Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce

The Human Resource Committee of the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce has scheduled a seminar on How the Affordable Care Act Will Affect My Business, on Wednesday, March 20th. On March 21, 2010 President Obama signed health care reform legislation into law.  Many small business owners are curious how this legislation will impact their small business. This informal, interactive, seminar will discuss how this legislation will impact your small business; what does this legislation mean for employer; what changes are taking effect this year and in 2014 and provide proactive suggestions on how to prepare your business.

This seminar is being presented by a representative from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Chamber office, 20 W. Broad Street in Downtown Hazleton. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch. Beverages will be available. The cost is $10 for Chamber members and $15 for non Chamber members.

The Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce is holding an exclusive Networking Mixer along with members of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, March 14th from 5 pm to 7 pm at Sam’s Club in Wilkes-Barre. This is a unique opportunity for members of each Chamber to network as one. The event is free and open to Chamber members, their employees, co-workers and guests.

Attendees will enjoy complimentary hors d' oeuvres and desserts which highlight the many products offered at Sam's Club. Door prize drawings will also take place.

Reservations for the mixer are required by contacting the Chamber at 455-1509 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by registering online at hazletonchamber.org.

The Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce will conduct a special Red Carpet program to discuss Governor Tom Corbett’s proposed budget with guest speaker Luke Bernstein, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Corbett.  The program, sponsored by the Earley-Polli Agency, Inc., will take place on Monday, March 11th at the Valley Country Club, 79 Country Club Road, Sugarloaf, beginning promptly at 11:30 a.m. with a buffet lunch, followed by Mr. Bernstein’s remarks from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. with a question and answer period following Mr. Bernstein’s remarks.  Cost to attend the program is $25 for Chamber members and $30 for Chamber guests.  

Holy Family Academy will be the topic of discussion for the Chamber’s upcoming special Red Carpet Mixer program.  Holy Family Academy, located at 601 N. Laurel Street, Hazleton  is the only parochial school in the Greater Hazleton area and is dedicated to providing children in grades Pre-K through eighth with the quality Catholic education your family deserves.  

The Red Carpet program will take place on Wednesday, March 6th and includes a free continental breakfast compliment of Holy Family Academy, and will also include a tour of the facility. The program will begin at 7:45 AM and adjourn at 9:00 a.m.  

The Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce is offering an orientation program on “What The New GHS Program Means to the Business Executive”. This program will review how to survive the GHS transition and how to protect your business with the pending program revisions.

Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) already ranks #3 on OSHA’s Top Ten Violations List. The MSDS program in the US is being replaced with a Universal product labeling and emergency response data instruction format. The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) is an international program, bringing standardized symbols, labels, and data formats to your hazard communication program. The conversion process is underway, with all phases complete, including employee training by December 2013.

The Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce is offering a seminar titled Emergency Preparedness: Preparing Your Business for the Unexpected. The Best Way to Reduce Business Interruption Following a Disaster is to Plan For it now.

As many as 50% of businesses may never recover following a disaster, according to the latest industry research. Of the businesses that survive, the overwhelming majority of them had a preparedness plan in place. Pre-planning can serve as an insurance policy aimed at peace of mind.

This seminar will provide information on why it is important to develop an emergency plan for your business. We will discuss how you can minimize business interruption by having an immediate plan of action, such as knowing what to do, who to call and what to expect in advance. This information is the key to timely mitigation and can help minimize the affects water and fire damage can have on your business.

Officials coordinating the 2013 Greater Hazleton Job Fair have announced that the event, scheduled for Thursday, March 21st has 54 businesses participating to date. The businesses and institutions will be on hand to provide educational, career and employment opportunities for those in attendance.

Local and regional businesses have signed up to participate in the one-day event, which will take place at Best Western Genetti Inn & Suites on Route 309, Hazleton.

Employers seeking to locate full, part time, temporary or summer workers will be on hand to promote their opportunities. The job fair is free to anyone seeking new or improved employment opportunities. The businesses and organizations slated to participate to date in this year's event include:

Nominations for the annual Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce/ Berger Family Dealerships "Athena Award" are now being accepted.  Nomination letters have been sent in the Chamber’s March newsletter  to over 1,000 Chamber member contacts, and are also available at the Chamber office at Citiscape, 20 W. Broad Street, Downtown Hazleton  and online at www.hazletonchamber.org.

The award is presented annually to the "Businesswoman of the Year" in the Greater Hazleton Area.  The presentation, which features a handsome bronze and crystal sculpture, is presented as part of the Chamber’s Annual Meeting and is sponsored by Berger Family Dealerships.  This  year, the award will be presented on Thursday, May 16th, at the 121st Annual Dinner of the Chamber, to take place at the Genetti Best Western Inn and Suites.  

The Chamber "Athena" award will be given to the businesswoman who has demonstrated the "highest level of professional accomplishment" and is based primarily on professional competency, achievement and dedication. According to Chamber officials the "Athena" award is not intended to be a civic achievement award, but a meaningful recognition of women as an integral part of the Hazleton Area workplace.  

The Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce will hold their first exclusive Networking Mixer for their members in 2013 at Bottleneck’s Saloon & Eatery in West Hazleton this Thursday, February 21st from 5 pm to 7 pm. The event is free and open to member of the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce, their employees, co-workers and guests.

Attendees will have the opportunity to network with one another, meet Chamber Ambassadors as well as the newest members of the Chamber. Complimentary hors d' oeuvres will be provided and a cash bar will be available. A door prize drawing will take place.

Reservations for the mixer are required by contacting the Chamber at 455-1509 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by registering online at hazletonchamber.org.

The Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce will hold their first-ever Schmooze a’ Palooza luncheon on Thursday, February 14th from 11:30 am to 1 pm at Leonard’s Fine Dining located at Rear 615 E. Broad Street in Hazleton.

This is a brand new networking opportunity for 2013, which is available for Chamber members, their employees and co-workers. It is a structured networking luncheon providing an excellent opportunity to showcase and promote your business to a captive audience. Networking begins from 11:30 to 12 noon. Attendees will have the opportunity to browse the Business Resource Table during this time. Everyone is encouraged to bring your items to share, such as business cards, brochures, giveaways, etc. The buffet lunch will begin at 12 noon and then at approximately 12:15 pm, attendees will stand, one by one, introduce themselves, their business and present their 2 minute elevator speech. The luncheon is limited to the first 35 reservations and the cost to attend is $22 per person.