Wirth earns honor
Kay Wirth recently received the 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Elgin Area/McHenry County Women's Council of Realtors for 2011.
Wirth, of Lakewood, has been a Realtor in the county for 28 years. She is a broker with Re/Max Unlimited Northwest, LLC in Crystal Lake and currently serves as the vice chairwoman for the National Association of Realtors Federal Housing Policy Committee. She also on the board of directors for the NAR and Illinois Association of Realtors, as well as several local, state and national committees.
She served as the 2011 National Association of Realtors Region 7 vice resident and she is past president of the following organizations: McHenry County and Illinois Women's Council of Realtors, as well as the county and state Association of Realtors.
Halvey to history society
UNION – Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge High School graduate Kira Halvey recently was hired by the McHenry County Historical Society. She replaces the Society's longtime Exhibit Curator Grace Moline, who retired in December
Halvey comes to the museum from the Byron's Museum of History, where she served as executive director. As exhibit/collection coordinator for the McHenry County Historical Society Museum, her responsibilities will include exhibit development and installation, collection management and interpretative program development – as well as fabricating and installing temporary exhibits in the society's traveling museum called "The James."
She also will be responsible for changing exhibits in the McHenry County Government Center, Woodstock Opera House and various county libraries. To reach Halvey and/or find out more about the Historical Society and its programs, call 815-923-2267 or visit www.mchsonline.org.
Massart joins bank
WOODSTOCK – American Community Bank & Trust announced the appointment of John Massart as a commercial banker.
Massart brings six years of experience in business banking. Working from the Crystal Lake bank, he will serve business owners and investors throughout McHenry County. An Elk Grove Village native, he has lived in Crystal Lake with his wife and four boys for seven years.
American Community Bank & Trust, with banks in Crystal Lake, Huntley, McHenry and Woodstock, is locally owned and managed. Founded in March 2000, the bank has more than $575 million in assets.
Maynard CEO of Pioneer
McHENRY – A veteran nonprofit executive will take over this spring as the top leader at Pioneer Center for Human Services, the county's largest social services agency.
Pioneer Center's board announced recently it had appointed Patrick Maynard as CEO and president of the organization. He eventually will replace Lorraine Kopczynski, who plans to retire in the spring after seven years at the helm.
Maynard, of Cincinnati, has more than 30 years of nonprofit experience, including nine years at Resident Home Corp. in Ohio. Resident Home Corp. provides services similar to ones offered by Pioneer Center, he said.
Pioneer Center serves the disabled, mentally ill, homeless, troubled youth and families, and victims of sexual abuse.
Kopczynski has led Pioneer Center since 2005. During her tenure as president, Pioneer grew from serving 900 clients and operating on an $11 million budget to serving more than 2,500 with a $15 million budget.
Pioneer Center merged with McHenry County PADS in 2006, and with Youth Service Bureau and Children Center for Autism in 2010.
Torman elected director
MARENGO – Dianna Torman, president/CEO of Prairie Community Bank in Marengo, was elected group director of the Community Bankers Association of Illinois at the association's fall conference in Milwaukee.
As a group director, she served on the CBAI board of directors, as well as its strategic planning and membership committees.
Torman began her career at the Algonquin State Bank in 1988, in 1995 she took a position with Harris Bank until she joined Prairie Community Bank in Marengo in 2003. She earned a finance degree from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and a certified leader designation through CBAI in 2005.
Her civic duties include serving on the Marengo District 154 Board of Education and as a commissioner of the Marengo Economic Development Commission.
Torman and her husband, Don, live in Marengo with their three children.
Turtle Wax has new sheen
CRYSTAL LAKE – Turtle Wax Car Wash has completed extensive remodeling at its Crystal Lake location, 161 Liberty Road.
"Everything has been upgraded to enhance our services – from our new state-of-the-art equipment to our remodeled lobby area with comfortable seating and newly offered Wk-Fi service. We will be able to process our customer's vehicles in a more efficient manner, saving them time and money," said Jim Jarach, director of Turtle Wax Car Wash.
Turtle Wax also plans on renovating its locations in Bloomingdale, Countryside, and Skokie during 2012.The company is headquartered in Willowbrook.
Consultants join Tastefully Simple
CRYSTAL LAKE – The following local residents have become independent consultants with Tastefully Simple Inc., a national direct sales company: Kimberly LeRette-Lewis, Crystal Lake; Donetta Forsyth, Huntley; Rachel Ackerman, Island Lake; Sarah Maxwell and Adele Svoboda, Lake in the Hills; and Sheryl Smith, Wonder Lake.
