SVM_Dixon Living Fall 2023

The forecast for a night out at a new bar: Sonny and mild.

Dixon man turns the industrial into the inspired

Need some office space? A solution is in the Works

A look at local life through the lens: Dixon homecoming

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When it comes to making people’s day, the CEO of KSB believes we can all lead the way, and he’s hoping that people who want to learn how PAGE will take a page from his book 22

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Publisher/Ad Director Jennifer Heintzelman Magazine editor & Page design Rusty Schrader For Advertising Contact Jill Reyna at 815-631-8774 or jreyna@saukvalley.com Published by Sauk Valley Media 113 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, IL 61021 815-284-2222 Have a story idea for Dixon Living?

E-mail rschrader@saukvalley.com Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Dixon Living may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media.

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22 Giving it his Best

When it comes to making people’s day, the CEO of KSB believes we can all lead the way, and he’s hoping that people who want to learn how will take a page from his book .

inside Sonny & mild

The owners of a new bar in town want people to know that there’s a laid back place where they can go to have a few drinks and socialize — they just don’t want to shout about it.

14

Metalmorphasis

A craftsman who’s tapped into his creative side makes the most out of the metal in his Dixon shop, transforming the industrial in the inspired.

28

Need an office? It’s in the Works

Whether you’re a budding business that needs an office, a committee looking for somewhere to confab, or a podcaster who could use a studio, you can find your suite spot in Dixon.

Plus ... A look at local life through the lens: DIXON

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Dixon volleyball player Emma Olson was all smiles Sept. 29, during the Dixon High School homecoming parade.

AWMEDIA .COM PHOTOS BY ALEX T. PASCHAL | APASCHAL@SH

The Dixon High School girls golf team.

Dixon High School soccer players (top) and members of the football team (bottom), toss candy during the parade.

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The marching band led the parade across the Peoria Avenue bridge.

Members of the Dixon High School Theater Department

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d l i M y n n o S

n want people w to in r ba w ne a of rs ne The ow place where ck ba id la a s e’ er th at th to know and socialize ks in dr w fe a ve ha to go n they ca out about it sh to t an w t n’ do st ju ey th —

En jo y th e b a r th a t' s a s I hear he's been Why it's my old chum, Bob. where he can ce pla et qui looking for a nice, a few drinks. kick back, relax and enjoy

k me up on Say, Bob, I'm glad you too a drink at for my invitation to join me the place? of k thin you Sonny's. What do

It really does Gee, Bill, Sonny's is swell! place " where a as tion uta live up to its rep — cheers! it's happy hour, every hour"

Story By Cody Cutter

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CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Above: At Sonny’s Bar, John and Lori Sheridan offer a more laid-back and low-key alternative to the bar scene. “Some of the other bars you go to, the youth all play the jukebox and love rock and roll, or love the sports, but this is a different thing,” John said. “It’s not going to be one of those hooting-and-hollering bars.

People like it quiet, and that’s the idea.”

you’re the kind of person who likes to pull up a stool and turn down the volume, Lori and John Sheridan have just the place.

It’s a new bar in Dixon, where there are only a few rules: Relax, enjoy yourselves, and no hootin’ or hollerin.’

The Sheridans opened Sonny’s Bar on June 22, bringing more of a relaxed, retro vibe to the local bar scene. No wall-to-wall TVs barking out games, no loud music pounding on the ear drums.

“We like to go out and talk and socialize, and that’s what we look for in a bar,” Lori said. “The majority of the people come in and have two or three cocktails and socialize. We’re not trying to get out of the box, but wanted to do something a little more unique and different. This is really a couples’ bar, or two girls wanting to have a glass of wine and chat kind of place.”

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/CCUTTER@SHAWM

TTER PHOTOS: CODY CU EDIA .COM

It’s the kind of place the Sheridans like to go when they go out — and they’re not alone.

John said they aren’t the only ones who prefer a more laid back atmosphere at a bar.

“Some of the other bars you go to, the youth all play the jukebox and love rock and roll, or love the sports, but this is a different thing,” John said.

“It’s not going to be one of those hooting-and-hollering bars. People like it quiet, and that’s the idea. It’s something different that hasn’t been offered here.”

