February Voice 2013

The Voice is online at rockfordchamber.com

THE NaTIoN’S SouNDING BoaRD: T K GRouP, INC.

MaDE IN RoCKFoRD

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February 2013 | Volume 26 | No. 2

Loescher named Citizen of the Year at annual Chamber dinner

By Paul Anthony Arco Dan Loescher had to sit down when Rockford Chamber President & CEO Einar Forsman called with good news: Loescher had been named Citizen of the Year. Loescher, principal of Loescher & Associates, Ltd., was recognized during the Chamber’s annual dinner, Jan. 24, at Giovanni’s.

“I am deeply humbled,” Loescher said, who was out of town at a national CPA conference and could not attend in person. “I’m proud to serve with members who are of like mind.”

The Citizen of the Year is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the community through

Photos by Brian Thomas Photography

Citizen of the Year, Dan Loescher, has led successful capital campaigns for area non-profit organizations. business and philanthropic activities over several years.

Loescher serves on the boards of several local non-profit and for-profit organizations. He currently is the chairman of Riverside Community Bank and will assume the role of the board chairman of SwedishAmerican Health System. He also has led successful capital campaigns for Crusader Community Health and the YMCA of Rock River Valley. Loescher was chosen from a number of nominations that were submitted to the chamber.

“He’s been so active in fundraising,” Forsman said. “The great thing about Dan

is that he asks the tough questions other people don’t ask. He puts people through the pace to better understand what they’re doing, why they’re doing it and what the need is. If he’s in -- he’s all in. He doesn’t seek recognition, he just works hard. I love to see those kind of people recognized.”

A large crowd of 730 people turned out for the annual event. “It was great to see so many people, lots of folks that you see at other Chamber events,” said Chris Kelley, marketing strategist for V2 Marketing Communications. “The keynote presentation really hit home—the more on page 3

New Rockford Chamber board members begin terms in 2013

By Barbara Connors The Rockford Chamber welcomed three new board members for threeyear terms beginning Jan. 1, 2013.

■ Jeff Hultman, Riverside Community Bank

Visit us online at: rockfordchamber.com n online registration n keynote speaker video clips n event photos n list of Chamber events Questions? 815-987-8100

Join the Chamber’s LinkedIn Group www.linkedin.com/e/gis/2544

■ Amy Ott, Chicago Rockford International Airport ■ Michele Janke, BMO Harris Bank

Jeff Hultman Riverside Community Bank Jeff Hultman is executive vice president at Riverside Community Bank and leads the commercial and private banking teams. He said the bank strives to provide world-class financial products and services to all segments of the

Rockford area, and to preserve and grow community banking in the markets it serves.

Hultman said his goal as part of the Chamber board is to support the Chamber’s mission of working for the good of Rockford. “The Chamber is uniquely positioned through its member network and its advocacy structure to continue to move our community forward. I look forward to putting my experience and network together to help move the Chamber’s mission forward.”

He said large trends are impacting the banking industry. The slow recovery in macroeconomic conditions has had a negative impact on customers.

The low interest rate environment has negatively impacted every bank’s net interest margin. The amount of regulation coming from Washington has driven up banking costs, making more on page 5

HoMEowNERSHIP NoN-PRoFITS CoMBINE RESouRCES Two area non-profit agencies providing services in sustainable homeownership merged on Jan. 1, 2013. Neighborhood Housing Services of Freeport (NHS) and Rockford Area Affordable Housing Coalition formed HomeStart with combined staff, resources and programming, and offices in Rockford and Freeport to serve a 10-county region in northern Illinois.

Deb Elzinga is executive director.

NHS for 15 years has delivered sustainable home ownership and community improvement services, while the Rockford Area Affordable Housing Coalition for 20 years has provided housing counseling, down payment assistance, homeownership education, and individual advice, and counseling on preparation, purchase, maintenance and foreclosure issues.

HomeStart will offer increased services, including secure additional funding, regional training and costsavings.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Small Business Conference & Luncheon Feb. 27 • Franchesco’s For more info, see page 26

VITa TaX aSSISTaNCE RETuRNS To RoCKFoRD Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois again will be offering free tax preparation assistance at its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites to families with incomes of less than $50,000 per year, individuals with incomes of less than $25,000, and persons with disabilities. Volunteer tax preparers are IRS certified and assist community members in claiming any special credits and deductions for which they may be eligible.

The Rockford site, 615 N. Longwood St., is open Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Machesney Park site, 8010 N. 2nd St., is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 5 to 9 p.m., and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A new mobile site will travel in the Rockford area.

Call 815-987-6200 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., to schedule an appointment or visit www. goodwillni.org.

Last year, the VITA sites served 1,500 individuals, returned more than $1.65 million to communities, and saved participants more than $300,000 in tax preparation fees.

Sites are partially funded by the United Way of Rock River Valley.

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President’s Message VIEWPOINT

Rockford Chamber forms local media association

Chamber also announces their efforts with other chambers to address immigration reform Chambers of Commerce spend much of their time in advocating for good, effective and ethical business practices for their membership and for the business environment. One of the ways to do this is to help certain industries in establishing an understanding of best practices that will be effective for them and their customers.

That is just what has happened with the formation of the Northern Illinois Media Association (NIMA) by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. The purpose NIMA is to foster and promote a vibrant and healthy media business practice in the Rockford Region, and to do all things necessary and proper to encourage and promote customs and practices which will strengthen and maintain the broadcast industry to the end that it may best serve the public as well as the business community.

NIMA views the advertising industry as a profession that is built upon trusting relationships with their customers. It is of utmost importance that everything that they do builds this trust to enhance and further the advertising profession. NIMA members include all major broadcast and print media that are members of the

Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

As an informal association, the members of NIMA have established a set of guidelines to provider for the best advertising relationship with their clients while also maintaining a level of transparency in that relationship. The guidelines also include establishing consistent practices with communitybased organizations as well, as part of NIMA’s efforts to support community advancement. NIMA also believes very strongly in their role to support economic development strategies for the region and believe it is important that that they continue to support the advancement of our local economy through business growth, job creation, business attraction and retention.

NIMA will be meeting throughout the year to further share best practice opportunities as well as formalize their set of best practice guidelines. If you are part of an industry where you believe the formation of a local association might help in advancing issues important to your industry, please contact Einar Forsman, President/CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

Rockford Chamber advocates for skilled workforce needs The Rockford Chamber of Commerce joined with 37 other Chambers of Commerce across the country in the formation of Business for Skilled Worker Immigration, an effort to advance the shared goals of job creation, innovation, and economic growth through skilled worker immigration reform.

The coalition represents a strong crosssection of the nation’s business community, with broad geographic diversity among its members.

With talent a key driver of the economy, coalition members seek to bring increased focus on the critical challenge of improving access to top international talent.

Combined with current programs to strengthen domestic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) training, the coalition believes its efforts can help improve long-term economic competitiveness.

U.S. immigration policy has proven inadequate to address the needs of companies competing in a globalized, 21st century economy. Outdated restrictions

and limitations have out

shut tens

of

thousands

of

skilled

Einar K. Forsman Rockford Chamber of Commerce

foreign

workers, highly trained science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) graduates of U.S. universities, and overseas entrepreneurs from the U.S. economy. The group is working to build support for three specific proposals designed to improve current skilled worker immigration policy: ■■ Increasing

the

availability

of

temporary, skilled worker (H-1B) visas; ■■ Increasing

the

availability

of

permanent resident visas (green cards) for STEM graduates and workers; and ■■ Creating new startup visas for immigrant entrepreneurs who launch businesses in the U.S. and meet certain employment and financing goals.

The increased focus on broaderbased immigration reform this session presents an ideal opportunity to advance immigration issues that are vitally important to the business community in many states.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

February 2013

Keynote speaker Jim Blasingame focused on the marketplace’s transition into the “Age of the Customer,” and how its creating commotion and opportunity for businesses and communities.

Annual Dinner Continued from front page

changing business environment is what we talk about with our clients every day.”

The keynote speaker was Jim Blasingame, a small business and entrepreneurship expert and host of The Small Business Advocate Show, a nationally syndicated weekly radio talk show. Blasingame focused on the marketplace’s transition into the “Age of the Customer,” and how its creating commotion and opportunity for businesses and communities.

“The topic of the age of the customer and small business really brought people out,” Forsman said. “We need to think about the way we do business, and Jim made some good points to illustrate that. The key is getting our arms around technology and not taking customers for granted. Social interaction with people is still the best way to do business.”

During his address, Forsman provided an update on what the Chamber has planned for 2013, and how it will continue serving its members and the community in the future. He also provided a 2012 year in review for the Chamber’s major activities, including the political action committee ROCPAC, People You Should Know and the development of programs that help member companies save money.

New Board Members, Officers The Chamber also introduced its new board chairman. Rich Walsh, senior vice president and COO of SwedishAmerican Health System, assumed the role of chairman for 2013-2014. He succeeds Mike Broski, president of Entre Computer Solutions. “We’ve worked very hard to have strong leadership and stable guidance from the executive committee,” Forsman said. “We look for leaders who are prepared and thoughtful about the Chamber and its mission.”

During his presentation, Walsh spoke about the importance of membership for businesses of all sizes.

The Annual Dinner also honored outgoing board Chairman Mike Broski (center) and welcomed new Chairman Rick Walsh (right), with Chamber President Einar Forsman.

16th Congressional District Representative Adam Kinzinger, touched base with his constituents and Rockford Mayor Lawrence Morrissey.

“The value you get out of it is what you put into it,” said Kelley of V2 Marketing. “If you get involved, go to business afterhours and breakfast meetings and shake hands, you’re going to get your money’s worth.”

New Chamber board members this year include: Michele Janke from BMO Harris Bank, Amy Ott from Chicago Rockford International Airport and Jeff Hultman from Riverside Community Bank. The board also said goodbye to Pam Maher from KMK Media Group, who stepped down after nine years.

The dinner was presented by WilliamsMcCarthy LLP. The Citizen of the Year Award was sponsored by Humana.

Gold sponsors were OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center and First National Bank and Trust Co. Silver sponsors were AT&T and Leading Lawyers Network.

Bronze sposnors were The Alliance and McGladrey. Wine sponsor was WilliamsManny. n

Let your Voice be heard The Rockford Chamber of Commerce ­ elcomes and encourages submissions for The w VOICE of the Rockford Business Community.

Deadline is the 15th of the month preceding publication. Send news releases and other ­ items of interest to the business community to: The VOICE Rockford Chamber of Commerce 308 W. State St., Ste. 190 Rockford, IL 61101

For information about advertising contact Customer Service at 815-987-8100.

The VOICE of the Rockford Business Community (USPS 784-120). ISSN number 1086-0630, is published monthly by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, 308 W. State St., Ste. 190, Rockford, Illinois 61101.

Periodicals postage paid at Rockford, Ill. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The VOICE of the Rockford Business Community, 308 W. State St., Ste. 190, Rockford, IL 61101.

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Susan Johnson and Teresa Maloney of Kids Spot, Inc. (left and right), are the most recent business owners to participate in the ATHENAPowerLink® mentoring program.

Women business owners urged to apply for ATHENAPowerLink ®

By Barbara Connors The ATHENAPowerLink® program is accepting applications through April 12, 2013 from women business owners in Winnebago County to participate in a 12-month mentoring program with a panel of experts in all facets of business.

The selected woman will be announced at the Rockford Chamber’s Women in Business Luncheon on June 20, 2013.

The Rockford ATHENAPowerLink® is a partnership between the Rockford Chamber and ATHENA International and co-hosted with PNC. Participants meet with an advisory panel of area professionals representing various areas of expertise. The panel provides consulting/mentoring services at no charge for an entire year to meet the business’ goals – a value of $40,000.

Providing Motivation, Goal Setting Susan Johnson and Teresa Maloney of Kids Spot, Inc., were named the recipients of the ATHENAPowerLink® mentoring program at the Rockford Chamber Women in Business Expo and Luncheon in June of last year.

“We have absolutely loved the guidance and assistance of all the ATHENA panel members,” Johnson said. “Thanks to the guidance of the financial committee, we are currently revamping our financial outlook and operational report for the next three years. This will make a huge impact on Kids Spot decision-making and goal setting. This report will provide guidance in all areas, including meeting the numbers of classes, student teams and programs that directly affect our financials, and it will easily show if we need to focus more in one area than another.

“We also received great marketing input regarding the installation of an outdoor sign. This was a very difficult decision for us both, due to the amount of money required to purchase the sign.

After holding a meeting at the gym, we realized new clients and prospects can’t readily find our location, so we made the decision that it was time to make our mark with our sign and grab those clients who are driving back and forth daily on Hwy 251.

“We both truly appreciate how motivational this program has been for us and can not express how blessed we are to have been able to work with so many great Rockford area professionals.”

Previous participants in the ATHENAPowerLink® mentoring program are: Kristan McNames, Grace Funeral & Cremation Services (2011); Antoinette “Toni” Brown, Stepping Stones (2010), and Jennifer Anderson, Anderson Environmental & Engineering Co. (2009).

A $250 application fee will be accessed only from the winner. Panelists will be chosen based on specific needs and business growth objectives and meet a minimum of once a quarter. To apply, please contact Heidi Garner at 815-3164312. Applications also are available at www.rockfordchamber.com. Click on the ATHENAPowerLink® program logo.

ATHENA International to Speak at Women in Business Luncheon Martha Mayhood Mertz, founder of ATHENA International, and the author of Becoming ATHENA: Eight Principles of Enlightened Leadership, is the keynote speaker for the Rockford Chamber’s Women in Business Luncheon on June 20, 2013. Mertz was president of ATHENA International since its beginnings in 1982 and currently is on the board.

Mertz will focus on her Eight Principles of Enlightened Leadership: Live authentically, Learn constantly, Advocate fiercely, Act outrageously, Foster collaboration, Build relationships, Give back, Celebrate.

“Today, in more ways and places than at any other time in human history, women are leaders: heads of state and CEOs, bishops and generals, academicians and social reformers,” Mertz wrote in her website, marthamertz.com. “But what’s important isn’t just that women lead.

