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 […]
Eric Woods
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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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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 […]
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Best Places To Work – Dan Deweese Painting and Woodfinishing
By Eric Woods Photo by Terry Farmer Dan Deweese Painting and Wood Finishing began in November 2014 with only two employees. Within three months the business had five people on staff, and today the company employs 20 people including Deweese’s father, three siblings and a nephew. The employees are excited to work for such a […]
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Does incentivized relocation pay dividends?
BY ERIC WOODS For those not tied to their current living locations, a couple areas in the United States are hoping to entice people to head their way. Both Tulsa, Oklaholma, and the state of Vermont have recently established programs that will pay people to relocate. It may only be a matter of time before […]
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A treasured career helping others
By Eric Woods Freelance contributor Born in Gifford, Michael Frerichs dabbled in numerous livelihoods before he reached the state treasurer’s office. From humble beginnings doing farm-related work in Illinois, he studied German in college, taught English in Taiwan, worked as a paralegal, taught at his former high school and started his own engineering company – […]
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Engineering affordable utilities
By Eric Woods [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] When he was growing up in Morrisonville, Doug Brown’s parents owned a bar where he was able to watch and learn about hard work and dedication – the […]
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Building Springfield into a beautiful community
By Eric Woods [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] With the exception of a five year period in Chicago, John Shafer has lived his entire life in Springfield. He returned 30 years ago and likes the size […]
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Perfecting the art of the print
By Eric Woods Born in Indiana, Miles Parkhill moved with his family to Springfield when he was five years old. With the exception of a few summers spent in Florida, Parkhill has primarily lived in the Illinois capital. “It has a very affordable cost of living,” he said, regarding why he enjoys living in Springfield. […]