June Voice 2017 by Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce

CAPPING OFF 100 YEARS: DEMUTH STEEL PRODUCTS PAGE 4

TOP TEN IN ROCKFORD PAGE 5

The Voice is online at rockfordchamber.com

FRIDAY NIGHT FLIX LINEUP

June 2017 | Volume 30 | No. 6

Celebration of Leadership Eight months; a lifetime of relationships

Rebecca Nunes is an e-marketing specialist for Alpine Bank. She knows Rockford well, having grown up here and graduating from Rockford Lutheran High School. But that didn’t stop Nunes from participating in the Rockford Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Rockford class. “I’ve known people who’ve taken part in the program before, and I was always impressed with what they’ve been able to do, the people they were

Rockford Chamber’s Leadership Class of 2017

Photos by Brian Thomas Photography

able to meet, the networking they did, and I knew this was something I wanted to do,” she said. “The network of people was the best part for me. It was a chance to meet other young professionals in the area who are likeminded and are working towards the same efforts. I made some good friends.” There were 250 business and community leaders who turned out for the Celebration of Leadership Luncheon at Prairie Street Brewhouse on May 18, to recognize Nunes and other graduates of Leadership Rockford. This year’s class included 38 professionals from local nonprofits, businesses and government agencies.

It was the 63rd graduating class of Leadership Rockford. In all, there have been 1,810 graduates. “This program has always been good, but it became special when we were looking for more interaction among the participants a few years ago,” said Einar Forsman, Rockford Chamber president & CEO. “Not just traveling every other Friday visiting the jail or a hospital, for example, but getting them more involved in activities and developing relationships upfront. We did things to ensure they knew each other first before we got started. Ever since then, it’s really taken off.”

Visit us online at: rockfordchamber.com ■ online registration ■ keynote speaker video clips ■ event photos ■ list of Chamber events

Questions? 815-987-8100

Join the Chamber’s LinkedIn Group

PHOTO CORRECTION The photo on the front page of the May Voice, top of the fold, had the wrong caption, and should have said: “Patrick Derry of Rockford Process Control accepted the 2017 Manufacturer of the Year award.”

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

EXPO & LUNCHEON

Women In Business

June 22 • Giovanni’s, Rockford For more info, see page 31 SPONSORED BY

Continued on page 6

Haney delivers inaugural State of County address Winnebago County Board Chairman Frank Haney preaches transparency. So it came as no surprise that the lifelong Rockford resident got down to business during his first state of the county address in front of a crowd of 380 at a Rockford Chamber of Commerce luncheon on May 4 at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center. Haney is an insurance agent who graduated from Boylan High School, has served as a Rock Valley College trustee and volunteered for a number of local organizations. “It’s pretty clear that it’s a new day,” he said. “I’m the first elected county chair to come from outside of county government. I ran and challenged a member of my own

Friday Night Flix continues for the eighth year on the first Fridays in June, July and August on the north lawn of Davis Park in downtown Rockford. The free, family movies begin at sundown. Chosen by popular demand on Facebook: June 2 – Moana; July 7 – Sing; Aug. 4 – Finding Dory. Bring lawn chairs and blankets; food and soda is available for purchase.

party. Now we have to execute. We can’t just talk a big game. I want the community and the media to challenge us, to make sure we’re doing what we said we were going to do. We all act better when we know there are eye balls on us. It’s human nature.” Haney spoke for 40 minutes, covering several topics, such as his ACT Initiative — to be the most accountable, collaborative and transparent unit of government in Illinois; the “Big 4” — public safety, economic development, education and community health; and the actions of the state legislature. “You only get one chance to be the new guy, talking about everything,” Haney said. “A year from now, it’s a different type of message, regardless of Continued on page 3

NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM EXPANDS

Rockford Corridor Improvement received a $2,000 grant from the Dr. Louis & Violet Rubin Fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois to expand Zion West Enterprises’ yard maintenance program in the Ellis Heights neighborhood. The program employs ex-offenders who are neighborhood residents to maintain vacant lots, owned by the City of Rockford, the Winnebago County Trustee and private owners. In mid-2016, Zion West was responsible for 28 lots, but that grew to more than 100. The grant will double the number of residents employed and expand the number of neighborhood properties maintained.

June 2017

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Chairman’s Perspective VIEWPOINT

Time is now to rally around new leaders Have you ever caught yourself saying, “I’m starting to sound like my mother/father?” For some it’s an alarm, signaling we are getting older, reverting to tenants that may have challenged us as we struggled to establish our own view of the world. And clearly our view has been shaped by a changing world, our work, and our families. But usually, at some point, those lessons, internalized at the earliest age, resurface as tools to deal with many of the key issues of life. Not long ago, I heard myself utter a phrase that turns out to be as true today as it was when articulated by my parents. Imagine the following phrase as a response to countless situations involving me and my three older sisters. “You will all be better off if you cooperate rather than argue because you all want the same thing.” (Note: the original language may have been a bit more colorful.) Just like my sisters and me, over the years we establish patterns of dealing with issues that, once recognized, are difficult to change. Regardless of our individual preferences or politics, our

Richard Zumwalt

Regardless of our individual preferences or politics, our community has been served well by many who only wanted the best for all of us. community has been served well by many who only wanted the best for all of us. But perhaps over time we have established patterns of dealing with each other that have blocked some of our best opportunities to cooperate for the common good. Our community is now at a place where we can embrace new levels of collaboration toward our common good. In recent months Rockford, Loves Park and Machesney Park elected new mayors in Tom McNamara, Greg Jury and Steve Johnson. We have a newly-elected Winnebago County Board Chairman, Frank Haney, who has already emphasized the need for collaboration between city and county agencies. More recently, the Rockford Park District announced the hiring/promotion of its new executive director, Jay Sandine.

Today we are given a new opportunity and I am encouraged by the spirit that exists. None of our local entities are where they want to be and most face the same demands and challenges. But many are looking outside the established patterns to entertain the possibility that working together can indeed be better for all of us. This is not a vision of utopia but rather focus on the goals that get each entity closer to where they need to be on many issues. The Chamber is doing its part to inspire future leaders thanks to programs such as Rockford Leadership Alliance, Lead 360 and Leadership Rockford. Recently, 38 community members were celebrated as they graduated from the Leadership Rockford Program. I’m sure they will do great things to help our community continue moving in the right direction. Leaders in our various communities,

counties and Rockford Chamber agencies Board Chairman are openly exploring things will help us all, not focusing on diminishing each other. As I learned early, the results of cooperation usually surprise. Chief among the advantages is a much broader look at issues that we have always addressed alone. New perspectives and resources emerge, which can lead to better outcomes. One of the hallmarks of true collaboration requires the suspension of the adversarial relationship so we can be focusing on the common good and moving toward more earned trust. We have leaders who are embarking on this risky path. In the coming months join them as they begin the very difficult work of improving our community. So many have worked hard to get us ready and we are now on the threshold of remarkable things. Endorse and encourage the steps already taken and those to follow as we find a better way for all of us. Rick Zumwalt is chairman of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

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June 2017

State of the County (continued from front page)

circumstances. We have all these new leaders. Fortunately, I got to go first and define the landscape. I got the chance to talk about how we’re going to do business and what really matters.” “You saw the energy in the room,” said Einar Forsman, Rockford Chamber president & CEO. “Our business community wants to know what the issues are and where they can help out. They want to help move the needle forward. They’re ready to go.”

The Boss: the Taxpayer Not that it’s going to be easy. Haney knows there are many challenges in the days ahead. “In the short term, it is dealing with tough, public budgets,” he said. “A multitude of public agencies have tough budgets. We need to make sure we’re rightsizing our budgets. We can only afford so much government. We have to look at how things connect. We need to align around some big home runs and

get a series of small wins as well.” “I’m grateful he talked about workforce development,” said Forsman. “It’s a major issue. The issue of crime is still the number one issue. And jobs. We have a lot of people who are unemployed that need to work. We need to start working on our local talent and have them become good contributors to the workforce.”

Let your Voice be heard The Rockford Chamber of Commerce elcomes and encourages submissions for The w VOICE of the Rockford Business Community. Deadline is the 15th of the month preceding publication. Send news releases and other items of interest to the business community to: The VOICE Rockford Chamber of Commerce 308 W. State St., Ste. 190 Rockford, IL 61101

For information about advertising contact Customer Service at 815-987-8100. The VOICE of the Rockford Business Community (USPS 784-120). ISSN number 1086-0630, is published monthly by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, 308 W. State St., Ste. 190, Rockford, Illinois 61101. Periodicals postage paid at Rockford, Ill. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The VOICE of the Rockford Business Community, 308 W. State St., Ste. 190, Rockford, IL 61101.

Haney has certain goals. One of them is to win the 2018 “Sunshine Award,” which is presented by the Illinois Policy Institute for the most transparent governmental bodies in the state. Another goal is earning the 2019 “Budget Award” from the Government Financial Officers Association, which recognizes bodies with the best budget practices. He’s also working with newly-elected Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara on forming a Joint Chairman and Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council to keep future leaders in Winnebago County. “Collaboration is not fluff; they have tough budgets too,” Haney said. “We all serve the same boss, the taxpayers. How can we work together to serve the taxpayers? That’s really our job.” Haney described the county as a big

boat that is piloted by one compass with every resident having an oar. “I’m most excited about the people,” Haney said. “We’ve all made a commitment of working together. Sure, we’re going to disagree at times, but like I said about the boat, we’re going to have the oar in the water and keep going. “If all of our problems had easy solutions, we wouldn’t be inheriting them. We’ve made a commitment of working through the issues. There’s no easy path. There’s not one thing I can do to move the ball down the field. There are about six to 10 things at once. But I’m excited to get started.” The luncheon was presented by BMO Harris Bank. AT&T (silver) and Alpha Controls & Services (bronze) also sponsored. theVoice

June 2017

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Member Profile PROFILE

DeMuth’s hemispheric dome roofs, which it has manufactured since 1946, have caught the eye of many architects. Above right, Rahpho Park domes in Mount Joy, Pa. Above left, Church Domes, located in Toronto, Canada.

DeMuth Steel Products celebrates 100 years in business By Paul Anthony Arco If you haven’t heard of DeMuth Steel Products Company, you’re not alone. DeMuth might be one of the best kept secrets in Rockford. But if you’re an architect looking for a unique roof, a plant manager in need of an industrial fixed ladder or a farmer wanting feeding equipment, you’ve probably done business with DeMuth. The company manufactures hardware for tower silos, equipment for dairy farms such as belt feeders and conveyors, industrial ladder systems, and hemispherical domes. “We’re primarily a supplier of high-quality, specialty steel products to silo contractors throughout North America,” said Paul Antonou, 30-year plant manager. “A majority of our clients are concrete tower silo contractors who erect structures for agriculture and industrial applications.” The company was founded on the east coast by Lester DeMuth, a supplier of steel silo hardware, in 1917. Thirty years later his son, Harry, incorporated and began plans for expansion. By 1970, DeMuth had seven facilities in the United States and Canada, along with affiliates in Japan and the United Kingdom. The company was headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Shiller Park, until 2005, when it relocated to Rockford. “We were looking for a good transportation hub to get our products out,” Antonou said. “We saw an opportunity in Rockford. It was right off I-90 and the costs were lower to operate our business. It was the perfect fit for us.” In 2006, DeMuth was purchased by the Vallieres family, who are known for their farm-related businesses in Quebec, Canada. Today, DeMuth has three locations: Rockford, Mount Joy, PA., and Waterloo, Ontario. DeMuth has fewer than 50 employees throughout the organization, including just seven in the Rockford facility. Each location is set up to handle different products. “Here in Rockford we handle structural products; in Mount Joy we handle the dome sheet products and most of the feed handling automation

equipment is produced in Ontario,” Antonou said. Since 1946, DeMuth had been manufacturing hemispheric dome roofs, which were mostly used on tower silos. The unusual shape of the roof caught the eye of many architects. The domes are curved structures that have no angles or corners and enclose a large amount of space without using any supporting columns. By 1979, DeMuth started manufacturing a premium hemispherical dome roof for churches, day care centers, commuter transit stations, recreational theme parks such as Sea World, and private homes, among others. “We’re the last remaining, true supplier of steel silo hardware,” said Antonou said. “The silo industry is a mature, declining industry, hence the need to diversify. But domes are still our bread and butter.” While the company still manufacturers 1,000 domes a year, DeMuth has added industrial ladders to its portfolio. “We sell thousands of industrial ladder systems for commercial operations, wind turbine, and amusement parks all over North America,” said Antonou. One of its largest clients is McMaster-Carr, a supplier to industrial and commercial facilities. DeMuth will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. Employees will not only look back at its rich history, but where it’s headed. “Ever since we diversified, there is a lot of promise for our company,” said Antonou. “We hope to expand both our lines of domed roofs and ladders.” And they’re happy to be doing business in Rockford. “We enjoy the Rockford area,” he added. “Our location offers easy access for customers. And being able to network has been a plus. There is a good network of companies and vendors who provide services that help us throughout our manufacturing process.”

DEMUTH STEEL PRODUCTS COMPANY

Paul Antonou, Plant Manager 3939 S. Central Ave. (815) 997-1116 www.demuth.com

TOP TEN EVENTS, ATTRACTIONS theVoice rockfordchamber.com June 2017 IN THE ROCKFORD AREA

Attractions TOP Events, in the TEN Rockford Region The numbers are in for 2016! The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau released in May the events, sites and attractions that drew the most attendance in the Rockford Region last year.

Fourth of July Celebration

Winnebago County Fair

98,000

Stroll on State

75,000

Festival of Lights

58,000

Old Settlers Days

30,164

Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition

28,597

Pec Thing - Spring and Fall

25,000

Young at Heart Festival

25,000

Rockford Town Fair

22,000

RV, Camping and Travel Show

21,262

10.

125,000

Other events that drew significant numbers of participants were the Rock River Anything that Floats Race, 20,000, and Tough Mudder, 15,000.

TOP 10 SITES & ATTRACTIONS

Mercyhealth Sportscore complexes/ Indoor Sports Center

2,884,713

Rock Cut State Park

1,095,539

Ice Facilities - Carlson & Riverview

468,371

BMO Harris Bank Center (also IceHogs)

308,854

Rockford Park District golf courses

210,641

Discovery Center Museum

195,302

Rockford IceHogs

193,929

Forest Hills Baseball Diamonds

180,000

Magic Waters Waterpark

172,687

Lockwood Park Equestrian Center

136,291

10.

