April Voice 2019

JC MILLING GROWING WITH PRECISION

WHY NOT WELDING?

FIVE REASONS TO BECOME AN FTZ

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THE VOICE IS ONLINE AT ROCKFORDCHAMBER.COM

of the Rockford Business Community

APRIL 2019 | Volume 32 | No. 4

TEAM BUILDING RUNS DEEP FOR OSF SAINT ANTHONY MEDICAL CENTER IN THE

Rock River Anything That Floats Race

Launch site for the race is at the Prairie Street Brewhouse dock. Photos by Matt Youngblood (GrahamSpencer).

In 2016, after a 17-year hiatus, a group of local volunteers banded together to revive the old Rock River Anything That Floats Race, a storied summertime event that flooded the Rock River with bobbing, shining examples of Rockford’s creativity and appetite for fun. Piloted by smiling, laughing crews, the festive floats were popular set pieces of Rockford’s summers for more than 20 years. The original raft race ran from the Bicentennial year of 1976 until about 1999.

2019’s event, scheduled for Sunday, August 18, will mark the fourth year of the race’s comeback. If you and your business or organization are considering entering, Joe Layng of OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center’s team

has three words of advice; go for it!

“Our team has so much fun with that race. I can’t even tell you how rewarding it has been for us” said Layng. “Being in the race has brought us all together like nothing else ever has. The race website says its about team building and that is exactly right. My teammates are from so many departments: Bio Medicine, Maintenance, IT, Patient Relations, the Cath Lab, Administration. There’s nothing else we do that brings us all together like the Anything That Floats race.”

“And, the fun lasts almost all year. We started planning for this summer’s race in March. We can’t wait for August,” he said with a smile.

Spectators who saw last year’s race

REGIONAL CONTROL AS INFLUENZA NUMBERS RISE Due to the high number of influenza (flu) cases in the Rock River Region, OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, Mercyhealth, SwedishAmerican, the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford and Crusader Community Health, in cooperation with the Winnebago County Health Department, are requiring healthcare staff to wear masks if they have not been vaccinated for influenza this season.

Hospital visitors are limited to 18 years of age and older, until further notice. Anyone showing flu-like symptoms should refrain from visiting patients in the hospital. Visit www.cdc.gov/flu.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Celebration of Manufacturing EXPO & DINNER

April 11 • Cliffbreakers For more info, see page 23 SPONSORED BY

State of the County LUNCHEON

April 25 • Telbala Event Center For more info, see page 23 SPONSORED BY

Continued on page 8

Legislation aims to fight urban blight in region

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

Cities and counties would have a streamlined process to address vacant homes under two new measures sponsored by state Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). Senate bills 2052 and 2097 implement recommendations made by the Illinois Community Revitalization Task Force, a panel created to help reduce blighted properties and revitalize communities throughout Illinois.

“Blighted properties don’t just affect one or two neighbors, they can have a ripple effect on an entire block,” Stadelman said. He partnered with Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara and the Illinois Housing Development Authority to work on a legislative fix.

“Sen. Stadelman recognizes the impact that foreclosures have had in Rockford, and I appreciate all of his

State Sen. Steve Stadelman and Shawn Connors, Rockford Fire Department, speak in Springfield on the dangers abandoned properties pose for first responders. work in Springfield to help mitigate this issue, which has made it difficult for many of our homeowners to recover from the economic downtown,” Mayor McNamara said. “My administration has taken aggressive action to strengthen our neighborhoods, including working with the city council to develop a vacant

property registry and a land bank. Both these will reduce the impact of blighted and abandoned homes.”

Senate Bill 2052 allows municipalities to transfer governmentowned properties to a county or intergovernmental agency without Continued on page 4

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Mike Mastroianni joins Rockford Chamber as SBDC director with Rock Valley College Beginning April 1, former Rock Valley as well as his private College President Mike consulting work, he has Mastroianni joins the provided a wide range of Rockford Chamber professional development of Commerce as the services including human new director for the resources, organization Illinois Small Business leadership, strategic Development Center. The planning, health care and program is a partnership personal development. between the Illinois “He brings tremenDCEO and the Small dous executive talent and Business Administration Mike Mastroianni resources to the table for that offers counseling us,” said Einar Forsman, and technical assistance president/CEO of the training at no cost to entrepreneurs, small Rockford Chamber of Commerce. “Mike business owners and individuals seeking is someone who is very strong in training to start their own businesses. and development, and who has an accesIn only its second year, the Illinois sible style that will be very supportive for SBDC at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce exceeded all of its annual our SBDC clients.”

His deep ties to the community will goals of helping many businesses startup, advance or grow. This is the third year add substantial strength to this valuable program. operating an SBDC in this region.

“I am honored to be the SBDC Strong Community Ties director and to work with Einar and As the new director, Mike Mastroianni the chamber in advancing the support brings vast experience in the Rockford for small businesses,” Mastroianni said. region as a community leader, mentor, “Entrepreneurs create jobs and wealth in facilitator and consultant to many local our region, and I look forward to helping businesses and organizations. In his work the community in my new role.”

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

Machesney Park assists owners of flood-damaged homes As the Rock River flooding recedes, the Village of Machesney Park has started sending out assessment teams to visit homes to assess damages and inspect for structural damage and healthrelated issues. There is no charge to residents for the assessments, but residents must undergo an inspection by an assessment team that includes village inspectors before any rebuilding can occur. This allows the village to ensure that repairs are being completed safely and properly.

Homes that are not accessible by the assessment teams will be stickered with a notice advising occupants how to arrange for an inspection of the home prior to occupying the structure.

Following the inspection, property owners and contractors must apply for building permits at Village Hall, 300 Roosevelt Road.

Application forms are available at machesneypark.org or tinyurl. com/vmppermit and are required for all plumbing-related work, including water heater replacements; furnace and/or air conditioner replacements; structural repairs such as damage to foundation walls, exterior or interior walls; all electrical work, and replacement steps, stoops or decks. Building permit fees will be waived for work in flood-affected areas. For questions, call 815-877-5432.

About the SBDC The Illinois SBDC at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce offers services free of charge to aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Rockford area, both chamber members and nonmembers. As a partnership between the Rockford Chamber and the Illinois DCEO, it operates out of NIU EIGERlab, NIU-Rockford, 8500 E. State St., and maintains an office at the chamber’s downtown location. For questions, call 815-987-8100.

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

APRIL 2019

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PROFILE Member Profile

JC Milling Co. celebrates 40 years in business

By Paul Anthony Arco Dean Svarc didn’t know anything about Rockford. “I had never even been to Rockford,” said the Chicago native. So he was taking a chance, four years ago, when he purchased JC Milling Co., a state-of-theart precision CNC machine shop.

JC Milling makes parts for a variety of industries around the country including gas and oil, medical, aerospace, manufacturing, automotive and military applications. The company’s capabilities include precision CNC machining, milling, turning, grinding as well as cutting tool design.

In 2015, Dean Svarc bought the business from original owners John and Helen Czackowski, who opened the shop in 1979. John worked for Ingersoll before he started JC Milling on the side. Svarc saw a world of potential. “The core of the company was great,” he said. “The quality was excellent and the personnel had tremendous skills. There were some improvements to efficiencies that I thought needed to be made.”

The change in ownership was an adjustment for the employees. “They were used to a certain way of things being done,” said Svarc, who increased the number of employees from 18 to more than 30, added

eight additional CNC machines, upgraded the IT infrastructure and added 36 more computers. These changes eventually led to moving the operations from Loves Park to Machesney Park. “We spent a considerable amount of money getting the facility to be a good representation of the type of work and culture we have at JC Milling.”

Taking a Career Leap Svarc’s interest in becoming a machinist started in high school and continued at the College of Lake County. He participated in a national organization called Vocational Industrial Clubs of America, which is now known as SkillsUSA. Svarc’s school competed against other schools both locally and nationally. “Large companies brought their machines to the competition, and we were given a part that we had to make to spec in a designated timeframe,” he said. “It was a big deal back then. All the people who owned shops attended these competitions. It was a chance to prove yourself to people who were looking to hire machinists.”

Svarc became a journeyman machinist. He worked for several CNC machining companies, starting on manual machines and working up to CNCs and programming, while also

working as a mechanic on the side. He eventually left the machine business and spent 12 years as a business systems analyst and worked his way up to a senior project manager at Abbott Laboratories.

Even though he enjoyed the machining profession, Svarc made a career change, when business began to go overseas.

But after years of saving money, Svarc and his wife, Dominique, decided to get back in the game professionally and purchase a precision machine shop. They moved from McHenry to the Rockford area when they acquired JC Milling.

Much has changed for JC Milling, who was nominated as the Rockford Chamber’s Manufacturer of the Year.

Svarc started JC University, an in-house 18-week training program for production employees. He also brought in a 401K, profit sharing program; beefed up employee benefits, such as absorbing all the insurance costs increases for 2019; a low $500 deductible for insurance and

JC MILLING President: Dean Svarc 1275 Turret Dr., Machesney Park 815-654-1070 www.jcmilling.com

Dean and Dominique Svarc moved to Rockford to acquire JC Milling and in a few years have significantly grown the business. continuing the Christmas bonus program.

“We have a great team full of excellent people,” he said. “We are a company known for high quality. And we have the ability to grow in the future.”

For Svarc, there has been a learning curve when it comes to running his own business. But he has no regrets.

“We love Rockford,’’ he said. “There’s a hometown feel here with plenty of pride.

We’ve received so much support from Rock Valley College, RAEDC, the chamber and others. We’re proud to be here.”

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| APRIL 2019

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

Guest Perspective insight

Let’s retain our best and brightest Taking it ‘beyond college prep’ One of the biggest challenges in our community is the lack of a qualified workforce. Yet, for many years, we have been losing our brightest and most talented youth to bigger cities like Chicago. In some ways, I believe it’s because we have failed to show them the opportunities available right in their own backyard.

Today, we think there’s a way for business and education to work together toward mutual goals.

Our goal is to graduate students who will be tomorrow’s leaders. We want to teach them the skills and knowledge they will need to be successful in their future careers, including: ■■ The ability to think critically and creatively ■■ An entrepreneurial spirit ■■ Constant curiosity ■■ The ability to translate theory into practice and apply lessons to real-world problem solving The goal of business is clearly to keep those leaders in Rockford. Getting students excited about local career opportunities is a key part of keeping them here.

Beyond College Prep

Community Collaboration To prepare tomorrow’s leaders, For our older students a big part will is Key we need to think differently about be developing exploratory opportunities education, both in what we teach and how we teach. We need to innovate in our classrooms at the pace of innovation outside of our classrooms. We have to extend learning to environments and experiences beyond what students can get in a classroom setting. There’s a need for something bigger and better.

With that in mind, Keith School recently introduced a continuous learning approach called “Beyond College Prep.” Beginning in the upcoming school year, we will enhance our already highly successful academic approach with two one-week intersessions in 2019/20 – one in the fall and one in the spring.

In the 2020/21 school year, we’ll grow that to four one-week intersessions.

Rather than taking away classroom time, we augment it with additional days learning outside the traditional classroom. In these intersessions, we will offer programmed activities and experiences appropriate for students at each grade level.

Career Exploration Opportunities

for these curious minds to help them grow and gain insight into their career interests. These opportunities could include job shadowing and deep-dive visits to local and regional businesses.

For our seniors, we’ll take it a step further with customized week-long programs based on their career interests and goals. They’ll have new opportunities to gain first-hand insight and possibly internships from our community partners.

