A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

WYWQ*: Actually while the rest of us were cranking down, the NKY Chamber stayed cranked up


By Judy Clabes
NKyTribune editor

*While You Were Quarantined over the last several months, NKY life did go on, as best it could. Healthcare providers and first responders were still going to work, essential businesses were still trudging on. Some construction projects moved along. Some airplanes flew. People were working while social distancing, washing and sanitizing their hands — and trying to stay safe away from home. And lots of us were learning to work remotely as time dragged along so that we couldn’t keep track of the days.

There are plenty of examples of people and businesses and organizations that couldn’t just sit still. And, one of the best examples is the Northern Kentucky Chamber whose energized leadership just isn’t made for sitting back and watching nothing happen. Especially when there’s plenty needing doing

Chamber President and CEO Brent Cooper

While the Chamber is a membership organization, its membership was being sorely tested in the coronavirus environment. The shutdown dealt harsh blows to economic security for some and challenges for all.

The mission of the NKY Chamber is to promote business growth and an improved economy in the NKY Region, through leadership and advocacy, resulting in a better quality of life for all.

Somehow, there’s just no rest when there’s a pandemic.

Consider just a few things the Chamber staff did to help members through the crisis, even as the office was closed and staff worked remotely:
 
• Steady stream of helpful e-mails, videos, website and social media postings;
• Helping businesses understand when they should close, helping folks work from home, helping businesses understand the rules for essential services, SBA, PPP, etc.
• Helping businesses connect to workforce resources via GROW NKY – JOBS
• Creating programming for helping members get funding (SBA loans, Payroll Protection Program (PPP), emergency loans, etc.)
• Connecting members to data and to local, state and federal officials
• Connecting members to PPE and innovative safety solutions.

Making masks at Fabulous Furs

For example, growing from a conversation between NKY Chamber President and CEO Brent Cooper and former NKY Chamber Board Chairman Bob Heil and Debby Shipp, VP of Business Growth at the NKY Chamber, the Chamber began reaching out to members to see how they might be able to help address and support the PPE needs of area hospitals. Through her outreach, Shipp was able to facilitate conversations between Oliver Lawal, President of Aquisense Technologies, the world’s largest supplier of UV-C LED disinfection systems, with Daniel Janka, President of MAZAK Corporation, an international machine tool building company located in Florence.
Together, the two companies worked to manufacture a new device to disinfect masks being used by hospital workers, allowing their usage to be extended, called PearlSurface. Aquisense in Walton developed the design and is providing the technology, and Mazak in Florence used their expertise, equipment, and manpower to build the assemble housing for PearlSurface. The first units were completed and began shipping out on April 27.

Encouraged by this success, the Chamber connected the President of GUTE Medical, Tarek A. Mohamed, with the CEO of St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Garren Colvin, to find and attain much-needed prescription medications through their international suppliers and logistic connections.

GUTE Medical, located in Springdale, Ohio, also donated hundreds of medical-grade face masks to Boone and Grant County School Boards for their staff delivering lunches via school busses to their remote students.

Fidelity provided 500 meals a day to the Freestore Foodbank, thanks to a connection made through the NKY Chamber to the Freestore Foodbank and Compass Group who operates Fidelity’s employee dining.

• The Chamber is now helping businesses through the re-opening process — sharing ideas and equipment, answering questions, making connections, etc.

Advocating for members

• Through Daily/Weekly meetings with Federal Delegation teams
• Through collaborative efforts with other business groups (U.S. Chamber, metro & state chamber, etc.), including letters, surveys, and programs.
• By communicating concerns from businesses regarding challenges of getting PPP dollars, helping employees get unemployment, identifying issues regarding re-opening policies.
• Worked with Gov. Andy Beshear, informing him on ideas for guidelines related to re-opening.

Helping the community at large

• With partners, starting the Restaurant Relief Fund ($91,000 impact – Gave away 47 $1,000 grants)
• Continued supporting/coordinating Vote4NKY efforts
• Helped communicate messaging from Cities/Counties/State to our members
• After a call for PPE donations by the NKY Chamber early on during the pandemic, its members responded.

Here are just some examples of how businesses stepped up in NKY:

Second Sight hand sanitizer

• Dr. Jean Loftus (NKY Plastic Surgeon) donated all her surgical masks to St. Elizabeth
• Donna Salyers (Fabulous Furs) began manufacturing masks for St. Elizabeth and first responders
• Florence Hardware began sourcing surgical masks for St. Elizabeth
• Kenton County Schools donated their masks to St. Elizabeth
• Safran, local NKY Manufacturer donated their masks to first responders
• The CEO of HBC Radiomatic, Jeff Allan, answered the NKY Chamber’s call by donating 8,000 masks to regional frontline healthcare workers. HBC Radiomatic is located in Hebron, KY.
• New Riff Distillery began manufacturing hand sanitizer and has been providing that to first responders and health providers
• Beam Suntory provided St. Elizabeth with hand sanitizer
• Kentucky Distillers’ Association donated hand sanitizer
• Helping the NKY Health Dept. connect and communicate with businesses

Need for a strong Chamber

As a membership organization, the NKY Chamber is currently at 1,618 members. The Chamber has been a great example of regionalism, being one of the few but important institutions that bring the region together. The more of those, the better, because together is better — and the region is a powerhouse politically and economically. It has become the hub for terrific subgroups and events that also bring the region together — Leadership Northern Kentucky, Regional Youth Leadership, NKY Young Professionals, the Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky and the Northern Kentucky Education Council event.

There’s nothing like a good pandemic to bring out the best in a community that cares about its citizens and puts health and safety first. As Gov. Andy Beshear has said repeatedly, “We’ll get through this together.”

Fortunately for us, the NKY Chamber is among the community organizations helping our region “get through this together.”


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