For information, visit www.tastefullysimple.com.
McHenry Harley riding high
McHENRY – McHenry Harley-Davidson was among five Illinois Harley dealerships singled out by Dealernews as the top 100 Harley-Davidson dealerships in 2011.
The 21st Annual Top 100 Awards, the industry's largest, longest running and most prestigious retail competition, recognizes companies for their creative store designs, marketing approaches, community involvement and customer service. Entries are judged by an unamed panel of experts from the powersports and the general retailing sectors.
Thirty-five states and one Canadian province are represented in this year's Top100. The powersports industry will come together for an invitation-only awards' banquet Feb. 17 in Indianapolis to honor the winners.
The Awards Ceremony will reveal the 2012 Dealer of the Year, theMerit Award winners and other special recognitions. The awards luncheonis an invitation-only event. This year's winners also will be commemorated in the 2012 Top 100 Yearbook, to be published in March by Dealernews, and in an online gallery starting in March at www.dealernews.com.
Graphics firm honored
POPLAR GROVE – Lucca Alla Moda, a local graphic design firm, received two 2011 Communicator Awards of Distinctions in the Interactive category, one for its work with municipality Dorr Township in Woodstock and one for designing a website for the Palumbo Family Foundation, of Hillside.
Dorr Township needed to improve communication with residents. Lucca Alla Moda crafted a user-friendly website –www.dorrtownship.com.The Palumbo Family Foundation called upon Lucca Alla Moda to overhaul its website.
The Communicator Award honors creative excellence for communication professionals. The agency was selected from thousands of other design agencies.
In 2010, Lucca Alla Moda received a silver Davey Award for creativity. For information, visit www.luccaam.com.
Tyler Press moves
HUNTLEY – Tyler Press Inc. recently moved to a new location at 11960 Oak Creek Parkway, in the Huntley Gateway Commons business park.
It now shares a space with SPC-Service Printing Corp.
Since 1996 Tyler Press has been serving the greater northwest Chicago/ McHenry County area from its Huntley office with professional printing and image marketing products and services. In addition to a variety of print services, it also offers imprinted promotional products, branded apparel, Web design and graphic design. For information, contact Gary Sullivan at 847-669-8926.
Seasonal Hiring Up
CHICAGO, January 9, 2011 – Seasonal hiring in retail nearly returned to pre-recession levels in 2011, as employment in the sector experienced a net gain of 718,500 over the final three months of the year, according to an analysis of employment data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That marks a 14.5 percent improvement over the 627,500 seasonal jobs added 2010, and falls just shy of the 720,800 added in 2007, when the economy still relatively strong.
The analysis of non-seasonally adjusted data by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. found that while October hiring was down from a year earlier, strong job gains in November and December fueled the surge. November job gains increased 23 percent from 332,700 in 2010 to 409,800 this year. Meanwhile, December job gains were up 20 percent from a year earlier to 188,600, which is the largest number of retail jobs added in the final month of the year since 196,400 jobs were created in 2005.
"Seasonal hiring was better than expected this year, particularly since the recovery was stumbling a bit just as we were approaching the period when retailers make their hiring decisions. However, early sales and other measures to get people out to the stores and malls apparently created increased demand for extra holiday workers. Strong Black Friday sales likely contributed to the December job gains," said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Retail sales in December were up about 3.4 percent from a year earlier, according to a survey of 22 major chains by Thomson Reuters. Meanwhile, online sales were up 15 percent from a year ago, which helped create jobs outside of retail, as shipping firms like UPS and FedEx bulked up their rosters to help fulfill all of the online orders.
"Now, the question is whether the consumer will go into post-holiday hibernation. Several retail experts have predicted that this year could see particularly weak January sales, as Americans try to recover from holiday spending, much of which was on credit cards," said Challenger.
Credit card use over the Christmas season was up about 25 percent from a year earlier, according to America's Research Group.
Over the last several years, retailers have cut more workers in January and February than they hired in the preceding three months. After adding 627,600 seasonal workers over the final three months of 2010, retail employment fell by 739,700 in January and February 2011.
Wagner, Mullins join CL Bank & Trust
CRYSTAL LAKE – Crystal Lake native Jenny Wagner and Crystal Lake resident Bill Mullins have joined Crystal Lake Bank & Trust.