We want to arm them with as much information as possible – before they go to college and choose a major. The more we can expose our students to different workplaces, fields of study and working environments, the closer they’ll get to that eureka moment of knowing: “This is what I want to do, and this is where I want to work.” Just as important, they’ll gain insight into what they don’t want to do. By doing so, we’ll have more college graduates who are excited about their career choices once they enter the workforce.

Urban Blight

Legislation takes aim at fentanyl

triggering the formal statutory process that is imposed on non-home rule municipalities including Rockford.

Senate Bill 2097 gives counties authority to purchase blighted properties to renovate them for resale and keep the profits of the sale in order to renovate more homes.

Both measures passed out of committee this week and head to the Senate floor for a vote. theVoice

Senate Bill 199 could put illegal selling and possession of fentanyl on the same level as heroin. Fentanyl now is the drug most frequently involved in overdoses in the United States, according to a 2018 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, but current Illinois criminal law treats it as a lesser threat.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. While commercially sold as a prescription pain reliever, much of the drug involved in overdoses and deaths is made illegally. It is often mixed in with heroin and cocaine by dealers.

SB 199 creates a Class 1 felony penalty structure for the illegal possession of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, targeted at illegal dealers and suppliers of the drug. It passed the Senate Criminal Law committee unanimously and now is awaiting a vote by the full Senate.

(continued from front page)

Source: Sen. Stadelman’s Weekly Bulletin March 15, 2019

Source: Sen. Syverson’s Week in Review: March 18-22, 2019

Dr. Robert Willis Keith Country Day School

To make this approach a success, it’s critical to have involvement at all levels of the community. The Rockford Chamber has wholeheartedly joined our cause, and we’ve confirmed community organizations and businesses willing to invest their time and energy in providing experiences for our students that will set them – and our region – apart.

Helping our youth gain insight and inspiration … outside of a traditional classroom is critical to cultivating and maintaining talent that will impact our regional economic development.

We’ve already partnered with local and regional businesses, government agencies, cultural organizations, educational institutions and non-profits.

But there’s room for many more.

Helping our youth gain insight and inspiration in exploring careers and areas of interest outside of a traditional classroom is critical to cultivating and maintaining talent that will impact our regional economic development in the long run.

If you would like to be part of this uniquely different program and help us inspire young leaders, grow our talent and grow our region, please contact us.

Dr. Robert Willis is interim head of school for Keith Country Day School. He can be reached at robert.willis@keithschool.net.

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

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

APRIL 2019

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A FEW WORDS FROM RPS 205 SUPERINTENDENT

Companies playing a greater role shaping tomorrow’s workforce Pathway Sponsorships can take commitment to students to next level East High School senior Corey Hirsch had a career immersion experience this winter that many people could only wish for. For four hours, he walked through the Collins Aerospace facility in Rockford, listening to engineers describe their jobs.

One engineer, Osyria Webster, was especially generous with advice. She described in detail the non-linear route she took to electrical engineering.

She had been a dentist for 10 years in Louisiana when she realized she needed to pursue a childhood dream.

So she went back to school to get her engineering degree. When she felt a bit rusty with difficult concepts, she watched YouTube videos to get her up to speed.

She knew she needed a dynamic and diverse career, and her work at Collins fits the bill. But she cautioned Corey his chosen field won’t be easy; more students enroll in engineering than complete it.

“Rely on your classmates,” she told him. “Don’t try to figure things out on your own. There’s only so much you’re going to be able to get from your instruction.” And don’t just aim to get through school, she told him. Use your education to figure out how to work smarter, not harder.

Webster also told Corey to take advantage of any internships and career fairs. “Get that face-to-face interaction.

Put that resume in someone’s hand,” she said.

Shaping Curriculum For all the wisdom from Webster, Corey’s job shadow didn’t stop there.

He toured the assembly floor with a mechanical engineer. He toured the

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

Deadline is the 15th of the month preceding ­publication date. 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.

company’s one-of-a-kind, aircraft power systems simulator with a program engineer. He sat in on a conference.

What Corey did that day was not a one-off. In the coming years, RPS 205 high school students can expect similar mentoring experiences as part of a new academy pathway sponsorship program.

The program is in partnership with Alignment Rockford and was approved by the Rockford School Board last month. It means that companies like Collins Aerospace can make a financial commitment at levels that vary from $2,500 to $10,000. The businesses have access to students with interest in that industry, and they can help shape curriculum. They receive recognition for their contributions.

At its essence, a pathway sponsorship is a way for community partners to have a greater role in preparing the members of tomorrow’s workforce.

We remain tremendously grateful

for the support these partners already provide -- and will continue to provide -- to the district. Many companies and organizations lend their employees to serve on our Academy Support Teams.

They participate in a myriad of other activities in the schools.

Pathway sponsorships, though, offer a route for even deeper and more powerful mentoring experiences, like the job shadow that Corey Hirsch had at Collins Aerospace.

We are so grateful to Collins and other pathway sponsors for being willing to take their commitment to our students to the next level.

Building Area’s Talent Pipeline I’ve said it before: The only way to build a strong talent pipeline in Rockford is to build a solid structure for employer engagement. Pathway sponsorships offer such a structure, providing the guaranteed college and career readiness experiences students

need

and

deserve.

Corey Hirsch would

Dr. Ehren Jarrett Superintendent RPS 205

like to be a mechanical engineer. He’s interested in the Northern Illinois University-Rock Valley College Engineering Partnership, which would allow him to get an engineering degree without having to leave Rockford.

Wherever

Corey’s

career

takes

him, he can call upon the advice from Osyria Webster again and again. That’s the power of community connections, and that’s the promise of pathway sponsorships.

Dr. Ehren Jarrett is superintendent of Rockford Public Schools.

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

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theVoice

igniteYoung Professionals Shattering non-profit myths

Working every day doing what we love

Recently, I was in a conversation and was asked what I do for a living. I told them I work for a non-profit, and their immediate response was, “aw, you poor thing.”

Non-profits have to pay for things just like anyone else.

You know, things like paying the electric bill, paying for snow removal and salting, and every other bill that comes when you own a building.

Brooke Schrieber IGNITE

comes when you own a building. Long story short, nonprofits have to earn a profit to keep them up and running.

Myth: Nonprofits get most of their funding from foundations Reality: I’m sure when you think of a non-profit, one of the first things that comes to mind is donations. At RAMP, we LOVE donations just like any non-profit does. Every donation helps! Yes… we do get money from foundations, but we also have many other areas we get our funding from.

To name a few, RAMP gets funding from special events, selling curriculums, renting out our patio and parking lot,

I was taken aback at first. Then I realized that it is common knowledge that a lot of people think working for a non-profit means you are working for free. That is called volunteering. Nonprofits have to pay their employees just like any other business, and non-profits have to sustain themselves just like any other business.

I was doing a little research, and I want to share with you some of the myths about non-profits, and how they are not true.

Myth: Nonprofits don’t have paid staff; they only use volunteers Reality: WHAT? You guys. … This is not real. Non-profits have to pay their employees just like any other business.

If we did not get paid to work, we would be volunteering. Estimated in 2013, the nonprofit sector employed more than 14.4 million people. Could you imagine if that many people worked for free? It is not possible. Non-profits have to pay their employees; it’s a business. Yes, non-profits are a business.

Myth: Nonprofits can’t earn a profit Reality: From what you just read, you can see this is not true. We have to make a profit to pay our employees;, to create new programs and to sustain ourselves as a business.

So I guess the word non-profit is a little misleading. The “profit” of a nonprofit organization is called a net asset, which is calculated by deducting expenses and losses from the amount of revenue. Any profits are rolled back into the business and not distributed to any owners or shareholders. Non-profits have to pay for things just like anyone else. You know, things like paying the electric bill, paying for snow removal and salting, and every other bill that

offering food truck lunches during the summer (check out our Facebook page in the summer for details), individual donors, churches, corporations, etc.

Yes, foundations are so impactful and help make our organization run like a well-oiled machine.

Like I said above, we have a lot of different ways to fundraise and take it upon ourselves to seek out our own sources of revenue. We are pulling out everything we can think of to sustain ourselves. Our mission states “Encouraging individuals with disabilities to reach their full potential and to be independent.” If we are helping our consumers be independent, we thought that we should be independent ourselves.

I will explain in detail about one of the funding sources I mentioned -- renting out our patio space, fully furnished with couches, tables, lights, etc. We are having it open to use to the public for a sponsorship, hosting employees/customers, bridal/birthday/ reunion parties. You can pay by the hour. The options are endless, and we welcome any new ideas for its use.

Now that you know we don’t work for free, stop feeling sorry for us. We get to go to work every day doing what we love, and we are changing lives in the meantime. Like I said, don’t feel sorry for us, we love it!

Brooke Schrieber is development associate at RAMP and a member of IGNITE. The views expressed are those of Schrieber’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice

APRIL 2019

 Destination

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ILLINOIS, USA

ADDING WEALTH TO THE REGION’S ECONOMY BY GROWING TOURISM

State, region breaks records in tourism numbers

John Groh Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Strong link between tourism and healthy economies

The staff at RACVB was thrilled to be honored recently at the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism for a couple of local initiatives that are proving to be beneficial for our region.

Sure, these awards give us a few more plaques for the walls, but they are important mostly because they encourage us in our work and reinforce the knowledge that what we do makes a difference to the economic wellbeing of our region.

Tourism is big business, locally and for the state. Did you know that the Office of Tourism is under the auspices of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity? That’s right, where it belongs because of the tremendous impact tourism has on state and local economies. The most recent statistics indicate that the number of visitors to Illinois destinations has risen seven years in a row to a recordbreaking 114 million in 2017. The U.S. Travel Association’s most recent report indicated that tourism put 335,500 Illinois residents to work during that year.

Visitors spending for goods and services in the state totaled $39.5 billion for 2017, which generated $2.95 billion in state and local tax revenue. That affects my household and yours to the tune of about $1,300 in tax savings each year. I’m on board with that! Tourism is one of the state’s most important industries.

The local picture is just as encouraging. Tourism continues to grow faster in Winnebago County than in any other metropolitan area in Illinois. Visitors spent a record $383.7 million in the county in 2017; more than an eight percent increase from the previous year. Tourism supported 3,084 jobs with an $93.9 million payroll and generated $6.78 million in local tax revenue.

Awards Underscore Tourism’s Importance The awards RACVB received showcase why tourism is so important locally. RACVB was recognized for “Best Branding Initiative” for the Bring Your Game 2 Rockford (BYG2RKFD) sports marketing campaign. The campaign features the region’s multiuse sports facilities and local notables

Tourism continues to grow faster in Winnebago County than in any other metropolitan area in Illinois. The most recent statistics indicate that the number of visitors to Illinois destinations has risen seven years in a row. including Fred VanVleet, Kenny Gould, Corey Anderson and Nicole Briscoe.

RACVB also was recognized for “Best Cooperative Partnership” for the Rockford Peaches 75th Anniversary events that took place last summer.

RACVB was proud to help plan, promote and execute various events in a wonderful partnership with the International

Women’s

Baseball

Center and Friends of Beyer Stadium.

The local celebration drew widespread national

attention

and

further

cemented Rockford’s reputation as the cradle of baseball.

RACVB continues to work with local partners to create and promote new events and attractions that both improve quality of life for area residents and attract visitors. Our success and the astounding local tourism statistics trace directly to the creative and hard-working staffs at every local recreational and cultural venue, at hotels and restaurants and retail outlets throughout the region. They create the experiences that leave residents and visitors alike saying, “Wow, I can’t wait to do that again.”

