Month: December 2013
Photo by Richard Hurd
Welcome New Members — December 2013
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce welcomes these new members. Please keep these companies in mind when doing business. View the complete directory listing of all Chamber members.
Photo by Richard Hurd
Letter to City of Madison alders opposing energy benchmarking ordinance
Dear Common Council member:
A recently introduced ordinance, Legistar #32255, would establish energy benchmarks for businesses in Madison that meet certain size requirements. The Greater Madison Chamber Board supports efforts to educate businesses about ways to reduce their energy footprint but must oppose this ordinance. Requiring businesses to annually report energy usage is cumbersome, costly and ineffective. The energy analysis received will not provide information that isn’t already available to the business.
The ordinance requires commercial buildings of 15,000 square feet or larger and multi-family buildings with at least 35 dwelling units to annually report electric, gas and water usage on the EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager web page. Every three years, the data must be certified by an energy service professional who is on the city’s approved credentials list. Failure to comply will result in a daily forfeiture between $50 and $250.
Businesses know that finding ways to reduce energy costs saves them money and is good for the environment. Implying otherwise is insulting. Building improvements and equipment replacement can have significant costs which the business compares to potential energy savings and then determines what they can afford to do.
Instead of mandating business participation, the Chamber supports an educational effort similar to the Better Buildings Challenge being used by Milwaukee and other cities. Milwaukee’s public and private sectors have joined the challenge and undertake retrofits and changes to reduce energy use, in some cases with incentives through the Milwaukee Energy Efficiency Program. If Madison decided to participate in this type of program, the Chamber would be delighted to be an active partner in outreach to the business community. Just as we were a supporting partner in the Clean Air Coalition, a voluntary public/private effort to help businesses and government reduce air emissions.
Education and partnership is the right path forward, not unnecessary mandates aimed at shaming businesses into making building and equipment improvements.
Please contact me if you would like to know more about the Chamber’s position or the ordinance.
Sincerely,
Delora
Delora Newton
Vice President, External Relations
Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce
615 E Washington Avenue
PO Box 71
Madison WI 53701-0071
608-443-1947 direct line
608-256-8348 general line
dnewton@greatermadisonchamber.com
Photo by Richard Hurd
Greater Madison Business Leaders Invited to White House to Give Local Perspective on National Issues
MADISON – On Dec. 9 Greater Madison business leaders attended a four-hour White House Business Council Briefing. The invitation to the briefing grew from strategic partnerships with the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, the White House Business Council and Business Forward.
“This was a unique opportunity for Chamber members large and small to deliver feedback from our local business community to the highest levels of the federal government,” said Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce President Zach Brandon. “The Greater Madison region was invited to the national stage to share our story. It is exactly where we want to be.”
The briefing included presentations from the U.S. Chief Information Officer, the Special Assistant to the President and Director of Private Sector Engagement, the Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing Policy, the Senior Policy Director for Immigration and the Assistant Secretary for Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as other high level White House officials.
Chamber members attending the trip were:
- Wayne Harris, President, 6AM Marketing
- John Rainbolt, Senior Manager, Public Affairs, Alliant Energy
- Jack Salzwedel, Chairman and CEO, American Family Mutual Insurance Co.
- Scott Seymour, Vice President, Gov’t Affairs/Compliance, American Family Mutual Insurance Co.
- Diane Ballweg, Vice President, Endres Manufacturing
- Marsha Lindsay, CEO, Lindsay, Stone & Briggs, Inc.
- Mary Turke, Office Managing Partner, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
- Zach Brandon, President, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce
The briefing covered topics such as small business investment, the Affordable Care Act, tax reform, immigration, exports and more.
About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with more than 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 6,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, Madison businesses vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at www.greatermadisonchamber.com.
Contact: Jo-ell Carson, Communications Director, at 608-443-1952 or 608-213-1799
###
Click here for pdf of the press release.