Update - Spring 2014

THECHAMBER Update

SPRING2014 Learn about The Chamber’s new leadership and why it always pays to be a Chamber member!

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- CEO search - Always Buy Chamber - Economic Outlook Survey

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Your Best Interests at Heart

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GREATER SPRINGFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2013 Executive Committee Chairman.............................................................Tom Fitch Harold O’Shea Builders Chairman-Elect.................................... Sheryl Daugherty

Arizona Tile Company 1st Vice Chairman.......................................Elena Kezelis

Memorial Health System Secretary/Treasurer ..................................Cheryl Martin

Kerber, Eck & Braeckel LLP Immediate Past Chairman .................................Jeff Ball

Hanson Professional Services, Inc. At Large Directors R. Lee Allen............................................Sorling Northrup Jim Britton...........Express Employment Professionals Pamela Frazier................................... All In One On-Site Wash & Detail Tom Gihl..........................................Illinois National Bank Jennifer Gill..........................................Springfield Public School District #186 Elena Kezelis..........................Memorial Health System Matt Lamsargis..................Springfield Running Center Andrea McKay...................................... Springfield Clinic

On the cover

Karen Paisley.... Underfanger Moving & Storage, Inc.

2013 Board Chair Jeff Ball of Hanson Professional Services shakes hands with 2014

Janette Peak ................................PJP Auto Enterprises

Board Chair Tom Fitch of Harold O’Shea Builders at the Annual Board Meeting last

Dave Olejniczak................................ St. John’s Hospital

December.

Dr. Diane Rutledge . ....................................... Large Unit District Association

Photo by Terry Farmer Photography

Tim Smith.....................................Evan Lloyd Associates Jim Sullivan.................................................. Design Ideas Dr. Charlotte Warren................................... Lincoln Land Community College

News and Events: 4

Local interest strong in CEO search

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Meet our new Board Chair

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The Chamber travels to Washington, D.C.

Merle Shiffman................................Business/Education Partnership of Sangamon County

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Talking transportation at The Chamber

Barb Weatherford...................................... Ambassadors Town and Country Bank

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Chamber Power at the Annual Gala

Tim Welch .................................................................. YSPN Bank of Springfield

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Small Business Awards preview

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Always Buy Chamber

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New additions for Business Connections

Affiliate Directors Jim Alberts................................. Leadership Springfield FWAI Architects, Inc.

Ex Officio Directors Troy Benavides.................................... Springfield Hotel and Lodging Association Gina Gemberling......................Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau

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Ribbon Cuttings

Hon. J. Michael Houston ...Mayor, City of Springfield

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Business Profiles

Commissioner David Mendenhall...............Sangamon County Board

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Corporate Cup

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Chamber Milestones

Mark Hanna .................... Springfield Airport Authority

Brian Oaks..............Prairie Capital Convention Center Victoria Ringer................... Downtown Springfield, Inc. Tim Rowles....................................The Springfield Black Chamber of Commerce

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Q5:

10 Chamber/Q5 Strategic Plan

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GSCC Staff Grace Capranica...........................................Receptionist Joshua Collins.......Director of Government Relations Kathy Costa............. Membership & Advertising Sales Representative Julia Donohue....................................... Events Manager David Earhart..................Director of Member Services Sarah Graham...Director of Workforce Development Paul Marsh......................................... Research Manager Jim Nelson............. Manager of Business Retention & Expansion Tom Owen............ Membership Sales Representative John Parrish....................................Director of Business .

Expansion & Attraction Lisa Schafer.........Director of Operations/Interim CEO Sharon Theison.................................. Director of Events . & Leadership Springfield Wayne Utterback............... Communications Manager

The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Quantum Growth Partnership 1011 S. 2nd Street Springfield, Illinois 62704 217.525.1173 | www.gscc.org The 2014 Board of Directors met last December at the Annual Board Meeting to prepare and discuss The Chamber’s goals for 2014.

Photo by Terry Farmer Photography

Economic Outlook: 12

Economic Outlook Survey

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How important is data quality to your business?

UPDATE (USP 703 630) is published quarterly by The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, 1011 S. Second Street, Springfield, IL 62704. $6.00 of annual dues for members covers yearly subscriptions. Periodical postage paid at Springfield, IL. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to UPDATE, 1011 S. Second Street, Springfield, IL 62704.

Workforce Education: 14

The Chamber puts business professionals to work for Business Education Week

Diversity Development:

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Building a more diverse workforce in Springfield

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Guiding our young professionals

Transformational Leadership 18

Economic Gardening Program plants new seeds

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News and Events

Local interest strong in CEO search The Chamber’s Board of Directors is making significant progress on selecting your future President and Chief Executive Officer.

development, leading voice (advocacy) and, of course, member services. Our metrics for assessing the relative strengths of our candidates include evaluating their abilities to execute these strategic goals for the benefit of you, our valued members.

When we announced that our focus would be on local candidates, the response from you, our members, was very positive, and interest in the position has been strong.

The Chamber’s Board of Directors has never been more We are now evaluating several finalists from a number of confident or optimistic about our organization’s future. highly qualified candidates, all of whom have proven track While a specific deadline has not been set, be assured that records of leadership and success in our local community. we are assessing candidates diligently and deliberately so as to select the best leader possible for our Chamber. In Last year, The Chamber adopted a well-defined set the interim, The Chamber staff, led by interim CEO Lisa of strategic goals through 2016. These strategies were Schafer, continues to do an outstanding job representing divided into six categories: economic diversification, the interests of Chamber members. workforce sustainability, community impact, diversity

Meet our 2014 Board Chair: Tom Fitch The Chamber is pleased to introduce you to our 2014 Board Chair Tom Fitch.

Fitch, of Harold O’Shea Builders, stepped into his new role as 2014 Board Chair, replacing 2013 Board Chair Jeff Ball of Hanson Professional Services this year.

