November 2014 Business Journal

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O F

M I D C E N T R A L

NOVEMBER 2014

I L L I N O I S

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YOUR CALENDAR

Monday, Nov. 3 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille, 101 S. Main St. Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club, 158 W. Prairie Ave. Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Tuesday, Nov. 4 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton, 333 W. Marion Ave., Forsyth.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, 3909 W. Main St. Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Nov. 5 Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, 7 a.m., Decatur Club.

Scheduled speaker is Kevin Kehoe, president of the Community Investment Corporation of Decatur Inc. Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Mount Zion Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., WXFM, 120 Wildwood Dr., Mount Zion.

Thursday, Nov. 6

Club.

Tuesday, Nov. 11 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur Building Construction Trades Council, 10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall, 3390 N. Woodford St. Decatur Area Society for Human Resource Management, 11 a.m., Doherty’s Pub and Pins, 242 E. William St. Central Illinois Ad Club, 11:30 a.m., Decatur Club.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Nov. 12 Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Mount Zion Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, 11:30 a.m., Main Hangar, Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Real Estate Investors Association, 6:30 p.m., Perkins Family Restaurant, 2999 N. Monroe St.

Thursday, Nov. 13 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

GFWC Decatur Woman’s Club, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Senior Resources Network (formerly Mature Resources Network), 11:45 a.m., Keystone Gardens, 1455 W. Mound Road.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur Area Women’s Network (DAWN), 5:30 p.m., Decatur Club.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building.

Decatur Camera Club, 7 p.m., Rock Springs Environmental Center, 3939 Nearing Lane.

Scovill Banquet Facility.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Nov. 19 Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Christian Women’s Network, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, Nov. 20 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Christian Women’s Club, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur AMBUCS, 6 p.m., Decatur Club.

Friday, Nov. 21 Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Noon Women’s Network, 11:45 a.m., Decatur Club.

Monday, Nov. 24 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille.

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Tuesday, Nov. 25

Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Building Construction Trades Council, 10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall.

Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Community Thanksgiving Luncheon, 11:30 am., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Monday, Nov. 17

Wednesday, Nov. 26

Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce First Friday Luncheon, noon, Main Street Church Tea Room, 2000 N. Main St.

Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille.

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Monday, Nov. 10

Tuesday, Nov. 18

Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille.

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur

Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m.,

Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Greater Decatur Y, 220 W. McKinley Ave. Metro Decatur Home Builder’s Association, 6 p.m., Beach House, 2301 E. Lake Shore Dr. American Business Women’s Association (Amacita), 6 p.m., location varies.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building, 2715 N. 27th St.

Friday, Nov. 7

Friday, Nov. 14

Monday, Dec. 1 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille.

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater

November 2014

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YOUR MONEY Northside Baptist Church.

Tuesday, Dec. 2 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Dec. 3 Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, 7 a.m., Decatur Club.

Presentation by members of this year’s Decatur Leadership Institute.

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, Dec. 4 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

American Business Women’s Association (Amacita), 11:30 a.m., location varies.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Greater Decatur Y. Metro Decatur Home Builder’s Association, 6 p.m., Beach House.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building.

Friday, Dec. 5 Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce First Friday Luncheon, noon, Main Street Church Tea Room, 2000 N. Main St.

To submit items for Your Calendar, contact Scott Perry at (217) 421-7976, at sperry@heraldreview.com, or click the “Submit an Event” link at www.thebusiness-journal.com

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 48% share their copy of the Journal with others. n 23% are 35 to 44 years old.

Higher deductibles giving workers pain Health insurance costs rising DAVID MARKIEWICZ TCA News Service Writer

When workers across the country crack open their annual employee benefits packages this fall, many will likely feel immediate relief. Premiums for their employer-provided health insurance will be up, but not as much as in the past.

If they read a little bit closer, though, they might be agitated. Their deductible has probably risen again, increasing their out-of-pocket costs for treatment.

That may lead some to decide whether to risk their health by skipping care, or their finances by getting services.

That unappealing choice comes as employers shift a bigger portion of health care costs to employees. In a nation bent on health care reform, where a key goal is to make sure there is quality care for those who need it, that can result in unintended consequences.

Roxanne Atrchin-Lopez, an Atlanta-

area elementary schoolteacher, said she decided against getting tests she needed for a hernia because her $2,250 deductible made the likely out-of-pocket costs too high.

"You can only bleed a turnip so much," the 57-year-old Smyrna resident said, adding that her monthly insurance premium is actually tolerable. "Now," she said, "I'll probably end up having an emergency situation and going to the hospital."

Higher deductibles, what the worker has to pay before his costs begin to be reimbursed, "make it harder for people to get access to care when they need it," observed Sara Collins, vice president for health care coverage and access at The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that promotes a high performing health care system.

The definition of high deductible can vary, although the federal government, for its purposes, pegs it as $1,300 for individuals next year and $2,600 for families. Others say anything more than $1,000 for an individual is high.

High-deductible health insurance has been around for years, but it drew less attention than rising premiums. Now, with premiums rising modestly,

deductibles are under the microscope.

Premiums were up about 3 percent this year, and some projections call for a bump about 4 percent next year.

In its annual employer health benefits survey released last month, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research Educational Trust emphasized the growth of highdeductible plans.

The slow growth in premiums seen this year is welcome news, but "many workers now pay more when they get sick as deductibles continue to rise and skin-in-the-game insurance gradually becomes the norm," said Drew Altman, Kaiser Foundation president and CEO. According to Kaiser, 80 percent of workers with single coverage have a deductible, up from 55 percent in 2006.

The average deductible this year for workers with single coverage is $1,217, an increase from $584 in 2006.

Because workers will pay a higher share of their medical expenses, the thinking goes, they will seek services only when they really need them, and they will shop around for the best price.

This can hold down overall health care spending, a win for everyone.

But, critics point out, there are down-

sides. For one, some people who need care, such as Atrchin-Lopez, might not seek it because they fear the cost. By not getting treatment at the time, they could wind up getting sicker and requiring higher-cost care later if the problem worsens.

Higher-deductible coverage also disproportionately affects those who suffer the most medical problems. Healthy people require far fewer services, so they pay lower premiums and don't come near reaching their deductible, minimizing their out-of-pocket expenses.

Critics also say that telling workers to shop for a better deal on a medical procedure sounds good, but in many cases it's not practical since health care pricing is complex and confusing.

Workers with high-deductible plans can somewhat protect themselves against a medical financial calamity by contributing to a Health Savings Account or a Health Reimbursement Account. These are rainy day funds for health care that workers, and their employers, if they choose, can contribute money to on a tax-advantaged basis.

Employees can tap into what they've saved up to pay for medical costs including the deductible.

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YOUR FREE TIME

The Arts Anne Lloyd Gallery: The Art of Blacksmithing. Opening reception from 5-7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, to include blacksmith demonstration and opportunity to create your our metal art. Call (217) 423-3189. www.decturarts.org Gallery 510: Retrospective of watercolors by Joyce Matteson. Opening reception from 5-7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7 Call (217) 422-1509.

Decatur Airport: Colored pencils by Jim Clark.

Decatur Public Library: Watercolors by Sue Watts.

Blue Connection: Paintings, photographs and pottery by Jessica Claussen. Meet the artist reception from 5-7:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 7.

On Stage Kirkland Fine Arts Center: Golden Dragon Acrobats, Saturday, Nov. 1; “Peter Pan,” Nov. 14-16; Vespers, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6 and 7; Holiday Jazz, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13. For tickets, call (217) 424-6318.

Little Theatre-On the Square: “ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” Dec. 5-7 and 913; “Junior Claus,” Dec. 12-21. For tickets, call (217) 728-7375. www.thelittle theatre.org.

Calendar of events For a complete list of events, go to www.herald-review.com/go/ Millikin University Pipe Dreams Studio: “No Exit,” Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 20-23. For tickets, call (217) 424-6318. www.pdtheatre.com Decatur Underground Theater presents West Side Story, November 7-9 and 14-16 at the Decatur Civic Center. For tickets, call (217) 422-6161. www.decaturunder ground.com

Music Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra, “Peter Pan” musical, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14 and 15, and 2 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 16, at Kirkland Fine Arts Center. For tickets, call (217) 424-6318.

Dueling Piano Christmas Show, 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22. Mount Zion Convention Center. For tickets, call (217) 864-5424. www.mtzconventioncenter.com

Charity events A Night in the Islands, to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Macon County, 69 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at the Decatur Club. The event, which is free to attend, includes and evening of music, drinks

made by celebrity bartenders and a silent auction. In addition, those who buy a boarding pass put themselves in the running for a host of vacation getaway packages. Call (217) 428-4240.

ARTini, to benefit the Gallery 510 Artists Guild, will be from 6-9 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 13, at Paco's Sol Bistro.

Every ticket holder received a handpainted martini glass and, one martini ( or drink of their choice) and an open potato and pasta bar. Event includes a silent auction. Tickets are $40. Call (217) 422-1509.

For the kids Children’s Museum of Illinois: Monsters Don’t Read, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8; Family Science Sunday, Nov. 9; Breakfast with Santa, 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6; Gingerbread Workshop, 10 a.m.

Saturday, Dec. 6. Go to www.cmofil.org or call (217) 423-5437.

Scovill Zoo: Pajama party with Santa, 13 p.m. and 5-7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6 Call (217) 421-7435.

The Rock Springs Nature Center hosts a

long list of mini camps, family adventures and classes during the month. So many, in fact, that there are too many to list. Go to www.maconcountyconservation.org and click on the Programs and Activities tab for a complete listing.

FROM THE EDITOR A uniformed soldier stands on the sidelines of a high school girls’ soccer game watching quietly as the game’s final minutes tick away. By the time the final horn sounds, he has made his way to an opening in the fence and waits.

After a brief team meeting, one of the girls emerges from the huddle, and with energy rivaling any seen on the field that day, she sprints into the open arms of the waiting soldier.

The scene had all the makings of a great recruitment commercial. But this was real and involved a young man who I’ve watched grow up and just a year earlier graduated high school with my son. The thought of that moment still brings tears to my eyes.

While my path took the college route, my parents (my dad was an Army veteran) never let me forget that freedom isn’t free. For more than 200 years, young men and women have made it their job to protect the things, like the freedom to write this column, we take for granted.

On this Veterans Day, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has, and continues to, put service to their country ahead of all else.

Breakfast with Santa, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 15, Mount Zion Convention Center. For tickets, call (217) 864-5424. www.mtzconventioncenter.com

Misc.

Downtown Decatur Christmas Kick Off begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, live reindeer in Central Park and free crafting, ice skating, story time and other activities leading up to the Jaycee’s Lights of Christmas Parade at 5:30 p.m. and the opening of Santa's House at 6:30 p.m.

Turkey Trot, 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, Fairview Park. Call (217) 429-7750.

Veterans Day ceremony, hosted by the Veteran's Assistance Commission of Macon County, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, Decatur Civic Center.

Downtown Decatur Christmas Walk, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 3. Enjoy free carriage rides, dancing elves, caroling, sweets and specials from participating merchants.

BUSINESS JOURNAL OF MIDCENTRAL ILLINOIS

VOLUME 20

ISSUE 11

601 E. William St. Decatur, IL 62523 217.421.7976 217.421.7965 (fax) PUBLISHER: Julie Bechtel GENERAL MANAGER: Gary Sawyer EDITOR: Scott Perry ADVERTISING: AnnaMarie Hanes

Got an item you’d like listed in the Your Free Time calendar? Send the information to Scott Perry at sperry@herald-review.com or 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523.

LAYOUT & DESIGN: Ginger Wortman

Scott Perry, editor Business Journal of Midcentral Illinois

COVER PHOTO: Jim Bowling

November2014Contents

STORY IDEAS: Email sperry@herald-review.com or call 217.421.7976.

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Standing Features

CHEERS! Skeff Distributing earns Chamber honor

Biz Bites . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Business Clips . . . . . 18

SUBSCRIPTIONS: To order additional copies call 217.421.7931 ADVERTISING: The deadline for ad and ad copy for the December issue is Nov. 14.

Call 217.421.7953 for rate information.

Fred Spannaus . . . . . 17 The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois is printed monthly and is a publication of Lee Enterprises Inc.

Free Time calendar . . 22 Health calendar . . . . 20 Liz Reyer . . . . . . . . . . 21 Office Coach . . . . . . . 21 SCORE counselor . . 18 Wendy Gauntt . . . . . . 14

Community treasures 7 This month the Business Journal honors its latest class of 20 people over the age of 50 who go above and beyond in their efforts to make the Decatur and Macon County a better place to live, work and play. Special section

PAINFUL BEGINNINGS Awareness efforts rooted in tragedy

Information published is the responsibility of the author and does not reflect the opinions of The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois. To submit articles, mail typewritten and 500 words or less to: The Business Journal, 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523. Articles will not be returned. Any editorial content or advertising published is the property of Lee Enterprises Inc., DBA The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois.

Copyright 2014 Herald & Review All rights reserved for entire content.

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YOUR COMMUNITY

YOUR CAREER

Volunteer army makes food drive possible

How to deal with an overtly hostile employee

Local residents give of their time RACHEL RODGERS Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — Since age 4, Megan Bresnan has volunteered in some form or another to help those in need, and she only expects her investment in the community to grow.

The 17-year-old senior at St. Teresa High School has participated in each of the 13 WSOY Community Food Drives, growing up knowing the difference a helping hand can make.

On Oct. 10, instead of going about an average school day, Bresnan helped load food and money donations equivalent to 60,000 pounds of food and transported them to the Airport Plaza Kroger, where she took her place among an army of more than 200 volunteers.

“With the failing economy, it’s becoming harder for families to put food on the table,” she said. “Seeing the whole community pitch in, you can tell it’s going to have a big impact.”

The impact came in the form of more than 1 million pounds of food collected within 12 hours, which was distributed to local food pantries and community organizations.

Without the volume of volunteers, such a feat would have been difficult to accomplish, said Debbie Bogle, executive director of the United Way of Decatur and Macon County. So many volunteers signed up early for the event that she had to take down the online volunteer portal two weeks before the food drive so no one would be turned away.

“Volunteering is a way to get people engaged in the community and be a part of something greater than themselves,” Bogle said. “What might start out as volunteering at one event becomes a relationship and a way to connect people.”

Like many of the other volunteers present, Bresnan has contributed her time throughout the area including the Salvation Army, Baby TALK, Boo at the Zoo and different retirement homes.

Classmate Joe Good, who helped direct traffic and unload semitrucks full of donations, said learning the merits of volunteering at a young age creates a continuous cycle for future generations to follow.

“By having that experience and mindset of helping others, we can help others get into that spirit of service,” he said.

“With us going away to college soon, that gives us a chance to spread what we’ve learned in Decatur to other communities.”

Though the food drive drew many young students, volunteering is an ageless arena, 71-year-old Pam Reeves of Lovington said.

Reeves began volunteering at the food drive five years ago, increasing her

Q: One of my employees refuses to accept me as his supervisor. Ever since I was transferred into this department, “Jack” has been extremely rude. He argues with me about everything and talks about how much he misses his former boss. He frequently makes these comments in front of other people, including my manager.

I need to let Jack know that his disrespectful attitude is completely unacceptable, but I don’t want to make the situation worse.

What’s the best way to deal with such a hostile employee?

A: Jack’s reaction to your arrival is certainly inappropriate, so your desire to repriOffice Coach mand him is understandable.

Nevertheless, if your goal is to improve the relationship, a disciplinary talk may not be the best first step. Instead, acknowledge that this change has apparently been tough, then see if you can find out what’s bothering him.

For example: “Jack, I know you haven’t been very happy since your former manager left, and I’m sorry this change has been difficult. But even though it may be an adjustment, you and I still need to develop a cooperative, productive working relationship. Can you tell me what has been stressful

Marie McIntyre

Business Journal, Jim Bowling

Our Lady of Lourdes students Mackenzie Snow, left, and Madison Peck help unload the school’s donations during the WSOY Community Food Drive at the Airport Plaza Kroger. BELOW: Volunteer Mo Lowery sorts cans while dressed like one at the food drive.

‘It’s amazing with how everyone charges in to get everything done.’

PAM REEVES number of hours worked from four to about 12 within the span.

“It’s amazing with how everyone charges in to get everything done and how many people come out, from little kids with a jar full of change all the way to those giving thousands of dollars,” Reeves said.

She said she tries to help out wherev-

er needed in the community and serves as a member of the Decatur and Macon County Crime Stoppers volunteer board.

For the past 10 years, Matt Bennett has approached volunteering as an obligation to spark pride in the community.

“This is an event that I just don’t miss no matter what my work schedule is.

It’s one of those things you know you have to be a part of,” the 31-year-old Forsyth resident said as he weighed a shopping cart carrying 268 pounds of food donations.

About 6 a.m. when many volunteers began preparing for the food drive frenzy, Pete Vercellino had already been working through the night.

Coordinating forklifts, moving trucks and advanced pick-ups in surrounding towns until 4:30 a.m., Vercellino took a short break before returning at 5 a.m.

Having volunteered at the event since its humble beginning when the donations totaled almost 30 times less than the amount acquired this year, Vercellino was accustomed to the labor.

“I’ll have some aches and pains to soak out, but it’s what we do; it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “When the need arises, you step up.”

about this for you?”

If Jack shares the reasons for his unhappiness, perhaps you can take steps to improve the situation. But if he refuses to open up, calmly make it clear that you aren’t asking him to change his feelings, but you do expect him to change his behavior.

Q: The co-worker in the next cubicle is driving me crazy.”Hannah” talks to herself constantly about whatever project she is working on at the moment. This running commentary is so distracting that I can hardly hear myself think.

Hannah and I have a good working relationship, so I don’t want to offend her.

How can I tactfully bring up this subject?

A: While some people need quiet to concentrate, others work best when they can think out loud. Like most ingrained personality traits, this innate difference in cognitive style is virtually impossible to change. Therefore, you must first understand that Hannah is not trying to be irritating. She is simply being herself.

The key to success in discussing this issue is to avoid sounding irritated or critical. Just describe what you have observed, then suggest developing a plan to accommodate your differences.

For example: “Hannah, I’ve noticed that you and I seem to have opposite work styles. When I have a project to complete, I need to focus on it quietly.

But I believe you find it helpful to think out loud. Because our desks are so close together, I sometimes find it hard to concentrate when I hear you talking. Do you think we could find a way to com-

WEEKLY TIPS Can’t get enough advice from the Office Coach. Get weekly column updates at www.thebusiness-journal.com. promise on this?”

If Hannah receives your message well, you can then explore mutually agreeable strategies for resolving this issue.

Remember, though, that those who deliver feedback often get some in return. So you must also be open to any suggestions which Hannah may have for you.

Q: A manager who reports to me is creating a lot of problems. “Laura” has a number of good qualities, but her interpersonal and communication skills are extremely poor. She is very impatient, interrupts people in meetings, interferes with activities in other departments and tries to shift the blame when something goes wrong.

Laura has a strong need to be right and feels that everything must be done her way, which is simply not helpful in a team environment. I have tried to show her how these behaviors hurt her relationships with both employees and coworkers, but she doesn’t seem to get it.

On top of that, Laura also does a poor job of setting priorities and meeting deadlines. I have asked her to train staff members on certain tasks so that she can devote more time to management duties, but she continues to do the work herself because she enjoys it.

Although I have been quite candid about my concerns, nothing seems to get Laura’s attention. No matter what I do, she responds with either a passiveaggressive attitude or a brief improvement which quickly disappears. I would like to expand her department, but I don’t think Laura could handle it. Any suggestions?

A: If you have someone in a management position who has consistently demonstrated that she cannot handle relationships, delegation or deadlines, then she should not be allowed to continue in a leadership role.

A dysfunctional employee is a problem, but a dysfunctional manager is a disaster. Laura’s problematic traits are not only affecting her own work, but also hampering the effectiveness of everyone she is supposed to be leading.

As the person in charge here, you owe it to both the staff and the company to quickly resolve this problem one way or another.

Had you never attempted to coach Laura that would be the place to start.

But having made numerous attempts to correct these issues, without much response from Laura, you must now act decisively and impose some consequences for noncompliance. Laura needs to understand that, unless she demonstrates immediate improvement, the ultimate consequence will be removing her from management altogether.

Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach and the author of “Secrets to Winning at Office Politics.”

Send in questions and get free coaching tips at www.yourofficecoach.com, or follow her on Twitter @officecoach.

Learning a coach approach to managing Q: I’ve gotten feedback that, as a manager, I’m not very good at helping people develop their own solutions. It’s hard — it’s really easy for me to see what they should do, and it seems more efficient to just tell them. How can I start to shift my style?

A: Ask questions, then be quiet and listen.

It’s a common situation: People who are good at what they do are promoted. But they often do not receive much help in the transition between doing and helping others succeed. That’s the situation you’re in, and you should be proud of yourself for being willing to develop out of this rut.

Give yourself a break. Relax, take some deep breaths and let go of any

Liz Reyer

anxiety over the situation. You’ll be able to learn the new skills you need, and being stressed about it will just hold you back.

There are a number of skills that go with having a more coach-style approach, including asking good questions and probing to help team members come up with their own solutions. You also need to be able to assess the risk of letting people make some mistakes.

Assess your skills in these areas so you can plan your skill development.

Consider your current team culture.

If you currently solve everyone’s problems, or even overrule their solutions with your own suggestions, you’ll all have some habits to break. Team members will need to relearn a certain amount of autonomy, and you’ll need to learn to back off and to push them to identify solutions before they even come to you.

This is a great opportunity to practice transparency as a leader. Let your team know what you’re up to and why. They

WEEKLY TIPS Get weekly career tips from Liz Reyer at www.thebusiness-journal.com. won’t be confused, and it can build a lot of engagement.

Put some time into skills development.

If you need to learn to create dialogue instead of giving orders, develop a list of go-to questions you could use. There are plenty of ways to find good coaching questions. One hint: Avoid the word “why”; it shuts people down. Use “how” or “what” instead.

If you’re a talker, use the WAIT system: Why Am I Talking. It’s a chatty coach’s best friend and can help you remember to let your team members work things out for themselves.

Model your behavior on someone you admire, or get a mentor or coach for yourself. Watching someone else in

action is a great way to learn these skills.

Being able to let others learn the hard way through trial and error can be very challenging. If this is tough for you, ask for support from your boss, especially in learning to assess risks realistically.

There’s a big difference between a $500 risk and a $50,000 risk, and misjudging won’t serve you or your team member well.

Track your progress, and celebrate your successes. Give yourself feedback, and request it from your team. Find some small team or personal rewards to help build momentum.

Building your coaching skills will benefit you, your team, and your company as a whole.

Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at liz@deliverchange.com.

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

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November 2014

Community health calendar Support groups TOPS Club IL 49 Decatur, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesdays, Main Street Church of God, 2000 N. Main St. (enter from Garfield Street). For more information, call Chris Granda at (217) 521-2420.