Sonny’s could be described as more of a cocktail lounge, although a selection of domestic beers is available. Though cocktail lounge had its heyday during the 1950s and ’60s, the Sheridans are helping bring it back to Dixon.

Sonny’s has a vintage vibe that’s a throwback to the days of cocktails and cool.

“We’re a coktail lounge,” Lori Sheridan said.

“We like the word ‘swanky.’ That was the whole concept of what I wanted to do in here.”

SONNY’S cont’d to page 9

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WM CODY CUT TER/CCUTTER@SHA EDIA .COM

Sit back and relax ... Sonny’s offers comfy seating inside and out, including more intimate spots inside set aside for some oneon-one time with a friend.

Among the bar’s stock are whiskey, bourbon and vodka, and old-fashioned cocktails have been a customer favorite — but it’s not just an old-fashioned crowd that comes in. The Sheridans said younger people stop by too, the 20- and 30-somethings who enjoy the bar’s relaxing retro vibe. Maybe they’ve seen bars like it in a movie, maybe they’ve heard their grandparents talk about kicking back with a cocktail — or maybe they’ve heard about a Dixon bar where smoking is still allowed ... as long as it’s in a drink glass.

Customers can order a smoked old-fashioned, where the drink is placed in a cocktail cloche, with smoke fed into the glass dome that sits on a wood base, giving the drink a smoky flavor — and it looks pretty darn neat, too, with wisps of smile rising from the glass.

SONNY’S cont’d to page 10

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SONNY’S cont’d from page 9 “They’ve heard of them, they’ve heard their grandpa talk about them, or their uncle,” John said. “They want to know what it is and they try one and like it.”

Even the bar lends itself to enjoy conversation with friends and fellow patrons — the U-shaped bar puts the emphasis on you.

“You’re not sitting straight across in a line, and some people get left out that way. This way, nobody gets left out. Once you’re in one, you can realize why it’s so much nicer,” Lori said. “By the time you’re in here and having a couple of cocktails, you’re already talking to another person.

Conversations really do happen and nobody gets left out.”

“Any time I’ve been in a tavern with a horseshoe, or a box kind of setup, people see each other,” John added. “Here you can see and talk to everybody.”

SONNY’S cont’d to page 11

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

The Sheridans say that Sonny’s U-shaped bar is more conducive to conversation than a bar where everyone just sits in a line. “Any time I've been in a tavern with a horseshoe, or a box kind of setup, people see each other,” John said. “Here, you can see and talk to everybody.”

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SONNY’S cont’d from page 10

Where there’s smoke, there’s firewater ... Order an old-fashioned with a little smoke for something different at Sonny’s.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Elsewhere, a pair of partially enclosed seating areas offer a little more intimacy, with cozy chairs where people can kick back and enjoy each others’ company without competing with other conversations.

“When I decided that I wanted to do this, I decided that I wanted something that, if people wanted to have some private time, they could sit over there with the couches and all of that,” Lori said. “We get a lot of people that do that.”

The bar’s quiet nature doesn’t mean there’s no music; it’s just more laid back, reminiscent of lounge singers and instrumental combos with a marimba beat. There’s also a piano where you can tickle the ivories.

The decor fits the vibe, too, an eclectic mixture — a cool, classic cocktail hour vibe.

The Sheridans also promote the business with a touch of vintage advertising on platforms not so vintage. Sonny’s Facebook page is filled with retouched graphics of golden-age advertising that promote their drink specials and special events.

SONNY’S cont’d to page 12

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SONNY’S cont’d from page 11 “We’re a cocktail lounge,” Lori said. “We like the word ‘swanky.’

That was the whole concept of what I wanted to do in here. We don’t have a jukebox. It’s quiet. I’ll play soft music, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, that type of music.”

The Sheridans lease the space from Kevin Considine, who owns the building.

The Sonny’s name came from a nickname John used to give Kevin when they worked together at The Stables bar across the street. Sonny’s is one of four bars on the zero-block of South Galena Avenue, but strives to stand apart from the rest.