Tom Fitch, S.E., is Vice President of Harold O’Shea Builders. Tom leads the company’s business-development efforts by identifying new business opportunities and preserving relationships with existing clients. As a licensed Structural Engineer with 22 years of industry experience, he also provides insight into the design and construction process.

A Springfield native, Tom attended University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering/ Structures.

Fitch resides in Springfield with his wife and four children. He is a member of the YMCA Board, the Business-Education Partnership Advisory Board and Heartland Credit Union Board. He also coaches several children’s sports teams.

Additionally, Fitch serves on the Workforce Education Council.

The Chamber is excited to have Tom Fitch serving as the Board Chair for this year and we are looking forward to seeing what the rest of 2014 will bring!

Tom Fitch

Harold O’Shea Builders 2014 Board Chair

Interested in advertising in the Membership Directory edition of the Update?

Call Kathy Costa at 217-525-1173!

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News and Events

The Chamber travels to Washington, D.C.

Chamber representatives, business leaders and local officials speak with Senator Dick Durbin, right, during a trip to Washington D.C. in March.

In March, The Chamber helped coordinate meetings in Washington, D.C. with federal officials and community leaders including Mayor Mike Houston, Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter, officials from the Illinois Air National Guard as well as representatives from the business and labor community. The two main issues discussed in Washington were the Springfield Rail Improvements Project and a new cyber mission for the 183rd Air Base.

The Springfield Rail Improvements Project is the community’s top priority and will take a continued and consistent effort to secure necessary federal funds.

The Springfield and Sangamon County leaders met with each federal elected official, transportation staff

as well as the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration to discuss ways to move the project forward. The Springfield Rail Improvements Project will make our community safer, better connected and will create jobs particularly in the Medical District.

While in Washington, community leaders joined the Illinois National Guard in discussing a cyber mission at the 183rd Air Base. A cyber mission at the 183rd will utilize existing infrastructure already in place for the Air Operations Unit and could create synergies with the private sector as training programs will be in place to train workers allowing the Guard and business community to continue working together building a high quality workforce and national defense.

Talking transportation at The Chamber The Chamber hosted Congressman Rodney Davis’ Transportation Roundtable listening session in February.

Topics discussed included all areas of transportation, including air, water, rail and roads. Congressman Davis is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

At this meeting, the City of Springfield was recognized for its work last year in passing a three year $86 million infrastructure program that will fix the worst streets, sidewalks and stormwater problems along with taking action to begin fixing the backlog of sewer projects. While Springfield serves as an example of fixing our broken infrastructure, it is recognized that more needs to be done at the State and Federal level to adequately address our country’s aging infrastructure.

The Springfield Rail Improvements Project was also discussed. The Springfield community is advocating for a federal program in the next highway bill that will allow communities to apply for funds to help mitigate rail issues. The Springfield Rail Improvements Project is The Chamber’s top federal priority.

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News and Events

145 years of Peace, Love and Chamber Power The 145th Annual Gala brought “Peace, Love and Chamber Power” to the stage and The Chamber would like to thank each and every business and community member who came out to celebrate a great event.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel provided a welcoming and colorful venue along with great food, while The Chamber provided the entertainment and honors to those who are dedicated to making Springfield a better place to live, work and play.

Tom Fitch of Harold O’Shea Builders was inducted as the 2014 board chair by outgoing chair Jeff Ball of Hanson Professional Services.

Chamber volunteers were celebrated for their endless commitment and dedication to assist Sangamon County as a whole through their work with The Chamber.

This year, the Chairman’s Award went to Pam Frazier of All in One On-Site Wash and Detail. Frazier was honored for always being willing to stand up and speak out on critical matters facing The Chamber. Her willingness to tackle the issues of the day, coupled with her thoughtful nature, continue to make her an ideal board member.

Barb Weatherford, Town and Country Bank, was named Ambassador of the Year for the second year in a row and for a record fifth time overall. Weatherford accumulated a total of 10,600 points, turned in seven member prospects, two of whom joined, and helped retain 20 other members. She made all 41 member contacts that were assigned, attended nine Business After Hours and five Good Morning Springfield events, attended more than half of the ribbon cuttings or ground breakings, chaired the Corporate Cup Challenge golf outing and earned the Ambassador of the Month six times.

The President’s Award went to Tom Gihl of Illini National Bank. Gihl worked tirelessly to promote Q5 as the region’s economic development engine. When he was asked to continue in his volunteer role for a few more years, he agreed, serving as a steady hand between the first and second phases. His efforts as Q5 Chair helped guide Q5’s second phase into a strong start.

Entertainment this year was provided by ventriloquist Tom Crowl. Utilizing an array of different puppets, he provided laughs for the evening. His routine ended with P.J. Staab of Staab Funeral Home and Tara Matheson of Central Illinois Community Blood Center as real-life puppets.

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29th annual Small Business Awards Each year, the Small Business Awards Committee canvasses the community in search of the most outstanding entrepreneurs. Here’s your opportunity to join area business owners and leaders, local and state politicians, as well as several small business advocates and employees by attending the Small Business Awards luncheon. We’ll celebrate area businesses and individuals who really care about their community and show it through their outstanding public service.

Awards will be given in six categories: Not-For-Profit Business Director of the Year. New & Emerging Business Person of the Year, Small Business Owner with Sales up to $1 Million, Small Business Owner with Sales $1 to $3 Million, Small Business Owner with Sales Exceeding $3 Million and the Diamond Lifetime Award (over 25 years in business).

The luncheon is prestigious, popular, and a great opportunity to network with your clients and friends.

This is our opportunity to honor the most outstanding entrepreneurs whose ingenuity, hard work and innovation have created and promoted a successful and growing business in the Springfield area.

We’ll celebrate the qualified nominees’ accomplishments and successes on Tuesday, June 24, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Reservations are $27 per person ($32 per person after June 10), and $375 to sponsor a table.

