www.decaturchamber.com
May 2011
Chamber News A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE GREATER DECATUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Businesses Shine at Expo The Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce and Herald & Review hosted over 900 visitors to the 2011 Chamber Business Expo on Wednesday, April 6, at the Decatur Civic Center. The VIP Preview Party, held on Tuesday, April 5, had over 350 attendees who enjoyed live music from DreamVizion Productions and food from The Beach House. The Chamber Business Breakfast featured Mayor Pro-Tem Patrick Laegeler who spoke to over 175 attendees and congratulated the winners from the local election. Laegeler gave the State of the City Address which provided insight into plans to spur local job creation and recruit retail establishments, downtown streetscape development and lakefront development. On the day of the Expo, over 100 businesses were showcased, including sponsors Neuhoff Media, St. Mary’s Hospital and WAND-TV. Donations were taken at the door that resulted in contributions made to Catholic Charities, Decatur Family Refuge, the Good Samaritan Inn and the Salvation Army. The following business booths were recognized in their respective categories: • St. Mary’s Hospital - Premium Expo booth • Workforce Investment Solutions - Upgraded Expo booth • Events Plus - Standard Expo booth Over 35 door prizes valued at over $1,250 were handed out, including an Ipod Nano from Consociate Dansig, a party at Scovill Zoo from the Decatur Park District and a $50 gift certificate to the Avon Theater from Brintlinger & Earl Funeral Homes. The Taste of Decatur featured 17 restaurants and caterers from the area and over 500 visitors sampled and voted on their favorite. Beverages were provided by Marquis Beverage and Refreshment Services Pepsi. The winner of the Taste of Decatur was McGorray's Golf & Grille who served Austin Blues pulled pork that featured mustard vinegar coleslaw with a chipotle aioli sauce and grilled pineapple. It can be ordered off McGorray's menu as a "pulled pork sandwich" that has flavors native to Memphis and New Orleans. The Expo was a huge success that couldn’t have been done without the support from sponsors, volunteers, committee members and business owners. A special thanks to the 2011 Chamber Business Expo Committee for its hard work! Led by Chairwoman Marie Klemm of C&K Custom Signs, the Business Expo Committee included Jackie Schoby of Kuddles and Kare Pet Sitting, Charlotte Dipper and Susan Head of Corporate Image, Bob Norman of Decatur Civic Center, Ralf Pansch of the Herald & Review and Chamber staff members David Fishel, Shellie Klink and Jessica Martin.
www.decaturchamber.com
A note from the president It has been an exciting first couple months as president of the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce. We have celebrated numerous member business achievements, attended a Central Illinois Regional Chamber Legislative Effort (CIRCLE) legislative day in Springfield, hosted the 2011 Chamber Business Expo, and are looking forward to our Awards/Installation of Officers Ceremony and golf outing. A big idea is usually how businesses are introduced to the business community. With that big idea comes sacrifice including time, energy and finances. Success in business is more than deserving of recognition and praise, which is why the awards ceremony is so important. Each year, The Greater Decatur Chamber honors businesses and individuals in the greater Decatur area. Chamber members are invited to nominate themselves or another business to receive recognition for outstanding business efforts including: Outstanding DLI Alumnus, Community Collaboration, Downtown Impact, Ambassador of the Year, Outstanding Young Professional, Outstanding Development, Entrepreneur of the Year, Mary Gladney Micro-Business of the Year, Outstanding Small Business of the Year and the Citizen of the Year Award. These coveted awards will be announced along with the installation of our new and returning Chamber board of directors on the evening of May 19th at the Awards/Installation of Officers Ceremony. I am inviting all members of the community to come out in support of businesses and leaders that are setting the standard for excellence. To purchase tickets, please go to www.decaturchamber.com or call the Chamber at 422-2200. With our mission to be a pro-business network providing service, political advocacy, and leadership to strengthen education, community image, and local businesses, we are working diligently to put our members first and exceed expectations. To achieve this, we are conducting an Annual Membership Survey to identify priorities for the future development of member benefits, events and programs. Your feedback is extremely important to the results of this survey, please take a few moments to respond. Best regards,
Mirinda Rothrock President Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce
May 2011
Seeking a better business climate The Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce was one of 16 area Chambers that participated in the second annual CIRCLE (Central Illinois Regional Chamber Legislative Effort) Legislative Day in Springfield on March 29. The event hosted approximately 100 attendees, representing over 8,000 employees across Central Illinois. CIRCLE is comprised of the Chambers in East Peoria, Peoria, McLean County, Canton, Chilicothe, Jacksonville, Lincoln/Logan, Manito, Morton, Pekin, Peoria Heights, Springfield, Washington, Decatur, Champaign and Clinton. CIRCLE works together to advocate for a common agenda with the Illinois General Assembly. To do this, panels of Illinois senators and representatives addressed issues including workers’ compensation reform, state of Illinois structural deficit, public pension reform and education reform along with several presentations of testimonials from the business community. Armed with knowledge about these major legislative issues, business owners throughout the state of Illinois can contact their legislators to express the importance of making decisions in favor of improving our business climate.
