June Voice 2020 by Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce

the June 2020 | Volume 33 | No. 6

THE PERSPECTIVE OF HISTORY

CRYSTALCLEAR SUCCESS

PAGE 15

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of the rockford business community

Mayor’s working groups release guidance for safe reopening Principles for bars, restaurants, places of worship approved Rockford Rebounding working groups have released local guidance for Bars and Restaurants and Places of Worship with the gradual reopening of many businesses in Phase 3, the “recovery” phase, of Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois Plan. They have been approved by the Winnebago County Health Department. The working groups were established by Mayor Tom McNamara to develop ideas and recommendations to help build Rockford into a stronger city in the wake of the shelter in place mandates. The next order of business: Guidelines for reopening child care.

Bars and Restaurants Guiding Principles ■ Response to the COVID-19 pandemic is constantly evolving based on the available information and local disease activity.

■ It is important to remember, as restaurants phase into reopening to the public, that COVID-19 has not been eradicated and that hygiene best practices and social distancing practices must be maintained in order to help prevent a resurgence in new COVID-19 cases from occurring. ■ This guidance was developed based on the Rockford Region Rebounding assessment, expertise of the Workgroup. ■ Winnebago County will continue to adhere to the Restore Illinois, Executive Orders, and guidance/rules issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Continued on page 3

DCEO website oﬀers downloadable toolkits for multiple industries

THE VOICE IS PUBLISHED BY

Governor J.B. Pritzker released industry-specific guidelines on May 24 that allow for the safe reopening of businesses. All four regions are on track to advance to Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan, which includes the reopening of retail businesses, offices, manufacturing, barbershops and salons, summer programs, various outdoor recreation activities, and bars and restaurants for outdoor dining. Phase 3 of Restore Illinois is expected to bring roughly 700,000 Illinoisans back to the workplace, with an estimated 20 percent, or $150 billion in annual gross domestic product, of the overall economy returned to operations. In addition to the industry-specific guidelines, the DCEO and Illinois Department of Public Health have developed a common set of standards all businesses must follow, including face coverings, social distancing and informational signage on site.

Downloadable Toolkits

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The Voice is online at rockfordchamber.com

The DCEO has developed downloadable toolkits for businesses to reopen and comply with new guidelines to implement safety procedures, including signage and training checklists. Visit www2. illinois.gov/dceo/pages/restoreILP3.aspx Categories include: ■ Manufacturing factories and mills

facilities:

plants,

■ Health and fitness centers ■ Non-customer-facing offices: legal, accounting services, architectural/ engineering design and other professional services

2050 METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT Region 1 Planning Council seeks your feedback on the draft 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan for the Rockford Region through June 29. Visit www. r1planning.org/mtp, then submit comments by email, telephone or writing to: Sydney Turner, 127 N. Wyman St., first ﬂoor, Rockford, IL, 61101; 815-319-4185, or sturner@r1planning.org.

ILLINOIS VIRTUAL JOB FAIR Governor J.B. Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Department of Employment Services have launched Get Hired Illinois – a state web portal to connect workers with available job and career training opportunities. With Virtual Job Fair tools, employers can advertise their organization and connect with qualified job applicants at no cost. Employers and job seekers also can set up and view Virtual Job Booths. Get started at www.illinoisworknet. com/virtualjobfairs.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! CHAMBER

Golf Classic

MONDAY, AUGUST 31 Rockford Country Club For more information, see page 22 SPONSORED BY

■ Hair salons, barber shops, nail salons, spas, waxing centers, tattoo parlors

WIFI AT ROCKFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY PARKING LOTS

■ Retailers and merchandisers: grocery stores, hardware stores, clothing stores, pharmacies, department stores, shopping malls

Rockford Public Library is keeping its wireless network (WiFi) live and accessible from the parking lots of its branches during regular library hours. People can park and access the internet from their cars.

■ Customer facing services: driving ranges, outdoor shooting ranges, paintball courses, outdoor adventure parks ■ Stores providing services for dropped off goods: dry cleaners, electronics repair shops, shoe repair shops, car washes ■ Recreational youth programs, sports camps, recreational camps, educational camps ■ Youth sports games or matches, group sports lessons, team or group sports practices (no competitive sports permitted in Phase 3) ■ Restaurants and bars (outdoor dining and drinking) The site also has resources such as the Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program, the Small Business Emergency Loan Fund, the Emergency Hospitality Assistance Grant and the Fast Track Capital Grants. v

TRANSACTION-BASED ROCKFORD CITY MARKET Rockford City Market announced its opening on June 5 as an “in and out” market, a new term in the market world meaning transaction-based. Vendors will sell produce, cheese, baked goods, honey, jams, jellies, dog treats, fresh ﬂowers and gift items, and food trucks will sell carryout food. For June at least, there will be no live music, food or beverage consumption on site, activities or seating. This likely will change as the season progresses. Booths will be spread out, entrances limited, vendors mostly on one side of the street, number of customers at one time limited, traﬃc one-way, social distancing guidelines, face coverings required, and credit or debit transactions preferred.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

CHAIRMAN’S PERSPECTIVE

MICHELE PETRIE Rockford Chamber Board Chairman

Reﬂecting on Spring 2020

I’d like to start by saying thank you to all of our Veterans … I saw so many Memorial Day celebrations around the community — it was really great! And, congratulations to all of the 2020 graduates! It was awesome to see all of the different ways families and schools used their creativity and positive energy to celebrate. Since we have been in the COVID-19 crisis for some time now, I thought I would recap observations from my network that caught my attention: ■ Nothing in life, I mean nothing, lasts forever. Good times are temporary and bad times are temporary. Will there be a new normal? It is likely, but the degree is still uncertain. ■ Where you spend your attention reflects your priorities. I have noticed that having boundaries is important whether you work at an office or out of your home. You can “be gone” from your family for 10 plus hours a day either way if you choose. Family life is

important – time at home, together, strengthens the family unit which puts stronger, more confident people into the world (better equipped to work, lead, give and grow).

■ The balance of being able to reflect on your past, prioritize/plan your future while spending a majority of your day in the present is beyond valuable, it’s life changing.

unlikely) need to be a part of our new

■ We live in a time of action and activity. Going forward — check yourself every once in a while to make sure you are doing something worth doing.

■ Communicating, deciding and prioritizing your family or team’s goals is important. Purpose ties directly to engagement.

protect each other and to be of benefit

■ Emergency funds, emergency plans and modeling stressed situations (even those that seem

the COVID-19 pandemic, stay positive

■ Having down time is very important because being happy and becoming wise is a decision that takes time and effort. It is a decision to work on yourself, to think, to decompress, to plan and re-plan, to look at yourself in the mirror. Wisdom is not achieved in a moment; it is a series of moments leading up to bigger moments. It takes a lot of energy to grieve the bad things that come your way. It also takes time to process and overcome. If your repeat those steps frequently (grieve, process, overcome) you will achieve personal growth and ultimately wisdom.

go forward. ■ We are all connected. Our true work is to look after each other, to to one another. As we take our next steps forward in and remember you change the world by your example not by your opinion.

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

REOPENING RULES Continued from front page

■ Restaurants must comply with all applicable local municipal ordinances. ■ Restaurants must complete the Winnebago County Health Department Self-inspection Form prior to opening and must submit a signed copy of the Selfinspection Form to the Winnebago County Health Department within five (5) days of operation.

Dining Areas: ■ Post signage at seating entryway stating patrons should not enter with a fever or symptoms of COVID-19. Most common signs of illness are fever over 100°F, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, body aches, sore throat, recent loss of taste or smell. ■ Provide hand sanitizer at entry and cashier stations. ■ No indoor seating. Outdoor seating areas must ensure six feet social distancing between tables. If possible, entry to the outdoor seating area is not to be through the restaurant. If possible, provide hand sanitizer at the entry door to the restaurant or prop open the entry door. If doors are propped open, a fan can be used to minimize pest entry. ■ Temporary outdoor cooking is allowed with portable hand wash stations (hot and cold running water preferred). Food preparation and plating must take place inside the kitchen.

June 2020

■ Patrons may be allowed to use indoor restrooms. Patrons should wear their face covering when entering into the facility to use indoor restrooms. Restrooms are to be cleaned and disinfected hourly. ■ Limit number of guests waiting in line to maintain social distancing of a minimum six feet. Consider asking guests to give a phone number to call when their table is ready and have them wait in their vehicle. ■ Consider moving to a reservation or order ahead model to prevent overcrowding of the waiting area and to ensure staff have adequate time between seating to sanitize surfaces properly. ■ Space tables a minimum of six (6) feet apart. ■ A maximum of six (6) guests should be seated at the table. ■ Where practical, menus should be touchless such as electronic, billboard or disposable. Reusable menus must be sanitized between patrons. ■ Self-serve foods or beverages are not permitted. ■ Live music or entertainment is permitted with social distancing. ■ If possible, limit patrons to 45 to 60 minutes to reduce exposure timeframes. ■ Whenever possible use cashless, touchless and pay ahead methods. If tableside payment device is used it must be sanitized in the presence of the patron before and after use. ■ Patrons should wear facemasks over

their nose and mouth except when eating and drinking while seated at the table. Exceptions can be made for people with health conditions.

any given table. It is highly recommended that one staff person take a table’s order, bring beverages/food/utensils, take payment, etc.

■ If applicable, continue to offer and encourage take-out and delivery services.

Cleaning and Disinfecting:

■ Condiments can be provided upon request and must be single-use to avoid cross-contamination. Consider disposable as appropriate.

■ If an establishment has not been operational since the Executive Order to Stay Home: Flush all water fixtures (both hot and cold) for 15 to 30 minutes. Flush any beverage equipment lines. Empty and clean ice machines. These procedures will protect against waterborne illnesses. Clean and sanitize all food contact and non-food contact surfaces. Use hot soapy water, rinse the soap residue. Sanitize/disinfect with an EPA registered and approved sanitizer/ disinfectant as directed on the container.

Personnel: ■ Screen staff at the start of each shift for illness. Utilize FDA mandated employee illness policy. Promptly notify Winnebago County Health Department of COVID-19 within employees or patrons to 815-7204050. Maintain records to assist prompt identification of potential exposures in employees and patrons. ■ Provide face coverings to staff and require staff to wear them when interacting with patrons and each other. Staff should also wear face coverings when they are unable to maintain the six foot distance. ■ Require staff to wash/sanitize hands frequently throughout the shift and between serving different tables. ■ A Certified Food Protection Manager must be on duty at all times for medium and high risk establishments. ■ All staff handling food must have their Food Handler Certification. Consider refresher training for previously certified staff. ■ Minimize the number of staff serving

■ EPA registered bleach cleaner: 1 tablespoon to 1 gallon of water for food contact surfaces. 1/3 cup to 1 gallon of water for non-food contact surfaces (bleach can discolor some surfaces at high concentrations). ■ Disinfect table tops and seating surfaces between patrons. ■ Clean and disinfect restrooms hourly. Maintain cleaning logs visible to the patrons. ■ Ensure that soap dispensers and paper towels are monitored and stocked on an hourly basis during restroom checks. ■ Disinfect commonly-touched surfaces hourly. These include but are not limited to credit card machine key pads, door Continued on page 21

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

 Destination

ILLINOIS, USA

ADDING WEALTH TO THE REGION’S ECONOMY BY GROWING TOURISM

JOHN GROH Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Pulling together to get to the other side There’s a role for everyone to play

A recent RACVB LunchChat webinar that included tourism experts from across the nation — all of whom have visited Rockford — encouraged me that our market is positioned better than most to survive this economic crisis and, yes, thrive on the other side of COVID-19. Beyond this region’s enviable assets for tourism, our viability is rooted in a desire across all sectors of this community to communicate, act strategically and pull together toward mutual goals. “The ability to band together and work together has never been more critical,” said David Holder, vice president for tourism at JLL, an international real estate and destination development corporation. In other words, we’re all out on the same limb. David participated in one of our twice-weekly (Tuesdays and Thursdays) LunchChats, along with two other national industry experts and Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara. Attendees for the informationpacked webinar included representatives from our many community partners, including government organizations, the hospitality industry, small businesses and nonprofits. Together, we heard Mayor McNamara describe his aggressive efforts to position our region to receive as much state and federal help as possible. His leadership is critical. Days before participating in the LunchChat, the mayor appointed a Tourism and Hospitality work group to lead the way toward recovery in our very hard-hit sector of the economy. I will cochair the committee with Anne Weerda, executive director of the Burpee Museum of Natural History. In all, the mayor appointed 10 Rebounding Rockford work groups representing different segments of the community. The Tourism & Hospitality group has ties to every other group, and sustainable solutions to the crisis will come when we work together.

