Communicator
JUNE 2012 • FREEPORT, ILLINOIS
Davis to Retire Tony Carton Communicator Editor
Quentin Davis, Executive Director of the Freeport Downtown Development Foundation met with the chamber folks to discuss his retirement and of course, a project always close to his heart, Freeport’s downtown. Q: How did you first get involved with Freeport Downtown Development Foundation? A: In mid-2004 I was asked by then Mayor Jim Gitz to be on the board of directors. Shortly after joining, their full time director, Marty Vanags, resigned and left town. At the end of 2004, I had sold out of the engineering partnership I had been part of for 29 years, and did not have any specific plans for future work other than to do something part-time. After a FDDF board meeting in the spring of 2005 they had discussed needing someone to “get FDDF back on solid ground and keep it moving forward”. Funding had been depleted and money had been borrowed from a bank to meet expenses. On the way out of that meeting, I indicated to one of the board members that I might be interested in spending two days a
week for up to three years as a part-time executive director, but that I did not want to commit beyond that. His response was “good, can you start next week”? I reiterated that I said I MIGHT be interested, and needed to give it some serious thought first. His response was “okay, you can think about it until next Monday and then I expect you to be here”. Two weeks later I was sitting behind the desk with absolutely no transition from the prior director, or knowledge of what I was getting into. At that time the office was in the building on the southeast corner of the intersection of Main Street and Van Buren Avenue. Q: How did you start to pick up on what you should be doing? A: I just started answering the phone and opening the mail, and taking care of whatever came to me as needing to be done. I also visited with several of the downtown business owners that have been on the FDDF board for a number of years, and they were a great help in telling me things that needed to take place in the near term, and basically how to go about them. The next month when I attended the first board meeting as Executive Director,
QUENTIN DAVIS Exectutive Director of the Freeport Downtown Development Foundation I had a typed list of everything I had handled and every action item I had started or completed. I recall that they were very pleased with everything that had been handled during that first month, and I felt that I had been very efficient in accomplishing a lot in just two days per week. My background in being a business owner, an engineering background, and a strong work ethic were all helpful in making me a good fit for this position. Q: What changes took place fairly soon after you started? A: The arrangement had just been made whereby four nonprofit organizations were all moved into a common building (our current location
at 27 W. Stephenson St.). This included NIDA (then the Freeport Area Economic Development Foundation), the Freeport Area Chamber of Commerce, and Neighborhood Housing Services. This arrangement has worked well with the sharing of resources between our organizations. Also, having been the sole occupant of the office at the initial location, this opened up lines of communication with the other executive directors and made it possible to share with one another the common aspects of our respective organization’s missions. At first I had no office or secretarial helper, but shortly thereafter we approached FACC and asked if I could periodically use their office receptionist to do some light secretarial and accounting work for me. This worked out very well as it eliminated some time that I was otherwise spending doing some secretarial work. We were able to get back into the black financially through the combination of our fundraisers and allocations from the downtown TIF district budget, and also by cutting expenses, including the fact that I was only part time and not receiving benefits. Q: What were some of the larger projects that you undertook in the early years? A: The downtown TIF district budget had accumulated some funds, and there were several CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Inside...
3 WORKFORCE EDUCATION
6 MEMBER SPOTLIGHTS
10 RIBBON CUTTING
10 MEMBER NEWS
2
FREEPORT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
FREEPORT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 27 W. Stephenson St, Freeport IL 61032 www.freeportilchamber.com Phone: 815.233.1350 Fax: 815.235.4038 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Kim Grimes kim.grimes@freeportilchamber.com DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES: Tiffany King tiffany.king@freeportilchamber.com RECEPTIONIST: Julie Huber COMMUNICATION EDITOR: Tony Carton The Chamber of Commerce Communicator is published on a monthly basis with the partnership of The Journal-Standard paper. We thank them for their continual effort to keep this publication in print!
DATES TO REMEMBER... JUNE 21
HR Luncheon Freeport Public Library • 11:30-1 pm 59th Annual Ice Cream Social & Business after Hours Stephenson County Historical Society Museum Campus • 5-8 pm
JUNE 27
Ribbon Cutting at FHN Leonard C. Ferguson Cancer Center • 7 am
JUNE 28
Kim’s Korner
W
e want to thank Kathleen Weber and the Highland Business Institute for their co-sponsoring of three important seminars and work-shops we held recently. We had excellent attendance for these events and were very excited to partner with the Highland Business Institute. The Chamber is always willing to reach out to other organizations to partner on events and projects. The more we can work together the more successes we can produce for our members. I also want to take this opportunity to wish Freeport Downtown Development Executive Director Quentin Davis the best of luck in his retirement. It has been a pleasure working with Quentin these past few years. We have also partnered on some successful events and I appreciate the great job Quentin has done in leading FDDF. We look forward to the naming of the new Executive Director and are anxious to start working with him or her very soon. We are excited about some Chamber Members taking advantage of our new “E-mail Blast” marketing concept. This is a very cost-effective way to promote your business reaching out to the several hundred e-mail addresses in our chamber e-mail group. I hope more of you will take advantage of this opportunity. I have been visiting recently many of
Business
after
our local manufacture’s and most of them are reporting good sales and are being able to hire some new employees. This is very good news for our local economy helping to drive down our unemployment figures. Also we are excited to continue to see some small businesses opening. Don’t forget how important it is to support our local businesses to keep those critical sales tax dollars staying in the county! We thank State Bank for sponsoring Business after hours in May and Parkview with our recent Rise ‘N Shine Breakfast. We look forward to tonight’s Business after Hours at the Stephenson County Historical Society’s Annual Ice Cream Social. We had a great time serving at the Cub Foods Brat Stand a few weeks ago. Thank you to everyone who stopped by for a sandwich and a great big Thank You to Cub Foods for again offering this opportunity to allow not-for-profit organizations to bring in much needed extra revenue.
