assessment

The Irving Animal Care Campus has accepted 77 animals that were evacuated from shelters that were threatened by the flooding of the Mississippi River.

"Irving is fortunate to be in a position to assist the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the displaced animals of Louisiana during this critical time of need," Animal Services Manager Fred Sanderson said in a news release. "Irving is hopeful that the community will join us in this rescue effort by adopting displaced animals, and by making donations to help offset spaying and neutering costs."

CLICK HERE for a video preview of a story on "City Source," May 29 at 7:30 p.m. on ICTN

In May 2011, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released their Small Business Outlook Survey - a nationwide survey conducted in April of over 900 small business owners detailing their future obligations and concerns about America. Some of the prominent results were dedicated to concerns over legislation in Washington and uncertainly about the future of our economy.

·         The small business climate has deteriorated. Small business owners almost universally agree - by a 73% to 17% margin - that the climate of the last two years has hindered their growth. Respondents were split in how they view the next two years, with 38% believing it will improve, 37% believing that it will worsen, and the remainder uncertain.

·         Uncertainty abounds with small businesses. They are worried about current regulations, but are even more concerned about what Washington will do next. 49% say they "really don't know" if their business' best days are ahead of them.

·         Small business continues to be hesitant to hire. 55% of respondents cited economic uncertainty as their greatest hiring obstacle and 35% said Washington uncertainty impacted growth, while 35% cited too little revenue as their greatest obstacle. 70% of respondents do not plan to hire new employees next year, and 9% will continue layoffs.

·         Two of the top issues of concern are America's debt and the health care law. 80% said America's debt and deficit have a negative impact on their business, and 72% of respondents say the health care law has made hiring more difficult.

·         Small businesses want Washington to get out of the way. In a commanding majority, 79% of small business owners say they want more certainty, and only 14% want more government assistance.

The full report can be found here: http://www.uschamber.com/reports/small-business-outlook-survey-april-2011

Regions Bank helped the Chamber start the celebration this morning with a coffee for small businesses and a proclamation from Irving's Mayor Herbert Gears, recognizing the contributions of small businesses to the local economy.  Later this week, the Chamber invites you to help honor one of its long-term members, FigDesign, for 25-years of success during the monthly Five Star Business Mixer.  The Chamber also invites Irving's small businesses to attend the Women's Alliance lunch Wednesday at La Cima Club. 

Below are pictures from this morning's event:

Click on the link below to view a video by DART showing the progress of the Oranage Line, Irving's second commuter train line. 

CLICK HERE

The Irving Heritage House will be open on Sunday, June 5 from 3pm - 5pm.  Docent led tours will begin at 3pm and 4pm.  Admission is free.  Built in 1912 by C.P. Schulze, brother of one of Irving's co-founders J.O. Schulze, the Heritage House is a restored pioneer home.  This Texas State Historical Landmark is located at 303 S. O'Connor.

Many beautiful antiques are throughout the Heritage House.   Some of the furnishings include a 1903 wedding gown,  a 1840 clock, an organ (ca.1880), a square piano (ca.1860), Limoges, Sevres, and Bavarian porcelains, and many more items from the past.  For more information visit www.irvingheritage.com or call 972-252-3838.

Chamber investor and today's event sponsor, Regions Bank at Las Colinas is celebrating Small Business Week by offering an attractive auto loan offer for qualified buyers.  See below for details.

The Dallas Morning News recently reported the top 100 largest public companies in the Metroplex.  With 13 of the companies listed being headquarted in Irving, our city had more compaines included on the list than any other city -  other than Dallas. 

Irving-based companies Included: ExxonMobil, Flour Coporation, Kimberly-Clark, Commercial Metals, Celanese, Flowserce, Pioneer Natural Resources, Zale Corp, Flecor Lodging Trust, CEC Entertainment, Darling International, Nexstar Broadcasting, and DG FastChannel.  Irving beat Fort Worth, listed at third with 11 corporate headquarters.

An unforeseen disaster closes your business. The clock is ticking, but you may not realize how urgently: Unless you reopen within five days, chances are you never will, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Ninety percent of businesses that don't reopen within that time frame fail. With tornadoes and floods wreaking havoc this spring, federal officials report that one in every four businesses affected by a disaster never reopens.

