October Voice 2016

BILL STRICKLAND AND THE POWER OF ONE PAGE 8

REVERSE ENGINEERING AT EIGERLAB PAGE 3 The Voice is online at rockfordchamber.com

NEW LAW SUSPENDS October 2016 | Volume 29 | No. 10 LATE FEES WITH NO PRIOR NOTICE

Networking at

the Rockford Chamber

business expo

More than 700 people turned out for the 10th annual Rockford Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, which was held Sept. 22 at Giovanni’s Restaurant and Convention Center. The event featured 70 booths, with businesses ranging from healthcare to hospitality to marketing. The mix of businesses included many returnees, along with a handful of companies taking part in their first expo, which is free to attendees.

The expo also featured business after hours event and Expo Sweep games.

“The key to the success of this expo is that most of these companies are local,” said Einar Forsman, president and CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. “We want people to be aware of the businesses we have in Rockford. There are many good service agencies here who can provide support to our community.

“Many companies will tell you they love this event because they get to see most of their clients in a single day,” he added. “This is mostly a business-tobusiness expo. These are good chamber supporters and supporters of the community.”

The day kicked off with a keynote luncheon. “Get Maximum Networking Results from Your Chamber,” was the topic presented by speaker Lillian Bjorseth from Duoforce Enterprises, Inc. Bjorseth shared ways to make the most of attending chamber events including: discovering your networking style, polishing what you say before you speak and creating a verbal business card.

“Networking is a process,” Bjorseth told the audience. “No two events or conversations are the same. You might

PHOTOS BY BRIAN THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY

not get a client by networking today, but it’s a start.”

Forsman agreed.

“Some people think networking is a bad word. But when we ask many of our member businesses what their greatest challenge is, they’ll say it’s their lack of networking skills,” he said. “We wanted Continued on page 6

Rockford Public Schools: Taking one step at a time Making progress; more work ahead

Visit us online at: rockfordchamber.com n n

n n

online registration keynote speaker video clips event photos list of Chamber events

Questions? 815-987-8100

Join the Chamber’s LinkedIn Group

The business community looks forward to Dr. Ehren Jarrett’s Rockford Chamber of Commerce annual address.

This year was no exception.

The Rockford Public Schools superintendent came armed with plenty of good news during his Sept. 8 presentation to a crowd of 300 at the annual Rockford Chamber of Commerce Education Outlook Luncheon, held at Giovanni’s Restaurant and Convention Center.

ACT scores are up nearly a point, discipline issues are decreasing and more students are attending class. Those were just some of the highlights during the hour-long presentation.

“I thought it was an awesome presentation,” said Eric Fulcomer, president of Rockford University. “Ehren does a great job leading our district. He works well with the teachers unions; making them part of the solution has been great. He works well with the school board, Alignment Rockford and the community.

The lynch pin has been Ehren Jarrett.”

“Every time he speaks, he shares more and more about the vision of the district,” added Einar Forsman, chamber Continued on page 4

Illinois motorists paid millions more in late fees from January to mid-July of this year; the same time that the Illinois Secretary of State stopped sending registration reminder notices by mail to save money during the budget impasse.

In response, House Bill 4334 was signed into law on Aug. 25, which prohibits the secretary of state from imposing a delinquent registration renewal fee if a vehicle’s registration expires during a period in which no notice was sent to the vehicle owner.

According to a State JournalRegister article, about 563,400 motorists were assessed more than $11 million in late fees for failing to renew license plate stickers on time. During the same period last year, when renewal notices were still being mailed, about 252,700 motorists paid $5.5 million in late fees.

Vehicle registration renewal notices again are being mailed.

Those who signed up for email reminders have been removed from the office’s mailing list to reduce associated postage costs.

Drivers can sign up for email notifications by visiting www.cyberdriveillinois.com.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

What Does the Near Future Hold for

HEALTHCARE?

Oct. 27 • Electrical Workers Union/Local 364 IBEW For more info, see page 31 SPONSORED BY

HELP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUPS The City of Rockford is available to help with neighborhood cleanups, and with prior arrangement, can help dispose of commonly generated items, such as used tires. Waste materials discarded at unauthorized locations within the city and without a pre-arranged city or authorized representative present is considered open dumping and can include a maximum fine of $750 per violation.

Rockford residents can dispose of up to four tires per day at the Household Hazardous Waste site, 3333 Kishwaukee St., at no cost. Call the City of Rockford’s Neighborhood Standards Division, 779-348-7160, for guidance on waste disposal or visit www. ci.rockford.il.us.

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October 2016

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Chairman’s Perspective VIEWPOINT The Art of Communication Did you just make one phone call? Did you send one email and then excuse yourself by saying, you reached out? It all starts with communication.

During the course of a busy work week, I talk to a lot of people. In business we talk about many different topics. One common theme is lost art of communication.

Recently, a colleague told me that people have lost the understanding of what it means to really connect. My guess is that it has something to do with our all too busy lives.

I believe there are important takea-ways on what relationship building is and what relationship building isn’t.

Connecting by sending one email is not really connecting. It’s the relationship that really matters. Did you just make one phone call? Did you send one email and then excuse yourself by saying, you reached out?

It all starts with communication.

When communication lines are open between a business and its customers, it can directly affect the

sales of the business. When a business effectively communicates to prospects and customers how its products and services can benefit them, it converts prospects into customers. Good communication ultimately boosts the bottom line of a business.

I’ve talked to other business owners about the art of communication. It’s fascinating to me to hear the thoughts and opinions on this subject.

“As an owner, I have always strived to be a role model,” says Joe Castrogiovanni, owner of Giovanni’s, Restaurant and Convention Center.

“I have an open door policy to all my employees to sit down and talk with me.

Professionalism goes a long way to gain someone’s trust and loyalty.

“My advice is to pay attention to what people say and let them tell you what they want,” he adds. “You will develop a better understanding of their needs and

expectations for the future. The art of communication is being a better listener verbally and non-verbally.”

Communication is Kathy Velasco’s business.

“Building and keeping business relationships, like personal relationships, takes work,” said the owner of V2 Marketing Communications. “Especially since you may not organically run into the other individual unless you make the effort to reach out. I once worked with a printing company whose sale rep stopped calling on me because he assumed I was working with another printer. His company just dropped off my radar screen and I stopped quoting him. I ran across him years later and followed up with a quote and we’ve been giving him a lot of work in recent years.

I just had kind of forgotten about him.”

So, I think companies need a plan, a strategy to reach out to clients on a regular basis – even if work is going well,” she added. “But especially to make sure that work is, indeed, going well. I lost a client because I wasn’t attending to the relationship. When a few issues cropped up, I was unaware

of them and Patti Thayer didn’t find out Rockford Chamber Board Chairman until it was too late.”

Commun-ication is a two-way street and involves engagement of those involved, according to Gloria Lundin, a longtime staple with the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois.

“People may speak but do others really ‘hear?’ she said. “I handwrite thank you notes. It’s a dying art form from what I understand. Recently, a mother e-mailed me regarding a note that I had written to her as a way to stay in touch.

Her teenage child was astounded that I hadn’t texted or e-mailed.

“Communicating is more than words. It’s a way of connecting emotionally: empathy, caring, sharing a common purpose. It’s personal.

Good communicators can inspire and galvanize. Good communicators speak to you not at you.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Patti Thayer is the president of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce board of director

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October 2016

The new evolution of reverse engineering at NIU EIGERlab Making parts without the original drawings

Currently, all parts are designed in 3D using CAD software. Up until this year, reverse engineering a part and producing a usable 3D CAD model has only been a dream.

By Mike Cobert, NIU EIGERlab NIU EIGERlab’s Center for Product Development (C4PD) is happy to announce it now is able to reverse engineer a part and produce a fully functional, three-dimensional (3D) Computer Aided Design (CAD) model with a complete feature tree.

Reverse engineering has been around forever. Manually redrawing the part, optical and laser scanning and rapid prototyping are technologies that have been used to reverse engineer parts. Currently, all parts are designed in 3D using CAD software. This disconnect has been a major problem.

Up until this year, reverse engineering a part and producing a usable 3D CAD model has only been a dream.

NIU EIGERlab now is able to convert

existing parts, artwork or heritage restoration items into fully functional 3D CAD models. In partnership with Superior Joining Technologies, Inc. (SJTI), we can now laser scan parts into 3D models and use various software packages to produce fully functional 3D CAD models.

Case Study in Reverse Engineering Reliable Machine Co., came to the C4PD to reverse engineer a part for its client, Batesville Caskets. The client did not have drawings of the parts; however, it did have actual parts. We were able to scan the parts and convert the scanned images to fully functional 3D CAD models with a feature tree.

This allowed Reliable Machine to use the CAD model to design a new die, so

Surface file from the Scan Data Fully Functional 3D CAD model. it could make new parts for its client.

The two photos above show the difference between what the industry previously used, which is a scanned image (left photo), and what the C4PD now is able to provide (right photo), a fully functional 3D CAD model with a feature tree.

The scanned image (left) is a dumb surface model. This type of file cannot be modified, but it can be printed or manufactured. On the left side of this photo is the feature tree with the imported surfaces that the engineer is not able to modify.

The CAD model (right photo) shows the feature tree on the left with surfaces, fillets, radiuses, diameters, etc., that an engineer can modify; as if he/she had drawn the entire model.

This type of file allows an engineer to make design improvements and print or manufacture the part.

NIU EIGERlab continues to be innovative and on top of the latest technologies to help local businesses and individuals stay ahead of the competition. For more information, contact me at 815-753-2192.

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October 2016

Education Outlook

(continued from front page)

president and CEO. “It’s good for the community to see where we’re headed.

The success achieved by RPS has been both encouraging and inspiring.”

The proof is in the numbers. In a survey, 83 percent of teachers in the Rockford Public Schools believe the district is on the right track.

The graduation rate among Hispanics has increased from 60 percent in 2012 to 75 percent, approaching the state average.

Of the 800 high schools in Illinois, Auburn High School ranks 11th in the state and Guilford is 53rd in terms of Advanced Placement courses.

There’s more. ACT scores have increased by a point from 17.8 to 18.6.

“That’s pretty remarkable,” said Fulcomer.

“It’s hard to gain a point. But that shows the progress that the Rockford Public Schools is making.”

Other highlights include the formation of a pathway offering $150,000 in scholarships to students who return to teach in the district; enrollment that has risen 42 percent in sports and 25 percent in fine arts programs. RPS has invested $250 million in renovating and building new schools.

Making Progress “There is such a high level of commitment to see the school district succeed,” said Jarrett, who recently received a contract extension. “Students are successful because of the quality teaching in the classrooms as well as support within the community. That’s evident when you see the success we’ve achieved.”

“We are in a long-term learning plan for all of our students. What we’re excited about is we’re getting better every year, whether it’s ACT, graduation rate, attendance or discipline. We want to continue to get better because that’s going

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

to make a difference in the lives of our students, and ultimately get us closer to the vision of being a top 25 community.”

But there’s more work to do.

Jarrett said ACT scores still are lower than the state averages of 20.7. The fiveyear graduation rate remains stagnant.

“It’s about connecting students with learning,” Jarrett said. “It’s about helping students at an early age understand why school is important, and how they can find a great place in our community.”

Becky Cook Kendall agrees.

“I’m concerned, however, about the difference in the minority groups and their achievement level,” said Kendall, vice president of Rockford Association for Minority Management. “I’m encouraged for what RAMM can do to influence that change. We’re a long-standing minority organization who has made an impact.

We’re the Rockford Public School’s best advocate. Whatever we can do to mentor, provide, connect or be a part of that network. We’re only as good as the whole.

We want to continue to build bridges.

It takes a village. We have to continue to work together to move forward.”

Rockford is one of three communities in the nation named a Ford Motor Co. Next Generation Learning Community.

Soon, visitors from surrounding states will be here to learn how RPS is doing high school redesign, and how the business community is playing a role in that success.

“What we need from the business community is their continued engagement,” Jarrett said. “There are a lot of things we can point to – the chamber’s involvement, a commitment from strong board members, 1.6 million volunteer hours. We need to keep it up. There’s no limit in terms of what we can accomplish if we stay together.”

Sponsors of the luncheon included BMO Harris Bank, SwedishAmerican – A Division of UW Health and Humana. theVoice

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

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

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

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

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

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October 2016

Rockford University PERSPECTIVE

How should a leader measure success?

Taking the long-term perspective on life I teach a graduate leadership class at Rockford University, and this is one of the questions we spend a great deal of time discussing. It is not as simple a question as it first appears. There are many possible answers; financial success, meeting goals, building something successful that outlives you and the number of leaders you develop are a few ways to measure the success of a leader.

Each of these has merit, however, the question itself raises additional questions. Success over what period of time? Success during the leader’s life or when his/her life is over? Success as judged by others or the leader him/ herself? This can go on and on.

This is the paradox of leadership.

An effective long-term leader at various times in his/her life may look terrible and ineffective. How the larger audience judges a leader from the outside may not be the same way the leader’s inner circle judges success. A leader can meet all of his/her goals and still be viewed as ineffective if the goals are wrong.

Someone can be wealthy, powerful and viewed as a successful leader, but also be viewed as a jerk, whom no one would

work with if given a choice. See how confusing this gets?

Looking Back Over Your Life One optional exercise I have my students do to help them define their own success as a leader is to have them write their own eulogy. To put it another way: When your life is over, what do you want your leadership legacy to be? If someone is standing up talking about you after you have passed, what would you want them to say about you? Would you want them to say you were powerful, rich and an empire builder, or would you rather have them say you were community-minded, a loved member of your family, who touched the lives of many, whom people enjoyed being around because of your personality traits?

I think most would agree they would rather have the second part over the first part of the statement.