Helping Hands Bereavement for Children, 3:30 p.m. Thursdays, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Art Therapy Room, 210 W. McKinley, Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Growing Through Grief, 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Cancer Center Conference Room. Call Leslie Roberts at (217) 876-6784.

call (217) 876-4750.

Postpartum emotional support group, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. Call Flo at (217) 464-2334.

Breath of Life support group, noon Tuesday, Nov. 18, St. Mary’s Hospital, Conference Room 561. Call Cheryl Shipley at (217) 464-2603.

Cardiopulmonary wellness group, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 18, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Classroom A. Register online or call (217) 876-2429 Diabetes support group, 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, Nov. 20, DMH Specific Performance Enhancement Center, 2122 N, 27th St. Call (217) 876-4249.

Grief support group, 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, St. Mary’s Hospital, Conference Room 561. This grief education group is a time for individual or family bereavement support and care. For information, call Jamie Smith at (217) 544-6464 ext. 45268.

Parkinson’s disease support group, 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1360 W. Main St. For information, call Kathy Broaddus at (217) 820-3096.

Breastfeeding support group, 10:30 a.m.

Monday, Nov. 10 and 24, Baby TALK, 500 E. Lake Shore Dr. To register, call Flo Folami at (217) 464-2334.

Lyme-MTHFR support study group, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 20, Mari-Mann Herb Co. Inc., 1405 Mari Mann Lane. Call (217) 429-1555.

SHARE support group, 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, St. Mary’s Hospital, Conference Room G24. Support group for those who have experienced the death of a baby during pregnancy, at birth or early infancy. For more information, call (217) 464-2045.

Widowed support group, 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20. Monthly dinner gathering. Call (217) 428-7733.

Epilepsy support group, 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11. St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. Call (217) 853-1655.

Facing Cancer Together, 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 12, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. For cancer patients and their families. Register online or call (217) 8764750.

Pink Link breast cancer support group, 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classroom, 210 W. McKinley Ave. To register, call (217) 876-4377.

Brain tumor support group, 10 a.m.

Saturday, Nov. 15, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classroom, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or

Renewal bereavement support group, 6 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 24, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classroom, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Us TOO prostate cancer support group, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classroom, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Classes Real Dads Rock, 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Cafe Classrooms 1 and 2 – Ground Level. Program teaches new fathers how to handle, feed, burp, change, clean and respond to their baby’s needs. Register online or call (217) 4226294.

3-10 learn what to expect with the arrival of a new baby brother or sister.

Cost is $15. To register, call (217) 8763400.

Eat Right to Help the Fight, 11 a.m.

Monday, Nov. 10, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Nutrition class for cancer patients. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Sibling class, 5:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, St. Mary’s Hospital, OB Classroom.

Children 3-12 learn about being a big brother or sister. For more information or to register, call (217) 464-2334.

Look Good, Feel Better, 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Cancer Care Specialists of Decatur Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. A program that teaches beauty techniques to female cancer patients in active treatment to help them combat the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. To register call, (217) 876-6600.

Infant CPR Class, 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, DMH Classrooms. Register online or call (217) 876-3100.

Breastfeeding Basics, 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Cafe DMH Meeting Rooms. Register

online or call (217) 876-3400.

Cardiopulmonary risk factor education, 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, DMH Cafe Classrooms 1 and 2. Call (217) 876-2496.

More Diabetes Awareness, 4-7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, Specific Performance Enhancement Center, 2122 N, 27th St. Event includes information booths. Call (217) 876-4249.

Alzheimer’s Series, “Caregiver Stress: Relief, Acceptance and Empowerment,” 10-11:30 a.m.

Thursday, Nov. 6, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. Call (217) 4645121.

Shine a Light on Lung Cancer, 5:30-7 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 13, DMH Caner Care Institute, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Event includes a guest speaker, screenings and recognition of survivors, caregivers and families. Event will conclude with a lighting ceremony. Call (217) 876-4750.

Language of Lungs, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 19, Decatur Public Library. Community health fair featuring speakers and screenings. For more information, call (217) 876-2741.

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5

BIZ BITES

Now open Bistro Five Thirty Seven, the new Culinary Arts Institute restaurant at Richland Community College, is now open for lunch and dinner on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The student-operated restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch and 6-8 p.m. for dinner and can accommodate about 50 diners.

Students operating the restaurant are enrolled in a culinary capstone course, a culmination of all they have learned in the program, and the menu will change each month as their skills progress.

“It might not look like a classroom, but it is,” said chef Brian Tucker, director of the institute. “We want our students to develop the work skills needed to be as successful as they can be.”

Bistro Five Thirty Seven is located at the far end of the Shilling Education Center on the west side of campus.

Reservations are preferred and can be made by calling (217) 875-7211 ext. 537. nnn Ted’s Taters and CherryBerry are now open, and will remain open all winter, in the Overlook Adventure Mini Golf facility in Nelson Park.

Ted’s serves up two kinds of soup, Heinkel’s hot dogs and polish sausages, toasted sandwiches and a variety of specialty fries in a family-friendly atmosphere.

It takes its name from the shih tzu belonging to CherryBerry/Ted’s Taters corporate owners Kendall and Linda Peterson of South Dakota.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday. Call (217) 791-5065.

The CherryBerry is the franchise’s second store in Decatur. It is open noon to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Sunday. Call (217) 330-7676. nnn Raise a glass in salute to what’s being billed as one of the the biggest liquor store in the Decatur area: the new

Famous Wine and Spirits location at 2002 S. Mount Zion Road near Rural King.

Ranks of beers, spirits and wines line spacious aisles that have the feel of a supermarket, and there is a vast cooler to keep select offerings at the perfect temperature.

“We’ve actually been surprised at how well it’s going; we don’t even have a sign up yet,” said manager Lucky Singh.

Singh said the store gets deliveries twice a week and if by some chance they don’t have what you want, they can order it fast.

Hours are 9 a.m to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m.

Sunday. Call (217) 330-7231. nnn After months, if not years, of anticipation, Ross Dress for Less has opened in Hickory Point Mall Word that the popular off-price apparel and home fashion store would move into the spot formerly occupied by MC Sports got around long before CBL Properties started preparing the space, followed by Ross beginning construction in May. “We’re twice the size of your typical mall store,” Manager Mark Ahlrich said.

Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, and 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

For more, visit www.rossstores.com or call (217) 876-0037.

On the move Shon Allen, owner of the Competitive Edge, wanted to be in the thick of things.

So this summer he moved his business 13 blocks straight east from North Illinois 48, along Packard Street, to 1101 N. Water St., a space in Decatur Plaza formerly occupied by another barbershop.

“We’re closer to the young people we serve in the Wabash Crossing and Old King’s Orchard neighborhoods,” Allen said. “We have eight barbers, including me, and now we have nine chairs. We

only had seven before.”

Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday. Call (217) 201-4449. nnn Relocation of the Spa Villa salon to 2890 S. Mount Zion Road gave Chuck Beck just the right place to open his own yoga studio.

Be Yoga Decatur opened at 132 S. Water St., Suite 230, and offers classes in meditation and yoga for all levels, seven days a week.

A self-employed piano technician and furniture designer who’s been working out of his Decatur home, Beck has been a yoga instructor for four years and previously taught at Awaken Yoga.

Go to www.beyogadecatur.com for the schedule. Call (217) 520-0904.

The salon also has The Villa II in Forsyth’s Hickory Point Mall, and business owner Tiffany Boyer said she’s looking for a third location on Decatur’s north side. nnn United Cerebral Palsy Land of Lincoln has relocated its Decatur offices to 602 E. William St. from the 400 block of East Prairie Avenue to give its business services program, which helps clients with disabilities find jobs, room to grow.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

The telephone number remains (217) 420-1640.

Expanding Connie’s Country Greenhouse has opened a retail location at the former Isringhausen Imports at 350 South U.S. 51 in Forsyth.

Connie Burgett and her husband, Greg, have operated Connie’s Country Greenhouse outside of Latham for the past 20 years and have had a second store in Long Creek for the past two years.

That location is closed for the season.

“We’re opening a gift shop in Forsyth with statuary, small fountains and other garden-related items,” Burgett said.

“We’ll also have Del’s popcorn, soaps,

pepper jelly and lighted canvas paintings by Terry Redlin.”

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m.

Sunday. Call (217) 875-7795. nnn Hickory Point Bank & Trust has completed its acquisition of the branch offices, loans and deposits of Marshall County State Bank/New Capital Bank, with locations in Peoria Heights and Varna.

Merger There is no longer any degree of separation between Bethany-based Scott State Bank and the former State Bank of Niantic.

Scott State Bank’s holding company, Scott Bancshares, has owned the State Bank of Niantic since 1985, but the Niantic bank had been a standalone company with its own internal office system. Now the formal merger means that Scott State Bank’s name will appear on all signage and the bank has streamlined services to operate under the same system.

New owners Acquiring the assets of Green Valley Mfg. Inc. in early September, Bob Curry and Jonathan Simmons have taken ownership of the Mount Zion-based company and have plans to expand the business.

Green Valley has manufactured die and mold handling equipment for more than 20 years and operates from a 14,000-square-foot facility at 100 Green Valley Drive. According to a release, the owners have retained key employees and look to recruit industry experts to help grow the company.

Biz Bites highlight businesses that are opening, closing, expanding … you get the picture. If you have information for our Biz Bites column, contact Tony Reid at treid@herald-review.com, Chris Lusvardi at clusvardi@herald-review.com, Theresa Churchill at tchurchill@heraldreview.com or call them at (217) 421-6979.

Parke & Son warehouse expanding THERESA CHURCHILL

New Brother/Sister Day Camp, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 5, Decatur Memorial Hospital, OB Classroom. Children ages

Reader Profile: n 30% are owner/partner of their business. n 27% have household income of $100,000 to $149,000

www.thebusiness-journal.com

Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — A multimillion-dollar project that will more than double the size of Parke & Son warehouse on East Mound Road was good news from the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County.

Even better is the belief shared by Parke and other business leaders that the announcement heralds many more positive economic developments springing from the city’s year-old Midwest Inland Port.

“I think 10 years from now we’ll look back and see a much different city,” said Richard Stoddard, chairman and CEO of Parke & Son Inc. “It’s the most exciting thing that’s happened in Decatur in years and years.”

Stoddard is in a good position to comment on that. Established in 1854, Parke

& Son is one of the city’s oldest businesses, and Stoddard’s family has been involved in running it since 1947.

Larry Altenbaumer, interim president of the EDC, predicts the inland port, a railroad hub for which Archer Daniels Midland Co.’s intermodal container freight shipping and receiving facility is the centerpiece, will attract new employers to Macon County.

Mayor Mike McElroy said Decatur area is a prime destination for warehousing and distribution businesses such as Parke. Altenbaumer said two other categories of businesses are also expected to come.

They are agribusiness or food processing companies using products made by Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Tate & Lyle, and manufacturers of durable goods.

“There’s a lot of talk nationally about a renaissance of manufacturing coming

back to in the United States,” Altenbaumer said.

He added that inland port isn’t even the only thing that makes the Decatur area attractive to business.

Altenbaumer said “other core values” were bigger factors behind recent decisions by Union Iron to build a new manufacturing facility in Decatur and by Akorn Inc. leaders to expand theirs, as well as that of China’s Fuyao Glass Group to rebuild both production lines at the former PPG plant near Mount Zion.

“Companies have choices, and we’re having a good run of being chosen,” Altenbaumer said.

Stoddard said Parke decided to expand in Decatur rather than outside Illinois not only because the port is increasing demand for its storage and distribution services but also because its warehouse at 3585 E. Mound Road is

within the Decatur-Macon County Enterprise Zone.

“We wanted to build in Decatur, but business is driven by economics,” Stoddard said. “Sometimes, what we want to do and what we actually do are two different things.”

Stoddard said he already has enough existing customers and one new customer for about half of the planned 140,000-square-foot warehouse addition, all of whom require climate-controlled environments for food ingredients.

Operations manager Steve Sunderland said more than half of the addition will maintain a constant temperature of 70 degrees, while the remainder will be divided into areas kept at 55 degrees and 40 degrees. Humidity levels will also be controlled.

“This is a new venture for us,” Sunderland said.

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November 2014

McCrady selected as EDC’s new president CHRIS LUSVARDI Business Journal Staff Writer

DECATUR — The Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County didn’t have to look far in the selection of its new president.

It named Decatur City Manager Ryan McCrady to the position, effective Jan. 5.

McCrady will replace Larry Altenbaumer, who has served in an interim role for nearly a year.

“When we were thinking about moving to Decatur, I saw a community with tremendous potential,” said McCrady, who has been Decatur’s city manAltenbaumer ager since October 2008 after working for Sangamon County. “I was right. We are seeing that potential. I truly believe this is a great time for Decatur.”

McCrady wants to build on successful initiatives McCrady that have started while he has been city manager, along with efforts the EDC has recently initiated. The city is working on solidifying its water supply, fiber optic network and transportation infrastructure along with providing a well-trained work force, which McCrady said are all selling points to businesses.

“We now have a real product to sell in Decatur,” McCrady said.

The EDC is leading the effort to develop the Midwest Inland Port, which has the Archer Daniels Midland Co. intermodal rail yard as its centerpiece. Other efforts the EDC has been involved with include recent announcements of expansions by Union Iron, Akorn Inc., Fuyao Glass Group and Parke & Son warehouses.

“That’s a sign that there are opportunities here,” McCrady said. “Businesses are expanding here when they could do so anywhere they want. They’re doing it in Decatur.”

With so much momentum, Altenbaumer said now is not the time to take a step backward. Part of Altenbaumer’s given task was to oversee the selection process for a permanent president after Craig Coil resigned about this time last year after 11 years in the position.

“The opportunity is just that great, and we can’t afford to come up short,” Altenbaumer said. “We don’t get these kind of opportunities very often.”

McCrady is the right person to be successful in the job at such an important time, said Tim Stone, the EDC board chairman and administrator at Decatur Memorial Hospital.

“Ryan is the guy to take us there and move us into the future,” Stone said. “We

Employment Services Q A

wanted an individual who is a proven leader, someone who has a track record of getting important things accomplished and someone who works hard to develop and foster good quality relationships. Ryan represents the gold standard in each of these areas.”

Altenbaumer, who is retired from Illinois Power Co. and was a co-founder of the Grow Decatur community development initiative, was praised by Stone and others for helping to put the EDC in a position to be successful when its next leader starts work. Altenbaumer stayed on longer than anticipated, after initially being asked last November to work in the position for six months.

“He did a lot more than a little parttime work,” Mayor Mike McElroy said about Altenbaumer. “He did a lot to change the complexion of the city.”

Groups within the city have been communicating on the same page while working to develop the Midwest Inland Port, said Mark Schweitzer, ADM managing director of intermodal and international freight.

“That’s what is exciting,” Schweitzer said. “It’s not an ADM thing. It’s a community thing.”

Altenbaumer has been a key part of the port concept’s development efforts, Schweitzer said.

“Larry sees what the potential is of the community,” Schweitzer said. “We

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can do powerful things together when united. You’re seeing things happen.”

The outlook has become not just five years down the road but 10 to 20 years, said Schweitzer, who is a member of the EDC board. McCrady can hit the ground running, Schweitzer said.

“He knows the community,” Schweitzer said. “He’s not going to have to relearn that. We need to keep moving forward and move at the speed of business.”

Altenbaumer said he will continue to take a vested interest as to what happens in the Decatur community. Among other things, he plans to continue leading the Grow Decatur efforts.

“I want to do what we can to move this community forward,” Altenbaumer said.

The EDC board conducted a search that looked at national and local candidates, Stone said. It received interest from candidates who had ties to Decatur from previous experiences, although he said those opportunities didn’t work out for a variety of reasons.

“We thought the best fit would be someone local,” Stone said. “We first took advantage of that with Larry, who is intimately familiar with the challenges facing our community.”

McCrady has all the attributes the board was looking for, so Stone said it was excited when McCrady recently became open to the idea of changing roles.

Cayla Hittmeier Advertising Manager Herald & Review

601 E. WILLIAM ST. DECATUR, IL 62523 217.421.6920

Q

What are some benefits to having a mobile ready website?

A

In the age of the smart phone it is very important to have a website that customers can access easily from their mobile phones. About 88% of U.S. adults own a cell phone of some kind as of April 2012, and more than half of these cell phone owners (55%) use their phone to go online and search. Less than 10% of the web in 2012 is mobile ready. These are important statistics because it was found in a Google survey that 61% of consumers would go to a competitor’s website if a business’s site was not mobile friendly.

Not only does a mobile website allow easy access to your on-the-go consumers, but there are may other benefits. These include: • “Click to call” and “click to map” ensures a convenient and fast way to connect customers to business.

• Detailed analytics for keyword ranking specific to mobile devices allows customer ability to see what keywords are driving traffic.

• Dynamic Responsive Design– ensures that customers can read a business’ website and information no matter what kind of device they are using.

• Provides convenience to customers using their mobile devices.

• Designed to offer better navigation for smaller screens.

If you would like to find out more information on how to get your website mobile ready call 217-421-6920 to talk to one of our Multi-Media Specialists today. *Sources: Google (Sterling Research and SmithGeiger) 2012

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November 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

19

YOUR HEALTH

Don’t let holiday meals weigh you down Incorporate some healthier choices JAMIE LOBER Business Journal Writer

The holidays are a time when families, friends and co-workers tend to get together and often the socialization involves food.

“There are lots of temptations and the biggest thing is that families may do potluck-style,” said Samantha Janvrin, exercise specialist at Physician’s Choice Wellness.

While you may wonder how to survive the holidays without gaining extra pounds, you can stay healthy by taking charge.

“Make sure you are always the one to bring a healthier option, so instead of casserole dishes you could do some kind of relish tray or steamed vegetable without adding butters and cheeses,” Janvrin said.

More is not better. “Limit portions, use smaller plates and do not go back for seconds,” Janvrin said. Using lean proteins is an easy way to cut back on calories.

Desserts can be complicated. “People think that an apple pie or fruit pie would be the best option, but that is not necessarily the case, so you may want to do a Greek yogurt with high protein and no added sugar with fresh fruit,” Janvrin said .

Switch things up. “If you can, reduce sugar or even butter content in dessert,

like replacing oils with applesauce in recipes, to make them healthier without adding extra calories or fat,” Janvrin said.

Accessorize your wardrobe instead of your meals. “Do not add whipped cream or ice cream on top of pies,” Janvrin said.

Away from the table, staying active is

incredibly important to maintaining a healthy weight.

“My favorite part about the holidays is spending time with my family, so postdinner or lunch we like to go for a walk and socialize instead of sitting around and watching a football game,” Janvrin said. Any activity is better than none.

“Anything above your normal day-to-day walking around the house like taking the stairs a couple extra times or whatever you can do to get your activity level up will encourage you to stay more active,” Janvrin said.

To determine if you are at an ideal weight, physicians look at the body mass index chart which is their standard. If you have questions or concerns, it can be beneficial to consult with a dietician.

“We can educate on healthy meal planning and behavior modification by researching and finding out what resources are best for you,” Janvrin said.

It is possible to do well even with all of the holiday feasts ahead.

“As long as people stay active and modify portions they will be successful but you have to be active about it and conscious every single day,” Janvrin said. “It is not just a temporary thing. It is more of a mandatory idea that we need to start implementing.”

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

Lynch

Dean

Edgecombe

Lewis

Bryant

New staff members Erin Reed has been named director of sales and sports for the Decatur Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Announcement Nancy Lynch, customer service manager at Foster Financial Services Inc., is celebrating five years of service to the company.

Promotions Clay Dean has been promoted to chief executive officer of First Mid Insurance Group.

Mandy Lewis has been promoted to senior vice president, retail banking officer for First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust.

Q: How can a business owner keep his or her customers loyal to their business?

A: When customers can easily comparison shop online with a few mouse clicks, the notion of loyalty seems almost old fashioned. Your best customers are someone else’s most sought-after prospects.

Big companies have adopted a fancy term for addressing the problem, called customer retention management or CRM. Massive amounts of time and energy are devoted to it, including countless websites, conferences, software products, online applications, magazines and books. The core of the issue, however, comes down to something small-business owners have been good at for centuries: Building customer loyalty.

Small businesses that concentrate on keeping customers are more successful in the long run. It only stands to reason, selling to folks you already know and understand is more efficient, more predictable and more profitable. A loyal customer base gives you an edge.

Building loyalty is not a marketing issue, however, so don’t look there for help. Spend all you want to attract new customers, but if they don’t stick with you, your days as a business owner could be numbered. Losing a customer should be unacceptable. Find out why it happened and then do whatever you can to prevent it from happening again.

To foster customer loyalty, a small

Eric Rosenbery and Paulo DeLeon, of Peerless Cleaners Inc., attended the National Air Duct Cleaning Association (NADCA) Fall Conference in Atlanta, Ga. Rosenbery passed his NADCA certification test and DeLeon completed six hours of continuing education in the air duct cleaning field.

Dale Edgecombe of Decatur Mutual Insurance Agency is the recipient of the Gold Key Award from Pekin Life Insurance Co. Jill Ernst Bryant, formerly of Decatur, has been selected to present at the University of Texas System Clinical Safety and Effectiveness Conference in San Antonio, Texas, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Care Symposium in Boston, Mass.

Business Clips are abbreviated versions of paid announcements that have appeared the new Business Achievements section, which appears on Mondays in the Herald & Review.

View the complete announcement or submit information the achievements of your business or employees at www.herald-review.com/ business_achievement.

November 2014

GOT A QUESTION?

BUSINESS JOURNAL

7

For additional help on developing loyalty from your customers, to schedule one-onone counseling, or to submit another question for the “Ask the SCORE Counselor” column, contact SCORE Chapter 296, Millikin University, 1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL 62522 or call (217) 424-6297.

business needs a strategy that keeps patrons coming back. You should start with the basics that are sometimes overlooked. Thanking customers for their business, for example, goes a long way.

Try going beyond a few spoken words, doing something like writing thank you notes and letters. Make them personal and sincere. Let your customers know you appreciate their business.

Creating value will also help boost loyalty. Take time to learn as much as you can about why your customers are coming to you. Ask them if there is anything else you could be doing for them, then, after they tell you, do it. Customer satisfaction is crucial to a small business.

Customers are more likely to be loyal if you make it easy for them. Review each customer touch point, your phones, your website, your store, to determine if they are customer friendly.

Offer incentives. You can’t buy loyalty, but you can make it easier to happen with special perks, discounts or freebies.

Do whatever you can to raise the comfort level of buying from you. One good way is to give them a way out with a satisfaction guarantee.