More on Illinois workers’ comp Chamber members who do business in other states consistently report that Illinois is the highest cost state when it comes to workers compensation. According to a representative from G & D Integrated, their cost related to workers’ compensation claims in Indiana was seven times less than in Illinois last year. Illinois’ costs are the second highest in the country, second to Alaska. In order to attract and retain businesses, reform must address the major reasons for this cost difference. These cost drivers include: * Requiring the workplace to be the principle cause of injury (causation). * Use American Medical Association guidelines. * Compensation rewarded only if injury was free of drug/alcohol intoxication. * Full implementing the 2005 fraud provisions (restoring the fraud unit budget). * Giving employer’s choice of physicians. In a testimonial from Mark Flannery, corporate council for Caterpillar Inc., he stated,“It’s not the odd fraud claim that raises cost for our company; it’s the
hundreds of thousands of claims that add up. In order to be business competitive, Illinois must move away from awarding compensation when work isn’t the main cause of injury.” The issues pertaining to workers’ compensation are across the board, affecting all industries including nonprofit, small, medium and large businesses throughout Illinois. Mark Collins, risk management for Core Construction, cited that when comparing claim costs between their offices in Illinois and Arizona, the difference is seen in their bottom line. “The average cost of a claim in Arizona over the past five years was $6,200. In Illinois it was $32,000 per claim.” In response to the testimonials, Rep. Elaine Nekritz said that the issue of workers’ compensation is because of "bad actors." Sen. Kyle McCarter said they exist in the system but the root of the problem is "bad law" that lets "bad actors" jump on the stage anytime they want. If these issues are addressed, it will mean lower costs to business, make
Illinois more competitive and create an environment that is conducive to job growth. While McCarter’s workers’ compensation reform bill (SB 1349) failed to get enough votes in the Senate to pass, the Chamber wants to remind you that it is vitally important that your business keep up to date on legislative issues that may affect your bottom line. Members of the panel who attended the Worker’s Compensation session were: • Sen. Kyle McCarter-R-51st District • Rep. Dan Brady-R-88th District • Rep. Elaine Nekritz-D-57th District • Darin LaHood-R-37th District To wrap-up the day, the group went to lunch at the Inn at 835 at which keynote speakers, including Sen. John Cullerton, Sen. Christine Radogno and Doug Whitley, president and CEO of the Illinois Chamber, presented information on the state budget and our business climate. To view video of their presentations, go to the Illinois Statehouse News YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ILStatehouseNews.
CHAMBER MISSION STATEMENT
The Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce is a pro-business network providing service, political advocacy, and leadership to strengthen education, community image, and local businesses.
MEET
the leaders and staff 2011-2012 OFFICERS Chairwoman ................................Carla Brinkoetter president, Brinkoetter & Associates
SAVEtheDATE
Vice chairman ......................................Kevin Kast chief executive officer, St. Mary’s Hospital
May 4
May 10
May 19
Chamber Business Breakfast
Spring Ag Café
7 a.m., Decatur Club
12-1:30 p.m., Decatur Club
Awards/Installation of Officers Ceremony
This month’s keynote speaker is Cindy Deadrick-Wolfer, who will share details about the Come Together-Let’s Walk event. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door and $15 for non-Chamber members. The Chamber Business Breakfast takes place the first Wednesday of each month and brings over 100 business professionals together for breakfast and the opportunity to learn about important community issues firsthand from informative and timely speakers.
May 5 Electric Co-Op informational meeting 3-4:30 p.m., Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce The Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for the next round of the Chamber’s Electric Co-Op. CQI will be hosting this informational meeting, giving you an opportunity to learn about the benefits already being realized by over 200 Chamber members.
NEW MEMBERS AAA-Chicago Ramon Al-Amin 1610 S. Neil St. Champaign, IL 61829 398-3621 Apt Foto Travis Lickey 3434 Burt Dr. Decatur, IL 62526 586-3333 DG Manufacturing Matt Endsley 1181 S. Route 121 Mount Zion, IL 62549 864-5835
Ag Café is a quarterly luncheon to highlight and enhance Decatur’s position as America’s Agribusiness Center. Jason Bunting, from the American Farm Bureau Federation of Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, will speak about "Farming for our Future: Sharing Agriculture’s Message Today." Tickets are $20 and include lunch. This quarter’s event is sponsored by Archer Daniels Midland Co.