If you agree with me that as a leader you would like to be remembered for how you lived your life rather than what you accumulated in your life, then you need to ask yourself what you are doing every day to create your leadership legacy.

Are you making the right decisions on a

daily basis to create the foundation that is necessary to accomplish what you want? I think many leaders, if they were totally honest with themselves, would have to say, “Not much.”

Looking Long Term Too many times leaders lead their lives as if they can work on the important things later. The leader spends his/her time in the short run leading a life to accumulate, instead of living a life that makes them a leader because people admire them for how they lead their life.

My challenge to you is to take the time to write down what you would like people to say about you in your eulogy. Write down how you like to be remembered as a leader and then begin to start building your legacy by the actions you take every day. Don’t put off until tomorrow being a great parent, grandparent, caregiver or leader in your community. When you end each day, ask yourself what you did during the day to get yourself closer to the legacy you want to create. It sounds very simple, but it isn’t.

In order for the Rockford area to be a top 25 community in 2025, we are going

to need a lot Jeff Fahrenwald Rockford University more leaders.

We are going to need leaders who are working on their legacies daily. Who understand that success is something that is measured over a lifetime, and that shortcuts or acts that help us gain individually at the expense of others and over the greater good isn’t really effective leadership.

We seem to have lost sight of this today.

The examples put forth by many people is to “get mine at all costs.” It is to look on others as deserving of their economic or social position, instead of looking upon others with compassion and helpfulness.

I hope that we all work to become the future leaders who change this, and in the process, elevate this community to a place we can all be proud to call home.

Jeff Fahrenwald is director, MBA program, and associate professor of economics, business, and accounting at Rockford University.

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

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October 2016

Expo

(continued from front page) a speaker who could teach basic tactics, to plan, to think in advance of walking into a room about what you want to achieve for yourself. That’s why we picked Lillian.”

Increasing Visibility “Obviously, we do these things to get our name out there and get in front of people,” said Mike Roberts, Ticomix vice president of marketing. “This was an opportunity that was available to us, and we jumped on it. The expo has been great for visibility and reputationbuilding. This is all about networking.

We take time to walk around and meet other vendors. It’s critical.”

This year, instead of passing out trinkets to visitors to their booth, Ticomix decided to make a donation to the Boys and Girls Club. “It shows that we’re behind the community,” Roberts said.

OC Creative, a creative service agency in DeKalb and Rockford, greeted visitors at their booth. “We will definitely come back again,” said Brian Oster,

president. “The chamber puts a lot of effort into this event. It’s been a great investment for us. Companies are looking to stand out, whether it’s through giveaways or marketing. Networking – hands down – is the best way to grow a business. You can be the best videographer or designer, but it doesn’t matter if no one knows who you are.”

Alden Park Strathmoor Inc., a rehabilitation and healthcare facility, became chamber members earlier this year. Participating in the business expo seemed like a logical next step, said Nina Kuljanin-Thompson, administrator.

“We thought it was a great opportunity to market ourselves within the Rockford community,” she said. “We care about our clients and the community. Today is all about business-to-business marketing.

Basically, people want to know what we’re all about.”

The presenting sponsor of this year’s event was Ticomix, a local IT company that manages and protects business technology. Other sponsors included Comcast Business, Mercyhealth, Thayer Lighting, SwedishAmerican, The Morrissey Family Businesses, Meridian, and Associated Bank. theVoice

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October 2016

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Introducing ‘The Liaisons’

Your member-to-member connection It’s easy to take your Rockford Chamber of Commerce membership for granted. But your membership is more important than ever in keeping the chamber a strong, healthy, vital and relevant organization.

It’s easy to just think of the chamber for business events, but what about the other initiatives the chamber is engaged in, such as business development, public safety, government affairs? The organization keeps its membership informed via Facebook, email updates, and the excellent publication, The Voice.

But in this time of information overload, it’s easy to miss the valuable initiatives that your membership is supporting.

Sometimes, it takes a human interaction to properly inform you of what’s going on, and more importantly, to let you know that the chamber doesn’t take your membership for granted, either.

And that’s why the chamber is launching a new team of volunteers, “The Liaisons.” The Liaisons will be making

Chad A. DeMarre New York Life

memberto-member connections; personally contacting members to provide a one-on-one opportunity to better understand your concerns and discuss initiatives the Rockford Chamber is working on. Your feedback is important to the chamber, and as fellow businesspeople and duespaying members, The Liaisons will bring that perspective to your discussions.

Keep in mind that The Liaisons are not salespeople, and these will not be sales calls. They are members, like you, who see the importance of having an organization like the chamber to represent the interests of the Rockford business community.

We here at The Liaisons are passionate about this new venture and hope to have the opportunity to speak to you in the coming year.

Chad A. DeMarre is a financial services professional at New York Life Insurance Company.

Rockford Chamber Supports the Constitutional Amendment on Transportation Funding Voters will go to the polls this November to vote on races of national, state and local significance. But they will also have the opportunity to approve an amendment to the Illinois Constitution – the Safe Roads Amendment – that will protect transportation user fees for all modes of transportation from being taken for other purposes.

The Rockford Chamber of Commerce is supportive of this amendment because we believe it is good for the state’s and region’s economies and will hold government accountable for honest and transparent taxing and spending.

Billions of transportation taxes

and fees have been diverted in Illinois over the last decade.

This amendment won’t save those dollars, but it will protect funding going forward and, we hope, will help prevent the further decline of our critically important transportation network.

Even when the economy is slumping, or transportation network is one strong and compelling reason why businesses continue to locate and operate here. Let’s protect this important asset for safety reasons and to begin to restore taxpayer confidence in lllinois’ budgeting. Join us in voting yes on the first question on the November ballot.

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October 2016

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Beautiful environment, beautiful people Bill Strickland, MacArthur Genius award winner, speaks on economic development by way of the individual.

There are a lot of beautiful places in the world – probably far more than I could possibly count. One of those beautiful places is Rockford, Illinois – especially in the fall. The glistening river contrasts the crisp texture of falling leaves amid a bright

blue backdrop and lush green grasses.

I’ve always noticed that when I’m surrounded by beautiful things, life seems generally better. Beautiful things come in all shapes and sizes – from the brightly colored post-it notes on my desk to the pumpkins and mums greeting me at my front porch when I arrive home.

I can find beauty almost anywhere,

but that’s in large part because of the environment I am fortunate enough to live, work and play in.

For some, beauty is a little harder to find. At some point, our culture seemed to have decided that beautiful things didn’t belong to all, but rather just a few.

Beautiful things were to be earned and cultivated, not shared and multiplied.

The thought almost implies that if beauty is shared, it will be diminished in some way. Our culture has decided through our actions that those who are less fortunate or are in current strife and struggle don’t deserve beauty. We’ve sentenced them to a life surrounded by harsh, stark representations of their current situation. We’ve stripped small beauties from their hands and expected them to crawl out of darkness into light with no example of how to do so.

I have to say, I was somewhat oblivious to this inequality until a class in grad school introduced me to the work of Bill Strickland. While Strickland’s talents and ideas are far too profound to whittle down to this one article, one in particular stuck out to me. His philosophy is: environment drives behavior, and as such, beautiful environments create beautiful people.

Think about that: environment drives behavior.

What does that actually mean? It means that the way you spend your time matters. It means whom and what you surround yourself with matters. It means that the way you treat people matters.

The way in which you treat people sets the tone for their development.

Strickland Presents in Rockford, Nov. 10

community in a day. We can’t create open green spaces with community gardens and

Caitlin (Ludwig) Pusateri Rockford Chamber

playgrounds that invite all children to play

together overnight. But, we can treat people beautifully. We can open doors, look people in the eye, extend a hand, and assume the best. We can create an environment that says that each individual person matters.

Strickland

is

a

powerful

and

visionary leader who can offer a multitude of lessons for each person in our community. He is the president and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation

and

its

subsidiaries.

A nationally recognized leader, he authentically delivers educational and cultural opportunities to students and adults within an organizational culture that

fosters

innovation,

creativity,

responsibility and integrity.

We are honored and privileged to hear from Strickland on Nov. 10 at Giovanni’s. As you develop as a leader, what you say and do matters. Spend your lunch hour with us learning from one of the best – your day will be infinitely more beautiful for it.

Register to hear Strickland’s riveting ideas at the Nov. 10 luncheon at www. rockfordchamber.com.

We can’t immediately make every space in which people reside beautiful.

We can’t clean up the blight in our

Caitlin (Ludwig) Pusateri is vice president, leadership development for the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

Leadership Development news is sponsored by Comcast Business.

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October 2016

Property values see an increase Supporting the local real estate market Declining property values have been a drag on our community, but we are finally turning the corner. In the Rockford Public Schools, we are doing what we can to continue the turn into positive territory.

RPS 205 is expecting a three percent increase in the value of assessed property within our boundaries. That’s exciting news. Relief is on the way.

The Rockford Board of Education deserves credit for holding the line, even before this good news. For four tax cycles, the board sustained the local levy for education at $157 million or below (after levying as high as $170 million in 2011).

What’s more, the board committed to returning the 58 cents to taxpayers from the original Kids Win campaign. The district gave back about $13 million, as promised.

All told, $55 million fewer dollars have been collected over the last four levy cycles. It wasn’t easy. For that, I believe our board needs to be applauded.

Another measure of our diligent efforts to ease the burden on taxpayers: the school tax rate, relative to the total rate in the property tax bill. The percentage of the total rate going to the Rockford Public Schools is 52 percent.

That’s the lowest percentage of school districts in the region.

Tax Refund Program We are doing even more. We joined with the City of Rockford, the Rockford Park District and the Rockford Library Board on a three-year property tax refund program for buyers of distressed or newly built homes. For a house valued at $100,000, it could mean as much as $3,200 in tax relief each year for a period of three years. The program applies to eligible homes under contract for sale and purchased before Dec. 31, 2016.

Taxpayers in the program could see a

rebate of about 80 percent of their tax bill. Over 10 years, that could mean a 25 percent discount.

The program is getting traction. Four new homes and 14 distressed properties have qualified for the rebate, with four homes projected to be added to the program. And there’s still the fourth quarter to go.

We’re doing our part to support the local real estate market.

Employee Housing Incentive Our commitment doesn’t stop there.

RPS 205 has offered housing incentives for employees to buy a home within RPS 205 boundaries, so long as they live in the home for a minimum of five years.

We have pledged $375,000 to create a significant financial incentive to homebuying in our district. We will contribute up to 10 percent toward the purchase price of a distressed property and five percent for a market-rate home. Three employees have taken advantage of this incentive already, for an aggregate savings to them of more than $28,000.

As I told attendees of September’s Education Outlook Luncheon, it’s vitally important for our public school system to be so highly regarded, it’s seen as a first-choice district. When that happens, property is worth more. Good schools create stability and good schools create demand in the marketplace.

That’s why our mission to become a first-choice district is so critical. We’re all in on trying to prepare our students for the future and for our future as a more prosperous community.

Dr. Ehren Jarrett is superintendent of Rockford Public Schools.

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

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TechWorks provides CNC mill setup/operators Filling the employment gaps for area manufacturers

Ron Eberley, TechWorks student, visually inspects a milling tool.

Gordy Blaisdell, training specialist, teaches a CNC control to TechWorks students.

A Week of Manufacturing Day℠ Events The Manufacturing DaySM celebration in the Rockford area will take place during Oct. 3-11. Several special events are being planned: October 4 – How Manufacturing Drives the Economy You’re invited to attend a presentation by a panel of experts who will explore this topic from a variety of viewpoints.

The presentation will be hosted by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA) at their 833 Featherstone Road location in Rockford. The event is endorsed by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce and there is no charge to attend.

But you must register in advance; simply log on to www.mfgday.com/ fmaevent to reserve your seat.

October 6 – Virtual Welding Experience for Students A handson technology exploration provided

by Lincoln Electric and Superior Joining Technologies, Inc. October 11 – Rock MFG DAY Experience Edge Factor Creator Jeremy Bout MC’s Multimedia Experience The finale of Rockford’s Manufacturing Week happens when Jeremy Bout, creator of the Edge Factor program and eduFactor educational tools, comes to Rockford to conduct his live, multimedia Rock MFG DAY experience. This event is for Student tour sponsors and the local participating students.

On Friday, Sept. 2, TechWorks successfully graduated six students with two NIMS (National Institute for Metalworking Skills) credentials in Measurement, Materials & Safety and CNC Mill Set up/Operator. These TechWorks graduates are prepared through the training they received to join the current workforce as entry level CNC mill setup/operators.

The Mill training encompasses 150 hours of work instructions, which includes safety, shop math, blueprint reading, metrology and setting up a CNC milling machine. An additional 30 hours is devoted to job readiness, which includes resume development, professionalism in the workplace, soft skills and mock interviews.

Successful training can only be accomplished if you have the appropriate equipment. TechWorks has been very fortunate to have strong partnerships in the Rock Valley College region, and Machinery Source is one of those partners. Operating out of a 12,000-sq.-ft. facility in Belvidere, Machinery Source is a full service and support dealer of new machine tools, equipment and accessories.

Gordy Blaisdell, training specialist for TechWorks says, “The TechWorks milling training could not function without the generous support of Machinery Source.”

Machinery Source’s generosity shows in allowing TechWorks the usage of two YCM NXV560A Vertical Machining Centers.

Bernie Luecke RVC BPI

These state-of-the-art machining centers have been vital to the success of the TechWorks program.

“Partnering with TechWorks has been a win-win for both of us, and this educational alignment helps grow our company vision,” says Jeff Hassen, president of Machinery Source.

“Getting trained individuals into the workforce is critical to our area, and we feel honored that we can help.”

TechWorks will continue to train 18 to 20 students for the remainder of 2016.

