P. 21-35
HEALTH CARE UPDATE
PPACA update; “Horriffic” 1099 provision repealed – now faces 11th Circuit Court to determine constitutionality
P. 11
SPRINGFIELD STORAGE WARS
The Storage Box has a new owner while Capitol Storage and Hillier Moving and Storage say business continues to be strong.
P. 13
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Local attorneys and law firm celebrate milestones in industry while Christine Haley talks about employment/ personnel industry.
P. 36-43
. business journal Springfield
July 2011 (217) 726-6600
www.springfieldbusinessjournal.com info@springfieldbusinessjournal.com
Business.
News.
Copper theft cases more than triple Copper thefts in Springfield 2011 (ytd) 2010 2009
Cases 131 137 46
Arrests 7 14 n/a
Source: Springfield Police Department
Local HVAC contractor suggests prosecuting thieves for releasing refrigerants By Chris Stroisch, Correspondent Copper is found in everything from motors and radiators to heating and cooling systems.
The easy-to-access metal has become a popular target for thieves in recent years as copper prices around the globe have hit an all time high. Locally, Springfield police have seen the number of copper theft cases more than triple in the last two years. This is keeping the police department busy, along with local contractors who have to fix heating and
cooling systems damaged by thefts. “The thefts are widespread,” said Clifford Buscher, Jr., deputy chief, Springfield Police Department. “Copper thieves are targeting both businesses and homes all over town; I would not say one is more prevalent than the Continued on Page 8, Copper
Lincoln fighting downward trend Approves five-point Economic Development Master Plan to turn things around By Cliff Wheeler, Correspondent According to a recent Economic Development Master Plan developed by Vandewalle and Associates for Logan County, Lincoln sits at the center of a $50 billion economy and a population of one million people. Bloomington-Normal, Decatur, Peoria and Springfield are all 3040 minutes away; Champaign is less than an hour away. It is the only city named after Lincoln during his lifetime (1853), was home to New Yorker editor William Maxwell, the poet Langston Hughes, and theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. It sits along US I-55 and US 155, halfway between St. Louis and Chicago. Yet despite its geographical advantages and historical heritage, Lincoln’s population is shrinking (14,000 in 2010 vs.
15,000 in 2000), its high school dropout rate is higher than the state average (four percent vs. a state average of three percent in 2010), its teenage pregnancy rate remains high, and the town is still reeling from the shutdown of the government funded Lincoln Developmental Center (LDC) nearly a decade ago. A number of government, business and community leaders, however, are working to turn these downward trends around. According to Mayor Keith Snyder, the Economic Development Plan, endorsed May 6, 2011, targets five strategic initiatives: (1) build a compelling place; (2) invest in 21st century infrastructure/cultivate entrepreneurs; (3) capitalize on the town and county’s unique geographic position as a hub to five cities; (4) leverage its higher education assets; and (5) strengthen the county’s position as Illinois’ “Wind Capitol”. Continued on Page 14, Lincoln
Lincoln Theater downtown has been revived with purchase by local residents (photo by Rod Lane)
COMING NEXT MONTH...
Paper.
Scheels has more in store Over-the-top opening was just the beginning By Bridget Ingebrigtsen, Senior Correspondent When Steve D. Scheel, CEO of Scheels, announced plans for the company’s new Springfield store during a press conference in August 2008, his plan sounded almost too good to be true. An 18-month delay in construction fueled some skepticism that the mega-store may not ever happen when retailers everywhere were holding off on new developments and expansions due to the economy. But on June 24 – as the community saw their first glimpse of the new merchandise-packed store during a preview night that included food, giveaways, prizes, and the presentation of a check to the local United Way for $100,000 – Steve Scheel officially made good on some very tall promises. He said Scheels would deliver a shopping experience like no other. Check. He said Scheels would contribute greatly to the community, both in terms of involvement and financial assistance. Check. He said Scheels would spark the development of the new Legacy Pointe Town Center. Small check (but it may be too early to tell). “We’ve been writing checks for two years now for this store,” Scheel told a crowd of thousands at the grand opening event. “Since we are a privately held Continued on Page 9, Scheels
QUOTE - P. 53
HEALTH CARE AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS The August issue will feature a special section with local news and information related to Health Care and Employee Benefits. The Lists will include: • Fitness Centers • Hospitals • Physician Groups
Mike Houston, Mayor of the City of Springfield
“Our new retail revolution will be leading the way for Springfield. It isn’t just happening on the MacArthur Extension. We have had serious inquiries about other properties in other parts of the city.”
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2 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
• the rookery LLCC Board of Trustees approves master plan
The Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) Board of Trustees approved a facilities master plan resulting from a recent space utilization and planning process conducted by DKA Architects, with input from employee focus groups and administrators. Projects that emerged as future priorities include development of a surgical technology instructional area, basic nurse assistant labs, adult education and community education spaces within the existing Workforce Development Resource Center; theatre program space in the lower level of Sangamon Hall; along with other renovations to accommodate future program expansion. Projects would proceed based on funding availability.
United Community Bank supports Guard, Reserve
On June 8, president and COO of United Community Bank, Mr. Todd Wise, signed a Statement of Support for the National Guard and Reserve at the company’s Chatham headquarters joining thousands of employers across Illinois and the country that have publicly acknowledged and support the continuing contributions of Guardsmen and Reservists to the defense of our nation. The ESGR Statement of Support program offers a way for employers to show their support for service in the National Guard and Reserve. “I would like to thank United Community Bank and its leadership for recognizing the role of the National Guard and Reserve by signing this Statement of Support on behalf of the men and women who voluntarily serve and sacrifice for Illinois and our nation,” said Dr. Michael Ayers, Illinois ESGR Field Committee Chair. “With the continuing demands placed on Guardsmen and Reservists, supportive employers like UCB are crucial to maintaining the strength and readiness National Guard and Reserve.” “UCB is honored to show our support for those who serve our country. It is essential for employers to recognize the dedication these individuals show and the sacrifices they make to preserve our freedom,” says UCB Chairman and CEO, Robert Narmont.
Central Illinois’ Surgeons participate in Operation Smile mission
Central Illinois surgical specialists recently participated in an Operation Smile mission trip to Nakuru, Kenya. Operation Smile is an international charity providing free surgical services to patients around the world. Through Operation Smile, volunteer medical professionals provide reconstructive surgery for children and adults born with facial deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palate, acquired deformities such as burn scars and for other traumatic deformities. Dr. Robert Russell, clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and owner of Heartland Plastic Surgery Center, traveled with SIU plastic surgery residents, Ryan Diederich and Teresa Hegge, and St. John’s surgery nurse, Therese Svetlik, to work with a group of 60 volunteers. The team of physicians performed 148 surgical procedures over five days. “It is always a rewarding experience to participate in Operation Smile missions,” Russell said. “We are able to share the gift of healing with patients who may not have otherwise had an opportunity to be treated.
U.S.P.S. QR discount
The U.S. Postal Service is running a QR (Quick Response) Code promotion from July 1 through August 31. QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes that enable smartphone users to tap into mailers’ websites and get information and offers. During those two months, the USPS will offer three percent postage discounts on standard and first class letters, flats or cards containing the proper barcodes. Customers who receive the special mail can use their mobile devices to scan the barcodes for more information about the product or service the mailing is promoting. According to the USPS’s website, the Postal Service is offering the discount “to show marketers how mobile barcodes can increase the value of mail.”
Benchmark Audio named to Top 50
Benchmark Audio, a mobile electronics specialist retail and professional installation facility in Springfield, Ill., has been named to Mobile Electronics magazine’s Top 50 Retailers list for 2010-2011. The Top 50 list is compiled each year from nominations by factory and independent sales and customer service representatives from the mobile electronics industry. “This magazine’s job is to highlight the best examples of businesspeople and installation professionals in our industry, in order to create a standard that retailers and installers should aspire to,” said Solomon Daniels, editor of Mobile Electronics. “The Top 50 Retailers and Top 100 Installers lists reflect those who work hard to represent the best our industry can offer.”
Hanson named top design firm by ENR Midwest magazine
Hanson Professional Services Inc. recently was recognized as a top design firm by ENR Midwest magazine. Hanson came in at No. 12, improving from its No. 13 ranking the previous year. Hanson recorded $37 million in regional revenue – approximately 60 percent of its billings in 2010 – for its project work completed in Illinois, eastern Indiana, Missouri and Wisconsin. ENR Midwest’s top design firm rankings are based on 2010 billings for firms with offices in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri or Wisconsin.
Delta Dental awarded State of Illinois group dental plan
Delta Dental of Illinois announced it has been awarded the bid for the administration of dental services for the State of Illinois Group Dental Plans. “Moving to a network-based plan is expected to help save the State and its employees and their families claim dollars,” said Bernie Glossy, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Illinois. “Dental networks help make dental care more accessible and affordable to consumers and those employer groups who offer dental benefit programs. A part of Delta Dental of Illinois’ mission is to improve the oral health of Illinois residents. As an Illinoisbased non-profit dental service corporation, we believe that offering the State of Illinois and its employees access to our network of dentists not only directly contributes to this mission, but also can help the State fiscally.” While the State’s dental plan is not changing, the addition of the Delta Dental PPO and Delta Dental Premier networks is new.
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 3
4 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
regular meetings • Monday • Springfield Luncheon Optimist Club, 11:45 a.m., (2nd & 4th weeks) Diamond’s Buffet Restaurant, Town & County Shopping Center • Sertoma Club of Springfield, Noon, (1st & 3rd weeks) Hilton Springfield • Noontime Toastmasters, Noon, Laurel United Methodist Church, Walnut & S. Grand Ave. West • Rotary Club of Springfield, 6 p.m., Maldaner’s Restaurant (upstairs), 222 S. 6th St. Tuesday • Rotary Club of Jacksonville, 7 a.m., Kottage Kafe, 1850 S. Main, Jacksonville • Capital City Business Builders BNI, 7:30 a.m., Coldwell Banker, 3201 Old Jacksonville Rd. • Tuesday BNI, 11 a.m., Remax Building, 2475 West Monroe • The Network Group, 11:45 a.m., The Sangamo Club, 227 E. Adams St. • Rotary Club of Springfield-Mid-town, Noon, Inn at 835, 835 S. 2nd St. • Kiwanis Club of Lincoln, Noon, Al’s Main Event, 1230 5th St., Lincoln • Springfield Noon Lions Club, Noon, Diamond’s Buffet Restaurant, Town & County Shopping Center • Springfield Parkway Pointe Toastmasters, 12:05 p.m., AIG Building, 3501 Hollis Drive • Altrusa International of Springfield, 7 p.m., (1st & 3rd weeks) Laurel United Methodist Church, Walnut & S. Grand Ave. West • Jacksonville Jaycees, 7:30 p.m., (2nd& 4th weeks) Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Wednesday • Rotary Club of Springfield - Sunrise, 7 a.m., Hoogland Center for the Arts • Lincoln Land BNI, 7:30 a.m., Hickory Glen, 1700 West Washington St. • Central Illinois Refferal Network, 7:45 a.m., The Real Estate Group, 3701 W. Wabash Ave. • Westside BNI, 11:30 a.m. Mariah’s, 3317 Robbins Rd. • Prospectors Referral Group, 11:30 a.m., (1st & 3rd weeks) Lone Star • Rotary Club of Springfield-Westside, Noon, Brickhouse Grill & Pub, 3136 Iles Ave. • Jacksonville American Business Club, Noon, Ponderosa Restaurant, Morton Ave., Jacksonville • Kiwanis Club of Springfield-Downtown, Noon, Hilton Springfield, Manhattan Grille Room • Capital City Toastmasters, Noon, IDOT Building, 2300 Dirksen Pkwy. Room 214 A & B • Springfield Jaycees, 7 p.m., Jaycees Activity Center, 2525 S. 12th St. Thursday • Thursday Morning Business Builder BNI, 7:30 a.m., Coldwell Banker, 3201 Old Jacksonville Rd. • Springfield Thursday Lunch BNI Chapter, 11:30 a.m., Lake Pointe Grill, 1386 Toronto Rd. • Rotary Club of Springfield South - Noon, Centrum Coffee Cafe, 1370 Toronto Rd. • Springfield American Business Club, Noon, Hilton Springfield, 29th Floor • Kiwanis Club - Jacksonville, Noon, Hamilton’s Catering, 110 N. East St., Jacksonville • McBrian Lincoln Douglas Toastmasters Club, 6 p.m., SIU School of Medicine, 801 N. Rutledge St. • Kiwanis Club of Chatham, 6:15 p.m., Chatham Library, 600 E. Spruce, Chatham Friday • Springfield Breakfast Optimist Club, 7 a.m., Atonement Lutheran Church, 2800 W. Jefferson • Frontier International, Noon, Hilton Springfield, Manhattan Grille Room • Jacksonville Noon Rotary Club, Noon, Hamilton’s Downtown, 110 North East St., Jacksonville
Do you have a regular business meeting to add? Send to info@springfieldbusinessjournal.com
Professional Women’s Calendar of Events You play a key role and we thank you for your contributions to our community. Association for Women in Communiations (AWC) Meetings are held each month on the second Wednesday, and will resume after summer.
Illinois Women in Leadership (IWIL) IWIL will host “Beyond the Magic 8 Ball: Establishing a Personal Board of Directors” with guest speaker: Colleen J. Moore, M.D. at 11:30am, July 21st, at the Sangamo Club, 227 East Adams Street, in Springfield. Guests and potential new members are welcome to attend. We all acknowledge that the time for seeking advice and guidance from the Magic 8 Ball or Ouija boards is long gone. But where do we go from here? Establishing a personal board of directors provides each of us with a trusted source of information and guidance. However, selecting the members of that board and arranging meetings can be a daunting task. Together we’ll explore the process and begin establishing a personal board of directors for each of our lives. The cost of the luncheon is $18 in advance or $23 for walk-ins and late registrations. Reservation forms are available at www.iwil.biz. Reservations with payment must be received by 5pm on Friday, July 15th. Forms and payment should be mailed to: IWIL, 2300 West Lake Shore Drive, Springfield, IL 62712.
Springfield Women of Today (SWT) Tuesday, July 12th, a membership meeting will be held at Mario’s Italian Restaurant, 3073 East Clear Lake Avenue in Springfield. Come at 5:30pm for dinner or 6:30pm for meeting only. The Women of Today is a non-profit, civic organization, which provides its members with leadership training and personal growth opportunities through community service activities. Membership is open to all persons at least 18 years of age that are interested in making their community a better place to live and grow.
Women Entrepreneurs (WE) Central Illinois’ Summer Social will be held on August 10, 2011 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Island Bay Yacht Club, 76 Yacht Club Road, Springfield, IL. The cost for the meeting is $22 for members, $25 for guests and $30 for walk-ins. Registration deadline is August 5, 2011. Additional information is available by contacting Gay Davidson at 725-8500 or reservations@we-ci.org. Meetings are scheduled monthly and include guest speakers, workshops, and social functions. Fundraising events support scholarships for local women attending college and advanced training. Guests may request a meeting notice by contacting Katrina Periman at 741-2675 or info@mriverdesigns.com.
Proudly sponsored by:
To have your event added to the Women’s Calendar of Events, Please fax your information to (217) 726-8300 or e-mail to info@springfieldbusinessjournal.com
after hours •
Son hooks him on racing Jason Evers Profession: president and owner, Evers Construction Passion: Kart Racing
I
By Raegan Hennemann, Senior Correspondent
n 2007, Jason Evers decided to start racing sprint karts after watching his 8-year-old son Alec drive around the course at Mid-State Kart Club in Dawson. During that first year while Alec spent most of his time learning how to drive the kart, Evers, president and owner of Evers Construction, started to develop a passion for the hobby. “That’s where I went out and I was racing every night and Alec was racing too but all I’d have to do is take his kart up, start him up and he’d go out and run,” Evers said. “I didn’t have to work on (his kart) much. That freed me up to work on my stuff and really get a hang of what was going on and then I got more hooked than he did.” Evers quickly realized how technical it is to fix and race karts. “All this stuff goes into how a kart handles. Your gearing, when we’re reducing pressure or adding pressure, sometimes it’s just a half a pound of air pressure or one tooth on the gear, maybe toeing out one-sixteenth of an inch,” he said. “Just something really minute can make a huge change. And without getting in and actually feeling what that change does, I can’t imagine tuning a kart.” Evers is a member of Mid-State Kart Club and participates in almost all of the races during the April to October season. In 2010, he joined the Route 66 Series which includes a couple of races at Mid-State, in A go kart has pretty Norway, Ill. and Wisconsin as well as a race in Indiana. much all the same adjustUnfortunately sometimes Evers has ments that a real racecar to back out of a race because he is busy has, it just doesn’t have working on Alec’s kart. “He’s the one who wanted to get into suspension. They rely on it so he’s priority but every chance I can, I chassis flex so there’s no try to race,” he said. Evers has two different karts so he can suspension in the kart. race in two different classes – Yamaha Supercan and Yamaha Formula Masters. Right now, he prefers the Formula Masters class “because you’re going faster, you’ve got more power.” On the straightaway at Mid-State, Evers estimates driving between 75 mph and 80 mph. In the Supercan he tops out around 70 mph. A typical race night includes two rounds of practice, two heat races and then a feature race. Some races also include a qualifier. In between the various trips around the track, Evers will make adjustments to the kart. “A go kart has pretty much all the same adjustments that a real racecar has, it just doesn’t have suspension,” Evers said. “They rely on chassis flex so there’s no suspension in the kart.” The karts are about one inch off the ground “and we feel the rumble strips in our butt if we get in the wrong spot,” he said. Weather conditions are a factor in racing and Evers said it’s important to pay attention to what’s going on outside before arriving at the track. “When you hit the track if it’s a really hot day and there’s a lot of rubber on the track if it hasn’t rained and there’s been some racing going on, then like I said earlier you don’t have suspension so when you go around a corner you want that car to tip so you’re basically going around the corner on three wheels. Well, if it’s really sticky and it doesn’t tip then it slows you down. So that is probably the biggest adjustment you make is whether the kart’s tight or free and how the kart gets through the corners. That’s done in the width of the kart and the tire pressure.” Usually a race is 12 to 15 laps but once a year Evers competes with a partner in a 60-minute endurance race. Last year, Evers completed 68 laps in 35 minutes. “It’s about how good of physical condition you’re in because you’re tired when you’re done,” he said. Sometimes Evers will compete against as many as 20 karts during a race. “It is a little nerve wracking at the start,” he admitted. “You’re all right there. You’ve got somebody pushing on you in the back, you’ve got somebody to your right or your left wherever you’re starting, and you’ve got all those people in front of you. “It’s very high paced. When it’s 100 degrees and you’re sitting there in your kart and you’re basically in a snowsuit you think you’re crazy. But when you’re on the track and you’re going, you’re not thinking about how hot you are, you’re not thinking about what you’ve got to do tomorrow. You’re just thinking about where am I driving and who do I have to beat to win,” he said.
“
Continued on Page 6, After Hours
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 5
Community Business Report
www.springfieldbusinessjournal.com
This Month – P. 21-35
July 2011
Where the ‘rubber meets the road’ Local corporations using sponsorships in marketing plans By Job Conger, Correspondent On December 13, 2010, Brandt Consolidated, an international agronomics firm based in Springfield, announced it would be primary sponsor of Justin Allgaier and his #31 Chevy Impala for the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Championship class acing season. Allgaier, who lives in Riverton, seemed a natural choice. It was a logical step up from the company’s first experience with NASCAR involving another driver the previous season that convinced the CEO of Brandt Consolidated, Rick C. Brandt that continued involvement with would be worthwhile. Things came together fast because Allgaier, who had finished fourth in points in the national standings in 2010 was looking for a new sponsor. “Justin called me about 8 pm on Halloween night,” Brandt remembers. “The next morning we had a conference call with Steve Turner who owns Turner Motorsports, which manages a number of NASCAR competitors. The next day we flew out to Charlotte, North Carolina to seal the deal.” Brandt prefers to keep the cost of sponsorship off the printed page. “I don’t look at it as a cost; I look at it as an investment. We’re in this to make
money,” he said. Key to their ing Group of Springfield plays “We quickly realized when success as a sponsor this year is a role in connecting guests to we got into this that we didn’t corporate commitment from the Number 31. HPR CEO Wally have the ‘horsepower’ in our top down. For Rick Brandt that Hamlin said, “How (else) can marketing department to do this means working at the office five you get 100 of your customers and that’s why we hired HPR,” days a week and spending Satur- to meet your employees at an Brandt said. “Turner has somedays and Sundays at races out of event and get three to four solid one who manages Justin. At an town. After the opening race in hours with them, to learn their event, sometimes if something Florida, he flew to the west coast needs, get to know them? If that needs to be done, a Brandt perthree consecutive weekends. was all you got with NASCAR, son will for a Turner person.” “Racing is one of the last that is a significant gain. If it’s a Though Team Turner is the thing (sponsorship) is about,” Brandt said. “NASCAR is a big marketing machine. On the infield, it’s all about business. If you take customers to a Cardinals or a Rams game in St. Louis, you’re there for the Rams or Cardinals. When we take customers and potential customers to a NASCAR race, Turner Motorsports – Justin Allgaier’s trailer in front of Brandt’s headquarters they are there for the Brandt Team. It’s not 7 (p.m.) race, customers show up primary management element, somebody else’s team; it’s the at our chalet about noon and we HPR’s Hamlin said, “It’s a very Brandt team.” get to know them. Justin comes big group effort between Turner, “We do business with dis- in about 3 (p.m.) and meets Justin, Brandt and HPR. We contributors who in turn are selling them, has some question and ference call weekly, and Brandt our products to the end users. answer time, poses for pictures, talks with Steve Turner daily We invite our customers who in- signs autographs. We give them sometimes.” vite their customers. For many, all radios with headsets so they Brandt Consolidated is comit’s a once-in-a-lifetime experi- can hear Justin talking to the pit mitted as primary sponsor for ence.” When Justin races, Brandt crews and they head up to their 17 of the 34 races slated for this has staff on hand to meet their seats about an hour before the guests and talk business. race. Everything is over by 10 or Continued on Page 6, HPR Marketing and Consult- 11(p.m.).” Sponsorships
Springfield area economy is forecasted at normal growth levels through 2011 and increased levels of activity in early 2012. The University of Illinois at Springfield announces that the greater Springfield Enterprise Index (SEI) for April 2011 is 97, which means slightly below or just normal economic activity. A SEI value of 100 indicates that the area economy is on its longterm growth trend. A SEI value less than 100 indicates “below average” activity. The SEI is above the April 2010 SEI one year ago and about the same as early 2011. Near normal activity is forecasted through 2011. This is consistent with other regional and national indexes which also forecast low levels of activity.