Other venues that drew significant numbers of visitors were Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 67,561; and Anderson Japanese Gardens, 60,922.

June 2017

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Leadership

(continued from front page)

The keynote speaker for the luncheon was John Groh, president and CEO of the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, and a former graduate of the leadership program. Groh’s message stressed the need for leaders with good ideas. His presentation highlighted three examples of ideas that blossomed into successful additions to the Rockford community — the Discovery Center Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Laurent House and 15th & Chris, a popular west side eatery.

Finding Your Passion Originally known as the Community Awareness Program (CAP), Leadership Rockford is the chamber’s signature leadership development program. It runs for eight months and helps participants gain knowledge and awareness of business, government and civic issues, as well as take part in group and panel discussions and community service projects. The Leadership Rockford class met bi-weekly from October to May to discuss wide-ranging topics from crime to healthcare. Other highlights included visits to the Winnebago County Jail, Northern Illinois Food Bank and Tinker Swiss Cottage. The class heard from various keynote speakers throughout the program. “The best part is seeing the participants engage with one another and finding their passion,” said Caitlin Pusateri, the chamber’s vice president of leadership development. “It’s great to see a spark in someone after a particular session, and it’s different for everyone. They enjoy everything but there’s always something that makes them say, ‘This is my niche. This is where I want to help.’ It’s fun to watch that.” Leadership Rockford moderators were honored during the luncheon.

The outgoing moderators were Sean Muserallo, 13WREX; Daniel McKee, Rockford Toolcraft, and Brandon Latino, Spectrum Insurance. “As well versed as I am in the news and as much as I hear, I was amazed how much I didn’t know about Rockford,” said Muserallo, who joined WREX three years ago as evening news anchor. “The program helped me in my job with story ideas and contacts. For anyone, even if you think you know Rockford, you’re going to learn something you didn’t know about this town.” The incoming 2017-2018 moderators are Michelle Angileri, Savant Capital Management; Carly LaMonica, LaMonica Beverages; and Becky Hopper, SwedishAmerican, a Division of UW Health Rockford Chamber of Commerce Celebration of Leadership Luncheon was presented by PNC Bank. Applications are now being accepted for the next class, but space is limited. For more information, visit www. rockfordchamber.com or call 815-9878100. theVoice

Congratulations Class of 2016-17! Michelle Angileri, Savant Capital Management

Kelli Johnson, YWCA Northwestern Illinois

Matt Armstrong, Savant Capital Management

Louisa Klemm, Monarch Solutions

Emily Halbrader, Thermo Fisher Scientific

Corine Prezioso, Woodward Inc.

Nic Krause, J & M Plating Robin Babcox-Poole, Carly LaMonica, LaMonica Beverages Shriver, O’Neill & Thompson Law Offices Pamela Lindstrom, Becky Beary, Widmer Interiors Rockford Park District Jared Clay, Andrew Macklin, Larson & Darby Group Reno & Zahm, LLP Jacob Maegli, Reno & Zahm, LLP Curtis Cook, Ricardo Montoya-Picazo, Chastain & Associates LLC Office of Congresswoman Kristin Crowley, WREX Cheri Bustos (IL-17th) Eric Cunningham, Joana Murati, Growth Dimensions UTC Aerospace Systems Gregory Nelson, Felicia Davis, Winnebago County UTC Aerospace Systems Housing Authority Rebecca Nunes, Alpine Bank Amy Ekstrom, Scott Perian, Rockford Public Schools Anderson Environmental Co Nicole Engelbart, Colin Peterson, RSM US LLP Rockford Park District

Morgann Hansen Corey Hausen Jeremy Heeren, UTC Aerospace Systems

Zachary Rotello, Alpha Controls & Services Kathy Schier, Specialty Screw Corporation Bill Schmidt, Fehr-Graham

Sydney Holmgren, Associated Bank

Brittany Schultz, Century 21

Becky Hopper, SwedishAmerican Health System, A Division of UW Health

Erich Vargaz, Wells Fargo Advisors

Melissa Johnson, Alpine Bank

Leadership Development news is sponsored by Comcast Business

Gordon Wright, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren P.C.

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June 2017

HISTORY OF MANUFACTURING IN THE ROCKFORD REGION:

Agriculture Machinery If there is one story from the Rockford Region’s history that exemplifies the importance of manufacturing and logistics, the story of the Wheat Reaper is it. Inspired by his time with George Esterly of Wisconsin in 1853 making wheat reapers, John Henry Manny and his family developed their own horse-powered combine harvester. In the spring of 1854, Manny started manufacturing wheat reapers in Rockford, due to the proximity of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad. Thus, began the region’s rise in agricultural machine manufacturing. Over the next two and a half years J.H. Manny & Co., manufactured approximately 6,000 wheat reapers. In 1855, after the Paris Exposition, Cyrus McCormick of Chicago, filed a lawsuit against Manny for patent infringement. The trial was originally scheduled to be held in Chicago but was moved to Cincinnati. Prominent lawyers occupied both sides of the aisle, including Edward Stanton and George Harding on Manny’s side with Reverdy Johnson and former U.S. Attorney General Edward Nicholl Dickerson on McCormick’s side. For a limited duration, Abraham Lincoln worked with Did you know? Manny’s Manny’s lawyers. He was not well received widow Mary married since he was considered an inexperienced, country lawyer. Following the snub, Lincoln Robert Hall Tinker in returned to his Springfield home to study the 1870 and lived in the law more thoroughly. house now called Tinker The Ohio Supreme Court Judge John McLean determined there was no patent Swiss Cottage? infringement on the part of Manny in 1856. At the time of his death, John Henry Manny held 29 patents. When Lincoln was voted in as President of the United States, he elected Stanton as Secretary of War. Source: RAEDC

June 2017

 Destination

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ILLINOIS, USA

ADDING WEALTH TO THE REGION’S ECONOMY BY GROWING TOURISM

The power of tourism is prevalent every day in the Rockford region. Whether it is large-scale sports tournaments at Mercyhealth Sportscore 2, or families visiting the Riverfront Museum Park and enjoying the great offerings at the Discovery Center Museum and Rockford Art Museum, tourism is always in motion in Rockford. One of the best benefits of tourism is that it is a job creator and sustainer. Last year, the Illinois Office of Tourism released statistics showing that in Winnebago County, more than 2,800 jobs were directly produced by the tourism/ hospitality industry. That is amazing! Those are jobs that if not for tourism wouldn’t exist. Those are jobs that help bring stability to our local economy and help to enhance the quality of life of families in our region. During National Travel & Tourism week in May, the theme presented by the U.S. Travel Association was “The Faces of Travel.” Designed to shed light on the great people that make the industry so remarkable and powerful, the theme underscores the value of entrepreneurs, service workers, chefs, customer service managers, hotel line staff and so many others who contribute to our travel industry. These people work extremely hard behind-the-scenes and roll out the red carpet to our residents and visitors. It takes a strong unified community to make a big impact and each of these individuals continue to do their part to offer an aboveand-beyond experience for people to enjoy each day. To celebrate and highlight a few of these individuals, RACVB’s Marketing Manager Andrea Mandala interviewed three people who help make the tourism industry hum in Rockford.

Josh Binning, owner of Lucha Cantina What is your favorite part about owning a restaurant in the Rockford

The faces of tourism Hospitality industry in Winnebago County makes up 2,800 jobs region? “My favorite part of the job is my team. I love working with the staff and seeing what I can do to help them take great care of our guests.” Are there any new events that you’ll be involved with or new offerings to the community? “We just came off of our most successful Cinco de Mayo ever. It was crazy. As usual we are excited to be a part of many community events, and we are excited to be a food vendor at Urban Farmgirl’s Main Street Market at Midway Village Museum next weekend (May 20)! We have also started doing monthly features on our menu and that has been very well received by our guests.”

Lauren Davis, owner of Culture Shock and Lauren Davis Creative Why you love what you do each and every day? “With Culture Shock, what gives me the most joy is getting to meet new people every day. Some people have the illusion that they might not “get” our store, but when they take the chance to stop in and find all of our unique, ethical and story/music-driven products, they

find out that there is truly something for everyone in here. I also love seeing their eyes light up when we tell them that MOST gifts in our store are under $25, with some exceptions.” From a Millennial’s perspective, what are some of your favorite things about the Rockford region? “I love the art and music scene that has formed out of the desperation of lack there-of. There is never a night I have nothing to do. I like to open my mind to all different types of the “arts” and take it all in; Rockford is so vibrant. We try to celebrate this by hosting live music in our shop, selling local and regional music, and attending as many art and music events as we can, and I always end up at Social or Octane at the end of the night. I would also say that I love how the local businesses really stick together in Rockford to help each other through organizations like Winnebago Buy Local. I have an 11-yearold business, and I am a Millennial. That’s not something that everyone has, and it’s due to the supportive nature of the businesses around us who let us know

that we are never alone and we are all standing together.”

John Groh Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Lonna Converso, Director of Marketing and Social Media at Midway Village Museum Why do you love what you do each and every day? “Each day is interesting at the museum —- never is there a same day twice. We see many school groups on weekdays coming on tours, while the weekends are about private rentals such as weddings, bridal showers or other family gatherings. Weekends also are filled with greeting visitors and engaging them in the larger special events we produce to educate the public about history.” Are there any new events or achievements the museum has seen over the last year? “This year, the museum’s The Great War: World War I at Midway Village increased in attendance by 82 percent! This was reflective in the team approach at the museum. The event grew in scope with new features for the public to engage and learn about, while the re-enactors popular with this event also grew. We saw the most re-enactors come out to portray both civilians and soldiers. All these factors, plus the marketing, made for the success of the event. The public came out in record numbers. I enjoy working at the museum not only because of the history I learn and engage with on a daily basis, but also the hundreds of volunteers I meet who assist in making sure Midway Village Museum is able to deliver its mission of history preservation and education.” John Groh is president/CEO of the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

(l to r) Lonna Converso, Director of Marketing and Social Media at Midway Village Museum, Josh Binning, owner of Lucha Cantina, and Lauren Davis, owner of Culture Shock and Lauren Davis Creative.

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

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June 2017

From left to right: NIU EIGERlab’s Sherry Pritz (left) with 2015 FastPitch competition winners Doug Hoang, PJ McGuire, Brad Marshall, Paul Fowler and Nicole Sdao.

Inventive entrepreneurs turn ideas into thriving businesses Many FastPitch businesses still going strong By Sherry Pritz, NIU EIGERlab For ten years, pre-startup, startup and revenue-producing businesses have participated in the regional FastPitch competition. Some have done well; creating incomes for their lifestyle businesses, but others have created an even larger economic development impact by growing exponentially. “Back in the day, we offered only one prize; winner took all. With the assistance of our generous sponsors, we’ve been able to expand the prize offerings to include first through third, clean-energy, a student prize, and one that’s near and dear to our hearts, the Dale Falconer, Spirit of Entrepreneurship prize. Because the presenters find value in participating, including being able to test the market at our expo, FastPitch has remained a sought-after competition with a decade’s worth of positive outcomes,” stated Sherry Pritz, organizer of the event.

Some have done well, but others have created an even larger economic development impact by growing exponentially. Following is a small sampling of businesses that participated in FastPitch and still are going strong. Highest Growth: Comply 365, participated in 2008, employees: 60. Most Unique: Grace Funeral & Cremation Services, specializing in “green services with eco-friendly offerings,” participated in 2009, employees: 4. Fun and Community-Minded: gift it! Rockford, specializing in gift baskets filled with Rockford vendors’ goodies, participated in 2012, employees: 3, local vendors: 21, number of baskets sold: 1000s.

Inspiring Fitness-Related: New VYBE Fitness, authentic and innovative dance fitness format, participated in 2013, employees: 7. Volunteerism-Focused: NonProfit THRIVE, focused on matching the skills of volunteers with the needs of nonprofit organizations, participated in 2015, 100s of affiliated volunteers, in growth mode, currently seeking employees. Do you know someone similar to Joy Mangano, inventor of the self-wringing mop who continually thinks of ideas that are brought to market by someone else? Sharing information about the 2017 FastPitch competition is a natural path, where a serial entrepreneur can test the market, network with like-minded inventors and solopreneurs, and possibly connect with an investor or win one of six prizes! High school seniors and college students are welcome, and there’s a prize allocated just for them! Standing room only in our auditorium is the goal. If you enjoy watching ABC’s “Shark Tank,” please join us at 5 p.m., on Wednesday, Oct. 4 to watch northern Illinois’ version of “Shark Tank.” Doors open to the public at 5 p.m.; network with the presenters and chat about the next BIG thing. Final presentations begin at 6 p.m. There’s additional information on NIU EIGERlab’s FastPitch competition webpage, www.EIGERlab.org/FastPitch, or you can contact me via email, Spritz@ eigerlab.org or 815-753-2192. Batter up! Sherry Pritz is marketing & events coordinator/ business development at NIU EIGERlab Innovation Network. The views expressed are those of Pritz’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

June 2017

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Rockford University PERSPECTIVE

Taking steps towards managing your wealth

Some business and personal considerations Wealth and happiness are often looked as necessarily connected. Yet many of us know people who aren’t very wealthy and are happy, and others who are very wealthy and are miserable. In my opinion, what makes someone successful is the quality of life they lead, and what makes a business successful is the quality of life it provides to its people who work in the company, its customers and its owners.

When a person is doing something they really enjoy, they perform at a higher level and are usually successful in their job and in life. In life, people should, if at all possible, do something they are passionate about; something they really like to do and that which makes you happy. When a person is doing something they really enjoy, they perform at a higher level and are usually successful in their job and in life. As a result, these passionate people generate economic and social wealth. The same is true with a business. If the customers, workers and owners are all passionate about the business, if it is something they care deeply about, then the business will succeed in the easy and hard times. As a result, these types of businesses also generate economic and social wealth. Successful business leaders know the importance of creating economic and social wealth. These businesses realize there is more to success than financial health. These businesses are successful because they also contribute to a community’s social wealth. The leaders of these business also, in many cases, have people who are good at managing this wealth, such as accountants and financial advisors. Many of us don’t have the same support available to us, however that doesn’t mean we can’t succeed. Getting the most out of our personal wealth (whatever it is) is very important to the quality of life we lead. Sometimes it looks easier for a business because of the support mentioned earlier. Managing personal wealth is a challenge because many people don’t have an accountant to look at their finances on a daily basis. People with a good quality of life realize that monetary wealth is a means to an end and not the main purpose of life. Anyone can enjoy life with basic resources.