If you want to beat those odds, you need a business continuity plan that you've communicated to all stakeholders and practice regularly.

Want to know more? Click here for more information: http://www.portfolio.com/business-news/2011/05/16/how-your-business-can-recover-from-natural-disasters-like-tornadoes-floods#ixzz1MWsovKT3

Both start-up financing for a new venture and expansion capital for an existing business share common elements in assisting the success of your entrepreneurial endeavor.  The difference between these two types of capital funding is the specific needs of that business and presentation of information to the perspective capital source regarding an accurate monetary picture.  You must be realistic and totally honest in evaluating the capital required and credit worthiness of your business.  Presenting a comprehensive "Business Plan" to an investor or bank officer will save valuable time and effort in expediting the process and securing capital.

This "Plan" should include:

1.     your background and expertise;

2.     financial statements;

3.     consumer need for this type of new business and/or history of existing business for expansion;

4.     operational procedures;

5.     total expenses;

6.     profit structure and future projections;

7.     capital needed;

8.     payment analysis.

There are numerous individual or combinations of capital sources available to qualifying businesses.  These sources can include secured or non-secured capital from investors or banks, working capital lines of credit, short or long term commercial loans, equipment leasing or letters of credit for international trade.

Please call the Chamber for more information about SCORE or to schedule a meeting at 214.217.8484.

In case you missed the article from earlier this week, please Click Here. This concludes our SCORE series.

Both buying and selling a business share a fundamental common denominator called "Due Diligence."  There are a number of different yet in many ways similar obligations that the buyer or seller must perform to uphold the "Purchase/Sale Agreement." 

When buying a business be realistic in assessing your interests and expertise to determine which one is right for you.  Some obvious advantages in buying an established business are the time, money and effort needed to start a new, and possibly uncertain, business.  Owning any business requires a 24/7 commitment from daily managerial decisions to actual physical labor.  Once you've identified the "right business" you need to find it.  The most common ways used in researching a specific business are the Internet, trade publications, newspapers, word of mouth and business brokers.  After locating the potential business you must conduct your inquiry with "due diligence":

1.     request all business records relating to past and present financial stability and sign a proprietary information/non disclosure statement;

2.     have your lawyer and accountant examine the business records;

3.     analyze assets, liabilities and potential future growth;

4.     negotiate a fair and equitable price, that you would agree to pay;

5.     write a comprehensive business plan for operational and financing purposes.

Buying a business is basically motivated by the desire to "own your own business", while selling one is usually prompted by a variety of personal circumstances in your life.  However, as the seller, you have the same requirement to fulfill your obligation of "due diligence":

1.     give an honest explanation of the reason for selling the business;

2.     sale price should be fair, equitable and negotiable;

3.     produce all business records requested;

4.     present an appraisal of assets, liabilities, future revenue, name recognition, customer/client base and other entities incorporated in the sale;

5.     the total Business Purchase/Sale Agreement will also include payment schedule (if owner financed), ongoing support after sale, non compete clause and conditions to close transaction.

When closing the transaction, your attorney should be involved for your protection.  Either the buyer and seller or a third party firm completes all paperwork and conducts the closing process.

Please call the Chamber for more information about SCORE or to schedule a meeting at 214.217.8484.

In case you missed the previous articles, please Click Here. Stay tuned later this week as we conclude our SCORE article series with: "Capital Sources."

Outside the U.S. Mexico Chamber's offices on the Mandalay Canal, the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber partnered with the Irving Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Mexico Chamber of Commerce recently to celebrate "Seis" de Mayo, May 6. Neither the weather nor the margaritas could have been better! 

On May 19th, InnoTech Dallas will commence at the Irving Convention Center.

This event will include:

- Cloud Computing & Virtualization

- Mobile Devices & Applications

- Microsoft Technology Symposium & Partner Pavilion

- Social Media, Software, Startup topics
- Networking Opportunities (with complimentary beverages and exhibits)

The brand new, state of the art, convention center is the perfect location to focus on the future of technology in the Dallas area.  InnoTech Dallas attendees will be able to attend top-notch sessions presented by industry experts on topics such as; Social Media, Mobile Devices, Cloud Computing, IPv6, Lean IT, and much more!