What’s important is how women lead – reaching out to mentor, giving back to their communities, collaborating with others, staying true to themselves. Let’s recognize this ‘women’s way’ for what it is: a distinctive, transforming approach to leadership.”

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New Board Members Continued from front page

it more difficult to serve customers in the same fashion as in the past. All of these factors have continued to drive consolidation in the industry.

Amy Ott, Chicago Rockford International Airport Amy Ott is deputy director of administration & finance for the Chicago Rockford International Airport. Ott said she intends as part of the board to contribute her expertise in aviation, transportation, property and financial areas, and bring her perspective as a service provider to the region for aviation and air transportation.

The aviation industry, Ott said, is continually changing and there are expectations for future growth.

The Chicago Rockford International Airport learned in the most recent Economic Impact Report, published in fall, 2012, that it’s the third largest commercial service airport by economic impact in Illinois — behind only O’Hare and Midway -- with almost $1 billion annually.

“The community is blessed to have such a significant asset that has room to grow and expand,” Ott said. “Passenger air service changes

continually, and we need to work very hard to maintain and grow the options for our region, understanding how we best fill a niche. With our significant infrastructure, the need is to continue to work to diversify and expand other lines of business such as repair operations, cargo, education and other aviation-related businesses.”

Michele Janke, BMO Harris Bank Michele Janke is senior vice president at BMO Harris Bank, managing a team of relationship managers and commercial client sales representatives. Janke brings a deep financial-analytical skill base and her experience serving on other boards and consulting with private companies to help them to achieve business success.

Chamber Elects Board Officers The following are the board officers beginning Jan. 1, 2013.

Chairman: Rich Walsh, SwedishAmerican Health System Vice Chairman: Patti Thayer, Thayer Lighting, Inc. Vice Chairman: Richard Zumwalt, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center Treasurer: Larry Bridgeland, MidCity Office Products Immediate Past Chairman: Mike Broski, Entré Computer Solutions. n

A new CNG station at the Kelley Williamson Mobil Station about two miles north of the Chicago Rockford International Airport will fuel garbage trucks serving Winnebago County residents and businesses.

Area garbage trucks become quieter, more energy efficient

By Barbara Connors Rock River Environmental Services (RRES) and Trillium CNG™ held a grand opening on Thursday, Jan. 3 for a new compressed natural gas (CNG) station to fuel trucks emitting less pollution. The new Kelley Williamson Mobil Station at 550 Southrock Dr., Rockford, is located across from Rock River Disposal.

Rock River Disposal, a subsidiary of RRES, will use the station for 10 new CNG-fueled garbage trucks that are 50 percent quieter and with emissions 70 percent lower than traditional diesels.

The company plans to increase its CNGfueled trucks to 30 out of its fleet of 180 over the next three years at a cost of about $10 million.

Einar Forsman, president & CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce; Tim Hanson, Rockford Public Works Director; Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen, and John Lichty, president and CEO of Rock River Environmental Services, spoke at the grand opening event.

The Heavy Duty (Class 8) CNG fueling station is the first of its kind in Winnebago County and is the first step toward offering commercial and public fleet operators in the region with clean, cost-effective natural gas generated in the United States. Trillium CNG, the leading supplier of CNG fueling services, invested $1.2 million in the new station in an effort to expand the CNG infrastructure in the marketplace.

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Common economic development questions answered Financing support, tax advantages, incentives for businesses In 2011, the Rockford Region saw its exports rise 19 percent -- the largest increase in five years. Machinery manufacturing is the largest piece of the region’s exports, making up nearly 30 percent. In fact, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, 21 percent of the Rockford region’s employment is directly related to manufacturing.

Growth in exports surely translates to growth within these companies, and in turn job growth within the region. And although the 19 percent increase reported by the U.S. Department of Commerce is encouraging, there still is a wealth of opportunity to further accelerate the growth and economic progress of businesses within our region. Some of that opportunity lies in assuring that companies are taking full advantage of the incentives, tools and programming that already are in place to help.

The following are brief answers to a list of common questions regarding local,

As part of its mission to include the community in economic development, the Rockford Area Economic Development Council conducts the Voice of the Customer Survey with area business leaders.

In 2013, the 10th year of the VOC program, the RAEDC will visit at least 100 individuals to obtain a broad spectrum of opinions and information about the economic needs of the Rockford Region.

These business leaders see our community from an important vantage point, and provide valuable input from their experiences and expertise. In these meetings, the RAEDC also assists with connecting the companies to pertinent resources. The confidential data is aggregated into a report that is useful for analysis and implementation of tools for assisting with economic development. For reference, the 2011 VOC Report is provided in the link below (the 2012 Report currently is being developed).

If you have not yet participated in a VOC, please contact Bea Miller at 815.969.4255 or at bmiller@ rockfordil.com. Also, feel free to suggest a company that you feel would benefit from having this type of conversation with the RAEDC.

state and federal economic development programs.

1. What is a TIF District?

A Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district is a designated area specified as having met certain criteria described in state legislation. These criteria include physical or economic decline. Once a TIF district is established, it freezes the amount of property tax revenue (based on current property value) the designated area contributes toward the municipality’s budget. As investment occurs, the additional property tax revenue that results from increased property values is made available to companies within the TIF area to allocate toward physical improvements and related costs such as buying land, demolishing buildings, improving streets, parking, architectural and engineering services, etc.

2. What is an Enterprise Zone, and how does it differ from a TIF? Like a TIF district, an Enterprise Zone (EZ) is designed to assist in the revitalization of certain areas lacking in business growth and neighborhood improvement. Different from a TIF, an EZ accomplishes this through the use of tax abatements, tax deductions, tax credits, sales tax exemptions on building materials, and special financing to eligible companies located within the EZ. Rockford’s River Edge Redevelopment

Zone provides the same benefits as an EZ as well as a focus on improving the safety and feasibility of redeveloping environmentally challenged properties near rivers through the use of tax incentives and grants from the IEPA and DCEO.

3. What kind of financing support is available to companies looking to make capital investments and expansions?

The Rockford Local Development Corporation (RLDC) is a regional lender specializing in financing for small and mid-sized companies throughout northern Illinois and statewide. The RLDC offers small to medium-sized businesses long-term, fixed rate financing on terms often more attractive than conventional financing. RLDC also is the statewide SBA 504 lender. There also are a number of regional revolving loan funds companies can apply for.

4. What is the Foreign Trade Zone, and how can it be advantageous to companies?

A Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) is a restricted access site within a company’s own facility that can be used for operations such as storage, exhibition, assembly, manufacture, kitting, assembly and processing of imported merchandise, without that merchandise being subject to formal customs procedures, the payment

of customs duties or federal excise taxes.

When merchandise is removed from the FTZ (for entry into U.S. commerce), only then are customs duties and excise taxes due. And if companies directly export out of an FTZ, duties can be eliminated entirely. These benefits result in savings, increased cash flow, and improved lead times for companies that choose to go through the process of getting a site approved by the FTZ board.

5. Are there any incentives to help businesses become more energy efficient?

The Nicor Gas Economic Redevelopment Program offers technical assistance and financial incentives for energy-efficient upgrades and renovations in existing commercial, industrial and multifamily buildings. ComEd also offers a variety of incentives for improving energy efficiency. More info on these programs can be found at dsireusa.org.

6. Where should a company start when it has questions?

If you have questions about any of the programs described above, other programs you’ve heard about, or specific expansion issues and opportunities related to your business please contact Terrance Hall at thall@rockfordil.com or call 815-969-4258.

Terrance Hall is business development specialist at the RAEDC.

Culmination of three regional events:

FastPitch All Stars Event

By Sherry Pritz, EIGERlab

In 2012, Dan Cataldi decided to share the successful Stateline FastPitch event model with the State of Ingenuity Grant regional partners including Rock, Walworth, Racine and Kenosha counties.

On Jan. 17, 2013, 11 of the All Stars attended a follow-up event to assist them with moving their ideas, products and services to the next level.

The 11 All Stars’ products and services include, but are not limited to: a highend suitcase that is customizable with a message; a different way to create new beer flavors; a breakthrough device to extract victims from car accidents; a new apparatus that avoids painful hairdrying sessions; security software that allows users to share and access critical documents; and a new type of stereo speaker that is considered disruptive technology. (Disruptive technology is a term coined to describe a new technology

Moving Entrepreneurial Plans Forward

investors and economic development specialists from throughout the region.

Additionally, in the morning’s sessions, consultants introduced a new actionoriented strategic action tool to the group, Growth Wheel (GW). GW recently has been embraced by business development consultants in both Illinois and Wisconsin, and is a tool for designing short term growth-driven action plans in start-up and existing early stage growth companies.

The results of the All Stars Event were impressive with the outcome of the day’s activities, followed by dinner, just as imagined: new friends, new potential partnerships, short term growth objectives and a wealth of information learned that would not have been possible if the participants had not set aside a day to work on their business versus in their business.

In order to assist the All Stars in moving to the next level, the EIGERlab team enlisted potential lenders, potential

Sherry Pritz is marketing coordinator at EIGERlab, Rock Valley College.

Using the Growth Wheel strategic planning tools, Brian McIntyre of the RVC Small Business Development Center assists entrepreneurs Adrian Vasquez and Scott Johanek at the FastPitch All Stars Event on Thursday, Jan. 17 at the EIGERlab. that unexpectedly displaces an established technology.)

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Do you need engineers?

Keep the talent in the Rockford Region!

This spring, a new crop of students will graduate from the Northern Illinois University (NIU) College of Engineering and Engineering Technology. In order to keep the talent in the Rockford region, NIU invites area companies to participate in the NIU Engineering Job Fair, Friday, Feb. 22, 1 to 5 p.m., at NIU-Rockford, 8500 E. State St. Areas of study for the graduating seniors include: • Electrical Engineering • Mechanical Engineering • Industrial and Systems Engineering • Electrical Engineering Technology • Manufacturing Engineering Technology • Industrial Technology Management Participating companies receive three feet of table top display space, and a limited number of breakout rooms will be available for one-on-one meetings with students. No charge to participate.

Email Ann Petta, apetta@niu. edu, NIU Office of Regional Engagement/Rockford, and a registration form will be sent to you immediately!

The job fair is an initiative to accelerate the growth of the regional high-tech workforce under the auspices of the Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge (JIAC) grant, funded in part by the Department of Commerces Economic Development Administration, Department of Labor’s Employment Training Administration and the

Small Business Administration.

Participants in the JIAC grant are NIU, Rock Valley College, RAEDC, EIGERlab and the Winnebago/ Boone Workforce Investment Board.

Local student mathletes to compete in national competition The Rockford Chapter of the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers hosts the 30th annual regional MATHCOUNTS program for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students on Saturday, Feb. 9 at noon at the Rock Valley CollegeWoodward Technology Center in Rockford. The competition was developed to inspire excellence, confidence and curiosity in U.S. middle school students through fun and challenging math problems.

The top team, along with the top individual, will advance to the state competition on March 9, 2013, at The Wyndham Lisle, Chicago Hotel, Lisle, Ill. The four top individual finishers at the state competition will advance to the nationals on May 10 in Washington D.C. Schools competing this year are: Belvidere Central Middle School, Belvidere South Middle School, River Ridge Middle School, Rockford Thurgood Marshall School, Willowbrook Middle School (South Beloit), Durand Junior High and Flinn Middle School.

Parents are welcome to join us at 3 p.m., for refreshments, the countdown round and awards presentation. For more information, contact Doug Curry, Stenstrom Companies, 815-398-3478 or DougC@rstenstrom.com.

Maximize your presentation power Have you ever been told that you only retain 10 percent of what you hear?

Well it’s not true. There is no scientific evidence or research to support this claim. It has been floating around the business world for decades and cited often without support. In fact, if you do a quick Google search, you will find more credible sites that debunk this myth than support it.

that simple: Confidence is a state of being certain that a chosen course of action is Bernie Luecke RVC BPI best. In other words confidence = better presenting = results. Effective presentation techniques can be developed by learning accurate speech organization, grasping the importance of audience analysis, and knowing exactly what must be accomplished in your demonstration.

Effective presentation techniques can be developed by learning accurate speech organization, Effective Communication grasping the importance is Imperative of audience analysis, and At the Business and Professional knowing exactly what must Institute, we know effective communication is the key to success in be accomplished in your many areas of the manufacturing sector.

For most manufacturers it’s imperative demonstration.

However, have you ever sat in a presentation where you retained very little? That is probably an irrefutable fact! The reasons why this occurs have been well documented and supported.

In most research, nearly 75 percent of people claim to have a fear of public speaking. This fear is overwhelmingly driven by uncertainty.

The biggest problem with this fact is the misconception that great presenting stems from natural talent. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. The most charismatic person will fail miserably if they do not utilize the concrete tools needed to develop compelling information.

Being familiar with these techniques eliminates uncertainty, increasing presentation effectiveness. It really is

to: generate new business, educate clients or co-workers, persuade the CFO that funding is needed for your project, provide employee training, and make important statistics and information memorable.

Everyone has experienced boring, ineffective business presentations.

Fortunately it doesn’t have to be that way. The Business and Professional Institute can assist in making sure you’re maximizing your presentation. If your company needs assistance or you would like to know more about the customized training BPI offers, please contact Bernie at 815-921-2067 or b.luecke@ rockvalleycollege.edu.

Bernie Luecke is director, business development, Business & Professional Institute, Rock Valley College.

Manufacturing Update is sponsored by RVC BPI.

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Guest Perspective INSIGHT

We all profit from – and must protect – nonprofits The fiscal pinch hurts those who need help most

Pamela J. Clark Reidenbach NICNE

When it comes to the nonprofit organizations that provide state government with a helping hand, Illinois continues to shoot itself in the foot.

For the last few years, we’ve witnessed plenty of pathos – all of it justified – about the plight of the state’s nonprofit community, which has been severely impaired by the state’s colossal budget deficits. As it has struggled to patch the gaping holes in its finances, Illinois has neglected to reimburse many nonprofits on time for crucial human services they provide to an increasingly distressed population – from support for seniors and people with disabilities, to child care for low-income families. In fact, the debt Illinois owes to nonprofits now is close to a staggering $1 billion.

