December Voice 2018 by Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce

HUNKS DUNK JUNK

BARBERCOLMAN RISES AGAIN

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ACADEMY EXPO PAGE 16

THE VOICE IS ONLINE AT ROCKFORDCHAMBER.COM

of the Rockford Business Community

DECEMber 2018 | Volume 31 | No. 12

2018 PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW Unique stories highlight this year’s honorees

PHOTOS BY BRIAN THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY

LuAnn Groh doesn’t seek attention for her volunteer work. But she found herself thrust in the limelight for one night when she was recognized as one of 20 People You Should Know by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

Front row: Anisha Grimmett, LuAnn Groh, Linda Zuba, Thelma Baker, Tiffany Staman, Jason Todd, Lesly Couper, Willy Goellner, Lynn Stainbrook, Andrew Hendrickson and David Sidney. Back row: John Saunders, Ray Davis, David Gomel, Einar Forsman, Eric Fulcomer, Brent Pentenburg, Brian Knabe, Ben Bernsten, Mick Gronewold, Sheena Amble and Rick Zumwalt. The chamber honored its most recent class of honorees on Nov. 1, during a ceremony at the Tebala Event Center. Groh, executive assistant/office manager for the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, was nominated by the Alzheimer’s Association, for her work with the nonprofit organization. It’s a cause close to Groh’s heart – her mother passed away from the dreaded disease six years ago. “I’m trying to bring a greater awareness to this disease and the needs of the caregivers,” she said. “It’s a job of love and commitment. To be recognized for my efforts is very humbling.”

About 300 people attended the chamber’s People You Should Know event, which recognizes members whose work to improve the city may not be widely known within the community. “We’ve got many people in our community who are doing great things every day, either for their company or for the community,” said chamber president and CEO Einar Forsman. “There are many stones unturned out there of people doing great things. The community may not know about them, but they should respect and appreciate them. There really are some nice stories out there.” Continued on page 3

Economic development, public safety, budget highlight mayor’s luncheon Visit us online at: rockfordchamber.com ■ online registration ■ keynote speaker video clips ■ event photos ■ list of Chamber events

Questions? 815-987-8100

Join the Chamber’s LinkedIn Group

Not even a faulty microphone could dampen Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara’s spirit during the Rockford Chamber of Commerce’s annual Mayor’s Business Address, Nov. 15, at Giovanni’s Restaurant & Convention Center. “I just love my job,” said the Rockford native. “Being in your hometown, making an impact, meeting new people and visiting places all over the city. I don’t think there is a better job in the world.” Before a business crowd of 350, McNamara shared his priorities for the

ATWOOD SILENT SPORTS TRAILS TO BECOME A REALITY The necessary $464,000 in funding was raised for phase 1 of a silent sports facility at Atwood Park in Rockford. The Rockford Park District board of commissioners approved a construction contract with Terra Firma Trails, LLC, a trail builder subcontractor for N-TRAK Group, LLC, for the 4.5 miles of natural surface, multi-purpose trails of Atwood Silent Sports Trails with mountain biking, hiking, trail running, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, wildlife observation and fat biking. Funds came from private donations and a $200,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Phase 1 is expected to be completed in summer 2019. The silent sports trail announcement came on the heels of the park district announcement that it received a $104,000 Illinois’ RTP program grant to develop a 1.2-mile year-round “gateway” beginner level mountain biking trail at Alpine Hills Adventure Park. The grant program is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Transportation. For more information and master plan of these projects, visit www.atwoodpark.org/silent-sports.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! ROCKFORD CHAMBER’S

Annual Dinner Jan. 24 • giovanni’s For more info, see page 27 SPONSORED BY

CHANGES TO COUNTY’S FOOD CODE TO PREVENT FOODBORNE ILLNESS city, including public safety, work force development and creating a businessfriendly environment. “Clearly he shows a lot of passion for what he does,” said Einar Forsman, president and CEO of the chamber. “He linked successes to metrics, which is important, and he told us what he needs from us. He needs the business community to do simple things, like getting involved with neighborhoods, volunteering for committees and running for office. Our role as a chamber is to make sure these things Continued on page 4

Winnebago County Health Department is implementing changes to the food code eﬀective Jan. 1, 2019, based on input from the Winnebago County Food Advisory Group and the Illinois Department of Public Health and its adoption of the United States Food and Drug Administration 2013 Model Food Code. WCHD is holding education trainings for food and beverage establishment owners and operators in preventing foodborne illness. Visit www.wchd.org to learn about times as they become available.

| DECember 2018

position

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

President’s Message

Your guide to a smart year-end business review Successful entrepreneurs do frequent reviews of their metrics, culture, wins, and shortcomings to celebrate the wins and identify opportunities to pivot where necessary. Go into this process with a positive mindset and look forward to your results--because no matter which way it goes, you’re about to make it better.

Entrepreneurs are more likely to plan the future than evaluate the past. But how can you fix something when you don’t know it’s broken? How will you celebrate achievements when you don’t realize how significant they are to the big picture? If you do not conduct a year-end review of your business, it’s likely you’ll begin the new year with the same troubled systems, processes, and problems. Even if you had a great year, you want to grow. By establishing what did and did not work for you in 2018, you’ll create a more powerful plan to support your growth in 2019.

If you have a written plan for 2018, use it as a guideline to ascertain your achievements, delivery of goals, and where you missed the mark. Here’s a guideline for your 2018 review.

Set your intentions. Understand exactly what you want as a result of performing this exercise. A year-end review includes separating yourself from the business to access a bird’s-eye view. It’s wise to disconnect yourself emotionally by approaching the process with curiosity, rather than fear and criticism. Set an intention

Make a list of questions. Being intentional about your process sparks creativity and prevents you and your team from overlooking important pieces of information. Examples include: ■ What are my (our) achievements? ■ How did they impact our growth? ■ What did we learn in 2018 and how did it support our growth? ■ What were our biggest disappointments? ■ Did we implement a strategy to

Einar K. Forsman Rockford Chamber of Commerce

pivot or constructively address the disappointments? ■ Did we have unexpected expenditures and how can we plan better for next year?

Make your schedule. A proper year-end review is not done in one afternoon. This is a deep dive into your business, values, and goals. Keeping the pace is important, so schedule time slots in each day during one particular week. Your needs may dictate more or less time. Don’t shortchange yourself; you, your company, customers, and employees deserve this time and attention.

Recognize and celebrate the good stuff. Sometimes entrepreneurs need help Continued on page 21

theVoice

DECEmber 2018

PYSK Honorees (continued from front page)

Since People You Should Know started in 2011, the program has honored 121 leaders. This year’s class featured eight women and 12 men representing industries including healthcare, government, nonprofits, finance, education, manufacturing and professional services. One of the chamber’s initiatives is to develop future leaders, and this event helps meet that goal – especially young professionals. “There were at least three to five young, professional leaders in the group,” said Forsman. “That’s key to inspiring other future leaders.”

Unique Stories Dr. Brian Knabe was recognized for his versatility. He is a full-time financial adviser at Savant Capital Management and also a part-time emergency physician at Marshfield Clinic, where he works a couple of times a month in Park Falls, Wis., which also has a Savant office. In addition, he teaches financial classes to medical students and residents at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. “I still enjoy practicing medicine, but I enjoy solving problems and helping people,” he said. “You do that in medicine and the financial world. I help people figure out where they are now and where they want to be in the future with their finances.” Lynn Stainbrook came to Rockford four years ago to become the director of the Rockford Public Library. She grew up in Janesville before moving on to library jobs in Ohio, Gurnee, Ill., Arlington Heights, Ill., Green Bay, Wis., and now Rockford. “It’s nice to be recognized but I think this is an honor for the library,” she said. “I like to see the business community recognize the value that the library offers for our residents. If you think the library is only about books, you’re missing a lot of what the library has these days.” Stainbrook is impressed with her new surroundings. “Rockford is culturally

diverse, and I like that,” she said. “It’s got grit. It’s had its challenges, but I really believe it’s coming back. There are great things going on in Rockford, and I think I came here at the right time. There’s a renaissance going on here. It’s energizing to be a part of it.” “The quality of people in Rockford is amazing,” added Knabe. “Everyone has their own unique story. It’s inspiring.”

Introducing the 2018 People You Should Know Sheena Amble, Rockford Fire Department Thelma Baker, OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center Benjamin Bernsten, Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois Lesly Couper, Rockford Bank & Trust Ray Davis, MD, University of Illinois College of Medicine Eric W. Fulcomer, PhD, Rockford University Willy Goellner, Advanced Machine & Engineering Co./Hennig, Inc. David Gomel, PhD, Rosecrance Inc. Anisha Grimmett, Alignment Rockford LuAnn Groh, Community Foundation of Northern Illinois Mick Gronewold, Fehr Graham, Andrew Hendrickson, RSM US LLP Brian Knabe, MD, Savant Capital Management Brent Pentenburg, YMCA of Rock River Valley John T. Saunders, Larson & Darby Group David Sidney, Transform Rockford Lynn Stainbrook, Rockford Public Library Tiffany Staman, The Pregnancy Care Center of Rockford Jason Todd, Thinker Ventures Linda Zuba, Zuba & Associates, P.C. The presenting sponsor of this year’s event was workplace staff & search. theVoice

Highlights and photos from the evening can be seen in the One Publication or online at www.rockfordchamber.com. Let your Voice be heard The Rockford Chamber of Commerce welcomes and encourages member submissions for The VOICE of the Rockford Business Community. Deadline is the 15th of the month preceding publication date. Send news releases and other items of interest to the business community to: The VOICE Rockford Chamber of Commerce 308 W. State St., Ste. 190 Rockford, IL 61101

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

| DECember 2018

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

PROFILE Member Profile More than just a name

College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving By Paul Anthony Arco Chand Tubio laughs when asked about the name of the company he works for: College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving. “We get a lot of comments,” said Tubio, district operations manager. “It makes people laugh and ultimately it puts people at ease. It’s definitely a conversation starter. But we’re not hiring models here. We’re hiring people with good leadership, customer service skills and good work ethic.” Sure, while the name may sound like a line out of a corny spring break movie, College Hunks, a national moving and junk removal company, is actually an acronym that stands for “Honest, Uniformed, Nice, Knowledgeable, Service.” College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving provides full-service residential and commercial moving, junk removal, donation pickups and moving labor services. The moving services include wrapping and protecting furniture, moving labor and transportation. College Hunks does everything except storage. “A majority of our work is residential,” said Tubio, who oversees the company’s Rockford and Madison locations. “But we do our fair share of office moves, too, anything from a dental office to colleges.” As

Mayor’s Message (continued from front page)

aren’t a ‘one and done.’ We need to get involved.” McNamara touted economic development as an early success during his tenure. Last year, the city formed a Doing Business in Rockford committee to look at ways to make it easier for businesses to start, relocate and expand here. Also, companies such as Advanced Machine, Kaney Aerospace and PCI Pharma Services are just a few of the recent expansion projects taking place across the city. “The message about economic development is that we’re really seeing a revitalization coming to fruition,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot of companies expand, especially between 20 and 30,000 square feet and 10 to 30 employees. It’s been tremendous.”

Public Safety Progress Another hot button is crime. Despite a public perception that Rockford continues to be plagued by serious crime, according to McNamara, year-

College Hunks serves meals to Rock House Kids. The local College Hunks franchise employs 14 seasonal employees in the Rockford location, mostly during the busy summer months. for junk, about 70 percent is salvaged and donated to places like Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill and the Salvation Army, while 30 percent goes to the landfill. We ‘Go Green’ and our motto is ‘Move the world.’” The company was launched in Washington D.C. In 2003, two college students, Omar Soliman and Nick Friedman, borrowed Soliman’s mother’s beat-up cargo van and dubbed themselves College Hunks Hauling Junk as a way to make some extra money for summer break. Residents in nearby neighborhoods called the “College Hunks” for anything that needed some extra muscle and a truck. Word quickly spread that these college students could move, donate, recycle and dispose of people’s property. By 2005, College Hunks was on its way. Two years later, the company expanded its franchising efforts and today has 60 locations in 24 states, with clients that include Fortune 500 companies and 70,000 homeowners across North America.

“It’s a pretty cool concept,” said Tubio. “They started with one van and grew from there. They’re brand managers who are very knowledgeable with numbers, metrics, and they take care of their people. Their core value is they don’t hire people to be stagnant. They build people up to become leaders.” Today, Friedman is the president, Soliman is CEO and they’ve added Roman Cowan as operations manager. Tubio employs 14 seasonal employees in the Rockford location, mostly during the busy summer months. While winter can tend to drag, business picks up again for spring cleaning. According to Tubio, some seasonal employees decide they want to make a career within the organization. “We like giving opportunities for people to excel,” said Tubio, who joined the company in 2016. “This is not a 9 to 5 job. Employees start out as a wingman (driver’s assistant) and eventually move up the ladder. There’s room for growth and advancement for our guys.”

end 2017 saw a five percent decrease in violent crime. Through October 2018, police have seen a decrease in violent crime (14 percent), robbery (19), shots fired (21) and aggravated assault (13). The city has seen 17 straight months of reduced crime. “When we look at public safety, we look at month to month, and we look at year to year,” he said. “My belief is that perception is going to lag two years. It lagged two years to where we got to today. People didn’t think we had a crime problem, no one was doing anything about it and then all of a sudden we have this huge crime problem, and we’re ranked one of the most violent cities in the country. It didn’t happen overnight. “Perception goes both ways. First, we adopted a plan, and we have the right leadership in place. It’s our top priority, and we need to continue to work because, regardless of what the keyboard jockeys want to believe, our plan is actually working.”

office in 2017, the city had a projected eight-year cumulative deficit of more than $150 million and a general fund less than $140 million. Since then, the city formed a financial task force that includes local experts who help work on the budget. In the last year, the cumulative budget deficit is around $80 million. “Like anyone, they need a budget that’s going to allow them to be effective,” said Forsman, who serves on the task force. “They have some difficult tasks. You need someone to champion those recommendations made by an outside committee and spirit them through. Our city council has a lot of priorities as well, but we have some things we absolutely have to do. I’m hoping they take a big bite of the apple early on because the faster you do it the better your budget position becomes in the long haul.” During his presentation, McNamara touched on other positives, including a dip in unemployment, more than $30 million in private development underway in downtown Rockford and the possibility of a casino coming to Rockford.

