SBJ-01-12 by The Southern Illinoisan

JANUARY 2012

Directory of Advertisers

Inside JA N UA RY 20 1 2

Ameren Illinois ....................................15

Asking the right questions: Regardless of the type of business, employers rarely want to talk about staff turnover. It’s uncomfortable for most because the business’s actual turnover is rarely as low as desired. New columnist Angela Holmes-Young calls on her human resources expertise in recommending employers to pay attention to turnover; it’s not something to be avoided or ignored. It makes better sense to honestly talk about turnover and take steps to understand what the turnover rate is saying about the business. Page 6

nationwide as one of the worst years – if not the worst year – for the sale of homes. But, the same may not hold true for Southern Illinois. With the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2011, home sales ticked up for the period in 10 of 16 Southern Illinois counties. Noteworthy gains in more heavily populated counties – Union, Jackson, Jefferson, Randolph and Williamson – offer hope for a better fourth quarter and 2012. Consumers still are getting soaked at the gas pump, but the disparity between the price for a gallon of gas in December to a year earlier nearly disappeared. Check the rest of the data in Southern Illinois Indicators. Pages 12-13

ELDER LAW

ACHIEVEMENTS

Runaway government targets homes: The federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 requires state Medicaid programs to take back whatever it paid for the care of a Medicaid applicant. After “spendingdown” to qualify for Medicaid, the only property of substantial value that married couples are likely to own is their home or farm. Thus, the home nearly always is the main target of estate recovery – even in the face of an Illinois Supreme Court decision that put limits on estate recovery actions on homes. Page 11

Who is in the news? Find out who has been hired, who has been promoted or who has received an award for their efforts in business. Make sure you check out our newest ‘Faces in the News’ collection of business portraits and learn more of achievements and honors in regional businesses. If you know of a business or business person who deserves recognition for advanced training, a unique honor or a business expansion, please let us know at sbj@thesouthern.com. Page 16-19

YOUR BUSINESS

INDICATORS Bucking the national trend: The year 2011 long may be remembered

ON THE COVER Herrin’s Annex Theater has been renovated and is now a café, open for business. Photo by Steve Jahnke.

Bank of Marion....................................10 Bill Ecker, State Farm Insurance ..........15 Carbondale Civic Center ...................... 7 Country Financial, Dennis Woodside .... 7 Datalock .............................................. 3 Feirich, Mager, Green & Ryan.............. 15 Hyannis Air Service, Inc. .................... 20 John A. Logan College .......................... 8 Modern Copier, Inc. .......................... 15 Mutual Medical Plans, Inc. ................ 10 Oliver and Associates, Inc. ................ 17 Pepsi MidAmerica ........................ 17, 20

Contact us The Southern Business Journal is a publication of The Southern Illinoisan. Contact us via mail at 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901, or at P. O. Box 2108, Carbondale, IL 62903. Also reach us on the Web at www.sbj.biz and via email at SBJ@thesouthern.com. The Journal is published 12 times per year monthly, and

Publisher: Bob Williams n 618-351-5038 Editor: Gary Metro n 618-351-5033

SIU Small Business Development ........19 Southern Illinois Healthcare................ 22

Advertising: Jason Woodside n 618-351-5015

Southern Illinois University.................... 5

mailed to businesses, community development leaders, chambers of commerce members and other

SIU Credit Union ................................ 24

Circulation: Trisha Woodside n 618-351-5035 Database Coordinator: Mark Doman n 618-351-5042

Find more business news at www.sbj.biz.

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

Cover Story Local leaders offer tips on how to grow a business BY LES O’DELL SBJ CORRESPONDENT

A desire to grow a business is part of the DNA of every entrepreneur, business owner and manager. If you sold one widget last year, you want to sell two this year. Being a success in Anytown, USA leads to a desire to duplicate efforts in Somewhere Else, America. Efficiency in making one item could mean that other products could be manufactured just as easily. But expanding a business is not that easy. The “want to” (or the “need to”) does not necessarily mean expansion success is automatic. However, with some guidance, a good plan, strong vision and the right circumstances, expansion with new product or service lines, new locations or new markets can succeed. Many Southern Illinois business leaders have done it.

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The poster child If there is a poster child for expanding a business, it is Ted VanAcker. A dermatologist originally from Michigan, VanAcker began practicing in Herrin in 1996 after being recruited by Southern Illinois Healthcare. He started with three employees and a dozen patients. Today, Southern Illinois Dermatology has 13 locations through the lower quarter of the state (including an Anna location that opened in December) and is just one of VanAcker’s enterprises. He also is the driving force behind Dermacare Body Boutique in Herrin and Murphysboro, Egyptian Day Spa, Egyptian Fitness Center in Murphysboro and Harrisburg, event centers in Murphysboro and West Frankfort, as well as The Annex Coffee Deli in Herrin. All told, VanAcker now has 110 employees. Most often, he says, the growth of his practice has come through an invitation of SEE COVER / PAGE 4

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JANUARY 2012

Cover Story FROM PAGE 3 sorts — hospital personnel asking him to see patients in their area — but he often looks to simply fill a need. “Obviously, the greater the need, the greater likelihood of success,” he explains. VanAcker says another factor to consider is competition. “My thought is why offer a product or service that is already available within the community when there are so many other communities in need and plenty of business opportunities that are currently not being offered,” he says. He adds that expanding a business into new territories brings with it economic advantages. “Expansion allows a business to benefit by growing off of a well-established platform. That having been said, it is important to make sure a business has a good, successful and profitable working model before attempting expansion of that business.” Expansion leads to economies of scale, which have allowed Southern Illinois Dermatology to purchase supplies and materials in bulk and centralize functions such as billing, accounting, marketing and information technology. VanAcker adds that with multiple offices, he has quickly learned how to streamline and standardize business practices. Since some of his satellite offices are used just one or two days each week, he’s entered into agreements with other medical providers to also use the facilities in a cost-savings and sharing arrangement.

New locations Mike Mills of 17th Street Bar & Grill did not set out to own four restaurants in Southern Illinois and be a part of establishments in New York and Las Vegas. “In some ways, all of those opportunities looked for us,” says Amy Mills Tunnicliffe, Mills’ daughter, who handles marketing and special projects for the Murphysboro-based barbecuer. “We never sat down and wrote a business statement. For us, a huge part of success is being authentic, communicate, surround yourself with good people and just look around.” Expansion to Marion came after years of courting by the city, culminating in the naming of a street — 17th Street, of course

(Marion’s only numbered street) — specifically for the restaurant. In O’Fallon, 17th Street took over the location of a previously successful business; and, in Sparta, the restaurant was asked to take over an existing restaurant. The out-ofstate efforts also were the results of entrepreneurs reaching out to Mills. Still, Mills and Tunnicliffe did their homework in considering new locations. “What we’re looking for is traffic, office buildings, because you have to have a lunch crowd to succeed, and location. It’s a matter of location, location, location,” Tunnicliffe says, invoking the timehonored real estate cliché. In addition to adding locations, she says other expansion efforts have succeeded, as well. “Everything that we do contributes to the whole,” she says of branded food products and T-shirts available for purchase. “We used to have just one shirt, and Dad said we weren’t in the T-shirt business, but they do add to the bottom line. They absolutely are helping to brand the business, and they take the brand all over the world. We’re not making a huge amount on apparel, but it adds to the whole.”

People Both Tuncliffe and VanAcker say that expansion efforts require high-quality employees, who share the vision and values of business leaders. “First of all, you have to continue to develop good people, who can be your brand when you’re not there. You can’t be in four places at once,” Tunnicliffe adds. “They have to be good people who eat, sleep and drink your brand and that you can trust. The people you surround yourself with are key; we’re hiring for personality and the emotional quotient, not other things.” VanAcker says he looks for staff members who have personality and people skills. “I like to hire people that I feel have the skills to manage other people and do it well and do it nicely,” he says. “I think that has had a lot to do with our success.” Dave Jackson, owner of Jackson Pools and Spas in West Frankfort and Du Quoin, says personnel concerns in expansion should not be limited to employees. That means making sure family members “buy in” to expansion, as well as having the right staff.