These graduates will be eligible to join the workforce, helping fill the gap of CNC Mill Setup/Operators. TechWorks training is a seven-week Fast-Track CNC training program that teaches core manufacturing skills. The program is located at 4151 Samuelson Road Center. Companies in need of trained candidates or customized training can contact Deann Sharkey at 815-921-2192 or D.Sharkey@RockValleyCollege.edu.

Individuals interested in learning more about the TechWorks program can attend an orientation on Nov. 1, 8:30 a.m. to noon, at 4151 Samuelson Road Center. Please contact Deann Sharkey at 815-921-2192 or D.Sharkey@ RockValleyCollege.edu to reserve your seat.

Bernie Luecke is director of business development at Rock Valley College, Business & Professional Institute.

Manufacturing News is sponsored by RVC BPI

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

October 2016

IGNITE

Young Professionals

Learning leadership We welcome your ideas

Let’s face the issues head on. We all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect.

We don’t have the solutions to every problem. We don’t know everything.

Those are painfully tough things to admit because of the human condition.

I’ve learned firsthand over the past several months that some people have a very natural leadership ability, while others have to learn how to lead. I think we naturally gravitate to those who have the natural leadership ability – but does that make them a great leader? Not necessarily.

Many of us are drawn to outgoing personalities and people who light up the room. But what makes a true leader?

In my opinion, great leaders are humble, they admit when they’re wrong, they admit when they need help, they offer help, they’re positive, they’re proactive, they’re organized, they sense a problem before it’s brought to their attention.

With IGNITE Rockford, we need to help develop better leaders. We need to be proactive and organized, and we need to offer more help. I have failed many times as a leader, whether it was in high school sports or in college leading

a group project, Andrew Hendrickson IGNITE and even now as a young professional working my way up the career ladder.

My goal for IGNITE is to learn from these mistakes and work with our membership to give them something meaningful. We need to be better in the community – if you have an opportunity for us to get involved, please reach out to me. Let us know where we can help, as the membership of IGNITE is varied and has a specialist from nearly all vocations and trades.

I would like IGNITE to help shape the future of Rockford by giving young professionals the opportunity to learn leadership with new experiences. We don’t grow unless we’re challenged, and I think we need to be challenged more often.

Andrew Hendrickson is president of IGNITE and an assurance supervisor with RSM. The views expressed are those of Hendrickson’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

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12

October 2016

Investment in our community’s reputation

By Jimsi Kuborn, RAEDC As part of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council’s ongoing strategic plan, the Rockforward! Leadership Council manages the Emerging Opportunities Fund (EOF). The EOF is designed for discretionary investment in mutually agreed-upon, forward-thinking initiatives that will leverage positive change for economic development of the Rockford Region.

The fund has invested approximately $1.3 million back into our community since its inception in 2008. Many of the initiatives are related to education, greenenergy and marketing-recruiting efforts.

This year, the Leadership Council saw value in a collaborative investment project that would focus on the community’s “Googleability.” Think of it this way, when someone Googles Rockford, IL, less-thanideal criteria shows up in the results.

This community can no longer sit back and accept what others are saying or the dated data that populates these searches. There is a way to put forth up-to-date information as it relates to the current momentum and wins we have seen over the past few years, doing so collaboratively and strategically for growth. The conversation is changing in our community; let’s make sure we also represent that on search engines, so those who want to know more about us have a relevant picture.

Changing the Social Media Conversation The “Googleability” project was proposed by and will be managed by the Rockford Area Convention & Visitor Bureau and will partner with the RAEDC, other organizations and individuals to encompass specific items such as: search engine optimization, paid search/search engine marketing, online retargeting, social media marketing, media outreach/ focused PR, and influencer education/ awareness, to name a few. To read the press release from May, visit http://rockfordil. com/2016/05/06/leadership-councilinvests-2016-emerging-opportunities-fundin-reputation-and-recruitment/.

This project will work by connecting many websites and with outreach of organizations that represent/sell our region. Not an easy task, but possible.

Other communities have done similar projects. It’s time we focus our concerted online efforts collaboratively to grow tourism activities even more and increase our ability to recruit more investments and jobs to our region.

This proactive approach also means helping our employers and their human resource departments for recruiting. The long-term goal through this effort will be to increase the Rockford Region’s awareness as an Opportunity City where people want to live, work, play and invest.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Recent ranking demonstrates the value of investing

By Jimsi Kuborn, RAEDC Last month USA Today ranked Rockford, IL as the sixth fastest-growing market for housing across the United States, via data that encompassed 180 metropolitan areas and looking at home price changes and unemployment rates.

Rockford, IL (metropolitan area) data used by USA Today showed a 15.1 percent change in home sale prices over last year and a June 2016 unemployment rate of 6.7 percent. This ranking is not from one isolated factor.

Almost every week I am challenged by naysayers, and I understand that we must look at the entire picture – the positives and the opportunities for more. And “the more” IS important for improvement and continued growth; however we should also recognize that this type of ranking makes sense based on the multiple existing strategies within our community.

A Few to Consider ■■ Did you know that 70 to 80 percent of the business and job growth that occurs in our region is by existing employers?

Our local businesses are growing and competing globally. Our strong clusters, such as aerospace, advanced manufacturing and healthcare, are making record-breaking investments in facilities, products and services and adding employees to implement that growth. A majority of the $1.5 to $2 billion currently being invested in our community is by businesses that have a presence in the area.

■■ In economic development, business attraction efforts are core mission activities. The RAEDC is one of the region’s sales teams, promoting the region outside of the region to recruit businesses here, in turn creating more jobs. Some examples of outside companies investing here because of efforts from all economic partners are: AAR Corp, Taurus 80, ABX, All World Machinery Supply, Meijer’s, to name a few companies new to our region.

■■ Our MSA (Winnebago and Boone counties) unemployment rate is slowly declining, coming in around seven percent at the end of 2015 and 6.3 percent as of July 2016. Jobs are continually being added. There are nearly 5,000 openings in the northern Illinois region. The job openings today and the ones of tomorrow need to link effectively into education. Educational investments are occurring at all levels.

Look at the amount of capital and time being invested in our school districts and post-secondary educational institutions.

There are large-scale facility expansions, curriculum expansions at all stages, and curricula changes to focus on employer/ workforce needs.

■■ Homes are selling. The number of days a home is on the market has shortened, the stock is shrinking, and the average prices are rising. The average sales price is at $124,000, which is 4.4 percent higher than last year (with a three-month rolling average), and an overall 8 to 9 percent increase year over year in the MLS (which represents Winnebago, Boone and parts of Ogle County).

■■ According to the Illinois Department of Commerce’s Office of Tourism, tourism in the Rockford area continues to see a three percent increase over the prior year’s record-setting numbers, and the tax revenue from tourism has increased six percent over last year.

■■ Infrastructure, roads and the Chicago Rockford International Airport have seen investments as well.

Investments have been on the local level and with IDOT’s expenditures on I-90.

These types of expenditures enable the region to compete on the top five major assets desired by site selectors and developers. The Chicago Rockford International Airport investments encompass facilities, runway and the new maintenance repair and overhaul facility for growth in air cargo.

PERSPECTIVE! When you look at other communities across the state or other states, each one has assets and opportunities for improvement.

When you read a national news source that Rockford, IL made a top-10 list again, remember the interwoven efforts occurring amongst our organizations, municipalities and companies. These undertakings demonstrate the recent momentum and exponential value of collaboration in strategies and investments.

The voice has changed. We will continue to grow the Rockford Region’s reputation as an Opportunity Region where people want to live, work, play and invest.

Jimsi Kuborn is VP of investor relations at the Rockford Area Economic Development Council.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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October 2016

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Collaboration to address major social issues Network approach keeps individuals from falling through cracks Over the past few years, our community, like others, has scrutinized the role and impact of the not-forprofit sector. We have heard Rockford described as the “City of Executive Directors,” implying that there are too many human service providers, and we are redundant in the services provided.

Some organizations are accused of being “toxic” in that they enable people to stay or actually benefit from their plight without working to improve themselves and their families. “Do-gooders” and “tree huggers” are back-handed descriptors for trained professionals who have a deep passion for serving people.

Whether these characterizations are reality or merely perceptions, we know that long-term and expansive investments in individual organizations and programs in our community have not improved social outcomes for a wide swath of our residents.

A recent study conducted by Northern Illinois Workforce Alliance documented their 14 different organizations and 38 programs that provide services for the populations that are served. United Way of the Rock River Valley funds

30 agencies and 49 programs. Yet our community is not seeing an impact on improved unemployment rates, crime reduction or poverty rates.

We need a different way to serve citizens facing unemployment, re-entry, poverty and other life challenges.

A Unified Force There is an emerging group of organizations that are asking the question: why not take a systems approach to look at addressing these significant social issues? Instead of each organization having a “product” that meets the need of a small segment of residents, why don’t we build a platform where our human service providers can address the whole population of residents requiring services as one single entity? This emerging group is exploring ways our current network of providers can become more tightly connected and act as a unified force.

Research through the Transform Rockford initiative, as well as national studies reveal that the one constant element of supporting people moving to a better stage in life is the role of the “case manager.” A case manager typically

works with people to understand Sam Schmitz Courtney Geiger the service provided by the agency, Goodwill Industries Goodwill Industries serves as coach and encourager, and assists with support services when they need to move from agency to by referring the individual to other service providers. One can go to any agency, and individuals are constantly one of the providers in our region, supported throughout that process. and you can bet they have a least one This group is working on a process staff member who is a case manager. that we hope will deliver a consistent, Currently, professional training and comprehensive level of service; a service language varies from agency to agency, level that can be a model for other and each organization is driven by its own communities. We hope that as this work mission and often isolated from other continues, all of our human service agencies – even those with which referrals providers will join this coalition. We are made to and received from. There envision that with the collective knowledge is tremendous opportunity to radically and work of our case managers among all impact our community outcomes by organizations across the region, we can addressing the full community system of transform our community and improve case management. the quality of life for all individuals who Imagine a system where all the case managers in this region worked call the Rockford region home. with one another collectively to help participants navigate the web of human Sam Schmitz is president and Courtney Geiger service agencies -- a system where case managers in this region are trained and meet specific standards of operation and speak a common professional language.

A system with a network approach so that individuals don’t fall through the cracks

mission services director at Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois.

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

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What’s Trending in Legal/Financial/Insurance Industries

October 2016

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Small-business owners must protect their futures Whether you want to transfer the business to another family member, sell it outright to someone else, or possibly just wind it down, you’ll need to plan ahead and consult with your legal and tax advisors.

If you’re a small-business owner, you think a lot about today. Is your cash flow sufficient … today? Are your products and services competitive … today?

Are you confident in your marketing and advertising efforts … today? And because you are so focused on today, you may be neglecting a key aspect of tomorrow – your retirement. Specifically, do you have a good retirement plan for yourself?

Given that your personal finances are so tied up with your business, your plans for the business will obviously greatly affect your financial situation when you retire. Whether you want to transfer the business to another family member, sell it outright to someone else, or possibly just wind it down, you’ll need to plan ahead and consult with your legal and tax advisors.

However, you can take steps now to

help ensure you can enjoy a comfortable retirement. You have access to a variety of retirement plans appropriate for small-business owners.

Retirement Plan Options ■■ Owner-only 401(k). This plan, also known as an individual or a “solo” 401(k), is available to self-employed individuals and business owners with no full-time employees other than themselves or a spouse. As the owner, you can contribute to your plan as both an employer and an employee; your total contribution limit for 2016 is $53,000, or $59,000 if you are 50 or older.

■■ SEP IRA. If you have just a few employees or are self-employed with no employees, you might consider a SEP IRA. You’ll fund the plan with taxdeductible contributions, and you must

cover all eligible employees. (Employees themselves cannot contribute.) You can contribute up to 25 percent of compensation, up to $53,000 annually.

(Contributions for a self-employed individual are limited to 25 percent of compensation minus one-half of selfemployment taxes.) And you can fund your SEP IRA with many different types of investments. Plus, you can establish a SEP IRA for 2016 until April 17, 2017.

contributions,

■■ Defined benefit plan. Pension plans, also known as defined benefit plans, have become less prevalent in recent years – but you can still set one up for yourself if you are self-employed or own your own business. This plan has high contribution limits, which are determined by an actuarial calculation, and as is the case with other retirement plans, your contributions are typically tax-deductible.

3 percent of your compensation.

■■ SIMPLE IRA. As its name suggests, a SIMPLE IRA is easy to set up and maintain, and can be a good plan if your business has fewer than 10 employees.

Still, while a SIMPLE IRA may be advantageous for your employees, it’s less generous to you, as far as allowable

than an owneronly a

SEP

401(k),

Lea Evers Edward Jones

IRA

or a defined benefit plan. For 2016, your annual contributions are generally limited to $12,500, or $15,500 if you’re 50 or older by the end of the year. You can also make a matching contribution of up to You need to establish a SIMPLE IRA between Jan. 1 and Oct. 1 of any year. In fact, if you’d like to set up any of the retirement plans we’ve looked at, don’t delay. The sooner you open your plan, the more years you will have to contribute – and, as you know, time is often an investor’s best friend.

Lea Evers is financial advisor at Edward Jones.

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

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What’s Trending in Legal/Financial/Insurance Industries

October 2016

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

INSIGHT Guest Perspective

New law impacts how LLCs formed, operated Defining authority of the members An important piece of new legislation will impact Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) conducting business in Illinois and their members. On July 27, 2016 Gov. Bruce Rauner signed House Bill 4361 (HB4361) into law. The bill makes some significant changes to the Illinois Limited Liability Company Act and touches many aspects of how LLCs are formed and operated. The changes are too numerous to review each in detail, however, this article will briefly discuss a few of the most noteworthy updates to the LLC Act. The most significant changes made by HB4361 address who has the authority to conduct the business of the LLC. The current law states that each and every member of the LLC is considered to be an agent of the LLC simply by virtue of their status as a member. As such, if a member enters into a transaction on behalf of the LLC, even though the member is not authorized to do so by the company, a third party may be able to enforce the transaction against the LLC, despite the fact the person had no authority to act for the LLC. The new law changes the presumption of an “implied agency,” that a member of an LLC is authorized to conduct any and all business of the LLC simply by virtue of his or her status as a member. It removes the section that creates the implied agency and allows LLCs to file “Statements of Authority” with the Secretary of State to specify what authority any specific member or manager has or does not have.