Economic indexes for other Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) in Illinois are also forecasted. These compare a local area to its own historical level of economic activity for that area. Looking through 2011, the Springfield Enterprise Index pattern of steady growth and then above normal growth is different than in Chicago or the combined other MSAs. The economy for Chicago is forecasted to remain at near normal growth. The other MSAs are forecasted to have a slight decrease in economic activity in early 2012.
• economic index 2011
• new businesses • 5 Star Sports Center, 3415 Chatham Road, Springfield, 62702, John Runge, (217) 3619069. • Ab Construction, 1800 Persimmon, Chatham, 62629, Annette Belcher, (217) 341-4524. • Adrine Snow Removal, 2201 S. 11th St., Springfield, 62703, Cassandra L. Adrine, (217) 5281042. • All American Media, 2735 S. 14th St., #46, Springfield, 62703, Richard E. Lee, III, (217) 761-4028. • Brown’s Concrete Designs, 1805 S. State, Springfield, 62704, Shannon W. Brown, Kari A. Brown, (217) 494-0103. • C + S Services, 1426 Taylor, Springfield, 62703, Steven A. Bessette, Jr., Christopher Ballard, (773) 876-1504. • Crews Enterprise, 221 N. State St., Springfield, 62702, Kevin Crews, (217) 553-6182. • Decorative Concrete Creations, 1717 S. Sixth St., Springfield, 62703, Michael J. Brahler, (217) 836-6907. • Grounds of Grace, 2951 Stanton Ave., Springfield, 62703, Fullfillyour Destiny Ministry, (217) 341-4782. • Heppist Party Stuff, 123 S. Seventh St., Springfield, 62701, Jack Sol Fryschman, (217) 8280828. • Illini Hauling, 1311 Valley Drive, Springfield, 62702, Jay Veach, (217) 638-0642. • Illinois Electronic Sales, 143 N. Market St., Chatham, 62629, Shaun T. Allen, Devin D. Allen, (217) 241-0190. • Jennimcd, 1460 W. Main St., Rochester, 62563, Jennifer Perry, (217) 561-6124. • JR Productions, 2716 S. Whittier, Springfield, 62704, Matthew S. Graves, (217) 6526671. • Kingdom Dynasty Publishing, Inc., PO Box 8946, SpringContinued on Page 49
• index
The index was developed and created by the Regional Economic Applications Laboratory, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois. The Greater Springfield Enterprise Index is due to collaboration between The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, the Institute of Government and Public Affairs – University of Illinois and the Center for State Policy and Leadership – University of Illinois at Springfield. Information on the Springfield area index can be obtained from Patty Byrnes, Center for State Policy and Leadership at UIS, 217206-7783 or pbyrn1@uis.edu.
The Rookery................................3 After Hours...............................4,6 Regular Meetings……….....….….4 Women’s Calendar…….....……...4 Economic Index...……......………5 New Businesses…………..…..5,49 Going Green............................16 Safety.......................................17 Business Lunch………………….18 Monthly Drive…………..………19 Next Generation…………….….20 Forty Under 40…................21-35 Professional Services.............36-43 Law……………………...........…41 Giving Back………………..…….46 Legal Filings………………..……48 Fast Tracks/Business Briefs…50-51 Opinion…..……………….…….52 Op-Ed…………………..………..53 Business Card Directory……..…54
6 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
Sponsorships, Continued from Page 5
Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc. and Team Wilkerson
year. “My commitment was to attend all Levi, Ray & Shoup (LRS) first sponthe Brandt races. Justin will still drive ev- sored National Hot Rod Association ery other race, but the Brandt name will (NHRA) Shelby Mustang funny car driver be smaller on the rest of the races,” Brandt Tim Wilkerson’s Team WIlkerson in 2000. said. The size of the company name on Pamela Benad, LRS vice-president adminthe cars depends on the level of spon- istration explained “Tim Wilkerson apsorship commitment. At the high end, proached LRS about a sponsorship.” After the company name is big on the car in 11 years, the arrangement is still going every race. “Turner has four nationwide strong. “Team Wilkerson and LRS were cars and three trucks in the trucks series. The Brandt name is on all vehicles other than Justin’s and crew gear in a secondary position.” “Since Justin is from Riverton,” Brandt said, “the local connection has been very strong. Earlier this year when he was set to race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, he arrived early and welcomed many LRS/Team Wilkerson NHRA Funny Car (photo provided by LRS) fans at a meet and greet at Brandt Consolidated headquar- founded and are headquartered in Springters. That was a community event, re- field, Ill.,” she said. “The arrangement is ally.” successful because Team Willkerson and “I get asked all the time if sponsorship LRS work together to come up with creis paying off, and I say it is. NASCAR is ative ways to leverage the sponsorship a great platform to take us to the next in ways that work for LRS’ industry. LRS level. When you’re part of the NASCAR is certainly not a typical sponsor on the family, you’re all singing the same song. NHRA circuit. An invitation from LRS From the customer standpoint, you have to attend an NHRA race is often the first the NASCAR loyalty. We are experiencing exposure to the sport (of drag racing) for market growth since sponsoring Justin. LRS’ guests, and many have been turned We’re working hard like we used to. But, into fans over the years. Team Wilkerson how many companies are there where members serve as wonderful ambassadors not only do you work with your associ- at each race event and work hard to enates five days and then spend your weekContinued on Next Page ends with them?” After Hours, Continued from Page 4 Evers and Alec like to head to Mid-State during the week to practice and try new adjustments on their karts. “When he was still learning, I would change my kart and I’d try to keep his setup the same way and whatever change I’d make to mine, I’d make to his and I’d tell him what I’m doing so hopefully he would learn as we go and he could feel the same change as I was doing,” he said. While Evers has always enjoyed tinkering with the mechanics of old tractors, it was never as sophisticated as what he is doing with the karts. “I’ve improved but it’s just so much of a wild guess. You take notes. I’ve got a notebook of all the different races and what we did, what changes we made. Sometimes I’ll sit there and think I don’t know what to do and have to go back and look through my notes. Sometimes I feel like I should have a dartboard in there and throw a dart - OK, that’s the change we’ll make because I don’t know what to do. “Sometimes if you listen to a NASCAR race you can listen to the in-car audio on the Internet and you can hear them go through the same things that I do in my head. ‘I think we missed the air pressure, we missed this or we missed that.’” Evers considers kart racing a dangerous hobby and wears a helmet, neck brace, skid resistant suit and a rib vest to protect himself in case of a crash. “One time when I was first learning I didn’t get my wheel tight and when I got down to the end of the straightaway and came around the corner full speed, the wheel came off and I backed it into the barriers. That’s probably my worst crash,” he said. Crashes are common and in 2010 Evers had to have a kart rewelded after a collision when “two guys got together right in front of me and I had nowhere to go.” Because Evers respects the dangerousness of racing karts, he takes a hands-on approach to educate Alec. “I’ll get out on the track with my son and I’ll get out there and I’ll push him, bump him on purpose so that he gets used to that because it makes your kart get kind of squirrely and if you’re not ready for it you can lose control,” he said. Kart racing is a family affair for Evers. While he and Alec are busy racing and adjusting the karts, his wife works in the concession stand and his parents and mother-inlaw also volunteer at the track. Alec is now 11 years old and still enjoys kart racing, but “if he decides not to do it anymore I’m still going to go,” Evers said. “I wish I would have found it a long time ago not only for the experience but it’s a good way to relax. It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of physical activity but I’ve never been one to just sit around and watch TV. I’ve always got to be doing something.” Even though Evers loves to get behind the wheel and race around the track, he gets more enjoyment from watching Alec win a race. “When we win it makes me feel good because I know I gave him something. I was able to set the car up good enough for him to go out and race and give him what he needed to win and that’s a lot of satisfaction… It was a team effort and we did it together.” Raegan Hennemann is a senior correspondent for Springfield Business Journal. She can be reached at raegan@springfieldbusinessjournal.com
Continued from Previous Page sure that LRS’ guests are thoroughly entertained. “ LRS’ marketing manager works with Team Wilkerson in the appearance of hospitality areas at races, appearances at non-race events such as trade shows and customer events. “LRS does not direct any aspects of the Team’s activities. However, LRS employees attend the race events to entertain their clients who are in attendance. For larger events, LRS will send support employees to help man the hospitality areas so that Team Wilkerson can focus on the race.” “LRS measures the success of the sponsorship by the feedback from the guests entertained at an NHRA event,” Benad said. “The events have allowed us to develop deeper relationships with our existing customers and open doors at new companies throughout the country. Measuring the success of our sponsorship in ‘real dollars’ is very challenging. The soft dollar return on investment in branding and exposure is definitely there.” “LRS employees and a guest are invited to attend a local race each year. Discounts are provided for employees for Team Wilkerson promotional items as well.” Benad’s advice for companies considering primary sponsorship opportunities is simple. “Be creative (with the sponsorship involvement). Do not assume that a company logo on ESPN each weekend will mean an immediate jump in revenue. Consider other ways to leverage the sponsorship beyond the public exposure.”
St. John’s Hospital’s Half Marathon
The Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon of 13.1 miles began almost 50 years ago when it was run on Lincoln’s birth-
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 7
day. It moved downtown five years ago when Hospital Sisters Health System affiliate St. John’s Hospital’s Prairie Heart Institute became “presenting sponsor.” Brian Reardon served as co-director with Barb Bonansinga for the 2011 race. Reardon, who is also public relations officer for the umbrella organization, noted it takes about 250 volunteers to conduct the race. “It’s more than just providing a dollar donation,” Reardon said. St. John’s pays for union carpenters who build the start and finish platform the day before the race. About 12 to 15 employees including a security detail around the hospital campus to control vehicular traffic, and food service staff who provide meals to participants are part of the commitment. So too are the athletic trainers from St. John’s AthletiCare facilities who stand by to assist if needed as part of their job. Housekeeping personnel help with cleanup. St. John’s splits the annual marketing cost of about $10,000 per year with Springfield Road Runners Club. Half of that is spent on advertising in racing publications. There are several thousand dollars more in in-kind contributions and significant visibility on the Internet. “We’re a little different from a forprofit sponsor,” he said. “Part of our gain comes from seeing the success of participants that may include someone who lost significant weight training for the race. For St. John’s the gain is in community benefit.”
The LPGA Charity Golf Classic
Kate Peters is Executive Director of Central Illinois Charity Golf Classic, sponsored by State Farm Insurance since 1993. The dust is still settling following the successful conclusion of the Bloomington company’s era.
At present, just Peters, Audra Burks in Sales and Marketing and LPGA’s Mike Whan are focusing on next year.”Audra and I are doing the lion’s share of the work on this search now,” Peters said. “We also have a board of 15 volunteers who are sharing ideas.” There are no criteria established for potential sponsors. They are looking for co-sponsors. “It may ultimately be more than two,” she said. “We’re looking for (an investment of) anywhere from $2.5 to $3 million dollars. State Farm’s volunteer number was right around 210. The LPGA has a global reach, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility to find a business that has global interests.” “We have an opportunity to re-invent ourselves,” Peters said. “Whether that means we decrease the purse or have a different format remains to be seen. All the cards are on the table to keep it here in Springfield.” “Our field strength is a selling point,” Peters said “Anytime you have 97 of the top 100 on the LPGA winning list, you know it’s a well-run tournament. “Until recently we were focusing on the 2011 and entertaining some new potential sponsors during the tournament. Now we’re moving to full-time search mode. Raymond Poe has been very active in our search. Though we don’t have a formal search committee, we have a lot of people who are well invested in this tournament.” There is no effort seeking to recruit a search committee. There is no date set to announce the formation of one.
Job Conger is a freelance writer from Springfield. He can be reached at job@springfieldbusinessjournal.com
8 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
Copper, Continued from Page One
other (though).” There have been 131 reported cases of copper theft in Springfield so far this year, according to the police department. The number is just shy of the 137 reported cases in all of 2010 and more than three times the number of cases reported in 2009. It is difficult for officers to stop thefts from occurring as they have to catch thieves in the act. “We run details targeting individuals but it is difficult to be in the right place at the right time,” he said. “Our best weapon is an alert public calling in suspicious individuals in their neighborhoods.” The police department made 14 arrests in 2010 for copper thefts, closing 11 cases. So far in 2011, they have arrested seven individuals and closed six cases.
The high price of copper makes it an came from. He also said scrap metal busiattractive target for thieves. “The price for nesses do not ask questions as to where copper is high at this time; it fluctuates but the copper came from. Plus, thieves is higher than in the past,” said Buscher. If the legal system would are generally only charged with misAs of June 17, copper prosecute them for redemeanors – theft was selling for $4.10 leasing refrigerants (fre- under $300 and a pound on the New York Mercantile Exon) into the atmosphere, criminal damage to property – if they are change. there would be a lot According to Jack caught, said Camphigher fines and jail time bell. Fines are up to Campbell, chief deputy with the Sanga- for thieves. That would be quite the state’s attorney’s mon County Sheroffice, which did a deterrent because jail times not return a message iff’s Office, there are a number of other are quite substantial.” seeking comment. Mark Patrick, vice president, This could soon reasons why thieves Henson Robinson Company change as representarget copper – it is easily accessible betatives in the Illinois hind businesses or in shrubbery, can be General Assembly passed House Bill 2054 hauled off on foot or on bike by only one in April that would make copper theft a individual, and is hard to trace where it felony. According to the Illinois General
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Assembly’s website, copper theft not exceeding $500 in value would be a class 4 felony, not exceeding $500 in value if committed in a school or place of worship would be a class 3 felony, exceeding $500 but not exceeding $10,000 would be a class 2 felony, exceeding $10,000 in value or exceeding $500 in value in a school or place of worship would be a class 1 felony. The bill is currently in committee in the Illinois Senate. Mark Patrick, vice president of Henson Robinson Company, believes charging copper thieves with more than just a misdemeanor would cut down on the number of reported thefts. “If the legal system would prosecute them for releasing refrigerants (freon) into the atmosphere, there would be a lot higher fines and jail time for thieves. That would be quite a deterrent because jail times are quite substantial.” As the number of copper thefts continues to rise, local contractors are seeing a steady rise in calls from home and business owners needing their air conditioning unit fixed or replaced due to a theft. “You should never have to replace the copper water piping in your home,” said Lewis Williams with Mike Williams Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning. However, Williams receives calls regularly at vacant homes, especially rental properties that are in between tenants or at homes where people are on extended vacation, to replace copper piping. “Copper water piping is often stolen when the home is vacant,” said Williams. “We had this happen to a customer and installed new (piping). A couple months later it was stolen again. The second time we installed PVC water piping. “Air conditioning units are stolen not only for the copper that is attached to them, but also for the aluminum coils,” said Williams. “Police started requiring metal recycling scrap yards to track the names of people that recycle air conditioning aluminum to catch these thieves.” Thieves are also stealing the interconnecting tubing between the air conditioning unit and the building, in addition to the aluminum coils, said Patrick. “These individuals are pulling a little bit of copper for a few bucks but it is doing thousands of dollars of damage because the unit is exposed to the atmosphere.” Recycling companies and salvage yards are buying the copper up because there is a high demand for it. “It is a hot commodity in the salvage market,” said Patrick. “There is a lot of copper being sold in China because it can be melted down, like steel, and turned into something else.” Local business owners, however, say they do not purchase any copper from recycling or salvage companies. “We do not buy any used products,” said Patrick. “All of our copper tubing comes from suppliers. No one in Springfield would use used copper tubing.” Williams echoed a similar message. “We get our copper from our local vendors, Capitol Group and Rogers Supply,” said Lewis. “When we do repairs and replacements and end up with scrap metal that we can recycle, all of the money is donated to a local charity.” Messages to Alter Trading Company, a St. Louis-based scrap metal recycling company, and Sims Recycling Solutions, with offices in northern Illinois, were not returned.
Chris Stroisch is a freelance writer from Springfield. He can be reached at job@springfieldbusinessjournal.com
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 9
Scheels, Continued from Page One
for the long term in our communities.”
company, we can do what we want. We don’t have to answer to Wall Street.” Now that the store is open, the community continues to have high expectations for the store. And according to Daryn White, president of Johnston-Urbandale Soccer Club in Iowa, Scheels will not disappoint. The Scheels in Des Moines, Iowa, has had a strong relationship with the community since the store opened in 2004. Scheels recently donated $10,000 to the Johnston-Urbandale Soccer Club (JUSC) and its charitable foundation, the Karen Coaldrake Financial Assistance Fund. The JUSC, which serves a membership of 2,500 soccer players, and Scheels have had a business partnership for the past three years, said White. Nike uniforms and a range of other soccer equipment have been provided to children and families so that they would have the ability to participate regardless of their financial situation. “All told, the value they provide to our club is about $20,000 per year.” “Our relationship with Scheels has gone from strength to strength,” White said. “Of course, it’s a mutually beneficial relationship; we gain from it and they gain from it.” Jason Loney, vice president of marketing, said Scheels hired 90 percent of its staff from the immediate area. It employs 175 part-time employees, and 125
Typical growth around Scheels stores
The Des Moines Scheels store is an anchor store in the part of a popular Jor-
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Our relationship with Scheels has gone from strength to strength. Of course, it’s a mutually beneficial relationship; we gain from it and they gain from it.”
Daryn White, president of Johnston-Urbandale Soccer Club in Iowa
dan Creek Mall, in which “Scheels was a undoubtedly a catalyst for its growth,” White said. Younkers and Dillards are also anchors. In Reno, Nev., Scheels was the first store to open in the Legends development in 2008. Since then, dozens of stores and restaurants have moved into the development, including many outlet stores and popular franchises as Forever 21, Guess, Filson, and The Gap, and restaurants such as Fuddruckers, Cadillac Ranch, Outback Steakhouse, and Olive Garden, according to a spokesperson for the Reno Chamber of Commerce. Luker said there is a good amount of interest by retailers and restaurants in locating in Legacy Pointe Town Center. Current economic conditions have undoubtedly limited the interest, he said. But, he noted that there is a vision for the property and only businesses that fit into that vision will be considered for the development. Scheels with a full parking lot on Monday after opening NASCAR-themed restaurant Quaker Steak full-time employees. Since community service is part of the Scheels’ culture, & Lube, which is set to open in Septemtheir presence has been felt in the com- ber, is an example of a good fit for the demunity over the past year. Scheels has velopment. “You’re not going to find anbecome an active part in the United Way other Quaker Steak & Lube in Springfield. and The Greater Springfield Chamber of It will be unique, just like a Scheels.” Luker said that Scheels being the first Commerce, among others, and they plan to build a home through Habitat for Hu- tenant in the new development has been manity. In addition, Scheels has planned a developer’s dream. “Not only has Steve a 5K run in July to benefit the Midtown Scheel done what he said he would do, Rotary Club. Associates are encouraged to he has gone further. We’re off to a great be involved in the community, and they start.” are “on the clock” when they represent Scheels, Loney said. “However, most of the work done in the community by our associates is unpaid, and they do it because they enjoy it and know what it does
Bridget Ingebrigtsen is a senior correspondent for Springfield Business Journal. She can be reached at bridget@springfieldbusinessjournal.com
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10 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
personality profile •
Flying into chiropractic Stephen Unverzagt, D.C. Title: Chiropractor, Springfield Chiropractic Clinic Address: 1045 S. 2nd Street, Springfield, IL 62704 Phone: (217) 544-3628 E-mail: unverzagtfamchiro@sbcglobal.net Age: 32 By Eric Woods, Correspondent
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r. Stephen Unverzagt was born and raised in Riverton. He is married to Nicole and has two children, Ava and Jack. He earned a degree in aviation management from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and has spent 14 years in the Air National Guard. He also holds a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate in life sciences from Logan College in Chesterfield, Mo. He loves running and motorcycles, and is a member of the Springfield Milers BMW Motorcycle Club. Unverzagt also spends time attending his kids’ events, and serves as an adjunct biology instructor at Lincoln Land Community College. After high school, Unverzagt went into basic training before going to college. He spent a few months in Kuwait before coming back and getting into the chiropractic field. “I had seen a chiropractor since I was 14 due to a sports injury,” he said. “I saw the aviation industry was pretty cut-throat, so I went back to school to become a chiropractor.” Unverzagt is also a certified golf fitness instructor who offers golfers support to help them play longer and with less pain.
