June Voice 2019

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PAINTING THE TOWN

CHEF DIANE KNOWS NUTRITION

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June 2019 | Volume 32 | No. 6

of the rockford business community

ROCKFORD TO HOST OLYMPIC TRIALS PHOTOS BY BRIAN THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY

The 65th graduating class of 2019 for the Rockford Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership program.

ROCKFORD CHAMBER HONORS 47

Celebration of Leadership Beverly Peterson has served three different stints in Rockford for the Salvation Army. A year ago, the director of development returned to town after working in Kansas and Wisconsin for the past six years. “I knew a lot of things had changed,” she said. “I see the work being done by Transform Rockford and the growth in downtown Rockford.

There’s much to be proud of.”

To become reacquainted with the community, Peterson became involved with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership program. “We do things quietly at the Salvation Army,” she said. “So this program allowed us to get into the community, see what the needs are, and connect with other nonprofits. I learned what’s going on with the city, the county; I was able to meet with corporate leaders and learn how we can all work together. It’s been a great experience.”

There were 200 business and community leaders, including program alumni, who turned out for the annual Celebration of Leadership Breakfast at Tebala Event Center on May 2, to honor Peterson and other graduates of the program. This year’s class included 47 professionals from local nonprofits,

businesses and government agencies.

It was the 65th graduating class of Leadership Rockford. In all, 1,857 have participated in the program since its inception.

This year’s class was particularly impressive. “They were always looking for ways to help each other and make a difference,” said Caitlin Pusateri, the chamber’s vice president of leadership development. “They struck me as kind and humble leaders. They were always working for one another, and you don’t always see that in a group of 50 people.

This group demonstrated that well.”

Originally known as the Community Awareness Program (CAP), Leadership Continued on page 3

The Rockford Chamber kicked off a season of golf outings in the area with its Golf Classic on Monday, May 20 at Forest Hills Country Club. The foursome of Dave Beto, Chris Beto, Jeff Beto and Ned Gillette took first place in the event with a score of 53.

Other winners:

THE VOICE IS PUBLISHED BY

Ned Gillette shows off his Hole In One at Rockford Golf Classic.

■ 3rd foursome (63) Jack Bolster, Matt Plisz, Jeremy Sherman, Tony Giachetti ■ Closest to the Pin #4 Ned Gillette (hole-in-one) ■ Closest to the Pin #11 Lynn Gardinier ■ Long Putt #5 Brett Strand ■ Long Drive #9 Tony Giachetti ■ Long Drive #18 Karen Brown

Join the Chamber on Social Media

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Women in Business

EXPO & LUNCHEON JUNE 20 • GIOVANNI’S INC. For more info, see page 23 SPONSORED BY

Passion for Community

Hitting the links at the annual Rockford Chamber’s Golf Classic

■ 2nd foursome (60) Dave Adkins, Jamie Hogan, SJ Banas, John Lanpher

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Rockford Area Venues and Entertainment Authority and the International Table Tennis Federation announced the first-ever Olympic trials in Rockford.

Men’s and women’s teams representing Team USA and Team Canada will compete at the 2019 ITTF North American Olympic Table Tennis Trials on Oct. 5 at BMO Harris Bank Center. Winners will qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

■ Closest to the Wine #5 Brett Strand

Savant’s Tee Box with Closest to the Wine Box contest.

The event was sponsored by Savant Capital Management (title), Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP (gold), SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health (lunch), OSF HealthCare

(mulligan), The Alliance, and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (greens).

Go to Rockford Chamber Facebook page for more photos of the event. v

NEW VENDORS AT CITY MARKET Rockford City Market returns to downtown Rockford for its 10th season; welcoming 21 new vendors and 70 vendors total on opening day.

Some new ones: Barb’s Garden & Pantry, The Bell Churros truck, The Cookie Jar, Disco Chicken Food Truck by Abreo, Eclectic Jewel, Eggily Bakes, Elixir Juice Co., Hick’s BBQ, J-Dawg Jerky, Juxtaposition, Luha’s Living Art, Magic Circle Crepes, O’s Bakery, Olivo Tacos Food Truck, Pet Gourmet, Savor BBQ, Sweet Jacquelina, Synergy Collective, Velvet Robot Coffee, You’re Bacon Me Crazy and Wunberg Produce.

Also new, the market hall in the indoor market will be open on Fridays with additional seating, beverage station and bathrooms available to guests. Plans are for the indoor market to be fully open in coming months.

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THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

EINAR FORSMAN Rockford Chamber President

Chamber, Economic Development Council to Explore Unification

During the month of May, members of the board of directors of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) and the Rockford Chamber of Commerce (Rockford Chamber) unanimously passed a resolution to form a unification task force with the goal of joining the two organizations. The task force is expected to present its findings to both boards by August 31, 2019.

“Discussion of unifying the organizations has come up many times in both organizations in the past few years,” said RAEDC and Chamber board member Jeff Hultman. “The timing seems right to do it now. From business attraction and retention, to services supporting local companies, to government affairs and advocacy, we believe a combined organization is a stronger one for our region.”

Hultman, President-CEO/Illinois Bank & Trust, said he and a number of other Chamber and RAEDC board members began serious discussions in January. Those members include Michele Petrie, President/Wintrust; Sagar Patel,

Business Unit President/Woodward; John Chadwick, VP-General Manager/WREX; Mike Paterson, General Manager/ Mid-West Family Broadcasting; Eric Cunningham, Senior Director/Collins Aerospace; and Dr. Michael Born, President-CEO/SwedishAmerican.

“We envision both organizations unified, working harder, stronger and more successfully together,” Petrie said. “We can be more focused and supportive in helping local businesses and attracting more companies to our region. We can also have a much stronger impact on government affairs issues and impacting our region at a local, state and federal level.”

Both boards are in an exploratory phase, discussing what the new structure might look like. Everything is up for discussion with no determination yet as to joint purpose, leadership, staffing or expected outcomes.

“This initiative is not about finding efficiencies in our joint operations, although that will, no doubt, be an ancillary advantage,” Hultman continued. “The crux of the discussions to

date have centered on working together, stronger, and more collaboratively for the betterment of our region.”

The Chamber and RAEDC were jointly managed until 2004 when they separated for a variety of reasons.

With Rockford on an upward trend, the newly created unification task force will look at ways a unified organization can better address business development and overall services for existing companies and for those looking to start a new business or relocate to the region.

The new task force will be made up of members of both boards, small and large businesses, from a variety of industries.

The group is modeling its efforts after similar successful initiatives in cities like St. Louis, MO; Minneapolis, MN; and Orlando, FL. “We believe unification would project a stronger, single voice for business in our region,” Hultman said. “We stand stronger together, no longer competing for financial support from local businesses and able to make a more significant impact on our community’s business growth.”

Hultman listed off various advantages of a single, combined organization including: ■ Speaking with a stronger, unified voice on behalf of the community ■ Align goals for stronger benefits to business and the community ■ Alignment of volunteer hours and activities ■ Greater focus and impact on local, state and federal government affairs and advocacy Both

organizations’

board

of

directors adopted a resolution forming a unification task force. That task force will begin researching the structural, business and economic implications of a unified organization.

For any questions, please contact Chamber Board Chairman Michele Petrie at mpetrie@wintrust. com, or Chamber President Einar Forsman at eforsman@rockforchamber.com.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

Leadership (continued from front page)

Rockford is the chamber’s signature leadership development program.

Leadership Rockford 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.

Shari Snyder and Tasha Ferguson were nominated by their employer, Midland States Bank, to participate in this year’s program. “I loved it,” said Snyder, a banking center manager, who lives and works in Belvidere. “My favorite part was the tour of Rockford. We visited so many places that I’ve never been.”

The Leadership Rockford class met bi-weekly from October to May to discuss a wide range of topics. Other highlights included visits to the Winnebago County Jail, and work on group projects that benefited organizations such as RAMP, Rock River Valley Pantry, KFACT and Golden Apple Foundation.

“This program does two things: it connects you to the people in the program and in the community,” Pusateri said. “These people become passionate about Rockford. It’s a coming together of personal passion, community engagement and togetherness. That’s what makes it unique.”

Relevant After Many Years The keynote speaker for the breakfast was Rich Harwood, president of The Harwood Institute, a national nonprofit that coaches and teaches communities to work together. “My sense is that Rockford is a great place to live, but there are underlying issues that people know are there, but are not being openly addressed,” he said.

“It’s great that this leadership program has been going on for 65 years. That longevity shows that it’s relevant and means something to people. That’s not true in every community. You have this amazing network of alumni here that is spread throughout the community, which can be a tremendous force for positive change.”

During the graduation breakfast, outgoing Leadership Rockford moderators Butch Rosecke (Mr. Goodwater, Inc.), Audrey Moon (13WREX), Rebecca White Newgren (SecondFirst Church) and Alli Bernardi (Alpha Controls & Services LLC) were recognized. The incoming 2019-2020 moderators were also introduced: Drake Grindle (Savant Capital Management), Theresa Kegley (Movement Fitness) and Breane Lyga (13WREX).

Rosecke was not only a moderator, but his son, Justin, graduated from the program. “It enhanced the experience,” he said. “Justin got a great understanding of the community. For me, I think I was more engaged the second time around. The connectivity

you get both personally and professionally in this program is amazing.”

The Celebration of Leadership Breakfast was presented by PNC Bank.

Graduation sponsors were Alpha Controls & Services LLC, Associated Bank, Illinois Bank & Trust, LaMonica Beverages, Inc., Mr. Goodwater, Inc., OSF Healthcare, Rockford Bank &

Trust Co., RSM US LLP, Savant Capital Management, and SwedishAmerican, A Div. of UW Health.

Applications are now being accepted for the next class, but space is limited.

For more information, visit www. rockfordchamber.com or call 815-9878100. v

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THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

IGNITE: YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

Finding your balance JEFF JACOBSON FEHR GRAHAM

Many opportunities in the area to unwind

In our stress-filled world of long working hours and tight project deadlines, it is important as young professionals to find a healthy balance of work and life.

Without balance, it is easy for work to mix in with your personal life – and vice versa – at unhealthy levels. Feeling like you cannot get away from work takes a heavy toll on your personal life, just like bringing your personal life into work can affect your productivity at work.

Health, relationships, job performance and friendships can suffer when you are unable to put work aside and enjoy life.

When I made the decision to move back to the Rockford area last fall, after not living in Illinois for a few years, I was nervous I would have “nothing to do.”

Waking up feeling like you have to check your email to see how a previous shift ran, anxiously waiting to hear about the next problem facing you when you walk in the office, projects running over budget with no end in sight, etc., are all examples of what we may find ourselves doing as stress levels rise and emails start coming in from bosses looking for answers.

The interesting thing I have discovered about work-life balance is that there is no magic formula to figuring out what works. As an analytical person who likes to have equations and detailed analysis to solve problems, this concept has taken a long time to sink in after years of trial and quite a few errors. When I made the decision to move back to the Rockford area last fall, after not living in Illinois for a few years, I was nervous I would have “nothing to do.”

What I found in the last six months couldn’t be more opposite. In 2011 when I left to go to college and eventually moved out of state for work, Rockford was nearing the top of the “undesirable” lists.

High crime, declining property values and unhappy residents played a part in my decision to leave. Now, eight years and a lot of hours invested by dedicated individuals later, there are so many good things happening in this city that it would take this entire column (and more) to list them.

Organizations like Transform Rockford, Next Rockford, IGNITE Rockford and many more make me proud of my community. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a lot of work left to be done, but with the progress made in the last few years, this area has a bright future and makes achieving work-life balance a lot easier.

Once I leave work, I do not have to look long to find something to help me unwind. I love to golf and fish. If those aren’t for you, there are many other things to help ease stress. The Rockford Park District has multiple recreational sports leagues you can join. We have one of the best state parks in Rock Cut. We have bike paths and running trails, museums, breweries, young professional groups and more.

