October Voice 2015

ACCURIDE GUNITE RECEIVES AME AWARD PAGE 9

NICHOLSON’S HARDWARE NAILS 70 YEARS PAGE 12

The Voice is online at rockfordchamber.com

ROCKFORD’S HISTORIC LANDMARKS WIN AWARDS

October 2015 | Volume 28 | No. 10

Businesses get their name out at Rockford Chamber’s annual expo

By Paul Anthony Arco More than 1,000 people turned out for the 8th annual Rockford Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, which was held Sept. 23 in a new location.

The event featured 84 booths, with businesses ranging from healthcare to marketing agencies. The mix of businesses included many returnees, along with a handful of companies taking part in their first expo, which is free to attendees. In addition, the expo included a post-event reception.

“It’s a one-stop shop to meet with

PHOTOS BY BRIAN THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY

customers and prospective clients,” said Einar Forsman, president and CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

“It reminds people of the services we have locally, that you don’t have to look outside the area. It gives businesses

exposures for things they’re working on.”

After three years at the BMO Harris Bank Center, the business expo moved to Giovanni’s Restaurant and Convention Center. “We loved working Continued on page 3

Two Rockford preservation projects were among the nine to receive awards for outstanding preservation

by Landmarks Illinois: The Laurent House Foundation and Prairie Street Brewhouse.

The Laurent House Foundation raised more than $1 million to purchase, restore and reopen the Laurent House. The accessible residence was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1949 for Kenneth Laurent, a paraplegic World War II veteran, and his wife Phyllis. The Laurent House Museum opened in 2014 and displays Wright’s accessible design, which predates the Americans with Disabilities Act by more than three decades.

Prairie Street Brewhouse was built along the Rock River between 1857 and 1922 as the home of the Rockford Brewing Company. Loyd and Diane Koch purchased it in 2000 and renovated it as one of Rockford’s premier entertainment and social venues with a brewery, banquet hall, restaurant, office space and residential lofts. It is noted as one of the first projects to use the Illinois State Historic Tax Credit; showing the importance of the pilot program in stimulating private investment in historic preservation.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

People You Should Know

Oct. 22 • Prairie Street Brewhouse SPONSORED BY For more info, see page 34

NIU EIGERLAB NOW IN TWO LOCATIONS

Business leaders optimistic following Education Outlook Luncheon

By Paul Anthony Arco

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

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

The good news just keeps coming for Rockford Public Schools.

ACT scores are up nearly a point, graduation rates are rising, discipline issues are decreasing, more students are attending class and a high-profiled educational conference is coming to Rockford this month.

That was part of the update provided by Rockford School District Superintendent Dr. Ehren Jarrett to 350 business leaders at the annual Rockford Chamber of Commerce Education Outlook Luncheon, Sept. 3 at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center.

“Any progress is good progress moving forward for the Rockford Public

Schools,” said Einar Forsman, president & CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. “I’m very encouraged.

The numbers show that students are more engaged. When you see the students and the way they respond, talk about their vision and goals, it’s encouraging and inspiring to hear. We have administrators and educators who are really doing a good job.”

The proof is in the numbers. ACT scores have jumped from 17.8 to 18.5 in the last five years. For the second straight year RPS is at the state average for student attendance with 94 percent. RPS has also more than doubled the number of students taking Advanced Placement tests since 2010. Athletic participation Continued on page 4

NIU EIGERlab’s CoWorking Space, 8500 E. State St., Rockford, is an alternative to toiling alone in a garage, basement or Starbucks.

The ecosystem for solopreneurs and early stage, product-based growth companies is intended to accelerate the commercialization of business ideas with access to business coaching, mentors, investor networks, product-based project management, CAD design and 3D printing.

NIU EIGERlab’s Center for Product Development, 5529 Zenith Pkwy., Loves Park, offers leading edge business, engineering and project management support services, including functional additive manufacturing or 3D printing capabilities to transform thoughts into computer models; models into physical objects. This fall, the center also introduces certification courses for 3D printer technicians.

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October 2015

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Chairman’s Perspective VIEWPOINT

Transforming Rockford One Step at a Time Great things are happening every day in our community.

That was evident at the recent Education Outlook Luncheon, which is hosted every year by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. Speaking before a packed crowd of business, community and education leaders, Rockford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ehren Jarrett delivered an insightful report on some of the recent successes the school district has witnessed. ACT scores are up, graduation rates are rising, discipline issues are decreasing, and more students are attending class. Jarrett explained how the district’s accomplishments align with its recently adopted plan. The superintendent is truly a motivator for the school district; he’s right on target when it comes to educating our youth now and in the future.

The same can be said for our institutions of higher learning. Rockford University’s fall enrollment was the highest in school history. Rockford was also recently named as a top regional University by U.S. News & World Report.

Northern Illinois University and Rock Valley College have come up

with a unique engineering partnership.

Dr. Rena Cotsones, NIU’s Associate V.P. for Engagement and Innovation Partnerships and Mike Mastroianni, Rock Valley College President, worked collaboratively to devise a plan where students can now earn an engineering degree right here in our region. A student can first earn their associates degree from RVC and then move on to earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering from NIU – all on the RVC campus in Rockford. What a huge win for our community.

Transform Rockford is an invaluable and inclusive organization that has the drive to facilitate change in our community. The staff, business leaders and an army of volunteers dedicate countless hours for the betterment of community. Their Vision and Impact Statements identify the key areas and strategies for achieving positive advancement of our community, and are working to identify what is working and where the gaps exist.

That same synergy is happening within the walls of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. Over one year

ago, Board Vice Chair Michele Petrie, Chamber President and CEO Einar Forsman and I met to discuss leadership development as a priority Chamber offering.

Transform Rockford’s Executive Director Mike Schablaske, and Tom Gendron, Chairman and CEO Woodward Governor, approached the Chamber on a similar topic. They told us that Transform Rockford had identified the chamber as the organization that could best take on and facilitate a Leadership Development Program in our community. Imagine our excitement when we realized we were on the right track. This news motivated us to expedite our plans.

Since then we’ve been meeting with our executive committee, board of directors, past chairman of the board and staff. After many hours, including a strategic planning session, a task force has been created and several specific needs have been identified.

Now we are completely restructuring our programs. Named the Rockford Center for Leadership Development, this new effort will focus on a year-long leadership program to engage leaders at

all levels. This Patti Thayer program will Rockford Chamber be inclusive Board Chairman to potential leaders of our community.

The Chamber is also in the process of developing new tools and resources that will have a direct focus on the growth of small business, which is critical to the economic success of our community. Membership Attraction and Retention will focus on a concerted effort to meeting the objectives and priorities of our membership.

Our key objectives and priorities are clear: leadership, small business, member retention and attraction. Our potential mission: to put top notch, customized leadership and business growth solutions into the hands of our members. Our potential vision statement: We are famous for worldclass leadership development, business growth resources and advocating for the interest of business.

Indeed, great things are happening right here in Rockford!

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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October 2015

Business EXPO (continued from front page)

with the BMO Harris Bank Center, but our biggest challenge was a lack of daytime parking,” said Forsman.

“Giovanni’s is an intimate setting that people are comfortable with. It’s a good partnership.”

“Polishing Your Professional Presence” was the featured presentation of the day, where audience members learned business etiquette tips. “The presentation was well received,” said Forsman. “It’s those little things like how one handles emails, name tag placement, proper greetings and handshakes that make a difference.”

Kevin Versino, general manager of Rocktown Adventures, was busy meeting visitors at his booth. This was the company’s first year participating in the business expo after recently becoming a chamber member.

Rocktown Adventures, which opened

in downtown Rockford last November, is a specialty outdoor retailer and adventure club. The business offers sales, rentals, lessons, guided trips, and related apparel for kayaks, canoes, standup paddleboards, Nordic skiing and snowshoeing. Rocktown Adventures also carries camping equipment, apparel, and transportation equipment such as roof racks and trailers.

“The chamber is the platform for us to get our name out there in front of other businesses in the community,”

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

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

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

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

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

Versino said. “We’ve been able to meet many new people at the expo and develop some solid contacts.”

The presenting sponsor of this year’s event was Ticomix, a local IT company that manages and protects business technology. The gold sponsor was Comcast Business, and silver sponsors were SwedishAmerican, a Division of UW Health and Thayer Lighting.

The bronze sponsor was WPS Health Insurance and the keynote sponsor was Associated Bank. The Morrissey Family

Businesses and Meridian served as the Business After Hours sponsor.

“We’re looking for more ways to be visible, and to take part in more activities in the community,” said Mike Roberts, Ticomix vice president of marketing.

“We want to support the community, while at the same time drive more growth Continued on page 4

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Business EXPO (continued from page 3)

for our business. This opportunity came up and we jumped on it.”

Ticomix commissioned local artist Mark Adamany to paint a 6 x 12 mural onsite at the business expo, using the theme of transformation and superheroes. Once completed, the mural will be on display at various locations throughout Rockford.

“This piece is dedicated to and inspired by Transform Rockford,” Roberts said. “Mark brought his own ideas and vision to this project. People have really been impressed with his work.”

The finished product will be unveiled Oct. 27 at Tech Day, a half-day technology showcase hosted by Ticomix and Cisco at Franchesco’s..

theVoice

Education Outlook (continued from front page)

has jumped to 5,000 from 4,000 in the last four years. RPS has seen a 66 percent reduction in zero-tolerance offenses, and is at a 13-year low for arrests. Community organizations have contributed more than $2.4 million in volunteer hours to RPS. “I’m energized by the momentum,” said Jarrett. “I’m also appreciative of the way the business community has stepped up to support Rockford Public Schools. We have a great story to tell, and I’m excited that people outside our community are interested in hearing that story.”

Many business leaders credit Jarrett with the resurgence. “Ehren gets the big picture,” said Frank Haney, chairperson of the Rock Valley College Board of Trustees. “The progress 205 has made in a short amount of time is the culmination of strong leadership from Ehren, his staff and many good people in the district. When he got hired, you knew he was going to do great things. It’s been impressive.”

Educators to Converge in Rockford During the luncheon, Jarrett announced the district and Alignment Rockford, a nonprofit organization that supports the strategic initiatives of RPS, will host a two-day Alignment

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Institute-Midwest Region in October.

Nearly 75 representatives from districts in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky and Illinois will meet in Rockford to learn how the district and Alignment Rockford implemented college and career academies in the high schools, and how those academies are helping to build a pipeline to college and careers.

The conference will include high school tours and workshops.

“We’re viewed as a model of success in public education,” said Bridget French, executive director of Alignment Rockford. “The business community has been a big part of that.

The Alignment Institute in October is an indication that we’re on the right track and other communities around the Midwest are recognizing us for the good work that we’re doing.”

Jarrett agreed. “We’ve built a really nice foundation in the last four years, but we have a long way to go. “These early successes are exciting and we need to celebrate those, but we need even more involvement from the business community, if we want to achieve our goals.”

Sponsors of the Education Luncheon include BMO Harris Bank; SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health; Rock Valley College; Larson & Darby Group; Rasmussen College and Rock River Valley Blood Center. theVoice

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October 2015

IGNITE

Young Professionals

Join us in closing ceremonies Champion named at Halloween-themed event Trick or Treat! Actually there will be no tricks, but plenty of treats. IGNITE will once again crown our IGNITE Cup Champion at our Halloween-themed closing ceremonies at Rockford Country Club on Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.

We will begin the night with a fun silent auction full of great Rockford treats. We then will have a short award ceremony, followed by a night full of networking, dancing and hilariously awkward conversation on how you picked THAT Halloween costume.

Luxe Productions will keep the dance floor alive, so bring your dancing shoes!

IGNITE Cup teams will be dressed in a team Halloween theme. Last year we saw Shark Week, Super Mario Brothers, 80s, Wall Trophys, Super Heroes and more! If you aren’t on a team, please still plan on joining us in your favorite Halloween costume (think work appropriate).

Tickets are only $25, and we promise, well worth it. As uncomfortable as it is filling your gas tank while dressed

The events continue to be a place for coworkers to relax, and friends to get together, all while competing in things that really haven’t mattered since your high school PE final. like Barney the Big Purple Dinosaur, I promise it is more uncomfortable walking into our closing ceremonies in regular clothing.

Registration is available at www. igniterockford.com. Sign up you, your friend, your coworker and your nextdoor neighbor today!

2015 IGNITE Season This IGNITE Cup season is one of the top two seasons we have ever had!

It’s only our second year, but I wanted to make sure I emphasized how great

it has been. One hundred fifty young professionals competed in bowling, trivia, field day, frisbee golf, scavenger hunt and mini putt. The events continue to be a place for coworkers to relax, and friends to get together, all while competing in things that really haven’t mattered since your high school PE final.

The true value of IGNITE Cup continues to be the relationships that are built and the chance to show so many people the wonderful opportunities Rockford has to offer.

Our members have volunteered for Share Fest, Epilepsy Mud Volleyball, I-Read, Rock the Block, and so many more throughout the Rockford region.

We couldn’t have organized all of the events we did without our sponsors, including our presenting sponsor, 1st Family Home Healthcare, and our supporting sponsors Blackhawk Bank, Rockford University and WIPFLi. Thanks to our after party sponsors, Ticomix, First Northern Credit Union

Derek Erwin

and Dr. IGNITE Rockford Brenton Soltys, DDS. Special thanks to our event hosts for working with 100 YPs at a time: Greenfire, Don Carter Lanes, The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club, Rockford Park District, Rockford University, Volcano Falls and Rockford Country Club.

Ready for IGNITE Cup 2016? The season will be here before you know it! To volunteer your time and talents to help plan next year’s games, please email info@igniterockford. Registration for IGNITE Cup 2016 will begin in spring. We can’t wait to welcome you and your team to IGNITE Cup 2016!

Derek Erwin is IGNITE REACH co-chair and works at Raymond-James.

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

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Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Thoughts of a travel agent

Does a robust aviation cluster define the airport?

As a travel agent, I see the Chicago Rockford International Airport as my ace in the hole. People call in wanting a winter escape, and say, “O’Hare, Milwaukee or Midway, please.” I have the opportunity to be the clever savior; saving them from tolls, construction, traffic and airports large enough to intimidate the most intrepid of travelers. “Yes, you can get there out of Rockford!” All of a sudden, our airport is something exciting, and I’m on elevated status as a travel professional.

I couldn’t wait to hear airport Executive Director Mike Dunn speak at the Rockford Chamber’s August Breakfast Buzz. I learned a lot that morning. My perspective? This gem of an airport is convenient, close and inexpensive. Little did I know the current scope of operations or its innovative and aggressive action plan for the future. I loved how he summarized operations as “show and dough.”

“The passenger flights are nice and provide ease for quality of life with area residents wanting to travel, but the dough is plain and simply in the cargo,” he said.

A Center for Education The new partnership between the airport, Rock Valley College and the AAR (world’s second-largest Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility provider), secures not only valuable services for the aviation industry, but solid educational opportunities that lead to high-paying technical jobs. “Our partnership with the educational resources that support supply line components is a win-win for the economy, area residents and businesses,” Dunn stated. “We’ve laid a foundation that will positively impact this area for generations to come as all of this unfolds.” The construction of the 90,000-sq.-ft. AAR facility will break ground soon, with a completion target of spring, 2016. In tandem, the Rock Valley facility will offer world-class aviation technical training.

As a travel agent, I am proud of our airport and the quarter million passengers we fly every year with free parking and a breeze-through terminal experience. However, I didn’t comprehend the magnitude of what is in the works, what was already here, and what was coming. I’d read the press releases and heard the news reports, but the complete picture? I’m beyond impressed with Rockford movers and shakers capitalizing on a legacy of strategic planning, forward thinking and development that redefines

Rockford’s position at the forefront of an aviation cluster.

A Lot Going for It The information Dunn offered came so rapid-fire and with such expertise, I had a hard time capturing all of it, so here are some cliff notes of what I learned that day.

Our longest runway beats the length of Midway’s longest runway: 6,400 feet long, compared to 8,200 feet long. The competitive advantage for passenger and cargo airlines? Avoiding Chicago’s gridlock and high prices.

