Oswego Chamber Newsletter - Fall 2023

NEWSLETTER u FALL 2023 u

Business & Industry United For A Better Community

WHAT’S INSIDE:

CHAMBER LAUNCHES NEW EFFORT TO ASSIST NONPROFITS

Oswego United Community Strong will help organizations boost membership and raise funds

JOIN

Fall Membership Drive begins Oct. 1

GROWING STRONG

Businesses in Oswego are opening and expanding

FRAIDY CAT IS BACK

Mark your calendar for the annual October races

By Melissa Rubalcaba Riske

What started with a simple conversation has blossomed into a new collaboration for the Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce and local nonprofit organizations.

Called Oswego United Community Strong, it is a new opportunity for chamber members to work with area nonprofits to help grow membership, fundraising and overall collaborations, explained Angie Hibben, CEO of the Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce.

“We have the talent within the Chamber to help share these tools,” Hibben said.

Hibben said the new program is an opportunity for Chamber members who represent nonprofit organizations to

share ideas and programming while also learning from other chamber members on the latest social media marketing techniques and other avenues for increasing visibility and growing membership.

“Because we are stronger when we work together,” Hibben said.

The last few years have proved difficult for nonprofit organizations, many of which had to cancel events and in-person programming during the pandemic. Many organizations have seen their memberships decrease, creating a strain as the organizations still try to host events, raise money for scholarships and supporting other organizations in the community.

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Hibben said Oswego United Community Strong will be an opportunity for nonprofit organization leaders to meet quarterly to share ideas, meet with chamber members and collaborate to increase awareness. At the next meeting, slated for September, Hibben said she hopes to host a discussion on social media marketing, with a focus on how organizations can utilize apps like extremely popular TikTok, which features short videos.

“While it may seem intimidating to be on camera for a TikTok or recording a podcast, it can also be an important marketing tool to help tell your story, which is huge,” Hibben said. “You’ve got to reach out to different groups. Sometimes you can do that with email and postcards, sometimes you need

to think beyond traditional marketing strategies.”

Another marketing strategy can be using podcasts, to help broadcast information about an organization, and help reach an audience that may be interested in volunteering and involvement.

“It’s important to tell the story because there are a lot of people who don’t know what the Lions Club does, or don’t know about the American Legion or VFW. It’s thinking of how we can get information about what they do, who they are and reminding people about that these groups mean to our community,” Hibben said.

Many of these organizations, even as their membership numbers have dwindled, continue to work hard to provide

scholarships to students, support youth programs in scouts and sports and even find new, creative ways to engage with the community.

“In 2020 the Kiwanis members hosted a holiday home decorating contest that brought so much joy to the community while keeping everyone safe at the time,” Hibben said. “These organizations might be small, but they are mighty and they want to give back and the more people who participate and volunteer, the more than can offer to the community.”

Watch the Chamber’s website for a date and time for the next meeting in September. All non-profits, who have a membership with the Chamber are welcome to participate. The aim is to have quarterly meetings.

Chamber CEO Letter

Happy fall! My name is Angie Hibben, and I am the President/ CEO of the Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce. Our chamber has been around since 1984, and we are very proud of how we have grown and how we have supported the business community and Oswego! We are just over 500 members strong and growing. Our members range from nonprofits to the some of the largest corporations in the area, and the industries/business types they represent are just as diverse.

One question I always hear is: You are part of the village so you get tax dollars; why are you doing all this fundraising? We are not an arm of the village – we work closely with the village to help and promote the business community, but we are a separate entity. The Village of Oswego is a member of the chamber just like other businesses in and around the Oswego area. We truly appreciate the ability to work with the village for the betterment of our business community

ANGIE HIBBEN President/CEO Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce

and to keep Oswego a thriving and vibrant community.

October is our Membership Drive month, and we will have many activities to encourage you to come out, network and learn more about the chamber and how we can help you promote your business. We have networking events, seminars, New Resident and New Business boxes and more. Fall is a great time to join and become a part of our active and vibrant chamber.

We end October with our Annual Fraidy Cat Races and then right into the holiday season with Shop Small Saturday, the Christmas Walk and Cookie Walk. We have already started to plan the 2024 Hometown Expo and set dates for next summer’s cruise nights and are working on a couple more new events – watch for announcements later in the fall/early winter.

I look forward to meeting you. As always my door is open – just swing by our office at 25 E. Jackson St. to talk with Konni and I.

2023 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

he Fall 2023 Oswego Area Chamber membership drive goes Oct. 1 through Oct. 31. There will be open houses at the office, Coffee with the Chamber, Business After Business and more opportunities to stop by and learn more about the chamber. If you join during this month, the dues structure will be enforced, but the $50 application fee will be lowered to $25.

