October Lunch at the Iron Horse

Chamber of Commerce members gathered on the patio of Iron Horse Restaurant for a delicious meal provided by our hosts. Chamber Treasurer/ Secretary Don Jennings performed as our MC for the afternoon, and made a few opening announcements. He detailed new Chamber members including AC By JD, and Peekaboo Canyon Wood Fired Kitchen. There are also multiple renewing members: Desert Air Heating and Cooling, Glendale Town, Roadeazy, Stellar Vista Observatory, Zion Family and, Homes and Ranch.

Chamber Vice President Ron Thomas then took the mic to make a very special announcement. Chamber president Pat Guerrero was presented with the FutureReady Utah Leader Award at the One Utah Summit in Salt Lake City earlier in the month. This award honors an individual who exemplifies outstanding leadership and actively contributes to a FutureReady Utah. Congratulations, Pat!

Wyatt Anderson was our first speaker. Wyatt is the outreach person for UTU BRC (Utah Tech University Business Resource Center). He helps “take ideas, find relevant markets, and gets you out there”, to quote the man himself. He talked at length about the free services available, and how he and his organization can help businesses excel.

Deborah Mocker From Coconino SBDC (Small Business Development Centers) was up next. Small Business Development Centers provide counseling and training to small businesses including working with SBA to develop and provide informational tools to support business start-ups and existing business expansion. In addition, SBDCs provide problem-solving assistance to help small businesses access capital, develop and exchange new technologies, and improve business planning, strategy, operations, financial management, personnel administration, marketing, export assistance, sales and other areas required for small business growth and expansion, management improvement, increased productivity and innovation.

To round out the afternoon’s meeting, Lisa Jenson and Kylee Field from WBC Utah spoke. The Women’s Business Center of Utah offers advising, trainings, tools, and community, so you don’t have to build your business alone. They offer free workshops and trainings, business advising, and resources & templates. Their mission is to help Utah women build confidence, create opportunities, and experience success in business ownership. They even offer services to men if needed.

As our meeting came to a close, Pat announced new courses available with Southwest Tech, including SUU trainings, CPR classes, and how to subscribe to the Kane County newsletter. Commissioner Celeste Meyeres informed the audience that all national parks are open and FREE during the recent government shutdown. She detailed that Cape Royal and Imperial Point are now open at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon even after the recent devastating fires took place. They will have limited to no services, and until Nov 30, or first major snowfall.

Businesses in attendance were Best Friends Animal Society, Best Friends Roadhouse & Mercantile, Brown Box Café, Buckskin Tavern, Burro Flats High Desert Lodge, Crickets Creations, ERA Utah Properties, Hirschi Electric, Kanab Create, Kane County, Ron’s Fresh Baked, Southern Utah News, Stellar Vista Observatory, Desert Healing, Utah Tech, Town of Fredonia, UTU BRC, Wreaths Across America, Coconino SBDC, WBC Utah, Regency, Buckskin Tavern, Road Eazy, Sun Moon Healing, Kanab’s Little Hollywood Wild West Fest, Hangin’ On By a Thread, West Winds Ranch,0 and Santa Nicholas & Friends.

Be sure to save the dates for our October 30 lunch in the Valley at Zion Mountain Ranch, and our November Lunch at Hampton Inn at 11:30 AM on November 13!