Deadline for registrations is Monday, June 16. You can register for the luncheon now by going to The Chamber’s website at www.gscc.org!

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News and Events

Support your fellow Chamber members – Always Buy Chamber The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce is always calling out to your membership to support one another and “Always Buy Chamber.�

Simply by becoming a Chamber Member, your business or organization is making a statement that you care and support this community.

By supporting our community, you are helping to continually improve the quality of life in Springfield and all of Sangamon County.

Chamber membership is an investment in your business and a commitment to the success of our area’s future growth, progress and well-being.

All members are strongly encouraged to find ways to do business with other like-minded businesses that also support our community. Through this, you will further your commitment and contribution toward the betterment of our community while also providing civic pride for the area.

Whenever possible, members are encouraged and should want to purchase their products and services from their fellow Chamber members. Business to business buying makes sense!

A B C

Reasons for doing business with other Chamber members:

Create jobs in your community New jobs would be generated if local organizations substituted just one in 20 business transactions from service providers outside of Sangamon County to one in the greater Springfield area.

Grow the local economy If organizations within Sangamon County shifted just five percent of their purchasing from out-of-area suppliers to local producers, the local economy would grow by an estimated $154 million in additional goods and services produced.

Expand your business When our local businesses commit to buying and building in the community, the increase in business-to-business commerce will boost sales and revenue.

Reduce cost Sourcing products locally instead of across extended supplychains can decrease transportation costs, lessen the need for large inventories and reduce the damage to products en route.

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News and Events

Business Connections adds new health fair and State of the City address this year

Business Connections 2014 brought businesses and organizations into the Prairie Capital Convention Center for a great day of meeting other businesses and the community at large.

The addition of the health fair this year gave Business Connections a new attraction for participants and visitors.

Health organizations performed various types of screenings throughout the day for visitors.

This year, Mayor J. Michael Houston gave his annual State of the City address before a packed house. The mayor detailed some of the highlights of the current state of Springfield. He went in-depth when discussing the infrastructure investment plan and the timeline for repairs to begin on roads, sewers and sidewalks throughout Springfield.

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Business Connections 2014 was also home to a Social Media Seminar presented by Mid-West Family Broadcasting. The seminar examined how social media has changed the landscape of reaching customers and provided insighful information and powerful new tools to reach new markets.

Speed Networking once again was a great success as it brought in more than 90 business professionals to give their best pitches to other businesses and organizations. Business After Hours closed out the day of events with a great crowd and fantastic food and drinks for those who took advantage of the largest Business After Hours of the year.

Next year will only continue to see Business Connections grow, so make your plans to have a booth and get the exposure your business deserves.

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Q5

Chamber / Q5 Strategic Plan The mission of The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce is to enhance our members’ success and advance our economy. The Chamber’s core functions are to grow the local economy, represent business interests with different

levels of government, promote the community as an excellent place to do business and provide members with opportunities to make connections and build their business network.

Economic Diversification: Increase private Leading Voice: Advocate for an economic sector jobs in the greater Springfield area environment that is more conducive to capital investment and job growth

• Provide direct services to accelerate employment growth & business success.

• Target job growth in our key industry sectors.

• Healthcare and medical development

• Finance and Insurance

• Agribusiness

• Tourism

• Logistics

Workforce Sustainability: Grow, retain and attract qualified people to meet workforce demand

• Work in partnership with area schools and other stakeholders in education to develop an adequate supply of qualified workers.

• Retain highly mobile and talented workers.

• Attract talent in our targeted industry sectors.

• Advocate for public policy that improves the business environment.

• Improve local development policy.

• Assist governmental institutions in the Greater Springfield area.

Member Services: Provide valuable products and services exclusively to members that makes membership an essential business tool

• Develop and enhance member connection opportunities that help expand their markets.

• Create offerings for members that reduce their costs of doing business.

• Enhance programming to increase member business knowledge.

• Effectively and continually communicate the value of our programming to members.

Community Impact: Be an advocate to improve the quality of place in our region

• Work collaboratively with a broad group of stake holders to revitalize the urban core.

• Implement efforts to improve the community’s aesthetics and enhance pride in our region.

• Assist in the community effort to implement the Record of Decision for the Springfield Rail Improvement Plan.

• Work within collaborations that strive to grow the number of visitors to our region.

Diversity Development: Assist the community in its pursuit of inclusion and be more welcoming to all

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• Enhance business opportunities and quality residential offerings in East Springfield, primarily in the Neighborhood of Hope.

• Expand business mentoring and youth employment programs.

• Increase diversity among leaders of boards and commissions in our community.

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Economic Outlook

A glimpse into the latest Economic Outlook Survey The latest Economic Outlook Survey have been compiled and analyzed, providing an interesting look at how local area employers view the state of the economy.

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Results are based on 201 responses to a mixed mode (mail, web, and 0 phone) survey conducted by the Survey Research Office, a unit in the -10 Center for State Policy & Leadership at University of Illinois Springfield.

-20 The survey , conducted biannually (Spring and Fall) since 2008, asks local employers asking them to provide -30 economic expectations for the next 12 months. The Spring 2014 Sangamon -40 County Economic Outlook Survey follows six months after the Fall 2013 survey and includes responses from private sector, public sector, and nonprofit sector employers. The results continue a positive trajectory in expectations about individual firms and sectors, and for the first time since Spring 2012, about the overall economy. When asked about the economic outlooks for their own individual firms, their firm’s sectors, and overall Sangamon County, local employers were positive, with evaluations of the individual’s own firm or business receiving the most positive expectations (IIS of +13), followed by their firm’s sectors (+9), and overall Sangamon County economy (+2). The expectations of overall Sangamon County economy increased 5 points from the Fall 2013 survey and 6 points from the Spring 2013 survey.