I encourage everyone to find a few minutes to take an in-depth look at what your ideal work-life balance should be and make a concentrated effort to work toward that every day. If you make the effort, you might just be surprised at what you discover.

Jeff Jacobson is a designer at Fehr Graham and member of IGNITE. Email jjacobson@ fehr-graham.com.

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

LET YOUR Voice BE HEARD The Rockford Chamber of Commerce welcomes and encourages member submissions for The VOICE of the Rockford Business Community.

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

Customer Service at 815-987-8100.

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

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

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

profile

MEMBER PROFILE

Tasty Tidbits Culinary Services

REGISTERED NURSE NOW HELPS PEOPLE AS CHEF DIANA

Diana Kramer, personal chef/owner of Tasty Tidbits Culinary Services, offers services that range from catering to grocery store tours.

Personal chef finds a new way to promote healthy living

By Paul Anthony Arco Diana Kramer has her grandmother to thank for discovering her love of food. It was on her grandmother’s farm, after all, where Kramer spent a good portion of her summer breaks. “My grandmother taught me so much,” she said. “I was growing and cooking new vegetables from seed, and kneading and baking bread when I was 12. I loved every part of it.”

That devotion has led the Rockford resident to where she is today. Kramer is a certified personal chef and owner of Tasty Tidbits Culinary Services, a business that offers a number of services – from cooking classes to catering and everything in between. But it was the circuitous route she took to get here that is the most telling part of her story.

Kramer spent 25 years as a registered nurse, working in labor and delivery for all three Rockford hospitals at some point in her career. But then Kramer found herself embroiled in unforeseen circumstances. Ten years ago, with her brother dying of cancer and both parents

hospitalized, Kramer made the difficult decision to walk away from her career to care for her family which, ultimately, led to a career change.

“My family needed me,” said Kramer, who still holds her nursing license.

“Then I discovered an opportunity to become a personal chef. Cooking and gardening has always been both a gift and my therapy.”

Kramer traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she graduated from the Culinary Business Academy. In 2009, she found early success at a party she catered. “My friend said I needed a name and business cards for the event. I came up with Tasty Tidbits, printed eight cards and booked eight events.” She then started teaching cooking classes at Al Grace Appliance where the owners had built a state-of-the-art kitchen sponsored

by Whirlpool & Kitchen Aid. “But I needed a licensed commercial kitchen to grow,” said Kramer, so she and her husband found it at the Heartland Community Church on South Alpine Road, in the space PK Diner called home until 2015. The Kramers bought new

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equipment, spent months renovating the space and opened for business in March, 2017. “It’s my happy place,” she said.

Cooking for Fun, Health She cooks for clients from Wisconsin to the Chicago suburbs. She hosts grocery store tours and is hired to do home food pantry and refrigerator makeovers. Education is at the core of everything Kramer does. “I help people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes who have no idea how to eat,” she said. “I walk them through it.”

Kramer caters a number of special events, private parties, memorial services (preplanned with specific menus) and pet parties. She also offers “Food Ministry,” for groups and companies by preparing

meals for people who’ve experienced a family illness or death, or are being rewarded for exemplary work.

Another popular option is corporate team-building events, which are held in her kitchen. “People are so stressed at work and aren’t always able to connect; these events help bring them together,” she said. “We have worked for companies with employees who came from all over the world. Many of them had only talked to each other over the phone. These events give them an opportunity to better get to know one another.”

While she may no longer be working in a health care setting, Kramer is still in the healing business. Said Kramer: “It’s just another way to help people feel better.”

TASTY TIDBITS CULINARY SERVICES LLC Chef/owner Diana Kramer 1222 S. Alpine Road www.tastytidbitspcs.com 815-708-7199

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THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

R O C K F O R D

C H A M B E R

O F

C O M M E R C E

Small Business Enterprise FIRST STEP gets everyone to one table Help navigating the ‘entrepreneur ecosystem’ There comes a time when some people hear a call to go into business for themselves. However, it isn’t easy to start a business. There are many things to consider. Questions such as, “Do I know what I’m getting into?” “How will I pay for equipment or a location?”

“What information do I need to get a loan?” and “How do I write a business plan?” are among many that the aspiring entrepreneur must answer.

Like many of us, we sometimes need guidance to help us along the path. The path to successful entrepreneurship allows for many missteps, some of which can be rather expensive. Some would-be business owners have tried independent consultants, and others have spent time and money before they even know if their idea is viable. Entrepreneurs have invested in product prototypes without determining their company’s basic steps toward profitability.

The problem is that when we embark upon a new project, we quite simply “don’t know what we don’t know.”

Straightening the Path Some time ago, representatives of local organizations that serve entrepreneurs got together along with

Transform Rockford to see if there could be a clear path for those in our area who hope to start or grow their own businesses. We set out to understand what value each of our organizations delivered to would-be entrepreneurs and to define how we could best work together to help people navigate Rockford’s “entrepreneur ecosystem.”

We knew missteps, or taking steps out of order, could result in a significant waste of time and capital, so we endeavored to create a “one stop” location for anyone looking to start a business. That one stop is being established and defined through this cooperation of partners.

Rockford Biz Launch’s FIRST STEP is a group of partners who will meet every month, on the first Monday, at the Rockford Public Library’s Nordlof Center in downtown Rockford. A number of individuals who assist small businesses are together, in one common space, to provide advice, guidance and direction to those who need it and to answer questions before an individual begins the process.

FIRST STEP is meant to be an accessible and approachable venue. We welcome anyone who is interested in developing their own business as well as

any business owners who want guidance regarding how they might grow their business, create greater efficiency or increase their profitability. We encourage you to call or email to let us know you’ll be coming, but we also welcome you to drop-in.

Partners Involved in FIRST STEP Rockford Public Library. Provides information and education on what it takes to start a business and a number of classes to help people looking for guidance in their area of interest.

Small Business Development Center. Provides help with business planning, marketing, website and social media, human resources and training.

SCORE. Helps coach and guide clients in their area of interest by providing mentors who have been in that business before.

Rockford Local Development Corp. Talks about micro loans, SBA loans and funding the business.

City of Rockford, Business First.

Helps those who are looking to expand or to buy property, and need to know the codes and regulations necessary to begin the business.

EIGERlab. Help with prototyping products or gaining information on making a product.

Before one embarks on the task of starting a business, he or she should attend the FIRST STEP meeting to see if the idea makes sense, to begin the process of creating a business plan, financing, and receiving mentoring to help create success. Conversely, if the owner of an existing business wants to determine whether or not they have taken all the steps necessary to maximize profitability and efficiency, FIRST STEP will serve as a valuable opportunity to discuss options with representatives from the various organizations that serve their business needs.

THE DETAILS FIRST STEP meetings will be held in the Large Multi-Purpose Room on the second floor of the Rockford Public Library’s Nordlof Center, 118 N. Main St., 9 a.m., on the first Monday of the month.

For more information on the start date, or to sign up to attend, call 815-987-6639 or email BizLaunch @rockfordpubliclibrary.org.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

TRANSFORM ROCKFORD

DAVID SIDNEY Transform Rockford

Five reasons why manufacturing is the strength of Rockford

There’s almost never been a time when the Rockford area wasn’t a hub of manufacturing.

From farm implements and Swedishmade furniture, to wartime equipment and fasteners, to high-precision aerospace components, Rockford has been a powerhouse in production and innovation. More than a few patents have been earned among its citizens.

Here are five simple reasons why manufacturing remains the true strength of Rockford.

1. It touches nearly half of all local jobs. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 20 percent of Rockford workers are engaged in manufacturing. Add the additional 18.7 percent involved in trade, transportation and utilities, and you’ve got more than 62,000 local workers making product and getting it to market. No other sector in Rockford comes close – not Education and Health Care (24,900 workers), Government (15,900 workers) or Leisure & Hospitality (13,600 workers).

With so many people engaged in manufacturing in the Rockford area, we boast one of the highest concentrations of manufacturing employment in Illinois and the United States. Only Chicago and its Elgin/Kenosha-Lake County submarkets hire more people in manufacturing.

2. It’s driving one of the most valuable markets in Illinois. Rockfordarea manufacturers produced more than $4.2 billion in goods in 2017, according to the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis. That’s almost a third of all gross domestic product generated in Rockford that year, and it makes us the top-producing market in Illinois, behind only the greater Chicago area ($74.81 billion) and Peoria ($6 billion).

3. It’s strong here because our neighbors are strong, too. Rockfordarea manufacturers don’t operate in a bubble. Look closely, and you’ll see their fate is closely linked to the success of other major manufacturers, many of which operate right here in Illinois.

Companies like John Deere (Quad Cities), Caterpillar (Peoria/Chicago) and Boeing (Chicago) are purchasing parts manufactured right here in Rockford, and many of these same firms are also buying products that Rockford-based companies are making overseas, in places like China, Brazil and Europe.

Our proximity to interstate highways, railroad systems and world-class airports means the Rockford area is closely linked with customers and suppliers all across the state, the country and

the world. And, these transportation connections are fueling a growing cluster of activity around aerospace, with more than 90 related firms located within the Rockford area, according to Rockford Area Economic Development Council.

4. We’re growing our own talent for the future. Unlike in years past, American manufacturers today are competitive because of their advanced knowledge and experience with high-tech equipment – not just the workers on the shop floor but the engineers designing everything from product to process.

Because manufacturing is inextricably tied to the fate of our region, and because there’s an impending “bran drain” of retiring baby boomers who will leave the industry with decades of hard-won experience, Rockford-area leaders are coalescing around a strategy to grow our own talent from within.

Rock Valley College is teaming up with public school systems in the Rockford region, area manufacturers and Northern Illinois University to ensure a smooth pipeline for young people and working adults to earn the credentials they need while advancing their careers.

Rockford Public School students are earning college credits while practicing on RVC’s advanced CNC machines, while their colleagues are preparing for the engineering office through a fouryear degree NIU now offers right on RVC’s campus. Dozens of students are finding a wide-open door to a fulfilling career post-graduation.

Meanwhile, work continues on transforming the former Barber-Colman manufacturing center, which has been vacant for decades, into a thriving live/work/ study center for advanced employment training. Though still in the early design phases, this Colman Village promises to further fuel the demand for skilled manufacturing and engineering talent.

5. We’ve experienced solid growth in manufacturing. Since the end of the recession, manufacturing has grown exponentially in the Rockford area – to the tune of 24 percent between 2010 and 2018, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

That rate, which outpaced the Chicago area, amounts to roughly 6,400 new jobs created over eight years. *Data from this report came from Tom Austin of the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

David Sidney is executive director at Transform Rockford.

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

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SPECIAL SECTION: Financial Aspirations

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

GUEST COLUMNIST

Collaboration that was not just talk …

JEFF HULTMAN Illinois Bank & Trust

Results: $4 million available for small businesses

The needs in our community are vast, and there is an endless supply of great, new ideas to address those needs. However, almost all great ideas need money to make them happen. Over the past several months, it became apparent to me that our community needed additional capital to make several great things happen.

is needed to support home ownership through rehabilitation of troubled residential properties.

Fast forward to one of the best examples of true collaboration I have seen in our community in the 25-years since I came back to town.

The City of Rockford allocated $200,000 as capital to support the home Two Problems ownership rehabilitation program First, there is a need to provide capital through the NICDC. Winnebago County to small businesses throughout the is currently considering matching that region. Small business are critical to our $200,000 allocation. community’s success. In order to start Banks Join Forces small businesses and keep them growing, What really showcases our entrepreneurs need funding.

