News Makers, presented by the Tippecanoe Gazette

Greg Enslen: 00:16

And, alright. Let's, let's get started. Hi. How are you?

Meredith McCee: 00:21

I am good. Thanks so much for having me.

Greg Enslen: 00:23

Thank you. Thank you for being here.

Meredith McCee: 00:24

This is awesome. How cool is this in Tif City?

Greg Enslen: 00:26

It's crazy. It is kinda crazy. This is the first episode of News Makers, and I'm recruiting people from around the town to talk about stuff that's going on in Tip. And Meredith McKee is here, and she was very excited to be the, like, the guinea pig for this. So how how Great. All honored. All weirded out are you?

Meredith McCee: 00:45

No, I'm honored. This is fun.

Greg Enslen: 00:47

We'll see how this goes. So I've got everything going, but we don't have any, like, intro music or anything like that. There is, some sound effects on here. So if you say something really good, I'll do this. But probably Awesome.

Meredith McCee: 01:02

I'll be expecting that. Yeah.

Greg Enslen: 01:03

I'll be staying off of the soundboard because the soundboard can be, like, annoying to people. But, this is presented by the Tipp Gazette, and I'm Greg Enslen, and I'm the publisher. And we're trying to expand into some other areas, and one of those is podcasting. And we have 3 in the works, and one of them is a serious podcast. Wow.

Greg Enslen: 01:24

Very serious. Oh my gosh. This is the serious one just in case.

Meredith McCee: 01:27

I was gonna say You're confused about What kind is this?

Greg Enslen: 01:30

Which one you were on? You're on the serious one, and we're hiding in my office avoiding the election and all the people out driving around like crazy people. It's nutty out there. Have you did you vote today?

Meredith McCee: 01:41

I did vote today. Yep.

Greg Enslen: 01:41

I did too, and there was no line. I was very excited about it. Where did

Meredith McCee: 01:44

you go?

Greg Enslen: 01:46

I vote at Saint John's.

Meredith McCee: 01:48

Same.

Greg Enslen: 01:48

And I got there, and there were 38 people working there and 3 people in line. And I was like That's

Meredith McCee: 01:55

ideal, honestly. Really cool.

Greg Enslen: 01:56

It was perfect. In line. When I pulled up in front and there was nobody in the parking lot, I thought maybe they moved it.

Meredith McCee: 02:02

You must have been there very early.

Greg Enslen: 02:04

No. I got there. It was like noon. 12:30. Yeah.

Greg Enslen: 02:06

I thought going at lunch would be a bad idea, but it worked it worked quite well. So, I'm gonna be interviewing people from around Tipp City and Dayton and Troy and New Carlisle and Vandalia, but we're starting in Tipp, and I wanted to get the, the chamber on here immediately.

Meredith McCee: 02:22

Thank you. We appreciate it.

Greg Enslen: 02:24

First up, so tell us about the the Tipp City Chamber.

Meredith McCee: 02:28

Yeah. So the Tipp City Chamber, we are just excited, first of all, to be here on this podcast today. If you are not aware of the Tipp City Chamber, we exist, to connect business and community together. We exist to be advocates for the Tipp City business community, to serve and just be ambassadors for, what we can do to continue to, have a thriving community for businesses here.

Greg Enslen: 02:54

That's a good idea. Somebody should do that.

Meredith McCee: 02:56

Oh, yeah.

Greg Enslen: 02:56

I like that. That's a really clever thing. So are do people pay to be memberships?

Meredith McCee: 03:01

They do pay to be members.

Greg Enslen: 03:02

That's awesome. Yeah.

Meredith McCee: 03:03

And then membership, there's, lots of different opportunities that we provide. We do different events. We have different, publications that come out.

Greg Enslen: 03:11

Mhmm.

Meredith McCee: 03:11

We have a website, of course, with our business directory, and then we also offer benefits to our employees.

Greg Enslen: 03:16

Oh, really? Like perks?

Meredith McCee: 03:17

Our members. Yes.

Greg Enslen: 03:18

That's cool.

