On Sept. 30, Jose Octavio Bordon, Argentine ambassador to the United States, will speak on "Doing Business with Argentina." The event takes place at 2:30 p.m. at 201 E. Fifth St., 22nd floor. Cost is a suggested $15 contribution to the Hispanic Chamber.

At 7 p.m. on Sept. 30, Bordon will be the keynote speaker at the Hispanic Chamber's annual gala dinner. Location is the Millennium Hotel downtown. Cost is $50.

Alfonso Cornejo, vice president of the Hispanic Chamber, said the organization's membership has grown from 100 to 150 members within the last year.

"While our membership is still low, our growth rate makes us very optimistic about the future," Cornejo said. "As the Cincinnati metro area becomes more diverse, more and more Hispanic businesses will come here, flourish and mature."

Information: 651-6166 (afternoon meeting) or 578-8801 (dinner).

Office company shortens name to Loth

SHARONVILLE - An office furnishings company has announced a name change as part of its marketing and rebranding campaign.

Loth Mbi, which provides office furniture, space planning, relocation and related services for businesses, is now simply "Loth." To support its new identity as a complete supplier of office-related services, the company has launched a Web site and a series of radio ads, coordinated with marketing materials and other promotional elements.

"Perhaps the best indication of how we'd like to be perceived by the marketplace is our new tagline 'the office experts,' " said J.B. Buse, Loth president. "Through it, we want to more accurately reflect the strength of our company's expertise - we have been in business for 100 years, have the most experienced people and have worked with companies of all sizes and in every industry."

The company's clients include Fifth Third Bank, Procter & Gamble, General Electric, the Cincinnati Reds and Summit Country Day School.

Loth is at 3574 E. Kemper Road.

Information: 554-4900 or www.lothexperts.com.

Frame shop, gallery under new ownership

MONTGOMERY - A new owner and general manager are in the picture at Artfordable Custom Frame Showroom and Gallery.

Virginia Stewart, owner of VKS Holdings Inc. has purchased the business at 10010 Montgomery Road. General manager is Susan Wilken, a certified framer with 17 years of experience. Wilken is a graduate of the Cincinnati Academy of Design.

The shop offers a full range of services including custom mat work, archival framing, shadow boxes and collectibles, Stewart said.

"Artfordable's strengths are in preservation framing for residential, commercial and institutional clients," she said. "We also offer in-home and business consultation and installation."

Information: 793-9922.

Aveda opens new salon at Deerfield center

DEERFIELD TWP. - A new Aveda salon has opened at Deerfield Towne Center.

Pure Concept Salon & Spa held its grand opening Saturday with a fund-raiser for the Red Cross.

The full-service salon and spa features Aveda products. It is the second location for the Pure Concept, which also has a salon and spa in the Kenwood area.

"We are an Aveda Concept salon, meaning that we adhere to the Aveda philosophies and mission," says owner Renee Heidrich.

The new location is at 5625 Deerfield Blvd.

Information: 770-2120.

Speechwriting group promises panache

WEST CHESTER TWP. - Lost for words? A new association of free-lance writers can help.

Assistance with speeches is available from I, Cyrano. Just as its namesake, Cyrano de Bergerac, put winning words into the mouth of his friend, the writers offer custom-crafted oratory for events such as weddings, engagement proposals and birthday greetings.

The company uses its own information-gathering methodology to ensure that the resulting prose or poetry reflects the personality of the speaker, communicates the intended message and evokes the desired response.

Information: 260-2606 or www.iCyrano.com.

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E-mail jcallison@zoomtown.com or fax 564-6991 with openings, expansions and other news about neighborhood businesses.