— Carol A. Harding, SCORE counselor

Meet a SCORE counselor Bob Luther retired after 30 years with McDonald’s in various corporate positions and finally as a franchise owner. His counseling specialties are restaurant operations, marketing and advertising. Since retirement, Bob has served as membership Luther director at the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce and is a long-term care specialist for Country Insurance & Financial. He has been a SCORE counselor since 2005.

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile:

n 72% read The Business Journal monthly. n 17% are 34 and under

40-hour week a distant memory TCA News Service

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November 2014

When was the last time you worked a 40-hour week? Thought so.

The time-honored 40-hour, 9-to-5 workweek is a thing of the past, according to a survey conducted for Atlanta-based Premiere Global Services Inc. The “Take Back 60” study found that 88 percent of the 617 respondents who took the online survey last month said they work more than 40 hours a week.

Seventy-one percent said they take work home at least one day a week.

Among the other findings: n 71 percent said they work more than they prefer. n 63 percent eat lunch at their desks. n 61 percent commute more than 30 minutes each day, with nearly 25 percent clocking in at over an hour.

A majority of the respondents (64 percent) said they would spend more time with family or exercise if they could reclaim 60 minutes (hence the title of the survey) from their overworked week. A third would pursue a hobby and about a quarter would catch up on household chores or learn or improve a skill.

Business Journal, Lisa Morrison

The parents of Matt Yelovich and Tony Samuelson did not meet until after the tragic auto accident which they died in 2008. Since then parents Steven and Sharon Samuelson, left, and Mike and Sandra Yelovich have sponsored an annual golf tournament raising money for area SADD chapters. Tony’s sister Katie Boltz, middle, is a leader of the Mount Zion SADD chap-

Families moved by tragedy Awareness campaigns rooted in losses

By THERESA CHURCHILL Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — Keeping a child’s memory alive can be a double-edged sword.

Yet some bereaved parents can’t stop doing whatever they can to keep other families from experiencing the same horrific loss.

The parents of Matthew Yelovich and Anthony Samuelson, best friends killed by a drunk driver at age 24 six years ago, are one such example.

Others include Mike and Kathy Burkham, whose son, Tyler Yount, died of a heroin overdose five years ago at age 23, and Tim Reimer, whose son, Joshua Reimer, died from shaken baby syndrome in 1993 less than a month shy of his second birthday.

An annual Matthew and Tony Memorial Golf Outing at Decatur’s South Side Country

Club has raised $191,000 for seven high school chapters of Students Against Destructive Decisions, or SADD, in the Decatur area.

Two Overdose Awareness Days in Mount Zion’s Fletcher Park have raised about $7,000 for the Tyler Yount Foundation to start a nalaxone distribution program and to give scholarships to successful graduates of Macon County’s Hybrid Court. The first car show of the Facebook group Macon County Child Abuse Warriors, meanwhile, raised $1,000 this summer for the Macon County Child Advocacy Center.

The Yeloviches and Samuelsons say their first golf outing in 2009 was the hardest but that none has been easy.

“It’s not a fun day for us,” Mike Yelovich said. “At the end of the day, when everybody

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Submitted photo

Golfers in this summer’s outing wear the colors of Matthew Yelovich’s favorite team, the Chicago Cubs, and Anthony Samuelson’s favorite team, the St. Louis

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Clearing up succession misconceptions

Continued from page 7 hugs us, it makes it all worth it. So does believing we have saved at least one life and at least one family from having to go through what we did.”

Matthew Yelovich and Anthony Samuelson were rear-seat passengers in a speeding sedan that went out of control on North Water Street, hit the back of a house at 205 E. Kellar Lane and spun violently back to the street Nov. 16, 2008. Both were killed at the scene, and the driver was sentenced to 10 years in prison for driving under the influence.

The most recent golf outing was July 14. The number of golfers participating has ranged from 175 to 200 over the years, but the two families say most of the money raised comes from sponsors.

“We could use more,” Sandra Yelovich said.

The beneficiaries are SADD chapters at their son’s high schools, Matthew graduated from Mount Zion and Anthony graduated from St. Teresa in 2002, as well as the school districts of Cerro Gordo, Lutheran School Association, Maroa-Forsyth, Meridian and Warrensburg-Latham school districts.

The friends’ elementary schools, Holy Family and Lourdes respectively, receive smaller sums.

Interestingly enough, Tony’s sister, Katie Boltz, 27, of Pana is a health teacher at Mount Zion High School and the school’s SADD adviser.

“Besides the students, I think all the people who know what an impact that accident had on our lives think things through a little more than they would have before,” Boltz said.

Herald & Review archives show an uptick in SADD activities, such as mock car crashes during prom season, since 2008. “We gave $4,500 to each high school this year,” Mike Yelovich said. “We try to give enough for it to mean something.”

Although SADD receives the proceeds, Mike Yelovich said he believes the tragedy and annual fundraiser have changed the way grownups conduct their lives most of all.

For one thing, a tradition of free taxi rides on New Year’s Eve began in Decatur in 2008 and continued at least through 2012.

For another, a friend of the two families for several years has gone out to drive any young person home, no matter what the time of day or night, if he or she will only call. “Dave Perry is his name, and he has single-handedly made our mission come true,” Mike Yelovich said.

Steven and Sharon Samuelson of Decatur became friends with Mike and Sandra Yelovich of Mount Zion after their sons died.

“It seems to me that God needed two bright lights to make a statement here.

Unfortunately for us, our boys got picked,” Steven Samuelson said. “To do nothing but sit around and mope, that isn’t getting anything accomplished.”

“Giving is actually the thing that makes you feel better,” Sharon Samuelson added.

The Burkhams, who live in Mount

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One of the most common terms in the vast and confusing lexicon of HR jargon is succession planning.

A duo of misconceptions plague this term. The sole purpose of this column is to clear up the two misunderstandings.

Misconception number one is that succession planning is a tool to push the old codgers out the door, or at least nudge them down the stairs. It’s a vehicle to gently, or not so gently, Human Resources convey aging senior execs into their well-earned retirement, clearing the way for younger talent to move up.

Not so. Succession planning, when properly applied, doesn’t do that. It simply speaks to the truth that nobody stays forever. Look around your workplace. Do you see the same faces that were there 20 years ago, or 10, or even five? Not likely.

Things change. People move on to

Fred Spannaus

Business Journal, Lisa Morrison

Katie Boltz, second from right, works with Mount Zion High School students to prepare for red ribbon week. The week reminds students to make wise decisions, avoid drinking, drugs and destructive decisions.

Zion, feel the same way and forged ahead with their first Overdose Awareness Day in 2013 despite just having lost a second son in a car accident four years to the day after Tyler died.

Justin Yount, 28, apparently fell asleep at the wheel before his car ran off the road and struck an embankment.

“Instead of continuing to ask ‘Why me?’ and not get any answer, I say ‘Why not me?’ ” Kathy Burkham said. “I’m here for a purpose so no other family has to know the pain mine has known.

“It’s very, very healing for me.”

This year’s Overdose Awareness Day was Aug. 30 and drew more than 200 people for a 5K run/one-mile walk followed by a memorial service and balloon release.

Reimer of Decatur, on the other hand, said he tried to bury his grief over his son’s death until he couldn’t do it anymore.

He and other members of his Facebook group organized a car show at Four Star Family Restaurant in Mount Zion on Aug. 30 but plan to have the next one in April, during Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Reimer said what really makes his son’s death hard to deal with is all the other cases of child abuse that are in the news and how many children have lost their lives.

Joshua’s mother and her then-fiance were each sentenced to 10 years in prison, her for second-degree murder and him for aggravated battery to a child.

“The positive aspect of doing the car show is that it helps bring back my son, his beautiful blue eyes and his smiling face,” Reimer said. “It makes me feel stronger to feel like you do have a voice, that if you see abuse, you can do something about it.”

Business Journal, Danny Damiani

Mike and Kathy Burkham hold Naloxone, which is a drug that can counteract the effects of an overdose giving emergency responders more time. The Burkhams are working to get a community program started that would allow those referred to gain access to the drug.

different jobs, different employers, different careers. People relocate. Some get sick. Some die. Some lives take a sharp turn and pursue painting or poetry or ministry. And yes, some people just plain retire.

What does succession planning do? It prepares the organization, as much as possible, for inevitable transitions.

It identifies persons who might be capable of moving up, and who want to move up. It systematically adds to their knowledge and skill bank so that they can assume increasing responsibilities. It gives them chances, lots of them, to practice their new skills and knowledge.

In short, succession planning develops a bench for the key positions in the top tiers of the organizations.

And that leads us directly to Misconception number two. This misconception is that succession planning pre-selects individuals for promotion.

That is, succession planning decides who will be promoted long before a vacancy occurs. It takes the decision out of the hands of those who might be making it, and it eliminates any search for outside candidates.

Not so. Succession planning develops a bench. It doesn’t groom just one per-

son for each top-tier job, but it prepares several to assume increased responsibilities.

The sole exception is a firm which has decided on a single successor. That often happens in family businesses.

But even in those cases, the organization needs a Plan B. It needs a backup or two for the heir-in-waiting.

Succession planning creates the solid bench and it has at least two other major benefits. First, it strengthens the entire organization by increasing the abilities of mid-level managers.

There is virtually no downside to improved skills.

The next plus is a big one.

Succession planning will spot your weak spots, the places where you are most vulnerable to a sudden personnel loss. It will identify the tasks that are exposed, the ones that only one person knows how to do, and the ones that only one person is authorized to do.

When a key person leaves suddenly, the unprepared organization will suffer badly. Most often, the pain is caused by the sudden realization that the person was, despite T-shirts to the contrary, a truly indispensable person.

She was indispensable because she alone knew how to do something that

no one else could do. Or he was the only one empowered to make a decision, or the only one who had sufficient knowledge to make the right decision.

It’s a bad place to be the morning after the indispensable person is gone.

Smart companies make sure it never happens. They plan for it, and they are ready for the unexpected.

Fred W. Spannaus, principal of Spannaus Consulting, is a senior professional in human resources. He loves feedback to his columns. Fred can be contacted by email at spannaus@ ameritech.net or by phone at (217) 425-2635.

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 63% have household incomes of $60,000 or greater. 36% have household incomes of $80,000 or greater.

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November 2014

The following is a listing of some of the not-for-profit agencies serving Macon County.

Continued from page 15 With the move closer to Interstate 72, Skeff remained geographically at the center of the market, 44 miles to Springfield and 44 miles to Champaign, Skeffington said. Danville has stretched the market to the east but Decatur continues to make sense for the base of operations, he said.

Skeff isn’t the only business that has recognized the opportunities available in Decatur, Rothrock said. The other nominees for the award included Ameren Illinois, Colee’s Corner Drugs, Decatur Computers, Falcon Multimedia, Norfolk Southern, The Secret Garden, Spherion and Staley Credit Union.

The list of possible nominees for next year’s award already has a start, with Rothrock saying it will be hard once again to choose a recipient.

“It’s going to be extremely difficult over the next several years with all the development happening,” she said.

A streak of other recent expansion announcements for work to be completed in the next few years has been an encouraging sign for the community, Rothrock said. Union Iron, Akorn Inc., Fuyao Glass Group and Parke Warehouses are among the companies making notable investments in their Decatur area operations.

“When you start adding up the investments, it’s significant dollars being invested in the community,” Rothrock said.

Skeff established itself in the new markets during some of the country’s worst economic times and an overall trend of consolidation within the beer distribution industry, Skeffington said.

All the while, he wanted to keep the business moving forward.

With the economic downturn, Skeffington said consumers were watching how they spent their disposable income. Yet, that only limited their consumption of alcohol so much, he said.

“This has always been a great industry,” Skeffington said. “In good times, people drank. In bad times, they drank.”

Throughout the downturn, the company stayed lean and managed costs, Skeffington said.

Skeff is part of the nation’s beer industry, which puts more than 2 million Americans to work and contributes $246.6 billion to the economy, according to a Beer Institute and National Beer Wholesalers Association study.

With the Danville acquisition, Skeffington said the company was out of space at its new warehouse in Decatur and needed to expand farther to have the necessary space to store and sort all of the products. The recent expansion of the building was completed this summer, he said.

When it started, Skeff distributed three brands, Skeffington said. It now has more than 60 brands it sells having gone from 1 million cases before the acquisitions to 4.2 million cases sold each year, he said.

“Great brands don’t sell themselves,” said Skeffington, who credits a creative sales staff and marketing programs for the success. Skeff employs about 110 people throughout its four markets.

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AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY Primary mission: Eliminate cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy and service.

Services offered: Research, cancer information services, support groups, transportation, advocacy and public policy, community programs and services.

Top local executive: Jeremy Harbin Sr. Address: 2509 S. Neil St., Champaign Phone: (217) 356-9076 Web: www.cancer.org, www.relayforlife.org/maconil Primary events/fundraisers: Relay for Life (July)

Business Journal, Jim Bowling

Driver Jeff Clemence transports beer from the picking area to be loaded onto a special event trailer at Skeff Distributing Co. “Making friends is our business,” Skeffington said. “It’s still a people business. That’s what makes it fun.”

In addition to its core AnheuserBusch products, Skeff expanded its product portfolio to fill gaps retailers might have to include items such as Nestle waters, Arizona teas and Monster energy drinks, which Skeffington said are high-quality brands that fit its portfolio.

Skeff operates 25 delivery routes, with eight apiece to Springfield and Champaign, five to Danville and four in the Decatur area as it takes products gathered from around the country to grocery stores, liquor stores, restaurants and other retailers. Each route in Decatur can make more deliveries because the warehouse is nearby to load more products if necessary, Skeffington said.

The warehouse operates 24 hours a day during the week as trucks are loaded at night and ready to make deliveries during the day, Skeffington said.

In giving back to the communities it serves, Skeffington has established a philosophy he learned from his father.

“The community has been great to us,” Skeffington said. “We can’t just take from them.”

Skeff contributes money and products to a wide range of events in the community, but Skeffington said to him, it’s about more than just financial contributions. He encourages employees to get involved in the community by giving of their talents, serving on various boards and volunteering their time.

Skeffington played a leading role in establishing Decatur’s Community Food Drive, which raised the equivalent of over 1 million pounds of food this year for the first time in its 13 years. The food drive was established after a conversation between Skeffington, Neuhoff

Media Vice President of Development Brian Byers and Kevin Breheny, president of J.L. Hubbard Insurance and Bonds.

“Decatur has always stepped up,” Skeffington said. “It is a giving community. We were trying to fill a van to be

Mt. Zion Sav-Mor Pharmacy Presents...

The First Dueling Piano Christmas Show for the Entire Family!

November 22nd, 2014 6:00 - 9:00 pm What a great way to start the Holidays!

Sav Mor Pharmacy invites you to a night of great food, fun, and amazing tunes played by Midwest Dueling Pianos!!

A Christmas gift that everyone will love.

successful the first year. It’s hard to believe how much it has grown.”

Despite its growth, Skeffington said the food drive still has room to grow because it still doesn’t even collect enough to fill local food pantries for an entire year.

Mt. Zion Convention Center Breakfast with Santa Saturday, November 15th Christmas in the Village at Mt. Zion Convention Center Come visit Santa and enjoy a Catered Breakfast from 9 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Adults: $17 • Children: $15

Step into Santa’s Workshop • Games & Secret Surprise • Story Telling by Patty Wilson • Marionette Show • Amazing Dudley Magic Show • Face Painting with Santa’s Helpers from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Advanced Tickets Only

Location: Mt. Zion Convention Center 1400 Mt. Zion Parkway (East of Mt. Zion Sav Mor Pharmacy) Time: Doors Open at 5:30pm Child Friendly Dinner/Music 6-9pm Theme: Holiday Family Christmas Show for all ages Door Prizes: Sav Mor Pharmacy will have drawings throughout the night

Mt. Zion Village Hall 217-864-5424 Sav Mor Pharmacy Kenny Ace Hardware Mt. Zion Family Video & Mt. Zion Les Femmes Members Bring your camera for a photo with Santa!

Bring your camera for a photo with Santa!

Tickets in Advance Only - Adults: $20 Under 18: $10

Tickets available at the MTZ Village hall. Call 217-864-5424 for more information. www.mtzconventioncenter.com

at mtzionevents

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION Primary mission: Build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. That single purpose drives all we do.

Top local executive: Karen Gedrose, corporate events director Address: 2141 W. White Oaks Dr. Suite A, Springfield Phone: (217) 698-3838 Web: www.heart.org Primary events/fundraisers: Decatur Heart Gala (April) and Heart Walk (Oct.) AMERICAN RED CROSS MID-ILLINOIS CHAPTER Primary mission: Prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

Services offered: Disaster services, emergency services, blood donation, health and safety services and services to armed forces.

Address: 2674 N. Main St., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-7758 Web: www.midillinoisredcross.org Primary events/fundraisers: Diamond Affair (April), Heartland Heroes (Nov.) and blood drives BABY TALK Primary mission: Positively impact child development and nurture healthy parent-child relationships during the critical early years.

Services offered: Early literacy program, early intervention, family literacy, home visitation, outreach and Early Head Start program.

Top local executive: Claudia Quigg Address: 500 E. Lake Shore Drive, Decatur Phone: (217) 475-2234 Web: www.babytalk.org Primary events/fundraisers: Grillin’ in the Garden (June) BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS Primary mission: Providing caring adult mentors to at-risk children in Macon County.

Services offered: One to one mentoring.

Top local executive: Jeanne Stahlheber Address: 310 W. William St., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-4240 Web: www.bbbscil.org Primary events/fundraisers: Bowl for Kids

November 2014

Organizations are here to help the community Sake (March) and Night in the Islands (Nov.) BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF DECATUR Primary mission: To enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.

Services offered: Programs for character and leadership; education and career; health and life skills; the arts and culture; sports, fitness and recreation; and specialized initiatives Top local executive: Bruce Jeffery Address: 859 N. Jasper St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-9605 Web: www.bgca.org Primary events/fundraisers: Black History Lock-in (Feb.), National Boys and Girls Club Week (April), Year End Bash (May), Back to School Festival (Sept.), Day for Kids event (Sept.) and annual banquet (Nov.) CATHOLIC CHARITIES Primary mission: Extend to all the healing and empowering presence of Jesus.

Services offered: Professional counseling solutions, student assistance counseling, eldercare options, elderly guardianship services, Faith in Action, food pantries, Meals on Wheels, MedAssist/SHIP, resale store, Strong for Life, A Matter of Balance.

Top local executive: Marie Rademacher Address: 247 W. Prairie Ave., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-3458 Web: www.cc.dio.org/area_offices/ decatur/home.htm CENTRAL ILLINOIS CHRISTIANS IN MISSION Primary mission: Provide for the needy as directed by God. (Matthew 25:34-40) Services offered: Provide furniture, kitchen items, appliances and beds to low-income and needy families.

Top local executive: Greg Bradley Address: 1000 E. Locust St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-4246 Web: www.centralchristians.com Primary events/fundraisers: Golf outing (Sept.)

CENTRAL ILLINOIS FOODBANK Primary mission: To collect donated food and grocery items from growers, manufacturers, processors and wholesalers for distribution to charitable agencies serving people in need. Serve more than 140 agencies in 21 Central Illinois counties.

Services offered: Food distribution Top local executive: Pam Molitoris, executive director Address: 1937 E. Cook St., Springfield Phone: (217) 522-4022 Web: www.centralilfoodbank.org Primary events/fundraisers: Community food drive (Oct.), Harvest Ball (Oct.)

CHELP (Community Home Environmental Learning Project) Primary mission: Provides services to seniors and disabled citizens to keep them in their homes and out of nursing homes as long as possible.

Services offered: Senior companion, inhome care, adult protective services, coordinated point of entry, respite care and private care.

Top local executive: Diane Drew Address: 1429 N. Jasper St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-9888 COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT CENTER (CHIC) Primary mission: Provide excellent, comprehensive health care that is affordable and readily accessible for the medically underserved.

Services offered: Comprehensive outpatient pediatric and adult medical care, mental health services and prenatal care.

Top local executive: Tanya Andricks, chief executive officer Address: 2905 N. Main St., Decatur Phone: (217) 877-9117 Web: www.chealthctr.org DECATUR AREA HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Primary mission: To build simple, decent and affordable homes for people in need, providing them with a place to live and grow into all that God intended.

Top local executive: Jane Miller, office manager Address: 151 N. Main St, Decatur Phone: (217) 425-6446 Primary events/fundraisers: ReStore warehouse DECATUR CARES RESCUE MISSIONS Primary mission: Mission outreach providing love of Christ through shelter and transition opportunities.

Services offered: Grace House for women, Pershing Road Mission for men, Water Street Mission and Hope’s Attic Thrift Store.

Address: 2175 E. Pershing Road, Decatur Phone: (217) 424-2381 DECATUR DAY CARE CENTER Primary mission: Provide quality childcare for working parents or parents in school.

Services offered: Child care for 6 weeks to 12 years Top local executive: Janice Baldwin Address: 2075 E. Lake Shore Drive, Suite B, Decatur Phone: (217) 422-2044 Primary events/fundraisers: Piggy bank, pizza sales, food drive, United Way fundraiser DECATUR FAMILY SANCTUARY Primary mission: Provide shelter for

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Decatur-Macon County homeless residents Services offered: Partner with local organizations for medical, financial, education, counseling and courts. Monitor and maintain established families.

Top local executive: Kathleen Taylor Address: 539-543 N. Water St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-9903 Web: decaturfamilysanctuary.org Primary events/fundraisers: Lasagna drive-by (Nov.) Primary mission: To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

Services offered: Youth and family programs, sports, health and fitness, Camp Sokkia, preschool enrichment and school age programs.

Top local executive: Matt Whitehead, interim executive director Address: 220 W. McKinley Ave., Decatur Phone: (217) 872-9622 Web: www.decaturymca.org Primary events/fundraisers: Backpack Attack (Aug.), KidFest (Aug.) DECATUR IS GROWING GARDENERS (DIGG) Primary mission: Create employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for lowincome residents through growing vegetables and fruits sustainably.

Services offered: Partner with local organizations for job skills training Top local executive: Olivia Heisner, executive director Address: Culver House, 412 W. Prairie Ave., Decatur Phone: (217) 620-9077 Web: www.decaturdigg.org Primary events/fundraisers: Farmers markets DECATUR-MACON COUNTY SENIOR CENTER Primary mission: Enhance the quality of life for seniors through friendship, services, programs, activities and advocacy.

Services offered: Multipurpose senior center, flu shots, information and assistance.

Top local executive: Leslie Stanberry Address: 1430 N. 22nd St., Decatur Phone: (217) 429-1239 Web: decaturmaconcountysenior center.org Primary events/fundraisers: Longaberger Binga (Oct.) DOVE INC. Primary mission: Coalition of religious organizations, volunteers and advocates that seek to coordinate efforts to address unmet human needs and social injustices.

Services offered: Domestic violence program, BABES, Homeward Bound, MAX and DAX, outreach programs, children’s clothing room, RSVP and community recycling center.