“We want to make it more of a lounge than a bar, and make it easy to socialize,” Lori said. “It’s amazing how many people come in and say, ‘I had a friend come and tell me that I had to come in here and see this place.’ Bars have their regulars, and we knew we were going to have that coming in. We’ve been lucky with picking up a lot of clientele.” n Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

INFO

Sonny's Bar, 84 S. Galena Ave., is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Find “Sonny's Bar” on Facebook or call 815-6779491 for more information.

12 | A Shaw Media Publication | Dixon Living | Fall 2023

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14 | A Shaw Media Publication | Dixon Living | Fall 2023

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Trobey Trotter has became a master of metal, creating pieces in his Dixon workshop that he sells at local events and online, through his home business, Trobey’s Forge.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

he sounds of metal meeting machinery can often be heard in a north side Dixon neighborhood when Trobey Trotter is home from his day job. The whir of a sander. The whizzing of a saw. Clangs and creaks. A press pouring on the pressure.

It’s the sound of art in progress.

It’s also the sound of the daily grind, metal against spinning stone, but that grind is anything but tedious. For Trobey, it’s a sense of pride in transforming hunks of metal into creative creations. Some people use a paint brush or colored pencils in their art, but not Trotter: he wields saws, jigs and sanders to churn out one-of-akind pieces.

Trotter is the mind behind the metal work at Trobey’s Forge, where he’s spent the past six years honing his craft. Whether it’s a sign, a key holder, or bringing a family crest to life, Trotter’s mind is always coming up with ways to rise to the creative challenge.

“People don’t always look at this as art,” Trotter said. “It is, because I’m drawing it out on a computer and I still need that mental component to do that.”

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TROBEY cont’d from page 15 The forge combines Trotter’s background in manufacturing; computer-aided design (CAD) drawing; and combines it with his interests in history, science fiction and fantasy. Some his most recent, include a shelf inspired by the “TARDIS” time travel machine from the British show “Doctor Who,” shields from the video game series “Zelda,” and Klingon and Romulan emblems from “Star Trek.”

Trotter also does commissioned work for customers, such as business signs and welcome signs. He works out the details with customers — helping them determine the best size for piece, its center of interest, what fonts fit best — and then works up the design and fires up the tools. For most of his projects, he’ll plasma cut the design into a flat piece of metal, form them with a box-and-pan brake tool, clean the piece with an orbital palm sander, and then powder coat it to add color.

TROBEY cont’d to page 17

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eed a koozie dispenser?

Can do! Trobey works on a dispenser for can koozies in his shop, an item that’s proven popular with his customers.

Shapes are cut into the metal, which is then sanded and bent into shape before getting powder coated for color.

TROBEY cont’d from page 16 With years of experience under his belt, Trotter has gotten pretty good at mastering metal. As he says on his Facebook page: “I make what you can think up!”

Trotter is sharing his talents in his hometown after spending a couple of decades away. A 1994 Dixon High School graduate, Trotter lived in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for nearly 20 years before coming back home a few years ago to take care of his father. Back in Minnesota, he worked in manufacturing for a few years before he, in his own words, “got too old” for the work. Then he turned to drafting, learned a new skill and found a new passion at Anoka Technical College in Anoka, Minnesota.

As he learned new skills, he combined them with his background in manufacturing and his interest in fantasy, fiction and adventure. The combination led him to try his hand at creating shields and other armor used in centuries gone by.

TROBEY cont’d to page 18

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make what you can think up”

Masks, outdoor decor, a family tree — Trobey’s customers have thought up a lot of things for him to make. Check out more of his work on his Facebook page, at Trobey’s Forge.

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TROBEY cont’d from page 17 As with any new skill, it took some time and trial and error to master it — “I was unfortunately ruining more than what I was making,” Trotter said — but eventually practice made perfect and Trotter got the pieces to his liking. Once he mastered the technique he was able to tap into his creativity.

“Then I had someone ask me, ‘So you did this, can you do that?’ It became way deeper than I expected, but it just kind of progressed from there, and I’m like, ‘You know what, I can do this.’ I started doing signs, and then whatever else that came out of my head.”

While still in Minnesota, his clientele was limited to friends and coworkers, but since he came back home to Dixon, he’s pushed himself to share his talents with the community. He’s set up tables at the Dixon City Market, The Next Picture Show’s CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM Nuts About Art festival, the Grand Detour Arts Festival, and Boggio’s Orchard in Granville.