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Nature of the business: Unverzagt has run The golf thing has behis chiropractic practice in Springfield since 2008. He treats multiple symptoms come huge. Look at the including headaches, carpal tunnel, neck pro tour. Professional and back pain, and motor vehicle acciathletes are utilizing dents for people as young as nine months up to 95 years old. One of the main facchiropractors more as we tors of his practice includes golf rehabiliget them back to 100% tation. “I focus on the pain they have and quicker. give them specific exercises to do on the course,” he said. The one side effect on the golfer’s game, according to Unverzagt, is that the adjustments will take strokes off because the individual is not as fatigued. How is business?: “The first five years are the hardest in building up your name in a town,” said Unverzagt. “In this town, everyone knows you, and I have gotten good word of mouth.” He encourages anyone who wants to increase their athletic performance or wellness care to come see him, as people get addicted to feeling good. Trends: Unverzagt likes to focus on more preventative and wellness care and not just neck and back pain, although that is still a big reason people see a chiropractor. “People are sick of getting the runaround and want to find something that works,” said Unverzagt. Also, people are getting into health and nutrition more than ever. Challenges: Unverzagt wants to break the stigma that chiropractors are just bone crackers, although he does feel that they have become more respected over the past 10 years. “Patients are still scared to come in, so I need to explain the science of what we do,” he said. Another challenge for Unverzagt is to get his name out there in a town that features more than 70 chiropractors. The industry needs to have a ratio of roughly 1,500 - 1,700 to one, and Springfield is right on the cusp of that. Of what accomplishments are you most proud?: Winning the award for best chiropractor in both 2009 and 2010 from the Illinois Times were proud moments for Unverzagt. He was also nominated for a new and emerging business award through the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce and won a reader’s choice award in 2009 through the State Journal Register. What was your worst former job?: Unverzagt used to bale hay in a barn in Farmersville when he was younger. “It was so hot and humid bucking hay bales in that heat,” he said. “That was not fun at all.” What is a hidden secret about Chiropractics?: “The golf thing has become huge,” said Unverzagt. “Look at the pro tour. Professional athletes are utilizing chiropractors more as we get them back to 100% quicker.” Unverzagt believes that people do not realize the biomechanical issues that can hinder a golfer’s performance. Getting the nervous system functioning properly can have a great effect on their game. What’s next for you?: Unverzagt plans to stay in Springfield and build a solid base of patients. He would like to continue educating the public about chiropractics as well as teaching at the college level. Along with teaching others, Unverzagt wants to continue educating himself by staying on the leading edge of technology. Eric Woods is a freelance writer from Springfield
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 11
PPACA faces 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals next “Horrific” 1099 provision repealed in Senate and House By Joe Natale, Senior Correspondent As the wheels of justice inexorably grind towards deciding the constitutionality of health care reform, the requirement for businesses to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) purchases of goods over $600 or more annually has been repealed. President Barack Obama recently signed into law a measure that repeals the unpopular 1099 tax-reporting provision of the national health care law. The Congressional vote to repeal the requirement reflected rare bipartisanship in the health care debate as the Senate voted 87-12 and the House voted 314112 to repeal the 1099 provision. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) included a controversial provision requiring all businesses to file an IRS 1099 tax form for every businessto-business transaction of more than $600. Kim Clarke Maisch, Director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB)-Illinois, said the repeal is welcomed news. “We are certainly very happy Congress and the Obama Administration rec-
ognized how horrific it was for small businesses and quickly corrected it,” Maisch said. “It was one of the more onerous parts of the bill,” she said, noting that small businesses spend an average of $74 dollars per hour on tax preparation. With hundreds of transactions every year exceeding the $600 threshold, most small businesses would have to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars every year in order to be compliant. Sandy Dragoo, Springfield Real Estate agent and Tea Party activist, said that the 1099 provision “would have impacted a lot of people.” “That would have been horrendous for businesses,” Dragoo said. “I’m glad they repealed it. I’ve talked to other people, and it would have taken an enormous amount of time and paperwork for something people didn’t think through; the less government paperwork and intervention, the better.” On the legal front, there have been numerous federal district court rulings on PPAC, with various rulings which dismissed challenges to, upheld or overturned some or the entire health care reform legislation. The most closely watched legal challenge is the lawsuit brought by 26 states, as well as NFIB. On January 31, Roger Vinson of the Northern District of Florida struck down
the entire law after finding the mandate used in the Constitution means business requiring individuals to either purchase or commercial exchanges in any and all health insurance or be subject to a fine of its forms between citizens of different as unconstitutional. On June 8, a panel states. Maisch said the trio of judges hearof three judges in the 11th U.S. Circuit ing the case “were Court of Appeals in Federal District Courts’ Actions a little bit tough on Atlanta, GA heard the administration, oral arguments in on PPACA but who knows? the case. As of June 15, there are 26 federal It’s not as tellMaisch said NFIB lawsuits seeking to overturn the Patient ing as you would expects the 11th Protection and Affordable Care Act think.” Maisch Circuit to make its (PPACA): said that pursuing ruling in the next Court overturned law or part of law: the case is imporfew months, and 2 cases, including NFIB challenge tant to NFIB. “Usu“whoever loses will Court ruled law constitutional and ally, NFIB wouldn’t appeal and take the dismissed case: 6 cases take on this task. case to the Supreme Court dismissed for lack of standing It is very expenCourt.” If the legal or procedural problems: 8 cases sive. We would not machinations fit Court dismissed but gave plaintiff have done it if we the court calendar, right to re-file: 1 case didn’t believe in the Supreme Court Court decision pending: 9 cases the cause,” Maisch could take up the said. case during its next Source: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Dragoo said that session that begins the individual mandate could represent a in October and concludes in June 2012. Reading the tea leaves of who appoint- slippery slope for government to impose ed the three judges selected at random to other mandates: “If the government says hear the appeal in the 11th Circuit does we have to buy a product like health care not necessarily give a clue on a potential from an entity, it could then impose othruling. Two of the judges were appointed er mandates to buy products.” “From my point of view, the commerce by President Bill Clinton and one was apclause to purchase something seems unpointed by President George Bush. “It’s hard to know how the judges will constitutional,” Dragoo said. “I hope the rule,” Maisch said. “It is my understand- Supreme Court throws it out.” ing that all the judges were tough on the solicitor general (Neal Katyal), particularly on the commerce clause, and forcing individuals to buy something.” Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3, of the Joe Natale is a senior correspondent Constitution empowers Congress “to for Springfield Business Journal. regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, He can be reached at and among several States, and with the joe@springfieldbusinessjournal.com Indian Tribes.” The term “commerce” as
12 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
personality profile •
Designing a career with ink Jason Lee Title: Owner, Newage Tattoos & Body Piercings Address: 2915 S. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield, IL 62704 Phone: (217) 546-5006 E-mail: newagetattoos@gmail.com Age: 36
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By Eric Woods, Correspondent
ason Lee has spent his entire life in the central Illinois area. He has a son, Travis, who he loves spending time with. He enjoys all forms of art, including drawing, painting, and photography. Lee is also an avid traveler, having been all over this year. “It has been an awesome year so far,” he said. “We’ve been to Mexico and Gatlinburg and even gone snowboarding. I love seeing new things.” Lee has been a tattoo artist for 16 years, having started out working in a local shop, and learned what to do and, more importantly, what not to do. He was interested in offering a new era in tattoos in Springfield, and in 1998, he opened Newage Tattoos and Body Piercings. Lee had a goal of setting the bar high for other tattoo artists in town, was the first to be OSHA and CPR certified, become regulated by the health department, and took part in the legislation to get the legal age limit for getting a tattoo in Illinois lowered from 21 to 18. Nature of the business: With four tattoo artists and two piercers, Newage offers the full range of tattoos and body piercings, and all tattoos are custom, one-of-a-kind works of art. “We stay on the cutting edge of the industry and really cater to the middle and upper class folks,” said Lee. “We don’t let the riff-raff in here.” Lee enjoys being able to socialize with his clients, and even offers special discounts to local law enforcement, firefighters, military personnel, and anyone else who helps the community in general.
Union Craftsmanship BUILDING A STRONGER COMMUNITY
How is business?: Business has been up and down, but overall things have gone pretty well, according to Lee. “There were three shops in town with one artist in each shop when I started,” he said. “Now there are seven shops with 35 total artists. A lot of what we do here is clean up others’ mistakes.”
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It’s not only the scumbags out there who have them. I tattoo cops, lawyers, and even doctors.
Trends: There was a big piercing trend a few years back, but the more extreme types of piercings have died off quite a bit. On the tattoo side, the popular trends always seem to come full circle, according to Lee. “Stars are the big thing right now, and we have also seen tribal stages as well,” he said. “The industry has taken great leaps and bounds with the artistic abilities people now have.” Challenges: Lee continues to progress as an artist and always strives to be better and not feel as if he is not good enough. “That is our nature, to stay in a progressive state and raise expectations on ourselves,” he said. Of what accomplishments are you most proud?: “My number one thing is raising my son into a strong young man,” said Lee. “I am proud to watch him grow up, and I think it’s important that parents pay attention to the kids.” The studio and his career in the industry are also significant achievements, as he feels that he is living his dream.
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What was your worst former job?: Picking eggs in an egg house was rather disgusting, and working as a pipe fitter and welder was back breaking. “I really hated any job where I had a boss,” he said. “I guess that’s the reason I own my own business. I like making my own hours and being in control.” What should people know about tattoo artists?: “Don’t assume everyone has the same qualifications for the job, and don’t base your choice of an artist on who is the cheapest,” said Lee. Looking for the best artist to do the work desired is important, as tattoos are permanent, which is why Lee always reinforces the idea of finding the best artist. He also wants people to understand that having a tattoo is not just for a certain demographic. “It’s not only the scumbags out there who have them. I tattoo cops, lawyers, and even doctors.” What’s next for you?: Lee plans to have the company’s website up in about a month and a half which will have links to each artist’s work. He is currently working on an instructional video that will be on YouTube soon entitled “Think Before You Ink” that will go over what to look for in a tattoo shop. “This video will give folks the entire experience and break the ice for those who have never been in a shop before,” he said. “I want it to open people’s eyes and help the industry lose the stigma of being a dirty business.” Eric Woods is a freelance writer from Springfield
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 13
Springfield’s storage wars By Teresa Paul, Correspondent The Storage Box, a mini self storage with locations in Springfield, Lincoln and Beardstown, was purchased on June 1, 2011. The new owner, Margaret “Boony” Luparell of Springfield acquired the location at 2945 Sangamon Ave., a site in Lincoln and two locations in Beardstown, for a total of 100,000 square feet of storage. Merrill and Barb Corley from the Taylorville and Pana area were the previous owners. Luparell said the purchase and the management of the Storage Box was an appropriate fit for her as she has a four year background in management in collections as well as a strong operational background with her prior ownership and supervision of Capitel Communications. Luparell had managed thirteen stores and sold the communications company two years ago. Luparell is pleased with the construction of the units, as Merrill Corley is a builder, and with business in general so far. “The building that he built is not your usual metal pole building,” she said. “These are block built and exceptionally well built. I do not have to focus on repair but can focus on the operations.” Units are occupied in the upper 90 percentile with 10 of the 420 units in Springfield being vacant. The storage units were built in 1992 and many customers have remained since the beginning. “It has been turn-key and I have had to tweak it here and there,” she said. “The recession has had a big influence in the storage unit business,” Luparell said. “People have downsized their homes and put some things into storage
but for the most part it is steady business. business stays the same but people’s lives I don’t think that is influenced much by change,” Grigiski said. “People move, outside factors.” pass away and businesses expand and Luparell said the Storage Box has a need more room. We have a wide array strong reputation. “Most people in Spring- of customers.” field I have talked to said the Storage Box Capitol Storage will occasionally have is good place to unclaimed and nonstore your things,” paying units where she said. “Mr. Corthey have items that ley certainly knew must be removed. what he was do“There is a state stating. The building ute we follow. We is what attracted have to advertise the me to purchasing items in the newspathe Storage Box. I per for two consecuwould not struggle tive weeks,” Grigiski with cleanup and said. “We send the rebuilding.” Howleaseholder a certiever, Luparell is fied letter and if no currently convertone responds then ing one building to we are forced to sell climate controlled. the items.” Luparell said Capitol Storage she is getting her added a kiosk this feet wet with the year at their main business and her Tom Swift, president of Hillier Storage and location at 2225 J. customers. Having Moving Company David Jones Parkway previously owned where patrons can and operated a business on the north side access and begin a rental through a maon Springfield she is recognizing faces. chine similar to an automatic teller maThe Storage Box has units the size of a chine after regular business hours. The kicloset to the size of a two car garage and osk takes the new customer’s fingerprints in Springfield has units for recreational and picture of their driver’s license. vehicles. “It is amazing what people will The new customer can pay with cash, store.” she said. check or credit/debit card. The customer Carole Grigiski of Springfield has is issued their own pad lock and a pass owned Capitol Storage since her first code to get in the gate. “The technology building was built in 2000 and now has is a huge asset to the industry,” Grigiski seven locations including one in Win- said. At the beginning of July, the 818 chester. South Dirksen Parkway location will have Grigiski said business is good with no an office and kiosk also. economic challenges. They have been Grigiski enjoys meeting all the difoperating at 80 percent occupancy. “Our ferent people in the storage unit rental
business. “Moving is a stressful time of the life,” Grigiski said. “I enjoy helping people and assisting getting their affairs arranged. We have moving trucks also. We try to make it as painless as possible and be as helpful as we can to our customers.” Grigiski’s customers vary from short term storage of 30 days to long term since Capitol Storage began. Hillier Storage and Moving Company in business since 1906, maintains a public warehouse which store goods and business records for business, manufacturers and brokers. Hillier Storage and Moving also has storage rental units for families and individuals to store their household goods. Business patrons have access to their goods and business records by means of Hillier workers. The facility is more secure in that the employees do the retrieving and re-filing. Hillier Storage and Moving has 180,000 square feet of space used for storage in Springfield. “Unpaid and unclaimed property will usually be with our family and individual storage rental units,” said Tom Swift, president of Hillier Storage and Moving Company. “We have a process we go through that is required by the Warehouse and Property Act.” Once the items have been listed in the paper for two weeks and the lessor has been notified, Hillier will then auction the unclaimed items at their facility.
Teresa Paul is a correspondent from Taylorville. She can be reached at teresa@springfieldbusinessjournal.com
14 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
Lincoln, Continued from Page One
While the development of the west side takes advantage of the I-55 corridor, business leaders also advocate continued Building a Compelling Place development of the historic downtown. In 2005, Sysco (a food service transpor“Lincoln should play to both sides of tation company) signed a development its strength,” says David Lanterman, coagreement with the city of Lincoln and owner of Beans and Such and part owner began construction during 2005-2006. of the Lincoln Theater. “The two pronged Shortly after, Helitech (a Bloomington- approach (development on the west and based company specializing in basement downtown) makes more sense than putwaterproofing and concrete work) con- ting all your eggs in one basket.” Lantersolidated its locations just outside Lin- man sees development on the west side coln’s city limits. Many residents agree as having much more corporate America that bringing Sysco was a positive step, influence, and adds: “This doesn’t estabbut that momentum to bring in other lish community.” transportation and “blue collar” busiLanterman sees Lincoln’s location adnesses should continue. vantages not only in attracting transporLincoln has essentially two develop- tation and “blue collar” companies, but ing business districts: one on the west also in serving as a bedroom community side near I-55 and I-155, and the other to the five outlying larger cities. “[Lindowntown near the coln] has its most The two pronged aptrain station and Lopotential to increase proach (development on what we’re doing gan County Courthouse. the west and downtown) here by being a bedIn addition to room community. makes more sense than If you’re downsized adding Sysco and putting all your eggs in in Springfield, you Helitech to the west business area, Castle don’t have to reloone basket.” Manor, an assisted David Lanterman, co-owner cate to find other job living community of Beans and Such and markets.” connected to St. “The downtown, part-owner of the Lincoln Theater Clare’s Manor was historic districts and added in late 2010, and Abraham Lincoln nice neighborhoods have been an asset,” Memorial Hospital (ALMH), partnering continues Lanterman. “When friends and with Springfield Clinic, relocated from 315 family members come to town, they say, 8th Street to open a $50 million building ‘This is like where I grew up.’ This isn’t early in 2011. According to ALMH CEO where they grew up, it’s where they wantDolan Dalpoas, the move was strategic in ed to grow up.” Lincoln carries with it a that, “the new hospital’s location at 200 personalization or nostalgia that stands Stahlhut Drive is just off one of the ma- in contrast to the depersonalization many jor thoroughfares in Lincoln and not far feel in larger cities. from a major intersection that has direct This personalization and hometown access to Interstate 55. Ambulances and feel is part of what Lanterman and othpatients no longer have to navigate tight ers have created by purchasing the Linresidential streets to get to their commu- coln Theater. “The theater is developing nity hospital.” people’s sense of community. When peo-
“
ple come, we are surprised to hear them to see opportunities and capitalize on the say, ‘This is my theater.’ They have taken ones best for our business we can deliver ownership in the process.” on.” At the same time, Lanterman acknowlAs an electronic-based company, Inedges the relationship between large cities tegrity could have located anywhere, but and small towns. “It’s not realistic to buy chose Lincoln because of the cost of doeverything local. Car dealerships are the ing business and purchasing real estate, last big ticket item in [Lincoln].” J.C. Pen- the quality of life, and a loyal employee ney’s and Sears have base who would take When we were develop- a sense of ownership left downtown, and in its place are gift, and pride in what ing some of the west food, and entertainthey do. side, we tried to get fedment businesses that He also wanted eral funds to connect the to impact the comspecialize a unique identity and personroad from the hospital to munity. “We are not alization. in Lincoln just for the road behind Chrysler, a job,” says Doolin. Integrity Data, an online software com- creating a business complex.” “We want to make Mayor Keith Snyder a difference in our pany that specializes in human resources customer’s lives, our software, is another business that has in- employee’s lives, and our community.” tentionally connected itself to Lincoln Doolin acknowledges that the comand its future success. Patrick Doolin, pany has been intentional about looking president and CEO of Integrity says the first to its local workforce. All but two company was originally started in Min- employees have come from Lincoln. “We nesota in 1996, but in 1998 he decided look local first,” admits Doolin, “but are to relocate it to Lincoln to live closer to not limited to Lincoln only.” This has extended family. One of the advantages made a difference in recession econoof moving to Lincoln rather than Spring- mies. field, Peoria or Bloomington was to avoid “We started renovation on our new the competition of companies like Levi building in ’09,” says Doolin, “a particRay Shoup (LRS) or State Farm. Another ularly tough time economically. These was to impact the local community. In- were families we saw at the grocery store, tegrity Data moved to 110 N. Kickapoo in town, at church.” All the renovation in 2000, beginning with an 8400 square work, except for the geothermal system foot building and five employees, which and elevator, were installed by a local has grown to 23 employees. In 2010, after workforce. receiving a federal grant to renovate the Another advantage Doolin cites is historic Scully building, Integrity moved the cooperation between public and priacross the street to 125 N. Kickapoo, with vate sectors within Lincoln. “In the last 11,000 square feet and room to expand. three to five years, Lincoln has developed Today Microsoft is one of Integrity a private-public collaboration between Data’s largest customers, though the com- businesses, residential leaders, and city/ pany is continuing to expand and seek county government. When you have other clients as well. “We need to control Continued on Next Page our destiny,” says Doolin. “Our vision is
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Continued from Previous Page local government willing to work with businesses, it moves the community forward. In addition, a number of people in the business community go out of their way to be welcoming and friendly to outof-town and out-of-state business. That goes a long way.”
Infrastructure
Although local business and government leaders are taking positive steps to improve Lincoln’s economy and business-
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 15
further development. Local government also submitted a grant to the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Plan (ITEP) to update sidewalks downtown, but the grant was also denied. “The sidewalks are 50 years old,” says Snyder. “We would like to add new sidewalks, planting areas, lighting, and additional pedestrian areas to showcase the vibrancy of downtown.” The mayor would also like to see the 103 acres of the former Lincoln Development Center (LDC) redeveloped. “Currently one building is used for a correctional facilities warehouse, a few other
in businesses to the west side is also bringing infrastructure (water, sewer, roads) to the area. Working to bring in Sysco took care of a lot of those up front costs,” but further improvements would still carry considerable expense. Lincoln has a number of opportunities. “There are a number of in-fill opportunities for commercial development along Woodlawn,” says Mathon, citing locations of former gas stations, and a 30 year business, Bob’s Roast Beef. Recently the Economic Development Plan identified a need for greater fiberoptic infrastructure within Lincoln. Although the city applied for grants and was denied, Frontier Communications Company, a private telecommunications provider, stepped up and began installation. “We’ve found a community partner in Frontier,” says Doolin. “If a business wants to come to Logan County, Frontier becomes part of the process of bringing in business.
