KCC_STC Chamber Newsletter_Aug 2021

AUGUST

2021

Newsletter

Proudly serving the City of St. Charles, St. Charles Township, Village of Campton Hills and surrounding communities.

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS CHAMBER TO CELEBRATE A CENTURY OF PROGRESS WITH 100 DAYS OF CELEBRATION

By Vicki Martinka Petersen

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ext year, St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce will celebrate 100 years of being the primary business resource for the St. Charles area. To commemorate this milestone, the chamber is planning a 100-day celebration — and you’re invited!

Feb. 11. Throughout the 100 days, both businesses and the community can partake in a scavenger hunt visiting participating businesses throughout St. Charles. One of the scavenger hunt stops will be the St. Charles Public Library, a staple since the late 1800s.

“It’s clearly a significant milestone — that our community has supported an active chamber of commerce for 100 years,” said Jim Di Ciaula, chamber president and CEO.

“Celebrating the chamber’s 100th anniversary speaks to the commitment of our community to support small businesses in the area,” said Edith Craig, director of the library and 100-year anniversary committee member.

The festivities will kick off with the annual membership breakfast Nov. 3 and conclude with the chamber’s 100th anniversary gala

In addition to a ribbon cutting at their new

digs, the chamber will be doing ribboncuttings celebrating the 100th anniversary for Rehm Electric later this year and the 100th anniversary for Dukane in January.

For months, the planning committee has been at work coordinating activities to honor the chamber’s centennial. The venue for the membership breakfast, St. Charles Country Club, began in the early 1900s.

The annual chamber guide and directory will be distributed to attendees during the breakfast and will include a special commemorative section on the chamber’s 100th anniversary.

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St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce  WHAT'S INSIDE u Continued from page 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OTHER ANNIVERSARY EVENTS INCLUDE: • Membership breakfast: Nov. 3 at St. Charles Country Club • Annual holiday party: Dec. 9 at Club Arcada, VIP Lounge • A VIP reception for past chamber/community leaders and former award winners in January • The 100th anniversary celebration and Charlemagne gala: Feb. 11 at Q Center The gala will be a Great Gatsby theme featuring big band music from the roaring ’20s and a 100th anniversary cake from All Chocolate Kitchen, Di Ciaula noted.

Chamber members also are welcome to participate in the anniversary celebration by contributing items that will go into a time capsule. The St. Charles History Museum is coordinating a timeline that will showcase the history of St. Charles and its business community from the 1920s on.

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS .......................................................................1 UNVEILING NEW LOGO............................................................................ 4 WE’VE MOVED! ......................................................................................... 4 ST. CHARLES CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS .............................. 5 WHY BE A MEMBER.................................................................................. 5 LIBRARY REOPENS .................................................................................... 6 HONORING NATIONAL WOMEN’S SMALL BUSINESS MONTH........7 MANUFACTURING MONTH.....................................................................8 NEW URL...................................................................................................... 9 CAMPTON HILLS PASSPORT................................................................. 10 UPCOMING EVENTS................................................................................ 10

“It’s going to be quite a busy celebration,” Di Ciaula added.

Whether or not they’re chamber members, all businesses are encouraged to attend these anniversary events.

“If you’re a new business, come and see all the good things the chamber has done in the past, what we’re doing now and what we hope to accomplish in the future,” said Lenore Kula Pritchett, owner of Great Guys Cleaning and Concierge and 100-year anniversary committee member. “It will give you a good sense of what the chamber is all about.”

Click on "EVENTS" on www.stcharleschamber.com for more information.

1601 East Main Street, Suite D, St. Charles, IL 60174

(630) 584-8384 • Fax (630) 584-6065

www.stcharleschamber.com

Becoming a Member is EASY and Affordable!

Check us out online at www.stcharleschamber.com Call, e-mail, or stop on by!

St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce 1601 East Main Street, Suite D • St. Charles, IL 60174 Phone: (630) 584-8384 • Fax: (630) 584-6065 Email: info@stcharleschamber.com

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St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce  NEWSLETTER ST. CHARLES AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REBRANDS, UNVEILS NEW LOGO

WE’VE MOVED!

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he St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce relocated to 1601 E. Main St., Suite D, at the beginning of July.

“Our new space is more modern and in a central location for us to better serve our members in the St. Charles area,” said Jim Di Ciaula, chamber president and CEO.

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n coordination with the move and preparation for the 100th anniversary celebrations, the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce has rebranded as the St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce.

The new name is more reflective of the chamber’s broader service area, which includes the City of St. Charles, St. Charles Township, the Village of Campton Hills, villages served

by St. Charles School District 303 and the surrounding communities.

Addelise, a chamber member and creative design firm, developed a corresponding logo that features a rebranded fox and emphasizes the new name. Representatives from Addelise described the new logo as modern and clean.

The new space features a conference room that is now available for chamber members to host meetings. The conference room boasts a 70-inch television monitor to enable hybrid meetings and presentations.

The business card display case is in need of updated business cards, so please come drop off your business cards and check out the new space!