Sometimes sales have been good, and other times not as much, but it’s all eftovers? Don’t scrap ‘em — part of the learning curve.

Seeing how people respond to different items helps use ‘em ... Trotter doesn’t like to see things him learn what sells well and what doesn’t. go to waste, so he turns his scrap metal into “Just because I like something, it doesn’t mean I have the same interests as pieces, too, like this frog. “My brain went, ‘I other people,” Trotter said. “I’m trying to find that market niche of what other don’t want to throw these away,’ so I just kept people would like so I don’t make too many of one that nobody wants.” them,” Trotter said. “I have a little bit of an environmentalist side, so I don’t like waste.”

TROBEY cont’d to page 21

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TROBEY cont’d from page 20

“My brain went, ‘I don’t want to throw these away,’ so I just kept them,” Trotter said. “I have a little bit of an environmentalist side, so I don’t like waste. FinancialTrotter is always looking for new ideas ly, I don’t like waste, either. I could do something with all of that. I’ve gotten better and sometimes he finds them at his about not having a giant tub of material sitting in the corner thinking, ‘I could use job, as a mechanical designer for Sewer this somewhere.’ That’s what defined my scorekeepers for cornhole; when I do these Equipment in town. The idea of a metal koozie holders, I always have a strip about this wide dispenser for foam can koozies was and about that long.” inspired by a co-worker. Once he had Trotter also sells his creations on the crafting the idea, he began to design it in his website Etsy. Some of his works have gone as far head, before sketching it out on paper, as Australia, Portugal and the Netherlands. When before working up the final design on he needed to ship a 28-inch dragonfly he made, he computer. designed it so that it could be taken apart and re-as“Everyone has a bag or a drawer of sembled for easier shipping. koozies some“I like history, and I was watching [on where if they Check out samples of Trobey ’s work on TV] about how big bugs used to be back in drink,” Trotter Facebook at Trobey's Forge; as well as Ins- the prehistoric era,” Trotter said. “It was 28 said. “One tagram and Twitter (both @Trobeysforge). inches. Part of the challenge that I enjoy of the guys at Go to etsy.com/shop/trobeysforge to browse with making stuff like this — and hate — is work asked me, through Trotter's works for sale. that shipping is expensive. I needed to ‘Can you make a figure out how to ship this thing. Part of koozie dispensthe design process is that I have to go into it and see where I can break it down simple er?’ Well, I had a koozie at my desk, and I enough that other people can put it together.” measured it out.”

Trotter said that, down the road, “I would like to eventually make this the only thing Sometimes, he even gets inspiration I’m doing. It comes down to trying to find that product line, and find the vein of what from leftovers. Trotter was able to take people want and like and getting a customer base. With Etsy, I’ve done pretty well.” scraps from the koozie holder project In doing so, he’ll be sure to leave no scrap unturned. and turn them into score markers for the “There’s money on my table,” Trotter said. “I have to find it.” n cornhole yard game.

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GIVING HIS

BY CODY CUTTER SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

avid Schreiner knows a few things about leadership.

He’s in charge of an operation that employs nearly 1,000 people, a place where decisions can mean the difference between life and death. He’s even earned a degree in the subject.

You could say he wrote the book on leadership.

A little more than a year after the CEO and President of KSB Hospitals earned his doctoral degree in values-driven leadership, Schreiner has written “Be the Best Part of Their Day: Supercharging Communication with Values-Driven Leadership,” a book that shares his approach to leadership and the philosophy behind it.

Published by Advantage Media (the book publishing arm of Forbes), it will be released Jan. 16, beginning with online sales on Amazon; preorders are scheduled to begin in late November. An audio book also is planned.

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SCHREINER cont’d from page 23 What led the way to adding “author” to his list of accomplishments? The book’s title pretty much sums it up: He wants to help make people’s day — and that, he said, can be accomplished through good leadership.