Things to think about before expanding your business Will economies of scale benefit your business model? Can you reach new customers less expensively by doing business in new places or by offering new services? Are there ways you can bring down costs through cost- or facility-sharing agreements like Dr. Ted VanAcker? Have you done your homework? Are your competitors expanding? Where are your clients? Amy Mills Tunnicliffe cautions businesses considering expansion to think about “cannibalization.” Will your new locations hurt your already-established business? How will you fund expansion? Are your accounts receivable a mess? If so, you probably need to focus on the health of your existing core business before starting a new venture. Can your business survive expansion? Do you have trusted leaders who share your passion and vision? Are you willing to delegate and be more “hands-off”? Are you already personally stretched too thin? Remember, customers will feel your growing pains, too. Will growing dilute your passion? Does expansion take you away from why you started the business in the first place? If you’re not excited about your business, your employees and customers won’t be either. — LES O’DELL

“Look at family first and remember you’re into this together,” he says. “Don’t risk it if you don’t have the support at home. Likewise, don’t do it if you don’t have the right employees. If I have a million pool stores, but don’t have quality people to run them and serve the customers, I’d be in a world of trouble.” Taking care of those employees also can be more difficult after expansion. Todd Darnstaedt of Today’s Technology Auto Repair in Carbondale discovered increasing the size of his staff, as part of relocation to a larger building, meant more work outside of fixing cars. “When you go from three employees to eight, it brings in a new aspect of business,” he says. “Now, it makes sense to me why companies have full-time human resources people to handle everything.” Darnstaedt adds that the growing pains of expanding a business affect not just managers, owners and employees, but also customers. “Whenever customers talk to the same person all of the time, you have to be careful when you bring a new employee in, because customers have to become comfortable with the new employee,” he explains. “I’m big on introductions and taking the time to talk up the new employee and his experience to customers. That sets the customer at ease.” SEE COVER / PAGE 9

STEVE JAHNKE / SBJ

Bridgett Granados of Murphysboro gets her receipt after purchasing some items from the Dermacare Body Boutique at SI Dermatology in Murphysboro.

STEVE JAHNKE / SBJ

The SI Dermatology building in Murphysboro resides in what was formerly a post office.

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SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

JANUARY 2012

Your Business Who, where, why, when and how: Asking the right questions about your turnover BY ANGELA HOLMES-YOUNG SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

The question no one wants to answer: What is your turnover? We have all been asked this question. Maybe you were asked at a meeting by a colleague. Maybe you were asked by a Holmes-Young potential client or in front of a group of people at a networking event. Did you smile and answer the question proudly? Did you stutter with an answer because, honestly, you do not really know? Did you fudge the numbers a bit to make yourself and your employer look better? I think we can agree this situation has happened to all of us at one time or another. Talking about turnover is uncomfortable for most of us because our actual turnover is rarely what we want it to be — zero. Don’t ignore this problem any longer. Talk about turnover and take steps to understand what it is telling you. Turnover can be categorized as voluntary or involuntary. Some organizations even label turnover as “good” or “bad,” but truly all turnover is undesirable for many reasons. High turnover reflects poorly on your organization because it is a metric that is associated with employee morale and quality, among other things. Basically, high and sometimes average turnover is almost always an indicator of a larger problem. Make sure your business tracks monthly turnover and reviews that data often. This tracking task is often assigned to human resources, which is fine, but ensure that the data is shared. Some organizations ask managers or supervisors to track it, as well. These reports should be reviewed by your CEO and all of your top management. In addition to generally tracking your turnover, the details of each instance of turnover should be reported. If the employee left voluntarily or resigned, there are several questions that should be

asked to ensure all relative data is gathered. What is the reason that the person left? Is this person leaving for more money elsewhere, fewer work hours, or does this person not like the job itself? Did this employee have issues with his/her manager or problems with co-workers? Be careful that your supervisors are not just sweeping the details under the rug. Oftentimes, if there is a problem with a supervisor, the turnover may be justified with a simple comment, “That person needed to go.” You may hear the phrase, “If they don’t want to work here, there are plenty of people that do.” Be careful of comments like these that may be distracting you from understanding the true reason for the resignation and the possible problem that exists. You need factual details and data in order to analyze the underlying issues. Do not stop your investigation with one person. Ask others, including co-workers. If the reason that this person left is an indicator of a bigger issue, you need to know. This data collection investigation should be completed quickly, so any problems can be addressed. Leaving unsolved issues may cause other good employees to jump ship. If the employee was fired, do you know why? Was there a conduct issue? Was a policy violated? Who approves terminations at your organization before they happen? Look to see if this termination is consistent with other similar situations. Additionally, was an investigation conducted into what happened before the employee was terminated? Was the employee given his or her chance to explain what happened? Do you have a standard investigation that you employ in this scenario? The list of potential questions that you can ask here is long. Ensure that confidential records are kept, detailing all terminations. Review termination patterns by manager and department. Is one manager responsible for most of your turnover? Turnover is expensive. We all know that, but just how expensive is it? Take the time to actually quantify your cost of turnover. Whether you do it or you delegate the project, take the time to

include all relevant cost items. Include the cost of the recruiting and selection process. Add in the post-offer checks and testing. Include all of the time spent by HR staff and managers during all of those interviews. Don’t forget to include benefit costs and other recognition programs. If all new hires get a cake party, a parking place and a uniform, include those costs, too. Don’t forget to include all training costs for both the new hires and the trainer who is training them. After gathering this data and adding it all up, you may be surprised at exactly how much money you are losing when someone walks out your door. After calculating your organization’s cost of turnover by person, take that number and apply it to your annual turnover. This dollar figure can be staggering if you have had even a few employee turnovers in the year. Let’s face it; people are some of the biggest investments that an organization will make. This applies to all industries and not-for-profits, as well. Don’t let your turnover scare you any more. Use data and analysis to unlock the story that the turnover is telling you. Once your turnover is quantified, you may be able to see some correlations. Use the data to ask questions. Don’t forget to share the data and analysis with others to see what conclusions they make. Compare your numbers to the industry average and also to other employers in Southern Illinois. Keep an open mind. You might be surprised at what the turnover data will tell you. One of my clients was experiencing high turnover only on the first shift. After analyzing the data and looking at the reasons why people were leaving, he found his answer. Employees were eventually being fired for coming in late too many times. When asked why they were late so much, each employee said that the shift started too early, and getting there on time consistently was almost impossible, no matter what time that person went to bed. The employer reviewed the first shift start time, which was 4 a.m. The only reason the shift started at 4 a.m. was because that was

“the way they had always done it.” After the employer changed the start time to 6 a.m., the attendance problems and turnover issues went away. Finally, ask your HR department to do an exit survey with employees on their last day. Most employees on their way out may not tell you everything that you hope to learn, but you are bound to get some information. A company I worked for previously decided to mail out exit surveys once the former employee had been gone for a few months. The mailing included a self-addressed stamped envelope for the survey to be returned. At the end of the day, turnover makes us all look bad. It is a failure on the part of the company in one way or another. Our selection process may not have recommended the best candidate. Maybe we failed to train the employee, and that person was not competent to perform the tasks required. It is possible that management did not mentor the new employee. If a policy was broken or issues existed, we failed to rehabilitate the employee. Understand your turnover. Understand what it is costing you. Use the tools you have, or develop new procedures to attack your root causes for turnover. Key questions to ask when analyzing turnover data: l Who? (name of terminated employee) l Where? (department or section of terminated employee, position vacant) l Why? (reason employee gave for resignation or termination reason) l When? (length of time employee worked there (seniority), last day worked, termination date) l How? (method used by employee; length of notice, if provided) Next month: On-boarding. What is it and why should I try it? ANGELA HOLMES-YOUNG is a management and human resources consultant for Your Professional Partners, Inc. in Marion. She consults with clients of all sizes in a variety of human resource areas and executive coaching. You can reach her by email at angela@yourprofessionalpartners.com or by cell at 618-559-9399.

JANAUARY 2012

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

Entrepreneur’s Mailbag Life planning is the new resolution BY CAVANAUGH L. GRAY SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Going into 2003, I was expecting my first son, and, as the new year approached, I found myself thinking about life in a whole new way. Prior to this, my thoughts were of my corporate Gray life and of leisurely activities. What I thought were resolutions at the time were much bigger and lifechanging than I realized, and the primary reasons that The Entrepreneur Café, LLC exists today. Back then, I was working a corporate job, but didn’t find it very enjoyable. I was spending more hours at my desk than I cared to and wishing all the while that I could be at home hanging out with my son. Looking back, what I truly desired was more time to spend with those I loved most, greater control over my schedule, a little more joy and fulfillment in my days and the opportunity to impact the world. I knew that I wouldn’t get to where I wanted to be without facing some tough questions, and, in doing so, I would uncover answers that would alter the rest of my life. Developing a life plan is a process to help you better identify your personal and professional priorities. A decade ago, owners started businesses with a successat-all-cost approach, which doesn’t leave time for much else. Today, many entrepreneurs are starting businesses and running them in a manner that fits their lifestyle and provides them with an improved quality of life. If you are just starting out in business, a life plan can help guide you through the developmental stages, so that you build a company that makes you happy and is in step with how you live. If you happen to be well established, then a life plan could be your reality check. When I sat down to do my life plan, I was looking to better define myself as an entrepreneur and build a structure for how The Entrepreneur Café, LLC would be run. One of the first things that came to mind centered on my core values. My core values included hard work, valuing people

and having an impact on my community. Being raised by my great-grandmother, I was able to lean on many of the great lessons she taught me in building a foundation for my business. I’m also a firm believer that a dream and some determination can take you a long way. At this stage in life, what is it that you dream about? Or, has your day-to-day become mundane or routine? Thankfully, I still dream with the same “anything is possible” attitude that I had when I was a kid. One of the toughest things I face in business these days is when I encounter someone, who, because of life’s circumstances, has stopped dreaming or simply forgotten how. The next question is an important litmus test of where you might be in life right now. Are you currently having fun? Or, put another way, are you happy? If you are a business proprietor, the answer to this question may change by the second as the economy goes; but, I urge you to ask the question and then be patient enough to wait for an honest answer. When I started working on my life plan, my list of personal questions was pretty exhaustive. I pondered the type of employees and work environment I wanted to have, what my financial goals were, and how my small efforts would impact the world around me. As a result of this process, I now live a life centered around my faith, family, impacting other peoples’ lives and, oh yeah, I happen to run a company that gives me the freedom to be actively involved in all of those things. Whether you are already in business and planning your company’s next steps or just setting out in 2012, I would encourage you to set the resolutions aside and try developing a life plan. Earlier, I asked if you were happy in your current occupation, business or the manner in which you run your business. If not, what questions do you need to ask, and what changes do you need to make so that things turn out amazingly different in the upcoming year? CAVANAUGH L. GRAY is the director of business development for The Entrepreneur Café, LLC. For information on developing a life plan or for more information on how to start, grow and succeed in small business, be sure to follow The Entrepreneur Café, LLC on Twitter @TheECafe or at www.ecafellc.com.