Second, there is a need to provide community’s ability to come together and capital to further stabilize, and in make a difference is the collaboration many instances, rebuild many of our of 12 competitive banks in our region neighborhoods. Too many homes have (Illinois Bank & Trust, PNC, Associated, turned into rental properties, many with Midland, Blackhawk, Stillman, Rockford absent landlords. There is a dire need Bank & Trust, Wintrust, Northwest Bank, to support businesses willing to take the State Bank of Davis, German American market risk to buy a distressed property, State Bank and US Bank). They jointly invest in it and sell it back into the market. contributed an additional $3 million of These community investment issues lending capital to the NICDC. As one of those bank presidents, are just the start. But that’s exactly the problem … How do we start? I met with I can proudly say we all put our selfJohn Phelps of the Rockford Local interests aside and agreed to help. In Development Corp (RLDC) over the past addition, several of those banks became several months; discussing how Illinois equity investors in the NICDC, raising an additional $500,000 of capital for the Bank & Trust can support these needs.

The RLDC was established in 1979 NICDC. In total, that means $3.7 million in additional funding was pumped into to provide loans to small businesses by the NICDC over the last few months. utilizing lending programs through the Hopefully, Winnebago County will join federal government. The RLDC has those efforts, bringing the total to nearly grown into the primary champion and $4 million. catalyst for community and economic development in our region through its Largest Small Business various loan and capital programs. It was Fund … Ever the winner of the Excelsior Award in 2018 Research shows this recent financial and is a great asset to our community. influx to be the largest one-time capital allocation ever made to fund small business One Solution: NICDC lending in our community. What impact does In working with John, a plan this have? Per typical lending structures, the started to take shape in the form of an multiplier value of this $4 million is 6 to 8 organization managed by the RLDC. It’s times. That means our banking community called the Northern Illinois Community helped create almost $30 million of capital Development Corporation (NICDC). The investment in our region.

NICDC was formed and owned by local Banks in our region are highly banks in the early 1990s, with a purpose competitive, to put it mildly. But we can of supporting community lending needs work together, and this is proof of it. I and complementing lending already am proud of my industry and honored to being done by local banks. Nearly 30 years collaborate with my peers. later, all of the NICDC’s funding has been To determine if your business model allocated to local businesses and more meets the requirements for funding, money is needed in order to have a greater prospective borrowers can contact John impact in the community.

Phelps or Andrew Jury, RLDC, at 815-9878675, John@rldc.us or Andrew@rldc.us.

City of Rockford Pitches in

… Winnebago County Next?

Jeff Hultman is president & CEO of Illinois Adding to the community needs list, Bank & Trust. the City of Rockford and Winnebago The views expressed are those of Hultman’s and County recently identified the need to do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford support our neighborhoods. Funding Chamber of Commerce.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

SPECIAL SECTION: Financial Aspirations

June 2019

GUEST COLUMNIST

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Look at every company or individual that you are

Control cash: Control everything GARY A. ERICKSON Money Management Educators

giving money to, and make sure it’s important to you.

Tips to control your cash, so you can control life

I remember when I was younger, balancing my income versus my spending was a learned skill. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way. It seems I would almost always spend more than I brought in. At monthly bill-paying time, in the quiet of my own kitchen, I hated the feeling I got in my stomach when I just didn’t have enough money to cover everything.

I would always resolve to do better next month. Right.

Then I started to use credit cards to cover the shortfalls, and you know the rest of the story. My wedding gift to my new bride … more than $10,000 of debt. That’s in 1980’s dollars, by the way. You could feel the love in the room!

My parents were good people, I went to good schools and the finance industry did their part. I don’t blame them, but none of them really helped.

The answer is – it’s up to you to take control. When you control cash, you control everything in your life. Debt, goals, retirement, financial gain, and on and on.

A long way from that overstressed and

over-spent young man paying bills in the kitchen, I now teach financial techniques as part of my profession.

There is a way to control your cashflow.

It’s three simple steps, and you can start right now. Are you ready? Here we go.

Step 1: Track your expenses.

I know, I know, you’re thinking: “Really? That’s it? I’ve heard that so many times.” Maybe, because it’s important!

Track your money. Really, do it for one month. Use the Mint App or any of the free spending trackers available in your Apple App Store or PlayStore. It makes it easier. But it’s time to find out where your money is going. You can’t make real decisions about your spending without real data.

Step 2: Identify your vital expenses.

Heat, light, rent/mortgage, food, etc.

Get real! Classify only the most important expenses. If you lost your job, what bills would you HAVE to pay, just to stay alive.

Everything else — that’s optional spending.

So, third?

Step 3: Add up the rest of your money that is not considered part of the vital category.

That’s your biggest chunk of money, and these are the dollars you are giving away -- without fully realizing where it is all going. Look at every company or individual that you are giving money to, and make sure it’s important to you.

Own your cashflow! Things change.

Times change. I just found $10 bucks a month going to one of those cloud storage companies that I stopped using a year ago.

But you don’t do that … right?

This is how you find free dollars to spend the way you really want to. Perhaps contribute a bit more to your 401k or add a Roth IRA to your investments. Move your retirement date up a year or two.

That wouldn’t be so bad, would it? And if you had a few extra dollars every month, how would that feel? Better, right?

So here’s the trick to achieve success.

Set a date when you are going to start this new you. Really. Pick a date now to start and then -- most important -- tell a friend.

Commit.

Get this: It’s a fact that mountains are easier to climb if you have someone with you – 40 percent easier. So, invite a friend along to help you stick to your plan. You feel better when you control your money -- you know that -- and you just might help that other person achieve a new financial goal they never thought about.

Well look at you! Changing yourself and changing the world at the same time.

Way to go you!

Get ready, queue up, step one and GO! Gary A. Erickson is a worksite financial educator with Money Management Educators (MME). Information on hosting a company Worksite Financial Wellness Program can be found at www.AskMME.org The views expressed are those of Erickson’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

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THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

R O C K F O R D

C H A M B E R

O F

C O M M E R C E

economic development Siffron breaks ground on $20M facility Our region has another reason to celebrate! Siffron broke ground on its new facility in Loves Park on May 13.

The new distribution and warehouse space will result in an estimated $20M initial investment by the organization into the region and 319,000 square feet of new space added to the market, with the option to increase that footprint to 500,000 square feet of space.

“We love to see re-investment in the region by companies that have established

businesses and supply chains. This type of commitment to both employees and the region helps to increase the economic well-being of our region,” said Nathan Bryant, president & CEO of the RAEDC. Founded in 2017, Siffron was formed by joining together two industry

Senator Dave Syverson; Congressman Adam Kinzinger; Dan Fogarty, Becknell; Mayor Greg Jury; Ryan Fitzgerald, Spring Creek Development Group; Drew Phillips, Siffron; Robb Northrop, Siffron; Karen Walsh, CBRE, and Nathan Bryant, RAEDC.

RAAN Aerospace Symposium The Rockford Area Aerospace Network (RAAN), a part of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC), hosted the RAAN Aerospace Symposium on April 23. The event works to strengthen ties within the aerospace and advanced manufacturing industries in the Midwest.

This year, the symposium offered eight educational topics, ranging from workforce development from a company growing by 10 times, to cybersecurity and the impact it has on obtaining Department of Defense contracts.

Jim Bridenstine, administrator for National Air and Space Administration (NASA), was the keynote speaker and highlighted the path forward for NASA, including sustainability and putting American astronauts in an American ship and launching from American soil for the first time since 2011. He also discussed how the future of aerospace will be commercialized, and that small aerospace companies will continue to contribute to the innovation happening in the industry.

“NASA is going forward to the moon to stay, and our industry partners in Illinois are critical to helping us achieve that mission,” Bridenstine said.

Also taking the stage was special guest, Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL 16th District). Congressman Kinzinger established the connection between Jim Bridenstine and the RAAN Aerospace

leaders: Southern Imperial and FFR Merchandising. Retailers and brand manufacturers look to Siffron to create and supply solutions to current retail challenges. This includes everything from increasing merchandising space, product turns and brand recognition to reducing theft, spoilage and labor costs. Siffron’s goal is to identify and implement the perfect solution to help our customers increase sales and profit margins. Its global footprint, coupled with local partner response times, allows it to work as a seamless extension for operations.

The RAEDC goes to MRO Americas

Sagar Patel, president, Aircraft Turbine Systems, Woodward, Inc.; Congressman Adam Kinzinger; Jim Bridenstine, NASA, and Nathan Bryant, RAEDC. Symposium organizers; referencing the impact NASA has on an entire generation who aspired to create and innovate in the fields of math and science, which has led to a reinvigoration of the aerospace field.

“Thank you to NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine for his time this week, and to the RAAN and RAEDC for putting on such a successful event,” Congressman Kinzinger said. “It was an honor to welcome my friend and former colleague to the Rockford area.

As we discussed at the event, there is great potential here in Rockford for job growth through our innovation and advancements in manufacturing and aviation. By bringing together over 200 manufactures, suppliers, developers and visionaries, this event further renewed the interest and enthusiasm for expanding our aerospace program, and helped highlight the opportunities right here in our communities.”

Matchmaking Opportunities More than 230 people attended the fullday event featuring 38 exhibitors, which

included educational institutions, service providers, and of course, manufacturers inside and outside of the Rockford Region.

For the first time the RAAN Aerospace Symposium offered matchmaking sessions, allowing companies to connect with Collins Aerospace, GE Aviation and Woodward, Inc. The matchmaking and connection development are things the organizers are focusing on and working to expand for next year.

“Our region has been an aerospace powerhouse for years, and it is good to know that we are continuing to grow and shape the future of advanced manufacturing,” Nathan Bryant, president & CEO of the RAEDC. “The best part is seeing the event grow from a small, afternoon networking event into a full-fledged conference next year.”

The RAEDC thanks platinum sponsors: Collins Aerospace, GE Aviation and Woodward, Inc., and gold sponsors: American Standard Circuits, Armoloy of Illinois, Clinkenbeard, Cyient, Diablo Furnaces and EC Solutions.

More than a half-dozen aerospace organizations and companies promoted the strength of the Rockford Region’s aerospace supply chain and pursued opportunities to expand their scope at MRO Americas tradeshow held in Atlanta. MRO Americas is the premier event for the commercial air transport maintenance, repair and overhaul industry, featuring 889 exhibitors and more than 15,000 attendees.

In addition to the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC), four companies hosted a networking reception to further engage opportunities: ■ Midwest Aero Support/US Flight ■ Chem Processing, Inc. ■ Larson & Darby Group

■ Superior Joining Technologies, Inc.

These companies are part of the Rockford Area Aerospace Network (RAAN) members. RAAN is a consortium of companies working to increase the competitiveness of the Rockford Region for aerospace expansion and attraction. These types of shows provide opportunities to increase the international awareness of the Rockford Region and create opportunities to help businesses grow locally by connecting globally.

“This collaboration between companies is a prime example of why our region is growing and continuing to provide opportunities to companies already located here, as well as, compete with regions much larger than ours for attraction projects,” said Stephanie Jones, VP of sales. “Especially in the workforce development sector.”

Key Economic Indicators Key Economic Indicators

New/Retained Jobs 6,031 60% to goal of 10,000

Capital Investment $1.011 billion 109% to goal of $925

New/Renovated Space 4,219,047 sq.ft.

53% to goal of 8 mil.sq.ft.

The RAEDC provides quarterly updates on the region’s progress towards the economic indicators outlined in the Rockforward20/20 strategic plan, which spans from Jan. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2020.

The figures above cover Jan. 1, 2016 through March 31, 2019. The region has surpassed the capital investment goal by nine percent! Through continued collaboration our region is well on our way to achieving the goals set for new/retained jobs and new/renovated space.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

 Destination

DR. EHREN JARRETT Superintendent RPS 205

EDI to assess Kindergarteners in five areas

Rockford has an opportunity to practice preventive medicine with its youngest citizens -- and, in so doing, transform lives.

In the next few months, the community will be able to review data collected earlier this year in a process similar to a kindergarten census.

The Rockford Public Schools has partnered with Alignment Rockford, Transform Rockford and the Chicagobased Erikson Institute to implement the Early Development Instrument or EDI. The EDI assesses the readiness of children for kindergarten in five areas: physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and communication skills. RPS 205 teachers joined other private and parochial teachers to assess kindergartners in these five areas in January.