Budget Deﬁcit Reductions Budget remains one of the city’s chief concerns. When McNamara took

College Hunks also believes in giving back to the communities they serve. The company supports “Feeding Children Every Where,” an international organization, and locally they serve meals to Rock House Kids. When it comes to junk removal, Tubio said every day is something different as his team hauls away items from homes and businesses. “It’s like an adventure every day,” he said. “Some people just don’t realize how much stuff they accumulate over time.” College Hunks is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

COLLEGE HUNKS HAULING JUNK AND MOVING Chand Tubio, district operations manager 815-978-8520 6813 N. Second St., Machesney Park Collegehunkshaulingjunk.com

“The mayor is very engaged and he responds to everyone,” Forsman said. “He gives an education every time he talks to somebody, whether it’s a naysayer or a supporter. He’s doing it in a solid leadership manner. He’s transparent and that only helps us move the community forward.” Others agree. “He’s been a real supporter of public education, even when he was on city council,” said Matt Vosberg, deputy superintendent for Rockford Public Schools. “He’s visible in our schools, visiting when he can. He understands that our successes are linked together. “The message the mayor delivered at the luncheon was positive, but realistic, about the challenges facing our community. He showed that we’re making progress.” The

luncheon

was

sponsored

by BMO Harris Bank (presenting), Hinshaw (gold) and AT&T and Van Matre

HealthSouth

Hospital (bronze).

Rehabilitation

theVoice

| DECember 2018

theVoice

Guest Perspective insight

Take a look in the mirror A commitment to be better or different A look in the mirror can be a good thing. I don’t mean that last glance at the make-up or the hair before dashing out the door. That is the superficial stuff. I mean something a little deeper than that. I see the look in the mirror as being the opportunity to be thoughtful and introspective about how we approach our personal and professional lives. It is an opportunity to take stock, to evaluate our commitments and make new promises to be better or different. So when you next look into the mirror, ask yourself the following questions: How’s my attitude? Attitude shapes not only what we do, but what we become. People with positive attitudes usually get a lot more out of life than those who don’t have a positive attitude. The glass is half full, not half empty! We can’t control the weather or other people’s actions. We can control our own attitude. How’s yours? If you don’t like the answer, change it. It is that simple. Am I holding up my end of the bargain? As a spouse, a parent and as an employee, you have responsibilities to others. Are you carrying your weight, or is it easier to make excuses and blame others? Sometimes it is tempting to procrastinate or miss your commitments to others and then expect them to be accepting and understanding. If you are upholding your end of the bargain at home and at work, great! If not, then commit to be better and different. Am I shooting straight? There is something inherently intimidating

Rick Bastian about honesty, Blackhawk particularly Bancorp, Inc. when it involves difficult stuff. It requires us to go through the discomfort of revealing ourselves at the same time we may be sharing with someone else something that they may not want to hear. Honesty can also be terribly liberating. How can you be more of a straight shooter with your spouse, kids, coworkers or supervisor?

Am I continuously learning? It is easy to be scared of what we don’t know. Just think about our attitude toward new places, strange foods, a new job or even the computer. We all need to feel competent. Admitting what we don’t know threatens our sense of competence. Learning what we don’t know strengthens our sense of competence. Getting there is not as big a hurdle as it seems. Are you willing to get out of that comfort zone to learn new things? The right attitude, living up to your commitments, honesty and a willingness to learn will make you successful in your personal and professional lives. As I prepare to sail off into the ocean of retirement, I hope my reflection has inspired others to take a look in the mirror and commit to make the changes necessary to be the best they can be. Rick Bastian is chairman of Blackhawk Bancorp, Inc. The views expressed are those of the Bastian’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

Thriving in the Age of Distraction

DINNER

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24

PRESENTED BY

5:00-8:00 PM • GIOVANNI’S

Hear from Curt Steinhorst on “Thriving in the Age of Distraction.”

theVoice

DECEmber 2018

A FEW WORDS FROM RPS 205 SUPERINTENDENT

Three routes to life readiness

Helping accelerate the path for students Just as every student is different, there are different routes to readiness for each student. Some of us can remember when college or career was a choice in education. Those days are gone. Fortunately, I can assure you that Rockford Public Schools is committed to college and career readiness for all of our students. Just as every student is different, there are different routes to readiness for each student. However, those routes can be grouped in three categories: For some students, we are helping accelerate the path to college as quickly as possible. In this category, we recently had good news from the state. The percentage of eighth graders in the district passing Algebra 1 is at a three-year high. Passing entry-level algebra is a path to college. It’s also the strongest predictor of high school graduation. Not only has the district had consecutive gains with this important indicator, our percentage last year was close to the state average. I don’t need to tell you we are not where we want — or need — to be. However, we are driving rigor through our system, and we see signs of it paying off. Another example of our accelerated path to college: From 2011 to 2019, the number of Hispanic or Latino students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses has increased 216 percent in the district. During the same period, the number of African-American students enrolled in AP courses increased 62 percent, while the corresponding increase for white students was 57 percent. We also saw a massive uptick (73 percent) in the number of AP tests taken since 2011. Another bright spot is that RPS 205 is aligned with the state trend of having the highest percentage of students enrolling in college since Illinois began reporting the metric in 2014. Fiftyseven percent of graduates in RPS 205 enrolled in post-secondary education – the highest level in five years. For some students, we are accelerating the path to career. You don’t have to look far to find students in our district highly engaged in community-centered, careerpreparatory work. At Guilford High

Dr. Ehren Jarrett Superintendent RPS 205

School, for instance, students in the engineering and trades high school academy are in the fourth year of a program helping build a home for Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity. And, as manufacturing is in our community’s DNA, we have made significant investments each of the last five years in renovating manufacturing classrooms at Jefferson High School. For some students, we are accelerating the path to both college and career. We soon will launch the senior semester experience in the high schools, in which students in the engineering pathway take their first semester of college classes during their second semester of senior year. Our team is also working closely with Rock Valley College to take that same concept and apply it to other career training pathways in the district, such as aviation maintenance. It’s all part of linking talent to opportunity — a concept we borrowed from RVC and a cause to which we are deeply committed. Programs like senior semester join a strong lineup of opportunities that already exist in our high schools to make education relevant and aligned to the local workforce. From sophomore to junior to senior year, students move through their chosen pathway and tick off experiences like job site visits, mock interviews and creating a resume and personal statement. Students in our high schools also have the option of a Capstone experience. That’s a year-long project demonstrating competencies in such 21st century skills as creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication. Our district is full of engaged students, dedicated teachers and talented leaders who are on a path for growth. From individual teachers to teams of teachers, from school buildings to the central office, we are united in helping each student follow his or her route to readiness. That’s how we are fulfilling our vision of being the first choice for all families. 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.

| DECember 2018

theVoice

Young Professionals ignite

A lesson from Buddy the Elf

Three ways to spread cheer on a limited holiday budget Name that movie: “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is by singing loud for all to hear.” This time of the year is a perfect time to make joy contagious. If you envisioned Will Ferrell wearing yellow tights and a green suit, you were spot on. Here are three ways you can bring happiness at home, work and anywhere.

Sometimes what people want more than anything is to be heard. We really need to hear what people are telling us and take the conversations deeper. Help Someone in Need Remember the part in “Elf” when Buddy decorates Gimbels Department Store overnight? Can you picture the huge smile on Buddy’s face when his coworkers arrive the next morning? What is better than the feeling of knowing you made someone’s day? While staying up all night and decorating someone’s house may not be the best way to approach this, take a lesson from Buddy. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, offer your time to an organization like Santas for Solitary Seniors, or sign up to ring the Salvation Army bell. I’ve found one of the best ways to find organizations that need help is to ask around on social media. It won’t take long before you have plenty of suggestions. Just put yourself out there and do something. One smile could make someone’s day better. After all, it’s Buddy’s favorite thing to do.

Be Present Buddy spends the first half of the movie trying to win his father’s affection. Walter Hobbs, Buddy’s dad, is reluctant and even calls security to detain his own son. After a visit to the family pediatrician and a DNA test verifying that Walter is Buddy’s dad, Walter comes around. By the end of the movie, Walter quits his toxic job, becomes a family man and starts his own publishing company, all because of Buddy’s positivity and persistence. Sometimes what people want more than anything is to be heard. We really need to hear what people are telling us and take the conversations deeper. Ask what is going on and really, truly listen. Doing that may just make all

Lauren Jones IGNITE

the difference in the world for the people you engage. Walter is a miserable man because he’s unhappy. Buddy encourages him to think positively and appreciate the small things in life. Something as simple as preparing and hosting holiday meals can quickly become a stressor. Offer to come early to set up or stay late to clean up. Making that emergency trip to the store for some lemons could prevent a major meltdown. Be the person who brings a friend to your holiday celebration. There’s always someone who does not have plans for the holiday. That act of kindness could leave a lasting memory.

Pick Meaningful Over Monetary Gifts Unlike Buddy, you do not have to spend two hours making snow angels, go ice skating, eat an entire roll of cookie dough and snuggle. However, choosing to have an experience rather than buying a gift could snowball (pun intended) into a tradition. Exploring the outdoors is usually free. Many towns have holiday light shows to drive through, like Rockford’s Sinnissippi Park display. Offer to have a “night in” with the people you care about, cooking a meal together or ordering a pizza and watching movies. Some of my fondest holiday memories are crowding in the living room and dancing and listening to music with family. Nothing else matters in that moment. We let go of our worries and enjoy each other’s company. If you’re thinking of the scene in Elf when Buddy gets the entire mail room to have a dance off, you are not far from what happens at my family’s holiday events. There are plenty of ways to spread cheer that won’t cost a lot of money. I hope I’ve inspired you to invest in your family and friends and the community this holiday season. Oh, and, one more thing. If you want to make strangers smile, shout this line from “Elf” in the middle of a packed store, “I’m singing. I’m in a store, and I’m siiiiiingiiiiing! I’m in a store, and I’m siiiiiingiiiiing!” Lauren Jones is a marketing coordinator for Fehr Graham and the IGNITE REACH cochair. The views expressed are those of Jones’ and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice

DECEmber 2018

 Destination

ILLINOIS, USA

ADDING WEALTH TO THE REGION’S ECONOMY BY GROWING TOURISM

Many work to make it a Merry & Bright season

John Groh Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Holiday traditions to enjoy again this year I want to commend the Rockford Chamber of Commerce for highlighting community collaboration this month, as the holiday season spotlights such partnerships better than any other time of the year. The sixth-annual Stroll on State, held in downtown Rockford on Nov. 24, showcased collaboration at its finest. Our presenting sponsor for the event, Illinois Bank & Trust, led the way once again in a lineup of partners from the business sector, government, churches and community organizations to stage a holiday celebration that was the best yet. Hundreds of volunteers stepped up to beautify downtown with holiday decorations, and volunteers from across the community who ran the show on the big day. Everybody pulls together to create a glorious day for people of all ages who gather to celebrate cherished traditions, while making new memories from the shared experience. The event has come to symbolize all that we can do and be when we come together as a community. The continuing success of Stroll on State traces to a spirit of collaboration I see at work in almost everything we attempt to do at RACVB. Time and again, when a new idea is floated for a program or an event that will benefit our community, I see a pattern in subsequent conversations. Someone initially says: “What if we tried … such and such.” Someone else comes back with: “Why not? Let’s do it!” At that point, invariably, other entities chime in, saying: “How can we help make it happen?” This familiar dynamic is highlighted in so many events that are part of the Merry & Bright Season. Business owners joined forces with one another in various shopping districts in the region to create a fun holiday shopping scene that helped customers make merry while supporting local stores and restaurants. Early December events in the Rockton business district and at Edgebrook in Rockford are great examples. The merriment continues in those shopping enclaves throughout the holiday season, and business owners understand that what’s good for one is good for all. The efforts of a local group called Winnebago Buy Local are showcased annually at the Local Holiday Market, held at Rockford University on the first Saturday in December. Check out

the member organizations at www. winnebagobuylocal.com and drop by some of the stores during the holiday season. The success of these businesses depends on local support, said WBL President Lauren Davis. “Shopping local is so much more than the good feeling you get from doing so. Statistics show that for every $100 spent at your LOCAL stores, services and businesses, 68 percent stays in your local economy.” Compare that to just 32 percent for purchases made at a national chain. Some other Merry & Bright events coming up wouldn’t happen without community collaborations. The All Aglow Exhibit at Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens continues until Jan. 6, 2019; the Holiday Festival of Lights at Sinnissippi Park runs Dec. 7 to 31. Beyond twinkling lights, upcoming events to keep you merry this season include: Dec. 7 to 15. Starlight Theatre stages “A Charlie Brown Christmas” on Fridays and Saturdays. Dec. 15 to 16. The Mendelssohn Chorale joins the Rockford Symphony Orchestra for the Holiday Pops concerts. www.rockfordsymphony.com Saturdays

December.

The

Burpee Museum of Natural History has launched a new program called “Victorian Holiday Party at the Barnes Mansion.” www.burpee.org Dec. 31. New Year Around the World at Burpee. www.burpee.org Dec. 31. Countdown to Fun at the Discovery Center Museum. www. discoverycentermuseum.org Jan.

19,

2019.

Illinois

Snow Sculpting Competition. www. ilsnowsculpting.com Jan. 31 to Feb. 3, 2019. Rockton Yeti Fest. John Groh is president/CEO of Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. The mission of the RACVB is to drive quality of life and economic growth for our citizens through tourism marketing and destination development. www.gorockford.com The views expressed are Groh’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

DECember 2018

Advanced Technology Center to open in southwest Rockford

A true collaboration to ‘retool’ a historic manufacturing landmark Center will play

Rock Valley College, Rockford Local Development Corporation and the City of Rockford have embarked on a public-private partnership to redevelop the former Barber-Colman factory campus at 1200 Rock St., in southwest Rockford. The theme for the December VOICE is “Community Collaborations: nonprofits and businesses working together for mutually beneficial outcomes.” Rock Valley College’s Advanced Technology Center at Colman Village is a perfect example of community collaborations. Rock Valley College, Rockford Local Development Corporation and the City of Rockford have embarked on a publicprivate partnership to redevelop the former Barber-Colman factory campus located at 1200 Rock St., in southwest Rockford; a historic landmark registered in the National Register of Historic Places for its impact on the nation’s manufacturing heritage. The former Barber-Colman Company was a manufacturer of textile and milling machinery from its beginning in 1894 until the 1980s. Howard Colman, originally from Wisconsin, came to Rockford to create the company with financial backing from W.A. Barber. The company had great success with its Hand Knotter (tied knots in string) and Warp Tying Machine (automated the process of passing threads through the eyes of heddles), which afforded the company to

a pivotal role in accomplishing

Bernie Luecke RVC BPI

this goal,” said Doug

Jensen,

president

Rock Valley College. “Colman Village has a storied history in Rockford, and it is very fitting that we build our Advanced Technology Center at this location, as we strive to inspire individuals to think creatively, solve problems and be passionately innovative.” It is the goal to enhance and expand the college’s program offerings at Portion of the Site Plan expand internationally, manufacturing goods in five states and three countries. The company diversified, producing Milling Cutters used by large mills to cut metal, along with its gear Hobbing Machine. It also introduced a High Speed Warper & Creel and Automatic Spoolers. By 1975, Barber-Colman employed 4,000 workers among its 150 locations. The company was family owned until the death of Walter Colman (Howard’s son) in 1983. Following Colman’s death, the company was sold off to various companies, Reed-Chatwood purchased the textile operations and continued to manufacture from the original factory until 2001. The machine tool division was sold to fellow Rockford company Bourn & Koch, Inc., which provides parts, service and support for their machines to this day.