During peak season, up to 31 passenger flights per week operate out of the airport; through Allegiant to Phoenix/Mesa, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers and Las Vegas; through Elite Airways to Denver and New York; through Sunwing Airlines/Apple Vacations (seasonally) to Punta Cana, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun/Riviera Maya.

The strong cargo presence allows peripheral businesses to flourish. The airport functions as a large industrial park and as an international foreign trade zone — a solid foundation for

Gail Hummel Camelot World Travel

companies aggressively expanding into overseas markets.

With

cargo,

education

and

maintenance solidly established by the end of 2016, 14 aerospace/aviation companies in the industrial park, and many more in the region, the components are in place for a robust aerospace/aviation cluster.

Growth

for

passenger

service

is expected and desired. Courting airlines is a years-long process. Average courting time is 2 to 5 years and flexibility is required on both ends.

Dunn stated there is willingness to try new destinations with airlines, as in the launch of Elite Airways to Denver and New York, and willingness to suspend operations if it isn’t right for the airport or the airline.

Operational studies have proven to

The ACEC ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 16 draws college leadership, trustees, staff, faculty, students, local dignitaries, politicians and community members.

RVC opens new Aviation Career Education Center

freight companies that operating out of RFD is faster and more cost effective than operating out of O’Hare for regional cargo disbursement.

To the people, organizations and businesses that have worked so hard to create and execute this masterful

Training for 500 future aviation mechanic jobs

plan, thank you. A line has been drawn

Rock Valley College held a ribbon cutting ceremony in September for its new Aviation Career Education Center (ACEC), which will triple the number of students that graduate with a degree in aviation maintenance technology.

The aviation center is adjacent to AAR Corp’s MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overall services) on Cessna Drive at the Chicago Rockford International Airport.

AAR Corp expects to open the MRO in late 2016, which will bring 500 or more jobs to the airport and provide employment for the ACEC graduates.

“Education and job creation are critical components to transforming our region and through this program expansion we are accomplishing both,” said Mike Mastroianni, president, Rock Valley College.

Hard hit by economic downturns and

Classes Underway The ACEC is a 40,000-sq.-ft. classroom and laboratory that replaces the 9,800-sq.-ft. Falcon Road hangar that was home to RVC’s aviation maintenance technology

program since 1968. It opened for fall semester on Aug. 24 with 81 firstyear and 35 second-year students.

Forty more first-year students will start the spring semester in January, 2016. The expectation is for 150 to graduate annually from the program.

“We look forward to the jobs and opportunities the RVC Career Aviation Center will create for the region,” said Mike Dunn, executive director, Chicago Rockford International Airport.

“AAR is excited about the terrific aviation maintenance technology learning environment that Rock Valley College has created in such a short period of time,” said Danny Martinez, vice president technical services development, AAR. “This world-class Aviation Career Education Center will deliver that talent pipeline of aviation mechanics that AAR needs for our new hangar to be successful when it opens in Rockford.”

To learn more about RVC’s aviation maintenance technology program, visit rockvalleycollege.edu/ aviation or call 815-921-3020.

in the sand for the future of this area. plagued by a tarnished reputation, you never stopped believing in our city or this area.

Many thanks to Dunn for laying it out in terms a travel agent can grasp and relay to others. I pledge to carry your words and vision to those who think getting to Vegas for a low fare is the best thing ever. On their next flight, I’ll tell them to turn their eyes towards all the construction and activity as their plane lifts off. There lies our future and hope -- a robust aviation cluster we can’t yet wrap our minds around, especially with one building that will hold many planes the size of the one they are flying on.

Gail Hummel, leisure travel consultant, Camelot

World

honeymoons,

Travel,

destination

specializes weddings

in and

Hawaii.

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

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October 2015

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ROCKFORWARD20/20

RAEDC launches Rockforward20/20 Mike Nicholas

Sagar Patel

By Jimsi Kuborn, RAEDC The Rockford Area Economic Development Council has introduced a new five-year Strategic Plan and Investment Campaign to embrace the many economic opportunities in our region and carry forward the momentum: Rockforward20/20.

Representing bold vision for our future, this aggressive plan will be a catalyst to create and retain more than 10,000 jobs and significantly increase the capital investment in the region.

After a transparent process with community outreach plus research and analysis, the RAEDC is excited to share its new mission, vision and strategies to guide our organization through 2020.

The RAEDC has a major role to play in the region’s success -- cultivating opportunities for job growth. Economic conditions have been improving. And we are beginning to gain national attention for our growing list of assets.

We must meet our region’s emerging needs and most relevant priorities.

While we have worked diligently with our partners to generate significant job opportunities and investment in the region, we cannot sit back and rest. Continued leadership and publicprivate partnership are critical to progress. Plus, we face a new challenge: An abundance of jobs yet a lack of employees with the skill sets required to fill them. In this increasingly competitive world, we must continue our collaboration in developing a workforce pipeline that meets today’s employment needs and those of the future.

Key Takeaways Our New Mission: The Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) cultivates opportunities for primary job growth that increase the economic well-being of our region.

Our New Vision: The Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) propels the region to top 25 status, as the model for impactful economic development in partnership with regional organizations.

Strategies for the Vision: Trailblaze. Successfully market and sell our region with bold, innovative and impactful tactics.

Inspire Action. Proactively capitalize on relationships to nurture and grow world-class employers.

Align. Align regional stakeholders for positive economic transformation.

Seed. Build upon our core assets to

For more information Read the plan at www. rockfordil.com/ rockforward2020.

If you’d like a brief meeting to learn more, contact Teri Johnson at tjohnson@rockfordil. com or 815-969-4261.

prepare our region for targeted growth.

Serve. Compile information and respond quickly to generate results in decision making for regional growth.

We want the region to be competitive with the best in the United States -- a shining example to others. Our work will be with PASSION for excellence and UNIFIED in our commitment to one another.

This region’s vision cannot be accomplished alone. We thank our regional leaders, including our cochairs and honorary chairs, who have committed to invest their time, talent and treasure for the new Rockforward20/20 plan.

October workshop

Proven strategies for finding, keeping top talent

By Bea Miller, RAEDC On Oct. 28, the RAEDC presents a free workshop, “The Talent Tap Dance: Making the Right Moves in Workforce Development to Grow Your Business,” 7:30 a.m. to noon at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Rockford.

Participants will learn from business leaders who have expanded their businesses through successful techniques and proven systems for hiring, training and retaining employees.

Terrance Hall, international trade and business development specialist for the RAEDC, says “At this point, it is well documented that workforce development is our business community’s largest common challenge. This event is aimed at introducing common solutions to those challenges; solutions that world-class companies have found to be not only valuable but very successful. Solutions that a company of any size or industry can implement immediately if they find them a good fit for their organization.”

Hiring the Woodward Way Keynote speaker June Hazzard, vice president of human resources at Woodward, will talk about Woodward’s unique approach to hiring and training, which can be adapted as an effective template for companies of all sizes.

She was tasked with filling a large number of jobs at the new facility in Loves Park.

A panel discussion of lessons learned

will inspire attendees with innovative ideas from their peers, followed by a Q&A with Paul Calvagna, human resources manager, Accuride Wheel End Solutions; Bill Derry, chairman, Field; LoRayne Logan, president, Workplace Staffing; and, Don Schreiner, CEO, Rockford Orthopedic Associates.

Six breakout sessions led by professionals with plenty of resources to offer will assist with building the Workforce & Growth Toolkit: ■ Right People in the Right Seats, Frank Heegaard, Culture Index ■ Selling Your Company & The Rockford Region, John Groh, Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau ■ Workforce Readiness, Darcy Bucholz, Northwest Illinois Workforce Alliance/ Workforce Connection ■ Competing for Talent as a Small Business, Michael King, Workplace Search Group ■ ROI - Training & Development, David Boulay and Roger Shrum, IMEC (Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center) ■ Culture Fit & Core Values, Brian McIntyre, SBDC (Small Business Development Center) Event sponsors are OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center (presenting sponsor), Workplace, Larson & Darby Group and Stillman Bank.

To register for this free event, please me at bmiller@rockfordil.com or 815-969-4255.

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October 2015

Shrinking the machine operator skills gap using business-educationpartnerships

Gunite receives AME award Model of manufacturing excellence

Accuride Rockford Operations, which manufactures Gunite®-brand brake drums, slack adjusters and other wheel-end components for the North American commercial vehicle industry, received the 2015 Association for Manufacturing Excellence award. The plant in Erie, Pa., also received the award.

In 2011, the Rockford Gunite plant was in danger of closing. Instead, parent company Accuride Corporation, with headquarters in Evansville, Ind., invested $63 million in new machining and assembly equipment, and consolidated operations in Elkhart, Ind., and Brillion, Wis., into Rockford.

Rick Dauch, Accuride president and CEO, also credited the AME wins to the company’s ability to install and operate lean systems at multiple sites. The plants, built back to the 1800s, are represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW). “This demonstrates union-represented facilities’ ability to embrace lean and make themselves competitive in North America through a combination of strong and disciplined management, capable union leadership, a dedicated workforce, effective suppliers and multi-year investments in industry-leading process capability and product technology,” Dauch said.

Rockford Plant’s Lean Systems The AME assessment team credited the Rockford plant with its application of visual scheduling boards, which have resulted in the launch of fourth-generation production pull boards, and the use of value stream mapping in the factory and for office processes. It noted the Rockford facility’s corporate and factory hoshin kanri (strategic planning) and its implementation; tied to the employee incentive/ bonus program. It also commended the Rockford facility’s partnership with a perishable tooling supplier and effort to use 100 percent of tool life.

“The transformation from working conditions that could be considered very extreme to that of relative comfort is remarkable,” stated the assessment team report.

AME visited the Rockford facility on Sept. 22 to give the award.

TechWorks has been very fortunate to have strong partnerships with local machining center and CNC distributers.

These partnerships include Doosan, DMG Mori Seiki, and most recently Machinery Source. Other partners include Sandvik Coromant’s donation of tooling and Kurt Workholding. Both Doosan and DMG Mori Seiki each have CNC lathes on the floor of the TechWorks training lab at the Stenstrom Center for Career Education, 4151 Samuelson Road. TechWorks utilizes these machining and turning centers to assist instructors with training new CNC operators (students) on learning machining concepts, set-up, operation and programming skills.

Machinery Source, a CNC machine tool distributor selling machines to local job shops and manufacturers is well aware of the shortage of qualified operators for their customers to hire.

Their customers tell them frequently that they would like to buy more CNC equipment, but that they can’t find operators to run them if they did.

This shortage of operators has a direct impact on the small machine shop owners and large manufacturers alike, as they are limited in their ability to expand their machining operations, which in turn affects their ability to sell new equipment to them.

New Equipment for TechWorks Jeff Hassen, president of Machinery Source, felt it made good sense for his company to be proactively part of the solution by providing two state-of theart YCM NXV-560A vertical machining centers with Fanuc controls to the

Bernie Luecke TechWorks RVC BPI program. “I felt that providing consignment machines would allow TechWorks to spend precious capital on student, instructors and facilities,” said Hassen. Replacing the equipment every two to three years will ensure the latest technology in the TechWorks program for students and instructors.

Hassen also adds that, “TechWork students being trained on current technology equipment maximizes their attractiveness to employers while promoting and enhancing the TechWorks program.”

According to Hassen, Machinery Source is proud to be a commercial partner of the TechWorks program and their partnership in the program is good for business.

For more information about the TechWorks program, Machinery Source or The Manufacturing Institute, please contact Bernie Luecke at 815-921-2067 or B.Luecke@RockValleyCollege.edu.

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

HOW MUCH DOES THE SKILLS GAP REALLY COST YOU? The Manufacturing Institute recently released a Return on Investment Calculator for manufacturers at www.

CostofAHire.com. This free, web-based tool offers employers a structure to identify the cost of an open position and offers several ways to reduce costs.

Manufacturing News is sponsored by RVC BPI

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October 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Rockford Chamber of Commerce establishes Center for Leadership Development One of Rockford Chamber’s missions is to deliver Value to the community by providing educational opportunities that develop leaders and help our members thrive. Recent surveys by the Chamber, as well as input from other community organizations, demonstrated real concern about the pipeline for our future leaders: in business; in the not-for-profit world; and, in government.

As a provider of various leadership programs, the Rockford Chamber Board of Directors set forth a path to take a deeper dive and commitment into leadership development. It has formed the Center for Leadership Development to serve as the central base for programs, new and existing, to develop leaders.

Because providing educational opportunities is a part of the Rockford Chamber’s mission; because developing a sought-after workforce is a part of the Region’s transformational vision; and, because Chamber members have identified a deficit of leadership depth within the community, the Chamber Board of Directors has tasked the Chamber President to develop access to cost-effective, world-class human capital competency assessment and leadership development programs.

Our Vision: The Rockford Chamber’s Center for Leadership Development is the Home for development of current and future world-class leadership that is repeatable, effective and visionary, profoundly impacting the Rockford Region.

Our Mission: The Center for Leadership Development will aggregate and deliver both thematic in-house and external products and services which will contribute to the growth of worldclass employers and the development of world-class employees.

In order to serve as the regional aggregator and to deliver top notch products and services, systems must be developed: 1) for curriculum coordination and delivery (what’s currently available locally, what must be secured from national/international providers and what can be customized using local leadership talent); and 2) to engage corporate and employee access and utilization.

The

Center:

The

Center

for

Leadership Development will be a single point of access within the Chamber for programs and services linked to leadership development. The Center will have a Vice President dedicated solely to leadership development to establish and manage programs and their offerings.

The centerpiece for the Center will be the new Rockford Leadership Alliance, described below: Rockford Leadership Alliance: The Rockford Leadership Alliance (RLA) will be a focused, thematic leadership development program with parallel tracks for Frontline Leaders and Emerging Leaders,

intended

to

complement

the Chamber’s long-established and successful leadership programs. The RLA’s annual focus will be oriented towards addressing critical leadership gap’s identified in the businesses we serve and in the Community at large. A leadership assessment at the beginning and end of the program will allow business and community entities to track progress of our leadership depth.

Also,

within

the

Center

for

Leadership Development will be the Chamber’s

other

programs

linked

with leadership, including Lead 360, IGNITE Young Professionals, and the Chamber’s long standing, highly value asset, Leadership Rockford. In addition, the Chamber will be offering a quarterly Immersion Rockford program, to rapidly on-board new families who have moved to the region, and get them connected and engaged right away.

Participants will learn how the Rockford region’s sectors and industries are coming together to tackle challenges and strengthen collective vision and collaboration in our community.

“We are excited to bring together a robust series of programs to expand our leadership base in our community,” said Einar Forsman, President and CEO, “We believe we have the background to carry out this mission in an effective way that will be very meaningful to the long-term positive direction of our community.”

12

October 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Member Profile PROFILE

(left to right) Scott, Jake and Paul Nicholson are a part of the family members and 42 employees that keep Nicholson Hardware a Midtown District destination for 70 years.

Nicholson Hardware celebrates 70 years in business

By Paul Anthony Arco Since 1945, the Nicholson name has been synonymous with the hardware business.

Nicholson Hardware, the longtime Rockford business fixture, was started by Enoch Nicholson and his sons, Melvin and Ahlex Nicholson. The trio had worked for another local store, Skandia Hardware Co., when they left for other pursuits, before coming together again to open their own business at 210 7th St. “It had a general store type of feel,” said Paul Nicholson, Melvin’s grandson and now the principal owner of the store. “They sold hardware, hand tools, bicycles, sleds – you name it.”

After Melvin died in 1966, it was a difficult time for Nicholson Hardware.

That’s when Ahlex reached out to Melvin’s son, Dale, who had worked at the store before accepting a sales position with Milwaukee Power Tools based in California. Dale returned home to Rockford to buy the family business.

Things started to move and by 1972 the business needed room to grow. That’s when the store moved to its current location at 1131 Second Ave. in the Midtown District.

These days, Nicholson offers the typical hardware store staples: tools, paint, plumbing, fasteners and hardware.

“Our strength is our depth of products,” said Paul. “We have things that other stores don’t offer. If you have a 20-yearold leaky sink, we can help.”

