New Home-to-Market Act to grow small food businesses
New legislation passed by the General Assembly will bring more jams, jellies, pickles, baked goods and artisan products to Illinois. The Home-to-Market Act SB2007, sponsored by Rep. Will Guzzardi and Sen. Dave Koehler, creates new regulations for cottage food operations, enabling them to reach new customers, while giving the public greater access to unique Illinois…
Whimsy tea has moved
Less than a year after opening, Whimsy Tea Company has already expanded to a larger location that will also provide room for future growth. Gordon and Laura Davis began the business as a vendor at the Old Capitol Farmers Market, then opened a brick-and-mortar location at 413 E. Adams in October 2020. The couple took…
New Home-to-Market Act to grow small food businesses
New legislation passed by the General Assembly will bring more jams, jellies, pickles, baked goods and artisan products to Illinois. The Home-to-Market Act SB2007, sponsored by Rep. Will Guzzardi and Sen. Dave Koehler, creates new regulations for cottage food operations, enabling them to reach new customers, while giving the public greater access to unique Illinois…
Building permit roundup – June 7-June 13
3422 Freedom Drive, LLC, in care of Bill Furling, obtained a commercial remodel permit for 3423 S. Freedom Drive. Quad City Construction is the contractor and the project is valued at $150,000. St. John’s Hospital of Hospital Sisters of Third Order OSF obtained a commercial remodel permit for a façade replacement and roofing at 800…
Jamie Stout starts new position at Springfield Clinic
Jamie Stout has been hired as the operations strategic manager for Springfield Clinic. She started her new position on June 7. “In general, Springfield Clinic is really growing very rapidly,” said Stout, noting that she was hired for a newly created position in the business and operations department. “My role is to streamline processes for…
Great House BBQ expanding to downtown, owners also opening additional businesses
Great House BBQ, 4233 W. Wabash, opened in October 2019 in the former Tasty City Seafood & Trio space that went dark after less than a year in business. Not only has Great House BBQ already outlasted its predecessor, the restaurant is now planning a major expansion with a second location downtown, plus two other…
Starbucks opens at South Dirksen and Stevenson
Springfield’s newest Starbucks Coffee Company, at the northeast corner of South Dirksen Parkway and Stevenson Drive, opens for business today. It is the sixth freestanding Starbucks location in Springfield, in addition to a location inside Target and on the University of Illinois Springfield campus. The new Starbucks is smaller in size than previously built locations,…
Horace Mann helps teachers and students
By Janet Seitz Among Springfield’s major employers is Horace Mann, founded in 1945 and the nation’s largest financial services company focused on providing educators and school employees with insurance and retirement solutions. With that presence comes responsibility to give back to its educator base and the communities in which they work and live. Historically, the…
Lincoln Land Community College offering a cybersecurity course
Lincoln Land Community College is offering a cybersecurity certificate designed for students who wish to enter the workforce as cybersecurity professionals in 18 months. “We increasingly hear about cybersecurity attacks in the news. As the number of people and devices that are online continues to grow, so do the opportunities for cybercrimes,” explains Dr. Carmen…
Barcom Security opens an office in Springfield
Barcom Security, a Swansea-based company that is expanding its reach, has opened a Springfield office at 386 S. Koke Mill Road. The company provides residential, small business, commercial and enterprise security systems. Last November, Marc Camp was hired as the new central Illinois business development manager for the company. “Barcom Security was founded back in…
Apricot Lane Boutique is returning to Springfield
Apricot Lane Boutique is returning to Springfield, but with a new owner and a different location. Nicole Cravens said she used to shop at the previous location in The Gables, so when she and her husband decided to open a boutique, she was already familiar with the concept. Country Visions, Inc., the parent company based…
Building permit roundup – May 31-June 6
All C Leasing, LLC obtained a commercial remodel permit for 2427 N. Denver Drive. The contractor is 3M Remodeling, LLC and the project is valued at $6,500. Myers Family Real Estate of Springfield, LLC, in care of Steve Myers, obtained a commercial remodel permit for 1 W. Old State Capitol Plaza. Pieper Electric is the…
UIS’ Innovate Springfield and College of Business and Management launching a pilot startup fellowship
By Blake Wood The University of Illinois Springfield’s Innovate Springfield and College of Business and Management is launching a pilot startup fellowship program, with support from the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln. They have also partnered with iVenturED and the Sangamon CEO program. The fellowship is open to Sangamon CEO alums, UIS entrepreneurship students and local aspiring entrepreneurs…
New positions for Jennifer Bettis, Sarah Tapscott
Jennifer Bettis started a new job as director of development for University of Illinois Springfield on June 1, after spending 17 years as director of advancement for Sacred-Heart Griffin High School. “The people at SHG are wonderful, I can’t say enough about my time there,” said Bettis. However, accepting the position at UIS gave her…
Are you networking or not working?