Getting Disciplined The following are some strategic tips that anyone can implement to improve

Luis N. Romero Rockford University

their financial situation. The key is to start making a habit of managing wealth and to be disciplined. This will lead to a great quality of life. These tips work no matter what your income level. 1. Implement the following tips as soon as possible. Start today making the habits for your future. 2. Write down a detailed list of your current expenses. 3. Save five percent of your income every month in a savings account. Start this today — don’t wait to start until some later date! 4. Invest at least five percent of your income in a financial security as a longterm investment. It will help support your retirement plan in the long run. 5. Spend five percent of your income on you; doing an activity that you enjoy (leisure). This will motivate your life in all aspects. 6. Spend 10 percent of your money in education or training. It will improve your employability, and will prepare you for new career opportunities or for a promotion. 7. Give five percent of your income for a social cause or donate to a non-profit organization. This will help support and grow social wealth and improve your selfesteem. 8. Try very hard to spend only 60 percent of your income on basic needs (rent, utilities, transportation, clothes and other expenses). 9. Set aside five percent of your income for unforeseen situations. Things that are unforeseen are easier to deal with if you are at least prepared to pay for them. 10. Save five percent of your money to buy a house or improve the one you have. Buying your own house is an important personal or family achievement, and it will help you to consolidate your personal wealth. Keeping it up to date helps secure your investment. Review how well you are accomplishing these tips twice a year and make adjustments as necessary. It may take time to adjust to the percentages that I am proposing, but over time it will go smoothly. It is important to clarify that managing your wealth, personally and for a business will not limit freedom, instead managing wealth helps businesses and individuals grow both financially and socially. Luis N. Romero is associate professor of finance at Rockford University. The views expressed are those of Romero’s and do not necessarily reflect those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

June 2017

Academies 2.0: Opening doors to diverse careers Program inspires dreams for students of all ages Jasmine Chavez-Espinoza, a daughter of immigrants, is a firstgeneration high school graduate. Since she was little, she has wanted to be a teacher. Rockford Public Schools is proud to help Jasmine achieve her dream. A 2017 graduate of Jefferson High School, Jasmine is one of the first recipients of the Education Pathway scholarship in the Rockford Public Schools. Every year, we will award as many as 20 scholarships to assist graduates who pursue a teaching degree through Rockford University. Not only will they be able to do their student teaching in our district, but they will have a job here when they receive their degree. Once hired, they will be able to earn a master’s degree in urban teaching, also from Rockford University. For free. The education pathway program is just one of the ways we are keeping our promise to RPS 205 graduates: That they will be college- and careerready. In addition to existing pathways in our high school academies, we have added other course sequences that are community-driven and needs based. We are helping students prepare for the Northern Illinois UniversityRock Valley College Engineering Partnership. Through this program, students earn their associate’s degree in engineering from RVC and go on to earn a bachelor’s in engineering from NIU, all on the RVC campus in Rockford. Another option students will have soon is a pathway of courses to be firefighters and police officers. The city will work in partnership with Alignment Rockford to make these pathways a reality. The program begins in the 2017-18 school year with the Introduction to Criminal Justice class, which can be taken for articulated credit at RVC. Articulated credit allows students to earn college credit for high school coursework. This is all part of Academies 2.0, which improves our already sound academy structure. The point of 2.0 is twofold: To make sure a student who graduates from RPS 205 has a seamless route to college and careers; and to assure that feedback from the community results in course corrections, if needed.

back, to elementary school. We’ve seen early success in our high school academies: More engaged students have increased their scores on the ACT by one point. Engaged businesses and community organizations have helped our academies earn national recognition. It isn’t enough, though. We must build a sustainable on-ramp to academies so we can attract students to the professions this community needs at a very early age. We know, for example, that we lose access to students who could be wonderful engineers or teachers, but they take the wrong sequence of math courses. So the challenge to our district — and ultimately to our community – is to connect to students early enough so they can see a whole wealth of possibilities. We need to do that, not during their commencement speech and not in their freshmen year, but all the way back to the beginning of their educational experience. We need to work finding ways we can expose students to a wide-ranging and robust future as early as possible. We know great work is being done already. This year, we had nearly 8,000 volunteers in our schools. These are people willing to make a commitment to improved mentoring and early literacy. These are people offering strong connections and community experiences to students at all grade levels. Wherever our students are on the continuum — from prekindergarten literacy to high school pathways — there’s room for you to help us with college and career readiness. Please reach out to Bridget French with Alignment Rockford, bridgetfrench@alignmentrockford.com, or Marsha Sisney with the Rockford Public Schools, sisneym@rps205.com, and we’ll be happy to match you with some of the great programs that do this critical work. Jasmine Chavez-Espinoza told us in her application for the education pathway scholarship that she wants to accomplish great things and challenge herself. We are happy she found her path — and we can’t think of a better way to influence future students of the Rockford Public Schools.

Teacher? Firefighter? Police officer? Engineer?

Dr. Ehren Jarrett is superintendent of Rockford Public Schools.

But it’s not just about building and retooling pathways. Academies 2.0 connects our pathways to middle school and, farther

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

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

June 2017

Business Advice (Mid-Year Economic Update)

Illinois’ financial literacy Residents rate high By Barbara Connors

The State of Illinois may struggle in achieving a balanced budget, but the good news according to WalletHub is that its residents ranked eighth overall in the 50 states and District of Columbia in financial literacy. WalletHub’s WalletLiteracy Survey based its ranking on 15 key metrics.

Here’s how Illinois residents rated in some of these categories 1 = most ﬁnancially literate; 25 = avg.

11th 13th 19th 20th 6th 22nd 24th 13th

Credit card debt

WalletHub’s ‘WalletLiteracy Survey’ score Percentage of adults aged 18+ with rainy-day funds Percentage of adults aged 18+ who borrow from nonbank lenders Percentage of adults aged 18+ paying only minimum on credit card(s) High-school ﬁnancial literacy grade Public high-school graduation rate Percentage of adults aged 18+ who scored at least 80% on FINRA’s Financial Literacy Test Percentage of adults aged 25+ with at least a bachelor’s degree

The United States ended 2016 with $89.2 billion in new credit-card debt; the highest increase since 2007. Some contributing factors: Only two in five adults had a budget. Eighteen percent of Americans spent more than they made. Half didn’t have a rainy-day fund. Source: WalletHub

Illinois’ independent streak Illinois’ financial independence showed in its WalletHub ranking as the fourth least dependent state on the federal government for state revenue. Only New Jersey, Minnesota and Delaware ranked as more self sufficient and less dependent on Uncle Sam for its economic welfare. WalletHub compared 50 states across three key metrics. Illinois ranked third in the lowest amount of grants received and fourth in the lowest amount of other financial assistance received from the federal government. More rankings: 48th Return on taxes paid to the federal government 41st Federal funding as a share of state revenue 39th Share of federal jobs

Illinois has mixed property tax reviews Illinois residents’ have the highest effective real estate tax rate, with only New Jersey ranking higher among the 50 states and District of Columbia, according to a WalletHub analysis based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau. With a 2.30% effective real-estate tax rate, an Illinois householder pays $4,105 in property taxes on a $179,000 home. Conversely, a householder from the lowest-ranked state, Hawaii, pays $487 in property taxes on a $179,000 home. Some tax relief comes to Illinois residents in a 0% property tax rate on vehicles. Residents from 27 states pay property taxes on vehicles. Conversely, residents from the highest-taxed state, Rhode Island, pay a 4.77% effective vehicle tax rate, which translates into $1,100 in vehicle property taxes annually on a $23,000 car.

U.S. Bank Small Business Survey: Companies are growing, but struggling to find workers

Business owners are more optimistic than at any time in the eight years of U.S. Bank’s Small Business Annual Survey, yet they voiced challenges ahead. The 3,200 small business owners surveyed in January and February came from 25 states represented by U.S. Bank with annual revenues less than $10 million, and half under $200,000. They reported revenue growth, and while preparing for capital investments and modestly adding staff, 61 percent reported difficulty finding quality employees.

BUSINESS FINDINGS 80 percent described their own businesses as strong, and 38 percent reported higher revenues -- more than at any time in the past eight years. 18 percent felt the economy was expanding, up from nine percent a year ago, and they expected the trend to continue, with 28 percent predicting the economy will be in an expansion by early 2018. Four out of 10 said they planned to make a capital expenditure to expand their business in the next year. One fourth also expected to increase their staff, despite the challenge of finding skilled workers. 93 percent of owners said they were satisfied with the balance between their work and personal lives, while fewer owners (85 percent) were satisfied with their wealth and savings derived from their small business. 96 percent were satisfied with how their business improved the lives of others. 61 percent said they’re experiencing extreme or moderate difficulty finding quality employees to expand their business. They’re adapting by offering more on-the-job training and curbing their own growth expectation. Half expected to be impacted by potential changes to the health care act, and if that happens, they overwhelmingly supported retaining worker health care coverage for pre-existing conditions. Political issues like immigration reform and trade reform weren’t as impactful. The most important attribute small business owners wanted from their business bank was the ability to bank through multiple channels, such as online, mobile and in-person branches. 88 percent said they would do at least some of their banking in a physical branch in the next five years. Dealing in a transparent manner and demonstrating ethical behavior ranked second and third as desired bank qualities.

Business Advice (Mid-Year Economic Update)

Road to adulthood becoming more complex Young adults more educated, working more, less likely married

Today’s young adults look different from prior generations in almost every regard: How much education they have, their work experiences, when they start a family and even whom they live with while growing up. A new U.S. Census Bureau report, “The Changing Economics and Demographics of Young Adulthood: 1975-2016,” looked at changes in young adulthood over the last 40 years. The report focuses on the education, economics and living arrangements and how young adults’ experiences differed in timing and degree from what young adults experienced in the 1970s.

Some Findings More than 9 in 10 Americans believe that finishing school and being gainfully

employed are important milestones of adulthood. In contrast, marriage and parenthood rank low: More than half of Americans believe that marrying and having children are not very important in order to become an adult. More young people today live in their parents’ home than in any other arrangement: 1 in 3 young people, or about 24 million 18- to 34-year olds, lived in their parents’ home in 2015. Of young people living in their parents’ home, one in four are idle; neither going to school nor work. This figure represents about 2.2 million 25- to 34-year-olds. Among other characteristics, these young adults are more likely to have a child, so they may be caring for family, and more than one quarter have a disability of some kind.

June 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Comparisons Over the Years 80% OF YOUNG ADULTS MARRIED BY … 1970s 30 years old

Now 45 years old

STATES WITH MAJORITY OF YOUNG ADULTS LIVING IN OWN HOUSEHOLD 2005 2015 35 states 6 states All Midwest and Plains states: Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming

What ‘an Adult’ Looks Like If one theme describes how adulthood has changed over the last 40 years, it is growing complexity. In 1975, there was one predominant adult milestone — family formation — that people largely experienced during their 20s. Today, while the milestones have remained the same, the pathways are more diverse. Those who marry and become parents by their late 20s are the minority; growing shares of young adults live alone, with roommates or with an unmarried partner. That young people wait to settle down and start families tells us about their behavior, but not how they feel about their experiences. What was revealing was the timing of the milestones. Having a history of work

YOUNG MEN (25 TO 34) WITH INCOMES LESS THAN $30,000 (2015 dollars) 1975 25%

2016 41%

YOUNG WOMEN WHO ARE HOMEMAKERS 1975 2016 43% 14% In this study, ‘young adult’ is defined as 25 to 34 years old.

experience, and presumably savings and financial security, as a prelude to settling down suggests that marriage is a capstone experience, one that comes after (sometimes years after) young people feel financially secure. The complexity of the pathways to adulthood extends to economic conditions as well. Today, more young people work full-time and have a college degree than their peers did in 1975, but fewer own a home. Whereas young women have made economic gains, some young men are falling behind. Compared to their peers in 1975, young men are more likely to be absent from the work force and a far higher share today are at the bottom of the income ladder. It is little surprise then that those still living with parents are disproportionately young men.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

June 2017

Rock Valley College graduates first cold forming training students

Rock Valley College celebrates the first five graduates of its Cold Forming Training Center on Buckbee Street.

Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., visits Specialty Screw Corporation on May 10 as a part of her “Cheri on Shift” initiative to visit the plant floor to understand hands-on what workers, such as Header Operator Booker Wright (shown), do every day. The privately owned, Rockfordbased manufacturer of engineered fasteners and cold-headed products was named as Yazaki’s Green Supplier of the Year for 2014-2015.

Manufacturing in the News Rockford Chamber members appear bolded. Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members. SupplyCore, Inc., received the Automotive Prime Vendor Worldwide contract with the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime Center, an estimated value of $25 million over a five-year period. It will be responsible for supply chain management: distribution, parts acquisition, customer service and technical support for tactical and commercial vehicle parts for the military. SupplyCore was named to Inc. magazine’s list of fastestgrowing companies six times, most recently in 2016, and recognized in 2016 by the Defense Logistics Agency as a Top Performing Industry Partner. Thermo Fisher Scientiﬁc and Bergstrom Inc., will open their doors this year to students of Conklin, Nelson and Lathrop elementary schools as a part of Discovery Center Museum’s Discover Careers program to stimulate and excite children about future careers. Students will tour the facilities and speak with employees about their jobs. Woodward, Inc., reported net sales for the second quarter of 2017 were $500 million, compared to $479 million for the second quarter of last year. The board declared a cash dividend of $0.125 per share for the quarter, payable on June 5, 2017, for stockholders of record as of May 22, 2017.

Rock Valley College’s Cold Forming Training Center, located at 424 Buckbee St., graduated its first class of cold header operators on May 25. The five graduates completed a 12-week training course, which included 30 hours of job readiness. As a part of the job readiness portion of the course, mock interviews were conducted, preparing the students for potential questions or situations that might be asked of them. They contructed resumes, customized with their specific experiences and skill sets. The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) was the next part of training, which lasted for two and half weeks. Upon successful passing of the NIMS exam, each student received a Metalworking Skills certificate for the skill requirement of “Measurement, Materials & Safety.” This nationally recognized credential is beneficial for relocating or seeking employment in another state. The Cold Forming Training Center has an ideal set up, with the classroom area being adjacent to the hands-on portion, which takes place out in the manufacturing area. This allows the instructor, Dave Booker, and the students to discuss cold forming theory, but then apply the pratical application just a few steps away. “Discussing a cold forming progression on the white board is important, but assisting the students with the same progression on the cold header machine is extremely powerful,” Booker said. “In this unique training, it is critical that the students perform procedures repetitiously.” The graduates attended the hands-on portion of the training for five days a week, consisting of six and half hours per day with a half hour for lunch.