As a result of this funding shortage, nonprofits have had to shed staff, purge services, and incur onerous borrowing costs. This fiscal pinch has inflicted the greatest pain on the families who are left in the lurch as the supply of vital charitable services dwindles.

However, the fragile state of the nonprofit community also is a dire threat to the fate of Illinois economy.

One of the often-obscured facts about the nonprofit community is the magnitude of its economic impact in the state’s labor market.

Economic Health Tied to Nonprofit Health A recent study commissioned by the Donors Forum, a membership association of Illinois grantmakers and other funders, nonprofits, and advisors, sheds important new light on just how instrumental nonprofits are to the state’s fiscal fate. Conducted by

Illinois has neglected to reimburse many nonprofits on time for crucial human services they provide to an increasingly distressed population.

Johns Hopkins University, the study found that Illinois’ nonprofits support 517,600 jobs in the state, more than the number of workers employed in the transportation, construction and real estate industries combined. Moreover, nonprofits accounted for $24.3 billion in wages during the past year, representing 8.7 percent of the state total payroll. That income is projected to yield $459 million in tax revenues for Illinois’ depleted coffers, as well as $2.3 billion in federal tax receipts.

In northern Illinois, nonprofits make up 9.3 percent of all non-government employees and are a major force in drawing an educated workforce to our region. Nonprofit employees support healthcare facilities, retail outlets, recreation and entertainment venues, educational institutions and churches.

They pay state income tax on earnings and sales tax on purchases. They own property and pay taxes.

These facts and numbers underscore that nonprofits not only lend a helping hand to those in need, but they also keep the state’s economy running – and that’s where Illinois is in danger of shooting itself in the foot. Instead of prioritizing payments to nonprofits, the state has behaved like a deadbeat, forcing charitable organizations to slash staff and services. Those losses only exacerbate the woes of a state economy struggling to escape the fetters the recession.

Meanwhile, Illinois economic

difficulties are increasing the universe of families needing the kind of aid many nonprofits administer. So precisely at the moment when the function they perform is at its most valuable, the future of nonprofits is perhaps at its most vulnerable.

Actions at the federal level increase the vulnerability: With the last minute passage of the “American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012” (H.R.8, as amended), the fiscal cliff has been temporarily delayed -- not averted.

Sequestration ($54 billion in across-theboard, automatic and mandatory cuts to domestic and defense programs) are delayed for two months, through March 1, 2013. If those cuts are made, there could be devastating consequences for the people of Illinois.

Actions by Lawmakers The Donors Forum study can help raise consciousness in Springfield, so the dialogue at the state and local level can turn to measures that will continue to fuel an important job engine in Illinois. For instance, lawmakers should: ■■ Build on the accomplishments of the government/nonprofit task force currently charged with streamlining contracting, cutting needless red tape, and lowering costs to nonprofits and taxpayers, and create a government/ nonprofit task force to address timely payments.

Valerie S. Lies Donors Forum

■■ Create a nonprofit caucus in the legislature to ensure that legislators are aware of the concerns of the nonprofit community.

■■ Extend state small business programs to small community-based nonprofits, because nonprofits are job creators, too.

■■ Support the work of the Nonprofit Advisory Council formed by Illinois State Comptroller Judy Bar Topinka to help nonprofits face their staggering challenges.

Unless Illinois figures out a way to make timely payments to nonprofits, a much bigger economic bill will be coming due soon. Nonprofit employment – a critical lynchpin in the state’s job market – could continue to decline, and the reduction in charitable services could compound economic struggles for families already groping to make ends meet.

This is a proposition our debtplagued state simply cannot afford.

Lawmakers in Springfield – and at every level of government – need to understand that nonprofits are a vital part of our economy. We must not neglect charitable organizations until they are on the brink of becoming charity cases, themselves.

Pamela J. Clark Reidenbach is director of Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence, Rockford College. Valerie S. Lies is president and CEO of Donors Forum.

The views expressed are those of Clark Reidenbach’s and Lies’ and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

February 2013

Member Profile PROFILE

The hearing testing experts: T K Group Inc.

By Paul Anthony Arco

One of the biggest safety issues in the workplace is noise-induced hearing loss.

Workers in industries such as agriculture, mining, construction, manufacturing and transportation are at the greatest risk. To avoid being in violation of OHSA compliance, companies must schedule annual noise exams with a company such as T K Group, Inc. Based in Cherry Valley, T K Group is one of the largest hearing loss prevention program and hearing conservation program consultants in the country. T K Group offers nationwide mobile van testing, in-house review and processing, web reporting, field service and program review, comprehensive sound surveys, equipment calibration and CAOHC (Council on the Accreditation of Occupational Hearing Conservationists) training courses.

T K Group is one of three national companies that offer such testing.

“Companies don’t necessarily want to do the testing, but it falls under the OSHA hearing conservation amendment, and it’s mandatory,” said Dave Bennett, manager of client services. “We provide services, with accuracy and vitality of a database that others don’t have. Our web reporting, for example, puts everything at the client’s fingertips. They can look up results for any of their plants, employees or the entire corporation.”

Audiology Testing Done Nationwide In 1987, T K Group opened for business in downtown Rockford’s Stewart Square. But when its lease expired, and with a need for additional space, the company renovated the former Vera’s House of Bridal location near CherryVale Mall and relocated in 2008. “We’re further ahead today because of the move,” Bennett said.

“Our new space has allowed us to grow as a company.” In fact, Bennett said T K Group has increased its sales by $500,000 to $750,000 annually, thanks primarily to a strong sales force.

T K Group has 85 employees including audiologists; safety, software and audiometric professionals, CPAs and other business personnel. Many employees have been with the company for 15 or more years. “We have very little turnover,” Bennett said. “We treat our employees right.”

Nationally, T K Group operates 19 mobile testing units that each includes a four-ton sound chamber with 10 test stations. The mobile units are based along the west and east coasts, as well as

T K Group’s 10-station units have the capacity to test the hearing of up to 40 employees per hour, or more than 300 each day. the southeast and Midwest.

All testing units are staffed with husband and wife teams that are certified by CAOHC under the guidance of Robert Williams, Au.D., director of audiology for the organization. T K has found that hiring couples to work in the field is more effective than pairing employees. “It’s difficult to find people who can do this type of work,” said Bennett, who, along with his wife, once sold their home and spent nearly seven years in the field. “It was the best time of our lives.”

The 10-station units have the capacity to test up to 40 employees per hour, or more than 300 each day. Some days, T K technicians work 16-hour days. In 2011, the T K Group mobile units tested 4,500 sites, 400,000 workers, trained 250,000 employees and reviewed 500,000 tests.

The results of any testing are performed by certified audiologists and are posted to a secure web-base management system. T K Group also provides plant sound surveys, and random drug testing and substance screening services.

T K Group works with a variety of industries from transportation to steel mills. Among its larger clients are Caterpillar, Boeing, Eaton Corporation, Ball Corporation, Kraft Foods and Sundstrand. The busy time to schedule visits is late fall and early winter as companies prepare for their annual safety testing at the beginning of the calendar year. T K Group attends more than 20 seminars throughout the year.

A Rockford Chamber of Commerce member since 1992, T K Group embraces doing business with other chamber members. “It’s good to attend chamber events and socialize with other business professionals,” Bennett said. “I meet prospects that I wouldn’t otherwise meet.”

T K Group, INC. William Schnauffer, CEO 1781 S. Bell School Road Cherry Valley, IL 61016 815-332-3460 www.tkontheweb.com

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February 2013

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Twenty more individuals received PYSK awards at a celebration on Oct. 24, 2012, which drew more than 250 people to Prairie Street Brewhouse. Already, discussions are underway for the group to gather for networking and projects to benefit the Rockford community.

PYSK recipients continue legacy of giving back to community

By Barbara Connors In 2011, the Rockford Chamber launched the People You Should Know (PYSK) awards program, and the spotlight shined on 21 people who get things done and characteristically give back to the community. Stories of the recipients, chosen by committee for their civic, economic and cultural contributions, were told in the Chamber magazine, One Voice for the Rockford Area Business Community.

Focus on Giving Back At the inaugural awards reception in 2011, it quickly became apparent in discussions between the recipients that they did not just want to receive personal recognition, but to give back to the community.

“I was aware that the Coronado was organizing a fundraising event known as Cafe Coronado -- an intimate small group performance event on the Coronado stage with world-class, caféstyle entertainment,” said Jim Keeling, an attorney at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP and a member of the inaugural class. The group agreed to become the primary event sponsor and raised almost $15,000 to fund youth educational programming.

“Everyone had a great time, and we were able to spend the evening together and further build our network,” Keeling said.

“Café Coronado was an extraordinary success by every measure thanks to the PYSK,” said Beth S. Howard, director of Friends of the Coronado/Rockford Coronado Concert Association. “Record funds were raised, record numbers attended, and (we’ll declare) a record amount of fun was had. Connections were established that continue today. The success of the collective endorsement of this group of civic leaders has set the bar high for our next Café Coronado in March, 2013.”

Also in 2012, the inaugural PYSK group gathered for several networking receptions, which included behindthe-scenes facility tours. “From my perspective as a business attorney, I have developed one significant deep business relationship as attorney for one of the businesses owned by a member of the PYSK 2011 class,” Keeling said. “It has been great for me.”

PYSK Recipients Share Their Experiences According to Keeling, community involvement by the PYSK 2011 class has just begun. The group committed to a partnership with Rockford College to be the featured speakers at weekly talks for students and the community.

“I am very excited about the TEDxstyle presentations that Rockford College has asked the PYSK 2011 and PYSK 2012 to present,” Keeling said. “I am trying to figure out what I will have to say in my presentation scheduled for April to advance our common goal of betterment of our community!”

Ever-Expanding Leadership Network “Our goal with PYSK is to have this become an ever-expanded network of leaders,” said Einar Forsman, president & CEO of the Rockford Chamber. “We want them to become more familiar with each other and their peers.”

‘PYSK Talks’ Kicks Off

Andreas Schell, UTC Aerospace Systems “The Renaissance Company: The Symbiosis of Corporations and Their Communities “ Wednesday, Feb. 6 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Rockford College 5050 E. State St. Register at www rockfordchamber.com.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

FOCUS ON EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

February 2013

11

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Nursing education and the advancement of health care Entry-level licensure standards increasing to meet more complex care

In 2010, the U.S. Congress passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is expected to result in the most significant changes in the provision of health care, including coverage and payment structure, since the 1965 creation of Medicare and Medicaid. The expected increase of 32 million previously uninsured individuals, growth of population health management, increased emphasis on community-based care including preventative care, advances in technology, rapid increase in the aging population and complex health care modalities will demand more providers with expanding expertise.

As our citizens live longer, with more active lives, they require more healthcare services while managing more complex chronic conditions.

Nursing, the largest health care profession in the United States with more than 2.7 million nurses, is positioned to grow to meet these demands. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the required number of Registered Nurses (RNs) is expected to grow 26 percent from 2010 to 2020, which is faster than the average of all occupations.

At the same time, the number of nurse practitioners, one of the four Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) roles, is expected to grow 94 percent by 2025.

The acute care medical centers, the ambulatory and primary care providers, and the health care educators of the Rock River Region recognize the impact of these concerns, including the need for more RNs and APRNs with advanced

As our citizens live longer, with more active lives, they require more healthcare services while managing more complex chronic conditions.

Nursing is positioned to grow to meet these demands.

Terese A. Burch Saint Anthony College of Nursing

College Increasing Enrollment To meet this need, Saint Anthony College of Nursing (SACN) has increased its student enrollment. The college encourages men and women eager

to

apply

evidenced-based

knowledge to the care and service of education. This is congruent with the recommendations of the 2010 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.” The IOM report indicates the number of nurses with a baccalaureate degree should increase by 80 percent by 2020, and that the number of nurses with doctoral degrees should double.

Patient Care Becoming More Complex A baccalaureate (BSN) program prepares graduates to use critical reasoning to direct and manage the care of diverse individuals, families, communities and populations in acute care and ambulatory settings.

This entry-level nurse must be able to integrate knowledge of the biological and social sciences and practice with autonomy and as a member of an interdependent team. Effective communication and leadership expertise are required.

In December, 2012, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing increased its passing standards for entry-level licensure. Rationale for this increased standard includes, but is not limited to, the fact that the entry-level nurse is managing more complex patients with multiple unstable chronic illnesses in complex delivery systems, which are focused on

patient and care provider outcomes.

An MSN program prepares nurses who wish to expand their scope of practice as an APRN, a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Nurse Midwife or Nurse Anesthetist, or in a role of Nurse Educator (NE) or Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL).

The APRN is prepared to provide direct patient care, including health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, and management of chronic conditions and holds a second license.

In the case of a FNP, the second license reads Licensed Advanced Practice Nurse Certified Nurse Practitioner. The FNP and CNS, two of the APRN roles, practice in acute and primary care settings.

The Nurse Educator is prepared to teach in formal academic or patient care settings. The CNL role was developed in collaboration with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in response to the complexities and outcome-driven health care environment.

The CNL is a master’s prepared nurse generalist who provides care coordination focusing on safety, quality and efficiency to individuals and populations in acute and community health care settings.

others in a rewarding profession to apply.

With available fall and spring admission

dates,

SACN

admits

more than 100 new undergraduate students and 20 graduate students each year. SACN offers the BSN and MSN in Rockford. It offers the RN to BSN for nurses wishing to advance their RN education in Rockford and Freeport.

The SACN MSN program offers the FNP, CNS, NE and CNL. The RN to BSN and MSN programs are offered in an online hybrid format.

Online and hybrid formats are an attractive means for adult students with busy lives to reach education goals.

In response to the need for more doctorally prepared nurses, SACN is addressing a goal to transition its nurse practitioner program to the next level of nursing education, the doctorate in nursing practice degree (DNP).

Terese A. Burch, PhD, RN, is president of Saint Anthony College of Nursing.

The views expressed are those of Dr. Burch’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. Visit www.sacn.edu.

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February 2013 theVoice rockfordchamber.com

FOCUS ON EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

Rockford College PERSPECTIVE

Are poor management practices hurting your organization?