By Bob Barber I often hear, “How do I network now that people may or may not be comfortable gathering and meeting?” Frankly, I believe many people have become lazy about generating introductions to new prospects. Yes, that may be harsh, but it is time to be honest about your past networking efforts and improve…
Post-pandemic party planning
Event planners see increased demand as restrictions ease By Carey Smith Audrey Kondelis got her start in party planning last summer, inspired after a fire at MJ’s Fish and Chicken Express closed the restaurant for an extended time. Kondelis’ birthday was approaching and as she says, “I felt bad for them, and I thought, why…
Lisa Peterson has joined Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission
Lisa Peterson has been hired by the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission as a senior planner for policy analysis. She will start her new position on June 14. “I created the position a couple of years ago, but it’s never been filled,” said Molly Berns, executive director of the SSCRP. “I’m pretty excited for when…
Teamsters Local 916 job fair
Teamsters Local 916 will host its first annual job fair on Friday, June 4, from 1-6 p.m. and again on Saturday, June 5, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at 3361 Teamster Way, Springfield. The job fair is open to the public and companies that employ Teamster members will be represented, including Hospital Sisters Health System, Lincoln…
Building permit roundup – May 24-May 30
Arec 34, LLC obtained a commercial accessory structure permit for 80 10×20 storage units at 3250 E. Clear Lake Ave. A commercial remodel permit was also obtained for the same address. The contractor for each project is U-Haul of Illinois and each project is valued at $100,000. Ash Grove Apartments, LLC obtained a commercial building…
Cool J’s Apparel opens on Sangamon Avenue
Cool J’s Apparel, a women’s clothing store that owner Toni Hopkins describes as “cute meets comfortable,” held a grand opening on May 28. “It was something that I started online last year during the pandemic,” said Hopkins. “It’s been going pretty well, so I figured I’d try to do it in-person now.” Hopkins also works…
Building permit roundup – May 17-May 23
Springcar Company, LLC in care of Carnegie Center obtained a commercial remodel permit for 900 E. Linton Ave. The contractor is R. L Lawrence Co. Ltd. and the project is valued at $750,000. Quasivi and Patricia Sessi obtained a commercial remodel permit for 621 s. Ninth St. The owner is the contractor and the project…
Club Car Wash to open
Club Car Wash is opening its second Springfield location on June 3 at 2605 N. Dirksen Parkway. The company purchased the former Green Hyundai dealership in December 2020 for $2.2 million and it has been undergoing renovations. The company has partnered with WILD Canine Rescue and will provide free MVP car washes, a $25 value,…
Upcoming job fair
A job fair will be held on Thursday, May 27 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Salvation Army main campus, 1600 Clearlake Ave. People age 16 and older with all levels of experience are invited to attend. Multiple employers offering full-time, part-time and seasonal work will be present. Attendees will be able to speak directly…
Springfield Clinic Radiology expands significantly
Springfield Clinic Radiology is expanding to include 26 radiologists and two advanced practice providers who will provide services to Springfield Clinic patients as well as patients of Memorial Medical Center, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, Taylorville Memorial Hospital and Passavant Area Hospital. The new providers will offer services in diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology and neurointerventional radiology…
Mockingbird Bakery opens in Rochester
Kathryn Elder is combining her love of baking and books into Mockingbird Bakery, a new business in Rochester. Elder attended Le Cordon Bleu Texas Culinary Academy and completed an internship at Colette’s Cakes in New York City, then later worked at a bakery in Chicago before moving to Rochester in 2010. She was then a…