“We’ve all heard stories about ‘one smile,’ or ‘one kind comment,’ or, ‘somebody held the door open for me,’ and sometimes it gives people a little bit of hope, and that’s really what this book is about. How do we do that more often?” he said. “If I have time to spend with my son, I want to make sure I make his day better. We can add that to the people we work with, people who you go to church with. Can you say something uplifting, as opposed to jumping in with a lot of negative communication that’s out there — we hear a lot of that.

Let’s take the opposite of that and be the best part of someone’s day.”

In his book, Schreiner identifies 15 different ways to improve leadership skills through three topics. Included are stories and examples that he personally has seen through his work at KSB, as well as his research for his dissertation through five other hospitals and their administrations.

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SCHREINER cont’d from page 24 While Schreiner’s experiences often involve interacting within a professional workplace, the concepts he details in his book also can apply to everyday situations.

“If I can take these 15 things and go, ‘Here are five that I’m doing well, here are five that maybe I think about once in a while, and five that I’ve never really considered’ — and can I add more to that ‘do well’ list, or maybe bring one of those things that I’m not doing and maybe do it once in a while? The goal is to engage more effectively, and if these tips help with that, then the book did what it was supposed to do.”

A native of Crawfordsville, Indiana, Schreiner’s medical career began in 1986 as a radiology technician at Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare in Clinton, Missouri, a town of nearly 9,000 people southeast of Kansas City. He joined KSB in 1989 as its director of medical imaging, supervising its radiology department, and became President and CEO in 2011, having earned a master’s degree in health services administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet leading up to his appointment.

Schreiner also became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives during his hospital leadership, adding “FACHE” to his

post-nominal collection of letters before adding a few more — Ph.D — in 2022 with a doctorate in philosophy. He added doctor to his list of accomplishments after successfully defending his dissertation through Benedictine University in Lisle, titled “What CEO Practices help Rural Hospitals engage Constituents in Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous Times?”

The answer: Be engaged and connectible at a personal level from top to bottom in the workplace, and focus and invest in the community.

SCHREINER cont’d to page 26

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SCHREINER cont’d from page 25 “CEOs of independent, rural hospitals face increasingly challenging times for their organizations and patient communities,” Schreiner wrote to open the abstract of his dissertation. “The need to engage multiple stakeholders to sustain these hospitals is paramount. This inductive study explored how rural hospital leaders seek and maintain effective engagement with patients, employees, physicians, board members and community leaders.”

Upon learning of his successful defense from his professors, he also took a piece of advice from them. Earning his doctorate has opened up opportunities for Schreiner to share his expertise, and not just locally. Fellow leaders from as far as Canada and Ireland have sought his expertise. That, in turn, led him to write his book.

“They said, ‘We think you got something, and something unique that’s not in the literature today,’” Schreiner said. “I wanted to take this to a broader audience. Not everybody wants to read 40 pages of academic articles, so I enjoyed writing the book.”

Schreiner’s determination to be a lifelong learner of all things leadership has made an impression on those he works with at KSB, including his chief of staff, Nancy Varga.

“It filters down through the executive team, and they embrace that same type of philosophy that’s in the book,” Varga said. “Certainly Dave is sharing it with our leadership team, and in turn, he pushes us to make sure that they share the same things with their departments. It’s cascading, and blows your mind, too. It has definitely made a difference.”

Schreiner’s dedication to improving and fine-tuning leadership skills also has made

an impression on his fellow members of KSB’s board of directors.

Board President David Hellmich, who’s also president of Sauk Valley Community College, was pleased to see Schreiner’s commitment to positive leadership.

“As the Chair of the KSB Board of Directors, I want to emphasize how proud I and the other directors are of Dr. Schreiner for his Hellmich many accomplishments, not the least of which is his upcoming leadership book,” Hellmich said. “Dave has built a well-deserved national reputation as a thoughtful healthcare leader, and his book will help guide professionals as they navigate local challenges. It’s a wonderful bonus that Dave will denote a portion of the book’s proceeds to the KSB Hospital Foundation.”

SCHREINER cont’d to page 27

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SCHREINER cont’d from page 26

David Schreiner’s new book, “Be The Best Part of Their Day,” will be available in January at Amazon. com; preorders begin in late November. Go to drdavidschreiner.com for more information. A portion of book sales will benefit the KSB Hospital Foundation; go to ksbhospital.com/ foundation to learn more.