‘Job-Ready’ Training Along with the job readiness and the hands-on

portion of the training, each student is subjected to a drug test and assessments determining mechanical and foundational skills. Bernie Luecke The training environment RVC BPI replicates an “on-the-job” experience, starting with the students punching in and out of class by use of a time clock. Each student also received proficiciency updates throughout the training with a grade provided by the instructor upon completion of the class. During the hands-on portion of the class, students are exposed to the fundamentals of cold forming while understanding different headable materials, their tensile strengths and work hardening rates. They learn about the upsetting of materials as well as open and trapped extrusions while setting up machines using process drawings and forming progressions. Students perform setups on the Nakashimada NP60 2 Die 3 Blow. Parts that will be produced include: solid blow, sliding blow and hex washer head configuration. The training will also include exposure to basic tool design, alignment, broken/ worn tools and exposure to grain flow analysis. The Cold Forming Training Center is the only one of its kind in the region, and they have received inquiries and/or visits from fastener companies from the following cities and states: Bryan, Ohio; Addison, Ill.; New Haven Conn.; Mobile Ala.; Mundelein, Ill.; Kendallville, Ind.; Cleveland, Ohio, and El Cajon, Calif. Resumes of the graduating students are e-mailed to various fastener companies and company visits are arranged for informal interviews. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a cold header operator or would like to be added to our mailing list to receive resumes of cold header operator graduates, please e-mail Bernie Luecke at B.Luecke@RockValleyCollege.edu. Bernie Luecke is director at the Business & Professional Institute at Rock Valley College. The views expressed are those of Luecke’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. Manufacturing News is sponsored by RVC BPI

Manage Your Personal & Business Wealth

June 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Growing your personal wealth Procrastination is the single biggest wealth killer I know of. Have you ever given much thought to growing your personal wealth? I mean really thought about it and envisioned what it could be like. Often, we think of it as more of a pipe dream. Wouldn’t it be nice to be rich? To have a second or third home? To go on amazing five-star vacations? If you think of it as more of a fantasy than reality, you will never be in the mindset that will put you on the right track to growing your personal wealth. It all comes down to the fundamentals of savings, which is, very simply: “Spend less, earn more and invest for the long term.” There are endless variations on how to achieve this objective, but they all follow two simple themes: Either reduce your personal debt and monthly spending or increase your income by getting a raise, changing jobs or starting a business. Basically, you must create a gap between your after-taxes earnings and what you spend that results in savings to invest for growth and additional income.

It’s possible if you plan

For many of us this simple concept is hard to put into practice. Why? Because we like to procrastinate. Procrastination is the single biggest wealth killer I know of. You plan to get around to it someday, but there is always some other priority that gets in the way. The kids need braces, the car needs repair, the kitchen needs remodeling. Living for today and planning for tomorrow is easier said than done. Growing personal wealth is a change of mind-set and more about bringing the future into the present to be achieved. What I mean is you must sit down either by yourself or with a financial professional and create a personal wealth accumulation game plan. Don’t worry if you don’t have a plan; most people don’t. But I can guarantee you will feel more confident and in control of your wealth goals if you develop a plan. By planning, you are making a future that is more relatable. It’s done on paper and is real, not just something that is in the vague future. When you can make the future relevant, you will be more apt to bridge that gap and stick with your spending and savings goals. You basically create a very exciting vision

of your retirement and what you’re passionate about doing. You save and invest more when you do this and grow more personal wealth at a faster pace.

401(k) plan or

The Road to Wealth

following:

Here are the key wealth creation steps that you should be taking for your personal wealth plan:

■■ Are you maximizing your wealth

■■ Invest 15 to 20 percent of your income for long-term accumulation. The earlier you start the better, but it’s never too late to begin.

a Roth 401(K) or Roth IRA, ask yourself the

Steven L. Schou, CFP® Rockford Bank & Trust

accumulation through an employer matching contribution? ■■ Are you invested for the long term with an appropriate amount of equities? ■■ Are you choosing equity investments that pay dividends on a regular basis to

■■ Have six months of readily available savings available in case of emergency. If your emergency fund exceeds 12 months or more, you are impeding the growth of your personal wealth.

add to your growth?

■■ Additional monies not accumulating for a short-term, large purchase should be invested for long-term growth. Great wealth builders focus on both saving money and investing for the long-term simultaneously.

planning, making the choices that will

Now that the wealth creation steps are in place, what type of tax-efficient accounts are available for growing personal wealth? Whether you’re investing in a traditional employer

Growing

your

personal

wealth

and living the life you want to live is an attainable goal. It just takes some get you where you want to be and the fortitude to stick to that plan. Steven L. Schou, CFP®, is a vice president and business development and trust officer with Rockford Bank & Trust. The views expressed are those of Schou’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

June 2017

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Managing wealth: Less risk, more reward Warren Buffett once said that there are two rules of investing: 1) Never lose money, and 2) Never forget Rule no. 1. While the Oracle of Omaha’s investment record isn’t completely flawless, his ability to minimize risk, adapt to market volatility, and take the emotion out of his investment strategies have helped make him one of the wealthiest and most admired investors of all time. Most significantly, this approach, and the investment strategies needed to implement it, aren’t just the purview of the very wealthy. Today every investor, working closely with a trusted financial advisor, can access the powerful technology tools and highly sophisticated investment products and services needed to “tailormake” a plan designed to pursue the best possible wealth management results.

Marc J. Theien and goals. Cetera Investment It’s important Services to note that your financial advisor will likely perform these steps with powerful financial planning software to help optimize your investment strategies. MoneyGuidePro, for example, can gather information faster, take the guesswork out of the analytics, and output financial plans, asset allocation plans or lifetime income plans –- all modeled to fit the client’s specific objectives. A variety of factors will influence the eventual recommendations, including:

■■ Based on your time horizon and risk tolerance, what is the most appropriate asset mix of equities, bonds and cash? ■■ Reviewing tax-advantaged investment options

Getting Started

■■ Evaluating net worth

Your financial advisor should start by taking you through a detailed financial planning process – the steps essential to creating the plan that best meets your specific objectives. For example: 1. The establishment of the investor’s core investment values and principles. No two investors are alike. The investor’s financial resources, investment goals, tolerance for risk and time horizon all factor into establishing and prioritizing his/hers objectives going forward. Ultimately, this information will serve as the foundation for what some might call an investment policy, or mission statement. This document can provide guidance and help minimize the potential for decisionmaking based solely on emotion during the inevitable volatile periods that occur in markets or in one’s life. 2. Assessing the current financial situation. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the investor’s current financial situation as they relate to the investor’s ability to pursue their goals and objectives. This analysis can include:

■■ Considering state or federal taxes, i.e., tax efficient mutual funds, muni bonds

■■ Tracking income and expenses ■■ Evaluating net worth ■■ Completing a financial inventory ■■ Educating children ■■ Buying a house or car ■■ Developing a cash reserve ■■ Estimating retirement income and age ■■ Estimating the value of government programs ■■ Assessing current retirement assets ■■ Determining how to take distributions ■■ Protecting your income if you become disabled — disability income ■■ Business continuation planning — i.e., buy-sell agreements ■■ Addressing health care concerns 3. Designing investment strategies tailored to the client’s circumstances

■■ Developing a tax deferral strategy, i.e., annuities, life insurance, IRAs ■■ Reviewing tax strategies for distributions from qualified plans ■■ Minimizing excess estate taxes ■■ Helping plan for federal, state and inheritance taxes ■■ Funding the transfer of your family business ■■ Helping protect your legacy 4. Implement financial planning strategies. Investors have an enormous range of financial products and services at their fingertips. A mix of fund types – short, mid, long-term and speculative investment funds -- will of course be selected based on the recommendations of the plan, and with the help of the experts that manage these funds. 5. Final step: Review progress. The investment environment is nothing if not dynamic. It’s important to regularly review how a plan is performing and, if necessary, adapt to change occurring in the markets or as a result of life events. Marc J. Theien is an investment executive with Cetera Investment Services, serving clients located at Northwest Bank and German American State Bank. The views expressed are those of Theien’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. For a comprehensive review of your personal situation, always consult with a tax or legal advisor. Neither Cetera Investment Services LLC nor any of its representatives may give legal or tax advice. Securities and insurance products are offered through Cetera Investment Services LLC (doing insurance business in CA as CFGIS Insurance Agency), member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services are offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Neither firm is affiliated with the financial institution where investment services are offered. Advisory services are only offered by Investment Adviser Representatives. Investments are: *Not FDIC/NCUSIF insured *May lose value including principal *Not financial institution guaranteed *Not a deposit *Not insured by any federal government agency. Located at 125 N. Phelps Ave., Rockford, IL 61108 815-229-4212.

Manage Your Personal & Business Wealth

June 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

The great transfer of wealth Setting your path It’s common knowledge that the Baby Boomers have long been the nation’s largest and wealthiest generation. In the coming years, however, the majority of those boomers will be transferring both business and personal wealth to children and grandchildren. Staying organized and creating a plan now will help with the transfers down the road. What are your options? What considerations might you be overlooking? In regards to personal wealth, people should consider either giving with warmhands or passing assets through estate assets. Gifting assets while alive allows an individual to watch the recipient enjoy those assets. On the other hand, the transferring of assets at death can be done through legal documents, titling (such as joint ownership) and through state laws. Making sure that your disposition (during life or during estate administration) matches your desires is imperative. Sitting down with a wealth advisor or a member of your service team will help you better understand the flow of assets. For business owners contemplating succession planning and the transfer of wealth, however, the issues and potential pitfalls quickly escalate to much more complex and far-reaching options. Should you sell your business or give it away? Should you implement your plan during your lifetime, or at your death? Should you transfer your ownership interest? The key is to choose the best plan for your circumstances and objectives and to seek help from your financial and legal team to carry out your plan. Sell your business outright. This allows you to choose the right time to sell; now, at your retirement, at your passing, or anytime in between. The sale proceeds can be used to maintain your lifestyle or to pay estate taxes and other final expenses. As long as the price is at least equal to the full fair market value of the business, you will not be subject to gift taxes. However, if the sale occurs before your passing, you may incur a capital gains tax. Establish a buy-sell agreement. This is a legally binding contract that establishes when, to whom, and at what price you can sell your interest in a business. A typical buy-sell allows the business itself or any coowners the opportunity to purchase your interest in the business at a predetermined price. This can help avoid future adverse consequences such as disruption of operations, entity dissolution or business liquidation that might result if you were suddenly incapacitated or passed away. A buy-sell can also minimize the possibility of the business falling into the hands of outsiders. The ability to fix the purchase price as the taxable value of your business interest makes a buy-sell agreement especially

useful in estate Ron Glenn Alpine Trust & planning. Investment Group Agreeing to a purchase price can minimize the possibility of unfair treatment to your heirs. In addition, if your death is the triggering event, the IRS’ acceptance of this price as the taxable value can help minimize estate taxes. Since funding for a buy-sell is typically arranged when it is executed, you are able to ensure funds will be available when needed, which provides your estate with liquidity that may be needed for expenses and taxes. Leave your business as an inheritance. As an alternative, many business owners prefer to have their children inherit the fruits of all their years of hard work and success. You can certainly bequeath your business in your will, but remember that transferring your business during your lifetime has many additional personal and tax benefits. Gift the business over time. This allows you to gradually hand over the reins as your offspring become better able to control and manage the business on their own, and you can minimize gift and estate taxes. In this way you can: ■■ Transfer the value of any future appreciation in the business out of your estate to your heirs. This is especially valuable if business growth is expected. ■■ Take advantage of the annual gift tax exclusion; gifts of $14,000 per recipient are tax free. ■■ Take advantage of your lifetime exclusion; currently, $5,490,000 in aggregate gifts are tax free. ■■ Take advantage of partial interest gifts with GRATs, GRUTs and family limited partnerships, which may be valued at a discount for lack of marketability or restrictions on transferability. When reviewing your balance sheet, it is important to review all assets – both personal and business. Unique assets, like businesses, are likely to make your individual planning more unique. No matter how you plan to transfer your wealth, the key part of this complex transaction is choosing the best plan and seeking help from your financial and legal advisors to carry it to completion. Ron Glenn is a vice president, wealth advisor & trust officer at Alpine Trust & Investment Group. The views expressed are those of Glenn’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. Investment and insurance products are: not FDIC insured; not guaranteed; and, may be subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

June 2017

‘Economic Development,’ according to Nathan Bryant In economic development, many believe spec buildings or buildings based on speculated need are the best avenue for attracting businesses to a region. However, Nathan Bryant, president and CEO of the RAEDC, has an additional perspective: Spec Buildings: The Rockford Region delivers quickstart, custom, speed-to-market strategies, unlike spec buildings, which never truly fulﬁll the end user’s needs. These buildings are constructed in the same timeframe as restructuring spec buildings, and often at the same or lower price.

Congressman Kinzinger and FCA US-Led Rockford Area Supplier Symposium Reaches 40 companies in Rockford Region The RAEDC, Growth Dimensions of Belvidere-Boone County and Congressman Adam Kinzinger welcomed FCA US LLC (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) to Rockford on Friday, May 12 to help foster connections with 40 northern Illinois companies at a supplier symposium. The symposium aimed to shed light on the opportunities at FCA US and its tierone suppliers, including Brose, Dearborn Mid-West Company, Magna Exteriors, Piston Group and Yanfeng, and to share insights into the supplier onboarding process. The morning included presentations from the automaker and its suppliers as well as one-on-one meetings for local businesses to meet with the presenters (think “speed dating”). FCA US designs, manufactures and sells or distributes vehicles under the

RAAN Aerospace Networking & Symposium Strengthening the aerospace supply chain Khoi Vu, site product leader at GE Aviation and RAAN committee chair, welcomes guests to the RAAN Aerospace Networking & Symposium.