Meredith McCee: 03:19

Yeah. So, and I think a lot of people don't even realize about the benefits that we provide our members, you know, health insurance, 401 k, workers' comp, payroll, credit card processing, and something that really people should be taking advantage of, especially small businesses.

Greg Enslen: 03:33

That's cool. I didn't know about that, and I didn't know that that was a thing. And I didn't know that you could do, like, credit card processing and stuff like that. Do you, like, have health insurance? Did you say that?

Meredith McCee: 03:41

We do health insurance, and that's a big one.

Greg Enslen: 03:43

You probably said that, and I didn't hear you because somebody was calling me on my watch, and I was trying to turn it off.

Meredith McCee: 03:48

Yeah. It's it's a big one, especially with small businesses. All you need is, 2 full time employees to be eligible for it.

Greg Enslen: 03:54

Wow. Really? That's cool. I didn't know that.

Meredith McCee: 03:56

Yeah. It's huge. We'll talk we'll talk offline. I'll I'll give you all the details.

Greg Enslen: 03:59

Oh, yeah. I only have one full full time employee,

Meredith McCee: 04:01

and that's it. When you hit that 2, Mark, let me know.

Greg Enslen: 04:04

I just get an I just got an office. I'm very excited. We're moving up in the world, and we're cash flow positive at the paper. So, you

Meredith McCee: 04:10

know That's amazing.

Greg Enslen: 04:11

Something new. Yeah. It's kinda fun. So before we go any further, why don't you give out your contact info?

Meredith McCee: 04:16

Mhmm. Yeah. So you can reach me at, tipcitychamber.org. My email is mmcke@tipcitychamber.org, or my phone number is 937-667-8300. That is Meredith McKee with the Tipp City Chamber.

Greg Enslen: 04:34

Okay. And then and what's the best way to get a hold of you?

Meredith McCee: 04:37

I would say email.

Greg Enslen: 04:38

Okay. And where are you, where are you located at?

Meredith McCee: 04:41

We are located right on Third Street, actually, right, between, McKee Asset Management

Greg Enslen: 04:47

Mhmm.

Meredith McCee: 04:48

And, the alley. Oh. You know where the alley

Greg Enslen: 04:51

is on

Meredith McCee: 04:52

on Third Street. Yeah.

Greg Enslen: 04:53

So you're in the same building as the Monroe township building.

Meredith McCee: 04:57

Right? As the Tepigganooguza, we're in the same building as that.

Greg Enslen: 05:00

You're in the same building as this. Yes. But I'm playing dumb so that I so we sound official. And you're in the same building as the partnership. Yeah.

Greg Enslen: 05:06

The Tepigganooguza, we're in the same building as the partnership. Yeah. The Tepigganooguza, we're in the same building as the partnership. Yeah. Township City Partnership.

Greg Enslen: 05:08

So I do get a question. What's the difference?

Meredith McCee: 05:10

What's the difference? So the partnership exists, to preserve, promote, and enhance downtown Tipp City from the tracks to the canal.

Greg Enslen: 05:17

Wow. You're good.

Meredith McCee: 05:18

I've said that a few times.

Greg Enslen: 05:19

Did you know do you know their tagline? What's the tagline for the chamber?

Meredith McCee: 05:24

We exist, to connect business and community together.

Greg Enslen: 05:27

That's I think I think I like that one better. I know they're about they're both pretty good.

Meredith McCee: 05:32

Yeah. I also just love, you know, it's worth a trip to tip.

Greg Enslen: 05:34

I think that That is good.

Meredith McCee: 05:35

Yeah. That's a good one.

Greg Enslen: 05:36

And the partnership, I'll I'll confess. I helped start the partnership concentrates on the downtown and the chamber covers the whole of Tipp City

Meredith McCee: 05:45

Yes.

Greg Enslen: 05:46

Which is exciting.

Meredith McCee: 05:47

It is exciting. Yeah. I'm really passionate about it.

Greg Enslen: 05:49

And if people, business owners and things, people have, like, issues, they can come to you and chat with you, and then you have connections with local government and other businesses and

Meredith McCee: 05:59

Yes.