Comments from a Panel Discussion Given the limitations of space, I will summarize some of the main points of our LunchChat panel: Mayor McNamara: Tourism is critical to the local economy, he said. Visitors to our county put more than 3,000 people to work, infusing $392 million into the economy and generating more than $6.8 million in local tax revenue. He reiterated the need for RACVB to concentrate on the region’s strengths, amateur sporting events and cultural organizations among them, in marketing efforts, while recognizing that crowd-size limitations in the foreseeable

future will be a challenge. “There will be a day after COVID-19, and we have to keep hope,” he said. Don Welch, president/CEO of Destinations International. Don stressed that destination marketing organizations such as RACVB are “community connectors” and have a key role in creating recovery plans. Travel will return first on a local basis, he said, and expand as people get more comfortable eating out and visiting attractions close to home. For marketing purposes in today’s climate, remember that people will drive to attractions before they commit to flying.

For example, cleaning previously took place behind the scenes and after hours. Now, customers need to see sanitation in progress. John Lambeth, president/ CEO Civitas Advisors, which helps destinations find and grow resources for tourism, said the region’s assets clearly “outpace many of the places we work with.” Some communities may create tourism improvement districts, he said, which rely on defined-term special assessments within the hospitality industry to fund recovery strategies. David Holder, JLL. The tourism industry must focus on customer comfort and service in new ways, he advised. For example, cleaning previously took place behind the scenes and after hours. Now, customers need to see sanitation in progress. Friendliness to customers and gratitude for their business must be expressed. It’s also a time for businesses to support one another, possibly by sharing costs and referring customers. “We went into the situation together, and we’ll come out of it together. Let’s hold hands.” And that is what we will do. There’s much more information to come about recovery efforts across our community, and there is a role for everybody. Check out gorockford. com for our weekly updated Covid-19 newsletter. Stay tuned, and please, continue to stay safe. John Groh is president/CEO of Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Visit www. gorockford.com. The views expressed are those of Groh’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

DR. EHREN JARRETT Superintendent RPS 205

June 2020

We are better oﬀ, thanks to lessons learned

As we approach the end of the school year in the Rockford Public Schools, I am proud of how our district has innovated to reach students and keep them safe during a challenging time. Even so, I know we can do more than survive. We can thrive. The topic has been top-of-mind for Mayor Tom McNamara’s Education Task Force. We have asked ourselves: How can Rockford come out strong in terms of attracting people to live here in a post COVID-19 environment? For the district’s part, thriving calls for a three-pronged approach. We need to continue to work with local colleges and universities to expand the Rockford Promise program, which offers location-based scholarships. Since the program’s inception in 2006, it has consistently exceeded its fund-raising goals for scholarships to attend Rock Valley College or Rockford University. Last year, a record-breaking 31 scholarships were awarded. The mayor has challenged the community to fully

fund the program by 2025, allowing every graduate of the district to have access to community college and fouryear programs in Illinois, tuition-free. The Promise program is a critical way to incentivize people to live in our community and attend our schools. We will continue to work hard to achieve the dream. Another way we can thrive as a community would be to sustain our momentum on Alignment Rockford’s high school academy sponsorship program. Under this program, which began this school year, local businesses, nonprofits and governmental entities agree to sponsor college and career pathways in our high school academies. At varying levels of financial commitment, they help shape curriculum with pathway educators and connect with students with interest in their industry. I am proud of the progress on sponsored academies. I won’t kid you, though. Business partners and students, like all people in a pandemic, have struggled with restrictions on face-to-

face interactions. However, the silver lining will be in developing new and innovative ways to connect, extending to virtual platforms like Zoom and much more. We can and will apply these tools to mentoring relationships. The last way we can thrive is by refining our remote learning model. This 10-week experiment has allowed us to rethink our deployment of technology to students, our training of teachers and the types of interactions students and teachers have across our system. For one, we aspire to make “snow days” a thing of the past as learning continues remotely. While it may start with something as simple as a snow day, it goes far beyond in terms of changing the meaningful day-to-day interactions with students. We are not just learning about technology solutions, we are learning about the power of engagement. Because we have been forced to engage and interact with a greater degree of difficulty, we have learned skills and strategies we would not have learned relying on the triedand-true, face-to-face interaction.

I am confident our teachers will continue to grow and innovate, no matter the crisis. What’s more, we will continue to track student and family engagement. These last weeks have been a reminder of the crucial importance of efforts to connect with the whole family. We remain committed to these three key ideas -- investing in continued education for our high school graduates, building a solid structure for employer engagement in our schools and refining our remote learning model. We are better off for the lessons learned during this crisis. I believe in the innovative spirit of Rockford. I believe we will come out even stronger as a community in our ability to grow our workforce, engage our families and educate our students for the new world we live in. 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.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

OSF HealthCare launches Pandemic Health Worker Program Keeping COVID-19 patients safe, while staying at home By Paul Anthony Arco While many people are being asked to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, OSF HealthCare is expanding its digital response strategy to the virus, by offering care to patients without ever having to leave their home. In early April, OSF HealthCare formed the Pandemic Health Worker (PHW) program in conjunction with the state of Illinois, a safe way to monitor and care for residents with COVID-19 or symptoms of the virus in their home. “The PHW program allows us to fulfill our mission of serving with the greatest care and love, utilizing digital technology and trained and trusted mission partners (employees) to support individuals where they are most comfortable, in their own homes,” said OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center President Paula Carynski. “PHWs monitor individuals daily and they also assess other social supports that might be needed such as counseling and access to behavioral health tools such as OSF SilverCloud.” PHWs are trained OSF Mission Partners assigned to a panel of clients and digitally connected to them. PHWs have a range of duties including delivering PHW kits to clients’ homes; assisting clients in accessing OSF digital health-related services and applications; and providing health education on topics related to COVID-19. PHW teams are located all over the state to help people suffering from COVID-19 or experiencing similar symptoms. OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center has a team of four, including two mission partners who work as site coordinators to manage the site and support deliveries on a daily basis, and two fielders who are responsible for delivering health kits to the clients’ doors. They visit clients throughout the northern Illinois area including Rockford, Belvidere, Beloit and Harvard. The health kits include a client handbook, health education materials, thermometer, hand sanitizer and a tablet that is pre-loaded with communication applications and equipped with a data package when needed. PHWs can help those who are not tech savvy download programs and understand how to work the provided tablets if there is no similar technology already in the household. Individuals will be followed for 16 days. Patients are invited into the program by first calling OSF HealthCare’s COVID-19 hotline (833-OSF KNOW) and explaining

Lennie Skelnik is a Rockford site coordinator for the OSF HealthCare Pandemic Health Worker program.

their symptoms. After they are enrolled, they are visited by a pandemic health worker. There is no cost to be enrolled. Emmy Dressen is an innovation engineer who works in the OSF Innovation discovery labs at the JUMP Simulation Center in Peoria, who was directly assigned to Rockford to work as a site coordinator. “I was excited for the opportunity to come and work in Rockford,” she said. “They needed a site coordinator, and I have family here. I was happy to make a difference for people in need during this difficult time.” Dressen says the PHW program has been well received among area residents. “We’ve had so many clients tell us how grateful they are for the program and how appreciative they are of OSF HealthCare,” she said. “This has been an eye opening experience to see how much this has impacted our community,” added Lennie Skelnik, another Rockford site coordinator. “There has been so much positive feedback from people, many of whom have felt alone during this time and need someone to talk to about the symptoms they are experiencing. Fortunately, most of our clients have not had to be escalated.” But if a client’s symptoms do worsen, the PHW will refer them to the Acute COVID@Home program where supervision could increase to include an advanced practice provider or physician. Those clients will be treated and watched using telehealth technology three times a day until they are better. If there is no progress made, they will be referred to the hospital. “I am proud that OSF HealthCare is leading the way with digital solutions now and for the future to allow us to care for individuals where they are,” said Carynski. “We are protecting our communities, our mission partners (employees) and those we care for with these innovative approaches that allow us to contribute significantly to efforts to flatten the curve of the spread of COVID-19.” If you suspect you have COVID-19, and it is not an emergency, please visit www.osfhealthcare.org and chat with Clare, the digital assistant, or call the 24/7 nurse hotline at (833) OSF-KNOW (833673-5669).

SPECIAL SECTION: Reimagining Wealth

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

GUEST COLUMNIST

Don’t play politics with your portfolio ERNA E. COLBORN Edward Jones

How much does an election year affect your investments?

You’re probably aware this is an election year. During the next several months, the candidates will discuss issues that should greatly interest you as a citizen. But as an investor, how concerned should you be with the results of the presidential and congressional elections? Maybe not as much as you might think. At different times, the financial markets have performed well and poorly under different administrations and when different parties have controlled Congress. And after all the votes are counted, outcomes in the investment markets can be unpredictable. Consequently, you’ll be helping yourself greatly by not making big moves in your portfolio in anticipation of new legislation or political moves down the line. Of course, that’s not to say that nothing emerging from Washington could ever have an impact on your investment decisions. For example, if a future president and Congress decide to change the capital gains tax rate, it could affect some of your choices, such as which stocks and stock-based mutual funds you should buy, and how long you should hold them. Overall, though, your investment results will ultimately depend on actions you can take, including these:

Making Changes for the Right Reasons While the results of an election may not be a good reason to make changes in your investment portfolio, other factors can certainly lead you to take steps in this direction. For one thing, as you get closer to retirement, you may want to shift some — though certainly not all — of your investment dollars from more growth-oriented vehicles to more conservative ones. Conversely, if you decide, well in advance, that you might want to retire earlier than you originally thought, you may need to invest more aggressively, being aware of the increased risk involved.

Following a LongTerm Strategy In pretty much all walks of life, there are no shortcuts to success — and the

In pretty much all walks of life, there are no shortcuts to success — and the same is true with investing. same is true with investing. You need to follow a long-term strategy based on your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon, and you need the patience and perseverance to keep investing in all markets — up, down and sideways.