A suggestion for companies trying to become a supplier included being open to providing a service that other businesses refuse to provide. Individual

The Rockford Area Aerospace Network recently held its Aerospace Networking & Symposium event with 140 attendees who listened to Congressman Adam Kinzinger tout the strengths of the Rockford Region’s aerospace supply chain, which includes 4 tier-one suppliers. Guests also had the opportunity to network with 19 exhibitors, and representatives from the tier-one suppliers. A panel presentation provided key insights into what companies need to do to become and maintain their status as a supplier for these tier-one companies. Panelists included representatives from AAR Corp., GE Aviation, UTC Aerospace Systems, and Woodward, Inc. One of the consistent comments was the documentation of processes as well as the importance of communicating when any changes have been made related to the products being produced.

presentations

focused

on the innovation happening within the aerospace industry. Comply365 discussed the innovation that occurs due to the advancement of technology and the beneficial disruptive impact it has in the workplace. Northern Illinois University’s

presentation

discussed

the impact of additive manufacturing, while QuesTek examined the impact new metals are having in the aerospace industry. Khoi Vu, site product leader at GE Aviation and RAAN committee chair, said, “The innovation happening right here, in the Rockford Region, demonstrates why we have the sixth highest

concentration

aerospace

employment in the nation.” Watch the video at RockfordAerospace. com to learn why you should be at the next RAAN Networking & Symposium.

Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram, FIAT® and Alfa Romeo brands as well as the SRT performance designation. The Rockford MSA, which includes Boone and Winnebago counties, is home to many tier-one suppliers for FCA US. “We are grateful to welcome the Jeep Cherokee line of automobiles to the Belvidere facility and to introduce them to our impressive manufacturing and service resources,” said Nathan Bryant, RAEDC president and CEO. “This event is an excellent opportunity for both our suppliers and service providers to establish mutually beneficial relationships.” “With the upcoming launch of the 2017 Jeep Cherokee at the Belvidere Assembly Plant, we are pleased to connect with our local supply base and the many companies who show a passion for the automotive industry,” said Brett Schauber,

senior manager of supplier relations, FCA Congressman US. “Thank you Adam Kinzinger to the Rockford Area Economic Development Council, Growth Dimensions and Congressman Adam Kinzinger for helping foster strong business relationships in the community.” In the past two years, the RAEDC coordinated with Congressman Kinzinger’s office on similar supplier symposiums in Rockford that connected regional companies with Caterpillar, Boeing, AAR Corp., and Northrop Grumman. “Manufacturing is making a comeback in the United States – especially here at the Rockford MSA and across Illinois – and we are really seeing the benefits of that growth,” Kinzinger said.

June 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Immigration Myths and Facts

Addressing misinformation and revealing facts on Immigration Note: This article contains highlights from a report published on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce website. See the URL at the end of this article to read the entire report. By Randel K. Johnson, Senior Vice President, Labor, Immigration & Employee Benefits Despite the numerous studies and carefully detailed economic reports outlining the positive effects of immigration, there is a great deal of misinformation about the impact of immigration. Policymakers and the public need to be educated about the facts. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Labor, Immigration & Employee Benefits Division prepared and updated the 2013 report which examines prevalent myths that have emerged during the current immigration reform debate. Our compilation shows that immigrants significantly benefit the U.S. economy by creating new jobs and complementing the skills of the U.S. native workforce, with a net positive impact on wage rates overall. MYTH: Jobs filled by immigrants are jobs that could be filled by unemployed Americans. FACT: Immigrants typically do not compete for jobs with native-born workers, and immigrants create jobs as entrepreneurs, consumers, and taxpayers. One of the principal ways in which immigrants create jobs is through the businesses they establish. Immigrants to our country join native-born Americans in being risk takers. According to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, in 2014 immigrants continued to be “almost twice as likely as the nativeborn to become entrepreneurs.” MYTH: Immigrants drive down the wages of American workers. FACT: Immigrants give a slight boost to the average wages of Americans by increasing their productivity and stimulating investment. Immigrant workers increase the wages of native-born workers in two ways. First, immigrants and natives tend to differ in the amount of education they have, the occupations in which they work, and the skill sets they possess. The jobs which immigrants and natives perform are often interdependent. This increases the productivity of natives, which increases their wages. Second, the addition of immigrant workers to the labor force stimulates new investment in the economy, which in turn increases the demand for labor, exerting upward pressure on wages. MYTH: The sluggish U.S. economy doesn’t need more immigrant workers. FACT: Immigrants will replenish the U.S. labor force as millions of Baby Boomers retire.

The U.S. economy is facing a demographic crisis. Roughly 76 million Baby Boomers (nearly one-quarter of the U.S. population) are now starting to reach retirement age. This wave of aging over the next two decades will have a profound economic impact. Social Security and Medicare are projected to experience shortfalls. 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day. As a smaller number of workers and taxpayers will support a growing number of retirees, immigrants will play a critical role in replenishing the labor force and, therefore, the tax base. MYTH: Undocumented immigrants do not pay taxes. FACT: Undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes each year. Undocumented immigrants pay sales taxes, just like every other consumer in the United States. Undocumented immigrants also pay property taxes—even if they rent housing. More than half of undocumented immigrants have federal and state income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes automatically deducted from their paychecks. However, undocumented immigrants working “on the books” are not eligible for any of the federal or state benefits that their tax dollars help to fund. As a result, undocumented immigrants provide an enormous subsidy to the Social Security system in particular. According to the SSA, undocumented immigrants paid $13 billion in payroll taxes into the Social Security Trust Funds in 2010 alone. The tax payments of undocumented immigrants would be significantly greater if they had legal status. According to ITEP, if undocumented immigrants were allowed to work legally in the United States, they would pay $13.8 billion in state and local taxes — an increase of $2.1 billion over what they pay now. MYTH: Immigrants come to the United States for welfare benefits. FACT: Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for federal public benefit programs, and even legal immigrants face stringent eligibility restrictions. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for federal public benefits such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, Medicare, and food stamps. Even most legal immigrants cannot receive these benefits until they have been in the United States for five years or longer, regardless of how much they have worked or paid in taxes. To read the entire report, go to www.uschamber. com/report/immigration-myths-and-facts-0. The views expressed are those of Johnson’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

June 2017

IGNITE

Young Professionals

Some lessons gained in learning to be a leader Breaking down the barriers

Last August, I found myself at my first-ever Transition Planning Committee (TPC) Meeting, a group focused on empowering young adults with disabilities by networking and addressing their needs to promote a successful transition to life after high school. One month later I found myself being nominated and elected to serve as chairperson of the TPC. I walked out of that meeting thinking to myself, “Why would they think I know what I am doing?”

Do we ask ourselves to set outcomes for the meetings we attend? What is our purpose, what information can I share, what are my needs, what do I want when this meeting is over? As I continued to think about my new position on this committee, I told myself I am going to figure out how to lead this group, and I want to do it well. That’s not the only leadership role I somehow found myself in this past year. I serve as co-lead for the INVOLVE team as part of IGNITE Leadership, and I am secretary for an academy support team at one of Rockford Public Schools. We all kind-of understand the basics of each of these roles. As a chairperson, you run the meeting, as secretary you capture the notes, and as co-lead, well you lead, but with another person. But how do we know what to do? I began to think of those I have worked with whom I have seen do these things really well. I thought of the agendas set for each of our staff meetings. I thought of leads on the American Marketing Association, who were driven to set high goals. I thought of all of the notes I had been sent from a meeting and reflected on if the information shared was enough.

Cultivating Leaders I have been lucky to have these opportunities for gaining experience that would help me fill these roles, but not everyone gets this. This is something we have been discussing at work recently. How do you train someone to become a leader in the community? A co-worker of mine recently led a training on becoming future leaders in the disability community. Like I did, they reflected on the trials and errors of leaders, current and past. He analyzed the actions of disability advocate greats such as Ed Roberts, Justin Dart and Judy

Hannah Schoenberg IGNITE

Heumann. (If you remember the last article I wrote, these names might sound familiar, if not, Google them.) He challenged those in the training to reflect on how they want to be involved in their community to make a change. As a staff, we have been challenged to think of ways to break down the barriers that might stop one from assuming a leadership role in the community. Ideas that have been brought to the table have included access to transportation, childcare, simply having the time, not knowing what is out there, and not knowing how to take that step into the unknown. So how do we fix this, how do we address the barriers in front of us in trying to build a future of leaders? We have to think about the way we meet and why we meet. Can we use technology to eliminate these barriers? Don’t have a car, but have a webcam or speakerphone, see if you can call into the meeting. Bonus points, you can stay home with the kids AND save on travel time. Do we ask ourselves to set outcomes for the meetings we attend? What is our purpose, what information can I share, what are my needs, what do I want when this meeting is over? This last year IGNITE reframed the structure surrounding our meetings, and it has been met with great success. Instead of having three separate committee meetings on a monthly basis and a leadership meeting in the mix, let’s have quarterly board meetings and a monthly town hall meeting. I’ll do the math for you, we went from 40-ish possible meetings a year, to 16. Now instead of spending our time in meetings discussing what we want to accomplish, we are out there accomplishing it. If you are interested in learning more about what IGNITE is up to, check out our town hall calendar on Facebook or the Rockford Chamber website. A lot of us need that encouragement to take that leap into a leadership role, so invite your co-workers to networking events with you, be a mentor to someone who needs that guidance, talk about your experiences with others, and take a risk on someone willing to learn. Have ideas on how to create future leaders or an opportunity for involvement? Let me know, hschoenberg@rampcil.org. Hannah Schoenberg is INVOLVE co-chair for IGNITE. Visit www.igniterockford.com.

June 2017

Business Briefs BUSINESS BRIEFS

& Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, in anticipation of the opening of the $505 million Women’s and Children’s Hospital and Medical Center Campus on Riverside Boulevard in Rockford. The partnership will provide infants and children with complex and rare conditions access to advanced outpatient and inpatient services.

Rockford Chamber members appear bolded. Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members. Baird ranked No. 4 on FORTUNE magazine’s 2017 list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For®. It’s the 14th consecutive year on the list and the fourth year in the Top 10. Rockford Park District opened Lockwood Park, 5201 Safford Road, for summer activities on Saturday afternoons through Sept. 30. Activities include a covered pony ring, Children’s Farm Animal Barn, hay rides through meadows and woods, and horseback trail rides. Registration is open for spring and summer park district activities. Visit www. rockfordparkdistrict.org/guides. KMK Media Group designed a comprehensive, 34-page annual report for Boylan Catholic High School and invitations and Facebook marketing campaigns for the annual “Green and Gold Gala” fundraiser and Men’s and Women’s Golf Opens. KMK was hired by Excentus in Dallas to develop web-based solutions to support its loyalty promotional programs for retail customers. It launched an updated website for Concrete Systems Inc., at www. concretesystemsinc.com. It donated services in the creation of a new logo for “Parents for Gifted Education,” a parent advocacy group for students and families of Rockford Public Schools’ Gifted and Creative & Performing Arts academies. Rockford Park District and Kiwanis Club of Rockford broke ground on the Tots Play Area, the first phase of a new Children’s Exploration Station, a $600,000 to $700,000 project to be built along the Rock River Recreation Path adjacent to the Symbol parking lot. It’s part of the overall master plan for Sinnissippi Riverfront Park, which includes improvements to the existing Rose Garden and Perennial Garden. Kiwanis Club donated $125,000 as a part of its 100th anniversary celebration. Mercyhealth was honored with a certificate of appreciation from Ill. Secretary of State Jesse White for dedication to organ/tissue donation. At Mercyhealth, 18 donors gave 61 organs, while 31 tissue donors contributed to 670 transplants. Mercyhealth Hospital-Rockton Avenue ranks as number four in Illinois for outstanding organ donation in 2016. The YMCA of Rock River Valley held an open house on April 29 for the new, 15,500-sq.-ft. Puri Family YMCA at 1475 S. Perryville Road. 13 WREX was named Outstanding News Operation by the Illinois Associated Press for the second time in the last four years at the Illinois News Broadcasters Association Spring Convention in Urbana. WREX was honored with four, first-place awards and four, second-place

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WNIJ 89.5 FM introduced “The 21st,” a live, one-hour talk show hosted by Niala Boodhoo, former host for WBEZ Chicago. It airs every weekday at 11 a.m., and offers listeners the chance to connect on issues that affect their lives as Illinois residents. With this addition comes the end of the show, “The Takeaway.”

Discovery Center Museum launches Discover Careers, a project designed to stimulate and excite children about future careers, thanks to a grant from the Bengt and Mary Kuller Endowment Fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. The museum will create career-focused kiosks and career graphic panels highlighting local people at work, and offer three afterschool programs with field trips this year to Thermo Fisher Scientific and Bergstrom Inc., and family programs such as “When I Grow Up,” slated for July 21. awards in seven different categories. It also was awarded for the second straight year with two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for overall excellence and news documentary. Crusader Community Health held a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 18 for its sixth location, Crusader Community Health on Alpine at 1215 N. Alpine Road. It offers preventive, acute and chronic disease management healthcare for pediatrics, family medicine, internal (adult) medicine, women’s health services and the CARENOW! walk-in clinic for children and adults. WNIJ 89.5 FM announced that its fundraising project exceeded its $125,000 goal. WNIJ planted a tree to mark every donation to the station for its project honoring Earth Day; resulting in 1,203 trees planted in a national forest. SwedishAmerican Medical Group will offer sports exams, camp exams and basic school physicals for $30 at several area clinics through Sept. 1. Evening and weekend appointments are available and payment due at time of service. Call 779-696-7081. The 2017 Rosecrance Foundation benefit drew more than 700 and raised money for its programs and the Kinley Charity Care Fund; which has provided nearly $8 million to families since 1984. Last year, the foundation helped 475 families with the cost of treatment and supported programs across the agency. Mercyhealth’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Mercyhealth HospitalRockton Avenue now offers neonatal touch and massage to eligible babies starting at 32 weeks. Mercyhealth Development Foundation and a grant from Alpine Kiwanis paid for 22 nurses and six therapists to be certified in the technique.