Greg Enslen: 06:00

Yes. Yes.

Meredith McCee: 06:01

That's the heart of the chamber.

Greg Enslen: 06:02

That's it. I like it. That's good. So, is anything exciting happening right now? I you said you just went to an event today?

Greg Enslen: 06:09

Was it one of your events? Or how does that work?

Meredith McCee: 06:12

Today, we had a it's kinda like a lunch and learn. We call it our people and, culture council. And so it's an opportunity for businesses to come together and, talk about kinda different HR topics, whether it's small businesses that are, you know, have we have businesses there that have 1 employee to businesses as big as, you know, Replicore and Avid coming in. So we admire there today. So we talked about, something called, gamification.

Meredith McCee: 06:40

And so it's using games, to engage employees and keep them engaged, through training methods.

Greg Enslen: 06:46

And is that sales that's sales driven strategies for employee engagement?

Meredith McCee: 06:50

Yes. It is.

Greg Enslen: 06:50

I'm reading off your website. I'm cheating. I did not know that off the top of my head. I'm not that smart. And then you also so you do a lot of these events, and if anybody's interested, they can go to the website, and there's a event, list of events that the chamber holds.

Greg Enslen: 07:04

Yes. All of your classes and stuff like that. And then Yes. You do you also do the ribbon cuttings?

Meredith McCee: 07:10

We do all the ribbon cuttings. Yes. So please check out our website. You can see, we love ribbon cuttings. We love celebrating businesses that are opening or have new things happening, whether it's a rebrand or a move or an anniversary.

Meredith McCee: 07:23

So we're very passionate about that and love celebrating them.

Greg Enslen: 07:26

Yeah. I saw your email that came through yesterday. There are 3 upcoming. I don't know when this is gonna air, so I don't really wanna commit. But, it looks like Beehive.

Greg Enslen: 07:35

Yep. I can't see because I don't have my glasses on. Yeah.

Meredith McCee: 07:37

Beehive. I

Greg Enslen: 07:38

need to blow the screen up a little bit.

Meredith McCee: 07:39

Coffee and then Purolux.

Greg Enslen: 07:42

Purolux? What's that?

Meredith McCee: 07:43

They are going in the

Greg Enslen: 07:44

Are you making things up, ma'am? No. No. No. No.

Greg Enslen: 07:46

You didn't just invent that off

Meredith McCee: 07:47

the phone? No. It's on it's on the website.

Greg Enslen: 07:49

No. Yeah.

Meredith McCee: 07:49

That's weird. It's it's good to view all events.

Greg Enslen: 07:52

Oh, okay. Okay.

Meredith McCee: 07:53

It's actually in Wow.

Greg Enslen: 07:53

You're so bossy. I love it. You're like, dude, view all events. You

Meredith McCee: 07:57

It's it's in the, right there. You see that? Okay. Yeah. December 3rd.

Meredith McCee: 08:00

Spa.

Greg Enslen: 08:01

Mhmm. Where there's a day spa?

Meredith McCee: 08:03

It's gonna be, where the board and brush was.

Greg Enslen: 08:05

Oh, really? That's so cool. Next to Heinders. So you can drink and have some hot wings and then go to the day spa.

Meredith McCee: 08:11

Mhmm. And that is actually one day before our Tipp City Chamber annual holiday game.

Greg Enslen: 08:17

Okay. That's a big deal. I forgot that was coming up. Yeah. We have to talk about it.

Meredith McCee: 08:21

Gonna say, do you have your tickets yet?

Greg Enslen: 08:22

I don't. I was gonna talk to you about getting a table.

Meredith McCee: 08:25

Gonna say, we are I was looking at it this morning. We can only seat 200 downstairs, and we are at 172.

Greg Enslen: 08:33

Are you kidding?

Meredith McCee: 08:34

So if you wanna How

Greg Enslen: 08:35

am I gonna get a table? If

Meredith McCee: 08:36

you wanna be seated

Greg Enslen: 08:36

That's 8.

Meredith McCee: 08:37

Seated downstairs.