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Financial Planning

COVER FROM PAGE 4

Economics of expansion

It’s all up to you: A post-divorce action plan BY SCOTT MCCLATCHEY SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

You have just gone through one of the most challenging and difficult periods a woman can experience in her life — a divorce. While many things may still be up in McClatchey the air, one aspect of your life that you should make sure you’re in control of is your finances. Financial planning for divorced women is not that much different than financial planning for married couples. Several basic elements are the same. However, the differences offer both good news and bad news. The good news: You can make plans and decisions based solely on your needs and goals. There won’t be miscommunication or conflicting ideas. The bad news: It’s all in your hands. Any mistakes will be your own, and a poor decision can’t be salvaged by the income or assets of a partner. The following post-divorce action plan offers a few things worth considering: One way to counter the bad news is to find a trusted professional to seek advice from. After a divorce, friends are often split between spouses. Financial representatives can be the same way. If you lost yours in the divorce or never had one to begin with, it’s a good time to consider finding a professional who can help you make sound financial decisions for your new life. To find one, start simply. Ask friends or acquaintances who helped them when they went through a divorce. The attorney who handled your divorce may also be a good source for a referral. It’s important that the person who helps you is someone who has previously assisted or, best of all, specializes in helping divorced women. Selecting the right financial professional for you is a critical step. After all, this person will be helping you

with the important financial decisions you now have to face. You may want to consider the services of a certified financial planner professional, considered by many to be the gold standard amongst adviser credentials, because this person is capable of handling a broad array of financial challenges. Long-term care insurance may become even more important postdivorce. Long-term care policies are designed to cover the costs of care if you are unable to care for yourself because of age or if you become ill or disabled. Longterm care is especially important for women because they typically pay more for it than men do. The reason is simple: women typically live longer than men and usually require longer care during those additional years. A woman’s retirement is usually more expensive than a man’s. The reason that women usually need long-term care insurance more than men is the same reason that retirement income planning for women may be more important. Women live, on average, five to 10 years longer than men. Eighty-five percent of people over 100 are women. This means a woman’s retirement savings must, on average, be stretched out over a larger number of years. While, in general, retirement planning for a single person is easier in many ways than for a couple, remember, you can no longer rely on a spouse’s financial resources if a mistake is made. It’s important to review your Social Security estimates, any pensions you have and your retirement assets. You can then compare that to the kind of lifestyle you would like to have during retirement. Because retirement may be more expensive, you may want to make an employer-sponsored retirement plan a larger deciding factor in any job search. Also, you may decide that you must retire at a later date than you had originally planned. Update your beneficiaries and consider using a trust to help manage your assets. People often forget to update the beneficiaries of their life

Find more business news at www.sbj.biz. insurance and retirement accounts after a divorce. If not changed, your exhusband may stand to inherit a large portion of your assets. Also, the estate laws give certain breaks to married couples that are not available to a single person. Establishing the proper type of legal trust may be a way to pass along more of your assets to your heirs, rather than to the IRS. Finally, after you have moved on from your divorce, there may come a time when you consider remarriage. It’s important that you understand the financial effects this may have. If you were married longer than 10 years, you may be collecting or entitled to 50 percent of your ex-husband’s Social Security benefit. If you remarry, you will no longer have that right. While you will become entitled to your new husband’s benefit, you must know if your new husband’s benefit will be lower or higher, and how that will affect your retirement. Remarriage can also lead to blended families, blended assets and blended income. Your new husband may have his own family from a previous relationship. A financial professional can help the two of you prepare for this blending that satisfies the financial needs of each of you, as well as your new family. While it’s all in your hands, partnering with a financial professional can help you move on to the next phase of your life with a more solid plan for your financial future. SCOTT MCCLATCHEY is a certified financial planner with Alliance Investment Planning Group, a Carbondale investment firm located at 115 S. Washington St. He can be reached at 618-519-9344 or scott@allianceinvestmentplanning.com. He also provides investment, retirement planning and insurance services to SIU Credit Union members through the SIU Credit Union Investment Services partnership. Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC.

Darnstaedt says the expansion of Today’s Technology from a 1,500-square-foot facility to one four times as large was made possible in part by a sluggish economy, adding that the per-square-foot cost of the new location is about half as much as the smaller facility. “It was an economic decision for us. It was a good time to expand a business because the economy was down; the banks were much more willing to listen to us and more willing to take a risk.” “A bad economy can lead to lots of good opportunities,” says Robyn Laur Russell, director of business development and international trade at SIU. In fact, she says tough times can be the perfect impetus for expanding a business. “In the time of a downturn, if you’re not making your core revenue or even the revenue that you are used to making, you need to look at additional revenue streams or ways of increasing profit margins,” she says. Expansion can include taking action on previously-shelved ideas, new locations, additional products or service lines, she says, or even taking your business global by beginning to market internationally. Additionally, she says prior to considering any expansion, business leaders should make certain that the business is healthy enough to grow by carefully analyzing financial statements, market conditions and plans. Sometimes it is best to grow very slowly, Jackson says. His Du Quoin location began simply as a seasonal outlet for pool chemicals. Once that was successful (“It went through the roof,” he says), he transitioned the location to a full-service store with pools and spas. Now, plans are in the works for a new chemical outlet in Randolph County later this year. “I want to do it right,” he says. “We’re not going to expand and have our existing stores suffer. We’ll start off small and grow as the market is ready. We’ll go with baby steps.” Still, Jackson hopes to eventually expand the location into his third store because growing a business gets easier with experience. “Expansion allows a business to replicate its products/services with much less effort than developing the template of the original business,” VanAcker says. “Most everything in life is easier and improved upon when duplicated or replicated over and over.” LES O’DELL of Carbondale is a regular contributor to Southern Business Journal and The Southern Illinoisan.

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SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

Elder Law Protecting the family home from a runaway government BY RICHARD HABIGER SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

The home generally is the largest asset a married couple keeps, while also qualifying for Medicaid, to pay for long-term care. Consequently, it is the main Habiger target of estate recovery by the government. What is estate recovery? The federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 requires state Medicaid programs to take back whatever it has paid for the care of a Medicaid applicant. After “spending-down” to qualify for Medicaid, the only property of substantial value that married couples are likely to own is their home, or, if it is their homestead, their farm. Thus, after the surviving spouse has passed away, the home nearly always is the main target of estate recovery. Without getting technical, the government uses two recovery mechanisms: a lien placed on real estate and other assets; or estate claim filed during the probate process. In many cases, the government uses both procedures to “extract its pound of flesh.” The home is not “exempt” for all time. At the time the ill spouse applies for Medicaid benefits to help pay for longterm care, the home is an “exempt” asset. The home continues to be “exempt” as long as the community spouse lives there. However, the home loses its protected status when the community spouse moves out of the house or this person’s health declines and must apply for Medicaid to help pay for his/her own long-term care. In Illinois, if the community spouse passes away, having never received Medicaid assistance to pay for his/her own care, the government is supposed to have no right to recovery against the community spouse’s estate. This was established more than five years ago by the Illinois Supreme Court in Hines vs. Department. The court ruled that, while

the government has a right to go after the assets, if any, of the ill spouse, the government has no right, under federal or state law, to go after the estate of the community spouse if that person has never received Medicaid benefits. Despite the unambiguous ruling of the Illinois Supreme Court, the Medicaid bureaucracy continues to run amuck, trying to do an end-run around the mandate of the Hines case. Let’s take a look at the facts in Hines. Beverly and Julius were married for more than 48 years. They had no children. In 1994, Julius’ declining health required that he be cared for in a nursing home. Julius began receiving Medicaid payments, which continued until he died in 1997 at the age of 66. The payments totaled $61,154.48. No probate estate was created for Julius following his death. Because Julius and his wife, Beverly, held the marital home in joint title, full ownership of the home passed to Beverly when Julius died. Beverly lived on for several more years, eventually passing away in May 2001. Unlike Julius, Beverly neither applied for, nor received, Medicaid payments. Beverly’s estate contained the home she had once held in joint title with Julius. The home was sold for $69,641.89 during the probate process. In July 2001, the government filed a claim against Beverly’s estate to recover the $61,154.48 in Medicaid payments it had made on behalf of Julius between 1994 and 1997. The case eventually reached the Illinois Supreme Court, where, based on the facts and an analysis of the applicable federal and state Medicaid laws, Justice Lloyd Karmeier (writing for the entire court) ruled that “... federal law does not authorize a state to seek reimbursement of Medicaid payments from the estate of a recipient’s spouse.” Further, Justice Karmeier decreed that, under Illinois law, the house could not be deemed part of Julius’ estate for purposes of the department’s action for reimbursement of the Medicaid payments made on his behalf; accordingly, “the proceeds from the sale of that property are therefore not subject to the department’s claim.” To read the entire decision, go to www.state.il.us/court/opinions/supreme