Top local executive: Jim Walters Address: 302 S. Union St., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-6616 Web: www.doveinc.org Primary events/fundraisers: Point in Time (Feb.), community breakfast (March), National Night Out (Aug.) and coat drive (Oct.)

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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Continued from page 9 GIRL SCOUTS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS Primary mission: Build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.

Services offered: Serving girls ages 5 through 17 through troops, events and outdoor education Top local executive: Pam Kovacevich Address: 1100 E. Pershing Road, Decatur Phone: (217) 423-7791 Web: www.girlscouts-gsci.org Primary events/fundraisers: Cookies (Jan.), magazine and candy sales (Oct.), diamonds event (Oct.) GOD'S SHELTER OF LOVE Primary mission: Show God's love for all mankind, minister to the needs of the homeless and tell of the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Services offered: Housing, clothing and meals for homeless Top local executive: Ed Vacon Address: 929 N. Union St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-2790 Web: www.godsshelteroflove.org Primary events/fundraisers: Blessingdale's Thrift Shop GOOD SAMARITAN INN Primary mission: Create opportunities with the support of our community toward improving the lives of our economically disadvantaged neighbors through daily nourishment, life skills education and job training programs.

Services offered: Daily lunch program, partner with local organizations for job skills training Top local executive: Rev. Stacey Brohard Address: 920 N. Union St., Decatur Phone: (217) 429-1455 Web: www.goodsamaritaninn.org HERITAGE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER Primary mission: Improve the mental and physical well-being of those we serve and to advance behavioral health in our community.

Services offered: Mental health and addiction services, crisis intervention and Oasis Day Center.

Top local executive: Diana Knaebe Address: 151 N. Main St., Decatur Phone: (217) 362-6262 Web: www.heritagenet.org

Primary events/fundraisers: Band Together for Oasis (Oct.) HOMEWARD BOUND PET SHELTER Primary events/fundraisers: Shelter and rehabilitate relinquished cats, kittens, dogs and puppies until they can be permanently adopted into loving homes.

Also serves as a job training program for people with disabilities.

Services offered: Pet adoptions, grooming, foster care and job training.

Top local executive: Dreux Lewandowski Address: 1720 Huston Dr., Decatur Phone: (217) 876-1266 Web: www.homewardboundpet shelter.com Primary events/fundraisers: Woofstock (June), Dog Days of Summer (Aug.), fundraising drive (Aug.) and Pints for Pups (Nov.).

INDEPENDENCE POINTE Primary mission: Provides care and services to clients and families with disabilities, helping reach milestones to gain independence and improve quality of life.

Services offered: Speech/language therapy services, recreational programming, adult services, autism services, family support services, child care, respite care and AgrAbility Unlimited.

Top local executive: Lori Brown, president Address: 2715 N. 27th St., Decatur Phone: (217) 429-1052 Web: www.easterseals-ci.org Primary events/fundraisers: Bowl-athon (Feb.), celebration day (April), softball tournament (July) and Denim Days, Kick’n Asphalt (Sept.)

LAND OF LINCOLN LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION INC. Primary mission: Pursue civil justice for low-income persons through representation and education.

Top local executive: Lauren Pashayan Address: 3085 Stevenson Drive, Suite 202, Springfield Phone: 1-800-252-8629 Web: www.lollaf.org

ment, citizenship training and personal fitness, leadership and self reliance.

Top local executive: Chris Long Address: 262 W. Prairie Ave., Decatur Phone: (217) 429-2326 Web: www.lincolntrailscouncil.org Primary events/fundraisers: Friends of Scouting Campaign (Jan.) and Popcorn sale (Oct.) MACON COUNTY CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER Primary mission: Children who have been victims of abuse need people who care for them as people, not as case files.

Children and their families are treated with care and concern.

Services offered: Assistance and support in coping with abuse, crisis intervention services, assistance with obtaining medical care, social services and counseling; legal advocacy and information about the court process including help with orders of protection, victim compensation and case information as appropriate.

Top local executive: Jean Moore, executive director Address: 1990 N. Water St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-6294 Web: www.mccac.org MACON COUNTY CASA Primary mission: Provide court appointed volunteers to advocate for the abused, neglected and/or dependent children who are involved in the Macon County juvenile court system.

Top local executive: Pam Burkhart, exec-

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YOUR BUSINESS

MACON RESOURCES INC. Primary mission: Promote growth, independence and self-worth in children and adults with disabilities.

Services offered: Bright Start, Kid’s Connection, community employment, community support services, residential services, developmental/vocational training, case management, Blue Tower Training, business services, janitorial and lawn care services for businesses, Homeward Bound Pet Shelter.

Top local executive: Dreux Lewandowski Address: 2121 Hubbard Ave., Decatur Phone: (217) 875-1910 Web: www.maconresources.org Primary events/fundraisers: Kids Rock (March) and golf tournament (June) NORTHEAST COMMUNITY FUND Primary mission: To assist needy families in our community with the resources available in a caring and Christ-like manner.

Services offered: Counseling, emergency food and financial assistance, free clothing room, assistance with prescription drugs, baby supplies and other emergency needs.

Top local executive: Jerry Pelz

Put the “MEN” in Mentoring "The real heroes of the world are the men who take the time to make a difference in the life of a child"

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling

President and CEO John Skeffington shows an aisle of carton flow racking at Skeff Distributing Co.

Growing with the flow

November is National Homeless Awareness Month

Thursday, November 20th.

11am - Noon Heritage Fields 3595 N Charles Street Decatur, IL 62526

November 2014

utive director Address: 132 S. Water St., Suite 250, Decatur Phone: (217) 428-8424 Web: www.maconcountycasa.org Primary events/fundraisers: CASA for CASA playhouse raffle (April) and Tommy Morrissey Memorial Poker Run (July)

LINCOLN TRAIL COUNCIL, BOY SCOUTS Primary mission: Prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout oath and law.

Services offered: Youth development programs that provide character develop-

Join us at our November Seeds of Hope to hear the latest updates on the Oasis Day Center and Heritage's housing programs.

www.thebusiness-journal.com

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois is looking for caring adult mentors. We’re looking for YOU! Contact our office or visit our website to find out how you can get involved today.

(217) 428-4240 - www.bbbscil.org

Skeff Distributing expands territory CHRIS LUSVARDI Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — As a string of other businesses in Decatur are starting significant expansion projects, Skeff Distributing Co. has completed recent work to solidify its presence in Central Illinois.

The Decatur-based AnheuserBusch/InBev distributor has been steadily growing since beginning to expand into new markets in 2006 when it merged with House of Brews in Springfield. That deal was soon followed

by Skeff purchasing Premium Brands

LTD of Champaign/Urbana in 2007.

Its latest acquisition, the purchase of Earl Gaudio & Son of Tilton that was finalized last year, brought Skeff into the Danville market and expanded its service territory from Springfield to the Indiana border. In the process, it has become the state's second largest Anheuser-Busch distributor behind Lake Shore Beverage in Chicago.

All the while, President and CEO John Skeffington said Decatur remained at the heart of its operations despite consideration of a move to Springfield with the merger in 2006.

“We were here,” Skeffington said.

“Decatur is geographically positive. This was home.”

After widening its service territory, Skeff was recognized in August with the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce's Business Expansion of the

Year award.

Chamber President Mirinda Rothrock said Decatur has benefited from Skeff's expansion efforts and community involvement even after looking at its possible opportunities in other markets.

“They chose Decatur and Macon County,” Rothrock said. “We're fortunate they chose our area.”

Decatur Mayor Mike McElroy accepted the Chamber's award on the company's behalf, saying not only that having businesses such as Skeff is beneficial for the city but it has been rewarding for him to work there. McElroy balances duties as mayor with his job as vice president/sales, marketing, government and community affairs for Skeff.

The company has been a key contributor to the Decatur community since Skeffington's father, Gerald Skeffington, started it in 1967. Gerald Skeffington was

an Anheuser-Busch division manager who had been in Decatur three years after being transferred when an opportunity came up to buy the local beer distributing business.

The territory was previously served by McHenry Distributing Co. Skeff started at the Anroco Lumber Co. on 22nd Street in Decatur until the summer of 1968, when it moved to 1175 N. 20th St. It stayed there between Condit Street and Grand Avenue for 38 years until moving to its present facility on East L&A Industrial Drive in May 2006.

“We were landlocked,” John Skeffington said. “We were out of room.

At the end of the day, it was the best thing we could have done.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

BUSINESS JOURNAL

www.thebusiness-journal.com

November 2014

TECHTALK

Easing your nerves about cloud computing There is a huge trend in technology to move toward cloud computing services.

Everyone is advertising that it’s better, faster, cheaper, safer.

Cloud services are accessible from anywhere, and you don’t need your IT guy anymore, right?

At the same time, those subscription fees add up fast, new security breaches are making headlines almost every day, and you still need your IT guy around to interpret all that technobabble for you (and troubleshoot the computer glitches that still happen all too often!).

No wonder it’s so Technology confusing. Here are the answers to your biggest questions about the cloud.

Wendy Gauntt

Is it safe?

The most common concern with cloud services is security. Large cloud computing providers are able to set up security infrastructure far better than most small businesses, which makes them safer. However, hackers enjoy the challenge of newsworthy targets, which creates greater risk. There is also financial gain: credit card numbers and bank accounts generate a lot of money for hackers. The reality is that security issues are a problem no matter how you manage your technology. All you can do is follow security best practices and make sure your vendors do the same. Be especially careful with smaller cloud service providers since they may not have the security resources and policies of a larger company.

You will also need to be careful if you are subject to regulatory compliance policies such as HIPAA, PCI, SOX, FISMA, etc. Penalties for noncompliance can be steep, so it’s critical to verify that your vendor can guarantee com-

pliance with whatever regulatory requirements impact your company.

What if it goes down?

If your cloud provider has an outage and its services go down, there’s not a whole lot you can do. You can call them for support, and they may have a portal or Twitter feed for status updates. But really, all you can do is alert them and then wait. It’s not the same as calling up your local IT guy who you know and trust.

You also could lose access if your Internet service goes down. You may want to get a secondary Internet service so that if one goes down, you can access the Internet over the backup service.

You can also go to another location with Internet service and connect from there.

Getting to my data?

As long as you like your vendors, you don’t have to worry too much about accessing your data. If you want to move from one cloud to another, or one software vendor to another, this can become a huge problem. It can also come up as an issue if you have reason to archive your data or don’t trust their disaster recovery procedures. Some cloud vendors make it very difficult to download your data. This is a very common issue when it comes to software. Even if access is provided, it can be a highly time-consuming process to identify and download every piece of data. Email and file storage is usually relatively easy to transfer from one company to another.

Do I need a server?

Maybe. If you only have a few computers, you probably don’t need one; in fact you may not have one now. Once you get past 10 or 15 computers, there are definite advantages to having a server in place. It will allow you to set security policies and password requirements; it will give you control and administrative access to computers on the network; and it will make it easier to install and share printers.

The other main reason to keep a serv-

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Save me money?

Not always. The promise is that the cloud is less expensive due to efficiencies and economies of scale. The bottom line is that you have to run the numbers. You can purchase (or lease) software and servers, which involves a large upfront expense and a relatively low ongoing maintenance fee. If you go with cloud services, your initial expense will be low, but you will always have a monthly expense as long as you use that service.

If you rely heavily on cloud services you will probably add another expense: a backup Internet connection. Cloud services hit the books differently, which can impact taxes: a server install is a capital expense, but cloud services are considered an operating expense. When doing your calculations, bear in mind that servers run about 4-5 years before risk of failure becomes a significant issue.

Right for business?

Whether they realize it or not, most companies are already using at least a

few cloud services. When it comes to personal use, nearly everyone is in the cloud. You may already use hosted email, such as Office365 or Google Apps; perhaps you use Dropbox or Box.com to share files; you might handle video calls with Skype or Gotomeeting; if you have an iPhone you probably back up your data with iCloud. Don’t forget, Facebook and Twitter are cloud services, too.

The question is whether you should move more of your technology into the cloud, and there is no one right answer.

The best time to evaluate this move is when you have an aging server ready for replacement. Run the numbers, look at the security risks, and think through how much control you need to feel comfortable. Don’t forget to weigh the advantages: Reduced infrastructure in your office, easy access for your staff who work remotely, low start-up costs and less need for in-house IT services, just to name a few.

There are a lot of great services available, so don’t let any hesitation about the cloud keep you from doing what’s best for your business.

Wendy Gauntt is president of CIO Services LLC, a technology consulting company that specializes in small business solutions. Visit her website at www.cioservicesllc.com for more information, ideas and free resources.

Address: 825 N. Water St., Decatur Phone: (217) 429-5846 Web: northeastcommunityfund.org Primary events/fundraisers: Letter Carriers Food Drive (May), Christmas basket distributions (Dec.) OLD KING'S ORCHARD COMMUNITY CENTER Primary mission: Provide a safe, healthy environment that offers opportunities for families to improve their quality of life. We do that by communicating effectively, developing partnerships and providing programs and activities for all.

Services offered: Youth after-school and summer programs for K-12, competitive cheer team, Sunday evening open gym and family advocacy.

Top local executive: Alida Graham, president Address: 815 N. Church St., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-2782 Web: www.okocommunitycenter.org PARTNERS IN EDUCATION Primary mission: To facilitate through business and education partnerships, the fostering of programs and alliances which provide experiences that expose diverse students to the world of work.

Top local executive: Renee Stivers Address: 1 College Park, E193, Decatur Phone: (217) 875-7211, ext. 575 Web: pie.richland.edu Primary events/fundraisers: Youth Leadership Institute, 8th Grade Career Fair (Jan.), Archer Daniels Midland

November 2014 Chemistry Days (Feb.), Partners’ Salute (March), Careers on Wheels (April) and Decatur Area College and Career Fair (Oct.) SALVATION ARMY Primary mission: To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination.

Services offered: Disaster services, emergency assistance, family counseling services, housing/residence services, older adult services, worship center and youth services, shelter services Top local executive: Wesley Dahlberg Address: 229 W. Main St., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-4672 Web: www.sadecatur.org Primary events/fundraisers: Christmas kettles (Dec.) SAIL (Soyland Access to Independent Living) Primary mission: Promote independent living for all people with disabilities.

Services offered: Community reintegration, money follows the person, deaf services, family advocacy, home services, independent living, visual services and disability awareness.

Top local executive: Jeri J. Wooters, executive director Address: 2449 Federal Drive, Decatur Phone: (217) 876-8888 or 1-800-358-8080 Web: www.decatursail.com TEEN CHALLENGE Primary mission: See men and women, boys and girls, become productive citizens and discover their God given pur-

GUIDE

pose in life.

Top local executive: Cookie Harper, executive director Address: 151 W. Prairie Ave., Decatur Phone: (217) 423-9117 Web: www.teenchallengeil.com Primary events/fundraisers: banquet (Oct.) UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY LAND OF LINCOLN Primary mission: To provide innovative strategies to connect people with disabilities to their community.

Services offered: Employment services, assistive technology, camps, case management, toy lending, medical transport and advocacy, play group, adult services, respite care and transition program.

Top local executive: Jennifer Dawson Address: 602 E. William St., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-5033 Web: www.ucpll.org Primary events/fundraisers: UCP Miller Lite Barstool Open (Jan.) and Life Without Limits (March) UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS EXTENSION MACON COUNTY Primary mission: To enable people to improve their lives and communities through learning partnerships that put knowledge to work.

Services offered: Support the 4-H program, the Master Gardening program, the Master Naturalist program, the SNAP-ed Nutrition Education program and provide educational programs and activities related to our mission, education programs related to local foods and

Featured Business:

Best On Roofs

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11

WEBSTER-CANTRELL HALL Primary mission: Serve children, youth and families in troubled circumstances.

Services offered: Physical, social, educational and psychological needs through home- and/or community-based programs.

Top local executive: Robin Crowe Address: 1942 E. Cantrell St., Decatur Phone: (217) 423-6961 Web: www.webstercantrell.org Primary events/fundraisers: Holiday Table Top (Nov.) YOUTH ADVOCATE PROGRAM Primary mission: Provide a wide range of rehabilitative services to at-risk children and their families through our family intensive program while striving to maintain the family unit whenever possible.

Services offered: Parenting skills, one to one mentoring, supervised visits, youth services referrals, behavior control, homeless youth shelter and mental health counseling.

Top local executive: Michael Warner Address: 202 E. Eldorado St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-7864 Web: www.youthadvocateprogram.org

#1 Gary K Anderson Plaza, Decatur Contact: Shelly Gregg

Accommodates: 2 to 3,000 People Assistance with catering, cash bar, & Dj Service available

DECATUR CLUB

422-7300 158 W. Prairie Ave., Decatur

Accommodates: 300 people

Contact: Jeff Ingle

Banquets & weddings

429-4200

DECATUR CONFERENCE CENTER & HOTEL Accommodates: 2,000 people

4191 U.S. 36 West

55,000 sq. ft. functional space, food service available

DOHERTY’S PUB & PINS Accommodates: up to 80 seating - 150 capacity Full food & beverage service available

HICKORY POINT BANQUET FACILITY

Contact: 420-8711 242 E. William St., Decatur Contact: 428-5612 727 Weaver Rd., Decatur

Contact: Tina McCarnen 421-6657

Accommodates: 225 w/additional seating on veranda Award-winning cuisine

MT. ZION CONVENTION CENTER Accommodates: 1,100 people

MT. ZION LIONS CENTER Accommodates: up to 300 people Choose your own caterer, bring your own food Ask about our “value-added service”

Accommodates: up to 225 people ACCREDITED BUSINESS

BUSINESS JOURNAL

small farms, nutrition and wellness programs.

Top local executive: Doug Harlan, county director Address: 3351 N. President Howard Brown Blvd., Decatur Phone: (217) 877-6042 Web: web.extension.illinois.edu/dmp

DECATUR CIVIC CENTER

SCOVILL BANQUET FACILITY

CALL NOW

217-424-8900

er in-house is to run software. If you have an application that runs on your server now, you will have to keep a server or find out if your vendor offers a hosted version in the cloud.

www.thebusiness-journal.com

BANQUET

14

Award-winning cuisine

1410 Mt. Zion Pkwy, Mt. Zion Contact: 864-5424 1595 W. Main St., Mt. Zion Contact: Sharon Spinner 864-3100 mtzionlionsclub.com 3909 W. Main St., Decatur Contact: Kevin Brewer 421-7470

12

BUSINESS JOURNAL

www.thebusiness-journal.com

November 2014

www.thebusiness-journal.com

November 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

13

217 / 450-8500 Buy Sell Lease

800 N Clinton

2980 N Main

Park 101 Industrial Park Bldg #1

1.45 acres fenced Large storage building needs work Only $60,000

1200 & 1500 SF offices available Could be leased as one unit Good traffic count & visibility

Office & warehouse spaces 1800- 14,000 SF Available Close to ADM, CAT, I-72 & the Midwest Inland Port

2470 Wakefield 6 unit Apt Building in South Shores JUST LISTED! Won’t Last!

Only $379,000

1495 W Main St., Mt Zion Car Wash For Sale

1900 E Eldorado

3198 E. Mueller Ave. (former StripMasters)

This is a fantastic office building with great traffic & visibility. 5000 Sq Ft finished up & down. Reduced to $385,000

Plus 2 great tenants Call for details!

Just off Brush College Rd. 8,000 sq. ft.

Warehouse/Office Zoned M-2, 1.75 Acre Lot - Reduced to $250,000

220 N Rt 121, Mt Zion For Sale or Lease

1441-1455 Woodland Dr., Mt. Zion

Great Corner Lot Lots of traffic and visibility ONLY $99,000

8-1 bedroom apartments on one level. Very nice condition! 100% occupied. This will not last. Call today!

370 W Eldorado

225-237 S. Main - Downtown Office Building

840 Sq Ft of office/retail space available for lease on one of the busiest streets in Decatur. Call today!

For Lease. Convenient location west of Court House. Call for more info.

2003 N 22nd St

469 W. Wood

190 N Merchant St

2728 N. Main

This one of a kind building offers small offices spaces for Lease on the 3rd Floor (elevator) Call for details.

4000 Sq. Ft. Space For Lease “Only $1600 mth” Shop & Retail or Office Great visibility- high traffic counts

225 S. Main St. - Suite LL• Decatur, iL 62523

1201 E. Wood St.

Park 101 Industrial Park

Pre-leasing for 2015 100,000 - 500,000 Square Feet Close to ADM, CAT, US 72 & Midwest Inland Port

15,000 Square Feet Former Grocery & Liquor Store Lots of Parking. Only $369,000

Bldg #8 - 3,600 SF of Office available now!

Bldg #3 - office/warehouse space available 2,700 SF-office & shop with dock 3,600 SF-all office 2,700 SF-office & shop with drive-in door

1120 SF of office & shop Lots of parking

1255 N Main St.

Former Dentist Office Close to Downtown Purchase with or without equipment

Inland Port Industrial Park

Steel Building with 22’ clear span.

(Approx 19,000 Sq Ft.) For Lease or Purchase.

Professional & Confidential Service

Courtyard Plaza - 2950 N. Water St. 750 sq. ft. available High Traffic & High Visibility

1120 S. Jasper

Teen Challenge Bldg

Former Ace Hardware Building

Nice, multi-tenant office bldg.

4,000 sq. ft. - $170,000 Rental units also available

151 W. Prairie Ave. 4 story w/ basketball courts, pool, etc.

1499 E Eldorado

200 Spitler Park Plaza Dr, Mt Zion Asking price $975,000/ $8.00 sq ft.

12,900 square feet on 3.99 acres

Former Subway- For Lease 2,500 SF for $2,500 per month

2350 E. Logan

Former Hostess Bakery FOR SALE OR LEASE

1520-1530 McBride Ave

998 ½ W Harrison Ave FOR LEASE

8,240 Square Feet 1 Dock and 1 Drive-in Overhead Doors For Lease or Sale

40,000+ S.F. 9 dock door & trailer parking

For Lease Secure Warehouse Space Fenced 1500 & 3000 S.F. Available

40 x 60 Office/Shop 12’ Eave Height 12 x 10 O.H.Door

2350 Mt. Zion Rd

3180 N. Woodford Ave.

University Plaza

Bldg for Sale// NOT Business Great Visibility Good Traffic Counts Call for more info!

Suites for Lease 500-1,200 Square Feet Just Listed!

135 E Prairie

2 Units Available for Lease Close to Milikin University CALL for DETAILS

Business Condo Downtown Owner/User or Investment One of a kind!

Hurry, this won’t last

FOR ALL OF YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS!