Avoiding Mistakes Many people think of an investment mistake as failing to “get in on the ground floor” of some company that ultimately grew to huge proportions. But it’s pretty hard to become an early investor in companies like these, many of which start out as privately held businesses without any stockholders. Furthermore, companies with shorter track records can be much more unpredictable investments. However, you do want to avoid some real mistakes, such as chasing “hot” stocks. By the time you hear about them, they may already be cooling off, and they might not even be appropriate for your needs. Another mistake: failing to diversify your portfolio. If you only own one type of asset, such as growth stocks, you could take a big hit during a market downturn. Spreading your dollars over a wide range of investments can help lower your risk exposure. (However, diversification by itself can’t guarantee a profit or protect against all losses.) After Election Day, regardless of the outcome, you can help keep your portfolio on track by not playing politics with it. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Erna E. Colborn, AAMS®, is a financial advisor at Edward Jones. The views expressed are those of Colborn’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

Thank a Hometown Hero Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) invites you to submit digital thank you notes for frontline workers, such as health care workers, grocery store employees, truck drivers, postal carriers and first responders. To submit a note, visit https://bustos.house.gov/thank-you-to-hometown-heroes/.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

SCOTT LAUE Savant Capital Management

June 2020

SPECIAL SECTION: Reimagining Wealth

GUEST COLUMNIST

Considerations for leveraging current market conditions

Insurance strategy: The health insurance captive

Help to enhance your future

Given the recent stock market decline due to the economic uncertainty over the outbreak and spread of COVID-19, now may be an opportune time to reimagine your financial future. Utilize this time to update (or develop new) wealth strategies to enhance future finances for yourself and your family. The stock market recently entered a bear market (decline of 20 percent or more) – the fastest one on record happening in just 19 days (S&P 500 Index). The next fastest one was 36 days in 1896. For recent comparison purposes, the Financial Crisis which began in the fall of 2007 took 186 days or almost half a year. Today, many investors wonder if there is something they should do. Should they try to time the market by cashing out now and waiting for things to improve? I believe the quick answer is NO because there are two important decisions that one has to get right: when to get out – that’s the easy one – and then, more importantly, when to get back in, as sitting on the sidelines tends not to provide an optimum long-term result. Usually an investor will want to get back in when they see things getting better, and more often than not, that train has already left the station. Here are a few common questions and answers to help set yourself and your family for financial success in the long term: How soon should you begin spending money if you are still working? This is a key question as you decide whether you need to “de-risk,” even after your portfolio has tumbled. The closer you are to drawing down from your nest egg, the less time you have to let the stock market recover. But, if you are two to three (or more) years away from withdrawing money, that’s probably enough time for the market to recover. The average market rebound is 18 months. Remember to focus not just on a specific retirement date, but take a longer term approach to make sure you don’t outlive your accumulated savings. How flexible is your retirement date, and how much do you need to spend in retirement? Obviously, it’s a good time to cut spending (I personally find that practicing “social distance” is providing a side benefit of spending less). However, you may not realize it, but you may spend almost as much money in retirement than you did while working. Do you want to travel? Will you downsize your home? What can you afford to do? What can you not afford to

do? Is it possible you can do everything you imagined? These are all questions that are personal in nature, yet most of them tie back to your overall retirement planning and spending. What is your asset allocation now, and is it suitable? If you are invested in 60 to 70 percent stocks, that means you’ve probably got 30 to 40 percent in more stable, fixed income-type investments – that haven’t had the volatile swings the stock market has given us. How much do you spend annually? Would that 30 to 40 invested in fixed income cover your annual spending for the next two to three years (again allowing time for a market recovery)? How viable is your long-term game plan? We run retirement cash flows for most of our clients and then stress-test the results. This type of planning can be especially valuable during turbulent times and can help provide an additional layer of confidence. Have you developed your estate plan? The new normal has thrown us all for a loop, from working remotely to being removed from friends and family and, in some cases, being a part-time teacher to your children. As we spend more time pondering those closest to us, now may be the best time to consider what is going to happen to our assets after our “estate matures.” An estate plan is one of the greatest gifts you can give your loved ones, so take the time to document your wishes and then relax and enjoy your life. You’ll be glad you did. Since recessions and market declines are so hard to predict and the cost of missing part of the unpredictable recovery is so high, I believe patience is clearly an investor’s best strategy. While stocks could stay lower for longer, we are confident that a recovery will occur. Time and again, history shows that patient investors who remain invested in diversified portfolios are well rewarded. Remember, it’s all about time and not timing. This is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as personalized financial or investment advice. Scott Laue, J.D., CFP® is a financial advisor for Savant Capital Management. He can be reached at 815-227-0300 or slaue@ savantcapital.com. The views expressed are those of Laue’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

JASON D. NORDBY M3 Insurance

A look at an alternative in coverage

Businesses might consider exploring alternative health insurance funding models and making the move from the traditional insurance market. In my research and experience within the health captive space, I’ve found that it’s not all that unusual for a business to save hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars over time, when they make the switch. Let’s back up. A health insurance captive is an insurance strategy that allows employers (both large and small) to join with other like-minded employers in order to self-fund their health insurance. Through a health captive, you can access claims data to determine what factors are impacting your premium rates, and proactively take strategic action to mitigate those risks. If it sounds confusing to you, let me provide a clearer picture. I’ve found that real world examples are the best way to show the effects of a business transitioning to a health captive. Here’s a case study. A manufacturer moved out of the fully insured world and into a health captive; their primary reasoning being the potential savings that they could see when they were able to make changes to their strategy based on their claims data. Each year, they decided to go out to the fully-insured market and request firm proposals from carriers to compare the premiums they were receiving with what they were paying through their health captive. The difference between fullyinsured proposals and the costs they were paying in their health captive were as follows:

Year 1: $38,904 in savings Year 2: $455,407 in savings Year 3: $326,782 in savings Year 4: $465,755 in savings Year 5: $658,953 in savings Over the course of six years, the manufacturer was able to experience a cumulative savings of $3,063,408. As you can see, the financial effects often build over time as businesses take advantage of their ability to access key claims data through the captive. Though the concept of a health captive

may

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intimidating at first, it’s important to understand and explore your options when it comes to health insurance. Every business has its own unique needs, culture and risk tolerance, and each of these factors should play into your decision on the type of funding arrangement you want to choose for your health insurance. There are benefits to every option, but there’s usually one choice that is exactly right for your business. Taking your organization’s goals into consideration can help you choose a strategy that is the best fit for your organization and employees. Jason D. Nordby, MS, GBDS, is partner, senior account executive, director of employee benefits captive practice at M3 Insurance. The views expressed are those of Nordby’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

SPECIAL SECTION: Reimagining Wealth

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

Protecting your credit score Wallethub.com has tips for protecting credit scores, as roughly 35 percent of adults in its survey said they were worried about the issue. Ask Your Creditors What They Can Do To Help. Credit card companies and other lenders are helping customers affected by COVID-19 on a case-by-case basis. You could be eligible for a reduced interest rate, deferred payments and other adjustments that could keep your account in good standing, preventing missed payments from showing up on your credit report and hurting your credit score. When granted a deferred payment, confirm with your lender that you will not be reported as “past due” to the credit bureaus. Visit wallethub.com and search “Help for Credit Cards & Loans by Financial Institutions During COVID” for policies by 33 of the largest financial institutions Get in Touch with Service Providers. If you are unable to pay bills for utilities or services such as cable and internet, start a dialogue with those companies to prevent them from sending your account to collections, which would hurt your credit score. Most billers are willing to work with customers affected by the coronavirus. Pay at Least the Minimum Required to Get Credit. If you do not make at least the minimum payment required by your credit card company by the due date, you will not get credit for paying on time. Paying less than the minimum will not keep your account in good standing. Paying less than the full balance owed will lead to interest charges (normally, at least), which isn’t ideal. But interest doesn’t have

to follow you around for years, like a couple of missed payments would. Check Your Credit Score/Credit Report Regularly. The more you check your credit report and score, the more familiar with it you will become, and the quicker you will spot any errors or signs of fraud that could jeopardize your credit score. Check them, or sign up for free credit monitoring, at WalletHub. Be Careful About Adding New Debt. Borrowing to keep other bills at bay might be the best option for some people. But at a time when debt levels are already so high and many people’s income has disappeared, adding debt also means adding risk for the future. What you do not want to do is turn modest payment problems that could be solved in other ways into a debt hole that you cannot climb out of. That is why you should make a plan for how you will use and then repay the money before even applying for a new loan or line of credit. Make Sure You Exhaust All Government Assistance. Don’t assume you are ineligible for financial support. Millions of people who’ve had no prior experience with government assistance are now suddenly eligible for several different types of stimulus funding and other forms of relief, such as eviction protection. So, do your research into what federal, state and local programs might enable you to make ends meet, pay unavoidable bills on time, and avoid damaging your credit score. Being able to use stimulus money for everyday necessities will also help your savings stretch as far as possible.

NCCI files revision to modify accounting of payrolls

Accepted rules ultimately may vary state by state In response to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, many employers have been forced to shut down or severely curtail their operations. For those employers that have chosen to continue to pay their employees during this time, maintaining a payroll with reduced or no income is a huge challenge. Recognizing the tremendous financial impact to businesses, the National Council on Compensation Insurance recently made a revised filing to its manual rules to modify how payrolls are accounted for in this unprecedented time. Below are key points in the filing sent to all the states under NCCI jurisdiction and submitted to independent state bureaus for consideration.

Key Points ■■ Payments made by employers to paid furloughed employees as a result of the federal, state or local emergency orders issued due to the COVID-19 pandemic which impact the employers staffing or business are not to be considered as wages for purposes of determining worker compensation premiums. ■■ The impact period began on March 1, 2020 and runs through Dec. 31, 2020. It may end sooner or could be extended if needed.

■■ If an employer is using certain appropriated funds or loans as authorized by any law or regulation to hire or retain employees, those dollars will not be excluded from wages. ■■ Any employer that may have wages affected by this ruling must be separating that payroll from any other normal payroll calculations during this time. If no separation of payroll exists, then normal payroll codes will be used based on job duties prior to the furlough. ■■ If a furloughed employee is requested to perform work duties, their payroll for that time should be allocated to the applicable code. ■■ The WC code for this payroll will be classified under 0012. Payrolls under this new classification code will not be captured in the NCCI experience mod calculation. ■■ Please keep in mind each state may choose to adopt, change or reject the filing. We do not currently anticipate any significant opposition. Also some states may have slightly different variations of rules regarding these issues. Please reach out to First Insurance Group with your questions or possible state-specific concerns at 630-552-3447.

Three new credits available to many businesses hit by COVID-19 Employee Retention Credit The employee retention credit encourages businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The refundable tax credit is 50 percent of up to $10,000 in wages paid by an eligible employer whose business has been financially impacted by COVID-19. Includes tax-exempt organizations, but does not include state and local governments and their instrumentalities and small businesses that take small business loans. Qualifying employers must fall into one of two categories: 1. The employer’s business is fully or partially suspended by government order due to COVID-19 during the calendar quarter. 2. The employer’s gross receipts are below 50 percent of the comparable quarter in 2019. Once the employer’s gross receipts go above 80 percent of a comparable quarter in 2019, they no longer qualify after the end of that quarter.

Employers will calculate measures each calendar quarter.

these

Paid Sick Leave Credit, Family Leave Credit The paid sick leave credit allows businesses to get a credit for an employee who is unable to work (including telework) because of Coronavirus quarantine or selfquarantine or has Coronavirus symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis. Those employees are entitled to paid sick leave for up to 10 days (up to 80 hours) at the employee’s regular rate of pay up to $511 per day and $5,110 in total. The employer can also receive the credit for employees who are unable to work due to caring for someone with Coronavirus or caring for a child because the child’s school or place of care is closed, or the paid childcare provider unavailable due to the Coronavirus. Those employees are entitled to paid sick leave for up to two weeks (up to 80 hours) at two-thirds the employee’s regular rate

of pay or, up to $200 per day and $2,000 in total. Employees are also entitled to paid family and medical leave equal to twothirds of the employee’s regular pay, up to $200 per day and $10,000 in total. Up to 10 weeks of qualifying leave can be counted towards the family leave credit. Employers

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reimbursed for the credit by reducing their required deposits of payroll taxes that have been withheld from employees’ wages by the amount of the credit. Eligible employers are entitled to immediately receive a credit in the full amount of the required sick leave and family leave, plus related health plan expenses and the employer’s share of Medicare tax on the leave, for the period of April 1, 2020 through Dec. 31, 2020.