These days, the business is operated

by Paul and his siblings Deb Norris, Julie Shalbrack, Jodie Lewis and Scott Nicholson, and their uncle Jon Nicholson. Paul’s wife, Martha, and three children – Eric, Matt and Jake – work there as does Norris’ husband, Scott, and son, Todd. Jon’s wife Deb and son Trevor are also employees, and Scott’s daughters, Anna and Maura, worked there during the summer.

“When you have a family-owned business, there’s going to be give and take,” said Scott. “We always remember that this is just a business. We have to

see each other outside of work. For us, family comes first.”

Nicholson has seen many changes in the hardware industry, especially when it comes to competition. “The term do-ityourself wasn’t even around in the early 1980s,” said Scott. “Home improvement stores have moved in and lumber yards have gone away. When the big boxes were coming there was concern what the fallout would be. We just concentrate on what we do best.”

There’ve been other changes over the years. Dale and his wife, Barb, who ran the gift shop, decided to move it out of the store and into its own location on 7th Street. That shop has since closed. In the 1990s, the lawn and garden portion of the business moved one block from the hardware store to 1009 3rd Ave. “With the growth of the hardware store, we’ve needed more space,” said Paul.

About 60 percent of Nicholson’s customers are contractors or commercial accounts, while the rest are do-ityourselfers. Regular customers include governmental entities such as the City of Rockford and the Rockford Park District. “We have customers who know the layout of the store better than we do,” Scott said.

It also helps that the owners work on the front lines along with their 42 employees, including Frank Macchi, who joined the company in 1947 as partowner and now, in his 80s, still comes in three days a week. “We’re in tune with our customers’ needs,” said Paul. “We can respond quickly.”

Nicholson Hardware is a destination location in the Midtown District, an area of town that has seen recent growth and physical improvements. “It’s important to be centrally located,” said Scott. “I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

NICHOLSON HARDWARE Principal Owner: Paul Nicholson 1131 2nd Ave. (815) 963-4821 www.nicholsonhardware.com

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

13

October 2015

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Breast cancer prevention, early detection October, and pink is everywhere Everyone knows by now that October is breast cancer awareness month. Department stores are filled with pink merchandise, NFL football players are wearing pink cleats and pink ribbons suddenly appear on pretty much anything.

Why is breast cancer awareness month so important? Because breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in women, no matter your race or ethnicity. Making sure that women are aware of the prevention measures is one of the main goals in October and really should be a focus year round.

There are many things women and men can do to lower their risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), body weight, physical activity and diet have all been linked to breast cancer.

The ACS recommends that adults participate in regular physical activity; suggesting 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of intense physical activity per week. They also recommend that individuals limit high-calorie foods.

Healthy diets should be composed of at least two and a half cups of fruits and vegetables per day and should also include whole grains and healthy drinks such as water. Processed/red meat and alcohol should be limited.

In some cases, if you have a family history of the disease, you can also consider genetic testing. A woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is greatly increased if she inherits a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. Women with the mutation such as the BRCA gene might be considered for additional testing options and preventative measures.

New Technology for Early Detection In addition, because of the awareness and support of this disease every year, there is always something new to report on the breast cancer front as it relates to early detection. Knowing the methods available to you can mean the difference between life and death. According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is detected early, the five-year survival rate is 98 percent. It’s estimated that more than 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in a year and more than 40,000 will die. Although rare in men, an estimated 2,150 will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 410 will die each year. Women at the age of 40 are encouraged to have a yearly mammogram and urged to contact

Allison Gleason OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center

their doctor right away should they notice any changes in their breasts.

A mammogram is still the most commonly used screening method for breast cancer. A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast that doctors use to look for early signs of breast cancer. Supplemental imaging is meant to complement mammography not replace it.

Another screening method is the Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS), which is being used to detect breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue. ABUS is demonstrating a 35.7 percent improvement in detecting breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue that have not had a prior breast intervention. The exam allows radiologists to look through hundreds of image slices to determine and locate breast cancer that may not have been detected by a regular mammogram.

OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center recently added this FDA-approved system to its comprehensive breast cancer screening program.

Breast tomosynthesis, also known as 3D mammography, has been shown to greatly reduce detection challenges associated with overlapping structures in the breast, which is the primary drawback of conventional 2D mammography. Now the low dose 3D mammogram exam takes just 3.7 seconds per view resulting in greater patient comfort and a reduced chance of patient motion.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a great time for women and men alike to continue to educate themselves and others on the prevention and early detection of breast cancer. Living a healthy lifestyle plays an important role in lowering risk, but it’s comforting to know that if you have a family history of the disease or if you are diagnosed that there are early detection methods available to you as well. During October, I encourage you to talk to your healthcare provider about breast cancer and the risk factors and I encourage you to schedule your yearly mammogram if you haven’t done so already.

Allison Gleason is supervisor of the Women’s Center at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center. She has worked in the mammography field for 18 years.

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

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Industry Updates: Legal, Financial, Insurance

October 2015

S P E C I A L

S E R I E S

Business Succession The Rockford Chamber of Commerce presents the third in a series of special articles focused on transferring business leadership to the next generation.

Why $1 million matters Increasing your business’ value If you are wondering when is the right time to sell your business, you may want to wait until your company is generating $1 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBIDTA).

The million-dollar mark is the tipping point at which the number of buyers interested in acquiring your business goes up dramatically. It goes without saying that the more interested buyers you have, the better multiple your earnings will command. Since businesses are often valued on the basis of a multiple of earnings, getting to that million-dollar mark means you are not only getting a higher multiple but also applying that number to a higher number.

According to a recent study by SellabiliyScore, a company with $200,000 in EBITDA might be lucky to fetch three times EBITDA, or $600,000.

A company with a million dollars in EBITDA will likely command at least five times multiple, or $5 million.

Maybe more. So the company with $1 million in EBITDA is just five times bigger than the $200,000 company, but 10 times more valuable.

There are a number of reasons for multiples to increase with company size: Frictional Costs. It costs about the same in legal, accounting and investment banking fees to buy a company for $600,000 as it does for $5 million. In larger deals, these “frictional costs” are rounding errors, but can be a huge punitive tax on smaller deals.

The 5-20 Rule. This is the invention of a merger and acquisitions firm in Washington, D.C., which discovered, in many of the deals they did, the

acquiring company is between five and 20 times Rick Bastian the size of Blackhawk Bank the target company. If the acquiring company is less than five times the size of the target, it is a “bet the company” decision for the acquirer.

Likewise, if the acquirer is more than 20 times as big, the acquirer just won’t get the kind of lift in earnings and growth from an acquisition that small.

Private Equity. Private Equity Groups (PEGs) make up a large chunk of the acquirers in the middle market, typically companies with $10 million or more in sales. There is a huge amount of PE money sitting on the sidelines looking for deals. The value of your company will move up considerably if you can get a few PEGs interested in buying your business. But most PEGs are looking for companies with at least $1 million in EBITDA. Whether you are contemplating selling now, sometime in the distant future, or not at all, there are a number of very legitimate strategies you can adopt to increase the value of your business. Growing your business to $1 million in EBITA is one of them.

Rick Bastian is chairman & CEO of Blackhawk Bank. He has received certifications as a Family Business Advisor, Exit Planning Advisor and Value Builder Advisor.

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

15

INSIGHT Guest Perspective

Dynamic income strategies for retirement Effective use of your nest egg

Steven Schou

Most conversations about retirement focus on investment diversification. Today we will discuss strategies for creating retirement income.

Think about your own retirement plan. Have you invested and diversified exactly the same as everyone else while accumulating for retirement? Are your retirement goals exactly the same as everyone else’s? Is your health history the same as everyone else’s? If not, should you really use an income strategy that’s the same as everyone else’s that doesn’t take other factors into consideration?

Some people look at their retirement as a point of destination, but it is actually a starting point where you will control your time and your income for the rest of your life. Have you spent more time on your investment diversification than on your retirement income strategies? While some of the basics for investment diversification and income strategies are universal, adapting to today’s investment world and your specific income needs are of equal importance to your enjoyment in retirement.

For most retirees today, pensions no longer exist; they have been replaced by the 401(k) plans. Over the past 20 years, accumulating money for your retirement and then creating income from the bucket of money has fallen squarely on the shoulders of the retiree. With that being the case, is a four percent standard withdrawal rate really the best option for everyone regardless of their circumstances or are there other more adaptive income strategies to be considered in the 21st century?

your retirement Klaas Financial, inc. income strategy was designed based on your desire to either use just your earnings or your earnings and principal over your life? Will you want or need the same amount of income when you’re in your 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s? What impact could changing markets have on your income? What about inflation, taxes, your family history or changes in your lifestyle as you age?

Using a Dynamic Income Strategy to manage your retirement income, while addressing your investment allocation and diversification, could be the winning tandem needed for a more effective use of your nest egg over the traditional approach.

Adapting to the changing economic environment and adjusting to your income needs through the various stages of retirement, could help you to maximize your enjoyment for the later years of your life. This type of income strategy could help provide greater income consistency and reduce the likelihood of either running out of money or accumulating excess wealth that is unlikely to be used by the retiree.

If you are looking to maximize your retirement enjoyment, but concerned about out-living your nest egg, taking a non-traditional approach to creating income in retirement may be your answer.

You only have one retirement, make sure that you are able to maximize your enjoyment!

Adapting Your Plan

Securities by licensed individuals offered through Investacorp,

You may not have heard much about using Dynamic Income Strategy, but I think that you will start to hear a lot about this type of income strategy.

What do I mean by a Dynamic Income Withdrawal Strategy? What if

Advisory Services Offered Through Klaas Financial Asset

Steven Schou is chairman & CEO, investment advisor representative, at Klaas Financial, inc., and a Certified Financial Planner™.

Inc. A registered Broker/Dealer -- Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisors, LLC -- A SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm.

Klaas Financial Asset Advisors, LLC is not affiliated with Investacorp, Inc.

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

16

October 2015 theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Industry Updates: Legal, Financial, Insurance

8. Employ Best Practices on Payment Cards. Work with banks or processors to

President Obama designated October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month to raise awareness of cybersecurity and increase the nation’s resiliency in the event of a cyber incident.

Here’s 10 tips to help businesses avoid a breach in cybersecurity.

ensure the most trusted and validated tools and anti-fraud services are being used.

You may also have additional security obligations pursuant to agreements with your bank or processor. Isolate payment

1. Train employees. Establish basic security practices and policies for employees: strong passwords, Internet use guidelines with penalties for violating company cybersecurity policies, and established rules of behavior for handling and protecting customer information.

2. Protect Information, Computers, Networks. Keep clean machines. The latest security software, web browser and operating system are the best defenses against viruses, malware and other online threats. Set antivirus software to run a scan after each update. Install other key software updates as they become available.

3. Firewall Security. A firewall is a set of related programs that prevent outsiders from accessing data on a private network. Make sure the operating system’s firewall is enabled or install free firewall software available online. If employees work from home, ensure that their home system(s) are protected by a firewall.

4. Mobile Device Action Plan. Mobile devices can create significant security

systems from other, less secure programs and don’t use the same computer to process payments and surf the Internet.

Protect your small business from cyberattack

9. Limit Employee Access to Data, Information. Do not provide any one employee with access to all data systems.

Employees should only be given access to the specific data systems that they need for their jobs, and should not be able to install

and management challenges, especially if they hold confidential information or can access the corporate network.

Require users to password protect their devices, encrypt their data, and install security apps to prevent criminals from stealing information while the phone is on public networks. Set reporting procedures for lost or stolen equipment.

6. Control Physical Access to any software without permission.

Computers; Create User Accounts 10. Passwords and Authentication. for Each Employee. Laptops can be particularly easy targets for theft or can be lost, so lock them up when unattended.

Make sure a separate user account is created for each employee, requiring strong passwords.

Administrative privileges should only be given to trusted IT staff and key personnel.

Require

employees

to

use

unique

passwords and change passwords every three months. Consider implementing multifactor authentication that requires additional information beyond a password to gain entry. Check with your vendors that handle sensitive data, especially financial

5. Backup Important Business institutions, to see if they offer multifactor Data. Regularly backup the data on all 7. Secure Your Wi-Fi Network. authentication for your account. computers including word processing documents, electronic spreadsheets, databases, financial files, human resources files and accounts receivable/ payable files. Backup data automatically if possible, or at least weekly and store the copies either offsite or in the cloud.

Make sure your Wi-Fi network is secure, encrypted and hidden. To hide it, set up your wireless access point or router so it does not broadcast the network name, known as the Service Set Identifier (SSID). Password protect access to the router.

Resources: www.fcc.gov/cyberforsmallbiz, FCC’s Cybersecurity Hub with free and lowcost security tools; www.fcc.gov/cyberplanner, security planning guide; www.dhs.gov/ stopthinkconnect.

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Industry Updates: Legal, Financial, Insurance

October 2015

17

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Understanding a living will And other key estate planning documents All three of these documents can play a key role in your overall estate plan and can help you feel more secure about your family’s financial future.

The Living Will Despite its name, a living will is not part of your “regular” will. It is a separate document – sometimes called an advance directive – that deals strictly with medical issues. This document details your specific instructions regarding your medical care should you become terminally ill or permanently unconscious and unable to express your wishes yourself.

A living will can help relieve a great deal of stress for family members who would otherwise have to make important medical decisions – like whether or not to keep you on life support or connected to a feeding tube – without knowing what you might want.

Without clear and convincing evidence of your wishes, these measures may be continued indefinitely by a

The living will, the will and the living trust – they sound similar, but each is actually a separate legal document with its own distinct purpose. hospital because of fear of liability, a doctor’s moral beliefs or a disagreement within your family about the appropriate medical response to your situation.

Talk with your family, friends and physicians to make sure everyone understands your wishes, and then consult with an attorney to have the proper legal documents prepared and notarized.

The Will The will’s primary function is to administer your assets according to your wishes when you die. If you die without a will, all individually owned assets will pass to your heirs according to state laws. The court will divide your assets as

it sees fit, not necessarily as you might have wished.

Many people assume having a will can help avoid probate. In fact, having only a will with no other estate planning documents guarantees that your estate will go through probate, which can take months or years and be very costly.

The Living Trust You can avoid probate by holding some or all of your assets in a trust. The simplest of these is called a revocable living trust. It holds your assets for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries, including yourself. You appoint a trustee (who may be yourself) to manage those assets. If you appoint yourself as trustee, you’ll want to appoint a successor trustee to manage the assets if you become incapacitated and when you die.

Living trust can be funded with assets such as bank accounts, securities, certificates of deposit and mutual funds. Transferring other assets, such as tangible personal property, real property or business interests, can be more

complicated and requires

Chris Perry U.S. Bank

an attorney’s help. You must report all income your trust assets generate on your personal income tax return, but a living trust doesn’t create adverse tax consequences during your lifetime.

To cover assets that you didn’t transfer to the trust, such as items of sentimental value, create a pour-over will. This provides that any individually owned assets are “poured-over” to your trust at death. Unlike a will, assets held in trust don’t have to go through probate, so they can be distributed quickly, confidentially and with little expense.

Chris Perry, MBA, CFP®, is assistant vice president, relationship manager, trust officer at U.S. Bank Private Client Group.

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

18

October 2015 theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Industry Updates: Legal, Financial, Insurance

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Wellness programs offer numerous benefits for employers, employees Healthcare costs are on the rise and employers are diligently looking to find dollars in the budget to support the increased health insurance renewal rates.

The workforce is stressed, over extended, maxed to the limit and stagnant in their jobs. Many employees are operating through the workday feeling sick, tired, unmotivated and stressed.

The time is now for companies to invest in the health of their workforce through implementing comprehensive wellness solutions.

It may seem like a tough task to tackle – improving a business’ bottom line while boosting employee morale – but numerous studies have shown an effective wellness program can do just that. Robust wellness programming has proven to decrease workers compensation and short-term disability claims, reduce absenteeism and improved attention. Healthier employees represent the company with pride.

Established workplace wellness programs attract new talent and show the employer cares about their employees.