Addressing high school dropout rate, teen pregnancy and drug abuse
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital (ALMH), partnering with Springfield Clinic, relocated to a $50 million building (photo by Rod Lane) es, a number of challenges still remain. One of those challenges is Lincoln’s aging infrastructure. “When we were developing some of the west side, we tried to get federal funds to connect the road from the hospital to the road behind Chrysler, creating a business complex,” says Mayor Snyder. Unfortunately, the grant was denied. More roads in the area would open up the section behind the hospital for
buildings are being used to warehouse, but otherwise the buildings remain empty.” In the last couple months some developers have looked at the possibility of redeveloping the former LDC, but Snyder admits that it will not reopen as a mental health facility. Mark Mathon, Lincoln’s city engineer, agrees that infrastructure remains a challenge. “One of the challenges of bringing
One of Lincoln’s continuing challenges is its youth. According to Mayor Snyder, “[Lincoln’s] biggest export is its kids.” While teen pregnancy, drug/alcohol abuse, and high school dropout rates remain high, one business leader in Lincoln is seeking to combat these issues in a unique way: through taekwondo. Scott Brown, 7th degree black belt and master instructor of taekwondo and deputy sheriff with the Logan County Sheriff’s department, has spent the last 30 years teaching taekwondo to Lincoln’s youth and adults, and has worked with the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program for 14 years. In 1978 Brown began teaching martial arts in Decatur
and later moved and started Lincoln Taekwondo in 1980. Brown’s philosophy combines hard work, strict discipline, and an environment that builds teamwork, encourages effort, and rewards success. “Every night I encourage physical well being, the ability to interact constructively with others, and the ability to push oneself when the going gets tough.” Brown also builds his teaching on a strong foundation of discipline and belief in God. Brown’s love for the art and for the youth of Lincoln has allowed him to have a significant impact. He has produced state, national, and international taekwondo champions at every rank and level of competition. In his 30 years of teaching, Brown has produced 34 black belts, 24 of whom recently returned for a reunion in January. “They came from as far away as Green Bay, Wisconsin and Kansas City, Missouri,” says Brown. “Most have gone on to excel in college and become successful professionally.” Recently, Brown’s work in the community was recognized when the school needed to relocate to 1204 Woodlawn Rd. because it had outgrown its location at 527 Woodlawn Rd. Dave McEntire of McEntire roofing, RP Lumber, and others contributed to the remodeling. “They began work on April 15th and finished it on April 29th, just in time for a taekwondo belt testing on April 30th,” says Brown. “They have been very supportive.” Although Lincoln has faced challenges, many business, political, and community leaders feel that it is positioning itself for positive growth ahead.
Cliff Wheeler is a freelance writer from Lincoln. He can be reached at cliff@springfieldbusinessjournal.com
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16 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
environment •
Floyd’s sets the bar for downtown
P
atron’s at Floyd’s Thirst Parlor, on Fifth Street, will not notice anything different. There is no change in the service by the bar staff. There is nothing unusual about the décor inside. There is not even a subtle change in the glassware or the beverages served in it. Mark Polk, owner of Floyd’s, is however instituting a long-awaited change at the downtown bar. It is not a flashy concept, but Polk is greatly reducing waste at Floyd’s by re-
Bins outside of Floyd’s Thirst Parlor cycling everything not contaminated by food. As basic as it seems, recycling (especially colored glass recycling) sets Floyd’s apart from most Springfield bars and restaurants. Polk said that Floyd’s began implementing a comprehensive recycling
Going Green Chad Kruse program around the beginning of June. “Floyd’s staff has not changed practices, nor will they have to,” explained Polk. “The contents of drinkware are dumped to become garbage but everything else is recycled. Everything other than food waste is sent to Allied Waste where it is sorted into different media.” Despite the number of beer bottles disposed of at Floyd’s, the largest component of waste eliminated by Floyd’s recycling program is cardboard. Polk said, “cardboard consists of 25 percent of the waste stream. I hope to eliminate one of the dumpsters in the alley to make space for an increased number of recycling totes from the four present since the beginning of June.” This recycling initiative is in addition to the use of glassware at Floyd’s, which also differs from some other Springfield bars. Glassware reuse eliminates a plastic waste stream in all but the busiest of times at Floyd’s. Polk, who is also a partner in the new Boulevard Tap & Grill on MacArthur, says recycling will be implemented to the extent practicable at the new establishment as well. However,
food is a bigger component of business at Boulevard, making recycling more difficult to implement.
GBNS holds first membership meeting
The Green Business Network of Springfield (“GBNS”) held its first membership meeting on Wednesday, June 15 in Memorial Medical Center’s Wedeberg Conference Center. The mission of the GBNS is to “be a network of firms and organizations that share knowledge, experience, and resources to promote measurable sustainability efficiencies for both the exceptional business success of those who particpate and the exceptional environmental sustainability of the community they and their employees live and work in.” Bob Kobylarz, of Bunn-O-Matic and GBNS board member, opened the meeting by emphasizing the local focus of GBNS before turning the floor over to Julie Bates, the Vice President of the Green Center at Lincoln Land Community College. Bates, also on the GBNS board, explained that the benefits of GBNS membership will include voting for future GBNS board members, access to a website that helps a business monitor its success at becoming more sustainable, and the right to incorporate the GBNS logo on marketing materials. Bates said, “the logo tool will enable people viewing a member business’ website to click the logo and view real steps that the business has taken to make operations more earth friendly or sustainable.” Joan Barenfanger, another GBNS board member, spoke to the sizeable group present in the Wedeberg Conference Center about some of the on-going projects with GBNS. Current projects include the Better Bag Project, recycling corrugated cardboard in partnership with Preferred Management & Leasing, and battery recycling in partnership with Bunn-O-Matic and SPARC. One way the Better Bags Project has manifested itself, Barenfanger pointed out, is at Schnuck’s where banners are posted outside the Montvale location reminding patrons to bring their reusable bags. After the meeting, J. Michael Durr said that he stepped in to help with the corrugated cardboard recycling when the GBNS came up empty-handed. Durr had implemented a cardboard collection program for the many office buildings under Preferred Management & Leasing’s management. Using some of the same equipment currently in place for that sys-
tem, Durr and GBNS intend to obtain a warehouse where collected cardboard can be bailed and then sold on the recycling market in either St. Louis or Chicago. Durr said, “profits from the sale of that cardboard will be used for the GBNS to recycle a less-profitable material such as Styrofoam.” Board member Bill Mills, of CWLP, along with Kobylarz closed the meeting by briefly discussing the GBNS business model and next steps for the GBNS. Lunch for the meeting was provided by SPARC and Memorial Medical Center donated the Wedeberg Conference Center. For more information on GBNS and to become a member business, visit www. gbns.org.
Illinois Stewardship Alliance announces Local Flavors dates
The Illinois Stewardship Alliance has again put together a number of local dining experiences to make up the Local Flavors series for 2011. Executive director Lindsay Record says, “we have a great line-up of locally owned businesses who will prepare several specials featuring local, seasonal fare at each of the Local Flavors events. Not only do you get to enjoy a really great meal, but you are contributing to increasing the economic viability of small farms in central Illinois.” The list of venues for the 2011 series has expanded from the standards such as Maldaner’s Restaurant, Ross Isaac, and Caitie Girl’s, to include American Harvest on Springfield’s west side and Café Andiamo on Sixth Street. The Local Flavor series began on June 7, but dates extend through the month of October with the final harvest dinners being held at American Harvest on November 3 and Maldaner’s Restaurant on November 17. The Illinois Stewardship Alliance “promotes environmentally sustainable, economically viable, socially just local food systems through policy development, advocacy and education.” For more information about the Stewardship Alliance or the Local Flavors series, go to www.ilstewards.org.
Chad Kruse is a freelance writer from Springfield. He can be reached at chad@springfieldbusinessjournal.com.
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Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 17
Children’s Safety Village well underway
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ith another addition to our family, a granddaughter, Maysey Lou, the first girl in 25 years, grandma tells me she won’t be spoiled. Uh huh, right! It reminds me the number one health risk for children up to the age of 14 is not disease, nutrition or lack of preventive medical care. The biggest health risk this age group faces is injuries – from car accidents, accidental poisoning, drowning, firearms, fire and a host of other things. Statistics indicate around 7,000 children are killed each year and another 50,000 are disabled from accidents. The sad truth: many of these are very preventable with training and education of our young and their caregivers. The Children’s Safety Committee, started in 1989, is an organization in our community working hard to address this problem. This is a not-for-profit organization of volunteer representatives from education, fire and police departments, medical community, social service organizations and business. The committee’s mission is simple: prevention through awareness of hazards to children’s health, safety and social issues. These prevention education programs are provided to everyone including schools, clubs, community events, and other venues. Activities of the committee have included “Kids on the Block” puppet shows, mobile fire safety house, portable firefighter’s sliding pole, bicycle rodeos, and
City Codes Dale Simpson merger with the “Risk Watch” program of Sangamon County. Since 1990, thousands of children and families have received education presentations and programs provided by the committee. Statistics provided by the Risk Watch program before and after these programs show improvement in the education levels of children in safety issues given. A highlight of the committee is the Children’s Safety Village, adjacent to the University of Illinois Springfield campus at the intersection of 11th street and William Maxwell Drive, behind the softball diamonds and soccer fields. This village is supported by donations, grants, and volunteer workers, as well as organized trades and labor organizations for construction. Some components are completed, some are underway, and some are in the planning stages. When completed the facility will be a showcase for education of children in all aspects of hazards they may encounter. There is a barn for storage of items used at the village and for presentations plus a schoolhouse with a classroom including audio visual capabilities, kitchenette, restrooms, coat room, and offices for the Springfield Fire Department Education officer. The schoolhouse is available for groups to conduct training and seminars, for a nominal fee, with proceeds being used for further development of the facility. The House of Hazards is currently
constructed, and the interior is being completed. Once functional, this building will be the ‘special effects’ of the village. The education provided there will be demonstrated using visual and audible effects to make the message become real and easily understood. A smoke generator, smoke alarms, sparking outlet and appliances which mimic a problem or a careless act are just part of the experience. These are meant to teach children to recognize a problem, as well as what to do to keep all persons in the house safe from injury. A 911 phone simulator will teach children the proper way to reach out for help during an emergency. A small scale, model town consists of a system of streets, railroad crossings, crosswalks, and small scale buildings. Buildings about the size of a small storage shed will represent a hospital, police station, fire house, post office, bank, etc. The grid of streets winds its way throughout the town with stop signs, railroad signal gates, stoplights, etc. The streets of the town are paved at this time and marked, painted and striped to represent actual streets. Ample parking big enough for school buses and a playground funded by the local McDonalds franchises are completed and being utilized now. When completed, this educational experience will allow teachers to arrange for a class to come to the village, beginning inside the schoolhouse to get basic safety messages, and then proceed to the House of Hazards and the town to experience the schoolroom lessons in a safe environment with educational professionals to explain and rein-
• safety
force these important safety messages. There is still a lot of work to be done, and additional money required to complete the village. Businesses and organizations can help by sponsoring a building for the town. For example, St. John’s Hospital has sponsored the hospital building, and Springfield Firefighters Union Local #37 has provided funding for the firehouse. Volunteers are welcome to assist with construction of the buildings, as well as become a part of and serve on the committee for the future growth and health of the village. The Springfield Fire Department has assisted in large part by assigning the education officer to the office located inside the schoolhouse, and this partnership with the committee will provide a place for this fire department professional to spread the word about fire safety. There is also a memorial garden area with inscribed bricks and blocks from individuals and organizations in place at the entrance to the facility. To assist with construction, make a tax deductible monetary contribution, purchase an inscribed brick, or inquire about booking the schoolhouse for your next group meeting, contact the Springfield Fire Department at 217-789-2170, or contact Committee Chair Glenna Mason at 217-726-6122 or email at glennajmason@yahoo.com. Put ‘Safety Village’ in the subject line. Dale Simpson is the former Fire Marshal for the City of Springfield. He can be reached at dale@springfieldbusinessjournal.com.
18 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
business lunch •
La Loma gets the ‘we try harder’ award By Tom Collins hen it comes to dining, it seems that Springfield now has as many Mexican restaurants as it does Chinese Buffets. I keep thinking that Springfield has hit the saturation point for both genres, but I keep being proven wrong - most recently by La Loma Mexican Restaurant. Although La Loma breaks no new culinary ground, I have to give it the Avis Rental Car “We Try Harder” award. La Loma is located in Town and Country Mall on South MacArthur Boulevard. The glass lined front of the restaurant, which is festooned with posters advertising its many specials, offers prospective diners no hint as to just how expansive La Loma is. This place can fit a large crowd. A nice southwestern-style tile floor compliments the wooden archways and brown walls. Throw in some appropriately themed wall art, and La Loma successfully pulls off a south-of-the-border hacienda theme. There was one incongruity – a nice mount of what had to be an Illinois white tail deer. Since we didn’t see venison tacos on the menu, we were left somewhat perplexed by this addition. We also noticed several televisions – all of which could be viewed from La Loma’s bar. Surprisingly, not a single one was tuned to a soccer match? Everything was very clean and the facility was obviously well cared for. My guest and I arrived just before noon to find a smallish crowd taking up about ten of La Loma’s tables and booths. Our fellow diners were the usual mix of business and social diners. We were
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La Loma Overall Rating: ★★★★ Atmosphere: ★★★★ Service: ★★★★★ Food: ★★★ Price: ★★★★ Suitability for Business Lunch: ★★★★ Address: 2433 MacArthur Blvd., Springfield, IL 62704 Phone: (217) 546-3430 Hours: Mon. – Thurs., 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Fri., 10:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sat., 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sun., 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Wheelchair Access: Yes Credit Cards: Yes *Menu listings and prices subject to change
promptly greeted, seated, and provided with menus. Chips and salsa showed up literally seconds later, and our drink orders were taken. In an unusually rude gesture to my guest, I had to deal with a work email just as we sat down. Between resolving that issue and general chit chat, it took us ten minutes or so to even get around to contemplating what to order. During that time, our server and the manager both checked in several times to see if we were ready to order. Their interruptions were unobtrusive and it was clear they weren’t trying to hurry us along – instead they wanted to make sure we were being taken care of. The attention continued during the rest of our stay. The manager and server
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: (None) Poor to satisfactory ★ Average ★★ Good ★★★ Very Good ★★★★ Excellent ★★★★★ Extraordinary
both checked in on us multiple times and our chips, salsa and iced teas were constantly refilled. La Loma made us (and, as we observed, the rest of our fellow diners) feel like VIPs. Just like Avis, La Loma tried harder and it worked. There is little difference between La Loma’s menu and its competitors. Multiple lunch options (some discounted from the listed $5.50 to $4.75 as the day’s special) as well as appetizers, salads and the full dinner menu. The day we visited the other special was buy one full dinner entrée and a second would be half-price. Lunch items range $4.75 to $6.99 and range from the Speedy Gonzalez ($4.75 – one taco, one enchilada and choice of rice or beans) to the Chimichanga Lunch ($6.99 – chimichanga with beef or chick-
en, guacamole, sour cream and beans). My guest and I opted to start with a side order of the guacamole ($2.99) to accompany our chips and salsa. A little small for the price, we found the guacamole to be average. On the other hand, the salsa (served in small chilled carafes) was fresh and flavorful with a just a bit of heat coming through at the end. We downed several baskets of freshly made chips along with multiple bowls of La Loma’s top notch salsa. For entrees, we selected the Fajita lunch ($6.75 – steak, chicken or combination thereof served with peppers, onions, tomatoes, tortillas, rice and beans) and a lunch sized portion of the Chory Pollo ($6.99 - grilled chicken breast topped with chorizo sausage and cheese sauce served over rice and beans). All dishes were served piping hot and were generously sized for the price. Appropriate accompaniments garnished each plate, including well flavored rice and beans. The fajitas were on par with similar entrées we’d experienced elsewhere, with the beef winning the flavor test. The chorizo sausage was reported as being a very flavorful foil to a nicely grilled chicken breast and cheese. The food was fine, but if we closed our eyes (and ignored the superlative service) we could have been at any Springfield’s choices for Mexican fare. The reason, then, to make the trip to La Loma is their service. Give it a try, and let us know what you think. Tom Collins is a freelance writer from Springfield
• monthly drive
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 19
It ‘cruzes’ for its market By Jane Driver
have any trouble getting in or out, but his friend of mine just purchased a driver’s seat is positioned far back, giving Chevy Cruze for their son. He his back seat passenger little legroom. wanted it for its gas mileage and I found the center console layout sporty good looks and according to him, confusing, but Jason said new owners it fulfills both even after purchase. have about a one-hour lesson before takGas mileage is 24 mpg in town and 36 ing possession of the car. I did figure out mpg on the highway, and it certainly is a some of the buttons. The ‘INFO’ button young person’s-looking car. When I drove up at Friendly Chevrolet, Jason Booe was outside and offered his assistance. I asked to test drive the Chevy Cruze and, after telling him why, he said he was the one who sold the Cruze to my friend’s son. Jason had been impressed by my friend’s research. Jason indicated the Cruze is selling very well. Jason showed me a top-ofthe-line Cruze 2LT, priced at $25,655. Entry-level trim lines run about $18,000. Mine was Taupe Gray Metallic with a Jet Black leather interior. The Cruze replaced the Cobalt, which had a poor image. According 2011 Chevrolet Cruze 2LT
A
to Jason, Chevrolet markets the Cruze to the 20-something age group. The driver’s seat is comfortable with European styling, but was only electrically adjustable up/down, forward/back. You had to pull a lever and manually adjust the seat back angle. After adjusting the
Chevrolet Cruze 2LT Driven at:
Friendly Chevrolet 2540 Prairie Crossing Drive Springfield, IL 62711 (217) 848-0049 friendlychevroletspringfield.com
Sticker price as driven: $25,655 MPG: 24 city; 36 highway Notables: comfortable seats, good handling, tight turning radius, good gas mileage, low ceiling, small windows, not enough extras on the 2LT package steering wheel, I had ample room underneath, even with my seat up to get a better view. The front windshield is narrow, since the entire car is small, but the view was adequate. I liked the soft plastic, which most carmakers are using today and Chevrolet used fabric over the glove compartment, which was a nice touch. At $25,655, I would expect some use of “burled wood” in the front console or door area, but the Cruze had only silver plastic to contrast the black plastic on the center console. With the sharply curved roof, the ceiling is low and back and front side windows are small. I was also sitting below the windowsill. The doors are small too, but egress was pretty easy from the driver’s seat since the steering wheel space was good. Egress from the back was okay too, due to the low threshold and ground clearance. The back seats were comfortable. My friend’s son is 6 foot 2 inches tall and he loves his car. He said he didn’t
gives weather, including an icon, which showed a partly cloudy day on my test drive. The ‘MENU’ button scrolls through the XM stations individually, but does not list all of them at once, so you have no idea which one is coming up next. The numbered buttons direct you to XM station categories. So in time, I could get it. On my test drive, the engine was very loud and had a noticeable lag when changing gears on the low end. It was like the car needed to take a breath before shifting up. This lag was gone in the higher gearshifts. The Cruze hugs the road well, which is probably good for younger drivers. And it has a very tight turning radius, good for city drivers and students with bad parking situations. The brakes were okay, not as tight as some cars I have driven, but better than many others. The trunk’s threshold was low, allowing easy luggage placement. Chevrolet’s website says the trunk is larger than several of its competitors, which I’m surprised by. I don’t think I could take my family on a week’s vacation in this car. While blind spots were minimized, the shape of the side view mirrors was odd. They look like a bike helmet in profile, angled down almost to a point. I didn’t know if this was style, aerodynamics, or an attempt to shave off as much weight as possible to increase gas mileage. Another oddity was the sunroof. It is so small as to be almost useless. It does not come on the entry-level models, and I don’t know if it would be worth the cost of the 2LT to get it. Actually, with an entry level Cruze costing $18,000 or less, and if it’s your first car you are purchasing, I don’t know if the extra $7,000 would be worth it for the 2LT package. Should you have a problem with your Chevy Cruze or other vehicle, Friendly Chevrolet provides loaner vehicles, if you make arrangements ahead of your appointment. They will make every effort to provide you with a loaner vehicle even if they are out of official loaner cars. They also have a shuttle service.