How Will Employers Receive the Credit? Employers can be immediately reimbursed for the credit by reducing their required deposits of payroll taxes that have been withheld from employees’ wages by the amount of the credit. Eligible employers will report their total qualified wages and the related health insurance costs for each quarter on their quarterly employment tax returns or Form 941 beginning with the second quarter. If the employer’s employment tax deposits are not sufficient to cover the credit, the employer may receive an advance payment from the IRS by submitting Form 7200, Advance Payment of Employer Credits Due to COVID-19. Eligible employers can also request an advance of the Employee Retention Credit by submitting Form 7200.

The refundable credit is applied against certain employment taxes on wages paid to all employees.

For more information and updates, visit the Coronavirus page of IRS.gov.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

IGNITE: YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

KATELYN GRAY IGNITE

Chances are good that you were NOT hired to keep quiet

How women succeed in male-dominated workplaces

and allow your brilliant ideas to desiccate under the heat of your scrutiny.

Don’t be afraid to be your authentic self

Shortly after graduating from college, I landed a job at a regional bank. The position was essentially a year-long paid internship, and I spent the next 12 months bouncing from one department to the next in search of one to call home. Ultimately, I settled into a role in commercial lending, and I stayed in that field for the next decade. I quickly realized that the further up the commercial banking ladder I climbed, the more masculine the landscape became. The support jobs were filled almost entirely by women huddled in cubicles, while the managers and salespeople -who were predominantly men -- took up residence in the glass offices along the perimeter of the building. The American Bankers Association points out that “women continue to be underrepresented in the banking industry,” but banking is hardly unique in this regard. According to Catalyst (a global nonprofit focused on accelerating progress for women at work), several occupations are male-dominated, including engineering, construction and computer programming, just to name a few. Catalyst acknowledges what many women already know: that working in male-dominated industries creates challenges, such as societal expectations about women, pervasive stereotypes, stress, anxiety, lack of career development and even sexual harassment. These challenges drive many women to cope in negative ways that damage their careers, such as distancing themselves from coworkers, accepting masculine cultural norms and -of course -- leaving the industry altogether. Eventually, I earned a key to one of those glass offices, thanks in no small part to the encouragement I received from a few colleagues (well, that and my Aquarian tenacity). And while much of the advice I received along the way was helpful, some

nuggets of “wisdom” (e.g. don’t wear your hair in a ponytail, don’t smile so much, but do wear skirts to work as often as possible), were borderline offensive.

Tips I’ve Learned I’m not here to give women unsolicited advice, because we already get enough of that, but I’ll share what has worked for me. Spoiler alert: None of these tips involve hairstyles. LANGUAGE. The words women use to communicate at work matter. Once we identify the kinds of self-sabotaging words and phrases we’ve adopted, we can focus on eliminating them. For example, many women apologize at work about things for which they have no business being sorry. Or they insert extra words into their sentences to soften their messages, hoping to avoid being seen as aggressive or pushy. These unconscious patterns undermine us and our ideas. AUTHENTICITY. Women shouldn’t be afraid to show their true selves, even if they don’t fit with masculine norms. Standing firmly in our authenticity allows clients and colleagues to get to know us better and demonstrates that we believe in and respect ourselves just as we are. For example, you won’t find me schmoozing clients on the golf course or rehashing the details of last night’s college basketball game with colleagues. But if they want to talk about yoga or debate the merits of craft beer, I’m all ears! As Oscar Wilde famously said, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” CONFIDENCE. Women shouldn’t be afraid of asking for what they want at work or pitching ideas in important meetings. Our tendency toward perfectionism can make us question our every impulse, but we owe it to ourselves and the companies for which we work to share our talents and ideas freely. Chances are good that you were

NOT hired to keep quiet and allow your brilliant ideas to desiccate under the heat of your scrutiny. Much of this is easier said than done, and it might not happen overnight. But with practice and persistence, I hope that women in business lean into the careers they want, no matter the challenges.

And I hope they smile as often as they like. Katelyn Gray is a freelance writer and founder of womenwithkids.com and a member of IGNITE. The views expressed are those of Gray’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

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Leadership Development As we enter into Phase 3, I hope we don’t go back to the “way things were.”

Waxing Nostalgic CAITLIN PUSATERI Rockford Chamber

The other day, while sitting on my 16 month old daughter’s window seat gazing at the quiet neighborhood street with her, I watched a car drive by. I caught myself thinking, “I remember when I used to drive… what a funny idea: to drive places.” A few days later, I actually did find myself in my car, running to the grocery store for my weekly order pickup. I got in my car and choppily drove down the street. My braking didn’t feel smooth, my turns were more abrupt than I meant them to be. When I pulled into the grocery store, I tried to roll down my window and clumsily hit about 4 other buttons before I finally found the right one. As I waited for them to bring out my order, I tried to turn on a CD for my daughter, who was in the back seat, and accidentally turned on the AC, then the radio, then the Bluetooth connection,

then FINALLY the CD player. I had forgotten where anything in my car was. There are times — mostly when I’m doing mundane things like driving my car — that the way life used to be pops up in my brain. More often than not, the thoughts of life before have an air of nostalgia attached to them — like the way memories of my childhood always seem to be sprinkled with the smell of plastic Barbies, the exhilaration of a good swing on the swing set, and a constant hum of music filling the air. I hear the nostalgia in other people’s voices, too. Sometimes it peppers Zoom calls as people talk about the new normal with a touch of sadness in their voice. Or it finds its way into emails as people make small talk in little sentences, wishing for a quiet commute, a lunch meeting or just the company of co-workers. When you listen for

it, you can find examples of just how romanticized the old-way of life has already become. Life with COVID-19 ever present is really difficult. The virus combined with the efforts taken to save lives (and the consequences that came with those tough decisions) has devastated people, lives, families, industries, businesses, communities, and spirits. But, we would be kidding ourselves if we failed to acknowledge that life pre-COVID-19 had a few issues of its own. As we enter into Phase 3, I hope we don’t go back to the “way things were.” I have no interest in the old-normal. For as much as that sucks about where we are right now, we have been given a unique opportunity. Right now, we’ve destroyed so many things that seemed untouchable before. We’ve broken down systems and industries that people thought they could never live without. We’ve had to get creative in ways that we may have dreamed about, but have never taken action on because we simply didn’t have the time.

We raced through our lives – pushing, pushing, pushing – and now? Now we’re broken all the way down. And it’s time to rebuild. But, one of my biggest fears in all of this is that we lean too heavily on nostalgia. We pull out the old drawings, the old handbooks, the old guideposts and pound them back into the ground. As we rise from the ashes — and we will rise — we should ask ourselves not how we can recreate what we once were, but instead, how we can create what we’ve always wanted to be. We’re down in the muck. We’ve done incredibly hard things, made incredibly hard choices, and felt incredibly real pain, sadness and grief. It’s time to take off the rose colored glasses and look at the past for what it was – not a story we easily jump right back into; but, rather, a springboard we leap from into our next great adventure. Caitlin Pusateri is vice president, leadership development at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

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Small Business Enterprise Hope to expand services to businesses in near future MIKE MASTROIANNI SBDC

Moving through the phases for fully re-opening our community

We have all been experiencing a very different way of life in the last few months. The SBDC has always been available to assist clients in business development, social media, digital marketing, basic HR advising and preparation for access to capital. Of course we are still available to do so, and the only changes have been that we have to “meet” via phone or video conference, and that the banks are inundated with PPP funding, so business start-ups may have a little longer to wait to speak to an SBA or commercial lender. What else is the SBDC doing during this crisis? We are serving existing clients and new clients in navigating through the myriad of loan and grant applications to help their businesses survive. Our

contact numbers have risen immensely because of the need for small businesses to get help. There have been complications, such as trouble with websites for access to information or applications, difficulty in getting someone to talk to for assistance, changing rules and regulations as the money supply dwindles, and long waiting periods for the money to arrive in people’s accounts. But, we are now speaking to clients who are receiving funds, and so the frustrations are minimized as the money arrives. Our role as a sounding board and advisor has risen as accessibility to agencies has slowed. Of course, everyone is doing what they can, as quickly as they can to assist those in need.

It doesn’t have to be an “either-or,” but can be a “both-and.” What’s on the Horizon Our role will be transformed again soon. We will have the opportunity to assist businesses in start-back strategies. We are on a number of calls and a number of committees with the city, state, U.S. Small Business Administration, Transform Rockford and Rockford Mayor on planning how best to re-open. The Governor has just released his RESTORE ILLINOIS plan. The good news is, as different regions’ experiences may vary, the ability to restart may vary as well. Those communities with better health experiences will be able to get back quicker. As the entire state transitions from “phase 2” to “phase 3,” we’ll see larger gatherings of people, more re-openings of businesses and more testing. The last phase (phase 5 - the “back to normal” phase) will take place when a vaccine and effective drug is in place to mitigate any adverse effects and ensure that people will be able to survive and thrive again. Throughout all of these phases, the SBDC will have webinars, YouTube

videos, social media information, startback assistance, and if an expected infusion of some dollars occurs, additional people to provide your business with financial assistance and advising, basic human resources, digital marketing and advertising. We also know we have many businesses with owners who are not English speaking. We hope to have support from others in the community who can assist in translating information, so we can provide information in English and Spanish as well. I have heard people say, “We need to reopen now and not care about the safety issue,” and others say, “We have to care about safety and not economics,” but I think we can care about BOTH. It doesn’t have to be an “either-or,” but can be a “both-and.” If we can prepare ourselves now for the reopening, that preparation will help us all to get restarted safely and quickly. Mike Mastroianni is director at the Illinois Small Business Development Center in Rockford.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

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economic development

MAC2020 — Virtual a success The Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) and the Rockford Area Aerospace Network (RAAN) hosted MAC2020, the premier Midwest Aerospace Conference. The day started with Kevin Michaels, managing director for AeroDynamic Advisory, providing an aerospace industry update focusing on the long-term implications of COVID-19. Some of the key take-aways include ■ It will be six months to one year for people to begin air travel. ■ Low-cost carriers will pick-up market share of available aircraft. ■ Diversification is important, and the U.S. Government is changing payment terms to pump money into the supply chain. The afternoon was filled with matchmaking sessions. These 15-minute virtual sessions allowed for 62 connections for companies to expand their networks and opportunities for cultivating business relationships. “Turning MAC2020 into a virtual event allowed participants to continue to generate business connections while hearing first-hand how the industry is changing,” said Jarid Funderburg, VP of business and investor relations & staff liaison to RAAN. “MAC2020 has informed businesses that there are opportunities out there, and companies may need to pivot and refocus to remain healthy and strong as they continue to do business.” RAAN and the RAEDC strive to continue to provide relevant and insightful events for the community even in uncertain times. It is the dedication of staff and volunteers that ensure the industry clusters in our region have every opportunity to be successful and continue to ﬂourish. Visit RockfordAerospace.com to request the Aerospace Industry Update from Kevin Michaels and for a copy of his presentation.

Additional PPE resources for our region The RAEDC is proud to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) to more than 97 companies throughout the region. Our goal is to serve the community and seek out new opportunities to support our economic base. Through this process, we have found many local manufacturers and suppliers of PPE. As a result, the next phase of our PPE effort will be to source these companies from the region and provide direct links on our Community Resource Center. Our local PPE companies have the ability to support essential businesses of all sizes, which is a critical part of the regional effort. “We are happy to offer this type of service and support to our community during this uncertain time,” said Nathan Bryant, president & CEO, RAEDC. “This combined effort demonstrates that our region is driven to ensure everyone is successful, and the RAEDC continues to connect the dots in meaningful ways.”