For example, if the LLC has one member who is not authorized to purchase or sell real estate, the LLC could file a Statement of Authority specifying the limitations of that member’s authority to transact business on behalf of the LLC. Essentially, the Statement of Authority is a way for LLCs to explicitly define the authority of its members and managers and avoid the pitfalls of apparent or imputed agency like the example in the preceding paragraphs.

The new law takes Statements of Authority a step further with respect to the authority of members concerning the purchase or sale of real estate. Under the new law, any Statement of Authority limiting the authority of a member to buy or sell real estate on behalf of the LLC is conclusive notice to the public of that person’s limitation, as long as the Statement of Authority is recorded in the county where the real estate is situated.

As such, if a Statement of Authority was filed and recorded, the transaction cannot be enforced against the LLC if the member’s actions fall within the scope of the Statement of Authority’s limitations.

Other Significant Changes

Joseph Pumilia Pumilia Law LLC

Another important change made

by HB4361 is how unwritten operating agreements are treated. Many small multi-member LLCs do not have written operating agreements. Instead, many small LLCs rely on informal oral agreements to determine how the company will operate. Under the current law, oral operating agreements could be held unenforceable, even if you can prove the agreement took place.

The new amendments made by HB4361 significantly changes the landscape for resolving disputes involving oral operating agreements. It specifically provides that oral agreements are enforceable and that they are exempted from the Statute of Frauds (if the agreement was unable to be performed within one year it could be unenforceable under the Statute of Frauds if it was not in writing). However, despite the fact that oral agreements are now valid operating agreements, it is still strongly recommended that your company’s operating agreement be reduced to writing.

In addition to those discussed above, HB4361 makes a number of other significant changes to the LLC Act. The most notable amendments include: ■■ Clarifies the rights of a judgment creditor against the LLC; ■■ Changes to the process for converting to an LLC from another type of entity; ■■ Provides for domestication;

foreign

LLC

■■ Changes how LLCs must respond to a demand for information from a member or disassociated member; ■■ Specifies what common-law or statutory rights cannot be modified by the operating agreement; ■■ Identifies the remedies available to the LLC when a member fails to make a required contribution; ■■ Alters the winding–up phase of a LLC dissolution.

The new law makes many substantive changes to the LLC Act that may affect the operations of your business. Any company conducting business as or with an LLC should review the possible implication of the new law with an attorney to determine how it may impact their business.

Joseph Pumilia is an attorney at Pumilia Law LLC, serving small businesses with their legal needs.

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

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

What’s Trending in Legal/Financial/Insurance Industries

October 2016

INSIGHT

INSIGHT

Guest Perspective

Guest Perspective

Higher patent damages likely under new standard for willful infringement The U.S. Supreme Court just made it easier for patent owners to obtain enhanced damages against infringers.

In Halo Electronics, Inc. v. Pulse Electronics, Inc., a unanimous court overturned the previous test for enhanced damages, which was created by the Federal Circuit in 2007 in In re Seagate Technology, LLC, 497 F.3d 1360 (Fed. Cir. 2007).

Under the Seagate standard, a patent owner seeking enhanced damages had to show that the infringement was “willful,” which required a patent owner to prove, by clear and convincing evidence, that: (1) the infringer acted with objective recklessness; and (2) the risk of infringement was either known or so obvious that it should have been known to the infringer.

Now, patent owners will have a new tool to fight infringers who steal their inventions. Infringers, on the other hand, must pay close attention to the story a patent owner will be able to tell, since it will be more powerful than ever.

The Seagate standard has been criticized over the years as setting an impermissibly high bar that put enhanced damages essentially out of reach in the vast majority of patent cases. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed with this criticism, holding that Seagate is not consistent with the plain language of 35 U.S.C. § 284, which provides that, in a case of patent infringement, courts “may increase the damages up to three times the amount found or assessed.”

The Supreme Court overturned Seagate, eliminating the established framework for establishing willfulness.

However, the court did not adopt a new, similarly rigid framework. Instead, it established an “I‑know‑it‑when‑I‑see‑it” type of test a la Justice Potter Stewart’s obscenity analysis in Jacobellis v. Ohio.

Specifically, the court held:

17

Background checks for potential employees Jessica Hutson Polakowski Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.

“Awards of enhanced damages under the Patent Act over the past 180 years establish that they are not to be meted out in a typical infringement case, but are instead designed as a “punitive” or “vindictive” sanction for egregious infringement behavior. The sort of conduct warranting enhanced damages has been variously described in our cases as willful, wanton, malicious, badfaith, deliberate, consciously wrongful, flagrant or — indeed — characteristic of a pirate.”

The court then placed discretion in the hands of district courts and clarified that: (1) the burden of proof is not “clear and convincing evidence,” as established by Seagate, but rather “preponderance of the evidence”; and (2) any such decision should be reviewed by the appellate courts for abuse of discretion. This holding will make it much easier for patent owners to tell their story to a jury.

Patent owners should be aware of this reduced standard in determining the best options for enforcing their patent rights — the likelihood of large verdicts in cases of infringement just increased fairly substantially. Potential infringers, on the other hand, should be aware that they can no longer rely on their counsel’s creative arguments to escape a determination of willful infringement and treble damages.

Jessica Hutson Polakowski is a shareholder in Reinhart’s intellectual property and tax practices. She can be reached at jpolakowski@ reinhartlaw.com.

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

Consistency is key to voiding litigation Last year, plaintiffs’ attorneys filed more than 400 class action lawsuits in connection with improper background check procedures. Employers should review their background check procedures to ensure compliance with applicable laws in order to avoid an expensive lawsuit and payment of the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees and significant fines.

Background checks performed by consumer reporting agencies are governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The FCRA requires the employer to provide written notice to the employee that a background check will be obtained and may be used to make employment decisions. This notice must be given before the check is ordered or received.

I recommend that you include information from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau along with this notice to inform the employee of his or her rights under the FCRA. The employer must receive written consent from the employee. The request for consent can be part of the notice, but consent must be received before ordering the report. The employer must certify to the third party consumer-reporting agency that it provided notice, obtained consent, and will use the information lawfully.

Full Disclosure If the background check reveals something that results in any adverse employment action (such as declining to make a job offer, deciding not to promote or deciding to terminate), the employer must provide a separate notice stating that an adverse action may be taken based on information

Maryjo F. Pirages Reynolds HolmstromKennedy PC

received from the consumer reporting agency. This second notice must include a copy of the report, the name of the consumer-reporting agency, its contact information, information about the role of the agency, and information about consumer rights.

The employer must then wait five days before any action can be taken to give the employee/applicant time to review and bring an incorrect report to the employer’s attention.

Employers must exercise caution when seeking to obtain medical information, an investigative background check, and in instances in which an individual has initiated a fraud and/or active duty military alert to creditors.

The FCRA does not apply to an employer performing its own informal investigation -- for example, a review of public records. Employers performing their own background checks should be careful to perform the same checks for all similarly situated employees. Inconsistency in conducting background checks opens the door to possible disparate impact and discrimination claims. Additionally, employers should be diligent to confirm that the information they are reviewing is true, accurate and pertains to the correct individual.

Maryjo F. Pirages Reynolds is an attorney at HolmstromKennedyPC, practicing in the areas of labor and employment law, trusts and estates, and corporate and business law.

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

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What’s Trending in Legal/Financial/Insurance Industries

October 2016

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

The ABCs of copyright

Basics of trademarks, copyrights, patents As a lawyer on the frontlines of copyright and trademark litigation in federal courts throughout the Midwest, I have come to learn first-hand that most people know just enough about copyrights and trademarks to be dangerous. This article addresses copyright and trademark basics, how to protect your copyrights and trademarks, and a few best practices to avoid infringement.

Types of Intellectual Property The first thing to know is that there are three main types of intellectual property: (1) copyrights (which protect “original works of authorship,” such as books, songs and movies); (2) trademarks (which protect a company’s brand); and (3) patents (which protect a company’s inventions).

Owning a copyright gives you the exclusive rights to: (1) copy that work; (2) make derivatives of that work; (3) distribute that work by sale, transfer or lease, and (4) perform or display the work publicly. It is illegal for anyone other than the owner of the copyright to copy, make

Joel Huotari

Before you post anything on your company’s website or social media sites, whether it is a photo, text, blueprints or video, ask yourself “who created this content first?” derivatives, distribute, perform or display the copyrighted work.

Copyrighted works may, or may not, be identifiable by the presence of the copyright notice with the “©” symbol.

The use of this symbol is not required in order for the work to be copyrighted, though its use is encouraged to fend off would-be copiers and maximize the available damages.

Trademarks (which may be characterized by the TM, SM or ® mark) are generally words, phrases, slogans, symbols, designs, or a combination thereof, that identifies the source of your goods and services and distinguishes them from the goods and services of other parties. A trademark is essentially your brand. People come to know and trust a brand they have had positive experiences with, and they reward that company

with repeat business. This positive brand association often leads others to try and reap the benefit of that goodwill by passing off their own goods and services by using words, slogans, symbols and designs that are confusingly similar to their competitor’s trademark, spawning cease and desist letters, and/or litigation.

Although most people don’t distinguish between “trademarks” and “service marks,” there is a legal distinction: trademarks identify the source of goods (shoes, computers, etc.) whereas service marks identify the source of services (landscaping, accounting etc.).

Common usage, and this article, refers to trademarks and service marks as simply trademarks, or marks.

Copyrights are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Trademarks and patents are handled by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Domain names, i.e., “www.wilmac.com” (which may or may not also qualify as trademarks, depending on their use), are registered with private companies that are domain registrars.

Finally, a business’s name (which also may or may not qualify as a trademark, depending on its use) gets registered with local Secretaries of State.

In order to avail yourself of the full protection of the copyright and trademark laws, it is important to register your copyrights and trademarks. Since copyrights are ordinarily given a term enduring for the author’s life, plus an additional 70 years after the author’s death, there is no significant burden to maintain a copyright. However, trademark registration and maintenance requirements are rather daunting,

requiring WilliamsMcCarthy LLP maintenance filings every five to 10 years. It is recommended that you rely upon legal counsel for your registration and maintenance needs, though it is possible to do it without a lawyer.

Social Media: Easier to Copy Many well-loved institutions on the Internet facilitate prolific infringement of copyrighted work, including movies, songs and books. Moreover, you can copy content from another’s website or social media pages and pass it off as your own with just a few keystrokes, making copyright infringement incredibly easy to do, if you don’t know any better.

Before you post anything on your company’s website or social media sites, whether it is a photo, text, blueprints or video, ask yourself “who created this content first?” If you are not the creator and you don’t have a license to reproduce that content, you may not have the legal authority to post it, even if you have made changes to it.

When rebranding your company, you should also consider registering your new trademark first, to confirm that it does not encroach upon any preexisting mark. In addition, you should not look the other way when your mark is infringed, since doing so could lead to a weakening of your mark, loss of distinctiveness, or even the potential forfeiture of certain available remedies.

Finally, when in doubt, talk to a lawyer. As Ben Franklin said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Joel Huotari is a WilliamsMcCarthy LLP.

partner

with

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

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

What’s Trending in Legal/Financial/Insurance Industries

October 2016

19

INSIGHT Guest Perspective

Immigration impacts all businesses Use it to your advantage

Immigration can seem like a tangential subject or someone else’s issue, especially for small businesses and especially in an election year. The subject of U.S. immigration, however, directly touches all U.S. businesses, without exception. In more than 20 years of representing companies in complex business immigration matters, I have witnessed both the incredible benefits and the costly mistakes associated with U.S. immigration. I am now a small business owner myself. We all need to pay attention to this topic.

This short article is designed to get you thinking.

Employment Verification One of the simplest immigration procedures to manage can also be costly to an employer if not well managed.

Since 1986, all employers have been required by federal law to confirm the valid U.S. employment authorization of all workers upon hire. The simple form, called the I-9, must be completed within the first few days of hire. Later updates to or renewals of temporary employment

authorization must also be documented.

Most people have heard of the I-9.

If you have not, you need to familiarize yourself with it. Employers must carefully maintain accurate I-9 records either in paper files or through special electronic services and storage methods, and make them available for inspection by the U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL) and Homeland Security (DHS).

Compliance protocols and internal audits are advisable in order to ensure the accuracy of the records.

When the DOL or DHS seeks to review the records, it provides very little notice. Government audits not only review I-9 records, but require production of other payroll and related information on very short notice.

A business that fails to keep accurate I-9 records, or that has missing I-9 forms, can be subject to a long and costly process involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its related agency Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). All businesses are at risk, but I have seen certain types of businesses (such as staffing companies)

experiencing increased exposure due to the high volume of I-9 forms required by their operations.

Government enforcement actions are on the increase – one need only visit the ICE and HSI websites to read about the latest raids, record fines and arrest information published and updated on a regular basis. Your knowledge and understanding of the requirements are critical and can make the difference between a non-event and a potentially business-ending event.

the

Employee Sponsorship

these business interests and more. The

Many innovative immigration solutions exist for businesses seeking to increase and diversify their workforces.

Some employers need temporary help on a seasonal or one-time basis. Others find difficulty in identifying qualified U.S. applicants, especially in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Considering the hire of foreign-born graduates from U.S. universities can provide access to talented and motivated individuals looking to build a life in

and surprisingly low when compared

United

States.