Center at Historic Colman Village The anchor for the 22-acre mixed-use development will be the development of

the new center, with the following as a state-of-the-art, 82,000-sq. ft., Advanced Technology Center operated by Rock Valley College. The preliminary budget is estimated at $32.3 million dollars, with financing coming from various supportive partners, including the City of Rockford, County of Winnebago, Rock Valley College, Rock River Water Reclamation, U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Treasury (New Market Tax Credits), U.S. Treasury (Federal New Market Tax Credits), U.S. National Park Service (Federal Historic Tax Credits), and State of Illinois (IEPA, State Historic Tax Credits). The new Advanced Technology Center will house current Rock Valley College training and educational programs including the Business & Professional Institute, TechWorks (CNC Mill & Lathe training), Welding as well as the Cold Forming Training Center at 424 Buckbee Street in Rockford. “In preparing Rockford’s future workforce, the Advanced Technology

examples of those training programs: multi-skilled industrial maintenance, integrated

systems

technology,

integrated advanced manufacturing, quality & process control technologies, supply chain/logistics management and electrical/microprocessors. For more information about the Advanced Technology Center or how you can help, please contact Brittany Freiberg, chief development officer at the Rock Valley College Foundation, 815-921-4502,

Michele

Petrie,

business advocate for Colman Village, 815-520-2258. Bernie Luecke is director of the Business & Professional Institute at Rock Valley College. The views expressed are those of Luecke’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. Note: Some information in the article was obtained through “Barber-Colman Company Wikipedia” Sponsored by RVC BPI

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

Rockford Statistics

The City of Rockford infographics help residents and businesses understand the key metrics by which the City measures its performance. City departments use dozens of statistics to track the quality, eﬃciency and eﬀectiveness of critical city services. Slide presentations of these key metrics are posted monthly on the City website and released to the media and public. View the full presentation deck on the City website: https://rockfordil. gov/news/rockstat/

January-October

Jan-Oct 2017: 351 Jan-Oct 2018: 284

Donating safe and healthy food to food drives

Jan-Oct 2017: 1,529 Jan-Oct 2018: 1,335

As we move towards the holidays, food pantries are looking to fill their shelves. The number one rule of donating food is only to donate food you would serve your family. It is tempting to clean out the pantry and donate food that has been in there for a while. No matter what your income is, everyone wants safe and healthy food. Here’s a few more key tips to consider: For shelf-stable foods: cereal, mixes, peanut butter and canned fruits and vegetables, and baking ingredients: yeast, baking powder and cake mixes, only donate within a close proximity of the “used by” dates. The food is still safe but the quality and flavor decreases beyond that. The exception is baby formula. It is not safe to donate baby formula that has exceeded this date. Perishable items like milk and cheese are not appropriate for a food drive. If a box is damaged or open, please throw it away. Do the same with dented or rusty cans. More food pantries are trying to offer foods with reduced sugar and salt for individuals with special dietary needs.

Fruit: Unsweetened applesauce, canned fruit in water/light syrup/100% juice, dried fruit, fruit pouches and 100% fruit juice.

Jan-Oct 2017: 522 Jan-Oct 2018: 414

627

633

18,784

19,365

23,820

24,707

YTD 2017

YTD 2018

YTD 2017

YTD 2018

YTD 2017

YTD 2018

4 82

18,784

19,365

23,820

24,707

YTD 2017

YTD 2018

YTD 2017

YTD 2018

633

Jan-Oct 2017: 354 Jan-Oct 2018: 380

YTD 2018

January-October

Here are some healthy options for each food group:

627

JAN-OCT 2018

JAN-OCT 2017

JAN-OCT 2018

Jan-Oct 2017: 4,487 Jan-Oct 2018: 4,700

By Carol Erickson, U of I Extension

JAN-OCT 2017

JAN-OCT 2018

Jan-Oct 2017: 2080 Jan-Oct 2018: 1797

January-October

YTD 2017

2017: 4 2018: 0

DECember 2018

Vegetables: 100% vegetable juice, low-sodium canned soups, noadded/low/reduced sodium canned vegetables and spaghetti sauce, dried or dehydrated vegetables. Grains: Cereal and oatmeal with three grams of fiber, whole grain bread, pasta and tortillas, barley, cornmeal, brown and instant rice, whole grain crackers, whole grain flour, corn tortillas. Protein: Low-sodium canned beans, dried beans/peas/lentils, unsalted or lightly nuts, canned tuna/ salmon/chicken in water, nut butters like peanut, almond or cashew with less than 230 mg sodium and 4 grams of sugar/serving. Dairy: Shelf-stable milk, soy/ almond/rice milk, powdered milk, baby formula. Carol Erickson is SNAP ed educator with the University of Illinois Extension. The views expressed are those of Erickson’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

| CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATIONS

DECemBER 2018 • theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

Help me understand and connect with the Top 25 plan! There are two things I continue to hear from community members and business leaders. 1. I understand Transform Rockford’s vision, to become “Top 25 by 2025,” however… 2. I’m not sure how issues are being addressed, or how I can get involved. These are great questions. Let’s start with the basics. If you’re not familiar with the transformation plan, it’s a document that lists out 14 different spokes (aka - focus areas) that you, the community, asked to address. These range from education to safety, economy & jobs, healthy lifestyles, leadership and youth, arts and recreation, unity, pride and culture, and more. Along with each spoke there are two to four strategies that align with it. These

strategies help us to hone in on the spoke areas and essentially give us goals to reach. To help you understand even more, I want to walk you through a current project that is now underway. This project fits under the Education Spoke and the Supporting Students & Families Strategy.

Addressing Root Causes Back in 2017, our community established a partnership with Tamarack Institute, an internationally recognized program that develops and supports strategies that engage local people to solve major issues in their own community. Thanks to the Collective Impact Support team that was formed and led by Northern Illinois Center for Non-Profit Excellence, and the support of several local businesses

Transform Rockford, Alignment Rockford and Rockford Public Schools announced a partnership in October with Erikson Institute, an early childhood development program that will measure the education readiness of kindergarteners across the community using the Early Development Instrument.

Erikson Institute to measure education readiness across the region Erikson Institute will provide Alignment Rockford, Transform Rockford, RPS and participating private schools with a snapshot of children’s health, development and school readiness in the context of their neighborhoods, which will oﬀer direction to community leaders in early childhood development initiatives. “We know our community needs to focus on literacy, but if we only focus on literacy, we’re never going to achieve our goals,” said Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson, Alignment Rockford Ready to Learn Team co-lead and senior minister at Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockford. “The work is about readiness to learn. It’s about health outcomes, school attendance, access to immunizations, nutrition and social work, and we’re glad to be partnering with Erikson Institute to address these issues.”

and foundations, Tamarack hosted a workshop to help the community identify a significant complex social issue in the area to solve. Through that workshop and a data walk earlier this year, all agreed that our community must align around 3rd grade literacy as a keystone outcome for student success. As you can probably figure out, this fits perfectly under the Education Spoke. Stakeholders rallied around the idea and started thinking about ways we could tackle this issue and build a common agenda to achieve this key educational milestone. One idea was to partner with Erikson Institute, a premier early childhood development program that takes a holistic, population-based, measured approach to assess the readiness of Kindergarteners in five developmental domains. So, it’s not just looking to the school districts to have all the answers, it’s taking it one step deeper and looking at the entire community as a whole. This fits perfectly under the Supporting Students & Families Strategy. Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson, senior minister at Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockford and co-lead on the Ready to Learn team said it best. “We know our community needs to focus on literacy, but if we only focus on literacy, we’re never going to achieve our goals. The work is about readiness to learn. It’s about health outcomes, school attendance, access to immunizations, nutrition and social work.” By partnering with Erikson Institute, we will be able to determine where our students, in both private and public schools, have strengths and opportunities for growth across geographic areas and neighborhoods throughout Rockford. We will be able to zoom down, all the way into the children’s neighborhoods, to see what factors are holding them back from being ready to learn. And then it’s taking these findings, pulling together resources and having targeted conversations with

the community to

determine

where we can get our hands

David Sidney Transform Rockford

dirty and make valuable changes to our region to ultimately ensure that all are ready to learn!

How Can I Get Involved? By now you should have a better understanding of question #2. However, I still need to address how you can get involved. There are many ways to get engaged with Transform Rockford and the transformation plan - sign-up for Transform Rockford’s monthly newsletter, volunteer on our strategic support group team or follow us on social media. The holiday book drive is an immediate way you can support the overall Education strategies and Ready to Learn project, by purchasing and/or donating new or gently used infant through pre-K-level books now through Dec. 7. Give the gift of literacy, support a culture of learning and encourage students and families to read together during the winter break. Donation bins are located at Midland States Bank locations, Rockford Police Headquarters #1, #2 and #3, Transform Rockford and other organizations in the community. Or call Transform Rockford, 815-977-5840, and make a cash donation. We will go out and buy the books for you. Books will be wrapped and hand-delivered to students enrolled in early childhood education programs throughout the region. David Sidney is executive director of Transform Rockford. The views expressed are those of Sidney’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

rockfordchamber.com • theVoice • DECemBER 2018

CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATIONS |

Guest Perspective insight

Students apply education towards homes for families Real-world experience making a difference An active construction site and a high school classroom typically look very different. But a couple of years ago, these two seemingly disparate places converged on a quiet street off of Sandy Hollow with a simple, shared purpose: Teach students construction while building homes for families. With our aging volunteer force, Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity was grappling with how to expand our manpower to build more homes each year. Meanwhile, with their growing focus on college- and career-readiness, Rockford Public Schools was working to create curriculum that prepared students to successfully enter the workforce. Through a serendipitous meeting, the two of us found each other, and we began impacting lives in a brand new way. Cross-sector collaboration has become a bit of a “buzz term” in our community, yet many of us still seem to tip-toe around it. By and large, we may dip our toes in the water, but there is often a deeply entrenched hesitation to take the plunge and allow another entity, especially one from another sector, to become an integral part of our own approach and work. I am sharing this perspective as a testament to the fact that close partnerships need not be daunting or fraught with ruin! Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity took the plunge, and we did not simply survive— through cross-sector collaboration, we have undoubtedly become a stronger, more vibrant and more impactful organization. The story that follows serves as an illustration of the rich reward any of us can reap when we are open to, and intentional about, finding our common agendas.

Education Applied Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, Guilford High School

spent a portion of every day transforming a concrete

slab

into

four-

bedroom,

Keri Nelson Habitat for Humanity

two-bathroom,

two-story

house. And they did all of this with the knowledge that the structure they were building was so much more than a school project; it was a home. As the school year wrapped up, the group of students who generously The stakes in this project were exponentially higher than in a typical school project — the application of their learning had to be perfect.

invested so much of themselves into this house handed the structure over to a family of six so that it could fulfill the purpose for which it was always meant. The fruits of their labor became a foundation of stability and possibility for a family who would have otherwise never had the opportunity to become homeowners. The students who participated in this project had the gratification of knowing that, through their own sweat and labor, they helped change the life of this family forever. Under the incredible tutelage of their teacher, Mark Anderson, students

Students spent a portion of every day transforming a concrete slab into a four-bedroom, twobathroom, two-story house -- all with the knowledge that the structure they were building was so much more than a school project; it was a home. and Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity launched a plan to have the EMITT (Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial and Trades Technology) Academy Construction Trades students build a two-story, four-bedroom home from the ground up. A collaboration of this depth and magnitude was unchartered territory for us. The students began their school year reading blue prints and studying plans, but their lessons quickly left the classroom in favor of handson, experiential learning on a real construction site. The stakes in this

project were exponentially higher than in a typical school project — the application of their learning had to be perfect. But the students rose to the occasion with intrepidness and tenacity. Over the course of the next eight months, the high schoolers put their learning to work towards a tangible result every school day. They raised the walls, added a roof, installed doors and windows, hung drywall and installed cabinets. They tiled and sided. They painted and perfected. They labored through heat, rain and snow. Using their own minds and their own bodies, they

at Guilford High School have now started year — and house — three. This partnership with the Rockford Public Schools has been an immeasurable benefit to the students, to Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity, and to the families who will forever call the houses they build home. It is a beautiful demonstration of the impact we can all be a part of when we work together through cross-sector collaboration. Keri Nelson is executive director at Habitat for Humanity. The views expressed are those of Nelson’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

| CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATIONS

SBDC Partners with Rockford Public Library Rockford Public Library and the SBDC are oﬀering a series of live and digital courses to teach you how to turn your great idea into a thriving, proﬁtable business. Call 815-987-6639 or visit www.rockfordpubliclibrary. org/business-building-basics.

Executive Summary Basics Every sound business plan begins with an executive summary. Learn how to tell your business’ compelling story, including the origin of the idea, how it has developed and goals for proﬁtability.

Marketing Plan Basics Successful business plans include a thorough

understanding of the market. Learn how to conduct your own market research, determine the value of the goods or services being oﬀered, develop the market strategy and write a coordinating marketing plan.

Financing & Accounting Basics Finance and accounting solutions are as varied as the products and services offered in the market. Meet with experts from the SBDC to determine what foundational financial and accounting steps need to be taken in order to develop a successful business plan. Offered by appointment. Call 815-979-8242.