HOURS
Chamber Ambassador Meeting Steph. County Farm Bureau • 7:30 am
JULY 11
Rise ‘N Shine Breakfast Freeport Rehabilitation & Health Care Center • 7:30-8:30 am
JULY 12
Finance Committee Meeting Chamber Conference Room #2 • 7:30 am
JULY 17
Chamber Board Meeting Chamber Conference Room #1 • 7:30 am
Our May Business after Hours was hosted by State Bank. We had a great turn out! Everyone enjoyed all of the delicious food and great conversation. We would like to thank Doug Cross and everyone at State Bank for all their hospitality to the Chamber Family!
FREEPORT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
3
HCC Business Institute and Chamber Partner for Workforce Education Kathleen Weber HCC Business Institute, Coordinator, Business & Industry Training
170 was the turnout of participants at the three recent workforce education events the Highland Community College Business Institute and Freeport Area Chamber of Commerce recently partnered to deliver to northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin residents. On May 15, the HCC Business Institute sponsored the FACC Human Resource Luncheon in a lunch ‘n learn format. Following a brief introduction and presentation by HCC BI’s Coordinator of Business and Industry Training, Kathleen Weber, guest speaker Human Resource Manager, Jody Gowin, of Berner Food and Beverage in Dakota, Illinois, presented Worker’s Compensation: Best Practices. Ms. Gowin covered topics such as having a solid return-to-work program, communicating policies and expectations, promoting employee safety, the injury to recovery process, and understanding your company’s NCCI rating. The luncheon realized a record-breaking attendance of 50 area professionals.
Think Safety OSHA Updates 2012, on May 24, gave attendees an overview of OSHA’s new Hazcom rule: the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). OSHA enforcement changes and penalties, the OSHA audit and safety resources were also covered. HCC’s certified OSHA safety instructor, John Vaughan, presented the four hour program at Highland Community College’s Freeport, Illinois campus. Thirty-five participants enjoyed an extended continental breakfast. The early evening June 5 crowd was “wowed” by State of Illinois Accredited Chamber Executive
Rise ‘n’Shine
This month’s Rise ‘N Shine Breakfast was hosted by Parkview. All the attendees enjoyed the wonderful hot breakfast and great conversation. We would like to thank Parkview for doing such an excellent job hosting the event and making us feel so welcome!
and chambers’ of commerce consultant Sally Rutledge-Ott, at HCC’s Conference Center in Freeport. Over 80 area residents were in attendance to hear Ms. Rutledge-Ott present Customer Service “POW”er! Rutledge-Ott gave examples of real life customer service scenarios, and spoke about the harm of stereotyping, the benefits of customer reward programs, the importance of feedback and apologies, and the power of building relationships. A hot dinner buffet was served in Highland’s Conference Center atrium in Freeport upon check-in. The cost of the three workforce education events was heavily subsidized with grant funding through Highland Community College Business Institute as provided by the Illinois Community College Board Workforce Development Grant. The Think Safety-OSHA Updates 2012 and Customer Service “POW”er! were HCC BI’s Business Training “Bites” annual spring program of training events, funded by the grant, and were open to all residents in the
region. The partnership of the HCC Business Institute and the Freeport Area Chamber of Commerce worked very well to deliver the training events. The combined efforts and resources of the two organizations proved to be a successful team project! Highland’s Business Institute, has provided the region with business and industry training and related services through outreach delivery for over 22 years. HCC BI specializes in training programs customized to companies’ needs. From computer technology to supervisory skills, safety and quality issues, and manufacturing to customer service—HCC Business Institute will tailor the training to address problems, reach corporate goals, increase revenue, and reduce waste. The Business Institute partner’s with local, regional and national trainers and consultants, to deliver top quality workforce training. For further information go to www.hccbusinessinstitute. com or phone the business and industry training coordinator at 815-291-6981. And to train one or a few employees in a variety of business related subjects such as customer service, Six Sigma, manufacturing fundamentals, leadership, business start-up, project management, computer applications, and more, go to www.ed2go.com/highland/ for hundreds of non-credit online classes through the HCC Business Institute.
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construction related projects that needed to be undertaken. I was able to assist the city in bringing these projects about, due to my engineering background. These included removing the old metal canopy along Exchange Street; repairing the retaining wall and placing new fencing around the municipal parking lot off Douglas Ave.; replacing old, rusty, steel sidewalk access covers with new aluminum ones; and for two consecutive years doing major sidewalk replacement projects downtown to improve the looks and minimize tripping hazards. Also, it was good timing that FDDF received an earmark grant from Congressman Don Manzullo, which was administered through the Small Business Administration. This grant was in the amount of $197,000 over a three year time period. We wrote a detailed work plan as to how the money would be used and the budget timing for FDDF to be reimbursed as it expended funds on the approved work in the plan. It could not be used
for brick and mortar projects, so we had to be innovative on several of the items we completed. It could be used for staffing and general office expenses, so that was also a great help. The types of project work we completed with the grant included in the downtown streetscape plan, 28 wayfaring signs to direct traffic to points of interest in the downtown and surrounding area, five kiosks placed strategically in the downtown, displaying a downtown map and directory of the businesses. We also hired a marketing consultant to hold focus group listening sessions with downtown business owners and downtown shoppers to learn more about their needs and desires for the downtown. Q: What have been your more recent major projects? A: A while back we established a Business Retention and Recruitment Committee to determine ways that we can best help retain and/or bring new small businesses to the downtown. This likely requires more people shopping and using the services of the
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downtown, and it is unlikely that the large employers that have downsized will be bringing back much larger workforces. In discussing this with a developer it became evident that one thing that can happen is to encourage building owners and developers to create upscale lofts and apartments in the upper floors of appropriate downtown buildings as there is proven demand for them from several recently completed projects. We’ve created a vision plan for how to proceed with that concept. I’ve been involved with Prospering Together on behalf of FDDF since its inception, participating on the Economic Health Core Team. I wrote two of the Work Plans, and FDDF will be involved in ongoing business retention and small business education aspects of Economic Health. I see Prospering Together as a great grass roots effort to improve Stephenson County and its communities. Also, FDDF wants to make sure that the downtown is a major part of tourism efforts, which will help the downtown retailers. With the recreational aspects of Tutty’s Crossing (the canoe/kayak launch and the bicycle trailhead on the Grand Illinois Trail), the planned Amtrak train stop, and also the existing Lincoln-Douglas Debate Site, we want existing retailers and new entrepreneurs to be thinking about how they can capitalize on visitors coming to enjoy these amenities that are right in our downtown. Q: What has been a frustration or something you would like to have changed?