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The most positively rated sectors in Sangamon County, in terms of economic expectations for the next twelve months, are the medical sector, the information and communication systems sector, and construction. This is consistent with the Fall 2013 survey which finds the same three sectors with the most positive expectations.

The most negatively rated sectors in the Spring 2014 survey are manufacturing and

Intensity Index Scores of expectations about overall Sangamon County, firm's sector, and own firm across time

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7 2

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-6 -11

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-12

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Spring Fall 2008 Spring Fall 2009 Spring Fall 2010 Spring Fall 2011 Spring Fall 2012 Spring Fall 2013 Spring 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Sangamon County local economy

Organization/firm/business

natural resources/mining.

In the Spring 2014 Sangamon County Economic Outlook Survey, respondents were asked several new questions to gauge attitudes regarding minimum wage and the quality/access of utilities that are essential for businesses to function.

Survey respondents were asked “In general, do you strongly support, somewhat support, neither support nor oppose, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose increasing the minimum wage for employees in Illinois?” Overall, 52.3 percent of survey respondents report that they either somewhat or strongly oppose increasing the minimum wage for employees in Illinois. However, there is some support among employers to increase minimum wage in Illinois. Sixteen percent of survey respondents report that they ‘strongly support’ increasing minimum wage in Illinois while 18.5 percent of survey respondents ‘somewhat support’ such an action.

When we examine employers’ assessment of increasing minimum wage by their type ALWAYS BUY CHAMBER

Firm's sector

of sector, we find large differences. For example, 62.6 percent of private sector employers oppose increasing minimum wage while only 30.1 percent of non-profit sector employers and 34.3 percent of public sector employers oppose increasing the minimum wage. Additionally, 77 percent of survey respondents report that a state law increasing the minimum wage in Illinois would hurt most small businesses.

Overall, local employers are satisfied with the quality and their access to utility services in Sangamon County. Employers are most positive about the quality and access of their water service, natural gas service, and electrical services. They were less satisfied with the quality and access to telecom and cellular services. However, overall their evaluations on these utilities were still positive.

For more information about the survey, please contact Dr. Ashley Kirzinger at (217)206-6591 or email sro@uis.edu. For a PDF of the full report, please visit http://cspl. uis.edu/surveyresearchoffice/.

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Economic Outlook

How important is data quality to your business?

For the past year the business world has been ablaze with talk of “Big Data”, the buzz word describing the integral role that data and analytics will inevitably play in the future of business.

Information has always played a central role in economic progress, but as technology has evolved into an increasingly important piece of the business development puzzle, the underlying need for comprehensive data has grown exponentially.

The Chamber and Q5 understand the importance of quality data in business expansion and attraction initiatives. It is for this very reason that Q5 has implemented several programs aimed to facilitate local economic growth by providing research related assistance.

On the internet you can find an array of free and proprietary tools designed to assist organizations across all business sectors to utilize economic and demographic data to enhance their productivity. For many organizations, simply identifying the appropriate resources to meet their research needs can prove a daunting task. Even with the proper applications, some firms may find it difficult to navigate complex tools or to absorb the associated expenses. This is a gap Q5 is positioned to fill. Q5 is able to provide quality information to investors, businesses, entrepreneurs and community liaisons that may have otherwise been unable to obtain. With this strength in numbers approach, Q5 works on behalf of the community to generate actionable intelligence aimed at enhancing business development in the local economy.

The Q5 research staff is available to field information requests by using a number of resources such as economic and demographic databases and geographic information systems. Our knowledgeable staff is capable of focusing these resources toward a number of different applications, including: workforce and industry analysis, market research and demographic and income profiles. Using state of the art GIS applications, Q5 is capable of extracting household demographic & income variables (even consumer spending patterns) within a radius as precise as a half mile at any point within the community.

It is Q5’s belief that these resources could provide potentially invaluable insights to any entity from an aspiring entrepreneur or an established business to site selectors and other potential organizations interested in investing in our community.

In the first quarter of 2014, Q5 has fielded over a dozen research inquiries on behalf of organizations from diverse backgrounds, including: tourism and hospitality, transportation and

warehousing, retail, local government, national site selection firms and local real estate organizations.

One of the most common research requests received involves collecting occupational wage and salary data for Springfield employers. Evaluating wage data at the local, state, and even national level can be incredibly valuable insuring that the compensation of local workers remains fair and competitive.

If you or your organization is interested in utilizing Q5 research services, please submit your information request using our online Small Business Assistance & Request for Information Form located at: www.gscc.org/rfi.

Please direct any questions you might have regarding the program to Paul Marsh, Research Manager, at 217-525-7713 Ext. 202 or pmarsh@gscc.org.

Wayne Utterback/The Chamber

Welcoming new members The Chamber’s Director of Member Services, David Earhart, left, speaks with an attendee at the New Member Reception held earlier this year. New Members, ambassadors and Chamber staff gathered together to inform those new to The Chamber about the many benefits available to them.

JIM

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Workforce Education

The Chamber sends business professionals back to school for Business Education Week Students roaming the halls of any Springfield Public School in early April might have been surprised to see a different face sitting at the principal’s desk.

This was no April Fool’s joke, but instead part of Business Education Week.

Business Education Week, coordinated by The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce’s Business Education Partnership (BEP), is designated as a time to get community members involved in local conversations about education and our schools. This week is intended to help individuals understand the complex role of the school principal and the teachers so organizations Wayne Utterback/The Chamber get a perspective on the school system from within.

Erin Predmore of Family Service Center, middle, hangs out in one of the classrooms Exposing executives to the everyday decision at The Early Learning Center in Springfield as part of Business Education Week. making, conflict resolution and monitoring that obvious the students respect him and don’t want to disappoint occurs in schools can is an eye-opening experience.