The beginning of the year is always a good time to reflect on the past and set goals for the future. My recommendation is to resolve your management and the management of others in your organization. If you are wondering where to start, read on as I outline some of the more common poor management practices that I see.

I can think of no more despised management practice than micromanagement. Every time I teach a class or conduct a training seminar, the number one complaint people have is micromanagement. I have not found a single person who LIKES to be micro-managed, yet there are loads of micro-managers out there. Managers need to really look at their management behavior to determine if they are using the proper amount of control or if they are over-controlling and micro-managing. My guess more often than not is you are micro-managing.

More Manager ‘Types’ Closely related to the micro-manager is the drive-by manager. This is the manager who doesn’t really have the time needed to properly manage and so instead just barks orders as (s)he is passing through. There is no explanation provided, no guidance, just bag and go. Everyone is left guessing what is really supposed to get done. Some managers even use e-mails as a secondary form of drive-by management.

The opposite of the micro-manager is the inattentive or disengaged manager.

This manager doesn’t appear to care about what is going on. This is also the manager that doesn’t act when presented with issues that do need his/her attention. Sometimes this is the business owner who uses his/her business to support a lifestyle. Sometimes this is the manager who is counting the days until retirement. Sometimes this is the manager who sits in his/her office playing computer games or surfing the

Jeff Fahrenwald web for most of Rockford College the day.

Finally, there is the flavor-of-the-month manager. This type of manager is the one who reads a book or attends a seminar and then without much thought or planning, decides that whatever was presented in the book or seminar is just the thing to save the organization! That is until the next book or seminar comes along. This creates a chaotic environment where goals and objectives are constantly changing for no good reason. It also creates cynical staff that learns to wait out each idea to see if a better one will come along.

Advice for Managers Managers should add something to the situation that does not already exist. If you are directing people who know how to do their job, back off. If people are struggling and lacking focus, provide the focus they need or clear away the roadblocks. Before you leap to the next great idea, ask yourself how you can effectively apply it to your organizational culture and make it your own. If you have the urge to jump in to a situation when you don’t really know what is going on or you don’t have the time, STOP until you can understand what is going on, and you have the time to be useful.

Let’s all hope that 2013 is a great year for all organizations in the Rock River Valley. It can be if we all resolve to be better managers and to make our organizations the types of places people really want to work. If you have other examples of poor or great management, I would love to hear from you. You can e-mail me at jfahrenwald@rockford.edu.

Jeff Fahrenwald is director of the MBA Program at Rockford College.

The views expressed are those of Fahrenwald’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

February 2013

Honoring Black History Month … all year long February is Black History Month, a time for all of us to recognize and appreciate the many contributions African Americans have made to our society and culture both nationally and locally.

At the Rockford School District, we look forward to celebrating this annual event by sharing the stories of many African-American leaders and their accomplishments with our students. It’s a great opportunity to both educate and inspire students to reach for the stars and to realize barriers can be overcome with the right combination of education, dedication and inspiration.

While we look forward to the opportunities that Black History Month affords us, we also believe it is important to recognize the achievements of our AfricanAmerican role models all year long.

Back in August we did just that when

Local African-American Role Models We don’t have to look nationally however, to find African-American role models. There is a long history of their contributions here in the Rock River Valley. Lewis Lemon Elementary School is named after one of Rockford’s founding fathers, a slave who not only worked his way to freedom but also helped build Rockford from the ground up.

Lewis Lemon was born around 1812 in North Carolina. He later was purchased as a slave by Germanicus Kent, another name familiar to many Rockfordians, in 1829. The two moved to Galena, Illinois, and with the help of Thatcher Blake, eventually decided to build cabins near Kent Creek in the area now known as Rockford, becoming some of the first settlers in the area.

Lewis Lemon Elementary School is named after one of Rockford’s founding fathers, a slave who not only worked his way to freedom but also helped build Rockford from the ground up. we opened the Thurgood Marshall Middle School. Marshall was the first African-American appointed to the United States Supreme Court in 1967, a major milestone in the civil rights cause. He served as a Supreme Court Judge for 24 years and established a reputation for being a fierce supporter of individual’s constitutional rights.

He faced numerous occurrences of racial discrimination during his life but refused to let them stop him from reaching his goals and playing a leading role on our nation’s highest court.

The school’s students chose the name for the school after researching three separate candidates and selecting Thurgood Marshall as the name for their school.

What better way to honor Judge Marshall’s memory than by naming a first-of-its-kind middle school in Rockford that combines gifted students in sixth through eighth grades, with the Montessori program’s fourth through seventh graders? It is the type of learning environment that encourages all students to strive for academic excellence, and we believe Judge Marshall would have been pleased to have his name associated with it.

Lewis was eventually able to purchase his freedom from Kent in 1839 and became a free man. When he passed away in 1877, the inscription on his gravestone simply stated, “Born Slave-Died Free.”

There is much more we are doing on a daily basis to show our commitment to Black History Month and all it stands for. One of our goals has been to increase diversity in District 205’s workforce. We believe showing our students that outstanding teachers, principals, administrators and staff come from many different backgrounds increases their awareness of the many wonderful possibilities available to them, and may even inspires them to reach for new goals.

In the last two years, we increased our number of certified minority teachers by about 17 percent. That’s the kind of progress we will continue to strive for in the Rockford School District -- progress that is making a difference in all of our students’ lives and in their futures.

Dr. Robert Willis is interim superintendent of Rockford Public Schools.

The views expressed are those of Dr. Willis’ and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

FOCUS ON EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

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February 2013

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

IGNITE

Young Professionals

Our greatest asset, our people Many attributes to appreciate about our city Ah, February, the month of love!

What better time of year is there to talk about how much we love our hometown?

True Rockfordians can sometimes get drowned out by a handful of local naysayers and, more recently, national publications that take the easy road and point out what’s wrong with us, instead of looking at our strengths and what we have to offer. It is always good to recognize areas that need improvement – each person and each city certainly has them – but I prefer to look at the positives, and so does IGNITE! Rockford has so much to offer. The Rockford Park District offers affordable family fun and beautiful spaces like the Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens.

Anderson Japanese Gardens boasts 14 beautiful and tranquil acres. Natural assets like our more than 40 forest preserves and four rivers abound for outdoor exploration.

Community collaborations such as the Rockford City Market, Friday Night Flicks, Our City, Our Story, and ExhilirateRockford.com bring us all together.

We have amazing local eateries to choose from: Abreo, Greenfire, The District, JMK Nippon, and Ciao Bella, just to name a few!

And our museum district offers nationally acclaimed attractions for art enthusiasts, kids and families at the Burpee Museum of Natural History,

City of Rockford launches map gallery Rockford Wards

Capital Improvement Projects

Watershed

Garbage Boundary

Zoning

Neighborhood Groups

The City of Rockford launched at rockfordil.gov an online interactive map gallery, prepared by GIS professionals.

More maps will be added as they are developed.

Rockford Wards. Represents existing city ward boundaries and aldermen contact information.

Garbage Boundary. Highlights city garbage route pickup zones and schedules.

Rockford CIP. Displays current city Capital Improvement Projects and other construction projects.

Rockford Zoning. Interactive map of 2012 city zoning districts.

Watershed Map. Depicts areas of land where water drains in the city.

Neighborhood Groups.

Highlights neighborhood groups and associations. (Also visit RockfordNeighborhoodNetwork.org).

the Rockford Art Museum and the Discovery Center.

Of course, our greatest asset is the people that make up this great city. People like IGNITE member Caitlin Ludwig. Caitlin loves the Rockford region because “it affords me opportunities to make my mark and, more importantly, make a difference.”

Patrick Young, another Ignite member, loves Rockford’s parks: “it doesn’t get better than walking my dog along the Rock River in Sinnissippi Park on a sunny, summer day.”

So, in honor of the month of love, let’s take a minute to love our home.

I love Rockford for many reasons, but number one is the people of this city.

We perform amazing Tom McNamara actions IGNITE everyday, and we come together for the betterment of our community. And Rockford returns the favor. It offers each and every person who wants a make a difference the opportunity to get involved and make a meaningful, lasting impact.

What do you love about Rockford?

How will you make a positive contribution in 2013 to our great city?

We need you and we welcome you!

Tom McNamara is president of Ignite. Visit www.igniterockford.com.

Call for nominations for SLWTA Annual Exporter of the Year Award Are you involved in the export business? Do you know of a company that uses exporting to its advantage?

To recognize the export achievements accomplished by companies operating out of the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin areas, the Stateline World Trade Association is seeking nominations by March 15, 2013 for its 2013 Annual Exporter of the Year.

Annual Awards Banquet Award winners will be honored at SLWTA’s annual Awards Banquet on April 25 at The Butterfly Club, 5246 E. County Road X, Beloit, Wis. Please visit www.slwta.org for more information or email info@slwta.org.

Nominations also may be forwarded to Michael J. Delaney, JD (SLWTA board member), 1212 Harlem Blvd., Rockford, IL 61103, mdelany@alumni.nd.edu.

Promoting Appreciation for International Marketplace The SLWTA was formed in 1987 to promote an understanding and appreciation of the international marketplace. It serves, but is not limited to, the southern Wisconsin/ northern Illinois area, and is a member of the Federation of International Trade

Associations,

the

Greater

Beloit Chamber of Commerce and the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

Regular meetings are held the fourth Thursday of every month, from

September

through

April.

They feature a networking hour, dinner meeting and guest speaker or panel discussion focused on current topics of interest to the international business community.

Visitors and new members are welcome.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

February 2013

FoCuS oN MaNuFaCTuRING INNoVaTIoNS—MaDE IN RoCKFoRD

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WOTM helps students pursuing manufacturing education

FMA CEO receives CMA Leadership Award

Local leader receives recognition for spearheading first-annual national Manufacturing Day

Women of Today’s Manufacturing will hold its Fundraiser Dinner & Silent Auction on Feb. 7, 5:30 p.m., at Mauh-Nah-TeeSee Country Club, 5151 Guilford Road, Rockford. The annual event in its 11th year raises money for the WOTM Scholarship Program.

Over the past decade, WOTM has awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships to local students planning to pursue an education in manufacturing. “Through our efforts and fundraising we’ve been able to establish scholarships between $40,000 and $50,000 for graduating seniors to go out into the manufacturing world,” said

Judy Pike, Acme Grinding. “One of our first manufacturing camp students went on to earn an engineering degree from the University of Iowa.”

The organization also has provided mentoring and leadership in manufacturing, including hosting eighth, ninth and tenth grade students to attend TECHWORKS Manufacturing Camp at EIGERlab in summer. WOTM founders Melba Bradberry, Judy Pike and Teresa Beach-Shelow received the Rockford Chamber’s Manzullo Business Catalyst of the Year Award in 2012.

Visit www.wotm-rockford.com/events as soon as possible to reserve a space.

Aviation restoration facility relocates to airport

A tour at Header Die & Tool, Inc., was one of the 15 open house events held last year in the Rockford area for the first Manufacturing Day. Local President and CEO, Ed Youdell, Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International, Rockford, was honored with the CMA Leadership Award from the Council of Manufacturing Associations of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) for leadership in creating the concept of a national Manufacturing Day. “I am humbled that an idea which started as what seemed like a bit of a pipe dream about how to bolster the image of manufacturing in America and draw attention to its great career opportunities led to this recognition,” Youdell said. “The event will continue to grow and prosper because of the dozens of organizations that now support it and the hundreds of participating companies.”

More than 60 local, regional and national associations, business groups and publications supported the first Manufacturing Day on Oct. 5, 2012.

More than 240 manufacturing events were held in 37 states, including 15 events in the Rockford area, organized by the Rockford Chamber Manufacturers Council.

Manufacturing Day aims to expand knowledge and improve the general public perception of manufacturing careers and manufacturing’s value to the U.S. economy among students, parents, educators, media, customers, suppliers and the community at large. Manufacturers also have the opportunity to learn about business

improvement resources and services delivered through manufacturing extension partnerships.

Manufacturing Day 2013 is Ed Youdell, FMA scheduled for Friday, Oct. 4.

Many Jobs Remain Unfilled in Manufacturing A recent study shows that 600,000 manufacturing jobs are unfilled in the United States due to a gap in the job requirements and the skills within the workforce. “Access to talented individuals with a highquality education and advanced skills is critical to manufacturers’ capacity for innovation and business success,” said Jennifer McNelly, president of the Manufacturing Institute. “Today’s talent does not view manufacturing as a top career option. This perception issue, coupled with the skills gap, has contributed to a depleted supply of qualified talent for today’s manufacturing workplaces.

“Manufacturing Day is an important step in helping to change manufacturing’s image and engaging future talent by giving them firsthand experience with the real world of manufacturing.” To learn more, visit www.mfgday.com or call 888-394-4362.

The Chicago Rockford International Airport will welcome a vintage aircraft restoration facility to one of its hangers, with clients from around the world. Code 1 will provide aircraft maintenance, restoration, avionics, sales, training and consulting services for owners and operators of ex-military, “warbird”-type aircraft.

“Our team includes structural and sheet metal specialists, avionics and systems technicians, engine and airframe mechanics, and more,” said Code 1 Aviation President Nathan Jones. “We also provide import/export services,

crating and shipping, and other specialty services. We know how to get through the maze of government regulations and procedures that go along with owning and operating these specialized airplanes.”

“Code 1” is a military aviation term for an aircraft in perfect condition and ready to fly with no discrepancies. Specialists have decades of experience with aircraft as diverse as World War II fighters, 1950s-era jet fighters, MiGs and various other Eastern-bloc aircraft, and even helicopters. Code 1 Aviation also will provide aircraft sales and brokering for warbird owners, and those in the market.

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FOCUS ON MANUFACTURING INNOVATIONS—MADE IN ROCKFORD

February 2013 theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Choice of college major means millions over span of career Bachelor’s degrees not created equal What bachelor’s degree major you choose makes a considerable difference in annual earnings over a lifetime, according to information by the U.S. Census Bureau. Data shows that obtaining at least a bachelor’s degree pays off with estimated worklife earnings ranging from $936,000 for those with less than a high school education to $4.2 million for those with professional degrees.