An

employer may have

Penny Lechtenberg Lechtenberg & Associates LLC

interest

in transferring a worker from a foreign branch to the United States, or vice versa. A foreign business may wish to open a U.S. office. A foreign-born individual may want to begin an entirely new company as an entrepreneur.

There

are

lawful

immigration

procedures and solutions for all of costs are less than you would expect, with the foreseeable and unforeseeable business benefits gained.

Penny Lechtenberg is founder and managing partner of Lechtenberg & Associates LLC. Contact www.lechtenberglawfirm.com, pml@ lechtenberglawfirm.com or 779-210-2940.

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

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October 2016

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Become ‘social smart’ with tips

by Better Business Bureau There are millions of individuals visiting social media sites everyday.

With that much activity, sites are fertile ground for scammers.

Unfortunately, consumers often ignore the need to take precautions and adjust important privacy setting on these sites to protect themselves.

Consumers also innocently give away important information about themselves and what they are doing and where they are.

“Scammers spend their days scanning social media sites to look for clues that will open the way to rip off their next victim. That fact is not top of mind for most consumers, but it should be,” said Dennis Horton, director, Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau.

“Like” Harvesting Scammers get victims to “like,” “share” or repost postings. They pose as a well-known company offering the chance to win a big prize, to anyone who shares or likes the post. The scammer accumulates thousands of followers and then sells the social media identity he created, complete with followers, to another company for their own purposes.

Protection: Most “share to win” posts are scams. Don’t do it, you could end up on a “sucker” list of potential scam targets.

Fake Banking Alerts Hackers send fake notices via social media and e-mail claiming your account has been compromised. These alerts are usually attempts to steal banking information. Often if you click on the sender’s email – it’s overseas.

Protection: Always call your bank if you have questions and never click on phishing links.

Distress Calls Scammers track online posts and look for information that allows them to pretend to be you, and then contacts relatives claiming to be in trouble and needing money.

Protection: Think before you post and make sure your privacy settings only allow selected people to see your post. Make sure you prevent access to friends of friends.

Break Ins Posting your vacation or even a day trip signals you’re not home, giving the all clear to crooks.

Protection: Again, don’t do it.

Think about whether you need to tell everyone every time you leave home.

I.D. Theft Providing information and photos of yourself makes it easy for I.D. thieves to pass themselves off as you. Scammers set up duplicate accounts in victims’ names and then try to link up with and scam victims’ friends.

Protection: The main way scammers perpetrate this crime is through hacking into users’ accounts because of weak or stolen passwords.

Use a unique password for each of your social media accounts and change them regularly

Phishing Often, victims of this scam receive an email claiming there’s a problem with their social media account and asking them to sign on using a link in the message. This takes them to a fake sign-on page where they have to enter their account details.

Protection: Never following links or click on attachments inside an email.

Instead, go directly to the social media site and check your account details there.

Malware Onto Your PC Scammers use fake links to products and services, often promoted as bargains or prizes. After following the links viruses and spyware are uploaded onto the victim’s computer.

Protection: Also make sure your security software is up to date.

For more consumer tips, visit www.bbb.org/ chicago.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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October 2016

No quick fixes on Rockford’s crime issues

By Alex Gary On Sept. 8, residents packed Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden to give Transform Rockford ideas how to fix perhaps Rockford’s most conspicuous problem – crime.

Of all the issues the community has to tackle, crime is the one that receives the most attention. Rockford annually lands on “most dangerous” lists, which end up near the top of any search engine when families are looking up information about the city.

The most recent example was a story by the United Kingdom Daily Mail, which looked at FBI statistics from the first half of 2015, ranking cities above 200,000 on crime rates. In that snapshot, Rockford had the fifth highest, only trailing St. Louis, Memphis (Tenn.), Detroit and Birmingham (Ala).

Rockford came in fifth despite the fact that it had a historically low murder rate in 2015 with nine homicides. As of mid-September, Rockford already had 19 in 2016.

Strategies for a Safer Community On Sept. 8, Transform Rockford was soliciting ideas to fulfill what it has identified as the four main strategies to creating a safer community: ■■ Developing a sense of belonging and self-worth in our youth.

■■ Taking a shared responsibility for everyone’s safety.

we are going to push on our own and where we are going to get behind work being done by others,” Pirages said. The goal is to have this process completed by the end of 2016.

In some cases, circumstances have helped push the community in the directions Transform Rockford wants to go. Since the Transform Rockford movement was started back at the end of 2013, Winnebago County has a new sheriff and Rockford has a new police chief, and Pirages said the working relationship of the two departments has improved. What’s most vexing about crime is that in many cases the fixes have to come from outside the criminal justice community. Any comparison between the most and least crime-ridden cities usually shows that cities with a lot of crime have a very high police-topopulation ratio, while cities with low crime have very few police. The reason is cities with low crime typically have a more educated population and more economic opportunity.

“I’ve said this to many people who ask about our crime issue,” Pirages said.

“We’re not going to arrest ourselves out of the problem. This is an issue with a lot of different facets. There is no quick fix.”

Alex Gary is president of Alex Gary Communications Inc.

Census Bureau estimates Winnebago, Boone counties still shrinking In 2015, for the fifth straight year, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Winnebago County lost population.

The 2010 Census pegged Winnebago County’s population at 295,266. The Bureau estimated that Winnebago County’s population as of July 1, 2015, was 287,078. Of course, Winnebago County is not alone. Boone County has seen its population fall from 54,165 at the start of the decade to 53,585.

In fact, there are far more counties

TOP TEN MOST VIOLENT AMERICAN CITIES Violent crimes per 10,000 people

■■ Working together to prevent and stop 1. St. Louis, Mo.. . . . . . . 88.1 domestic violence.

2. Memphis, Tenn.. . . . . . 84.2 ■■ Law enforcement agencies working 3. Detroit, Mich.. . . . . . . .83.4 together to create a safe and secure 4. Birmingham, Ala.. . . . . 82.8 community.

5. Rockford, Ill.. . . . . . . . 76.3 Attorney Jim Pirages, a partner at 6. Baltimore, Md.. . . . . . .67.7 Hinshaw & Culbertson, is one of three 7. Stockton, Calif.. . . . . . 67.4 leaders of the safety spoke. A Rockford 8. Milwaukee, Wis. . . . . . 65.3 native, Pirages said Transform Rockford 9. Cleveland, Ohio. . . . . . 61.5 still was summarizing the suggestions.

Transform Rockford then will go over 10. Hartford, Conn.. . . . . . 55.8 the research done in 2015 on best Source: FBI statistics on first six practices in other cities. months of 2015 “We have to determine which plans

in the United States losing population than gaining. Since 2010, 1,484 counties have gained residents and four have remained essentially unchanged while 1,654 counties have declined.

Earlier this year, a writer for Politics & City Life, a Chicago online publication, took a closer look at the population winners and losers in Illinois and found an interesting correlation. The

counties gaining

residents are either Chicago collar counties

or

universities,

have

large

colleges

four-year

considerably

larger than Rockford University, which draw students and businesses that cater to students.

Where the Jobs Are Considerable population shifts usually are tied to demographics and the economy.

The U.S. oil industry has enjoyed a renaissance for much of the past 10 years in places such as South Dakota and Texas.

Not surprisingly, of the 20 fastest-growing counties as of 2015, five were from North Dakota and six from Texas, as workers flocked to where the jobs are.

While Winnebago County’s population loss is concerning, many rural counties are quickly becoming the 21st century equivalents of ghost towns. The 10 fastestshrinking counties, according to the new data, all had populations of less than 10,000 as of 2010 and each has lost more than 10.5 percent of those residents. At the very bottom is Alexander County, Ill., where Cairo is the county seat. The Census Bureau believes Alexander County has shrunk from 8,238 in 2010 to 6,730 last year.

The Wall Street Journal looked at the trend in 2014 and found simply that small, farm-based communities are losing out as young people chase work in big cities – a trend not likely to change in the technological age.

-- By Alex Gary

22

October 2016

Issues to Watch LEGISLATIVE New Illinois Laws for 2016 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 Child Abuse by Professionals SB 1763/PA 99-0350 Clarifies definitions to include situations where a person who is acting in a professional capacity abuses or neglects a child.

Abused Adult Records Access SB 1309/PA 99-0287 Gives a public guardian access to records regarding investigations of abuse, neglect, financial exploitation or self-neglect of eligible adults when the public guardian is investigating the need for a guardianship or pursuing a petition for guardianship.

Abused Children Protection Orders SB 1335/PA 99-0349 Provides that the parties to the proceedings are also entitled to copies of unfounded reports.

AED Mandate SB 764/PA 99-0246 Requires sheriff’s offices and municipal police departments that employ more than 100 police officers to comply with the AED Act and be equipped with an AED.

Body Cameras SB 1304/PA 99-0352 Establishes rules and regulations for the use of officer-worn body cameras and implements a package of police reforms.

Police reforms: Prohibits police from using chokeholds, except when deadly force is justified; requires an independent review of officer-involved deaths, and makes investigation reports part of the public record if an officer involved in a death is not charged with a crime; expands police officer training to include topics like use of force; creates a database of officers who have been fired or resigned due to misconduct.

Body camera regulations: Police departments are not required to use body cameras. If they choose to do so, officers must keep their cameras on when conducting law enforcement activities. Officers would be allowed to turn the camera off when talking to a confidential informant, or at the request of a victim or witness. The bill requires officers to let people know they are recording if they

enter a home. Videos will be kept for 90 days, unless flagged for specific reasons. The bill allows for grants via a $5 fee increase for each $40 on criminal and traffic offenses, to go toward cameras and new training.

County Jail “Good Time” Sentencing HB 3785/PA 99-0259 Changes existing provision that no committed person may be penalized more than 30 days of good behavior allowance for any one infraction by providing that if the infraction is the second or subsequent infraction within any 30-day period, then the committed person may not be penalized more than 60 days of good behavior allowance.

Court Interpreters for Civil Cases HB 3620/PA 99-0133 Requires appointment of language interpreters for witnesses and parties in civil cases, if necessary.

Court Services Fee SB 804/PA 99-0265 Allows counties to impose a higher court services fee (now maximum of $25) if the fee is supported by an acceptable cost study. The fee must be used to defray court security expenses.

Court Supervision for Aggravated Speeding HB 1453/PA 99-0212 Provides that a defendant charged with speeding 26 miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable speed limit may be eligible for court supervision if the defendant has not been previously convicted for a similar offense or previously assigned court supervision for a similar offense.

Elderly Exploitation Civil Action HB 1588/PA 99-0272 Changes the civil liability provision of financial exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability to allow for a civil cause of action, regardless of whether criminal charges have been filed. Civil liability provision does not limit or affect the right of a person to bring a cause of action or seek any remedy available under the common law, or other applicable law.

Crime Victims Debt Collection SB 1866/PA 99-0444 Amends the Crime Victims Compensation Act to prevent a vendor who has been provided notice of a claim filed under the act from engaging in debt collection activities against the applicant until the Court of Claims awards compensation for the debt and the payment is processed. “Debt

collection activities” does not include billing insurance or other government programs, routine inquiries about coverage, or routine billing that indicates that the amount is not due pending resolution of the crime victim compensation claim.

Domestic Violence Sentencing Consideration SB 209/PA 99-0384 Adds a history of domestic violence to the list of mitigating factors for judges to consider during sentencing.

Creates a process for courts to review petitions for re-sentencing for certain offenses committed by a victim of domestic violence who was unable to present evidence of domestic violence at trial.

DUI-Related Safety Provisions SB 627/PA 99-0467 Makes several recommendations based on the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee. Changes include: ■■ Requires certain individuals suspected of consuming alcohol to sign the written warning from law enforcement.

■■ Removes “hard time” provisions, which currently prohibit driving relief for DUI offenders, and instead allow offenders to apply for a Monitoring Device Driving Permit or Restricted Driving Permit, with a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device.

■■ Requires any offender with two+ DUI or reckless homicide convictions to install a BAIID as a condition of a Restricted Driving Permit.

■■ Requires a BAIID, as a condition of a RDP, if the offender is convicted of DUI involving death, great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to another.

New law decriminalizes small amounts of marijuana People caught in possession of 10 grams or less of marijuana now will face a fine of up to $200, as opposed to being arrested and possibly facing jail time, under a new law, Senate Bill 2228, signed by Gov. Rauner on July 29 and currently in effect. Illinois is the 17th state in the country to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.

Opponents argue that marijuana use and possession still is an offense under federal law. They said they would have liked to see a mechanism to provide for court supervision, treatment, and intervention, for both adults and minors.

Proponents argued it will help reduce Illinois’ overcrowded jails and court systems, often inundated with minor drug cases, and free up public resources for law enforcement, state’s attorney’s offices and county jails. The reduction in penalties and expungement of the civil offense also would mean low-level violators

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

won’t have to live with harsh lifelong consequences, such as lost employment, education or housing options.

A number of law enforcement organizations said they are concerned that a provision in the law establishes THC levels (the chemical responsible for marijuana’s psychological effects) allowable while driving. Now only drivers with a THC level of five nanograms or higher in their blood will face DIU charges, as opposed to a zero-tolerance DUI law Illinois had on the books regarding marijuana.

Proponents stressed that this provision addressed situations where an individual may have had only a trace amount of marijuana in their system from using it weeks ago.

While they were no longer under the influence of the drug, they would have been charged with a DUI under the state’s former zero-tolerance policy.

Source: Senator Syverson’s Week in Review

Facilitated Courtroom Testimony SB 1389/PA 99-0094 Allows the court to set conditions it finds just and appropriate, including the use of therapy and service animals, for taking the testimony of a child victim or disabled victim in certain sex offense cases.