Come discover new successful innovative technology trends and practices at this one-day conference and exhibition which highlights Dallas' technology & innovation.  InnoTech will showcase the latest products, services, national speakers, and innovative technology.   Hear from nationally recognized speakers including: Brian Wrozek, Information Technology Security Director, Texas Instruments; Chris Andrews, Senior Director of Information Technology, On The Border Mexican Grill and Cantina; Michiel Espach, Vice President, Information Technology and CIO, Tesoro Corporation, and many others.

Registration for InnoTech Dallas is an affordable $40.00 and registration for the 3rd annual SharePoint TechFest (held in conjunction with InnoTech) is $199.00. For more information about InnoTech Dallas, and to register for the event, visit: http://www.innotechconferences.com/dallas/

On Sunday, May 22, in the Heritage Park at 2^nd and Main Street, a marker of the depot will be unveiled.  Guests are invited to join the Irving Heritage Society for their election and installation of officers at 2:30pm, followed by the depot marker dedication. 

The plaque inside of the depot at Heritage Park begins:  "Behind the great iron monsters thundering across the country......." .  Information and the names of people and organizations providing contributions in support of the depot purchase and restoration are listed.  This restored depot which served as the railroad station for the cities of Clinton and Nevada, Texas, during the late 1890's and early 1900's, today represents the founding of Irving, Texas, as a railroad town on the Rock Island Railroad.  It was dedicated to the early settlers of the Irving area in November, 1988.  George R. Edwin is listed as the architect and J.C. Collins, Jr., as the contractor.

A depot was one of only two buildings in the town of Irving on the day of the lot sale which established the town on December 19, 1903.  Later when the original depot building was no longer standing, members of the Irving Heritage Society began a search for a similar one.  Pete Fernandez located one but it was sold before action could be taken.  Fortunately another one was found which was available.  The floor plan and architectural style were similar to those of Irving's original depot.  Carol Susat, Marge Parrish, and George Edwin were the other major members of the Heritage Society committee who worked to purchase, move and establish the depot in what we now know as Heritage Park.

Heritage Society member Peggy Duvall was a faithful docent in the depot once it was restored and opened for tours.  She considers the Irving map on the wall of the street light system one of the treasures found there, along with an old Remington typewriter from Donald Peck, a chair among some other things from Carol Susat, and two trunks which belonged to Catherine Schulze's aunt.  She would often tell young visitors about the "message sender system"  used by depot employees.  Mrs. Duvall credits Robert Sale for his help in cataloging the items and Earl Ayles, Jim Dunkley, Jim & May Tom Ripp, and Billie Myers for their help as docents.     

For additional information on the Irving Heritage Society and the event on May 22, visit www.irvingheritage.com or call 972-252-3838.

Photos:

Depot in the field before being moved to Irving.

The depot in Irving as it is today in Heritage Park.

Networking is more than passing out your business cards, introducing yourself or shaking hands. Networking is about presence, consistency and a having real interest in others - more than your individual goals.  Networking brings people and their ideas together, creating a relationship that benefits all involved - a relationship that would have otherwise never existed.  The Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber knows the power networking, especially for the small businesses of our community. 

During the week of May 16, The Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber will celebrate Small Business Week.  These events are designed to enable our members to use the power of networking. 

Recently, two Irving-Las Colinas Chamber members used these networking principles and have joined to offer a service which mutually benefits both organizations, as well as their customers.  How you ask? Branch manager of Regions Bank Las Colinas wanted a CPA firm to help consult his business customers.  Without hesitation Regions Bank used one of the Chamber's most valuable resources, the membership directory, and selected Harris & Company.  In celebration of Small Business Week, Regions Bank of Las Colinas and Harris & Company are offering a promotion for all Irving small business.  Any small businesses that open a "NEW" Life Green Business Checking account at Regions will receive 30 minutes of FREE consultation from David A Harris, of Harris & Company.  

This is a great example of two Irving businesses using the Chamber's networking advantages. 