Yet, even within the bachelor’s degree, what one chooses to study in college and the careers pursued afterward make a difference almost equally as large.

For instance, engineering majors who are in management earn $4.1 million during their work-life. Arts majors and education majors who were service workers make an estimated $1.3 million.

Engineering Draws Highest Bachelor’s Degree Earnings According to the U.S. Census Bureau report, people who majored in engineering had the highest earnings of any bachelor’s degree field, at $92,000 per year in 2011. At the other end, majors in visual and performing arts, communications, education and psychology had median annual earnings of $55,000 or less.

People who majored in a science and engineering field also were more likely to be employed full-time, year-round. So too were those who majored in business -- the most common field of study. Sixtyfour percent of business majors were fulltime, year-round workers. Less than half of those who majored in literature and languages or visual and performing arts were full-time, year-round workers.

Other Highlights Fields of study with higher work-life earnings for bachelor’s degree include engineering, computers and math, science and engineering-related majors, business, physical sciences and social science.

Even within the same occupation, different majors provide different earnings.

In sales occupations, bachelor’s degree holders with a major in engineering have median work-life earnings of $3.3 million, while those with arts majors had $1.9 million.

Liberal arts majors working in computer- and mathematics-related occupations have median work-life earnings of $2.9 million, while liberal arts majors working in office support occupations have earnings of $1.6 million.

Engineering majors most likely worked in the private sector in 2011, while education majors worked for the government (public schools).

No matter what bachelor’s degree major, those working for a wage or salary had higher median earnings than those self-employed or in their own business. The exception was workers with master’s, professional or doctorate degrees, who had higher median earnings with self-employment if their bachelor’s degrees were in certain fields. In science and engineering, those who went on to earn a higher degree had median annual self-employment earnings of about $100,000, while their median annual wage-and-salary earnings were $90,000.

Rockford Area Aerospace Network on NIU Top 25 list in 2012 The Rockford Area Aerospace Network (RAAN), in partnership with Northern Illinois University and other local agencies, was highlighted in NIU Today in December as a top story for 2012. Rockford was one of 20 U.S. regions that won a federal Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge (JIAC) grant in 2012.

The new $2.4 million JIAC grant will support a community-based initiative of Rockford Area Aerospace Network to accelerate job creation and innovation for small and medium-sized aerospace companies in the region.

The collaborative effort is supported by EIGERlab, Rockford Area Economic Development Council, Northern Illinois University and Rock Valley College. The Boone and Winnebago Counties Workforce Investment Board, the Rockford Region Economic Development District and the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning are partners.

Increasing Talent to Support Aerospace The Rockford Region is home to one of the leading aerospace employment centers in the country with five tierone aerospace suppliers in Winnebago County and more than 200 aerospace companies in the region. One of the industry’s greatest needs is finding qualified talent during a national shortage of engineers, scientists and technicians, and a forecast has been made for more than 30,000 new airplanes to be delivered in the next 20 years.

RAAN has acted to significantly increase the region’s aerospace talent pipeline for high-paying jobs by establishing the Joint Institute of Engineering & Technology-Aerospace (JiET-A), which focuses on supporting academics; real-world experience and support through internships, mentorships and scholarships; and employment by local aerospace companies.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

February 2013

FOCUS ON MANUFACTURING INNOVATIONS—MADE IN ROCKFORD

17

Legacy of manufacturing innovations Region first in aerospace manufacturing, leads in many other areas in state (Top Left) Aqua-Jet® Surface Aerators produced by Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. (Top Right) Eclipse, Inc.’s SERv5 Burner (Single Ended Radiant Tube) is an ultra high efficiency industrial burner that can achieve 30 percent fuel savings over competing burners. Shown operating in a heat-treating furnace.

By Barbara Connors The Rockford region has a long history of manufacturing production and innovation. Nicknames for the city of Rockford reveal its strong manufacturing history, including Reaper City in the 1860s for its concentration of farm implement manufacturers, and Furniture City in the 1920s for its furniture manufacturers.

Today there are many notable examples of products manufactured in the area, including the gears for the Mars Rover; parts for x-ray scanners, titanium bone screws, heart pumps, and kidney dialysis machines; auxiliary power units for Space Shuttles; aircraft and marine vacuum toilets, and tin can packaging for products like Bandaids, Altoids, Kodak film and Energizer battery casings.

An applied engineering company specializing in wastewater treatment solutions for municipal and industrial applications. Since 1969, Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc., has provided customers around the world with aeration, mixing, biological processes, cloth media filtration, membrane systems, process controls and aftermarket products and services.

Bourn & Koch, Inc.

2500 Kishwaukee St., Rockford, 815-965-4013, www.bourn-koch.com

With 35 years experience, the company remanufactures, retrofits or rebuilds worn out machines. More than 2,500 machines have been retrofitted, redesigned, repaired, rebuilt and remanufactured since 1975.

As the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), the company also provides part replacement, machine evaluations, Leading Manufacturing Community preventive maintenance, mechanical/ electrical repairs and many other services According to information offered by the on its OEM machine tool product lines.

Rockford Area Economic Development Danfoss Power Electronics Council, the region is first in Illinois in 4401 N. Bell School Road, Loves Park, aerospace manufacturing, and second in 815-639-8600, www.danfoss.com manufacturing employment, “on & off” Danfoss manufactures VLT® variable road vehicle manufacturing and industrial frequency drives to control the speed, machine manufacturing. torque, acceleration, synchronization, More notable manufacturing facts: positioning and overall performance of ■■ Rockford is home to five major tier one AC motors in fan, pump and compressor aerospace supply companies, and a strong applications. cluster of supply chain partners, consisting Eclipse, Inc. of about 90 second and third tier suppliers 1665 Elmwood Road, Rockford, in the immediate market.

815-877-3031, www.eclipsenet.com ■■ There is 7.2 times the U.S. average in transportation manufacturing, technical and engineering talent in the Rockford region. Local companies employ more than 4,000 engineers – 50 percent more than the Illinois average, and 30 percent more than the U.S. average. There are more than 36,000 engineers currently employed in the 12 counties of northern Illinois.

■■ The Rockford region maintains a much higher concentration of skilled metalworking employees than the national average. The region has 7.2 times the national average for industrial machinery manufacturing employment and 4.2 times for metals manufacturing and research and development.

■■ Within the four-county area surrounding Rockford, there are more than 250 machine tool companies.

Rockford Chamber Manufacturers The following are some of the manufacturing innovators that make up the Rockford Chamber membership. For a complete listing, visit www.rockford chamber.com/Directory. Also, view upcoming issues of The Voice, which regularly include industry information on the Manufacturing News page.

Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc.

6306 N. Alpine Road, Loves Park, 815-639-4415, www.aqua-aerobic.com

Headquartered in Rockford, Eclipse remains family-owned and is a leading, worldwide source of combustion systems and services for industrial processes. For more than 100 years, industry has relied on it for innovative thermal solutions for process heating needs as well as for a single source for design, installation and service for total combustion needs, supported by expert application engineering services provided anywhere in the world. It offers a wide range of equipment, from engineered systems (including burners, recuperators, and heat exchangers), to custom-configured

products. It produces highly safe, reliable, efficient and clean-burning equipment for a wide range of heating applications. Its primary industries include glass, metals, automotive, commercial heating, product finishing, industrial drying, food, power generation, incineration and many more.

Ipsen, Inc.

984 Ipsen Road, Cherry Valley, 815-332-4941, www.ipsenusa.com

Ipsen manufactures innovative thermal processing technologies. Its furnace systems are used in critical applications such as medical implants, aerospace components, and automotive parts. Its innovative TITAN® Vacuum Furnace manufacturing line, located at the Cherry Valley plant, launched three years ago and is in constant production. A doubling of production due to worldwide demand has been announced. Ipsen also has established its Corporate Academy at the Harold Ipsen Learning Center as a new hire center with a full-time trainer to teach a structured, sixmonth books-to-business program.

J.L. Clark, A CLARCOR Company

923 23rd Ave., Rockford, 815-962-8861, www.jlclark.com

Established in 1904, J.L. Clark is an expert in metal decorating, fabricating and plastic injection molding for the packaging industry with services in graphic and concept design, plate making, project management and contract packaging. It has leveraged its packaging ingenuity to help build brands into household names, including McCormick, Kroger, Energizer, Kodak, Burt’s Bees, Hershey and other major brand name companies. J.L. Clark now is poised for another century of success, with a proud and experienced workforce, advanced and highly product plant resources, and a legacy of innovation.

several patents, the ION™ easily replaces bottled water coolers and drinking fountains.

North American Tool Corporation 215 Elmwood Ave., South Beloit, 815-389-2300, www.natool.com

Founded in 1986, the precision manufacturer produces special cutting tools, namely special taps, threading dies and thread gages.

Terracon, Inc.

4836 Colt Road, Rockford, 815-873-0990, www.terracon.com

Terracon provides geotechnical, environmental, construction materials, and facilities consulting engineering services delivered with responsiveness, resourcefulness and reliability.

Testor Corporation

440 Blackhawk Park Ave., Rockford, 815-967-4074, www.testors.com

Testor Corporation is manufacturer since 1929 of products for hobby, craft and home decorating sold worldwide. These products include hobby finishing materials and accessories; plastic model kits; craft paints, adhesives and sealant; games and toys; and airbrushes and artist brushes.

Woodward, Inc.

5001 N. Second St., Loves Park, 815-877-7441, www.woodward.com

Woodward integrates leading-edge technologies into fuel, combustion, fluid, actuation, and electronic control systems for the aerospace and energy markets. It manufactures the engine control system for the PW615 engine that powers the Cessna Mustang very light jet, the fuel system for the GEnx engine that powers the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and the fuel controls for the engines that power every Airbus A320 family aircraft – currently the highest production commercial airliner. It also manufacturers the hydromechanical unit (fuel control) for the GE T700 engine that powers both Natural Choice Corporation the Sikorsky Black Hawk utility helicopter 5677 Sockness Dr., Rockford, and the Boeing Apache attack helicopter -815-874-4444, naturalchoicewater.com Natural Choice Corporation is vehicles in prolific use in Operation Desert manufacturer of the ION™ Drinking Water Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Appliance. Winner of design awards and Operation Enduring Freedom.

18

February 2013

the News IN Members THEin NEWS

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

1. Cassi Steurer

2. Dr. Melissa Y. Macias

3. Kathy Sink

4. Cass Wolfenberger

5. Thomas Farone

6. Mike Urnezis

7. Kelly Jury

8. Carol Moll

9. Steve Riley

10. Todd Fagen

11. Jason Stone

12. Lauren Downing

13. Andrew Hess

14. Matt Trosper

15. Bonnie Arrington

16. Jennifer Halvorsen

Board Appointments

Cassi Steurer (1), account executive with PR Etc., joined the Rockford Day Nursery Early Learning Center board.

New Hires, Promotions, Retirements SwedishAmerican Health System welcomed neurosurgeon, Melissa Y. Macias (2), M.D., PhD. Northwest Bank hired Kathy Sink (3) as vice president, special assets relationship manager; Cass Wolfenberger (4) as senior vice president – mortgage banking group; Thomas Farone (5) as vice president – mortgage banking group; Mike Urnezis (6) as vice president – business development, and promoted Kelly Jury (7) to mortgage originator.

Larson & Darby Group appointed Sherry L. Gaumond, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C, to director of interior design.

Rockford Park District hired Suzanne Berger as director of the Rockford Park District Foundation.

Alpine Bank promoted Carol Moll (8) to senior vice president and personal trust officer, and Steve Riley (9) to vice president and investment officer.

Arc Design Resources, Inc., hired Todd Fagen (10) to manage North Dakota engineering operations; Jason Stone (11), E.I.T, and Lauren Downing (12), E.I.T., as project

engineers; Andrew Hess (13), E.I.T, as transportation engineer, and Matt Trosper (14) as senior CADD technician.

Spectrum Insurance Agency, Inc., hired Bonnie Arrington (15) as an account administrator for the commercial lines service team in Rockford, and Jennifer Halvorsen (16) as a personal lines account administrator in Durand.

Bryan Davis joined SupplyCore, Inc., as director of government affairs and contracts.

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden hired Dan Riggs (17) as its new executive director.

Pro Com Systems promoted Mike Ciannella (18) to production manager, and Ballard Electric promoted Brad Ball (19) to service manager. Both are divisions of Ballard Companies, Inc. Keri Benhoff (20) was promoted to president of Furst Search.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc., promoted Nate ‘Laser’ Shook (21) to senior transportation representative, carrier team, and Jen Cook (22) to account manager, business development. It hired Audrey Croswell (23) as account manager and Lexi Pioli (24) to the carrier team.

RAMP hired Jackie Nieman

Sundquist as services director, Mary Ann Matus (25) as human resources manager, Chris Quinn (26) as finance manager, Mary Rudzinski (27) as iBelong/TNT coordinator, and Eric Brown (28) as independent living advocate.

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company hired Beverly Faerber (29) as data entry specialist, and Jason Walker (30) as accounting analyst.

Employee/Community Recognitions, Awards Philip Thompson (31), personal lines department manager, Spectrum Insurance Agency, Inc., was named Employee of the Year for 2012.

Rock Valley College nominated students Paulina Luna and Julia Moore for the All-USA Community College Academic Team presented

by USA TODAY and Phi Theta Kappa.

Twenty students will be selected for the national team, each receive a $2,500 scholarship and be featured in USA TODAY. Stephanie Cliff, (32) RTRP, EA, and Shannon McElroy (33), RTRP, EA, John Morrissey Accountants, passed the IRS Special Enrollment Examination and received the designation of Enrolled Agent.

Jay Pick (34), CIC, Williams-Manny Insurance, was recognized by

The Society of Certified Insurance Counselors for 35 years of leadership.

Michael LaFew received the Specialty Screw Corporation’s 2012 President’s Award during its employee recognition luncheon.

The Winnebago County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program welcomed 12 new CASA volunteers: Mike Harvey, Kathy Hoople, Carrie Holmes, Nancy Borchardt, Lauria Johnson, Sehade Sejdini, Amy Reul, Tina Nunez, Kathy Laird, Pat Fausett, Peter Damby and Sharon Pickett.

Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., named seven attorneys as shareholders: Jeremy R. Bridge (35), Rockford; Richard W. Donner (36), Rebecca E. Greene (37), Jessica King (38) and Adam R. Konrad (39), Milwaukee; Robert W. Habich (40), Waukesha, and Justin F. Oeth (41), Madison.

Of GENERAL INTEREST Wife and husband Rebecca Epperson (42), PR Etc., and Dana Epperson, United Technologies Aerospace Systems (42), chaired the 59th annual OSF Saint Anthony Foundation Pink Ball.

Dr. William Edwards, oncology, presented a comprehensive report, “Bladder Cancer: The Common

17. Dan Riggs

18. Mike Ciannella

19. Brad Ball

20. Keri Benhoff

21. Nate “Laser” Shook

22. Jen Cook

23. Audrey Croswell

24. Lexi Pioli

25. Mary Ann Matus

26. Chris Quinn

27. Mary Rudzinski

28. Eric Brown

29. Beverly Faerber

30. Jason Walker

31. Philip Thompson

32. Stephanie Cliff

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

33. Shannon McElroy

34. Jay Pick

Cancer You Have Never Heard Of,” comparing the evaluation, incidence rates, gender, stage, treatments and survival of bladder cancer in patients seen at the SwedishAmerican Regional Cancer Center against the National Cancer Data Base.

Scott W. Trenhaile, M.D. (43), Rockford Orthopedic Associates, Ltd., and two other regional specialists were published in Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach for their case study of the full recovery of an unusual rotator cuff tear in an adolescent American football player.

19

February 2013

the News IN Members THEin NEWS

35. Jeremy R. Bridge

36. Richard W. Donner

37. Rebecca E. Greene

38. Jessica King

39. Adam R. Konrad

40. Robert W. Habich

Ph.D., professor of political science, was chair of the “History, War, and Beyond” panel at the Illinois Political Science Association annual event at the University of Illinois – Chicago.

41. Justin F. Oeth

42. Rebecca and Dana Epperson

John Burns, Ph.D., assistant professor of modern and classical languages, Rockford College, coedited/translated an anthology of poems; Sarah Gabua, DNP(c), MSN, RN, assistant professor of nursing, was appointed an ambassador by the

43. Dr. Scott W. Trenhaile

National League for Nursing;

Troy Skwor, Ph.D., assistant

professor of biology, was invited to the Illinois Water Environment Association’s WATERCON 2013 for a research talk and poster

presentations, and Jules Gleicher,

Do you have news to share?

Send news releases and other items of interest to the business community to: The VOICE, Rockford Chamber of Commerce, 308 W. State St., Ste. 190, Rockford, IL 61101.

Deadline is the 15th of the month preceding ­publication.

Caught On Digital MEMBERS

H & R Block held a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration on Jan. 17 at 6278 E. State St., Rockford. The event included a blood drive, prizes (including Ice Hogs tickets) and a visit from Ice Hogs’ Hammi.

Panino’s Restaurant held a ribbon cutting on Jan. 9 at 5403 E. State St., Rockford to celebrate their newly rennovated dining area to reflect the new brand and enhance the customer experience.

The Vitamin Shoppe held a ribbon cutting for its grand opening on Jan. 18 at 5900 E. State St., Rockford. They are one of the first tenants in the new retail space at the corner of State and Mulford..

Rockford Park District held a ribbon cutting for its new play area at CherryVale Mall on Jan. 17 at 7200 Harrison Ave., Rockford. The play area is designed to highlight the Park Districts’s major recreational assets.

20

February 2013

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Business Briefs BUSINESS BRIEFS

to the food bank’s child nutrition program. NIFB’s BackPack Program provides children at risk with a weekly backpack of food for the weekend for the child and up to two family members.

Bike For The Arts (BART), to benefit Rockford Symphony Orchestra, Rockford Dance Company, Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center and Kantorei, The Singing Boys of Rockford, hired PR Etc., for sponsorship and public relations.

Medithin Weight Loss Clinics, Janesville, Wis., hired PR Etc., for public relations.

SwedishAmerican Regional Cancer Center installed the OnBoard Imager® kV imaging system to offer patients image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), a precise treatment using multiple imaging and motion management techniques for ultra-accurate tumor targeting.

Woodward, Inc., signed a purchase agreement on Dec. 27 with GE Aviation Systems to acquire the assets of its hydraulic thrust reverser actuation systems business in Duarte, Calif. The parties entered into a preferred supplier agreement.

KMK Media Group Inc., completed development and redesign of Pierce Laminated Products’ website, and a comprehensive website for Rockford Urological Associates, Ltd. SwedishAmerican Medical Group announced plans to open a new 25,000-square-foot clinic on North Rockton Road in 2013, offering primary care, immediate care, specialty care, medical imaging and ancillary support. theFranaGroup, a national healthcare consulting firm in Rockford, awarded $2 million in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services capital funding from the Affordable Care Act to establish four school-based clinics in Wichita, Kan. Oregon, (Ill.), proclaimed 2013 “The Year of the Woods Batwing” and ceremoniously renamed the main thoroughfare, “Batwing Blvd” in honor of the 50th anniversary of the iconic Woods Equipment Company’s Batwing® rotary cutter.

Crimson Pointe assisted living was named one of the top 20 assisted living communities in Illinois by AssistedLivingToday.

RyCOM completed a new website for LYDIA Urban Academy Rockford. Rockford Ravens Rugby Club hired RyCOM to produce a TV commercial for recruiting efforts, and Superior Industrial Equipment for various marketing projects.

Satori Pathway presented “Resources for Families of Dementia Patients and Readmission Reduction” to Kishwaukee Hospital’s Social Services Department.

A partnership between Vision Mortgage Group and the Northwest Bank mortgage team is completed, and the group is located in the former Vision Mortgage Group building, 6724 Commonwealth Dr., Loves Park.

The Rockford Area CROP Hunger Walk presented more than $13,000 to local food pantries – 25 percent of its 2012 proceeds. The rest goes to global humanitarian agency Church World Service.

Ray Hawn, Oregon Street Department, and Angela Larson, Woods Equipment director of marketing, hang a Batwing Blvd sign at the intersection of Fourth and Seventh streets in Oregon, Ill., in honor of the 50th anniversary of the iconic Woods Equipment Company’s Batwing® rotary cutter.

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau announced the area’s first Quidditch tournament, April 26 to 27, on the Rockford Park District’s Elliot Golf Course soccer fields. Modifications to accommodate players’ lack of magical abilities will include brooms that remain grounded and a yellow snitch with legs. The game, created

by Middleburry College students in 2005, now has more than 1,000 teams on six continents.

Womanspace has a new exhibit, Large Works, featuring the work of local artists on its campus at 3333 Maria Linden Dr., Rockford.

The Crossroads Blues Society is working with the Rockford Riverhawks on a new blues festival planned for June 22 at the ballpark.

Proceeds will fund the Blues In The Schools Program, which hires musicians to educate area students about the blues and perform for them. Visit fieldofblues.blogspot. com.

Cellusuede Products, Inc., Rockford, celebrates its 75th year. Currently, it operates in three locations, totaling 100,000 square feet.

Savant Capital Management ranked 32nd on Financial Planning magazine’s annual list of Top 50 FeeOnly RIA Firms -- four places higher than 2012. It ranked fourth in Illinois overall. Savant also ranked 28th on the Top 50 Fastest Growing Fee-Only RIA Firms list.

SwedishAmerican Regional Cancer Center released its online annual report for 2012 at www. swedishamerican.org/CAR, with a summary of its analytic and nonanalytic incidences of cancer cases in 2011.

Center. The fan received the Ultimate IceHogs Fan Package, including a pair of tickets for seasons 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Rockford Area Economic Development Council earned a 2012 “Top Five” Award of Excellence in aerospace/defense from Expansion Solutions magazine for exceptional progress and potential in recruiting, retaining and/or assisting growing businesses. RAEDC formed in 2010 the Rockford Area Aerospace Network to increase high-paying jobs and business opportunities for its more than 200 aerospace suppliers.

Entrepreneur magazine in its Annual Franchise 500© rankings for 2013 recognized Comfort Keepers® in northwestern Illinois as the #1 franchise in the senior care category and #59 among the top 500 franchises.

OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center and its providers in the northern Illinois service area joined OSF Healthcare System as a participating Medicare Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center in 2013. The goal of Pioneer ACO is to coordinate care for Medicare patients to better meet unique individual needs and preferences. It involves innovative approaches to care management, care coordination and attention to patients with complex medical problems. Unlike a managed care plan, Medicare beneficiaries will not be locked into a restricted panel of providers.

Rockford Park District and CherryVale Mall, 7200 Harrison Ave., reopened the “Come Play with Us!” play area near Sears.

Rockford Art Museum presents the exhibit, Between Heaven & Earth, through April 14, featuring the work of Chicago native Michelle Feder-Nadoff with lost wax casting, embroidery, sculpture, repetitive drawings with sumi-e ink on paper, and traditional Mexican coppersmithing.

Rockford IceHogs welcomed on Jan. 11 its two millionth fan during its game against the Grand Rapids Griffins at the BMO Harris Bank

Rockford Orthopedic Associates gave Northern Illinois Food Bank a $34,255 donation. Over nine years, it has donated more than $227,000

SupplyCore merged CCI and its software solution MPOWR into its technology business practice, the SupplyCore Technology Group.

STG develops and deploys stateof-the-art, cloud-based software in procurement and strategy execution and management.

Community Foundation of Northern Illinois awarded LYDIA Urban Academy with a $1, 740 grant for implementation of the WorkKeys™ Assessment for its Career Readiness course.

EIGERlab hired V2 Marketing to develop a new corporate website and brand collateral, including promotional brochures and corporate stationery package.

Rosecrance Health Network has expanded to offer adolescent substance abuse treatment services through its new Waukesha County office in Pewaukee, Wis. Rosecrance and Connections Counseling of Madison have joined forces to create the TMS Center of Madison, the city’s only provider of transcranial magnetic stimulation, a non-invasive, non-systemic medical treatment for individuals suffering from depression who have not benefited from antidepressants. Patients have been treated successfully in Rockford for more than three years.

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company associates pledged donations of $3,592 to the 2012 United Way of Rock River Valley campaign. The company’s Activity Committee also sponsored a variety of activities in 2012, raising more than $1,200 for Carpenters Place, Rock River Valley Pantry and PAWS Humane Society.

All four RAMP offices have an Illinois Telecommunications and Access Corporation selection center, which provides a free amplified telephone to Illinois residents who have a doctor or audiologist sign off and a standard residential landline. Visit www.rampcil.org.

Rockford-based Employers Coalition on Health (ECOH) launched a new healthcare savings plan for businesses with less than 100 employees, ECOH Vital Signs™, designed to save an average of 15 percent on annual healthcare premium costs. Visit www.ecoh.com.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

21

February 2013

Regional, National Indicators THE ECONOMY Midwest Manufacturing Output Increased in November

U.S. Indicators December, 2012 Consumer Price Index

q 0.3 percent

Unemployment Rate

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index (CFMMI) increased 1.6 percent in November, to a seasonally adjusted level of 93.7 (2007 = 100). Revised data show the index was down 1.1 percent in October. The Federal Reserve Board’s industrial production index for manufacturing (IPMFG) moved up 1.1 percent in November. Regional output rose 7.3 percent in November from a year earlier, and national output increased 3.1 percent.

7.8 percent

Payroll Employment

p 155,000

Average Hourly Earnings

p $0.07

Producer Price Index

q 0.2 percent

Employment Cost Index

p 0.4 percent (third quarter, 2012)

Productivity

p 2.9 percent (third quarter, 2012)

U.S. Import Price Index

q 0.1 percent

U.S. Export Price Index

q 0.1 percent

Monthly Index

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Unemployment Rates—Region, State, Nation

% Change

Sep 12

Oct 12

Nov 12

Nov 11 - Nov 12

Chicago Mfg. Index

93.2

92.2

93.7

p

7.3

CFMMI-Auto

95.0

95.1

98.5

p

17.9

CFMMI-Steel

89.9

89.2

90.1

p

4.0

CFMMI-Machinery

92.8

90.4

90.6

p

3.4

CFMMI-Resource

91.1

89.6

90.2

q

1.9

National Index

95.1

94.3

95.3

p

3.1

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Updated Dec. 27, 2012 Nov 2012

Oct 2012

Nov 2011

Rockford

10.5

10.8

11.8

q 0.3

q 1.3

Chicago

8.3

8.4

9.5

q 0.1

q 1.2

Illinois

8.2

8.4

9.2

q 0.2

q 1.0

United States

7.4

7.5

8.2

q 0.1

q 0.8

Source: U.S. Department of Employment Security

Change/Mo. Change/Yr.

Population Clock As of January 17, 2013: U.S.

315,175,800 Source: U.S. Census Bureau

World

7,060,239,079

22

Rockford Chamber members appear bolded. Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

Saturday, February 2 University of Illinois Extension and the Illinois State Beekeepers Association host an Education Forum on Beekeeping, 501 N. Elida St., Winnebago, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. No cost but registration required by Jan. 31 at http://web. extension.illinois.edu/jsw or call 815-986-4357.

Sunday, February 3 Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center, 415 N. Church St., Rockford, presents a Charlotte’s Web concert with Michael Johnson, guitar/vocal, at 2 p.m.

Call 815-964-9713 or visit www. mendelssohnpac.org.

Ethnic Heritage Museum, 1129 S. Main St., opens its St. Patrick exhibit in the Irish Gallery, and its Carnevale exhibit in the Italian Gallery, featuring masks, costumes from Venice, and Italian festivals, from 2 to 4 p.m. Visit www. ethnicheritagemuseum.org.

Tuesday, February 5 Rockford Park District presents Who Picked This Book? Club: The Language of Flowers, 10 a.m. to noon, East Branch Bookworm Bakery & Café, 6685 E. State St. Ages 18 and over. Registration not required. For information call 815965-7606.

Thursday, February 7 Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence presents Operations, a part of its Leadership Certificate Program on Thursdays, 1:30 to 4 p.m., Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28 at Rockford College, 5100 E. State St. Contact Karen Ream at 815-394-4384 or KReam@rockford.edu.