Helping people break the chain of poverty By Patricia Wolter, EWCC Empowering Word Christian Center hosted its first-annual Faith & Marketplace Conference, Nov. 11 to 13, and as a part of it, hosted its first-annual Career & Education Fair on Thursday, Nov. 11. The region’s employment sector had an opportunity to solicit its job openings and a chance to interview potential candidates. Represented were 28 local companies and staffing agencies as well as two educational institutions. EWCC’s vision was to help the residents of the region connect with employers to establish financial freedom. Of the 113 resumes received, five were hired, two had offers extended to them and one person is in the process of being hired. Five more are expected to be hired within the next several months. Prairie Legal Services advised on obtaining a record expungement, as in some situations, records need to be cleared to guarantee employment.

Stories of Success The third day of the conference was an entrepreneurial expo with two multimillion-dollar entrepreneurs telling the stories of their success, answering questions and providing invaluable information they normally would charge thousands of dollars for when mentoring people individually.

What Employers Said Rockford

Board

Education

Transportation: “Great event. Lots of employers with a steady flow of prospective employees.” Kelly Services: “Overall good set-up. Thank you.” Yes Staffing: “Great people, great environment and very personable. I felt very good and very welcome. Would definitely come back again.” Milestone: “Nice steady flow of jobseekers. Greeted immediately upon arrival. The door was held open while things were brought in, and I was immediately directed where I was to be set up in the room.” Aerotek: “The set up for the event was great. Thank you for having us attend.” EWCC wants to see the generational cycles broken and people set free. We know that no one likes struggling financially. It takes a toll on marriages and the family unit. The center will continue to provide keys to financial freedom in its weekend services on: discovering passion, developing it by studying and networking within the proper avenues, and taking steps to see a dream become a reality, while working to provide for present needs. Patricia Wolter is administrative coordinator of the Empowering Word Christian Center Discipleship Program. The views expressed are those of Wolter’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

DECemBER 2018 • theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

Guest Perspective insight

20 years and counting … The way we were; the way we are I like to joke that the first thing KMK Media Group, our marketing firm, did after officially incorporating 20 years ago was to join the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. It’s actually pretty close to the truth. We incorporated in November of 1998 and joined the chamber the month afterward and never looked back! My business partner, Jeff Klarman, and I knew we needed the chamber and its resources to help market our business. As a small start-up that operated for its first year out of our homes, we didn’t have much money to do traditional advertising. In fact, we managed to scrounge up $200 each to start KMK while also starting young families, mortgages and lives. The rest is history. So how did we use the chamber to jump-start our marketing efforts? ■ We wrote news releases about the marketing work we were doing for clients and they got published in this very newspaper. (If you haven’t noticed, we still employ this tactic plus many others at this point.) ■ We put together helpful presentations and spoke for free to many chamberrelated groups about how to market their businesses. ■ We used the chamber for its extensive networking opportunities. This was long before the age of LinkedIn and Facebook when your best option to connect with people was over the phone or in-person!

Branding Our chamber membership also helped with brand and name recognition, too, as we had a battle brewing with K-Mart at the time. Our company name, KMK Media Group, was listed in the phone book next to “K-Mart” back when people actually used phone books. So it was not uncommon in our early years to receive a couple of calls a week for K-Mart and tell the disappointed caller we had no “Blue

Light Specials.” To help with branding, we Pam Maher occasionally KMK Media Group ran ads in the chamber newspaper, too. I also volunteered on chamber committees and served on the chamber board; helping increase our connections with other members and the knowledge of our company in general.

Legitimacy Personally, I also used the chamber for legitimacy. Twenty years ago, it was far less common for a woman to start a business, with or without a partner. I had to correct people on more than one occasion who assumed my business partner was my husband. Nope. I’m just as accountable as my business partner is for moving our company forward … 20 years and counting.

Mentors Through the chamber, I also found a mentor — another female business owner named Jean Vitale. Jean co-founded Beefaroo, a company that has grown by leaps and bounds over five decades. Jean was a sounding board, advocate and friend. She still is. The best part? Her highly talented children and business successors now employ my own daughter -- I love Rockford. These days, I enjoy working personally and professionally with young companies, helping them move forward in shoes that used to be mine. The old adage still holds true — you get out of it as much as you put into it. Here’s to 20 more years as a Rockford Chamber member! Pam Maher is CEO of KMK Media Group. The views expressed are those of Maher’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

rockfordchamber.com • theVoice • DECemBER 2018

CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATIONS |

Guest Perspective insight

Collaboration for system change and social impact

This year’s Academy Expo drew 1,669 students and 422 volunteers.

Community comes together to support student aspirations Finding hope and insight at Academy Expo By Katy Haun, Alignment Rockford

■ Best in Human and Public Services (HPS): Rockford Police Department

I have been fortunate to see the Academy Expo evolve. This year’s expo took place on Oct. 24 at the Indoor Sports Center at Mercyhealth Sportscore Two. I volunteered as an industry expert (booth host) at the very first expo piloted at Jefferson High School in 2012. I remember being terrified to face the many freshmen who would be approaching me that day and then the immense feelings of relief, pride and hope following the event. I was proud and hopeful that Rockford was at the brink of something huge and impactful with the high school redesign into College and Career Academies, and that our freshmen were eager to learn about their potential futures from community members like me. I have participated ever since, having been blessed with the opportunity to manage the Alignment team that has been planning the event since 2015 and seeing more than 70 organizations in the Rockford region commit a full day to supporting our students.

■ Best in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial and Trades Technology (EMITT): Bergstrom

2018 By the Numbers ■ About 4,800 volunteer hours in one day ■ 96% reported a level of increased awareness this year ■ 99% of industry experts (booth hosts) said they’d come back next year ■ 97% of students reported an increased level of awareness ■ 87% of students reported that the expo confirmed or helped inform their academy/career path selection The Best in Academy trophies, judged by the community and students, were judged on level of career awareness they gain from the booth demonstration. ■ Best in Show: Greenlee

■ Best in Health Sciences (HS): OSF Saint Anthony, Cardiac and Catheterization Services ■ Best in Business, Arts, Modern World Languages and Information Technology (BAMIT): Educators of Beauty

What Students Said “I like how it really changed my perspective of what I wanted to be when I grow up and opened my mind.” “The career I wanted went out the window because other careers interested me.” “The representatives gave real insight about our possible future jobs, and they made me feel confident in my decisions regarding the academies.” “I liked that we got the advantage to actually experience some of the stuff that goes on at some of the jobs.” “I liked how they had many different options of jobs that we can have when we grow up.” “What I liked most about the expo was that I never knew what I wanted to do for my career and didn’t care. As soon as I went to the expo, I knew how important it was and made me know what I wanted to do. Because of that, I’m more involved in following the career path I’m interested in.” Thank you to everyone who volunteered this year! Get involved next year by contacting Greta Sanders, greta@alignmentrockford.com or visiting www.alignmentrockford.com. Katy Haun is community engagement coordinator at Alignment Rockford. The views expressed are those of Haun’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

Our community is facing an array of complex challenges that current programs have been unable to significantly impact (i.e. poverty, unemployment, crime, graduation rates, obesity, access to mental health services, etc.). Despite the dedication of our nonprofit sector, leaders know that new solutions are required, and the results needed cannot be found by simply making incremental changes to current approaches. Working harder is not enough. Breakthroughs require new approaches. Social innovation, which seeks to change norms and systems, is essential for promotion of sustainable economic development. The focus is broader than a consumer base that might be impacted through a program. It’s not just about incremental improvement; it’s dynamic, transformational change that is necessary. This underscores the need for crosssector collaboration, where there are multiple points of input and a diversity of perspectives. It emphasizes system change, not simply program expansion. Collective impact may be the approach to guide us in addressing the most urgent issues in our community. The basic premise suggests that no one sector, organization or institution alone can solve our most complex issues. It acknowledges Albert Einstein’s view that, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Addressing complex issues through collective impact provides an innovative, structured approach to achieving significant, lasting change. Karen J. Pittman, co-founder, president & CEO of the Forum for Youth Investment, said, “programmatic interventions help people beat the odds, where system interventions seek to change the odds.” Changing the odds is the sustainable solution. By employing our innate abilities and using a disciplined, crosssector approach within a collective impact framework, we commit to: hearing diverse perspectives, using data to inform the issues and outcomes, focusing on systemic barriers, leveraging policy change opportunities, leveraging existing assets and programs in an intentional and aligned way and focusing collective resources on impact priorities.

One specific collective impact Pam Clark example is Reidenbach the Rockford NICNE at NIU Area Case Management Initiative (RACMI), which brought multiple organizations together to develop a region-wide approach to case management with the desire to improve the self-sufficiency of human service participants. Partners engaged in the initiative include: NICNE, Goodwill, Rock Valley College, The Workforce Connection, Youth Services Network, Rockford Housing Authority, The Literacy Council, Goodwill of Northern Illinois, United Way of Rock River Valley, Transform Rockford, RAMP, Shelter Care Ministries, Easter Seals and the City of Rockford-Human Services Department. The group was convened to improve employment outcomes for residents, knowing that enhancing the case management network was vital to ensuring quality referrals between agencies. A Community Foundation grant allowed the collaborative to accomplish three major goals: 1. Develop curriculum for and delivery of foundational training in evidence-based principles for case management and case management supervision. 2. Develop a mechanism for delivering consistent resource information and system for quality referrals. 3. Develop a community of practice to professionalize the field of case management. Working together, a common agenda was developed and activities coordinated through a plan of action. Consistent and open communication built trust and common motivation and shared measurement designed and backbone support was shared between NICNE and Goodwill. Not only did we engage various agency representatives with experience in case management for the planning team, we held focus groups with 40 case managers and supervisors to provide specific content expertise around the challenges and opportunities that face case managers in our region. This community-wide, system-changing approach is helping participants achieve specific, self-defined results leading to a healthy self-reliance and interdependence Rockford Area Case with their community. This initiative relies Management Initiative on multiple partners and is an example of Transform Rockford (TR) has identified the significant impact achieved through collective impact as THE approach to use a collaborative, cross-sector, innovative to tackle deeply entrenched and complex approach. social issues. NICNE has provided leadership in educating the community Pam Clark Reidenbach is executive director of the on collective impact; training local trainers Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence to build our community’s capacity to at Northern Illinois University. replicate the model for various initiatives The views expressed are those of Clark and guiding the development of a variety Reidenbach’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. of collaborative initiatives.

| DECember 2018

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

legislative Legislative Highlights

The sign marks the starting point for the historic Route 66, built in 1926 as a link from Chicago westward to Los Angeles.

Spanning 2,448 miles, the road has supported the economies of many communities.

Nominees sought for Illinois Route 66 Centennial Commission Nominees are being sought for open seats on Illinois’ newly-created Route 66 Centennial Commission. Illinois residents with an interest in history and the famous “Mother Road” are invited to nominate themselves for open seats on the recently created Route 66 Centennial Commission. Illinois has the distinction as the starting point for the famous “Mother Road” in Chicago, which ends in Santa Monica, Calif. The state has undertaken a number of historic preservation efforts to boost tourism along its 301-mile segment. The commission will comprise 20 members meeting at least quarterly to develop plans for celebrating the

famous highway’s 100th anniversary in 2026. The Illinois Governor will appoint three public members; one who will lead the commission. Eight appointments will be made by Senate and House majority and minority leaders. The president of the Route 66 Association of Illinois and the executive director of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, or their designees, as well as the governor and other state leaders also will serve. Applications for gubernatorial appointments can be made online at www2.illinois.gov/sites/bac/Pages/ NominateForm.aspx.

Area senators pass legislation to help fund mental health and substance abuse treatment Winnebago County may soon have added flexibility in how it uses funds generated from public safety sales tax referendums, under bipartisan legislation passed in the Illinois Senate by State Senators Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) and Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). The legislation passed unanimously through the Senate Revenue Committee and then was approved by the full chamber in November. House Bill 4560 expands the “Special County Retailers’ Occupation Tax for Public Safety, Public Facilities, or Transportation” to allow counties to use proceeds to fund mental health and substance abuse services in areas that affect crime. County boards may levee the tax, if approved by a referendum. “Mental health and substance abuse are among the most overlooked issues facing our state,” Stadelman said. Syverson added, “Mental health and substance abuse treatment can help reduce crime and increase public safety, so I think it is a natural fit to make sure local governments have the flexibility to use these funds to treat those issues. We know that the criminal justice system is impacted by mental health and substance abuse.”

‘Autonomous Illinois’ to research connected, automated vehicles

Your voting power by state States with the most, least powerful voters

Following the results of the midterm elections, it’s easy to wonder how much your individual vote counts. Ballots carry different weights based on the state in which one lives. California, for instance, has an estimated population nearly 66 times greater than Wyoming’s, yet each state has two seats in the Senate. So California’s votes are weakened exponentially because each of its senators must represent tens of millions more residents. As the House of Representatives apportions its seats by population, California has 53 while Wyoming has just one. When it comes to presidential elections, too, California has 55 electoral votes while Wyoming has three. Even in all these cases, though, an individual Wyoming voter still has a bit more influence than a California voter. WalletHub has identified the states with the most and least influential voters in the country by calculating the number of elected officials in the federal government per adult population in each state for the most recent election years.

State Senators Dave Syverson and Steve Stadelman present their legislation, HB4560, in the Senate Revenue Committee on Nov. 14.