This is an effort to ensure businesses are able to comply with the May 1st Executive Order from Governor Pritzker requiring any individual over the age of two and able to medically tolerate a facecovering to wear one when in an outdoor public place and unable to maintain a six-foot social distance. Face coverings are also required in public indoor spaces and workplaces. If you’d like to be part of the region’s PPE effort as a supplier, please submit the following information to Jerry Sagona, VP of business development, at GSagona@RockfordIL.com. ■ Full company name and address ■ Contact person ■ Telephone number ■ Email address ■ Company website ■ Description of the product available and any associated lead times

ED talks and legal webinars help companies navigate uncertain times

SOON The Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) continues to provide companies in our region with valuable resources to lead staff through crises and ensure they understand how legislation surrounding COVID-19 impacts employers. The decision to reopen a business involves the difficult balance of considering the safety of employees and customers with the economic viability of the business. It also includes assessing the accessibility of established and developing new supply chains. This webinar content has been assembled to help businesses understand the current situation and what steps are needed to protect employees, customers, supply chains. By partnering with resources like Rockford University, Hinshaw & Culbertson, and the Winnebago County Health Department, the RAEDC is helping companies be more aware of the opportunities within our region.

Jarid Funderburg, VP of business and investor relations, is working closely with Rockford University as part of ED Talks, a series of economic development topics that focus on developing positive leaders that assist staff and those around them in constructive and meaningful ways. Jerry Sagona, VP of business development with Hinshaw & Culbertson, tackles the legislation developed as part of the COVID-19 response efforts. Identifying the impact these laws have on employers, and also taking into consideration how programs like the Payroll Protection Program, the expansion of the Family Medical Leave Act, and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will force small businesses to adjust their daily way of doing business. Dr. Sandra Martell, director of Winnebago County Health Department, provided through the Manufacturing Community Update on May 8 the opportunity for the manufacturing community to ask questions and ensure the safety of employees while remaining open as essential services. The one-hour webinar included a question-and-answer

section to further clarify processes and that can be downloaded, by visiting procedures for manufacturers.

ReopenRockfordIL.com

the

Best practices documents, protocols Reopening Resources section. and all of these webinars can be watched, with

many

including

presentations RockfordIL.com/events.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

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manufacturing news (Right) George E. “Bud” Sorensen and Elmer Woodward inspecting airplane propeller governors in 1937.

“This company was started in 1870. Amos Woodward started it. He just had an idea, a lot of pep, and a lot of perseverance. He tried to build a governor and succeeded. E.E. Woodward came in. He worked harder than anybody else in the place. He wanted the members of this company to have the best there is. … A company is only a group of individuals that have come together voluntarily to do collectively what none of them could do individually. That’s what a company is.” — Irl C. Martin, Woodward’s third CEO, and Elmer Woodward’s son-in-law

Making our mark for 150 years A history of determination and innovation Woodward officially commemorated its 150th anniversary on May 31, 2020 … the same date that Amos Woodward patented the flywheel governor in 1870. We reached that milestone due to the same worth ethic, culture, innovation and perseverance Irl Martin described. And that’s what will guide Woodward through the devastating effects of this current pandemic as well. Innovation is key to Woodward’s longevity … following the determination of Amos, and then Elmer as he single handedly adapted the water wheel governor into an airplane prop governor in 1935. Elmer’s invention secured Woodward’s place in the aerospace industry. Large numbers of Elmer’s aircraft propeller governors were put into military planes that served in World War II. Fast forward to the 1990s, a new Woodward member named Tom Gendron was thinking about customers’ future needs. Gendron predicted that computers would allow fuel delivery systems to perform functions previously reserved for speed controls. In his 1997 study titled “Fuel Delivery System (FDS) Strategy,” Gendron made the case for Woodward to transition to develop total fuel delivery systems. To bring this vision to life, Woodward engaged Gemini Consulting to produce a transformation map. This process, paired with scientific methodologies, helped move Woodward into the 21st century. As Woodward transformed into a premier provider of control systems for the aerospace and industrial markets, the company leaders felt that the name Woodward Governor Company no longer represented the wide range of products and systems it

manufactured, so in 2010 it officially changed its name to Woodward, Inc. As part of the journey to operational and product development excellence, Tom Gendron created a committee in the mid2010s to determine how best to support customers and meet its expectations for defect-free products. The result became True North: “One Woodward without waste, committed to world-class safety, perfect quality, perfect delivery, and customer satisfaction.”

Woodward Remains Committed Woodward has also remained committed to supporting organizations and programs that ensure our communities are desirable places to live and work. It cultivates a spirit of giving, encouraging its members to engage and volunteer within its communities. Through the Woodward Charitable Trust, we are able to provide contributions to area not-for-profits and businesses that support Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education. As we reflect on our past, we look toward our future, and what that might look like for Woodward. Especially during this unique milestone year, we will reflect on the insight, innovation, commitment and perseverance of those who came before us. It will serve us well as we continue to work through the impact of COVID-19 on our business. Note: For more on Woodward’s history and how we’re commemorating in 2020, be sure to visit our anniversary website at 150.woodward.com or www. woodward.com. Manufacturing News brought to you by Woodward.

Amos Woodward’s first patent, number 103,913, was granted on May 31, 1870 for the waterwheel governor. The company has been leveraging those basic mechanical principles to manufacture the world’s best mechanical, hydraulic and electronic governors for engines and steam turbines; used worldwide to provide reliable and precise control of speed and output in power generation, marine, pump, compression and vehicle applications.

“While we continue to focus on the immediate measures of keeping our members safe and our company healthy, we are also keeping an eye toward the future. As we stabilize our business and gain an understanding of the new normal, I am conﬁdent that with our outstanding members, industry leading products and technology, and modern research and manufacturing facilities we will be in a strong position to grow and capture new business. I look forward to working with all of you on creating the vibrant and successful future of Woodward.” Thomas A. Gendron, Woodward chairman of the board, CEO and president (May 2020)

SPECIAL SECTION: Smart Factories

June 2020

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

profile

MEMBER PROFILE

Crystal Precision: Drilling success for 24 years By Paul Anthony Arco Norm Fisher knows a little bit about history. In fact, Fisher has read many books about Rockford and its rich manufacturing history. While his own company might not be mentioned in those books, Fisher’s contributions have been significant nonetheless for nearly a quarter of a century. Fisher is the owner Crystal Precision Drilling Inc., a Rockford-based company that provides deep precision holes and honing for customers located around the country. There are many applications for these services and many industries are in need of deep holes for their parts and equipment. Holes greater than 10 times the diameter are defined as deep holes; Crystal Drilling often drills up to 300 to 400 times the diameter. Crystal Precision Drilling works with a variety of industries – agriculture, food, aerospace, printing medical supplies, to name a few. “You may not need a hole drilled today but you will eventually,” said Fisher. “When other machine parts companies need deep holes drilled, they come to us.” That includes pumps, hydraulic cylinders and plastic molds. “Bulldozers have hydraulics. Ball point pens are molded plastics. We drill holes for the plastic cases that hold guns, cups for

McDonalds, rolls for printing presses and packaging for food processing,” said Fisher. “We work with a number of applications.”

Customers Now in 33 States Fisher, a Connecticut native, came to Rockford in 1979. He first worked for Babcock and Wilcox. The Rockford job Norm Fisher, a Connecticut native, but long-time Rockfordian, says his company’s central market was bleak at the time so Fisher location has been an advantage in growing his business to serve customers in 33 states. entertained job offers in Minnesota and Virginia, before deciding to stay put become a toolmaker. Manufacturing has he added. “It’s rewarding getting new when he accepted a position at Illinois been good to me and my family.” customers, mostly by advertising and Machine Products. Crystal Precision employs 13 people, word of mouth. We have customers who Over the years, Fisher worked for a majority who handle the drilling. drive parts down here from Minnesota various Rockford companies, mostly in The work they do isn’t for everyone, when their press goes down. They operations, until one day he decided a said Fisher. “What we do is unique. We depend on us for a quick turnaround.” major change was in order. He founded handle parts up to 5,000 pounds, which It’s been a challenging, but rewarding Crystal Precision in 1996. requires experience. You won’t feel business. Fisher has no regrets. Fisher purchased a building, comfortable for three to six months. It “You always have to consider the ebbs eventually expanding by buying another takes time to learn. What you do today and flows of the economy,” he said. “Do building and a nearby lot. In 1997, his may be something different tomorrow, I buy that $200,000 machine or not? son, Bruce, came aboard, leaving a job from drilling different materials like You’re always gauging the economy. I in the financial sector. Bruce is president aluminum to stainless steel.” The company now has customers could tell you horror stories about the and is in line to take over the business from his father one day. Fisher’s wife of in 33 states, from California to Texas ups and downs of the economy. But I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.” 58 years, Ingeborg, also works part-time to New Jersey. “Our central location in for the company, as does their grandson the United States helps our business,” Fisher said. “Sometimes when your Zachery, as a machine operator. CRYSTAL PRECISION “I was dealing with a lot of stress and customers are growing you are forced to Owner: Norm Fisher was looking for something different,” accommodate. We have some customers 5122 Torque Road, Loves Park Fisher said. “But manufacturing is what here every day or some who show up 815-633-5460 I know best. Manufacturing has been my once a year.” www.pdinc.org “I appreciate our customer base,” whole life. I started in trade school to

OPEN SPACE

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

SPECIAL SECTION: Smart Factories

Area manufacturers, suppliers aid in the eﬀort to re-open businesses safely Compiled by Barbara Connors, editor of The Voice. If your company is participating in this eﬀort, email your information to bconnors@ rockfordchamber.com. For more information on the products or services of any of these members, please visit the Business Directory tab at www.rockfordchamber.com. Manufacturers and suppliers, with their emphasis on just-in-time production/delivery, integration of new technologies and continual process improvement, are uniquely positioned to respond to crises as they occur. And respond they have whether in donating supplies, providing funding for relief efforts, or changing what they make on a dime to meet new needs that have presented themselves.

SupplyCore ships personal protective equipment to the State of Illinois in May.

SupplyCore Inc., delivers 750,000 masks to the State of Illinois SupplyCore completed a delivery in May to the State of Illinois of personal protective equipment, including 750,000 KN95 masks and 100,000 safety glasses it procured from FDA-approved suppliers over the course of several weeks. Representatives from Illinois State Governor J.B. Pritzker’s oﬃce reached out to the Rockford-based company in March, based on its reputation as a logistics and supply chain integrator for the U.S. military and Department of Defense. SupplyCore for more than 30 years has been sourcing and procuring supplies and equipment for the United States and its allies during peace, conﬂict and natural disasters. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy and Maria, it supported humanitarian relief efforts by procuring supplies for affected communities and states. It also has also procured and delivered PPE for organizations and agencies in the City of Rockford, Winnebago County and across the country. It has relationships with more than 10,000 manufacturers, suppliers and distributors to meet mission-critical project requirements worldwide. “Our mission to support our nation’s warfighters uniquely positions us to help our country in times of peace and crisis,” said Peter Provenzano, president & CEO of SupplyCore.

Portable Hygiene Barriers by Colorwave Graphics Loves Park company Colorwave Graphics sells 22-inch by 22inch portable hygiene barriers that can be set up in seconds for conference tables, workstations and reception areas. Two or more can be configured for wider coverage. It also is poised to manufacture and deliver or ship recyclable hospital beds and partition walls, using the durable, 16-mm corrugated board typically reserved for making lightweight temporary trade show display structures. The company states they can be stored ﬂat or recycled and assembled in minutes without tools.