Rockford Park District presents Genealogy on the Internet, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., main library second floor computer room, 215 N. Wyman St. Ages 18 and older.

Learn to use Ancestry (Library Edition), HeritageQuest and Rootsweb. Registration required.

Call 815-965-7606.

Friday, February 8 Rockford Symphony Orchestra presents SoundBites featuring Charlie Albright, piano, and Steven Larsen, music director, noon at Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Country Club, 5151 Guilford Road. Free but reservations recommended at 815-965-0049. Visit www. rockfordsymphony.com.

February 2013

Community Events COMMUNITY

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld performs at 7 p.m., Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St., Rockford. Tickets at the box office, www.coronadopac.com or 815-968-0595.

Saturday, February 9 Rockford Symphony Orchestra presents Rhapsody and Reveries, featuring 18-year-old Charlie Albright, piano, 7:30 p.m., Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St. Tickets at the box office, www.rockfordsymphony. com or 815-965-0049.

Rockford Symphony Orchestra hosts Symphony Saturdays, RSO Percussion Ensemble, for children 5 to 10 and families, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., and 11:00 a.m. to noon, in Kresge Hall, Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St. Visit www.rockfordsymphony.com or 815-965-0049.

Rockford College and Ethnic Heritage Museum hosts an Italian Dinner Buffet - “Divine 9” Step/Stroll Show, 6 p.m., Rockford College’s Regents Hall.

Proceeds benefit the museum’s African American Gallery.

Visit www.ethnicheritagemuseum. org or email David at deruff1@ hotmail.com.

Rockford Park District hosts Golf Conditioning Clinics for adult golfers looking to achieve optimum physical performance, 8 to 9 a.m., at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center. Register one week prior at www.rockfordparkdistrict. org or call at 815-987-8800.

Sunday, February 10 Court Street United Methodist presents Groundwork Dance Co., a concert dance, 2 p.m., 215 N. Court St., Rockford. Freewill donation. Call 815-962-6061. Visit www.courtstreetumc.org.

Discovery Center Museum presents a Family Fun Day, Chocolate Sundae Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m., Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St., Rockford.

Music by Dixieland Docs. Call 815-963-6769 or visit www. discoverycentermuseum.org.

The African American Gallery of the Ethnic Heritage Museum, 1129 S. Main St., unveils its exhibit, Salute to Black Historical Fratern al Organizations, 2 to 4 p.m.

Open every Sunday through April 7. Visit www.ethnicheritage museum.org or email David at deruff1@hotmail.com.

Rockford Park District hosts a Sweetheart Skate, 2 to 4 p.m., Carlson Ice Arena, 4150 N. Perryville Road, Loves Park. Enjoy skating to DJ music. Visit www.

rockfordparkdistrict.org/iceskate or call 815-969-4069.

Monday, February 11 University of Illinois Extension and University of WisconsinExtension co-host the 17th annual Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford. To register visit http:// web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw or call 815-986-4357.

Senator Dave Syverson hosts his 21st annual Legislative Luncheon, noon to 1 p.m., Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, 200 S. Bell School Road, Rockford. Special guest speakers Congressman Adam Kinzinger and Doug Whitley, president & CEO, Illinois Chamber of Commerce. RSVP by Feb. 7 at 815-381-0006 or MaryW@ SenatorDaveSyverson.com.

Tuesday, February 12 Rockford Park District presents East Branch 2nd Tuesday Book Group: The Space Between Us, 6:45 to 8 p.m., at the Rock River Branch, 3128 11th St. Ages 18 and up. Registration not required. For information call 815-965-7606.

Friday, February 15 Rockford Art Museum hosts an Art Talk with Diane Simpson on “The Architecture of Dress: Clothing Structures Revealed,” noon at the Riverfront Museum Park theater, 711 N. Main St., Rockford. Call Barrie Carter Gibby, 336-266-6626.

Saturday, February 16 Discovery Center Museum presents Discover Engineering, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Kick off to national Engineers’ Week. Call 815-963-6769 or visit www. discoverycentermuseum.org.

Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center, 415 N. Church St., Rockford, presents a Charlotte’s Web concert with Emily Hurd, piano/vocal, 7:30 p.m. Call 815-964-9713 or visit www. mendelssohnpac.org.

Tuesday, February 19 Northern Illinois University Career Services presents an Internship Career Fair, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., NIU Convocation Center, 1525 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb, Ill. Visit www.niu.edu/careerservices or contact Diane Hart, 815-7537159 or DLHart@niu.edu.

Wednesday, February 20 Northern Illinois University Career Services presents a Job

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Fair, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., NIU Convocation Center, 1525 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb, Ill. Visit www.niu.edu/careerservices or contact Mary Myers, 815-7537169 or myers@niu.edu.

Thursday, February 21 MELD hosts its annual Sports Celebrity Event – Let’s Play Ball with sports celebrity speakers Pat Hughes and Keith Moreland, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Giovanni’s Restaurant, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. Register at www.rockfordmeld.org or 815-633-6353, ext. 10.

The Northern Illinois Chapter of SCORE presents the workshop, Creating an Outstanding Workplace, 5:30 to 8 p.m., EIGERlab, 605 Fulton Ave., Rockford. Janel O’Connor, SIKICH, presents. Register at northernillinoisscore.org or email info@northernillinoisscore.org.

Friday, February 22 Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center hosts a Concert with American pianist, arranger and radio host Christopher O’Riley, 7:30 p.m., Court Street United Methodist Church, 215 N. Court St., Rockford. Call 815-964-9713 or visit www.mendelssohnpac.org.

Saturday, February 23 Anderson Japanese Gardens, 318 Spring Creek Road, Rockford, presents a Guest Chef Wine Dinner at 5:30 p.m., featuring creations by Chef Gale Gand and the wines of Chapoutier. Chef Gand is partner and founding executive pastry chef of the five diamond, four star restaurant TRU in Chicago. Reservations by Feb. 7. Call Katie at 815-316-3306.

Monday, February 25 Northern Illinois University Career Services presents an Educators’ Job Fair, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (NIU students/alumni); 10 to 12:30 p.m. (all other candidates); 1:30 to 4 p.m. (pre-scheduled interviews-invitation only), NIU Convocation Center, 1525 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb, Ill. Visit www.niu.edu/careerservices or contact Barbara Kaufmann, 815753-1645 or bkaufmann@niu.edu.

Wednesday, February 27 Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence hosts a Leadership Café, “Is an endowment a key to your organization’s long-term success?” noon to 1 p.m., Burpee Center, Rockford College, 5050 E. State St. RSVP five days prior at 815-394-4384 or email kream@ rockford.edu.

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February 2013

INSIGHT

Guest Perspective

ECOH Vital Signs : ™

Helping small businesses save on the high cost of healthcare

Regional Money Smart Week renamed to reflect expanded participation The area’s Money Smart Week (MSW), April 20 to 27, has been renamed Northern Illinois Money Smart Week to reflect participation by the five-county area of Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, Stephenson and DeKalb.

Over the past five years, more than 80 local businesses and organizations have offered free educational programming on current financial issues to thousands of people in the community.

“We are excited to see our efforts growing,” said Sue Cram, co-chair of Northern Illinois MSW 2013. “Financial literacy is a need in every community, and our partner organizations are strongly committed to making this effort widely diverse and applicable for all citizens.”

Money Smart Week® is a coordinated effort of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to help consumers better manage their personal finances. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ MoneySmartWeekNorthernIllinois or www.moneysmartweek.org. Email co-

chairs Sue Cram at scram132@gmail. com or Kristen Comer at Kristen@ livewithmorningstar.com.

Student Essay Contest Announced In support of Money Smart Week® 2013, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and its partner organizations present the Money Smart Kid Essay Contest for students, grades 6 to 8.

Essays of 300 words or less should answer: “What is the difference between an investment and an expense? What would be a good investment in your community and why? Please discuss who would benefit from this investment.”

Deadline for essay submission is March 15 at 5 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for first, second, third and fourth place, and sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, First National Bank and Trust, Rockford Bank & Trust and MembersAlliance Credit Union.

Winners will attend and be announced at the Money Smart Kick-Off Breakfast on April 19.

Redesigned Chamber website showcases members, community Chamber members and the public now can quickly find information on Rockford Chamber member businesses with the recent launch of a redesigned website and new mobile app.

The website features improved capabilities to browse the member directory, access chamber events, track news and redeem coupons. It’s designed to showcase members and provide important business and visitor information. The fresh look and userfriendly navigation engages visitors with images and allows them easily to find the information they seek.

Additional benefits for members are increased exposure and additional access to information through a secure login area.

“This new website and mobile app dramatically improves how we promote our members and our organization online,” said Einar Forsman, president & CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. “We are excited for our members to begin seeing many increased benefits, including more business leads from us.” www.rockfordchamber.com has a search-engine optimized business directory, and access to a new WebLink Mobile web app, optimized for mobile devices that support Standards Compatible browsers including: iPhone, iPad, iTouch, Android phones and BlackBerry phones (Version 6 software, and newer only).

These are interesting times for many small business owners and their employees.

Rising healthcare costs have increased the financial burden placed on employer and employee alike, and the Affordable Care Act when it takes effect in 2014 will impact small businesses in ways that are difficult to predict. Balancing small business competitiveness with rising cost and uncertainty is difficult in the best of times, let alone when the economy is far from robust.

Rockford’s Employers Coalition on Health (ECOH) is rolling out a powerful new initiative for the area’s small business community called ECOH Vital Signs™. According to ECOH Executive Director Paul Brand, Vital Signs holds the key to reducing health insurance premiums today – and puts employers ahead of the Affordable Care Act curve in advance of 2014.

“Small business owners understand that the health insurance landscape is changing forever, yet great uncertainty exists about which path to take going forward,” Brand said. “Some might find that paying penalties is cheaper than providing benefits, but at what cost to their competitiveness? Others will find refuge in private health insurance exchanges – but an exchange consisting of just one carrier isn’t much of a choice.

“What most small business owners and their employees don’t realize is that they aren’t powerless to push back on the high cost of healthcare – they just need a level playing field.

That’s what the powerful and unique technology at the core of ECOH Vital Signs provides.”

Information is Power According to Brand, ECOH Vital Signs is really a “super” exchange, bidding out an employer’s business to not one but many carriers all in competition – and tapping into the significant savings that can result from a variety of sources, including: ■ Subsidies: State, federal and private subsidies, awarded based on the size and/or income of the employee base.

■ Provider Discounts: Negotiated billing rate discounts taken off the charges incurred with doctors, hospitals, administrators and pharmaceutical companies.

■ Premium Credits: Carrier underwriter discounts earned by reducing the potential claim risk to the carrier.

Paul Brand Employers Coalition on Health

The information that

ECOH

Vital Signs “mines” from the business’ employees and uses as leverage is a “credentialing” businesses

process

simply

that

aren’t

most

capable

of doing on their own, Brand said.

“Unfortunately, claims data on each and

every

employee

isn’t

made

available by their carrier, which leaves the business owner in the dark when it comes time to negotiating with the carrier. Most businesses leave a lot of money on the table as a result.

“ECOH Vital Signs removes the blindfold, so to speak, and empowers employers and employees alike to take the most effective action to reduce their healthcare premiums, whether it’s staying with an existing carrier, or exploring other options. Either way, ECOH Vital Signs doesn’t care. It’s all about finding the scenario that’s best for that particular small business.”

Looks Good on Paper: But Does it Really Work?

For most small business owners, stretched thin and over-tasked, the hardest part of this process is just getting started, particularly if an annual renewal has just been completed. But ECOH Vital Signs enables every small business owner to quickly and easily gauge its effectiveness in just a few minutes online with a powerful, userfriendly calculator tool. Visit www.ecoh. com, and go through the calculator’s four easy steps to get an approximate sense for the savings the business is likely to see. The average savings being around 15 percent, Brand said.

“ECOH Vital Signs works every time, and there’s no downside to its application for any business with employees numbering from one to as many as 100. The Affordable Care Act is coming in 2014. ECOH Vital Signs is here today.”

For more information, visit www.ecoh.com or call 815-201-0010.

The views expressed are those of Brand’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

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February 2013

MEMBERSHIP Member Category of the Month The following is a listing of Rockford Chamber members highlighted in a specific industry.

Thank you to the members who celebrate their anniversaries with the Rockford Chamber in February 2013.

5-Year Members

Kelly Services

Maney’s Lawnscape Inc. Meridian Rockford Area Convention & Visitor Bureau Wilson Electric Co.

Manpower

10-Year Member

Bell Harbour Condo Association Blue Sky Insurance Agency, Inc. Lydia Home – Rockford Perspectives Rock River Energy Services, Inc. Rock Town Consulting

Workforce Investment Board, Inc.

Accurate Accounting and Payroll Services, LLC Calvary Bookkeeping Services, Inc. Datacraft, Inc. Morrissey John Accountants, Inc.

Evolution Staffing

Accountants - Certified Public & Public

Northwestern Illinois Association

Employment

February 2013 Member Anniversaries

15-Year Members

Accountants

Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP Beggin Tipp Lamm, LLC Benning Group LLC CliftonLarsonAllen LLP Erboe & Associates, CPAs Freberg, Leland L. CPA, LLC Holmertz Parsons, CPA’s Lindstrom, Sorenson & Associates, LLP LOESCHER & Associates, Ltd. Lombardozzi, Moses, Quimby & Company P.C. McGladrey LLP Padgett Business Services Sikich LLP Summit CPA Group, P.C. SVA Certified Public Accountants, SC Van Sickle & McLaughlin, CPAs Weinberg & Co. Wipfli LLP

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Fairchild, Giesen & Associates Illinois Growth Enterprises, Inc.

Supported Employment Program

H. C. Anderson Roofing Co. Inc.

Patrice and Associates Spherion

Energy Conservation Products &Services

Get to Know Your Ambassadors Name: Jan Hagenlocher

Greener Acres LLC

Company: SwedishAmerican Health System

NISEnergy, LLC

Position: Director, Community Relations

P C G Worldwide

How long have you been an Ambassador?