ART SERVICES

The home generally is the largest asset a married couple keeps. Consequently, it is the main target of estate recovery by the government.

court/2006/may/opinions/html/100841. htm. With the Illinois Supreme Court having clarified the law more than five years ago, you would think that the government has had sufficient time to get its case workers and auditors operating in compliance with the law. Well, it has not. And, from this author’s perspective, it has no intention of doing so. For example, the Illinois Medicaid bureaucracy has recently sought to avoid Hines in three cases, in which the community spouse did not apply for or receive Medicaid: the community spouse had transferred his/her home to children; the community spouse had put his/her home into a revocable living trust; and the will of the community spouse set up a testamentary supplemental needs trust for the benefit of his/her spouse in a nursing home. [Note: The transfer of the home by the community spouse to a revocable living trust, or outright to her children, for less than fair market value would have prevented the community spouse from getting Medicaid for himself/herself if that person had needed nursing home care within five years of the transfer.]

Find more business news at www.sbj.biz. In short, despite the decision of the Illinois Supreme Court in Hines, declaring the assets of the community spouse to be his/hers (with no further ownership interest by the ill spouse and, thus, unavailable for estate recovery), the Medicaid bureaucracy continues to go after the homes, homestead farms and other so-called “exempt” assets of the community spouse. With a runaway government that does not respect the law, as declared by the Supreme Court, persons needing long-term care, who do not obtain the help of a knowledgeable attorney, stand little chance of withstanding the onslaught of a government that is running amuck. RICHARD HABIGER is author of the Illinois edition of “How to Protect Your Family’s Assets from Devastating Nursing Home Costs: Medicaid Secrets.” He is an elder law attorney, who focuses on asset protection, Medicaid and VA benefits. You may contact him at 618-549-4529 or info@habiger elderlaw.com.

Retail sales for Southern Illinois cities City Anna Benton Carbondale Carterville Chester Du Quoin Harrisburg Herrin Jonesboro Marion Metropolis Mount Vernon Murphysboro Nashville Pinckneyville Red Bud Sparta Vienna West City West Frankfort REGION ILLINOIS

YTD Sept 2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

89.5 65.7 446.8 32.1 41.7 84.5 161.1 115.9 8.4 518.8 70.4 400.0 98.6 85.3 78.7 56.1 97.6 31.0 66.4 93.0 $2,641.6 $115,475.3

120.9 69.5 598.0 42.2 55.3 77.1 195.0 153.4 11.8 683.1 82.0 507.0 130.6 96.6 38.5 75.2 128.5 39.9 87.8 112.4 $3,304.8 $147,232.0

114.5 69.4 565.5 39.9 52.9 100.8 191.9 147.2 12.5 676.0 77.1 476.7 129.1 107.9 37.2 70.1 126.4 37.1 91.9 111.4 $3,235.5 $139,593.2

113.3 71.4 587.7 40.1 51.5 91.9 179.3 135.9 12.4 673.4 75.9 482.8 117.1 101.8 39.0 77.7 130.5 40.5 89.6 111.2 $3,223.0 $237,438.0

112.3 72.4 607.4 40.3 51.7 94.4 173.6 134.4 11.3 662.4 79.8 461.5 94.9 105.2 35.8 73.7 129.5 39.8 82.8 111.4 $3,174.7 $180,162.7

111.7 75.0 610.4 39.9 54.0 103.1 168.5 137.5 11.5 592.7 74.8 501.0 93.0 105.7 41.7 82.5 133.1 36.9 77.7 106.8 $3,157.6 $173,362.8

N I L L I Chicago Fed Midwest % change 06-10 Manufacturing Index

p q q p p q p p p p p p p q q q q p p p p q

8.2% 7.3% 2.0% 5.8% 2.4% 25.2% 15.7% 11.6% 2.6% 15.3% 9.6% 1.2% 40.4% 8.6% 7.7% 8.8% 3.5% 8.1% 13.0% 5.2% 4.6% 15.1%

The CFMMI is a monthly estimate by major industry of manufacturing output in the Seventh Federal Reserve District states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. It is a composite index of 15 manufacturing industries, including auto and steel, that uses electrical power and hours worked data to measure monthly changes in regional activity. It is compared here to the national Industrial Production index for Manufacturing (IPMFG). Base year is 2007. Starting in November 2005, the index excluded the electricity component. 105 104 103 102

IPMFG Oct 11 92.5

100 98 94 90 88 86 84 82

SOURCE: LATEST STATISTICS AVAILABLE FROM THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. FIGURES ARE IN MILLIONS.

81 80

Unemployment rates for Southern Illinois counties, state and nation Labor force Alexander Franklin Gallatin Hamilton Hardin Jackson Jefferson Johnson Massac Perry Pope Pulaski Randolph Saline Union Washington White Williamson .,REGION ILLINOIS U.S.

3,058 18,016 2,648 4,008 1,900 33,603 20,408 5,311 7,275 9,651 1,958 2,760 15,801 13,184 8,314 8,601 7,923 35,745 200,164 6,618,567 154,088,000

Jobless 370 2,008 241 331 194 2,542 1,831 515 634 1,006 184 283 1,282 1,278 912 607 629 3,053 17,900 630,871 13,102,000

Oct 2011

Sept 2011

Oct 2010

12.1% 11.1% 9.1% 8.3% 10.2% 7.6% 9.0% 9.7% 8.7% 10.4% 9.4% 10.3% 8.1% 9.7% 11.0% 7.1% 7.9% 8.5% 8.9% 9.5% 8.5%

11.8% 11.6% 8.9% 8.1% 10.0% 7.5% 8.8% 9.6% 9.2% 10.4% 9.5% 10.0% 8.1% 9.6% 10.8% 7.0% 7.7% 8.6% 9.3% 9.5% 8.8%

11.1% 11.5% 9.7% 9.0% 10.3% 7.3% 8.6% 10.1% 8.0% 10.5% 10.0% 10.0% 8.2% 9.5% 10.4% 7.1% 8.0% 8.6% 9.3% 9.0% 9.0%

SOURCE: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. FIGURES ARE NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED.

Change month p q p p p p p p q q p

p p p p q q q

0.3 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.5 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.4 0.0 0.3

Change year p q q q q q p q p q q p q p p q q q p q

76 74

CFMMI Oct 11

1.0 72 85.5 0.4 70 68 0.6 0.7 66 0.1 64M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O ’11 ’10 0.3 0.4 SOURCE: FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CHICAGO 0.4 0.7 0.1 0.6 0.3 Oct 11 Oct 10 Change 0.1 0.2 MONTHLY TOTALS 0.6 884 736 p 20.1% 0.0 YTD TOTALS 0.1 0.1 3,459 2,650 p 30.5% 0.4 2010 2009 Change 0.5 ANNUAL TOTALS 0.5 7,478 2,750 p 171.9%

Williamson County Regional Airport passengers

I S I N Consumer credit score

Credit scores are numeric reflections of financial behavior and credit worthiness and they are based on information included in a credit report. Ranging from 330 to 830, a higher score means a lower credit risk. Scores are from December 2011.

Alexander Franklin Gallatin Hamilton Hardin Jackson Jefferson Johnson Massac Perry Pope Pulaski Randolph Saline Union Washington White Williamson REGION

10 80 25 18 7 117 66 29 24 53 13 11 70 71 36 49 42 148 869

10 76 20 17 5 125 73 23 19 42 6 9 88 68 43 33 44 159 860

698

Carbondale

Region

699

692

State

U. S.

O R S U of I Flash Index

Total cars, trucks sold based on title applications filed. Excludes motorcycles, trailers.