States with Most Powerful Voters House Elections West Virginia

New Mexico

Minnesota

Maine

Utah

Kansas

Illinois

Michigan

Pennsylvania

Ohio

States with Most Powerful Voters Senate Elections North Dakota

Montana

Wyoming

Vermont

Alaska

South Dakota

Delaware

Rhode Island

Maine

New Hampshire

47. Illinois States with Most Powerful Voters Gubernatorial Elections Alaska

South Dakota

Wyoming

Vermont

Maine

New Hampshire

North Dakota

Delaware

Montana

Rhode Island

46. Illinois

The Illinois Department of Transportation is launching a new initiative to develop a testing program for connected and automated vehicles, in an eﬀort to make Illinois roads safer, generate investment and create employment opportunities in the high-tech jobs sector. “Autonomous Illinois” was created by an executive order directing IDOT to oversee a program aimed at advancing the state to the forefront in research on these emerging safety technologies. Governor Bruce Rauner emphasized that the state is uniquely qualiﬁed to lead the research, as Illinois is widely considered the national “transport hub.” As part of the governor’s executive order, IDOT will oversee a testing program that requires a driver to remain behind the wheel, capable of taking control of the vehicle at all times. Autonomous Illinois will bring together communities interested in connected and automated vehicle testing with industry, universities, research institutions and other

technology partners. IDOT and other state agencies, including the Illinois State Police, Illinois Tollway, Department of Insurance and Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, also will be involved. Autonomous Illinois will work with private industry as well to determine infrastructure, data and support needs to further testing and implementation in Illinois. It’s estimated that connected and automated vehicles will generate $800 billion annually in economic beneﬁts nationwide by 2050, including the creation of jobs, increased productivity for motorists and fuel savings. With 94 percent of car crashes caused by human error, it’s also estimated that it will help reduce the more than 1,000 deaths annually in Illinois. Visit the new Autonomous Illinois web portal at www.idot.illinois.gov/ autonomous for the ongoing dialogue. Source: Senator Syverson’s Senate Week in Review: October 22-26, 2018

USDOT automated vehicles activities The U.S. Department of Transportation invites public comment on Preparing for the Future of Transportation: Automated Vehicles 3.0, which provides a framework and multimodal approach to the safe integration of automated vehicles into the nation’s broader surface transportation system. Visit www.transportation.gov/AV.

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

DECember 2018 | 17

R O C K F O R D

C H A M B E R

O F

C O M M E R C E

Small Business Enterprise Solutions for pushing business forward What has changed from last year’s retail world? In 2017 we spent more money on Christmas gifts and related “stuff” than any year in U.S. history. What does that mean to us this year? A lot has changed: brick and mortar is waning; online sales are skyrocketing; Amazon sales are through the roof. The real question is how has this dilemma affected the backbone of business in the United States – in particular small businesses? One foundational bit of Bloomberg information we can rely on is late shoppers will spend less money when shopping for holiday gifts, while those who start shopping around Thanksgiving spend, on average, about $370 more. “Consumers starting their holiday shopping earlier have a more positive view of their current financial situation, which is a major driver behind higher holiday spending,” Rod Sides, head of Deloitte’s retail practice, told Bloomberg. “This group is also more deal-focused and engaged across store and online channels.” From an overview perspective: ■ The average household will spend $1,536 on average for the Christmas season, representing a 25 percent increase from last year’s number. ■ The share of online shopping will increase two percent this year. Physical store purchases will drop the same amount. A survey from CPC Strategy found people will use Amazon more than any other online shopping website. ■ About 40 percent of shoppers will spend their budget on experiences like Christmas parties and events.

■ Gifts account for only 34 percent of purchases during the season. ■ 51 percent of customers will buy a gift for themselves.

Challenges … and Solutions Let’s take a closer look at some of the challenges small businesses can endure through the holiday season and shed some useful light toward the solutions. Hiring New Employees. Hiring new employees is a challenge many small businesses are working through. Part of the difficulty relates to employee healthcare -- but it also has to do with the substantial costs of bringing new employees on board. According to one estimate, the total cost of onboarding -taxes, benefits, equipment and training can range from 1.5 times to three times the salary of the position. That’s a significant investment for companies that are typically strapped for cash. Increasing Profits. For small businesses, with five to 10 employees, increasing profits is the biggest challenge. There are any number of reasons, but usually it comes down to an inability to remain a low-cost leader against the competition (who may have access to better resources and economies of scale). The only answer is to innovate and optimize constantly, thereby staying one step ahead of your competitors. Providing Healthcare to Employees. The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, created multiple changes in the employer-sponsored health insurance market. It was shrewdly promoted as a way to lessen employer issues, unfortunately, for many firms it posed a greater obstacle to their growth.

Employers are expected to pass increased healthcare costs on to employees, which causes extra friction in the workplace. And if owners choose not to pass costs along, they may dramatically reduce their own profits. While Obamacare has been successful at extending health insurance coverage to many Americans who didn’t have it prior, some small business owners have caught much of the brunt of its downside. Growing Revenues. Part of the difficulty with increasing profits is that many firms have found it hard to increase their top-line. The issue cannot necessarily be explained by a single root cause, because top-line issues are generally specific to the business itself, and management. As renowned sales expert Jim Keenan said, “increasing sales top-line comes down to four things: strategy, structure, people and process.” Managing Cash Flow. “Money problems in their various forms are top of most lists of company woes,” said entrepreneur Tom Ewer, “and for small businesses the major worries are clients stalling payments, unexpected expenditures and outstanding bills that won’t wait to be paid.” Staying Energized. While it may not get as much publicity as fiscal challenges, staying energized and overcoming fatigue are also big problem areas for small business owners. “Finding a pace that keeps the business humming without grinding down the owner is a challenge that comes early (and often) in the evolution of a small business.” Keep Pushing Forward. As a small business owner, you face a number

of distinct challenges that CEOs at large corporations and Fortune 500 organizations don’t necessarily encounter. The Bo Boger SBDC good news is that you also have a distinct set of advantages. Because you’re small, you’re also much more agile and responsive to shifting circumstances. Choose to focus on the advantages you have as a small business and leverage them in ways that empower you to overcome the challenges cited above. There are plenty of ways to get over these hurdles; you just have to identify them. Your adaptability, flexibility and marketing focus can and will maintain a sustainable market leader industry approach that your larger competitors will envy, and your smaller competitors will emulate. Bo Boger is director at the Illinois SBDC at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. ABOUT THE SBDC The Illinois SBDC at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce oﬀers services free of charge to aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Rockford area, both chamber members and non-members. As a partnership between the Rockford Chamber and the Illinois DCEO, it operates out of NIU EIGERlab, NIURockford, 8500 E. State St., and maintains an oﬃce at the chamber’s downtown location. For questions, contact Bo Boger, SBDC director, at 815316-4301.

DECember 2018

theVoicE • rockfordchamber.com

Don Harkey connects collaboration to high-performance communities Business and community leaders gathered to learn how to transform our community into a high-performance community at the Rockford Area Economic Development Council’s 2018 Annual Meeting. Don Harkey, CEO of People Centric Consulting Group, was the keynote speaker and discussed the concept of collaborative leadership. Harkey explained the connection between leadership and collaboration and defined community leadership. Many more people are leaders within our community than just the people at the head of an organization or business. Leaders come from all levels of businesses and groups. Nathan Bryant, president and CEO of the RAEDC, explained that our region has already taken steps to collaborate for success. He stated, “Our region is poised on the brink of greatness. This region is next; Chicago as an ever-growing international city acknowledges the Rockford area as an opportunity region. This incredible growth is not the result of a single organization’s

voice or one individual’s leadership. Our region’s ability to get out of our own way and collaborate as a community to create and achieve a clear vision of our future is driving the economic activity that is causing others to take notice.”

New/Retained Jobs 5,360 53% to goal

Thanks to Petrie Nathan also thanked Michele Petrie for her contribution to the organization and community during her tenure as chairman of the board saying, “Michele’s guidance and leadership over the last two years has helped transform this organization to usher in a new era of change. Thank you for your time and vision.” During her presentation Michele outlined the progress made towards the achievement of the Rockforward20/20 goals. These key economic indicators demonstrate the community’s commitment to working together and finding solutions to many workforce and business concerns. “With two years to go, we have reached at least 50 percent on all of these goals. This demonstrates that we are moving away from processing opportunities to

Capital Investment $882 million 95% to goal

KEY ECONOMIC INDICATORS During the annual meeting, the RAEDC provided an update on the region’s progress towards the economic indicators outlined in the Rockforward20/20 strategic plan, which spans from Jan. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2020. The ﬁgures above represent Jan. 1, 2016 to Oct. 31, 2018. actively seeking out companies we want to attract into our region,” Petrie said. “We, as a community, are collaborating to actively facilitate growth opportunities with companies already located here.” Mike Paterson, general manager/ managing shareholder of Mid-West Family Broadcasting, is taking over as the RAEDC’s chairman of the board on Jan. 1, 2019. He has served as the organization’s vice-chair and treasurer during the past two years. Paterson sees collaboration continuing into the future. He explained, “As the incoming chairman, I want the community

Fehr Graham attracts young, smart talent By John A. Crone, RAEDC Correspondent How do you build an engineering and environmental powerhouse? For Fehr Graham, you begin by assembling an excellent staff in Rockford and in the firm’s nine other offices in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Fehr Graham has been in business since 1973 when Allen Fehr and Joseph Graham opened an office in Freeport. Twenty years later, the firm opened the Rockford office on Daimler Road in southeast Rockford. In 2013, the firm moved its Rockford office to the second floor of the Prairie Street Brewhouse along the Rock River downtown. The unique location gives young staff plenty of opportunities for entertainment and social interaction. A handful of employees live downtown and walk to work. The company pursues exciting, important engineering and environmental projects, which challenges and motivates staff. Fehr Graham serves as an engineering and environmental resource in the northern Illinois area.

Attracting Workers of the Future Mick Gronewold, one of the firm’s five owners, said Fehr Graham needs to attract the brightest engineers coming out of the area’s universities. “We decided to promote internships to college freshmen and sophomores, giving them real-world experience to go along with

the classroom education they are receiving in college,” Gronewold said. “We develop relationships with the students as much as we develop business relationships.” He said the interns work on meaningful projects and contribute to solutions and designs. They interact with other professionals in the office, and they get an opportunity to work with clients. Joel Zirkle, an owner and manager of the firm’s Rockford office, said working with interns in their first two years of college allows Fehr Graham staff to give constructive advice on courses they need to enhance their technical education. “We suggest communication, speech and business courses,” Zirkle said. “This gives students the soft skills with the technical expertise to work with clients and coworkers. They should be able to communicate easily and clearly. Designs need to be technically and financially feasible.” By creating meaningful opportunities and significant interactions with staff and clients, Fehr Graham attracts its share of highly qualified college graduates. The revitalization of downtown Rockford has helped. “There are a lot of things going on in our office neighborhood,” Zirkle said. “This gives us a great advantage in competing with employers in Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison.” Another plus for prospective employees is that Fehr Graham has been involved

New/Renovated Space 4 million square feet 50% to goal

early on in many of the community’s largest developmental projects. “Oftentimes we start working even before the project is being publicly discussed,” Gronewold added. “We get our young people integrally involved in some professionally exciting work.” Some of those projects are: ■ Barber-Colman campus revitalization in downtown Rockford. ■ Landscape architecture design for Woodward’s Rock Cut campus in Loves Park. ■ Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside off Interstate 90 and Riverside Boulevard in Rockford. ■ Sanitary sewer extension from the village of Winnebago to Rock River Reclamation District. ■ Amerock building transformation into the Hilton Embassy Suites and Rockford Conference Center in downtown Rockford. ■ Rockford Public Library environmental remediation and rebuild in downtown Rockford. ■ City of Rockford Water Department Capital Improvement Program. Do you know someone who might be a good fit for an internship at Fehr Graham? Send an email of interest to hr@fehrgraham.com. Summer interns are typically chosen by mid-January.

to know that I believe in the potential of our region and the potential of our community to continue to make progress with a true culture of collaboration. We will continue to be a region of action, inclusiveness and collaboration.” A special thank you to our sponsors, principal sponsor: Midland States Bank; keynote presenting sponsor: OSF HealthCare; premier sponsors: First Northern Credit Union, Mercyhealth, Meridian and Woodward, Inc.; supporting sponsors: ComEd and SwedishAmerican, and pre-event sponsor: Illinois Bank & Trust.

AS9100 certiﬁcation course:

A certificate for success This course is critical for companies considering expanding into aerospace as well as those trying to obtain government contracts. AS9100 is being oﬀered on Dec. 6 and 7 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Who should attend includes: ■ Aerospace ■ DoD (Department of Defense) Contractors ■ Sub Tier Supply Chain Companies. Attendees’ experience ranges from beginner to advanced. There are no required prerequisites, and this course is routinely taught to quality novices and lifetime professionals. Books, testing materials and lunch are included in the registration. For additional information visit rockfordil.com/events/ as9100-certiﬁcation-course/

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

DECEMber 2018

First comes cookies, then comes patterns

Moving outside your comfort zone to reach greater levels of achievement ’Tis the season for goal setting – fa, la, la, la, la! Well, actually, tis the season for all things sparkly and delicious, but goal-setting season is just behind that sprinkle-coated cookie. The end of the year always brings with it a sense of finality. I love the way the year ends – full of celebration, thankfulness and glitter. But it feels like after the warm festivities of November and December, January comes screeching in like a killjoy. The lights come down, you realize the snow isn’t going anywhere and suddenly those cookies no longer leave a sugary taste in your mouth but rather a jelly roll on your hips. January is meant to be a time for new beginnings, but rather than treat it like a clean slate, so often we look at the new year as a drudgery. Sure, a new planner is enough to bring a smile to anyone’s face (who doesn’t love that fresh feeling of an unadulterated calendar?), but with a new planner and a new year comes the task of new goals. If we’re being honest, new goals aren’t always the shiny, fun experience society paints them out to be. In fact, according to a 2013 Forbes.com article, only 8% of people manage to achieve their resolutions. Looking back on my own track record, I find that number shockingly high. I tend to make daring New Year’s Resolution with fresh-faced vigor and unmasked enthusiasm, but usually lacking real, actionable and substantive plans for change. I am fully aware that my goals should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) but if I’m being honest, I’m not always the best at having a frank conversation with myself. After all, I’m living life the way I’m living for a reason. Usually, that

reason is because it works. Be it that it’s enjoyable, it fits into my available schedule, or it highlights my true priorities (clearly, I prioritize ice cream far above kale no matter how hard I try) my life is arranged in a way that works for me right now. My goals do not always reflect my current priorities, but they do frequently reflect the ideal life I want to lead. They show me opportunities to be better – to improve and to make change. If I really stop to think about my last few yearsworth of goals, I can find patterns. If I take a real honest look at the progress I’ve made on each goal (and there are amounts of progress toward each), I can also find patterns. Let me digress for a moment. In college, I signed up for a spin class. I wasn’t super athletically inclined, but I felt a stationary bike in a room full of people not actually physically going anywhere was a class I could get on board with. I showed up, jumped on, and immediately begin to hate spin class. I had an overzealous instructor who painted a visual picture of us climbing a mountain on our bikes. I’m a bit more realistic than I would like sometimes and had a hard time imagining the sweaty back of the guy in front of me as Mt. Everest. As she continued to paint a picture, I noticed she was stopping at everyone’s bike and doing something sneaky – she was turning up the resistance on everyone’s bikes to mimic the increased difficulty of going uphill. Already struggling and beyond crabby by this point, I decided then and there I knew how to thwart her smiley, sneaky self: I would turn the resistance WAY down before she got to my bike so that when she did her crank-

of-doom, my resistance would really be only half of what it was before she started her word-painting adventure. HA. I fooled her. The obvious morale of this story is my change of resistance did nothing to the trainer and everything to myself. It kept me from progress. It didn’t push me to try something harder. I wasn’t open to the possibility that I could do more or go outside my comfort zone. It kept me exactly where I wanted to be – actually, a little less than where I wanted to be. When setting my goals in life, I sometimes think back to that dreaded spin class. There are days that I set goals based on a resistance setting that’s already turned a bit low. I don’t challenge myself or take an honest look at where I am at and see where I could push just a little harder. I like the way I do things, so I make small adjustments rather than a big crank of the dial. And sometimes, that’s okay. But sometimes, it keeps me from achieving more, faster. How often do we do this in business? How often do we as leaders take a look at our team’s goals and crank back the resistance a little bit before the trainer comes around? How often do we play it safe and set easier goals than we should just to ensure we hit them? Or, because we don’t want to push too hard, too much, too fast. Sure, there are times that this makes sense. There are times that it’s fiscally responsible to play it safe. It makes sense to stick within our comfort zone and push only slightly. But, there are other times we should look at our patterns – both of success and failure – of our goals and our actions and see where there are areas of opportunity.