Hand sanitizer stands, signage by EBISS USA EBISS USA, a company that ships booths, exhibits and equipment around the world for exhibitions, events and tradeshows, is offering new products to help local businesses create a safe and comfortable space for employees and customers. The company with an oﬃce in Loves Park supplies hand sanitizer stands, social distance ﬂoor and wall graphics, sneeze guards, room dividers and indoor/outdoor signage. Items can be customized or branded for promotional purposes.

Rockford Systems launches a new product: GermBlock™ cough and sneeze shields.

GermBlock™ shields by Rockford Systems Rockford Systems launched its new GermBlock™ line of cough and sneeze shields for industrial, commercial, clean room and retail settings. The shields limit the spread of airborne droplets. The Centers for Disease Control recommends employers place barriers such as sneeze guards between employees and customers, and employees working in close proximity.

Meridian PPE safety supplies in stock Meridian in Loves Park has a variety of PPE safety supplies in stock, including three-ply disposable masks in boxes of 50, 100, 250, 500 or bulk 1,000 to 50,000, and hand sanitizer in gallon jugs, pallets, 55-gallon drums or 250-gallon totes. It also supplies washable cloth

face masks – 50 per pack, social distancing ﬂoor graphics and eightounce bottles of hand sanitizer.

Hand sanitizer by ColorLab Cosmetics ColorLab Cosmetics in Rockford is selling two- and four-ounce sizes of hand sanitizer in case packs, but will sell less to help out the community. Product is manufactured per CDC guidelines.

Hand sanitizer made by renamed Barnstormer Distillery The manufacture of hand sanitizer by Barnstormer Distillery, formerly GrantView Distillery, has been a community effort thanks to donations of grain, sugar, beer, containers and chemicals. The company’s website invites individuals to stop by the distillery to pick up a three-ounce personal size bottle. There’s a limit of a one-gallon bottle for businesses that need the product. The distillery is accepting donations of sugar, two- to eightounce containers with ﬂip tops or preferably spray bottles, distilled water in one-gallon bottles and empty one-gallon bottles to make more. It’s not accepting cash donations, but encourages purchase of its products.

It took an army of volunteers – cutters, sewers and deliverers – to manufacture the 13,355 masks that were delivered for free in May to more than 30 area facilities.

Area Organizations Exceeds Goal of 10,000 Free Masks to Businesses Womanspace, Mohop Shoes, sponsors such as Rockford Rotary, PEAK Medical Home Care, Northern Illinois Care Coalition and Massage Envy – and an army of 200 volunteers – manufactured 13,355 masks; far exceeding their goal in the “10,000 Masks Initiative.” Volunteer cutters prepared the material at donated space at Mohop Shoes in Rockford for delivery to volunteer sewers. Volunteers delivered the finished product for free donation to more than 30 facilities and agencies throughout Winnebago and Boone counties. Masks were made out of both fabric and surgical wrap, an impervious material given by the hospitals and thought to be superior to surgical masks. Sponsors helped defray the material costs.

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

business

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Rockford Park District received $275,000 from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grant, and will match $275,000 out of its capital funds towards KeyeMallquist Park. The Blazer Foundation committed up to $100,000 for universal surfacing of the play area. Work slated for completion by summer, 2021: new playground, outdoor fitness area, multi-use sports field, multi-use game court for hopscotch, foursquare and gaga ball, picnic area, renovations to basketball courts and a ball field.

Forest City Gear employees raised $1,300, and the company matched for a total of $2,600, to support the Rockford Rescue Mission’s increased needs due to the pandemic. RAMP received just over $26,000 from the 815 Community Response Team, Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund and NWIL COVID-19 Response Fund to help individuals with disabilities with unexpected and emergent needs during the COVID-19 crisis. University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford presented a 2020 Distinguished Community Award to Northern Illinois Hospice at its May 2 virtual Convocation Ceremony. City First Church held its third major food distribution with milk, eggs and bread given to an estimated 2,000 families on May 12, in partnership with Dairy Farmers of America and Rock Prairie Dairy of Avalon, Wis. It has been delivering groceries as needed to elderly and immune compromised. It’s had hundreds of people praying 24 hours a day, and gathering in the parking lots of area hospitals to pray from their cars for medical professionals and hospitalized patients. Community Foundation of Northern Illinois awarded 176 scholarships, worth up to $305,046, to support the post-secondary educational aspirations of 144 students from 27 area high schools. KMK Media Group, Inc., produced a direct mail piece for the City of Rockford encouraging residents to fill out the 2020 census form at MY2020CENSUS.GOV. It created “20 Days of 2020 Graduates,” a social media campaign highlighting every graduating senior of Boylan Catholic High School, marketed Panino Restaurant’s drive thru and GrubHub services, and create a simple TV spot that Pearson Plumbing & Heating Co., is open. Barbara Olson Center of Hope received a $1,200 grant from Alpine Kiwanis charities for new computer equipment, which is used for direct support for the Building Bridges to the Future program and a $10,000 grant from the Helen Brach Foundation to purchase adaptive and accessibility equipment for non-ambulatory participants.

Wanda, a retired obstetrics nurse and Mercyhealth volunteer for 13 years, drops off on May 19 more than 20 masks she sewed for vendors and patients visiting Mercyhealth’s Javon Bea Hospital-Rockton.

Discovery Center Museum, with support from Collins Aerospace, distributes on May 20, for the fourth of five weeks, free at-home science kits that don’t require a computer or other digital device. Kits were delivered in the Mobile STEM Lab van to roughly 150 families at six neighborhood sites as part of the YMCA of Rock River Valley’s Mobile Lunch program.

Woodward, Inc., board of directors declared a cash dividend of $0.08125 per share for the quarter, payable on June 1, 2020, for stockholders of record as of May 18, 2020.

discuss tickets purchased through the BMO Harris Bank Center box oﬃce.

13 WREX received three Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association in May, including “Overall Excellence” for the fifth consecutive year. It also won for “News Series” and “Excellence in Video,” making it the third year it has received three regional awards.

Workplace has onsite medical personnel available for temporary hire to monitor COVID-19 symptoms to help businesses reopen. Certified nursing assistants, or similar health care workers, can screen employees and guests at a facility following the CDC guidelines, including check temperature, complete health screening questionnaire, secure required authorizations and complete required documentation. Visit rockfordil.com/reopening-resources.

Chartwell Agency worked with Florida-based CAMPUS USA Credit Union, to create a fresh, updated approach for its marketing campaigns. Illinois Extension’s commercial agriculture team hosts a webinar series every second and fourth Wednesday at 3 p.m., on Zoom. Visit extension.illinois.edu. WATT Global Media released the March edition of WATT PoultryUSA magazine with the Top U.S. Poultry Companies Survey highlighting the top 30 broiler companies and the top 21 turkey companies for 2020. Community Foundation of Northern Illinois has given $277,000 towards the ongoing local COVID-19 response. It joined United Way of Rock River Valley and other funders as a part of the 815 Community Response Team, where it committed $57,000 for immediate, emergency needs and $150,000 to ongoing needs of nonprofit organizations. Rockford IceHogs cancelled the remainder of the 2019-20 regular season and 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs. Unused full season tickets/buddy passes may be exchanged for the first six scheduled home games (excluding opening night) of the 2020-21 season. Single-game tickets through Ticketmaster will be refunded automatically. Email boxoﬃce@ thebmoharrisbankcenter.com to

Region 1 Planning Council has moved to 127 N. Wyman St., first ﬂoor, Rockford.

Imperial Surveillance, which designs and implements security systems (security cameras, access control, burglar alarms and fire alarms) and temperature sensor camera systems, has established new innovative processes to minimize the liability created by down security cameras. It offers a full internal information technologies staff. Rockford Public Library is offering curbside pick-up for physical items placed on hold at all library branches. Reserve items at www.rockford publiclibrary.org or telephone. Staff will pull them, sanitize them and call for an appointment. Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens is being lit in school colors at dusk through mid-June in honor of an area high school, university or college. Students and families are welcome, but encouraged to avoid big group gatherings. Masks are not needed outside in parks, as long social distancing of six feet or more is maintained. Rockford Midtown Market announced its decision to suspend its opening indefinitely. A later summer opening is contingent on state guidelines, Illinois Farmers Market

Association guidelines and vendor concerns. The market originally planned to open June 6 and run on Saturdays through Oct. 3. Rosecrance is providing onsite oropharyngeal swab testing for COVID-19 as part of admission into residential care for all clients. Results typically are available within 48 hours. Anderson Japanese Gardens will begin offering wedding receptions on a limited basis starting in September in Fresco at the Gardens’ timber-framed dining room overlooking the garden. And, they are re-opening under reduced capacities and strict social distancing protocol. Pre-purchased timed admissions are required for entry in 30-minute entry windows. The restaurant, Fresco at the Garden, also will be offering outdoor dining, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., daily. Fresco is operated by Franchesco’s Ristorante. Rockford Park District has for sale Stay ‘N Play Activity Boxes for ages 5 to 12, with three interactive activities, a bonus activity to get kids moving, step-by-step instructions, and supplies. In June, purchase the Arts & Cultural Edition: Artwork using familiar mediums in unconventional ways. Visit www.rockfordparkdistrict.org/ activity-boxes. Community Foundation of Northern Illinois awarded 2020 In Youth We Trust (IYWT) grants totaling more than $24,000 to youth-led projects at African-American Resource Center at Booker, Rockford Park District, Boys and Girls Club, Rochelle Interact Club, Youth Services Network, PFLAGDiversCITY and the Harlem Veterans Project. WATT Global Media released the April edition of Industria Avícola magazine with exclusive profiles of the leading poultry companies in Latin America, including rankings in broiler production, laying hens and turkey production.

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June 2020

BUSINESS BRIEFS A net income of $9 million and improved dividends per share of $2.50 were announced at the annual meeting in May of the shareholders of Centre 1 Bancorp, Inc., the holding company for First National Bank and Trust Company. The loan portfolio grew by $26 million and deposits increased by $10 million over 2018. A generous donation by museum members Terry and Gretchen Poﬃnbarger made possible a fresh, new installation of professional landscaping in the parking lot islands near the Midway Village Museum. Rockford Public Library launched a full-service free app available through the App Store and Google Play to make digital and many in-person services more accessible. Comcast Business joined more than 40 companies in American Express’ Stand for Small coalition (#StandForSmall). The coalition provides resources to support small businesses navigating this challenging time. Visit www.standforsmall.com, a one-stop resource shop fueled by the partner companies, with content refreshed regularly through 2020. #iworkforComcast Tavern on Clark, 755 Clark Dr., Rockford, now is offering its full menu for pickup curb side, 4 to 8 p.m., daily. Menu at www.tavernonclarkrockford. com. Call 815-708-7088. Rockford Mutual Insurance Company was named as one of the 2020 Best Places to Work in Illinois by The Daily Herald Business Ledger, in partnership with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, MRA-The Management Association, the Small Business Advocacy Council and Best Companies Group. University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford presented a 2020 Distinguished Community Award to the Blazer Foundation of Rockford during its May 2 virtual Convocation Ceremony. The foundation, which benefits individuals with mental or physical disabilities in Winnebago County and adjoining counties, has provided grants to Discovery Center Museum of Rockford, Lifescape Community Services, Milestone, Rockford Park District and the Barbara Olson Center of Hope. In 2016, the foundation was instrumental

in creating the Regenerative Medicine and Disability Research Laboratory in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, along with two endowed professorships at the college. Barnstormer Distillery, formally Grantview Distillery, launched a major rebranding to align its brand and corporate names. The name reﬂects the adventurous spirit of the 1920s Barnstorming pilots and pays homage to Rockford’s aviation history. Most of its current spirits portfolio: RFD Vodka, 40 Winks Whiskey and GVD Rum, will be getting new packaging to include its Barnstormer Distillery name. Lifescape Community Services and Stockholm Inn partnered for a one-day fundraiser, Stockholm Inn for Seniors. Half of the Swedish pancake sales on May 28 through carry-out, curbside pickup, Grubhub or Doordash were donated to Lifescape. Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois is offering customers curbside pick-up at a number of locations in response to increased demand for online and curbside shopping. Visit www.goodwillni.org and click on the “GOOD TO GO!” logo to enter the online store. Rockford Public Library kicked off its 2020 Summer Reading Challenge with the theme, “Digging Deeper!” to run through Aug. 31. Join the challenge, track your progress and win prizes from home via www. RockfordPublicLibrary.org or the new library app. Anderson Japanese Gardens received a $30,000 Sustainable Communities Grant by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois to replace wash-out-prone sections of gravel pathways with exposed aggregate concrete, for improved accessibility, especially for those who use wheelchairs, walkers or strollers. Rockford Mutual Insurance Company associates, unable to volunteer at the Rockford Rescue Mission on a bi-weekly basis, raised $3,035 in donations to offset additional burdens the rescue mission might be facing.