New vehicle sales Oct 10

694

SOURCE: EXPERIAN

Oct 11

p p p p q q p p p p p q p q p q q p

Change

2010

0.0% 5.3% 25.0% 5.9% 40.0% 6.4% 9.6% 26.1% 26.3% 26.2% 116.7% 22.2% 20.5% 4.4% 16.3% 48.5% 4.5% 6.9% 1.0%

126 965 222 236 97 1,320 848 327 269 558 73 129 844 793 486 446 571 1,796 10,097

2009 137 989 184 224 94 1,348 842 353 278 565 85 124 936 719 447 515 471 1,868 10,179

q q p p p q p q q q q p q p p q p q q

Change 8.0% 3.3% 20.7% 5.4% 3.2% 2.1% 0.7% 7.4% 3.2% 1.2% 14.1% 4.0% 9.8% 10.3% 8.7% 13.4% 21.2% 3.9% 0.8%

Home sales Alexander Franklin Gallatin Hamilton Hardin Jackson Jefferson Johnson Massac Perry Pope Pulaski Randolph Saline Union Williamson ILLINOIS

4 70 5 0 6 107 87 20 25 20 5 2 28 38 31 172 29,644

Q3 10 5 71 2 0 4 99 67 25 22 27 2 1 31 33 21 165 24,719

SOURCE: ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

Change

q 20.0% q 1.4% p 150.0% 0.0% p 50.0% p 8.1% p 29.9% q 20.0% p 13.6% q 25.9% p 150.0% p 100.0% q 9.7% p 15.2% p 47.6% p 4.2% p 19.9%

Nov 11 98.7

2010 19 259 8 8 8 358 264 78 91 116 8 6 131 122 84 590 103,455

2009 15 258 9 7 13 382 278 64 92 126 6 13 135 100 94 654 107,782

p p q p q q q p q q p q q p q q q

' 09

' 10

' 11

SOURCE: INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Hotel/motel stats

Consumer Price Index

Total amount of revenue generated in Carbondale by hotels and motels for room rentals only.

The CPI measures average price changes of goods and services over time, with a reference base of 100 in 1982-84.To put into context, a current CPI of 194.5 means a market basket of goods and services that cost $100 in 1982-84 now costs $194.50.

July 11 July 10 MONTHLY TOTALS YTD TOTALS $4,460,511

Change

$716,125 p

$734,276

$4,386,234 p

2009 ANNUAL TOTALS

2008

Change 26.7% 0.4% 11.1% 14.3% 38.5% 6.3% 5.0% 21.9% 1.1% 7.9% 33.3% 53.8% 3.0% 22.0 % 10.6% 9.8% 4.0%

$41,750 $40,700 $57,000 $0 $80,000 $100,500 $90,000 $99,750 $70,000 $82,750 $75,000 $66,250 $92,000 $64,450 $99,000 $115,000 $145,500

$50,000 $42,500 $35,800 $0 $75,750 $104,000 $78,000 $62,000 $89,750 $75,000 $15,000 $39,000 $83,900 $47,000 $115,000 $98,000 $153,000

2.5%

228

226

1.7%

Change

$7,520,856 p

MEDIAN SALES PRICE Q3 11 Q3 10

Total units sold, including condominiums

Q3 11

108 107 106 105 104 103 102 101 100 99 98 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 90 89

$7,725,727

SOURCE: ILLINOIS SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE. LATEST DATA AVAILABLE.

The Flash Index is an early indicator of the Illinois economy’s expected performance. It is a weighted average of growth rates in corporate earnings, consumer spending and personal income. An index above 100 indicates expected growth; an index below 100 indicates the economy is contracting.

224

U.S. city average Nov 11 226.2

222

220

2.7%

218

216

q q p

p q p p q p p p p p q p q

Change 16.5% 4.2% 59.2% 0.0% 5.6% 3.4% 15.4% 60.9% 22.0% 10.3% 400.0% 69.9% 9.7% 37.1% 13.9% 17.3% 4.9%

214

Midwest urban Nov 11 215.6

212

210

208 N D ‘10

M ’11

SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Prices at the pump Average price per gallon of regular, unleaded gas as of Dec. 19 and Nov. 28, 2011.

Metro East Springfield Illinois U.S. SOURCE: AAA

Dec 11

Nov 11

Dec 10

$3.24 $3.19 $3.30 $3.22

$3.20 $3.17 $3.40 $3.30

$3.15 $3.04 $3.09 $2.98

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

JANUARY 2012

Investments Wider investment opportunities may be found abroad BY MICHAEL P. TISON SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

American investors tend to get a bad rap when the discussion turns to investing abroad. Many market observers note that avoiding foreign investment opportunities means Tison forgoing the sometimes favorable returns international investing can offer. American investors are too insular, which indicates a lack of awareness that much of the world’s investment value is outside of the U.S. It is true; only 40 percent of American investors own foreign stocks or bonds. However insular that may appear, this trend apparently is less pronounced in the U.S. than in most foreign countries. Figures from Franklin Templeton Investments show that on a global basis, only 34 percent of investors own assets based outside of their home nations. For investors everywhere, it seems, home country bias is widespread. That doesn’t mean it’s wise to ignore the global possibilities because research shows

a portfolio leavened with international elements can potentially increase returns, sometimes substantially. And, hunting for value abroad is no longer the difficult chore it was years ago. Certainly, some special risks remain, but others may be easing. Emerging democracies are beefing up their accounting and financial regulations because they want to present reliable markets to the world’s investors. Of course, as headlines from the Middle East and Europe this year illustrate, there are pockets where figures can’t be trusted, where accounting systems are not standardized, where corruption remains a problem and where political uncertainty makes investors justifiably wary. At an earlier time, it was thought that investing abroad gave investors access to markets that tended to move differently from one another and the U.S. markets. Instant communication and globalization have negated that to a large degree; and, nowadays, as the last few years have indicated, the world’s markets tend to move in tandem. But, the potential value of investing internationally will not be denied. As measured by capitalization figures, approximately 58 percent of world stock investment potential is located outside of the U.S. On the fixed-income front,

60 percent of the world’s investment opportunities are in developing and emerging economies and in corporations represented on foreign bond markets.

Deciding upon foreign exposure As with most financial questions, there is no universal answer concerning the percentage of your portfolio that might be advantageously invested in foreign stocks and bonds. Financial experts tend to agree only on the idea that foreign exposure is a sound idea. How much is a separate question, and recommendations can vary, although most seem to settle into the 10 to 20 percent range. Only you can decide what is prudent and within your own comfort zone.

Examining your existing portfolio There is one first step everyone can take, and that is to look within your portfolio to determine how much global exposure you already have. Without trying to go global, you may have investments that are international in scope. If you own stock in large U.S. firms that do business around the world — think of major oil companies, earth-moving equipment manufacturers or soft drink providers, among others — you have an interest in the global economy

because the income and profits of such firms depend to a significant extent on foreign sales and the state of the currency market. If you’re inclined to diversify by assigning a portion of your portfolio to foreign assets, you may want to make that inclusive of foreign exposure you already have.

Quantifying the foreign element You have several choices in how to invest abroad — in individual stocks and bonds, through mutual funds or via exchange-traded funds. The question remains as to how much of your assets to put in foreign hands. There is no “correct” apportionment, but one approach considers your investment goals and risk tolerance, along with your time horizon. Saving for retirement, with a high-risk tolerance and a longtime horizon, you might hold 20 percent of your large stock portfolio in international equities. As your time horizon shortens and you begin to hold a larger part of your portfolio in fixedincome investments, you might want some of those holdings in foreign government or corporate bonds. SEE INVESTMENTS / PAGE 15

Workplace Something to remember: Your employees are your customers BY DENA KIRK SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

We often spend much more time with our co-workers and customers than we do with our families and friends. Do our relationships with our co-workers and customers look

Kirk

like the relationships we have with our families and friends? The magic formula that successful businesses have discovered is to treat employees like family and customers like friends, where the line between personal and professional is often blurred. When employees are valued, they work harder. A company that has a culture that treats employees with care and respect also has the capability to delight and amaze its customers. Great leaders create

environments where employees are empowered and confident. Research has shown that when employee satisfaction is approached as aggressively as customer satisfaction, companies place themselves well ahead of the competition. As leaders, we must create a culture and an infrastructure that support meaningful interactions with both our employees and our customers. Although your customers and employees play different roles in the success of your business, they both

contribute to its longevity. Good employee relations will affect the bottom line. Having employees who want to do a good job will drive revenue and lower costs. Building a relationship with an employee involves more than just being courteous and nice. It’s about identifying a human connection that deepens the sense of trust and confidence and finding a common bond. According to Patrick Lencioni, author of SEE WORKPLACE / PAGE 23

JANAUARY 2012

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

INVESTMENTS FROM PAGE 14 You would probably want to diversify carefully within the general investment classes, ensuring that you have an appropriate mix of large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap exposure among your equity holdings, and appropriate proportions of government and corporate bonds among your fixedincome assets. Whatever your decisions, prudent

Copiers Printers Office Furniture Cash Registers P.O.S. Systems Office Supplies Shredders

investors make them carefully and in consultation with their financial advisers. Investing internationally may add excitement and novelty to your portfolio, but while the potential advantages are real, so are the risks, and they may be different from what you’re used to on the domestic front. MICHAEL P. TISON is an investment adviser and registered principal with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., with offices in Harrisburg and Marion. He can be reached at 618-253-4444 or michael.tison@ raymondjames.com.