Jane Driver is a freelance writer from Springfield. She can be reached at jane@springfieldbusinessjournal.com
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20 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
next generation •
New monthly column dedicated to young professionals
S
pringfield is a mid-sized city with employment opportunities ranging from large, national companies to small, locally-owned business – several nearby colleges, a plethora of restaurants and bars and easy weekend options in St. Louis, Chicago and Indianapolis. However we are having a problem with attracting and retaining young executives to our workforce population. Several years ago, when the Chamber of Commerce and Quantum Growth Partnership embarked on the initiative that became known as Q5, a key factor was to focus on young professionals in the Springfield area. A consulting firm based in Atlanta called Market Street Services was involved in creating the goals of Q5 (which received its name because of the five goal areas of the initiative). When Q5’s timeline came to a close recently, Market Street conducted an ending study outlining three future goals for Springfield to concentrate on, one of which is workforce sustainability. According to the report, from 2003 to 2008, 1,282 more individuals moved out of Greater Springfield than the number of new residents who relocated to the region. In contrast, during the same period, other nearby metropolitan areas in central Illinois have successfully attracted more new residents than the number of residents that they are losing.
Young Executives Courtney Westlake The report states: “Quite simply, the region is hemorrhaging existing residents at a rate that exceeds its ability to attract new residents. In addition, the region is home to a relatively older population.” Market Street’s report sets several objectives for countering this problem of losing Springfield’s young population of workers through the development of young professional programs, volunteer opportunities and networking opportunities. It also suggests gathering studies from high school and college students and young executives about opportunities in Springfield and the attractiveness of the area in order to utilize this information for future recruiting efforts. It begs the question as to why local college students don’t begin a career here and why Springfield natives don’t desire to return to the area upon college graduation? As a young professional in the Springfield community, I myself can’t even begin to pinpoint specific reasons, but I have recognized for some time that this is occurring. As part of this new column on young executives in Springfield, Springfield Business Journal is going to take a closer look at the life of the young executive in this community – employment opportunities and the local job market, networking and volunteering opportunities, entertainment, family life, continuing education and overall culture – and the ways that the problems of attracting and retaining
young executives are being addressed. will need to support the development of From the high school and young col- “new growth engines if it wishes to exlege graduates to those already in the periences steady income growth and proworkforce who are buying houses and duce new employment opportunities for starting families, future generations.” As part of this new Springfield has Springfield is facing been challenged to a potential shortage column on young exdevelop new iniof workers in the ecutives in Springfield, tiatives to engage decades to come as Springfield Business young professionals a result of an aging into many different population on the Journal is going to take aspects of the combrink of retirement, a closer look at the life munity in order to people leaving the retain this younger of the young executive in this area, and a lack of demographic. young professioncommunity – employment opMarket Street als. portunities and the local job points out the poNot only is this tential need for in- market, networking and volunconcerning, but the creasing financial teering opportunities, entertain- economic developaid for area high ment strategy rement, family life, continuing school graduates port bluntly states who want to attend education and overall culture that these trends local colleges and – and the ways that the probare a “tremendous the need for exposto the worklems of attracting and retaining threat” ing college students force sustainability here to career paths young executives are being adof the Springfield in the “region’s tar- dressed. area. It’s time to atget clusters” and tempt to comprehelping students establish relationships hend why the younger generation doesn’t with regional employers. buy into the sentiment “there’s no place And for the more seasoned young like home” when it comes to developing generation of employees, the chamber a career, raising a family and investing in is encouraged to engage these young ex- the community. ecutives with annual events where they might meet local officials, invest in recreational resources and community aesthetCourtney Westlake is a senior ics, and increase participation in young correspondent for Springfield Business professionals groups. Journal. She can be reached at According to Market Street Services, courtney@springfieldbusinessjournal.com the Springfield and surrounding region
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36 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
professional services 2011 •
Legal Milestones Local attorneys and law firm celebrating years of practice By Betsy Butler, Correspondent The recipe for a successful and respected law career is driven by the love of a challenge and for helping people. As the state capitol, Springfield has much to offer attorneys.
Harvey B. Stephens Henry Hagen, attorney
Dwight H. ‘Cap’ O’Keefe, attorney
Patrick James Smith, attorney
For 50 years, soon to be 51, Harvey B. Stephens, a lawyer with Brown, Hay & Stephens, LLP, has served the Springfield area. Stephens, a third generation lawyer, says it is something he always knew that he wanted to do. “My father didn’t push me to pursue a law degree,” Stephens said. “I just kind of always knew it was my calling.” In 1960, when Stephens joined Brown, Hay & Stephens, there were about six lawyers in the firm. Today the firm has grown to include 30 lawyers and Stephens serves as an of counsel attorney for the firm. “I am probably practicing at about the 3035 percent capacity,” he said. “I look at my career as an intellectual challenge; laws are changing every day.” Stephens proudly recalls his work done in regard to the drafting of legislation for the shift from unit to multi-office banking. At the time his work started there were approximately 1100 banks in the state that had no branches. It was not permitted in 1960. As time passed a law was passed to allow branching and multistate banking which completely changed the banking industry for Illinois. “Illinois had really been in the financial backwaters,” Stephens said. “It was really a great piece of legislation that brought much needed change to the banking industry,” Stephens said. The practice has changed throughout the years. Stephens has experienced the transition from shorthand to electronic typewriters and now computers and email. “I think the practice as far as documentation is easier; there are fewer errors. In addition, research is now electronic. I still believe it is important to communicate via letter but for the sending of documents, electronic communication is much more efficient,” Stephens said.
Patrick James Smith
Harvey B. Stephens, attorney
PROFILES: Christine Haley - P. 40 LISTS: Law Firms – P. 38 Staffing Firms – P. 42
Patrick James Smith marked 35 years with Delano Law Offices, LLC this May; he joined the firm in 1976. Prior to joining Delano, Smith worked as a college instructor and later in data processing for Amoco Oil Company, formerly Standard Oil Company of Indiana. “Law was actually my third career,” Smith said. “I went to law school while I was working for an oil company.” Prior to joining Delano, Smith practiced on his own in Chicago for three years. “Coming to Springfield was a dramatic change” Smith said. Like many of his colleagues, a passion for people drives Smith’s practice. “Being able to help people is rewarding whether the case is an injured person or ensuring that a child is placed with the right parent.” Smith stresses that the practice of law is not truly represented on television. “It doesn’t happen in an hour like it does on Law & Order. The show doesn’t truly portray all of the work that goes into the preparation for a case,” he said.
In addition to taking much more than an hour to solve a case, Smith reiterates that the practice of law is ever-changing. “Whether it is the interpretation of the law, new decisions or the addition of new laws, there is always something new,” he said. “With changes in the law often comes unintended consequences as well, which may not surface for seven to eight years after the law is in place.” Evolution of the practice is familiar. The electronic age has brought greater efficiency and more real-time communication. “Everything has its ups and downs; I think we are more efficient but at the same time e-mail has brought a more impersonal environment to the table,” Smith said. Some of Smith’s fondest memories are working alongside Charles H. “Chick” Delano, III, who founded the firm. Smith concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial litigation, business organizations, domestic relations, estate planning and probate.
Dwight H. ‘Cap’ O’Keefe
Dwight H. ‘Cap’ O’Keefe loves a challenge, which is likely why he has spent the last 43 years of his life practicing law. “I thoroughly enjoy the people, clients and the interaction,” O’Keefe said. O’Keefe began practicing in 1970 and joined Brown, Hay & Stephens in 1989. He became interested in the profession through a family friend. While in college he studied constitutional law which deepened his interest. “The best advice I received early on was to get experience in something that both interested you and made you marketable,” O’Keefe said. “Not all of that experience will be in a law firm—it might mean working in a bank or in an engineering firm. Get the experience that makes you necessary for someone to hire.” The practice has changed since O’Keefe began. “There are more lawyers now. Before it seemed like everyone knew everyone but that really isn’t the case anymore,” O’Keefe said. “However, I’ve worked myself into a niche in which I don’t deal with as many lawyers as I once did.” The practice of research through books has also changed. Now O’Keefe says he looks everything up in an online system. O’Keefe credits his computer skills to his mother as they are critical in his everyday practice. “I fought my mother when she sent me to Springfield High School for typing but it has proved a very valuable skill. I can’t count the number of times I typed, ‘The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.’” One of O’Keefe’s most memorable cases involved working on the Pefferle murder trial in 1973. According to O’Keefe it was the last sequestered jury in Sangamon County. “It was a long trial, three weeks to pick the jury and four weeks to present the evidence,” O’Keefe said. One of the greatest challenges O’Keefe sees for the profession is primarily one of relevance. “We have to take a good look at the services we are providing and ensure we are providing the best services in a cost-efficient manner. The practice of law is a business; you perform at an expected level and then collect for your services,” he said. Like many of his colleagues, O’Keefe appreciates all that Springfield has to offer attorneys. “We are fortunate to have so Continued on Next Page
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 37
• professional services 2011 Continued from Previous Page many court systems right here in our own backyard,” he said. “The federal courts, supreme and appellate courts as well as circuit courts are all located right here. In addition there are several administrative agencies here as well.”
Henry C. Hagen
While it was a family joke, Henry C. Hagen’s keen ability to identify the ‘bad guy’ in the Perry Mason television series spurred his interest in law. That piqued interest has led him to 41 years and counting in the profession. Hagen’s career began in 1970 with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Housing Section. For five years, Hagen worked to enforce the federal fair housing act throughout the eastern part of the U.S. “I worked on cases in numerous cities, among some of those were New Orleans, La.; Detroit, Mich.; Mobile, Ala.; and Palm Beach, Fla.,” Hagen said. In April of 1975, Hagen joined what is now Loewenstein, Hagen & Smith, P.C. The firm takes pride in its low turnover. Hagen has worked alongside Loewenstein for 36 years, while Smith has served the firm for more than 20. Hagen’s secretary has worked with him for more than 20 years as well. “We really have a great working environment,” Hagen said. “That type of environment is critical in the service we provide to our clients.” Hagen has had several memorable clients and cases over the years. “One of the most gratifying cases involved a large settlement for a child that was misdiagnosed at birth. Knowing that child is financially set for life is rewarding,” Hagen said. He also recalled a civil rights case that in-
volved 18-hour days building up to the hearing. “They were long hours, but we were successful; the time and work paid off.” Hagen has enjoyed his entire career but has especially appreciated the diversity that the local marketplace offers. “We’ve been blessed to have a series of great judges and access to many of the court systems.”
Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes, P.C. celebrates 100 years
For 100 years, Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes, P.C., has served the Springfield area as a full-service law firm. The firm was founded in 1911 by D. Logan Giffin, shortly after graduating from Vanderbilt University Law School.
Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes, P.C. partners; (l to r) Michael Mannion, Herman Bodewes, Paulette Dove, Mark Mifflin, Creighton Castle, David Herman (not pictured – John Swartz) While Hagen says the profession can be stressful he has no plans to retire anytime soon. “I’m really undecided but I’ve considered the possibility,” he said. “Forty-one years is a long time but I would do it all over again.”
To celebrate its 100 year anniversary, the firm has been giving back each month to the community through various local not-for-profits such as Kidzeum of Health and Science, Springfield ARC, Inc. (SPARC) and the Urban League of
Springfield, Inc, among others. While based in Springfield, the firm receives inquiries from all over the world, primarily because of its involvement with the State Capitol Group, which is a global network of independent law firms around the world. Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes, P.C, is the only firm in the state of Illinois to be a part of this group. “We joined the group over twenty years ago. Being a part of the global economy has been a tremendous benefit to our firm,” R. Mark Mifflin, partner of the firm, said. The firm has been home to several attorneys prior to moving forward with political careers. Among some of those are U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Sue E. Myerscough, District Judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, and Carolyn Taft Grosboll, clerk of the Illinois Supreme Court. For Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes, P.C., technology is key. “It provides us with the ability to communicate real-time,” Mifflin said. “We are no longer faxing and relying upon transferring paper documents. Everything for the federal court system is now filed electronically.” The economy has spared no one it its downturn. “The economy continues to prove to be a challenge but we are continuing to move forward by providing good services and treating our clients as we would want to be treated ourselves,” David A. Herman, current president of the firm, said. “We’re working to provide solid, quality work at a reasonable price.”
Betsy Butler is a freelance writer from Springfield. She can be reached at betsy@springfieldbusinessjournal.com.
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38 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
Major Law Firms Firm Name Address City, State, ZIP Code
1 2 3 4 5
7 8 9
15
21
24
Telephone Fax Web Site (www.) E-Mail
(Ranked by Number of Local Lawyers) Number of Local Lawyers
217-544-1144 Sorling, Northrup, Hanna, Cullen & Cochran Ltd. 217-522=3173 607 E. Adams St., Suite 800 sorlinglaw.com Springfield IL 62701 businessdevelopment@sorlinglaw.com 217-544-8491 Brown, Hay & Stephens LLP 217-544=9609 205 S. Fifth St., Suite 700 bhslaw.com Springfield IL 62701 217-525-1571 Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes PC 217-525=1710 1 West Old State Capitol Plaza, Sixth Floor giffinwinning.com Springfield IL 62701 giffinwinning@giffinwinning.com 217-522-8822 Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen 217-523=3902 1 North Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 575 hrva.com Springfield IL 62701 217-528-7375 Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP 217-528=0075 400 S. Ninth St., Suite 200 hinshawlaw.com Springfield IL 62701 217-522-6000 Rammelkamp Bradney PC 217-522=6018 741 S. Grand Ave. West rblawyers.net Springfield IL 62704 info@rblawyers.net 217-523-7742 Kanoski & Associates 217-523=1412 2730 S. MacArthur Blvd. kanoski.com Springfield IL 62704 info@kanoski.com 217-544-3403 Feldman, Wasser, Draper & Cox 217-544=1593 1307 S. Seventh St. feldman-wasser.com Springfield IL 62703 217-544-4868 Barber, Segatto, Hoffee, Wilke & Cate 217-544=5225 831 E. Monroe St. barberlaw.com Springfield IL 62701 217-544-2703 Delano Law Offices, LLC 217-544=4664 1 Southeast Old State Capitol Plaza delanolaw.com Springfield IL 62701 delano@delanolaw.com 217-523-4900 Hodge Dwyer & Driver 217-523=4948 3150 Roland Avenue, P.O. Box 5776 hddattorneys.com Springfield IL 62705-5776 edwyer@hddattorneys.com 217-525-1070 Livingstone, Mueller, O’Brien & Davlin PC 217-525=1080 620 E. Edwards St. lmobd@livingstonelaw.com Springfield IL 62703 217-544-9823 Londrigan, Potter & Randle PC 217-544=9826 1227 S. Seventh St. lprpc.com Springfield IL 62703 info@lprpc.com 217-528-2183 Stratton, Giganti, Stone, Moran & Radkey 217-528=1874 725 S. Fourth St. stratton-law.com Springfield IL 62703 217-528-9776 Drake, Narup & Mead PC 217-528=9401 107 E. Allen St. dnmpc.com Springfield IL 62704 217-522-9010 Gates, Wise & Schlosser PC 217-522=9020 1231 S. Eighth St. gwspc.com Springfield IL 62703 gordon@gwspc.com 217-523-4569 Graham & Graham Ltd. 217-523=4656 1201 S. Eighth St. Springfield IL 62703 217-753-0055 Hart, Southworth & Witsman 217-753=1056 1 North Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 501 Springfield IL 62701 217-753-8200 Scott & Scott PC 217-753=8206 611 E. Monroe, Suite 200 scottandscottlaw.com Springfield IL 62701 217-789-1200 Sgro, Hanrahan & Durr, LLP 217-744=1711 1119 S. Sixth St. casevista.com Springfield IL 62703 greg@casevista.com 217-753-4242 Metnick, Cherry, Frazier & Sabin, LLP 217-753=4642 1 West Old State Capitol Plaza, Myers Bldg., Suite 200 springfieldlawfirm.com Springfield IL 62701 brown@springfieldlawfirm.com 217-528-2517 Mohan, Alewelt, Prillaman & Adami 217-528=2553 1 North Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 325 mohanlaw.com Springfield IL 62701 info@mohanlaw.com 217-525-0700 Zack Stamp Ltd. 217-525=0780 601 W Monroe St. zackstamp.net Springfield IL 62704 zstamp@601w.com 217-726-8646 Koepke & Hiltabrand 217-726=8861 2050 W. Iles, Suite G kandhlawfirm.com Springfield IL 62704 kkoepke@koepkelaw.net 217-698-0202 The Law Offices of Frederic W. Nessler 217-698=0203 & Associates, Ltd., 536 N. Bruns Lane, Suite 1 nesslerlaw.com Springfield IL 62702 217-753-4220 Wolter, Beeman & Lynch 217-753=4456 1001 S. Sixth St. wbl@wbllawyers.com Springfield IL 62703
Sources: The Law Firms.
Number of Partners
Managing Partner(s)
Partial List of Primary Areas of Practice General business law, estate planning, litigation, governmental relations, insurance, banking, utility regulation, environmental, health care
Year Established
33
20
John A. Kauerauf, Todd M. Turner, Mark K. Cullen, James D. Broadway, Stephen F. Hedinger
27
19
Jeffery M. Wilday
16
8
David A. Herman
14
8
Frederick Velde
13
10
J. William Roberts
Business and corporate practice, governmental affairs, insurance litigation, real estate, estate and asset protection planning, trust and probate administration, business formation, financing and other transactions
1934
13
9
Richard R. Freeman
Civil trial, appellate practice, insurance, municipal, school law, probate, real estate, workers’ compensation, corporation law, litigation practice, elder law, employment law, family/divorce law
1895
12
N/A
Ron Kanoski
9
5
Howard Feldman
Civil litigation, criminal defense - state and federal courts, construction law, divorce, related family law, wills, estates, civil rights, employment law
1987
7
6
Carl O. Hoffee
General civil litigation and appellate practice, estate planning, probate, banking, corporate, business and family law, real estate, media, tax, bankruptcy, workers’ compensation
1897
7
N/A
Sarah Delano Pavlik
General practice, personal injury, workers’ compensation, medical malpractice, estate planning and probate, business litigation, business planning and transactions, real estate
1964
7
3
Katherine D. Hodge Edward W. Dwyer N. LaDonna Driver
7
6
L. Robert Mueller Dennis S. O’Brien
7
5
James R. Potter
7
5
William F. Moran III
6
5
David Drake Richard Narup Randall Mead
6
4
Gordon W. Gates
6
2
Hugh J. Graham III
General trial practice, medical-related litigation, business transactions, real estate
1897
6
4
Mike Southworth
Business law, real estate, banking, corporate, probate, estate planning, municipal tax-exempt financing
1985
6
2
R. Stephen Scott Gregory A. Scott
Family, tax, commercial, employment and criminal law, bankruptcy, real estate, personal injury, estate planning, probate, corporate
1947
6
3
Gregory P. Sgro
Auto Accidents, injuries to children, work injuries, death claims, social security disability, estates / wills, collections, real estate development
1999
5
4
Michael Metnick
Family, criminal defense, personal injury, workers’ compensation
1983
5
5
Fred Prillaman
Business, corporate, environmental, construction, trials, appeals, real estate development, estate planning, family law, personal injury
1975
5
4
Zack Stamp
Government relations, insurance regulatory, civil litigation, business and corporate law, employee benefits, military law, tax law
1997
4
2
Kurt M. Koepke
Insurance defense, worker’s compensation defense
2004
4
1
Frederic W. Nessler
Personal injury, workers’ compensation, medical malpractice, wrongful death, clergy misconduct, nursing home abuse
1977
4
3
Randall Wolter Bruce Beeman Francis Lynch
Personal injury, professional malpractice, workers’ compensation
1997
General civil litigation and appellate practice, real estate, education, probate, estate planning, banking, family, energy, employment, environmental, business and health care
1945
1828
Litigation practice, legislative/governmental affairs, real estate development, business, commercial, banking, estate planning & probate
1911
Personal injury, litigation, workers’ compensation, employment law, business and corporate transactional law
1933
Personal injury, medical and professional malpractice, workers’ compensation, wrongful death, product liability
Environmental
General litigation, negligence, workers’ compensation law
Personal injury, products liability, medical malpractice, corporate, job discrimination Family law, estate planning, criminal law, traffic, real estate, health care, employment matters, appeals, banking, corporate and business law, labor law, elder law, personal injury, municipal law Trial attorneys, personal injury, insurance defense, general practice, medical malpractice Commercial & real estate transactions, commercial litigation, employment issues, business bankruptcies, criminal defense, drivers license reinstatement, personal injury & malpractice
1979
1991
1953
1923
1980
1989
1997
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 39
40 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
personality profile •
100 years We may be celebrating
From temp to manager Christine Haley Title: Branch Manager, UniQue Personnel Consultants Address: 2501 Chatham Road, Suite 310, Springfield, IL 62704 Phone: (217) 787-9400 E-mail: christineh@uniquepers.com
(1911 – 2011)
Age: 38 By Eric Woods, Correspondent
All of the partners and associates with Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes, P.C. would like to take this opportunity to thank our clients and the Springfield community for their support over the last 100 years. We are grateful to achieve this milestone in the practice of law.
but that doesn’t mean we’re old
40 Forty Under
Please join us in congratulating our attorneys who have been selected to
David A. Herman Class of 2002
Micheal Mannion Class of 2004
Elizabeth Gaffney Class of 2005
Paulette F. Dove Class of 2008
Melissa Steward Class of 2009
C
hristine Haley is a lifelong resident of Springfield who earned an associate’s degree from Lincoln Land Community College along with her Certified Staffing Professional (CSP) designation. She is currently working toward her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Illinois Springfield. Haley has two daughters, Haley and Kaylynn, and loves travelling with her girls. She is also a Zumba instructor who enjoys reading and cooking. Haley began working as a temp at UniQue in 2005 before taking an administrative position with the company a few years later. She has been promoted to consultant, senior consultant, supervising consultant, and recently was named the new branch manager. Haley is a board member and treasurer of CIC SHRM, is involved with the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, and is very involved in her work at New Life Worship Center. Nature of the business: Haley wears a number of hats at UniQue. She assists with training, attends career fairs, holds presentations for clients, and helps staff employees for clients. She is also involved with marketing, and deals with the human resources aspects, including worker’s compensation, unemployment, and payroll. “I love what I do,” said Haley. “I have a great passion in helping others and only wish I had started this career at a younger age.” How is business?: The job market has been good lately. “Everything has been wonderful,” said Haley. “There has been a real increase in the manufacturing arena in Springfield. It has really picked up.” Summer is normally a busy time for both manufacturing and industrial jobs.