Schreiner has also served in a leadership role on several statewide boards and task forces focused on hospital and healthcare issues, including the Illinois Hospital Association. For 25 years, he’s also been a member of the adjunct faculty at St. Francis, teaching graduate courses on healthcare administration. In 2007, he was honored with the prestigious Citizen of the Year award by Dixon Chamber of Commerce and Main Street.

Work isn’t the only place where his leadership skills come in handy — having them helps at home, too.

Schreiner and his wife, Stephanie, live in Dixon and have two children, Kaile of Dixon and Andrew of Chicago, and two granddaughters, Klara and Nova.

“I think it works in a lot of different places,” Schreiner said. “I’ve found that it works in my personal life, so when I work with family and when I work with friends, some of the same concepts that come across in the book also translate into better personal interactions.”

“What I did was take my academic approach through my dissertation, and take those same concepts and add stories around it in my book,” Schreiner said. “I was looking for ways that I could engage more completely, engaging by connecting and communicating with different groups — people I report to, which are the KSB Hospital Board of Directors; our colleagues; people here at work and our KSB family; people in the community; our physicians — and taking a look at that group and finding out how to communicate better.”

What he found was a way to help people turn a page in their lives by turning a page in his own life, making the leap from academic to author and putting his approach to leadership into a book that he hopes will help today’s readers become tomorrow’s leaders.

Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

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ver hear that old familiar reply when you call a business or organization: “I’m away from my desk right now, but if you’ll leave a message …” ?

But what do people do when they don’t have a desk to be away from?

Some of them go looking for office space, and they’ve found it in Dixon, at RiverWorks Coworking, a company where anyone who needs some office or meeting space can rent some — be they emerging entrepreneurs, a longtime business, social service organizations, or anyone else who needs a professional place to stay on task.

It’s the kind of business that you probably wouldn’t have seen a lot of just a few years ago, but shifting trends in the workforce have put the business in demand — helped in no small part by a virus.

Coworking is a relatively recent concept in which people from different companies share a common office space. It predates COVID, but the business model began to really take off once the pandemic changed the way we looked at the workplace.

RIVERWORKS cont’d to page 30

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RIVERWORKS cont’d from page 29 People don’t necessarily work under one roof anymore; many are working under their own roof. Home offices have been become extensions of our employers, where one-time office workers get the job done at home now.

But sometimes, you just need some space — office space, meeting space, a place to podcast. That’s where RiverWorks can help.

Dixon-based Everest Hospitality owns the business, along with another one like it in Madison, Wisconsin, where the operation did so well that owner Lance Schaefer decided the time was right to expand. That’s when he bought a building in Dixon, near the busy intersections of East Everett Street and Galena Avenue, and after nine months of renovations, RiverWorks Coworking opened in November 2021.

RIVERWORKS cont’d to page 31

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RIVERWORKS cont’d from page 30 “The experience of opening [the Madison] office led to the idea that something like that could work here in Dixon,” Schaefer said. “It really depended on the right location and building. When this building became available, it was a good fit. With remote work becoming more and more popular, and with startups and with people deciding to go out on their own, it seemed like this concept fit that pretty closely.”

Two floors of space are available, both with dedicated office suites as Owner well as stand-alone desk-and-chair Lance Schaefer pods (called “flex desks”). Of(left) and Community fices are furnished with desks Manager Chance Munroe and chairs, and clients have operate RiverWorks Coworking, access to high-speed internet a place where businesses and inand wi-fi service, faxing, copdividuals can rent office space or iers, printers, shredders and even something as small as a office supplies. There’s even desk and chair to get work a cafe-style break room with done in a professional coffee and kitchenware provided. setting.

RIVERWORKS cont’d to page 30

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RIVERWORKS cont’d from page 31 Of the suites, 20 are furnished with three desks and a flex-style chairs, and there’s a larger, team office with five full desks and a pair of smaller ones. Nearly 15 businesses occupied RiverWorks’ spaces at the end of September.

The building also has a 14-chair conference room with tables, an 85-inch monitor and speaker set-up for computer presentations, and a tiered lighting system. The conference room has been used by several local business and social service organizations.