618.684.6550 Toll Free: 800.455.7262 Fax: 618.684.3312 2139 Walnut St., Murphysboro, IL modernofficeconnections.com

F M G R Feirich / Mager / Green / Ryan

Attorneys at Law Providing Business and Personal Legal Services to the Midwest Commercial Transactions Workers’ Compensation Labor Negotiations Employment Matters Municipal Law

Administrative Law Banking Law Real Estate Transactions Probate and Estate Planning Business Organization

Located in the Westown Centre • 2001 West Main, Carbondale • (618) 529-3000

Visit our web site at www.fmgr.com

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

JANUARY 2012

Achievements Engineering and Energy Processes at SIU, has been named a fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The fellow grade is the highest elected grade of membership in ASME.

Faces in the news

Steinbach retires, Woosley joins staff Poshard

Smith

Steinbach

Woosley

Porter

Cagle

Thies

Bigham

Kruse

Alcoy

Prudencio

Clay

Faces in the news Have you been promoted? Send a photo. Has a colleague at work completed an intensive continuing education program? Send a photo. Others in the business community will want to know it, so please consider passing on your employment news and photos to the Southern Business Journal. Feel free to email the information to sbj@thesouthern.com.

Poshard receives Ethanol Award SIU President Glenn Poshard was recognized by Illinois Corn Growers Association for his work in support of the ethanol industry during the association’s annual meeting recently in Bloomington. Poshard was presented with the Ethanol Award, which recognizes the contributions of individuals who promote the ethanol industry.

Smith attends Medicare conference Pat Smith of Pat Smith Nurse Consulting, Inc., in Cutler attended the National Alliance of Medicare Set-Side Professionals’ annual meeting and educational conference recently in New Orleans. Some of the topics discussed were ethics, liability issues and the latest court cases. Smith, a certified lifetime nurse care planner and Medicare Set-Aside consultant, also attended the American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners

educational conference in Kansas City, Mo. The focus of this conference was traumatic brain injury.

Banterra Bank joins OMEGA network Banterra Bank recently joined OMEGA network of 20-plus banks operating nationwide. With 7,000 active merchants, OMEGA Processing serves a wide spectrum of businesses. Based in Eldorado, Banterra Bank has 28 facilities in Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana and Missouri. A new processing partnership with OMEGA Processing Solutions, LLC, the national payments powerhouse from Fort Thomas, Ky., further augments Banterra’s commitment to customer service, particularly to its business customers.

Extra Help, Inc. to receive chamber award Marion Area Chamber of Commerce recently announced that the 2011

Find more business news at www.sbj.biz.

Business/Industry of the Year Award will go to Extra Help, Inc. in Marion. Founded in 1995 by Teresa Katubig, Extra Help has 29 employees, with facilities in Marion, Edwardsville and St. Louis, and more than 1,000 clients in 31 states. The chamber will present the award at its annual banquet Jan. 20 in the Williamson County Pavilion in Marion.

Hospital earns gold seal of accreditation Pinckneyville Community Hospital has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in mammography as the result of a recent American College of Radiology review. The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety.

Esmaeeli named ASME fellow Ashgar Esmaeeli, Ph.D., a resident of Carbondale and an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical

Diana Steinbach recently retired from the office of Michael Clay, DMD, in Murphysboro after 46 years as a dental hygienist. She has worked for three dentists during her career, which has been spent in the same office in Murphysboro. Amanda Woosley recently joined Clay’s staff as a dental hygienist. A native of Murphysboro, Woosley graduated from John A. Logan College’s dental hygiene program.

Porter named appearance coordinator Tammy Porter of Marion has been named Miss Illinois’ new appearance coordinator. Porter is owner and president of Personal Health Advocates, Inc. in Marion. She worked as a registered nurse for 20 years in Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and Western Kentucky. Her hometown is West Frankfort.

Hospital to offer mobile nuclear medicine services Hamilton Memorial Hospital District in McLeansboro now offers mobile nuclear medicine services. DMS Health Technologies, a national mobile diagnostic imaging services provider, recently signed a multi-year agreement with the hospital. The accredited mobile unit offers patients a clean, clinical setting for their scan, which is conducted by a professional nuclear medicine technologist.

Joy Global’s growth leads to NY Stock Exchange Joy Global, Inc. recently completed the transfer of its stock listing to the New York Stock Exchange. The company’s common stock had been trading on NASDAQ under the JOYG symbol. Locally, Joy Global has more than 40 employees at facilities in Mount Vernon and Nashville.

icing: In a small saucepan, cook egg, sugar, flour, butter and pineapple with juice over very low heat (if heat

Pepsi MidAmerica Wishes You A Happy and Safe Holiday!

7 UP Cake with Coconut Frosting Recipe Ingredients Cake: 1 cup butter, softened ½ cup vegetable shortening 2 ½ cups sugar 5 eggs 1 teaspoon lemon extract 3 cups flour 7 ounces, 7UP, at room temperature

Coconut frosting: 1 egg, beaten ¾ cup sugar 1 tablespoon flour 2 tablespoons butter 8 ½ ounces crushed pineapple, undrained 3 ½ ounces flaked coconut

Directions: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan and set aside. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and shortening with the sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add lemon extract. Add flour and 7UP alternately, beating after each addition. Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 80 minutes or until cake tests done. Remove from oven and place pan on wire rack to cool for 30 minutes, then turn out cake onto wire rack to cool completely. Prepare icing: In a small saucepan, cook egg, sugar, flour, butter and pineapple with juice over very low heat (if heat is too high, the egg will curdle). Stir frequently and cook until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut and blend well. Spread on cooled cake.

www.pepsimidamerica.com 1.800.827.7020

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

JANUARY 2012

Achievements Marion office named Branch of the Year

Farm agency in Steeleville. Owned by agent Terrin Thies, the office is at 311 W. Broadway in downtown Steeleville. Thies, whose roots are in Steeleville and the surrounding area, had recently been living in Bloomington-Normal. He graduated from Illinois State University and then moved on to State Farm Insurance, where he has been working for the last six years.

Branch of the Year for the IllinoisWisconsin region of Heights Finance, a subsidiary of Mid Country Financial, has been awarded to the Marion branch at 1301 Enterprise Way. The Marion office is one of 60 branches in the region. Jeff Sobel is branch manager for the Marion office. He has been with Heights Finance since 1978 and has received Bigham joins Blake Law Group numerous awards throughout the years. Matthew D. Bigham recently joined Missy Moore, the senior customer service Blake Law Group, P.C., which has offices in representative, has been there 11 years. And, Kirstin Antes in CSR has been there Belleville, Collinsville, Edwardsville and Waterloo. five years. Bigham received his undergraduate degree from University of Illinois and his Baptist Express clinic opens law degree from St. Louis University School in Walmart of Law. Baptist Express Care, affiliated with Western Baptist Hospital, recently opened Stine Seed agronomist a clinic in Walmart SuperCenter on Irvin earns credentials Cobb Drive in Paducah. Stine Seed Co. regional sales agronomist The clinic provides fast, affordable access to basic health care services, such as Kyle Ross of Lagro, Ind., recently was named a certified professional agronomist check-ups, vaccinations, screenings and by the American Society of Agronomy. minor injuries for people 3 and older. It is Ross serves growers in Southern Illinois, open seven days a week. Southern Indiana and Kentucky.

Kempf recognized for top-producing agency Carolyn Kempf of Elite Travel, Inc. has been recognized as having the top producing agency for Hawaii in Southeast Missouri. Kempf represented Cape Girardeau recently at the second annual Hawaii Travel Exchange in Maui. The event brought together the top 150 travel agents in the nation to take part in property site inspections and educational sessions.

Hammet elected ABDI director David Hammet, general manager of Golden Eagle Distributing, LLC in Marion, recently was elected to the Board of Directors of Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois. Hammet will serve a three-year term representing the southern region of Illinois. Originally from Kentucky, he has been in the beer distribution business since 1988.

Melhorn named top sales advisor Cagle wins 12th Cadillac from Mary Kay Mary Kay senior sales director Jane Cagle of Energy recently received the keys to a new Cadillac in recognition for having achieved Mary Kay’s Cadillac-level sales award. This is the 12th free Cadillac Cagle has won during the last 30 years. She won it on July 1 and picked it up Oct. 4 at Marion Chevrolet Cadillac.

Thies opens State Farm office A ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 1 celebrated the opening day for a new State

Advisory Board. Hassakis is a trial attorney who represents injured victims in Southern Illinois and upstate.

Parton attends insurance seminar John Parton of Marion, a Modern Woodmen of America representative, recently completed a five-day educational program at Modern Woodmen’s home office in Rock Island.

ISP raises $4K in charity auction

Illinois State Police District 19 recently raised more than $4,350 from a charity auction and other monetary donations. Local hospitals As a result of the auction, District 19 will achieve recognition be able to make a $625 donation to Hamilton Memorial Hospital District in charitable organizations already identified McLeansboro, Hardin County General in all of the seven counties it serves. The Hospital in Rosiclare and Washington donations are being made to organizations County Hospital in Nashville are three of coordinating programs for underprivileged 51 critical access hospitals in Illinois that children in the area during this holiday have met Medicare requirements for Stage 1 season. meaningful use of electronic health records. Harrah’s Metropolis Critical access hospitals are located in supports United Way small, rural communities throughout the state. Use of electronic health records is Harrah’s Metropolis recently presented a promoted by the Centers for Medicare and check for more than $12,000 to Massac Medicaid and the Office of the National County United Way for the 2011 Coordinator for Health Information fundraising year. The totals are the sum of Technology to improve quality, safety and employee payroll contributions throughout effectiveness of health care. the year and a property donation of $8,000. Massac County United Way supports various local organizations, including Garden receives domestic violence outreach, youth beautification award empowerment and senior citizen care. Lourdes Hospital’s Greenberg Serenity Garden is a recipient of the Paducah Civic Beautification Board’s 2011 annual Business Award. Four businesses, including Lourdes, were selected for this honor for improvements in landscaping or structure. The garden was named for longtime Lourdes Foundation donor Norman Greenberg.

Chris Melhorn of Hurst has achieved top honors for lia sophia’s Excellent Beginnings Program for outstanding sales accomplishments. For more information about lia sophia, contact Melhorn at www.liasophia.com/chrismelhorn.

Marsha Bunyan, a former bank examiner with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations, recently joined the accounting firm of Scheffel & Company, P.C.

Hassakis appointed to advisory board

Pilot Travel Center opens in Marion

Mark D. Hassakis, immediate past president of the Illinois State Bar Association, recently was appointed by Gov. Pat Quinn as a member of the Department of Juvenile Justice

at the pump, as well as high-speed pumps. The Marion facility also features a Subway restaurant; pay phones; an AirVac, fax and copy services; Western Union and money orders; an ATM; lottery and Lotto tickets; an arcade; laundry services; and general merchandise for professional drivers and highway travelers.

Bunyan joins Scheffel & Company

Real Living achieves national recognition The National Association of Realtors recently released figures showing that Real Living, the franchisor of Real Living McCollum Real Estate, is the nation’s fastest-growing real estate company, based on net office growth from 2009 to 2011. David McCollum is broker/owner of Real Living McCollum Real Estate, with offices in Benton and West Frankfort.

Robbins joins medical staff at HRMC

Dr. Tara Robbins has joined the staff of Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion. Robbins is a family practice doctor and Pilot Flying J opened a new Pilot Travel sports medicine specialist. Originally from Center recently at 2611 Vernell Road in Sesser, she has been training in San Diego Marion. The 8,542-square-foot travel and will see patients at Graham Family center features eight fuel islands and six diesel islands, along with DEF and biodiesel Health with Dr. Eric Graham in Marion.

JANAUARY 2012

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

Achievements Kruse to retire from First National Bank

Exhibitors needed for health conference

Kenneth Kruse, senior vice president of operations, is retiring this month after working 48 years for First National Bank of Steeleville. Kruse started his financial career June 15, 1964, in the bookkeeping department. He will remain on the bank’s board of directors, and his plans include operating a tax preparation business. “I plan to die young, as old as possible,” Kruse said.

Exhibitors are needed for the fourth annual Southern Illinois Men’s Health Conference, which will be March 24 at John A. Logan College in Carterville. Businesses or agencies interested in displaying their products and sharing information about their services may purchase exhibit spaces, which are limited and reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for applications is Jan. 31. For more information or to request an exhibitor application, call Women for Health and Wellness, Inc. at 618-985-2828, ext. 8604, or visit www.simenshealth.org.

Therapists complete ASTYM training Three therapists from Joyner Therapy Services recently completed ASTYM certification. Physical therapist Dexter Alcoy and physical therapist assistants Daniel Prudencio and Allen Clay attended training at Performance Dynamics in Indianapolis, Ind. This brings the total number of therapists certified in ASTYM at Joyner Therapy Services to nine. Joyner Therapy Services has clinics in Marion, Harrisburg and Golconda. ASTYM is an evidencebased rehab therapy that stimulates the body’s healing response. Prudencio sees patients in the Marion clinic; Clay and Alcoy see patients in the Golconda clinic.

Former JALC director joins firm Lyndsay Hughes, former director of Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center at John A. Logan College in Carterville, recently joined Atlas Professional Consulting, LLC as vice president of contractual services. Hughes specializes in government contracting. Most recently, she helped small businesses in Southern Illinois pursue and obtain government contracts at the local, state and federal levels. During that time, she helped companies in the Southern Illinois region generate more than $450 million in government contracts.

AT A GLANCE Course to help businesses prepare disaster plan Preparing your business for a disaster can help save lives, merchandise and money. That’s why University of Illinois Extension is offering “Ready Business,” a disaster preparedness course for businesses. Taught in a classroom setting, this 6.5-hour course will be offered from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 21 in Anna (location to be determined); Feb. 22 in Gambit Event Center in Vienna; and Feb. 23 in Harrah’s Conference Center in Metropolis. This course is for owners, managers and employees of small and medium-sized businesses. Cost is $35 per participant; seating is limited to the first 50 who register. After taking part in this training, participants will understand the need for business continuity and disaster preparedness planning; know the concepts of business continuity and disaster preparedness planning; discover their disaster risks; and begin writing their individual disaster plans. Find more business news To enroll in this course, call Johnson at www.sbj.biz. County extension office at 618-658-5321 before Feb. 10.

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The Illinois Small Business Development Center/International Trade Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and hoted by Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

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JANAUARY 2012

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

Business Fine Print Building permits Marion Williamson County Habitat for Humanity, 112 S. Vicksburg, $30,000 Roofers Mart, Inc., 3309 Commercial Loop, $42,278 Glenda McDonald, 1705 Felts Drive, $220,000

Metropolis John Baker, 715 E. 8th St., $1,000 Sharon Borden, 1018 Market St., $2,500 Little Tractor, 1641 W. 10th St., $10,000 Wiley Godfrey, P.O. Box 117, $42,895

Mount Vernon Martin McCluskey, 900 7th St., $0 Pilot Travel Center, 4610 Broadway, $130,000 Kathy Moon, 1316 George, $0 Downtown Development, 820 Main, $0 Good Samaritan Regional Health, 4003 Veterans Memorial, $9,854,623 Tom Newton, 14262 N. Memory Lane, $0 Tom Newton, 14262 N. Memor y Lane, $10,000 Dustyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Outdoor Media, 4303 Broadway, $0 City of Mount Vernon, 2404 Forest, $0 Neeta Kaushal, 16 Kingsridge, $75,000 City of Mount Vernon Public Works, 12th and Casey, $1,500 Scott Mactaggert, 616 10th St., $1,500 Ed Sanders, 600 21st St., $2,500 Brad Por ter, 4348 Woodglen Acres, $130,000 Old National Bank, 400 34th St., $100,000 Community First Bank of the Heartland, 900 42nd St., $5,800 Richard Towal, 728 Kensington, $21,852 Larry and Michelle Gowler, 16610 E. Fairfield Road, $3,000 Sensation Station, 206 Main St., $0 Farm Credit Ser vices, 410 Potomac, $1,197,870

Murphysboro Paul Thompson, 52 Crescent Drive, $1,000 Brenda Staple, 2128 Dewey St., $4,200 Paul Thompson, 601 Walnut St., $3,000 Margie Gale, 1316 Illinois Ave., $4,000 Frank Cano, 708 S. 21st St., $995 Christopher Adamow, 2014 Commercial Ave., $3,200 Larr y Reardon, 2125 Hor tense St., $2,208 Jim and Sharon Lawless, 1332 Olive St., $10,000 Wayne Derouin, 1003 Roberta Drive, $4,500

Ralph Bastien, 1303 Illinois Ave., $1,770 L. E. Gray, 632 N. 11th St., $9,000 Paula Duncan, 2111 Wall St., $15,110 Cindy McCoy, 1923 Division St., $25,028

Bankruptcies Chapter 7 James S. Morrison, 6408 Wilson Road, Oakdale Kenneth Joe Carter, 1155 Glenbeth Drive, Carbondale Brian K. and Angela K. Paris, 1412 Sycamore Road, Carterville Michael J. Badali, 15880 U.S. 45 North, New Burnside Stephanie Davis Campbell, P.O. Box 4, Carmi Janice D. Stoops, 1681 Finney Road, Murphysboro John M. Jones, 615 N. Jackson, Harrisburg Daniel Shane Mayberry, 3608 Elm St., Cairo Connie C. Morrison, 801 Candy Lane, No. 43, Marion Edward K. and Mar y C. Wittenbrink, 252 Debra Lane, Sparta Robert Dale and Carolyn D. Robertson, 705 W. Broadway St., Sparta Bobby E. and Julie N. Helton, 401 N. 18th, Herrin Kirk W. and Brittany L. Baugher Jr., 355 Liberty Road, Harrisburg Kenneth R. and Myrtle M. Lawson, 985 Sugar Creek Road, Goreville Jerr y R. and Jody L. Page, 600 Pleasant Court, Marion Dawn L. Siwinski, 565 Mallards Landing, Tunnel Hill Bradley M. and Martha A. Weber, 123 Baggott St., Zeigler Brian S. Wright, 104 S. Division, Mount Carmel Robert M. and Loretta M. McConkey, 1312 Opdyke St., Chester Carole M. Jones, 12624 N. Liebengood Lane, Mount Vernon Jason C. and Kimberly D. Graff, 10414 Hickory Ridge Road, Murphysboro GreenRetreat, LLC, 3925 Chautauqua Road, Carbondale Barry L. and Barbara D. Jones, 907 S. Russell St., Marion Davy W. Dippold, P.O. Box 1523, Benton Sophie Smith, P.O. Box 11, Ullin John D. Pas, 10928 N. Panzier Lane, Ashley Brian S. Jann, 609 High St., Eldorado Micah D. and Katie M. Thorn, 519 N. Division, Carterville Lia Jo Novack, 1422 Mann Place, Carmi

Christopher A. Lyall, P.O. Box 3963, Carbondale Harvey L. Hammers, P.O. Box 1223, Marion Ian Vickers, 406 Oak St., Anna Jesse Brian Farlow, 8555 City Lake Road, Du Quoin Linda K. Stein, 913 Illinois Ave., Murphysboro Melissa May Moore, 319 W. Fourth St., Mount Carmel Floyd Kirk Jr., 1001 Catherine St., Metropolis John Theodore and Anna Faye Heflin, 1774 Belgrade Road, Metropolis Jeffrey L. and Heather K. Lemons, 1042 Fairfield Road, Mount Vernon Karen Suzanne Tullis, P.O. Box 53, Geff Jason A. and Deborah J. Harrelson, 203 Meadow Hills Drive, McLeansboro Casey A. Emery, P.O. Box 53, Stonefort Mark Allan and Tammy Sue Phillips, P.O. Box 197, Cambria Deborah Kaye Reed, 1400 W. Chestnut St., Marion Johnny R. and Darlene Schneider, P.O. Box 514, Dongola Carl C. and Susan Sanders, 315 Harrison, Mount Vernon Ronnie Lee Welch, 820 22nd St., Cairo Benjamin J. and Tequila A. Young, 95 Country Club Lane, Anna David A. and Amanda M. Zmuda Jr., P.O. Box 184, Cypress Amy M. Hepler, 2204 E. Clark, West Frankfort Kevin D. Porter, 3402 Veterans Memorial Drive, Apt. 508, Mount Vernon Melvin W. Wilson, 311 W. Church St., West Salem Jody B. Benbrook, 305 Barr St., Carterville Karen J. Frattini, 904 N. Highland, Apt. C, Marion Christopher M. and Tammy L. Head, 12352 S. Park Road, Benton

Chapter 13 Terry K. and Mindy S. Angleton, P.O. Box 556, Rosiclare Howard W. Blythe, 1505 N. Maureen, Marion Bennardo E. Gallo, P.O. Box 118, Benton Jerry D. and Mary E. Evans Sr., 720 Pear St., Carterville Michael H. and Mary E. Thomas, 201 S. Olive, Carterville Scott Andrew and Cynthia Jo Parrone, 815 N. 22nd St., Murphysboro Linda M. Lenard, 902 S. State St., Christopher Lori A. Farr, 207 24th St., Cairo Earl H. and Helen J. Todd, 401 N. 18th, Herrin Chanel M. Lane, 220 N. Blanche, Mounds

Wilma Bayley, 553 County Road, 1050 E., Norris City Jerry D. Meyer, 7 Court C., Herrin Christopher T. Larimer, 809 Davis St., Johnston City Cindy Edna Tegtmeier, 403 E. Jackson, Marion Tammy S. Agin, 1330 S. McKinley, Harrisburg Cindy A. Peters, 303 Meadow, Royalton Ricky Joe and Cathy Lynn Cronin, 1094 County Road 1700 N., Carmi James W. and Karla M. Noel, 316 Lindsey Drive, Metropolis Juan P. and Rosa SL Caballero, 1117 Olive Branch Road, Mounds Deborah L. Hale, 608 W. Maple St., Nashville Carolyn Sue Tuttle, P.O. Box 10, Colp Carla Jo Tapley, 430 Thompson Lane, Simpson Carla J. Mohring 1912 E. Clark, West Frankfort David L. McKinnies, 501 Kathleen Road, Du Quoin Karla S. Coleman, 13747 N. Two Mile Creek Lane, Mount Vernon Mark L. and Janet R. Lukens, 112 N. Eighth, Herrin Vicki R. Douglas, 1112 S. Feazel St., Harrisburg Derek L. and Michelle L. Key, 7547 Norris Drive, Marion Mandy D. Kahl, 280 Sweet Potato Road, Dongola Tina M. Juee, 1203 Durham Drive, Johnston City Dennis R. and Tiffany A. Jones II, 3033 Dr. Springs Road, Carterville Francene Renee Brock, 508 N. Stuyvesant St., Benton Sylvia Lorene Beadles, Route 1, Box 117, Ellery Daniel K. and Victoria A. Hicks, 208 W. Locust St., Harrisburg Keith L. Kiner, P.O. Box 481, Sparta Eric P. and Kimberly L. Boyd Tarver, 314 W. Walnut St., Carbondale Joe R. and Debra K. Couch, 1641 County Road 225 East, Albion Christopher Ames Hamblin, 904 W. Monroe, Herrin Troy Brian and Robin Ann Hurt, 508 N. State, Crossville Jeffrey A. and Robyn L. Bryant Clover, 132 Francis Lane, Murphysboro Bradley S. and Melany D. Tracy, Route 1, Box 115, Noble Kenneth L. McSparin, P.O. Box 111, Pittsburg Kristina L. Otterness, 2 Greenbriar Lane, Chester Teddy E. and Tina M. Leek, 29 Olmsted Road, Villa Ridge

JANAUARY 2012

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

Mark Your Calendar Jan. 4

Jan. 13

Beginning Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Beginning QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Jan. 5

Jan. 17

Beginning Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Beginning Adobe Photoshop: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H123, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Intermediate Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Jan. 9 Beginning Outlook 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H123, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Jan. 10 Beginning Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Beginning iPad 101: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H127, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Jan. 11 Intermediate Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Time & Stress Management: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F110, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Cost is $90.

Jan. 12 Intermediate Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Beginning Adobe Illustrator: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H123, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Jan. 18 Beginning Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Jan. 19 Beginning Excel 2010: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. iPad for Educators: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F119, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Beginning iPad 101: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H127, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Jan. 25 Intermediate Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Beginning Adobe Flash Professional: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H123, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Team Building: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F109, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Cost is $90.

Jan. 26 Advanced Excel 2010: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Jan. 20

Jan. 27

Beginning Access 2010: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Beginning Adobe inDesign: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H123, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Beginning Adobe Flash Catalyst: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H123, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Jan. 23 Intermediate Excel 2010 : 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Beginning Adobe Dreamweaver: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H123, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Advanced Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to

Feb. 2 Beginning Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Beginning Adobe Photoshop: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H123, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Feb. 3 Beginning QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Feb. 6 Beginning Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Feb. 7 Beginning Access 2010: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H123, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Feb. 8 Intermediate Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Jan. 30 Beginning Adobe Acrobat Pro: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H123, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Jan. 31 Beginning Adobe Bridge: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H123, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Feb. 9 Beginning Excel 2010: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Beginning Adobe Illustrator: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H123, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Feb. 10 Feb. 1

Jan. 24

Center for Business & Industry.

Beginning Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College

iPad 101: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H127, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

For more information on John A. Logan or to register for classes, call 618-985-2828, ext. 8510 or email cbi@jalc.edu. John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry is at 700 College Road, Carterville, and cost is $55 unless otherwise noted.

WORKPLACE: Your employees are your customers FROM PAGE 14 “The Three Signs of a Miserable Job,” there are positive ways to value employees and treat them as your customers. Lencioni notes that miserable jobs aren’t about the work the employee does, it’s about the misery an employee suffers. It is important to value people. The book discusses change that each of us can achieve by valuing people. The three areas to evaluate are as follows: Anonymity: All human beings need to be

appreciated. Do you know the people you work with? Their interests, what they do with their time, where they are at in their lives today. Irrelevance: Employees need to know that their job affects the success of the organization. They need to understand the vision beyond what they are doing and how their job directly influences others. Self-assessment: Do your employees know how to assess their own success? Do employees have a means for assessing success or measuring performance in a

Find more business news at www.sbj.biz.

way that is relevant to what they do? Lencioni puts it bluntly: “No one gets out of bed in the morning to program software or assemble furniture or do whatever it is that accountants do. They get out of bed to live their lives, and their work tasks are only a part of their lives. People want to be managed as people, not as mere workers.” What is the difference between a good company and a great one? The people. In addition, how do you get people to give their all to care for their customers? Treat

them like family. Employees who are happy at their workplace have your customer’s interests in mind because they know they are a valued part of your company. Employees who are treated like family members have a feeling of belonging and contributing to something bigger than themselves. DENA KIRK is a supercoach and service excellence adviser at Herrin Hospital, where she also serves as administrative director for SIH and RIC Rehabilitation Services.

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