Established: 2010 Owners: Ben and Kim Ladage Employees: 12 Services: auctions Ben and Kim Ladage started Ben Ladage Auctions in 2010 after Ben attended the Missouri Auction School. “Over the next few years, I conducted a handful of live auctions while working for other local auctioneers,” he said. Ladage became a full-time auctioneer in 2016 […]
Eric Woods
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Bramley Funeral Home
Established: 1924 Owners: Tim Bramley, Sarah Bramley Jones, Tyler Bramley Employees: 3 Services: funeral home Chester and Pearl Bramley opened the doors of Bramley Funeral Home in Divernon in June of 1924. Eventually their son, Charles, joined the family business and worked beside his father as they served the growing needs of their community. […]
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Café Moxo
Established: 2007 Owners: Mark and Shawna Forinash Employees: 10 Services: restaurant Mark and Shawna Forinash opened Café Moxo in early 2007, a quick-service restaurant with owners passionate about food, service, employees and the community. “In theory, Café Moxo started when I was a young boy standing beside my mom in the kitchen on countless occasions,” […]
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Chatham Seamless Gutters
Established: 2007 Owners: Craig and Jessica Davis Employees: 5 Services: gutters Craig Davis and his wife, Jessica, began Chatham Seamless Gutters in 2007. Craig learned the business from a high school friend, and years later, the two went to work for another business. “That company shut down its gutter division, so I decided to buy […]
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Compass for Kids
Established: 2011 Director: Molly Berendt Employees: 14 Services: nonprofit Founder and CEO Molly Berendt began Compass for Kids in 2011. Compass for Kids is a nonprofit created to provide support to youth who were not being served by existing programs and services in the Springfield area. “The mission of Compass for Kids is to […]
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Hanson Professional Services
In 1954, Walter E. Hanson, along with two of his former students from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, founded Hanson Professional Services in Springfield. The firm’s name has changed throughout the years, but Hanson’s commitment to their clients reflects an allegiance to their most-valued asset – their employees. “When Walt founded Hanson, he started what would […]
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Troxell
Troxell opened its doors in 1887 and still remains locally owned and operated today. Although there are branches all over Illinois, Troxell is based out of Springfield. The company has grown significantly over the years but has not lost the touch of a small business. “Troxell is a group of individuals who enjoy each other […]
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Watts Copy Systems
Skip and Carol Watts opened Watts Copy Systems in Springfield back in 1982. The foundation for the company was to create a premier service organization in central Illinois that would focus on customer satisfaction and customer retention. The original company motto was, “Where service is more than a promise.” Currently led by Carol Watts, the […]
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Capitol Radio Group
For nearly 40 years, Capitol Radio Group and Saga Communications Inc. of Illinois have been a staple in the Springfield radio landscape. Former CEO Ed Christian acquired WDBR, WYMG and WTAX radio stations in the mid-1980s, and over the years the group has added 101.9 The Wolf, Pure Oldies 107.5 and 101.1 The Outlaw. In […]
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First Impressions Day Care Center
First Impressions Day Care Center has been in business since 1997. The company operates out of an updated, converted home located in a historical area near downtown Springfield. In 2016, Colleen Ikerionwu, a mother of six and former police officer, purchased the day care. The company’s mission is to provide quality care for children in […]
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Best Places To Work – B&B Electric
By Eric Woods Photo by Terry Farmer For more than 50 years, B&B Electric has been serving the needs of businesses in central Illinois. Todd Brinkman Sr. had been working for South Town Electric Radio & TV with his father, Fred Brinkman, when they decided to take a leap of faith and start their own […]
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Best Places To Work – Brown, Hay & Stephens
By Eric Woods Photo by Terry Farmer Founded in 1828 by John Todd Stuart, the history surrounding Brown, Hay & Stephens (BHS) includes a young lawyer named Abraham Lincoln, who joined the firm nine years after its establishment. As the firm closes in on 200 years, employees have long enjoyed their careers at Brown, Hay […]