Consumer Reports in partnership with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons ranked OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center as “better than expected” in coronary artery bypass surgery among almost 500 hospitals rated nationwide. Ranking were based on performance in open-heart surgery, including coronary bypass surgery and aortic valve replacement, and key measures, including actual mortality and complication rates. Fans of the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs raised more than $150,000; donated during the 2016-17 season to organizations such as Special Olympics – Illinois, SwedishAmerican Hospital and A Silver Lining Foundation, the autism program of Easterseals, the Veteran’s Drop-In Center, and Families with HD Rooted in Hope, Inc. Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau partnered with Kubb United Inc., Swedish Historical Society of Rockford and Gigi’s Playhouse for the 2017 Rockford Swedish Historical Society Kubb Tournament on May 6 at the Ingersoll Centennial Park; drawing about 150 players from eight states. The City of Rockford and Rockford Park District celebrated in April the completion of $235,000 in enhancements to Harmon Playfield, 1924 East Gate Pkwy. New playground equipment includes a musical panel, standing see saw and unique merry-go-round, and new spray pad, picnic shelter, drinking fountain and basketball court. SwedishAmerican Byron Clinic received the Outstanding Business Achievement Award from the Byron Chamber of Commerce in April. Mercyhealth formed a comprehensive partnership with Ann

Alpine Kiwanis Club awarded $16,500 to 11 area youth; $1,500 in scholarships each. For more than 15 years, the club has awarded scholarships through proceeds from Alpine Kiwanis Brat Days. This year, Brat Days is July 14 and 15. V2 Marketing Communications organized, promoted and facilitated a four-day workshop and banquet event for the Association of Applied and Therapeutic Humor in Orlando; drawing more than 150 participants. Quartz, a health plan services company in Sauk City, Wis., hired V2 to develop an advertising and marketing strategy to introduce its brand to the Rockford market. The SwedishAmerican Foundation, along with Keith Creek Neighborhood Association and Jackson Oaks Neighborhood Association, kicked off its Yard of the Month contest. From May through October, the neighborhood associations will select one residential yard each month for a $25 gift card to Nicholson Hardware and other recognitions. The Wound Healing Center at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center received the Center of Distinction award by Healogics for outstanding clinical outcomes for 12 consecutive months, including patient satisfaction higher than 92 percent, and a woundhealing rate of at least 91 percent in less than 31 median days. The SwedishAmerican Regional Cancer Center is offering a Look Good Feel Better program to its current cancer patients with lessons on skin and nail care, cosmetics, wigs and turbans, accessories and styling by volunteer beauty professionals trained and certified by Look Good Feel Better Foundation, the American Cancer Society and the Professional Beauty Association. Call 800-227-2345. Northwest Bank of Rockford celebrated its 45th anniversary on April 21; a milestone signifying its growth from a single Rockford location to five locations in the region.

(continued on page 23)

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June 2017

Business Briefs BUSINESS BRIEFS

Continued from page 22 June 2 to 10, Sharefest volunteers will make over Rockford Park District’s Levings Park, with projects based in part on feedback at neighborhood meetings by the Rockford Park District, City of Rockford, Winnebago County, West Rock Wake Park, Southwest Ideas for Today and Tomorrow and Rockford Sharefest. Long-term improvements for the park include expansion of West Rock Wake Park, renovations to the shelter and beach house and replacements of grills. A new playground will be built, the beach area repurposed, 300 dead ash trees due to Emerald Ash Borer removed, a new concert area constructed (pending fundraising efforts), and Levings Lake water quality improved. Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful partnered with Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois to process collections locally from its recycle centers and clothing drives. In the past it used a textile wholesaler in Milwaukee. Donations still will benefit KNIB environmental education and other recycling programs. More than 77 tons of textiles have been saved from landfills. Northern Illinois University and Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois held a Goodwill Campus Move-Out campaign, with students donating gently used clothing, lamps, working-condition electronics, kitchen items, sporting goods and non-perishable foods in large blue containers in NIU residence hall lobbies. Nearly 60,000 pounds has been collected at NIU, where the program has been piloted since 2012. The program is spreading to other universities. Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful gave the 2017 Hutchcroft Youth Award for Environmental Excellence to 28 eighth grade students from Lincoln Middle School in the Rotary Academy program for a paper recycling effort. Treasures Galore received the 2017 Outstanding Corporate Friend of the Environment Award for its pledge to strive for zero landfill waste.

River District Association kicks off its Historic Walking Tours and its new Signature Walking Tours. Visit www.riverdistrict.com for more information.

Members Caught on Digital ON DIGITAL Ceremonial ribbon donated by SERVPRO of Rockford.

Illinois Bank & Trust was named a Forbes Best Bank 2017, ranking 44th by Heartland Financial USA, Inc., among 100 leading banking organizations nationwide with assets ranging from less than $8 billion to more than $2.5 trillion. OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center was named one of the top BabyFriendly hospitals in the country by Baby-Friendly USA, Inc., based in part on implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. Rockford Park District was named for the third year as one of the “Healthiest Companies in America” by Interactive Health. It was one of 156 out of 3,000 Interactive Health clients recognized for helping employees make significant and sometimes life-saving changes to improve their health. Colorwave Graphics, LLC produced and installed an 86-by-6foot mural inside Crusader Community Health’s new location at Alpine and Guilford Road. It produced portable banner displays, table covers and posters for Kerry Ingredients and custom-printed pop-up tents and feather flags for Midwest Family Broadcasting. It donated event signage for the First Tee of Rockford and Children’s Safe Harbor fundraisers in May. Alpine Bank received awards from the Illinois Housing Development Authority’s Homeownership Department on May 1: #1 Lender in the Northwest Region and #1 Lender in Loan Quality in Illinois. Fehr Graham received two Engineering Excellence Awards from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Iowa for the City of Waukon Northwest Detention Basin project and City of Manchester Trunk Sewer Line project.

Get to Know Your Ambassadors Name: Ryan Wolf

Company: U.S. Cellular

Position: Store Manager

How long have you been an Ambassador? Six months

What do you like most about being an Ambassador? I enjoy the relationships that I am building with the existing ambassador members. I like that I get the opportunity to meet and interact with the group on a monthly basis. I also enjoy the ribbon cuttings. I want to continue to build my network in the greater Rockford area and look forward to connecting with members of the group.

Market Dimensions, Inc., held a ribbon cutting on May 18 at 4320 Morsay Dr., Rockford.

Crusader Community Health on Alpine held a ribbon cutting on May 18 for its sixth location at 1215 N. Alpine Road, Rockford. Services include pediatrics, family medicine, internal (adult) medicine, women’s health and the CARENOW! walk-in clinic for children and adults.

University of Illinois Extension 4-H Robotics team, the Winnebago Broccoli Bots, compete in the Rookie Division of the 2017 state 4-H robotics contest “Healthbot” on May 6 on the state fairgrounds in Springfield and won Best Table Performance and the Judge’s Awards. Nearly 500 youth members in 75 4-H clubs built and programmed robots to perform timed, three-minute runs of their robots.

June 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Regional, National Indicators Chamber Advantages ECONOMY CHAMBER 101 THE

Why Join the Chamber? IT’S A GREAT BUSINESS STRATEGY! THIS MONTH WE HIGHLIGHT THREE MORE

U.S. Indicators April 2017



Consumer Price Index Unemployment Rate

EDUCATION

Resources and tools to strengthen your business through workshops, forums and seminars

“We have been actively involved with the Rockford Chamber for nearly 25 years. We know that being aligned with this credible business organization has increased our visibility as well as our access to advanced training and professional development.”

0.2 percent 4.4 percent

      

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

211,000 $0.07 0.5 percent 0.8 percent (first quarter, 2017) 0.6 percent (first quarter, 2017) 0.5 percent 0.2 percent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

JEFF HULTMAN, ILLINOIS BANK & TRUST

Unemployment Rates Region / State / Nation

GROWTH

Connections, networking and business referrals “The chamber has provided me with numerous opportunities to connect with great people. I can honestly say that I would not be at this stage in my career or with my business without the Rockford Chamber!” KERI BENHOFF, FURSTSEARCH/FURSTTRANSITIONS

LEADERSHIP

Develop skills that foster leadership via the Center for Leadership Development

Dec 2016

Jan 2017

Feb 2017

Mar 2017

Rockford

6.5

11.1*

9.0

8.3

Chicago

5.4

6.0

5.3

4.5

Illinois

5.7

5.4

4.0

United States

4.7

4.8

4.7

4.5

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

*Einar Forsman, Rockford Chamber, addressed in the March 16 Chicago Tribune the January spike in unemployment in Rockford, stating that it was temporary, and due in part to the workers laid off in connection with the $350 million retooling of the Fiat-Chrysler assembly plant in Belvidere. The workers are expected to be re-hired as the new Jeep lines begin production and new suppliers move in. “The end game is that the investment will lead to more jobs in that industry,” Forsman said.

“The Rockford Leadership Alliance allowed me to learn from with a variety of businesses leaders in the Rockford Region. This interdisciplinary interaction broadened my horizons, strengthened my knowledge and skills, stimulated critical and creative thinking, and expanded my network more than could have occurred through being present at a dozen business events!” SANDIE SOLDWISCH, SAINT ANTHONY COLLEGE OF NURSING

ROCKFORDCHAMBER.COM (815) 987-8100 ACCESS • ADVOCACY • CREDIBILITY EDUCATION • GROWTH • LEADERSHIP VALUE • VISIBILITY

U.S. Population TEN MOST POPULOUS U.S. CITIES City

Population

New York, N.Y.

8,550,405

Los Angeles, Calif.

3,971,883

Chicago, Ill.

2,720,546

Houston, Texas

2,296,224

Philadelphia, Pa.

1,567,442

Phoenix, Ariz.

1,563,025

San Antonio, Texas

1,469,845

San Diego, Calif.

1,394,928

Dallas, Texas

1,300,092

San Jose, Calif.

1,026,908

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, May 8, 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

June 2017

New Illinois Laws for 2017

Issues to Watch LEGISLATIVE

Here are some laws related to agriculture, animals and hunting; state government and consumers that have taken affect this year. For specific language of the laws, visit www.ilga.gov.

AGRICULTURE, ANIMALS, HUNTING

Public Hunting of Game Birds

Youth Trapping Licenses

Allows hunters to take bobwhite quail, chukar partridge and gray partridge on public hunting grounds.

SB 2410/PA 99-0868 Allows individuals age 18 and younger to trap without having to take the hunter training course required by DNR. Youth must be accompanied by parent, grandparent or guardian 21 years of age or older. Provides that beginning Jan. 1, 2016 anyone person born on or after January 1, 1998 cannot obtain a trapping license unless they provide proof they have a certificate of competency provided for in the section regarding trapping.

HB 4604/PA 99-0866

HB 4318/PA 99-0823 Allows the Department of Agriculture to sell (at cost) to qualified applicants signs recognizing an agribusiness that has operated for 100 years or more or 150 years or more.

SB 2975/PA 99-0826

Specialty Hunting Licenses SB 3003/PA 99-0869 States that DNR, on an annual basis, may establish a youth-only spring wild turkey season, which shall include two consecutive weekends. Consolidates lines referring to the special permits for equity members, partners and shareholders of land owned by a company, as well as Illinois residents who own 40 or more acres of property they intend to hunt on into one new section.

Unclaimed Life Insurance Beneﬁts Act HB 4633/PA 99-0893 Requires all authorized insurers in Illinois to locate and pay beneficiaries’ proceeds under unclaimed life insurance policies, annuity contracts and retained asset accounts issued in the state or remit such proceeds to the Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Division. Failure to meet requirements of this act is an unfair trade practice under the Illinois Insurance Code.

Egg Sales HB 6287/PA 99-0732

STATE GOVERNMENT, STATE BOARDS/COMMISSIONS AND INSURANCE

Pirogue as State Artifact HB 538/PA 99-0545 Creates a new section that designates the pirogue (a long, narrow canoe) as the official state artifact of Illinois. This was the result of a history class survey/project amongst Wilmette Middle School students.

SB 2354/PA 99-0567 Clarifies what matters the condo board may discuss at a closed meeting, usually involving contracts and litigation.

HB 4562/PA 99-0548

CONSUMERS

No eggs may be offered for sale for consumer use 45 days or more after candling (rather than after the original 30-day candling date). Extends the expiration date labeling requirement for grade A and AA eggs to no later than 45 days after candling.

Condo Association Board Closed Meetings

Human Rights Real Estate Penalties

Agribusiness Recognition Signs

Ag Teacher Grant Program Creates the Agricultural Education Teacher Grant Program that aims to assist school districts in paying for personal services costs of agriculture education instructors.

contracting for the Racing Board. Provides uniformity in the reporting required by the Racing Board and the Gaming Board.

Lead Contamination Notice

Increases penalties for Human Rights Act violations relating to real estate transactions. For a first violation, the penalty is increased to an amount not exceeding $16,000. If the respondent has been adjudged to have committed one other violation during the previous five years, the penalty is increased to an amount not exceeding $42,500. If the respondent has been adjudged to have committed two or more violations during the previous seven years, the penalty is increased to an amount not exceeding $70,000. Condo Association Acceptable Technology HB 5696/PA 99-0612 Amends the definition of “acceptable technological means” to add any generally available technology that, by rule of the association, is deemed to provide reasonable security, reliability, identification and verifiability. Condo association communications are allowed to be made by acceptable technological means.

SB 2300/PA 99-0790 Owners of regulated facilities must provide notice of a lead hazard to a lessee or a perspective buyer prior to renewal of a lease or entering into a new sales contract. Community Instrument Error Corrections

Immigrant Terminology

SB 2741/PA 99-0627

HB 5945/PA 99-0679

Provides the process to make changes to community documents to correct errors, omissions or conform to statute to only require board of directors approval (2/3 vote) and make consistent with changes to the Condominium Property Act that were made last year.

Changes terminology to “documented or undocumented immigrant” in The Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.

Unclaimed Property Dormancy Period Fishing Rules/Regulations HB 5788/PA 99-0867 Adds catfish to the list of species that may be taken with a pitchfork, underwater spear gun, bow and arrow, or a bow and arrow device. Allows the Department of Natural Resources to authorize the selling of species taken by the above methods within that specific section.

SB 2783/PA 99-0577 Reduces the dormancy period for unclaimed property held by governmental units from seven to five years. Racetrack Reporting Requirements SB 2357/PA 99-0891 Eliminates an annual reporting requirement regarding minority

Mobile Home Park Fines HB 6285/PA 99-0731

Eviction Judgment with Foreclosure SB 3166/PA 99-0753 Changes terminology in the motion to extend an eviction judgment from “landlord” to “plaintiff.”

States that if a tenant breaches his or her lease or rules and regulations, then the mobile home park owner must provide written notice for any fine that may be imposed. A “fine” does not include fees for services or products.