Thanks to all of you!

John Groh is president/CEO of the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. The mission of the RACVB is to drive quality of life and economic growth for our citizens through tourism marketing and destination development. www.gorockford.com The views expressed are Groh’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

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Raft Race

(continued from front page) will remember OSF’s three entries: a fullscale ambulance with a colorful stars & stripes motif, a full-scale replica of the Life Flight helicopter and a bright red biplane. Crafted from 2 x 4s, plywood and sheet metal, each raft is a labor of love touched by many hands. But, Layng credits two leaders as key individuals whose contributions greatly enhance the “coolness” and seaworthiness of their rafts: Todd Ekern and Tony Williams.

“Todd sees it. He’s the visionary designer who makes the drawings,” said Layng. “Tony knows how to build it and gives us all our tasks. We call him our

‘Mystical Unicorn.’ He literally can make anything possible. He’s an amazing craftsman. Then, it’s all hands on deck.

We have people doing drawings, getting supplies, screwing screws, pounding nails, forming metal, painting, pedaling, paddling, joking, ribbing, organizing, running for food and lending all kinds of other support making our three raft entries possible.”

Layng is 30 years-old and never experienced the original raft race. But, he does recall seeing pictures of it.

“I remember my uncle telling me about it,” he said. “When they re-launched the race, it was cool to see all the old footage and pictures on the race website. I like feeling connected to something on the river that

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

people used to do back in the day.”

In the modern races, Layng and his team enjoy seeing the creativity of other racers, as well.

“It’s great seeing what the other teams come up with. That’s one of my favorite parts of race day,” Layng said. “Like the Metro Insulation shark catamaran: very cool, very fast. The ‘Fragile’ raft with the leg lamp from, ‘A Christmas Story,’ and the paddlers had bunny ears; awesome. Those two guys diving off the diving board over and over again: hilarious. And the team with the actual semi truck cab shooting t-shirts with a t-shirt cannon. That was great, too.”

Mike Paterson of the Rock River Anything That Floats Race Committee, and general manager of Midwest Family Broadcasting, liked the Meiborg Brothers Trucking entry as well.

“Those t-shirts they were shooting out to spectators had truck driver help wanted ads in them,” he said. “They tied a pressing business mission into the race.

We love seeing that sort of initiative. It’s just another example of how creative Rockfordians really are.”

So, landlubbers and river rats alike, now it’s time for you to take the plunge.

What will your team’s mission be in this year’s Rock River Anything That Floats

Race? Race Registration is open now at RRATFR.com where you’ll find rules, regulations, a course map, and even suggestions about how to build a raft.

Come aboard!

Rock River Anything That Floats Race is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and a volunteer effort of people of Prairie Street Brewing Co, the Rockford Park District, Midwest Family Broadcasting, GrahamSpencer Brand + Content Solutions, Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Metro Medical Services, Tyler’s Landscaping, the Rockford YMCA and others. Visit rratfr. com for information. theVoice

theVoice

APRIL 2019

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9

The 2019 ‘Dirty Dozen’ Tax Scams The Internal Revenue Service issued its 2019 list of “Dirty Dozen” tax scams as a reminder for taxpayers to remain vigilant to these often aggressive and evolving schemes throughout the year.

1. Phishing. Be alert to potential fake emails or websites looking to steal personal information. The IRS will never initiate contact with taxpayers via email about a bill or tax refund. Don’t click on one claiming to be from the IRS. Be wary of emails and websites that may be nothing more than scams to steal personal information.

2. Phone Scams. Phone calls from criminals impersonating IRS agents remain an ongoing threat. The IRS has seen a surge of these phone scams in recent years, as con artists threaten taxpayers with police arrest, deportation and license revocation, among other things.

3. Identity Theft. Be alert to tactics aimed at stealing your identity, not just during the tax filing season, but all year long. The IRS, working in conjunction with the Security Summit partnership of state tax agencies and the tax industry, has made major improvements in detecting tax returnrelated identity theft during the last several years, and the IRS continues to aggressively pursue criminals that file fraudulent tax returns using someone else’s Social Security number.

4. Return Preparer Fraud. Be on the lookout for unscrupulous return preparers. The vast majority of tax professionals provide honest, high-quality service. There are some dishonest preparers who operate each filing season to scam clients, perpetuate refund fraud, identity theft and other scams that hurt taxpayers.

5. Inflated Refund Claims.

Taxpayers should take note of anyone promising inflated tax refunds. Those preparers who ask clients to sign a blank return, promise a big refund before looking at taxpayer records or charge fees based on a percentage of the refund are probably up to no good. To find victims, fraudsters may use flyers, phony storefronts or word of mouth via community groups where trust is high.

6. Falsifying Income to Claim Credits. Con artists may convince unsuspecting taxpayers to invent income to erroneously qualify for tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit. Taxpayers should file the most accurate tax return possible because they are legally responsible for what is on their return.

7. Falsely Padding Deductions on Returns. Taxpayers should avoid the temptation to falsely inflate deductions or expenses on their tax returns to pay less than what they owe or potentially receive larger refunds. Think twice before overstating deductions, such as charitable contributions and business expenses,

or

improperly

claiming

credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit.

8.

Fake

Charities.

masquerading

as

Groups charitable

organizations solicit donations from unsuspecting contributors. Be wary of charities with names similar to familiar or nationally known organizations.

Contributors should take a few extra minutes to ensure their hard-earned money goes to legitimate charities.

IRS.gov has tools to check the status of charitable organizations.

9. Excessive Claims for Business Credits. Avoid improperly claiming the fuel tax credit, a tax benefit generally not available to most taxpayers. The credit is usually limited to off-highway business use, including use in farming.

Avoid misuse of the research credit.

Improper claims often involve failures to

participate

in

or

substantiate

qualified research activities or satisfy the requirements related to qualified research expenses.

10.

Offshore

Tax

Avoidance.

Successful enforcement actions against offshore cheating show it’s a bad bet to hide money and income offshore.

11. Frivolous Tax Arguments.

Frivolous tax arguments may be used to avoid paying tax. Promoters of frivolous schemes encourage taxpayers to make unreasonable and outlandish claims about the legality of paying taxes despite being repeatedly thrown out in court. The penalty for filing a frivolous tax return is $5,000.

12. Abusive Tax Shelters: Abusive tax structures including trusts and syndicated conservation easements are sometimes used to avoid paying taxes.

The IRS is committed to stopping complex tax avoidance schemes and the people who create and sell them. The vast majority of taxpayers pay their fair share, and everyone should be on the lookout for people peddling tax shelters that sound too good to be true. When in doubt, seek an independent opinion regarding complex products offered.

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| APRIL 2019

B U S I N E S S

theVoicE • rockfordchamber.com

G R O W T H

F O R

T H E

R O C K F O R D

R E G I O N

Economic Development RAAN Aerospace Symposium features NASA as keynote speaker The Rockford Area Aerospace Network (RAAN) has confirmed James Bridenstine from NASA as the keynote speaker for the fourth-annual Aerospace Symposium, thanks to the support of Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL 16th District).

“We are excited to welcome Jim Bridenstine to the Rockford Region as the keynote speaker for this event,” said Jarrid Funderburg, vice president of business and investor relations for the RAEDC and staff liaison for RAAN. “Our Aerospace Symposium is continuing to grow year after year and attract the attention of larger companies and organizations. The addition of NASA to this event shows us we are on the right path.”

The 2019 Aerospace Symposium is being held at Giovanni’s Restaurant & Conference Center in Rockford,

Tuesday, April 23, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The expansion into a full-day event allows for breakout sessions as well as time to connect with exhibitors without missing the keynote speaker.

Topics include industrial automation, supplier development, application of augmented reality, workforce development as well as vision systems for assembly.

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting this event. Platinum sponsors: Collins Aerospace and Woodward, Inc.; Gold sponsors: American Standard Circuits, Armoloy of Illinois, Clinkenbeard, Diablo Furnaces and EC Solutions.

For more information about the RAAN Aerospace Symposium, visit RockfordAerospace.com or contact Anna Garrison at AGarrison@ RockfordIL.com or 815-969-4261.

Upcoming Tradeshows, Events, Training Opportunities The RAEDC attends a wide range of tradeshows, conferences and events throughout the year. The method of cultivating opportunities to create and attract primary jobs may differ at each event, but the goal is to increase the economic well-being of our region.

We will be at the following tradeshows the first portion of 2019 to promote our region as “Your Opportunity Region.”

ProFood Tech, March 26 to 28, Chicago: The defining event for food and beverage processing. Offering solutions for all food and beverage sectors and a robust educational program, ProFood Tech is the most comprehensive processing event in North America. This biennial event debuted in 2017 and is returning to McCormick Place in March 2019, with even more opportunities for networking and education.

MRO Americas, April 9 to 11, Atlanta, Ga: This fair is open to trade visitors only and brings together global airline managers, suppliers, maintenance specialists and security experts to discuss how the benefits of the industry can be enhanced

and how the industry can be made environmentally friendly at the same time.

Making the most of tax credits & incentives The Rockford Area Economic Development Council’s (RAEDC) CARE Committee has organized a Credits & Incentives seminar to help regional businesses understand tax credits that are available as well as incentives that may be beneficial to their business.

Working with Baker Tilly and The Business Valued Advisor Fund, FirstPathway Community Development and Southside Community Optimal Redevelopment Enterprises, attendees learned about federal, state and local incentives that can help the business save money.

Almost 100 people attended the event, representing 65 companies ranging from service providers such as bankers, financial advisors, lawyers, to those in manufacturing, and even municipalities. If you were not able to attend, contact your business partners to learn more about how your company can benefit from these opportunities.

“Meeting with hundreds of business owners has allowed me to understand that many regional businesses don’t know about these opportunities and aren’t taking advantage of these costsavings measures,” said Gerald (Jerry) Sagona, VP for business development

with the RAEDC. Some of the topics included:

■■ Opportunity Zones ■■ Foreign Trade Zone ■■ HUB Zone ■■ EDGE Tax Credits ■■ Advantage Illinois ■■ Enterprise Zones ■■ Rivers Edge Redevelopment Zones ■■ Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) ■■ TIF Districts ■■ CDBG Funds “Organizing seminars such as this provides the opportunity to align the needs and services between business owners and partners, thus increasing the long-term economic well-being of our region,” said Nathan Bryant, president & CEO of the RAEDC. The RAEDC would like to thank presenting sponsor; Baker Tilly and The Business Valued Advisor Fund, and supporting sponsors; Stillman Bank.

Nathan Bryant, president & CEO of the RAEDC, welcomes guests to the Credits & Incentives seminar organized by the RAEDC’s Company Attraction, Retention, & Expansion (CARE) Solutions Team.

Advanced Manufacturing New York, June 11 to 13, New York, N.Y.: For 36 years, engineers and executives have gathered in New York to experience the latest innovations in medtech, automation, packaging and plastics in real life. With more than 550 companies showcasing technologies and solutions across the advanced design and manufacturing industry, it’s a must attend for staying current in advanced manufacturing.

Paris Air Show, June 17 to 23, Paris, France: The International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget brings the entire industry together once every two years. With 2,381 international companies, the International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget offers more commercial and marketing opportunities.

The International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget is the ideal event at which to discover all the market’s latest innovations and developments. This is where the major aviation and space technologies and trends emerge.