As businesses, we can do more. As a community, we can do more. As individuals, Caitlin Pusateri Rockford Chamber we can do more. We just have to have the courage to look at the data, look in the mirror and have a real conversation of accountability with ourselves. Our Rockford Leadership Alliance participants are learning how to have accountability conversations this year. In March, we will have 150 leaders who have spent 6 months intentionally learning to be more accountable. I am excited to see the sparks these leaders ignite within themselves, within others and within our community. If you aren’t a part of this program this year, find someone who is. Take them to lunch – ask them about their experience. Pick up a copy of Crucial Accountability and dive into some self-study. You won’t be sad you did. So, as you enjoy the festivities the end of the year brings, remember that January is lurking. Perhaps take some time in the warmth to identify your patterns. Set aside some time for quiet reflection before the hurriedness of having to have a plan takes over. Find your patterns, identify their meaning, and see where your resistance dial is set a little lower than you’d like. Then, crank that dial. Caitlin Pusateri is vice president, leadership development at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

| DECember 2018

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

National Indicators theRegional, economy

on digital

Members Caught on Digital

Ceremonial ribbon donated by SERVPRO of Rockford.

U.S. Indicators October 2018



Consumer Price Index Unemployment Rate

0.3 percent 3.7 percent

      

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

250,000 $0.05 0.6 percent 0.8 percent (third quarter, 2018)

Heartland Hospice held a ribbon cutting on Nov. 13 at 6000 E. State St., Ste. 100, Rockford.

2.2 percent (third quarter, 2018) 0.5 percent 0.4 percent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Unemployment Rates Region / State / Nation July 2018

Aug 2018

Sept 2018

Oct 2018

Rockford

5.0

5.3

4.6

---

Chicago

4.1

3.8

3.6

3.9

Illinois

4.2

4.1

4.2

United States

3.9

3.7

PCI Clinical Services hosted a groundbreaking event on Nov. 13 at Plant 2, 4545 Assembly Dr., Rockford to mark the beginning of construction of an expansion that will add 30,000-sq.-ft., for clinical trial packaging and labeling and office space. The site is one of two U.S.-based PCI locations supporting investigational medicinal products, complementing facilities in the UK, Europe and Australia. The Rockford location employs about 1,800 associates across seven Rockford area facilities.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

2018’s Best Winter Holiday Destinations CHICAGO #5 Lowest Travel Costs & Fewest Hassles #2 Most Attractions #1 Most Cold-Weather Activities WalletHub ranked the cheapest U.S. destinations that are the easiest to reach. It analyzed nearly 70 of the largest metro areas — grouped as “warm” or “cold” — based on 36 key metrics such as ﬂight data, safety indicators and weather predictions. The report focused primarily on the cost and convenience of traveling to each location, but also had a number of attractions and variety of activities to keep everyone busy and entertained.

BEST COLD DESTINATIONS FOR WINTER TRAVEL 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Chicago, Ill. Washington, D.C. Atlanta, Ga. Cincinnati, Ohio New York, N.Y.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Porter Pipe & Supply Co., held a ribbon cutting and grand opening on Nov. 14 at 284 Eastrock Dr., Rockford.

Stayceez Dollar Shop held a ribbon cutting on Nov. 20 at 5811 N. Forest Hills Road, Ste. 2, Rockford.

Boston, Mass. Portland, Ore. Denver, Colo. Philadelphia, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa.

BEST WARM DESTINATIONS FOR WINTER TRAVEL 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Las Vegas, Nev. Orlando, Fla. Los Angeles, Calif. San Diego, Calif. Dallas, Texas

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Austin, Texas Houston, Texas San Francisco, Calif. Tampa, Fla. San Antonio, Texas

New Horizons Coaching Corp., held a ribbon cutting on Nov. 28 at 309 Mulberry St., Ste. C, Rockford.

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

DECember 2018

John Gustafson, a third-generation farmer, Addie Ford and her husband Tim (not shown) are partnering to make the area’s first distillery in years a reality.

Grant View Distillery + Bear Grains = Exciting new collaborative venture By Sherry Pritz Enderle, NIU EIGERlab After years in the airline industry, Tim and Addie Ford are ready to keep their feet on the ground. Inspired by a business trip to Kentucky, they decided to return to Addie’s hometown to establish Grant View Distillery, the first legal distillery in Rockford since Prohibition. Addie won the 2018 FastPitch “Spirit of Entrepreneurship” pitching the distillery’s first release, 40 Winks Whiskey. She felt the award was quite fitting for someone in the spirits industry. The Fords’ focus is to create something distinct with local flavors and a land-tolips experience. The Fords purchased a 22-acre specialty crop farm, Grant View Heights, to create a unique agri-business and tourist destination for Rockford. They plan to open a Tasting Room in late 2019. To assist with the production and flavorings of their craft spirits, they’ll grow 50-plus agricultural products on their property to flavor their offerings including Brandy, Rum, Bourbon, Whiskey and Vodka. The highest point of their property overlooks the grounds once known as Camp Grant, hence their name was born, Grant View Distillery. Tim, an avid researcher, found an article linking the Graham-Ginestra House to Graham Bros. Distillery (18761919). After touring the home, they were delighted to discover distillery items still on display, including whiskey barrels filled with the Graham Bros. product. Armed with this historical information, their mission was not only to create unique, quality craft spirits from crops grown on their land but also to recreate the Graham Bros.’ sour mash Bourbon, Whiskey and Rye recipes that have not been produced or distilled in over 100 years.

Based on Local Products Finding the essential base products would be no small feat, because the grain of yesteryear is not the grain grown on the majority of farms today. They began the hunt for the perfect grain farmer, and social media helped guide them to John Gustafson, a third-generation farmer who lives just a stone’s throw from their property. “Farming plays a vital role in distilling” Addie explained, “Since John was already growing heritage grains and grains found in this area 100 years ago, it was a perfect fit.” The outcome of connecting the dots will result in a new

experience for Rockford residents and a great attraction for others to visit the region. John is an innovator integrating oldschool farming with modern equipment. He and his family’s goals are to leave the land in better shape than when they started. This goal has paid off. Gustafson Farms, the producer of Bear Grains, is the only supplier of this unique product in the Midwest. With the current trends -- desiring to purchase local and support sellers within your region, which results in the freshest product available -- his crops have been in high demand. His niche product fills the needs of quality bakers, distillers, etc., who are interested in producing high-quality, GMO-free, uniquely tasting products. John and the Fords regularly attend NIU EIGERlab’s Innovation Tuesday Meetups and have participated in the FastPitch Competition. “It’s ideal that NIU EIGERlab offers entrepreneurs the chance to compete annually to test market their products at FastPitch, in addition to recruiting talented speakers 10 times a year to assist with business development. The ability to network at these events, in addition to the educational aspect is phenomenal,” shared John. Addie added, “Being part of the 2018 FastPitch Competition was an amazing experience. We were encouraged and given valuable feedback from experts which allowed us to hone our speaking skills and create a personalized voice for our company and product. We are proud to have won the Spirit of Entrepreneurship award for our very own ‘Spirit of Rockford’.” Collaboration is key. “We assist each other with the positive outcome of being better businesses, in addition to offering something special for our hometown,” Addie shared. Both agree that partnering adds value to their businesses versus competing. Visit Grant View’s Distillery’s Facebook or Instagram pages to learn more about their upcoming events. Visit Gustafson Farm’s Facebook page to learn more of their operations. Sherry Pritz Enderle is marketing & events coordinator/business development at NIU EIGERlab Innovation Network. Contact 815753-2192. The views expressed are those of Pritz Enderle’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

Business Review (continued from page 2)

to interpret the significance of their achievements. Many tend to focus on the letdowns, which only serves to keep them from success. When you focus on the negative you are subconsciously inviting more of it into your life. Review all of your achievements and then list the top three. Note any tools and processes you used to achieve them--don’t forget pure talent and your magnetic personality.

Identify your metrics. What will you use to measure your company’s performance? Certainly, your financial statements. Other metrics may include: email list growth, your website’s Google analytics, conversions, customer retention, new customer growth, and podcast downloads and new subscribers. Carefully review your metrics and ascertain what contributed to your growth, as well as best practices for further growth.

Review your 2018 goals. Identify which goals are worth keeping, which will be eliminated, and how you will redirect your energies to realize your desired outcome. Don’t

be hasty in ridding you and your team of worthwhile goals that did not pan out. Instead, look at other avenues you might take to achieve them. Your new list of goals should include the long term and short term.

Review company values and culture. I always remind entrepreneurs that if you don’t intentionally build a company culture, it will build itself--and you won’t like the results. Even if you’re flying solo, having well-defined values offers you a roadmap to your success. What did you do this past year to cultivate a positive culture? What opportunities were missed? How will you be even more intentional about it in the new year?

Follow up. Once you’ve completed your review and planning process, schedule a monthly, or quarterly, meeting to perform mini-reviews. This is a living document, fluid like water. Make changes, note your wins, and continue to celebrate them. Source: Marla Tabaka. Marla Tabaka is a small-business adviser who helps entrepreneurs around the globe grow their businesses well into the millions of dollars.

| DECember 2018

business

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com Rockford Chamber members appear bolded. Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

Business Briefs

Illinois Bank & Trust committed to an additional three-year term as presenting sponsor for Stroll on State, for a total of eight years in 2022. The bank invites parents to bring their kids in to sign up for its “Pay4Grade$” program, which pays Kindergarten to 12th graders when a report card is presented at the end of the school year. Kids can earn a maximum of $30.

YouthBuild Rockford, a program of Comprehensive Community Solutions, Inc., held ceremonies for the 2018 class of 20 graduates in October. The class renovated two single-family homes and logged 5,260 hours of community service in Rockford. Overall, 769 have graduated from the program. First National Bank and Trust collected 35,176 pounds of unwanted electronics to beneﬁt Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois and $1,374 in administration costs for three free recycling events at branches in Illinois and Wisconsin. Goodwill recycled the items with proceeds helping people gain employment. Digital Hive Mind was contracted by Quantum Design to provide advertising and marketing services for the company’s Roll Sheeters product line and the launch of its newest innovation, the LS model roll sheeter. KMK Media Group completed an HR-focused website promoting multiple hiring opportunities for Kelley-Williamson Company. It was hired by the Friends of Tom McNamara campaign committee for marketing and event planning for Mayor McNamara’s “Summer Fun-Raiser” at Burpee Museum of Natural History; by I Bike Rockford for event promotions such as Cycle on 2nd in Rockford and by SwedishAmerican for public relations. River District Association announced the ﬁrst-ever recipients of the Fall for Rockford’s “Fall for Giving” program. A portion of proceeds were raised by the free-admission concert festival downtown in September. The Epilepsy Foundation North/Central Illinois and The Parks Kiwanis Club of Rockford received $500 grants. More than 300 people attended the annual Women’s Art Board Luncheon at Giovanni’s, featuring dramatic book reviewer Jenny Riddle in support of Rockford Art Museum exhibitions and education programs throughout the year.

J.L. Clark has increased the capacity of its Plastics Division by more than 30 percent over the past year with the addition of eight new presses ranging in size from 440 to 610 tons, for 25 press machines in total. CoyleKiley Insurance Agency Inc., relocated to 810 N. Alpine Road, Rockford.

Woodward, Inc., reported net sales of $719 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, an increase of 19 percent from the fourth quarter of last year. Net sales were $2.33 billion for ﬁscal year 2018, an increase of 11 percent compared to the prior year.

YWCA Northwestern Illinois received a $25,000 grant from the Coca-Cola Foundation to help women overcome barriers in starting, growing and sustaining businesses as a part of the YWCA USA’s Women’s Empowerment 360° (WE 360°) program.

SwedishAmerican broke ground on Nov. 7 on its new, $9 million, 18,000-sq.-ft. Edgewater Medical Center, 2909 N. Main St., Rockford. Project partners include Schmeling Construction and S.E./Coady Architects. The center will add roughly 150 construction jobs and permanent healthcare jobs. Completion is planned for late 2019.

A record-breaking 440 people attended the 10th Annual Dancing with the Rockford Stars fundraiser on Nov. 17. The event is a fundraiser that beneﬁts Family Counseling Services, and the proceeds of the event directly support the FCS mission to provide professional counseling to those who cannot otherwise aﬀord to pay.

Rockford Park District presents its annual All Aglow lights exhibit, Nov. 25 to Jan. 6, at dusk at Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. 2nd St. Visit www.nicholas conservatory.com/ all-aglow. The Sinnissippi Station Model Garden Railroad Exhibit also returns to the conservatory, Dec. 1 to Feb. 3, with six G-scale trains and trolleys.

Rock House Kids, a safe haven for inner-city kids ages 6 to 18, received almost $74,000 to pay oﬀ the balance of its mortgage.

Thinker Ventures launched a website for Imperien LLC, a new Rockford-based commercial construction company, at www. imperien.com.