The information has been used to create maps, which show where children have strengths and vulnerabilities across a geographic area. These “heat” maps overlay data regarding resources such as bus routes, medical clinics, parks and community centers.

You’ll be hearing much more about this data. People will be able to take gallery walks to look at the maps close up and do their own analysis.

This isn’t just a “gee whiz” tour or information for information’s sake. The EDI tool lets us know what and where we are doing well for our children, and where we are falling short in providing the resources critical to healthy child development.

This is not a study to be put on a shelf. It’s a tool that’s meant to be used, and used often.

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June 2019

ADDING WEALTH TO THE REGION’S ECONOMY BY GROWING TOURISM

JOHN GROH Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Nine new murals decorate outdoor public spaces

disparities or gaps in educational

No invitation or RSVP necessary.

No ticket required. Always open, and open to all.

That’s public art. Public art defines public spaces and emotionally connects us with our communities and neighborhoods in ways that mere buildings or strips of concrete never will.

If you see the Bean, you’re in Chicago.

If the Arch looms above, you’re in St. Louis. When you pass Symbol, you know you’re in Rockford, Illinois.

Lately, the way public art has been blooming around Rockford can be viewed as a metaphor for the renaissance the community itself is undergoing. Recent additions of public art in downtown Rockford will speak to generations of residents, helping them connect to and value this place we call home.

The latest distinctively Rockford additions to our growing collection of public art are nine large-scale murals that were painted during RACVB’s five-day CRE8IV (pronounced “creative”) festival in mid-May. Rockfordians and visitors joined us during the fun-filled festival for music and activities to watch local and internationally known artists create these spectacularly imaginative works.

achievement exist because of our

Setting Rockford Apart

Two of the most important skills for school readiness are executive function (planning, reasoning and problem-solving) and selfregulation (the ability to communicate and get along with others).

Two of the most important skills for school readiness are executive function (planning, reasoning and problemsolving) and self-regulation (the ability to communicate and get along with others). Kindergarten teachers will tell you a child who can pay attention, get along with others and follow directions will succeed.

But toxic stress -- in the form of chronic exposure to poverty, violence, mental illness and substance abuse -can interfere with the development of executive function and self-regulation.

“We’ve heard for years that the

schools,” Dr. Nagle has said. “But the realities exist not because of the schools but because of what happens, or doesn’t happen, before a child ever enters school.”

We won’t be able to eliminate toxic stress from children’s lives. And, we in RPS 205 are not where we need to be in terms of improving educational outcomes from kindergarten to 12th grade. We will strive to do better, but

Set Up for Success

we also should intervene sooner.

Dr. Geoffrey Nagle, president and CEO of Erikson, is a foremost authority on the importance of the first 30 months of life in shaping physical and emotional health. He spoke this Spring in Rockford. The Rockford Chamber and the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois are planning to bring him back to town to reiterate his message, “The First 1,100 Days Last Forever.”

Nagle’s primary point is that the first three years of a child’s life (1,100 days) are foundational. They either prepare a child well for emotional, physical and intellectual health, or they predispose a child to playing catch-up the rest of his or her life. This is especially important when it comes to school.

the interventions will be and the less

The longer we wait, the more costly likely they will be effective.

One of the greatest things we can do as a community is to figure out how to support families with young children, especially during this critical prenatalto-30 month age.

Rockford has a prime opportunity to do right by its youngest children and reset its priorities. In the coming months, please join in the commitment to transform lives.

Dr. Ehren Jarrett is superintendent of Rockford Public Schools.

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

ILLINOIS, USA

So, why is RACVB focusing on public art in our city? Well, it makes sense economically, socially and culturally to take steps that set our city apart from other places.

The Public Art Network, a division of Americans for the Arts, puts it this way: “American cities and towns aspire to be places where people want to live and want to visit. Having a particular community identity, especially in terms of what our towns look like, is becoming even more important in a world where everyplace tends to look like everyplace else. Places with strong public art expressions break the trend of blandness and sameness, and give communities a stronger sense of place and identity.”

Perhaps the most important element of the mural project is the long-lasting impact the artwork will have as, over

time, the city itself becomes an art gallery.

The local and visiting artists who formed the inaugural class of CRE8IV artists are an impressive and creative bunch. Each artist’s work and approach are unique and distinct, and they produced a vibrant mix of murals for all to enjoy and appreciate.

They must be seen to be believed!

With great professionalism and ingenuity, the artists tapped into our city’s history, natural beauty and cultural identity to express a new vision of who we are and to what we may aspire. Come downtown and see them!

Many Made This Possible CRE8IV was inspired by Rockford’s vibrant art scene and patterned off successful mural festivals in Montreal, Denver and Detroit. It was made possible, in part, by a matching grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce, Office of Tourism. The tradesmen and women of Painters District Council Local 607 also have been invaluable to this project.

We also owe our appreciation to donors and sponsors who made CRE8IV possible. They include the Brubaker Charitable Trust, the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, Collins Aerospace, Secure Staffing, Aunt Martha’s, GrahamSpencer, Jennifer Furst, David and Colleen Anderson, Bobbie Holzwarth and Norm Lindstedt, Members Alliance Credit Union and Sherwin Williams. Many thanks!

We also must thank the building owners and the City of Rockford for allowing their structures, and the lower level of the Jefferson Street Bridge, to be used for the murals. What a gift they’ve given to the residents of our city.

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

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SPECIAL SECTION: Game Changers & Disruptors

June 2019

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

The sky is the limit for medical drones

Speeding transit time leads to faster test results For some people, the worst part of a blood test is not the needle – it’s waiting for the results. Every second can feel like an eternity when you’re waiting for an important diagnosis. At WakeMed’s flagship hospital and campus in Raleigh, North Carolina, though, something different is in the air.

Flying at speeds up to 43 mph and able to carry payloads of up to five pounds, Matternet M2 drones will transport medical samples taken from the doctor’s office and deliver them to the central lab on campus. These unmanned aerial vehicles will supplement transport services provided by courier cars and reduce transit time to less than five minutes. UPS, in collaboration with drone manufacturer Matternet, the FAA and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, will manage this new program.

What Is It? Here’s a hypothetical example of what an unmanned aerial vehicle might do on the WakeMed campus: Emily, a type 1 diabetic, is pregnant with her first child. Her doctor is monitoring her pregnancy closely because she takes insulin to manage her diabetes. At

her 20-week appointment, they take a sample of her blood to check her A1C levels.

Emily’s blood will be sealed in a bag and then locked inside the Matternet M2 quadcopter payload box. The drone will fly along a predetermined flight path, monitored by a specially trained Matternet Remote Pilot-inCommand and UPS airline personnel, to a fixed landing pad at WakeMed’s central pathology lab. Guided by GPS navigation, the drone can operate in winds up to 11 mph and moderate rain or snow. If needed, the operator could interrupt the flight and send the drone to a safe location. Thankfully, the weather is clear during this particular flight.

Approximately three minutes after takeoff, the drone touches down safely on the pathology lab landing pad. A lab technician retrieves the sample and starts testing Emily’s blood.

Medical Drones Help Create a More Efficient Healthcare Supply Chain From Emily’s perspective, using a drone to expedite her blood test makes sense intuitively. From a business perspective, though, medical drones will

This technology allows hospital systems to transport medical items at an unprecedented level of speed and predictability. do more than decrease lab turnaround time; they may also make the healthcare supply chain more efficient.

“Using drones to bring blood and other diagnostic specimens from medical facilities to central labs may provide faster, more predictable turnaround of test results, and more efficient lab operations,” says Chris Cassidy, UPS president of Global Healthcare and Life Sciences Strategy. The learnings from this program will inform how healthcare technology can be applied to improve transportation services at other hospitals. “This technology allows hospital systems to transport medical items at an unprecedented level of speed and predictability, resulting in improved patient care and operational

savings,” says Matternet CEO, Andreas Raptopoulos.

Flying into the Future “Drone transport will improve speed of deliveries, enhance access to care and create healthier communities,” says Dr. Stuart Ginn, WakeMed physician and medical director of WakeMed Innovations. As healthcare technology advances, the sky is the limit for medical drones. For Emily, that’s good news: her diabetes is well managed, and she’ll be welcoming a healthy baby boy in a few months.

Published with permission of United Parcel Service. Written by UPS staff writer.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

SPECIAL SECTION: Game Changers & Disruptors

GUEST COLUMNIST

BRENT BERNARDI Alpha Controls & Services

Disruptive technologies, cybersecurity and your building Defending your vulnerable access points

Technology and information are coming at us from all directions these days. We experience it in our personal lives at home, work, and even on vacation. We just can’t put that phone down! The Internet of Things (IoT) and cybersecurity are at the forefront of our day-to-day experiences. There is no turning back, we are moving headfirst into full cloud computing. Everything we do on our mobile device is cloud computing. More and more, the work we do in our offices is cloud computing.

Can you think of a more disruptive technology in our world than cloud computing?

I can’t either…

How does this translate to your business? With the emergence of new technologies, including cloud computing and the IoT, barriers have been eliminated in the arena of connectivity. However, these open platforms and interconnected systems have created more opportunities for criminals to conduct cyberattacks.

Consider all the places your colleagues access information and the internet from within your facility and remotely.

Ask yourself this question: Am I confident that all the connections are protected from the cyber intrusions that exist in our daily lives?

Cyber Intrusions We are constantly facing cyber intrusions which disrupt operational performance, our daily lives and personal economies that can trigger society ecological and economical calamities.

We’re not alone in our concerns.

Here are some interesting findings from a survey about cybersecurity: ■■ 59 percent of people surveyed believe criminal syndicates are the source of cyberattacks.

■■ 57 percent of people surveyed believe they do not have the necessary skilled resources internally to deal with cybersecurity.

■■ 44 percent of people surveyed believe phishing is the top threat to their cybersecurity.

■■ 88 percent of people surveyed do not believe their information security fully meets their organizational needs.

Regardless of sector/industry, organizations are expected to provide comfortable, efficient and secure working spaces for team members. In your facility, there are interconnected, intelligent systems to manage and monitor comfort, efficiency and physical security. Such systems drive value for your organization, but if your systems are more than a couple years old, they are vulnerable access points for cyber criminals.

Where Are You Connected?

What should we do now? Look around your home and your business. How many devices are connected to the internet or the cloud? Take an inventory. Next, examine each device to understand how it is interconnected with the rest of your life. Each of these devices, applications and cloud connections is a window into your life and business.

Here are some ways to strengthen your cybersecurity: ■■ Use a firewall and strong passwords.

■■ Live your life as though someone else wants your information and protect it.

■■ Consult an IT professional to assess your cyber intrusion risk level and invest in cyber insurance.

■■ Take an inventory of the connected devices on your networks.

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Barriers have been eliminated in the arena of connectivity. However, these open platforms and interconnected systems have created more opportunities for criminals to conduct cyberattacks.

■■ Examine your building management system, power meters, security system, access control system, etc.

cyber vulnerability, GET HELP; ask an

■■ Expand your understanding of the access points to your cyber information.

& Services.

If you would like to understand your personal or your organization’s level of

and do not necessarily represent those of the

IT professional.

Brent Bernardi is president of Alpha Controls The views expressed are those of Bernardi’s Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

14

SPECIAL SECTION: Game Changers & Disruptors

GUEST COLUMNIST

DAVE FRANKLIN SupplyCore Inc. MPOWR®

GUEST COLUMNIST

Getting ahead in the age of digital disruption

How to weather a digital storm

Can you hear the thunder? Signaling a coming storm in the distance, the sound of thunder gives us the opportunity to prepare for the storm’s arrival. Sometimes, technology leaders, easily drawn into the day-to-day operations of their departments, can’t hear a storm coming.

Is your support services team meeting its response time Service Level Agreement (SLA)? Is that major project going to be on time and on budget? What is the latest crisis that needs prompt IT attention? All of these things are important, but they all deal with issues of today. What about the challenges of tomorrow? Listen to the thunder.