“
I love what I do. I have a great passion in helping others and only wish I had started this career at a younger age.
Trends: More people are turning to staffing agencies, according to Haley. “It is an employer’s market right now, and over the past 10 months or so direct hires have become very popular,” she said. “Employers often need to go through staffing agencies when they advertise for a job just because of the large number of resumes they receive. Staffing agencies can help find the right fit.” Challenges: Most people who get a job through a staffing agency hope to get on permanently, according to Haley. “We need to make sure to include incentives for these employees and keep the morale high if they have not been hired on permanently yet,” she said. Of what accomplishments are you most proud?: Haley is very proud to have started at the bottom at UniQue and worked her way all the way to the top. She is also happy to change the lives of people by finding permanent positions for people who need to work as well as the growth at Unique since she started. “We have gone from four branches to 10 in the last three years,” she said.
Partners
Herman G. Bodewes John L. Swartz R. Mark Mifflin David A. Herman Michael J. Mannion Creighton R. Castle Paulette F. Dove Kerri A. Doll
Associates
Christopher E. Sherer Melissa G. Steward Jennifer Walsh Hammer Of Counsel
Robert S. Cohen Ronald W. Periard Kristina Mony Elizabeth Gaffney James O’Neal
Suite 600 • Myers Building One West Old Stae Capitol Plaza P.O. Box 2117 • Springfield, Illinois 62701 Telephone 217.525.1571 • Fax 217.525.1710 www.giffinwinning.com
What was your worst former job?: Haley once held a job as a secretary for a company where there was nothing but negativity. “My boss hated her job which made me unhappy,” she said. “She was always miserable and just wanted a paycheck.” How is the Springfield job market?: Haley expects the job market in Springfield to grow in the near future. “I feel the economy will be increasing in town which will help open jobs in the manufacturing, light industrial, legal, and accounting industries just to name a few,” she said. “It is also a positive when a big business such as Scheels comes to town. Even if we are not directly linked to them, we can reference the company to people looking for work.” What’s next for you?: Haley intends to finish up coursework to get her bachelor’s degree and then begin the master’s degree program. She would also like to see UniQue cross over to aviation and medical jobs as well as engineering. “There is a great need for people in the medical field, especially with more permanent placements,” said Haley.
Eric Woods is a freelance writer from Springfield.
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 41
• legal
Workers’ Compensation Reform
M
Law
embers of the Illinois legislature have been talking about workers’ compensation (“workers’ Sarah Delano Pavlik comp”) reform for years. This spring, after the Illinois House payment of all reasonable and necessary passed a bill to abolmedical expenses to treat the injury; (2) ish the entire workers’ payment of two-thirds of their average comp system, both weekly wage while the employee is unhouses eventually able to work, which is referred to as Total agreed on some modTemporary Disability (TTD) benefits; and est reforms. (3) payment of Permanent Partial DisabilFirst, a brief summaity (PPD) benefits based upon the schedry of the workers’ comp ule of benefits under the Act. system is warranted. Prior to the passage The Act is entirely statutory and, thereof the Illinois Workers’ Compensation fore, the rights of recovery are specifically Act, an employee injured at work had no established under the Act. The Act identiremedy against the employer unless the fies specific body parts for which the Act employer was negligent in some manner. sets a certain amount of weeks in deterTo correct this situamining any recovery This spring, after the tion, the Legislature for disability. In deIllinois House passed a created the Act which termining disability, states that if an embill to abolish the entire there are two key ployee is injured and factors: the extent workers’ comp system, the injury arose out of disability and the both houses eventually of and in the course PPD rate. The PPD of the employment, agreed on some modest rate is based upon then the employee a person’s average has a workers’ comp reforms. weekly wage and claim regardless of the employer’s fault. is determined by calculating 60 percent Accordingly, the Illinois Workers’ Com- of the average weekly wage, which canpensation Act is characterized as reme- not be below the minimum or above the dial litigation, meaning it was passed by maximum set by the Act. the Legislature to cure an existing ineqThe Act states that an employee has a uity. To counterbalance these legislative right to choose two doctors to treat her enactments which no longer require a for the injury. This does not preclude the worker to prove fault, the Legislature in employer from obtaining a medical exturn limited recovery for workers to only amination independent of the treating specified categories of benefits. doctors. Under the Act, employees are enTwo significant changes affect worktitled to three categories of benefits: (1) ers’ comp medical providers. A Medical
“
Fee Schedule was adopted in 2005 to control the amount that doctors could charge for services provided to injured workers. You may have noticed when you visit the doctor’s office one of the questions they ask you is “Is this a work-related injury?” That is in part because of the fee schedule. The 2011 reforms cut the Medical Fee Schedule rates by 30 percent. In addition, your employer can now limit which doctors you can use if it adopts a PPO plan. Here are the new rules regarding PPO plans: (1) if the employer has no PPO provider, the employee retains the right to choose 2 doctors; (2) if the employer has an Illinois workers’ comp PPO plan and notifies the injured employee of the PPO plan in writing shortly after receiving the report of injury, injury treatment options are limited to the PPO plan or; (3) if the employee declines the PPO and opts-out (in writing) before treating with the PPO plan, the worker automatically loses one choice of doctor and then can only select one doctor outside of the network; (4) if the employee “opts out” (in writing) after initial treatment by a PPO plan doctor, they also have only one choice of doctor left to go outside of network; and (5) if the employee stays in network and uses up both choices of doctor in network, they have no doctor choices left -they can only go outside of network upon a hearing at the Commission and after a finding of “improper or inadequate” medical care. Other significant changes include (1) a
cap on carpal tunnel claims of 15 percent of a hand; (2) a hand is now worth 190 weeks of wages instead of 205 weeks; (3) the awards for some other body parts are increased; (4) an employee whose intoxication is the proximate cause of his injury cannot recover damages; and (5) all of the arbitrators (the workers’ comp “judges”) are fired. New arbitrators will be named by the Governor. It is likely that many of the old arbitrators will be reappointed, but, of course, many will not. Sarah Delano Pavlik is an attorney from Springfield
42 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
Major Staffing Firms Telephone Fax Web Site (www.) E-Mail
Agency Name Address City, State, ZIP Code Express Employment Professionals
1
3000 Professional Drive
217-528=6264
2719A W. Monroe St.
us.manpower.com
uniquepers.com
Springfield IL 62704
info@uniquepers.com
Kelly Services, Inc.
217-793-1226 217-793=0101
3001 Montvale Drive, Suite B
kellyservices.com
dustrial, HR consulting, payroll services, specialized
J.T. Britton, manager
recruiting, accounting, information technology, sales
Year Established
1630
1980
954
1948
1400
2002
DND
1946
DND
1981
Professional, administrative, industrial, accounting, 14
0
Ginette Comstock, regional dir.
customer service, HR services, direct hire, on-site services, recruitment process outsourcing
Full service staffing agency including temp and direct9
1
Gary R. Hunsche, president
hire, clerical, light industrial, professional and executive HR consulting and outplacement services
Staffing solutions-temporary, temporary to hire, direct 8
1
Sean J. Walker, district manager
placement, vendor on site, clerical, light industrial
Office clerical, customer service, accounting, book-
217-793-5522
2121 W. White Oaks Drive, Suite D
Sources: The Staffing Firms
Kayla Edwards, manager
W-2’s Issued 2010
ks2442@kellyservices.com
Alice Campbell Staffing Inc.
Springfield IL 62704
1
Administrative, office, customer service, light in-
217-787-9400 217-787=9991
2501 Chatham Road, Suite 310
Springfield IL 62704
5
24
Areas of Specialization
Jim & Carole Britton, owners
springfield.il@na.manpower.com
UniQue Personnel Consultants Inc.
4
217-528=3400
Local Executive(s)
217-528-2323
Springfield IL 62704
3
Part-Time Employees
jobs.springfieldil@expresspros.com
Manpower
2
Full-Time Employees
217-528-3000 springfieldil.expresspros.com
Springfield IL 62703
(Ranked by Number of Full-Time In-Office Employees)
217-793=5527 acstaffing.com jean@acstaffing.com
DND - Did Not Disclose
4
2
Jean Campbell, manager
keeping, light industrial; temporary, temp to hire, direct placement; payroll services; skills assessments
New hiring realities
M
• personnel
uch of the job-hunting advice out there is dated and unhelpful. That’s why Bob Rosner I wanted to present a different take on jobSure there are jobs out there that are hunting. This reminds pure rocket science or brain surgery. But me of the last time I there are many jobs that people can be called an airline about trained to do (such as writing a column). a nonrefundable ticket If you are hungry and trainable, you’ll be that I could no longer surprised at how many different jobs are use. I made a point of suddenly within reach. I understand this being personable and funny. I’ve found flies in the face of all of the job listings that once you get someone laughing it’s that contain long lists of requirements. tougher for them to say no. The supervi- But as my friend Dick “What Color Is sor gave me a full refund. Your Parachute?” Bolles is fond of observAnd that’s also ing, for every job a key to landing a requirement, there Workplace911 Executive job, being so upbeat are many excepPoints that the person just tions. Find them wants to be around and you can often The New Hiring Realities: you. I know this find a way to skirt technique is difrequirements. – Don’t overrate what you know ficult when you’ve Do overcome versus who you know. been let go, but I stature with sweat. – Do focus on mind-set over skill-set. believe it is a key to Remember, most – Do overcome stature with sweat. being hired again. people who are hir– Do be clever. I’ve included three ing start by asking Do’s and one Don’t colleagues who they below to give you the proper mindset to know who can do the job. It is possible find work. For more, check out Ford R. to get a job before the job description is Myers book “Get the Job You Want, Even ever written. But you have to work hard When No One’s Hiring” (Wiley, 2009). to figure out how to remain on the front Don’t overrate what you know versus burner for all the people out there who who you know. Networking has always know what you can contribute. been valuable. But in our increasingly isoDo be clever. Clever? I believe that there are many people just going through the motions when it comes to getting List of the Month hired. A friend of mine got hired for a from CareerBuilder.com promotions job because she sent a huge Dads and Jobs – still a challenge: helium balloon to the hiring manger with her business card attached. Clever. – 34 percent of fathers reported they My question when I talk to job-seekers missed two or more significant events is always the same: Are you being clever because of work. enough? Follow these tips and you just could – 19 percent say they’ve checked email get the best payback of all – a new job. or voicemail during their kids’ events.
Workplace 911
– 21 percent say that work has had a negative impact on their relationship with their kids. lated work lives, networking has become even more important. So if you are a person who has put precious little effort into networking, it’s time to make nice with the people who have the fat contact lists. How can you tell who these people are? Take note of how many contacts they have on LinkedIn. Yes, some people are posers, but even then there are probably people within their networks who can help you out. Do focus on mindset over skill set.
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 43
Bob Rosner is an author and journalist. For free work advice, workplace911.com. You can also hear workplace911 on BlogTalkRadio weekly. If you have a question for Bob, contact him via bob@workplace911.com
Also Available In A Law Firm Greater Efficiency • Higher Performance • A Smarter Way
DELANO LAW OFFICES, LLC
One Southeast Old State Capitol Plaza Springfield Illinois 62701 www.delanolaw.com • 217.544.2703
44 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
technology • Local electronics businesses discuss tsunami Striving to provide Americanmade products By Holly Whisler, Correspondent
Overall, Foster says that sales at Sundown One are good even though the national trends are not. He attributes that to Springfield having a good economic buffer due to our medical district and State of Illinois jobs. Jeff West, President of Benchmark Audio Sound-Security, said that their business is affected to a certain degree, but not as much as the auto makers have been hit. “Certain home audio and video product availability has been affected. Of our vendors, Kenwood is on back order due to parts shortages but many other brands we carry are made in the U.S.” West emphasized that Benchmark strives to buy
Although Japan is more than 6,000 miles away from Springfield, the reverberations from the March 11, 2011 earthquake, ranked fifth largest in the world since 1900, and subsequent tsunami, have been felt by some businesses here in Springfield. Japan is a major world hub of manufacturing plants that produce items ranging from silicon wafers, cars and electronics. A multitude of news sources from around the world reporting on the devastation caused by the tsunami, agree that the industries hardest hit are those of the electronics and auto makers. In some cases, the actual manufacturing facilities were destroyed by the earthquake and flooding. In other cases, some Jeff West, Benchmark Audio Sound-Security plants were spared but not operational due to power outages, American-made components as much as fuel shortages and the inability of people possible. Benchmark Audio Sound-Security has to get to work. Plants that were producing parts were not able to export products been in business for 13 years. West said due to the destruction of air transporta- that 2008 was a lean year but sales have tion and sea ports; subsequently, numer- been on the rise since. In fact, in 2010, ous interruptions in the supply chain re- the electronics dealer saw a profit for the first time in seven years. “We sell luxury sulted. Local electronics businesses that have items and so we are at the mercy of cusfelt the pinch in inventory and sales are tomer’s discretionary income. We have Sundown One Home and Automotive a long way to go but things are lookingElectronics, 4685 Wabash Avenue, and up,” reported West. West does not expect the effects of Benchmark Auto Sound-Security, 1533 the March 11 tsunami to limit their sales Wabash Avenue. Cory Foster, store manager of Sun- greatly in 2011. The tsunami directly impacted numerdown One said, “I wouldn’t say we are radically affected but we are feeling it. ous auto makers; however, locally-owned We have limited availability in smaller car dealerships either declined comment televisions and that is expected to last or did not respond to inquiries. into 2012. Our home audio products are extremely affected because a particular piece of equipment used in home audio Holly Whisler is a freelance writer distribution is in short supply. Our invenfrom Springfield. She can be reached at tory is constrained but it’s nothing we’re holly@springfieldbusinessjournal.com. panicked about.”
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 45
The choice between laptop and netbook
A
ny time you buy anything, and you want to be reasonably systematic about the process, examine the relevant options and choose one that best meets your needs. For digital devices today, to emphasize power or portability? Desktop PCs have the most power, while smart phones have the most portability. If you want to split the difference between power and portability, you may be left with the decision of whether to go with a thin and light laptop or a netbook. First some context. Until voice recognition becomes truly workable, any digital device without a physical keyboard, including smart phones, portable media players, and tablet computers, is better suited for consuming information than creating it (even factoring in add-on wireless keyboards that you can use with some of these devices). Further, if you spend a lot of time creating information, no device is as fast and ergonomically sound as a desktop computer. Still, if you need to compute in different locations, whether on the road, moving around the office or house, or in various locations at school, you don’t want to lug around a 60-pound powerhouse desktop PC or even a 15-pound “all in one” desktop PC that has a monitor attached to a keyboard with the processor and memory inside the same case as the monitor.
Personal Computing Reid Goldsborough Portable computers these days fall into four main categories, from heaviest to lightest: desktop replacement laptops, mainstream laptops, thin and light laptops, and netbooks. Desktop replacement laptops have 17-inch and larger monitors, while mainstream laptops typically have 14- to 15-inch monitors. Easier to carry around are thin and light laptops, which typically have 13to 14-inch monitors and weigh around three pounds, give or take about a pound. Even easier to carry are netbooks, which have monitors that typically range from about 10 to 11.5 inches and which weigh between two and three pounds. Netbooks are the smallest and least expensive more or less fully functional personal computers on the market today. I recently compared in-depth a thin and light laptop versus a netbook to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of each. I went with models slightly to the higher end in each category. For the thin and light laptop, I tested an Acer Aspire TimelineX with a 14.0inch monitor, 4 gigabytes of memory, and a 320-gigabyte hard drive. For the netbook, I tested a Gateway LT32 with an 11.6-inch screen, 2 gigabytes of memory, and a 250-gigabyte hard drive. The Acer has a suggested retail price of $799.99, the Gateway $449.99. Along with netbooks being smaller, lighter, and less expensive than laptops, the other main difference, including these
two, is that netbooks don’t come with a DVD drive and laptops do. To watch DVD movies on a netbook, you need to buy an external DVD drive or convert a DVD movie into a video file. The latter takes some technical skill -- see ViDEOHelp. com for tips. Both of the units I reviewed came with Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium as their operating system and with featurelimited, ad-supported versions of Microsoft’s productivity programs. The laptop was preinstalled with Microsoft Office Starter 2010 while the netbook came with Microsoft Works SE. Microsoft Office Starter 2010 lacks PowerPoint as well as macros and other advanced features for Word and Excel. Microsoft Works is similarly without advanced features and a presentation program. As an alternative, LibreOffice (www.libreoffice.org) is a well-regarded full-featured office suite you can download for free. Interestingly, despite the laptop being larger, its battery kept its charge slightly longer, being a more powerful 6000mAh instead of 4400mAh. As expected, the laptop’s screen was easier to view, but the netbook was surprisingly easy to type on, better here than smaller netbooks I’ve tested. The bigger your hands and the worse your vision, the more likely you’ll be bothered by any such netbook compromises yourself. I didn’t mind the laptop’s extra weight, but according to the anecdotal experiences of others, and trying not to sound sexist, women seem to value the lighter weight of netbooks more than men, with exceptions.
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• technology
In short, if you value performance and ergonomics, a thin and light laptop is the better choice. But if light weight and price are more important to you, go with a netbook.