So, how does one go about implementing a wellness program that will achieve all of these results? For a

wellness program to launch (and succeed), executive leadership must be engaged and supportive. It is encouraged to incorporate wellness into the company’s overall vision. Employers should focus on integrating workplace wellness into policies, daily practices and offer behavior change opportunities.

Building a Team According to the Wellness Council of America, the next step is to create a cohesive wellness team, with multiple people buying in throughout different levels of the organization. The third and fundamental component to creating a results-oriented wellness program is collecting data. Analytics could be reviewed from self-funded claims, interest surveys, health risk assessments and biometric screenings, to name a few. The results of this analysis will be what are needed to drive the wellness program direction.

Components of a wellness program may include health evaluations, opportunities for staff to understand their current health status and an analysis of conditions before they turn into major

illnesses. As 75 percent of healthcare costs are preventable, prevention is key to reduce risk and ultimately healthcare costs.

Boosting Participation To further engage employees, wellness challenges are an excellent option to encourage competition individually, across other employer groups and within the company. Working towards wellness goals can promote unity, teamwork and camaraderie among staff. Onsite classes and wellness fairs are convenient ways to offer education opportunities.

Walking programs, employer-sponsored 5k events, active workstations, health club reimbursement and onsite fitness centers are common additions to customized wellness solutions. Creative program design would encompass the member as a whole working towards social, intellectual, sleep, resilience, financial and safety training.

To produce even further results, evaluate the demographics of the staff and determine the best incentive structure to drive participation. It is observed that employers who do not use incentives

reported lower Shelly Wagner participation Williams-Manny rates with a median of roughly 20 percent employees. With the use of nominal incentives in the workplace, participation rates can increase up to 35 percent. When annual rewards for wellness participation reach the $500 range, observations have shown an even higher increase – up to 80 percent – of employee participation rates.

The employee is the most valuable asset to the company. Providing workplace wellness programming will ensure job satisfaction and raise retention rates.

There is a direct correlation between the heath of the workforce and the bottom line of the company. Help take your company to the next level by looking into what improvements could be made by implementing a wellness program today.

Shelly Wagner is wellness coordinator at Williams-Manny.

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

20

October 2015 theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Industry Updates: Legal, Financial, Insurance

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Avoid these scary investment moves Planning for the long term

Whether you have young children or not, you’re probably well aware that Halloween is almost here. Despite the plethora of skeletons and ghosts you might see that week, you probably don’t have much to fear (except, possibly, running out of candy). But in real life, some things genuinely are frightening — such as “scary” investment moves.

Of course, investing, by its very nature, is not a risk-free endeavor. Ideally, the risks also are accompanied by the possibility of reward. Nonetheless, some investment moves carry very little in the way of “upside” potential and should be avoided.

Not Investing The scariest investment move you can make is not to invest at all — because if you don’t invest, you are highly unlikely to achieve a comfortable retirement or meet any other important financial goals. In a recent survey conducted by the National Council on Aging and other groups, 45 percent of the respondents who were 60 or older said they wished they had saved more money, and almost one-third said they wished they had made better investments.

So make investing a priority — and choose some investments that have the potential to provide you with the growth you’ll need to meet your objectives.

Overreacting to “Scary” Headlines The financial markets like stability, not uncertainty. So the next time you see some news about domestic political squabbles or unsettling geopolitical events, such as conflicts in foreign lands, don’t be surprised if you see a drop, perhaps a sizable one, in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and other market indices. But these declines are usually short-lived. Of course, the markets do not exist in isolation — they can and will be affected by what’s happening in the world. Yet, over the longer term, market movements are mostly governed by mun-

Will Geske

dane, non-headEdward Jones line-grabbing factors, such as corporate earnings, interest rate movements, personal income levels, and so on.

Here’s the point: Don’t overreact to those scary headlines, or even to shortterm market drops. Instead, focus on the fundamentals driving your investments — and maintain a long-term perspective.

Chasing Hot Investments You can receive tips on “hot” investments from multiple sources: television, the Internet, your friends, your relatives — the list goes on and on. But by the time you get to these investments, they may already have cooled off — and, in any case, may not be appropriate for your needs. Stick with investments that offer good prospects and are suitable for your risk tolerance.

Failing to Diversify When it comes to investing, “too much of a good thing” is a relevant term. If your portfolio is dominated by one type of asset class, such as aggressive growth stocks, and we experience a downturn that is particularly hard on those stocks, you could face sizable losses. But if you spread your investment dollars among growth stocks, international stocks, bonds, government securities and certificates of deposit (CDs), you can lessen the impact of a market drop.

Keep in mind, though, that while diversification can reduce the effects of volatility, it can’t guarantee a profit or prevent losses.

Halloween is over quickly. But scary investment moves can have a lasting effect — so stay away from them.

Will Geske is a financial advisor with Edward Jones.

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

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

October 2015

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

What happened to primary care in America?

When I was growing up five decades ago in a Central Texas town very much like Rockford in size and character, our family physician was Dr. John Hall. Dr. Hall knew the life and medical history of every member of our family. We never felt rushed during our office visits. Dr. Hall would systematically inquire about every detail relevant to the problem at hand and patiently explain the treatment options. Either he or his partner was available 24/7. I remember him even coming to our home one weekend to give my mother an injection for a debilitating episode of migraine headaches.

The decades passed and my father reached his last years. Dr. Hall knew my father’s character and our family well enough to help us make the difficult decision not to pursue aggressive measures to prolong my father’s life. This kind of care today is called “concierge care.” Then it was just called “primary care.”

Changes in Primary Care Today, “concierge care” is a term used when an individual pays a primary care doctor, usually several thousand dollars a year, to provide the same level of care that Dr. Hall provided to all of his patients.

Doctors that provide concierge care generally care for 300 to 500 patients, rather than the usual 2,000 to 4,000 patients.

A friend recently asked my thoughts on concierge care. He was embarrassed to ask about it but had not been able to get a thorough exam from his physician and felt he needed one. My response? “If you can afford to, it is money well spent.”

So, how did this happen and what have been its consequences? In the mid 1990s, a consolidation in the health insurance industry, called “managed care,” resulted in the simultaneous displacement of patients from their long-established primary care relationships and sharply reduced payments to primary care providers. In Rockford, a primary care doctor now is paid $105 for a moderately complex office visit by Medicare. Working eight hours a day, five days a week, 48 weeks a year, and after covering office expenses and benefits, a primary care practice paid at this rate produces an annual income of about $136,000 a year.

This is one third of the average income of a doctor that performs procedures, who are paid much more per unit of work.

The unsurprising response is that most primary care providers will try to see more patients during the day, often 30 to 40 at an average of 12 to 15 minutes per patient.

The result is less knowledge of the patient’s overall health, less attention to detail and less availability of appointments.

In 2001, a study of 20,000 adults in America found that on average, people who went to their doctor had a 55 percent

chance of Dr. Guy Clifton receiving one of ACTIN Care Groups 439 medically indicated preventive measures and treatments that everyone should have, such as mammograms and treatment of high blood pressure. (N Engl J Med 348:263545,2003) Hence, the emergence of concierge care — for those who can afford it.

The problem not only is the mechanization of primary care, but also the displacement of patients from it.

This result of underfinancing of primary care buys the United States some very expensive hospitalizations. In 2008, one in every 10 hospitalizations was determined to be preventable by primary care. (HCUP, Statistical Brief #99, 2010) Two common examples are undetected and untreated pneumonia that becomes so severe that hospitalization is required and diabetes, which should be readily managed as an outpatient, going out of control.

Concierge Care as the Standard Can this problem be solved? Certainly.

From 2011 to 2013, my colleagues and I found in chronically ill children that by increasing the time spent with their primary care provider, staffing up to provide walk-in hours on weekday mornings and by being available to the children’s parents 24/7 -- the rate of hospitalizations was cut in half. The rate of serious illnesses was reduced 60 percent. Even with the increased cost of this concierge care, there was a net reduction in total healthcare spending of 30 percent. (JAMA, 312(24):2640-8,2014) The solution is to provide conciergelevel care as the standard for primary care — not just for those with discretionary income. This, however, requires an investment in primary care; and where will the money come from? The initial cost of concierge care is recovered many times over simply by the savings in the number of hospitalizations prevented and serious illnesses avoided. The question is who, in a well-satisfied medical industry, will make the decision to reallocate resources when that will result in decreased overall healthcare spending — and better health?

Dr. Guy Clifton is founding chair of the department of neurosurgery at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston and CEO of ACTIN Care Groups, a licensed Illinois Preferred Provider Program administrator that provides care coordination, concierge primary care and centers of excellence in specialty care for employees of self-insured employers in Winnebago and Boone counties.

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

Industry Updates: Legal, Financial, Insurance

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22

Two physician groups join OSF Largest surgical group in the region OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center announced that the physicians of The Rockford Surgical Service and Perryville Surgical Associates, Rockford, Ill., have joined OSF Medical Group to create the largest surgical group in the region.

Named

OSF

Surgical

Group

– Rockford, and located at the State and Roxbury building, 5668 E. State St., Suite 1000, the group includes 14 surgeons and a nurse practitioner, and offers a broad range of surgical services including general, cardiovascular, trauma/critical care, burn care, colorectal, breast, peripheral vascular and oncology. These surgical disciplines expand the subspecialty surgery practices of orthopedics, ENT, gynecology and plastic surgery, which already are a part of OSF. The combined surgical experience and expertise will provide patients with access to the most sophisticated surgical capabilities in the Rockford region,

October 2015 theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Industry Updates: Legal, Financial, Insurance

including

robotics

and

minimally invasive vascular care.

The surgeons will have access to Mayo Clinic resources as part of OSF Healthcare System’s participation in the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

Evidence-Based Practice “OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center is a pioneer in trauma/critical care, as we have developed the city’s only American College of Surgeon’s certified Trauma Center,” said Sue Fernandez, administrator and executive director of Accountable Care Service for OSF Medical Group. “That is due, in part to the excellent work performed by surgeons from both of these practices, and that is why this collaboration makes perfect sense.

These surgeons have now joined OSF Medical Group’s more than 650-member physician group and will be a part of our team-based approach to create an integrated system of patient-centered care.”

Jeffrey Barteau, M.D., formerly of The Rockford Surgical Service, said: “Bringing care to the next level requires a systematic approach, incorporating modern strategies of evidence-based best practice protocols, measurement of outcomes, and early adoption of stateof-the-art developments. Becoming part of the OSF family will help us bring the next level of world-class surgical quality to the Rockford community and the entire Northern Illinois region and our groups are very excited for this opportunity.”

For more information, call 815-2297580 or visit osfsaintanthony.org.

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Cyber liability:

It’s not just for Wall Street We are all familiar with the horror stories on the news regarding the “hacking” of Target, Best Buy, Sony and Home Depot. The list goes on and on. As technology continues to evolve, we will likely become more susceptible to these types of attacks. According to a 2014 NetDiligence Cyber claims study, the majority of data breach incidents originate from within a company and cost on average $700,000. Compared to the average cost of a building fire, which is around $30,000, a cyber attack can be much more detrimental to a business.

Cyber Liability Claims Despite the fact that cyber attacks are so costly, only a small percentage of all commercial insurance buyers actually purchase cyber liability policies. The number one reason cited is a perceived lack of exposure. Business owners often have the misconception that identity theft only happens in the corporate world. They also may not understand how cyber liability can protect their business.

Let’s address the misconception that some businesses do not have a cyber liability exposure. Here are the historical cyber claims statistics by industry:

Dana Kiley CoyleKiley Insurance Agency, Inc.

carry an exposure, let’s address the product itself. We want to examine what is covered, both firstparty and third-party coverages. Firstparty: Cyber terrorism, cyber extortion, business interruption, data restoration, notification costs (including crisis management expenses). Third-party: technology professional liability, media liability, network security and privacy liability, regulatory liability.

Security Checklist So how do you properly protect your business in the event of a cyber security attack? I would start by speaking with a qualified risk management advisor.

Cyber liability package policies are now widely available and offer a vast array of optional coverages. However, beyond buying insurance protection, business owners and/or company risk managers should review their risk management procedures.

Here is a helpful checklist courtesy of the FCC. ■■ Train employees in security principles.

■■ Government/armed services, 44%

■■ Protect information, computers and networks from cyber attacks.

■■ Non-financial businesses (retail, wholesale, manufacturing, etc.), 33%

■■ Provide firewall security for your Internet connection.

■■ Health care, 16%

■■ Create a mobile device action plan.

■■ Education, 4%

■■ Make backup copies of important business data and information.

■■ Financial services, 3% Virtually every industry is susceptible to data breach and identity theft. Here are some questions to ask yourself when assessing your firm’s exposure:

■■ Control physical access to computers and create user accounts for each employee.

■■ Have you ever experienced a data breach or system attack?

■■ Employ best practices on payment cards.

■■ Do you collect, store or transact any personal, financial or health data?

■■ Limit employee access to data and information, and limit authority to install software.

■■ Do you outsource any computer network operations?

■■ Do you allow outside contractors to manage your data or network?

■■ Do you partner with other entities, and does this involve data sharing?

■■ Does your posted privacy policy align with your actual data management practices?

■■ Have you had a recent cyber-risk assessment?

Cyber Policy Cover Now that acknowledged businesses

we have essentially that virtually all

■■ Secure WiFi networks.

■■ Use unique passwords with symbols as they are infinitely harder to break.

Change passwords monthly.

■■ Authorize a third party vendor to perform a Cyber Risk Assessment audit.

Dana Kiley is president and commercial business advisor of CoyleKiley Insurance Agency, Inc., an independent insurance agency in Rockford.

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

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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October 2015

Where have the workers gone?

In early September, the U.S. Labor Department reported that the national unemployment rate had dropped to 5.1 percent in August.

That’s the lowest it has been since April 2008 when the rate was 5.0 percent … and immediately the report became a political football with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump saying the “real unemployment rate is 42 percent.”

That prompted the blog fivethirtyeight.com – a favorite of stat nuts worldwide – to delve deeper into the trends behind the numbers, including how quickly the unemployed are finding work, wages and the percentage of adults that are working.

The final statistic touches on the labor pool, which hasn’t rebounded.

Those who believe the unemployment numbers are masking a weak economy believe the shrinking labor pool is because many have simply stopped looking for work. Those who believe the economy is on solid footing place the blame on demographic trends, including

the retiring “Baby Boomer” generation.

In Rockford, according to the latest figures from the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the number of people employed and unemployed has fallen from 178,032 in July, 2007 to 172,106 in July, 2014. That’s 6,759 fewer workers. In Rockford though, the shift is easier to explain. People in greater numbers have not only left the work force but also have left the area.

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Boone and Winnebago counties have seen its population drop from 350,765 in 2007 to 342,411 in 2014. That’s a decline of 8,354 people.

And according to the Social Security Administration, the number of retired workers collecting Social Security has climbed from 39,055 at the end of 2007 to 46,335 at the end of 2014.

Growing companies that can find workers to fill its needs tend to find new places to do business. The shrinking work force is yet another reason why Transform Rockford was formed.

Alex Gary is a Transform Rockford volunteer.

Boone-Winnebago county worker trends, by the numbers Year

Labor Force*

Population

Retired Workers

2007

178,032

350,765

39,055

2008

175,080

353,381

40,215

2009

173,891

353,722

41,375

2010

179,766

349,431

42,545

2011

177,660

347,890

43,395

2012

176,807

345,803

44,500

2013

171,860

344,755

45,465

2014

171,273

342,411

46,335

2015

172,106

NA

NA

*Labor force is the number of employed and unemployed workers.

Sources: Illinois Department of Employment Security, U.S. Census Bureau, Social Security Administration

What should Rockford look like in 2025 The charge of Transform Rockford is to make the city one of the top 25 places to live by 2025.

It’s an ambitious and ambiguous goal. How do you decide what are the top 25 places to live? There are lots of magazines and websites that publish top lists. One of the more respected is Livability.com, which puts out such lists as “10 Best College Towns,” “If You Love Pizza, Here’s Where to Live,” and “The Best Stops on Route 66.”

In September, Livability released its 2016 Best Places to Live among cities with populations between 20,000 and 350,000.

These are cities Rockford aspires to be.

The cities were ranked by its amenities, demographics, economies, education, health care, housing, social and civic capital and transportation and infrastructure.