Greg Enslen: 08:39

Where else would you be seated, like, on the roof? Like, out in the lobby? Where where where I've so you're doing this at Arbogast. Right? And Yes.

Greg Enslen: 08:48

You go in the front door there in that big, like, open lobby. That's where you're having it?

Meredith McCee: 08:51

Yes.

Greg Enslen: 08:52

That is a great location.

Meredith McCee: 08:53

It's awesome.

Greg Enslen: 08:54

I love that.

Meredith McCee: 08:54

Yeah. It's beautiful for the holidays, and, we're just so excited. We go all out with the decorations.

Greg Enslen: 08:59

It's That is very cool. I'm excited to hear about that.

Meredith McCee: 09:03

So we,

Greg Enslen: 09:05

will be seating signing up.

Meredith McCee: 09:06

If you, you know, can get there and sign up by the cutoff date and you'll be downstairs, there is some it's gonna be some we'll open up some seating upstairs.

Greg Enslen: 09:14

In, like, a balcony?

Meredith McCee: 09:15

Yes. In the balcony area. So obviously not as great seating, but that's why it's 1st come, 1st serve. Yeah.

Greg Enslen: 09:21

I like it. So you're almost sold out on the bottom floor. How would people buy tickets for that event?

Meredith McCee: 09:26

If you go to our website, tipcitychamber.org, you can actually click on the Tip City Chamber Annual Holiday Gala.

Greg Enslen: 09:32

Mhmm.

Meredith McCee: 09:33

If you click on that and Click

Greg Enslen: 09:34

on the event here.

Meredith McCee: 09:36

Yeah. What

Greg Enslen: 09:37

Oh, look at that. That's so cool.

Meredith McCee: 09:39

Yep. 6 PM.

Greg Enslen: 09:41

Hors d'oeuvres sorry. I'm not on the mic. I'm so excited about reading what's happening at this event that I wasn't on the mic. Ordone's Cash Barn Raffles

Meredith McCee: 09:49

Mhmm.

Greg Enslen: 09:50

Dinner and presentations Yeah. At Arbogast.

Meredith McCee: 09:53

Yeah. Have you been to the Gala before?

Greg Enslen: 09:55

I love it. Yeah. I love the Gala. It's great. I was just trying to debate if I wanna bring just me and my wife or if we all if I wanna get a table for the whole for the paper.

Greg Enslen: 10:02

I don't know. We'll see. It could put me in the in the red for the year if I get a table, so I don't know. I'm right on the cusp of making money in 2024. I don't know if I wanna roll the dice and and spend it on a table at the table.

Greg Enslen: 10:16

But, yes, that is a cool event. And if anybody, wants to, like, rub elbows with everybody in town, like, everybody's there. Yeah. Everybody's there.

Meredith McCee: 10:25

The place to be.

Greg Enslen: 10:26

Like, everybody is there. I don't know. I guess it's a a a quiet night in Tipp City Yeah. Because everybody's in Troy at the Arbogast. Yeah.

Greg Enslen: 10:35

That is very cool. Alright. Well, that is a good time for us to wrap up. Why don't you give your contact info one more time? Mhmm.

Greg Enslen: 10:45

And we'll we'll, see everybody at the Chamber Gala on December 4th.

Meredith McCee: 10:50

Yeah. We look forward to seeing everyone there. Once again, this is Meredith McKee with the Tipp City Chamber of Commerce. My email is mmckee@tipcitychamber.org, or you can call me at 937-667-8300. Would love to connect and share more about what we have going on and how we can support you and your local business.

Greg Enslen: 11:12

That is great, and I'm so excited to have an organization like that in town. It really is. And I've noticed with the newspaper Mhmm. There are many towns around here that don't have a chamber. And I think, oh, I don't have a chamber.

Greg Enslen: 11:24

So it's it's really a resource people should take advantage of in town, and we're lucky to have you. So thank you for joining me. This is very exciting, and we'll be, see you on the next episode.

Meredith McCee: 11:37

Thanks so much for having me, Greg.

Greg Enslen: 11:38

Alright. Thanks. Bye.