The two programs that the community is invited to participate him,” Weatherford stated. Additionally, Weatherford in during Business Education Week are “Principal for a Day” stressed, “There are a lot of great things going on in and “Business Professionals in the Classroom.” The “Principal Springfield Public Schools and that needs to be highlighted.”

BEP was established in 2005 when The Chamber recognized for a Day” program allows high level employees to shadow a a need to support education by developing business and civic school principal. This provides principals with the opportunity to discuss the challenges they face, inform the participant what partnerships for schools. The BEP incorporates public and students are learning, and how curriculum directly relates private organizations so students can be exposed to multiple career opportunities throughout their to workforce development. Additionally, education. Ultimately the goal is simple: this gives an opportunity for company “There are a lot of great to strengthen the community partnerships representatives to see where they can become things going on in and encourage student achievement. involved in education for Sangamon County.

Springfield Public Schools While being shadowed, Lanphier High The “Business Professionals in and that needs to be School Principal Artie Doss had many the Classroom” program is open to highlighted.” conversations about student achievement all professionals and allows them to with individual staff members and the whole teach a lesson related to their career.

Barb Weatherford school exhibited a strong understanding Additionally, the professionals get a Business Education Week of the overall need for better student detailed view of how a typical classroom participant success. The stronger our education is managed and what teachers encounter systems are, the stronger our businesses with today’s students. Participants find these two programs to be very rewarding because and their workforce become. Currently, the biggest threat they are made aware of the challenges educators face. to economic development is the lack of a skilled workforce.

This year Business Education Week had participants from The BEP hopes early exposure to a variety of careers will Springfield School District #186, Ball-Chatham School District, encourage students to plan for their chosen career path.

The Chamber would like to thank all the businesses and schools and numerous private schools in the area. The week closed with that took part in Business Education Week 2014. Your support an event where all of the participants get together to network and share stories of their experiences. Barb Weatherford, and participation have provided students in Sangamon County Business Banker at Town and Country Bank, participated in a rich educational experience. If you would like to become Principal for a Day this year and spent her day at Lanphier involved with the Business Education Partnership of Sangamon High School shadowing Principal Artie Doss. Weatherford County or Business Education Week, please contact Director was very impressed with the amount of time Mr. Doss spent of Workforce Development Sarah Graham at The Greater in the hallways and in the classrooms talking to students. Springfield Chamber of Commerce directly at 217-525-1173.

“Mr. Doss has high expectations for his students and it’s 14

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Diversity Development

Building a diverse workforce in Springfield The Springfield Project (TSP) is reaching out to offer assistance to a residential construction program that offers training to unemployed and under-employed members in urban communities.

TSP will be providing financial assistance to the tune of $2,500 to help South Town Construction Training Center (STCTC) certify those participating in it. This could lead to potential partnerships on construction projects in the Neighborhood of Hope.

The funds will assist in providing participants with HBI’s Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT). The PACT program and S.T.C.T.C. purpose is to serve diverse populations seeking a career in the building industry, including: • Underserved and court involved youth • Unemployed and displaced workers • Veterans • Secondary and post secondary students • Ex-offenders The PACT curriculum is one of only three the United States Department of Labor recognized pre-apprenticeship curricula, and a nationally recognized certificate will be a great addition to the participant’s portfolio upon completion.

STCTC is driven by the current lack of full-time employment opportunities as well as the low numbers of minority representation in the organized labor trades, and the construction industry. It has also partnered with the Springfield Urban League Male Involvement Program, which has identified several qualified and ready participants and expresses the great need for the training program.

STCTC’s goal is to ensure that the participants receive the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to meet the needs of our employers and industries.

Guiding our young professionals Illinois State Senator Andy Manar, second from right, paid a visit to the Springfield Young Professional Brunch April 5 at Illinois National Bank. The event was sponsored by The Springfield Black Chamber of Commerce and participating partners were Springfield’s Young & Powerful Group, The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce and the Young Springfield Professional Network. The goal of the brunch was to offer mentoring to career-driven young professionals throughout the Springfield area. During the three-hour power brunch, participants were able to network and engage in a workshop about expanding networks.

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Transformational Leadership

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Transformational Leadership

Economic Gardening Program plants new seeds Thanks to Q5 investors, the Economic Gardening program will continue and expand in 2014.

Past participants have seen job growth, expanded sales and new insights into markets previously unknown.

Last year, eleven companies applied and six were selected to participate in the inaugural class of Economic Gardening in Springfield. This year, the goal is to have a total of nine companies complete the program.

To be eligible for the Economic Gardening program, participants must meet the following criteria: •

•

• •

•

•

Currently, three companies have been selected with two additional companies showing interest in the program. Interested parties are encouraged to inquire about participating as soon as possible.

Founded by the Edward Lowe Foundation in 2010, The Economic Gardening Program was first launched in the greater Springfield region in 2013 to help second-stage companies seeking to grow their business. The program embodies a “grow from within” strategy for economic development, which represents a new way of thinking and supporting local entrepreneurs.

With funding from the Quantum Growth Partnership, the Economic Gardening program provides technical assistance from the National Strategic Research Team (NSRT) in the areas of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), market research and business Hillier Moving Ad 1-2 their H (Fallspecific 2012).pdf 1 9/20/12 2:41 PM problem analysis to address growth issues. In short, the Economic Gardening program assists CEOs to identify opportunities and guide the businesses in the right direction.

Be a for-profit, privately-held company that has been headquartered in Sangamon County for at least the past two years.

Generate an annual revenue or working capital of between $1 million and $50 million.

Employ between 10 and 99 full-time employees Demonstrate growth in employment and/or revenue during two of the past five years.

Provide products or services beyond the local area to regional, national or global markets.

Be referred by a participating economic development or entrepreneur support organization (ESO). The Chamber serves as an ESO.

Applications are being accepted through March 31. To apply for the program, visit https://springfield.nationalcentereg. org/ and submit the application. For more information contact John Parrish, Director of Business Expansion & Attraction, at (217) 525-1173 or jparrish@gscc.org.