Livability score (based on eight components)

1. Rochester, Minn.

2. Bellevue, Wash.

3. Madison, Wis. 4. Santa Barbara, Calif.

5. Boulder, Colo.

6. Palo Alto, Calif.

7. Bismarck, N.D. 8. Ann Arbor, Mich.

9. Iowa City, Iowa 10. Sioux Falls, S.D. 11. Walnut Creek, Calif.

12. San Mateo, Calif.

13. Fort Collins, Colo.

14. Overland Park, Kan. 15. Fargo, N.D. 16. Rapid City, S.D. 17. Rockville, Md. 18. Ashland, Ore. 19. Santa Cruz, Calif.

20. Olympia, Wash.

21. Charlottesville, Va. 22. Edina, Minn.

23. Longmont, Colo.

24. Littleton, Colo.

25. Kirkland, Wash.

674 670 651 651 649 646 645 643 642 640 639 638 638 636 636 635 631 631 631 630 630 629 629 627 627

One direction key for economic development

By Alex Gary When it comes to the local economy, there is no shortage of intelligent people paid to make it stronger.

Boone and Winnebago counties both have economic development groups – the Rockford Area Economic Development Council and Belvidere’s Growth Dimensions – and all of the large cities and villages and counties employ an economic development director.

One of Transform Rockford’s spokes is dedicated to economy and jobs as well.

There’s a lot of brain power working on how to turn around a Rockford economy, where the average local resident was slightly better off than the average United States resident as recently as the mid-1990s to one where a typical local worker now earns more than 20 percent less than the U.S. average.

Spitaman Tata, one of co-leads of the spoke, said Transform Rockford is being careful not to duplicate the work already being done.

Without going into details of the strategic initiatives his group plans to unveil by the end of the year, Tata said “we see our role as helping to create more collaboration among all these groups.” Tata was born in India but has worked for Woodward Inc., for more than 30 years.

“We’ve been very intrigued by (Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott) Christiansen’s move to get seven counties working together to market the region,” said Tata, a continuous improvement manager for Woodward.

Marketing a Seven-County Region In late July, Christiansen called a meeting of county and city leaders in which Jason Anderson, head of the Greater Rochelle Economic Development Corp., outlined a plan where Lee, Ogle, Winnebago, Boone,

McHenry, Stephenson and DeKalb counties would work together.

One of the people that would be intimately involved in that work is Tata’s co-lead. Belvidere native Jarid Funderburg took over Growth Dimensions in October, 2014 and joined as co-lead of the Transform Rockford economy and jobs spoke about two months ago.

“I’ve been a supporter of this movement since the first meeting at the Coronado Theater,” Funderburg said of the November, 2013 Transform Rockford kickoff. “This is bigger than Belvidere. We shouldn’t be competing with each other for jobs or with Beloit (Wis.) or Madison.

We should be trying to draw companies from Canada, Singapore and Brazil.”

Funderburg also didn’t want to talk too many specifics, especially since he still is catching up on the work of the spoke so far. He did echo a point also made by Tata; coordinating the various groups doing workforce development will be key as well.

“There are lots of groups in workforce development doing similar things,” Funderburg said. “We need to find a way for these groups to work together and make sure the employers and employees know they are available.”

Alex Gary is president of Alex Gary Communications Inc., and a Transform Rockford volunteer.

Per capita personal income Rockford MSA U.S.

1973

$5,542

$5,564

1993

$20,806

$22,649

1983 2003

2013*

$12,322 $28,926

$37,505

Latest data available

$13,263 $34,086

$46,177

Metropolitan area is Boone and Winnebago counties Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis

24

October 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Rockford University PERSPECTIVE

Reflections on leadership What’s the purpose for what we do?

I recently attended the Global Leadership Summit, organized and held at Willow Creek Church in suburban Chicago and simulcast around the world.

Reportedly, more than 250,000 people attended this year’s summit in 875 cities, 120 countries. I, along with a few hundred others, attended the Rockford location, hosted by Heartland Church. The event was inclusive of those of all faiths or no faith; its focus was on leadership. I came away from the summit inspired to be a better leader.

Below are a few highlights from the event you might be able to apply to your daily work. The speakers were a host of business and church leaders. I will share some of what I learned from just three.

The first speaker was Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Church. He shared what he believes are the five intangibles of leadership: grit (steely determination), self-awareness (know what drives you), resourcefulness (agility), self-sacrificing love (show people that you care for them) and creating a sense of meaning (share the how, what and why of what we do).

What struck me most was the reminder to show people that we care, and the responsibility leaders have to help others in the organization understand why we do what we do. I had a chance to implement this at our opening conference for faculty and staff at Rockford University last month. Rather than simply providing a report of our activities, I shared a quote from the late Professor Chip Anderson of UCLA, “what would you do if you really loved students?” In my line of work, students are our customers. Students need to be the priority in everything that we do, and we need to show them we care.

I also shared thoughts about the how, what and why of what we do.

Take Ownership Another speaker was Horst Schulze, former CEO of Ritz-Carlton Hotels. If you have stayed in a Ritz-Carlton hotel, you know it is different than most other chains. I had the wonderful opportunity to stay at the Denver location about 20 years ago, during the time Schulze was CEO. Schulze reminded us that customers want three things: a defect-free product/service, timeliness and people to be nice. He noted that the last item was the most important, and the first 10 seconds of customer interaction is crucial.

At Ritz Carlton hotels, all employees are expected to provide excellent customer service and to solve problems for customers (there is no “passing the buck”). He gave an example of a waiter in a hotel restaurant that learns the television in the customer’s room is not working.

That issue becomes his to resolve. The waiter will comp the meal and ensure

a replacement Dr. Eric W. Fulcomer television is Rockford University delivered to the room immediately. By owning the problem and providing excellent customer service in every interaction, customer loyalty is created and maintained. My takeaway was a fresh reminder of the importance of customer service and the need to empower employees to solve customer problems.

Challenge Yourself A third speaker of note was Liz Wiseman, president of The Wiseman Group. She cautioned leaders to be aware of when we have plateaued at work. Some indications include: things running smoothly, being busy but bored, and having all of the answers. She noted when we reach a work plateau, we become less effective. She suggested five ways to “pivot” at this career point: throw away your notes, ask questions, admit what you don’t know, let someone else take the lead, and disqualify yourself by taking on a set of responsibilities for which you are not qualified (or change jobs).

I recall feeling plateaued after working at a previous university for nearly two decades. I felt I had tried all of the new things I could try to move the needle forward. For me, I chose to accept a similar position with a new university to apply my knowledge in a new environment. When you change jobs, there is discomfort and challenge. In my case, this was just what I needed to reenergize my work and to move off of a career plateau.

I returned from my two days at the summit reenergized to do my best work. The dates for next year’s Global Leadership Summit are Aug. 11 and 12.

I hope to attend. I leave you with some challenges.

■■ Are you regularly inspiring your employees by reminding them why we do what we do?

■■ Are you ensuring that those in your organization are providing excellent customer service and empowering employees to be problem solvers?

■■ Have you reached a plateau in your work?

■■ If so, how can you challenge yourself to work differently? I invite you to join me in working to become a better leader in all aspects of your life.

Dr. Eric W. Fulcomer is vice president for enrollment management at Rockford University.

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

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October 2015

Large or small, public/private partnerships add vitality, energy, visitors Are you ready for some IceHogs hockey? The popular and successful minor league affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks (three-times-in-six-seasons Stanley Cup champs) plays their season-opener home game on Oct. 17 at the BMO Harris Bank Center in downtown Rockford.

Attendance at their games continues to show strong growth; it was more than 4,800 per game at last count. In addition to the Rockford area, fans come from McHenry County and the greater Chicago area. In our business, we call them “visitors!” In 2014, the IceHogs’ economic impact was more than $3 million, according to the team.

Chamber members know that total visitor spending in Winnebago County for 2014 was $340 million, so part of that is due to the impressive IceHogs.

IceHogs General Manager Mark Bernard said, “The IceHogs have had a tremendous impact on Rockford, being a consistent factor in growing businesses downtown like bars and restaurants, and creating local business.”

BMO Harris Bank Center was built as the MetroCentre in 1981 at a cost of $16 million, much of it paid for by state funds. In 2003 a $3.8 million grant from the State of Illinois and a $23 million renovation in 2006 helped update the venue. In addition, the City of Rockford annually invests in the operation of the center, along with the Coronado Performing Arts Center and Davis Park.

Other Public/Private Partnership Successes Thinking about the significant economic impact of the Rockford IceHogs, owned by the City of Rockford, made me think of other public/private partnerships we enjoy as community assets, and how important it is to continue these types of partnerships.

Rockford City Market is phenomenally vibrant public/private collaboration. The Rock River Development Partnership produces the market in collaboration with the City of Rockford and the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Begun in 2010, City Market welcomed 20,000 visitors with 40 vendors. It ended 2014 with 75,000 visitors and an economic impact of $8.7 million at the market and at downtown businesses. At least half a dozen vendors have expanded their businesses to a storefront.

John Groh Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

And what about events like Screw City Beer Fest or the holiday celebration of Stroll on State? These events, and others like them, benefit from investments made by the City of Rockford. For example, Screw City Beer Fest takes place on the intentionally designed festival zone along Main Street. Stroll on State happens throughout downtown Rockford and is executed after careful planning and coordination with city staff members. During Stroll’s first year, nearly 30,000 people dined, shopped and were entertained by live performances at the free family festival.

The 2014 event drew 60,000 people, thanks to more than 700 volunteers, partners and sponsors. Stroll returns this year on Saturday, Nov. 28.

Need for More FamilyFriendly Activities Locally, we have data that our residents want to make our region more welcoming to visitors by having more “amusements, activities, entertainment” such as “unique attractions, sports, outdoor activities, free/low-cost activities, festivals, familyfriendly events, big events, musical events and concerts.” This was one of the outcomes of the 2015 Citizen Survey commissioned by RACVB. On a larger scale, Oxford Economics released a major analysis of the visitor industry that analyzed data of 237 Metropolitan Statistical Areas over a 20-year period. One highlight of the study was that cities with a higher concentration of visitor-related industries and amenities tend to grow faster than the average community.

Also, higher levels of leisure visits positively affect population growth and employment growth at the local level.

So whether the public/private partnerships support and enhance cozy street fairs or large-scale venues and events with throngs of fans, let’s keep activating our streets and neighborhoods for both residents and visitors. That’s a sure sign of a healthy community, and is representative of the type of community I think we all want to live in.

John Groh is president & CEO of the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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

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October 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Where Are They Now? The second year of the Rockford Chamber’s 40 Leaders Under 40 program, in 2009, brought another impressive list of area movers, shakers and up-and-comers.

Here’s a look at what some of them are doing now!

Dr. Brant Hulsebus What are you up to now? I am an owner of Hulsebus Rockford Chiropractic and busy with the IceHogs and Aviators. Since 2009, I have had two major injuries to my right arm that allowed me to study more, and I am almost finished with my pediatric chiropractic certification (advanced studying in care for newborns and toddlers, along with care for pregnant mothers.) During that time, the IceHogs changed and now we are with the Blackhawks.

This has allowed me to be able to go to the United Center and be the chiropractor for the Blackhawks as well. I always dreamed of being a professional athlete, but being in the locker room as a chiropractor is a great second option.

What would be the most valuable lesson you’ve learned? You get out of Rockford what you put in. The more work I have done with the hockey team, the greater the rewards. It’s been the same with Next Rockford and everything else in the community.

What advice would you give to those coming up in your industry?

Partner up. Staying current with today’s new health care laws is almost a full-time job. We have remodeled our lower level and added room for two new chiropractors; a place where we all can work as a team to stay current with the health care changes.

Who is your role model and why?

Dr. Robert Hulsebus, my grandfather.

He practiced here and in Byron. He started in 1949. It was illegal for chiropractors to practice until 1963. I have had struggles with the health care changes and overall acceptance of chiropractics, but I never have had

(above, left) In 2009, Dr. Hulsebus was practicing with Hulsebus Rockford Chiropractic and busy with the Rockford IceHogs. (above, right) Dr. Hulsebus poses with the Stanley Cup in 2013, the year of the NHL strike, when half of the Chicago Blackhawks played in Rockford. Hulsebus’ involvement with the IceHogs and its change in affiliation has allowed him to go to the United Center and be the chiropractor for the Chicago Blackhawks as well. to worry about going to jail, like he did daily for 14 years.

Any key turning points in your career or family? The biggest turning point for me was the birth of my twins. They were born early, and I found myself being the patient instead of the doctor. It opened my eyes and helped me to want to earn my pediatric certification.

Cindy Harris What are you up to now? I’m senior manager, social/digital media, at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

I’m responsible for social media communications strategies for BCBSA channels as well as projects that promote the 36 BCBS plans across the country among key stakeholders including consumers, business decision makers and industry thought leaders.

(above, left) In 2009, Harris was working for KMK Media Group as marketing communications manager; handling media planning, public relations and social media. (above, right) Harris with her son says her role model is any working mom.

What would be the most valuable lesson you’ve learned? Don’t be afraid to take the next step in your career. Welcome and investigate fully any opportunities that may come up, since you never know where they may lead.

What advice would you give to those coming up in your industry?

Remember to keep a balance between career and personal life. My chosen field — communications and public relations — is 24/7/365, and you can literally work around the clock. But it’s important to turn your computer off and have a life. It’ll make you much more effective in the long run. One of my first bosses told me to go home on time every night unless it’s an emergency, because the work will still be there in the morning. It’s some of the best advice I’ve gotten.

Here are some questions from 2009 …

Adjective that best describes you.

Determined. Dr. Brant Hulsebus Determined. Cindy Harris Pet peeve.

Those who just complain and have no action steps. Dr. Brant Hulsebus People who don’t acknowledge emails, even if it’s an “I’ll get back to you” message. Cindy Harris Any hidden talents?

After my hockey injury in 2010, I have been taking photography classes.

I thought it would be safer than hockey. Dr. Brant Hulsebus What do you like to do “off the clock”?

Spending time with my four daughters. Dr. Brant Hulsebus I enjoy spending time with my son and exploring all the wonderful cultural offerings in Chicago. Cindy Harris When I grow up, I want to be …

More politically active with health care laws. Dr. Brant Hulsebus A role model for my son, to show him how strong and successful women can be. Cindy Harris

Who is your role model and why?

Any working mom! It can be a tricky balancing act, so I look up to those who can do it.

Any key turning points in your career or family? Joining the Blue Cross Blue Shield companies — first with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois and now with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association — has been a challenging and rewarding experience. Previously, I experienced the provider side of the industry through communications positions at Rockford Health System and Northwest Community Hospital, so learning about the payer role has been tremendously interesting and rewarding, particularly during the era of the Affordable Care Act.

Bit of Trivia…

We’re not sure if this still is true, but in 2009 …

Thirty-seven out of 40 of the 2009 40 Leaders Under 40 had earned a four-year college degree or higher.

16 Bachelor’s Degrees 16 Master’s Degrees 2 Doctorates 2 Juris Doctorates

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

27

October 2015

Regional, National Indicators THE ECONOMY

Rockford schools in the national limelight Thousands volunteering their time Our community is poised to receive national recognition for how we prepare students of the Rockford Public Schools for high-skill, high-wage futures.

Community leaders and school district leaders from five states will visit us Oct. 19 to 20 to attend the Alignment Institute and learn how we have implemented high school academies. Delegates from Ford Next Generation Learning will be there, too, and are ready to honor Rockford in a big way.

We will be able to share details later this month. But I hope you are as proud as I am of what we continue to achieve for our students.

As I shared at last month’s Education Outlook Luncheon, RPS 205 continues to take steps toward raising student achievement, improving facilities and creating a pipeline from birth to career.

In four years, we raised our average ACT nearly a point, to 18.5. That’s still below the state average, but we are heading in the right direction. We are at the state average of 94 percent for student attendance, a two percent increase since 2011. Our five-year graduation rate is above 70 percent, and we’ve seen impressive gains in the graduation rate for African-American and Hispanic students.

We have invested $250 million in a 10year facilities plan, which has changed the way people feel about their school system.