Reid Goldsborough is a syndicated columnist and author of the book Straight Talk About the Information Superhighway. He can be reached at reidgold@comcast.net or reidgoldsborough.com
46 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
philanthropy •
United Way distributes funds
G
reen Toyota announced a $16,340 donation to the American Red Cross Illinois Capital Area Chapter, which will also receive a $10,000 contribution from Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. The American Red Cross will use the donation for a new Toyota Tundra to support their disaster relief efforts and the Meals on Wheels Program. “This was a wonderful opportunity for us and will go a long way in helping us further our mission. The vehicle will both help transport volunteers and supplies quickly to a disaster scene as well as deliver comfort in the form of healthy meals to our local Meals on Wheels clients,” said Colleen Stone, Chief Executive Officer, American Red Cross Illinois Capital Area Chapter. The Toyota Dealer Match program enables dealer contributions to make a greater impact on the community. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than $500 million to non-profit organizations, and is guided by a strong belief in serving the communities where it does business. The Springfield Area Arts Council announces that grant applications are now available for the Community Arts Access Program. The Community Arts Access Program, a matching grant program of the Springfield Area Arts Council, is conducted in cooperation with the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Grants from this program are awarded to area not-forprofit organizations which bring arts programming to the citizens of Sangamon and Menard counties. For more information contact the Springfield Area Arts Council. The Springfield South Rotary Club is proud to announce the 2011 grants to local nonprofit organizations. This year’s recipients include Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach, Lincoln Land Community College Foundation, Boy Scouts of America, Abraham Lincoln Council, Catholic Charities Community Services of Springfield, Family Service Center of Sangamon County, Girl Scouts of Central Illinois, Grace Lutheran Food Pantry, Kumler Outreach Ministries, Senior Services of Central Illinois, St. Martin De Porres Center, St. Patrick Academy, Springfield Area Reading is Fundamental Association, Lincoln Memorial Garden and Nature Center, Adams Wildlife Sanctuary, Children’s Miracle Network, Midwest Mission Distribution Center, Girls on the Run and Lanphier High School PTO. The students at St. Patrick Catholic School have been active donors to the community during this past year. The students have donated clothes to St. Martin De Porres, raised money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and donated funds to Southwind Park. St. Patrick is a Catholic school committed to academic excellence in a structured, nurturing environment, where family involvement is essential to developing productive citizens and leaders. The State Farm Classic was held in June at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield and celebrated 36 years of showcasing professional women’s golf in central Illinois. Sponsors for the tournament included State Farm Insurance, S1 Enterprise, Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc., IBM, Enterprise, Diet Pepsi, Michelob Ultra, Aaron’s, Treasure Hunters Roadshow, Lumiere Place and River City Casino. To learn about sponsorship opportunities for 2012, contact the Central Illinois Charity Golf Classic at 787-5742. United Way of Central Illinois recently awarded $1,714,838 to 41 local health
Giving Back Jean Jones and human service programs. United Way supports programs that address basic needs and the long term causes of those needs. In total, 57 percent of the allocations fund programs that provide food, shelter, healthcare and victim services (Essential Service programs). The balance of 43 percent fund programs providing skills and promoting lifelong learning beyond the classroom, (Lifelong Learning Initiative). Every dollar given to United Way’s Community Fund goes to support programs. In addition, one-time funding in the amount of $127,564 was awarded to 15 programs that provide food, shelter, healthcare and victim services. “Our community recognized and responded to the call to give more in 2010. It is their generosity that’s led to the availability of additional funding,” said John P. Kelker, United Way President. “We are extremely pleased to provide extra support to those programs serving on the frontlines of need.” The Daily Bread program at Senior Services of Central Illinois is one recipient of the one-time funding. “Our seniors continue to struggle in an unfavorable economy and state dollars for social service programs continue to dry up. United Way’s one-time funding will give us a financial boost so more clients can have their needs met,” said Amy White, Program Director of Daily Bread. Daily Bread provides seniors with warm, nutritious meals at their homes and at various local sites helping them to remain healthy and independent. Approximately 2,000 individuals are Daily Bread clients. Program funding requests totaled $2.2 million with $1.7 million available to distribute. This fact made the job of United Way’s 40 Community Fund Volunteers very difficult. The volunteers reviewed and evaluated the work and effectiveness of each program before making recommendations to United Way’s Board of Directors, who provided final approval. “We know how challenging and timeconsuming it is for our volunteers to make these decisions. Their efforts and expertise are truly appreciated,” said Dr. Charles Callahan, Chair of United Way’s Community Fund Committee and Vice President of Quality & Operations at Memorial Health Systems. By involving local volunteers in this work, United Way keeps program funding decisions in the hands of the community. Two pilot programs were awarded onetime funding this year. They are Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI) with Habitat for Humanity and AWARE with Lutheran Child & Family Services. NRI is a home preservation service that provides painting, landscaping, weather stripping and minor repair services for homeowners in need. The AWARE program is a comprehensive domestic violence program focused on evidenced-based interventions to stop and prevent incidents of violence in families. In addition, Central Counties Health Center was awarded one-time funding to provide start-up costs for a new staff physician. By filling this position, Central Counties Health Center anticipates serving many more patients. Jean Jones is a freelance writer from Springfield
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 47
• smart money
Unhealthy reality of ‘viaticals’ Practical answers to tough money questions DEAR BRUCE: I see them mentioned in articles but have no idea what they are: What is a viatical? -- Reader, via email DEAR READER: Viaticals are systems in which a person with a terminal illness and life insurance, can collect on the life insurance before they die by having an investor put up to 60 percent of the money to be paid by the insurance company upon their death. The investor then becomes the beneficiary of the policy and pays the premiums. Upon the death of the insured, they receive their money back plus their profit. Viaticals do have a place in our spectrum of financial vehicles. For anyone looking to get a viatical, be careful and do your homework. There are many out there who are looking to take your money and run with it. Unfortunately, like many fields, this has been invaded by scoundrels, and it’s important to know who you are dealing with before you become involved. DEAR BRUCE: Our son is 33 and will soon be married for the second time. I want to know how to protect his assets from his future wife, as he will inherit a good deal of money. We want him to get a prenuptial, but she is offended by this notion. -- T.C., via email DEAR T.C.: If your future daughter-inlaw is not agreeable to this, then your son
Smart Money Bruce Williams will have to decide whether he wants to go through with the wedding. You mentioned that he will inherit a great deal of money, which I assume is from you. You can always control the inheritance by putting that into a trust fund in which he is the beneficiary or some other arrangement. Whether it is a reasonable request is open to all matter of conjecture. Only the people involved can decide. DEAR BRUCE: We are in our late 50s and have a 30-year mortgage on our house. Our house is valued at $300,000, and we owe $170,000. Our monthly payment is $950. Our interest rate is 6.1 percent. We can refinance at 4.8 percent. Should we refinance a 30-year mortgage or go with a 15- or 20-year mortgage? -S.T., Philadelphia, Pa. DEAR S.T.: Unless there are humongous fees involved, a reduction to 4.8 percent from 6.1 percent is very much in your favor, assuming that you are planning on staying in your home. But know what you’re getting into. That low percentage seems very unlikely. If there is a decent reduction in the interest rate from a 30- to a 15-year mortgage, I’d take advantage of that, as well. If you were 20 years younger, I would not be giving you this advice. There is a certain comfort in having a home paid for, and with a 15year mortgage and perhaps adding a little extra for principle reduction, by the time retirement comes, you would be pretty
near free and clear. DEAR BRUCE: Twenty years ago, I bought a piece of property that has a cloud over it. The previous owners did not get title insurance, and it seems as though the man they bought it from was granted ownership to it illegally. A titleinsurance company insured it for the purchase price, but I was advised to upgrade it as I improved the property. Did I screw up? -- Tim, New Mexico DEAR TIM: Did you have an attorney at closing? If not, I would get one now. As long as you are able to cover it with title insurance, it would seem that your interests are protected. They may, how-
ever, be charging you a premium because there is this problem. The problems that you have outlined in your letter are not insurmountable, although there will be some costs involved. Given the fact that you have no reason to sell the property now, this would be the appropriate time to get the title straightened out. Send your questions to: Smart Money, P.O. Box 2095, Elfers, FL 34680. E-mail to: bruce@brucewilliams.com. Questions of general interest will be answered in future columns. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.
48 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
legal filings •
The following information was obtained from the Sangamon County Circuit Clerk, and has not otherwise been verified by Springfield Business Journal. This list of recent filings does not represent all matters filed with the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court for Sangamon County for the given time period, but instead represents those filings Springfield Business Journal, independently of the Sangamon County Circuit Clerk, believes will be of interest to its business readers. Lawsuits •05/17/11 Christopher K. Weihmeir, Plaintiff, Vs. Angelynn M. Weihmeir, Defendant, Contract. •05/20/11 Corrine Reyes, David Wells, Plaintiffs, Vs. Linda Ely Armstrong, George C. Armstrong, Defendants, Contract. •05/23/11 The Higher Education Loan Authority, Plaintiff, Vs. Jennifer Snopko, Defendant, Suit On Note. • 06/09/11 Midwest Insurance Company, Plaintiff, Vs. Community Care Systems, Defendant, Contract. • 06/09/11 William E. Hankinson, Plaintiff, Vs. Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance, R. A. Springer, James Smith, Defendants, Contract. Chancery •05/17/11 JP Morgan Chase Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Linda S. Black, JP Morgan Chase Bank NA, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/17/11 Wells Fargo Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Mark Holloway, Amy Holloway, Unknown Tenants, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/18/11 Marine Bank, Plaintiff, Vs.
Nancy J. Sorrells, Marine Bank, Beneficial Financial 1, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/18/11 Nationstar Mortgage, Plaintiff, Vs. Deanna Day, Unknown Heirs and Legatees, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/19/11 Illinois National Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. John D. Murray, Defendant, Foreclosure. •05/19/11 Jason Rauch, Plaintiff, Vs. Larry Rigdon, Linda Rigdon, Defendant, Specific Performance. •05/19/11 United Community Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Sandra S. O’Shea, David D. Lewis, Capital One Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, United Community Bank, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/19/11 US Bank National Association, Plaintiff, Vs. Floyd W. Terry, Lori A. Terry, US Bank National Association, Oakbrook Estates Homeowners Association, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/20/11 Illinois Housing Development Authority, Plaintiff, Vs. Kevin A. Swartz, Marine Bank, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/23/11 Marine Bank, Marine Bank Springfield, Plaintiffs, Vs. Walter A. Pitts, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/24/11 Marine Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Deborah L. Bennett, Marine Bank, Capstone Financial, Midland Funding, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/25/11 Citifinancial Services, Plaintiff, Vs. Patricia Williams, State of Illinois, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure.
•05/25/11 HSBC Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Richard B. Carlos, Melinda M. Carlos, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/25/11 Marine Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Manfred Stachowiak, Monica L. Stachowiak, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/26/11 BAC Home Loans Servicing, Plaintiff, Vs. Laura G. Ray, Richard M. Ray, Mortgage Electronic Registration, United States of America, Prairie State Bank and Trust, Fox Creek Estates Homeowners Association, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/26/11 Wells Fargo Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Frederick Harrold, Stephanie Harrold, Mortgage Electronic Registration, United States of America, Williamsville State Bank and Trust, Creditors Service Bureau of Springfield, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/27/11 BAC Home Loans Servicing, Plaintiff, Vs. Rose E. Pekay, Alyson Pekay, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/27/11 People of the State of Illinois, Plaintiff, Vs. Ironwood Environmental Inc., Defendant, Injunction. •05/31/11 JP Morgan Chase Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. James M. Bishop, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Defendanta, Foreclosure. •05/31/11 Marine Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. William L. Cooper, Defendant, Foreclosure. •05/31/11 Marine Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Jason D. Montgomery, Rebecca L. Montgomery, Curran Gardner Townships Public Water District, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/31/11 Marine Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Martin J. Pierce, Jane E. Pierce, Defendants, Foreclosure. •05/31/11 Robert I. Sherman, Plaintiff, Vs. Warren Ribley, G. W. Reid, Jim Underwood, Judy B. Topinka, Defendant, Injunction. •06/02/11 Ronald J. Tucker, Ann P. Tucker, Peter J. Wagner, Linda Wagner, Plaintiffs, Vs. James C. Bremhorst, Defendant, Injunction. •06/03/11 Marine Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. TMI Analytical Services LLC, Elco of Springfield Inc., United States Small Business Administration, United States Department of the Treasury, Illinois Analytical Testing LLC, David F. Carpenter, Carol A. Carpenter, Frank T. Kyger, Suzanne J. Kyger, Unknown Tenants, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/03/11 US Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. James L. Williams, Kathryn E. Williams, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/06/11 Citimortgage, Plaintiff, Vs. Shirley Green, Benjamin Green, HSBC Nevada, Dell Financial Services, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/06/11 Illinois National Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. John J. Gentile, Cynthia A. Hayburn Gentile, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/06/11 Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC, Plaintiff, Vs. Shem Smith, Stephanie Detar, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/07/11 Bank of Springfield, Plaintiff, Vs. Edward N. Palen, Pamela L. Palen, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/07/11 PNC Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Sheryl Ayers, Arrow Financial Services, Unknown Owners and Non Record
Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/07/11 US Bank National Association, Plaintiff, Vs. Gloria J. Camp, Charles E. Camp, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/08/11 Marine Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Michael McLaughlin, Barbara A. McLaughlin, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Residential Funding Corp., Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/08/11 Quadrant Residential Capital, Plaintiff, Vs. Amanda Orr, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/09/11 Bank of Springfield, Plaintiff, Vs. Lee B. Downs, Catherine E. Downs, Wachovia Bank, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/10/11 US Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Jimmie Flanagan, Crystal L. Flanagan, Pro Com Holding Corp., Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/13/11 Citimortgage, Plaintiff, Vs. Brian K. Bozarth, Donnal L. Bozarth, Defendant, Foreclosure. •06/13/11 Nationscredit Financial Services, Plaintiff, Vs. Deidra A. Lockhart, Defendant, Foreclosure. •06/13/11 Ocwen Loan Servicing, Plaintiff, Vs. Joseph Schlebach, Defendant, Foreclosure. •06/13/11 Regions Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Rodney Porter, Joyce Porter, United States of America Department of Revenue Service, Discover Bank, HSBC Nevada NA, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/13/11 United Community Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Susan B. Mulrooney, Defendant, Foreclosure. •06/14/11 Ian C. Warren, Plaintiff, Vs. Richard S. Birkey, Christy Smith, Illinois Department of Corrections, Defendant, Injunction. •06/15/11 United Community Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Randy W. Clayton, Marilyn R. Clayton, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/16/11 Citimortgage, Plaintiff, Vs. William C. Stephens, Debra J. Heckenkamp, Unknown Tenants, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/16/11 PNC Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Jimmy E. Cullers, PNC Bank, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/17/11 Bank of Springfield, Plaintiff, Vs. Thomas W. Carey, Brenda E. Carey, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/17/11 Everhome Mortgage, Plaintiff, Vs. Kelly R. Moore, Joseph M. Moore, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/17/11 Marine Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Gail A. Thompson, Susan Eckles, Marine Bank, Marine Bank Springfield, Capital One Bank, Unknown Tenants, Unknown Owners, Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/17/11 Wemple State Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Maggies In Thayer, Joshua M. Snodgrass, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/20/11 Wells Fargo Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Michael E. Radinsky, Stacy D. Radinsky, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure. •06/21/11 JP Morgan Chase Bank, Plaintiff, Vs. Daniel R. Fawns, Elizabeth E. Fawns, Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants, Defendants, Foreclosure.
• 2011 local golf outings Golf Discount proudly supports local charitable golf outings. All outings receive 10% off all purchases. 3040 Lindbergh Blvd. 217-698-8509 Monday-Friday 10 am – 7 pm Saturday 9:30 am – 6 pm Sunday 11am – 4 pm July • 8th - Mike Ference Scramble for Sparc, Piper Glen Golf Course, 12:30 PM Shotgun Start, 793-2100, Best Ball Scramble • 11th - Chatham Junior Women’s Club Scholarship Outing, Edgewood Golf Club, 12:00 Shotgun Start, Teri Hammond, 6982023 • 12th - IEA Charity Golf Outing, The Oaks Golf Course, 11:00 AM Shotgun Start, Danny Pesch, 528-6600 • 14th - 16th Annual Greater Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Corporate Cup Challenge Golf Outing, The Rail Golf Club, 7:30 AM and 12:30 PM Shotgun Starts, David Earhart, 525-1173, four person team, Scramble • 14th - Be a Hero For Babies Golf Outing supporting March of Dimes, Piper Glen Golf course, 10AM Shotgun Start, Cathy Starkey, 793-0500 • 15th - 6th Annual Central Counties Health Centers Golf Outing, Edgewood Golf Club, 1PM Shotgun, Heather Burton, 788-2389 • 22nd - Painters Local 90 Charity Outing, The Oaks Golf Course, 10:00 AM Shotgun Start, Danny Pesch, 528-6600 • 22nd - 3rd Annual Carter’s Drive Golf Outing, Lincoln Greens Golf Course, 12:30 Shotgun Start, Scott Selinger, 494-8040 • 25th - Italian American Society of Central Illinois, Edgewood Golf Course, 10:30 AM Shotgun Start, Nick Ciaccio, 494-3211 • 28th - Senator Bomke’s 17th Annual Golf Outing, The Rail Golf Club 7AM and Noon Shotgun Starts, 787-1256, Scramble August • 5th - 2nd Annual Elijah Iles House Golf Outing, Piper Glen Golf Course, 12:30 Shotgun Start, Farrell Gay, 698-6223 or Mike Denk, 546-9537 • 5th - 5th Annual UIS Athletics Golf Outing, Piper Glen Golf Course, Noon Shotgun Start, Scott Reid, 206-6674 • 19th - Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing, Northridge Hills Golf Course (18 Holes), Ginny Fanning, 245-2174, TwoPerson Scramble • 25th - 3rd Annual Qik-n-EZ Charity Golf Classic Springfield YMCA Give Build Growth
Campaign, Piper Glen Golf Course, 12:00 PM Shotgun Start, Karen, 523-5050 Scramble • 28th - Lutheran High School Golf Outing, Piper Glen Golf Course, 1PM Shotgun Start, Curt Fischer, 546-6363 X120 September • 2nd - The Stadium Charity Golf Outing, The Oaks Golf Course, Noon Shotgun Start, Danny Pesch, 528-6600 • 2nd - 18th Annual Calvary Charity Golf Classic, Piper Glen Golf Course, 1 PM Shotgun Start, Tina Antonacci, 546-9700 X210 • 9th - 12th Annual Springfield YMCA Golf for Kids Charity Tournament, Lincoln Greens Golf Course, 12 PM Shotgun Start, Jay Turnbull, 544-9846 • 12th - Fellowship of Christian Athletes Local Qualifier, Illini Country Club, 12 PM, Kevin Elliott, 241-2020, Four Person Scramble • 16th - 5th Annual Tee Time Ladies Only Golf Outing to benefit the Ronald McDonald House, Edgewood, 10:00 AM Shotgun Start, Jennifer Miller, 528-3314 X48, Scramble • 17th - 3rd Annual Adam P Padget Memorial Golf Outing, The Rail Golf Course, 8 AM Shotgun start 8am, 2-man scramble • 19th - 8th Annual Orthopedic Center of Illinois Foundation (OCIF) Chip in fore Charity! Panther Creek Country Club, 12:30 p.m. Shotgun Start, Amy Rodek, 547-9100 • 23rd - Lincoln Land Community College 19th Annual Baseball Team Golf Outing, Piper Glen Golf Course, 12:30 Shotgun, 7862426 • 24th - Drive For Development Golf Outing, Edgewood Golf Course, 12:00 PM Shotgun, Erin Brown, 954-5785 • 30th - American Business Club 7th Annual Charity Open Benefiting UCP Land of Lincoln, Piper Glen Golf Course, 12:00 PM Shotgun Start, 483-6537 October • 1st - Father Pat Cahill Golf Outing, The Oaks Golf Course, 10 AM Shotgun Start, Danny Pesch, 528-6600 • 3rd - 20th Annual Crime Stoppers Sangamon/Menard Counties Golf Fundraiser, Panther Creek Country Club, 12 PM Shotgun Start, Butch Slater 788-8427, Scramble
If you have a golf outing you would to list, please forward your information (date, name, time, contact and format) to info@springfieldbusinessjournal.com.
New Businesses Continued from Page 5 field, 62791, Dr. Toya Marie Gordon, Dr. Niktha Barnes, Chase Barnes, (217) 3032298. • Kingly Priests Publishing, Inc., PO Box 8946, Springfield, 62791, Dr. Toya Marie Gordon, Dr. Niktha Barnes, Chase Barnes, (217) 303-2298. • L + B Enterprises, 351 Wagon Wheel, Chatham, 62629, Lisa Holquist, Robert Holquist, (217) 725-9410. • Ladendorf Productions, 1509 W. Governor, Springfield, 62704, Scott W. Ladendorf, (217) 494-5156. • Mabe Concrete Construction, 421 W. Lawrence, Springfield, 62704, Barry Mabe, (217) 220-5767. • Melcher-Fickas Trucking, 8117 Tack Lane, Springfield, 62712, Carolyn S. Fickas, David L. Fickas, (217) 529-1506. • Michael Sebastians, 1714 E. Stuart, Springfield, 62703, Cassandra Quinn, (217) 361-1245. • Midsummer Beading, 414 E. Locust, Trailer 6, Chatham, 62629, Roni M. McNatte, (217) 416-0989. • MJN Marketing Group, 124 N. Lincoln Ave., Springfield, 62702, Michael J. Newby, (217) 793-5154.
• new businesses
• Naturally Clean, 2 Beacon Ridge Drive, Springfield, 62711, Mandy McDonald, Lisa Liberman, (217) 891-2913. • O’Malley’s Home Improvement, 709 E. Wellesley Ave., Springfield, 62703, David O’Malley, Sr., David O’Malley, Jr., (217) 413-7763. • Old Smoke Shop Corp., 1828 Stevenson Drive, Springfield, 62703, Efrain Sevilla, (217) 416-6581. • Renken Professional Services, 17 Iroquois St., Springfield, 62711, John Renken, Diane Renken, (217) 836-9135. • SMK Masonry, 1508 Carolina Ave., Springfield, 62702, Kevin L. Smith, (314) 448-6721. • Sweets N Treats By Lili, Ltd., PO Box 8392, Springfield, 62791, Lisa M. Schmitt, (217) 553-6244. • U-Drive Wellness, 3413 S. Second St., Springfield, 62703, Regina Ryan, (815) 603-7559. • United Wealth Strategies, LLC, 3161 W. White Oaks Drive, Suite 204, Springfield, 62704, Christopher M. Parks, (217) 679-1676. • Wargo’s Racing and Custom Fabrication, 4035 Oakbrook Court, Springfield, 62711, Mike Wargo, (217) 553-0861.
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 49
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50 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
fast tracks/business briefs • McGill joins Marine Bank
Sue McGill, CRCM, has joined Marine Bank as vice president and compliance officer. McGill has more than 30 years of experience in bank compliance, training, administration and operations. A graduate of McGill the American Bankers Association National Compliance School, she is a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager and has served on the Compliance Advisory Council of the Illinois Bankers Association. Justin R. Stone has joined Marine Bank as Vice President, Mortgage Lender. Stone has almost a decade of experience in retail banking, commercial credit analysis and mortgage lending in the Springfield market. He earned Stone bachelor’s degrees in business management and in history from the University of Illinois at Springfield and previously worked in retail store management.
Town and Country Bank announces addition of two staff members
Marty Savino joins the bank as senior vice president, retail and customer experience. “People may be surprised to hear the words customer experience and banking in the same sentence, but that’s the
direction we are taking Town and Country,” said Micah Bartlett, president. “Marty will utilize his 30 years of experience in banking to help re‐energize and refocus attention to the things that matSavino ter most to our clients, keeping the attention on their needs and goals and not on products.” Jason Barth joins the bank as vice president, human resources and development. “In HR, wherever he has been, Jason has focused on customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction,” said Bartlett. “We want all of our employees to have Barth a very strong customer focus, and Jason has been that type of inspirational leader at several businesses.”