May 11
5:30-8:30 p.m., Decatur Conference Center & Hotel Coveted awards will be announced along with the installation of new and returning members of the Chamber’s board of directors. Awards include: Outstanding DLI Alumnus, Community Collaboration, Downtown Impact, Ambassador of the Year, Outstanding Young Professional, Outstanding Development, Entrepreneur of the Year, Mary Gladney Micro-Business of the Year, Outstanding Small Business of the Year and the Citizen of the Year Award.
Business After Hours 5-7 p.m., Consociate Dansig, 2828 N. Monroe St. Business After Hours events are casual networking opportunities that are held at Chamber member businesses. The events give individuals the opportunity to discuss and share ideas while learning about other local businesses in a relaxed, social setting. These early evening events are ideal for meeting fellow professionals and establishing longlasting business relationships. This is a free event.
JJune
3
24th annual Chamber Golf Outing 11 a.m., Hickory Point Golf Course See the back of this quarter’s Chamber News for more details.
For more information or to register for an event, go to
www.decaturchamber.com
Lake Sara Marina Kate Bilbrey 500 Keller Dr. Effingham, IL 62401 342-6344
Ray Eldridge Jewelry Tempest Grader 3012 N. Water St. Decatur, IL 62526 875-0505
McDonald’s Dwight Miller 962 W. Eldorado St. Decatur, IL 62523 422-8149
Sew Koalaty, Inc. Jessica DeVore 1425 Hickory Point Mall Forsyth, IL 62535 875-0001
Mutual of Omaha Chad Venters 5130 Hickory Point Frontage Road, Ste. 102 Decatur, IL 62526 791-6969
Innovative Staffing Solutions Karen Lay 727 W. Pershing Road Decatur, IL 62526 872-8300
Novanis Rachel Dasenbrock 3161 W. White Oaks Dr., Ste. 100 Springfield, IL 62701 698-0999
JLH Risk Consulting Jennie Houk 8 Fair Oaks Dr. Decatur, IL 62526 413-8844
Olive Garden Donald Szutenbach 3795 US Route 51 North Decatur, IL 62526 877-7470
Slumberland Furniture Jon Bleed 265 E. Ash Avenue Decatur, IL 62526 877-0900 Tom’s Bar and Grill Lauralee Jones 1856 N. Main Decatur, IL 62526 309-750-3159 Ty Hildum Norfolk Southern 1735 E. Condit St. Decatur, IL 62521 425-2052 Walker Limousine Service Anthony Walker 6335 U.S 36 E. Suite A Decatur IL, 62524 422-6078
Treasurer ........................................Erik Brechnitz senior vice president, Brechnitz Group of Raymond James & Associates Secretary ....................................Darren Reynolds senior vice president and general manager, Consociate-Dansig Assistant secretary/treasurer ............Gretchen Murphy senior vice president, Soy Capital Bank & Trust
2011-2012 DIRECTORS Wole Adeoye, owner, Victory Pharmacy of Decatur, Inc. Gary Birschbach, owner, Decatur Area McDonald’s Keith Casteel, attorney, Miller, Jackson, Schroeder & Sly Law Offices Phil Cochran, principle/owner, Cochran Engineering Craig Coil, president, Economic Development Corporation for Decatur and Macon County Gloria Davis, superintendent, Decatur School District Cindy Deadrick-Wolfer, owner, Shop on Main and Events Plus Dan Delatte, owner, Culver’s of Decatur, and chairman of the Small Business Council J. Richard L. Dunsworth, vice president for enrollment, Millikin University Randy Earl, vice president, Brintlinger & Earl Funeral Homes Ty Hildum, national account manager, Norfolk Southern Corp. Steve Horve Sr., president, Horve Builders Walt Hupe, general manager, Caterpillar, Inc. George Justice, manager-Division III, Ameren Robin King, chief executive officer, EPL Bio-Analytical Services Dave Moran, general manager, Refreshment Services Pepsi Todd Nelson, publisher, Herald & Review Tony Nestler, senior vice president, Hickory Point Bank & Trust Chris Olsen, director of community and government relations, Tate & Lyle Dave Oppenlander, senior vice presidnet and CFO, Decatur Memorial Hospital Tom Pistorius, president, Bendsen Signs and Graphics, Inc. Ron Pulera, vice president and general manager, WAND-TV Gayle Saunders, president, Richland Community College David Tyrolt, president and CEO, Dunn Company Dave Weber, president, Macon-Shelby market, Busey Bank
We would like to thank the following retiring board members for their service to the Chamber: • Mark Avery • Patrick Dienslake • Phil Hazenfield • Beth Stringer.
STAFF Mirinda Rothrock, president David D. Fishel Jr., director of marketing and communications Shellie Klink, director of operations and human resources Jan Mohr, audit and finance manager Karalee Misner, public and government affairs manager Michael Ammons, information technology coordinator Jessica Martin, events and meetings manager