Nathan Bryant RAEDC

■■ New Market Tax Credits

SAVE THE DATE

Spring Soiree, an investor event

The RAEDC is hosting our Spring Soiree on Tuesday, May 14, 5 to 7 p.m. This investor event welcomes current as well as future investors. Learn about the impact of the RAEDC and how collaboration between economic development partners, the community and the education system make our region, Your Opportunity Region.

For more information visit RockfordIL.com/ events.

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

APRIL 2019

|

11

Why Welding, Why RCC? Just 10 months to a lucrative career

Michael O’Herron Rockford Career College

Students undergo rigorous, intensive training over 10 months at Rockford Career College’s campus lab.

Welding program director, Dave Rodden, has more than 20 years experience.

Every Friday, the lab is open and instructors are available to help students with additional skill development.

Welding is a great career path, so great that welders have the ability to earn six-figure salaries with the right experience and in the right position.

At Rockford Career College (RCC), our welding students complete their training in just 10 months.

Don’t believe me when I say that welders could have amazing careers? A simple Internet search does the trick.

One day, I searched “why is welding a great career” and immediately found a website called gowelding. org. The article on this site titled, “7 Incredible Facts About a Career in Welding,” explains how welding could be a lucrative career depending on the industry and location you choose.

Many sectors of the economy are in desperate need of welders and pay high salaries to those willing to travel and put in tremendous effort (“7 Incredible Facts,” n.d.). In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics even estimates that there will be 22,500 welding job openings between now and 2026 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). With demand rising rapidly, now could be the perfect time to learn this trade.

You don’t need to spend three, four or even five years in college racking up student debt to begin a worthwhile career. In only 10 months, you could learn the entry-level skills you need such as Stick, MIG, TIG and Flux Core from our industry-experienced professionals. Our students undergo rigorous, intensive training in our own campus lab. Students can then earn a Certified Welding Inspection (CWI) report from the American Welding Society (AWS) in any welding process of their choosing using Stick, Flux Core, MIG or TIG on mild steel material up to 3/8”.

Welding is a great career path — so great that welders have the ability to earn as much as doctors and lawyers with the right experience and in the right job.

Our welding program director, Dave Rodden, has more than 20 years of experience in the trade. He works with students one-on-one in the classroom and lab, and he does whatever it takes to help our students get into the field.

Dave is a fantastic instructor, mentor and leader who constantly goes above and beyond the call of duty for his students. Talk to any of our welding graduates, and they will all say the same thing. Dave Rodden has been a staple in the welding program since its inception and a crucial reason as to why we have had so much success with graduating and employing future skilled leaders.

Dave has been instrumental in our graduates’ and program’s success. Dave connects with each of his students because he cares deeply about their futures. He partners with the other welding faculty and our career services department to make sure every graduate has career opportunities. He also contacts local employers to network and fulfill hiring needs.

At RCC, our classes run Monday to Thursday, day and evening. Every Friday, the lab is open and instructors are available to help students with additional skill development. Graduates come back all the time to keep their skills sharp.

I recently ran into one of our welding graduates, Pat. Pat is working

at Honeywell on second shift but comes in regularly to work in the lab with Dave to improve his skills. This is just one of a thousand examples of Dave going above and beyond to prepare future welders!

At RCC, we care about each of our students and their successes, time, career paths and investments. We don’t just focus on the technical skills. We also develop those much needed “soft” skills frequently sought by employers. Having strong interpersonal skills, professional development, and self-confidence is just as important as learning how to weld.

Our staff and faculty constantly give 110 percent when it comes to serving and supporting our students.

Explore a welding career with one of our admissions representatives and get enrolled today. Need to hire some great welders? Call Phyllis or Tasha in our career services department, and they can set you up with some interviews this week.

RCC is both an excellent place to learn and a valuable community partner.

References Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (2018, September 4). Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved from https:// www.bls.gov/ooh/production/welders-cutterssolderers-and-brazers.htm 7 incredible facts about a career in welding. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gowelding.org/ articles/facts-about-career-welding/ Michael O’Herron is campus president at Rockford Career College.

Sponsored by Rockford Career College

12

| moving business forward / attracting talent

National Indicators theRegional, economy February 2019



Unemployment Rate

0.2 percent 3.8 percent

      

Payroll Employment Average Hourly Earnings Producer Price Index Employment Cost Index Productivity U.S. Import Price Index U.S. Export Price Index

Goodwill, The Workforce Connection empower workers and build talented teams

20,000 $0.11 0.1 percent 0.7 percent (fourth quarter, 2018) 1.9 percent (fourth quarter, 2018) 0.6 percent 0.6 percent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Unemployment Rates Region / State / Nation Nov 2018

Dec 2018

Jan 2019

Feb 2019

Rockford

9.3

6.3

7.1

---

Chicago

3.6

3.6

4.4

---

Illinois

4.2

4.3

4.3

---

United States

3.7

3.9

4.0

3.8

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Most & Least Innovative States The U.S. is projected to spend $581 billion on research and development in 2019 — more than any other country in the world and about 25 percent of the world’s total — helping the nation rank No. 6 on the Global Innovation Index. With this in mind, WalletHub released its report on 2019’s Most & Least Innovative States; comparing the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 24 key metrics, from share of STEM professionals to R&D spending per capita. Illinois hovered somewhere in the middle.

Innovation in Illinois 25th 27th 37th 31st 16th 17th 13th

Share of STEM Professionals Projected STEM-Job Demand by 2020 Eighth-Grade Math & Science Performance Share of Science & Engineering Graduates Aged 25+ Share of Technology Companies R&D Spending per Capita Venture-Capital Funding per Capita

(1=Most; 25=Avg.)

2018 Global Innovation Index Rankings 1.

Switzerland

2.

Netherlands

3.

Sweden

4.

United Kingdom

5.

Singapore

6.

United States of America

Guest Perspective insight

Talent acquisition.

Join the Goodwill revolution

U.S. Indicators Consumer Price Index

APRIL 2019 • theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

As a social enterprise employing around 550 people in the northern Illinois area, we know about the challenges of recruiting and retaining a talented workforce. We, along with anyone else hiring, grapple with the lowest nationwide unemployment since 1969.

None of the techniques used to find our future employees is any different than those used by other mediumsized organizations – applicant tracking systems, designing a brand that distinguishes us as an employer (Smiling Faces Going Places), using social media to establish our brand and promote our openings, referral bonuses and creative bench strength-building programs to attain talent once they start for Goodwill.

We, along with anyone else hiring, grapple with the lowest nationwide unemployment since 1969.

These techniques are your basic toolkit for recruiting employees. There is nothing revolutionary about these practices.

Getting a Hand Up, Not Out Where the revolution comes in is the work we do related to our mission.

Some of our greatest contributors to our workforce happen to be people with barriers who are looking for a hand up, not a hand out. As we look to the future, we look to further integrate our mission in our workforce.

We know that there are thousands of individuals looking for work right here in our community; many of whom need a chance to learn, grow and share their skills in the workforce. While unemployment is low, unemployment for individuals with disabilities is still twice the rate of those without disabilities. Individuals who have had conflict with the criminal justice system still face challenges in obtaining work and those without education credentials continue to struggle. We understand the power of case management, job coaching and recognizing talent in many diverse forms can build work environments that act as extended families to help all employees to succeed.

Courtney Geiger Goodwill

The Power of Work You don’t have to be Goodwill to figure out how to use alternate workforce Ginnie Weckerly resources.

Goodwill Goodwill is lucky enough to have a partner at The Workforce Connection, where employers leverage their talent acquisition strategies through a number of diverse tools, including innovative strategies to help individuals obtain the training they need for success in our current workforce.

For example, when a local staffing agency and manufacturer could not find candidates with the right skills and credentials, The Workforce Connection helped with arranging and funding training in the skills needed so the employer could hire individuals who could do the job from day one. The Workforce Connection has so many tools to help recruit, retain and reTRAIN employees. If you haven’t been to one of The Workforce Connection sites in Rockford, Belvidere or Freeport recently, we encourage you to check it out and see how you can connect to programs and people for your business.

Goodwill is a proud partner and member of NICNE. We were excited to write an article on behalf of NICNE about something that is our passion – finding work. At the core of Goodwill’s mission is to help people with barriers improve their lives through the power of work. We work daily to help community members find the right job – in turn this helps our community businesses find the talent they need to succeed in this rapidly changing world of talent acquisition.

Goodwill’s work in our community changes lives. Are you ready to change lives too?

Ginnie Weckerly is HR director and Courtney Geiger is director of mission services at Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois.

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

Top five reasons to become a Foreign Trade Zone

Incorporating this benefit into your business model

Manufacturers in northern Illinois can now apply to become a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) or subzone through the Greater Rockford Airport Authority. An FTZ site is a specific geographic area, typically an industrial building that is outside of U.S. Customs Territory. It helps reduce the cost of manufacturing; making domestic manufacturing more cost competitive than overseas production. An FTZ creates a level playing field that allows companies in our region to compete effectively in the global economy.

Could an FTZ increase your company’s profitability?

If any of the scenarios below apply to you, it may be worth pursuing a feasibility study to learn if an FTZ could be beneficial to your company.

1. You import significant volumes of dutiable merchandise.

If you’re not using any duty deferral or reduction tools, you are paying tariffs when your imports are processed at the port-of-entry. Regardless of the final use or customers, you have no control over the timing of the payment of the import tariff. A Foreign Trade Zone allows you to defer the payment of the import duty until the time when the imported product leaves your facility; entering U.S. customs territory.

2. The timeline for receiving your imports is important for your business model.

Imported merchandise can sit for multiple days at a port-of-entry while awaiting customs processing.

Inspections can add further delays, and strikes of port worker unions are an ongoing risk. An FTZ eliminates the risk of delays to your shipments because the product comes directly to

moving business forward / attracting talent

HARRY HERZOG FIRST FOREIGN TRADE ZONE, WPA POSTER, 1937

rockfordchamber.com • theVoice • APRIL 2019

your facility; bypassing customs at the port-of-entry.

3. Your imports are regulated by federal agencies such as the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA and other regulatory agencies forbid certain imports into U.S. customs territory if they do not meet various health and safety requirements. An FTZ enables companies to import products and then modify them into final products that meet regulatory requirements. In this way, companies can supply a final product to the U.S. market that meets federal regulations using imports that otherwise wouldn’t be allowed in the U.S. market.

4. You manufacture a product that has a lower duty rate than its imported components.

If you are paying high duty rates on parts that are incorporated into your finished product, you may be able to reduce those payments by paying only the duty on the final product, rather than the duty on the imported components. This is called the “inverted tariff benefit” of the FTZ program, and it’s achieved by receiving production authority from the National FTZ Board.

5. A significant portion of your imports are never sold to the U.S. market.

If a large portion of your imports are re-exported or scrapped as waste, you can eliminate the tariff due on the imported components that are never sold to the U.S. market.

To learn more about FTZ #176 visit ftzrockford.com or contact Carrie Zethmayr at 312-221-1115.

13

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| moving business forward / attracting talent

APRIL 2019 • theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

Guest Perspective insight

Guest Perspective insight

Layoffs present challenges … and opportunities

How to find and attract the right job candidates

There’s help for ‘upskilling’ newly hired workers

The upcoming layoffs of hundreds of auto workers at the area auto assembly plant and its suppliers will lead to a noticeable increase in the local unemployment rate and unexpected hardship for the affected workers and their families. These events provide both a challenge for the local community and opportunities for area employers.

According to recently released data compiled by the Conference Board, area employers advertised to fill more than 7,000 positions in January.

