Social Madness has taken over the web as over 130 companies from across the region compete in the Dallas Business Journal’s Social Madness social media competition, working to increase their presence across social media outlets and secure votes on the DBJ’s Social Madness page.

And, yes, the Dallas Regional Chamber is in the race – but we aren’t the only ones!  Eighteen Chamber members are also mixed up in the madness. 

Small Business Category

• Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
• Dallas Regional Chamber
• Global Data Vault
• Harwood International
• Imprimis Staffing Solutions
• T. Boone Pickens YMCA

Medium Business Category

• Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP
• NYLO Hotels
• The Adolphus
• The Beck Group
• The Saxon Group

Large Business Category

• Balfour Beatty Construction
• Chili’s Grill & Bar
• Lincoln Property Co.
• Maggiano’s Little Italy
• Ryan LLC
• Southwest Airlines
• Texas Health Resources
• TXU Energy
•  Ready to help a friend out?

Click here to go to the Dallas Business Journal’s Social Madness page.  Once there, vote for your fellow members, and then click the buttons to like or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Linked In.  Each vote, like and follow is counted separately, so the more you click the more you help.  And remember – you may only be able to like or follow the company once, but you can vote for the company daily!  So vote now, and vote often.

And while you’re there, please vote, like and follow the Dallas Regional Chamber as well!

“Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and investing in their success is important for all of us,” said Grady Burnett, vice president of Global Marketing Solutions at Facebook. “We want to give businesses a boost by helping them use the power of our site to meet new customers and deepen their relationships with the customers they already have.”

“This program offers the Chamber’s small business members an opportunity to leverage one of the world’s most popular communities to connect with customers,” said Nick Schaper, executive director of Digital Strategic Communications at the U.S.Chamber of Commerce. “As small businesses look for new ways to remain competitive, the Chamber will continue to provide innovative solutions for success.”

To find out more about Facebook’s marketing and small business marketing efforts visit, www.facebook.com/marketing. There you will find a plethora of resources to help you and your Facebook marketing questions.

This weekend, families and friends will gather for good food and good times at cookouts, parades and festivals in honor of Memorial Day.  As we grill up the perfect burgers and laugh with friends, those of us at the Chamber will also take a minute to reflect on the history and true meaning of Memorial Day.

The upcoming three day weekend is about more than the unofficial start of summer.  It is about paying tribute to the more than 1 million men and women who fallen while protecting our freedom.

This Memorial Day, the Dallas Regional Chamber extends a heart-felt thank you to those who have served or are currently serving in the United States armed forces, and offers a special thank you to those who have lost a loved one during active military duty.

Have a safe and happy holiday.

Memorial Day 101:  Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.  Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died during active military duty.

Medical manufacturing company Greatbatch Inc.  Greatbatch Inc. Latest from The Business Journals Greatbatch moving corporate HQ to TexasSmall businesses line up for SBA matchmaker eventNet income drops 63 percent at Greatbatch Inc. Follow this company announced Tuesday that it plans to relocate its global headquarters from Buffalo, N.Y., to Frisco to take advantage of an already-established medical device cluster in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“This is a great win for Frisco and the Dallas/Fort Worth region,” said Mike Rosa, vice president of Economic Development at the Dallas Regional Chamber. “Greatbatch is a fantastic addition to the local business community, and we are excited to welcome them to the area this summer.”

Four Greatbatch executives, including president and CEO Thomas Hook, will open an office this summer in Frisco. The Dallas Regional Chamber met with Greatbach during the project to support their examination of the region.

Greatbatch Ltd. was founded in 1970 by Wilson Greatbatch, an Akron, N.Y., inventor who created the first implanted pacemaker. It operates two primary units — Greatbatch Medical and Electrochem — and employs nearly 3,500 people around the world.

The election season will heat up Tuesday, May 29, as citizens take to the polls to vote in the Republican and Democratic primaries for the presidential races, Legislature, judgeships and county commissioners.

For more information on ballots and polling places for all elections, visit the Dallas County, Collin County or Denton County election websites.  Registered voters can participate in early voting through Thursday, May 24.