Call the chamber to reserve the conference room for your ne xt meeting!

The transition to the new name and logo will happen over time. Visit St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce on Facebook to see more of the new rebranding.

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St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce  BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

WHY BE A MEMBER? At the St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce, we: • are invested in our member’s success • provide business advocacy • are connections-focused • offer a breadth and depth of quality programs and experience

RYAN ANDERSON Chair HighWire Networks

DEBBIE GURLEY Vice Chair Miscella Real Estate a BEI Company

NICK BROOKS Treasurer DHJJ, Certified Public Accountants and Business Advisors

DIRECTORS

The Chamber Provides: • Business Support Services • Educational Programming • Networking & Relationship Building There are a few key factors one should consider in determining whether or not a membership in the St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce is right for you?

• Is your goal as a company to grow your business and/or engage with the community?

• Are you looking for quality connections that will lead to personal and professional growth as well as business opportunity?

• Will you be able to commit some of your time to engage and participate in one or more of our quality programs, environments and experiences?

If the answers to these questions are YES, we would love to partner with you on your journey. We look forward to connecting with you soon.

JOSHUA FEAGANS Griffin | Williams LLP

DAVE FROLICSTEIN Frolicstein Financial Wealth Management

JOYCE GILBERT Association of Nutrition & Food Service

STEVE MARTIN First State Bank

ANGELA MCCRUM LivingWell Cancer Resource Center

CHARLES MURPHY Midwest Compost, LLC

CHRIS SCHEJBAL AAA Schejbal Insurance Agency

RACHEL SCHUCK Edward Jones

LAURA SHAW Shaw Media

RITA TUNGARE City of St. Charles Ex-officio

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St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce  NEWSLETTER

LIBRARY REOPENS AFTER $18.6 MILLION RENOVATION

By Jonathan Bilyk | Photos by Shaw Media

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fter more than a year away from their regular environs, the team at the St. Charles Public Library in mid-July at last welcomed the public back to its transformed space for reading, learning and gathering.

While retaining its ties to its deep history, the library now boasts a host of new features, designed to not only meet the needs of patrons in the 21st century, but beyond.

“The biggest benefit to our community is caring for a 115-year-old building and its additions, to last 100 more years,” said St. Charles Public Library Director Edith Craig.

Since March 2020, the library has operated out of Haines Middle School while its building at the corner of East Main Street and North Fifth Avenue underwent a complete renovation and minor expansion.

On the outside, the library expanded its parking area and added a drive-up window, providing enhanced ease of access for patrons simply picking up or dropping off materials. At the same time, the new traffic flow design allowed the library to make pedestrian access safer, library officials said.

The exterior of the building also features beautified green spaces, with “prairie, meadow and river plantings,” Craig said, and a sunken terrace garden with outdoor seating.

Inside the building, patrons will find more inviting and welcoming spaces, Craig said.

Throughout the library, visitors will find improved seating areas for people of all ages and physical abilities. The main floor, for instance, has been rearranged to allow for a “grand reading room.”

The youth services area in the library’s lower level will offer young users “more interactive play, more study spaces, and more places to meet up with groups,” Craig said. The library has dedicated a room specifically for teens to find space “to game, study and collaborate.”

All users will now have access to what the library calls its STC Creative “maker space.”

Modeled after similar spaces at other public libraries in the Chicago area and beyond, STC Creative will offer library users access to an array of technology and tools to aid in the creation of both digital and physical media.

For instance, the space will offer access to a sound studio for podcasting and other digital projects, while also giving access to such tools as a laser cutter, 3D printers and a heat press, among other tools.

But perhaps the most important aspects of the transformation may be seen and felt from improvements to the library’s physical infrastructure.

The library now boasts an abundance of natural light on all three levels, and efficient LED lighting throughout the facility.

The HVAC system was overhauled, increasing the library’s fresh air intake by 30%, a key to preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other airborne pathogens.

Accessibility was also boosted throughout the facility, Craig said, with more ramps; an elevator that reaches all three floors; and more handicapped-accessible parking spaces and seating.

The project, Craig said, was further designed with technology at its core, including improved access to user technology throughout the library, and a new radio frequency identification system to allow near instantaneous check-in for returned materials.

The $18.6 million project is the result of more than a decade of planning and preparation. About 72% of funding came from money the library has saved through the years. The remainder, about $5 million, was raised through a bond sale in 2019.

The project was designed by Donald J. McKay and Eric Penney of Sheehan Nagle Hartray Architects. SMC Construction managed the construction work, overseeing more than 50 different contractors.

To see library hours and information, visit www.scpld.org.

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HONORING NATIONAL WOMEN’S SMALL BUSINESS MONTH

St. Charles Area Chamber joining multi-chamber luncheon featuring dynamic speaker

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he Tri-Cities have exploded with women-owned businesses recently, and National Women’s Small Business Month is the perfect time to celebrate that. Join the St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce — along with other Fox Valley chambers and beyond — for a luncheon and speaker event Thursday, Oct. 21, planned for the Eagle Brook Country Club..