RELIABLE, DEPENDABLE, PREDICTABLE. Free Estimates • Personalized pre-move planning • On-time pick-up & delivery Expert packing, crating & storage • Managing moves across town or across the world Office & industrial relocation • Computerized records management • Over 180,000 square feet of storage “Original Allied Van Lines Agent Located in Springfield”

Serving the Area Since 1906

HILLIER

STORAGE & MOVING CO.

217/525-8550

U.S. DOT No. 076235 ILL CC #4285 MC-CR

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1-800-500-6683

2728 S. 11th, Springfield, IL 62708 Thomas R. Swift, President

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Ribbon Cuttings & Groundbreakings

Robert’s Seafood 1615 W. Jefferson St. (217) 546-3089

Tossed & Found 1140 W. Reynolds St. (217) 793-9935

Wild Birds Unlimited 1930 S. MacArthur Blvd.

(217) 789-6468

Maids R Us Old School Red Mall, 1275 W. Wabash (217) 757-8872

Sugar Jar Bakery 319 E. Monroe (217) 670-2278

Edgar’s Coffee House/Goodwill 87 W. Plummer in Chatham (217) 789-0400

LA Fitness 2501 Wabash Ave., White Oaks Mall (217) 801-9007

Fresh Fuel Located at LA Fitness (217) 546-9606

Country Inn & Suites 3092 Stevenson Dr. (217) 544-5151

Liberty Tax 1702 Sangamon Avenue (217) 993-1086

The Little Gym of Springfield 3043 Hedley Road (217) 546-8849

III Tomassos Italian Bistro 1130 Legacy Point (217) 546-8990

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News and Events

Ribbon Cuttings & Groundbreakings

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AlignLife 2025 W. Iles Ave., Suite A (217) 787-7500

Contact Ministries 1100 E. Adams St. (217) 753-3939

Alsco Alsco, 315 Lynch St., St. Louis, Mo. (314) 865-4500

Yellow Rose Banquet Hall and Sweet Betty Jane’s 7075 Old Decatur Road, Dawson, IL. (217) 314-9125

Crime Stoppers of Sangamon and Menard Counties 30 year anniversary (217) 788-8324

Engrained Brewing Company 1120 W. Lincolnshire (217) 546-3054

Dr. Sarah Jacobs, DDS 2525 W. Iles Ave., Suite C (217) 546-8840

Batteries + Bulbs 2400 Wabash (217) 679-2345

City Nail Salon 1935 W. Iles (217) 698-1154

La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries 3440 W. Wabash Ave. (217) 787-8070

SkyReel Travels 1039 Wabash Ave. (217) 546-9759

Body Perfect 4525 W. Wabash Ave., Suite 2 (217) 698-8607

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Ribbon Cuttings & Groundbreakings

Aldi 3425 Freedom Drive (815) 941-6020

Katie Young – State Farm Insurance 315 Chatham Road, Suite 102 (217) 679-6585

Gyros Stop 4127 W. Wabash Ave. (217) 546-8830

Simply Fair 2357 W. Monroe (217) 679-0591

4007 Yucan Drive (217) 698-8198

Octapharma Plasma 1770 Wabash Avenue (217) 546-8605

Tribble Vapors 2413 Denver Drive (217) 679-6026

Serv-U 3251 W. Iles Ave. (217) 359-3788

China Towne Ceramics & Fired Art Studio

Merry Maids 350 Wall St. (217) 753-4156

MARIAN AND ALBY love living at Concordia Village.

“We think it has everything. We are impressed with the food and all the choices Concordia Village offers. Most of all, everyone is friendly with a great sense of humor!”

We’re on the grow again!

Concordia Village Senoir Living is expanding to meet your needs. Our expansion plans include 67 new independent living apartment homes with under-building parking, and a Wellness and Arts Center featuring an Indoor Pool, Art Studio, Fitness Center, Game Room, and much, much more!

To learn more about our exciting next phase call 217.793.9429 today!

4101 W. Iles Ave. | Springfield, IL 62711 ConcordiaVillageLiving.org Independent Living | Assisted Living | REACH Short Stay Rehab | Long Term Care

CV14296 Chamber Update Ad - 7.75” x 5.25” - Due 04.11.14

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Always Buy Chamber Business Profile: Womb With A View Chamber member What are some of your goals for 2014? I want since: May 2013 it to keep growing. Right now. I work in Normal, as well. I Name/title:

Kathy

Redmon/Owner

want to get to the point where I am just here, closer to my girls. My girls are at the age where I need to be closer. We are growing quickly.

What services does How has the Chamber benefited you? They put Womb With A View me in contact with some great people for advertising. They offer? We do sonograms have put me in touch with other people to help get a grasp that specialize in gender determination and 3D and 4D imagining of the babies before they are born.

What is one thing that people don’t know about you and your business? I have over 20 years of ultrasound experience. The business is kind of tucked back here in a corner. It is a great environment and we made it nice and cozy.

on ways to get my name out there.

Favorite thing about Springfield? It’s a very diverse little town. I grew up in a not diverse town. We have everything here from every level of life. From very white collar to very blue collar. We see it all. Great schools for the kids and great culture for everybody around, and we are close to St. Louis and Chicago if we wanted to go someplace else. Springfield is just a neat little town.

Business Profile: Midwest DNA & Drug Testing, Inc. Chamber member since: September 2011 Name/title: Dana Shanholtzer/President What services does Midwest DNA offer?

We offer DNA testing such as paternity testing and other familiar relationship type tests. We also do drug and alcohol testing for businesses as well as individuals. We offer federally regulated testing and non-regulated testing services.

What are some of your goals for 2014? We plan to continue to serve the community and grow our business.