Dealership
FREEPORT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE A: Since work time was limited to two days a week (both by my choice and also budgetary restraints), running the day to day projects of the organization took basically all of my time, such that there were many times that I’d have to walk by downtown businesses thinking I should stop in to see them and see how things were going and if there was anything FDDF could do for them – but I was always on a mission to get something done that had to be done right then. It was basically - do I do what’s necessary to keep the organization’s mission on track, or do I take time to visit with a business owner, which would have made them more appreciative of what FDDF does for the downtown? Note that FDDF is not funded by memberships of downtown businesses, but all of our committee’s work did things that benefited the overall downtown and thus every business. I’m not sure they felt or looked at it that way, and so that was frustrating that I couldn’t spend more time in the businesses. However, several years ago I went through the list of downtown businesses and determined that I either had been in touch with their owner or management; or personally knew as business acquaintances over 75% of the roughly 180 downtown businesses. We always indicated in our various methods of communication – that they could call the office or stop by with any comments, questions, or suggestions that they might have. We also started an annual Downtown Forum that brought us together to discuss issues on their CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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2012 Preferred Members We would like to give special recognition to the following businesses that provide extra support to the Freeport Area Chamber of Commerce.
GOLD MEMBERS Law Offices of Ralph E. Elliott Rock River Valley Blood Center Berner Food & Beverage John H. Vogt Spherion Staffing Group Freeport Insurance Center Alwayz Cookies Rite-Way Furniture & Appliance Fishburn, Whiton, Thruman, LTD Precision Landscape Sherwin Williams Bomar Heating & Cooling
Stout Insurance Agency Freidag Associates CPAs Altman Automotive Inc. Integrity Investments Swift Hospitality Group, Inc. Behr Iron & Metal Tri-State Seamless Gutters Liberty Village of Freeport Above and Beyond Associates Carlson Canine Camp Furst Staffing Cathy’s Custom Cakery
Columbia College Winter & Associates Ultrasonic Power Corp. Freeport Park District Eagles Club Monroe Clinic Downing Remodeling General Contractors, Inc Flachtemeier Monuments Dimond Bros Insur. Agency, Inc. Pearson
SILVER MEMBERS Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens Jack Myers Consulting QBE the Americas
Iron-T Junction Brown’s Shoes Family Affair Café LeBaron & Miller Interiors
Winter Construction Inc. Fehr-Graham & Associates Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
BRONZE MEMBERS Fruth-Simmer Insurance Agency Freeport Massage Center Twice As Nice Consignments Floor Covering Plus Hulsebus-Gehlsen Chiropractic Culligan Water Conditioning Union Savings Bank
Bill George Plumbing & Heating AquaLand Dental Connections Family Health Quest Newby Design Works Farmers Insurance Group-Lynn Kempel Midtown Center Schofield Plumbing
State Farm Insurance – Jon Spachman Snak King Saxer Accounting Services, LLC State Farm Insurance – Steve Johnson Skate Station Sanitary Cleaners Provena St. Joseph Campus
5
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minds and did whatever we could do to resolve them. Q: What working relationships with other organizations have you had? A: I worked closely with various departments of the City of Freeport and administrative staff, which were very helpful in supporting our work. This included Mayor Gaulrapp’s office, his assistant, Mary Ann Eirhart, and the city council for our overall mission and funding needs; Meg Zuravel, the City Clerk, for event permits; Shelly Griswold, Community Development Director, for various downtown issues and the façade grant program; and Tom Dole, Superintendant of the Street Department, Denise Ihrig, City Engineer, and Craig Joesten, Water and Sewer Director for streetscape and maintenance issues. I also worked closely on various issues with Dave Young and his staff of NIDA, Kim Grimes and his staff of the Chamber of Commerce, Deb Elzinga and her staff of NHS – all of which are located in the same building as my office, which was ideal for sharing information, ideas, and resources of our respective not-for-profit organizations. I would also mention a good relationship with Connie Sorn and her staff at the Stephenson County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Q: How do you see FDDF moving forward? A: We’ve got several new initiatives underway, including a downtown vision plan from our Business Retention and Recruitment Committee. They are focusing on working with the city to ensure preservation of historic buildings, and that all buildings receive proper maintenance. It also is looking
FREEPORT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
at ways to provide incentives to renovate and reuse the upper floors of buildings, as upscale downtown apartments are in demand. We are also working with a new subcommittee made up of downtown business owners, that is planning some regular weekend downtown events using local musicians and artists, under the purview of our Promotions Committee. It’s great to have them bring forth some fresh ideas to bring more people downtown. We have had several recent vacancies on our board of directors, and we are filling them with some younger, energetic people with new ideas and enthusiasm. I think we’re at a good launching point for a new director to start from. Q: What do you have planned in the future? A: Not too many people know that I have a passion for agriculture and the rural, farm “way of life”. My wife and I live in the country and have some farmland, which supports my “hobby farming” habit. This creates various tasks and “honey do’s” and keeps me active and somewhat in shape, so we’ll continue with that. And we now have some grandkids to enjoy and spoil that we are looking forward to, along with some camping and travelling. We won’t be sitting idle, that’s for sure. Q: Any final thoughts? A: This position was not a planned second career, but it seems to me to have been brought about with some Divine intervention in my life. The people I have met and worked with that I otherwise would not have known have been the greatest part of these past seven years. I hope that I have left a positive difference in Freeport Downtown Development Foundation and in downtown Freeport.