Memorial announces new appointments
Doug Gregory, RN, has been appointed nurse manager of Memorial Medical Center’s Regional Burn Center. The burn center is one of a limited number of such units in the state of Illinois and serves a wide region across central Gregory and southern Illinois, treating more than 200 acutely injured patients each year. Gregory comes to Me-
morial from Graham Hospital in Canton, Ill. where he served as clinical supervisor of the intensive care unit/progressive care unit and medical-surgical departments. He also served as a critical care nurse at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis and OSF St. Francis Hospital in Peoria. In addition to his several years of critical care experience, Gregory served five years in the U.S. Army as a flight medic and attained the rank of sergeant. Cathy Gilbert has joined Memorial Health System’s Public Relations Department as online marketing manager. Gilbert is responsible for developing and executing online marketing strategies for Memorial Health System and its affiliates. She is also responsible for impleGilbert menting website enhancements and managing day-to-day web maintenance. Gilbert comes to Memorial from Levi, Ray & Shoup Inc. (LRS) where she most recently served as senior marketing writer/coordinator and was responsible for development of website architecture and search engine optimization for internal and external clients of LRS. Gilbert also managed online content and social media marketing for LRS Web Solutions. Shelly Walter has been named system director of marketing for Memorial Health System. Walter is responsible for developing and successfully executing marketing strategies for Memorial Medical Center and other health system affiliates. She also directs the health system’s graphic design, internal communications, public information, media relations, web ser-
Walter
vices and social media functions. Walter joined Memorial in 2009 as advertising and branding coordinator. Prior to that, she served as senior marketing communications coordinator at Levi, Ray &
Shoup, Inc. Glenn Giles, RCIS, has been appointed manager of the cath lab at Memorial Medical Center. Giles has 24-hour accountability for department management and quality of patient care. He creates and maintains a work environment conduGiles cive to effective communication, collaboration, team building and professionalism. Giles comes to Memorial with 20 years of clinical and leadership experience in cardiovascular programs. He most recently served as the business office director at Teton Health Care in Driggs, Idaho. Giles also served in the U.S. Army for five years, attaining the rank of sergeant.
Taylor elected into Missouri Science and Technology Academy
Chuck Taylor of Crawford, Murphy & Tilly (CMT) consulting engineers was recently elected into the Missouri Science and Technology Academy of Civil Engineers. Continued on Next Page
• fast tracks/business briefs Continued from Previous Page Taylor is a licensed professional engineer in Illinois and Missouri. He has served as project manager, project engineer, design engineer, resident engineer, and construction coordinator for all phases of aviation projects throughout the midwest during his career. Taylor He is currently manager of CMT’s aviation services group in Springfield. Taylor is a graduate of the University of Science and Technology at Rolla, Missouri where he received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He is a member of the Illinois and National Societies of Professional Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers and currently is the chair of the ACEC-Illinois IDOT Aeronautics Sub-committee.
Eairheart joins accounting firm
Brian Eairheart joined the accounting firm of Kyle E. McGinnis as staff accountant. Brian is a graduate of the University of Illinois Springfield where he received a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. Brian is preparing to sit for the CertiEairheart fied Public Accountant Exam.
Johnson passes orthopedic specialty exam
Gail Johnson, a physical therapist at Midwest Rehab, located inside the Orthopedic Center of Illinois, has recently passed the Orthopedic Specialty Exam administered by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists (ABPTS). By earning this specialty certification, Johnson becomes a board-certified physical therapy clinical specialist. Midwest Rehab provides comprehensive physical and occupational therapy for orthopedic and musculoskeletal problems, neuromuscular disorders and sports injuries. Their services also include work hardening, job site analyses, post-offer job screenings, and aquatic therapy.
Paoni earns designation
Andrew Paoni, MBA, CFP® has been awarded the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) designation from Fiduciary360, an organization offering training, tools and resources to promote a culture of fiduciary responsibility and improve the decision making processes of fiduciaries. The AIF designation signifies knowledge of fiduciary responsibility and the ability to implement policies and procedures that meet a defined standard of care. The designation is the culmination of a two-day course and examination. Paoni is a financial advisor for Sikich Financial in Springfield. Paoni specializes in financial planning and wealth management services for individuals, corporate and not-for-profit clients.
Assurity names worksite regional sales manager for Illinois
Assurity at Work announced that Amber Huebner has been named regional sales manager for Illinois. Huebner’s background includes three years as director of sales with an insurance brokerage firm providing group and voluntary employee benefits and enrollment services
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 51
at the workplace. Assurity Life serves customers across the nation, offering disability income, critical illness, accident and life insurance, annuities and specialty insurance plans through our representatives and worksite distribution.
Ostrem awarded Kusnetz Award
Sampa Das Ostrem, Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and owner of D.A.S. Consulting Services, LLC., was awarded the Kusnetz Award during the annual 2011 American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition sponsored by the American Industrial Association and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. The Kusnetz Award was established in 1987 and is named for its donors, Florence Kusnetz and AIHA Past President Howard Kusnetz. This award was founded to honor a certified industrial hygienist who is under the age of 40, is employed in the private sector and has been so employed for a majority of his or her professional career, who by exhibiting high ethical standards and technical abilities has provided the highest standards of health and safety protection for the employees for which he or she is responsible; and who shows promise of leadership in the industrial hygiene profession. With over 15 years of experience, Ms. Ostrem has been the principal of her own industrial hygiene consulting company since 2005. She previously worked for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) as well as other consulting firms. She also earned the 40 Under 40 award sponsored by the Springfield Business Journal in 2005.
Rogers marks 35 years of service at Hanson Professional Services Inc.
Gary Rogers, PLS, PSM, an assistant vice president and project manager, recently celebrated 35 years of service at Hanson Professional Services Inc. He specializes in highway route and right-of-way surveys; database management; site work and development; roadway design; drainage studies; planning studies; and construction support services. Rogers currently serves as project manager for the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Outdoor Advertising Control Support Services contract, where he coordinates efforts for maintaining and updating an inventory database for the state’s 13,700 signs along interstates and primary highways. Rogers served as survey manager for the Capital City Railroad Relocation project, providing design and boundary surveys, and preparing right-of-way documents for the construction and consolidation of more than 10 miles of rail corridor on the south side of Springfield, Ill. Completed in 2004, this project included the relocation and design of several roadways and bridges. Additionally, Rogers served as project manager for the Illinois Commerce Commission’s Statewide Grade Crossing and Grade Separation Study. He provided field surveys and completed inventory for more than 12,000 grade crossings and grade separations across Illinois. Does your company have an announcement, new hire, employee promotion and/or award? Springfield Business Journal invites you to share it with our readers. We publish information about local companies, organizations and people. Send your annoucement to info@springfieldbusinessjournal.com
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52 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
OPINION How to do the over 40
Vacation – ghosts aside
I
n this issue we interviewed several attorneys who have been practicing the law for the last 35, 40, and in one case, 50 years. I admit that I am partial to stories like these. For me, p e r s o n a l l y, there is nothing quite like sitting down Brant Mackey with someone PUBLISHING and listening to the tales of their career from decades ago. To put it in perspective, these people were in the practice of law before most of the current Forty Under 40 class was even born. These lawyers were no exception with stories ranging from dramatic changes in banking regulations to a murder trial to a civil rights case and more. Their experience and knowledge is something that you simply cannot buy, but rather, is earned through dedication and passion for their profession. The recurring theme among the attorneys this month, and it seems anyone who has given a lifetime to a profession, is that they love what they are doing. Generally this love is derived from the fact that they believe that they are helping people or making a difference somehow. They are so content, in fact, that they continue to practice law even though they could easily retire. When listening to people like these, it usually causes me to reflect about myself and my chosen career path of community publishing. I ask myself if this is something that I could do for the next 40 years? Where is my industry headed and what will it look like in the future? Is this something I would still do even if I could retire? These are questions I believe everyone should take the time to ponder. If you aren’t getting the right answers, it might be time to consider a change. Admittedly there are days when I feel more like a pile of manure rather than an entrepreneur but I suppose that those who have spent a lifetime in a profession have felt the same way at times. However, it never fails that at the end of the month when I look over the 50+ pages of community business news I am rewarded with a feeling that Springfield Business Journal is making a difference for our readers and the community that we serve. And so long as that is the case I will continue to do it. Who knows, maybe someone will be interviewing me in a few decades from now?
Brant Mackey is publisher and editor of Springfield Business Journal. He can be e-mailed at: brant@ springfieldbusinessjournal.com
I
“Try catching my copper, copper!”
EDITORIAL Next Generation... Attracting and retaining young professionals in Springfield has become a key issue in recent years. When Mike Aiello and Sergio “Satch” Pecori led the fundraising campaign for the Q5 initiative five years ago they specifically cited building a community that their own children would like to work and raise their families as a reason for their dedication to the project. Springfield Business Journal has attempted to play a small role by recognizing potential future business and community leaders with our annual Forty Under 40 program. This program was established to realize the importance of acknowledging young people for their contributions to profession, industry and community, and we are proud to have selected 600 young professionals in the last 15 years. Congratulations to the 2011 class and all of the previous classes. Recently a prior Forty Under 40, Catie Franks, visited our offices to suggest and discuss the idea of a monthly column dedicated to young professionals in Springfield. The concept was to create a monthly dialogue that specifically addresses lifestyle concerns including work, entertainment, education, culture, volunteering, networking, and so forth for our community’s young executives. For this task we have assigned Courtney Westlake as the columnist of what we are calling Next Generation – Young Executives. Courtney is a poster-child for the demographic that the column will be addressing. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois and chose to return to Springfield with her husband, Evan, to begin their future. Courtney owns West-
lake Photography and is a freelance writer while Evan is a commercial lender with Illinois National Bank and a MBA student at UIS. They have one child, Connor, and recently announced another is on the way. More importantly, instead of moving to Chicago, St. Louis or elsewhere, the Westlakes have made the decision to make Springfield their home and take advantage of everything Springfield has to offer them as young professionals and their growing family. In her first column (page 20) she addresses a recent study by Market Street, a firm hired by the Chamber. Unfortunately it is not good news. From 2003 to 2008, Springfield had a net loss of more than 1,200 residents while nearby cities realized gains. Of particular interest is their comment that “the region is hemorrhaging existing residents…” Obviously, this problem of attracting and retaining young professionals is much larger than a monthly column in Springfield Business Journal can resolve. For starters, it is going to take a fundamental change in attitude. We at the Business Journal believe that Springfield is a good place to start a career. It is a good place to raise a family. It does provide a wealth of opportunities for people wishing to do so and that therein is where we can make a difference; sharing these opportunities with our readers. We look forward to Courtney’s future columns. If you have any questions or suggestions for topics in future issues related to young executives please email info@ springfieldbusinessjournal.com with Next Generation in the subject line.
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t gets to a point when you’ve had enough of working every day and coming home to the evening news with its depressing doses of debt, deficit, default, deceit and death. This summer’s vacation was a long time coming, as we met Joe Natale up with my WORKING BLUE wife’s two sisters and their husbands in Savannah, Georgia. Savannah is laid out by about two dozen squares, park-like settings commemorating local and historical grandees, like Savannah founder James Oglethorpe; Revolutionary War hero Casimir Pulaski; and George Washington. There is a Lincoln Street in Savannah, but it’s not named after our Abe, but General Benjamin Lincoln, yet another venerated local hero in the War for Independence. We saw the Green-Meldrim House, General William Tecumseh Sherman’s headquarters after his march from Atlanta. It was from that house where on Dec. 23, 1864, Sherman sent the famous telegram to Lincoln, our Abe, presenting him the captured city of Savannah as a Christmas gift. Nearby is the Mercer House, which was the scene of the crime in “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” We stayed in a bed and breakfast just around the corner from the murder house, I mean Mercer House. The WiFi in our accommodations was not working, causing some guests to virtually hyperventilate. Those people need a vacation. Savannah is reputed to be the most haunted city in America, due in part to the fact that as the city developed; it was built on burial grounds. . We sampled local cuisine, but were dissuaded by the blockslong line at Paula Dean’s restaurant, The Lady and Sons. We ate at the Crab Shack on Tybee Island, about 20 minutes from Savannah on the Atlantic Ocean. It’s touristy and tacky with the slogan: “Where the elite eat in bare feet.” Alligators weren’t on the menu, but there were dozens of them lounging around in an enclosure. Something like that would really be cool in Scheels. By and by, after saying our goodbyes, we left Savannah. While heading for the snow white beaches of Pensacola --a story for another time, like Groundhog Day – my wife expressed her disappointment with the gardens in Savannah because of the drought the South is currently experiencing. She said we probably need to go back again after they get a little rain, and get in line early at The Lady and Sons. Ghosts aside, I’m in. Joe Natale is a freelance writer from Springfield. He can be e-mailed at: joe@ springfieldbusinessjournal.com or follow Joe on Twitter at twitter.com/workingblue
Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 53
OP-ED ‘Retail revolution’ good for Springfield
Address: P.O. Box 9798 Springfield, IL 62791 1118 W. Laurel Springfield, IL 62704 Telephone: (217) 726-6600 Fax: (217) 726-8300 Facebook: www.facebook.com/sbjmonthly Twitter: www.twitter.com/sbjmonthly Website: www.springfieldbusinessjournal.com Email: info@springfieldbusinessjournal.com Publisher and Editor Brant W. Mackey brant@springfieldbusinessjournal.com Copy Editor Courtney Westlake Senior Correspondents Raegan Hennemann Bridget Ingebrigtsen Joe Natale Courtney Westlake Correspondents Betsy Butler Tom Collins Job Conger Jane Driver Jean Jones Teresa Paul Sarah Delano Pavlik Chris Stroisch Cliff Wheeler Holly Whisler Eric Woods Business Manager John Schilsky john@springfieldbusinessjournal.com Advertising Director Josh Britton josh@springfieldbusinessjournal.com Office Administration Shawn M. Berry shawn@springfieldbusinessjournal.com Circulation and Promotion Manager Jacquelyn R. Maltby jackie@springfieldbusinessjournal.com
Springfield Publishers Inc. Board of Directors Brant Mackey, John Schilsky SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL is published monthly by Springfield Publishers Inc., P.O. Box 9798, Springfield IL 62791. The contents of SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL are copyrighted, and material contained herein may not be copied or reproduced in any manner without the permission of the publisher. Manuscripts, photographs, illustrations and letters to the editor are welcome, but SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL can take no responsibility for them while in transit or in the office of the publication. Letters may be edited. Information published in SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL is gathered from reliable sources, but the accuracy of this information cannot be guaranteed. Opinions expressed in SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL are those of their authors, and no information or opinions expressed in SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL represent an endorsement or solicitation for purchase or sale by SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL or its staff.
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hen I first took the oath of office for Mayor of the City of Springfield in 1979, White Oaks Mall was about two years old. When it opened it began a revolution that has had dramatic and long lasting effect on our retail landscape. Other specialty shops and restaurants were quick to surround it. The city began a major expansion to the southwest as the mall became the Michael J. Houston prime shopping outlet OPINION for thousands of central Illinois families. The retail center of our community shifted from the downtown to White Oaks Mall and the city became the regional retail center for the entire Central Illinois area. A similar sort of retail revolution is about to take place in Springfield this year and June proved to be a banner month for our retail sector. We have witnessed the opening of the Scheels sporting goods store on the MacArthur Extension. This 220,000 square foot structure is designed much like a shopping center, with numerous individual shops within. It even sports a full size Ferris wheel and a fish tank of immense proportions. The store promises to provide the sports man or woman anything and everything they might need. I truly believe it will deliver on that promise. The reason I compare it to White Oaks Mall opening of 1977 is that just as White Oaks caused many other businesses to locate in its vicinity, I think Scheels will do the same for the south end of Springfield, the area between Wabash and I-72 on the MacArthur Extension. We have already seen ground broken for a restaurant nearby, Quaker Steak and Lube. They specifically wanted to be close to the Scheels store because of the traffic that it would generate. I am confident that more dynamic development will be announced in the near future. The addition of Scheels to our retail mix will actually expand Springfield’s market area from the 9 or 10 counties we have encompassed in the past to a 15 to 20 county reach and beyond. This market expansion will have a tremendous impact on all businesses in Springfield, not just one business sector or one geographic part of our city. As has once been said,
a rising tide floats all ships. This larger building and the bowling alley can be reeconomic base will be a great asset as we used in a way to make our city better. continue to market our community to Likewise, infrastructure improvements other potential retailers. and the inclusion of green space will creThe announcement earlier this month ate an attractive opportunity for new inthat White Oaks Mall, itself, will be un- vestment. I look forward to working with dergoing a multi-million dollar year-long the Aldermen and the various neighborrenovation, is also great news for Spring- hood groups that have been instrumental field. Creating an in moving this iniOur new retail revolution tiative forward. exciting shopping atmosphere can only Springfield also will be leading the way attract more retail relies heavily on for Springfield. It isn’t and help expand our visitors to build our just happening on the offerings. The design economy. I am happy plans are exciting MacArthur Extension. We to see that the visitor and freshening up is on the have had serious inquiries business the food court will rise in Illinois and in only enhance and about other properties in other our community. The improve this strong parts of the city. number of visits to retail center. Springfield has been There have also been announcements increasing. Hotel and motel occupancy of other retailers all around Springfield is up 10 percent from last year, and, May like Office Depot’s recent remodeling to 2011 occupancy was up 18 percent over become more attractive to its customer May of last year. That is great news. base. A reuse of the old Circuit City buildThe visitor industry has actually gening is underway. And, new stores are in erated over $2 billion in state and local the works such as DSW Shoes. Our central taxes last year. That helps position our area continues to be a choice location for city to better generate additional sales boutique retailers and look for new addi- and room tax which pays for basic city tions there in the near future. In addition, services. Likewise, it is estimated that will J.C. Penney’s is currently undertaking a spend as much as $80 million a day in Ilmajor improvement of their facility on linois. That helps retailers, restaurant opDirksen Parkway. erators and hoteliers who have come to The Springfield economy, just like rely on visitors to provide employment. that of every metropolitan center in the As the economy improves, people country, suffered significantly several who have not taken vacations over the years ago when recessionary forces struck past several years will begin to consider nationwide. The meltdown caused some short trips within a reasonable driving businesses to retrench and in some cases distance. Springfield benefits greatly from actually close permanently. such short trips because of our proximity But, in 2011 we really are standing at to Chicago, St. Louis, Des Moines and Inthe door of an improving regional econ- dianapolis. We have been reaching out to omy. Our new retail revolution will be those markets emphasizing Springfield as leading the way for Springfield. It isn’t an ideal destination for travelers. just happening on the MacArthur ExtenEvery year, Springfield is faced with sion. We have had serious inquiries about challenges. When outside events impact other properties in other parts of the city. our local economy we have always had I am encouraged by this renewed enthusi- the resiliency to bounce back, sometimes asm which can only add to the expansion faster than other communities. We have of our retail base. built upon our strengths to successfully Likewise, I am encouraged by the expand in areas that we have expertise. strong interest in rebuilding the older We will continue to work to improve ecoarea of MacArthur Boulevard. A study nomic opportunity in Springfield. with exciting recommendations has been produced which gives us a roadmap to follow as we begin the rehabilitation process. The time is right for us to move Michael J. Houston is Mayor of the forward and be creative in our thinking City of Springfield so that properties such as the old Kmart
ROSES and THORNS
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LOOKING BACK
A Rose – For the repeal of the 1099 provision in PPACA.
5 years ago in the Business Journal (July 2006)...
A Rose – For the Blagojevich guilty verdict on 17 counts.
• Bill Furling, Dewayne Collins, Russell Kennedy and David Stowers discussed renovation to the old Furrows property, 40,000 square foot entertainment center, Kicks.
A Thorn – To Buffalo Gnats on golf courses, please go away.
• Retail growth and expansion was reported at White Oaks Mall (Pearl Vision, Body Central) and The Gables (Talbots, Jim A Rose – To Megan and John Voss for planting a small orchard Wilson Interiors). of trees in Washington Park. • A Medical District expo was held at Prairie Heart Institute where Dr. J. Kevin Dorsey indicated that SIU Medical School was A Rose – To the great selection of movies at the Route 66 looking to hire about 60 physicians. Drive-In theater. A Thorn – To those stealing copper.
A Rose – To the 15th anniversary of the Forty Under 40 program.
• Springfield Mass Transit District (SMTD) talked about how ridership was up for the first time in many years and the need for a transportation hub.
BOOK OF LISTS In each issue of the Business Journal, we publish at least one or more lists of local businesses by major business categories. In the month prior to publication, we announce which lists will be published the following month. If your business is included in our monthly and annual lists, please take a moment each month to check our upcoming list(s). If you have changes, additions, deletions, etc., e-mail us at: info@springfieldbusinessjournal.com. NEXT MONTH: Physician Groups, Hospitals and Fitness Centers.
54 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
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Springfield Business Journal • July 2011 • 55
56 • July 2011 • Springfield Business Journal