It is a great time to check out the chamber and be on the ground floor for many activities and opportunities at the chamber and into 2024. Join a committee or leads

group, get involved with the Christmas Walk and start planning the 2024 Expo with us. We love to meet new people and help them get involved in and around our community.

The chamber isn’t for businesses just in Oswego! We are an area chamber, so if you want to do business in Oswego think about joining. We have businesses from the smallest nonprofit to large hospitals and more.

Watch our website calendar and our Facebook page for events where you can come out and learn more about the chamber.

By Melissa Rubalcaba Riske

Fitness centers, a new automotive service retailer and boutiques are just a few of the new businesses that are setting down roots in Oswego’s thriving business community.

Village officials recently gave approval to VASA Fitness and its plans to renovate the former Dominick’s grocery on Route 34 and create a full-service fitness center. The property includes a 65,000-squarefoot space. It had been vacant almost 10 years, said Kevin Leighty, director of economic development for the Village of Oswego. The new fitness center plans include an indoor pool, group fitness classes and an on-site daycare.

Leighty said downtown Oswego continues to have a very low vacancy rate, with just a few second and third floor office spaces available and street level spaces occupied.

“We’ve been blessed as our retail space is very well leased in the downtown,”

Leighty said. “We have a very low vacancy in the downtown.”

New retailers in the downtown this past year include The Scoop, an ice cream shop at 108 Main St., and new clothing boutiques Mod Stitch at 79 Main St., and Jinxy’s Studio Boutique at 5 S. Madison St..

Along Route 34 the business pOpshelf opened a location. This retailer carries a variety of items including home décor, health and beauty and more.

As of press time work is nearly complete on the new location of Orangetheory Fitness located at 1540 Douglas Road in the Gerry Centennial Plaza. Orangetheory is a totalbody group workout concept.

Earlier this year Chamber members celebrated the ribbon cutting on the new Bauman Family Funeral Home at 5600 Route 34. Owners Carri and Matt Bauman remodeled the former location of the Fox Valley Winery, which is now located in

downtown Oswego. The couple has worked hard to create a beautiful facility for funeral and memorial services.

Construction is underway for the new Belle Tire location at 20 Kendall Point Drive in the Route 34 commercial corridor. The retailer, based out of Michigan, will offer tire sales and vehicle maintenance service in its 9,800 square-foot location.

Another construction project underway is the Whitetail Ridge Golf Dome at 3340 Station Drive.

Later this year is the target time frame for the opening of the area’s first two cannabis dispensaries. The store Market 9 will be located at 1144 Douglas Road and Cloud 9 Cannabis will be located at 2420 Route 30.

Mod Stitch

2023 GOLF OUTING IS A SUCCESS

The Annual Golf Outing was held on Thursday, July 27, at Fox Bend Golf Course. This was probably the HOTTEST golf outing that I can remember, but all 144 golfers showed up and had a great time. Thank you to our amazing sponsors, volunteers, committee, donations and attendees of the 2023 Annual Chamber Golf Outing.

Links Leads group for many years has hosted a wheelbarrow/wagon of liquor raffle and it has become a golf favorite event. Since they started doing this raffle in 2017, they have raised $6,139 for the chamber at the golf outing. We truly appreciate all their hard work on this event.

Thank you

TO OUR GOLF OUTING SPONSORS

n Event Sponsor: Weblinx, Inc.

n Dinner Sponsor: Allied First Bank

n Beverage Cart Sponsors: Kit’s Towing & Leads Group 3

n Lunch Sponsor: Aspyre Wellness

n Mulligan: Padgett Business Services & Rick Warner Attorney at Law

n Registration Table: Brook Henschen Real Estate Group

n Scoring Card: Andersen Plumbing & Heating

n Putting Green Contest: Premier Tint Pros

n Hole In One: Aquaduct Plumbing Services

n Cocktail Hour: MD Contracting Services (MDCS), Byline Bank, American Family InsuranceChristina Reynolds, RJ Kuhn Plumbing

n Hole Sponsors: Craft’d, Law office of Aaron Vanagaitis, LINKS Leads Group, Restoration 1 of Fox Valley, Servpro of Kendall County, Earthmover Credit Union, Heartland Bank & Trust Company, Leads 1, Old Second Bank, Buffalo Roofing & Exteriors, Progressive Business Solutions, Aspyre Wellness, LIFT HCM/Payville, Business Knowledge Systems, TVG - MEdulla LLC/Chiro One, Ryan Kauffman Oswego Village President, UpperDeck Design & Construction, Tap House Grills, Paisano’s Pizza and Grill

n Driving Range Sponsor: NM Tripp Insurance

n Snack Bag Sponsors: Pillar Heating & Air, john greene Realtor - Sandy Koehler, Creations by AJ

n Dessert Sponsor: Culver’s

n Sign Sponsor: Mixed Market Thrift, Ilana Aesthetics, John Greene Realty Sandy Koehler, Market 96 Neighborhood Dispensary

Wheelbarrow of liquor raffle winner!