MEMBERspotlight CHAMBER RIBBON CUTTING AT CANCER CENTER IS JUNE 27
Ambassadors from the Freeport Area Chamber of Commerce will be on hand Wednesday, June 27 to cut the ribbon on the renovations at the FHN Leonard C. Ferguson Cancer Center. The ribbon cutting will be at 7 a.m. at the Center, 1163 W. Stephenson Street, Freeport, followed by a brief tour and refreshments. A formal, public open house and dedication for the addition will be held in the late summer or early fall of this year. The FHN Foundation will have order forms at the event for special brick pavers to be inscribed in honor or memory of a loved one. The pavers will line the walkways of the new Healing Garden at the Cancer Center. Orders received before July 1, 2012, will be installed this year.
(Orders taken after July 1 will be installed in August 2013.) For more information on the FHN Foundation’s brick paver campaign, visit the FHN Foundation page at www.fhn. org or call 815-599-6900. FHN, a not-for-profit organization with nearly 1,400 employees, is an award-winning regional healthcare system committed to the health and well-being of the people of northwest Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® for 2007 by Thomson Healthcare, FHN has also been honored by VHA with a Leadership Award for Clinical Excellence in its treatment of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) in 2008, and a Leadership Award for Clinical Excellence for its treatment of cardiac patients in 2006. Organized in 1995 as an integrated healthcare delivery system, FHN is comprised of
FHN’s
Pretzel City Days Family Fitness Day
Saturday, June 30; 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Freeport’s Krape Park
When the sun sets, enjoy an outdoor movie on an enormous screen! June 23 - Ghostbusters (PG) June 30 - The Wizard of Oz (PG)
Family Fun Day
Saturday, June 23; 5 p.m. Freeport’s Read Park Kick back and let loose with Dave Rudolf’s Beach Party. Kids of all ages enjoy limbo, hula hoops, shakers, jump rope, bubble machines and of course a conga line! Music and entertainment for the whole family will have you saying “Life’s a beach!”
Get fit, stay healthy and have fun! The day starts at 8 a.m. with the annual 5K run, and picks back up at 5 p.m. with fun, healthy activities and presentations by FHN staff and other health and safety experts. Dan Barth’s old-time wagon variety show includes comedy, magic and ventriloquism sure to give a healthy dose of entertainment!
For more info:
1-877-6000-FHN (1-877-600-0346) ext. 901 or visit www.fhn.org.
FREEPORT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FHN Memorial Hospital, the Leonard C. Ferguson Cancer Center, 13 family healthcare centers offering primary and specialty medical care, Hospice, occupational and chiropractic health services, dental care and outpatient mental health services. An average of 1,500 people come to FHN daily for their healthcare needs. For more information about FHN, please visit www.fhn.org.
GAMETIME SCREEN PRINTING
Gametime Screen Printing does it all. Screen printing, embroidery, letters, numbers, and more on just about everything. T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, sweatpants, uniforms, hats, drink cozies and Gametime Screen Printing can do work attire from safety vests to business polos. Don’t forget the kids; Gametime Screen Printing also does sports uniforms. Gametime Screen Printing is located in Freeport, and on a daily basis serves the Midwest. However, Gametime is not limited to only the Midwest, so give them a call today!
“We do everything from athletics to corporate screen printing,” said Gametime Screen Printing owner/operator Greg Gordon. Gordon explained screen printing as the process that applies images to cloth. He said Gametime also does embroidery. Gametime Screen Printing opened in Freeport in 2008 in response to a perceived need. “People were contacting me complaining that they were not receiving good service on their screen printing projects so I decided to open my own business,” Gordon said. “I started on a part-time basis and it’s grown to where now, I’m working full time. Some days, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” “Embroidery is our newest endeavor,” Gordon said. “We have the embroidery capability that will go on just about anything that will take thread.”
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He said the largest part of their embroidery business comes from ball caps and corporate polo shirts. “We are working really hard to keep our customers happy and expand our base,” he said. “We know you can always get something cheaper, but you get what you pay for. We listen to our customers and try to help them. It’s important for our clients to understand their options.” He said Gametime Screen Printing also sells advertising specialties. “If folks are in need of anything from personalized bottles of wine to refrigerator magnets we can help,” Gordon said. “We are here to help.” He said their priority is service. “Service is number one with Gametime Screen Printing,” said Gordon. “In today’s world you don’t do things just by phone anymore. Success comes as a result of personal contact and personal service. We maintain personal contact by texting and emailing as a job progresses so that our customers know exactly what we are doing and what to expect from the finished product.” Learn more about what Gametime Screen Printing can do for you. Contact Greg at 815-297-GAME (4263) or by email at gametimeprinting@ yahoo.com or stop by the shop at 311 E. South St. Freeport or visit them online at www.gametimescreenprinting. biz for their catalog of ideas.
