Eric Woods

Gordon and Laura Davis founded Whimsy Tea Company in 2019 by setting up shop at the Old Capitol Farmers Market. In October 2020, the couple opened a brick-and-mortar store on Adams Street, and less than a year later moved to a larger location just down the block. “My family loves tea. And we loved Teavana,” […]

Heidi Clark co-founded Wellthy Juice Co. with her daughter, Paige, in August 2023. She is currently the sole owner and only full-time employee, but she does employ 12 part-time staff. “When our daughter, Paige, headed off to St. Ambrose University (in Davenport, Iowa) to pursue her nursing degree, she was surrounded by great food options,” […]

Rettberg’s on the Square, located on the Divernon square, was founded in 1948 by Ernie Rettberg and was originally a small radio and electronics store. Today, the business has expanded to provide plumbing, electrical work, heating and air conditioning and whole-house stand-by generators, as well as the sale and maintenance of appliances. Ernie’s son, Jake, […]

Chris McCloud and Chris Herbert started Pendulum PR in 2017 as a public relations-forward agency geared toward small to medium-sized businesses with modest budgets. “As former journalists who migrated to the public relations side in state government, we knew there weren’t many affordable options for these size businesses with great stories to tell,” McCloud said. […]

Kathryn Elder opened Mockingbird Bakery on May 21, 2021, named for one of her favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird. “It had been a dream of mine to open a bakery and coffee shop for the previous 10 years since moving to Rochester,” she said. “I have a passion for baking and thought Rochester needed […]

Established: 1981Director: Casey and Jennifer FinleyEmployees: 10Services: pools and spas1201 W. Jefferson St.217-787-1468 Mike Sebring and Mike White started M&M Pools and Spas in 1981. Casey and Jennifer Finley bought the business from them in 2006. “I was working heavy highway construction in Bloomington and needed to get closer to home when our first child […]

Mission Outreach, founded in 2002 by the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis as a long-term response to global health inequity, currently has 12 full-time employees under the guidance of executive director Erica Smith. “The idea was to share usable, surplus medical supplies and equipment from U.S. hospitals with health care facilities in low-resource areas around […]

Hands of God Hospice is locally owned by David and Brenda Lithgow and was formed in December 2021. The company is patient-centered and God-focused as David Lithgow shares that the inspiration for Hands of God Hospice was divinely inspired. “I have worked for some of the largest hospices in the country,” Lithgow said. “I was […]

Brothers David and Eric Floyd both worked for Hembrough Volkswagen in the late 1970s. After that dealership changed owners and direction, the brothers decided to join forces and approach vehicle repair with their own philosophy. They opened Floyd Imports in August 1994 with the mission of providing expert, reliable automotive repair services built on trust […]

Originally named Caskey Dance Studio, the business was founded in the 1930s and went through a name change in July 1970 to become Dance Arts Studio. Gina DeCroix Russell became the owner and director in January 2018. “It’s worth noting that Grace Luttrell Nanavati was the owner and director of Dance Arts Studio for 45 […]

Dr. Sean Crawford started Crawford Family Dental in March of 2023. “I decided to open Crawford Family Dental to bring exceptional, family-centered dental care to Springfield, emphasizing a welcoming and inclusive environment rooted in community values,” he said. “We bought an existing dental practice and put our charm and twist on it.” Crawford earned his […]