Rosecrance was named one of the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America by Springbuk®. Locally, Rosecrance won the Illinois’ healthiest employer award for 500-1,499 employees. Nationally it ranked 26th out of 100. Circle of Change Veterans Dog Program started a third class to serve Rockford-area veterans at the K9 Junction Kennels in Davis Junction with professional dog trainers Telah and Rob Garwacki. The program oﬀers therapy to veterans diagnosed with PTSD, traumatic brain injury and other psychological trauma through the training and handling of dogs. It received a $4,500 grant for its free Veterans Dog Program from the Ecolab Foundation.

V2 Marketing Communications promoted and facilitated a two-day fall workshop and college fair for the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg, Ill.; drawing more than 480 attendees. OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center achieved a ‘B’ rating, placing it among the safest hospitals in the country according to the new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades announced by The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization for patient safety.

Spectrum School was named a 2018 Top-Rated Nonproﬁt by GreatNonproﬁts based on the rating and number of reviews received from volunteers, donors and aid recipients.

The U.S. Department of Labor recognized SupplyCore Inc., in November as a gold recipient of the 2018 HIRE Vets Medallion Program Demonstration Award, the only federal-level award that recognizes job creators who successfully recruit, hire and retain America’s veterans.

Rosecrance announced its 2018 Launch to Life Beneﬁt in Chicago at the JW Marriott Hotel in October drew more than 260 attendees. Keynote speaker Elizabeth Vargas shared her struggle with addiction and ongoing recovery and how anxiety aﬀected her life and career.

Rockford Symphony Orchestra and the Rockford Dance Company provided area students with a one-hour educational program on “The Nutcracker” at the Coronado Performing Arts Center on Nov. 30. The two organizations were recipients of a gift from the Brubaker Charitable Trust and the Friends of the

Coronado to underwrite the cost of admission for more than 2,200 students to the 2018 Nutcracker Student Matinee. Rockford Park District is offering $15 off regular season pass prices through Dec. 31, 2018 for the five-acre Snow Park at Alpine Hills. Fees are $50 for residents; $70 for non-residents. Effective Jan. 1, 2019, regular pass prices will be $65 for residents and $85 for nonresidents. Visit www. alpinehillsadventure.com/seasonpasses. WilliamsMcCarthy LLP ranked for the fifth consecutive year in the 2019 “Best Law Firms” list by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers©. Rosecrance was approved for the LegitScript certification for eligibility to advertise on Google and other intermediaries such as Facebook. Last year, Google banned all advertising and marketing efforts from addiction treatment providers on its site after discovering the alarming number of providers who were taking advantage of clients’ recovery. The result was the rigorous LegitScript certification process. KMK Media Group launched the celebration of its 20th year in business on Nov. 18 with plans for a timeline on the firm’s website, social media flashbacks, client videos and more over the next year. Rockford Systems, LLC., attended the FABTECH exhibit in November at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center. The National Safety Council presented the company with its 2018 Community Advancement Award. The company is working to donate and install safeguarding equipment on 25 machines in the Guilford High School machine shop upon learning that two students had suffered hand injuries. Rockford Systems professionals will instruct the students on basic machine safety techniques and proper use of the new equipment. Rockford Systems’ #Selfieforsafety campaign has drawn hundreds of followers. Rockford Systems, LLC., is expecting by January 2019 to move its headquarters into a new, larger facility at 5795 Logistics Pkwy.

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

DECember 2018

community

University of Illinois Extension hosts its annual Horticulture for the Holidays workshop, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Lockwood Park cookhouse, 5201 Saﬀord Road, Rockford. Visit web. extension.illinois.edu/jsw or call 815-986-4357. Rockford Park District hosts Breakfast with Santa at Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. Second St., on Saturdays, Dec. 1, 8, 15 at 8 a.m. or 9:30 a.m., and Sundays, Dec. 9 and 16 at 9:30 a.m. Visit www. nicholasconservatory.com/activities. Rockford Park District hosts Sounds of the Season holiday music featuring local musicians and choral groups in the indoor gardens, 6 to 8:15 p.m., on Dec. 1, 8, 9, 15 and 16. Visit www.nicholasconservatory.com/ all-aglow or call 815-987-8858.

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden hosts a Holiday Themed Paint Class with Brittney, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at its Visitors Center, 2715 S. Main St., Rockford. For children 8 and up. Adults can attend with a child. Contact info@klehm.org or 815-9658146 or visit www.klehm.org.

Sunday, December 2

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden hosts its annual Holiday Open House and fundraiser, 2 to 4 p.m., at 2715 S. Main St., Rockford. Features live music by Ron Holm & Trinadora and saxophonist Amanee Avery, live holiday carving by local artist Lincoln Bias and a variety of holiday desserts and wines provided by GreenFire. Call 815-9658146 or visit klehm.org.

Monday, December 3

White Pines Resort presents Scrooge the Comedy, a wacky audience participation comedy — a “A Night at the Improv meets A Christmas Carole” -- for this year’s Christmas party idea. Each performance is unique with banter and ad libbing between audience and actors. Private parties for 40 to 144, Mondays to Thursdays, in December. Regularly scheduled dinner theater performances are Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights. Call 815-946-2400.

Tuesday, December 4

NIU School of Music announces an Open Call for Auditions, casting all roles in NIU Opera Theatre’s spring 2019 production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance,” Dec. 4 and 6, 5 to 6:30 p.m., in room 171 of the music building at NIU’s DeKalb campus. Schedule with music director Professor Danko Drusko at ddrusko@niu.edu or visit www.niu. edu. Hulsebus Rockford Chiropractic, 1877 Daimler Road, presents Build a Winter Golf Training Program, 7 p.m. Dr. Josh Berven, who completed Titleist Performance Institute training, will help to improve your golf swing. Call 815-398-3434. Alzheimer’s Association presents Living with Alzheimer’s: For Late Stage Caregivers, noon to 1 p.m., at Mercy Health at Home, 4223 E. State St., Rockford. Call 815-971-3751.

Thursday, December 6

Alzheimer’s Association presents Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 6 to 7 p.m., at Rochelle Hospital, 900 N. 2nd St. Call 815-4841300. Mercyhealth Development Foundation invites area families to attend the Angel Statue of Hope Candlelight Vigil and Remembrance Ceremony, 6 p.m., at the Angel Statue of Hope, Waterside Park at the corner of East State and Water streets in downtown Rockford. For questions visit 815-9715309.

Friday, December 7

Barbara Olson Center of Hope hosts a Wine Tasting, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Artale & Co., 6876 Spring Creek Road, Rockford. More than 30 wines to sample. Call 815-964-9275. “12 Hours of Salvation” Toy Drive at Lou Bachrodt Auto Mall, 7070 CherryVale N. Blvd., Rockford, with WREX-TV and Q98.5. Bring toys for ages 0 to 15 years old between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For details, www. SalArmyWinnebago.org. SecondFirst Church hosts its 26th annual Christmas Cookie Walk to beneﬁt its church local missions, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 318 N. Church St., Rockford. Includes lunch and cookies,

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

Community Events

DECEMBER 2018 Saturday, December 1

frozen casseroles and world-famous homemade peanut brittle to eat in or carry out. Call 815-963-8431, 815-8778113 or visit www.secondﬁrst.org. Woodward, Inc., presents an Investor and Analyst Conference on Dec. 7 in New York City. A live webcast, including slide presentations, will be accessible the day of the conference at www.woodward.com. Replay available until Jan. 27, 2019. J.R. Sullivan’s Hometown Holiday returns to the Sullivan Theater in the Nordlof Center, 118 N. Main St., Dec. 7 to 9. Miles Nielsen and Kelly Steward head the cast which includes J. R. Sullivan, Daniel Patrick Sullivan, Randy Sabien, Shawn Wallace, Marcella Rose Sciotto, Lydia Berger Gray, Linda Abronski, Stephen F. Vrtol and Jeﬀ Christian. Visit www. jrsllivanhometownholiday.com.

Saturday, December 8 Mercyhealth hosts an Open House celebrating the completion of Mercyhealth’s Javon Bea Hospital and Physician Clinic–Riverside, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 8201 E. Riverside Blvd., Rockford. Includes a behind-thescenes tour and many other familyfriendly activities. A Furry Family Christmas: A Handbell Concert Benefitting CARE for PETS takes place at 3 p.m., at Second Congregational UCC/First Presbyterian PC (USA) (SecondFirst Church), 318 N. Church St., in downtown Rockford. Dessert buffet and Christmas pet merchandise bazaar follows. Free; donations benefit CARE for PETS. Call 815-963-8431.

Sunday, December 9 Ethnic Heritage Museum presents Holiday Traditions Open House, noon to 4 p.m. Ethnic treats, gift shop, displays at the six galleries. GrahamGinestra House will be decorated in an Italian holiday traditions theme. Live musical performances: noon, Emma Clark; 12:45 p.m., Secret Serenade; 1:30 p.m., Danny McDade; 2:15 p.m., Trinadora, and 3 p.m., Tom Mac. Call 815-962-7402 or www. ethnicheritagemuseum.org.

Thursday, December 13 The Mercyhealth Development

Foundation hosts its annual Holiday Toy Drive, 7:30 a.m., in Café 2400, Mercyhealth’s Javon Bea HospitalRockton, 2400 N. Rockton Ave., Rockford. Breakfast, holiday music and inspirational stories. RSVP by Dec. 6 at 815-971-4141 or Mercyhealth System.org/Foundation.

Saturday, December 15 Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden hosts a Holiday Carving Class, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the visitors center gallery at 2715 S. Main St., Rockford. Learn Thai fruit and vegetable carving, “kae sa luk,” from Rockford artist, Lincoln Bias. Call 815-965-8146 or visit klehm.org.

Sunday, December 16 Ethnic Heritage Museum presents Black Nativity, 2 to 4 p.m. Dorothy Paige-Turner directs “A Black Nativity: a gospel song/play” by Langston Hughes. Call 815-962-7402 or www. ethnicheritagemuseum.org.

Monday, December 17 The Salvation Army of Winnebago County presents Breakfast with the Majors in appreciation of community support, 7:30 to 8 a.m., at 5460 E. State St., Rockford (Christmas Center at Old Oﬃce Depot). RSVP to Pat at 815-977-4530 or Pat_Ferguson@usc. salvationarmy.org.

Thursday, December 20 Fairhaven Christian Retirement Center hosts a Retirement Open House for Thomas Bleed, executive director, 1 to 4 p.m., 3470 N. Alpine Road, Rockford. Call 815-877-1441.

Wednesday, December 26 Rockford Park District’s presents its new Yeti Camp at Alpine Hills Adventure Park, 4402 Larson Ave., Rockford, for ages 8 to 13. Learn the basics of snowboarding, cross country skiing and snowshoeing; assess winter survival skills; watch snowboard demonstrations, and go snow tubing. Sessions, Dec. 26 to 28, and Jan. 2 to 4, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Register at www.alpinehillsadventure.com/ programs.

| DECember 2018

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

in the news

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

Members in the News

1. John Sturgill

2. John Shockey

3. Joe Clinton

4. Denise Popp

5. Dr. Nate Hays

6. Kyle Kite

7. Melissa Wenger

8. Teera Blevins

9. Andy Yadro

10. Conor Brown

11. Dr. Amith George Jacob

12. Dr. Noah Simon

13. Mary King McGovern

14. Dr. Joshua Berven

15. Mindy Nanni

16. Karen Carlson

BOARD APPOINTMENTS John Sturgill (1), R.L.A., McMAHON, joined the company’s board. SwedishAmerican welcomed three new board members for five-year terms: Dr. Tiffanie Ferry, Anqunette Parham and Elizabeth Bolt, and officers serving two-year terms: Bill Roop, chair; Rev. Ken Board, 1st vice chair; Jeff Kaney, 2nd vice chair, and Dan Ross, immediate past chair. Wesley Willows announced new board officers: John Shockey (2), chairman; Joe Clinton (3), vice chairman, and Denise Popp (4), secretary. Nate Hays (5), D.C., Hulsebus Rockford Chiropractic, was appointed to the Professional Hockey Chiropractic Society board.

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS Klaas Financial named Kyle Kite (6), CFP®, director of ﬁnancial planning. He now holds a membership interest in Klaas Financial Asset Advisors, LLC. Klaas named Melissa Wenger (7), MBA, as assistant manager of human resources; Teera Blevins (8) as client service associate in Loves Park, and Andy Yadro (9) as

investment advisor representative in Madison. After a 13-month intensive search, Rockford Area REALTORS® chose Conor Brown (10), government affairs director for Illinois Realtors, as its next CEO; succeeding Steve Bois. Amith George Jacob (11), M.D., joined OSF HealthCare as pulmonologist at OSF Medical Group Pulmonology, and Noah Simon (12), M.D., in family medicine at OSF Medical Group – Rock Cut Primary Care. Mary King McGovern (13) joined Blackhawk Bank as senior vice president and chief financial officer. Hulsebus Rockford Chiropractic welcomed new chiropractor, Joshua Berven (14), D.C. Wintrust Commercial Banking hired Brian Oerkfitz as commercial underwriter. SwedishAmerican hired Emily Tropp for its public relations and marketing team. CoyleKiley Insurance welcomed Mindy Nanni (15) as an employee benefits account manager. The GiGi’s Playhouse Rockford board named Karen Carlson (16) as its new executive director.

The Chicago Blackhawks named Derek King as interim head coach with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League; replacing Jeremy Colliton, who was named head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. Sheldon Brookbank will remain as assistant coach. Rosecrance named Amy Young (17), RN, FNP, PMHNP, as director of nursing; Craig Stallings (18) as senior director of operations; Kristin Hamblock (19) as director of payroll and beneﬁts; Joe Kreul (20) as clinical director of Rosecrance Berry Campus, and Jason Relle (21) as clinical director of Rosecrance Griﬃn Williamson. Thomas Bleed (22), executive director, Fairhaven Christian Retirement Center, is retiring in December. Mercyhealth welcomed Mayank Patel (23), M.D., MHA, as hospitalist at Javon Bea Hospital on the Mercyhealth Rockton Campus. It promoted Nylena Minnick, RN, BSN to business unit manager at its Roscoe clinic location; Danielle Quam as manager of patient accesshospital registration in Janesville; Sheila Livingston as manager of patient access-registration at Javon Bea Hospital-Rockton and

Mercyhealth Riverside Campus; Becky Gove as manager of patient access over clinics system-wide; Jason Parker to director of facilities and engineering and Christy Kessen to business unit manager at the Rockton Campus; Ken Kubiak to director of facilities and engineering for Rock, Walworth and McHenry counties; Nikki McIntosh to director of patient experience excellence; Jennifer Muchow to manager of patient experience excellence, and Kathryn Pearce to manager of interpretive services & ethics. C.H. Robinson hired Peter Meyer (24) as an account manager, Michael O’Donnell (25), Aubrey Dobbs (26) and Anastashia Taylor (27) as account coordinators, and Kylee Parkos (28), Zachary Truss (29) and Christopher Molloy (30) as sales executives.