As published in Gartner’s “2019 CEO Survey: The Year of Challenged Growth” by Mark Raskino, digital giants loom large:

achieve them. Develop the list of capabilities based on the value that they deliver to your customers. Identify what business capabilities technology can support in your existing environment and what capabilities require an investment. Identify which capabilities are differentiators in your industry and which can be implemented quickly.

■■ Build a technology strategy that aligns with the business and delivers on those capabilities. Look for goals that create opportunities to deliver new capabilities and new platforms. These could be new markets, new products or even opportunities to modernize existing platforms with new technology. By aligning tech strategy to business strategy, you create buy-in across the organization and eliminate activities ■■ 64 percent of CEOs believe the giants that could introduce waste. will be in their industry in five years.

■■ 49 percent of CEOs believe business and ■■ The success of any strategy lies in its technology have an equal responsibility for execution. As your technology strategy evolves, communicating it, as well as the the performance of the business.

■■ CEOs rate technology as the No. 3 critical success factors and milestones, tool for cost control but the No. 1 tool for provides transparency to key stakeholders.

Leveraging technology to develop and productivity improvement. execute a tech strategy may seem obvious, These statistics tell us that IT is no but many companies still fill spreadsheets longer seen as a cost center, but as a business with charts, data and information that enabler. If you think your industry isn’t quickly become outdated and ignored. affected by digital giants; you’re wrong. It’s Returning to Gartner’s research, technology just a matter of when, not if; if it’s not one has a direct and powerful correlation to of the current digital giants, then it will be improving productivity. Use it to do so. someone else. Moreover, every company is a Pulling ourselves up out of the day-totechnology company, whether they realize it day gives us a better view of the technology or not. Don’t be disrupted. Be the disruptor. trends around us, allowing us to focus on the future. Aligning business goals with Finding the Solution technology strategy helps us prepare our Technology leaders and business organizations for success when the inevitable leaders need to partner together. Unique digital disruption of our industry arrives, or opportunities to embrace new technology better yet, when we become the disruptors emerge by aligning initiatives with business because we already heard the digital storm opportunity. Technology leaders’ top focus coming. must be to create strategies that deliver digital solutions to meet the needs of Dave Franklin is vice president of information technology at SupplyCore Inc., and MPOWR® business goals and objectives. where he loves to be a disruptor.

Consider these important steps: ■■ Work with business leaders to identify The views expressed are those of Franklin’s and key business drivers and, most importantly, do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford the business capabilities that are needed to Chamber of Commerce.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

JASON J. SMITH Wipfli

Disruption in manufacturing: What does it mean?

Disruption happens when something new and, usually, unexpected happens in the market or within an industry; that “something” could be technology-related, political, economic or social. Discrete manufacturers that embrace disruption — and have a plan for taking advantage of it — are going to be more successful in the long run than those that can’t or won’t change how they do things. Sitting by the wayside opting to continue doing what’s always been done and in the same way it’s always been done is essentially waving a white flag, saying, “We give up!”

Useful new technologies are emerging every day; some don’t change things much, while others are remarkable in their power to shake things up.

Take, for instance, Uber. It seemed unthinkable just a few years ago that the taxi industry would be supplanted by a technology company offering apps to individuals with cars who then create their own taxi business. And what about RedBox? This video “vending machine” company was a nail in Blockbuster’s coffin; using new technology to offer videos in a far more convenient platform.

Had Blockbuster taken advantage of the technology, it could have gotten to market first, but today they’re just a memory.

How to Take Advantage When a company decides to watch for and take advantage of disruption, it’s essentially agreeing to “strategic risk;” leveraging uncertainty to find new opportunities that will give the organization a competitive advantage. But how do you transform into a company that’s able to face and embrace disruption? This isn’t a simple change for most organizations, but it’s necessary in today’s world if you’re going to stay ahead of the curve.

Here are a few basic considerations as you ponder your company’s ability and willingness to leverage disruption: ■■ Begin thinking of disruption as opportunity. It wouldn’t be fiscally responsible to entirely dismiss the risks involved, but at the same time, there’s risk in not taking action when disruption opens a door. Be prepared to face it head-on; looking closely for ways to gain leverage.

Your instincts will be to protect your organization (and people) from the downsides of risk. But to some extent, business owners must be mavericks; taking smart, measured risks if they’re going to grow the company.

■■ Challenge the status quo. Every day.

Don’t be afraid to think differently. Let go of long-held beliefs if you feel there’s value in a new way of thinking and acting. Be open to “new logic” and to using methods that you’re not familiar with.

Get Systems in Place Developing a culture that leverages disruption requires planning. You must put together protocols for how you’ll identify opportunities (and the risks involved), what specific steps to take once you identify a new one to act upon, and an approach to monitor and measure the results. It’s wise to engage a business consultant familiar with the principles of disruptive manufacturing to help you formalize your processes to align with this new approach.

Integral to any plan to embrace disruption are these two guidelines: 1. Become nimble. It’s going to be necessary for your whole organization to act more quickly than you have in the past.

When a disruptive technology becomes available, for example, you’ll need to pull together the right team to fully evaluate its potential and identify ways you could capitalize on it. If instead, you wait six months before doing anything, you can be sure a competitor will be out in front gaining value from it.

2. Fully know your operation. Optimizing your organization will help you take advantage once you do find the right opportunities. One of the best ways to do this is to implement an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution that will provide integrated, 360-degree visibility into the organization and provide tools that make all processes more efficient and effective. This will help you hit the ground running when you find a disruption you can leverage.

Most businesses today base their strategies on what’s worked in the past; jumping on the bandwagon of new technologies only after they’ve been thoroughly proven. Instead of standing by watching things change and wishing you’d been out in front of that change, grab on to the right opportunities and do something with them.

■■ Keep your eye on the horizon. Watch, anticipate, predict. Look for market changes, technology introductions, shifts in societal norms, political movements, and environmental and economic trends.

At first glance, a change may appear to have little impact or potential for your company, Jason J. Smith is senior manager at Wipfli. but could you adapt your processes to The views expressed are those of Smith’s and do make it into a strategic advantage? not necessarily represent those of the Rockford ■■ Be prepared to be uncomfortable. Chamber of Commerce.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

R O C K F O R D

C H A M B E R

O F

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C O M M E R C E

manufacturing news What’s the Next Big Challenge facing manufacturers in the stateline area?

Here’s what our manufacturing clients are saying…

Automation isn’t the magic bullet.

Demands are high and costs are increasing across the board. Sure, automating whenever and wherever possible is definitely a step toward tackling out-of-line efficiency ratios, but automation doesn’t address rising healthcare costs. Automation doesn’t address the high turnover some businesses are experiencing. A number of owners have shared the concern that they are quickly running out of space and are actively hunting for larger facilities. Many of our clients have even expressed a desire to implement a wish list, but become discouraged over long lead times on new equipment orders and installation crews which are booked out for months. Despite the ever-present demand for zero-defect product quality and on time delivery, even preventative equipment maintenance is taking a back seat. So, given all of the challenges facing manufacturers today, what is the biggest concern that keeps them up at night?

What we’re hearing consistently from many of our clients in manufacturing, and other industries, is that the biggest challenge before them is of an aging workforce and a desperate need for skilled workers. Not only is the skills gap wide, but combined with significantly higher labor costs here versus those abroad makes developing a workforce in the U.S. harder than it should be.

Filling the skills gap is just as important locally as it is in the global marketplace.

With a large portion of younger generations in the U.S. focusing on careers outside of the manufacturing field, however, there are just not enough people being trained or already skilled in “making things” as the experienced generations have been doing for years. Clients tell us they are not always able to find employees to match the skill sets needed.

More than a one-trick pony.

Companies that still utilize subcontractors for maintenance are focusing their energy on fixes to problems which have already occurred.

Manufacturers that can place educated and skilled machine operators at the center of their maintenance programs, and in some cases even include them in the design of new equipment, are filling in the innovation gap and seeing better results all around. Machine operators that routinely perform the cleaning, replacing, and inspecting of equipment are better able to detect and recognize issues before they become problems, which results in increased employee engagement and profitability.

A trend which has been developing nationwide is of professional manufacturing groups or individual businesses working closely with local high schools, colleges, and technician schools to help recruit and train the incoming workforce. Having available bodies to do the work is one thing. Building an early talent pipeline through apprenticeships can help to capture skilled labor that can evolve as new systems integration software and mechanical operations technologies evolve. We are now seeing a need for workers that can understand and work across different disciplines seamlessly.

The competition is seeing the need as well.

Not only does the industry need multifaceted workers, it also needs dynamic decision makers. In addition to supply chain hiccups and increasing costs, there will always be challenges influenced by technology, economics, and political factors. The manufacturing industry brings a unique set of challenges that only those with experience can foresee. The products themselves are getting smarter and disruptions, such as those of generational skill gaps, change the rules and can stand an entire industry on its head.

We need to take a deeper look at LEAN systems and QRM techniques, but we also must have smart workers in the queue ready to challenge old ways of thinking and introduce new ways of problem solving.

The Blackhawk Bank Business Banking Team has been hearing from their manufacturing clients.

As a whole, manufacturers recognize the need to be thinking with more depth and breadth.

Perception is everything.

Historically viewed as a punch-thetime-clock, low-paying and unstable type of industry, manufacturing as a whole is finding challenges recruiting those that have been raised since childhood to seek out stable paychecks, flexibility, and meaningful careers. The reality that good paying jobs with paid training programs do exist is a small hurdle to communicate when considering the bigger picture.

Despite some manufacturers making significant advances in technology on the shop floor, there is still a general lag in the hiring processes which works against the industry.

According to the 2018 EMSI Economy Review, of the jobs within Boone and Winnebago Counties 20% are within the manufacturing field. In Rock County, WI, manufacturing represents around 15.6% of the existing jobs and the Workforce Investment Board shows McHenry County at 14%. With more of a concentrated candidate pool, competitive recruiting is becoming very creative and business owners must start by going where the candidates expect to be found.

Younger candidates are looking for signs of a “high tech” work environment and the best way for them to get the feel for a potential employer is through the hiring experience. Modern candidates are expecting interviewing platforms that integrate on demand, live, and text interviewing, automated scheduling apps, and Artificial Intelligence aids which guide the process. Top manufacturers are also pursuing desired candidates through recruiters on LinkedIn. It’s also a good idea to broaden the search for the best candidates by incentivizing employees to refer prospects to the business themselves.

Time to reconsider.

Should a business find themselves struggling with recruiting younger workers, it may be time to reassess the tools that are not producing the desired results. It’s not always about competing on pay and benefits. Keeping any employee engaged is critical to morale, but it’s especially important to the Millennial and Gen Z crowds. It’s best not to assume what they value as a benefit, but to ask directly.

Some may be pleasantly surprised to learn that many members of these generations simply want to “make a difference” in their career. Let them. Decision makers may want to consider accepting that culture into a business and allowing the business to be representative of all of the workers.

Having an experienced financial partner at your side that not only understands the unique challenges of an industry, but can help to predict trends and provide proactive guidance is the next trend in community banking. Blackhawk Bank is already there.

Do you have the right answers to questions like: ■ “What have you done to ensure you don’t get stuck with open positions while demand stays high?”

■ “How are you protecting yourself from labor shortages and competitive recruitment strategies?”

■ “How are you using social platforms to expand your company’s brand footprint to the next generation?”

■ “What strategies are you implementing to promote your business’ training program and company benefits within your local community?”

We partner with public and private resources to help companies identify new markets, new customers, and assess their online brand and distribution channels.

Please give us a call today to get started.

Sponsored by Blackhawk Bank

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THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

business

BUSINESS BRIEFS

The 2019 Rosecrance Foundation Benefit, featuring classic-rock band Three Dog Night, drew more than 800 guests to Giovanni’s Restaurant & Convention Center on April 30.

Rock River Valley Blood Center celebrated the 35th anniversary of its first mobile blood drive by returning for a mobile blood drive at the same location, Pecatonica United Methodist Church, on May 17.