The Rockford Chamber asked for members to respond in one of its Business Direct enewsletters: “What modiﬁcations have you made to open your doors again (or to help others to do so)?” Here are a couple of responses we received. Rosecrance noted that it’s accepting new admissions, and testing for COVID-19. It has enhanced its strict infection protocols and implemented testing and screening measures. KMK Media Group, Inc.: Our marketing “shop” is certainly not doing anything as essential as converting a manufacturing line from making widgets to making face shields, but we are working with many businesses from hospitality to healthcare and everything in between to help them figure out how to message and market their companies to survive the pandemic and thrive in the weeks to come.

Illinois tourism promotes road trips across the state With summer at our doorstep, Illinois moving through the reopening phases outlined by Governor J.B. Pritzker and the desire for many to travel safely by car, various tourism organizations will be providing weekly inspiration for road trips. Surveys conducted on a national scale show that leisure travel will be the first sector to return, although travelers will be cautious and look to trips close to home. To inspire ideas, one of 16 participating Illinois tourism organizations will share one trip idea from their region every Tuesday through Labor Day. The weekly blog, “Illinois Road Trip Round Up,” will start with top

biking and hiking trails. Recognizing that areas of the state will be in different stages of re-opening, topics will always feature a destination that is currently accessible and safe for public visitation. Future topics may include outdoor picnic spots, top golf courses, farmer’s markets and more. “As we celebrate ‘All in Illinois’ together, we recognize that we’re stronger when we promote opportunities across the state collectively,” said Terri Reifsteck, vice president of marketing & community engagement for Visit Champaign County. “Tourism will be an economic driver as we begin phases of re-opening.”

Destinations Featured ■ Chicago’s North Shore, visitchicagonorthshore.com ■ Chicago Southland CVB, visitchicagosouthland.com ■ Discover DuPage, discoverdupage.com ■ Aurora Area CVB, enjoyaurora.com ■ Explore Elgin Area, exploreelginarea.com ■ Go Rockford, gorockford.com ■ Great Rivers & Routes, riversandroutes.com ■ Heritage Corridor, heritagecorridorcvb.com ■ Illinois South Tourism, illinoisouth.org ■ Meet Chicago Northwest, chicagonorthwest.com ■ Visit Champaign County, visitchampaigncounty.org

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

in the news MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

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

1. Cira Bennett

2. Michael Wall

3. Lisa Ireton

4. Ann Kriens

5. Angie Baskin

6. Shelley Perry

7. Jessica Hayes

8. Brook Loomis

9. Rachel Robinson

10. Jason Holcomb

11. Courtney Allen

12. Elizabeth Doughman

13. Lana M. Engen

14. Crystal Lundvall

15. Ann Zach

16. Dr. Brian Bear

BOARD APPOINTMENTS Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois elected the following to its board (terms expiring in 2023): Dana Vierck, second vice-chair; Jennifer Archer, secretary, and Tasha Davis and Angela Schmidt, directors-at-large. The following were elected to the board development committee (terms expiring in 2021): Michael Campbell, chair; Mark Ackerman, Linda Caine, Vicky Kohlbacher, Betsy Scott, Dana Vierck and Lois Wollney. Maggie Bell and Anjel Henry were named associate directors.

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS Forest City Gear hired Keith Liston as director of sales. Transform Rockford hired Cira Bennett (1) as Great Neighborhoods program director. Rockford Mutual Insurance Company promoted Michael Wall (2) to assistant vice president of underwriting, Lisa Ireton (3) to director of human resources and Ann Kriens (4) to director of claims. First National Bank and Trust

promoted Angie Baskin (5) to customer support manager and oﬃcer and Shelley Perry (6) to residential loan originator serving Williams Bay and Elkhorn, Wis.

Lana M. Engen (13), CFP®, private wealth advisor, Ameriprise Financial, was named to the list of “Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors” in Forbes magazine.

Ann Zach (15) was chosen as the

Michele Petrie was promoted to president of Village Bank & Trust, Arlington Heights, Ill.; part of the Wintrust family of community banks. She will continue to serve as president of Wintrust Commercial Banking & Mortgage in Rockford.

Susan Stephens, news reporter, NIU, earned first place as “best newswriter” for “NIU Students Remember Their Colleagues As Golden Hearts” and Sarah Jesmer, news reporter, NIU, earned second place as “best reporter” for “Longtime Rockford Register Star Columnist, Political Editor Chuck Sweeny Dead At 70” in the Illinois Associated Press Broadcast News Contest for stories aired in 2019.

6 p.m.

Alignment Rockford hired Jessica Hayes (7) as work-based learning coordinator, Brook Loomis (8) as ready to learn project manager and Rachel Robinson (9) as college and career readiness manager. Region 1 Planning Council welcomed Jason Holcomb (10) as community health coordinator. WATT Global Media hired Courtney Allen (11) as event operations manager, and Elizabeth Doughman (12) as managing editor; producing content for Poultry Future newsletter and WATTAgnet.com.

EMPLOYEE/COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS, AWARDS Wesley Willows honored Lorie O’Hearn for 40 years of service.

Crystal Lundvall (14), RN, MS, manager of clinical development, Mercyhealth, received the Distinguished Advocate for Nursing Award, provided by the Stateline Nurses Network.

student speaker for Rock Valley College’s 2020 commencement ceremony, which now will be a virtual ceremony on June 5 at

Mark Sudderberg, CoyleKiley

Insurance Agency, qualified for Top of the Table, a mark of

excellence for the most successful in the financial services industry.

OF GENERAL INTEREST Dr. Brian Bear (16), OrthoIllinois,

recently partnered with University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford students to present

“Non-Operative Therapy in Patients with Carpometacarpal Joint

Osteoarthritis: Initial Results,” at the

college’s 25th annual Research Day.

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

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

community COMMUNITY EVENTS

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

JUNE 2020 FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Rockford Park District presents Virtual Escape, an All In 4 Camp! Zoom virtual camp for ages 5 to 12, 2 to 4 p.m. Register at www. rockfordparkdistrict.org/virtual or call 815-987-8800.

MONDAY, JUNE 15 NIU Community School of the Arts offers weekly private Online Music Lessons on a wide variety of instruments through online conferencing, June 15 to 24. Register by June 5 at csa.niu.edu.

SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Rescheduled date for Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup, 9 a.m. to noon. At least 2,200 volunteers are needed to clean up neighborhoods, businesses, schools and parks around the area. Supplies provided. Visit knib.org.

JULY 2020 SUNDAY, JULY 12 NIU offers Online Theatre Arts Camp Junior, grades 6 to 9, July 12 to 17, and Online Theatre Arts Camp Senior, grades 9 to 12, July 19 to 24, delivered via Zoom. Includes

show rehearsals, acting scenes, theatre workshops, movie night, dance party/game night, camper talent show and a Friday evening online video performance. Register early at 815-753-1450, go.niu.edu/ theatrejunior or go.niu.edu/ theatresenior.

FRIDAY, JULY 17 Rockford Art Museum’s rescheduled date for ART X, 7 to 11 p.m., at 711 N. Main St. New fundraiser. Music by DJs Disco Chicken and James Chesney, food by Abreo and cash bar by Prairie Street Brewing Co. Bid on one-of-akind experiences with artists, musicians, chefs and local celebrities at the live auction. Tickets at rockfordartmuseum.org/art-x.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 Dale Carnegie presents a Winning With Relationship Selling course, July 22, 29 and Aug. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 4919 Blackhawk Road, Rockford. Develop skills to establish credibility and form essential relationships, active listening skills and crucial questions to identify opportunities, reveal customer needs and minimize challenges. Register or questions with Rebecca, 309-2248082 or rebecca.bledsoe@ dalecarnegie.com.

aMBaSSaDOR DOR SPOTLIGHT Danna Krischke State Farm

We provide insurance and financial services: Home, auto, life, business, health, bank — even pet insurance. It has been great getting to know the leaders in the community and meet the local business owners. I love supporting organizations in our area, and the Rockford Chamber is one of the very best. My name is much better known in our local community, as well, from being a part of this amazing group! I think that my favorite thing about Rockford is the people! I have met some of the most amazing people living and working in this community.

REOPENING RULES Continued from page 3

handles, cashier counters, bathroom stall doors, sink handles, etc. ■ Have hand sanitizer readily available for patrons and employees. ■ Overall nightly cleaning and disinfection should be done in the morning to give airborne particulate matter time to settle (a minimum of 3 to 4 hours).

Places of Worship Guiding Principles ■ Faith communities throughout Winnebago County will continue to adhere to the Restore Illinois, Executive Orders, and guidance/rules issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ■ Places of Worship must comply with all applicable local municipal ordinances.

Expectations of Places of Worship: ■ Post signage at seating entryway stating individuals should not enter with a fever, symptoms of COVID-19 or close contact to a confirmed case of COVID-19. Most common signs of illness are fever over 100°F, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, body aches, sore throat, recent loss of taste or smell. ■ Provide hand sanitizer at entries of worship spaces and restrooms. ■ Either close restrooms, or use a one-in, one-out rule for use. ■ Sanitize open restrooms on an hourly basis. ■ All individuals over the age of 2 years who can medically tolerate it, should wear a facial covering if attending a physical gathering. ■ Since singing can spread droplets up to 26 feet, groups of singers or choirs are not permitted at this time. Individuals attending services gathered in a physical space should not sing together. Use prerecorded music. If a services is being recorded/televised, provide as much space as possible for the cantor/singer. ■ For children and youth: Congregations should follow the Illinois Department of

Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for childcare programs. Move programming to outside spaces as much as possible.

On-Line Worship Service Considerations ■ Group size should be limited to no more than 10 people in one remote location. ■ Individuals should be separated by six feet apart unless they are members of the same household. ■ Microphones should not be shared. ■ Provide 26 feet of space around anyone singing.