What is one thing that sets your business apart from others? Well one thing that a lot of people may not know about us is that we are available 365 days-a-year, 24 hours-a-day. We also do on-site and mobile work. We travel, sometimes several hundred miles for businesses, and we offer emergency service and we do a lot of our work for the local community. We do offer nationwide service and in many cases there is not even an additional fee for that service.

Why did you decide to join the Chamber? We wanted to get to know other businesses in the area and work with them in the community. And it’s been great getting to know other locally owned businesses and business owners.

It has been very beneficial.

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What benefits do you receive from The Chamber? I think one of the primary benefits has been getting to know other business owners; the networking opportunities have been fabulous. Finding out other business in the community that we might not otherwise have been exposed to through those networking opportunities have been fantastic.

What would you tell potential members about your business? Be aware of the requirements for your business. Some people aren’t even aware that they may be required to drug test and we found that sometimes companies have been around for years and years and be required to drug test and not even be aware. If they’re not required to drug test, it is a really good way to achieve a very high quality workforce and we would be more than happy to work with them to discuss all of the different options that are available to them and we can do it in a very cost effective manner. We can help them customize a program that will work specifically for them.

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Always Buy Chamber Business Profile: Sugar Jar Bakery Chamber member since: Name/title:

November 19, 2013

Sabrina Martindale/Pastry Chef and

Owner

What services does Sugar Jar Bakery offer?

We offer wedding cakes, pies, cheesecakes, anything in our case which includes cinnamon rolls, scones and sweet tables.

What is one thing people don’t know about your business? Sugar Jar bakery is “Each batch, from scratch” and that’s our slogan. We don’t use any boxed or premade items. All of our cakes are from scratch and we scale everything out. Buttercream is not the shortening and powdered sugar. I can’t tell you the recipe but it’s not the icing that you would elsewhere. I feel that you can taste fresh ingredients versus something that is premixed. It is more labor intensive, but we have an eye for detail here.

What are some of your goals for 2014?

Looking at my five-year plan and only being three months in, I feel like we’ve already hit our one year

mark. Sales-wise, we are doing awesome. We are downtown and I’d love to see more walkers, but since we opened in November, it has been really cold. When it was warm, we’ve had more than 40 people stop in. Another goal would be to get people to realize that we are different from anywhere else in town.

What are the benefits you receive from The Chamber?

The ribbon cutting was really great. People come in sometimes and say they got on The Chamber’s website and saw that you are a member. I want to go to some more of the events. The people that I met at the Gala were great. I really want to do speed networking.

Business Profile: Urban Sassafras Chamber member since: January 2013 Name/title:

Cassandra Pence Ostermeier/Owner

What services does Urban Sassafras offer? Primarily we offer vintage and fine art for sale.

But I like to tell everyone you can come for free inspiration. We also offer parent-child art classes, once a month. Anything to do with art and creating is up my alley.

What is one thing that people don’t know about you and your business? We have a bunny that hops around the shop! A lot of people don’t realize we are here. We don’t do too much marketing. I really rely CHAMBERUPDATE |

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on word of mouth because I believe that is the best type of marketing. By hosting events or being a part of events or donating to community events like silent auctions, that’s how we get our word out.

What are some of your goals for 2014? If you asked me as a professional business person, it would be “well, let’s raise our profits.” If you ask me as an artist, it would be to just inspire. Inspire kids from ages two to older adults that have always wanted to try something creative but haven’t.

How has the Chamber benefited you? I would say recognition in the community. Getting to know people, I didn’t know before. Again word of mouth.

Favorite thing about Springfield? Obviously my family and friends are here, they are my number one reason why I love living here. We live on a farm that’s by Meijer. Where else can you do that? We have a farm life, but it takes me three minutes to go to Meijer too get whatever I need, and I love that mix.

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Advertisers Index Allied Waste (Republic)rvices........................................7 Bella Milano..............................................................15 Bradley University.....................................................17 CEFCU......................................................................24 Celebrations Catering..............................................11 Concordia.................................................................21 Delta Dental..................................Inside Front Cover Don Smith Paint.........................................................7 First Bankers Trust Company...................................10 GFI Digital.................................................................25 GoWeb1.com.............................................................27 Hanson Professional Services....................................9 HealthLink..................................................................1 Heritage Health.........................................................6 Heartland Credit Union...........................................15 Hillier Storage..........................................................18 Hillier Records............................................................8 Jim Watts Electric......................................................13 Lambert Pools..........................................................15 Lincoln Land Community College............................1 Modern Woodmen.........................Inside Back Cover Premier Print Group..................................................1 Snyder Insurance.......................................................4 Springfield Electric...................................................11 St. John’s Hospital.....................................Back Cover University of Illinois Springfield..............................28 Work Space Solutions................................................24

Mark your calendar for the Chamber Golf Outing!

The Chamber’s 19th Annual Corporate Cup Challenge Golf Outing will be held on Thursday, July 10, at Piper Glen Golf Club.

Presented by Health Alliance, The Chamber’s annual golf outing features Springfield area businesses competing against one another in a shotgun start, scramble format. Each team consists of four golfers with a minimum of one golfer from the sponsoring business. The remaining three golfers can be employees, clients, business associates or business prospects.

The Corporate Cup golf outing will awards prizes in three flights - Championship, Second & Third. The top three teams in each flight will walk away with fantastic prizes, but only the best of the best will win the right to keep the Corporate Cup Challenge trophy. There will also be a group competition within specific business categories with six or more foursomes (i.e. accountants, attorneys, banks, etc.)

In addition to Health Alliance, other major sponsors include CEFCU (Tee Gifts), Memorial Health System (Driving Range) and Town and Country Bank (Putting Green). One sponsorship opportunity is still available.

For more information about the outing, contact David Earhart at (217) 525-1173 x215 or dearhart@gscc.org or visit The Chamber’s website, www.gscc.org, under the Event Calendar.

Big enough to help.

Small enough to care.