Mullins, the new vice president and senior retail banking officer, brings with hiim10 years of experience at Citibank, where he managed the largest branch in the city of Chicago (Dearborn and Washington streets). Prior to working in Chicago, Mulins worked in varying capacities for Citibank in its New York corporate offices.
Wagner, a former branch manager in West Dundee for US Bank and graduate of Crystal Lake South High School, will focus on developing new business relationships for the bank.
"Jenny created quite a following of small to mid-size businesses throughout Southern McHenry and into Kane County in her previous management role", said bank Executive Vice President Keith Hogan said in a written statement. "We look forward to her doing the same for our bank as she is eager to serve the Crystal Lake area communities".
Hogan alsp praised Mullins as a key asset moving forward.
"The bank will look to Mullins to implement a consistent and structured sales structure," Hogan said, "as well as to further grow cross-selling efforts and needs identification to retain and grow our customer base."
Historical Society hires new museum exhibit/collection coordinator
UNION – Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge High School graduate Kira Halvey was recently hired by the McHenry County Historical Society. She replaces the Society museum's longtime Exhibit Curator Grace Moline who retired in December
Halvey comes to the museum from the Byron's Museum of History, where she served as executive director. As exhibit/collection coordinator for the McHenry County Historical Society Museum, her responsibilities will include exhibit development and installation, collection management and interpretative program development – as well as fabricating and installing temporary exhibits in the society's traveling museum called "The James."
She also will be responsible for changing exhibits in the McHenry County Government Center, Woodstock Opera House and various county libraries.
With past experience in volunteer recruitment programs, school tour education, special event coordination besides working in collection and exhibits, Halvey brings a wealth of skills to her new position.
To reach Halvey and/or find out more about the Historical Society and its programs, call 815-923-2267 or check out the website at www.mchsonline.org.
Lemke joins Executive Council
CRYSTAL LAKE – Matthew E. Lemke, financial adviser and branch manager at Summit Wealth Strategies, recently was named as a member of the Raymond James Financial Services 2012 Executive Council.
Council honors are presented to those who have demonstrated an extremely high level of commitment to clients through personal serice and professional integrity.
Lemke has nine yeas of experience in such areas as mutual funds, insurance/annuities, tax strategies, asset management, charitable giving, managed accounts, trust services, banking services and research/analysis.
His office is located at 365 Millenium Drive, Suite C, in Crystal Lake. For information, call 815-455-5050.
Register for C-G showcase
CARY – Registration is in full swing for local business, governmental leaders and community groups and organizations interested in participating in the 2012 Cary Grove Community Showcase.
The event, sponsored by the Cary Grove Area Chamber of Commerce, runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 3 at Cary-Grove High School, 2208 Three Oaks Road in Cary.
The Showcase highlights local resources and attracts hundreds of community residents. Registration forms are available at www.carygrovechamber.com.
"The Community Showcase has a long history of spotlighting the best features of our community," chamber Executive Director Suzanne Corr said. "This event draws out the community to connect with village leaders, business resources, community groups, churches and more."
This year's showcase also features an Indoor farmers market offering dairy products, meats, cheeses, pickles, specialty foods, baked goods and more. The event previews Cary's summer farmers market.
Every 100th guest arriving at the Community Showcase will win a raffle prize donated by the nearly 100 vendors. For information, visit www.carygrovechamber.com or call 847-639-2800.
Gorbachev coming to Elgin
ELGIN – Judson University's April 21 World Leaders Forum will feature former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev as the keynote speaker.
The forum begins at 3 p.m. in the Betty Lindner Campus Commons of Judson's Elgin campus, 1151 N. State St. Gorbachev's presentation will address "Leadership Insights: My Time with Ronald Reagan." A question-and-answer question follows. Prior to the keynote address, attendees and sponsors will have an opportunity to network.
A second speech will follow for Judson's students, faculty, staff and alumni at 5:30 p.m. in Herrick Chapel.
"We're very excited to welcome a leader of President Gorbachev's stature and world impact to Judson University," said John Shales, a Judson trustee and chairman of the World Leaders Forum Planning Committee.
Gorbachev experienced significant social, economic and political changes while he was leader of the former Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. While in office, he met frequently with President Ronald Reagan to discuss global concerns and the impact of the ongoing arms race between the two countries.