Our work, by no means, is done.

What’s more, we have done none of this alone. If the public schools have received traction, it’s because so many people in this community understand that learning can’t take place in isolation.

They have stepped up to help us build the pipeline.

Your Contributions Necessary More than 5,400 volunteers signed up last year with our Parent and Community Engagement Department, offering more than $1.4 million in value to students.

Volunteers with Alignment Rockford offered another $2 million in time and expertise.

These are the kind of experiences we can offer because of your contributions: Each year, our freshmen attend the Academy Expo at the BMO Harris Bank Center to learn about careers. This year’s expo is Oct. 15. We had 700 volunteers last year. This year, we could have even more.

Our sophomores are able to apply their learning via a workplace visit. No fewer than 70 companies last year volunteered to host students, making these critical real-world experiences possible.

Juniors can enroll in ACT prep courses.

Sunil Puri and First Midwest Group

helped us reach nearly 500 students last year by offering incentives for completion, contests for improvement and lunch for students who attend the courses. We have more than tripled the number of students in ACT prep in three years.

Seniors can choose a senior seminar or Capstone learning experience. This assures students leaving us are ready for the high-level thinking, collaboration and creativity required, whether they join companies or colleges right out of school.

We want seniors to demonstrate that the knowledge they possess is more expansive than the binders they carry.

We’d like to grow these opportunities, but to meet that challenge, we need you.

Your commitment can be as small or as large as you’d like.

You can be a guest speaker in an eighth grade careers course or for our freshman seminar, which both help students pick a college and career academy.

Your company can host a workplace visit. We are grateful for the companies that participated last year, but we’d like every sophomore to be able to experience a work environment.

You might want to judge a Capstone panel or senior seminar, offering that extra push for a student to be successful after he or she graduates.

These are things you can do to help us prevent leaks in the pipeline. If you would like to volunteer or learn more, please visit our partner, Alignment Rockford, at AlignmentRockford.com and click “register an organization.”

Rock Valley College and Northern Illinois University have already done impressive work on the pipeline. Their strong partnership will allow students to graduate with an engineering degree from NIU for $35,000, all without leaving the Rockford area.

At the other end of the pipeline, the district has an award-winning early childhood program that’s serving 600 more students than four years ago.

There are 120 more full-day seats in kindergarten.

We are being recognized nationally, regionally and locally for our results in RPS 205. We are grateful for the community’s support, but we need a sustained and even greater commitment to provide a consistent experience for our students.

Let’s keep it going.

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.

U.S. Indicators August 2015 Consumer Price Index



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

0.1 percent 5.1 percent

      

173,000 $0.08 0.2 percent 0.2 percent (second quarter, 2015) 3.3 percent (second quarter, 2015) 1.8 percent 1.4 percent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Population Clock As of Sep. 29, 2015

U.S. 321,850,488

World 7,275,844,020

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Unemployment Rates Region / State / Nation Apr 15

May 15

June 15

July 15

Rockford

5.8

5.9

6.1

7.1

Chicago

5.9

6.0

6.3

6.1

Illinois

6.0

6.0

5.9

5.8

United States

5.4

5.5

5.3

5.3

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Illinois named third best State overall for women’s equality WalletHub.com compared the 50 U.S. states across 11 key metrics, from the gap between female and male executives to the disparity between women’s and men’s unemployment rates.

Women’s Equality in Illinois Rating ....... Gap 21............... Earnings 18............... Work Hours 1................. Educational Attainment 5................. Minimum-Wage Workers 1................. Unemployment Rate 5................. Entrepreneurship 18............... Political Representation (1=Best; 25=Avg.)

Source: WalletHub.com

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October 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

the News IN Members THEin NEWS

1. Heather Kelley

2. Rev. Huntley Brown

3. Jennifer Sipes

4. Nicole Stiplosek

5. Bill Miller

6. Shannon McElroy

7. Eileen M. Liezert

8. Lauren Stoklosa

9. Phil Samuels

10. Jay Sandine

11. Jessica Rhodes

12. Kassandra Vaughn

13. Shane Heeren

14. Kristina M. Hawthorne

15. Ross Grimes

16. Annette Hildreth

17. Dr. Jillian Kaskavage

18. Steven Vaccaro

19. Chelsea Bullen

20. Stuart Boerst

21. Mick Magalski

22. Lee Reibold

23. Shelton Kay

24. Dr. Arvind Mahatme

BOARD APPOINTMENTS Heather Kelley (1), V2 Marketing Communications, was elected to serve as Governor-Elect of American Advertising Federation (AAF) District 6.

Boylan Central Catholic High School named its new board of consultors: Thomas Baudhuin, Papa John’s of Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin; Father John Evans, St. Rita Church; Sherri Krowczyk-Mendoza, McGladrey; Honorable John Lowry, associate judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit Court; Brian Peterson, Liebovich Bros., Inc., and Father Stephen St. Jules, St. Peter Cathedral.

The YMCA of Rock River Valley welcomed six new board members for three-year terms: Dr. Harneet Bath, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center; Bridget French, Alignment Rockford; J. Hanley, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP; Dr. Kathleen Kelly, SwedishAmerican, a Division of UW Health; Steve Rosella, Bergstrom Inc., and Cesar Sanchez, Alpine Bank.

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS Alumnus Rev. Huntley Brown (2), class of 1988, was named Judson University Center for Worship in the Performing Arts’ first artist-inresidence. He will serve as the worship leader for the biannual Judson University Cruise in January, 2017.

Jennifer Sipes (3) was promoted to branch manager of Alpine Bank’s Roscoe branch, 5023 Rockrose Court.

Associated Bank promoted Nicole Stiplosek (4) to branch manager of its Five Point Branch on Center Terrace.

Staff Management, Inc., hired Bill Miller (5), PHR, as human resources manager. John Morrissey Accountants hired Shannon McElroy (6), EA, as accountant.

Family Counseling Services hired Eileen M. Liezert (7), LCSW, as its new executive director.

practices at the North Rockton Avenue, building 1.

Blackhawk Bank promoted Becca Johns to personal banker and Oliva Guzman to universal banker.

First Midwest Group hired Lauren Stoklosa (8) as human resource consultant; focusing on recruiting and compliance matters.

McMAHON hired Steven Vaccaro (18) as electrical engineer, Chelsea Bullen (19) as civil engineer, Stuart Boerst (20), P.S.S., P.H., as hydrogeologist, and Mick Magalski (21) and Lee Reibold (22), P.E., as project engineers.

North American Tool Corporation hired Phil Samuels (9) as its new director of sales and marketing.

Crusader Community Health named Shelton Kay (23) as vice president of community relations.

Jay Sandine (10) was appointed to lead the Rockford Park District’s operational leadership team as assistant executive director.

Rockford Health System welcomed two physicians to its cancer fighting team: breast surgeon Arvind Mahatme, M.D. (24), M.S.H.A., Rockford Health System Women’s Center, and Tabraiz Mohammed (25), D.O., M.S., Cancer Center at Rockford Memorial Hospital.

Jessica Rhodes (11) was promoted to claims representative and Kassandra Vaughn (12) to total loss specialist at Rockford Mutual Insurance Company. Shane Heeren (13) joined as marketing representative.

Entré Computer Solutions hired Kristina M. Hawthorne (14) as telecommunications senior engineer.

Fehr Graham hired Ross Grimes (15) as hydrogeologist in the environmental division; conducting assessment and remediation work for real estate transactions and brownfield-related work.

First National Bank and Trust Company hired Lisa Zeimetz as vice president and compliance officer.

Annette Hildreth (16) joined Alpine Bank’s human resources department.

Rockford Health Physicians welcomed pediatrician Jillian Kaskavage, M.D., (17) who

Stillman Bank hired Scot R. Kunkel (26) as senior vice president & trust officer; leading the trust and asset management department.

SwedishAmerican welcomed otolaryngologist, Jennifer Lane (27), D.O., to Brookside Specialty Center, and obstetrician/gynecologist, Candace Gates, M.D. (28), to its Obstetrics & Gynecology clinic.

Meridian hired Rebecca Tuula (29) for its project management team.

Chartwell Agency promoted Karli Smith (30) to director.

United Way of Rock River Valley hired Alan Jones (31) as relationship manager/Ogle County director.

EMPLOYEE/COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS, AWARDS Monica Ackermann, office administrator for the National

Center for Rural Health Professions, University of Illinois Rockford, received the Janice Watkins Award for Distinguished Civil Service by the University of Illinois.

Attorney Scott Sullivan (32), partner, WilliamsMcCarthy, was named in the The Best Lawyers in America© 2016 list in commercial litigation for the second year in a row.

Samuel G. Miller (33), CPA, chief financial officer, Crusader Community Health, received the 2015 Jeffrey T. Latman Leadership in Health Care Finance Award.

Michael Chmell, M.D. (34), total joint replacement orthopedic specialist, Rockford Orthopedic Associates, appeared on the Best Doctors in America® list for 2015-2016.

Christy Kauffman (35), office claims representative, celebrated 15 years of service with Rockford Mutual Insurance Company.

Jedediah Cantrell (36) and Dr. William Cunningham (37), SwedishAmerican, a division of UW Health, were recognized among the 2015 Black Leaders to Watch at the Soul News Network awards dinner in August.

Denise Darnell (38), Rockford, was selected as the winner of Heritage Credit Union’s “Fuel Up for Free for a Year” contest in July.

Rockford Aviators centerfielder Michael Hur was named to the Frontier League 2015 Postseason All-Star squad.

Comfort Keepers named Laura Diehl (39) as its Caregiver of the Month for August, 2015.

University of Illinois Extension and the Illinois 4-H Foundation named Mary Ann Arenson (40), 4-H leader

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

29

October 2015

the News IN Members THEin NEWS

25. Dr. Tabraiz Mohammed

26. Scot R. Kunkel

27. Dr. Jennifer Lane

28. Dr. Candace Gates

29. Rebecca Tuula

30. Karli Smith

31. Alan Jones

32. Scott Sullivan

33. Samuel G. Miller

34. Dr. Michael Chmell

35. Christy Kauffman

36. Jedediah Cantrell

37. Dr. William Cunningham

38. Denise Darnell

39. Laura Kiehl

40. Mary Ann Arenson

41. Dr. Eugene Foley

42. Chris Kelley

and volunteer in Winnebago County, as a Hall of Fame winner for her 42+ years of service to local 4-H programs and youth.

Judson University honored its fourth president Dr. James W. Didier as the recipient of the 2015 Golden Eagle Award for dedication and service to the

43. Phil Thompson

44. Karla Rodgers

45. Nancy Salsbury

university for almost five decades.

RAMP honored Jeanine DeHavenBinger, Hononegah High School, with its Youth Leadership Award; Tina Rittner, SPHR, Lowe’s Distribution Center, as Advocate of the Year, and Rockford Park District as Partner of the Year.

Colon and rectal cancer specialist Dr. Eugene Foley (41), SwedishAmerican, a division of UW Health, was one of 15 physicians associated with the UW Carbone Cancer Center to be featured in Newsweek magazine’s “Top Cancer Doctors 2015” list.

OF GENERAL INTEREST Chris Kelley (42), marketing strategist, V2 Marketing Communications, presented “How to Wrangle Your Online Presence to Connect with Constituents,” for the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence monthly Leader Luncheon seminar.

Phil Thompson (43) and Karla Rodgers (44), Spectrum Insurance Agency, attended the Pekin Insurance tri-annual agents meeting in September. Nancy Salsbury (45) completed her Commercial Property exam towards her Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation.

Join us as the Rockford Chamber of Commerce presents the 2015 Twenty

5 30

KNOW.

ber 22 Thursday, Octo

E P EOPL E PyEOPL ou should

Michelle D. Gorham, director of the Rockford Memorial Development Foundation, was named a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE); joining more than 5,300 professionals around the world.

Call 815-987-8100 for more info or visit rockfordchamber.com to register.

100%

Thursday, October 22 5:30 - 7:30 Prairie Street Brewhouse 200 Praire Street Rockford Presented by:

Hospitality sponsor:

30

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

Thursday, October 1

Rock Valley College hosts a Manufacturing Open House, 6 p.m., at the Stenstrom Center for Career Education, 4151 Samuelson Road, Rockford. Learn about manufacturing program options. Register with James Castree, J.Castree@ RockValleyCollege.edu or 815-9214274.

Join Judson University’s sixth-annual Network Night, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., in the Eagle Lounge of Lindner Tower, 1151 N. State St., Elgin, Ill. Free.

Networking, followed by keynote discussion with Judson alumna Denise Barreto. Register at www.JudsonU. edu/NetworkNight.

Rockford Park District presents Wings of Wonder: The Lorikeet Exhibit Lands, through Nov. 11 at Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. 2nd St. Entrance included with admission to the conservatory.

Visit www.nicholasconservatory.com or call 815-987-8858.

Saturday, October 3 Forest Preserves of Winnebago County presents Fall For The Forest Preserves: Free Family Fun Day! noon to 3 p.m., at Atwood Homestead Forest Preserve, 8990 Old River Road, Rockford. Free. Horse-drawn wagon rides, children’s crafts, games, nature activities, fishing and canoeing demos, and treasure hunt. Free nine-hole golf and Footgolf, 1 to 3 p.m. Call course at 815-623-2411. Rain date Oct. 10.

Edgebrook presents Cider ’n‘ Cinnamon Arts & Crafts Fair, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., (Saturday); 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., (Sunday) at 1639 N. Alpine Road, Rockford. Free. Features more than 70 booths. Live music with Derek Luttrell, 1 p.m. (Saturday); Fred & Ginger, 12:30 p.m., (Sunday). Visit edgebrookshops. com/events/cider-n-cinnamon/.

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful hosts a Metals & Electronics Drive, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Machesney Town Center south lot. Donate metals of any kind, appliances, electronics. No TVs. $10 each for refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, de-humidifiers and barbeque grill-sized propane tanks.

Visit www.knib.org or call 815-637-1343.

YMCA of Rock River Valley hosts Family Fall Festival, Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Camp Winnebago. Trick-or-treating in the Halloween Village, two-mile corn maze, pumpkin patch, craft bazaar, live music and food. Visit www. rockriverymca.org.

Monday, October 5

SwedishAmerican, a Division of UW Health, presents Planting the Seeds of Hope, a free breast cancer

October 2015

Community Events COMMUNITY

awareness program, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. Healthcare exhibits at 5:30 p.m. Dr. Sandy Goldberg, breast cancer survivor, founder and chair, A Silver Lining Foundation, will share her story. Visit SwedishAmerican.org or call 779-696-7081.

Thursday, October 8 Rosecrance presents Game On with Chris Herren, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Magiano’s Little Italy, 1901 E. Woodfield Road, Schaumburg, Ill. Former NBA player, Chris Herren, and Marc Anderson and Dr. Tom Wright, Rosecrance, will lead the half-day workshop on substance abuse among young athletes. Register at www. rosecrance.org/events.

RAMP’s 25th annual Changing Attitudes Breaking Barriers Luncheon, 11:45 a.m., at Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford.

Keynote speaker is Ann Ford, executive director of Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living in Springfield. Register at 815-968-7467 or www.stayclassy.org/rampluncheon.

Women of Today’s Manufacturing hosts a Networking Event: Celebrating Manufacturing Month with Header Die & Tool, 3022 Eastrock Court, Rockford, 7:30 to 9 a.m. Includes continental breakfast.

Register at www.wotm-rockford.com.

Saturday, October 10 Bergstrom Inc. and The Salvation Army of Winnebago County will recognize area veterans with a special evening event, Stars and Stripes: A Salute to Our Veterans, 7 to 9 p.m., at the BMO Harris Bank Center, 300 Elm St., Rockford. Keynote speaker is Gen. Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.). Free to veterans and a guest. Reserve at www.rockfordsalute.com or call 800-254-9767.

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful hosts a Clothing Drive, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at eight Schnucks parking lots in Winnebago County and the Belvidere Township Building, 8200 Fairgrounds Road. Donate clean items, wearable or not, including fabric, soft-sided luggage and accessories. Visit www. knib.org or call 815-637-1343.