Need to update your voter registration after a move, or register to vote for the first time?  Learn how here.

This weekend, the people of Dallas voted to end status quo politics at Dallas ISD by electing three progressive leaders to the board of trustees.   Congratulations to Trustee Bernadette Nutall and Trustees-Elect Dan Micciche and Elizabeth Jones.  Those three candidates represent a movement toward accountability, transparency and, most importantly, a vigilant focus on results-based policies that achieve better educational outcomes for kids. 

Dallas public education is in the midst of a perfect storm where we have a rare opportunity to make meaningful improvements to our public school system.  In addition to calls for change and contributions of expertise and resources from the business, philanthropic and non-profit communities, Dallas ISD itself has shown that it is open to innovations that will make our public school system one of the best in the country.  Saturday’s election clearly demonstrates the citizens of Dallas have shown that they too are ready for a change.

Thank you for voting this weekend.  Dallas ISD is undeniably heading towards far better and brighter days.  We are looking forward to this new era of bold action, thoughtful leadership, and innovative progress.

This Saturday, May 12, seats in Dallas ISD Board of Trustee in Districts 1, 3 and 9 are up for election.

A number of municipal and school board elections are occurring throughout the region as well.  For more information on ballots and polling places for all elections, visit the Dallas County, Collin County or Denton County election websites.

Learn more about the candidates endorsed by EducateDallas, the Dallas Regional Chamber’s political action committee focused soely on the Dallas ISD school board, by clicking here.  You will also note that these same three candidates have received numerous additional endorsements from a wide variety of community organizations and leaders.  Learn more about each of them by following the links to their websites.

Republican and Democratic primaries for the presidential races, Legislature, judgeships and county commissioners, will be held on May 29.

Need to update your voter registration after a move or not yet registered to vote?  Learn how to register here.

Inogen, Inc., a California-based manufacturer and accredited homecare provider of oxygen therapy equipment and services, has announced that it has signed a lease for 31,204 square feet of space in Richardson’s Cardinal Park complex for a major corporate expansion. The company will maintain its headquarters near Santa Barbara while relying on the new Richardson facility to facilitate its dynamic, national growth plans. Inogen expects to take occupancy of the new space in June 2012 and to hire approximately 200 new employees at the site by the end of 2013.

Employees based at the facility will provide services that include medical billing, sales, customer support and clinical services, and the facility will also house part of Inogen’s growing manufacturing and distribution operations. The company’s interest in Texas was spurred during a 2011 marketing trip to Southern California by the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Mike Rosa and Erica Flores, who met Inogen’s executive team to pitch the merits of the North Texas region as a location for the operation. Inogen ultimately selected the Richardson site due to its central location in the Metroplex, ease of access to DFW International Airport, technically skilled workforce, business-friendly climate and capacity to accommodate future expansion plans.

Raymond Huggenberger, Inogen CEO, said, “Inogen is pleased to expand our operations to Richardson, Texas, as we grow to meet continued demand for our products and services. Our expansion to North Texas allows us to meet our long-term objectives efficiently while maintaining the highest level of service for customers nationwide. We are also deeply appreciative of the City of Richardson’s support. They made us feel welcome throughout the site selection and permitting process, demonstrating a true ‘can do’ attitude that validated our decision to expand here.”

Since its accreditation as a national homecare provider for oxygen therapy in 2009, Inogen has changed the lives of thousands of oxygen therapy users by replacing their cumbersome legacy equipment with innovative, newer technology such as portable oxygen concentrators, thereby restoring their freedom and independence.

Inogen also recently announced that it had secured $20 million in equity financing from a group of investors led by Novo A/S. The funds will support Inogen’s continued growth and build upon its position within the homecare community as a leading manufacturer and provider of innovative oxygen technology. Inogen plans to use the new capital primarily to expand its sales and patient support resources, spread awareness among oxygen therapy users and also further solidify its market position by investing in R&D and the commercialization of innovative new products to improve the quality of life of oxygen users around the world.