False 9-1-1 Call HB 3988/PA 99-0160 Requires reimbursement where a person makes a false 9-1-1 call, knowing there is no reasonable ground for making the call or transmission and further knows that the call or transmission could result in the emergency response of any public safety agency. Caps reimbursement at $10,000.

First Responder Assault Penalties HB 3184/PA 99-0256 Enhances the penalty for aggravated assault of a peace officer, fireman, emergency management worker or emergency medical technician.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

23

October 2016

Business Briefs BUSINESS BRIEFS Rockford Chamber members appear bolded. Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois worked with Chartwell Agency to kick off its new marketing campaign – Choose Your Adventure! with television, radio, print, billboard and digital advertising featuring local girl scouts. The Rockford Board of Elections hired Chartwell. Hononegah Community High School District #207 hired Chartwell to complete a marketing communications audit and develop a comprehensive, integrated communications plan.

Inc. magazine ranked Field number 3933 on its 35th annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

Inc. magazine named SupplyCore to its Inc. 5000 list for the sixth time. It ranked number 1,951 on the list.

Inc. magazine named Ticomix for the fourth consecutive year to its Inc. 5000 list.

On Aug. 22, Rockford University continued its 22-year long tradition with its “Plunge” into the community.

Fifteen first-year advisors, 30 orientation leaders and more than 200 students volunteered to help several local non-profit organizations with their to-do lists.

Spectrum Progressive School of Rockford implemented Launch, an educational model designed to increase creative thinking and problem solving in the classroom and co-developed by John Spencer, MEd, co-author of Launch: Using Design Thinking to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student.

The Rockford IceHogs begins its 18th season in Rockford, including its 10th in the American Hockey League as the primary affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. On Oct. 14 the IceHogs visit the Cleveland Monsters at Quicken Loans Arena.

Its home opener takes place against the Milwaukee Admirals on Oct. 22 at the BMO Harris Bank Center. Visit icehogs.com or Ticketmaster.com for single-game tickets or call 815-9685222.

Crusader Community Health’s Adult Care Now clinic now offers walk-in access, no appointment needed, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at 1100 Broadway, Rockford.

Alpine Bank received the 2016 Loyola Family Business Center’s Community Service Award for exceptional commitment to family and family businesses. It also received the Community Service Award and was a finalist in the Large Family Business of the Year category.

Rockford Park District seeks owners and their friendly dogs to help move geese as a part of its Goose Management Program.

Recommended dog breeds are Border Collies and Australian Shepherds or “look-a-likes.”

Volunteers can make their own schedules and work year-round, but particularly from March through November. Visit www. rockfordparkdistrict.org or contact 815-987-8847 or volunteer@ rockfordparkdistrict.org.

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company employees collected more than $1,100 and 300 pairs of shoes for children in the poor areas of Mississippi, after the daughter of one of the employees, a teacher for the Mississippi School of the Deaf, called on her Facebook friends and parents for help. Employees also donated $1,000 to victims of the severe floods in Louisiana.

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau welcomed the Rockford Raptors 2016 Puma Labor Day Cup & College Showcase, when roughly 127 teams from the Midwest and Canada visited over Labor Day weekend; generating roughly $243,000 for the local economy.

A New York research and development firm hired KMK Media Group to market its latest innovation, Hydra Rinse, a patentpending maintenance and cleaning system for soft serve ice cream machines. Rockford City Council member and Third Ward Alderman Tom McNamara hired KMK to assist in his campaign for Rockford mayor.

Rockford Roasting Company held a grand opening celebration on Sept. 12 for its café at the University of Illinois Rockford campus; open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

V2 Marketing Communications organized, promoted and facilitated an eight-day workshop and banquet for Chicago National Association of Dance Masters; drawing more than 600 participants to the Doubletree Chicago-Oak Brook (Ill.).

Mercyhealth launched its new Orthopedic Center of Excellence at the Mercyhealth Physicians building, 2350 N. Rockton Ave., Rockford.

The $5 million investment includes a complete renovation of the fourth floor, new x-ray technology, 22 exam rooms, two cast rooms, waiting area and furnishings. Construction is slated for completion in October.

Natural Land Institute is applying for accreditation. A public comment period now is open.

To learn more and to submit a comment by Nov. 10, visit www. landtrustaccreditation.org or email info@landtrustaccreditation.org.

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau reported that the Rock River Anything That Floats Race inaugural 2016 event in August drew an estimated 20,000 and raised nearly $9,000 to benefit the Rockford Fourth of July and Holiday Lighting efforts, the Rock River Trail Initiative and the Ski Broncs.

The General Mills Foundation awarded Rockford Rescue Mission a $10,000 grant for nutritional programming. The mission’s community meal program serves 153,000 meals a year.

Savant Capital Management ranked #18 on Barron’s Top 20 Independent Advisory Firms list.

Colorwave Graphics, LLC produced exhibits for manufacturers at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago, a 10 x 20-foot interactive display for Ipsen and portable displays/banners for a client of KMK Media Group, Pentair and Martin Automatic. Colorwave attended the SGIA Expo in Las Vegas to learn and implement new digital imaging, media and finishing technologies.

Rockford Public Library’s new Radio Frequency Identification system went live in late August.

The main and branch libraries offer checkout stations. At the main and east branch, you will be able to use the RFID check-in sorter.

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company sponsored a three-day Engaged Education/Dale Carnegie Training camp for 27 Rockford youth at its company headquarters in August.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois kicked off its fall product sales of gourmet snack items, magazines and e-books, and photo keepsakes online or in person through Oct. 21. Also contact 847-214-9295 or cookies4you@girlscoutsni.org.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, or TAVR, for intermediate-risk patients; giving those with aortic stenosis a new heart valve without open-heart surgery. The procedure is offered in Rockford only at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center. Before this time, TAVR was only approved for heart valve patients deemed as high-risk candidates and too sick to undergo open-heart surgery.

On Sept. 21, a large-scale hospital evacuation exercise was performed to test the area’s response to catastrophic power and generator failure, including SwedishAmerican, SwedishAmerican Medical Center/ Belvidere, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, Mercyhealth, Rockford Fire Department, Rockford Mass Transit District, Metro Medical Services, OSF Lifeline

Ambulance, Superior Ambulance, Northern Illinois Amateur Radio Emergency Services and local fire departments, including New Milford, Cherry Valley, Harlem-Roscoe, Byron and Rockton.

YWCA La Voz Latina named Alpine Bank as Partner of Distinction at its recognition banquet in September.

CEANCI projects 4,303 certifications will be completed this year, a 683 percent increase from 2014 when it started tracking students earning industry-recognized credentials from its CTE programs. Community Foundation of Northern Illinois awarded CEANCI a $91,050 grant for its 21st Century Workforce Development certification program over the next two years.

Woodward, Inc.’s board of directors declared a cash dividend of $0.11 per share for the quarter, payable on Nov. 28, 2016, for stockholders of record as of Nov. 14, 2016.

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau announced that eight of the original nine sculptures, a part of the Forest City Beautiful Sculpture Stroll featuring Boaz Vaadia and Hans Van de Bovenkamp, will remain in Rockford through May 2017. Visit www. gorockford.com/publicart.

Larson Design Company was hired by the Aldeen Foundation to develop the new brand for Aldeen Golf Club. It also developed a fourmonth, 25th anniversary advertising campaign that concluded with event graphics and a permanent history display commemorating the 25th anniversary celebration on July 26.

OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center shared the results of its 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment, with data coming from 775 community surveys.

The findings highlighted areas of concern: access to health services, mental health and obesity. Visit https://www.osfhealthcare.org/ about/community-health/.

YWCA Northwestern Illinois hired V2 Marketing Communications to develop a corporate website at www.ywcanwil.org to reflect new branding requirements of the national YWCA and to give users the ability to read website content in either English or Spanish.

SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health will offer new options for women giving birth with six wireless baby monitors to give expectant mothers more freedom and mobility during labor; peanut balls, therapy balls shaped like a peanut to help keep women comfortable during labor, and jet tubs in all patient rooms for laboring naturally in the water.

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October 2016

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

the News IN Members THEin NEWS

1. Thomas Sandquist

2. Heather Kelley

3. Jennifer Hurley

4. Dr. Connie Vitali

5. Dr. Tammy Homman

6. Cody Haun

7. Melissa Eckburg-Miller

8. Cindy Kelling

9. Laura Padron

10. RoseAnn Haedt

11. Melissa Thomas

12. Yulissa Castro

13. Andrew Hall

14. Dr. Todd D. Alexander

15. Dr. Richard W. Broderick

16. John Groh

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

BOARD APPOINTMENTS Rockford Symphony Orchestra named Thomas Sandquist (1) as its board president.

Rockford Park District board of commissioners named Scott Olson to the seat vacated by Doug Brooks.

The term ends with the April 2017 general election.

The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau board named Alderman Kevin Frost and Marcus Bacon as voting board members serving for three-year terms.

Heather Kelley (2), principal, V2 Marketing Communications, was elected to serve as governor of American Advertising Federation (AAF) District 6 at the AAF National Conference in Anaheim, Calif.

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS Digital Hive Mind welcomed Jennifer Hurley (3) to its creative team.

University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford named Connie Vitali, M.D. (4), as director of clinical pathology, effective Nov. 1.

The Rock Valley College Foundation Board named Lana Paris as executive director of the RVC Foundation.

SwedishAmerican Byron announced the new family physician, Tammy Homman, M.D. (5).

Paul Chastain, Ph.D., joined University of Illinois College of

17. Brent Brodeski

18. Jackie Bunch

Medicine at Rockford as course director of biochemistry.

Cody Haun (6), new graduate from Robert Morris University, joined Entré Computer Solutions as network monitor.

Melissa Eckburg-Miller (7) is mortgage lending officer at The Harvard State Bank.

SwedishAmerican welcomed advanced practice nurses, Cindy Kelling (8), critical care/pulmonology team, and Laura Padron (9), Midwest Heart Specialists.

Chartwell Agency hired RoseAnn Haedt (10) as a communications strategist.

Rockford Systems, LLC., hired Carrie Halle as vice president marketing.

Melissa Thomas (11) was named new business acquisition manager, and Yulissa Castro (12) promoted to business acquisition assistant of The Brian Boyer Group’s new business center.

Illinois Bank & Trust promoted Andrew Hall (13) to wealth advisor at the bank’s Perryville Banking Center.

OrthoIllinois added neurosurgery services with the addition of boardcertified neurosurgeons Todd D. Alexander, M.D. (14) and Richard W. Broderick, M.D. (15).

EMPLOYEE/COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS, AWARDS John Groh (16), president/CEO, Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, earned the Certified Destination Management Executive designation.

19. John Hedin

20. Gordon Eggers, Jr.

Brent Brodeski (17), chief executive officer and co-founder of Savant Capital Management, ranked #50 in Forbes’ 2016 list of America’s Top Wealth Advisors.

Meridian congratulated Jackie Bunch (18) for five years of service and John Hedin (19) for outstanding employee performance in August.

Gordon Eggers, Jr. (20), president & CEO, Crusader Community Health, received the Samuel U. Rogers Achievement Award for excellence in clinical leadership from the National Association of Community Health Centers in August.

Kari McCue (21), mail services supervisor, Rockford Mutual Insurance Company, celebrates 15 years; Donna Murphy (22), marketing field representative, five years, and Lisa Postlethwaite (23), underwriter 1, five years.

Dina Johnson (24), celebrates 40 years and was promoted to controller. Rockford Mutual hired Kris Gonzalez (25) as agency assistant and Tiffany Herron (26) as assistant controller. Dylan Vaughn (27), product analyst 1, completed the premier designation of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter from the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters.

Dr. Bill Gorski (28), president and CEO, SwedishAmerican, a division of UW Health, was named to national industry magazine Becker’s Hospital Review’s “110 Physician Leaders of Hospitals and Health Systems” list.

Google recognized Chris Kelley (29), V2 Marketing Communications, as an AdWords

21. Kari McCue

22. Donna Murphy

certified professional.

Harlem High School senior, Jacob Sanchez, won the highest achievement award after participating in a three-day Engaged Education/Dale Carnegie Training camp for Rockford youth sponsored

by Rockford Mutual Insurance Company.

YWCA La Voz Latina named Elisa Belmontes, account manager, Furst Staffing, as Community Member of Distinction, and Natalia SuarezMontera, RMA program director, National Center for Rural Health Professions at University of Illinois College of Medicine, as Latino of Distinction at its recognition banquet in September.

OF GENERAL INTEREST Internationally recognized doctor, Scott Trenhaile M.D. (30), OrthoIllinois, has a new site at ScottTrenhaileMD.com with an interactive map of his worldwide lecture locations, news and press, patient resources and online appointment setting.

Hana Hinkle (31), MPH, assistant director for rural health development at the National Center for Rural Health Professions, and clinic associate with the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, presented a poster, “The Native American Pathways Program: Supporting the Pipeline Trajectory by Responding to Tribal Community Needs,” at the annual meeting of the Network: Towards Unity for Health in

(continued on page 25)

23. Lisa Postlethwaite

24. Dina Johnson

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25

October 2016

the News IN Members THEin NEWS

25. Kris Gonzalez

29. Chris Kelley

33. Andy Sestak

26. Tiffany Herron

30. Dr. Scott Trenhaile

34. Aaron Strom

27. Dylan Vaughn

31. Hana Hinkle

35. Brandon Latino

28. Dr. Bill Gorski

32. Rick Allen

36. Karla Rodgers

Continued from page 24 Shenyang, China, in July. She coauthored it with Jenna Vater, MA, health professions educator, Native American Pipeline Program.