Rock House Kids received a donation through the Rockford Area Arts Council to purchase a bell ringing system. Bell ringing now is one of its four extracurricular programs, which include praise dance, puppets and mime team. It also received a $1,500 donation from Rockford Cosmopolitan Charities for tables and chairs for its new computer lab.

In May, Rockford Lutheran School’s Jr High provided about 500 service hours to 16 agencies. Rockford Lutheran School welcomed Mayor Tom McNamara to speak to the senior class on May 16 before its day of service (1,000 community hours to 18 agencies). The school will launch a pilot curriculum program during the 2019-2020 school year with three to five high school homeroom classes engaging in a community service learning project.

Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc., acquired all shares of FUCHS Enprotec GmbH, Mayen, Germany.

The company employs 160, and is a subsidiary of METAWATER Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.

Community Foundation of Northern Illinois awarded $263,880 in scholarships to 135 students from 27 local high schools during its 20182019 award cycle; 37 percent of those dollars going towards postsecondary institutions in Illinois.

Barbara Olson Center of Hope received a $10,000 grant from the Helen Brach Foundation to purchase two interactive displays for staff to use to present learning visually. This technique helps people living with autism and related disabilities learn information, express themselves and demonstrate understanding.

University of Illinois Extension partnered with the Rockford Police Department to offer 5.0, a sevenweek cooking program for middle school youth. In the final session, students will showcase their culinary skills in teams; developing the ultimate dish using every item in a mystery basket, along with those available in a pantry.

For the third year in a row, Digital Hive Mind was contracted by Applied Products, Inc., to produce a custom exhibit for Foam Expo, March 26 to 28, in Novi, Mich.

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company named Leffelman & Associates, Inc., an agency in

Sublette, Ill., it’s had a relationship with for more than 50 years, as Agency of the Year for 2018.

The Music Academy in Rockford was invited to participate in the Stirling Bridge International Arts Festival, July 5 to 13, 2020 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Now in its fifth year, the festival spotlights musical ensembles from around the world.

University of Illinois Extension offers a helpline for the growing season in Winnebago County at 815-986-4357 or the extension office, 1040 N. Second St., Rockford, 9 a.m. to noon, Mondays and Wednesdays through November. Visit go.illinois.edu/jsw.

Trekk was awarded a Platinum AVA Digital Award in Interactive Brand Experience in recognition of its augmented reality Accent TV campaign for International Paper.

Illinois Bank & Trust hired KMK Media Group to produce a series of videos available on Facebook; showcasing the customized support catering to the uniqueness of the bank’s clients.

University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford received the $2.7 million contract to provide around-theclock health care services for inmates at the Winnebago County Jail and Juvenile Detention Center for one-year, with the option to renew for four additional one-year terms not to exceed five years.

College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk and Moving staff donated their time to pick up and deliver heavy shelving units that Rock House Kids purchased for increased storage.

UIC Health Sciences CampusRockford featured nearly 100 research projects by students in its medicine, nursing, biomedical sciences and pharmacy programs for Research Day 2019 on April 30. Sixteen received awards.

For the seventh consecutive year, Rosecrance was named one of the 151 Healthiest Companies in America

by Interactive Health.

Rockford Park District was named one of the 151 Healthiest Companies in America by Interactive Health with a 76 percent participation rate of eligible employees and spouses participating in its wellness program.

Forest City Gear expanded its turning and milling operations with a state-ofthe-art, 8,500-sq.-ft. facility in close proximity to its main facility in Roscoe.

It’s designed to greatly improve lead times and quality production of precision gear blanks.

Rockford Chamber members appear bolded.

Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

its 14-week summer music series through the end of August. Guests can set-up blankets and lawn chairs starting at 5 p.m.; first performer at 5:45 p.m.; headline performer at 6:45 p.m. Off-site parking at University of Illinois College of Medicine with free shuttle to and from.

SwedishAmerican celebrated the 10th anniversary of its medical center in Belvidere; employing about 100 who provide 36,000 outpatient and 14,000 emergency department visits annually.

SwedishAmerican employees donated 4,136 pounds of items during its annual spring drive for Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois.

Barbara Olson Center of Hope received a Community Partnership Grant from the Aurora-based Painters District Council No. 30. More than 20 area volunteer union members prepped and painted the lobby and five classrooms in April. Rockford Cosmopolitan Charities gave a grant to the Center of Hope to purchase supplies for its art therapy program.

Rockford Park District invites families and beginner golfers of all ages to drop in for Golf Family Fun Days every Sunday after 3 p.m., through Oct. 27 at Ingersoll and Sinnissippi golf courses.

Rockford Public Library unveiled a new interactive mural, a graphic novel/ comic book-style chalk wall designed and created by celebrated local artist, Jenny Mathews, in the Hart Interim Library. Children are invited to use chalk to add to the mural and use it as a backdrop for portraits for use privately or on social media. It’s funded by a City Arts Action grant through the Rockford Area Arts Council.

Woodward, Inc., declared a cash dividend of $0.1625 per share for the quarter, payable on June 3, 2019, for stockholders of record as of May 20, 2019. Net sales were $759 million, up 38 percent for second quarter, 2019.

Cardiac services at Mercyhealth’s Javon Bea Hospital and Physician Clinic-Rockton achieved echocardiography accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission.

For the 10th summer, Rockford Art Museum and Discovery Center Museum is participating in Blue Star Museums, which provides free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families this summer. Visit arts.gov/ bluestarmuseums for a list of Blue Star Museums.

Rockford Woman’s Club hired KMK Media Group to redesign its marketing materials highlighting the organization’s 100-year-old historic building and its banquet rooms for community events and 800-seat theatre.

Anderson Japanese Gardens received a $4,000 education grant from the Japan Foundation’s Center for Global Partnership in New York City to restore tatami in two of the Gardens’ authentic 16th Century Sukiya-style buildings and to fund a lecture explaining the significance of tatami in Japanese culture on Thursday, May 23.

Anderson Japanese Gardens kicked off Tuesday Evenings in the Gardens,

SwedishAmerican received Level III Perinatal Status from the Illinois

Department of Public Health, allowing the hospital to operate a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for the first time.

The NICU will feature 10 beds for babies born at less than 32 weeks gestation or with critical illness at all gestational ages, and will be staffed by physicians from SwedishAmerican and University of Wisconsin’s American Family Children’s Hospital.

SwedishAmerican received a contract with and opened an on-site health and wellness center at 526 W. State St., in Rockford, serving 2,335 eligible Winnebago County employees and their dependents. SwedishAmerican opened the Woodward Health Center in 2016 and the Partners Health Center; offering health care to six participating companies in the region.

OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center achieved a ‘B’ rating in the new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades; placing it among the safest hospitals in the country.

KMK Media Group developed a new brand and website at rockfordurological.com for Rockford Urological Associates; highlighting its robotic surgery, fertility assistance, cancer treatment and bladder care.

Rockford Park District plans to add four Full Swing Pro 2 golf/multisport simulators as part of a full-scale renovation of the restaurant and bar at Indoor Sports Center at Mercyhealth Sportscore Two. Renovations are expected to be completed this fall.

Rockford Midtown Market, next to the RPS 205 administrative building at 501 Seventh St., is open Saturday mornings, 9 a.m. to noon, through Sept. 7. Pet friendly, it features music, food, crafts and coffee. Visit www.rockfordmidtownmarket.com.

NIU Engineering @ RVC celebrated the graduation of 16 students, the Class of 2019, who earned bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering from NIU’s College of Engineering & Engineering Technology. Twenty three also graduated with associate’s in engineering science degrees and will enter NIU Engineering @ RVC this fall.

Rockford Lutheran School middle and high school students helped Rock House Kids by sorting and arranging footwear to be given out to kids throughout the summer, and cleaning out vans, assembling take-home food bags and cleaning up trash around the building.

OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center Wound Healing Center received the Robert A. Warrineer III, M.D., Center of Excellence award for 2018 by Healogics. For three years in a row, the center has achieved patient satisfaction rates higher than 92 percent and a healing rate of at least 91 percent with fewer than 30 median days to heal.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

on digital

MEMBER PICS

Ceremonial ribbon donated by SERVPRO of Rockford.

Upper Cervical Care Center held a ribbon cutting and open house on April 9 celebrating its new location at 4350 Morsay Dr., Rockford.

Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum held a ribbon cutting on May 7 at 411 Kent St., Rockford.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois held a ribbon cutting on May 7 at 1886 Daimler Road, Rockford.

Sunbelt Energy held a ribbon cutting on May 23 at 4649 26th Ave., Rockford.

Ambassador May Luncheon – tour of The Standard and lunch at Capri.

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THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

R O C K F O R D

CENTER FOR

C H A M B E R

O F

C O M M E R C E

Leadership Development

New supervisor, who dis?

I have had the opportunity to participate CAITLIN PUSATERI in quite a few Rockford Chamber leadership trainings. Throughout my tenure at various organizations, I have been given opportunity after opportunity to learn and grow and develop as a leader. I’ve always been drawn to leadership positions and enjoy the responsibility and challenge that such positions provide. From class president to foreman on the jury I served on, I’ve never shied away from a leadership role.

Looking back on my leadership resume, I realized that most leadership positions I held were not necessarily formal in nature – at least from a procedural standpoint. Sure, serving on the executive committee of a board is a formalized leadership role, but more often than not, I was working with volunteers who got to decide if they wanted to follow me or not.

Holding a role in which I was directly

responsible for the work of others was not something I had experience with until recently.

Taking the Dive I’ve found that supervising is a little like parenting – you can hear all the advice in the world, read all the books and attend all the trainings but there’s something about actually experiencing it that really makes the difference.

Trainings help to lay the foundation, but once you actually get into it, there’s a serious learning curve. I have a better appreciation for the nuances of managing than before when it was all two dimensional and on paper only.

After managing someone for the past year or so, I now look for different things in trainings. I look for key actionable take-aways that will help with my areas of management weakness. I look for real trainings that hit on key, timely issues rather than generics. I want engaging content rather than boring lectures. Becoming a supervisor split

my time even more than it was before, so trainings cannot be a waste.

So often, organizations promote people that are good at one job into a position that leads others doing the same or similar work. I understand their logic – “Jill does this job well, therefore, Jill can probably help other people do this job well. Let’s promote Jill!” But in actual practice, few supervisors are actually given actual management training. We may go through a new set of a paperwork requirements or report deadlines, but we hardly – if ever – sit down with new managers and work with them on the people-side of managing. We throw people in the deep end without teaching them how to swim. Sure, they can dog paddle and maybe figure out the strokes on their own, but wouldn’t it be easier for everyone involved if we gave them a few lessons?

As a manager, I understand that I have a career-lifetime ahead of me to learn. I will make mistakes. I will do

So often, organizations promote people that are good at one job into a position that leads others doing the same or similar work. things well. I will be completely oblivious to how a decision I made impacted those I lead – both in good and bad ways.

This is all just part of being a manager (or, dare I say, human). But, I can take my management abilities down one of two paths: I can flail around and hope that I keep my head afloat long enough to take a breath of air now and then, or I can be intentional – examine the areas in which I do well, own the areas in which I could do better and then seek out ways to improve. I can only imagine how much more enjoyable of a swim the intentional approach will be – both for me and everyone else in the pool.

Caitlin Pusateri is vice president, leadership development at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

community COMMUNITY EVENTS

SATURDAY, JUNE 1

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois hosts a free event, Air Fair, an air-and-space-themed family fun fair, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, Ill. Email customercare@girlscoutsni. org, call 844-476-4463 or visit www. girlscoutsni.org/ote.

MONDAY, JUNE 3 Heartland Hospice presents Hole Hearted for Hospice Golf Outing 2019 with an 11 a.m., shotgun start at Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford. Dinner at 6 p.m. Contact holeheartedfor hospice@gmail.com or 815-7084992.