FIRST SUPPLY
First Supply® is a leading main channel wholesale distributor providing industrial customers and building contractors with an extensive line of products and services. First Supply features manufacturer product lines in the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, builder, waterworks, pump/well & septic, industrial and municipal
7 markets. First Supply is made up of 27 operating facilities serving Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan UP. First Supply is located in Freeport at 115 East South Street (formally the CB&K building) the facility opened its doors early July, 2010 with service hours Monday through Friday from 7 AM-4 PM. The early years In 1897, three tradesmen, Reinie Wesson, Henry Poehling and Ed Roesler pooled their resources to answer La Crosse’s need for a new wholesale plumbing supplier. They opened the doors of their new business in 1898 and LaCrosse Plumbing Supply Company was born. The company started by distributing wrought iron pipe, plumbing supplies, windmills, pumps and gasoline engines. The owners knew they had to be aggressive, so the young company covered the states of Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. Several salesmen, traveling mostly by rail, ranged over territories that usually took one or two weeks to cover. Just prior to the U.S. entering World War I in 1917, La Crosse Plumbing Supply was able to place a large steel pipe order that provided capital for two early subsidiaries. The first was the Cypress Stock Watering Tank Company and the second was the Star Windmill Company. Star Windmills can still be seen dotting the Midwestern countryside. In the early thirties, the Great Depression made things tough for most businesses. Building was at a standstill and jobs were scarce. Once again, steel played an important part in the company’s future; La Crosse Plumbing Supply secured an order for the underground work at Fort McCoy during the buildup for World War II. This provided a larger-thannormal base allocation for steel and meant La Crosse Plumbing Supply was able to obtain material throughout the war years. The business thrived and funds were available for future growth.
8 Celebrating over 100 years of service In 1997 as preparations were underway for celebration of the company’s 100th birthday, the company made its largest change to date. The acquisition of the W.S. Patterson Company added four more Wisconsin branches in Appleton, Green Bay, Rhinelander and Wisconsin Rapids. W.S. Patterson started his company to supply plumbing and heating supplies to Appleton, Wisconsin in 1882. This was the same year that the forerunner to our modern toilet was invented and was called the “valveless water waste preventer.” The Patterson Companies had long been a solid industrial force. This industrial expertise, coupled with the geographic advantages of the Patterson locations, helped expand the entire company’s market and service area. In August of 1997, another significant announcement was made...the La Crosse Plumbing Supply Companies became First Supply Group. Each location has retained its own identity, but now all operate
FREEPORT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE under the corporate umbrella name of First Supply Group. On July 12, 2010, First Supply added a second Illinois location in Freeport on 115 E. South Street servicing customers west of Rockford and covering central and western areas of the state. On August 30 of the same year, First Supply acquired the assets of J.J. Koepsell Co., also a Wisconsin based family owned plumbing distribution company, with roots dating back 120 years. First Supply now offers the Fox Valley area four great locations to better serve its customers. In addition, a nearly 4,000 square foot Gerhards showroom gives First Supply another Premier Kohler Showroom to serve our area customers. With a strong, long-lasting history of bringing products to homeowners and the trade through trusted distributors, Kohler heightens its accessibility with the opening of the first Kohler Signature Store in Edina, Minnesota on April, 21, 2012. Solely owned and operated by First Supply, this kitchen and bath showroom
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If you are unhappy with the appearance of your body or the fine lines and wrinkles on your face, the folks at Re-Shape Yourself Inc. Body Sculpting have the perfect, comfortable, non-invasive solution. “We are about body sculpting,” said Re-Shape Yourself owner/operator Sally McMahon. “We use LED red lights which increase collagen and elastin to tighten the skin.” She said the LED lights penetrate the skin about 9mm and form a pore on fat cells. “The fat drains from the cells into the surrounding tissue where it is picked up by the lymphatic system which cleanses the body through the blood, kidney and liver.” She said drinking quantities of water will flush the fat away. “Think of it as lypo without the surgery,” McMahon said, adding that a treatment with the LED lights lasts about 20 minutes and releases about 350 calories into the system. “Following that we have a whole body vibration machine that is similar to standing on a platform that vibrates really fast,” she said. “Ten minutes on the vibration machine will burn approximately 300 calories making it roughly equal to an hour at the gym.” She recommends two or three treatments a week until
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A second century The first 110 years is history and the company now blankets the upper Midwest. Contractors in a large area can count on First Supply, a main channel supplier with key adjacent locations, complete inventories, fast delivery, unique services and a staff of industry professionals. Although much has changed through the years, the driving philosophy at First Supply remains the same as those days when deliveries were made by horse drawn wagons; the customer comes first. As the company looks forward to another century of growth, customers can count on another century of the best products and services in the industry from First Supply. First Supply LLC is a regional wholesale distributor with twenty-five locations in the upper Midwest. Founded in 1897, First Supply, employing over 500 people, is a familyowned, single source provider of plumbing, heating, cooling, pump/well & septic, municipal, waterworks, builder and industrial supplies. Stop by the Freeport distributorship at 115 East South Street, or call 815-232-6000, or visit them online at www.1supply.com
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FREEPORT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE goals are attained. “Once those cells are in depletion they will continue draining for about 48 hours,” McMahon said. “So, you cannot do it every day.” She said Re-Shape Yourself Body Sculpting suggests folks sign up for a 10-session package and they recommend working on one body area at a time. “Most people start working on belly fat,” she said. “Then after 10 sessions, if the client is happy with the results they can decide whether to continue working on their target area or move to another.” Re-Shape Yourself Inc. Body Sculpting opened the first week of June after McMahon and her daughter-in-law became intrigued with the process and tried it at another facility. “I lost about 15 inches in ten sessions,” said McMahon. “We’ve had folks loose over 5 inches in just one session.” She said that the fat will come back if the client does not reduce their caloric intake. “If you go on a diet and lose the weight, but continue eating the calories the fat will come back,” she said. “As long as you are drinking a lot of water and not taking in more calories than you are burning in a day the fat will not come back. Water is the key to flushing the lymphatic system.” McMahon said Re-Shape Yourself Inc. Body Sculpting also offers a fine line LED facial mask. “It looks like a helmet that has LED lights inside,” she said. “If you sit with that on your face for 30-minutes it
9 erases fine lines and wrinkles and helps revitalize the skin.” She said they follow the fine line mask with an aloe facial. “It’s like a mini facial,” she said. McMahon said they’ve also added a foot detox treatment. “We got interested in the foot detox because it goes alone with the whole process of breaking down and flushing fat cells from the body,” she said. “You have four thousand pores in your feet and the foot detox sends an ionic charge through the pores of your feet, all through your body and draws toxins out of your system.” She said the foot detox is a powerful detoxification process that leaves sludge when properly applied. “It is gross and disgusting and you cannot believe that stuff comes out of your body,” McMahon said, adding the results and customer service is their key to success. “We want people to be happy and if we didn’t think we had a good product we wouldn’t be here,” she said. Learn more about the benefits offered at Re-Shape Yourself Inc. Body Sculpting. Call Jen or Sally for an appointment at 815-599-1406 or stop in at 50 W. Douglas Suite 605, open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday mornings, or visit them on FaceBook at Re-Shape Yourself.