Certified orthotists Rick Allen (32), CO, Andy Sestak (33), CO, and Aaron Strom (34), CO, OrthoIllinois, relocated their practices and now offer custom bracing and helmet fabrication at the FitRightSM Precision Orthotic & Prosthetic Lab. Brandon Latino (35), Spectrum Insurance Agency, attended a continuing education class on Understanding Commercial Enhancement Endorsements by Pekin Insurance and Karla Rodgers (36) a continuing education class on Commercial Casualty 1.

Ryan Monette (37), financial advisor, Savant Capital Management, was published in Investopedia. He has

37. Ryan Moette

38.Patti Thayer

had four articles published within the past two months.

Patti Thayer (38), owner of Thayer Lighting Inc., presented her company’s capabilities to Fortune 500 Companies from throughout the Midwest at WBDConnect, an event sponsored by the Women’s Business Development Center.

CORRECTION The headshot on page 12 of the Sept. Voice is Lisa Gille, Forest City Diagnostic Imaging, not Dr. Regina Bielkus.

Rain Art visible in Rockford for next few months Coming to downtown Rockford in the rain has become more enjoyable with the installation of Rockford Rain Art. The stencil designs, made by Liz Wood, creative services manager at the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, are visible only when wet at 12 locations in the downtown River District and Midtown District. Made with environmentally safe, non-slippery paint, the art is expected to last for several months.

The RACVB, in collaboration with Rockford Community Partners, the River District Association and the Midtown District, worked with Rockford-based OC Creative on the project installation and execution.

“We wanted to make a real expression of art and make people smile when it rains,” said Brian Oster, president of OC Creative.

Download a map of locations at www.gorockford.com (click Things to Do), and don’t forget to grab a bottle of water for fun on sunny days.

Dr. Jensen named seventh president of Rock Valley College On Oct. 10, Rock Valley College will have a new president. After a national search over several months, the college board of trustees appointed Dr. Douglas J. Jensen as the college’s seventh president. A formal installation event is slated for the future.

“Dr. Jensen’s 30 years of community college experience, including having served as a college president, were important factors in the board’s decision,” said Patrick Murphy, chairman of the board of trustees. “Additionally, his proven success in establishing new programs and facilities to support those programs aligns with the college’s current direction and future goals for growth.”

Dr. Jensen most recently worked as the assistant director of educational services for the Alabama Department of Commerce

in Montgomery, Al., where he advanced economic development of new and expanding businesses through statewide education and training services.

He received a doctorate of education from Edgewood College in Madison, Wis., and a masters of science and bachelor of science in business administration from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa. He’s a community college graduate who earned an associate of science from

Community

College

of

Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, Pa., where he would later work for more than 17 years.

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October 2016

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Seeking the finest culinary experiences

Restaurant offerings help to draw visitors The history of Rockford is steeped in artisans and craftsmen who created an illustrious manufacturing-focused downtown that grew to be one of the largest cities in Illinois. That culture of creation has evolved over the years, and today the downtown is transforming into an entertainment hub that has culinary craftsmen plying their trade along the banks of the Rock River.

Of course, our culinary masters are not limited to just downtown Rockford.

The entire region is bulging with plenty of great foodie options to quench your thirst and your appetite. And this is a good thing as recent industry reports show that travelers are putting more and more emphasis on what and where they eat while traveling.

A whopping 88 percent of travelers say that food and restaurants are a defining part of the brand for destinations they consider. And, nearly 33 percent of money spent while traveling will be on food. Taking that one step further, according to the American Culinary Travel Report, 50 percent of travelers want a unique dining experience as well.

None of this is surprising as the amount of food- and travel-related television shows continues to rise.

Regional Dining Experiences In promoting the Rockford region, the RACVB loves to highlight our unique dining options. We often showcase our three local breweries -- Carlyle Brewing Co., Pig Minds Brewing Co. and Prairie Street Brewing Company -- as fantastic places to try beers that you can only get here. Or, when you are thinking of a warmer drink, our coffee shops offer varied and flavorful options that are truly Real. Original. Rockford drinks.

Many of us might take for granted some of the long standing restaurants like Lino’s or the Stockholm Inn that have

Josh Albrecht Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

pleased generations of Rockfordians, so you might be surprised to hear that when we host guests from around the world, they are always excited by these traditional restaurants that offer a taste of our Rockford culture.

There is art in a well-crafted meal.

RACVB talked with several of our popular and successful local chefs in our visitors guide, as we wanted to see the Rockford culinary scene through their eyes. Chefs like Al Castrogiovanni of Alchemy and Giovanni’s, Paul Sletton of Abreo and Social and Josef Schwaiger of Josef Steakhouse & Oyster Bar, all shared their stories on what influenced their dishes. Each one gave unique insight from their own experiences, but each also praised the level of culinary craftsmanship in Rockford.

Small neighborhood restaurants like Zammuto’s or Dandy Donuts get praise right alongside more upscale restaurants like Octane or GreenFire.

So, what do you recommend for travelers? What restaurants help to define our region to you? Is it our local fast food giant Beef-A-Roo? Is it your favorite pizza joint (Capri or Pino’s on Main) that gets the cheese and toppings just right? What about farm to table favorites like Abreo or The Wild Rhubarb?

Any way you slice it, food is king and Rockford has a bounty to please any palette. Discover your new favorite restaurant at www.gorockford.com/ restaurants/ Josh Albrecht is director of marketing & public affairs at the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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

Get to Know Your Ambassadors Name: Dola Gregory

Company: Rock House Kids Position: CEO/Founder

How long have you been an Ambassador?

March 2016

What do you like most about being an Ambassador? Meeting the different companies and businesses in Rockford. I like being part of the ribbon cuttings. It is great to see new businesses or

their expansions. It all makes Rockford who we are.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

October 2016

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

Lifescape Adult Day Program held a ribbon cutting on Aug. 31 at 1330 S. Alpine Road, Rockford.

Mercyhealth celebrated the opening of the new Mercyhealth Cherry Valley, 6998 Redansa Drive, Rockford, with a ribbon cutting on Sept. 13. The new clinic provides family medicine, sports medicine, urgent care, laboratory and x-ray services.

Rockford Career College held a ribbon cutting on Sept. 15 at 1130 S. Alpine Road, Ste. 100.

Correction from September: Upper Cervical Care Center - Rockford held a ribbon cutting on June 23 at 4519 Highcrest Road.

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October 2016

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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

Saturday, October 1

Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. 2nd St., Rockford, hosts Wings of Wonder: The Lorikeet Exhibit through Nov. 13. Open Tuesdays to Fridays: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit www. nicholasconservatory.com or call 815-987-8858.

Rockford Symphony Orchestra presents its Opening NightBeethoven, a part of its classics series, 7:30 p.m., featuring Awadagin Pratt, piano, at Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St. Tickets at 815-965-0049 or www.rockfordsymphony.com.

First National Bank and Trust Company, 1795 Madison Road, Beloit, hosts a free Shred Day, 9 a.m. to noon. Office Pro will ensure secure destruction of up to six boxes per person. Visit www. bankatfirstnational.com.

Rockford Park District hosts its Fall Foliage Cruises, two-hour tours with donuts, hot cider and coffee at 9 a.m., on Oct. 1, 2 and 8. Register in advance at www. rockfordparkdistrict.org/boat or 815987-8894.

Cider ’n‘ Cinnamon Arts & Crafts Fair takes place at Edgebrook, Oct. 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Oct. 2, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Visit edgebrookshops.com for a list of vendors and live music.

Stronghold Center presents its Olde English Faire, Oct. 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Oct. 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 1922 IL Route 2 N., Oregon, Ill. Tickets at www.strongholdcenter. org.

Sunday, October 2

Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, celebrates turning 35 with a Happy Birthday Discovery Center! celebration, 1 to 3:50 p.m. Museum admission $3.50 all day; 35 year olds and members are free. Call 815-963-6769 or visit www.discoverycentermuseum.org.

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden presents Autumn @ the Arboretum, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., a free event at 2715 S. Main St., Rockford.

Visit klehm.org or 815-965-8146.

University of Illinois Extension Boone County presents its third Boone County Farm Stroll, a self-guided driving tour of highly diversified family farms with tours, demonstrations and fresh local food sampling and sales.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/ boonecofarmstroll for brochures, maps and spotlight features or call 815-544-3710.

Monday, October 3

SwedishAmerican, a division of UW Health, presents Planting the Seeds of Hope, a free breast cancer awareness program featuring Dr. Bill Gorski, president and CEO, 6:30 p.m., at Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. Healthcare exhibits at 5:30 p.m. Register at SwedishAmerican.org or 779-6967081.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Northern Illinois kicks off Mental Illness Awareness Week with its annual Celebration of Mental Health Rally, noon to 1 p.m., at the Winnebago County Justice Center, 400 W. State St., Rockford. Visit www.naminorthernillinois.org.

Wednesday, October 5

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Northern Illinois hosts a Pizza Fundraiser, 4 to 8 p.m., at Pizza Ranch, 4797 Bluestem Road, Roscoe. NAMI receives a small percentage of the meal expense and NAMI volunteers act as wait staff, donating their tips. Visit www. naminorthernillinois.org.

Northern Illinois University presents a Diverse Supplier Fair 2016, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1425 West Lincoln Highway, Holmes Student Center, Duke Ellington Ballroom, DeKalb, Ill. Visit www.niu.edu/ procurement/events/diversesupplier-fair.shtml or contact Michele Danza, mdanza@niu.edu, 815-753-1594, or Norma Sutton, nsutton@niu.edu, 815-753-6728.

October 2016 Member Anniversaries Thank you to the members celebrating their anniversaries with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

30-YEAR MEMBERS Phelps Industries, Inc. Wesley Willows

25-YEAR MEMBER ComElec-East, Inc.

15-YEAR MEMBER

Woodman’s Food Market, Inc. #30

10-YEAR MEMBER

Remedies Renewing Lives

5-YEAR MEMBERS

Business Advisors Group, LLC Morgan Stanley – the PCMW Group Personal Finance Co. Saco USA (Illinois) Inc.

Thursday, October 6

YWCA Northwestern Illinois presents Wine, Women & Purses, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Franchesco’s, Rockford. Wine tasting, hors d’ oeuvre menu pairings, boutique shopping, silent auction and music

by Harlan Jefferson. Tickets at www. ywca.org/nwil/wine-women-purses.

Saturday, October 8

Rock Valley College hosts its second-annual Golden Futures 5K Run/1 Mile Walk, 8 a.m., on campus at 3301 N. Mulford Road, Rockford. Register at runsignup. com/GoldenFutures.

The Better Business Bureau, Rockford Regional Office and MembersAlliance Credit Union host a free Community Shred Day, 9 a.m. to noon, at 2550 S. Alpine Road, Rockford (corner of Alpine & Harrison). Call 815-963-2222.

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful hosts its Clothing Drive, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Machesney Park Town Center, 8702 N. 2nd St.; Rockford Recycle Center, 4665 Hydraulic Road; Roscoe Recycle Center, 13125 N. 2nd St., and Belvidere Township Building, 8200 Fairgrounds Road. To volunteer visit knib.org or call 815-637-1343.

Thursday, October 13

RAMP presents its Changing Attitudes Breaking Barriers Luncheon, 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. Keynote speaker is Noah Currier, founder and president of Oscar Mike. For tickets visit www. classy.org/RAMPluncheon.

Womanspace presents its fourth-annual LUNAFEST, 6 to 9 p.m., at the Tebala Event Center, 7910 Newburg Road, Rockford.

Screening of award-winning films by, for and about women; food; wine; 50/50 raffle, and silent auction. Visit www.womanspacerockford.org.

Saturday, October 15

Rockford Park District presents “In the Outdoors,” Trailblazers, a free journey through the park trails, 1 to 3 p.m., at Seth B. Atwood Park, 2685 New Milford School Road. No registration is required.

Friday, October 21

American Advertising Federation of Northern Illinois (AAFNI) hosts speaker Steve James, Stream Creative, Brookfield, Wis., as a part of its Lunch ‘n Learn speaker series, 11:45 a.m., at Katie’s Cup, 502 7th St., Rockford. James presents “How to Grow a Niche Audience with Inbound Sales and Marketing and Drive Irresistible Inbound Results for Even the Un-Sexiest of Industries.”

Visit www.niadfed.org.

Crusader Community Health presents its 44th anniversary An Evening of Caring: Kindness & Caring, Born in the DNA … and Genes! 5:30 to 10 p.m., at Giovanni’s Restaurant, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. Tickets at www.crusaderhealth.org (click Crusader Foundation).

Saturday, October 22 Rockford Symphony Orchestra presents A Night of Symphonic Rock featuring John Elefante, former lead singer of Kansas and Mickey Thomas of Starship, 7:30 p.m., at Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St. Tickets at 815-965-0049 or www. rockfordsymphony.com.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois presents its second-annual Community Fall Festival, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Camp McCormick, 9995 N. Girl Scout Road, Stillman Valley. Includes a costume contest.

Tickets at www.girlscoutsni.org/ events or contact 844-476-4463 or customercare@girlscoutsni.org for a family rate.

Sunday, October 23 Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford, hosts its second-annual Trick or Trot 5K Run & Walk. Run at 8:30 a.m.; walk at 8:40 a.m., starting at the 1905 Red Barn in the Victorian Village.

Costumes encouraged. Register at www.midwayvillage.com/5K.

Friday, October 28 Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, presents Spooky Science, 6 to 9 p.m.

Goodies in the exhibit spaces; make glowing slime and creepy crafts.

Call 815-963-6769 or visit www. discoverycentermuseum.org.

The UIC College of NursingRockford Regional Program, 1601 Parkview Ave., hosts an Open House and information session, 2 to 4 p.m. For more information, contact Candice Harlan at 815-3955648 or charlan@uic.edu.