In recent months, staff at The Workforce Connection have noticed an increase in the number of employers looking for new workers.

According to recently released data compiled by the Conference Board, area employers advertised to fill more than 7,000 positions in January. There has been consistent demand over the past several months in nursing, truck driving and transportation, retail sales and engineering.

On-the-Job Training Opportunities What we hear repeatedly from employers is the need for employees with essential work skills, which varies from company to company, but most often means workers are on-time, work well with others as part of a team, understand technology, follow

John Strandin The Workforce Connection

instructions and put their cell phones away. I am going to presume that most of the workers being laid off this spring in the auto industry have these essential skills and all they need to go to work for a different employer, perhaps in a totally different field, is additional training.

Most, if not all, of these laid off workers will automatically qualify for financial assistance and other services available through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and offered locally by The Workforce Connection.

For former auto workers considering career changes, the possibilities are wide-ranging, from areas like aviation maintenance and industrial maintenance to truck driving and welding to HVAC and the other trades. For employers, this means the availability of experienced workers eligible for on-the-job training to gain the additional skills they need to help make your company successful.

Last year, more than 20 companies in Boone, Stephenson and Winnebago counties successfully partnered with The Workforce Connection to provide training to their new and existing workers. Contact the Business Team at The Workforce Connection at 815-3956619 to find out how we can help you connect to a skilled workforce.

John Strandin is communications manager at The Workforce Connection.

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

Use multiple tactics for seeking out those ‘hidden gems’ We’ve all been there. We have an immediate job opening, but struggle to find the right, talented individual to fill it. But, what if we were proactive in our search? What if we found them, instead of waiting for them to find us?

Here are some simple solutions to give you the edge in finding the right person for the job.

Networking Often times, people think that networking is simply something job hunters do. After all, it gets them in front of potential employers with the hopes of leaving a lasting impression.

But, networking works both ways.

Networking isn’t defined by a certain time and place. It is anywhere people gather. Whether it’s at a Chamber event, the gym or the coffee shop, make time to talk to as many people as you can. You never know where you are going to find talent. It can be the mom who has to rush home to put her kids to bed, the weightlifter who can bench press twice your weight or the barista behind the counter.

Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and start the conversation.

Social and Online Resources An increasingly popular way of discovering candidates is through social media sites, such as LinkedIn. This online resource allows you to search and connect with individuals working, or looking for work, in your line of business.

You may even come across prospects that normally wouldn’t be on your radar, by placing a paid job posting on the site. Once the job posting is made, you have the ability to view, recruit and track candidates who have reviewed your job posting. Reviewing their LinkedIn profile, work experience and qualifications, helps to weed out professional job hunters from potential employees.

Another online route for finding talent are job hiring sites, like monster.com. For a cost, not only can you place a job posting, you can also choose plans to access a resume database. Simply select criteria you are looking for in a candidate, and when a resume is submitted that meets your requirements, it’s made available to you.

Grow Your Own Never

overlook

your

current

Jeanine Woyner Blackhawk Bank

employee base. The most talented and experienced individuals may already be in your midst. Some may be obvious choices for promotions, such as your leads and managers. Yet, most organizations have undiscovered gems just waiting to shine. Sometimes all they need is a little polishing to show their true potential.

This is where the “grow your own” philosophy comes into play. Take time to train and mentor your employees.

Otherwise, you risk them putting their talents to use with someone else. As Zig Ziglar said, “You don’t build a business.

You build people. And, the people build the business.”

Internship Programs Another beneficial way to recruit new talent is through internship programs. Whether they are in high school or college, students are eager to learn and grow. This provides you with the unique advantage of shaping who they become as an employee and potential leader.

In many cases, these students may only work seasonally or on breaks. But, long-term, some may graduate and stay within your organization to become leaders and mentors themselves.

Keep a Database All of the networking, resources and programs in the world are pointless if you don’t maintain a database of the talented individuals you meet along the way. Make sure to keep a detailed list of names, numbers, email addresses and resumes you receive over the years. It’s an effective tool that will aide greatly when you are looking to fill positions.

These are just some of the measures you can take on your journey to finding the right talent to meet your company’s employment needs. If you are looking for additional ways to connect with potential job candidates, Blackhawk Bank offers free human resources consultative services through its Speakers’ Bureau. Call 800-209-2616 or email HumanResourcesGroup@ blackhawkbank.com.

Jeanine Woyner is vice president human resources at Blackhawk Bank.

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

rockfordchamber.com • theVoice • APRIL 2019

moving business forward / attracting talent

15

Guest Perspective insight

Business improvement through strategy execution Dust off those plan binders and put them to work People often ask me how SupplyCore has achieved such remarkable growth.

When I think back to our early days in the late 1980s, when my parents founded SupplyCore, we were a supplier of mechanical components to the Department of Defense. Our office was in the Barber Coleman center and was really about the size of a large closet.

Since then, and after years of developing and refining our procurement and logistic capabilities, we have evolved into a leading supply chain integrator responsible for optimizing information, material and financial flows for the U.S. military and its allies in times of peace and crisis.

That evolution didn’t come about overnight. In fact, it took many years until we experienced rapid growth. In the late 1990s through the early 2000s, our company grew from 12 associates to 100 and from a few million dollars in sales to $65+ million. Today, we employ 250 associates worldwide and have scaled our operations to reach $450 million in sales.

This growth has not only added complexity to our business, but has also presented us with many challenges and opportunities. One of the keys to

addressing these challenges, opportunities and complexities has been our dedication to strategy development AND execution.

suite and throughout your company that executing the strategy should be integrated into weekly, monthly and even daily tasks.

Get Everyone Involved

2. Leverage technology and innovation. At SupplyCore, innovation is intrinsically woven into our culture because we are responsible for optimizing our customers’ supply chains, and optimization often requires innovation.

As our customers’ demands change so do our responsibilities in serving them.

Externally, developing customer-facing software and integrating with customer systems has been an advantage. Internally, technology also allows us to be agile in our strategic planning and execution work. Using an internally-developed software solution as our strategy execution framework has led to adoption of our strategy across our company and has also led to transparency and collaboration throughout our organization. Leveraging technology into your strategic habits reinforces them and adds more value and meaning for all involved in your strategic plan.

For many companies, strategic execution is an afterthought, something bound in the pages of a dusty binder only pulled from a shelf for quarterly or annual review. For companies who want to achieve scale and sustainability, their leadership and management teams must look past dusty binders and let the execution of their strategy permeate through their organization and drive business decisions.

For us at SupplyCore, like many organizations, we’ve experienced highs and lows. Our desire to always continuously improve and to adapt to change are critical drivers behind our focus on strategy development AND execution. In order to do both successfully, we have learned some important lessons: 1. Go from being strategic to strategically tactical.

Embracing strategy execution isn’t easy. It takes time. Developing a strategic plan around mission, vision and values is the first step.

But the most important step is setting in motion the expectation from the executive

Let your Voice be heard MEMBERS: 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

3. Create and support a culture of execution. Managing growth and scaling your operations may keep you up at night.

Continually monitoring, Peter J. Provenzano evaluating and SupplyCore Inc.; adapting your MPOWR® plan as well as communicating your plan can transform your strategy work into a key driver of growth. This work, championed by your leadership team, can also develop a positive, results-oriented environment.

Moving from static, ineffective strategic planning to proactive, agile strategy execution will take a cultural shift.

Leveraging technology can make this shift easier and quicker.

Ultimately, successful adoption lies in leadership’s commitment and courage to throw away the dusty binders and start implementing a strategy framework grounded in daily execution and real-time visibility. If scale and sustainability are what your organization seeks, this is how you get there.

Peter J. Provenzano is president & CEO of SupplyCore Inc., and MPOWR®.

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

16

| APRIL 2019

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

business

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

Business Briefs

Volunteers for Transform Rockford helped re-stock the more than 25 registered Little Free Libraries throughout the region on Read Across America Day on March 1; using some of the left-over books from the community-wide holiday book drive in November and December.

Community Foundation of Northern Illinois’ Community Grants Macktown, A Living History Education Center, received an $18,366 grant for “Lessons From Our Pioneer Past” by the Jon W. Lundin Preservation Fund towards living history programming. Onsite are one of Winnebago County’s earliest buildings (circa 1838), a cabinet maker’s shop and residence, a granary and a oneroom school for children of the Pecatonica settlement, including Native American children.

Northern Illinois Vein Clinic earned the Vein Center accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission; the only vein clinic in the region and one of three in Illinois. The clinic also was granted a three-year accreditation by the IAC in vascular testing.

OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR ACTION Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2018 for implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients; one of only 203 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.

Trekk received an Summit Emerging Media Innovator Award in recognition of its augmented reality Accent TV campaign for International Paper.

Judges recognized the campaign with an Innovator award in the category of Consumer Interactive Media.

Chicago Rockford International Airport now offers valet parking services for customers, who pay cash or credit on the day of arrival. Upon return, their vehicle will be waiting for them in front of the main terminal building – free of snow and ice. Cost is $10 per day or a maximum of $50 per week for five to seven days.

Midland States Bank contributed $25,000 to SwedishAmerican Foundation in support of its community assistance programs. The Midland States Bank Foundation has contributed more than $715,000 to non-profit organizations throughout its footprint.

SwedishAmerican will receive a grant as one of 14 Illinois hospitals in the Warm Hand-off Program to combat opioid addiction. The program connects recovery support specialists directly to patients with opioid use disorder while in the hospital, where they will do a warm hand-off as patients leave the hospital to enter a treatment center.

SwedishAmerican’s Regional Cancer Center earned re-certification for The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Lung Cancer Disease Specific Care. The center is one of only five programs in the country to achieve the certification in the past five years.

KMK Media Group developed and launched a new website at ezcatchsystem.com and related marketing materials for the E-Z Catch System medical device, used for urine collection in laboratories and physician

K9 Kilo, a Belgian Malinois and member of the Rockford Park District Police Department since 2014, will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. offices and invented by Rockford physician, Dr. Charles Washington.

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau earned two awards from the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism honoring excellence in the Best Branding Initiative category for the BYG2RKFD sports marketing campaign, and Best Cooperative Partnership category for the Rockford Peaches 75th Anniversary events and promotions.

United Way of Rock River Valley and SwedishAmerican Foundation gave the Rockford Midtown Market a $1,000 grant each to assist with running the 2019 market.

American Advertising Federation of Northern Illinois presented its 2019 American Adverting Awards on March 1 at the Prairie Street Brewhouse. Of the 83 entries received, 12 gold, 15 silver and 16 bronze ADDY Awards were presented. Gold ADDY winners will advance to the District 6 ADDY competition.

Chartwell Agency created a website for Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) #176 at www.ftzrockford.com.

Spectrum School announced a team advanced to the Illinois Future Problem Solving state competition in Normal, Ill. Teams compete by applying a six-step process (without adults or notes) to find and present their best solution to complex global challenges (e.g. space junk, megacities, water shortage) set 25 or more years in the future.

Rockford Systems, LLC., opened a newly expanded, multi-purpose, 2,200-sq.-ft. Training Center at its new headquarters in Rockford. The center will support Rockford Systems’ existing machine safeguarding seminar curriculum, which includes hands-on demonstrations on 18

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden received a $5,000 grant by the Dr. Courtney J. & Margaret Hutchins Hamlin Family Fund for the translation and printing of its trail guide into Spanish.

Winnebago County Health Department received a $28,101 grant for the Winnebago County Trauma Informed Community initiative by the Dr. Luis & Violet Rubin Fund. The grant will help provide community trauma training, expand a film series that promotes an understanding of trauma and provide public messaging on trauma throughout Winnebago County.