Monday, October 12

Judson University presents its World Leaders Forum Inspirational Series with Australian-born motivational speaker and New York Times bestselling author Nick Vujicic, 6:45 p.m., in the Lindner Fitness Center, 1151 N. State St., Elgin, Ill. Vujicic was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. Contact Jessica. bunn@judsonu.edu or 847-628-2076.

Tuesday, October 13

University of Illinois College of Pharmacy at Rockford, 1601

Parkview Ave., will host information sessions on Careers in Pharmacy, Oct. 13 and Nov. 12, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Oct 17 and Nov. 21, 10 a.m. to noon. Information on the PharmD program and a tour. Individual appointments available. Contact Rachel Van Den Broek, rachelv@uic. edu or visit pharmacy.uic.edu.

Wednesday, October 14

Northern Illinois Regional Career Fair 2015, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Rockford University, 5050 E. State St., Rockford.

Visit e-rockford.com/careerfair.

National Safety Education Center presents a free OSHA for Small Businesses Course, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., at NIU-Rockford, 8500 E. State St. Register at www.nsec.niu.edu or 815-753-6902.

Thursday, October 15 Rockford Public Library presents The Ecology of Democracy: Finding Ways to Have a Stronger Hand in Shaping Our Future, 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., east branch, Friends Community Meeting Room, 6685 E. State St. Join Zoe Norwood and Fay Muhammad will discuss The Ecology of Democracy.

Call 815-987-6626 or znorwood@ rockfordpubliclibrary.org) for a copy of the book or excerpts.

Next Rockford hosts a General Membership Meeting, 7:30 a.m., at the Winnebago County Justice Center, 650 W. State St., Rockford, with Sheriff Gary Caruana. Interested Gen X/Y welcome to attend. Contact sanderson@rustoleum.com or 815904-2407.

Open House for Upper Iowa University - Rockford Center, 4 to 7 p.m., 1161 Tebala Blvd., Rockford. Call 815-332-1414 or visit www.uiu.edu.

Friday, October 16

Judson University hosts its Founders’ Day Celebration with an opening convocation, 10 a.m., Herrick Chapel, 1151 N. State St., Elgin, Ill., led by guest speaker Dr. Steven R. Harmon, and a luncheon at the Betty Lindner Campus Commons, 11:30 a.m., with speaker Dr. Gene C. Crume, Judson’s sixth and current president.

Saturday, October 17

River City Sound Chorus presents Eight is Great at CBCBC, 111 W. 1st St., Belvidere. Doors open 1 p.m.; show 2 p.m. Music, dessert, raffles and special guest Drive Time. Visit www.rivercitysound.org.

Tuesday, October 20

Rockford Public Library presents Rockford Certified Open Mic & Slam, 6 to 8 p.m., Nordlof Center, Black Box Theater, 118 N. Main St. Sign up for the open mic and have at least two original poems ready. Free.

Visit www.facebook.com/ RockfordCertifiedSlam.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Friday, October 23

Discovery Center Museum presents 2015 Discover the Spirits, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., at 711 N. Main St., Rockford. Sip and sample more than 80 spirits. Live music, tasty tidbits, lively science demos, psychic predictions by an intuitive reader, caricatures, silly fun in a black light room and silent action. Reservations at 815-963-6769.

Judson University Theatre presents Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, 7 p.m., Oct. 23 to 24, and Oct. 29 to 31, in the Marjorie Thulin Performance Hall, Thompson Fine Arts Center, 1151 N. State St., Elgin, Ill. Tickets at 847-628-2625.

Saturday, October 24

Savant Capital Management presents its fourth-annual, free Financial Fitness Workshop, 7:30 a.m., at NIU Rockford, 8500 E. State St. Features breakout sessions and speakers from Savant, Mercy Rockford Health System, WilliamsManny, Lindstrom Travel, Ticomix and the Alzheimer’s Association. Includes continental breakfast. Register at www.savantcapital.com/calendar-ofevents.

Rock Valley College offers a Coaching Certification Workshop, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Saturday), 8 a.m. to noon (Sunday). For coaches needing American Sport Education Program (ASEP) coaching certification. Advance registration required at rockvalleycollege.edu/ CoachingWorkshop by Oct. 9 at noon.

For more information, contact S. Henert@RockValleyCollege.edu or 815-921-3804.

Tuesday, October 27

Ticomix presents its second-annual technology showcase, TechDay15, with technology vendor booths, breakout sessions and happy hour, 12:30 to 5 p.m., at Franchesco’s, 7128 Spring Creek Road, Rockford. Theme is security. Guest speakers will offer insights on protecting business from hackers. Register at www.ticomix. com.

Wednesday, October 28

Rockford Public Library presents HORRORS! 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Nordlof Center, J.R. Sullivan Theater, 118 N. Main St. Paul Dale Anderson, author of the “Instruments of Death” series, talks about his writing, followed by the movie “Psycho.” Registration required at 815-965-7606.

Workforce Connection and Rasmussen College host a Career Fair: Navigate Your Career, 2 to 5:30 p.m., at The Hoffman House, 7880 E. State St., Rockford. Includes a human resources panel, networking with employers, and mock interviewing/ resume reviews. For more information, visit Rasmussen.edu/careerfair.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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October 2015

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

Rock Valley College will host open placement testing for adults 17 years or older for ESL/Citizenship and High School Equivalency (GED) classes on Thursdays, 9 to 11 a.m., or 5:30 to 8 p.m., at RVC Stenstrom Center, 4151 Samuelson Road, Rockford. Students enrolled in high school may not attend. Visit RockValleyCollege.edu/AdultED. Students with disabilities should discuss needs at 815-921-2000.

GrahamSpencer opened a new Salt Lake City, Utah location, operated by partner and co-creative director, Scott Spencer. Spencer and his wife Annette graduated from Brigham Young University.

Woodward, Inc., announced that it signed an agreement with Aircelle Safran to supply hardware for the Thrust Reverser Actuation System (TRAS) for the Airbus A330neo jetliner. Woodward will design, develop and manufacture a suite of locking and feedback actuators, flex shafts and drive units for the TRAS system.

Wipfli LLP was named a Champion of National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) 2015.

The firm is offering awareness and training webinars and thought leadership articles on cyber security, including its 30 Tips in 30 Days campaign to educate clients on protecting themselves from online dangers.

KMK Media Group completed its work on a display for Fehr Graham, including a curved structure as a backdrop for expos and trade shows. Rockford Board of Election Commissioners hired KMK to redevelop and update www. voterockford.com, including mobile accessibility and voting legislation changes.

Rockford Park District teamed with The Friends of Beyer Stadium to host a Beyer Stadium Grand Opening Celebration in August. The refurbished stadium has been a part of the community for 96 years. A special monument was unveiled recognizing the 150th anniversary of the Forest City 9 Baseball Club of Rockford as well as the Peach Orchard Historical Area honoring the 72nd anniversary of the Rockford Peaches. The Peaches played at Beyer Stadium between 1943 and 1954.

Cellusuede Products, Inc., announced the purchase of a Connecticut company that will relocate to Rockford. Cellusuede will move to 1515 Elmwood Road from its current Madison Street location. The old limestone house

Business Briefs BUSINESS BRIEFS

Corporation for meeting the highest levels of satisfaction excellence, according to resident or employee satisfaction scores.

Beef-A-Roo launched a new, redesigned website, www.beefaroo. com, to go with its newly updated brand identity.

Farm Service Agency recognized Alpine Bank as a 16-year Preferred Lender. Since 1999, only 33 financial institutions in the nation have held this status.

The Rockford region hosted the 40th annual Midwest Tandem Rally with the Chicago Area Tandem Society over Labor Day weekend, drawing 300 tandem bicycles for tours of area sites, attractions, hotels and eateries. Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau announced that the event would generate $162,000 in economic impact. that was part of the Rockford Brewing Company in the 1800s was purchased by Prairie Street Brewhouse group. Cellusuede will invest more than $4 million in construction and equipment for its Elmwood location over nine months. Prairie Street is finalizing its plans for the Madison Street properties.

Savant Capital Management announced plans to acquire The Corcoran Group, a Bethesda, Md.-based, RIA firm. The acquisition increases Savant’s current assets under management to more than $4.5 billion.

SwedishAmerican, a Division of UW Health, announced that East High School was the winner of its $1,000 High School Challenge during the 31st annual SwedishAmerican State Street Mile on Aug. 1 in downtown Rockford, with 26 runners participating.

For the fifth straight year, Rockford Memorial Hospital made the U.S. News & World Report list of “20152016 Best Regional Hospitals.” It ranked 27th out of more than 200 hospitals in Illinois and was recognized as “high-performing” in urology. RMH is the only local hospital to repeatedly receive this designation.

Rockford Park District received a $10 million endowment by Albert and Nancy Nicholas for the Nicholas Family Foundation. It will allow Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens to expand its exhibits and transform its riverfront grounds. The Nicholases also gifted $250,000 towards necessary projects before endowment funds become available in 2016.

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau announced that Tough Mudder obstacle course team challenge will take place in Rockford from 2016 to 2019, with the first challenge on May 21 to 22, 2016 at the Chicago Rockford International Airport. The 10+-mile course will feature more than 20 new and updated obstacles. Events

typically draw up to 12,000 participants and 4,000 spectators and will generate more than $3 million in economic impact.

YWCA of Rockford hired V2 Marketing Communications to develop a blog platform for its website and social media channels at www.ywcanwil.org, including responsive web design to display on mobile devices. V2 Marketing also completed a website redesign for Gary W. Anderson Architects at gwaarchitects.com, optimized for use on mobile devices.

Goodwill Industries International launched GoodProspects, www. goodprospects.org, with tools for local job seekers, including access to virtual career mentors, interactive career readiness checklist, digital library of resources spanning 11 industries and 18 skill-building topics and database of local job fairs and workshops.

Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois for the fourth year awarded Kishwaukee College with $5,000 toward a scholarship endowment fund administered by the Kishwaukee College Foundation that assists students with barriers in advancing their education.

Tickets are available for Disney On Ice Presents Treasure Trove with seven performances, Feb. 25 to 28, 2016, at the BMO Harris Bank Center. Call 800-745-3000. For more information, visit DisneyOnIce. com.

Community Foundation of Northern Illinois unveiled Education Works, a grant strategy to invest in after-school programs, career awareness initiatives and place-based college scholarship endowments. The latter will benefit students who live in CFNIL’s region — Boone, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties — who attend college in the region.

Morning Star Village, assisted living community, received the Excellence in Action award from My InnerView by National Research

Judson University ranked at No. 33 among the Best Midwest Regional Colleges, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges survey for 2016.

Discovery Center Museum partnered with five Chicago-area children’s museums to offer an expanded reciprocal admission benefits to its top membership levels through the Chicago-area Local Increased Membership Benefits network.

Colorwave Graphics, LLC wrapped a 26-foot box truck for Hennig, Inc., and a mobile showroom trailer for Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. It produced in-store rack display signs for Rust-Oleum Corp. and Rothenberger USA, LLC, and a custom 10 x 2-foot wall sign for UTC Aerospace Systems.

Judson University reported that overall fall enrollment numbers remained stable. Its graduate programs, adult programs and continuing traditional students all exceeded five-year highs. Total enrollment shifted slightly down from 1,290 in 2014 to 1,279 in 2015.

Thayer Lighting Inc., completed an outdoor lighting retrofit on the entire Rock River Block (corner of State and Alpine), replacing outdated metal halide lamps with energyefficient LEDs. Rockford University reported that enrollment of full-time undergraduate students reached a record high of 903 students for fall; up nearly three percent over last year. Total student enrollment is 1,281, and includes 1,061 undergraduate and 220 graduate students.

Wipfli LLP closed its offices on Sept. 17 for its 11th-annual Community Day, when associates worked on painting, maintenance and landscaping projects at Rockford Park District’s Aldeen Park.

Smith Amundsen was selected as general counsel for the Northern Illinois Builders and Contractors Association on labor and employment issues, contract/lease issues, OSHA and other regulatory advice and counsel, and general litigation.

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October 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Issues to Watch LEGISLATIVE New Illinois Laws for 2015 Here are some laws related to crime, courts, corrections and law enforcement that have taken affect this year. For specific language of the laws, visit www.ilga.gov.

CRIME, COURTS, CORRECTIONS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT (PART TWO)

Defendant Costs SB 2650/PA 98-0943 Provides that a defendant whose conviction is reversed on final appeal or by a finding of factual innocence is not liable for court costs or fees or for any charge of subsistence while detained in custody. If the defendant has paid any costs, fine or fees, it will be refunded to the defendant.

Extending Probation SB 3074/PA 98-0953 Allows a court to extend a defendant’s term of probation or conditional discharge that was concurrent to, consecutive to, or otherwise interrupted by a term of imprisonment for the purpose of providing additional time to complete an order of restitution.

Criminal Violations SB 3110/PA 98-0954 Adds an exception to the physicianpatient privilege for situations where a grand jury subpoena is issued and requires the state’s attorney to seek a protective order in certain cases.

Requires the state’s attorney to petition the court for a protective order in cases where the grand jury subpoena exception is being used to pierce the physician-patient privilege.

A protective order must be sought in any criminal action where the charge is domestic battery, aggravated domestic battery, or an offense under Article 11 of the Criminal Code (sex offense), where the patient is under the age of 18 years or upon the request of the patient.

Schedule I controlled substances.

This is in response to a powerful new hallucinogenic synthetic drug, which has caused overdoses and fatalities in youth. It has been marketed as an LSD substitute, as it targets the same serotonin receptor as many other hallucinogens including LSD. Small amounts can cause seizures, cardiac and respiratory arrest and death. According to the DEA, reports from medical examiners link at least 19 deaths of people aged 15 to 29 years in the United States between March, 2012 and August, 2013.

Sealing Records HB 2378/PA 98-1009 Allows a petitioner to the circuit court to seal his or her conviction record for the following misdemeanor “crimes of violence” including: assault, aggravated assault, battery or reckless conduct in as little as four years after the termination of the petitioner’s sentence.

Electronic Monitoring HB 3744/PA 98-1012 Allows a judge to order as a condition of bail a risk assessment evaluation and consider electronic monitoring (GPS) of a person charged with certain violent crimes, regardless of whether an order of protection had been issued. This bill was introduced in response to a 2013 case where a woman was murdered by her former boyfriend, who she had filed an order of protection against. The order of protection expired, and the victim filed to have it renewed, she was killed three days after the order expired.

Maintenance Award SB 3231/PA 98-0961 Provides that no judge may award maintenance in the event of a dissolution of marriage without first determining that it is appropriate.

Further, provides standard guidelines for the amount of maintenance to be paid in most instances.

Aggravated Meth Manufacturing HB 4093/PA 98-0980 Includes aggravated participation in the manufacture of methamphetamine that occurs within 1,000 feet of the real property comprising any school. The purpose is to create consistency with other drug statutes, which provide enhanced penalties for manufacture or distribution that occurs within 1,000 feet of a school.

Process Servers and Gated Communities SB 3286/PA 98-0966 Requires gated residential communities, including condominium associations or cooperatives, to grant unannounced entry into the community, including its common areas and common elements, to a person who is attempting to serve process on a defendant or witness.

Controlled Substances SB 3275/PA 98-0987 Adds “25I-NBOMe,” “25B-NBOMe” and “25C-NBOMe” to the list of

Sex Trafficking SB 3558/PA 98-1013 Provides that solicitation of a sexual act does not apply to a person

younger than 18. Directs a portion of a fee for an impounded vehicle to the Specialized Services for Survivors of Human Trafficking Fund.

Modifies the allocation percentages of moneys and sale proceeds forfeited by individuals convicted of involuntary servitude and trafficking of persons.

Kratom HB 5526/PA 98-0981 Prohibits a person under 18 from knowingly possessing kratom or using a fake ID to attempt to obtain a product containing kratom. Prohibits any person from knowingly selling or distributing a product containing kratom to a person under 18. Kratom has been sold for medicinal purposes; however, teens are showing up in the ER after using it to try and get high.