June 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

the News IN Members THEin NEWS

1. Dr. Maria Laporta

2. Dr. Norbert Duttlinger

3. Dr. Steven Gunderson

4. Dr. Dennis Norem

5. Scott Olson

6. Jay Sandine

7. Stephanie Shields

8. Melissa Wenger

9. Dr. James Norris

10. Dr. Mohammed Ishaqe Memon

11. Carol Schuster

12. Todd Cagnoni

13. Wester Wuori

14. Mark Stockman

15. Brittney Fry

16. Tracy Breit

17. Kathy Harms

18. Jeanine Woyner

19. Dr. Rani Rao

20. Melissa Westphal

21. Chris Owens

22. Dr. John Myers

23. Tami Kellerman

24. Michael P. Nicholas

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

BOARD APPOINTMENTS Rockford Anesthesiologists Associated, LLC, reelected physicians for two-year terms on its internal board of managers: Dr. Maria Laporta (1), vice president; Dr. Norbert Duttlinger (2), treasurer, and Dr. Steven Gunderson (3), member at large. Dennis Norem, M.D. (4), internal medicine physician, Mercyhealth, was elected as vice speaker of the Illinois State Medical Society. Scott Olson (5) took the oath of office for the Rockford Park District board of commissioners for a six-year term; filling the seat vacated by Doug Brooks. Ian Linnabary will remain president, Jack Armstrong, vice president and Julie Elliot, secretary.

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS The Rockford Park District board of commissioners, in response to the Illinois Association of Park Districts’ recommendation and strong public sentiment, interviewed Assistant Executive Director Jay Sandine (6) during an open board meeting in May for the executive director position, following the current director Tim Dimke’s retirement. Klaas Financial Asset Advisors LLC appointed Stephanie Shields (7) as chief operating officer. She celebrates 19 years. Melissa Wenger (8) obtained her Series 66 & Series 7 Securities licenses and was promoted to investment advisor representative.

Keith Country Day School board of trustees appointed Dr. James Norris, Ed.D (9) as the school’s 17th head.

Agrace hired Loves Park resident Tami Kellerman (23) as development manager, representing the Agrace Foundation.

Mercyhealth welcomed Mohammed Ishaqe Memon, M.D. (10), board certified medical oncology/ hematologic medicine, fellowship trained oncologist and hematologist, to its Mercyhealth Cancer Center.

The Office of Research at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford and the College of Pharmacy at Rockford hired Kayéromi Gomez, Ph.D., as biostatistician.

University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford promoted Carol Schuster (11), RHIA, MSM, CHPS, to assistant dean of operations. Mayor Tom McNamara chose Todd Cagnoni (12) as city administrator for Rockford. Cagnoni served as the interim city administrator since February 2017. McNamara named Wester Wuori (13) as chief of staff and Mark Stockman (14) as interim director of public works. The Pregnancy Care Center hired Brittney Fry (15) as case manager, Tracy Breit (16) as director of education and Kathy Harms (17) as mobile unit director. Jeanine Woyner (18) joined Blackhawk Bank as vice president, human resources. Mercyhealth welcomed Rani Rao, M.D. (19), FACP, to its staff at Mercyhealth Hospital-Rockton Avenue. Chartwell Agency hired Melissa Westphal (20) as communications strategist. Entré Computer Solutions hired Chris Owens (21) as network engineer. Dr. John Myers (22), cardiovascular surgeon, SwedishAmerican, a Division of UW Health, retired as director of medical education.

Michael P. Nicholas (24) was named president of Specialty Screw Corporation. Rockford Mutual Insurance Company hired Jesse Suttner (25) as claim representative. Brandon Johnson joined the Alpine Bank Mortgage Division as a mortgage banker. 13 News Today meteorologist Morgan Kolkmeyer (26) will join WGN Morning News in Chicago at the end of May as a weekday meteorologist for the 4 to 6 a.m., portions.

EMPLOYEE/COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS, AWARDS Instructors Mike Smith (27), criminal justice, and Jeremy Ramsey (28), communications, received Excellence in Teaching Awards from Upper Iowa-Rockford Center at its Senior Reception in March. Nancy Salsbury (29), Spectrum Insurance Agency, received the designation of Certified Insurance Counselor. She completed the Control of Risk seminar in March. Karla Rodgers completed the Insuring Commercial Property exam, leading towards her Certified Insurance Service Representative designation.

Rock Valley College student Molly Velbeck (30) was named a Silver Scholar on Coca-Cola’s 2017 Community College Academic Team and received a $1,250 monetary award for the upcoming semester. Mike Hibbard (31), CFP®, CRPC®, assistant vice president, wealth advisor & investment officer and Dan Zeigler (32), CFP®, CMFC®, assistant vice president, wealth advisor & investment officer, Alpine Trust & Investment Group, were authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. Tiffany Staman (33), executive director, The Pregnancy Care Center, was certified as a Life Affirming Specialist by Heartbeat International. Dr. Hannah Orem (34), Upper Cervical Care Center – Rockford, a division of 1st Step Chiropractic S.C., received her Level 2 NUCCA Certification at the Spring NUCCA Conference. Jenna Dooley (35), host of “All Things Considered” on WNIJ, won first place in the Best Series or Documentary category for “To the Brink and Back” at the annual Illinois Associated Press Broadcasters competition for 2016. Susan Stephens (36), senior reporter, won Best Light Feature for “A Humble Chore Could Change Lives,” and Best Newswriter for high quality work. WNIJ producer Jessie Schlacks received the 2017 Dean’s Award by Northern Illinois University. Ken Kruger (37) was named Meridian’s Employee of the Month for April.

(continued on page 27)

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

June 2017

the News IN Members THEin NEWS

25. Jesse Suttner

26. Morgan Kolkmeyer

27. Mike Smith

28. Jeremy Ramsey

29. Nancy Salsbury

30. Molly Velbeck

31. Mike Hibbard

32. Dan Zeigler

33. Tiffany Staman

34. Dr. Hannah Orem

35. Jenna Dooley

36. Susan Stephens

37. Ken Kruger

38. Gary Hoover

39. Linda Lennon

40. Heather Kelley

Continued from page 26

especially minority males.

Tammy Zurfluh, mortgage vice president, Blackhawk Bank, and mortgage planners: Charla Salathe, Kelly Pospischil, Margie Nowak, Michael Hughes and Terri Moldenhauer received Top Producer awards from the Illinois Housing Development Authority for high volume of assistance to first-time homebuyers.

Bruce Graham, Phil Thompson, Brandon Latino, Todd Martinovich, Karla Rodgers and Shirley Geiser, Spectrum Insurance Agency, attended the tri-annual Pekin Meeting in April.

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful gave Gary Hoover (38) the 2017 Outstanding Individual Friend of the Environment Award for more than 500 volunteer hours over 18 years. SwedishAmerican, a division of UW Health named Linda Lennon (39), radiation oncology nurse navigator at SwedishAmerican Regional Cancer Center, as its 2017 Daisy of the Year Award winner. Rob Grindle, mortgage banker, Alpine Bank, was named #1 Loan Officer in the Northwest Region from the Illinois Housing Development

41. Billy Brown

42. State Sen. Dave Syverson

Authority’s Homeownership Department on May 1.

OF GENERAL INTEREST Patti Thayer, Karl Arvidson and Matt Honson, Thayer Lighting Inc., attended LIGHTFAIR International 2017 in Philadelphia and talked with reps about the latest LED products. Heather Kelley (30), principal, V2 Marketing Communications attended American Advertising Federation Council of Governors conference and Hall of Achievement awards reception in New York City. Honorees included actor Robert De Niro.

43. Thomas Weightman

In March, Brent Brodeski, CEO, Savant Capital Management, participated in a panel discussion, “Succession, Continuity Planning and Next Generation Talent,” at the Barron’s Top Independent Advisors Summit in Orlando and co-facilitated the “Succession Planning and M&A” session at the Forbes-SHOOK Top Advisor Summit in Las Vegas. Billy Brown (41) was student speaker at Rock Valley College’s 51st annual commencement exercises on May 12. He was chosen for exceptional character, work ethic and academic performance, as well as being a model for other students,

State Sen. Dave Syverson (42) (R-Rockford) visited with students from Riverview Elementary and Rockford Christian Schools to learn more about their projects on display as part of the Tech 2017 event at the Illinois State Capitol on May 9. He welcomed a group of students that same day from Willowbrook School in Roscoe to the Illinois State Capitol. Thomas Weightman (43), associate vice president – investment officer, Gummow Wealth Advisory Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, attended the IMCA 2017 Masters Series: Advanced Business Strategist in San Diego.

June 2017

Membership Renewals

New Chamber Members JUNE, 2017 KONA ICE OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY Our Kona trucks aren’t just trucks, they’re Kona Entertainment Vehicles. 7244 Cody Run South Beloit, IL 61080 Todd Silberhorn 779-475-0098 www.kona-ice.com

ORTHOILLINOIS Muscuskeletal conditions don’t have to hinder your quality of life. Our team of fellowship-trained physicians will work with you to achieve your goals. 5875 E. Riverside Blvd., 61114 Lynne Pratt 815-398-9491 www.orthoillinois.com

QUARTZ Quartz is a reliable partner that helps companies efficiently administer the benefits of their self-funded health plans. 840 Carolina St. Sauk City, WI 53583 Kelly Davit 877-849-1029 www.quartzASO.com

SAFELITE AUTO GLASS Safe, reliable and experienced auto glass repair and replacement services. 1803 E. Riverside Blvd., 61114 Brent Wileman 800-800-2727 www.safelite.com

SIGNATURE METAL WORKS, INC. A Chicagoland custom metal fabricator and installation shop specializing in residential and commercial railings, stairs and baconies. 3027 Malmo Dr. Arlington Heights, IL 60005 Olga Beznashchuk 312-626-7516 www.signaturemetalworks.com

SUMMERFIELD ZOO Open to the public six months of the year offering parties, tours, animal encounters, offsite animal shows and programs. 3088 Flora Road Belvidere, IL 61008 Tammy Anderson 815-547-4852 www.summerfieldfarmandzoo.com

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in April, 2017. ABC Supply Co., Inc. - Rockford ABC Supply Co., Inc. - Roscoe

ALPHA Controls & Services LLC Androck Hardware Corporation Anpec Industries

Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. B & H Office Furniture Beefaroo, Inc.

Behr Iron & Metal

L/J Fabricators, Inc. LSP Industries, Inc.

Maculan Chiropractic Clinic Magnuson, Inc. Manpower

MercyCare Health Plans MFG, LLC

MFG, LLC - Chris Zion

Belcan

National Business & Industrial Centre, Inc.

Blackhawk Propane Company, Inc.

NTS Technical Systems

Cain & Company

PCI Pharma Services

Choice Furniture, Inc.

Regal Cutting Tools

CoyleKiley Insurance Agency Inc.

Rock River Development Partnership

Belter Machinery Co., Inc.

Northern Illinois Diabetes Coalition

Bonza Media, Inc.

Our Children’s Homestead

Carpenter’s Local 792

Red Roof Inn #10035

Cookies by Design

River Valley Kitchens & Baths, Inc.

Dixon Automatic Tool, Inc.

Employee Benefit Association of Northern Illinois

Rock River Valley Pantry

Rockford Career College

First Benefits Group

Rockford Public Schools, District #205

FurstStaffing

Rockford Register Star

Gauerke Electric Company

Rockford United Labor

Hampton Properties (Leasing Office)

Service Machine Company, Inc.

Integra Business Systems, Inc.

Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum

Kaney Aerospace

TruGreen

Kryder Wood Products LLC

Zion Development Corporation

FBM Gypsum Supply of Illinois First Evangelical Free Church

Rockford Radiology Associates

G & O Landscaping Inc.

Rockford Separators, Inc.

Gruno’s Diamonds

Schafer Gear Works Roscoe, LLC Singley Construction

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

Sjostrom & Sons, Inc.

Interstate Graphics

Townsquare Media Rockford

Knopp Construction Inc.

Youngberg Industries, Inc.

June 2017 Member Anniversaries Thank you to the members celebrating their anniversaries with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

45-YEAR MEMBER

15-YEAR MEMBERS

John Morrissey Accountants, Inc.

Bickford of Rockford

30-YEAR MEMBERS

Rockford Association for Minority Management

Northern Illinois Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office

25-YEAR MEMBERS ARCO Machinery Movers LLC Brian Thomas Photography, Inc. Comfort Inn of Rockford

20-YEAR MEMBER Howe Freightways, Inc.

Terracon, Inc.

10-YEAR MEMBERS DMTG Ingersoll Production Systems North American Tool Corporation Rock River Valley Blood Center – Perryville Road

5-YEAR MEMBERS Fiberglass Innovations LLC Lonnie’s Stonecrafters, Inc. Necchi-New Home Sewing Center, Inc. Rock House Kids Rockford Map Publishers, Inc.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

June 2017

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

JUNE, 2017 Thursday, June 1 SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health, will hold auditions for membership on the Caring Canines therapy dog team on June 1, 15 and 20, 5 to 9 p.m., at the hospital conference rooms, 1401 E. State St. (Charles Street entrance). Preregistration is mandatory. Contact Claudia Aschbrenner, caschbrenner@ swedishamerican.org or 779-696-2166.

Saturday, June 3 Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden presents Garden Fair Weekend, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 90 vendors, food court and entertainment. For questions call 815-965-8146. Visit klehm.org. The Police Benevolent & Protective Association Unity #6 hosts its 14th annual Cops 2 Bobbers Kids Fishing Derby, 7:30 a.m., at Pierce Lake, Rock Cut State Park, 7318 Harlem Road. Check-in at the Red Oak Shelter; derby 8 a.m. to noon. Free, but must pre-register at the Wal-Mart on West Riverside Blvd., Angler’s Edge, 217 E. Riverside Blvd., or the #1, #2 or #3 Rockford Police District stations. For questions email harold. combs@rockfordil.gov or visit www. pbpa6.org/cops-n-bobbers. Rockford Park District hosts a Tennis Summer Kick-Off, 10 a.m. to noon, at Forest City Tennis Center, 7801 E. State St. Free introductory lesson for all ages, skill level evaluations and cardio tennis demonstration for adults. For information call 815-962-7469 or 815-987-8800 or visit www. rockfordparkdistrict.org/tennis. Rockford Public Library hosts its Summer Reading Club kickoff events, June 3, 10 a.m. to noon, at

Community Events COMMUNITY the East Branch Library; June 6, 1 to 3 p.m., at the Rock River Branch Library, and June 9, 10 a.m. to noon at the Montague Branch Library. Register any time from June 3 to Aug. 25. Visit www.rockfordpubliclibrary.org.