FRAIDY CAT 5K/8K BACK FOR ITS 13TH

The 13th Annual Fraidy Cat 5K/8K and Meow Mile will kick off at 9 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 29. We bring in runners from all over the Chicagoland area for this annual event. For more information go to www.fraidycat5k.com. There are sponsorships available. Day-of registration is available and many volunteers are needed for this annual event.

Ed and Matt invite you to stop by and see how over 50 years combined experience can make your purchase truly pleasant.

We specialize in vehicles under $10,000 - many in the $5000 - $9000 range. If you don’t see what you are looking for in our inventory regardless of the year, we will find that special vehicle for you. We truly appreciate the many loyal customers and referrals we have had over the last 18 years. Make your next vehicle purchase from us and we will exceed your expectations.

Meet Our Newest Members

MOD STITCH COMPANY

Meg Sluder

79 Main St. Oswego, IL 60543

630-636-7077

modstitchco@gmail.com www.modstitchco.com

CARPE DIEM ACADEMICS

Tika Haake

303 Landshire Ct. Oswego, IL 60543

tika@carpediemacademics.com www.carpediemacademics.com

NAPERVILLE CHIMNEY SWEEPS

Amy Perino 409 Fayette Dr. Oswego, IL 60543 630-357-1969 info@napersweeps.com

www.napersweeps.com

GRACE GIVING JOY

Joyce Peltz

170 S. Adams St. Oswego, IL 60543

708-721-4988

Rejoyce2111@yahoo.com

HERE’S TO YOU! LLC

Heather Nemeth

50 S. Main St., #200 Naperville, IL 60540 331-201-2782

heather@herestoyoullc.com www.herestoyoullc.com

BRUMMEL PROPERTIES

Laura Tomsa/Nikki Sosa

58 Chicago Rd. Oswego, IL 60543

630-551-8005

laura@brummelproperties.com www.brummerproperties.com

PRAIRIE VIEW ORTHODONTICS

Alyssa Morelli

4777 Route 71 Oswego, IL 60543 224-465-5858

alyssamorelli@smiledoctors.com

ALJ DIGITAL LLC

Ashley James

502 Sequoia Ct. Oswego, IL 60543

630-315-0355

ashley@aljdigitalmarketing.com www.aljdigitalmarketing.com

FOAM PARTY ALL STARS

Tim Carstensen

43 Ashlawn Ave. Oswego, IL 60543

630-296-6676

support@foampartyallstars.com

www.foampartyallstars.com

ORANGE THEORY FITNESS

Marlana Pardo

1540 Douglas Rd. Oswego, IL 60543

630-635-8395

Marlana.otf@gmail.com

www.orangetheory.com/en-us/ locations/illinois.oswego.1540douglas-rd

UPPERDECK DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION LLC

Annette Fox

4045 Brady St. Yorkville, IL 60560

815-274-0043

Upperdeck0306@gmail.com

upperdeckdesign.net

SPOTON

Madelyn Erffmeyer 4063 Brady St. Oswego, IL 60543 630-362-2506

www.spoton.com

THE SCOOP

Kelley Rice

108 Main St. Oswego, IL 60543 331-717-2049

MARKET 96 NEIGHBORHOOD DISPENSARY

Anthony Walker

1144 Douglas Rd. Oswego, IL 60543 331-229-6422

www.market-96.com

WASH MY WHIP LLC

James Holod Montgomery, IL 60538 847-877-2485

Jamesholod7@gmail.com

PINZ YORKVILLE

Chris Reum

1205 N. Bridge St. Yorkville, IL 60560 630-385-2724

pinzyorkville@gmail.com

THE OAKS GRILLE

Ryan Auberry 2245 Kennedy Rd. Bristol, IL 60512 630-553-7170

events@oaksgrille.com

www.oaksgrille.com

MARS ITALIAN ICE, INC.

Bob Allen

11 South Madison Street Oswego, IL 60543 312-804-2603

Ambassador: Marsitalianiceinc13@gmail.com