Intelligent Interiors – Since 1987 HEALTHCARE • Lobby • Patient Waiting • Offices

The experience to know what matters.

CEFCU® Business Services Jeff Ambrose • 217.546.2010

cefcu.com Federally Insured by NCUA 24

BUSINESS • Reception • Conference & Meeting • Staff Offices

EDUCATION • Flexible Classroom • Instructional Staff • Administration

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WORK SPACE SOLUTIONS BY ROBYN HOVEY We make furniture work for you. cjhrdh@sbcglobal.net 217.553.0123 • robyn.hovey@ki.com CHAMBERUPDATE |

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At GFI we believe in SERVICE EXCELLENCE. We offer the level of SUPPORT our customers deserve and our DEDICATION has earned us the title of TOP 100 DEALERS in the nation by Pro’s ELITE 100.

GFI’s local warehousing, IT, service technicians, support team, and national dealer partnerships has given us the title of a Pro’s Elite Dealer. Only 100 dealers in the nation, with one per market, are awarded this title solely based on how well their service performs compared to other competitive dealers. We are honored to have this award for 3 years in a row.

GFI Digital is Proud to Offer: Copier Solutions

Managed Network Services

Managed Print Solutions

Device Monitoring Solutions

Software Connectivity Solutions

Workflow Solutions

Call us NOW to find out why GFI Digital is the fastest growing technology company in the area and to see how we can reduce your costs and increase your office productivity!

3108 Great Northern Ave., Springfield, IL 62711 | (217) 546-1434

www.gfidigital.com

News and Events

Chamber Member Milestones Continuous Years of Membership The list below represents businesses and organizations in which their Chamber membership anniversary month falls between the months of November and February, are in good standing and have been members of The Chamber for 20 years or more. Thank you for your important support of The Chamber and the business community.

Celebrating 60+ Years

Celebrating 30+ Years

Kerber, Eck & Braeckel LLP

Alexander's Steak House

Celebrating 50+ Years

Comcast Business

Capital Area Association of REALTORS

Drury Inn - Springfield

Hanson Professional Services Inc.

FWAI Architects Inc.

Charles E. Robbins Real Estate, Inc.

The Horace Mann Companies Manpower Springfield Downtown Parking, Inc.

Excel Decorators Gietl Brothers, Inc.

Butler Funeral Homes & Cremation Tribute Center Hurwitz Enterprises, LLC Lincoln Land Development Co. Lincoln Office, LLC Neuhoff Media Springfield

Lawrence Travis & Co., P.C.

Sojourn Shelter & Services, Inc.

McGladrey (Jeffrey Swanberg)

The State Journal- Register

Midwest Computer Consultants, Inc.

Walton and Associates Architects, P.C.

NAI True - Commercial Real Estate Services, Worldwide

WRSP-TV / FOX 55 Illinois

Illinois Air National Guard

WSEC/PBS Springfield

Kelly Services, Inc.

Celebrating 20+ Years

Kerber, Eck & Braeckel LLP (Dale Becker)

Ace Sign Co.

Steckel-Parker Architects, Kerber, Eck & Braeckel Inc. LLP (Stephen Povse) United Way of Central Knight's Action Park Illinois, Inc. & Caribbean Water Adventure Celebrating 40+ Years Mary Bryant Home for American Metals Supply Co., Inc.

Selvaggio Ornamental & Structural Steel, Inc.

the Blind and Visually Impaired

Memorial Health System Merrill Lynch Micropower Computer Systems Myers Family Properties

American Central Insurance Services, Inc. (Dennis Lister) BART Transportation CDS Office Technologies Cook-Witter, Inc. Estes, Bridgewater & Ogden (Michael Fafoglia) Graham & Hyde Architects, Inc. (Michael Zellers) GTECH Corporation

O'Connor Mailing Service, Inc.

Hanson Professional Services Inc. (John Coombe)

Party Creations, Inc.

Illini Bank

President Abraham International Brotherhood Lincoln Springfield - a of Electrical Workers, Springfield Convention & DoubleTree by Hilton Local 193 Visitors Bureau Hotel Jim S. Lopinski, P/L Springfield Mass Transit PRN HealthCare Services Accountants and District Consultants Sangamo Club University of Illinois Adarsh A. Kumar, MD, Scott & Scott, P.C. Springfield FRCP, FAAD Solomon Colors, Inc.

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Northfield Inn, Suites & Conference Center Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 137 Quality Inn & Suites Ramada Springfield North Regions Bank Robert Morris University Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois Sikich LLP (Joseph Brockamp) Skinner, Copper and Ehmen Wealth Management Springfield Center for Independent Living Springfield Theatre Centre Throop & Son Tree Service, Inc.

Majors for the next generation of change leaders Communication

Global Studies

Public Administration

Criminal Justice

History

Public Affairs Reporting

Environmental Sciences

Legal Studies

Public Health

Environmental Studies

Political Science

Social Work

www.uis.edu

admissions@uis.edu

(217) 206-4847

Fraternal financial – what’s that?

We’re fraternal – We offer benefits, social activities and volunteer opportunities to our members.

We’re financial – We help members plan for life with personalized advice and quality financial solutions. Let’s talk.

Modern Woodmen of America

Meredith Ferguson, FIC, CFFM 2160 S. 6th St., Ste. D Springfield, IL 62703 217-679-2004 Meredith.Ferguson@mwarep.org

Career Opportunities Available

The hospital with a history of leading the way is breaking new ground once again.

At St. John’s, our ground-breaking renovation efforts are bringing some of the world’s most advanced medical innovations right here to Springfield.

Equipped with the latest operating room technology and a state-of-the-art automated data sharing system, our newly constructed surgery center is designed to improve collaboration and enhance patient outcomes.

To find out how St. John’s is leading the way to a brand new day in health care, visit elevatingstjohns.com.

elevatingstjohns.com