Registration is open for Rockford Lutheran School’s Summer @ Rockford Lutheran day camps, sports camps and academic enrichment classes, June 3 to Aug. 15 at www.rockfordlutheran.org/ summer.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5 OSF Healing Pathways Cancer Resource Center presents The Beauty in You, 1 to 3 p.m., at 5668 E. State St., Suite 2700. Free program for women about to begin or who are undergoing cancer treatment and experiencing physical side effects. Register at 815-977-4123.

Rockford Park District presents Girls Night Out, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., rain or shine, the first Wednesday of the month at Aldeen Golf Club through Oct. 2. Dinner follows at Graystone Grill. Register at least 24 hours in advance at www. aldeengolfclub.com or park district customer service locations.

THURSDAY, JUNE 6 KFACT presents The Artifacts of KFACT, 6 p.m., at Burpee Museum of Natural History, 737 N. Main St., Rockford. Fashion party runway with $10 outfits found at area consignment and thrift stores will be modeled by young lady mentees.

Tickets at Blackhawk Banks and Eventbrite.com.

Mercyhealth hosts Safe Sitter Classes, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., June 6, 7, 27 and 28 for students in grades 6 to 8. Includes use of manikins to practice rescue skills like choking rescue and CPR. Register at 888-39-MERCY or mercyhealthsystem.org.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7 Rockford Park District invites volunteer stewards to work with staff at the monthly First Friday Workday, 8 a.m. to noon, at Searls Prairie Nature Preserve, 4950 Safford Road.

Complete an application at naturalareas.rpd.volunteerhub.com or call 815-987-8847.

Rock River Development Partnership and Runner’s Image present Race to the Market 5K in conjunction with Rockford City Market’s 10-year celebration. Starts at 6 p.m., at City Market pavilion and follows southwest to the recreation path. Free kids .25 fun run across the State Street Bridge. Sign up at runsignup.com/race/il/rockford/ racetothemarket5K. Rockford Art Museum hosts a free Public Opening for new art exhibition Chance Encounter: Julie Heffernan and Shelly Mosman, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., at 711 N. Main St. Remains on view through Sept. 29.

Sharefest seeks volunteers for projects from June 7 to 15: One with YMCA - Children’s Learning Center and one with City of Rockford transforming Davis Park. Volunteers can sign up for a shift at rockfordsharefest.ivolunteer.com/ sharefestsummer_2019.

In honor of National Donut Days, The Salvation Army hosts a Donut Eating Contest fundraiser at the Salvation Army Family Store, 7150 N. Cherryvale Mall Dr., Rockford.

Participants sign up online at salarmyrockford.org/donuts and raise a minimum of $250 by June 6 to compete. Call 815-962-7195 for questions.

SATURDAY, JUNE 8 Mercyhealth offers free Child Car Seat Safety Checks, 9 a.m. to noon, at Mercyhealth’s Javon Bea Hospital– Rockton, 2400 N. Rockton Ave., in the circle drive of the North Office Building. Call 888-39-MERCY for questions.

Midway Village Museum presents Oregon Trail: In Real Life, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford. Open to all ages. Register at tinyurl.com/yyho496c.

Rockford Public Library presents a free Concert in Honor of Black Music Month, 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Nordlof Center, 118 N. Main St. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Features Harlan Jefferson and his band performing a variety of music genres.

Visit www.rockfordpubliclibrary.org.

Edgebrook presents ARTSY, an arts and crafts exhibit supporting local artisans and crafters, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 1639 N. Alpine Road, Rockford. Free. Includes live music and family fun tent.

THURSDAY, JUNE 13 First Northern Credit Union presents College Financing 101, 5:30 to 7 p.m., at 104 N. Show Place Dr., Rockford. Register at www.fncu. org/seminars. For questions contact Zachary Taylor, 815-701-6111 or ztaylor@fncu.org.

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Rockford Chamber members appear bolded.

Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

Rockford Public Library and Prairie State Legal Services of Illinois present Free Legal Help, 11 a.m. to noon at Rockton Centre Branch, 3112 N. Rockton Ave. Schedule in advance at 815-965-2902 or walk in; first come, first served.

SATURDAY, JUNE 15 Rockford Park District presents Campfire Cooking, part of its In the Outdoors series, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Seth B. Atwood Park, 2685 New Milford School Road. Groups of five or more should call 815-966-8747.

MONDAY, JUNE 17 Rockford Park District presents Couples Night Out, 5:30 p.m., at Aldeen Golf Club & Practice Centre, 1902 Reid Farm Road, the third Monday of the month through Oct. 21. Five-point putting game; dinner at Graystone Grill at 6:30 p.m. Register at least 48 hours prior at duncangeddes@rockfordparkdistrict. org or 815-987-1673.

THURSDAY, JUNE 20 Rockford Park District presents its 16th annual Wine & Roses, 6 to 8:30 p.m., in the Sinnissippi Rose Garden at Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. 2nd St. Food samples from area restaurants, wine from Artalé & Co., locally brewed beers, music by Dirty Fishnet Stockings. Reservations required by June 14 at 815-987-8858.

FRIDAY, JUNE 21 Rockford Rescue Mission, 715 W. State St., hosts a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, 10 a.m., at the Works! in celebration of its approval by Pearson VUE as one of two official GED testing sites in Rockford.

Include a celebration of Restoration Café’s 10 year anniversary at 11 a.m.

Visit rockfordrescuemission.org.

SATURDAY, JUNE 22 Natural Land Institute presents Family Nature Day, a free familythemed event with 12 learning stations, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Nygren Wetland Preserve, 3190 W. Rockton Road, Rockton. Children receive a Nygren Wetland Junior Naturalist badge and certificate; adults a gift.

Registration at www.naturalland.org.

SUNDAY, JUNE 23 Ethnic Heritage Museum, 1129 S. Main St., Rockford, hosts a Words and Music Program, 2 p.m., opening its new exhibit, Harlem Renaissance, in the African American Gallery. Features Rockford Reader’s Theatre and Ms. Diamond (Odessa Barmore Gulley) at 2:30 p.m. Donations appreciated. Call 815-962-7402 or visit www. ethnicheritagemuseum.org.

A $2,407 grant by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois funds Natural Land Institute’s 2019 Family Nature Day, a free event on June 22.

Rockford IceHogs is partnering with the Chicago Blackhawks to promote HockeyFest, the world’s largest street hockey tournament and the first in the United States, at the United Center in Chicago, June 22 to 23. Hockey players of all ages, genders and skill levels are invited to participate. Register at www.nhl.com/ blackhawks/fans/hockeyfest.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26 Rockford Park District presents Guys Night Out, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., rain or shine the fourth Wednesday of the month through Oct. 23 at Aldeen Golf Club. Dinner follows at Graystone Grill. Register at least 24 hours in advance at www. aldeengolfclub.com or park district customer service locations.

FRIDAY, JUNE 28 Mercyhealth Development Foundation presents Golf for a Good Cause, its annual Golf Play Day at the Beloit Club, 2327 S. Riverside Dr., Beloit. Breakfast at 7 a.m., shotgun start at 8 a.m., lunch and prizes at 1 p.m. Registration encouraged by June 14 at MercyhealthGolf.org, 815-971-4141 or 608-755-8821.

SATURDAY, JUNE 29 Rockford Park District hosts Family Softball Mini-Tournaments for families and kids, ages 10 to 14, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Mercyhealth Sportscore One, 1288 Elmwood Road. Register by June 19 at www. rockfordparkdistrict.org.

SUNDAY, JUNE 30 The 47th annual Wesley Willows Box Office Benefit takes place at Rock Valley College Starlight Theatre.

Call Jo Lyttle at 815-316-1570.

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THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

in the news MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

Rockford Chamber members appear bolded.

Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

1. Dr. Patrick McKenna

2. Jami Ditto

3. Dr. Sheila Senn

4. Janice Thompson

5. Tina Kirschman

6. Caryn Hovey

7. Aimee Bruemmer

8. Elizabeth Kennington

9. Erin Kiley

10. Andrew Glendening

11. Dr. Shabirhusain Abadin

12. Dr. Caroline Butler

13. Dr. Justin Dvorak

14. Alyssa Schmidt

15. Tony Ambrogio

16. Fred DeLaRosa

17. Bethany Bohn

18. Heather Carr

19. Charo Chaney

20. Ashleigh Van Thiel

21. Carm Herman

22. Bobby Broom

23. Stephanie Johnston

24. Beth Pearson

BOARD APPOINTMENTS Vanessa Stanton, senior personal banker and loan specialist, Illinois Bank & Trust, joined the HomeStart board.

Patrick McKenna (1), M.D., FACS, FAAP, Mercyhealth, was chosen president elect of the Societies of Pediatric Urology.

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS Rosecrance hired Jami Ditto (2) as community relations coordinator in the Rockford region, and Dr. Sheila Senn (3) as administrator of adult substance abuse treatment at Rosecrance Harrison campus.

Illinois Bank & Trust promoted Janice Thompson (4), Holly Bertucci and Tina Kirschman (5) to officer, senior personal banker.

Fehr Graham hired Caryn Hovey (6) as senior accounting clerk.

Aimee Bruemmer (7) joined Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., in Rockford as a client service specialist.

CoyleKiley hired Elizabeth Kennington (8) as agency services administrator and Erin Kiley (9) as wealth management sales assistant and customer service representative.

Andrew Glendening (10), currently at University of Redlands, Redlands, Calif., was selected as the next director of the School of Music at Northern Illinois University.

J.L. Clark promoted Mike DeVlieger to director of sales.

Trauma physicians Shabirhusain Abadin (11), Caroline Butler (12) and Justin Dvorak (13) joined OSF Surgical Group – Rockford.

Rockford Lutheran School hired Alyssa Schmidt (14) as director of cheerleading/varsity head coach and Tony Ambrogio (15) as head football coach.

Embassy Suites by Hilton Rockford Riverfront and Rockford Conference Center hired Fred DeLaRosa (16) as general manager overseeing preopening operations for the property slated to open in April 2020, and Bethany Bohn (17) as senior sales manager.

Center for Sight & Hearing hired Heather Carr (18) as marketing manager.

Keith Country Day School named Charo Chaney (19) and Ashleigh Van Thiel (20) as head of school co-leads.

Carm Herman (21) retires on June 28 as executive director of Barbara Olson Center of Hope after 24 years.

Jazz guitarist Bobby Broom (22) was hired assistant professor of music in the Northern Illinois University School of Music; teaching jazz guitar and improvisation in the Jazz Studies Program.

Baird hired Stephanie Johnston (23) as a senior client specialist for The Love/Johnson Group.

Mercyhealth named Beth Pearson (24) as associate chief nursing officer of Javon Bea Hospital-Rockton and Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside.

EMPLOYEE/COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS, AWARDS Adam Beck (25), Spectrum Insurance Agency, Inc., became a licensed property and casualty producer.

Sobhi Baghdadi (26), financial planner, and Eamon Verdone (27), senior investment research Analyst, Savant Capital Management, earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional certification.

Chris Black (28), CFO, lead Rock River Water Reclamation District to earn its first-ever Certificate of

Continued on page 21

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

in the news MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

25.

Adam Beck

31. Allen Sisson

26. Sobhi Baghdadi

32. Erich Vargaz

27. Eamon Verdone

33. Nick Kloster

28. Chris Black

34. Jackie Bunch

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Rockford Chamber members appear bolded.

Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

29. John O’Connor

35. Dr. Gary L. Anderson

30. Frank Wehrstein

36. Dr. Errol C. Baptist

Nominate a rising star for Rockford Chamber’s 40 Leaders Under Forty.

Who are the great leaders under forty you know at your workplace, among your friends and volunteering for your favorite causes?

Consider nominating them this year. A member committee will choose those to be announced and honored at a special celebration on November 7.

37. Dr. Geoffrey Tsaras

38. Dr. Christopher C. Gianvecchio

(continued from page 20) Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.

John O’Connor (29, CYRS Wealth Advisors, earned the designation of Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) from the National Association of Plan Advisors.

M. Beth Thacker, financial advisor, Northwestern Mutual, was authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards to use the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® certification marks.