Mercyhealth hosts a Trauma and Tactical Conference with continuing education credits, Oct. 28 to 29, at Mercyhealth Hospital and Trauma Center Campus, 1000 Mineral Point Ave., Janesville. Visit MercyEMS.org. Register at 608756-6100.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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October 2016

Membership: 101 101 MEMBERSHIP

Raise Your Professional Profile

Opportunities with the Rockford Chamber

New Chamber Members MEMBERS COLLEGE HUNKS HAULING JUNK AND MOVING

ROCK VALLEY GARDEN CENTER, INC.

A local moving labor and hauling company providing stress-free junk removal, donation pickups, moving labor, packing services and more in Rockford, Illinois, and surrounding communities.

6813 N. 2nd St. Machesney Park, IL 61115 Chand Tubio 815-419-1263 www.collegehunks.com

We specialize in everything from your everyday annuals to high tech hydroponics. From fun fish to beautiful budding lilacs, delectable jams and jellies to out of this world bird seed. ... And that’s just a portion of what we do!

785 N. Bell School Road, 61107 David Ott 815-398-1937 www.rockvalleygardencenter.com

CWT CLINIC

Be a Speaker

The Rockford Chamber seeks professional presenters for its 2017 Breakfast Buzz series. These monthly educational sessions are by small businesses, for small businesses, and explore best practices and important trends in sales, marketing, social media, leadership, technology, communications, human resources and entrepreneurship.

Speaker Requirements ■■ Be a Rockford Chamber member in good standing.

■■ Provide a high-quality educational workshop up to 30 minutes for an audience of 50 to 80 individuals. (Not a vendor “infomercial with the purpose of promoting the presenter’s business.)

■■ Experienced presenter and noted expert on the topic selected.

■■ Availability to present on a second Wednesday of the month, when Breakfast Buzz is held.

■■ Presentation materials (slide presentation and documents as needed); submitted one week prior to the scheduled presentation.

Speakers Bureau As a professional presenter and Rockford Chamber member, you have the opportunity to be listed in the chamber’s Speakers Bureau online under your chosen area(s) of expertise.

Need a speaker?

Take a look at the speakers already listed at www. rockfordchamber.com. (Click the Resources tab, Speakers Bureau).

Call Heidi Garner, 815-316-4312 or hgarner@rockfordchamber. com, for a request for proposal form to be a Breakfast Buzz speaker. Please submit your presentation idea by Dec. 30, 2016.

Also, contact to learn more about the Rockford Chamber’s Speakers Bureau.

www.rockfordchamber.com

VA’s Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) is comprised of three unique programs which assist homeless veterans in returning to competitive employment.

345 W. Washington Ave., Ste. 501 Madison, WI 53703 Mikael Snitker-Magin PhD, CRC 608-256-1901 www.va.gov

DIGITAL HIVE MIND Advertising Agency 1243 18th Ave., 61104 Erin Salisbury 815-227-9244 www.digitalhivemind.com

SPRINGFIELD ELECTRIC SUPPLY COMPANY Offering a full range of quality products and services to electrical contractor and commercial accounts.

737 N. Madison St., 61107 Scott Boelte 815-968-5781 www.springfieldelectric.com

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October 2016

Membership Renewals Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in August, 2016.

Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter American Advertising Federation of Northern Illinois Berg Industries, Inc. Cedar Hill Condominium Association Charles Schwab CliftonLarsonAllen LLP Comprehensive Prosthetics & Orthotics Concordia University of Wisconsin Connect Hearing Courtyard by Marriott Crystal Precision Drilling, Inc. Custom Training Resources Dale Carnegie Training Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International First National Bank and Trust Company (Rockton) First National Bank and Trust Company (Roscoe) First Northern Credit Union Forest Ridge Events Gene’s Place Giovanni’s, Inc. Giuseppe Verdi Society/Verdi Club Helen Hill Communication Historic Auto Attractions Holiday Inn Express Honest Pest Control Inc. Honquest Family Funeral Home With Crematory Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) InterActive Safety Solutions Inc. J. Carlson Growers, Inc. Johnny Pamcakes Kiwanis Club of Rockford Luther Center Morgan Building Maintenance Inc. NAACP (National Association For the Advancement of Colored People) Natural Land Institute Nelson Fire Protection NICOMM Networks Northern Public Radio (WNIU/ WNIJ/NIRIS)

Northwestern Mutual Nutrition Works, Inc.

Parker Hannifin Corporation Personal Finance Co. Peterson Meadows PNC Bank

Prairie Street Brewing Co.

Presence Saint Anne Center Project First Rate

R. J. Bowers Distributors, Inc. RBC Wealth Management

U.S. Indicators August 2016 Consumer Price Index



0.2 percent

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

4.9 percent

      

U.S. Export Price Index

Rockford Carpetland USA, Inc.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

151,000 $0.03 0.4 percent 0.6 percent (second quarter, 2016) 0.6 percent (second quarter, 2016) 0.2 percent 0.8 percent

Rockford Generation

Rockford Lutheran School Rockford OMS

Unemployment Rates

Rockford Structures Construction Company

Region / State / Nation

Rockford Rigging, Inc.

April 2016

May 2016

June 2016

July 2016

Rockford

6.9

6.6

6.3

6.2

Chicago

6.2

5.4

6.2

5.5

Illinois

6.6

6.4

6.2

5.8

United States

5.0

4.7

4.9

4.9

Rockford Symphony Orchestra

Roy Gayle Pony Baseball Softball Rustoleum Corporation (Testor) Salsa Business Network Satori Pathway Network

Satori Pathway Network Anam Glen

Security First Title Company

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

ServiceMaster Restoration by DSI Servpro of Rockford

Spectrum Insurance Agency, Inc. Stewart & Associates, Inc. The Anser Group

The Music Academy

The Pension Specialists, Ltd. The UPS Store

Tovar Snow Professionals

United Association of Plumbers & Pipe Fitters Local Union 23 Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers (K & K Foods Inc.) - Riverside Boulevard 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. Womanspace, Inc.

NOVEMBER VOICE SPECIAL SECTION:

Local Business Growth Non-Profit Partnerships Building Communities/Shared Missions/ Community Investments For information on advertising, call 815

Regional, National Indicators THE ECONOMY

Rock River Service Company Rockford Art Museum

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

987-8100

Illinois Seventh Strictest State on High-risk Drivers

1. Arizona 2. Alaska 3. Georgia 4. West Virginia 5. Virginia 5. Delaware

Criminal Penalties Rank 1 3 2 8 13 13

DUI Prevention Rank 2 16 22 12 14 14

Speeding Enforcement Rank 2 23 32 32 14 23

Driving Penalties Rank 11 21 28 6 8 1

7. Illinois

30

4

6

8

Illinois ranks in the middle as happiest state in America Researchers have found that life satisfaction increases as income rises — to a maximum of $75,000 a year. Beyond that, money generally makes little difference in a person’s overall contentment with life. Other factors, such as one’s physical health, personal purpose and social connectivity also affect happiness.

WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 28 key metrics, ranging from emotional health to income levels to sports participation rates, in determining which states are home to the happiest Americans.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

EVENTS

Upcoming Chamber Events OCTOBER, 2016 Tuesday, October 4

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Rockford Country Club, 2500 Oxford St. Zyla Akiti, regional recruiter, Meijer, will speak on “Diversity in the Workforce.” Sponsored by MembersAlliance Credit Union.

Wednesday, October 5

Business After Hours, Tinker Swiss Cottage, 5 to 7 p.m., 411 Kent St., Rockford.

Thursday, October 6

Northern Illinois Renewable Energy Summit & Expo, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, 200 S. Bell School Road, Rockford.

Include three industry-expert speakers, and a moderated panel. Network with leaders in innovative technology and best practices in increasing performance, productivity and efficiency, while minimizing negative effects on the environment. Visit niexpo.com.

Wednesday, October 12 7:30 - 9:00 am Rockford University PURI Business School Bldg., Room 124 5050 E. State St., Rockford

Breakfast Buzz Two Truths and a Lie: Millennial Style Members of the IGNITE Leadership Team present “Two Truths and a Lie: Millennial Style.”

Sponsored by RSM US LLP.

Friday, October 14

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. P.S. Ruckman, Jr., professor of political science, Rock Valley College, will share his perspectives on current state of presidential politics, voter choice and the upcoming elections. Sponsored by AT&T. Ribbon Cutting, opening of new SwedishAmerican North Main Clinic, 2601 N. Main St., Rockford, noon to 1 p.m.

Friday, October 19

Ribbon Cutting, Howard Johnson Hotel, 3909 11th St., Rockford, 4 to 5 p.m.

Friday, October 21

Ribbon Cutting and Open House, Illinois Material Handling, 3444 Precision Dr., Rockford. Open house, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; ribbon cutting, 2 p.m.

Tuesday, October 25

Ribbon Cutting, Personal Finance Co., 5411 E. State St., Ste. 4, Rockford, 10 to 11 a.m.

Wednesday, October 26

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October 2016

2016 RSM Annual Rockford Manufacturing Summit, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., at Franchesco’s Ristorante, 7128 Spring Creek Road. Free. Insights

by Chief Economist Joe Brusuelas, review of the RSM Manufacturing Survey results and projected future of manufacturing. For more information contact Monique.Hides@rsmus.com or 815-231-7348.

Thursday, October 27 11:30 am - 1pm Electrical Workers Union/ Local 364 IBEW 6820 Mill Rd., Rockford BUSINESS LUNCHEON SERIES

What Does the Future Hold for Healthcare?

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

NOVEMBER, 2016 Tuesday, November 1

Advertisers Index ADVERTISERS

The Alliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Leading Lawyers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Alpine Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Mercyhealth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Blackhawk Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 BMO Harris Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Brian Thomas Photography. . . . . 26 Broadmoor Agency, Inc.. . . . . . . . 13 Catholic Diocese of Rockford. . . . . 9 Comcast Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 CoyleKiley Insurance Agency, Inc..18 First National Bank and Trust Company . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 HolmstromKennedy PC . . . . . . . . 16 Illinois Bank & Trust. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

MembersAlliance Credit Union. . . 16 Northern Public Radio . . . . . . . . . 29 Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren PC.14 Rockford Bank & Trust Co.. . . . . . . 5 Rockford Chamber of Commerce . . . . . . 8, 20, 25, 27, 32 RSM US LLP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 RVC BPI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Stillman Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Thayer Lighting, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . 11

John Morrissey Accountants, Inc..19

Van Galder Bus Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Klaas Financial Asset Advisors, LLC.9

Williams-Manny Insurance Group.17

Good Morning Rockford, The 8th Annual TeePee Tower, 7:30 to 9 a.m., at Hilton Garden Inn, 7675 Walton St., Rockford

Tuesday, November 8

Chamber 101 with Speed Networking, 4 to 5:15 p.m., Rasmussen College, 6000 E. State St., fourth floor, Rockford. This quarterly orientation offers new members and employees of existing members an opportunity to introduce themselves and their businesses to other chamber members and chamber staff. MembersAlliance Credit Union (presenting) and Rasmussen College (hospitality).

Thursday, November 10 11:30 am - 1pm Giovanni’s, Inc. 610 N. Bell School Rd., Rockford

Chamber Staff / Call 815-987-8100.............................................. Direct Line Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO.......................................... 815-316-4304 Heidi M. Garner, Chief Operating Officer.................................... 815-316-4312 Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology................... 815-316-4338 Lynette Jacques, Vice President, Member Investment. . .................. 815-316-4317 Caitlin Pusateri, Vice President, Leadership Development................... 815-316-4337 Stephanie Mathews, Administrative & Finance Assistant .................... 815-987-8100 Stacy Mullins, Director of Events. . ............................................ 815-316-4302 Doug Rand, Accounting Manager/Controller............................... 815-316-4316 Sue Boyer, Member Relations................................................. 815-316-4315 Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator......................... 815-316-4320

Chamber Board of Directors & Officers

BUSINESS LUNCHEON SERIES

Changing Community by Changing One Speaker Bill Strickland, CEO & president of Manchester Bidwell Corporation and MacArthur Genius award winner, will talk about transforming our city one individual at a time.

Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank (presenting) and Rockford University and Saint Anthony College of Nursing (gold).

Thursday, November 17 5:30 - 7:30 pm Tebala Shrine Center 7910 Newburg Rd., Rockford

Rockford Chamber

40 Leaders UNDER Forty Reception Join us as we honor the 2016 40 Leaders Under Forty recipients.

Sponsored by workplace (presenting) and The Alliance (business).

Friday, November 18

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. Sponsored by AT&T.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chairman of the Board Patti Thayer Thayer Lighting, Inc. Chair Elect Richard Zumwalt OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center Vice Chair Michele Petrie BMO Harris Bank Treasurer Amy Ott Boylan Catholic High School Immediate Past Chair Richard Walsh Zimmerman & Walsh, LLP

DIRECTORS Andrew Benson Benson Stone Company, Inc. Jan Bowman TLC Construction Joe Castrogiovanni Giovanni’s, Inc. Dr. Rena Cotsones Northern Illinois University

Tim Honquest Honquest Family Funeral Home Jeff Hultman Illinois Bank & Trust Michael F. Iasparro Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP Kris Kieper YWCA Northwestern Illinois

Jean Crosby Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Crosby Starck Real Estate

Paul McCann Stanley Steemer of Rockford

Don Daniels SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health

Mike Paterson Mid-West Family Broadcasting

Rebecca Epperson Chartwell Agency Darlene Furst FurstStaffing Ira Grimmett UTC Aerospace Systems

Patrick Morrow Alpine Bank

Mark Peterson CBL Associates CherryVale

Patrick Shaw RSM US LLP Laura Williamson Rockford Park District

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

Dan Ross Williams-Manny Insurance Group

Let your Voice be heard Do you have news to share?

Send news releases and other

items of interest to the business community to:

The VOICE, Rockford Chamber of Commerce 308 W. State St., Ste. 190, Rockford, IL 61101

DEADLINE IS THE 15TH OF THE MONTH PRECEDING ­PUBLICATION