Gilroy Chamber of CommerceOFFICERSchair of the board ERIC GEBHARDT • Hilton Garden Inn

Past chair ERIC HOWARD • Bruce’s Tire, Inc.

chair of the board-elect DEBBI SANCHEZ • Fortino Winery

secretary/treasurer DAVID MATUSZAK, Ed.D.

Vc oPeratioNs & deVeloPMeNt JAN PEAT • McDonald’s of Gilroy

Vc Public affairs GREGG GIUSIANA • Retired Police Chief

Vc busiNess PrograMs & serVices DEBBI SANCHEZ • Fortino Winery

Vc MarKetiNg & coMMuNicatioNs LISA CASSARA • Coldwell Banker

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BRIGITTE NICHOLLS • Union Bank CHAR MARRAZZO • The Dispatch LLOYD LOWREY • Noland, Hamerly, Etienne & Hoss JAY MENCHACA • Menchaca Law Offices CHERYL ELLEMBERG • ABD Promotions GINA LOPEZ • State Farm Insurance

CHAMBER STAFF Mark Turner • President/CEO Michelle Garcia • Administrative Assistant Chris Bevilacqua • Administrative Assistant Rosie Vogel • Administrative Assistant Sue Thurman • Business Relationship Manager

WELCOME CENTER STAFF Jane Howard • Executive Director Pam Gimenez • Office Manager

edc staff Tammy Brownlow • President/CEO Candace Van Sambeek, Administrative Assistant

focus ProductioN staff EDITOR • Mark Turner, President/CEO Gilroy Chamber of Commerce

PRODUCTION & DESIGN • J. Chris Mickartz InfoPOWER Communications

PHOTOGRAPHY • Larry Mickartz InfoPOWER Communication

7471 Monterey Street • Gilroy, CA 95020 web: www.gilroy.org e-mail: chamber@gilroy.org phone: (408) 842-6437

Page 2 Gilroy Business Focus I November 2013

ERIC GEBHARDT2013 Chair of the BoardGilroy Chamber ofCommerce

MARK TURNERPresident/CEOGilroy Chamber ofCommerce

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

AS WE BEGIN TO ENTER the holiday season, I thank all of you for contributing to making Gilroy such a GREAT town. Your business is our busi-ness. The Chamber is the eyes, ears and voice of the business community. Our dedication is apparent through our work with local and state govern-ments and agencies to protect the interest of our members and keep the economy strong and healthy. We pride ourselves in providing a variety of services from networking opportunities, ribbon cuttings/grand openings, and other special events-all of which fulfill our mission of serving our members and enhancing the business environment.

The Holiday Season is almost upon us…Gilroy is getting ready for a busy

holiday season which includes our downtown holiday parade, Gilroy Gardens Holiday Lights, and the Gilroy Premium Outlets Midnight Madness to name a few. We will all see many visitors during this period and our guests and customers will also see why Gilroy is such a great place to live and do business. Our local economy benefits when our visitors come to town and I’m proud of our members and all the good work the Chamber does. Take time from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season to sit down with friends and neighbors and have a good time while also doing some

How Small Businesses Affect Our CommunitySMALL BUSINESS AFFECTS our local economy in a big way! While we tend to take note of big business trends, especially in poor economic times, it’s the small business trends that have been moving in a positive direction. Statistics provided by the Small Business Administration prove that small businesses are the main driv-ers in economic development. Below are just a few statistics.

• The 23 million small businesses in America account for 54% of all U.S. sales.

• Small businesses provide 55% of all jobs and 66% of all net new jobs since the 1970s.

• The 600,000 plus franchised small businesses in the U.S. account for 40% of all retail sales and provide jobs for some 8 million people.

• The small business sector in America occupies 30-50% of all commercial space, an estimated 20-34 billion square feet.

Furthermore, the small business sector is growing rapidly. While corporate America has been “down-sizing”, the rate of small business “start-ups” has grown, and the rate for small business failures has declined.

• The number of small businesses in the United States has increased 49% since 1982.

• Since 1990, as big business eliminated 4 million jobs, small businesses added 8 million new jobs.

Small businesses in Gilroy are providing employment opportunities, fueling the local economy through buy-ing and selling goods and services not to mention generating revenue which supports police, fire and local schools.

Help for Small BusinessesThere are a number of resources available to small business own-ers. One resource being offered comes from Goldman Sachs through

their “10,000 Small Businesses” initiatives. According to a Goldman Sachs spokesperson, “Small busi-nesses play a vital role in creating jobs and growth in America’s economy. Through 10,000 Small Businesses we are providing the skills, capital and mentoring small businesses need to grow, create jobs and build more prosperous neighborhoods. This unique program is tailored to each local market by an outstanding team of local partners led be leading community colleges. Already we are seeing 10,000 Small Businesses participants increasing revenues and creating jobs.”

More information about 10,000 Small Businesses can be found at goldmansachs.com

networking for your business! We always look forward to your feedback and please let us know if there is anything we can do for your business during this holiday season.

Remember, everyone

is always welcome

at the Chamber