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Charisse Conanan Johnson is scheduled to give a presentation titled “A Woman’s Worth: Building Intergenerational Wealth.” A chartered financial analyst and graduate of both Yale University and the University of Chicago, Johnson is a managing partner at Chicago-based Next Street. According to its website, the firm “mobilizes capital, customers, and capabilities to small businesses and entrepreneurs that have been systemically held back.”

THE PRESENTATION WILL FOCUS ON: • Understanding the role of female generations before and after us in propelling forward small business • Key statistics on historical inequities and state of small business, especially those owned by women (globally, women and women of color) • Case studies of small business intergenerational wealth transfer The presentation is geared toward anyone with a small business, said Jim Di Ciaula, president and CEO of the St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce. “This is an exceptional community event,” he said. “Her expertise can help a lot of businesses.”

Published in February, Johnson’s book, “A Wealthy Girl: 7 Steps to Prosperity, Peace, and Personal Power,” outlines the “the 7 key steps to live a wealthy life,” according to her website. Johnson also regularly updates the blog on her website with stories and tips on building wealth. Learn more at www.charissesays.com.

The first 75 to register for the luncheon and speaker event will receive a signed copy of her book, so don’t delay signing up!

For more information about the event, email info@stcharleschamber.com.

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St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce  NEWSLETTER

GET INVOLVED DURING MANUFACTURING MONTH

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ctober: It calls to mind Halloween, pumpkins, hayrides and the beginning of sweater weather. But in St. Charles, it also calls to mind another important time of year: Manufacturing Month.

The Industrial Committee is working with local schools and manufacturers to bring back in-person tours of manufacturing facilities in October. Last year, COVID-19 didn’t put a damper on Manufacturing Month; the events were done virtually but still included learning opportunities and experiences for students in St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 and Elgin Community College.

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St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce  NEWSLETTER The industrial and manufacturing sector has turned into its own community, seen clearly in the chamber website’s manufacturing section. You can access videos on different companies’ career opportunities and missions, from food processing to plastics to chemicals.

If all this collaboration is making you want to get involved, join the Industrial Committee for a meeting!

The group, chaired by Peter Schwartz of Streng Agency, meets the second Wednesday of the month from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Supporting the business community and manufacturing sector is a big job, so everyone is welcome.

If your company wants to be part of a manufacturing tour, reach out to the Industrial Committee at info@stcharleschamber.com.

FOR MORE INFORMAT ION, VISIT

www.stcharle schamber. com/MFG.

NEW URL

Keep an eye out for a new URL from the St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce! To align with the chamber’s rebranding and new logo, the new URL will be: www.STCareachamber.com Email info@stcharleschamber.com if you have any questions!

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St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce  NEWSLETTER

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS HAVE YOU SNAGGED YOUR PASSPORT TO THE VILLAGE OF CAMPTON HILLS?

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upport local in Campton Hills! To increase awareness of the village’s many amazing businesses and restaurants, St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Village of Campton Hills on a summer passport program. You can pick up your passport at the new Campton Hills farmers market, the Village of Campton Hills or the chamber office. Use 18 of the deals and turn in your passport by Oct. 4 for the chance to win the grand raffle prize!

FOR MORE DETAILS, visit www.stcharleschamber.com/passport2021.

 AUG. 16: Canva Workshop, Baker Community Center (hosted by Education Committee)  AUG. 26: Paddle Boat Dock Party Mixer (hosted by Young Professionals Council)  SEPT. 11: St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting and Open House, parking lot of new location  SEPT. 22: Client Appreciation Workshop, Baker Community Center (hosted by Education Committee)  OCTOBER: Manufacturing Month

 OCT. 5: City Update, Hilton Garden Inn  OCT. 21: National Women’s Small Business Month Luncheon with keynote speaker Charisse Conanan Johnson, CFA (multi-chamber event)  NOV. 3: Membership Breakfast, St. Charles Country Club  DEC. 9: Holiday Party, Arcada VIP Lounge/Club Arcada  FEB. 11, 2022: 100th St. Charles Area Chamber Anniversary Celebration and Annual Charlemagne Gala, Q Center

For current information and details about upcoming events, visit www. stcharleschamber.com/event-landing.

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Proudly serving the City of St. Charles, St. Charles Township, Village of Campton Hills & surrounding communities 1601 East Main Street, Suite D, St. Charles, IL 60174

(630) 584-8384 • Fax (630) 584-6065 www.stcharleschamber.com

Exclusions apply. Call for details. Must present or mention coupon at time of scheduling appointment. May not be combined with any other offer or price match. Expires 9/30/21

Call for details. Must present or mention coupon at time of scheduling appointment.

May not be combined with any other offer or price match. Expires 9/30/21

Call for details. Must present or mention coupon at time of scheduling appointment.

May not be combined with any other offer or price match. Expires 9/30/21

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Call for details. Must present or mention coupon at time of scheduling appointment.

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