For additional information about Small Business Week you may contact: Don Williams, at dwilliams@irvingchamber.com, or 214-507-5091.   To take advantage of a small business checking account at Regions Bank at Las Colinas and a consultation with David A Harris, CPA contact: George L. Christian, at george.christian@regions.com, or 972-444-0592.

DART has provided the Chamber with a brief summary of reminder items, notices, special messages, and major street/lane restrictions coming up soon. 

Please be aware of the following:

The Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber will celebrate Small Business Week May 16 - 20.  Thre are several events planned during the week including those listed below:

Monday, 8:30 a.m., Coffee at the Chamber sponsored by Regions Bank with a proclamation from the City-5201 N. O'Connor Blvd Ste 100.

 
Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., a special Five Star Business Mixer where we will celebrate the Silver Anniversary of FigDesign at 215 S. O'Connor Road.

Irving Mayor Herbert Gears, Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem Rick Stopfer and Chamber President/CEO Chris Wallace joined with Irving State Representative Linda Harper-Brown in testifying today before the Senate Committee on Redistricting.

This assembled team represented the city and businesses in Irving-Las Colinas while testifying in favor of a wholly contained Legislative district for Irving.

The Chamber presented its Annual Awards Celebration Tuesday, May 3, recognizing many of the accomplishments and achievements of Irving's businesses and the many volunteers who lead our thriving business community.

In addition to the awards, the Chamber and attendees celebrated the hard work of the Irving Economic Development Partnership, a great partnership between the city and the chamber. Because of this partnership, Irving is now home to SIX Fortune 500 Corporation Headquarters, with the relocation announcement of Celanese Corporation earlier this week! 

Also recognized with a standing ovation, we celebrated the City of Irving and Baylor Medical Center at Irving who were recently recognized by the Quality Texas Foundation as organizations that have excelled in performance and organization improvement principles.  Both organizations won the Texas Award for Performance Excellent, an award modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.  Irving is the first Municipality to have won the TAPE award at its highest level.

With David Ahearn, Four Day Weekend, and Rich Flaherty, HMS, as our emcees for the presentation of the awards, the evening was full of laughs! HMS was our presenting sponsor, and Dallas Business Journal our media sponsor.

Distinguishing the Irving business community as a special place through their spirit of giving, perseverance and willingness to go the extra mile, the Chamber's 2011 Annual Award recipients are a most deserving group. Congratulations to all of these individuals and organizations!

Congratulations to the Best in Irving main category winners!

Auto - Rick's Independent Car Kare, Children's Services - Toy R us, Clothing Store - Kohls, Education - North Hills Preparatory, Entertainment - Twin Wells Golf Course, Food / Dining - Glory House, Furniture / Appliances - Sears, Home Services - Home Depot, Personal / Hospitality Services - Four Seasons Resort and Club, Pet Services - Petsmart

·         Outstanding Corporate Chamber Partner: Frito Lay & RIM

·         Commercial Broker of the Year / Deal-Project: CB Richard Ellis (Ann Huntington, William Callahan, Dennis Barnes) - Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation

·         Technology Leadership Council Innovation Award: Honorable Mention: Elias Baez, Runner-up: Colton Collis, Winner: Saul Membreno

·         Irving Sister Cities / ITDAC Award: Shirley Dobson

·         Ambassador of the Year Award: Wael Salama, EBM Corp.

·         Commercial Construction / Project of the Year Award: Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas

·         Residential Real Estate Service Professional of the Year: Shelia Renzulli, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

·         Economic Development Partner of the Year: HMS

·         Small Business of the Year: FASTSIGNS Irving/Las Colinas

·         Chamber Volunteer of the Year: Christina Gears, Creating & Managing Wealth
also the Future Leaders of Irving Committee: Doug Fox, Ray Cerda, Gary Schepf, Al Zapanta, David Russell

·         Chamber Employee of the Year: Alysia Bell, Vice President - Workforce Development & Administration

·         Chairman's Award: Al Zapanta,  U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce

·         Mustang Legacy Award: Paul Fulchino, Former President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Aviall, Inc.

Congratulations Leadership Irving-Las Colinas Class of 2011 Graduates!