Frank Wehrstein (30), REALTOR, Dickerson & Nieman, was named to the REALTOR Political Action Committee Hall of Fame with a lifetime investment of more than $50,000.

Allen Sisson (31), senior vice president and commercial lender, Union Savings Bank, received National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Organization’s 2019 Alvira B. Long Memorial award for service as chairman of the Boone County Housing Authority.

Erich Vargaz (32), CFP®, vice president – investment officer, was designated a Premier Advisor by Wells Fargo Advisors.

Nick Kloster (33), financial advisor, Edward Jones, Rockford, was authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards to use the certification mark CFP®.

Rockford Promise celebrated its first group of scholars to graduate since it began awarding full-tuition scholarships. 2016 scholars: Erica Bibalou and Jimmy Bouliban; 2017 scholars: Oscar Perez-Nieto and

39. Jason Relle

40. Kelly Epperson

Rebecca Conkling, and 2018 scholar: Emily Calgaro. They received associate’s degrees at Rock Valley College.

Meridian named Jackie Bunch (34) as Employee of the Month for November 2018.

Graduating medical students recognized four University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford faculty members with Golden Apple Faculty Teaching Awards: Gary L. Anderson (35), M.D., M2 Year Excellence in Teaching; Errol C. Baptist (36), M.D., M3 Year Excellence in Clinical Clerkship; Geoffrey Tsaras (37), M.D., M4 Year Excellence in Clinical Clerkship, and Christopher C. Gianvecchio (38), M.D., Primary Care Experience.

Peter Provenzano, president & CEO, SupplyCore Inc., was named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2019 Award in the Midwest by EY. Award winners will be announced in June in Chicago.

OF GENERAL INTEREST Jason Relle (39), clinical director of Rosecrance Griffin Williamson Campus, presented a national webinar for the Institute for the Advancement of Behavioral Healthcare, “Helping Parents Get Past No: How to Support Parents in the Recovery Process.”

Kelly Epperson (41), vice president and general counsel, and David Gomel (41), president, Rosecrance, presented at the 41st annual Addiction Treatment Leadership Conference by the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers in Washington, D.C., in May.

41. David Gomel

Nominations are due by 5 p.m., August 12, 2019.

Nomination forms are available online at www.rockfordchamber.com.

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THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2019

NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS AC JOHNSTON Investments; Commercial Real Estate; Property Management; Land Development 1401 N. Second St., 61107 Charles Thompson 815-963-7400 www.acjohnston.com

CURRAN CONTRACTING Offering superior asphalt paving, excavation and demolition, underground utilities, project management, site remediation, concrete recycling, clean soil disposal, asphalt mixes and clean fill materials.

286 Memorial Court Crystal Lake, IL 60014 Sara Carlson 815-455-5100 www.currancontracting.com

815 BELTWAY HOLDINGS, LLC Real estate development and community investment company 1540 White Eagle Dr. Naperville, IL 60564 Dan Fischer 702-265-5812

ELITE GUTTER SERVICE Seamless aluminum gutters 6336 Wicklow Close, 61107 Jay Villani 815-397-5933 www.elitegutter.com

ILLINOIS CAFE & SERVICE COMPANY, LLC Warm and comfortable cafe with video gambling, full menu and alcohol available.

318 N. Alpine Road, 61107 Dan Fischer 815-397-3053

JUNE MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Thank you to our members celebrating their anniversaries with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce

70-YEAR MEMBERS

10-YEAR MEMBERS

Northern Illinois Optical Company

Fairfield Inn & Suites Franchesco’s Ristorante

35-YEAR MEMBERS Rock Valley Culligan Rockford Litho Center Staff Management, Inc.

20-YEAR MEMBERS Fridh Corporation RJ Link International, Inc. Rockford Symphony Orchestra

15-YEAR MEMBERS Bisconti Computers Inc. Ege WorkSmart Solutions, PC HR Capital Management Consultants KP Counseling Management, LLC Rocknel Fastener, Inc. Sunset Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens

5-YEAR MEMBERS Ameriprise Financial Aspire Financial Group Ameriprise Financial Joan Kelley, CFP, CPA First Community Credit Union Goldie B. Floberg Center Holiday Inn Express - Rochelle Ignition Studio, Inc. Staff On Site Midwest Inc.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in April, 2019 13 WREX ABC Catering Ltd., A Better Choice Catering ABC Supply Co., Inc. - Rockford ABC Supply Co., Inc. - Roscoe Agrace Hospice & Palliative Care Allstate - J Ellis Agency Alpha Controls & Services LLC Ameriprise Financial (Vistagreen Way) Ameriprise Financial (Rote Road) Ameriprise Financial Aspire Financial Group Ameriprise Financial Joan Kelley, CFP, CPA Astro-Physics, Inc. Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP Behr Iron & Metal, An Alter Company Belter Machinery Co., Inc. Blount International Cain & Company Camp Fireside Caraotta Chiropractic Orthopedics P.C. City First Church Connect Hearing Cookies by Design CoyleKiley Insurance Agency Inc. DeMuth Steel Products, Inc Dog Haus Eickman’s Processing Company Electrical Workers Union/ Local 364 IBEW Employee Benefit Association of Northern Illinois FBM Gypsum Supply of Illinois First Community Credit Union First Insurance Group Franchesco’s Ristorante Freed Plumbing, Inc. Friends of the Coronado Gauerke Electric Company Geostar Mechanical Gitz-Meier Remodeling/RESTORx Gruno’s Diamonds Hampton Properties (Leasing Office) HR Green Inc. Integra Business Systems, Inc. John Morrissey Accountants, Inc. Johnson Controls, Inc. Kent Feeds, Inc. LaMonica Beverages, Inc. Lechtenberg & Associates LLC Lindstrom Travel

Macianos Pizza (Perryville Pizza, LLC) Magnuson, Inc. Meijer Rockford MercyCare Health Plans Meridian (Starwood Dr) Meridian (North Second St) Mindy Joy Photography National Business & Industrial Centre, Inc. New Leaf Remodeling Northern Illinois Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association Northern Illinois Optical Company OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center Prairie State Legal Services Inc. Progressive Steel Treating Quartz Residence Inn by Marriott/ Rockford River Valley Kitchens & Baths, Inc. Rockford Art Deli Rockford Country Club Rockford Public Library Rockford Radiology Associates Rockford Separators, Inc. Rockford Supportive Living Rockford Tech-Systems, Inc. Rustoleum Corporation (Testor) Schmeling Construction Co. Service Machine Company, Inc. State Farm Insurance Brian Pinkstaff Stenstrom Construction Group Swanson’s Discount Vacuum, Inc. Tasty Tidbits Culinary Services, LLC Terra Creek Apartments The Pregnancy Care Center Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum Townsquare Media Rockford Triton Test and Balance UNION Savings BANK United Way of Rock River Valley Viking Chemical Company Winnebago County Medical Society Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau Women of Today’s Manufacturing (WOTM) Wood CPA’s Ltd Youngberg Industries, Inc.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

chamber

UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS

JUNE, 2019 MONDAY, JUNE 3 Lunch with a Leader, noon to 1 p.m., Rockford University- PURI School of Business, 5050 E. State St., room 124. Features Michele Petrie, Wintrust Commercial Banking & Mortgage.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7 Ribbon Cutting, 11 a.m., at Cream City Scale LLC, 4300 N. Bell School Road, Loves Park.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12 Breakfast Buzz, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Rockford University Puri School of Business, 5050 E. State St., Room 124, Rockford. Jason Todd, Thinker Ventures, presents “Predict the Future, Using Leading Indicators to Manage Your Business.” Sponsored

by RSM US LLP.

THURSDAY, JUNE 13 June Ambassador Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mary’s Market, 4431 E. State St., Rockford.

Rockford Chamber Public Safety Council Lunch and Learn, Noon to 1:30 p.m., Montel Technologies LLC, 8100 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park.

Learn about protecting your business via camera services and techniques as well as sharing data with police.

Event is free but advance registration is required. Lunch will be served.

23

June 2019

FRIDAY, JUNE 14

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

TUESDAY, JUNE 18 Ribbon Cutting, 4 to 6 p.m., for Two Men and a Truck for its new storage facility at 6201 Material Ave., #1, Loves Park.

Thursday, June 20 10 am - 1:30 pm Giovanni’s, Inc. 610 N. Bell School Rd., Rockford

ADVERTISERS INDEX Blackhawk Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,15

OSF HealthCare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Brian Thomas Photography. . . . . . . .17

Rockford Bank & Trust Co. . . . . . . . . .2

Calvary Bookkeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Rockford Chamber of Commerce . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 18, 21, 22

Comcast Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Edward Jones – Jen Reisinger . . . . . .8

Schmeling Construction Co. . . . . . . .14

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) . . . . . . . 6

Stillman Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Mercyhealth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

SVA Financial Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Midland States Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Thayer Lighting, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

MPOWR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Think Big Expo & Festival . . . . . . . . .13

Northern Public Radio . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Winnebago County – 815 Outside . .12

VOICE

the

Women in Business EXPO & LUNCHEON

Expo, 10 to Noon.; luncheon and program, Noon to 1:30 p.m. Includes the announcement of the Woman Business Leader of Tomorrow, Woman Business Owner of the Year and Woman Manager of the Year.

Sponsored by Mercyhealth (presenting), OSF HealthCare and Illinois Bank & Trust (gold) and Northwest Bank of Rockford (awards).

Stenstrom Construction Group . . . . . .4

Chamber Staff / Call 815-987-8100 ..........................................Direct Line Carmen Brenz, Program & Event Coordinator ...................................815-316-4302 Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO .......................................... 815-316-4304 Heidi M. Garner, Chief Operating Officer .................................... 815-316-4312 Olivia Guzman, Administrative Assistant/Customer Service Rep..........815-987-8100 Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology ................... 815-316-4338 Lynette Jacques, Vice President, Member Investment .................... 815-316-4317 Kristin Muehlfelder, Member Relations...................................................815-316-4315 Caitlin Pusateri, Vice President, Leadership Development ....................815-316-4337

TUESDAY, JUNE 25 First Time Supervisor’s Boot Camp, June 25 to 27, at YWCA Northwestern Illinois, 4990 E. State St., Rockford.

THURSDAY, JUNE 27 Ribbon Cutting/Open House, 3 to 6 p.m., at Rockford Ball Screw, 940 Southrock Dr., Southrock Industrial Park, Rockford. Ribbon cutting at 3 p.m.

Are you a Member with News to Share?

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

DEADLINE IS THE 15TH OF THE MONTH PRECEDING PUBLICATION

Doug Rand, Accounting Manager/Controller ............................... 815-316-4316 Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator ......................... 815-316-4320 Mike Mastroianni, Director, Small Business Development Center.........815-987-8100

CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS & OFFICERS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DIRECTORS

Chair of the Board Michele Petrie Wintrust Commercial Banking & Mortgage Chair-Elect Dan Ross Gallagher Vice Chair Jean Crosby Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Crosby Starck Real Estate Treasurer Amy Ott Boylan Catholic High School Immediate Past Chair Richard Zumwalt Z Resource

Andrew Benson Benson Stone Company, Inc. Kimberly Blascoe Wipfli LLP Jan Bowman TLC Construction LaVonne Brown Savant Capital Management Paula Carynski OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center Samuel J. Castree Staff Management, Inc. Doug Curry Stenstrom Companies

Tim Honquest Honquest Family Funeral Home with Crematory

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

Jeff Hultman Illinois Bank & Trust

Karl Swanson Rockford Bank & Trust Co

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

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

Jon Thompson Butitta Brothers Automotive Terry Voskuil Woodward

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

JULY VOICE SPECIAL SECTIONS Business Builders (Commercial Builders, Labor Unions, Contractors)

Home Builders (Real Estate Firms, Home Builders & Remodelers, Appraisers, Recruitment & Attraction)

The Business of Wellness (Healthcare Innovations, Trends, Initiatives) For information on advertising, call 815

987-8100