12

BUSINESS JOURNAL

www.thebusiness-journal.com

November 2014

www.thebusiness-journal.com

November 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

13

217 / 450-8500 Buy Sell Lease

800 N Clinton

2980 N Main

Park 101 Industrial Park Bldg #1

1.45 acres fenced Large storage building needs work Only $60,000

1200 & 1500 SF offices available Could be leased as one unit Good traffic count & visibility

Office & warehouse spaces 1800- 14,000 SF Available Close to ADM, CAT, I-72 & the Midwest Inland Port

2470 Wakefield 6 unit Apt Building in South Shores JUST LISTED! Won’t Last!

Only $379,000

1495 W Main St., Mt Zion Car Wash For Sale

1900 E Eldorado

3198 E. Mueller Ave. (former StripMasters)

This is a fantastic office building with great traffic & visibility. 5000 Sq Ft finished up & down. Reduced to $385,000

Plus 2 great tenants Call for details!

Just off Brush College Rd. 8,000 sq. ft.

Warehouse/Office Zoned M-2, 1.75 Acre Lot - Reduced to $250,000

220 N Rt 121, Mt Zion For Sale or Lease

1441-1455 Woodland Dr., Mt. Zion

Great Corner Lot Lots of traffic and visibility ONLY $99,000

8-1 bedroom apartments on one level. Very nice condition! 100% occupied. This will not last. Call today!

370 W Eldorado

225-237 S. Main - Downtown Office Building

840 Sq Ft of office/retail space available for lease on one of the busiest streets in Decatur. Call today!

For Lease. Convenient location west of Court House. Call for more info.

2003 N 22nd St

469 W. Wood

190 N Merchant St

2728 N. Main

This one of a kind building offers small offices spaces for Lease on the 3rd Floor (elevator) Call for details.

4000 Sq. Ft. Space For Lease “Only $1600 mth” Shop & Retail or Office Great visibility- high traffic counts

225 S. Main St. - Suite LL• Decatur, iL 62523

1201 E. Wood St.

Park 101 Industrial Park

Pre-leasing for 2015 100,000 - 500,000 Square Feet Close to ADM, CAT, US 72 & Midwest Inland Port

15,000 Square Feet Former Grocery & Liquor Store Lots of Parking. Only $369,000

Bldg #8 - 3,600 SF of Office available now!

Bldg #3 - office/warehouse space available 2,700 SF-office & shop with dock 3,600 SF-all office 2,700 SF-office & shop with drive-in door

1120 SF of office & shop Lots of parking

1255 N Main St.

Former Dentist Office Close to Downtown Purchase with or without equipment

Inland Port Industrial Park

Steel Building with 22’ clear span.

(Approx 19,000 Sq Ft.) For Lease or Purchase.

Professional & Confidential Service

Courtyard Plaza - 2950 N. Water St. 750 sq. ft. available High Traffic & High Visibility

1120 S. Jasper

Teen Challenge Bldg

Former Ace Hardware Building

Nice, multi-tenant office bldg.

4,000 sq. ft. - $170,000 Rental units also available

151 W. Prairie Ave. 4 story w/ basketball courts, pool, etc.

1499 E Eldorado

200 Spitler Park Plaza Dr, Mt Zion Asking price $975,000/ $8.00 sq ft.

12,900 square feet on 3.99 acres

Former Subway- For Lease 2,500 SF for $2,500 per month

2350 E. Logan

Former Hostess Bakery FOR SALE OR LEASE

1520-1530 McBride Ave

998 ½ W Harrison Ave FOR LEASE

8,240 Square Feet 1 Dock and 1 Drive-in Overhead Doors For Lease or Sale

40,000+ S.F. 9 dock door & trailer parking

For Lease Secure Warehouse Space Fenced 1500 & 3000 S.F. Available

40 x 60 Office/Shop 12’ Eave Height 12 x 10 O.H.Door

2350 Mt. Zion Rd

3180 N. Woodford Ave.

University Plaza

Bldg for Sale// NOT Business Great Visibility Good Traffic Counts Call for more info!

Suites for Lease 500-1,200 Square Feet Just Listed!

135 E Prairie

2 Units Available for Lease Close to Milikin University CALL for DETAILS

Business Condo Downtown Owner/User or Investment One of a kind!

Hurry, this won’t last

FOR ALL OF YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS!

BUSINESS JOURNAL

www.thebusiness-journal.com

November 2014

TECHTALK

Easing your nerves about cloud computing There is a huge trend in technology to move toward cloud computing services.

Everyone is advertising that it’s better, faster, cheaper, safer.

Cloud services are accessible from anywhere, and you don’t need your IT guy anymore, right?

At the same time, those subscription fees add up fast, new security breaches are making headlines almost every day, and you still need your IT guy around to interpret all that technobabble for you (and troubleshoot the computer glitches that still happen all too often!).

No wonder it’s so Technology confusing. Here are the answers to your biggest questions about the cloud.

Wendy Gauntt

Is it safe?

The most common concern with cloud services is security. Large cloud computing providers are able to set up security infrastructure far better than most small businesses, which makes them safer. However, hackers enjoy the challenge of newsworthy targets, which creates greater risk. There is also financial gain: credit card numbers and bank accounts generate a lot of money for hackers. The reality is that security issues are a problem no matter how you manage your technology. All you can do is follow security best practices and make sure your vendors do the same. Be especially careful with smaller cloud service providers since they may not have the security resources and policies of a larger company.

You will also need to be careful if you are subject to regulatory compliance policies such as HIPAA, PCI, SOX, FISMA, etc. Penalties for noncompliance can be steep, so it’s critical to verify that your vendor can guarantee com-

pliance with whatever regulatory requirements impact your company.

What if it goes down?

If your cloud provider has an outage and its services go down, there’s not a whole lot you can do. You can call them for support, and they may have a portal or Twitter feed for status updates. But really, all you can do is alert them and then wait. It’s not the same as calling up your local IT guy who you know and trust.

You also could lose access if your Internet service goes down. You may want to get a secondary Internet service so that if one goes down, you can access the Internet over the backup service.

You can also go to another location with Internet service and connect from there.

Getting to my data?

As long as you like your vendors, you don’t have to worry too much about accessing your data. If you want to move from one cloud to another, or one software vendor to another, this can become a huge problem. It can also come up as an issue if you have reason to archive your data or don’t trust their disaster recovery procedures. Some cloud vendors make it very difficult to download your data. This is a very common issue when it comes to software. Even if access is provided, it can be a highly time-consuming process to identify and download every piece of data. Email and file storage is usually relatively easy to transfer from one company to another.

Do I need a server?

Maybe. If you only have a few computers, you probably don’t need one; in fact you may not have one now. Once you get past 10 or 15 computers, there are definite advantages to having a server in place. It will allow you to set security policies and password requirements; it will give you control and administrative access to computers on the network; and it will make it easier to install and share printers.

The other main reason to keep a serv-

LOWEST PRICES GUARANTEED RESIDENTIAL - COMMERCIAL - INDUSTRIAL Exclusive Lifetime Warranties ✔ Metal Roofing ✔ Shingles ✔ Rubber Roofs ✔ Inspections ✔ Repair Work ✔ Skylights ✔ Chimney Repair

✔ New Roofs ✔ Rolled Roofing ✔ Tear Offs Lic # 104.016085105.005542

Free In Home Estimates

Save me money?

Not always. The promise is that the cloud is less expensive due to efficiencies and economies of scale. The bottom line is that you have to run the numbers. You can purchase (or lease) software and servers, which involves a large upfront expense and a relatively low ongoing maintenance fee. If you go with cloud services, your initial expense will be low, but you will always have a monthly expense as long as you use that service.

If you rely heavily on cloud services you will probably add another expense: a backup Internet connection. Cloud services hit the books differently, which can impact taxes: a server install is a capital expense, but cloud services are considered an operating expense. When doing your calculations, bear in mind that servers run about 4-5 years before risk of failure becomes a significant issue.

Right for business?

Whether they realize it or not, most companies are already using at least a

few cloud services. When it comes to personal use, nearly everyone is in the cloud. You may already use hosted email, such as Office365 or Google Apps; perhaps you use Dropbox or Box.com to share files; you might handle video calls with Skype or Gotomeeting; if you have an iPhone you probably back up your data with iCloud. Don’t forget, Facebook and Twitter are cloud services, too.

The question is whether you should move more of your technology into the cloud, and there is no one right answer.

The best time to evaluate this move is when you have an aging server ready for replacement. Run the numbers, look at the security risks, and think through how much control you need to feel comfortable. Don’t forget to weigh the advantages: Reduced infrastructure in your office, easy access for your staff who work remotely, low start-up costs and less need for in-house IT services, just to name a few.

There are a lot of great services available, so don’t let any hesitation about the cloud keep you from doing what’s best for your business.

Wendy Gauntt is president of CIO Services LLC, a technology consulting company that specializes in small business solutions. Visit her website at www.cioservicesllc.com for more information, ideas and free resources.

Address: 825 N. Water St., Decatur Phone: (217) 429-5846 Web: northeastcommunityfund.org Primary events/fundraisers: Letter Carriers Food Drive (May), Christmas basket distributions (Dec.) OLD KING'S ORCHARD COMMUNITY CENTER Primary mission: Provide a safe, healthy environment that offers opportunities for families to improve their quality of life. We do that by communicating effectively, developing partnerships and providing programs and activities for all.

Services offered: Youth after-school and summer programs for K-12, competitive cheer team, Sunday evening open gym and family advocacy.

Top local executive: Alida Graham, president Address: 815 N. Church St., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-2782 Web: www.okocommunitycenter.org PARTNERS IN EDUCATION Primary mission: To facilitate through business and education partnerships, the fostering of programs and alliances which provide experiences that expose diverse students to the world of work.

Top local executive: Renee Stivers Address: 1 College Park, E193, Decatur Phone: (217) 875-7211, ext. 575 Web: pie.richland.edu Primary events/fundraisers: Youth Leadership Institute, 8th Grade Career Fair (Jan.), Archer Daniels Midland

November 2014 Chemistry Days (Feb.), Partners’ Salute (March), Careers on Wheels (April) and Decatur Area College and Career Fair (Oct.) SALVATION ARMY Primary mission: To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination.

Services offered: Disaster services, emergency assistance, family counseling services, housing/residence services, older adult services, worship center and youth services, shelter services Top local executive: Wesley Dahlberg Address: 229 W. Main St., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-4672 Web: www.sadecatur.org Primary events/fundraisers: Christmas kettles (Dec.) SAIL (Soyland Access to Independent Living) Primary mission: Promote independent living for all people with disabilities.

Services offered: Community reintegration, money follows the person, deaf services, family advocacy, home services, independent living, visual services and disability awareness.

Top local executive: Jeri J. Wooters, executive director Address: 2449 Federal Drive, Decatur Phone: (217) 876-8888 or 1-800-358-8080 Web: www.decatursail.com TEEN CHALLENGE Primary mission: See men and women, boys and girls, become productive citizens and discover their God given pur-

GUIDE

pose in life.

Top local executive: Cookie Harper, executive director Address: 151 W. Prairie Ave., Decatur Phone: (217) 423-9117 Web: www.teenchallengeil.com Primary events/fundraisers: banquet (Oct.) UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY LAND OF LINCOLN Primary mission: To provide innovative strategies to connect people with disabilities to their community.

Services offered: Employment services, assistive technology, camps, case management, toy lending, medical transport and advocacy, play group, adult services, respite care and transition program.

Top local executive: Jennifer Dawson Address: 602 E. William St., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-5033 Web: www.ucpll.org Primary events/fundraisers: UCP Miller Lite Barstool Open (Jan.) and Life Without Limits (March) UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS EXTENSION MACON COUNTY Primary mission: To enable people to improve their lives and communities through learning partnerships that put knowledge to work.

Services offered: Support the 4-H program, the Master Gardening program, the Master Naturalist program, the SNAP-ed Nutrition Education program and provide educational programs and activities related to our mission, education programs related to local foods and

Featured Business:

Best On Roofs

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WEBSTER-CANTRELL HALL Primary mission: Serve children, youth and families in troubled circumstances.

Services offered: Physical, social, educational and psychological needs through home- and/or community-based programs.

Top local executive: Robin Crowe Address: 1942 E. Cantrell St., Decatur Phone: (217) 423-6961 Web: www.webstercantrell.org Primary events/fundraisers: Holiday Table Top (Nov.) YOUTH ADVOCATE PROGRAM Primary mission: Provide a wide range of rehabilitative services to at-risk children and their families through our family intensive program while striving to maintain the family unit whenever possible.

Services offered: Parenting skills, one to one mentoring, supervised visits, youth services referrals, behavior control, homeless youth shelter and mental health counseling.

Top local executive: Michael Warner Address: 202 E. Eldorado St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-7864 Web: www.youthadvocateprogram.org

#1 Gary K Anderson Plaza, Decatur Contact: Shelly Gregg

Accommodates: 2 to 3,000 People Assistance with catering, cash bar, & Dj Service available

DECATUR CLUB

422-7300 158 W. Prairie Ave., Decatur

Accommodates: 300 people

Contact: Jeff Ingle

Banquets & weddings

429-4200

DECATUR CONFERENCE CENTER & HOTEL Accommodates: 2,000 people

4191 U.S. 36 West

55,000 sq. ft. functional space, food service available

DOHERTY’S PUB & PINS Accommodates: up to 80 seating - 150 capacity Full food & beverage service available

HICKORY POINT BANQUET FACILITY

Contact: 420-8711 242 E. William St., Decatur Contact: 428-5612 727 Weaver Rd., Decatur

Contact: Tina McCarnen 421-6657

Accommodates: 225 w/additional seating on veranda Award-winning cuisine

MT. ZION CONVENTION CENTER Accommodates: 1,100 people

MT. ZION LIONS CENTER Accommodates: up to 300 people Choose your own caterer, bring your own food Ask about our “value-added service”

Accommodates: up to 225 people ACCREDITED BUSINESS

BUSINESS JOURNAL

small farms, nutrition and wellness programs.

Top local executive: Doug Harlan, county director Address: 3351 N. President Howard Brown Blvd., Decatur Phone: (217) 877-6042 Web: web.extension.illinois.edu/dmp

DECATUR CIVIC CENTER

SCOVILL BANQUET FACILITY

CALL NOW

217-424-8900

er in-house is to run software. If you have an application that runs on your server now, you will have to keep a server or find out if your vendor offers a hosted version in the cloud.

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BANQUET

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Award-winning cuisine

1410 Mt. Zion Pkwy, Mt. Zion Contact: 864-5424 1595 W. Main St., Mt. Zion Contact: Sharon Spinner 864-3100 mtzionlionsclub.com 3909 W. Main St., Decatur Contact: Kevin Brewer 421-7470

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

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November 2014

Continued from page 9 GIRL SCOUTS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS Primary mission: Build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.

Services offered: Serving girls ages 5 through 17 through troops, events and outdoor education Top local executive: Pam Kovacevich Address: 1100 E. Pershing Road, Decatur Phone: (217) 423-7791 Web: www.girlscouts-gsci.org Primary events/fundraisers: Cookies (Jan.), magazine and candy sales (Oct.), diamonds event (Oct.) GOD'S SHELTER OF LOVE Primary mission: Show God's love for all mankind, minister to the needs of the homeless and tell of the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Services offered: Housing, clothing and meals for homeless Top local executive: Ed Vacon Address: 929 N. Union St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-2790 Web: www.godsshelteroflove.org Primary events/fundraisers: Blessingdale's Thrift Shop GOOD SAMARITAN INN Primary mission: Create opportunities with the support of our community toward improving the lives of our economically disadvantaged neighbors through daily nourishment, life skills education and job training programs.

Services offered: Daily lunch program, partner with local organizations for job skills training Top local executive: Rev. Stacey Brohard Address: 920 N. Union St., Decatur Phone: (217) 429-1455 Web: www.goodsamaritaninn.org HERITAGE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER Primary mission: Improve the mental and physical well-being of those we serve and to advance behavioral health in our community.

Services offered: Mental health and addiction services, crisis intervention and Oasis Day Center.

Top local executive: Diana Knaebe Address: 151 N. Main St., Decatur Phone: (217) 362-6262 Web: www.heritagenet.org

Primary events/fundraisers: Band Together for Oasis (Oct.) HOMEWARD BOUND PET SHELTER Primary events/fundraisers: Shelter and rehabilitate relinquished cats, kittens, dogs and puppies until they can be permanently adopted into loving homes.

Also serves as a job training program for people with disabilities.

Services offered: Pet adoptions, grooming, foster care and job training.

Top local executive: Dreux Lewandowski Address: 1720 Huston Dr., Decatur Phone: (217) 876-1266 Web: www.homewardboundpet shelter.com Primary events/fundraisers: Woofstock (June), Dog Days of Summer (Aug.), fundraising drive (Aug.) and Pints for Pups (Nov.).

INDEPENDENCE POINTE Primary mission: Provides care and services to clients and families with disabilities, helping reach milestones to gain independence and improve quality of life.

Services offered: Speech/language therapy services, recreational programming, adult services, autism services, family support services, child care, respite care and AgrAbility Unlimited.

Top local executive: Lori Brown, president Address: 2715 N. 27th St., Decatur Phone: (217) 429-1052 Web: www.easterseals-ci.org Primary events/fundraisers: Bowl-athon (Feb.), celebration day (April), softball tournament (July) and Denim Days, Kick’n Asphalt (Sept.)

LAND OF LINCOLN LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION INC. Primary mission: Pursue civil justice for low-income persons through representation and education.

Top local executive: Lauren Pashayan Address: 3085 Stevenson Drive, Suite 202, Springfield Phone: 1-800-252-8629 Web: www.lollaf.org

ment, citizenship training and personal fitness, leadership and self reliance.

Top local executive: Chris Long Address: 262 W. Prairie Ave., Decatur Phone: (217) 429-2326 Web: www.lincolntrailscouncil.org Primary events/fundraisers: Friends of Scouting Campaign (Jan.) and Popcorn sale (Oct.) MACON COUNTY CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER Primary mission: Children who have been victims of abuse need people who care for them as people, not as case files.

Children and their families are treated with care and concern.

Services offered: Assistance and support in coping with abuse, crisis intervention services, assistance with obtaining medical care, social services and counseling; legal advocacy and information about the court process including help with orders of protection, victim compensation and case information as appropriate.

Top local executive: Jean Moore, executive director Address: 1990 N. Water St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-6294 Web: www.mccac.org MACON COUNTY CASA Primary mission: Provide court appointed volunteers to advocate for the abused, neglected and/or dependent children who are involved in the Macon County juvenile court system.

Top local executive: Pam Burkhart, exec-

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YOUR BUSINESS

MACON RESOURCES INC. Primary mission: Promote growth, independence and self-worth in children and adults with disabilities.

Services offered: Bright Start, Kid’s Connection, community employment, community support services, residential services, developmental/vocational training, case management, Blue Tower Training, business services, janitorial and lawn care services for businesses, Homeward Bound Pet Shelter.

Top local executive: Dreux Lewandowski Address: 2121 Hubbard Ave., Decatur Phone: (217) 875-1910 Web: www.maconresources.org Primary events/fundraisers: Kids Rock (March) and golf tournament (June) NORTHEAST COMMUNITY FUND Primary mission: To assist needy families in our community with the resources available in a caring and Christ-like manner.

Services offered: Counseling, emergency food and financial assistance, free clothing room, assistance with prescription drugs, baby supplies and other emergency needs.

Top local executive: Jerry Pelz

Put the “MEN” in Mentoring "The real heroes of the world are the men who take the time to make a difference in the life of a child"

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling

President and CEO John Skeffington shows an aisle of carton flow racking at Skeff Distributing Co.

Growing with the flow

November is National Homeless Awareness Month

Thursday, November 20th.

11am - Noon Heritage Fields 3595 N Charles Street Decatur, IL 62526

November 2014

utive director Address: 132 S. Water St., Suite 250, Decatur Phone: (217) 428-8424 Web: www.maconcountycasa.org Primary events/fundraisers: CASA for CASA playhouse raffle (April) and Tommy Morrissey Memorial Poker Run (July)

LINCOLN TRAIL COUNCIL, BOY SCOUTS Primary mission: Prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout oath and law.

Services offered: Youth development programs that provide character develop-

Join us at our November Seeds of Hope to hear the latest updates on the Oasis Day Center and Heritage's housing programs.

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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois is looking for caring adult mentors. We’re looking for YOU! Contact our office or visit our website to find out how you can get involved today.

(217) 428-4240 - www.bbbscil.org

Skeff Distributing expands territory CHRIS LUSVARDI Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — As a string of other businesses in Decatur are starting significant expansion projects, Skeff Distributing Co. has completed recent work to solidify its presence in Central Illinois.

The Decatur-based AnheuserBusch/InBev distributor has been steadily growing since beginning to expand into new markets in 2006 when it merged with House of Brews in Springfield. That deal was soon followed

by Skeff purchasing Premium Brands

LTD of Champaign/Urbana in 2007.

Its latest acquisition, the purchase of Earl Gaudio & Son of Tilton that was finalized last year, brought Skeff into the Danville market and expanded its service territory from Springfield to the Indiana border. In the process, it has become the state's second largest Anheuser-Busch distributor behind Lake Shore Beverage in Chicago.

All the while, President and CEO John Skeffington said Decatur remained at the heart of its operations despite consideration of a move to Springfield with the merger in 2006.

“We were here,” Skeffington said.

“Decatur is geographically positive. This was home.”

After widening its service territory, Skeff was recognized in August with the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce's Business Expansion of the

Year award.

Chamber President Mirinda Rothrock said Decatur has benefited from Skeff's expansion efforts and community involvement even after looking at its possible opportunities in other markets.

“They chose Decatur and Macon County,” Rothrock said. “We're fortunate they chose our area.”

Decatur Mayor Mike McElroy accepted the Chamber's award on the company's behalf, saying not only that having businesses such as Skeff is beneficial for the city but it has been rewarding for him to work there. McElroy balances duties as mayor with his job as vice president/sales, marketing, government and community affairs for Skeff.

The company has been a key contributor to the Decatur community since Skeffington's father, Gerald Skeffington, started it in 1967. Gerald Skeffington was

an Anheuser-Busch division manager who had been in Decatur three years after being transferred when an opportunity came up to buy the local beer distributing business.

The territory was previously served by McHenry Distributing Co. Skeff started at the Anroco Lumber Co. on 22nd Street in Decatur until the summer of 1968, when it moved to 1175 N. 20th St. It stayed there between Condit Street and Grand Avenue for 38 years until moving to its present facility on East L&A Industrial Drive in May 2006.

“We were landlocked,” John Skeffington said. “We were out of room.

At the end of the day, it was the best thing we could have done.”

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November 2014

The following is a listing of some of the not-for-profit agencies serving Macon County.

Continued from page 15 With the move closer to Interstate 72, Skeff remained geographically at the center of the market, 44 miles to Springfield and 44 miles to Champaign, Skeffington said. Danville has stretched the market to the east but Decatur continues to make sense for the base of operations, he said.