Anderson Japanese Gardens received a $5,000 Arts & Humanities Grant to help underwrite the Japanese Summer Festival on July 27 and 28 with educational exhibits, demonstrations and performances fully-safeguarded machines under power, and OSHA-10 and OSHA-30 General Industry. Starting Aug. 16, 2019, a new class being offered, NFPA 70E, will help companies and employees avoid workplace injuries and fatalities due to shock, electrocution, arc flash and arc blast.

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau announced that two tournaments, the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation championships and the Rockin’ Rock Amateur Athletic Union Grand Prix volleyball tournament, in early March had an estimated economic impact of $675,000 for the region.

MDM Consulting facilitated a half-day strategic planning retreat for Serenity Hospice and Home, a nonprofit, Joint Commissionaccredited hospice that serves nine counties in northern Illinois.

Thinker Ventures launched a website for Restoration Tools.

Those in treatment for any type of cancer are invited to the Mercyhealth Cancer Support Group, 3 to 4:30 p.m., the second Wednesdays of each month at Mercyhealth Cancer Center.

to broaden awareness of the Japanese culture.

Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center received a $2,000 grant for its Summer Arts Enrichment at Patriots Gateway Community Center 2019 project from the Dr. Louis & Violet Rubin Fund.

The Salvation Army of Winnebago County received a $15,000 grant by the Dr. Louis & Violet Rubin Fund for The Salvation Army Tabernacle & YMCA Teen Center. In partnership with the YMCA of Rock River Valley, the center provides a safe environment for middle school and high school students to participate in intramural sports and characterbuilding activities.

Discovery Center Museum received a $37,544 grant by the Barber-Colman Management Fund to support a comprehensive Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program for Rockford Public Schools students through the After School Achievement Program. Includes hands-on activities, family nights and free field trips for students at Beyer, Ellis, Hillman, Kishwaukee, Lewis Lemon, McIntosh, Whitehead and Kennedy, Lincoln and RESA. Comprehensive Community Solutions received a $25,000 for its YouthBuild program by the Dr. Louis & Violet Rubin Fund.

Call Angela Mascharka, LCSW, at 815971-2381.

Digital Hive Mind received five ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Federation of Northern Illinois in March: J.L. Clark brochure (2019 Judge’s Choice); J.L. Clark brochure (gold); Remedies Renewing Lives website (silver); Remedies Renewing Lives 2019 annual report and Quantum Roll Sheeters brochure (bronze).

Rockford Rescue Mission honored 12 graduates of its Life Recovery Program on March 12. Participants in the nine- to 12-month residential Life Recovery Program overcame addictions to drugs, alcohol, destructive relationships and job loss, and many were restored to their families.

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and Visit Beloit announced that the 2019 National Softball Association North-Central “B” & “C” Girls Fast Pitch World Series will be hosted in the area for the first time, July 17 to 21. This is the first collaboration of its type for the Rockford region and Visit Beloit, as Continued on page 17

theVoice

APRIL 2019

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on digital

Members Caught on Digital

Ceremonial ribbon donated by SERVPRO of Rockford.

Midwest Community Bank and loan officer Stacy Jones receive the Illinois Housing Development Authority award for the highest production in northern Illinois in 2018 on March 12 at 3963 N. Perryville Road, Rockford.

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria held a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, March 26 at 6240 Mulford Village Dr., Rockford.

business (continued from page 16) well as the largest girls fast pitch softball tournament each community has ever hosted. It’s expected to generate more than $2,102,494 and draw 5,000.

Rockford Park District’s Spring/ Summer 2019 Program Guide now is available and registration open for lessons, camps and leagues, April to September 2019.

MercyCare Health Plans received, for the second year in a row, a national 4 out of 5 star rating for reporting Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set for 20172018 and 2018-2019 by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

KMK Media Group launched a website for Stepping Stones of Rockford, steppingstonesrockford. org. Web visitors can track the location of “kindness stones” they find around Rockford, placed to celebrate Stepping Stones’ 50th anniversary and raise awareness of mental illness in the community.

Edward Jones ranked highest in investor satisfaction with full service brokerage firms, according to the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Full Service Investor Satisfaction Study. It also ranked highest in investor satisfaction by J.D. Power in 2015 (tied), 2012, 2010, 2009, 2007 to 2005, and 2002 (tie), when the study began.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois’

Business Briefs Over the Edge 4 Girl Scouts in 2018 raised nearly $80,000 to help girls in need gain access to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. The event returns this year on June 1.

Participants will have the opportunity to rappel 16 stories down the tower of Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles. Guest rappelers will include the Elgin SWAT team and Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns.

Chicago-based D3 Financial Counselors, a division of Savant Capital Management since September 2018, ranked as one of 20 “Best Financial Advisors of 2019”

by Expertise for the second consecutive year.

HUD awarded Rockford Housing Authority with 348 Tenant Protection Vouchers for replacement housing for those currently living within Brewington Oaks, who choose this option for housing, with additional vouchers that RHA qualified for more than the past two years with occupancy levels.

The YMCA of Rock River Valley Retired Men’s Club donated $16,000 toward YMCA programs for youth and families from its annual Christmas Tree Sale.

Jason’s Deli was named a Top 10 quick-service restaurant in Sandelman’s 2018 Awards of Excellence, based on a study of 200 restaurants on 20 areas of customer satisfaction.

18

| APRIL 2019

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

in the news

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

Members in the News

1. Cheryl Kunz

2. Beth Thompson

3. Mike Broski

4. Dr. Muhammad S. Khurram

5. Dr. Jon Monkemeyer

6. Phyllis Oldenburg

7. Todd Larson

8. Linda Palmer

9. Tammy Zurfluh

10. Andy Williams

11. Blake Ruffner

12. Chris Benson

13. Donna Cordray

14. Kerry Fox

15. Debra Hahn

16. Stacy Kramer

17. Angela Lara

18. Tena Reavis

19. Stephanie Lombardi

20. Jeff Macke

21. Ryan Peterson

22. Allison A. Alexander

23. Michelle Angileri

24. Jacob A. Davenport

BOARD APPOINTMENTS Cheryl Kunz (1), director of marketing, Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc., is the new president of the Illinois Water Environment Association for 2019-2020.

Beth Thompson (2), APN, MSN, FNP-BC, Mercyhealth Winnebago, was appointed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center to the Family Nurse Practitioner Standard Setting Panel.

Mike Broski (3), president and co-owner, Entré Computer Solutions, started his first term on the Illinois State Alliance of YMCAs board.

Craig Parsons, president, Palmer Johnson Power Systems, was appointed to fill a vacant position on The Alliance board.

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS Mercyhealth welcomed Muhammad S. Khurram (4), M.D., pathology, and Jon Monkemeyer (5), M.D., hospitalist, to Mercyhealth’s Javon Bea HospitalRiverside and Rockton. Mercyhealth welcomed Jennifer Wessel, RN, MSN, as supervisor of the pediatrics and pediatric intensive care unit, and Marisa Bartlett, RN, BSN, MBA, CHSP, CHEP, CHEC, as system-wide director of safety and security.

SwedishAmerican introduced four new providers: John Bulger, M.D., plastic surgery, UW Health Surgery; Rachel Danks, APRN, pediatrics,

Rock Valley Clinic; Laura Huszla, APRN, Five Points Clinic, and Samantha Wagner, APRN, women’s health, ob/gyn.

Hochmann to executive director; replacing Steve Litteral who relocated to Tennessee last August.

Blackhawk Bank promoted Phyllis Oldenburg (6) to executive vice president & chief information officer, Todd Larson (7) to executive vice president & chief credit officer, Linda Palmer (8) to senior vice president & operations manager, Tammy Zurfluh (9) to senior vice president mortgage banking, Andy Williams (10) to senior vice president & senior leader – business banking, Blake Ruffner (11) to vice president credit administration, Chris Benson (12) to assistant vice president business banking, Donna Cordray (13) to assistant vice president relationship manager associate – business banking, Kerry Fox (14) to assistant vice president senior credit analyst, Debra Hahn (15) to assistant vice president loss mitigation, Stacy Kramer (16) to assistant vice president special assets, Angela Lara (17) to assistant vice president & assistant branch manager/teller supervisor and Tena Reavis (18) to assistant vice president operations.

Fehr Graham hired Jeff Macke (20), senior project engineer, and Ryan Peterson (21), hydrogeologist.

Stephanie Lombardi (19), CPA, joined Arc Design Resources as accounting and office manager.

Illinois Bank & Trust promoted Nicole Morig to assistant vice president – private banker and Kyle York to vice president – banking center manager, Rockford Market.

Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens promoted Samantha

Savant Capital Management announced eight additional employees purchased ownership interests and have become employee-members: Allison A. Alexander (22), CFP®; Michelle P. Angileri (23); Jacob A. Davenport (24), CFP®, CFA®; Scott F. Demler (25), CFP®; Gabe Gonzalez (26), CRPC®, CFP®; Sarah McGinniss (27), CFP®, CRPS®; Tony Spangenberg (28), CFA®, CFP®, AWMA®, and Lora Stevens McKee (29), MBA, FPQP™.

Valerie Blair joined the faculty at The Music Academy; teaching early childhood music and piano.

She also accepted a position at Beloit College teaching piano.

She’s organist for Second First Church and accompanist for the Rock Valley College Chamber Singers, Women’s Choir and voice students.

Anissa Kuhar (30) was named director of adult & graduate admission and Rita Elliott (31) promoted to director of marketing and communications at Rockford University.

Circle of Change Veterans Dog Program hired Scott Anderson (32), a Marine Corps veteran, as program coordinator.

Forest City Gear hired Bob McClain (33) as quality assurance manager.

Wesley Willows named Brett Nelson (34) as controller and Sarah DeBlauw (35) as director of fund development.

Illinois Bank & Trust hired Melanie Cina as client service associate.

EMPLOYEE/COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS, AWARDS Gayatri Sonti, D.O., Ph.D., neurosurgeon, SwedishAmerican, was named a 2018 Top Doctor in Rockford. Tonya Heidenreich, nurse professional development specialist, was named the 2019 National Learning Facilitator of the Year by the American Nurses for Professional Development Organization. Jamie Lundberg, RN, emergency department, was named the February DAISY Foundation Award Winner for outstanding nursing care.

Matt Adas (36), PLA, Arc Design Resources, passed his licensing exam for Professional Landscape Architecture.

Lana M. Engen (37), CFP®, Aspire Financial Group, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., qualified for the company’s Circle of Success annual recognition program in 2019.

YWCA Northwestern Illinois presented Women of Achievement Awards recipients: Laura Baluch, Barrick, Switzer, Long, Balsley &

Continued on page 19

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

APRIL 2019

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Members in the News

25. Scott F. Demler

26. Gabe Gonzalez

27. Sarah McGinniss

28. Tony Spangenberg

29. Lora Stevenes McKee

30. Anissa Kuhar

31. Rita Elliott

32. Scott Anderson

33. Bob McClain

34. Brett Nelson

35. Sarah DeBlauw

36. Matt Adas

37. Lana M. Engen

38. Kristin Hamblock

39. Dee Sternhagen

40. Dr. Elizabeth Pickvance

41. Laurie S. Miller

42. Christine Hanson

43. Kyle Gensrick

44. Matthew Quinn

45. Chris Gleason

46. Carlene Cardosi

(continued from page 18) Van Evera (business); LoRayne Logan, workplace staffing (community leadership); Teresa Beach-Shelow, Superior Joining Technologies, Inc. (mentorship); Dr. Martine Schultheis, OSF Healthcare (professions); and Kristin Hamblock (38), Rosecrance Health Network (promise). Alicia Repka, Hononegah High School and Alyssa Thompson, Winnebago High School, won Bright Future Scholarships and Nixie Lopez Leon, Belvidere North High School, the La Voz Latina Scholarship.