Recognizing that the Soviet Union needed political and economic reform, Gorbachev introduced to the world two new words: Perestroika (government restructuring) and glasnost (political openness). His leadership eventually contributed to a treaty that would reduced the number of nuclear weapons throughout Europe. He also ended the Soviet Union's war in Afghanistan, contributed to ending the Cold War and brought about widespread change in the policies and political structures of Eastern Europe and the world.
His achievements were recognized when President Gorbachev was named the 1988 Time magazine person of the year and again in 1990 when he received the Nobel Peace Prize. His work and interest in social change within his own country continues today.
Doors open at 2:45 p.m. for this event. For ticket and sponsorship information, visit www.worldleadersforum.info .Proceeds from this year's forum will be donated to the Entrepreneurial Endowment Fund and the Judson Student Scholarship Fund to assist current Judson students.
Last year, Judson hosted former U.S. President George W. Bush as the keynote speaker for its inaugural World Leaders Forum on April 13. President Bush spoke to more than 1,300 attendees, recounting stories from his time in the Oval Office and visits with other global leaders. He even recalled his visits with Russian Leader Vladimir Putin.
Ag funding available
WOODSTOCK – The 2012 Air Quality Initiative of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program has financial incentives to farmers in McHenry, Kane and Lake counties. Illinois has $2.07 million dollars available.
Eligible practices, which have positive impacts on air quality by reducing greenhouse gases and particulate matter, include tree planting, drainage management, establishign windbreaks and shelters, operating a livestock waste storage facility, composting and operating a waste storage facility.
Even though producers may already be using mulch till, no till, cover crops on their land, these practices are eligible for financial assistance on acres where these practices are not currently being applied.
Applications received by Feb. 3 will receive first consideration for funding. A second cutoff will be March 30. For information, call 815-338-0099, ext. 3 or visit the county USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service at 1648 S. Eastwood Drive.
NRCS has other programs available to help producers install practices on their land that can benefit water quality, soil quality, and air quality.
Promote healthier businesses in Illinois
BARRINGTON – With health benefit costs projected to surpass an average of $10,000 a employee next year, it's more important than ever for Illinois employers to address the health of their workforce.
The Illinois Chamber-led workplace wellness initiative, adopted for the second year by the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce, are effective because they encourage employees to take ownership of their health. Wellness programs can incorporate everything from lunch-time walking programs to free health screenings and fitness coaching.
The program is built around a 100-day exercise and weight loss challenge that uses competition between teams to promote physical activity and improved dietary habits. To further encourage employee wellness in the region, many health-care providers are offering discounted rates at local fitness centers. Chamber members and their families can locate these discounts by logging onto www.barringtonchamber.com or calling 847-381-2525.
Participants log their weight or the number of minutes they have exercised on www.livehealthyillinois.org. The website takes care of the rest, tracking their progress and offering motivational messages, healthy recipes and more.
A company can have a single team of two to 10 participants, or multiple teams, for $20 a participant. Those teams then compete with others from across the state by comparing their progress on the Live Healthy site. Locally, prizes will be awarded to the individual participant and team winners at the chamber's Spotlight for Barrington's Stars April 25.
"It's hard to remain competitive when your employees miss more days of work, and require more expensive prescriptions and medical procedures, than organizations with healthy workers" said chamber President/CEO Janet Meyer.
Help the troops, help your computer
CRYSTAL LAKE – Hope Chicago and CubeJumpers are partnering to fund care packages for deployed U.S. troops.
Drop off your portable computer and power cord at Booth E9 at the Crystal Lake Expo, March 24 and 25 in Crystal Lake South High School. Or you can donate $20 or more to Mission: Hope Chicago's Troop Care Package drive, and CubeJumpers will perform an 11-point inspection and tune-up, while you wait.
All of the expo donations will fund care packages.
"We have requests for everything from socks and snacks to punching bags. These packages let our soldiers know we really appreciate them back home," said Ben Thompson, executive director of MIssion Hope Chicago. Learn more at www.missionhopechicago.org or at www.cubejumpers.com.
1st Global Honors Firm's Achievements With a 3 Diamond Eagle Award
McHENRY – Porte Brown Wealth Management, a Chicagoland CPA firm with an office in McHenry, was recognized as a 3 Diamond Eagle at 1st Global's 20th annual National Conference at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Porte Brown, one of more than 500 firms that are part of 1st Global, provides accounting, audit, tax, technology and wealth management services.The award reflects meeting revenue goals.