Skeff isn’t the only business that has recognized the opportunities available in Decatur, Rothrock said. The other nominees for the award included Ameren Illinois, Colee’s Corner Drugs, Decatur Computers, Falcon Multimedia, Norfolk Southern, The Secret Garden, Spherion and Staley Credit Union.

The list of possible nominees for next year’s award already has a start, with Rothrock saying it will be hard once again to choose a recipient.

“It’s going to be extremely difficult over the next several years with all the development happening,” she said.

A streak of other recent expansion announcements for work to be completed in the next few years has been an encouraging sign for the community, Rothrock said. Union Iron, Akorn Inc., Fuyao Glass Group and Parke Warehouses are among the companies making notable investments in their Decatur area operations.

“When you start adding up the investments, it’s significant dollars being invested in the community,” Rothrock said.

Skeff established itself in the new markets during some of the country’s worst economic times and an overall trend of consolidation within the beer distribution industry, Skeffington said.

All the while, he wanted to keep the business moving forward.

With the economic downturn, Skeffington said consumers were watching how they spent their disposable income. Yet, that only limited their consumption of alcohol so much, he said.

“This has always been a great industry,” Skeffington said. “In good times, people drank. In bad times, they drank.”

Throughout the downturn, the company stayed lean and managed costs, Skeffington said.

Skeff is part of the nation’s beer industry, which puts more than 2 million Americans to work and contributes $246.6 billion to the economy, according to a Beer Institute and National Beer Wholesalers Association study.

With the Danville acquisition, Skeffington said the company was out of space at its new warehouse in Decatur and needed to expand farther to have the necessary space to store and sort all of the products. The recent expansion of the building was completed this summer, he said.

When it started, Skeff distributed three brands, Skeffington said. It now has more than 60 brands it sells having gone from 1 million cases before the acquisitions to 4.2 million cases sold each year, he said.

“Great brands don’t sell themselves,” said Skeffington, who credits a creative sales staff and marketing programs for the success. Skeff employs about 110 people throughout its four markets.

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AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY Primary mission: Eliminate cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy and service.

Services offered: Research, cancer information services, support groups, transportation, advocacy and public policy, community programs and services.

Top local executive: Jeremy Harbin Sr. Address: 2509 S. Neil St., Champaign Phone: (217) 356-9076 Web: www.cancer.org, www.relayforlife.org/maconil Primary events/fundraisers: Relay for Life (July)

Business Journal, Jim Bowling

Driver Jeff Clemence transports beer from the picking area to be loaded onto a special event trailer at Skeff Distributing Co. “Making friends is our business,” Skeffington said. “It’s still a people business. That’s what makes it fun.”

In addition to its core AnheuserBusch products, Skeff expanded its product portfolio to fill gaps retailers might have to include items such as Nestle waters, Arizona teas and Monster energy drinks, which Skeffington said are high-quality brands that fit its portfolio.

Skeff operates 25 delivery routes, with eight apiece to Springfield and Champaign, five to Danville and four in the Decatur area as it takes products gathered from around the country to grocery stores, liquor stores, restaurants and other retailers. Each route in Decatur can make more deliveries because the warehouse is nearby to load more products if necessary, Skeffington said.

The warehouse operates 24 hours a day during the week as trucks are loaded at night and ready to make deliveries during the day, Skeffington said.

In giving back to the communities it serves, Skeffington has established a philosophy he learned from his father.

“The community has been great to us,” Skeffington said. “We can’t just take from them.”

Skeff contributes money and products to a wide range of events in the community, but Skeffington said to him, it’s about more than just financial contributions. He encourages employees to get involved in the community by giving of their talents, serving on various boards and volunteering their time.

Skeffington played a leading role in establishing Decatur’s Community Food Drive, which raised the equivalent of over 1 million pounds of food this year for the first time in its 13 years. The food drive was established after a conversation between Skeffington, Neuhoff

Media Vice President of Development Brian Byers and Kevin Breheny, president of J.L. Hubbard Insurance and Bonds.

“Decatur has always stepped up,” Skeffington said. “It is a giving community. We were trying to fill a van to be

Mt. Zion Sav-Mor Pharmacy Presents...

The First Dueling Piano Christmas Show for the Entire Family!

November 22nd, 2014 6:00 - 9:00 pm What a great way to start the Holidays!

Sav Mor Pharmacy invites you to a night of great food, fun, and amazing tunes played by Midwest Dueling Pianos!!

A Christmas gift that everyone will love.

successful the first year. It’s hard to believe how much it has grown.”

Despite its growth, Skeffington said the food drive still has room to grow because it still doesn’t even collect enough to fill local food pantries for an entire year.

Mt. Zion Convention Center Breakfast with Santa Saturday, November 15th Christmas in the Village at Mt. Zion Convention Center Come visit Santa and enjoy a Catered Breakfast from 9 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Adults: $17 • Children: $15

Step into Santa’s Workshop • Games & Secret Surprise • Story Telling by Patty Wilson • Marionette Show • Amazing Dudley Magic Show • Face Painting with Santa’s Helpers from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Advanced Tickets Only

Location: Mt. Zion Convention Center 1400 Mt. Zion Parkway (East of Mt. Zion Sav Mor Pharmacy) Time: Doors Open at 5:30pm Child Friendly Dinner/Music 6-9pm Theme: Holiday Family Christmas Show for all ages Door Prizes: Sav Mor Pharmacy will have drawings throughout the night

Mt. Zion Village Hall 217-864-5424 Sav Mor Pharmacy Kenny Ace Hardware Mt. Zion Family Video & Mt. Zion Les Femmes Members Bring your camera for a photo with Santa!

Bring your camera for a photo with Santa!

Tickets in Advance Only - Adults: $20 Under 18: $10

Tickets available at the MTZ Village hall. Call 217-864-5424 for more information. www.mtzconventioncenter.com

at mtzionevents

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION Primary mission: Build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. That single purpose drives all we do.

Top local executive: Karen Gedrose, corporate events director Address: 2141 W. White Oaks Dr. Suite A, Springfield Phone: (217) 698-3838 Web: www.heart.org Primary events/fundraisers: Decatur Heart Gala (April) and Heart Walk (Oct.) AMERICAN RED CROSS MID-ILLINOIS CHAPTER Primary mission: Prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.

Services offered: Disaster services, emergency services, blood donation, health and safety services and services to armed forces.

Address: 2674 N. Main St., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-7758 Web: www.midillinoisredcross.org Primary events/fundraisers: Diamond Affair (April), Heartland Heroes (Nov.) and blood drives BABY TALK Primary mission: Positively impact child development and nurture healthy parent-child relationships during the critical early years.

Services offered: Early literacy program, early intervention, family literacy, home visitation, outreach and Early Head Start program.

Top local executive: Claudia Quigg Address: 500 E. Lake Shore Drive, Decatur Phone: (217) 475-2234 Web: www.babytalk.org Primary events/fundraisers: Grillin’ in the Garden (June) BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS Primary mission: Providing caring adult mentors to at-risk children in Macon County.

Services offered: One to one mentoring.

Top local executive: Jeanne Stahlheber Address: 310 W. William St., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-4240 Web: www.bbbscil.org Primary events/fundraisers: Bowl for Kids

November 2014

Organizations are here to help the community Sake (March) and Night in the Islands (Nov.) BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF DECATUR Primary mission: To enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.

Services offered: Programs for character and leadership; education and career; health and life skills; the arts and culture; sports, fitness and recreation; and specialized initiatives Top local executive: Bruce Jeffery Address: 859 N. Jasper St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-9605 Web: www.bgca.org Primary events/fundraisers: Black History Lock-in (Feb.), National Boys and Girls Club Week (April), Year End Bash (May), Back to School Festival (Sept.), Day for Kids event (Sept.) and annual banquet (Nov.) CATHOLIC CHARITIES Primary mission: Extend to all the healing and empowering presence of Jesus.

Services offered: Professional counseling solutions, student assistance counseling, eldercare options, elderly guardianship services, Faith in Action, food pantries, Meals on Wheels, MedAssist/SHIP, resale store, Strong for Life, A Matter of Balance.

Top local executive: Marie Rademacher Address: 247 W. Prairie Ave., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-3458 Web: www.cc.dio.org/area_offices/ decatur/home.htm CENTRAL ILLINOIS CHRISTIANS IN MISSION Primary mission: Provide for the needy as directed by God. (Matthew 25:34-40) Services offered: Provide furniture, kitchen items, appliances and beds to low-income and needy families.

Top local executive: Greg Bradley Address: 1000 E. Locust St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-4246 Web: www.centralchristians.com Primary events/fundraisers: Golf outing (Sept.)

CENTRAL ILLINOIS FOODBANK Primary mission: To collect donated food and grocery items from growers, manufacturers, processors and wholesalers for distribution to charitable agencies serving people in need. Serve more than 140 agencies in 21 Central Illinois counties.

Services offered: Food distribution Top local executive: Pam Molitoris, executive director Address: 1937 E. Cook St., Springfield Phone: (217) 522-4022 Web: www.centralilfoodbank.org Primary events/fundraisers: Community food drive (Oct.), Harvest Ball (Oct.)

CHELP (Community Home Environmental Learning Project) Primary mission: Provides services to seniors and disabled citizens to keep them in their homes and out of nursing homes as long as possible.

Services offered: Senior companion, inhome care, adult protective services, coordinated point of entry, respite care and private care.

Top local executive: Diane Drew Address: 1429 N. Jasper St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-9888 COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT CENTER (CHIC) Primary mission: Provide excellent, comprehensive health care that is affordable and readily accessible for the medically underserved.

Services offered: Comprehensive outpatient pediatric and adult medical care, mental health services and prenatal care.

Top local executive: Tanya Andricks, chief executive officer Address: 2905 N. Main St., Decatur Phone: (217) 877-9117 Web: www.chealthctr.org DECATUR AREA HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Primary mission: To build simple, decent and affordable homes for people in need, providing them with a place to live and grow into all that God intended.

Top local executive: Jane Miller, office manager Address: 151 N. Main St, Decatur Phone: (217) 425-6446 Primary events/fundraisers: ReStore warehouse DECATUR CARES RESCUE MISSIONS Primary mission: Mission outreach providing love of Christ through shelter and transition opportunities.

Services offered: Grace House for women, Pershing Road Mission for men, Water Street Mission and Hope’s Attic Thrift Store.

Address: 2175 E. Pershing Road, Decatur Phone: (217) 424-2381 DECATUR DAY CARE CENTER Primary mission: Provide quality childcare for working parents or parents in school.

Services offered: Child care for 6 weeks to 12 years Top local executive: Janice Baldwin Address: 2075 E. Lake Shore Drive, Suite B, Decatur Phone: (217) 422-2044 Primary events/fundraisers: Piggy bank, pizza sales, food drive, United Way fundraiser DECATUR FAMILY SANCTUARY Primary mission: Provide shelter for

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9

Decatur-Macon County homeless residents Services offered: Partner with local organizations for medical, financial, education, counseling and courts. Monitor and maintain established families.

Top local executive: Kathleen Taylor Address: 539-543 N. Water St., Decatur Phone: (217) 422-9903 Web: decaturfamilysanctuary.org Primary events/fundraisers: Lasagna drive-by (Nov.) Primary mission: To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

Services offered: Youth and family programs, sports, health and fitness, Camp Sokkia, preschool enrichment and school age programs.

Top local executive: Matt Whitehead, interim executive director Address: 220 W. McKinley Ave., Decatur Phone: (217) 872-9622 Web: www.decaturymca.org Primary events/fundraisers: Backpack Attack (Aug.), KidFest (Aug.) DECATUR IS GROWING GARDENERS (DIGG) Primary mission: Create employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for lowincome residents through growing vegetables and fruits sustainably.

Services offered: Partner with local organizations for job skills training Top local executive: Olivia Heisner, executive director Address: Culver House, 412 W. Prairie Ave., Decatur Phone: (217) 620-9077 Web: www.decaturdigg.org Primary events/fundraisers: Farmers markets DECATUR-MACON COUNTY SENIOR CENTER Primary mission: Enhance the quality of life for seniors through friendship, services, programs, activities and advocacy.

Services offered: Multipurpose senior center, flu shots, information and assistance.

Top local executive: Leslie Stanberry Address: 1430 N. 22nd St., Decatur Phone: (217) 429-1239 Web: decaturmaconcountysenior center.org Primary events/fundraisers: Longaberger Binga (Oct.) DOVE INC. Primary mission: Coalition of religious organizations, volunteers and advocates that seek to coordinate efforts to address unmet human needs and social injustices.

Services offered: Domestic violence program, BABES, Homeward Bound, MAX and DAX, outreach programs, children’s clothing room, RSVP and community recycling center.

Top local executive: Jim Walters Address: 302 S. Union St., Decatur Phone: (217) 428-6616 Web: www.doveinc.org Primary events/fundraisers: Point in Time (Feb.), community breakfast (March), National Night Out (Aug.) and coat drive (Oct.)

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November 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Clearing up succession misconceptions

Continued from page 7 hugs us, it makes it all worth it. So does believing we have saved at least one life and at least one family from having to go through what we did.”

Matthew Yelovich and Anthony Samuelson were rear-seat passengers in a speeding sedan that went out of control on North Water Street, hit the back of a house at 205 E. Kellar Lane and spun violently back to the street Nov. 16, 2008. Both were killed at the scene, and the driver was sentenced to 10 years in prison for driving under the influence.

The most recent golf outing was July 14. The number of golfers participating has ranged from 175 to 200 over the years, but the two families say most of the money raised comes from sponsors.

“We could use more,” Sandra Yelovich said.

The beneficiaries are SADD chapters at their son’s high schools, Matthew graduated from Mount Zion and Anthony graduated from St. Teresa in 2002, as well as the school districts of Cerro Gordo, Lutheran School Association, Maroa-Forsyth, Meridian and Warrensburg-Latham school districts.

The friends’ elementary schools, Holy Family and Lourdes respectively, receive smaller sums.

Interestingly enough, Tony’s sister, Katie Boltz, 27, of Pana is a health teacher at Mount Zion High School and the school’s SADD adviser.

“Besides the students, I think all the people who know what an impact that accident had on our lives think things through a little more than they would have before,” Boltz said.

Herald & Review archives show an uptick in SADD activities, such as mock car crashes during prom season, since 2008. “We gave $4,500 to each high school this year,” Mike Yelovich said. “We try to give enough for it to mean something.”

Although SADD receives the proceeds, Mike Yelovich said he believes the tragedy and annual fundraiser have changed the way grownups conduct their lives most of all.

For one thing, a tradition of free taxi rides on New Year’s Eve began in Decatur in 2008 and continued at least through 2012.

For another, a friend of the two families for several years has gone out to drive any young person home, no matter what the time of day or night, if he or she will only call. “Dave Perry is his name, and he has single-handedly made our mission come true,” Mike Yelovich said.

Steven and Sharon Samuelson of Decatur became friends with Mike and Sandra Yelovich of Mount Zion after their sons died.

“It seems to me that God needed two bright lights to make a statement here.

Unfortunately for us, our boys got picked,” Steven Samuelson said. “To do nothing but sit around and mope, that isn’t getting anything accomplished.”

“Giving is actually the thing that makes you feel better,” Sharon Samuelson added.

The Burkhams, who live in Mount

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One of the most common terms in the vast and confusing lexicon of HR jargon is succession planning.

A duo of misconceptions plague this term. The sole purpose of this column is to clear up the two misunderstandings.

Misconception number one is that succession planning is a tool to push the old codgers out the door, or at least nudge them down the stairs. It’s a vehicle to gently, or not so gently, Human Resources convey aging senior execs into their well-earned retirement, clearing the way for younger talent to move up.

Not so. Succession planning, when properly applied, doesn’t do that. It simply speaks to the truth that nobody stays forever. Look around your workplace. Do you see the same faces that were there 20 years ago, or 10, or even five? Not likely.

Things change. People move on to

Fred Spannaus

Business Journal, Lisa Morrison

Katie Boltz, second from right, works with Mount Zion High School students to prepare for red ribbon week. The week reminds students to make wise decisions, avoid drinking, drugs and destructive decisions.

Zion, feel the same way and forged ahead with their first Overdose Awareness Day in 2013 despite just having lost a second son in a car accident four years to the day after Tyler died.

Justin Yount, 28, apparently fell asleep at the wheel before his car ran off the road and struck an embankment.

“Instead of continuing to ask ‘Why me?’ and not get any answer, I say ‘Why not me?’ ” Kathy Burkham said. “I’m here for a purpose so no other family has to know the pain mine has known.

“It’s very, very healing for me.”

This year’s Overdose Awareness Day was Aug. 30 and drew more than 200 people for a 5K run/one-mile walk followed by a memorial service and balloon release.

Reimer of Decatur, on the other hand, said he tried to bury his grief over his son’s death until he couldn’t do it anymore.

He and other members of his Facebook group organized a car show at Four Star Family Restaurant in Mount Zion on Aug. 30 but plan to have the next one in April, during Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Reimer said what really makes his son’s death hard to deal with is all the other cases of child abuse that are in the news and how many children have lost their lives.

Joshua’s mother and her then-fiance were each sentenced to 10 years in prison, her for second-degree murder and him for aggravated battery to a child.

“The positive aspect of doing the car show is that it helps bring back my son, his beautiful blue eyes and his smiling face,” Reimer said. “It makes me feel stronger to feel like you do have a voice, that if you see abuse, you can do something about it.”

Business Journal, Danny Damiani

Mike and Kathy Burkham hold Naloxone, which is a drug that can counteract the effects of an overdose giving emergency responders more time. The Burkhams are working to get a community program started that would allow those referred to gain access to the drug.

different jobs, different employers, different careers. People relocate. Some get sick. Some die. Some lives take a sharp turn and pursue painting or poetry or ministry. And yes, some people just plain retire.

What does succession planning do? It prepares the organization, as much as possible, for inevitable transitions.

It identifies persons who might be capable of moving up, and who want to move up. It systematically adds to their knowledge and skill bank so that they can assume increasing responsibilities. It gives them chances, lots of them, to practice their new skills and knowledge.

In short, succession planning develops a bench for the key positions in the top tiers of the organizations.

And that leads us directly to Misconception number two. This misconception is that succession planning pre-selects individuals for promotion.

That is, succession planning decides who will be promoted long before a vacancy occurs. It takes the decision out of the hands of those who might be making it, and it eliminates any search for outside candidates.

Not so. Succession planning develops a bench. It doesn’t groom just one per-

son for each top-tier job, but it prepares several to assume increased responsibilities.

The sole exception is a firm which has decided on a single successor. That often happens in family businesses.

But even in those cases, the organization needs a Plan B. It needs a backup or two for the heir-in-waiting.

Succession planning creates the solid bench and it has at least two other major benefits. First, it strengthens the entire organization by increasing the abilities of mid-level managers.

There is virtually no downside to improved skills.

The next plus is a big one.

Succession planning will spot your weak spots, the places where you are most vulnerable to a sudden personnel loss. It will identify the tasks that are exposed, the ones that only one person knows how to do, and the ones that only one person is authorized to do.

When a key person leaves suddenly, the unprepared organization will suffer badly. Most often, the pain is caused by the sudden realization that the person was, despite T-shirts to the contrary, a truly indispensable person.

She was indispensable because she alone knew how to do something that

no one else could do. Or he was the only one empowered to make a decision, or the only one who had sufficient knowledge to make the right decision.

It’s a bad place to be the morning after the indispensable person is gone.

Smart companies make sure it never happens. They plan for it, and they are ready for the unexpected.

Fred W. Spannaus, principal of Spannaus Consulting, is a senior professional in human resources. He loves feedback to his columns. Fred can be contacted by email at spannaus@ ameritech.net or by phone at (217) 425-2635.

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 63% have household incomes of $60,000 or greater. 36% have household incomes of $80,000 or greater.

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Lynch

Dean

Edgecombe

Lewis

Bryant

New staff members Erin Reed has been named director of sales and sports for the Decatur Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Announcement Nancy Lynch, customer service manager at Foster Financial Services Inc., is celebrating five years of service to the company.

Promotions Clay Dean has been promoted to chief executive officer of First Mid Insurance Group.

Mandy Lewis has been promoted to senior vice president, retail banking officer for First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust.

Q: How can a business owner keep his or her customers loyal to their business?

A: When customers can easily comparison shop online with a few mouse clicks, the notion of loyalty seems almost old fashioned. Your best customers are someone else’s most sought-after prospects.

Big companies have adopted a fancy term for addressing the problem, called customer retention management or CRM. Massive amounts of time and energy are devoted to it, including countless websites, conferences, software products, online applications, magazines and books. The core of the issue, however, comes down to something small-business owners have been good at for centuries: Building customer loyalty.

Small businesses that concentrate on keeping customers are more successful in the long run. It only stands to reason, selling to folks you already know and understand is more efficient, more predictable and more profitable. A loyal customer base gives you an edge.

Building loyalty is not a marketing issue, however, so don’t look there for help. Spend all you want to attract new customers, but if they don’t stick with you, your days as a business owner could be numbered. Losing a customer should be unacceptable. Find out why it happened and then do whatever you can to prevent it from happening again.

To foster customer loyalty, a small

Eric Rosenbery and Paulo DeLeon, of Peerless Cleaners Inc., attended the National Air Duct Cleaning Association (NADCA) Fall Conference in Atlanta, Ga. Rosenbery passed his NADCA certification test and DeLeon completed six hours of continuing education in the air duct cleaning field.

Dale Edgecombe of Decatur Mutual Insurance Agency is the recipient of the Gold Key Award from Pekin Life Insurance Co. Jill Ernst Bryant, formerly of Decatur, has been selected to present at the University of Texas System Clinical Safety and Effectiveness Conference in San Antonio, Texas, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Care Symposium in Boston, Mass.

Business Clips are abbreviated versions of paid announcements that have appeared the new Business Achievements section, which appears on Mondays in the Herald & Review.

View the complete announcement or submit information the achievements of your business or employees at www.herald-review.com/ business_achievement.

November 2014

GOT A QUESTION?

BUSINESS JOURNAL

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For additional help on developing loyalty from your customers, to schedule one-onone counseling, or to submit another question for the “Ask the SCORE Counselor” column, contact SCORE Chapter 296, Millikin University, 1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL 62522 or call (217) 424-6297.

business needs a strategy that keeps patrons coming back. You should start with the basics that are sometimes overlooked. Thanking customers for their business, for example, goes a long way.

Try going beyond a few spoken words, doing something like writing thank you notes and letters. Make them personal and sincere. Let your customers know you appreciate their business.

Creating value will also help boost loyalty. Take time to learn as much as you can about why your customers are coming to you. Ask them if there is anything else you could be doing for them, then, after they tell you, do it. Customer satisfaction is crucial to a small business.