Natural Land Institute announced Steve and June Keibler as recipients of the 2019 George and Barbara Fell Award.

Billy Fitton, eighth grader at Keith Country Day School, was named one of the semifinalists in the 2019 National Geographic GeoBee Illinois State Competition.

Laurie S. Miller (41), MBA, president, 2HB HR & Benefits Solutions, was named a 2019 National Risk and Insurance magazine Power Broker -- the fourth

Are you a Member with 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

Dee Sternhagen (39), APN, MS, FNP-BC, Javon Bea HospitalRockton post-acute care team, received her certification for gerontology. Dr. Elizabeth Pickvance (40), Mercyhealth, received the Faculty and Staff Aureus Award for February from the University of Illinois College of Medicine’s Rockford Medical Student Council.

time her work has been recognized nationally.

Meridian named Christine Hanson (42) as its February employee of the month.

Kyle Gensrick (43), associate advisor, Wipfli Financial Advisors, LLC, passed the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) exam and is completing the remaining designation requirements.

OF GENERAL INTEREST Matthew Quinn (44), community relations coordinator, Rosecrance, presented “Vaping: What’s Behind the Smoke,” and Chris Gleason (45), executive director of Central Illinois, “Working with the Emerging

Adult of Today” in March at Rosecrance on Moreland, Champaign, Ill. Carlene Cardosi (46), regional administrator, presented “The State of Addiction in McHenry County” in February at McHenry County College.

Dr. Thomas Wright, senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer, Rosecrance, was featured in Crain’s Chicago Business on the ways Rosecrance is improving access to services and meeting the surging demand.

The Chicago Tribune profiled artist Cheryl Pope in “Artist and former Chicago Golden Gloves winner Cheryl Pope welcomes a fight” on her solo exhibition, “Not Without a Fight,” at Rockford Art Museum.

| APRIL 2019

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

New Chamber Members

Rockford Statistics

The City of Rockford infographics help residents and businesses understand the key metrics by which the City measures its performance. City departments use dozens of statistics to track the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of critical city services. Slide presentations of these key metrics are posted monthly on the City website and released to the media and public.

View the full presentation deck on the City website: https://rockfordil. gov/news/rockstat/

January-February

Jan-Feb 2018: 57 Jan-Feb 2019: 29

Jan-Feb 2018: 781 Jan-Feb 2019: 590

DOMESTIC RELATED AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

D.Q. GRILL & CHILL DAIRY QUEEN

2019 YTD

January-February LOU MALNATI’S PIZZERIA

Creating positive memories!

2222 S. Perryville Road, 61112 Bobby Patel 815-332-2000 www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/ Locator/Detail/?localechange= 1&store-id=8744

Jan-Feb 2018: 60 Jan-Feb 2019: 56

Home of Chicago’s legendary deep dish pizza! Delivery and Catering 6240 Mulford Village Dr., 61107 Kevin Cruz 815-477-1100 www.loumalnatis.com/rockford

PRO LEGAL CARE LLC

3,900

3,633

4,897

YTD 2018

YTD 2019

YTD 2018

IMPERIEN

4,696

65 YTD 2019

Jan-Feb 2018: 85 Jan-Feb 2019: 58

1601 Sandy Hollow Road, 61109 Neal Patel 815-398-3303 www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/ locator/Detail/?localechange= 1&&store-id=814 83

32

JAN-NOV 2018

JAN-NOV 2018

JAN-NOV 2017

Jan-Feb 2018: 182 Jan-Feb 2019: 183

50%

Pain management physician experienced in transitional pain management skills and procedures.

4793 Manhattan Dr. Rockford, IL 61108 Linda Li, M.D. 815-398-7276 www.integrativemedical painclinic.com

22 7 4 Creating positive memories!

7 JAN-NOV 2017

JAN-FEB 2018

49

JAN-FEB 2019

25

A nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer.

1801 Meyers Road, Ste. 100 Oak Brook, IL 60181 Abby Martin 630-932-1157 www.cancer.org

D.Q. GRILL & CHILL DAIRY QUEEN

0.5

Jan-Feb 2018: 281 Jan-Feb 2019: 244

INTEGRATIVE MEDICAL PAIN CLINIC

YTD 2018

3

2019 YTD

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

YEAR END 2019

20

Imperien offers ultra efficient construction representation services for industrial and commercial projects.

304 N. Main St., Ste. 104, 61101 Colin Simpson, P.E. 815-988-7970 www.imperien.com

A Rockford-based law firm concentrating our practice on family law such as divorce and custody, orders of protection and juvenile matters.

401 W. State 2019 St., 2019 Ste. 201, 61101 Beth Wagner Townsend 815-200-8802 www.prolegalcare.com

86

89

RUSSELL CELLULAR Wireless Retail Store 721 S. Perryville Road, Ste. 7, 61108 Seth Hill 815-391-0250 www.russellcellular.com

April 2019 Member Anniversaries

TD

January-February

2019:

4,897 YTD 2018

Thank you to our members celebrating their anniversaries with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

90-YEAR MEMBER

40-YEAR MEMBER

Kelley Williamson Company

Red Roof Inn #10035

85-YEAR MEMBER

35-YEAR MEMBERS

Sjostrom & Sons, Inc.

Dixon Automatic Tool, Inc.

ESCO Grinding & Supply Company Rockford Area Crime Stoppers, Inc.

65-YEAR MEMBERS

20-YEAR MEMBERS

Gambino Realtors Home Builders, Inc. Lamar Advertising of Rockford Rustoleum Corporation (Testor)

OrthoIllinois - Roxbury Road OrthoIllinois - Riverside Blvd

70-YEAR MEMBER

4,696

3,633

3,900

65 YTD 2019

YTD 2018

83

4

YTD 2019

2018:

YTD 2018

2

7

YEAR END 2019

22

2019 YTD

86

89

2019

2019

55-YEAR MEMBERS Kent Feeds, Inc. SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health US Bank

50-YEAR MEMBERS Rockford Park District Rockford Public Schools, District #205

10-YEAR MEMBERS Kaney Aerospace Key Realty, Commercial & Industrial - Teri Watts, Broker Staybridge Suites

5-YEAR MEMBER Nicor Gas

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

APRIL 2019

community Monday, April 1

First Northern Credit Union hosts Consultations at its branch at 104 N. Show Place Dr., Rockford. In honor of Money Smart Week, April 1 to 5, the community is invited to 30-minute, one-on-one sit downs with financial service advisors, and 60-minute sessions with mortgage officers by appointment. Call 815-332-9898 or visit FNCU.org.

Tuesday, April 2

Dale Carnegie Training presents the Dale Carnegie Course, 5:30 to 9 p.m., on eight Tuesday evenings, April 2 to May 28, at the NIU Outreach Center, 8500 E. State St., Rockford. Register at www.dalecarnegie.com or call 309-6916808. For group or on-site training, call Steve Garland at 309-224-8405.

Entré Computer Solutions presents Wi-Fi 6 is Here. Are You Ready? 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., at Prairie Street Brewhouse, 200 Prairie St., Rockford.

Dan De Fina, Aerohive Networks, will present the enhancements in the 802.11ax standard that will improve the way Wi-Fi networks operate. Contact cathyn@entrerock.com.

Friday, April 5

Transform Rockford Pop-Up Event, 3 to 7 p.m., at Rockford Art Deli, 402 E. State St. “Free print day” with an exclusive and original Transform Rockford print. Free food, DJ and Prairie Street Brewhouse cash bar from 5 to 7 p.m. Brief presentation at 5:30 p.m. Visit transformrockford.org or call 815-977-5840.

Saturday, April 6

Midway Village Museum presents seventh-annual The Great War: World War I, April 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and April 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford. Visit www. midwayvillage.com or call 815-397-9112.

Midway Village Museum Bijou Theater presents World War I-Silent Film Saturday with the Rockford Wind Ensemble, 6:30 p.m., in the Lakeview Rooms. Tickets at tinyurl.com/y34jlwdl or call 815-397-9112.

Monday, April 8

Mercyhealth presents the fifth-annual Northern Illinois Perinatal, Neonatal and Pediatric Conference, April 8 to 9, at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, 200 S. Bell School Road, Rockford. Continuing education for perinatal nurses, pediatric nurses, neonatal intensive care nurses and social workers. Register at MercyHealthSystem.Org/ MaternalChildConference.

Tuesday, April 9

Mosaic presents Rejoicing Spirits, a monthly Christian worship service, 6 to 7 p.m., the second Thursdays of each month at Alpine Lutheran Church, 5001 Forest View Ave., Rockford. Celebrates the gifts of our brothers and sisters with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Visit www.alpinelutheran. com or www.rejoicingspirits.org. For questions contact Tammy English, tammy.english@mosaicinfo.org or 815-387-9055, ext. 61516.

21

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

Community Events

APRIL, 2019

|

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful celebrates Earth Day 2019 with the 12th-annual Earth Day Awards Banquet, 5:30 to 8 p.m., at Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, 200 S. Bell School Road, Rockford. Guest speaker is Bryan Ware, founder and president of the Crayon Initiative. Visit knib.org, call 815-637-1343 or email Bev@knib.org.

Rockford Public Library and Prairie State Legal Services of Illinois presents Free Legal Help, 1 to 2 p.m., at the Rock River Branch, 3128 11th St., Rockford. Schedule ahead of time at 815-965-2902 or walk in; first come, first served.

First Northern Credit Union presents Becoming a Homeowner, 5:30 to 7 p.m., at 104 N. Show Place Dr., Rockford. Register at www.fncu.org/ seminars. For questions contact Zachary Taylor, 815-701-6111 or ztaylor@fncu.org.

Wednesday, April 24

Rockford Art Museum presents its 2019 Pop-Up Restaurant Series featuring chefs Chef Shendet Ismajlaj, Greenfire, 7 to 9:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Reservations required. For tickets visit rockfordartmuseum.org or call 815-968-2787.

Saturday, April 27

The Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter presents the 2019 Unforgettable Art: Annual Affair for Alzheimer’s, 5:30 p.m., at University of Illinois College of Medicine, 1601 Parkview Ave., Rockford. Fifty talented artists will transform blank canvases into works of art. Pieces will be auctioned off at the end of the event.

Tickets at 815-484-1300 or unforgettableart.org.

Monday, April 29

The Rosecrance Foundation Benefit will be headlined by GrammyProposals due to apply for funding nominated rock band Three Dog Night, under Title I-B of the Workforce 6:30 to 9 p.m., at Giovanni’s Restaurant, Innovation and Opportunity Act for work Wednesday, April 10 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. readiness training and work­based Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Visit www.rosecrance.org/ training for adult English Language Excellence and the Exchange on rockfordbenefit.

Learners and substantial language or Volunteerism group presents cultural barriers through The Workforce MAY 2019 Rethinking Volunteerism: The NW IL Connection Inc. Visit www.

Wednesday, May 1 Volunteerism Conference, 8 a.m. to 4 theworkforceconnection.org.