Adam Grinage, Irving ISD; Allison Sharpe, Brighter Tomorrows; Anita Gibbs, Anita Gibbs Apartment Locators; Asusena Resendiz, Irving Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; David Schmid, HMS; Doug Sevier, Irving ISD; Francesca Marraro, HMS; George Christian, Regions Bank; Grant Pruitt, Cushman & Wakefield; Gwen Craig, Irving ISD Board of Trustees; Harry Marek, ExxonMobil Corporation; Jeff Mues, City of Allen; Jeff Strater, Research in Motion; Jill Tokumoto, Irving ISD; Joy Pike, Federal Strategies Group, LLC; Kendra Liddell, TXU Energy; Matt Warnock, CFBISD; Melissa Cannon, Irving Convention & Visitors Bureau; Nancy Navarro, Attorney at Law; Pownie Fierro, Allstate Insurance Company; Rakesh Patel, Law Office of Rakesh I. Patel, PLLC; Shane Burton, City of Irving; Sheraton Duffey, Universal Academy; Sherry Stephenson, Rick's Independent Car Kare; Steve Candler, Flowserve Corporation; Steven Richards, North Lake College; Steven Wurtz, Irving ISD; Tawnia Wise, Irving Healthcare Foundation; Terry Jordan, Microsoft Corporation; Tina Mayse, HMS; Toscha Reeves, Irving ISD

And now, the photos!

The Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce announced  that Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE) has signed a new lease agreement to relocate its corporate headquarters to 110,000 square feet of space at Urban Towers, located at 222 West Las Colinas Boulevard in Irving, from its current location in Farmers Branch, Texas.

"As a community, we couldn't be more pleased to welcome such a distinguished company to Irving's corporate list of Fortune 500 global headquarters," said City of Irving Mayor Herbert A Gears.  "Celanese Corporation is investing long-term in our great city. With the company's relocation comes a minimum of 250 high-quality corporate positions, new capital expenditures and taxable investment, new purchases of goods and services, new business opportunities for our local hotels and restaurants, new opportunities for corporate events in our convention center, and new residents and families. I am very proud of the hard work our Economic Development Partnership has put forth to bring Celanese to Irving."

"Celanese wanted to keep its global headquarters in North Texas, where the company has been based," said Scott Collier, with Jones Lang LaSalle. "That said, this was the right time for them to investigate options that would accommodate their needs into the future, and the Las Colinas space suits their long-term needs perfectly. We appreciate the great interest shown by The City of Irving in securing this Fortune 500 company."

"This is a great win for Irving," added Chris E. Wallace, President/CEO, Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber. "Celanese is a well-respected company whose corporate brand is widely known worldwide. Our Chamber looks forward to developing a deeper relationship with Celanese and its team, working toward our mutual growth and prosperity."      

Scott Collier, Jon McNeil, Rachel Brown and Torrey Littlejohn of Jones Lang LaSalle represented the tenant in this long-term lease. Bill Lokey, Jr., John Fancher and Miranda Henson of CBRE represented the landlord, SP Millennium Center.

• May 2-7 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• May 8 - 1 to 6 p.m.
• May 9-10 - 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• City Hall, 825 W. Irving Blvd.
• Irving Arts Center, 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd.
• Valley Ranch Library, 401 Cimarron Trail

• May 14 - 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

"Spray parks are a nice amenity that residents can easily access, enjoy and use to cool off on a hot summer day," said Gooch. READ MORE HERE

After 13 teams met for the preliminary rounds, 4 went on to the finals.  Yesterday in the Valley Ranch Library the Henry Holmes Breakfast Forum - Arnold's Team challenged the Entertainment Series of Irving.  They lost by one question as both of them had also missed a question on the new West Library.  Then the Irving Independent School District went up against the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Again one question made the difference.

The final round was ESI against the ICVB.  Nine questions were asked.  One question determined that the ICVB team was again victorious.  The deciding question was: Qantas Airlines will begin 4 times a week service to Australia on May 16.  This will bring the number of international non-stops from DFW to what figure?  Choices were:  44 non-stops, 603 non-stops, or 10 non-stops.  Do you know the answer?????

It is 44 non-stops.  So the trophy will again be engraved with the name of the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Congratulations to the ICVB but also to all of the other 12 teams.