Customers are more likely to be loyal if you make it easy for them. Review each customer touch point, your phones, your website, your store, to determine if they are customer friendly.

Offer incentives. You can’t buy loyalty, but you can make it easier to happen with special perks, discounts or freebies.

Do whatever you can to raise the comfort level of buying from you. One good way is to give them a way out with a satisfaction guarantee.

— Carol A. Harding, SCORE counselor

Meet a SCORE counselor Bob Luther retired after 30 years with McDonald’s in various corporate positions and finally as a franchise owner. His counseling specialties are restaurant operations, marketing and advertising. Since retirement, Bob has served as membership Luther director at the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce and is a long-term care specialist for Country Insurance & Financial. He has been a SCORE counselor since 2005.

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile:

n 72% read The Business Journal monthly. n 17% are 34 and under

40-hour week a distant memory TCA News Service

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November 2014

When was the last time you worked a 40-hour week? Thought so.

The time-honored 40-hour, 9-to-5 workweek is a thing of the past, according to a survey conducted for Atlanta-based Premiere Global Services Inc. The “Take Back 60” study found that 88 percent of the 617 respondents who took the online survey last month said they work more than 40 hours a week.

Seventy-one percent said they take work home at least one day a week.

Among the other findings: n 71 percent said they work more than they prefer. n 63 percent eat lunch at their desks. n 61 percent commute more than 30 minutes each day, with nearly 25 percent clocking in at over an hour.

A majority of the respondents (64 percent) said they would spend more time with family or exercise if they could reclaim 60 minutes (hence the title of the survey) from their overworked week. A third would pursue a hobby and about a quarter would catch up on household chores or learn or improve a skill.

Business Journal, Lisa Morrison

The parents of Matt Yelovich and Tony Samuelson did not meet until after the tragic auto accident which they died in 2008. Since then parents Steven and Sharon Samuelson, left, and Mike and Sandra Yelovich have sponsored an annual golf tournament raising money for area SADD chapters. Tony’s sister Katie Boltz, middle, is a leader of the Mount Zion SADD chap-

Families moved by tragedy Awareness campaigns rooted in losses

By THERESA CHURCHILL Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — Keeping a child’s memory alive can be a double-edged sword.

Yet some bereaved parents can’t stop doing whatever they can to keep other families from experiencing the same horrific loss.

The parents of Matthew Yelovich and Anthony Samuelson, best friends killed by a drunk driver at age 24 six years ago, are one such example.

Others include Mike and Kathy Burkham, whose son, Tyler Yount, died of a heroin overdose five years ago at age 23, and Tim Reimer, whose son, Joshua Reimer, died from shaken baby syndrome in 1993 less than a month shy of his second birthday.

An annual Matthew and Tony Memorial Golf Outing at Decatur’s South Side Country

Club has raised $191,000 for seven high school chapters of Students Against Destructive Decisions, or SADD, in the Decatur area.

Two Overdose Awareness Days in Mount Zion’s Fletcher Park have raised about $7,000 for the Tyler Yount Foundation to start a nalaxone distribution program and to give scholarships to successful graduates of Macon County’s Hybrid Court. The first car show of the Facebook group Macon County Child Abuse Warriors, meanwhile, raised $1,000 this summer for the Macon County Child Advocacy Center.

The Yeloviches and Samuelsons say their first golf outing in 2009 was the hardest but that none has been easy.

“It’s not a fun day for us,” Mike Yelovich said. “At the end of the day, when everybody

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Submitted photo

Golfers in this summer’s outing wear the colors of Matthew Yelovich’s favorite team, the Chicago Cubs, and Anthony Samuelson’s favorite team, the St. Louis

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November 2014

McCrady selected as EDC’s new president CHRIS LUSVARDI Business Journal Staff Writer

DECATUR — The Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County didn’t have to look far in the selection of its new president.

It named Decatur City Manager Ryan McCrady to the position, effective Jan. 5.

McCrady will replace Larry Altenbaumer, who has served in an interim role for nearly a year.

“When we were thinking about moving to Decatur, I saw a community with tremendous potential,” said McCrady, who has been Decatur’s city manAltenbaumer ager since October 2008 after working for Sangamon County. “I was right. We are seeing that potential. I truly believe this is a great time for Decatur.”

McCrady wants to build on successful initiatives McCrady that have started while he has been city manager, along with efforts the EDC has recently initiated. The city is working on solidifying its water supply, fiber optic network and transportation infrastructure along with providing a well-trained work force, which McCrady said are all selling points to businesses.

“We now have a real product to sell in Decatur,” McCrady said.

The EDC is leading the effort to develop the Midwest Inland Port, which has the Archer Daniels Midland Co. intermodal rail yard as its centerpiece. Other efforts the EDC has been involved with include recent announcements of expansions by Union Iron, Akorn Inc., Fuyao Glass Group and Parke & Son warehouses.

“That’s a sign that there are opportunities here,” McCrady said. “Businesses are expanding here when they could do so anywhere they want. They’re doing it in Decatur.”

With so much momentum, Altenbaumer said now is not the time to take a step backward. Part of Altenbaumer’s given task was to oversee the selection process for a permanent president after Craig Coil resigned about this time last year after 11 years in the position.

“The opportunity is just that great, and we can’t afford to come up short,” Altenbaumer said. “We don’t get these kind of opportunities very often.”

McCrady is the right person to be successful in the job at such an important time, said Tim Stone, the EDC board chairman and administrator at Decatur Memorial Hospital.

“Ryan is the guy to take us there and move us into the future,” Stone said. “We

Employment Services Q A

wanted an individual who is a proven leader, someone who has a track record of getting important things accomplished and someone who works hard to develop and foster good quality relationships. Ryan represents the gold standard in each of these areas.”

Altenbaumer, who is retired from Illinois Power Co. and was a co-founder of the Grow Decatur community development initiative, was praised by Stone and others for helping to put the EDC in a position to be successful when its next leader starts work. Altenbaumer stayed on longer than anticipated, after initially being asked last November to work in the position for six months.

“He did a lot more than a little parttime work,” Mayor Mike McElroy said about Altenbaumer. “He did a lot to change the complexion of the city.”

Groups within the city have been communicating on the same page while working to develop the Midwest Inland Port, said Mark Schweitzer, ADM managing director of intermodal and international freight.

“That’s what is exciting,” Schweitzer said. “It’s not an ADM thing. It’s a community thing.”

Altenbaumer has been a key part of the port concept’s development efforts, Schweitzer said.

“Larry sees what the potential is of the community,” Schweitzer said. “We

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can do powerful things together when united. You’re seeing things happen.”

The outlook has become not just five years down the road but 10 to 20 years, said Schweitzer, who is a member of the EDC board. McCrady can hit the ground running, Schweitzer said.

“He knows the community,” Schweitzer said. “He’s not going to have to relearn that. We need to keep moving forward and move at the speed of business.”

Altenbaumer said he will continue to take a vested interest as to what happens in the Decatur community. Among other things, he plans to continue leading the Grow Decatur efforts.

“I want to do what we can to move this community forward,” Altenbaumer said.

The EDC board conducted a search that looked at national and local candidates, Stone said. It received interest from candidates who had ties to Decatur from previous experiences, although he said those opportunities didn’t work out for a variety of reasons.

“We thought the best fit would be someone local,” Stone said. “We first took advantage of that with Larry, who is intimately familiar with the challenges facing our community.”

McCrady has all the attributes the board was looking for, so Stone said it was excited when McCrady recently became open to the idea of changing roles.

Cayla Hittmeier Advertising Manager Herald & Review

601 E. WILLIAM ST. DECATUR, IL 62523 217.421.6920

Q

What are some benefits to having a mobile ready website?

A

In the age of the smart phone it is very important to have a website that customers can access easily from their mobile phones. About 88% of U.S. adults own a cell phone of some kind as of April 2012, and more than half of these cell phone owners (55%) use their phone to go online and search. Less than 10% of the web in 2012 is mobile ready. These are important statistics because it was found in a Google survey that 61% of consumers would go to a competitor’s website if a business’s site was not mobile friendly.

Not only does a mobile website allow easy access to your on-the-go consumers, but there are may other benefits. These include: • “Click to call” and “click to map” ensures a convenient and fast way to connect customers to business.

• Detailed analytics for keyword ranking specific to mobile devices allows customer ability to see what keywords are driving traffic.

• Dynamic Responsive Design– ensures that customers can read a business’ website and information no matter what kind of device they are using.

• Provides convenience to customers using their mobile devices.

• Designed to offer better navigation for smaller screens.

If you would like to find out more information on how to get your website mobile ready call 217-421-6920 to talk to one of our Multi-Media Specialists today. *Sources: Google (Sterling Research and SmithGeiger) 2012

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November 2014

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YOUR HEALTH

Don’t let holiday meals weigh you down Incorporate some healthier choices JAMIE LOBER Business Journal Writer

The holidays are a time when families, friends and co-workers tend to get together and often the socialization involves food.

“There are lots of temptations and the biggest thing is that families may do potluck-style,” said Samantha Janvrin, exercise specialist at Physician’s Choice Wellness.

While you may wonder how to survive the holidays without gaining extra pounds, you can stay healthy by taking charge.

“Make sure you are always the one to bring a healthier option, so instead of casserole dishes you could do some kind of relish tray or steamed vegetable without adding butters and cheeses,” Janvrin said.

More is not better. “Limit portions, use smaller plates and do not go back for seconds,” Janvrin said. Using lean proteins is an easy way to cut back on calories.

Desserts can be complicated. “People think that an apple pie or fruit pie would be the best option, but that is not necessarily the case, so you may want to do a Greek yogurt with high protein and no added sugar with fresh fruit,” Janvrin said .

Switch things up. “If you can, reduce sugar or even butter content in dessert,

like replacing oils with applesauce in recipes, to make them healthier without adding extra calories or fat,” Janvrin said.

Accessorize your wardrobe instead of your meals. “Do not add whipped cream or ice cream on top of pies,” Janvrin said.

Away from the table, staying active is

incredibly important to maintaining a healthy weight.

“My favorite part about the holidays is spending time with my family, so postdinner or lunch we like to go for a walk and socialize instead of sitting around and watching a football game,” Janvrin said. Any activity is better than none.

“Anything above your normal day-to-day walking around the house like taking the stairs a couple extra times or whatever you can do to get your activity level up will encourage you to stay more active,” Janvrin said.

To determine if you are at an ideal weight, physicians look at the body mass index chart which is their standard. If you have questions or concerns, it can be beneficial to consult with a dietician.

“We can educate on healthy meal planning and behavior modification by researching and finding out what resources are best for you,” Janvrin said.

It is possible to do well even with all of the holiday feasts ahead.

“As long as people stay active and modify portions they will be successful but you have to be active about it and conscious every single day,” Janvrin said. “It is not just a temporary thing. It is more of a mandatory idea that we need to start implementing.”

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November 2014

Community health calendar Support groups TOPS Club IL 49 Decatur, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesdays, Main Street Church of God, 2000 N. Main St. (enter from Garfield Street). For more information, call Chris Granda at (217) 521-2420.

Helping Hands Bereavement for Children, 3:30 p.m. Thursdays, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Art Therapy Room, 210 W. McKinley, Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Growing Through Grief, 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Cancer Center Conference Room. Call Leslie Roberts at (217) 876-6784.

call (217) 876-4750.

Postpartum emotional support group, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. Call Flo at (217) 464-2334.

Breath of Life support group, noon Tuesday, Nov. 18, St. Mary’s Hospital, Conference Room 561. Call Cheryl Shipley at (217) 464-2603.

Cardiopulmonary wellness group, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 18, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Classroom A. Register online or call (217) 876-2429 Diabetes support group, 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, Nov. 20, DMH Specific Performance Enhancement Center, 2122 N, 27th St. Call (217) 876-4249.

Grief support group, 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, St. Mary’s Hospital, Conference Room 561. This grief education group is a time for individual or family bereavement support and care. For information, call Jamie Smith at (217) 544-6464 ext. 45268.

Parkinson’s disease support group, 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1360 W. Main St. For information, call Kathy Broaddus at (217) 820-3096.

Breastfeeding support group, 10:30 a.m.

Monday, Nov. 10 and 24, Baby TALK, 500 E. Lake Shore Dr. To register, call Flo Folami at (217) 464-2334.

Lyme-MTHFR support study group, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 20, Mari-Mann Herb Co. Inc., 1405 Mari Mann Lane. Call (217) 429-1555.

SHARE support group, 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, St. Mary’s Hospital, Conference Room G24. Support group for those who have experienced the death of a baby during pregnancy, at birth or early infancy. For more information, call (217) 464-2045.

Widowed support group, 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20. Monthly dinner gathering. Call (217) 428-7733.

Epilepsy support group, 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11. St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. Call (217) 853-1655.

Facing Cancer Together, 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 12, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. For cancer patients and their families. Register online or call (217) 8764750.

Pink Link breast cancer support group, 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classroom, 210 W. McKinley Ave. To register, call (217) 876-4377.

Brain tumor support group, 10 a.m.

Saturday, Nov. 15, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classroom, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or

Renewal bereavement support group, 6 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 24, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classroom, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Us TOO prostate cancer support group, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classroom, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Classes Real Dads Rock, 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Cafe Classrooms 1 and 2 – Ground Level. Program teaches new fathers how to handle, feed, burp, change, clean and respond to their baby’s needs. Register online or call (217) 4226294.

3-10 learn what to expect with the arrival of a new baby brother or sister.

Cost is $15. To register, call (217) 8763400.

Eat Right to Help the Fight, 11 a.m.

Monday, Nov. 10, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Nutrition class for cancer patients. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Sibling class, 5:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, St. Mary’s Hospital, OB Classroom.

Children 3-12 learn about being a big brother or sister. For more information or to register, call (217) 464-2334.

Look Good, Feel Better, 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Cancer Care Specialists of Decatur Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. A program that teaches beauty techniques to female cancer patients in active treatment to help them combat the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. To register call, (217) 876-6600.

Infant CPR Class, 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, DMH Classrooms. Register online or call (217) 876-3100.

Breastfeeding Basics, 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Cafe DMH Meeting Rooms. Register

online or call (217) 876-3400.

Cardiopulmonary risk factor education, 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, DMH Cafe Classrooms 1 and 2. Call (217) 876-2496.

More Diabetes Awareness, 4-7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, Specific Performance Enhancement Center, 2122 N, 27th St. Event includes information booths. Call (217) 876-4249.

Alzheimer’s Series, “Caregiver Stress: Relief, Acceptance and Empowerment,” 10-11:30 a.m.

Thursday, Nov. 6, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. Call (217) 4645121.

Shine a Light on Lung Cancer, 5:30-7 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 13, DMH Caner Care Institute, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Event includes a guest speaker, screenings and recognition of survivors, caregivers and families. Event will conclude with a lighting ceremony. Call (217) 876-4750.

Language of Lungs, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 19, Decatur Public Library. Community health fair featuring speakers and screenings. For more information, call (217) 876-2741.

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November 2014

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BIZ BITES

Now open Bistro Five Thirty Seven, the new Culinary Arts Institute restaurant at Richland Community College, is now open for lunch and dinner on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The student-operated restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch and 6-8 p.m. for dinner and can accommodate about 50 diners.

Students operating the restaurant are enrolled in a culinary capstone course, a culmination of all they have learned in the program, and the menu will change each month as their skills progress.

“It might not look like a classroom, but it is,” said chef Brian Tucker, director of the institute. “We want our students to develop the work skills needed to be as successful as they can be.”

Bistro Five Thirty Seven is located at the far end of the Shilling Education Center on the west side of campus.

Reservations are preferred and can be made by calling (217) 875-7211 ext. 537. nnn Ted’s Taters and CherryBerry are now open, and will remain open all winter, in the Overlook Adventure Mini Golf facility in Nelson Park.

Ted’s serves up two kinds of soup, Heinkel’s hot dogs and polish sausages, toasted sandwiches and a variety of specialty fries in a family-friendly atmosphere.

It takes its name from the shih tzu belonging to CherryBerry/Ted’s Taters corporate owners Kendall and Linda Peterson of South Dakota.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday. Call (217) 791-5065.

The CherryBerry is the franchise’s second store in Decatur. It is open noon to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Sunday. Call (217) 330-7676. nnn Raise a glass in salute to what’s being billed as one of the the biggest liquor store in the Decatur area: the new

Famous Wine and Spirits location at 2002 S. Mount Zion Road near Rural King.

Ranks of beers, spirits and wines line spacious aisles that have the feel of a supermarket, and there is a vast cooler to keep select offerings at the perfect temperature.

“We’ve actually been surprised at how well it’s going; we don’t even have a sign up yet,” said manager Lucky Singh.

Singh said the store gets deliveries twice a week and if by some chance they don’t have what you want, they can order it fast.

Hours are 9 a.m to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m.

Sunday. Call (217) 330-7231. nnn After months, if not years, of anticipation, Ross Dress for Less has opened in Hickory Point Mall Word that the popular off-price apparel and home fashion store would move into the spot formerly occupied by MC Sports got around long before CBL Properties started preparing the space, followed by Ross beginning construction in May. “We’re twice the size of your typical mall store,” Manager Mark Ahlrich said.

Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, and 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

For more, visit www.rossstores.com or call (217) 876-0037.

On the move Shon Allen, owner of the Competitive Edge, wanted to be in the thick of things.

So this summer he moved his business 13 blocks straight east from North Illinois 48, along Packard Street, to 1101 N. Water St., a space in Decatur Plaza formerly occupied by another barbershop.

“We’re closer to the young people we serve in the Wabash Crossing and Old King’s Orchard neighborhoods,” Allen said. “We have eight barbers, including me, and now we have nine chairs. We

only had seven before.”

Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday. Call (217) 201-4449. nnn Relocation of the Spa Villa salon to 2890 S. Mount Zion Road gave Chuck Beck just the right place to open his own yoga studio.

Be Yoga Decatur opened at 132 S. Water St., Suite 230, and offers classes in meditation and yoga for all levels, seven days a week.

A self-employed piano technician and furniture designer who’s been working out of his Decatur home, Beck has been a yoga instructor for four years and previously taught at Awaken Yoga.

Go to www.beyogadecatur.com for the schedule. Call (217) 520-0904.

The salon also has The Villa II in Forsyth’s Hickory Point Mall, and business owner Tiffany Boyer said she’s looking for a third location on Decatur’s north side. nnn United Cerebral Palsy Land of Lincoln has relocated its Decatur offices to 602 E. William St. from the 400 block of East Prairie Avenue to give its business services program, which helps clients with disabilities find jobs, room to grow.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

The telephone number remains (217) 420-1640.

Expanding Connie’s Country Greenhouse has opened a retail location at the former Isringhausen Imports at 350 South U.S. 51 in Forsyth.

Connie Burgett and her husband, Greg, have operated Connie’s Country Greenhouse outside of Latham for the past 20 years and have had a second store in Long Creek for the past two years.

That location is closed for the season.

“We’re opening a gift shop in Forsyth with statuary, small fountains and other garden-related items,” Burgett said.

“We’ll also have Del’s popcorn, soaps,

pepper jelly and lighted canvas paintings by Terry Redlin.”

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m.

Sunday. Call (217) 875-7795. nnn Hickory Point Bank & Trust has completed its acquisition of the branch offices, loans and deposits of Marshall County State Bank/New Capital Bank, with locations in Peoria Heights and Varna.

Merger There is no longer any degree of separation between Bethany-based Scott State Bank and the former State Bank of Niantic.

Scott State Bank’s holding company, Scott Bancshares, has owned the State Bank of Niantic since 1985, but the Niantic bank had been a standalone company with its own internal office system. Now the formal merger means that Scott State Bank’s name will appear on all signage and the bank has streamlined services to operate under the same system.

New owners Acquiring the assets of Green Valley Mfg. Inc. in early September, Bob Curry and Jonathan Simmons have taken ownership of the Mount Zion-based company and have plans to expand the business.

Green Valley has manufactured die and mold handling equipment for more than 20 years and operates from a 14,000-square-foot facility at 100 Green Valley Drive. According to a release, the owners have retained key employees and look to recruit industry experts to help grow the company.

Biz Bites highlight businesses that are opening, closing, expanding … you get the picture. If you have information for our Biz Bites column, contact Tony Reid at treid@herald-review.com, Chris Lusvardi at clusvardi@herald-review.com, Theresa Churchill at tchurchill@heraldreview.com or call them at (217) 421-6979.

Parke & Son warehouse expanding THERESA CHURCHILL

New Brother/Sister Day Camp, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 5, Decatur Memorial Hospital, OB Classroom. Children ages

Reader Profile: n 30% are owner/partner of their business. n 27% have household income of $100,000 to $149,000

www.thebusiness-journal.com

Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — A multimillion-dollar project that will more than double the size of Parke & Son warehouse on East Mound Road was good news from the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County.

Even better is the belief shared by Parke and other business leaders that the announcement heralds many more positive economic developments springing from the city’s year-old Midwest Inland Port.

“I think 10 years from now we’ll look back and see a much different city,” said Richard Stoddard, chairman and CEO of Parke & Son Inc. “It’s the most exciting thing that’s happened in Decatur in years and years.”

Stoddard is in a good position to comment on that. Established in 1854, Parke

& Son is one of the city’s oldest businesses, and Stoddard’s family has been involved in running it since 1947.

Larry Altenbaumer, interim president of the EDC, predicts the inland port, a railroad hub for which Archer Daniels Midland Co.’s intermodal container freight shipping and receiving facility is the centerpiece, will attract new employers to Macon County.

Mayor Mike McElroy said Decatur area is a prime destination for warehousing and distribution businesses such as Parke. Altenbaumer said two other categories of businesses are also expected to come.

They are agribusiness or food processing companies using products made by Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Tate & Lyle, and manufacturers of durable goods.

“There’s a lot of talk nationally about a renaissance of manufacturing coming

back to in the United States,” Altenbaumer said.

He added that inland port isn’t even the only thing that makes the Decatur area attractive to business.

Altenbaumer said “other core values” were bigger factors behind recent decisions by Union Iron to build a new manufacturing facility in Decatur and by Akorn Inc. leaders to expand theirs, as well as that of China’s Fuyao Glass Group to rebuild both production lines at the former PPG plant near Mount Zion.

“Companies have choices, and we’re having a good run of being chosen,” Altenbaumer said.

Stoddard said Parke decided to expand in Decatur rather than outside Illinois not only because the port is increasing demand for its storage and distribution services but also because its warehouse at 3585 E. Mound Road is

within the Decatur-Macon County Enterprise Zone.

“We wanted to build in Decatur, but business is driven by economics,” Stoddard said. “Sometimes, what we want to do and what we actually do are two different things.”

Stoddard said he already has enough existing customers and one new customer for about half of the planned 140,000-square-foot warehouse addition, all of whom require climate-controlled environments for food ingredients.