Rosecrance Health Network presents p.m., at Northern Illinois UniversitySaturday, April 13 its substance abuse prevention Rockford, 8500 E. State St. Keynote First Northern Credit Union presents initiative: It’s More Than ‘Just Say No’: speaker, Steven J. Thomas, and a panelist of company representatives will its annual Easter Egg Hunt, 10 a.m. to Raising Resilient and Drug-Free Kids, noon, at its Rockford branch at 104 N 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Heartland Community discuss employee volunteerism and Show Place Dr. Two egg hunts at 10 Church, 1280 S. Alpine Road, Rockford. community engagement programs. and 11 a.m., crafts tables, face painting Free, but register at Rosecrance.org/ Breakout sessions. Tickets at niu.edu/ and an appearance from the Easter drugfreekids. nicne or call 815-753-8733. bunny. Call 815-332-9898 or visit www.

Wesley Willows hosts The Upside of facebook.com/firstnortherncu.

Tuesday, May 7 Downsizing, 1:30 p.m., at 4141 N. Stepping Stones of Rockford, Inc., Tuesday, April 23 Rockton Ave., Rockford. Questions? presents its 50 Year Anniversary Rockford Area Economic Call Cahlee Denny, 815-316-6001.

Celebration Dinner, 5 p.m., at Development Council presents the Thursday, April 11 Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, 2019 Aerospace Symposium, 8 a.m.

200 S. Bell School Road, Rockford.

The Winnebago County Court to 5 p.m., Giovanni’s Restaurant & Performances by Stars of Light and Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Convention Center, 610 N. Bell School program presents “There’s No Place Road, Rockford. Topics include industrial Felix & Fingers Dueling Pianos, and silent auction. Reservations by April 25 Like Home” Dinner Auction, 6 p.m., at automation, supplier development, Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest gamification, application of augmented at www.eventbrite.com (search Stepping Stones) or contact Randy Hills Road, Rockford. Wine-pull, silent reality, workforce development and and live auctions. Contact 815-319vision systems for assembly. Register at Roberson, 815-963-0683 or randy@ ssrinc.org.

RockfordAerospace.com.

6880 or WinnebagoCountyCASA.org.

Friday, April 12

22

| APRIL 2019

theVoice

Membership Renewals Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in February, 2019 23WIFR Gray Television, Inc. Advanced Disposal Solid Waste Services Anderson Dodge Anderson Nissan Anderson Toyota/Lexus of Rockford Birch Plumbing Inc. Boy Scouts/Blackhawk Area Council Crash 1 Collision Center DHS Division of Rehabilitation Services Dickerson & Nieman Realtors Edward Jones - Erna Colborn, Financial Advisor First National Bank Forest Hills Country Club Frink’s Sewer & Drain Inc. Gambino Realtors Home Builders, Inc. Gemini Computer Systems, Inc. General Mitchell International Airport Giordano’s Glenwood Center Ltd. Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois Grandview Condominium Association Guler Appliance Company Hyundai on Perryville IMEG Corp.

Kitchens by Diane Klaas Financial Asset Advisors, LLC Larson & Darby Group Leading Lawyers Lehan’s Medical Equipment Marden Tire & Auto (Marden Distributors, Inc.) Maxim Healthcare Services MegaFab Midwest Stitch New York Life - Chad DeMarre Next Rockford NFP, Inc. Nicholson Hardware Northern Illinois Building Contractors Association Northern Illinois Food Bank Rockford Branch

Northwest Community Center Northwestern Illinois Building & Construction Trades Council Olson Aluminum Casting Ltd. Pierce Laminated Products, Inc. Pumilia Family Dental Group Richard L. Johnson Associates, Inc. Rock River Development Partnership/Rockford City Market Rock River Ford, Kia, Mitsubishi Rock Valley Compounding Pharmacy Rockford Area Arts Council Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Rockford Broach, Inc. Rockford Foundries Rockford Mass Transit District Rockford Mass Transit District/ Paratransit Rockford Metal Polishing Co. Rockford Register Star Rockford Rescue Mission Ministries Rocktown Adventures RSM US LLP Severson Dells Nature Center State Farm Insurance - Solomon Foley Stepping Stones of Rockford, Inc. Stifel Stratus Networks SWITS, Ltd. T K Group, Inc. The Literacy Council Thor Computing, Inc. Valley Expo and Displays Van Matre Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital Vixen Productions Wanless-Brothers Moving and Storage Co. WilliamsMcCarthy LLP Wilson Electric Co. Woodward (Loves Park Campus) Woodward (Rock Cut Campus) WQRF-TV/WTVO-TV Zethmayr LLC Zion Development Corporation

For sponsorship of any Chamber event, please contact Lynette Jacques, VP, Member Investment at

815-316-4317

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

APRIL 2019

chamber

Upcoming Chamber Events

APRIL, 2019

MAY, 2019

IGNITE Lunch with a Leader featuring Mayor McNamara, noon to 1 p.m., at Rockford University PURI School of Business, 5050 E. State St., Room 124.

Celebration of Leadership Breakfast, 8 to 9:30 a.m., Tebala Event Center, 7910 Newburg Road, Rockford, featuring the 65th class of Leadership Rockford. Keynote speaker is Rich Harwood, president & founder, The Harwood Institute.

Sponsored by PNC (presenting), United Way of Rock River Valley (keynote) and Alpha Controls & Sevices LLC, Associated Bank, Illinois Bank & Trust, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, Rockford Bank & Trust, RSM US LLP, and SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health (graduation sponsor).

Monday, April 1

Tuesday, April 2

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford. Sponsored by Associated Bank.

Tuesday, April 9

Ribbon Cutting & Open House at Upper Cervical Care Center, 4 to 7 p.m., at 4350 Morsay Dr., Rockford.

Wednesday, April 10

Breakfast Buzz, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Rockford University PURI School of Business, 5050 E. State St., Room 124. Mike Mastroianni, director, Illinois SBDC at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, presents “Picking the Right People; Interviewing and Selection Techniques.” Sponsored by RSM US LLP.

Thursday, April 11 4 - 8 pm Cliffbreakers 700 W. Riverside Blvd., Rockford

Celebration of

Manufacturing EXPO & DINNER

Expo, 4 to 6 p.m.; dinner and program, 6 to 8 p.m. Keynote speaker John Cruickshank, consul general of Canada in Chicago, United States, presents “Freeing Trade: Canada and Illinois.”

Includes the announcement of the Individual Business Catalyst of the Year and Manufacturer of the Year awards.

Sponsored by QPS Employment Group (presenting), Rockford Bank & Trust and WIPFLI LLP (gold), United Way of Rock River Valley (manufacturing awards) and Thayer Lighting, Inc. (silver).

Thursday, April 11 April Ambassador Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Lifescape Community Services/Community Kitchen, Inc., 705 Kilburn Ave., Rockford.

Friday, April 12

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford.

Thursday, April 25

State of the County Luncheon - New Date! 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tebala Event Center, 7910 Newburg Road, Rockford. Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank (presenting), Humana (gold), Comcast Business (silver) and Alpha Controls & Services LLC (bronze).

Thursday, May 2

Tuesday, May 7

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford.

Kris Machajewski, YWCA Northwestern Illinois, presents “Implicit Bias: It’s About More Than Race.”

Sponsored by Associated Bank.

Ribbon Cutting at Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois, 4:30 p.m., 1886 Daimler Road, Rockford.

Wednesday, May 8

Breakfast Buzz, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Rockford University Puri School of Business, 5050 E. State St., Room 124, Rockford. Diane Navickis, president, Custom Training Resources, presents “Customer First: A Philosophy and Psychology.”

Sponsored by RSM US LLP.

Friday, May 10

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford.

Saturday, May 11

Sound The Alarm, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 3218 11th St., #1, Rockford. Help us save lives by installing FREE 10-year lithium battery smoke alarms for the day.

Thursday, May 16

Chamber 101 with Speed Networking, 7:30 to 9 a.m., RMTD East Side Transfer Center, 725 N. Lyford Road, Rockford. Sponsored by MembersAlliance Credit Union.

Monday, May 20

Rockford Chamber Golf Classic, 11 a.m., at Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford. Registration and lunch, 11 a.m.; Shotgun start, noon.

Dinner to immediately follow golf.

Sponsored by SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health (lunch sponsor), OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center (mulligan sponsor), and The Alliance (greens sponsor).

Wednesday, May 22

Advantage Power Network, Good Morning Rockford! 7:30 to 9 a.m., at Rock House Kids, 1325 7th St., Rockford. Networking and breakfast.

Registration not required.

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Advertisers Index advertisers Alignment Rockford.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Northern Public Radio. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Blackhawk Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

OSF HealthCare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

BMO Harris Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren P.C.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Brian Thomas Photography. . . . . . . .17 Comcast Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Edward Jones – Jen Reisinger . . . . . . 9 FurstStaffing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC). . . . . . 15 Mercyhealth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Rockford Bank & Trust Co.. . . . . . . . . 7 Rockford Career College. . . . . . . . . . 11 Rockford Chamber of Commerce. . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 15, 19, 22 Stillman Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Thayer Lighting, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Midland States Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Van Matre Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . 6

MPOWR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Wipfli LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

of the Rockford Business Community

Chamber Staff / Call 815-987-8100................................................Direct Line Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO........................................... 815-316-4304 Heidi M. Garner, Chief Operating Officer..................................... 815-316-4312 Olivia Guzman, Administrative Assistant/Customer Service Rep...........815-987-8100 Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology.................... 815-316-4338 Lynette Jacques, Vice President, Member Investment.. ................... 815-316-4317 Kristin Muehlfelder, Member Relations....................................................815-316-4315 Caitlin Pusateri, Vice President, Leadership Development.....................815-316-4337 Doug Rand, Accounting Manager/Controller................................ 815-316-4316 Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator.......................... 815-316-4320 Mike Mastroianni, Director, Small Business Development Center.........815-987-8100

Chamber Board of Directors & Officers EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair of the Board Michele Petrie Wintrust Commercial Banking & Mortgage Chair-Elect Dan Ross Gallagher

DIRECTORS Andrew Benson Benson Stone Company, Inc. Kimberly Blascoe Wipfli LLP Jan Bowman TLC Construction LaVonne Brown Savant Capital Management

Vice Chair Jean Crosby Paula Carynski Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Crosby OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Starck Real Estate Medical Center Treasurer Samuel J. Castree Amy Ott Staff Management, Boylan Catholic Inc. High School Immediate Past Chair Richard Zumwalt Z Resource

Doug Curry Stenstrom Companies

Tim Honquest Honquest Family Funeral Home with Crematory

Dr. Alex Stagnaro-Green Univ. of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford

Jeff Hultman Illinois Bank & Trust

Karl Swanson Rockford Bank & Trust Co

Michael F. Iasparro Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP Kris L. Kieper Machajewski YWCA Northwestern Illinois Mike Paterson Mid-West Family Broadcasting Mark Peterson CBL Associates Cherry Vale Denise Sasse RSM US LLP

Sue Schrieber Don Daniels Mercyhealth SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health John Schuster Rosecrance Health Rebecca Epperson Network Chartwell Agency Teri Sharp Ira Grimmett American Precision Collins Aerospace Supply, Inc.

Jon Thompson Butitta Brothers Automotive

EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS Einar K. Forsman President & CEO, Rockford Chamber of Commerce John Groh Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Nathan Bryant Rockford Area Economic Development Council

MAY VOICE SPECIAL SECTIONS Moving & Logistics (transportation, distribution, warehousing, aviation)

Locally Grown (home-grown businesses, farmers markets) For information on advertising, call 815

987-8100