Performing Arts Center. Tickets at ticketmaster.com, the BMO Harris and Coronado PAC box offices and 815-968-5222.

Thursday, June 15

SwedishAmerican’s Regional Cancer Center hosts a National Cancer Survivor Day event for cancer survivors and families, 1 to 4 p.m., at the Regional Cancer Center, 3535 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. Call 779-696-9400.

RAMP’s eighth-annual Bad Pants Golf Scramble, 2 p.m., at Timber Pointe Golf Course, 5750 Woodstock Road, Poplar Grove. Shotgun start at 3 p.m. Contest holes, on-course drink tastings and silent auction. Prizes for best bad pants team and individual. Register at 815-968-7467 or www. rampcil.org/badpantsgolf RAMP.

Monday, June 12

Saturday, June 17

YWCA Northwestern Illinois hosts the 2017 Racial Justice Summit, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at RLP Nordlof Center, 118 N. Main St., Rockford. Register at www.ywcanwil.org.

Rockford Park District’s Atwood Center hosts its free In the Outdoors: That Fish is Cray! 9 to 11 a.m., at 334-acre Seth B. Atwood Park, 2685 New Milford School Road. Learn what else lives in the Kishwaukee River. Groups of five or more should call 815-966-8747. Visit www. rockfordparkdistrict.org/atwood.

Sunday, June 4

Tuesday, June 13 Rockford Park District’s Atwood Center welcomes help during its Natural Areas Workday in Seth B. Atwood Park. Equipment and snacks provided. Groups of five or more are asked to call 815-966-8747 in advance. Visit www. rockfordparkdistrict.org/atwood. Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful is Recycling Flags for Retirement, June 13, 17, 20 and 24 at Rockford Recycle Center, 4665 Hydraulic Road. Tuesdays open 2 to 5 p.m.; Saturdays open 9 a.m. to noon. Also Saturdays at Roscoe Recycle Center, 13125 N. 2nd St., 9 a.m. to noon. For questions contact Info@knib.org or 815-6371343 or visit www.knib.org. University of Illinois Extension presents You Can: Preserve It Safely – Water Bath and Pressure Canning Basics, 5:30 to 9 p.m., at 1040 N. Second St., Rockford. To register, visit web.extension.illinois. edu/jsw or call 815-986-4357.

Wednesday June 14 Alternative rock band, Wilco, performs, 7:30 p.m., at the Coronado

Monday, June 19 Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful presents its Golf Play Day at MauhNah-Tee-See Club, 5151 Guilford Road, Rockford. Registration and lunch, 11 a.m.; tee-off at 12:30 p.m.; cocktails at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and prizes. Register at knibgolf. eventbrite.com.

Friday, June 23 Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and its Brand Ambassador and Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet present the first-ever Fred VanVleet Summer Camp and Fan Fest for boys and girls, Kindergarten to 12th grade, at the UW Health Sports Factory. Kicks off Friday, 5 to 9 p.m. Continues Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Register at https://www. gorockford.com/events/fredvanvleet. Arco Machinery Movers LLC has moved and consolidated all of its facilities into one location at 545

Blackhawk Park Ave., Rockford, IL. Arco is holding an Open House on Friday, June 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a ribbon cutting at 10:00 am. Arco has invited the Machinery Dealers that store equipment at Arco’s warehouse to show the equipment they have on hand.

Monday, June 26 Mercyhealth Development Foundation hosts its Golf Play Day, 11 a.m., at the Beloit Club, 2327 S. Riverside Dr. Lunch then shotgun start at noon, followed by a dinner and awards reception at 5:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit Mercyhealth at Home. Reserve by June 12 at MercyhealthGolf.org. Rockford Art Museum hosts its Art in Bloom Preview Party, 6 to 8 p.m. Kicks off the three-day Art in Bloom, June 27 to 29, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Works of art from the RAM collection are creatively interpreted through flowers. Free with regular admission. For tickets for the preview party, call 815-968-2787 or visit rockfordartmuseum.org/art-in-bloom.

JULY, 2017 Tuesday, July 4 MELD at YSN July 4th CLASSIC, includes Alan Hutchcroft Memorial 8K Run, 7 a.m.; 2-Mile Run, 7:10 a.m., and Mile Fun Walk, 8 a.m., on North Madison Street. Proceeds benefit MELD programming at Youth Services Network. Registration at itsyourrace.com.

Tuesday, July 11 Metalcore band, In this Moment, performs its burlesque-like show, 7 p.m., at the Coronado Performing Arts Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets at Ticketmaster.com, the BMO Harris or Coronado PAC box offices or 815-968-5222.

June 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Facebook joins personal fundraising field BBB says: Look before you give Facebook is giving individuals another avenue for raising funds for personal emergencies, college tuition, funerals, etc., through a new permission to its tool that allows users to launch fundraising campaigns for non-profits. “There are many reasons that individuals may need to ask the public for help, and having a tool like this or “GoFundMe,” which launched years ago, can make the process much easier,” said Dennis Horton, director of the Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau. The six specific categories Facebook allows: ■■ Education. Tuition, books or classroom supplies ■■ Medical. Medical procedures, treatments or injuries ■■ Pet Medical. Veterinary procedures, treatments or injuries ■■ Crisis Relief. Public crises or natural disasters ■■ Personal Emergencies. House fires, theft or car accidents ■■ Funeral and loss. Burial expenses or living costs after losing a loved one To use the tool is not free. Facebook says it won’t make a profit off of its charitable giving tool, but anyone who sets up a donations page will pay a 6.9 percent transaction fee, plus $0.30

per donation. Facebook says those funds will be used for processing fees, fundraiser vetting, and security and fraud protection.

Safe Donating “Just as you would when you make any charitable donation, people who want to give need to take some precautions,” Horton said. ■■ Only donate to users you personally know and trust. Even then, there’s no way to guarantee a page contains accurate or truthful information. ■■ When you donate, look for a security indicator (a lock icon or a green bar in your web browser) to confirm it’s a secure transaction. ■■ Beware of pages with links to other pages where you supposedly can use “alternative payment methods.” Use only the “Donate” button on the page. ■■ Always check the “Created By” area at the bottom of every donation page to help you make an informed donation decision. ■■ If in doubt, before you donate, verify, with online friends you trust, that the need exists and was posted by someone with the authority to do so. Visit ask.bbb.org.

JULY VOICE SPECIAL SECTIONS For more information, to register for an event, and to view an updated

Getting Places / Moving Things (Transportation & Logistics)

Chamber Event Calendar,

Tech Trends

visit rockfordchamber.com.

For information on advertising, call 815

987-8100

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

EVENTS

Upcoming Chamber Events JUNE, 2017 Thursday, June 1

Ribbon Cutting, Northwestern Mutual, 11 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., 1252 Bell Valley Rd. #100, Rockford.

Tuesday, June 6

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Rockford Country Club, 2500 Oxford St. Bo Boger, SBDC director, Illinois SBDC at Rockford Chamber of Commerce, will give networking tips and talk about the impact of the SBDC. Sponsored by First Northern Credit Union.

Tuesday, June 6

Ribbon Cutting, Rockford Dermatology, 4 to 5 p.m., 4338 Morsay Dr., Rockford.

Wednesday, June 7

Business After Hours with the Phantom Regiment, 5 to 7 p.m., at Rockford University, 5050 E. State St.

Thursday, June 8

Ribbon Cutting, Safelite Auto Glass, 10 - 11 a.m., 1803 E Riverside Blvd., Rockford.

Friday, June 9

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. Sponsored by AT&T. Ribbon Cutting, Wintrust Bank, 10 to 11 a.m., 6885 Vistagreen Way, Rockford (corner of Perryville and Springcreek Road). Open House and Ribbon Cutting, 2HB Solutions, 3 to 6 p.m., 1515 S. Meridian Road, Rockford. Ribbon cutting at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 14 7:30 - 9 am PURI Business School Bldg., Rm. 124, Rockford University, 5050 E. State St., Rockford

Wednesday, June 21

John E. Busch, protective security advisor – Chicago District, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will present Tools and Resources to Help Businesses Plan, Prepare and Protect from an Attack. Sponsored by RSM US LLP.

Monday, June 19

Ribbon Cutting and Open House, Agrace Hospice Care, 4 to 6 p.m., 7290 Argus Dr., Rockford. Ribbon Cutting, Baci’s Kitchen, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2990 N. Perryville Road, Ste. 1100, Rockford.

Advertisers Index ADVERTISERS

Alpine Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 17

MembersAlliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Leader’s Toolbox Summer Workshop Series: ENF What? What Kind of Leader Are You? 8:30 to 10 a.m., at Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden, Clarcor Pavilion, 2715 S. Main St., Rockford.

Bisconti Computers. . . . . . . . . . . 13

Thursday, June 22 10 am - 1:30 pm Giovanni’s, Inc. 610 N. Bell School Rd., Rockford

HolmstromKennedy PC. . . . . . . . 16

Rock Valley College. . . . . . . . . . . 15

Illinois Small Business Development Center. . . . . . . . . . . 8

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

Women in Business

Blackhawk Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Brian Thomas Photography . . . . 20 Broadmoor Agency. . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Comcast Business . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Northern Public Radio . . . . . . . . 10 OSF HealthCare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Quartz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Rockford Bank & Trust Co.. . . 5, 18

Fehr Graham. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Rockford Chamber of Commerce. . . . . . 10, 21, 27-31, 32

Illinois Bank & Trust. . . . . . . . . . . . 9

RSM US LLP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Klaas Financial Asset Advisors, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Thayer Lighting, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . 5 Winnebago County Health Department . . . . . . . . . . . 11

EXPO AND LUNCHEON

Larson & Darby Group. . . . . . . . . . 7

Features a panel of women who lead some of the more successful and influential not-for-profit organizations in the region. Announcement of the Woman Business Leader of Tomorrow, Woman Manager of the Year, Woman Business Owner of the Year and the Athena Powerlink Award.

Chamber Staff / Call 815-987-8100.............................................. Direct Line

Sponsored by Mercyhealth (presenting), Northern Illinois Vein Clinic and OSF Healthcare (gold), Northwest Bank of Rockford (awards) and PNC Bank (ATHENAPowerLink).

Friday, June 23

Ribbon Cutting and Open House, Arco Machinery Movers LLC, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 545 Blackhawk Park Ave., Rockford.

JULY, 2017 Friday, July 7

Ribbon Cutting, Graham-Ginestra Home at Heritage Museum Park, 10 to 11 a.m., 1115 S. Main St., Rockford.

Wednesday, July 12

Breakfast Buzz, 7:30 to 9 a.m., at Rockford University, 5050 E. State St., PURI Business School building, room 124. Jeffrey F. Joutras, CSP, QPS Employment Group, will present Strengthen Your Sales Performance! Sponsored by RSM US LLP.

Breakfast BUZZ

Tuesday, June 20

June 2017

Thursday, July 13 4:30 - 7:30 pm Corner of W. State and Main Streets, Rockford

ROCKFORD CHAMBER

Founders’ Day

BLOCK PARTY Join us as we celebrate with our members. Sponsored by Rockford University (presenting).

Wednesday, July 26

Leader’s Toolbox Summer Workshop Series: Thanks for the Feedback: Delivering Effective Feedback, 8:30 to 10 a.m., at Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden, Clarcor Pavilion, 2715 S. Main St., Rockford.

Leading Lawyers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Winnebago County Housing Authority. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Harold “Bo” Boger, IL Small Business

Development Center Director.............................................................. 815-316-4301

Sue Boyer, Member Relations................................................. 815-316-4315 Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO.......................................... 815-316-4304 Heidi M. Garner, Chief Operating Officer.................................... 815-316-4312

Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology................... 815-316-4338 Lynette Jacques, Vice President, Member Investment. . .................. 815-316-4317 Doug Mark, Membership Development Executive............................... 815-316-4336

Stephanie Mathews, Administrative & Finance Assistant .................... 815-987-8100 Stacy Mullins, Director of Events. . ............................................ 815-316-4302

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

Chamber Board of Directors & Officers EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DIRECTORS Andrew Benson Benson Stone Company, Inc.

Chairman of the Board Richard Zumwalt Z Resource

Jan Bowman TLC Construction

Vice Chair Michele Petrie Wintrust Bank

LaVonne Brown Savant Capital Management

Vice Chair Dan Ross Williams-Manny Insurance Group

Paula Carynski OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center Samuel J. Castree Staff Management, Inc.

Treasurer Amy Ott Boylan Catholic High School Immediate Past Chair Patti Thayer Thayer Lighting, Inc.

Joe Castrogiovanni Giovanni’s, Inc. Rena Cotsones Northern Illinois University Jean Crosby Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Crosby Starck Real Estate Don Daniels SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health

Rebecca Epperson Chartwell Agency

Patrick Shaw RSM US LLP

Ira Grimmett UTC Aerospace Systems

Karl Swanson Rockford Bank & Trust Co.

Tim Honquest Honquest Family Funeral Home with Crematory

Jon Thompson Butitta Brothers Automotive

Jeff Hultman Illinois Bank & Trust Michael F. Iasparro Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP Kris L. Kieper Machajewski YWCA Northwestern Illinois Patrick Morrow Alpine Bank Mike Paterson Mid-West Family Broadcasting Mark Peterson CBL Associates Cherry Vale John Schuster Rosecrance Health Network

Laura Pigatti Williamson Rockford Park District

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

Let your Voice be heard 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

Glorious day for golfing THE ROCKFORD CHAMBER GOLF CLASSIC, the kick off to

the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s golf outing season, fell on temperate weather on May 22 at Rockford Country Club. It added to the enjoyment of chamber members and business associates as they participated in a day of casual networking and golf. Shotgun start was noon, with a dinner and awards ceremony to follow. Congratulations to the winners in the following categories: 1st place foursome: Dave Beto, Chris Beto, Jeff Beto, Ned Gillette 2nd place foursome: Alpine Bank 3rd place foursome: Jim Appell, John Foley, Tom Hayes, Pat Hester Long drive, women: Kathleen Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell Longest drive, men: Jeff Beto Closest to the pin, women: Beth Howard Closest to the pin, men: Sam Schmitz Longest putt: Guy Carynski Special thanks to the sponsors who made the day possible: SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health (presenting), Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP (gold), Blackhawk Bank (gift), The Alliance and ForeverLawn Chicago (greens). PHOTOS BY BRIAN THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY