MAY 2010
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COVER STORY Looking for work: Even though there are encouraging signs nationally about economic recovery, the prospect for job seekers in Southern Illinois is not yet rosy. Our region tends to trail national tendencies, which is good when the trend is job losses but not as desirable when the trend is job creation. It won’t be an easy time for new graduates or for students seeking summer work; but some job categories show promise, and skilled workers who are job-ready always are in demand. Tip: It might require some out-of-the-box thinking for job applicants, such as determining all fields that need your skills. Pages 4-5
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS Waiting for a verdict on Obamacare: Business people are just as anxious as health care customers about the impact of the recently approved federal health care reform package. Some businesses are concerned about the costs of extra paperwork and requirements, and there are fears about the new costs affecting the ability to create and fund new jobs. There are bright spots, too. Some smaller categories may greatly benefit from new federal subsidies. Go deeper on the details in this month’s report from regular SBJ Contributor Scott McClatchey. Page 7
SOLUTIONS Wind and fire and rain: If there ever was an act of nature that sounded an alarm for business people in Southern Illinois, it sounded on May 8, 2009.
Corbell Telephone and Electronics ........ 5
20 10 That’s when the devastating winds of an unusual weather formation known as a “super derecho” rocked the region, causing millions in damages and knocking businesses out of commission. Are you prepared to cope if a calamity affects your business? If you haven’t yet developed a plan, doing so could mean the difference between being shut down for only a few days or losing your livelihood. Page 11
Feirich, Mager, Green & Ryan ................ 5
Health Alliance .................................. 17
INDICATORS Regional economy looking brighter: Unemployment eased slightly – 0.1 percent – in the 18-county Southern Illinois region during February, the last month for which complete statistics are available. The jobless rate dropped in 10 of the 18 counties, including a full 1 percent drop in Alexander County. Elsewhere in the indicators, passenger air traffic at the Williamson County Regional Airport soared above the same month a year earlier, while hotel and motel stays in Carbondale improved over the prior year and continued a growth trend. Pages 12-13
WORKPLACE What does a woman want? That essential question was explored long ago by Sigmund Freud, but it remains a valid concern for employers in the modern world. There are many layers to the answer, but women want to work where they are cared about and supported, not mothered, but supported and cared for as an integral member of a community. Does your office feel like a community, a family of sorts? Page 14
Contact us The Southern Business Journal (USPS #019988) 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 e-mail at SBJ@thesouthern.com. The Journal is published 12 times per year monthly, and mailed to businesses, community development leaders, chambers of commerce members and other professionals in Southern Illinois. Periodicals Postage Paid at Carbondale, IL. Copyright 2010 by The Southern Illinoisan, all rights reserved. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Southern Business Journal, P.O. Box 2108, Carbondale, IL 62902. A subscription may be obtained by calling 618-529-5454 or 618-997-3356, or by visiting our Web site.
Egyptian Electric Cooperative.............. 20
Jackson and Gray Insurance ................ 7
Jim’s Mobile Offices and Homes .......... 6
John A. Logan College ........................ 24
Leading Lawyers .................................. 9
Midwest Backgrounds, Inc. ................ 22
Oliver and Associates, Inc. ................ 18
Pepsi MidAmerica .............................. 10
Property with TLC, LLC .......................... 6
Sandberg, Phoenix and Von Gontard .. 20
Publisher: Bob Williams n 618-351-5038 Editor: Gary Metro n 618-351-5033
Southern Illinois Healthcare.................. 8
Advertising: Abby Hatfield n 618-351-5024
Southern Illinois University ................ 15
Circulation: Trisha Woodside n 618-351-5035
University Mall .................................. 13
Database Coordinator: Mark Doman n 618-351-5042
Your Jeweler ...................................... 11
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Mark Your Calendar May 3
May 10
May 17
May 24
Beginning Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, 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.
Beginning Word 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
Intermediate Publisher 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H125, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
May 4
May 11
May 18
May 25
Beginning Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
Intermediate Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
Beginning Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
May 5
May 12
May 19
Beginning Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
Intermediate Publisher 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H125, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
Intermediate Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
Advanced Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Beginning/Intermediate Adobe Acrobat: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H125, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
May 6
May 13
May 20
May 27
Visio 2007: 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 F109, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
Intermediate Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
May 7
May 14
Beginning QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
Intermediate QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
Team Building: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F110, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Cost is $90. Beginning/Intermediate Adobe Photoshop: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H125, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.
May 28 Advanced QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, 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 e-mail cbi@jalc.edu. John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry is located at 700 College Road, Carterville, and cost is $55 unless otherwise noted.
Your Business Lean practice: Value-added vs. non-value-added activity BY STACE ENGLAND SBJ CONTRIBUTOR
In the January issue of the Southern Business Journal, one of my colleagues at Southern Illinois Healthcare reviewed the concept of identifying waste in Lean business practices. Another England important Lean concept is distinguishing value-added vs. non-value-added activity. A simple explanation of value-added activity is something your customer is willing to pay for. A good health care example most of us can relate to is going to a hospital or lab for blood tests. All the customer wants, or is willing to pay for, is
the test results. However, many steps occur in a typical lab experience to get those results. The customer signs in, goes through registration and insurance verification, etc. before the actual blood draw. Waste, or “non-value-added” activities, is often baked into those steps — such as movement to different stations to complete registration, waiting for a registration person, waiting for a room to open for the blood draw, moving to the room and then waiting for a phlebotomist to draw the blood. A typical blood draw takes two or three minutes. If the customer has a 30-minute total experience at the lab, 27 of those minutes are non-value-added, as are all the additional steps by the patient and staff. Once you identify these non-valueadded steps, you can begin to eliminate, reduce or simplify them. By focusing on the customers and what
they are willing to pay for, you perform an important first step. This mindset is often a breakthrough in thinking for many businesses. Currently, the accepted wisdom is that everything is “valueadded” because it is “how we do it.” However, 95 percent of typical activity in any process is non-value-added. Businesses can experience significant productivity gains and happier customers by identifying and creatively chipping away at those non-value-added steps. Let us go back to our 30-minute lab experience. Would you wait 30 minutes for a hamburger at a fast-food restaurant? Of course not. Most well-run, fast-food chains already eliminated a significant portion of non-value-added steps from their food service processes. That’s why you get your meal in a couple of minutes. Health care is moving toward Lean
thinking and practice to accomplish more with less in the years ahead. With an aging population and health care reform looming, heath care systems must provide higher quality services using fewer resources. Eliminating waste and nonvalue-added steps is the only way that can be accomplished. Lean practitioners create current state and future state value stream maps to help teams visualize waste and non-valueadded steps. Many online resources can help businesses begin to explore the value stream map concept. Looking at your business practices though the eyes of your customers, and what they are ultimately willing to pay for, is a simple first step in starting your Lean journey. — Stace England is on the staff of Southern Illinois Healthcare.
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MAY 2010
Cover Story New graduates, students will be facing tough market for job-seekers BY LES O’DELL
SIUC College of Business Director of Enrollment Management Jill Gebke (left) talks with senior Tyler Krough during a job fair Thursday, Feb. 25 at Carbondale Community High School.
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A resurgent stock market and an increase in the index of leading economic indicators have some analysts pointing to a rebounding economy. While these signs, along with reports that Illinois employers are beginning to hire, may be positive factors, job seekers in Southern Illinois continue to face a tight market with a few pockets of growth. “Even though the job creation numbers are positive, they will have little effect on someone who may be unemployed right now,” Greg Rivara, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Employment Security, said. “Even though we’ve had three consecutive months of job growth, we had nearly two years of losses leading up to it.” Rivara said while nothing short of a new job feels good to someone who hasn’t worked in a while, things will get better. “The three months of growth is a positive sign, we just don’t know how positive yet,” he said. “In the grand scheme of things it will be good news.” The job market may tighten even more as spring brings students looking for summer jobs and new graduates—both high school and college—into the mix. Toby Misner, guidance counselor at Marion High School, said students who are looking for summer work are not finding it. “We think summer employment is going to be limited, so we’re pushing students to be eager to take any job, even if they are jobs the kids weren’t originally interested in, maybe mowing lawns, fast food and babysitting,” he explained. “We’re telling them that they need to look at those fields.” Misner said with high levels of unemployment, many students are competing for jobs not only with other teenagers, but also with adults. “Right now, a job is a job both for students and for adults,” he said. It’s not just seasonal employment that is tough to find. Misner said students choosing to enter a trade or work after graduation are struggling to find employment. “We’re not hearing of a lot of them
Job-seeker Kimberly Thacker (below right) of Mount Vernon smiles as she talks to Sue Ridgeway from the Arthur Agency in Carbondale during a job fair on Wednesday, April 7 at Rend Lake College. PAUL NEWTON / SBJ
already lining up jobs. We have a lot of kids hoping and praying for something,” he added. The situation is no better for college students. Rob Miller, a sophomore from Johnsburg studying public relations at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, said he had hoped to find a part-time position in the area so he could enroll in summer classes. His inability to find summer work has caused him to change his plans. “I applied at a bunch of places, but I didn’t hear back from any of them,” he said. “So, I’m not going to school this summer. Instead, I’m going home, and I’ll look for something there,” he said. There are some bright spots, however. John A. Logan College placement director Lisa Hudgens said the phones are beginning to ring more often in her office with employers looking to hire — both for the summer and in permanent positions. “It’s picking up. We are seeing employers calling us with both part-time and full-time positions,” she said. Hudgens explained that growth seems to be in specialized areas. She said she’s seeing opportunities in fields such as accounting, health care and dental assisting. She said there also has been an upswing in calls from contractors and construction
firms, but those increases may be seasonal in nature. Other hiring professionals are also seeing some growth. Jill Lewis of Extra Help, a Marion staffing agency, said the number of opportunities is starting to improve. “We believe the market is coming back,” she explained. “We’ve had a steady increase and we think we are on the way to a recovery.” Lewis said growth is coming in a number of sectors including manufacturing, general labor and transportation. She added that many companies are hiring for full-time, temporary positions, especially clerical and light industrial jobs. “Employers are being very careful with hiring,” she said. “They do not want to hire people just to lay them off later.” However, she explained that the temporary hires can point to longer-term improvements in the job outlook. “Typically, when you see the number of
temporary employees go up, that’s the first sign of an economic recovery,” she said. Recovery can be a slow process, said IDES’ Rivara. “Illinois typically follows the nation into a recession and we tend to follow the nation out of one, too,” he said. “When a recovery really takes hold, it may cause confusion because the national media will be talking about it, even when we may not be feeling it here yet.”
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Cover Story He added that the same holds true for Southern Illinois compared to the rest of the state. “That means as we come out of the recession, we may see slower recovery in some places.” Thom Shadle of Murphysboro said he understands that an uptick in indicators for the state does not necessarily mean all across the state. “Those numbers mean that Chicago’s doing better,” Shadle said. “Right now, there’s not that many large employers adding staff here and the small employers are not ready to jump in yet and bring people on.” Shadle, who has more than seven years experience in marketing, was laid off from a customer service and sales position more than a year ago. He has been unable to find similar work since. “Jobs seem to be virtually non-existent outside of the entry level,” he added. “There’s really just not a lot out there.” Rivara said one of the best barometers is to look at what the region’s top industries are doing on the national level. Those trends may be an indicator of what is to come locally, he said. He pointed to industries such as health care, which continues to expand both on the national and regional levels. “It’s definitely a stable field,” said Kristin King, employment coordinator with Southern Illinois Healthcare. “In health care right now, employment is on the rise.” That is good news for job-seekers. King said her organization has an average of 55 positions open each month. The downside is that SIH receives about 2,000 applications for those jobs.
“It’s great for us to see that many people interested in health care, but it is disheartening at the same time,” she said. Regardless of the industry, Rivara said people looking for work have to be flexible. “We encourage individuals not to look at what job they had, but rather their skills and see what other industries those fit into. It’s a matter of thinking about things differently,” he said. Lewis gave an example. She shared the story of a former fast food sandwich maker who used those skills to land a job in manufacturing because of his assembly experience. “People need to look at all of their skills and how they may fit into a completely different industry,” she said. She said it should not matter whether a job seeker is a high school senior, a new college graduate, a laid-off executive or a miner looking for a new job; everyone looking for work should apply the same approach. “You have to broaden your outlook and see how you can apply your skills into other industries that you haven’t thought about before. Limited experience in a particular field should not hold you back,” she said. Rivara said it’s all a matter of approach. “Job growth will return to all of Illinois and those individuals who have not done anything to enhance their job skills will not be in a position to re-enter the workforce when jobs are available. It’s all about thinking differently.” — Les O’Dell lives in Carbondale and is a freelance writer. He regularly is published in SBJ, The Southern Illinoisan and SI Magazine.
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Want a job? Keep your skills sharp and show a willingness to work With some counties’ unemployment percentages reaching double-digits, Southern Illinoisans of all ages, educational levels and backgrounds are looking for work. Career experts in the region said that it takes more than just an education or specific skills to land a job. “The biggest thing we see employers want is a willingness to really work,” said Jill Lewis of Extra Help in Marion. “You must have a bulletproof résumé without holes.” Lewis said resume gaps include long stretches of unemployment. “Even if you’re not finding a job, go volunteer somewhere so you’ll have experience and be able to show that you’re keeping your skills current during this time. It shows an employer that you’re not just sitting around.” Matt Purdy, who works with students at the placement center in the Southern Illinois University Carbondale College of Business, said job-seekers need to develop resiliency. “It’s important for people to not get frustrated when their plans don’t work out. As discouraging as it can be sometimes, you’ve got to pick yourself back up and get out there again; that’s the only way it’s going to happen.” Purdy said many of the tips he gives students are valid for job applicants of all ages. Among them: n Communications skills, such as writing skills and verbal abilities, are key, Purdy said. “Being able to use proper grammar and spelling in everything from business letters to e-mails is a big thing that employers constantly tell us applicants need to do better,” he said. n Purdy cautions both students and older job seekers to be careful on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or MySpace. He said personal pages on those sites are often visited by potential employers. “It’s the cheapest and easiest background check available.” He added that users should double-check their pages content and security settings. n He said that a little courtesy by applicants can make a big difference. “With a tight job market you have to be on target in applying,” he said. “Don’t just send a résumé; take an extra 15 minutes and write a cover letter. Likewise, after an interview, follow up with a handwritten thank-you note. The reason to do these two things is very simple: practically no one else does them and they will set you apart in the eyes of the employer.” — Les O’Dell
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Elder Law Nursing home resident’s representative may be liable for lack of timeliness on Medicaid BY RICHARD HABIGER SBJ CONTRIBUTOR
A Connecticut trial court refused to dismiss a nursing home’s lawsuit against a resident’s representative for unpaid fees, concluding that material questions exist as to whether Habiger the representative breached the nursing home’s Admissions Agreement by failing to use the resident’s assets to pay for her care and promptly qualify her for Medicaid. Hebrew Health Care, Inc. v. Levine (Conn. Super. Ct., No. CV085023211S, Nov. 3, 2009). Acting pursuant to a power of attorney, Benjamin Levine signed the agreement that admitted his aunt, Grace Levine, to a nursing home operated by Hebrew Health Care, Inc. The Admissions Agreement designated Mr. Levine as his aunt’s representative and required him to use his aunt’s assets to pay for her care and to promptly apply for, and then maintain, her eligibility for Medicaid benefits. Although Mr. Levine applied for Medicaid benefits, the Connecticut Department of Social
Services determined that Ms. Levine’s assets exceeded eligibility limits and imposed a penalty period, leaving a portion of her nursing home bills unpaid. The nursing home sued Mr. Levine for the outstanding balance. Mr. Levine filed a motion for summary judgment, asserting that he had no financial liability for his aunt’s debts because he executed the admission agreement only in his capacity as her agent and because the agreement expressly provided that a resident’s representative was not personally liable for the resident’s debts. The nursing home countered that it was not attempting to hold Mr. Levine personally liable for his aunt’s debts, but rather to recover damages for his failure to comply with the terms of the Admission Agreement. The Superior Court of Connecticut denied Mr. Levine’s motion for summary judgment. The court concluded that by signing the agreement Mr. Levine agreed that he was the representative under the agreement and that material questions remain as to whether he fulfilled his contractual obligations to use his aunt’s assets to pay for her care and to promptly establish her Medicaid eligibility. Illinois case: Although the facts were different in an Illinois case and although
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the court took a different route, the appellate court in Mount Vernon reached essentially the same result more than 20 years ago. In the Guardianship of Mary Jane Connor, 170 Ill. App. 3d 759 (5th District 1988). There a guardian, the Shelby County State Bank, was appointed to manage the estate and person of Ms. Connor, who resided in a nursing home. At a hearing on the bank’s report of final financial settlement, the evidence established that if the bank had acted promptly to qualify Ms. Connor for Medicaid benefits, her homestead real estate and other assets could have been protected from a need to spend-down those assets, and that they could have been set aside for her benefit. At the conclusion of the hearing, the circuit court ruled that the bank had violated its fiduciary duty to Ms. Connor and had allowed her estate to be dissipated. On appeal, the Fifth District Appellate Court affirmed the circuit court’s ruling that the bank had breached its fiduciary duty. The appellate court ruled that the bank’s failure to fully investigate the possible effect a sale of Ms. Connor’s residence would have on her eligibility for Medicaid coverage of her nursing home bills prior selling the home constituted a breach of fiduciary duty. The appellate court concluded that the
bank’s failure to seek Medicaid for Ms. Connor in a diligent and orderly manner resulted in the need to apply the proceeds from the sale of her residence to pay her nursing home arrearage rather than to benefit her. Although the Connor case involved a bank as guardian, there is no reason to believe that the appellate court would have reached any different conclusion if a private person had been a guardian. Similarly, there is every reason to believe that the Illinois courts today would reach the same result even if there were no guardianship. Thus, for example, if an elderly mother signs a power of attorney form to appoint her adult son her agent (sometimes called an attorney-in-fact) and the son fails to protect his mother’s assets from the need to “spend down” or fails to promptly apply for Medicaid benefits to pay for his mother’s care at her nursing home, the son could be held financially responsible for his mother’s nursing home or other medical costs. — Richard Habiger is an elder law attorney, who focuses on asset protection, Medicaid and VA benefits, Alzheimer’s and life care planning — all in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary staff. You may contact him at 618-549-4529 or info@habiger elderlaw.com.
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Economic Conditions Verdict on Obamacare: Will health care reform mean headaches or hidden dividends? BY SCOTT MCCLATCHEY SBJ CONTRIBUTOR
What do the federal health care reforms mean for your company? Will they lead to thousands of dollars in extra costs and more paperwork? Or will federal subsidies McClatchey make this a “game changer” for small companies that have struggled to provide insurance plans? If you employ 50 or more, you will face a major choice. Businesses with 50 or more employees will have a choice beginning in 2014: they can sponsor a health plan for 100 percent of their workers (even those signed up for government-subsidized health insurance) or pay $750 per worker in penalties to the federal government. A business might opt to take the penalty and do away with health insurance. Paying the annual penalty might be cheaper. So that would leave the employees uninsured, and they would have to go to state health plan exchanges to buy health coverage that could be more expensive. Some analysts warn that another macroeconomic effect might result in years of high unemployment. They think that increased insurance costs will discourage business hiring in the next decade. The new reforms don’t put any caps on health insurance premiums. Insurers have every reason to hike rates before the new insurance markets come around in 2014 with added competition. If you employ 25-49 people, you won’t face this choice. The government won’t require companies with fewer than 50 employees to offer health insurance starting in 2014, and therefore these companies won’t have to contend with possible fines like their
big brothers. But while firms with 50 or fewer workers would be exempt from coverage provisions, they will still have to contend with rising premiums. There is a major tax credit for smaller firms and entrepreneurs. If you employ fewer than 25 or are self-employed, you may find that the health care reforms bring you tax relief. Beginning in 2010, companies with fewer than 25 employees that pay the majority of health care premiums for their workers qualify for a tax credit up to 35 percent of their premiums. (In 2014, that credit could be as great as 50 percent of premiums if you arrange insurance via one of the Small Business Health Options Programs, or SHOP Exchanges). The tax break you get will depend on a couple of variables: the number of employees you have and their average salary. However, this tax break won’t be offered to sole proprietorships. That factor may encourage you to incorporate or become an LLC. If you own a smaller company, insurance might become cheaper. The idea is that small businesses can pool together in the SHOP Exchanges and negotiate insurance coverage as a group. Greater buying power implies lower premium costs (in theory). Businesses with 100 or fewer workers can jump into a state SHOP Exchange pool starting in 2014; states may choose to limit the pools to firms with 50 or fewer employees through 2016. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the SHOP Exchanges would lower annual premiums for these businesses by 1 to 4 percent with a 3 percent increase in the amount of coverage. That could mean a savings of more than $10 billion nationally. If you work for yourself, you will likely be able to take advantage of government health care subsidies in 2014. If you are self-employed in 2014
and earn less than four times the poverty level, you can qualify for these subsidies. (To give you some idea, in 2010 400percent of the poverty level comes to $88,200 for a family of four.) Some notes for 2011. In 2011 as a result of the new law, a business will have to report the value of an employee’s health care coverage on W-2 forms. Many companies provide coverage for employee dependents not enrolled in other employer-based health plans up to age 22 or 23; next year, that age limit will rise to 26. All lifetime caps on insurance policies offered through employer-sponsored
plans will be eliminated in 2011. Penalties will increase for the misuse of HSA funds, and workers with FSAs and HSAs will not be reimbursed for money used for over-the-counter drug purchases. — Scott McClatchey is a founder and LPL financial adviser with Alliance Investment Planning Group, a Carbondale-based investment firm located at 115 S. Washington St. He can be reached at 618-519-9344 or scott@allianceinvest mentplanning.com. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC.
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Formulas for Success Business networking is a necessity for success — and there is an art to it BY CAVANAUGH L. GRAY SBJ CONTRIBUTOR
I have always found the statistics interesting that describe the number of people who would prefer death over public speaking. Given the choice I would choose the latter — at least I Gray could recover from a bad speaking engagement. There is also a growing group that would place networking in the same light. Although I
can sympathize with those who find working a room of hundreds uncomfortable, networking is a business necessity. Often the connections we make at these events can lead to business opportunities tomorrow. The key to pulling off a successful networking event is to remember that effective networking is an art.
through stages and are dealing with a particular obstacle at different times in this cycle, consider choosing an event that will help address the most pressing need at that time. For instance, if your small business is in phase one of a website redesign, try finding a business event that brings together some of the great minds in Web development.
Be selective
Make the right connections
In the past, I would try and make as many business events as possible. Today there is more of a method to my madness. Choosing the event that is most appropriate for you and your business is the key. As small businesses usually cycle
Some of the best business events I have attended were not only specific to my business needs but also came with a list of attendees. Having an attendee list allows you to identify individuals and companies of interest (before the event).
If you are lucky enough to get an attendee list, be sure to do your homework so that when an opportunity presents itself you will be ready. If you happen to find that one individual who you are eager to talk to and they are in a conversation of their own, remember to be patient. Wait until they open the conversation up to you or until that conversation has concluded and then strike up a conversation of your own.
Networking reminders One of the most important things you can do in preparation of an upcoming SEE BUSINESS / PAGE 23
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Solutions Rain, wind, fire — Is your business ready to cope with a disaster? BY MICHAEL P. TISON SBJ CONTRIBUTOR
Wildfires in California, mudslides in Maine, tornadoes in Tennessee, flooding in North Dakota. It doesn’t matter where you live or have your business, natural disasters can Tison occur anywhere. It doesn’t have to be a major earthquake or hurricane to spoil your business. Much of our region was tremendously inconvenienced one year ago by the devastating wind storm that ravaged Southern Illinois. Some businesses were closed for most of a week, others even longer. As of mid-August, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had declared 45 major disasters in the United States. There were 75 in 2008. Are you prepared to cope if a calamity effects your business? The American Red Cross estimates only 4 percent of Americans have taken all recommended disaster-preparedness steps, and 23 percent have done nothing at all. Small business owners may have taken some steps to prepare, but if you haven’t yet developed a complete plan, doing so could mean the difference between being shut down for just a few days or losing your livelihood.
Basic steps Having a workable disaster preparedness plan can be as important as your business plan. You can begin by gathering some basic information. n List essential production machinery, computers and other vital equipment you must have in order to keep your doors open. Store some supplies offsite. n Keep back-up copies of tax, accounting, payroll, production and customer data
STEVE JAHNKE / SBJ
The front left portion of the CTS Technologies building along Illinois 13 was ripped off during the May 2009 storm.
should cover everything vital to your business. n Consider business interruption insurance that will cover operating expenses and compensate you for lost income if you are forced to close temporarily. n Flood insurance is almost certainly not covered by your other policies. It doesn’t take much standing water to do a lot of damage – check out coverage available through the National Flood Insurance Program at floodsmart.gov. n If you don’t own the building in which your business is located, consider working with the owner to evaluate the strength of the roof, windows and doors. You may want impact-resistant windows and doors to stand up to high winds.
The American Red Cross estimates Human factors While thorough attention must be paid only 4 percent of Americans to all structural, equipment and business records, the human element may be have taken all recommended equally important, depending on the disaster-preparedness steps, and nature of your business. Being able to 23 percent have done nothing at all. communicate effectively with key employees can be vital to the continuation Small business owners may have of your business. Communicate your disaster plans to all taken some steps to prepare, employees and anyone else who should be but if you haven’t yet developed aware of them. Within the business itself, make sure everyone knows the escape a complete plan, doing so could routes, and that the routes are clearly mean the difference between being marked. Devise a post-disaster communication shut down for just a few days strategy for employees. They’ll want to or losing your livelihood. know if their jobs are intact; you will want stored on hard drives located far away. Consider using an online computer backup service that stores your data on servers located hundreds or thousands of miles away. Essential paper records should be kept in a fireproof safe. n Scout out a temporary location from which you could operate if your building suffers major damage. n Buy a portable generator, in case power is disrupted. n Review insurance policies. They
to know that they are not only safe, but also ready to work. You may need to call on key employees first, to help you reestablish yourself in temporary quarters. Keep safe a list of employee phone numbers – both mobile and landline – and e-mail addresses right along with your emergency list of numbers for customers, utilities and emergency agencies. Keep numbers for the local media, too. Depending on the nature of your business, it could be important to let the public know you’re still operating. To be sure, disaster planning is time
spent making arrangements for something that may never occur. But experts point out that we plan and insure for many things we hope will never happen. Your workable plan could be your best chance to save not just your business, but the financial integrity of your family, of your legacy – and of your employees and their families. — 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.
More Than Just a Jewelry Store • • • • •
Loose Diamonds Gold & Silver Jewelry Gifts & Engraveables “Hot Diamonds” Jeweler on duty (every day)
We Buy Gold Route 13 Carterville 985-8331
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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 Jan 2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
11.8 6.3 65.1 3.7 4.8 10.6 20.3 14.7 1.2 70.7 7.1 52.1 13.3 8.5 3.2 6.6 12.4 3.5 9.2 11.5 $336.6 $14,185.4
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
109.7 70.4 579.4 32.7 51.1 95.0 164.9 127.9 11.5 545.9 69.4 475.3 94.6 101.1 38.0 82.5 127.7 32.7 70.8 102.3 $2,983.0 $167,459.0
R
N I L L I Chicago Fed Midwest % change 05-09 Manufacturing Index
p q q p p p p p p p p p p p q q q p p p p q
4.4% 1.4% 2.4% 22.0% 3.5% 6.1% 16.4% 15.1% 8.7% 23.8% 11.1% 0.3% 53.4% 6.7% 2.1% 15.0% 1.0% 13.5% 29.8% 8.9% 8.5% 16.6%
SOURCE: LATEST STATISTICS AVAILABLE FROM THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. FIGURES ARE IN MILLIONS.
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 2002. Starting in November 2005, the index excluded the electricity component. 115 114 113 112
IPMFG Feb 10 101.0
111 110 109 108 107 106 105 104 103 102 100 98 94
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.
3,101 18,164 2,715 4,114 1,848 32,863 20,359 5,317 7,238 9,445 1,913 2,889 15,698 12,999 8,275 8,287 7,656 34,855 197,736 6,618,026 153,194,000
Jobless 391 2,838 335 523 264 3,051 2,525 703 805 1,436 265 384 1,809 1,624 1,314 851 851 4,159 24,128 808,455 15,991,000
Feb 2010
Jan 2010
Feb 2009
12.6% 15.6% 12.3% 12.7% 14.3% 9.3% 12.4% 13.2% 11.1% 15.2% 13.9% 13.3% 11.5% 12.5% 15.9% 10.3% 11.1% 11.9% 12.2% 12.0% 10.4%
13.6% 15.7% 12.6% 12.9% 14.6% 9.9% 12.2% 13.2% 11.7% 14.8% 13.5% 13.6% 11.3% 12.3% 16.0% 10.2% 10.9% 12.0% 12.3% 12.2% 9.7%
10.6% 12.4% 10.2% 9.8% 10.5% 7.2% 9.0% 10.2% 9.1% 11.9% 10.8% 11.2% 9.5% 9.5% 11.6% 8.4% 8.8% 9.4% 10.0% 9.4% 9.0%
COMING IN JUNE
SOURCE: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. FIGURES ARE NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
Change month q q q q q q p
q p p q p p q p p q q q p
1.0 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.6 0.2 0.0 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.7
90 88
Change year p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p
86 84
CFMMI Feb 10
82
2.0 81 82.6 3.2 80 2.1 2.9 78 3.8 76J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F 2.1 3.4 SOURCE: FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CHICAGO 3.0 2.0 3.3 3.1 2.1 Mar 10 Mar 09 Change 2.0 3.0 MONTHLY TOTALS 4.3 553 205 p169.8% 1.9 YTD TOTALS 2.3 2.5 1,500 566 p165.0% 2.2 2009 2008 Change 2.6 ANNUAL TOTALS 1.4 2,750 2,636 p 4.3% ’08
’09
Williamson County Regional Airport passengers
Help decision-makers find your business. Contact your Southern Business Journal marketing consultant to reserve your directory placement. David Zoeller | (618) 351-5816 | david.zoeller@thesouthern.com
’10
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I S I N Consumer credit score
D
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 March 2010. SOURCE: EXPERIAN
Alexander Franklin Gallatin Hamilton Hardin Jackson Jefferson Johnson Massac Perry Pope Pulaski Randolph Saline Union Washington White Williamson REGION
Feb 09
5 63 10 14 9 83 38 21 13 35 6 9 54 53 30 23 39 88 579
4 78 11 20 3 105 61 31 25 36 8 11 60 36 32 47 31 149 748
C
A
T
694
698
Anna
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 Feb 10
I
Change
p 25.0% q 19.2% q 9.1% q 30.0% p 200.0% q 21.0% q 34.4% q 32.3% q 48.0% q 2.8% q 25.0% q 18.2% q 10.0% p 47.2% q 6.3% q 51.1% p 25.8% q 41.0% q 22.6%
2009 137 989 184 224 94 1,348 842 353 278 565 85 124 936 719 447 515 471 1,868 10,179
2008 169 1,341 294 287 109 1,969 1,270 481 422 689 123 221 1,208 1,064 596 621 721 2,515 14,100
q p p p q p p p p p p p p p p p p p p
Change 13.3% 7.5% 30.7% 10.4% 19.3% 21.4% 14.9% 14.8% 3.7% 8.0% 10.8% 11.1% 7.3% 15.7% 11.6% 4.4% 8.6% 9.7% 11.1%
108 107 106 105 104 103 102 101 100 99 98 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 90 89
Mar 10 91.8
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J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
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N
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F
J
M
A
M
’07 SOURCE: INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT AND’08 PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
Q4 09 Alexander Franklin Gallatin Hamilton Hardin Jackson Jefferson Johnson Massac Perry Pope Pulaski Randolph Saline Union Williamson ILLINOIS
4 67 1 3 3 79 67 18 28 27 0 3 41 22 34 161 29,822
Q4 08 5 56 3 2 0 56 74 19 24 26 4 2 33 13 19 142 21,986
SOURCE: ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS
q p q p
p q q p p q p p p p p p
Change 20.0% 19.6% 66.7% 50.0% NA 41.1% 9.5% 5.3% 16.7% 3.8% 100.0% 50.0% 24.2% 69.2% 78.9% 13.4% 35.6%
2008 17 276 NA 7 0 383 332 78 112 126 10 13 149 80 101 639 107,075
2007 32 332 NA 8 0 467 381 92 128 149 9 4 136 78 91 705 140,378
q q
q
q q q q q p p p p p q q
A
S
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J
F
M
’10
Hotel/motel stats
Consumer Price Index 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.
Dec 09 Dec 08 MONTHLY TOTALS $467,018
YTD TOTALS $7,725,727
Change
$438,090 p
$7,520,856 p
2009 ANNUAL TOTALS
2008
6.6%
220
U.S. city average Feb 10 216.7
218
2.7%
Change
$7,520,856 p
Change
MEDIAN SALES PRICE Q4 09 Q4 08
46.9% 16.9% NA 12.5% 0% 18.0% 12.9% 15.2% 12.5% 15.4% 11.1% 225.0% 9.6% 2.6% 11.0% 9.4% 23.7%
$43,500 $40,000 $45,000 $42,000 $25,000 $88,000 $92,500 $84,750 $74,170 $52,000 $0 $39,900 $69,000 $64,250 $74,000 $97,000 $155,000
Total units sold, including condominiums
J
’09
216
214
212
2.7% 210
Home sales
J
Total amount of revenue generated in Carbondale by hotels and motels for room rentals only.
$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.
$52,000 $51,000 $15,000 $39,500 $0 $78,250 $77,500 $75,000 $76,750 $55,000 $91,500 $19,000 $72,000 $38,500 $82,000 $83,500 $163,950
Midwest urban Feb 10 206.6
208
Change
q 16.3% q 21.6% p 200.0% p 6.3% NA p 12.5% p 19.4% p 13.0% q 3.4% q 5.5% q 100.0% p 110.0% q 4.2% p 66.9% q 9.8% p 16.2% q 5.5%
206
204
200 F
M
A
M
J ’09
J
A
S
O
N
D
J F ‘10
SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Prices at the pump Average price per gallon of regular, unleaded gas as of April 16 and March 16, 2010.
Metro East Springfield Illinois U.S. SOURCE: AAA
Apr 10
Mar 10
$2.95 $2.92 $3.02 $2.86
$2.80 $2.73 $2.86 $2.79
Apr 09 $2.06 $2.00 $2.12 $2.05
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SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL
MAY 2010
Workplace P E RSO N N E L |
P O L I C I ES
What women want in the workplace: And what everyone else wants, too! BY JANE SANDERS SBJ CONTRIBUTOR
Considering that women will soon make up over half of the available talent to hire, recruiters and managers who are well-versed in working women’s needs, desires, and communication Sanders styles will be most successful in attracting and retaining this high-value market. Additionally, the more women you have, the more you will get…both in terms of talent and customers, as women like working with (buying from, connecting with, going to for advice, etc.) other women. Too bad we can’t have Mel Gibson’s ability (albeit fictional and temporary per his movie “What Women Want”) to hear what women think! My research provides the next best thing…what more than 100 professional women in various industries and positions told me they were thinking. Following are a few of these insights. Notice how these desires/demands parallel those of Gen Y! As I’ve always said, by addressing women’s issues, you address the needs of all workers and your recruiting and retention results will improve accordingly. Of no surprise, women want and are demanding flexibility. Independent research conducted by the Hastings College of Law indicates that men’s contribution to household responsibilities has peaked. Even at the highest levels to date, women still handle the majority of child-rearing and home-making duties. The incoming Millennial Generation is adding to this growing workplace requirement of flexibility. How can your company offer even a bit more flexibility? Form a task force to address this need. Then while recruiting promote this difference, and certainly the increasing
flexibility the job offers with seniority. Happy, less-stressed employees are more productive employees; few HR leaders would argue with that benefit. Every study I have read indicates that flexibility and performance measured by results, not face time, improve productivity. And … flexibility no longer means time off to go to the dentist. The closer you can get to clarifying goals, duties, objectives … and then letting your employees figure out how and when to meet them … the easier you will be able to attract the best talent available. Women want fulfillment from helping people in a meaningful way. Certainly while recruiting, and continuing with regularity, communicate clearly and specifically how your company helps people and makes a difference in the world. Make the connection between what employees do every day and positively changed lives. Initiate a “The Good We Do” bulletin board, e-mail newsletter, or segment of your staff meetings and other events. Women want to work where they are cared about and supported. Not mothered, but supported and cared for as an integral member of a community. Does your office feel like a community, a family of sorts? Even increasing your encouraging comments and acknowledgements can make a big difference. For a simple example, as manager, do you acknowledge their birthdays? On a grander and critically important scale, does upper management talk the talk and walk the walk of a company that is serious about supporting women? Are they genuine? Women, whether they realize it or not, are very intuitive about genuineness and can see through lip service. Gen Y’ers don’t trust executives to begin with and do not have the innate loyalty to authority that older generations have. Taking this series of questioning a bit deeper, does the executive team even know how to talk to and about women in
Women want to work where they are cared about and supported. Not mothered, but supported and cared for as an integral member of a community. Women, whether they realize it or not, are very intuitive about genuineness and can see through lip service. Women want to work for ethical companies that demonstrate social responsibility. an inclusive, respectful, sincere manner? Do they offer a meaningful and effective mentoring program for all employees? Women want to work for ethical companies that demonstrate social responsibility and walk their talk. Is your company involved in charitable organizations? Putting a team together for a charity event addresses these last two needs – for community and company pride. Again, does upper management talk about how much they support women and want to recruit and retain them? Are they walking their talk and actually doing something about it? Something that matters and gets good visibility? Does the company truly promote and recommend what’s best for customers first, then for their profit margin? Also of great importance, women want to be taken seriously. They want to be trusted and respected, and they want to be able to trust and respect their leaders and managers. Of all the needs discussed to this point, this one requires the most effective communication and understanding of style differences.
The bottom line: Two critical needs Two words describe the majority of these needs – the first is relationship. Whether or not some women recognize this about themselves or want to admit it are beside the point. Women want to help others, feel respected and cared about, be part of a family/community, be proud of the company they work for, and be trusted. All of this underscores their need for connection and relationship, which is
also the main reason why women are so well-suited for business – their natural ability to develop and maintain relationships. Women desire security – the second critical need; physical first, of course, but even more so in modern times, emotional security. Relationship and connection give them this security. The more your company and management take into account women’s communication style differences, the more they will be able to create and maintain the connection, security, and relationship women want at their deepest cellular core. If women feel respected, supported, part of a group, treated equally, and that they are truly making a positive difference in the world…they will join your company and they will stay. - Jane Sanders is a speaker, trainer, and facilitator in the areas of gender communication, strategic business or work/life planning, presentation skills, authentic leadership confidence, recruiting & retention of women, and selling to women. She also facilitates brainstorming, best practice, and strategic planning sessions and retreats. Jane’s clients include Toyota, MassMutual, Prudential, Walgreen’s, and many more. Located in Mount Vernon, she is the creator of the Undercover Confidante™ service, offering discovery and solutions to challenging employee issues. Jane is author of “GenderSmart: Solving The Communication Puzzle Between Men and Women,” available on her website. Reach Jane at 877-343-2150; jane@janesanders.com or www.janesanders.com.
Have you ever dreamed of
OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS? Do you need GRANT $$$ to make this happen? Choose one orientation session to attend to find out details and eligibility requirements!!
• DuQuoin City Hall 302 E. Poplar Street, DuQuoin Tuesday, May 4, 2010 • 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm • Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center 150 E. Pleasant Hill Road, Carbondale Thursday, May 6, 2010 • 9:00 am - 10:00 am • Franklin Hospital Conference Room 201 Bailey Lane, Benton Tuesday, May 11, 2010 • 10:00 am - 11:00 am • DuQuoin City Hall 302 E. Poplar Street, DuQuoin * Thursday, May 13, 2010 • 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm * (Box lunch provided-RSVP to 618-453-2070 by May 11)
What should I expect? • 30-minute presentation about the program • If interested, time for application & interview • Opportunity for questions
Training Session Overview During the course of the 12-session entrepreneurship training, participants learn the skills needed to successfully start and sustain their own business. Upon successful completion of training, participants may submit their business plan created during the course to compete for up to 15 seed capital grants of $3,000 each. Training sessions hosted in DuQuoin, beginning on June 19th and graduating on August 18th. Call 618-453-2070 or email startbiz@siu.edu or Visit our Operation Bootstrap website: www.operationbootstrap.biz
16
SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL
MAY 2010
Achievements AWA R DS
Black Diamond sponsors Southern Lights Southern Lights Entertainment representatives recently announced that Marion-based Black Diamond HarleyDavidson is the organization’s newest corporate sponsor. Black Diamond is among the nation’s top-performing Harley-Davidson dealerships and has established itself as a regional entertainment destination in its own right. Effectively mixing entertainment with great selection and customer service is an integral part of the dealership’s success.
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P RO M OT I O N S
exemplary professional growth. Executive Council honors are presented only to those financial advisers who have demonstrated an extremely high level of commitment to clients through personal service and professional integrity. Tison, who joined Raymond James in 1996, has more than 18 years of experience in the financial services industry. He offers a comprehensive range of investment planning alternatives for individuals and businesses.
McGrath earns specialist designation
Tim McGrath of the financial services firm Edward Jones in Anna has achieved the professional designation of Accredited Denise Sedlacek has opened Garden Asset Management Specialist. Keeper in Carbondale. Garden Keeper will McGrath successfully completed the clean up weeds, rake leaves, prune trees and Accredited Asset Management Specialist bushes, plants flowers, small trees and Professional Education Program from the bushes, mulch beds and prep new ones. Denver-based College for Financial Weekly service or a one-time cleanup/planting is provided. Discounts are Planning. available and, of course, estimates are free. For more information, call Sedlacek at Richey, Roberts honored for sales 618-303-9550 or e-mail her at Peggy R. Richey of Pittsburg and Larry gardenkeeper.1@gmail.com. D. Roberts of Marion, both representatives of Modern Woodmen of America, have been named to Modern Guyton presents Woodmen’s 2009 President’s Cabinet. Virtual Grand Rounds This distinction recognizes the highest Dr. Lori M. Guyton, a board-certified achievement in life insurance sales and neurologist from Herrin, recently was ranking among the organization’s top selected to present the Virtual Grand Rounds at GlaxoSmithKline Headquarters’ representatives nationwide.
Sedlacek opens Garden Keeper
NeuroScience Training Center at Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. The presentation was co-presented with epileptologist Dr. Steven Chung from The Barrows Institute in Phoenix. The Grand Rounds is one of the vehicles used to educate representatives regarding epilepsy throughout the country, providing both interactive and peer discussions. Guyton has practiced at Neurology of Southern Illinois, Ltd. in Herrin for the last 12 years.
Svanda honored for sales achievement
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R E T I R E M E N T
techniques for assessing muscles, ligaments and discs in the spine. Functional movement assessments for the upper and lower extremities were also instructed. Hands-on components included the use of myofascial release, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilizations and KinesioTaping Method, as well as various types of therapeutic exercises.
Sis’s Antiques & Collectibles opens in Murphysboro
Shepard named to cabinet
Two Aisin facilities receive safety award
Eric Shepard, a sales representative at the Verizon Wireless Communications Store at 2902 W. De Young St. in Marion, has been named to the company’s president’s cabinet. He earned the award by meeting several criteria, including being ranked in the top 1 percent in 2009 sales, placing him as one of the company’s top performers among its more than 25,000 sales people. This is the first time Shepard has received president’s cabinet recognition. Shepard is a resident of Mount Vernon and a graduate of Rend Lake College.
Kelly elected ABDI director James Kelly, general manager of Venegoni Distributing in Carbondale, has been elected to the board of directors of the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois. Kelly has been in the beer distribution business since 1988. He also serves on the board of directors of Southern Illinois Regional Social Services and is a member of Carbondale Chamber of Commerce. Venegoni Distributing represents Anheuser-Busch/InBev in Alexander, Jackson, Perry, Pulaski, Randolph and Williamson counties.
Donald H. Svanda of Murphysboro, a representative of Modern Woodmen of America, has been named to Modern Jewett tours island Woodmen’s 2009 president’s club. This distinction recognizes Svanda’s high for B and A Travel Joyce Jewett, of B and A Travel Service achievement in life insurance sales among in Marion, recently returned from a fourthe organization’s representatives day educational familiarization trip to the nationwide. island of Kauai as the guest of Blue Sky Tours and United Airlines. Woodard, Middleton complete The trip, arranged for Blue Sky Premier Tison named to executive council coursework Agency partners, included resort Michael P. Tison, a financial adviser Dr. Brian Woodard and Steve familiarization, hotel site inspections and and branch manager of the Harrisburg and Middleton, ATC, of Woodard Wellness Marion offices of Raymond James Financial Group in Carbondale, recently completed a meetings with Hawaiian tourism officials. Information on Blue Sky Tours vacation Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, 30-hour course in the advanced treatment packages to the islands of Hawaii may has been named to the firm’s 2010 and rehabilitation of the spine and obtained by contacting B and A Travel Executive Council in recognition of extremities. Service in Marion and Carbondale or online outstanding client service and The course covered advanced diagnostic at www.bandatravel.com
Sis’s Antiques & Collectibles recently opened at 1300 Walnut St., Murphysboro. Owners Joe and Carol Green buy, sell and trade by the piece or entire estates. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 618-521-3412.
Two of Aisin’s Marion facilities, Aisin Manufacturing and Aisin Electronics, recently received the President’s Award for Safety Excellence from parent company, Aisin Holdings of America. This annual award was presented only to those Aisin plants achieving zero recordable safety incidents for 2009. While surpassing 1 million hours worked with no lost time in 2009, Aisin Manufacturing has also been recognized for achieving a safety award for the fourth year in a row from Aisin Holdings of America.
Miller a winner in national corn yield contest Scott Miller of Tamms is a state winner in the 2009 National Corn Yield Contest, which is sponsored annually by the National Corn Growers Association. Miller placed first in the state in the Ridge Till Irrigated Class with a yield of 293.7946 bushels per acre. The hybrid used in the winning field was Pioneer 33N58. Miller was one of 525 state winners nationwide. The average yield among national winners was 306.7 bushels per acre — greater than the 227.3 bushels per acre average for all entrants and more than the 2009 U.S. average of 165.2 bushels per acre.
Taylor earns board certification U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Brian Thomas Taylor recently was recognized for successfully obtaining board certification in clinical electrophysiologic physical therapy by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Taylor earned his clinical doctorate in physical therapy in 2007 from Baylor University. He is a graduate of Gorham High School and a resident of Murphysboro.
MAY 2010
SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL
17
Achievements AWA R DS
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P RO M OT I O N S
He is mobilized in the U.S. Army Reserves and is serving on active duty while being assigned to USA MEDDAC Company at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Blake completes legal seminar Edward J. Blake Jr., of the Belleville law firm of Blake & Allen, P.C., recently completed the Contested Estates and Trusts Seminar provided by the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education. The firm concentrates in the areas of real estate, business law, estate planning, trusts and estates and divorce and family matters with offices in Belleville, Collinsville, Edwardsville and Waterloo.
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volunteer group from Anna. She serves as a worship leader for the group on the first Sunday of every month. She provided more than 70 hours of worship ministry to inmates last year. A plaque was presented to her at the annual Volunteer Recognition Banquet on April 18 at Tamms Correctional Center. Bittle also was recognized with other prison volunteers April 21 in Springfield by the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Schneider is guest of Apple Vacations
B and A Travel Service in Carbondale and Marion recently was awarded Apple Vacations’ Golden Agency Award for the 10th consecutive year. The award is presented to the top 300 travel agencies nationwide for outstanding sales performance, product knowledge and vacation planning expertise. Information on Apple Vacations’ packages may be obtained by contacting B and A Travel Service in Carbondale and Marion or online at www.bandatravel.com.
Mari Schneider of B and A Travel Service in Carbondale recently returned from a three-day educational familiarization trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, as the guest of Apple Vacations and Secrets and Dreams Resorts. The trip, arranged for Apple Vacations Premier Agency partners, focused on the resort area of Punta Cana and included resort familiarization, hotel site inspections and meetings with Dominican Republic tourism officials. Information on Apple Vacations vacation packages to Punta Cana, Hawaii, Jamaica, Mexico and the Caribbean may be obtained from B and A Travel Service in Marion and Carbondale or online at www.bandatravel.com.
Taylor promoted to senior accountant
Williams, Lence achieve top honors in sales
B and A Travel earns Golden Agency Award
Sandy Taylor has been promoted to senior accountant at SIU Credit Union. Taylor previously was a member of the accounting team at the credit union. She is a business management and accounting graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. SIU Credit Union has more than 26,000 members and $176 million in assets and is the largest credit union in Southern Illinois.
Bittle named 2010 Volunteer of the Year Rhonda Bittle of Jonesboro has been selected as 2010 Volunteer of the Year for Tamms Correctional Center. Bittle began her volunteer work at Tamms Correctional Center Minimum Security Unit in 2005 with Oasis of Grace
Tresa Williams of Cobden and Jana Lence of Herrin have earned top honors with lia sophia. Having recently joined the fashion jewelry business, Williams and Lence earned this accomplishment in their first 15 weeks by attaining certain sales levels and by sharing lia sophia with other new advisers.
Labotte receives top honors Crystal Labotte of Carterville has received top honors for outstanding sales with lia sophia. Having recently joined the fashion jewelry business, Labotte earned this accomplishment in her first 15 weeks by attaining certain sales levels and by sharing lia sophia with other new advisers.
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Achievements AWA R DS
Poirier joins architect firm Ben Poirier of Makanda has joined the Carbondale firm of Eggemeyer Associates Architects. He will serve as senior project architect for the firm. Poirier brings more than 30 years of experience in the design and construction administration for projects throughout Southern Illinois that have included education, businesses, transportation and health care. He is a licensed architect in six states, including Illinois.
Sievers to serve national academy Elder law attorney Tiffanny Sievers has been elected president-elect of the Illinois Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Sievers is owner of SI Elder Law in Marion. SI Elder Law protects the assets of clients who are in need of long-term or
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P RO M OT I O N S
assisted-living care by finding alternative ways to pay for care, rather than paying out of pocket.
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R E T I R E M E N T
Managing Partner Round Table. The round table recognizes outstanding leadership and is based on high achievement in life insurance sales.
Hunsaker promoted Tressa Hunsaker, a Carbondale resident and independent consultant with Tastefully Simple, Inc., is now a team leader with this national direct seller of easy-to-prepare foods. Hunsaker earned the promotion through sales achievements and by adding new consultants to the team.
Volunteer Employee of the Year Maj. Charles Roper has been selected the 2009 Volunteer Employee of the Year at Tamms Correctional Center. Roper began his career with the Illinois Department of Corrections 25 years ago. He was selected for the award based upon his commitment, leadership, positive attitude and community service.
Burns achieves honor John Burns of Marion, a Modern Woodmen of America managing partner, has earned membership in the organization’s 2009 Managing Partner Round Table Inner Circle. The inner circle includes the top managing partners in Modern Woodmen’s
Appointment earned Meagan Lewis of St. Louis, formerly of Carbondale, recently was appointed to business development analyst for American Medicare Counselors. AMC, formerly American Medical Claims, was founded in 1984 to help individuals, primarily those on Medicare, navigate the increasingly complex public and private health insurance landscape.
RSP Heating and Cooling receives award Trane Residential Systems recognized RSP Heating and Cooling Feb. 26 with the Quest for Excellence Award for the year 2009. RSP’s general office and showroom is located at 6951 E. Grand in Carterville. Trane Territory Manager Brad Searcy presented the award to RSP team members Lisa Gentz, Marcia Golden, Jim Weihl and Eric Thomas. This award is special because consumers, through a customer satisfaction survey, rate the Trane Dealer on quality of installation and service. To receive this honor, heating and cooling companies must meet stringent criteria determined by the customer, not Trane. Trane comfort specialist dealers must achieve a customer satisfaction level of more than 90 percent.
Bill Doran Company opens branch Bill Doran Company, a Rockford-based business that has been in the wholesale floral distribution industry for more than 65 years, recently opened its newest branch in Herrin. Formerly known as Ridgway Wholesale, this branch will be Bill Doran Company’s
16th facility. The company distributes flowers and floral products in 14 states: Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, Kentucky, South Dakota, Missouri, Minnesota, Indiana, West Virginia, Vermont and New York, employing more than 425 people. Nearly all of the former Ridgway Wholesale employees will join the new company, including Kenny Thompson, who has been hired to be the Herrin branch manager.
Basi recognized for work Bart A. Basi, CPA/attorney at law and senior adviser of The Center for Financial, Legal & Tax Planning, Inc., with corporate offices in Marion and branch offices in St. Louis and Longboat Key, Fla., has been recognized for his work with Lawline, Inc., an online company based in New York City that specializes in continuing education for attorneys. At a recent awards ceremony at The Harvard Club in New York City, Basi was awarded “Best Out of State Presenter” for educational programs he has conducted for the company. Basi holds the rank of professor emeritus at the Business School at SIU, having served as chairman of the accounting department for a number of years.
Davis joins Edward Jones office Sally Davis recently joined the Anna office of the financial services firm Edward Jones as a branch office administrator (BOA) trainee. The title of branch office administrator was adopted for this position at Edward Jones because of the wide range of responsibilities associated with the job.
Let the region know Have you been promoted? Has a colleague at work completed an intensive continuing education program? Others in the business community will want to know it, so please consider passing on your milestone employment news to the Southern Business Journal. Feel free to email the information to sbj@thesouthern.com or fax a written update to 618-457-2935.
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Employment Law R ESU LTS
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R ESU LTS
Employees using cell phones while driving need to know the rules BY ED RENSHAW SBJ CONTRIBUTOR
Effective Jan. 1, Illinois placed limitations on the use of cell phones and other electronic devices such as personal digital assistants while driving. These limitations apply to Renshaw both texting and verbal conversations, unless the device is being used in a hands-free or voiceactivated mode. As to texting, it is now illegal to compose, send or read e-mail, text messages or instant messages while driving. It is also illegal to attempt to access an Internet site while driving. This restriction does not apply when a driver pulls over and parks on the shoulder of a roadway or if a driver is stopped in the road because of traffic obstruction and has placed the transmission in neutral or park. In other words, if you are completely stopped, texting is not illegal. As to verbal conversations, it is now illegal for a driver to use a cell phone while in a school zone or construction zone. What do these new laws have to do with employment law, you ask? Maybe, a lot. Distracted driving, whether caused by cell phone use or eating in the car or talking to passengers or changing radio stations, is a major factor in hundreds of thousands of auto accidents each year. These new laws, of course, are intended to decrease accidents and injuries. The changes also allow you to stress to your employees the hazards of distracted driving and the liability for accidents caused by distracted driving. Cell phones and PDAs have expanded the office onto the roadway. What used to be down time for employees (and employers as well) can now be productive time. Also, employees may now conduct business by phone when they are engaged
in what are otherwise personal activities. If an employee receives a call from a customer on a Saturday morning while he’s driving his kids to a baseball game, that employee is suddenly “on the job” and his actions may affect your business. So, what happens if your employee is involved in an auto accident while using a cell phone? If that employee is on the job — i.e., working for you at that time, regardless of whether the phone call was about business — your business can be liable for any damage or injury caused by the accident. And, as stated earlier, even if the employee is not supposed to be on the job, if he is involved in a cell phone communication that is related to your business, you can be liable for an accident. The legal theory that makes you liable for your employee’s actions is called respondeat superior or vicarious liability. Respondeat superior means, literally, “let the master answer.” Under this theory of liability, an employer is liable for the harmful actions of an employee if the actions occur when the employee is performing some work duties or is furthering the interests of the employer. This liability is based on several practical reasons. First, an employee is acting on the employer’s behalf and the employer usually has some control over the actions of the employee. So, the employer should share in compensating someone who has been harmed by the actions of the employee. Second, the employer makes money from the employee, so the employer should also share in losses caused by the employee. Finally, and perhaps, most importantly, an employer usually has “deeper pockets” or better insurance to compensate a person damaged by an employee’s actions. If your company has employees on the road as part of the business, it is important to limit your exposure to liability for auto accidents. It is also important to protect your employees and other drivers. So, if feasible, it is best to prohibit the use of cell phones while driving. Employees should
ART SERVICES
It is now illegal to compose, send or read e-mail or text messages while driving.
be informed of the policy and should sign acknowledgments that they know the policy. If you won’t or can’t completely prohibit cell phone use while driving, guidelines for cell phone use should be given to employees. Of course, any illegal use of cell phones should be prohibited. Employees should be encouraged or required to pull off the road to use their cell phones. Hands-free cell phones could be required, although it is questionable whether these really decrease a driver’s level of distraction. First and foremost, a cell phone policy
may help prevent accidents. Moreover, if an employee is involved in an accident in which cell phone use was a factor, a policy may provide some protection from liability if the employee was violating the policy. — Edward Renshaw is a partner with the Carbondale law firm of Feirich /Mager/Green /Ryan. F/M/G/R is a general practice law firm offering a full range of legal services, including labor and employment law, commercial transactions, banking, real estate, workers’ compensation, municipal law and estate planning.
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Take a bite out of your lunchtime workout routine The average American adult spends nearly nine hours of their day working according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Considering that the rest of the day is typically consumed by childcare and much needed shut eye, the workday often provides one of the few opportunities to fit in physical activity. Most of us only have an hour break for lunch, so expect to spend 30 minutes exercising and 30 getting ready to return to the office. Plan ahead with these tips from the exercise experts at Life Fitness and maximize your time: Quick time workout: Find out if your local gym or office fitness facility has a 30-minute, lunchtime class you can take advantage of. Circuit training, doing a succession of strength-training exercises back to back, is well suited for the time sensitive. Pack your bags: Your bag should include all the necessary workout
clothes, socks and shoes as well as a travel stash of grooming necessities including deodorant, brush or comb and cleansing towelettes. Women may need to bring hair accessories as well as a basic supply of cosmetics. Find a bag with compartments to separate your work wardrobe from your workout clothes. Lunch pail: Don’t waste time or sabotage your routine by cruising through the drive-thru window. Instead, pack a sensible lunch including protein and carbohydrates to restock your system such as a roasted turkey sandwich, apple and big glass of water. Make sure to keep pre-workout snacks handy at the office as well. A handful of nuts or serving of cottage cheese a couple of hours before your workout will prevent you from feeling ravenous afterwards. — McClatchy-Tribune News
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Business Fine Print PERMITS | BANKRUPTCIES
Building permits Carbondale
Metropolis Ready Mix, P.O. Box 107, $4,000 Frank Langston, 1012 Girard St., $2,000 Frank Langston, 1012 Girard St., $1,500
Home Rentals, 406 S. Illinois Ave., $12,500 Equitas Partners, 305 N. Robinson Circle, $43,000 Edgewood Properties, Inc., 401 S. Eason Drive, $9,000 Meadowridge Townhouses, 600 E. Campus Drive, $4,000 Black Trust, 304 E. Hester St., $4,000 Ghada Wimberly, 622 E. Searing St., $34,000 Norma and Charles Stevens, 220 W. Charles Road, $29,000 Bryant Rentals, 508 W. College St., $14,000 John Whitlock, 605 W. Walnut St., $1,680 Vicki Walker, 702 S. Benwood Drive, $9,000 Charles Myers, 1002 S. Skyline Drive, $5,000 Charlene Reed, 407 S. Emerald Lane, $7,000 Carl Ervin, 1504 W. Taylor Drive, $7,000 KC’s Pet Grooming, 100 N. Glenview Drive, $2,500 Blue Fish Liquor and Cigars, 2355 Sweets Drive, $25,000 Selective Site Consultants, 925 E. Larch St., $15,000 Pointe at SIU, 900 E. Park St., $637,500 Harold Hungerford, 3103 W. Kent Drive, $18,000 Regina Paul, 1108 W. Chautauqua St., $70,000 Charles Leming, 608 W. Owens St., $2,500 Matt, Gramse, 2216 E. Walnut St., $5,000 Julia Hines, 310 S. Lynda St., $31,000 Campus Colonial, 908 W. Mill St., $208,000 Payne, Gaertner and Associates, 334 N. Illinois Ave., $24,000
Mount Vernon
Carterville
Keith Roberts, 227 N. 14th St., $5,000 James A. Cochran, 608 N. 11th St., $3,800 Frank Coniglio, 1520 Spruce St., $30,000 Jane Schemonia, 1828 Kennedy, $2,140 Becky McIntosh, 538 S. 17th St., $2,800
Ila O’Brian, 516 Canary, $0 John Gooden, 408 California, $10,000
Herrin Steve Seever, 1603 Kaijo Lane, $155,000 Don Smith, 608 S. 16th St., $15,000 James Brand, 201 Newman Drive, $5,000 David Walls, 920 S. 16th St., $60,000 Charles Koerner, 1208 N. Ninth St., $30,000 Sergio Mendez, 1400 S. 16th St., $10,000 Patrick Creek, 1001 N. 14th St., $11,000
Marion John Herrell, 707 N. Harper, $5,700 Bill Ball, 909 Buchanan, $75,000 Dax Mezo, Lot 15 Wildrose Lane, $85,000 Mylinda Sullins, 703 E. Parham, $3,041 Elisabeth Abbott, 1203 Enterprise, $30,000 Dave Mayer, North Street, $140,000 Larry Fredman, 1909 Suzanne Drive, $25,000
Metropolis Dale Obermark, 6843 Midway Road, $3,000 Steven W. Evans, P.O. Box 1006, $8,900 Robert L. Kommer, 502 W. Third St., $1,500 Larry and Jamie Schabbing, $15,000 Kelly Bell, Route 3 Box 175, $3,500
Phyllis Bruce, 14991 Mick Road, $25,000 Kohl’s Department Store, 141 Davidson Ave., $4,000,000 William Carter, 17 Homestead Drive, $5,000 St. Mary’s Good Samaritan, 4001 Veterans Memorial Drive, $20,000,000 John R. Jones, 229 19th St., $0 The Raider Group, 821 20th St., $0 Downtown Development, 809 Main St., $0 Lawrence Hall, 1317 26th St., $20,000 Continental Tire, 11525 N. Illinois 142, $1,000,000 Jimmy John’s Restaurant, 101 Davidson Ave., $0 Quiznos, 4805 Broadway, $0 Jr. Women’s Club, three locations, $0 Rent One Service Center, 2325 Benton Road, $2,500 Billy Rockett, 604 Pear St., $2,930 Crossroads Hospital, 8 Doctor’s Park, $1,500,000 City of Mount Vernon, 825 18th St., $0 City of Mount Vernon, 814 Williams, $0 Max Wood, 312 Fifth St. $0 City of Mount Vernon, 2111 Cherry, $0 City of Mount Vernon, 1001 Welkins, $0 Arthur Dotson, 1711 Ninth St., $0 Lawrence Hall, 1317 26th St., $0 Melody Maurer, 1014 Mulligan Drive, $225,000 Melody Maurer, 1014 Mulligan Drive, $0
Murphysboro
West Frankfort Rich Walton, 507 S. Locust St., $80,000 W.F. Armory, 802 W. Main St., $768,300 Tody and Ken Gray, 1515 E. Cleveland St., $120,000
Bankruptcies Chapter 7 Barbara Stout, 1101 Benton St., Johnston City Timothy Wilkerson, 23396 E. Bakersville Road, Belle Rive Ricky Scott, 303 SE Eighth St., Fairfield Darrek Parker and Tamara Parker, 12048 Katherine St., Sesser Sharon Ping, 465 E. Park St., Du Quoin Michael Davis, 907 N. Granite St., Marion Leslie Cobb, 119 S. Marshall St., Harrisburg Linda Wilson, 313 E. 11th St., Metropolis Carrie Galloway, P.O. Box 266, Herrin Jerry Newbolds, 1014 S. Buchanan St., Marion
John Prather, 3870 Somerset Road, Harrisburg Rodney Lingle and Martha Lingle, 150 Schwartz Hill Lane, Vienna Michael Launay and Tammy Launay, 14610 N. Illinois 37, Mount Vernon Patricia Tucker, 4007 Apache Circle, Pinckneyville Christina Mitchell, P.O. Box 988, Dowell Christina Boswell, 18 S. Musselman St., Du Quoin Chad Marks and Amanda Marks, 22 Manor Circle, Fairfield Eric Smart and Brenda Smart, 810 Gore Canyon Loop, Goreville Roger Clem and Lisa Clem, 21511 Shawneetown Road, Thompsonville Ramona Walker, 1300 S. Holland St., Harrisburg Mark Cashion, 101 Elm Ave., De Soto Heather Robinson, P.O. Box 181, Hurst Robert Murray and Bernadine Murray, 1120 Bond St., Eldorado Janis Leggans, 518 W. Rigdon St., Carbondale Jessica Sutton, 406 E. Ford St., Harrisburg Kurt Cleveland, 1269 County Road 750 E., Carmi Robert Whiteside, 715 S. 18th St., Mount Vernon Danele Young, 415 Broadway St., Fairfield Terry Downen, Route 3 Box 4, Fairfield Keith Lampley and Christine Lampley, 18452 Corinth Road, Marion Harry Morales and Michelle Morales, 9410 Montgomery Lane, Goreville Matthew Worley and Christal Worley, 820 E. McClurken Ave., Sparta James Cross, P.O. Box 156, Percy Adam Lane, 310 W. Mable St., Harrisburg Stanley Majors, P.O. Box 997, Carrier Mills Loretta Stout, 1690 A. Dewey Road, Eldorado Scott Webb and Jennifer Webb, 33 Westwood St., Mount Vernon Cyril Austin, 1803 E. Elm St., West Frankfort Scott Hefner, 703 Fairland St., Benton Dennis Kirchner and Eva Kirchner, 208 E. Second St., Sparta Justin Simmons, 18222 Caplinger Pond Road, Marion Anthony Crews and Christina Crews, Route 1 Box 312A, West Salem Ischia May, PO Box 117, Thebes Pamela Huffine, 21927 W. Bobtail Road, Macedonia Brandi Hall, 123 W. Second St., Mount Carmel David Holden and Tracy Holden, 20724B N. Lucky Lane, Bluford Darla Carr, 209 W. Elm St., Okawville Tara Burns, 10201 Country Club Road, Sparta George Most, 9397 Mullans Lane, Marion Angie Liljegren, 3835 Christian Chapel Road, Dongola Larry Leavens, 222 N. Second St., Grayville Anita Womble, P.O. Box 261, Carmi Dacey Galloway, Route 5 Box 242, McLeansboro Lester Jordan, P.O. Box 423, Cisne Randy Johnson, 1330 E. Grand Ave., Carbondale Donald Smoot, 701 Cedar Lane, Marion Lora Motsinger, 308 W. Eighth St., Johnston City
Beau Brown and Sarah Brown, 31 W. Ogara, Harrisburg Donald Davis and Bonnie Davis, P.O. Box 342, Mount Carmel Shon Durbin and Andrea Durbin, 1822 Waltonville Road, Mount Vernon Sherrie Morgan, 17190 E. Polk Road, Ewing Raymond Bartley and Ruby Bartley, 306 S. Jessup St., Carmi Curtis Conley and Cathy Conley, P.O. Box 36, New Burnside Thomas Hill, 145 Opdyke Ave., Mount Vernon Blair Gibbons, 249 St. Mary’s Drive, Harrisburg Jacob Perkins and Ann Perkins, 80 Shawnee Drive, Goreville Charlene Shaw, 2047 U.S. 51, Apt. 3, Du Quoin Jeanette Walker, 9004 Old State Route 14, Du Quoin Janet Shreves, 311 Bucher Road, Mounds Kevin Adams, 701 N. Main St., Carrier Mills Bonita Belford, 611 S. Jarrell St., Ridgway Jennifer Burk, P.O. Box 2365, Mount Vernon Thomas Burton, 517 S. 18th St., Herrin Cassandra Aldridge, 3009 Park Ave., Cairo Richard Kearney and Regina Kearney, 471 Price Road, Olmsted Destiny Tolbert, 913 S. 16th St., Herrin Clinton Underwood, 1308 Wilmoth St., Harrisburg Eldon Stotlar, 313 N. McDyvy, Buckner Doris Mand, 312 N. McDyvy St., Buckner Travis Hill, 102 Lime Kiln Apt. Drive, Anna Michael Stover, Route 1 Box 125, McLeansboro Kenneth Perry and Angela Perry, 710 Tollgate Road, Anna Stephen Prosise and Mary Prosise, 22714 State Route 177, Hoyleton Jeffery Buttry and Amy Buttry, P.O. Box 351, Carmi Buck Fritchley and Felicia Fritchley, 10914 E. 920th Lane, Mount Carmel Dustin Baker, 19636 Ferrell Church, Marion Shelley Turner, 617 E. Superior St., Irvington Georgia Modglin, 628 White Ave., Mount Vernon Justin Thies, 703 N. 14th St., Murphysboro Lisa Fernandez, 2006 E. Clark St., West Frankfort Fredrick Dunham, 224 Crain Road, De Soto Brian Cathcart, 807 N. Sparta St., Steeleville Beth Shaver, 21354 N. Tolle Lane, Texico Lonnie Simpson and Stacey Simpson, Route 1 Box 295, Geff Beverly Shepherd, 1368 N. Cypress Road, Carbondale Deborah Vincent, 2600 Cherry St., Mount Vernon Erik Phelps and Kimberly Phelps, P.O. Box 1223, Benton Sean Rooney and Ashley Rooney, 108 Morris Drive, Mount Carmel Michael Billington, Route 2, Box 170, Fairfield Coy Funk, 125 Locust Road, Ozark Shawn Gunn and Shannon Gunn, 540 Heern Road, Cobden Kent Jeralds, 408 N. 32nd St., Herrin SEE FINE PRINT / PAGE 22
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Business Fine Print PERMITS | BANKRUPTCIES Randall Henson and Marla Henson, 17104 E. Lynchburg Road, Mount Vernon Joyce Pennington, 702 E. McKinley St., Marion William Meyer, 58 Barger Drive, Metropolis Kendra Zappa, 1122 Washington Ave., Johnston City Dana Granfeldt, 601 W. Ray St., Buckner David Braden and Joni Braden, 609 S. 19th St., Mount Vernon Larry Thomason and Judy Thomason, 590 Hocbriar 8, Carbondale Julie Tomlinson, 102 Brianne Drive, Goreville Mary Gunther, 1085 Eagle Point Bay Road, Goreville James Shepherd and Melanie Shepherd, 313 E. Seventh St., Brookport Cheryl Milner, 401 E. Sibley St., Fairfield Sharry Bos, 1303 E. Oak St., West Frankfort Ruth Singer, 105 E. Rudolph St., Crossville Robert Webb and Christina Webb, 6166 E. Dayton Drive, Woodlawn Scott Williams and Brandy Williams, 19506 County Highway 18, Centralia Christopher Stadelbacher, 675 Wrights Crossing Road, Cobden Michael Spreitler and Emma Spreitler, 110 N. Miller St., Sparta Randall Rockett, 303 E. Mechanic St., Geff Christine Spence, 1503 E. Parham St., Marion James Magill, 320 N. Fourth St., Albion Amy Beane, 151 Hoffman Road, Murphysboro Lisa White, 115 N. Spencer St., Mounds Shirley Baker, 1806 Pickett Lane, Marion Clyde Taylor and Sally Taylor, 285 Yorkshire Lane, Vienna
Chapter 13 William Beasley and LaRhonda Beasley, 1109 S. Buchanan St., Marion Monty Caudell and Daisey Caudell, 1879 County Road 1200 East, Carmi Jo Davis, 27 Marberry Drive, Metropolis Reba Waddy, 1161 Pryortown Road, Villa Ridge Garrett Burroughs, 9830 Briggs Road, Marion Brandon Burd and Sarah Burd, 390 Rolling Hills Road, Grand Chain William Neal, 2905 Willow Road, Du Quoin Brian Hendrickson and Traci Hendrickson, 15543 Crabtree School Road, Marion Neal Gramenz and Laura Gramenz, 506 E. Hancock St., Steeleville Justin Brookmyer, 4264 Giant City Road, Carbondale Tracy Campbell, 1505 W. Faust St., Marion Elise Bailey, P.O. Box 612, Sparta Johnnie McKinnies, 18 S. Musselman Ave., Du Quoin Rutherford Eubanks, P.O. Box 434, Valier Corey Ward and Robin Ward, 7458 Route 37, Marion Amy Markland, 204 S. Glenview Drive, Carbondale Justin Shelton and Alicia Shelton, 1516 Perkins Ave., Mount Vernon Larry Adams, P.O. Box 26, Villa Ridge
Harrison Erlinger and Dorothy Erlinger, 1206 Highland St., Benton Lonnie Darter and Louella Darter, 407 N. Crawford, West Frankfort Michael Sexton, 12348 N. Ring Lane, Woodlawn Harold Smith and Barbara Smith, P.O. Box 895, Jonesboro Donald Davis and Buffie Davis, 1279 Puxico Road, Percy Cary McVey and Christine McVey, 3117 Longhorn Road, Carbondale Richard Halstead and Jamie Halstead, P.O. Box 432, Hurst Jessie LaRoe and Christina LaRoe, 203 Mound St., Wayne City Kara Reed, 157 N. Eighth St., Albion Neil Berkel and Juliana Berkel, 811 Main St., Carterville Yavone Coulibaly, 209 S. Dixon Ave., Carbondale Stephenie Wagner, 406 Schumaker St., Carmi Wilbur Franklin and Edna Franklin, P.O. Box 55, Tilden Thomas Mandrell and Debra Mandrell, 2765 Melvin Road, West Frankfort Brian Jones, 300 Brady Mill Road, Anna Janice Strope, 17512 N. Old Salem Lane, Mount Vernon Christopher Bathon and Amanda Bathon, 700 Dewey Ave., Mount Vernon Marilyn Ing, 709 N. Locust St., Sesser Vince Sneed, 703 S. Cherry St., West Frankfort Donna Staszak, 1931 Herbert St., Murphysboro Bobby Gant and Carolyn Gant, 107 W. Kimmel, Elkville Leslie Rodgers, P.O. Box 65, Mounds George Kaminski, 1055 Eagle Point Bay Road, Goreville Daniel Smola, 205 Bailey Hall, 1225 Point Drive, Carbondale Wendy Graham, P.O. Box 964, Harrisburg James Rogers, 315 N. Delaware St., Mounds Robbie Koen, 211 24th St., Cairo Mary Paulk, 1300 West End St., Marion Allen Bennett and Chastady Bennett, 312 S. Hubbard St., Goreville David Sons and Elsie Sons, P.O. Box 334, Fairfield Jeffery Rhein and Teresa Rhein, 19580 Downen Road, Omaha Lucas Bethel, 321 S. 18th St., Herrin Richard Schaefer and Laura Schaefer, 7462 Veath Lane, Evansville Steven May and Marilyn May, 1400 Hanah Lane, Marion Teddy Vonderhide and Brenda Vonderhide, 230 Greenwood Ave., Du Quoin Leo Johnson and Shirley Johnson, 502 Hudson St., Carrier Mills Michael Sweikousky, 1708 E. Elm St., West Frankfort Sean Newell and Julie Newell, 15197 Paulton Road, Thompsonville Tommy Johnson and Martha Johnson, 104 S. 10th St., Herrin Beatrice Davenport, 2127 Hortense St.,
Murphysboro Jeremy Buckman, 4690 Highknob Road, Equality Angela Jones, 50 Apache Circle, McClure Shanon Arbor, P.O. Box 58, Mound City Trucy Clark, 635 Clark Road, Olmsted Robert Williams, P.O. Box 9, Pulaski James Todd and Edna Todd, Route Box 187, Fairfield Scott Treece and Jodi Treece, 5065 State Route 3 North, Wolf Lake Christina Neff, 527 First South St., Tamaroa Geraldine Rogers, 17009 Illinois 37, Johnston City Michael Sendelbach and April Sendelbach, 13998 N. Parkland Lane, Mount Vernon Paul Huckelberry and Krista Huckelberry, 719 Airport Road, Metropolis Joanne Arends, 406 N. Adams, West Frankfort Arthur Hill and Barbara Hill, 225 N. Walnut Grove Road, Creal Springs Mildred Smith, 943 E. Haney Road, Carbondale Stephen Pace and Nancy Pace, 115 S. Jackson St., Benton Robert Watkins and Rhonda Watkins, 138 Sandale Lane, Ava
Timothy Duffield, 914 N. Bentley St., Marion David McGee and Becky McGee, 4679 Illinois 37 S., Marion Anthony Chamness, P.O. Box 323, Anna Kimberly Chamness, 2915 Boyd Road, Anna Bruce Hemphill and Susan Hemphill, P.O. Box 78, Elizabethtown Randall Nowakowski, 903 Malone St., Pinckneyville Gloria Caporale, 3120 Weaver Road, Herrin Kevin Ruble and Cynthia Ruble, 10773 Pasadena Road, Carbondale Jeffery Marcum and Pamela Marcum, P.O. Box 266, Harrisburg Robert Phillips and Sheila Phillips, 15760 N. Angling Lane, Mount Vernon Christa Ragsdale, 626 N. 15th St., Murphysboro Jean Aceves, Route 1 Box 5, Rinard William Colbert and Sheila Colbert, Route 3 Box 132A, Albion Ricky Buchanan and Kimberly Buchanan, 206 SE Sixth St., Fairfield Mary Hancock, P.O. Box 902, Vienna Christopher Hutchinson and Tammy Hutchinson, 1113 Jefferson Ave., Johnston City
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State Focus L EGA L |
G OV E R N M E N T | TA X ES
Pension reform in Illinois: Why is everyone cheering? BY J. FRED GIERTZ SBJ CONTRIBUTOR
What passes for pension reform in Illinois came with lightning speed in late March. The bill (SB 1946) appeared suddenly and was approved by substantial bipartisan Giertz majorities in barely two days and then got Gov. Pat Quinn’s signature. After some preliminary actions on March 23, the Illinois House and Senate took 71 separate actions on March 24, leading to the final approval of the bill. The bill was hailed by some editorial pages of newspapers in the state and by politicians as an important step towards addressing the state’s massive budget shortfall by dealing with the pension piece of the problem — the one that has come to symbolize the cause of and solution to the state’s fiscal woes. Unfortunately, the pension reform process was seriously flawed on procedural ground. In addition, the new legislation falls far short of effectively dealing with pension-funding problems, not to mention the larger state budget issue. In a recent News-Gazette commentary, state Sen. Mike Frerichs, D-Champaign, heralded a new day of openness and transparency in the General Assembly. His Taxpayer Transparency Act (SB 3622), approved by the Senate, would “put an end to the practice of last-minute, secret budgets in Illinois.” Further, it would mandate “that general revenue spending proposals must be available for public review for four days prior to the General Assembly taking a vote.” Overcome by this spirit of openness, the Senate passed pension legislation that few members, not to mention citizens, understood. By comparison, the recent national health care debate was a model of openness and propriety.
In fact, two weeks after the legislation was approved, no one in Springfield could give a definitive answer to a number of key features of the bill. There were no significant hearings on the legislation, no real input from the state’s pension systems, and no competent actuarial study before the bill was approved. It is surprising how some editorial writers and commentators bought into the reform idea. In a Chicago Tribune commentary, Abner Mikva, an icon of Illinois politics, stated: “Gov. Quinn and the legislature deserve a lot of credit for a pension reform that is a substantial piece of any meaningful fiscal restraint program. More than a faint praise, they deserve a loud hurrah.” It is disappointing that the former distinguished judge, noted for his advocacy of proper and open procedures in politics, would be cheering what transpired in Springfield. The faulty process might be forgiven if the results effectively addressed the pension problem. Instead, the new bill can be viewed as business as usual similar to the so-called reforms of 2003 and 2005 where purported saving to be realized far in the future became the excuse for reduced current funding efforts. The pension bill imposes a new dramatically lower second tier by severely limiting pension coverage and pension benefits for new employees. For public school teachers and public higher education employees (workers not covered by Social Security), retirement benefits would only be partially indexed for inflation and these adjustments would not be compounded. The result is that a retiree would lose around 28 percent in purchasing power during a 20-year retirement with 3 percent inflation and 50 percent with 6 percent inflation. To save state funds, pension benefits for new employees would be based on a fraction of the Social Security earnings ceiling — currently $106,800 per year regardless of the actual employee’s salary. This, too, would only be partially
adjusted for inflation with the result the earnings ceiling for a new employee working 30 years would fall to 64 percent of the Social Security ceiling with 3 percent inflation and to 42 percent with 6 percent inflation. These are only two of several punitive measures that would reduce future pension benefits. The fallacy of this approach is that it assumes that there would be no adjustment necessary in the hiring costs for new employees who are offered drastically reduced benefits compared to current employees. Can new, highly skilled employees be hired with such meager benefits? This can only be done by paying higher salaries to compensate for the lower benefits or through the establishment of supplementary retirement systems to make up for the deficiency. What the state saves in lower pension costs would be partially offset by higher wages and new supplementary benefit costs. Rather than using the new pension savings as a means of setting the state on a path to solvency, the new pension bill is used as an excuse for the state to continue its reckless ways by reducing scheduled pensions contributions. What is overlooked in this discussion is that the budget problems facing the
state are really the result of excess spending over several decades where deficits have been partially funded by shorting the state’s pension systems. For example, had the state made timely payments (based on actuarial costs of slightly more than 10 percent of payrolls) to the State Universities Retirement System, SURS would be fully funded with assets of around 106 percent of liabilities rather than its actual level of around 50 percent. No reasonable observer can deny that pension reform as well as a careful evaluation of non-pension, postretirement benefits such as health insurance needs to be part of a general solution to the state fiscal mess. However, these changes must be accompanied by greater fiscal discipline as evidenced by spending austerity and enhanced revenues. Unfortunately, the General Assembly appears to view its version of pension reform as a substitute for such discipline. — J. Fred Giertz is professor of economics at the University of Illinois and an elected member of the State Universities Retirement System Board of Trustees. The views expressed here are his and not necessarily those of these institutions.
BUSINESS: Networking is a necessity FROM PAGE 9 business event is to make sure that you have plenty of business cards. You will always wind up exchanging more cards than you think and there is nothing worse than running out at the most inopportune time. Unless the event is a breakfast, lunch or dinner networking event, I would suggest eating before the event begins. This will help you avoid an awkward ‘food in the teeth’ look or a messy handshake. Lastly, be realistic of what you hope to accomplish at these events. Once you have connected with the individuals you came to meet and gotten
the information you wished to obtain, that would be a good time to leave the event. Lastly, be sure to follow up with the contacts you made within a week of the event. — Cavanaugh L. Gray is the director of business development for The Entrepreneur Café, L.L.C. in Carbondale. He can be contacted at cgray@ecafell.com or 618-2067013. For more ideas on better business networking or for more information on how to start, grow and succeed in small business be sure to follow The Entrepreneur Café, L.L.C. on Twitter www.twitter.com/ theecafe or at www.ecafellc.com.