SAWICKI MOTORS
Hometown automobile dealers are as American as mom and apple pie and because the ultimate challenge for any
Chamber Ambassadors helped commemorate Memorial Day by walking in the Annual Memorial Day Parade this year. Everyone came out to see the parade and enjoyed the wonderful service at the Courthouse afterwards. We salute all the soldiers who have worked so hard to keep our country safe here and abroad.
family owned businesses is to balance tradition and innovation, Sawicki Motors in Freeport and Rochelle have chosen to build on a foundation of exemplary service and quality automobiles to best serve their customers. “Sawicki Motors is a family business providing reliable service of the highest quality at an unequaled value,” said Sawicki Motors owner Dan Sawicki. He added that they are a Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram dealership. “We maintain a General Motors franchise close to Rochelle which is where the family business started,” Sawicki said. “Operating a Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram dealership here in Freeport gives us another brand and lets us to stay close to Rochelle.” He said that having a highly trained and motivated staff allows Sawicki Motors to achieve the satisfaction and pride that comes with knowing they will meet their goals of exceeding their customers
expectations “At this time, there is nothing we are planning to change or add,” Sawicki said. “All of our equipment is modern. We updated everything in the shop when we bought the facility seven years ago. We have stateof-the-art alignment machinery, all our lifts are brand new, and we update our diagnostic equipment constantly. We are 100% compliant with any factory tool requirements.” He said Sawicki Motors recognizes that word of mouth is the best advertising, and they strive for 100% customer satisfaction to guarantee repeat and referral business. “Providing our customers with service that makes them want to come back is our key to success,” Sawicki said. Stop in at Sawicki Motors Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram at 700 East South Street Freeport, or call 815-232-5141. Shop their new and used car lot online at www.sawickimotors.com
10
FREEPORT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
MEMBERnews VALUE-ADDED COMMUNITIES
at 815-835-2070 or Feinberg@illinois.edu.
Blackhawk Hills Regional Council and the University of Illinois Extension would like to invite you to the presentation, Value-Added Communities: Absentee Landlords, BusinessFriendly Communities, and Shouldering the Costs Regionally. Presentations will include best policy practices associated with absentee landlords and downtown revitalization, business-friendly policies for small communities, avoiding legal consequences associated with new policy, and how to make the most of regional resources to improve community economies. The event is being held twice, so you may choose the evening you wish to attend. Please see the attached PDF for additional information. Everyone is invited to attend this event so please share with colleagues and friends. If you have any questions please contact Terry Feinberg
COMMUNITIES ENCOURAGED TO PREPARE FOR EMERALD ASH BORER
Proactive planning, and protection were the message of an Emerald Ash Borer meeting held Thursday. Fifty area leaders and volunteers attended the “Planning to Outlast the Emerald Ash Borer” forum sponsored in partnership by University of Illinois Extension and Highland Community College The attendees learned how Rockford and other communities were dealing the impacts of emerald ash borer infestations in an effort to encourage and help other communities plan for EAB. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
Does Your Banker Work as Hard as You Do?
RIBBON CUTTING
The Ambassadors cut the ribbon at Re-Shape Yourself located at 50 W. Douglas Street Suite 605 in downtown Freeport. It was our honor to be there to help celebrate this very special day! We would like to thank Re-Shape Yourself for all the hospitality. Stop by today and see what they can do for you! Congratulations Re-Shape Yourself and welcome to downtown Freeport!
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Allen’s Menswear Auto Repair Specialists Bocker Group • Book World Brown’s Shoes • Cellular Connection • Cimino’s Little Italy Culligan Water Conditioning • Deininger’s Floral Shop • Eilert’s Fitness Nutrition • Flachtemeier Monuments • Flack Sewing Floor to Ceiling Store • Four Seasons/Freeport Lanes, Inc. Freeport Shopping News • Furst McNess Co. • Freeport Glass Co. Freeport Lawn & Leisure Higher Grounds Coffee • Hillside Studio Imperial Palace • Iron-T Junction • Jiffy Lube • Joe’s Pizza Kent Bank • Kurt Koester Studio • L.P. Scientific Lindo Theater/Classic Cinemas • Loescher Heating & A/C Luecke Jewelers • Maurices • Merle Norman Cosmetics Ross Auto Glass • Rite-Way Furniture & Appliance Sanitary Cleaners • Skate Station • Slumberland Furniture Soundwerks Plus • State Bank • Stone’s Hallmark Town House Motel • Wagner Business • Whole Body Studio
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Scott Schirmer,Illinois Depart. of Agriculture, presented updated maps of confirmed EAB infestations, quarantine lines, and 2012 trap locations. Winnebago and Ogle Counties are in the quarantine zone. Stephenson, Carroll, and Jo Daviess are in the watch area. Mark Stockman, Rockford Public Works presented an overview of the Rockford plan and how it was being implement. Rockford had been working on a plan for when EAB struck Rockford. When an EAB infestation was found in trees in Rockford, “Now it’s Real!,” commented Stockman. “It forced us to start taking a hard look at tree siting and management practices. The Right Tree – the Right Place.” He went on to explain the plan for removal, treatment, and replacement of ash and other trees based on tree size, obstructions, and ground space. With the plan, existing tree that are too large for the land space available, colliding with above or underground obstructions, or in poor health will be removed. Replacement tree varieties will be based on appropriate tree size for the space, and species diversity. Rich Vogel, Brodhead (WI) Public Works Supervisor, and Alex Mills, Mills Tree Health Care, discussed how communities and consultants could work together to develop a proactive community action plan. “Involving everyone from the community with an interest in the issues was an important step in the planning process,” commented Vogel. Proactive approaches to protecting selected trees through treatment and removal of some trees was the reoccurring theme of the presentations. The day concluded with a demonstration of a tree injection treatment method on three trees on Highland Community College campus.
GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE AT FHN BLOOD DRIVE
As summer activities ramp up and people become busier, the need for blood doesn’t decrease. The Rock River Valley Blood Center must collect more than 1,000 units of
FREEPORT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
blood each week to meet the needs of the eight hospitals it serves, including FHN and all three Rockford hospitals. You can help fill the need. FHN and the Rock River Valley Blood Center are holding a day-long blood drive at FHN Memorial Hospital in Freeport on Thursday, June 21. The drive will run from 10:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Globe and Deaconess rooms on the hospital’s lower level, and is open to the public. Appointments are encouraged; please call 815-599-6214 for more information or to set up an appointment to donate. Walk-ins will be accepted as well. “Rock River Valley Blood Center supp lies all of the blood and blood products for our patients,” said Judith Otte, senior blood bank technologist at FHN and one of the organizers of the event. “Having a blood drive at the hospital makes it easy for FHN staff members to donate, and it’s a nice central location for the public to donate, too.” Anyone in good health, at least 17 years old (or 16 years old with parental consent) and at least 100 pounds can donate blood every 56 days. Donors should bring a photo ID and have plenty to eat and drink the day they plan to donate. For more information on donating blood, visit the Rock River Valley Blood Center’s Web site at www.rrvbc.org. For more information on the June 21 blood drive, visit www.fhn.org.
FROM THE PARENT EMPOWERMENT SERIES, SIMONE DEVEREUAWAX PRESENTS: GIVING YOUR CHILD AN ACADEMIC ADVANTAGE
RAMP and the Parent Mentor Project with Freeport School District 145, welcomes Simone Devereueawax from the Parent Empowerment Series, Saturday June 23, 2012, from 10 am-12 pm at the Freeport Housing Authority Empowerment Center 1052 W. Galena Ave. This workshop is free and open to
New and Renewed
MEMBERS NEW
Master Touch Painting • Sherwin-Williams • Fitness Lifestyles Nextage Professionals • Spring Leaf Financial Service Stephenson County Crime Stop • JLD Marketing Consultants AnArAli3 Take out • Charles Luecke • Main Street Bistro Sawicki Motors • Gametime Screen Printing LaBella Christina Kitchens, Inc./Christina’s Bakery First Supply • Re-Shape Yourself
RENEWED Liberty Village of Freeport • Ultrasonic Power Corporation Mt. Calvary C.O.G.I.C. • Rick Wilson Country Financial American Family Insurance - Eric Oslund Famous Fossil Vineyard & Winery • B & C Garage Door Floor Covering Plus • Wagner’s Business Products Farmers Insurance Group/Lynn Kempel Agency Stateline Dairy Products • Sojourn House • Kent Bank Freeport Public Library • Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio Carpets by Kuniej, LTD. • Children’s Dyslexia Center - NWIL Jim Sacia • Fifth Third Bank • Inertia Machine • Big Radio Dental Connections • Choice Realty • MANPOWER Gary’s Collision & Customs • Eric Weinand Design U.S. Cellular • Midland States Bank • O’Mara Moving & Storage Dimond Bros Insurance Agency, Inc. Edward D. Jones - Dan Retzke • Timber Hill Kennel Pizza Hut/Wing Street • Unity Hospice of Western Illinois LLC New Millenium Directories • VOICES Domestic Violence Program IL Dept. Human Services Offices of Rehabilitation Walker Mortuary, Ltd • Bill George Plumbing & Heating Stephenson Court Apartments • Computer Tutor • Christy’s Freeport Township • YMCA • Freeport Chapter Vietnow Baymont Inn & Suites • Floor to Ceiling Store Freeport Lanes, Inc. • Swift Hospitality Group, Inc. The Cheese Market • Anytime Fitness of Freeport Monroe Publishing • Freeport Community Foundation Laurel A. Rudolph, CPA • Preferred Real Estate of Illinois Rite-Way Furniture & Appliance • Adkins Energy, LLC Advanced Technologies • Neighborhood Housing Services Bussian Insurance & Bussian Realtors • Proto-Cutter Gitz-Meier Remodeling Contractors • Freeport Insurance Freeport Home Medical Equipment • Holland and Sons, Inc. LRB Distributors • Freeport Family Chiropractic Burke-Tubbs Funeral Home • Soundwerks Plus Jack Myers Consulting • GB Blacktop Sealing Highland Community College Foundation Union Dairy • Partners for Employment • Bill Leibman Grunewald Chiropractic • Twice As Nice Consignments Task Trainers • Quality Electric & Communications Witte Architects • Town House Motel • Sjostrom & Sons First Northern Credit Union • Arthritis Foundation Freeport Noon Kiwanis • Skate Station State Farm Insurance - Steve Johnson • Spigot Networks, Inc. Norman C. Sleezer Youth Home • Dakota Plumbing
FREEPORT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE the public. Space is limited. Refreshments will be served. RSVP is necessary to 815-2331128 or ckraft@rampcil.org. Simone’s public addresses and workshops create desire and jump-start belief in her audience with a style that is heartfelt and captivating. At this workshop, parents are given guidance on how to develop star academic performers who understand that a good education is their training for the race of life. Parents are equipped to be active and effective in coaching their child through their academic career. Workshop Objectives Explain how exposure to various career options can create a want in their child to have academic success. Show how supplementing a child’s education can launch children ahead of the class and ahead in life. Highlight the significance of parents having a strong presence in
13 their child’s school impacting both the student and faculty. Please contact Parent Mentor Connie Kraft at 815-2331128 or ckraft@rampcil. org to reserve your space, for questions, more information or to request accommodations/accessible formats for workshop. The Parent Mentor Project is a working collaboration between the Freeport School District, RAMP and the Illinois State Board of Education, to increase and enhance the educational opportunities for children with disabilities in the Freeport School District. The mission of the Parent Mentor Project is to bring schools and parents together to ensure a successful education for children with disabilities.
STEPHENSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Summer officially begins on June 21 when the Stephenson County Historical Society hosts its annual Ice Cream Social from 5-8 PM on the museum grounds at 1440 S. Carroll Avenue, Freeport. In addition to the tradition fare of ice cream, cake or pie, coffee or lemonade, this year the event will offer for a separate fee a menu of hot dogs, Coney dogs, barbecues, Mrs. Mike’s potato chips, as well as pop or water. The elderly and handicapped, as well as the general public, are to park in the lot of the Church of the Nazarene on the corner of Stephenson and Carroll, and a handicapped accessible shuttle bus will transport them to and from the museum grounds. Parking will
beat the
not be allowed on the museum grounds due to a lack of space because of the construction work going on at this time. Tobin’s DJ service will provide the background music and several antique automobiles will be displayed around the grounds. The Taylor Home will be open for free guided tours during which visitors can see the recent renovations to the home and some of its furnishings. The exhibit of wedding dresses from across the years will still be on display. A new exhibit will be open “A Century of Maps: Freeport and Stephenson County from 1870s to 1970s.” This exhibit will be accessible for free during the event. Tickets for the ice cream, cake or pie, coffee or lemonade are $5.00 per person and can be purchased at the door. For more information, contact: Edward Finch, 815-975-7631 director@stephcohs.org.
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14
FREEPORT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Lawmakers Taking Action to Medicaid Reform Moves Forward skirts the normal bidding Restore Illinois’ Fiscal Health By Jayette Bolinski process, which was meant to Illinois Statehouse News
Douglas L. Whitley President and CEO Illinois Chamber of Commerce Chicago
There is evidence the crowd in Springfield has at long last begun to change course. The General Assembly made progress this legislative session on matters of vital importance to employers and to the good citizens who have suffered ridicule as a result of Illinois’ tarnished reputation. Today there is an underlying, bipartisan desire to get Illinois’ fiscal house in order. Gov. Pat Quinn captured the situation perfectly when he told the General Assembly in his budget address that a “rendezvous with reality” had arrived. He called for sweeping changes to public employee pensions and Medicaid programs, which is essential to establishing a solid foundation upon which the state’s finances can be rebuilt.
It is not politically popular to cut programs, close facilities or reduce benefits. Yet Mr. Quinn accepted the burden and provided political cover for legislators who might prefer to avoid controversy in an election year. The General Assembly curtailed Medicaid spending and is pursuing better management practices to improve quality of care, increase efficiency and reduce fraud. While it has yet to deliver much-needed public employee pension reform, there remains a firm resolve to act. Governing in an era of limited resources is not the kind of challenge most candidates thought they were signing up for. But it seems now many of them have realized the duty before them and are taking the actions needed to assure voters and employers that Illinois is a good place to invest and grow jobs.
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Pat Quinn signed off on cuts to the state’s Medicaid program this week, and the House investigation into state Rep. Derrick Smith continued to move forward. Quinn signs off on Medicaid cuts, cigarette tax hike Quinn on Thursday signed off on a cigarette tax hike and a series of changes to the state’s ailing Medicaid system to help Illinois save billions of dollars. The reforms, which will boot thousands of low-income Illinoisans from the Medicaid rolls, include $1.6 billion in cuts, raising the state’s cigarette tax by $1 a pack — to $1.98 — stricter monitoring of Medicaid fraud and reducing payment rates to healthcare providers. The changes were designed to plug a $2.7 billion gap in the state’s Medicaid obligations, and they go into effect July 1. Earlier this week, the state began notifying thousands of Illinois families and individuals by mail that they may no longer qualify for health-care services. Among the cuts is the elimination of Illinois Cares Rx, a state-only prescription subsidy program mainly for senior citizens. Dental services will be restricted, and some prescriptions will be limited to four per month. Thousands of families will be cut from the rolls, too, as parents who earn more than 133 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, which equates to about $20,000 a year for a two-person household, will no longer receive Family Care health coverage. “One of our most important missions in Springfield this year was to save Medicaid from the brink of collapse,” Quinn said in a statement Thursday. Illinois skips required bid system for Medicaid contract A $120 million cost-cutting measure in the recently passed Medicaid savings package
find the best deal for taxpayers, according to a review by Illinois Statehouse News. Quinn on Thursday signed bills that slashed $1.6 billion from the state’s Medicaid by, among other things, kicking ineligible health-care recipients out of the health-care program by ensuring everyone in the system meets eligibility, residency and other requirements. But to do so, the legislation allows the state to hire an outside vendor for the eligibility checks and expedite that hiring by avoiding timelines and procedures outlined in state purchasing laws. Bypassing the standard procedure for accepting bids allows the state to award a contract without considering costs. Normally, sealed bids on contracts are submitted to the state, and the contract is awarded to the lowest bidder that meets all requirements of the contract, a process that can take more than a year. State Rep. Sara Feingenholtz, D-Chicago, helped negotiate the legislation. She said it came down to money, which taxpayers are losing every month the state goes without hiring a company to check eligibility. Government moves slowly, she said. Mike Claffey, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, said the savings from the accelerated time frame for taxpayers will be significant, but the department did not yet have a number. “It’s very labor intensive (purging the Medicaid rolls), and we think bringing the contractor on board would be cost effective, and going through the normal procurement process would be very time consuming,” Claffey said. The final say on who gets the contract is up to the state’s chief procurement officer and DHFS, which have 90 days to find a suitable contractor.
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