Operations manager Steve Sunderland said more than half of the addition will maintain a constant temperature of 70 degrees, while the remainder will be divided into areas kept at 55 degrees and 40 degrees. Humidity levels will also be controlled.

“This is a new venture for us,” Sunderland said.

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YOUR COMMUNITY

YOUR CAREER

Volunteer army makes food drive possible

How to deal with an overtly hostile employee

Local residents give of their time RACHEL RODGERS Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — Since age 4, Megan Bresnan has volunteered in some form or another to help those in need, and she only expects her investment in the community to grow.

The 17-year-old senior at St. Teresa High School has participated in each of the 13 WSOY Community Food Drives, growing up knowing the difference a helping hand can make.

On Oct. 10, instead of going about an average school day, Bresnan helped load food and money donations equivalent to 60,000 pounds of food and transported them to the Airport Plaza Kroger, where she took her place among an army of more than 200 volunteers.

“With the failing economy, it’s becoming harder for families to put food on the table,” she said. “Seeing the whole community pitch in, you can tell it’s going to have a big impact.”

The impact came in the form of more than 1 million pounds of food collected within 12 hours, which was distributed to local food pantries and community organizations.

Without the volume of volunteers, such a feat would have been difficult to accomplish, said Debbie Bogle, executive director of the United Way of Decatur and Macon County. So many volunteers signed up early for the event that she had to take down the online volunteer portal two weeks before the food drive so no one would be turned away.

“Volunteering is a way to get people engaged in the community and be a part of something greater than themselves,” Bogle said. “What might start out as volunteering at one event becomes a relationship and a way to connect people.”

Like many of the other volunteers present, Bresnan has contributed her time throughout the area including the Salvation Army, Baby TALK, Boo at the Zoo and different retirement homes.

Classmate Joe Good, who helped direct traffic and unload semitrucks full of donations, said learning the merits of volunteering at a young age creates a continuous cycle for future generations to follow.

“By having that experience and mindset of helping others, we can help others get into that spirit of service,” he said.

“With us going away to college soon, that gives us a chance to spread what we’ve learned in Decatur to other communities.”

Though the food drive drew many young students, volunteering is an ageless arena, 71-year-old Pam Reeves of Lovington said.

Reeves began volunteering at the food drive five years ago, increasing her

Q: One of my employees refuses to accept me as his supervisor. Ever since I was transferred into this department, “Jack” has been extremely rude. He argues with me about everything and talks about how much he misses his former boss. He frequently makes these comments in front of other people, including my manager.

I need to let Jack know that his disrespectful attitude is completely unacceptable, but I don’t want to make the situation worse.

What’s the best way to deal with such a hostile employee?

A: Jack’s reaction to your arrival is certainly inappropriate, so your desire to repriOffice Coach mand him is understandable.

Nevertheless, if your goal is to improve the relationship, a disciplinary talk may not be the best first step. Instead, acknowledge that this change has apparently been tough, then see if you can find out what’s bothering him.

For example: “Jack, I know you haven’t been very happy since your former manager left, and I’m sorry this change has been difficult. But even though it may be an adjustment, you and I still need to develop a cooperative, productive working relationship. Can you tell me what has been stressful

Marie McIntyre

Business Journal, Jim Bowling

Our Lady of Lourdes students Mackenzie Snow, left, and Madison Peck help unload the school’s donations during the WSOY Community Food Drive at the Airport Plaza Kroger. BELOW: Volunteer Mo Lowery sorts cans while dressed like one at the food drive.

‘It’s amazing with how everyone charges in to get everything done.’

PAM REEVES number of hours worked from four to about 12 within the span.

“It’s amazing with how everyone charges in to get everything done and how many people come out, from little kids with a jar full of change all the way to those giving thousands of dollars,” Reeves said.

She said she tries to help out wherev-

er needed in the community and serves as a member of the Decatur and Macon County Crime Stoppers volunteer board.

For the past 10 years, Matt Bennett has approached volunteering as an obligation to spark pride in the community.

“This is an event that I just don’t miss no matter what my work schedule is.

It’s one of those things you know you have to be a part of,” the 31-year-old Forsyth resident said as he weighed a shopping cart carrying 268 pounds of food donations.

About 6 a.m. when many volunteers began preparing for the food drive frenzy, Pete Vercellino had already been working through the night.

Coordinating forklifts, moving trucks and advanced pick-ups in surrounding towns until 4:30 a.m., Vercellino took a short break before returning at 5 a.m.

Having volunteered at the event since its humble beginning when the donations totaled almost 30 times less than the amount acquired this year, Vercellino was accustomed to the labor.

“I’ll have some aches and pains to soak out, but it’s what we do; it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “When the need arises, you step up.”

about this for you?”

If Jack shares the reasons for his unhappiness, perhaps you can take steps to improve the situation. But if he refuses to open up, calmly make it clear that you aren’t asking him to change his feelings, but you do expect him to change his behavior.

Q: The co-worker in the next cubicle is driving me crazy.”Hannah” talks to herself constantly about whatever project she is working on at the moment. This running commentary is so distracting that I can hardly hear myself think.

Hannah and I have a good working relationship, so I don’t want to offend her.

How can I tactfully bring up this subject?

A: While some people need quiet to concentrate, others work best when they can think out loud. Like most ingrained personality traits, this innate difference in cognitive style is virtually impossible to change. Therefore, you must first understand that Hannah is not trying to be irritating. She is simply being herself.

The key to success in discussing this issue is to avoid sounding irritated or critical. Just describe what you have observed, then suggest developing a plan to accommodate your differences.

For example: “Hannah, I’ve noticed that you and I seem to have opposite work styles. When I have a project to complete, I need to focus on it quietly.

But I believe you find it helpful to think out loud. Because our desks are so close together, I sometimes find it hard to concentrate when I hear you talking. Do you think we could find a way to com-

WEEKLY TIPS Can’t get enough advice from the Office Coach. Get weekly column updates at www.thebusiness-journal.com. promise on this?”

If Hannah receives your message well, you can then explore mutually agreeable strategies for resolving this issue.

Remember, though, that those who deliver feedback often get some in return. So you must also be open to any suggestions which Hannah may have for you.

Q: A manager who reports to me is creating a lot of problems. “Laura” has a number of good qualities, but her interpersonal and communication skills are extremely poor. She is very impatient, interrupts people in meetings, interferes with activities in other departments and tries to shift the blame when something goes wrong.

Laura has a strong need to be right and feels that everything must be done her way, which is simply not helpful in a team environment. I have tried to show her how these behaviors hurt her relationships with both employees and coworkers, but she doesn’t seem to get it.

On top of that, Laura also does a poor job of setting priorities and meeting deadlines. I have asked her to train staff members on certain tasks so that she can devote more time to management duties, but she continues to do the work herself because she enjoys it.

Although I have been quite candid about my concerns, nothing seems to get Laura’s attention. No matter what I do, she responds with either a passiveaggressive attitude or a brief improvement which quickly disappears. I would like to expand her department, but I don’t think Laura could handle it. Any suggestions?

A: If you have someone in a management position who has consistently demonstrated that she cannot handle relationships, delegation or deadlines, then she should not be allowed to continue in a leadership role.

A dysfunctional employee is a problem, but a dysfunctional manager is a disaster. Laura’s problematic traits are not only affecting her own work, but also hampering the effectiveness of everyone she is supposed to be leading.

As the person in charge here, you owe it to both the staff and the company to quickly resolve this problem one way or another.

Had you never attempted to coach Laura that would be the place to start.

But having made numerous attempts to correct these issues, without much response from Laura, you must now act decisively and impose some consequences for noncompliance. Laura needs to understand that, unless she demonstrates immediate improvement, the ultimate consequence will be removing her from management altogether.

Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach and the author of “Secrets to Winning at Office Politics.”

Send in questions and get free coaching tips at www.yourofficecoach.com, or follow her on Twitter @officecoach.

Learning a coach approach to managing Q: I’ve gotten feedback that, as a manager, I’m not very good at helping people develop their own solutions. It’s hard — it’s really easy for me to see what they should do, and it seems more efficient to just tell them. How can I start to shift my style?

A: Ask questions, then be quiet and listen.

It’s a common situation: People who are good at what they do are promoted. But they often do not receive much help in the transition between doing and helping others succeed. That’s the situation you’re in, and you should be proud of yourself for being willing to develop out of this rut.

Give yourself a break. Relax, take some deep breaths and let go of any

Liz Reyer

anxiety over the situation. You’ll be able to learn the new skills you need, and being stressed about it will just hold you back.

There are a number of skills that go with having a more coach-style approach, including asking good questions and probing to help team members come up with their own solutions. You also need to be able to assess the risk of letting people make some mistakes.

Assess your skills in these areas so you can plan your skill development.

Consider your current team culture.

If you currently solve everyone’s problems, or even overrule their solutions with your own suggestions, you’ll all have some habits to break. Team members will need to relearn a certain amount of autonomy, and you’ll need to learn to back off and to push them to identify solutions before they even come to you.

This is a great opportunity to practice transparency as a leader. Let your team know what you’re up to and why. They

WEEKLY TIPS Get weekly career tips from Liz Reyer at www.thebusiness-journal.com. won’t be confused, and it can build a lot of engagement.

Put some time into skills development.

If you need to learn to create dialogue instead of giving orders, develop a list of go-to questions you could use. There are plenty of ways to find good coaching questions. One hint: Avoid the word “why”; it shuts people down. Use “how” or “what” instead.

If you’re a talker, use the WAIT system: Why Am I Talking. It’s a chatty coach’s best friend and can help you remember to let your team members work things out for themselves.

Model your behavior on someone you admire, or get a mentor or coach for yourself. Watching someone else in

action is a great way to learn these skills.

Being able to let others learn the hard way through trial and error can be very challenging. If this is tough for you, ask for support from your boss, especially in learning to assess risks realistically.

There’s a big difference between a $500 risk and a $50,000 risk, and misjudging won’t serve you or your team member well.

Track your progress, and celebrate your successes. Give yourself feedback, and request it from your team. Find some small team or personal rewards to help build momentum.

Building your coaching skills will benefit you, your team, and your company as a whole.

Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at liz@deliverchange.com.

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YOUR FREE TIME

The Arts Anne Lloyd Gallery: The Art of Blacksmithing. Opening reception from 5-7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, to include blacksmith demonstration and opportunity to create your our metal art. Call (217) 423-3189. www.decturarts.org Gallery 510: Retrospective of watercolors by Joyce Matteson. Opening reception from 5-7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7 Call (217) 422-1509.

Decatur Airport: Colored pencils by Jim Clark.

Decatur Public Library: Watercolors by Sue Watts.

Blue Connection: Paintings, photographs and pottery by Jessica Claussen. Meet the artist reception from 5-7:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 7.

On Stage Kirkland Fine Arts Center: Golden Dragon Acrobats, Saturday, Nov. 1; “Peter Pan,” Nov. 14-16; Vespers, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6 and 7; Holiday Jazz, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13. For tickets, call (217) 424-6318.

Little Theatre-On the Square: “ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” Dec. 5-7 and 913; “Junior Claus,” Dec. 12-21. For tickets, call (217) 728-7375. www.thelittle theatre.org.

Calendar of events For a complete list of events, go to www.herald-review.com/go/ Millikin University Pipe Dreams Studio: “No Exit,” Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 20-23. For tickets, call (217) 424-6318. www.pdtheatre.com Decatur Underground Theater presents West Side Story, November 7-9 and 14-16 at the Decatur Civic Center. For tickets, call (217) 422-6161. www.decaturunder ground.com

Music Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra, “Peter Pan” musical, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14 and 15, and 2 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 16, at Kirkland Fine Arts Center. For tickets, call (217) 424-6318.

Dueling Piano Christmas Show, 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22. Mount Zion Convention Center. For tickets, call (217) 864-5424. www.mtzconventioncenter.com

Charity events A Night in the Islands, to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Macon County, 69 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at the Decatur Club. The event, which is free to attend, includes and evening of music, drinks

made by celebrity bartenders and a silent auction. In addition, those who buy a boarding pass put themselves in the running for a host of vacation getaway packages. Call (217) 428-4240.

ARTini, to benefit the Gallery 510 Artists Guild, will be from 6-9 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 13, at Paco's Sol Bistro.

Every ticket holder received a handpainted martini glass and, one martini ( or drink of their choice) and an open potato and pasta bar. Event includes a silent auction. Tickets are $40. Call (217) 422-1509.

For the kids Children’s Museum of Illinois: Monsters Don’t Read, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8; Family Science Sunday, Nov. 9; Breakfast with Santa, 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6; Gingerbread Workshop, 10 a.m.

Saturday, Dec. 6. Go to www.cmofil.org or call (217) 423-5437.

Scovill Zoo: Pajama party with Santa, 13 p.m. and 5-7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6 Call (217) 421-7435.

The Rock Springs Nature Center hosts a

long list of mini camps, family adventures and classes during the month. So many, in fact, that there are too many to list. Go to www.maconcountyconservation.org and click on the Programs and Activities tab for a complete listing.

FROM THE EDITOR A uniformed soldier stands on the sidelines of a high school girls’ soccer game watching quietly as the game’s final minutes tick away. By the time the final horn sounds, he has made his way to an opening in the fence and waits.

After a brief team meeting, one of the girls emerges from the huddle, and with energy rivaling any seen on the field that day, she sprints into the open arms of the waiting soldier.

The scene had all the makings of a great recruitment commercial. But this was real and involved a young man who I’ve watched grow up and just a year earlier graduated high school with my son. The thought of that moment still brings tears to my eyes.

While my path took the college route, my parents (my dad was an Army veteran) never let me forget that freedom isn’t free. For more than 200 years, young men and women have made it their job to protect the things, like the freedom to write this column, we take for granted.

On this Veterans Day, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has, and continues to, put service to their country ahead of all else.

Breakfast with Santa, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 15, Mount Zion Convention Center. For tickets, call (217) 864-5424. www.mtzconventioncenter.com

Misc.

Downtown Decatur Christmas Kick Off begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, live reindeer in Central Park and free crafting, ice skating, story time and other activities leading up to the Jaycee’s Lights of Christmas Parade at 5:30 p.m. and the opening of Santa's House at 6:30 p.m.

Turkey Trot, 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, Fairview Park. Call (217) 429-7750.

Veterans Day ceremony, hosted by the Veteran's Assistance Commission of Macon County, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, Decatur Civic Center.

Downtown Decatur Christmas Walk, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 3. Enjoy free carriage rides, dancing elves, caroling, sweets and specials from participating merchants.

BUSINESS JOURNAL OF MIDCENTRAL ILLINOIS

VOLUME 20

ISSUE 11

601 E. William St. Decatur, IL 62523 217.421.7976 217.421.7965 (fax) PUBLISHER: Julie Bechtel GENERAL MANAGER: Gary Sawyer EDITOR: Scott Perry ADVERTISING: AnnaMarie Hanes

Got an item you’d like listed in the Your Free Time calendar? Send the information to Scott Perry at sperry@herald-review.com or 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523.

LAYOUT & DESIGN: Ginger Wortman

Scott Perry, editor Business Journal of Midcentral Illinois

COVER PHOTO: Jim Bowling

November2014Contents

STORY IDEAS: Email sperry@herald-review.com or call 217.421.7976.

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Standing Features

CHEERS! Skeff Distributing earns Chamber honor

Biz Bites . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Business Clips . . . . . 18

SUBSCRIPTIONS: To order additional copies call 217.421.7931 ADVERTISING: The deadline for ad and ad copy for the December issue is Nov. 14.

Call 217.421.7953 for rate information.

Fred Spannaus . . . . . 17 The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois is printed monthly and is a publication of Lee Enterprises Inc.

Free Time calendar . . 22 Health calendar . . . . 20 Liz Reyer . . . . . . . . . . 21 Office Coach . . . . . . . 21 SCORE counselor . . 18 Wendy Gauntt . . . . . . 14

Community treasures 7 This month the Business Journal honors its latest class of 20 people over the age of 50 who go above and beyond in their efforts to make the Decatur and Macon County a better place to live, work and play. Special section

PAINFUL BEGINNINGS Awareness efforts rooted in tragedy

Information published is the responsibility of the author and does not reflect the opinions of The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois. To submit articles, mail typewritten and 500 words or less to: The Business Journal, 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523. Articles will not be returned. Any editorial content or advertising published is the property of Lee Enterprises Inc., DBA The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois.

Copyright 2014 Herald & Review All rights reserved for entire content.

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YOUR CALENDAR

Monday, Nov. 3 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille, 101 S. Main St. Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club, 158 W. Prairie Ave. Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Tuesday, Nov. 4 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton, 333 W. Marion Ave., Forsyth.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, 3909 W. Main St. Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Nov. 5 Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, 7 a.m., Decatur Club.

Scheduled speaker is Kevin Kehoe, president of the Community Investment Corporation of Decatur Inc. Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Mount Zion Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., WXFM, 120 Wildwood Dr., Mount Zion.

Thursday, Nov. 6

Club.

Tuesday, Nov. 11 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur Building Construction Trades Council, 10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall, 3390 N. Woodford St. Decatur Area Society for Human Resource Management, 11 a.m., Doherty’s Pub and Pins, 242 E. William St. Central Illinois Ad Club, 11:30 a.m., Decatur Club.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Nov. 12 Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Mount Zion Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, 11:30 a.m., Main Hangar, Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Real Estate Investors Association, 6:30 p.m., Perkins Family Restaurant, 2999 N. Monroe St.

Thursday, Nov. 13 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

GFWC Decatur Woman’s Club, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Senior Resources Network (formerly Mature Resources Network), 11:45 a.m., Keystone Gardens, 1455 W. Mound Road.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur Area Women’s Network (DAWN), 5:30 p.m., Decatur Club.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building.

Decatur Camera Club, 7 p.m., Rock Springs Environmental Center, 3939 Nearing Lane.

Scovill Banquet Facility.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Nov. 19 Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Christian Women’s Network, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, Nov. 20 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Christian Women’s Club, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur AMBUCS, 6 p.m., Decatur Club.

Friday, Nov. 21 Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Noon Women’s Network, 11:45 a.m., Decatur Club.

Monday, Nov. 24 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille.

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Tuesday, Nov. 25

Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Building Construction Trades Council, 10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall.

Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Community Thanksgiving Luncheon, 11:30 am., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Monday, Nov. 17

Wednesday, Nov. 26

Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce First Friday Luncheon, noon, Main Street Church Tea Room, 2000 N. Main St.

Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille.

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Monday, Nov. 10

Tuesday, Nov. 18

Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille.

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur

Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m.,

Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Greater Decatur Y, 220 W. McKinley Ave. Metro Decatur Home Builder’s Association, 6 p.m., Beach House, 2301 E. Lake Shore Dr. American Business Women’s Association (Amacita), 6 p.m., location varies.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building, 2715 N. 27th St.

Friday, Nov. 7

Friday, Nov. 14

Monday, Dec. 1 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille.

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater

November 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

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YOUR MONEY Northside Baptist Church.

Tuesday, Dec. 2 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Dec. 3 Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, 7 a.m., Decatur Club.

Presentation by members of this year’s Decatur Leadership Institute.

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, Dec. 4 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

American Business Women’s Association (Amacita), 11:30 a.m., location varies.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Greater Decatur Y. Metro Decatur Home Builder’s Association, 6 p.m., Beach House.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building.

Friday, Dec. 5 Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce First Friday Luncheon, noon, Main Street Church Tea Room, 2000 N. Main St.

To submit items for Your Calendar, contact Scott Perry at (217) 421-7976, at sperry@heraldreview.com, or click the “Submit an Event” link at www.thebusiness-journal.com

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 48% share their copy of the Journal with others. n 23% are 35 to 44 years old.

Higher deductibles giving workers pain Health insurance costs rising DAVID MARKIEWICZ TCA News Service Writer

When workers across the country crack open their annual employee benefits packages this fall, many will likely feel immediate relief. Premiums for their employer-provided health insurance will be up, but not as much as in the past.

If they read a little bit closer, though, they might be agitated. Their deductible has probably risen again, increasing their out-of-pocket costs for treatment.

That may lead some to decide whether to risk their health by skipping care, or their finances by getting services.

That unappealing choice comes as employers shift a bigger portion of health care costs to employees. In a nation bent on health care reform, where a key goal is to make sure there is quality care for those who need it, that can result in unintended consequences.

Roxanne Atrchin-Lopez, an Atlanta-

area elementary schoolteacher, said she decided against getting tests she needed for a hernia because her $2,250 deductible made the likely out-of-pocket costs too high.

"You can only bleed a turnip so much," the 57-year-old Smyrna resident said, adding that her monthly insurance premium is actually tolerable. "Now," she said, "I'll probably end up having an emergency situation and going to the hospital."

Higher deductibles, what the worker has to pay before his costs begin to be reimbursed, "make it harder for people to get access to care when they need it," observed Sara Collins, vice president for health care coverage and access at The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that promotes a high performing health care system.

The definition of high deductible can vary, although the federal government, for its purposes, pegs it as $1,300 for individuals next year and $2,600 for families. Others say anything more than $1,000 for an individual is high.

High-deductible health insurance has been around for years, but it drew less attention than rising premiums. Now, with premiums rising modestly,

deductibles are under the microscope.

Premiums were up about 3 percent this year, and some projections call for a bump about 4 percent next year.

In its annual employer health benefits survey released last month, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research Educational Trust emphasized the growth of highdeductible plans.

The slow growth in premiums seen this year is welcome news, but "many workers now pay more when they get sick as deductibles continue to rise and skin-in-the-game insurance gradually becomes the norm," said Drew Altman, Kaiser Foundation president and CEO. According to Kaiser, 80 percent of workers with single coverage have a deductible, up from 55 percent in 2006.

The average deductible this year for workers with single coverage is $1,217, an increase from $584 in 2006.

Because workers will pay a higher share of their medical expenses, the thinking goes, they will seek services only when they really need them, and they will shop around for the best price.

This can hold down overall health care spending, a win for everyone.

But, critics point out, there are down-

sides. For one, some people who need care, such as Atrchin-Lopez, might not seek it because they fear the cost. By not getting treatment at the time, they could wind up getting sicker and requiring higher-cost care later if the problem worsens.

Higher-deductible coverage also disproportionately affects those who suffer the most medical problems. Healthy people require far fewer services, so they pay lower premiums and don't come near reaching their deductible, minimizing their out-of-pocket expenses.

Critics also say that telling workers to shop for a better deal on a medical procedure sounds good, but in many cases it's not practical since health care pricing is complex and confusing.

Workers with high-deductible plans can somewhat protect themselves against a medical financial calamity by contributing to a Health Savings Account or a Health Reimbursement Account. These are rainy day funds for health care that workers, and their employers, if they choose, can contribute money to on a tax-advantaged basis.

Employees can tap into what they've saved up to pay for medical costs including the deductible.

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