In coming to Richardson’s internationally known Telecom Corridor® area, Inogen joins other leading healthcare organizations and medical device companies with a significant Richardson presence, including the headquarters of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, the Methodist Richardson Medical Center, as well as major operations of companies such as United Healthcare, CVS Caremark, US Oncology, Chase Medical, Health Dialog, Availity, OraMetrix, D4D Technologies, Dentek Systems and DentLight.

“With our continued focus on leadership in industries such as healthcare and technology, we couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Inogen to our community,” said Richardson Mayor Bob Townsend. “We know they will find Richardson to be a great location for continued expansion of their oxygen therapy services to customers nationwide, meeting a critical need, and that they will benefit from being surrounded by other business innovators as well as Richardson’s collaborative environment.”

A true leader isn’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty, and the 2012 Class of Leadership Dallas is no exception.

The 2012 class raised $60,000, including $30,000 in donated goods and services, and contributed over 1,000 man-hours to make improvements to the Vickery Meadow Learning Center (VMLC) West Dallas campus for their annual class project, allowing the organization to better serve adults and children in an area where over 37 percent of the residents are below the poverty level.  The majority of the labor was done by the 54 class members

“Our Leadership Dallas class is eager to work for better education, quality of life, and the revitalization of Dallas’s less prosperous areas.  We could not have found a better crossroads for these issues than VMLC,” said Mitch Savage, the member of the 2012 class of Leadership Dallas who nominated VMLC for the annual class project. 

“It was clear that VMLC’s fundamental work was the most powerful opportunity for Leadership Dallas to impact quality of life in Dallas, and we are proud to be supporting the important work done every day at VMLC.  Thanks to VMLC, more of our neighbors are elevating their English literacy, which makes better consumers, stronger DISD students, more engaged PTA parents, and a better workforce.  And it all begins with literacy, which this project advances and supports.”

VMLC is dedicated to improving English literacy levels among non-English speaking adults and children by providing programs in communication and life skills.  In support of this mission, the Leadership Dallas class purchased and installed a playground and the required surface and fencing, allowing VMLC to expand its program to children and providing a much-needed childcare solution for parents wishing to participate in classroom programming.

The Leadership Dallas class spent seven days at VMLC during April to bring the project to life.  Class members ripped up carpet, installed new ceiling tiles, painted picnic tables and walls, set up the new computer lab, fixed broken windows and doors and completed a “guided” installation of the playground assisted by the playground company representatives.  The class also furnished a Computer Lab with 15 laptop computers and tables and chairs for use in communication and life skills classes at the center.

“Working with the Leadership Dallas Class of 2012 has been a fantastic experience for VMLC, and their gifts, including a new computer lab and playground, have transformed our West Dallas Campus” said Sarah Polley Papert, VMLC executive director.

“The class has given their time, talent and financial support to provide these wonderful gifts for the VMLC students. Their dedication will benefit hundreds of people in West Dallas who are working hard to overcome illiteracy by learning English and advancing their education in order to provide a better life for themselves and their families. We extend our deepest gratitude to all of the members of the Leadership Dallas Class of 2012.”

Class members donated their personal money to the project in addition to their time, and worked to raise additional funds and secure donated goods and services from class member’s companies, clients, vendors and partners.  Smaller donations were also received from big-box stores.

“I am proud of my classmates for giving more than 20% of the entire budget in the first week before we even began asking our friends and employers to help,” said Savage. “I believe that with this work, we have just had the privilege of alleviating a cycle of poverty for people we may never meet.  But the lasting effect is definitely there for VMLC, for west Dallas, and for our vibrant regional economy.”

Leadership Dallas is accepting applications for the 2013 class through May 17^th. Click here to learn more.

For the eighth year in a row, Texas takes first place as the “Best State for Business” by Chief Executive Magazine. The magazine surveyed 650 CEO’s in 3 areas, taxation & regulation, workforce quality and living environment in the states in which they conduct business to compile the results. Low taxes, low regulation and central location were three of the major factors in Texas’ victory. Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and Indiana rounded out the top five. View the full article here.