Photo Lineups HB 802/PA 98-1014 Creates a new lineup procedure that requires all lineups be conducted by 1) an independent administrator (unless impractical); 2) an automated computer program; 3) a random folder photo lineup method; or 4) any other procedure that does not allow the lineup administrator to know the identity of the suspect. Allows a lineup of persons or a photo spread lineup to be presented to witnesses sequentially, with each presented separately and then removed before the next person or photo is viewed or presented to witnesses. Prohibits the presence during a lineup of any person who knows the suspected perpetrator’s identity, except the eyewitness and defense counsel.

Requires a lineup to be video recorded, if practical, unless the eyewitness refuses to consent to the recording.

Domestic Violence Penalty Enhancements HB 4653/PA 98-0994 Ensures that prior convictions for domestic battery, or for any offense which is substantially similar, that occurs in another jurisdiction will trigger penalty enhancements.

Liability for Underage Drinking HB 4745/PA 98-1017 Expands current law that makes it illegal for parents or guardians to allow underage drinking at a residence or other private property, so that it will include vehicles, conveyances or watercraft under their control. A “conveyance” would include trailers, mobile homes, campers, etc.

Unfit to Stand Trial SB 2801/PA 98-1025 Makes changes to how defendants who are found unfit to stand trial and placed in the Department of Human Services are held. Requires a forensic interview to be videotaped, unless impractical. If the interview is not videotaped, the examiner may still testify, and the court may only consider the lack of compliance and not the admissibility of the expert testimony.

Prisoner Job Training HB 4113/PA 98-1061 Authorizes county sheriffs to enter into joint contracts with units of local government and non-profit housing development corporations to develop job-training programs to rehabilitate houses. Provides that these rehabilitated houses may be used as transitional housing for the mentally ill (in addition to homeless or low-income citizens).

Electronic Legal Documents SB 1941/PA 98-1097 Creates the Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act. This applies to all legal material in an electronic record that is designated as official and first published electronically on or after the effective date. This is part of an effort to adopt consistent regulations regarding electronic legal documents in all states.

False Personation SB 3538/PA 98-1125 Adds to the false personation statute, including anyone who knowingly and falsely represents themselves as the legal guardian, including any representative of a state or public guardian, of a disabled person.

Destruction of Public Records HB 4216/PA 98-1063 Makes it a Class 4 felony for any person who knowingly and with the intent to defraud, alters, destroys, defaces, removes or conceals any public record.

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October 2015

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

Get to Know Your Ambassadors Name: Libby Simms

Company: Lutheran Social Services of Illinois Position: Community Liaison

How long have you been an Ambassador?

More than 20 years!

What do you like most about being an Ambassador? Being out in the community and representing Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI). Showing people the benefits of being a member of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. Interacting with people of companies and agencies that I would not normally be having conversations with during my workday. Learning about companies and agencies in the region and how we can work together and collaborate.

Envoy Mortgage held a ribbon cutting and open house on Aug. 27 at 483 N. Mulford Road, Ste. 7, Rockford.

CoyleKiley Insurance Agency Inc., held a ribbon cutting on Sept. 1 at 401 E. State St., floor 4, Rockford, where the agency announced its new name. The agency was founded Jan. 1, 1992 with the merger/incorporation of R.M. Coyle Company and the Varland Insurance Agency, Inc.

Blake Mackenzie, complex manager, Morgan Stanley, Rockford presented a $50,000 check to The Northern Illinois Food Bank. The foundation supports the School Pantry Program that supplies low-income families with nutritious food to prepare at home.

Home Instead Senior Care held a ribbon cutting and open house on Sept. 24 at 929 S. Alpine Road, Ste. 202, Rockford, with tours of the new office and a meet and greet with staff.

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EVENTS

Upcoming Chamber Events OCTOBER, 2015 Thursday, October 1

Business After Hours at Rockford Country Club, 5 to 7 p.m., 2500 Oxford St., Rockford.

Tuesday, October 6

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Rockford Country Club, 2500 Oxford St., Rockford.

Business owners Linda Campos, Campos Construction, and Patti Thayer, Thayer Lighting, present Overcoming Business Obstacles.

Sponsored by Siena on Brendenwood.

Ribbon Cutting at Ben’s Soft Pretzels, 10 to 11 a.m., 2013 McFarland Road (inside Meijer).

Wednesday, October 7

Ribbon Cutting at Ben’s Soft Pretzels, 10 to 11 a.m., 1770 West Lane Road, (inside Meijer).

Thursday, October 8

Ambassador October Monthly Meeting, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.,

Lucha Cantina, Inc., 1641 N. Alpine Road, Ste. 212, Rockford.

Friday, October 9

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. To join, contact Heidi Garner at 815-3164312.

Wednesday, October 14 7:30 - 9:30 am Rock Valley College, Woodward Technology Center 3301 N. Mulford Rd., Rockford

Breakfast Buzz Tim honquest will present “Understanding the Funeral Industry.”

Sponsored by McGladrey.

Wednesday, October 14

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Franchesco’s, 7128 Spring Creek Road, Rockford.

Contact Teri Watts, Key Realty, Commercial & Industrial, Teriw1214@gmail.com.

Membership Renewals Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in August, 2015.

AFLAC - Andy Krauss Alpine Inn American Advertising Federation of Northern Illinois Any Lab Test Now® Ashley Furniture Homestore ATS Medical Services, Inc. Baymont Inn & Suites Bisconti Computers Inc. Bridgeway Inc. C & H Design Center C. G. Group Inc. Cedar Hill Condominium Association CICS Jackson Rockford Charter School Ethnic Heritage Museum First National Bank and Trust Company (Rockton) First National Bank and Trust Company (Roscoe) Gleason Cutting Tools Corporation Header Die & Tool, Inc. Historic Auto Attractions Honquest Family Funeral Home With Crematory Howe Freightways, Inc. Ingenium Aerospace LLC It’s My Credit Union Johnson Controls, Inc. Kelce & Company Kiwanis Club of Rockford Luther Center Mastercraft Exteriors of Illinois, Inc. Midway Village Museum Midwest Roofing Supply Morgan Building Maintenance Inc. Muscular Dystrophy Association NAACP (National Association For the Advancement of Colored People) Natural Land Institute NICOMM Networks

NRG-Rockford Pathfinder Wealth Management, Inc. Paul Davis Restoration (JRD Construction) Personal Finance Co. Phelps Industries, Inc. Prairie Street Brewhouse Presence Saint Anne Center Project First Rate R.K. Dixon Company Rasmussen College Rockford Art Museum Rockford Carpetland USA, Inc. Rockford Lutheran School Rockford Network of Professional Women Rockford OMS Rockford Rigging, Inc. Rockford Symphony Orchestra Rockform Carbide Manufacturing Saco USA (Illinois) Inc. Salsa Business Network Security First Title Company ServiceMaster Restoration by DSI State Farm Insurance & Financial Services Stewart & Associates, Inc. The Music Academy Tovar Snow Professionals Transform Rockford United Association of Plumbers & Pipe Fitters Local Union 23 United States Postal Service Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers (K & K Foods Inc.) 5965 E. Riverside Blvd.

Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers (K & K Foods Inc.) 6390 E. State St. Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers (K & K Foods Inc.) 1110 E. State St. Wesley Willows Westminster Presbyterian Church

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Deanna Watts, 815-968-9881 or Deanna@rockfordcc.com.

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Rockford Country Club, 2500 Oxford St. Sponsored by Siena on Brendenwood.

Friday, October 16

Tuesday, November 10

IGNITE Halloween Bash, 7 p.m., Rockford Country Club, 2500 Oxford St. Silent auction, networking, IGNITE Cup awards ceremony, dancing and appetizers.

Thursday, October 22 5:30 - 7:30pm Prairie Street Brewhouse 200 Prairie St., Rockford

People You Should Know Reception Greet and meet the 2015 class of movers and shakers in the Rockford area.

Sponsored by OSF Healthcare (presenting), SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health (hospitality) and The Alliance (business).

Tuesday, October 27

Good Morning Rockford! at Hilton Garden Inn, 7675 Walton St., 7:30 to 9 a.m. Sponsored by Advantage Club Originals.

Wednesday, October 28

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Franchesco’s, 7128 Spring Creek Road, Rockford.

Contact Teri Watts, Key Realty, Commercial & Industrial, Teriw1214@gmail.com.

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Deanna Watts, 815-968-9881 or Deanna@rockfordcc.com.

Ribbon Cutting at Advanced Rockford Eye Care, 5915 E. Riverside Blvd. (next door to Rockford Orthopedic), 4 to 5 p.m.

Thursday, October 29

Ribbon Cutting at U.S. Cellular, 6150 E. State St., Ste. 142, Rockford, 10 to 11 a.m.

NOVEMBER, 2015 Tuesday, November 3

Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., Prairie Street Brewhouse, 200 Prairie St., Rockford. Sponsored by Entré Computer Solutions.

Good Morning Rockford! at Northern Illinois UniversityRockford, 8500 E. State St., 7:30 to 9 a.m.

Wednesday, November 11

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Franchesco’s, 7128 Spring Creek Road, Rockford.

Contact Teri Watts, Key Realty, Commercial & Industrial, Teriw1214@gmail.com.

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Deanna Watts, 815-968-9881 or Deanna@rockfordcc.com.

Friday, November 13

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

Wednesday, November 18 11:30 am - 1:00 pm Radisson Conference Center 200 S. Bell School Rd., Rockford

Healthcare Industry Update LUNCHEON

Speaker is Alex Stagnaro-Green, M.D., MHPE, regional dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford.

Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank (presenting); Humana, Rosecrance Health Network and SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health (gold); Employers’ Coalition on Health (ECOH) and Rock River Valley Blood Center (silver); Alpha Controls & Services and Schmeling Construction (bronze).

Wednesday, November 25 Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Franchesco’s, 7128 Spring Creek Road, Rockford.

Contact Teri Watts, Key Realty, Commercial & Industrial, Teriw1214@gmail.com.

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Deanna Watts, 815-968-9881 or Deanna@rockfordcc.com.

October 2015 Member Anniversaries Thank you to the members celebrating their anniversaries with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

15-YEAR MEMBER URS Energy & Construction

10-YEAR MEMBERS NLT Title, LLC Olson Funeral & Cremation Services Ltd./ Fred C. Olson Chapel Olson Funeral & Cremation Services Ltd./ North Main Chapel & Care Center SmithAmundsen LLC

5-YEAR MEMBERS

Advanced Window Systems The Alliance Cream City Scale LLC Cronies Grill MAZTEK Calibration, Inc. Satori Pathway Network Satori Pathway Network Anam Glen Spider Company Inc.

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New Chamber Members MEMBERS

ACTIN CARE GROUPS

MEDMAR ROCKFORD, INC.

A system of top tier medical providers that deliver proactive, patient-centered care and an alternative to traditional health care plans.

973 Featherstone Rd., Ste. 340, 61107 Guy Clifton, M.D. 779-216-5522 www.actincare.com

Medical marijuana dispensary 2696 N. McFarland Road, 61107 Richard Hall 800-789-2310 www.medmardispensary.com

THE ANSER GROUP Untangling the chaos that keeps your organization from getting where you want to go!

5218 East Dr. Loves Park, IL 61111 Jennifer Whiteford 815-871-3199 www.theansergroup.com

AZIMUTH SCUBA The best source for accredited dive training in the area, offering diving courses, scuba gear rentals, CPR and first aid, dive club and dive travel.

280A N. Phelps Ave., 61108 Brian Kinley 779-423-1878 www.azimuthscuba.com

BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS A leader in the soft pretzel market.

(Located In Meijer) 2013 McFarland Road, 61107 Don Drabik 224-501-5788 www.benspretzels.com

BEN’S SOFT PRETZELS A leader in the soft pretzel market.

(Located In Meijer) 1770 West Lane Road Machesney Park, IL 61115 Don Drabik 224-501-5787 www.benspretzels.com

FOREST RIDGE EVENTS 11189 Forest Hills Road Machesney Park, IL 61115 Michael Prosser 815-637-2467 www.prosserschophouse.com

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October 2015

MOVEMENT FITNESS Offering the most comprehensive individual training system in the stateline area 580 S. Perryville Road, 61114 Justin Kegley 815-847-0985 www.movementfitnessrockford.com

RIVER CITY SOUND CHORUS Chapter of Sweet Adelines, Int’l providing music education, networking opportunities and performance possibilities to women interested in barbershop harmony.

1206 Dixon Ave. Rock Falls, IL 61071 Connie Selmi 815-626-3830 www.rivercitysound.org

STATELINE SAFETY ASSOCIATION INC., NFP Non-profit safety organization 6574 Coachlife Court Loves Park, IL 61111 David Anspaugh 815-904-3993 www.statelinesafetyassociation.org

STEINER ELECTRIC COMPANY Steiner Electric is the only source for your electrical supplies. We are a major industrial supply distributor and offer many other products and solutions.

6900 Rock Valley Pkwy.

Loves Park, IL 61111 Janice Burdick 815-633-2900 www.steinerelectric.com

WEST BLOCK DEVELOPMENT West Block Development is a full-service development company 2077 E. Warner Road Tempe, AZ 85284 Johnny West 602-525-9900 www.westblockdevelopment.com

Advertisers Index ADVERTISERS

The Alliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

MembersAlliance Credit Union. . . . 12

Alpine Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Northern Public Radio . . . . . . . . . . 22

Associated Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Blackhawk Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Brian Thomas Photography. . . . . . 24

The Pension Specialists, Ltd.. . . . . 21

Broadmoor Agency, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . 4 Comcast Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 CoyleKiley Insurance Agency, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Entré Computer Solutions . . . . . . . 11 First National Bank and Trust. . . . . 20 Honquest Family Funeral Homes with Crematory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Illinois Bank & Trust. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Klaas Financial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren P.C.. 17 Rockford Bank & Trust. . . . . . . . . . 10 Rockford Chamber of Commerce . . . . . 7, 25, 29, 33, 35 Rockford Health System. . . . . . . . . . 3 Rock Valley College . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Stillman Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Thayer Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Van Galder Bus Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Leading Lawyers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Williams-Manny Insurance Group. 20

McGladrey LLP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

WilliamsMcCarthy LLP. . . . . . . . . . 18

Chamber Staff / Call 815-987-8100.............................................. Direct Line Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO.......................................... 815-316-4304 Heidi M. Garner, Executive Assistant to the President.................... 815-316-4312 Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology................... 815-316-4338 Lynette Jacques, Vice President, Member Investment.................... 815-316-4317 Caitlin Ludwig, Vice President, Leadership Development.................... 815-316-4337 Stacy Mullins, Director of Events.............................................. 815-316-4302 Sue Boyer, Member Relations................................................. 815-316-4315 Mary Ann Suprenant, Membership Development Manager.............. 815-316-4336 Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator......................... 815-316-4320

Chamber Board of Directors & Officers EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DIRECTORS

Chairman of the Board Patti Thayer Thayer Lighting, Inc. Vice Chair Richard Zumwalt OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center Vice Chair Michele Petrie BMO Harris Bank Treasurer Larry Bridgeland Mid-City Office Products Immediate Past Chairman Richard Walsh Zimmerman & Walsh, LLP

Andrew Benson Benson Stone Company, Inc. Jan Bowman TLC Construction Joe Castrogiovanni Giovanni’s, Inc. Dr. Rena Cotsones Northern Illinois University Rebecca Epperson Chartwell Agency Darlene Furst FurstStaffing Ira Grimmett UTC Aerospace Systems Dr. Robert Head Rockford University Tim Honquest Honquest Family Funeral Home Jeff Hultman Illinois Bank & Trust

Michael F. Iasparro Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

Henry Seybold Rockford Health System

Mike Mastroianni Rock Valley College

Patrick Shaw McGladrey LLP

Paul McCann Stanley Steemer of Rockford

Laura Pigatti Williamson Rockford Park District

Patrick Morrow Alpine Bank Amy Ott Boylan Catholic High School Mike Paterson Mid-West Family Broadcasting Mark Peterson CBL Associates CherryVale Tim Rollins WilliamsMcCarthy Dan Ross Williams-Manny Insurance Group

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

NOVEMBER 2015 SPECIAL SECTIONS:

People You Should Know Congratulations People/Companies on the Move For information on advertising, call 815

987-8100