Physical Gathering Worship Service Considerations ■ Outside physical gatherings are preferred. ■ Individuals can provide their own camp or folding chair and be seated a minimum of 6 feet apart unless they are part of the same household. ■ Facial coverings/mask should be encouraged by all individuals over the age of 2 years of age who can medically tolerate. ■ For congregations without lawns, consider use of outdoor space with the Rockford Park District. ■ Drive-in services are permitted with cars separated by one parking space on both sides. ■ Microphones should not be shared. ■ Vulnerable individuals must be discouraged from physical gathering for their own safety. This includes individuals who: Are age 65 years or older. Who have chronic medical conditions including heart, lung, kidney, diabetes. Who have compromised immune systems. ■ Indoor seating capacity should not exceed one person for every 113 square feet per individual. Each household member sitting as a group will add 25 square feet to this requirement. ■ Avoid the use of any shared items such as hymnals, offering plates/baskets, bulletins, etc. ■ Remove all shareable items from the worship space. ■ Disinfect worship space between services. Continued on page 22

PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING IN PUBLIC. PRACTICE COMMUNITY AWARENESS THROUGH THE ROCKFORD CHAMBER.

Make sure your customers remember who you are. Advertise in print and online. Contact Lynette at (815) 316-4317.

IMAGE BY VISUALS-OGEIYMXSASQ, UNSPLASH

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

June 2020

REOPENING RULES Continued from page 21

■ Clean and disinfect restrooms hourly. Maintain cleaning logs visible to the patrons. ■ Ensure that soap dispensers and paper towels are monitored and stocked on an hourly basis during restroom checks. ■ Overall nightly cleaning and disinfection should be done in the morning to give airborne particulate matter time to settle (a minimum of 3 to 4 hours). APPENDIX 1: DETAILED PROCEDURES PREPARATION/PLANNING ■ Assess physical layout of facility as well as demographics and needs of the congregation and staff to best understand risks and to inform re-opening plan development. ■ Identify/prepare a team to lead reopening efforts. ■ Identify/assign a liaison or point of contact to communicate with the WCHD and other entities as necessary. ■ Coordinate training for staff and volunteers. ■ Identify maximum capacity of your facility; make assessments as to how many congregants may gather during different stages. ■ Develop isolation protocols should congregants become ill during services. ■ Determine what actions will be taken, and by whom, to address any issue of noncompliance by attendees.

maintenance on all building mechanical systems, air flow is critical, so ensure HVAC (if present) systems are functioning at maximum levels. Introduce fresh air through systems if possible.

products and disinfectant, there will be A LOT of cleaning going on, after every service and throughout the week.

■ Prop doors open and open windows if possible to allow maximum introduction of fresh air and air flow.

■ Provide secure container for individuals to place offerings.

■ Ensure the safety of building water systems and devices after a prolonged shutdown. Flush all toilets and run hot and cold water outlets for five to ten minutes.

■ Remove all hymnals, bulletins, envelopes, visitor’s forms and similar items from the seating areas, and be prepared to project or go without these things.

■ Discourage the use of restrooms or establish for emergency use only. Develop a plan for limiting the number of people that may enter a restroom facility and enforcing social distancing in any lines that form. A “one-out, one-in,” rule is recommended.

■ Ensure water heater is properly maintained and the temperature is correctly set. ■ Ensure hand sanitizing stations are set up at all entrances near restrooms, and other locations throughout the building as may be appropriate.

Note: After taking into account the above expectations (regarding capacity, vulnerable persons, singing, masks, cleaning, etc.), you should also be prepared to:

■ Clearly mark one-way circulation routes if it is possible to do so.

■ Have ushers or volunteers seat congregants from the front of the facility to the rear, and dismiss from rear to front upon conclusion of services. Unfortunately preferred seating locations will not be permissible during this period.

■ Close any rooms or spaces where people do not need to be present. ■ Identify and mark multiple entrances and exits to avoid bottlenecks and facilitate one-way circulation. ■ Communicate re-opening plans and protocols through all available means including mailings, newsletters, phone calls, websites and social media postings. Be sure to communicate to the public as well as your own members. ■ Prominently post CDC, DCEO, IDPH or WCHD guidance publications at entrances and other areas of high visibility. ■ Ensure that greeters are able to inform the congregation on the policies and procedures in place during this time.

Equipment

Facilities

■ Procure PPE for all staff and volunteers, including masks (face coverings) gloves and hand sanitizer.

■ Deep clean the entire facility prior to reopening.

■ Procure face coverings for distribution to congregants who do not bring them.

■ Inspect and perform any needed

■ Ensure sufficient supply of cleaning

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in April 2020

13 WREX AC Johnston Accuride Wheel End Solutions Rockford Gunite Anpec Industries Astro-Physics, Inc. Belter Machinery Co., Inc. Cain & Company Cherryvale Place, Senior Living City First Church ComEd, An Exelon Company CoyleKiley Insurance Agency Inc. Eickman’s Processing Company FBM Gypsum Supply of Illinois Geostar Mechanical Guyer & Enichen - Attorneys at Law Hampton Properties (Leasing Oﬃce) Hoffman House HR Green Inc. Interstate Graphics Ipsen, Inc. Kelso-Burnett Co. Kent Feeds, Inc. Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria LSP Industries, Inc.

Resumption of In-Person Worship

MercyCare Health Plans Midland States Bank National Business & Industrial Centre, Inc. New Leaf Remodeling Rock River Valley Pantry Rockford Gastroenterology Associates, Ltd. Rockford Mercantile Agency, Inc. Rosecrance Health Network RSM US LLP Rustoleum Corporation (Testor) Service Machine Company, Inc. Sjostrom & Sons, Inc. Staybridge Suites Stenstrom Construction Group Superior Joining Technologies, Inc. SupplyCore, Inc. Terra Creek Apartments Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum Viking Chemical Company Voss Metals Company, Inc. Wells Fargo Advisors, Zachary J. Buchanan, CFP®, Financial Advisor, Buchanan Investment Group

■ Attempt to maintain one way circulation throughout the facility at all times. ■ Ensure a physical separation of 6ft. between family units within any given row. ■ Maintain two empty rows in between each seated row (use only every third row). ■ Eliminate the practice of any physical interaction between worshipers, including greetings, holding of hands and exchanges of peace.

■ Clean and disinfect the facility thoroughly after each and every service, especially highly-touched surfaces and items such as door handles, light switches, and restrooms if in use. ■ As you CELEBRATE the return of your congregation, remember that unless you wait until Phase Five, many of your people cannot be with you in person. How do you celebrate in a way that includes them?

Additional Suggestions ■ Offer more services with fewer attendees if possible. ■ Encourage continued on-line worship, and communicate that at-home worship is valued. ■ Keep a record of service attendees complete with contact information should there be a need for contact tracing. ■ Congregations

which

celebrate

■ Greeters do not shake hands, ever.

communion should follow the guidelines

■ Refrain from passing collection baskets or plates, make provisions for congregants to place offerings in a secure box or basket as they exit the building.

of their faith community.

■ Eliminate communal gathering in advance of or following services (no coffee or doughnuts).

■ Take care not to light candles

■ Consider suspension of playing any wind instruments. immediately after using an alcoholbased disinfectant or hand-sanitizing gel.

NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS BUCCIFERRO FAMILY MANAGEMENT

Bucciferro Family McDonald’s 6703 Weaver Road, Ste. 104, 61114 Rich Wolter 815-321-4708 www.iammcd.com

THRYV

Providing our clients solutions and services needed to attract and retain customers in the mobile economy. Mike Peyton 815-980-2844 www.emp.thryv.com/site/ MikePeyton

TILTED 10/TILT STUDIO

Family entertainment featuring hyperbowling, laser tag, spin bumper cars, restaurant and bar, games and redemption center. 7200 Harrison Ave. Space S-01, 61112 Vicky Peek 815-491-8518 www.Tilted10.com

BLUEBIRD NETWORK LLC Provides enterprise-class internet and data services over a state-ofthe-art ﬁber optic network. Northern Illinois Region Mike Booth – Enterprise Account Executive 715-379-6192 www.bluebirdnetwork.com

ROCKFORD ENDODONTICS ALEX C. MOORE, DMD PC

We are an endodontic oﬃce, which is a dental specialty that specializes in root canal treatment. 6050 Brynwood Dr., Ste. 205, 61114 Alex Moore, DMD, PC 815-201-5955 www.rockfordendodontics.com

THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com

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

40-YEAR MEMBERS

Cellusuede Products, Inc. Rock River Valley Blood Center

35-YEAR MEMBERS Caraotta Chiropractic Orthopedics P.C. Crown Machine, Inc. Freed Plumbing, Inc. Womanspace, Inc.

25-YEAR MEMBERS

Axberg, A Division of Black Diamond Plumbing & Mechanical Barrick, Switzer, Long, Balsley, Van Evera, LLP JC Milling Co., Inc. Rockford Ambulatory Surgery Center Spectrum Insurance Agency, Inc.

June 2020

20-YEAR MEMBERS

ADVERTISERS INDEX Blackhawk Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

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

Brian Thomas Photography . . . . 8

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

Kelce & Company SPXFLOW Hydraulic Technologies

Calvary Bookkeeping . . . . . . . . . 9

15-YEAR MEMBERS

Illinois Bank & Trust . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Schmeling Construction Co. . . . . 4

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) . . 13

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

KMK Media Group. . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Thayer Lighting, Inc. . . . . . . . . . 11

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

Woodward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Humana Raymond James & Associates Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren P.C. Servpro of Rockford

10-YEAR MEMBERS

Edward Jones – Erna Colborn. . . 4

VOICE

Marco Ring Container Technologies Rockford Country Club The Atrium Memory Care Community Widmer Interiors

5-YEAR MEMBERS Airgas Connect Hearing

Rockford Chamber of Commerce

. . . . . . . 2, 11-12, 16-17, 21, 23-24

the

Chamber Staﬀ / Call 815-987-8100 ..........................................Direct Line Jeff Bailey, Membership Development Executive ..................................815-316-4336 Carmen Brenz, Program & Event Coordinator ...................................815-316-4302 Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO .......................................... 815-987-8100 Heidi M. Garner, Chief Operating Oﬃcer .................................... 815-316-4312 Olivia Guzman, Administrative Assistant/Customer Service Rep..........815-987-8100

Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology ................... 815-316-4338 Lynette Jacques, Vice President, Member Investment .................... 815-316-4317 Kristin Muehlfelder, Member Relations...................................................815-316-4315 Caitlin Pusateri, Vice President, Leadership Development ....................815-316-4337 Doug Rand, Accounting Manager/Controller ............................... 815-316-4316 Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator ......................... 815-316-4320 Mike Mastroianni, Executive Director,

DEADLINE IS THE 15TH OF THE MONTH PRECEDING PUBLICATION

Small Business Development Center ...................................................815-987-8100

CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS & OFFICERS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair of the Board Michele Petrie Wintrust Commercial Banking & Mortgage Chair Elect Dan Ross Fehr Graham 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

DIRECTORS Brent Bernardi Alpha Controls & Services LLC Kimberly Blascoe Wipﬂi LLP 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

Terry Voskuil Woodward

Michael F. Iasparro Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

Robert Young Midwest Packaging and Container

Carly LaMonica LaMonica Beverages, Inc.

EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS

Kris L. Kieper Machajewski YWCA Northwestern Illinois Mike Paterson Mid-West Family Broadcasting

Denise Sasse Don Daniels RSM US LLP SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health Sue Schrieber Mercyhealth Rebecca Epperson John Schuster Chartwell Agency Rosecrance Health Eric Fulcomer, Ph.D. Network Rockford University Teresa Sharp Ira Grimmett American Precision Collins Aerospace Supply, Inc.

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

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House to Home

(Real Estate, Home Builders & Remodelers, City Culture)

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(Healthcare Innovations, Trends, Initiatives)

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Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve built it before, we can build it again. Building leaders, networks, community, workforce & business - thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. We are here to help you & our community rebuild one brick at a time. We Can Do This!

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