EMPLOYEE/COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS, AWARDS

Tammy Walke (31), licensed massage therapist, SwedishAmerican, completed the rigorous Oncology Massage Specialty Certiﬁcate Program by the National Certiﬁcation Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

Continued on page 25

17. Amy Young

18. Craig Stallings

19. Kristin Hamblock

20. Joe Kreul

21. Jason Relle

22. Thomas Bleed

23. Dr. Mayank Patel

24. Peter Meyer

25. Michael O’Donnel

26. Aubrey Dobbs

27. Anastashia Taylor

28. Kylee Parkos

29. Zachary Truss

30. Christopher Molloy

31. Tammy Walke

32. Jedediah Cantrell

theVoice

DECEmber 2018

in the news Members in the News

33. Brent Brodeski

34. Diane Peters

35. Eamon Verdone

36. Deb Nau

37. Laurie Barabasz

38. Dr. Tom Wright

39. Steve Schou

40. Dr. Mark Barba

(continued from page 24) Jedediah Cantrell (32), vice president of operations, received the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Regent’s Award at the American College of Healthcare Executives. Elzbieta and Jozef Gal were honored in October by the Ethnic Heritage Museum Polish Gallery as Woman and Man of the Year for devotion to St. Stanislaus Church, family and community volunteering. Brent Brodeski (33), CEO, Savant Capital Management, was named one of Chicago’s Notable Financial Advisers in 2018 by Crain’s Chicago Business. Diane Peters (34), senior marketing specialist, earned the Financial Paraplanner Qualiﬁed Professional™ (FPQP™) designation and Eamon Verdone (35), senior investment research analyst, the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA®) designation. Deb Nau (36), executive director, The Parks Chamber of Commerce, received a full scholarship grant to attend the Illinois Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives Fall Conference in November in Peoria. Meridian named Laurie Barabasz (37) as employee of the month for October. Dr. Tom Wright (38), chief medical oﬃcer, Rosecrance, received a Distinguished Fellow award from the American Academy of Child and

41. Adam Fleming Adolescent Psychiatry at its annual meeting in October. Dr. Hannah Orem celebrated ﬁve years of clinical work at Upper Cervical Care Center – Rockford, a division of 1st Step Chiropractic. She is the only woman in Illinois to be Level 3 NUCCA Certiﬁed.

OF GENERAL INTEREST Steve Schou (39), CFP®, vice president of business development & wealth advisor, Rockford Bank & Trust Wealth Management, attended the FPA Annual Conference 2018. Maureen Mall, president, Center for Sight & Hearing, spoke about white cane training to the Lions of Illinois MD-1 Forum in Springﬁeld, Ill. Mark Barba (40), M.D., OrthoIllinois, co-authored a research paper, “Vitamin E as a Metal Nanoparticle Scavenger: Promising Role in Neurol Cell Rescue from Cocrmo Hip Implant Wear Particles,” accepted by the Orthopaedic Research Society for presentation at its annual meeting, Feb. 2 to 5, 2019 in Austin, Texas. Adam Fleming (41), partner, WilliamsMcCarthy LLP, had his article, “How to set up a trust fund,” published in a recent U.S. News & World Report.

Are you a Member with News to Share? Send news releases and other items of interest to the business community to: The VOICE, Rockford Chamber of Commerce, 308 W. State St., Ste. 190, Rockford, IL 61101

DEADLINE IS THE 15TH OF THE MONTH PRECEDING PUBLICATION

| DECember 2018

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

New Chamber Members COLORLAB COSMETICS, INC. PORTER PIPE & SUPPLY CO. Fine custom-blend and ready-towear cosmetics sold for private label and as Colorlab brand. 1112 5th Ave., 61104 Mary Swaab 815-965-2001 colorlabprivatelabel.com

Serving the area’s professional trade businesses as a wholesale supplier of commercial plumbing supplies, pipe, valves and ﬁttings, HVACR equipment, and industrial and mechanical products. 2844 Eastrock Dr. GENERATIONS CREDIT Rockford, IL 61109 UNION Rick Severson Providing low cost, quality ﬁnancial 815-506-7473 services to residents and their family www.porterpipe.com members living or working in ROCKFORD Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, DeKalb RELOCATION and Stephenson counties. 5618 Harrison Ave., 61109 SOLUTIONS Karen Jurasek Corporate relocation services 815-316-2900 Lynn Scott www.generationscu.org 815-312-6157

GLOBAL DISPLAY SOLUTIONS, INC. Manufacturer of indoor and outdoor LCD displays 5217 28th Ave., 61109 Robert Heise 815-282-2424 www.gds.com

MIDTOWN DISTRICT INC. Home to some of Rockford’s most interesting ethnic (and family) restaurants, specialty retail and service businesses. 203 7th St., 61104 Ronn Mooney 815-997-5888 www.midtowndistrict.org

NEW HORIZONS COACHING CORP. A self enhancement community center -- Come and escape from your daily routine. 309 Mulberry St., Ste. C, 61101 Ms. Joyce Krumm 815-708-7722

ORTHODONTIC EXPERTS 5051 E. State St., 61108 Bryan Gerber 224-764-1820 www.orthodonticexprts.com

STAYCEEZ DOLLAR SHOP Dollar discount store 5811 N. Forest Hills Road, Ste. 2 Rockford, IL 61114 Stacey Young 779-210-8994

SUTKAY INSURANCE GROUP (SIG) Insurance agency 513 Phelps Ave., Ste 2, 61108 Paul Sutkay 312-725-9778 www.sutkayinsurance.com

THE JOINT CHIROPRACTIC Improving quality of life through routine and aﬀorable chiropractic care. 6139 E. State St., 61108 Jon Chesak 815-977-4316 www.thejoint.com

TREKK, INC. Technology-driven marketing services and web development 2990 N. Perryville Road, Ste. 1200, 61107 Laura Bennett 866-799-2879 www.trekk.com

PHOTOENRICHMENT ADVENTURES High-quality small group cultural tours, with a focus on photography, around the world. 1643 N. Alpine Road, #190, 61107 Ralph Velasco www.PhotoEnrichment.com

Membership Renewals Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in October, 2018. A. W. Anderson Agency, Inc. Absolute Fire Protection, Inc. Advanced Chimney Systems Inc. Aetna Plywood, Inc. Alden Debes Rehabilitation and Health Care Center Alden Park Strathmoor Area Erectors, Inc. Atlas Components Atmosphere Commercial Interiors BelRock Asphalt Paving Inc. Bisconti Computers Inc. Bobcat of Rockford Briggs Floor Sanding & Refinishing Camelot World Travel Campbell Science Corporation Cedar Hill Condominium Association Center for Sight & Hearing Chastain & Associates LLC Chem Processing, Inc. CherryVale Mall Christenson Funeral Home & Cremation Christofferson Moving & Storage Cloisters of Forest Hills CMM & Associates Come Together Rockford Construction Business Development Center Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary Crystal Precision Drilling, Inc. D & S Marine Inc. Dodge Lanes, Inc. Entre Computer Solutions Forest City Diagnostic Imaging Holiday Inn of Rockford HomeStart Independence Village at Rockford Jimmy John’s Key Realty, Commercial & Industrial - Teri Watts, Broker Lindstrom, Sorenson & Associates, LLP Louis Bageanis McDaniels Marketing Michalsen Office Furniture Inc. Movement Fitness Napleton Honda

MEMBERS: 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

Olson Enterprises LLC Olson Funeral & Cremation Services Ltd./Fred C. Olson Chapel Olson Funeral & Cremation Services Ltd./North Main Chapel & Care Center Parkside Warehouse, Inc. Physicians Immediate Care Powmet, Inc. Remedies Renewing Lives Rock River Tower LLC Rockford Bell Credit Union Rockford Cemetery Association, Greenwood Cemetery & Crematorium Rockford I.D. Shop, Inc. Rockford Systems, LLC S. J. Carlson Fire Protection Saint Anthony College of Nursing Satori Pathway Network Satori Pathway Network Anam Glen SecondFirst Church SmithAmundsen LLC Stewart & Associates, Inc. Summerﬁeld Zoo Summit Radiology Taylor Company Tebala Event Center Tree Care Enterprises Inc. Ultrasonic Power Corporation United States Postal Service Upper Iowa University Rockford Center Van Galder Bus/A Coach USA Co. VetsRoll.org Winnebago County Housing Authority Winnebago County Recorder Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Oﬃce Z Resource

December 2018 Member Anniversaries Thank you to our members celebrating their anniversaries with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

30-YEAR MEMBER

Let your Voice be heard

NLT Title, a division of Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc.

U.S. Cellular

25-YEAR MEMBER Rockford Christian Schools

20-YEAR MEMBERS Farm & Fleet of Rockford KMK Media Group, Inc. Market Dimensions, Inc. P.A. Peterson at the Citadel

10-YEAR MEMBERS Anderson Japanese Gardens

Morning Star Village Rock River Environmental Services (Waste Connections)

5-YEAR MEMBERS Bridge Ministries Chastain & Associates LLC Edward Jones - Michelle Bowman, Financial Advisor Edward Jones - Tara S. Harris, Financial Advisor Envoy Mortgage Fantasy Glassworks Rockford Rotary Club

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

DECember 2018

chamber

Upcoming Chamber Events

DECEMBER, 2018

JANUARY, 2019

Tuesday, December 4

Friday, January 11

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mary’s Market, 4431 E. State St., Rockford. Join in holiday cheer with Erin Stoﬀregen, Event Floral, on developing a theme and personal style for holiday decorating, considering current trends. Bring a mint-condition book for infant through pre-K readers for Transform Rockford’s CommunityWide Holiday Book Drive. Sponsored by Associated Bank.

Wednesday, December 12

Breakfast Buzz - Are You Ready to ROWE™? - A New Way to Manage Employees, Time and RESULTS! 7:30 to 9 a.m., at 5050 E. State St., Puri School of Business, room 124, Rockford. Greg Watt, WATT Global Media; Julie Bosma, RAMP, and Rebecca Epperson, Chartwell Agency, will share their journey with ROWE™. Sponsored by RSM US LLP.

Thursday, December 13

Holiday Ambassador Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Benson Stone Company, Inc., 1100 11th St., Rockford.

Government Aﬀairs Council, 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., at Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. Thursday, January 24, 2019 5 - 8 pm Giovanni’s Convention Center 610 N. Bell School Rd., Rockford

ANNUAL DINNER

Advertisers Index advertisers The Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

OSF HealthCare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Blackhawk Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Region 1 Planning Council . . . . . . . .14

Boylan Catholic High School. . . . . . . .6

Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity .14

Brian Thomas Photography. . . . . . . .25 Broadmoor Agency, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .9 Gallagher Williams-Manny. . . . . . . . . .8 Illinois Bank & Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Illinois Small Business Development Center . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Rockford Bank & Trust Co. . . . . . . . . .3 Rockford Chamber of

Commerce . . . . . . . . .6, 19, 23, 27, 28

Rockford Public Library . . . . . . . . . . .12 Rockford University . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

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

Rock Valley College/BPI . . . . . . . . . .10

Midland States Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Stillman Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Northern Public Radio . . . . . . . . . . . .21

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

Keynote Speaker, Curt Steinhorst, presents “Thriving in the Age of Distraction.” Announcement of the 2018 Citizen of the Year Award. Sponsored by OSF HealthCare (presenting); Associated Bank (gold); Gallagher WilliamsManny (wine); AT&T and The Alliance (bronze).

of the Rockford Business Community

Chamber Staﬀ / Call 815-987-8100 ...............................................Direct Line Harold “Bo” Boger, IL Small Business Development Center Director ...............................................................815-316-4301

MARCH, 2019

Cori Currey, Membership Development Executive ................................815-316-4336

Thursday, March 21

Heidi M. Garner, Chief Operating Oﬃcer .................................... 815-316-4312

State of the County Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Tebala Event Center, 7910 Newburg Rd., Rockford. Winnebago Chairman Frank Haney will deliver his State of the County address. Presenting sponsor is BMO Harris Bank.

Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO .......................................... 815-316-4304 Olivia Guzman, Administrative Assistant/Customer Service Rep..........815-987-8100 Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology ................... 815-316-4338 Lynette Jacques, Vice President, Member Investment .................... 815-316-4317 Phoebe Morris, Program & Event Coordinator.............................. 815-316-4302 Kristin Muehlfelder, Member Relations...................................................815-316-4315 Caitlin Pusateri, Vice President, Leadership Development ....................815-316-4337 Doug Rand, Accounting Manager/Controller ............................... 815-316-4316 Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator ......................... 815-316-4320

Chamber Board of Directors & Officers EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DIRECTORS Andrew Benson Benson Stone Company, Inc.

Chairman of the Board Richard Zumwalt Z Resource Chair-Elect Michele Petrie Wintrust Commercial Banking & Mortgage Vice Chair Dan Ross Gallagher Williams-Manny

Kimberly Blascoe Wipﬂi LLP Jan Bowman TLC Construction LaVonne Brown Savant Capital Management Paula Carynski OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center

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

Samuel J. Castree Staﬀ Management, Inc. Joe Castrogiovanni Giovanni’s, Inc.

John Schuster Don Daniels SwedishAmerican, A Rosecrance Health Division of UW Health Network Rebecca Epperson Chartwell Agency Ira Grimmett Collins Aerospace Tim Honquest Honquest Family Funeral Home with Crematory Jeﬀ Hultman Illinois Bank & Trust Michael F. Iasparro Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP Kris L. Kieper Machajewski YWCA Northwestern Illinois

Mike Paterson Jean Crosby Mid-West Family Berkshire Hathaway Broadcasting HomeServices Crosby Mark Peterson Starck Real Estate CBL Associates Doug Curry Cherry Vale Stenstrom Excavation Sue Schrieber and Blacktop Group Mercyhealth

Karl Swanson Rockford Bank & Trust Co Udaya Talwar Woodward Jon Thompson Butitta Brothers Automotive

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

JANUARY VOICE SPECIAL SECTIONS All Things Technology All Things Marketing For information on advertising, call 815

987-8100