"Achieving the level of a 3 Diamond Eagle is an incredible accomplishment. Only firms that reach specific goals set forth at the beginning of the year are presented with Diamond Eagle awards. I am especially proud to see Porte Brown Wealth Management spread its wings," said 1st Global CEO Tony Batma is a written statement.
Express Employment top staffing franchise
CRYSTAL LAKE – Express Employment Professionals has been named the No. 1 staffing franchise in the U.S. by Entrepreneur Magazine, as part of the magazine's 33rd annual Franchise 500 list. Express also ranked in the top 100 on the magazine's Top Global Franchises list in America.
"We're proud to be recognized as a leader not only in the franchising industry, but also in the staffing industry," said Terri Greeno, franchise owner of the Express Crystal Lake office. "This list has a lot of great companies on it, and for us to be ranked No. 1 among staffing companies is a tremendous honor."
Express ranked 114 overall in the 2012 Franchise 500 list and 96 overall in the America's Top Global Franchises list. Worldwide, Express Employment Professionals puts nearly 300,000 people to work each year and has more than 550 offices in three countries. Sales for the Oklahoma City-based company totaled more than $2 billion in 2011.
The Crystal Lake Express Employment Professionals franchise opened in 2003 and serves the McHenry County area with temporary help and direct- hire employees in a variety of fields. For information, call 815-788-8556.
BrightStar Care named world-class franchise
CHICAGO – BrightStar Care, with a franchisee at 4590 Princeton Lane in Lake in the Hills, recently was identified as one of 25 World-Class Franchises for 2012 by the Franchise Research Institute.
In its 10th year of providing franchise research, the Institute distinguishes the franchisors based upon independent, third-party research conducted with the companies' franchisees. The companies recognized must receive high scores in areas such as opening support, consistent communication between franchisor and franchisees, initial and ongoing training provided to franchisees, product/service quality, and dedication to overall company excellence.
Founded in 2002, BrightStar Care provides the full continuum of care, from private home care for all ages to medical staffing for health-care facilities. While seniors make up the majority of the company's private duty clientele, BrightStar Care also works with children, workers' compensation cases, long-term care and Veteran clients, as well as private trust and public guardian payers.
BrightStar has grown from one company-owned store to more than 250 locations throughout the United States and Canada. For information, contact Eric Speichinger at 224-858-4280.
Matzer joins Hauser
CRYSTAL LAKE – Crystal Lake native Jenna Matzer has joined The Hauser Group public relations agency as a spring intern.
Matzer, who will graduate in May with a degree in speech communication, is a senior at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville. For the past three years, Matzer has served as the public relations chairperson for the SIUE chapter of Up 'til Dawn, a student organization dedicated to raising money for St. Jude Children's Hospital.
She also served as the publicity and advertising chairperson for the SIUE chapter of Alpha Phi International. During her time at SIUE, Matzer has taken extensive coursework in public relations and media writing.
To learn more about the St. Louis-based Hauser Group and its public relations internship positions visit www.hausergrouppr.com or call 314-436-9090.
Skweres joins Elderwerks
SPRING GROVE – Paula Skweres of Spring Grove has joined Elderwerks,
a free senior houseing and care referral service in Cary.
Skweres assisted three different family members during the last 18 months and discovered what it was like to try to wade through the myriad of different facilities and services in order to find the best care for her family members.
As a consultant she will help seniors, families and professionals find assisted living, memory care, independent living, retirement living, CCRC's, nursing homes, home services and support services throughout Illinois. She can be reached at 224-500-6674 or at paula.skweres@elderwerks.com.
Educated consumers, fewer complaints
CHICAGO – Inquiries for business reviews to the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and northern Illinois jumped by more than16-percent in 2011, a sign consumers are taking the initiative to investigate companies before doing business with them.
The total number of inquiries fielded by the BBB in 2011 was 4,482,760, a marked increased over the 3,853,476 in 2010. Visits to the BBB website, www.bbb.org/chicago, increased by 40 percent.
Complaints to the regional BBB dropped by nearly 5,000 in 2011 compared to the 55,528 handled in 2010.
The top 10 types of businesses receiving complaints for northern Illinois last year were: Department stores, financial services, insurance companies, auto repair and services, new car auto dealers, airlines, collection agencies, retail florists, use car auto dealers, and restaurants.