Overseeing the Dixon operation is Chance Munroe, the Dixon office’s community manager. It’s a position that encompasses tasks big and small, from keeping supplies stocks to handling rental arrangements and managing utility bills. His job is to make client’s job go off without a hitch. Keeping things running smoothly helps clients focus on the work they came there to do, and that can go a long way in helping them succeed in their business, Munroe said.

Check out this office pod ... RiverWorks’ studio

provides a professional place to record podcasts, and features audio equipment, seating for up to three and an on-air light outside the studio door; and if you’re new to podcasting, monthly instructional sessions are available.

RIVERWORKS cont’d to page 33

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RIVERWORKS cont’d from page 32 “They’re investing into that rather than going out and getting into a brick-and-mortar and setting up all of the utilities,” Munroe said. “It gives people who aren’t ready to make that jump to their own brick-andmortar and running their own facilities an opportunity to grow.”

RiverWorks draws a mix of clients: professionals who need a place to meet, people from outside of town looking for some conference space, a business that’s being remodelled and needs some temporary office space, people running a home business who need a break from distractions at home.

“We have a lot of social services here, a lot of therapists and counselors,” Munroe said. “They all really enjoy it because it’s a nice and quiet setting.”

RIVERWORKS cont’d to page 34

Whether you just need a place to sit and work, or your own office space, RiverWorks Coworking has space to fit your needs. Left: “Flex desk” stations are a simple sit-and-work platform that people can rent for single days or up to a month at a time. Right: Office suites come furnished with a desk, filing cabinet and chair. Inset: For people who prefer to stand when they work, adjustable desks are available.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Kreider Services’ 2023-2024 “This Little Light of Mine” Annual Appeal is just around the corner. And speaking of corners, once again, the tree on the corner of Galena Avenue and River Road will get a little brighter each week... with a little help from our friends beginning this November.

Each $25 donation will light a bulb on our ‘Strand of Giving’ and will give back to programs within Kreider Services.

For more information on how you can join us this coming season, please contact Sue Ely at 815-288-6691.

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RIVERWORKS cont’d from page 33

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Leases are monthly, with discounted rates for arrangements of more than six months.

“We have a variety of different types of people who are working here,” Schaefer said. “We have startups, where someone has a business idea but doesn’t know how it’s going to go, but they’ll give it a shot. You’ve got small businesses where they’re just a oneor two-person office and the space works perfect. You’ve got remote workers who may have started at home, but are like, ‘I got to get some stuff done here.’ They’ll come in maybe three or four days a week for a set period of time, whenever they like, and it’s a Every place where they can just settle down and office needs a get things done without distractions.” breakroom, and RiverRiverWorks also has a podcast Works Coworking provides studio. Seating is available for two or one, giving clients a place three people, with two quality microto unwind. It’s got just about phones and a top-of-the-line Rodeeverything you need — seatcaster production board inside, and ing, microwave, TV, air fryer, a red “on air” light outside the studio toaster, dishes and a door. Rates are hourly, with a four-hour C coffee maker U TT M discounted rate available.

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RIVERWORKS cont’d from page 34 Podcasts’ popularity has increased in recent years, and both Munroe and Schaefer see a lot of potential in the medium’s ability to share information.

“I’ve been pushing to try to get more people to utilize it,” Munroe said. “It’s an education process. It’s a pretty new thing to this area, and most of the people who are already into that already have their own setup, so it’s trying to get them to come here to see if ours is on par, or better, than what they are using.”

Need to learn more about podcasts?

Monthly Podcasting 101 sessions are offered.

“The challenge for us is to try to get people who have toyed with the idea of podcasting,” Schaefer said. “We’ve found ways to get some sort of training going on, or get someone paired with someone to show them how it works, and take it from there.”

It’s all part of the company’s goal of giving people the space they need to succeed.

“What we do with our space is to pull a lot of things together to help someone grow and take it to the next level,” Schaefer said. n Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

RiverWorks Coworking, 114 E. Everett St., is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Find it on Facebook or Instagram (@riverworkscoworking), go to dixonriverworks.com or call 815-770-7055 for more information.

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