I was a former Ambassador and chairman in the late 1990s, and recently have rejoined.

Thayer Lighting, Inc.

Lighting, Commercial/ Industrial Thayer Lighting, Inc.

Manufacturing, Support Service Fabricators & Manufacturers

What do you like most about being an Ambassador? It’s a great way to meet lots of people from all areas of the business and non-profit worlds. It also keeps me up to date on what is happening in Rockford, provides great learning experiences with varied speakers and is a great way to sample various local restaurants.

Association, International Q I C Enterprises, Inc

Membership Renewals

OSHA, Safety Consultants

Aerotek, Inc. Assured Staffing Corporate Services, Inc Dickey Staffing Solutions The Furst Group Furst Staffing Manpower Staff On Site, Inc. Stateline Staffing Services, Inc. Veterans Industries Workplace

Ege WorkSmart Solutions, PC

Employment Services

QPS Employment Group

Ablest Staffing Services Boone and Winnebago Counties

Stateline Staffing Services, Inc.

Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber in December, 2012.

Midwest Safety Services

Temporary Help Services Ablest Staffing Services Adecco Dickey Staffing Solutions Furst Staffing Manpower Nurses, PRN Quantum Personnel

Listings for our loyalty categories are generated directly from the Business Directory based on the category designated by the member.

Member-to-member Loyalty Card Cut out and write your company name on the card. Give it to the member you are doing business with to show your support of member-to-member business.

Alignment Rockford

Miller Eye Center

Artale Wine Co.

Pearson

Arc Design Resources, Inc. AT&T

Auto Care Center

NIU Rockford Club Pierce Distribution

Services Company

Banner of Truth International

Rally Appraisal, LLC

Best Western Clock Tower Resort

Rockford Area Hotel-Motel

Benning Group LLC

& Conference Center, Home of CoCo Key Water Resort

C & E Specialties, Inc.

Riverside Community Bank Association

Rockford Bank & Trust Co.

Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning (RMAP)

Catalyst Business Solutions

Saavedra Gehlhausen Architects

Cloisters of Forest Hills

Smithereen Pest Management

Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort Creative Benefit Solutions Farm & Fleet of Rockford

Savant Capital Management Stronghold Camp and Retreat Center

First Benefits Group

SVL Productions

Freeway Rockford, Inc.,

The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club

Forward Equity Marketing Group Subsidiary of Freeway Corporation

Galapagos Rockford Charter School

Geostar Mechanical Inc.

Golden Apple Foundation

Granite City Food & Brewery Holmertz-Parsons, CPA’s

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful KMK Media Group, Inc. Laser Quest

Lincoln Rent-All & Sales, Inc. Market Dimensions, Inc.

Sweet Ambrosia theFranaGroup

TLC Construction

Total Technology Solutions Group URS Energy & Construction UTC Aerospace Systems

Winnebago County CASA

(Court Appointed Special Advocate)

Winnebago County Clerk of the Circuit Court, 17th Judicial Circuit

workplace

YWCA of Rockford

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February 2013

New Chamber Members MEMBERS

APAC Customer Services Inc., an EGS Inc. Company Client Services, Chase Bank, T-Mobile 7180 Spring Brook Road, Ste. A, 61114 Cris Gagliano 815-654-6785 www.ncogroup.com

Circle Boring & Machine Company Manufacturer 3161 Forest View Road, 61109 John Eckburg 815-398-4150

Comview Corporation The #1 Rated Full Service Telecom Expense Management Solution Provider in the Industry 506 N. Elida St., Ste. 2 Winnebago, IL 61088 Richard Bruyere 631-935-1917 www.comviewcorp.com

Edward Jones Shawn Rooney Financial Planning, Investments 1463 S. Bell School Road, Ste. 2, 61108 Shawn Rooney 815-397-5169 www.edwardjones.com

EZ Dinners, Inc. We Prepare Affordable, Homemade, Single & Three Serving Meals and Freeze Them for Freshness 5533 N. 2nd St. Loves Park, IL 61111 Kathy Jilek 815-877-FOOD (3663) www.ezdinners2night.com

Grandview Condominium Association Condo Association 3509 Inglenook Lane, 61114 Bette Johnson 815-282-6905

Natural Choice Corporation

Manufacturer, Water Purification Equipment 5677 Sockness Dr., 61109 Janice Ruiz 815-874-4444 www.naturalchoicewater.com

Patrice and Associates Employment Services 11320 Main St. #375 Roscoe, IL 61073 Heather Haas 815-979-5086

Progressive Steel Treating Manufacturer 922 Lawn Dr. Loves Park, IL 61111 Rick Freiman 815-877-2571 www.progressivesteeltreating.com

River District Association Downtown Neighborhood Association/An Illinois Main Street Designated Program 102 N. Main St., 61101 Gary Anderson 815-963-8111 www.riverdistrict.com

Transit Van Shuttle Private, Non-stop, Door-to-Door Transportation to Airport, Sporting Events, Weddings, Van Pool, Corporate and Business Travel 38365 Innovation Court., Blgd. I, Ste. 905 Murrieta, CA 92563 Kenneth Larkin 815-615-9785 www.transitvanshuttle.com

Tyler’s Landscaping Service Inc. Landscape Design and Installation, Maintenance, Retail Nursery, Trees, Shrubs, Perennials 6701 N. Main St., 61103 Tyler Smith 815-636-8500 www.tylerslandscaping.com

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February 2013

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EVENTS

Upcoming Chamber Events February, 2013 Tuesday, February 5

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road. Are you getting the most out of your networking? Randa Noble, author of a series of articles on networking for the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions magazine, presents on Successful Networking Strategies and common pitfalls to avoid. Sponsored by Siena on Brendenwood.

Wednesday, Feb. 6 11:45 am - 1:00 .m Rockford College 5100 Bldg.

5050 E. State St., Rockford

PYSK TALKS Andreas Schell, president, Actuation Systems, UTC Aerospace Systems and 2011 People You Should Know award winner presents The Renaissance Company: The Symbiosis of Corporations and Their Communities.

Friday, February 8

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. Dr. Dennis Norem, Chair of the Rockford Health Council, will present on their initiatives regarding improving community health conditions in Rockford. To join, contact Heidi Garner at 815-316-4312.

Tuesday, February 12

Advantage Club – Superstars, noon to 1 p.m., Sam’s Ristorante, 6075 E. Riverside Blvd., Rockford.

Contact Thomas Conwell, MSI Reverse, tconwell@msiloans.biz.

Wednesday, Feb. 13 7:30 - 9:00 am Rock Valley College 3301 N. Mulford Rd., Rockford

Breakfast Buzz

Business Success Profile Robert Funderburg of Alpine Bank will discuss how the family got started in their successful business. Robert will share insight into the vision, determination and drive that led them to this point.

Sponsored by McGladrey

Thursday, February 14

Ribbon Cutting and Open House, Shelter Care, 10 a.m. to noon, 218 S. 7th St. Rockford.

February Ambassador Lunch, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hoffman House, 7550 E. State St., Rockford.

Thursday, February 21

Good Morning Rockford! 7:30 to 9 a.m., Rock River Valley Blood Center, 419 N. 6th St., Rockford.

Tuesday, February 26

Advantage Club – Superstars, noon to 1 p.m., Sam’s Ristorante, 6075 E. Riverside Blvd., Rockford. Contact Thomas Conwell, MSI Reverse, tconwell@msiloans.biz.

Chamber 101 with Speed Networking, 4 to 5:15 p.m. New location for 2013—Benson Stone Company, Inc., 1100 11th St., Rockford, IL 61104 Wednesday, Feb. 27 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Franchesco’s Ristorante 7128 Spring Creek Rd., Rockford

Small Business Conference and Luncheon The theme, Tactics and Strategies for a Thriving Business, features topics with expert speakers on key strategies to help your business thrive, and a luncheon keynote speaker.

Sponsors: BMO Harris Bank (presenting); Humana and SwedishAmerican Health System (gold)

Wednesday, February 27

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford. Contact Teri Watts, Whitehead Inc., Realtors®, tlwatts@ whiteheadcommercial.com or Holly Hanson, The Business Edge Inc., coach@thebizedge.biz.

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Stacy Wallace, LDR Construction Services, Inc., 815-874-7066 or swallace@ ldr4service.com.

March, 2013 Tuesday, March 5

Wednesday, February 13

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford. Contact Teri Watts, Whitehead Inc., Realtors®, tlwatts@ whiteheadcommercial.com or Holly Hanson, The Business Edge Inc., coach@thebizedge.biz.

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Stacy Wallace, LDR Construction Services, Inc., 815-874-7066 or swallace@ldr4service.com.

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road. Our speaker is Jennifer Hall of Catalyst Business Solutions, LLC. She will be discussing “The Lost Art of Interpersonal Communication in the Age of Social Media.” Sponsored by Siena on Brendenwood.

Friday, March 8

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. To join, contact Heidi Garner at 815-316-4312.

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EVENTS

Upcoming Chamber Events Tuesday, March 12 Advantage Club – Superstars, noon to 1 p.m., Sam’s Ristorante, 6075 E. Riverside Blvd., Rockford.

Contact Thomas Conwell, MSI Reverse, tconwell@msiloans.biz.

Wednesday, March 13

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford. Contact Teri Watts, Whitehead Inc., Realtors®, tlwatts@ whiteheadcommercial.com or Holly Hanson, The Business Edge Inc., coach@thebizedge.biz.

Wednesday, March 13

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Stacy Wallace, LDR Construction Services, Inc., 815-874-7066 or swallace@ldr4service.com.

Tuesday, March 26

Advantage Club – Superstars, noon to 1 p.m., Sam’s Ristorante, 6075 E. Riverside Blvd., Rockford.

Contact Thomas Conwell, MSI Reverse, tconwell@msiloans.biz.

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February 2013

Thursday, March 21 4:00 - 8:00 pm Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort 700 w. Riverside Blvd., Rockford

Celebration of Manufacturing Expo & Dinner Expo, 4 to 6 p.m.; Dinner, presentation, awards, 6 to 8 p.m. Jeremy Bout, producer and founder of the TV show Edge Factor keynotes. Stay for the announcement of the Manufacturer of the Year and Business Catalyst awards.

Sponsors: QPS Employment Group (presenting); Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Int’l., Rockford Bank & Trust Company (gold); Thayer Lighting, Inc. (silver)

ADVERTISERS Advertisers Index

Ahern Fire Protection . . . . . . . . .17

MembersAlliance Credit Union . . .9

Athena PowerLink . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Rockford Chamber of

Alpine Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 BMO Harris Bank . . . . . . . . . . . .14

North American Tool . . . . . . . . . .16 Commerce . . 2, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27

Brian Thomas Photography . . . .25

Rockford College . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Comcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Rock Valley College . . . . . . . . . .11

Broadmoor Agency . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Concordia University. . . . . . . . . .12 Dale Carnegie Training . . . . . . . .13 Danfoss VLT Drives . . . . . . . . . . .17

Rockford Health System . . . . . . . .5 Rock Valley College BPI . . . . . . . .7 Saint Anthony

College of Nursing . . . . . . . . . .12

First National Bank

Stillman Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

FurstSearch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Van Galder Bus Co . . . . . . . . . . . .2

and Trust Company . . . . . . . . .10

Judson University . . . . . . . . . . . .12 McGladrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Thayer Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Woodward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 YMCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Wednesday, March 27

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford. Contact Teri Watts, Whitehead Inc., Realtors®, tlwatts@ whiteheadcommercial.com or Holly Hanson, The Business Edge Inc., coach@thebizedge.biz.

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Stacy Wallace, LDR Construction Services, Inc., 815-874-7066 or swallace@ ldr4service.com.

Chamber Staff / Call 815-987-8100 ............................................. Direct Line Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO ......................................... 815-316-4304 Heidi M. Garner, Executive Assistant to the President ................... 815-316-4312 Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology .................. 815-316-4338 Lynette Jacques, Advertising and Sponsorship Executive .............. 815-316-4317 Vee Jevremovic, Manager of Education Programs and Events ......... 815-316-4337 Andrew Kobischka, Membership Development Manager ................... 815-316-4336 Cyndie Landis, Financial Assistant ........................................... 815-316-4300 Joy Moriarty, V.P. Finance ...................................................... 815-316-4316 Stacy Mullins, Director of Events ............................................. 815-316-4302 Diane Navickis, Membership Development Manager .................... 815-316-4315 Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator ........................ 815-316-4320

Chamber Board of Directors & Officers EXECuTIVE CoMMITTEE

DIRECToRS

Chairman of the Board Richard Walsh SwedishAmerican Health System Vice Chair Patti Thayer Thayer Lighting, Inc. Vice Chair Richard Zumwalt OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center Treasurer Larry Bridgeland Mid-City Office Products Immediate Past Chairman Mike Broski Entré Computer Solutions

Romero Bennett Blue Sky Insurance Agency, Inc. Andrew Benson Benson Stone Company, Inc. Ryan Brauns Rockford Consulting & Brokerage Paul Callighan ComEd, An Exelon Company

Michele Janke BMO Harris Bank

Pat Shaw McGladrey LLP

Penelope Lechtenberg Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

Somchan Thatsanaphon K-I Machine Tool & Production Inc.

Michael Mastroianni Rock Valley College Paul McCann Stanley Steemer Pat Morrow Alpine Bank

Joe Castrogiovanni Giovanni’s, Inc.

Amy Ott Chicago Rockford International Airport

J Chapman Maverick Media of Rockford LLC

Mark Peterson CBL Associates Cherry Vale

Rena Cotsones Northern Illinois University

Timothy Rollins WilliamsMcCarthy

Darlene Furst Furst Staffing

Tim White UTC Aerospace Systems Jennifer Wood Sikich LLP

EX-oFFICIo DIRECToRS Janyce Fadden Rockford Area Economic Development Council

Einar K. Forsman President & CEO, Rockford Chamber of Daniel Saavedra Saavedra Gehlhausen Commerce Architects John Groh

Henry Seybold Jeff Hultman Riverside Community Rockford Health System Bank

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

March 2013 Special Sections

wireless Products Computer & IT Services For information on advertising, call 815 987-8100