15 Under Fifteen

Established: 1991 Owners: Tom Dickey and Tyler Mullen Employees: 3 Services: Construction In 1990, Tom Dickey was managing a heavy-equipment dealership when two men came to his office to discuss a newly invented horizontal-directional drill. “After seeing what this equipment could do, I knew from my experience and contacts in sales that this was the […]

Established: 1998 Owners: Bill Law and Randy McNeal Employees: 11 Services: automotive Bill Law and Randy McNeal were both managing Firestone shops when they decided to take the plunge and launch their own automotive store. CheckPoint Tire & Service Center opened in January 1998 and is still running strong today. “We wanted to get away […]

Established: 1951 Owner: Dana DeHeve Employees: 4 Services: Bar and restaurant In August 2023, Dana DeHeve took ownership of a longtime family business. DeHeve’s Tavern opened on July 21, 1951, when DeHeve’s grandparents used part of their house to start the business. “They turned the front part of the house into the tavern, and they […]

Established: 2013 Owners: John T. Crisp Jr. Employees: 1 Services: nonprofit Garvey Tubman Cultural Arts & Research Center began in 2013. The center’s mission is to provide services of interest to the African American community while sharing a viable support system that speaks to the community’s educational, emotional and cultural needs. The GTCARC provides educational […]

Established: 1976 Owner: Scott Borntreger Employees: 4 Services: Pharmacy Harry’s Pharmacy has been an Auburn landmark since 1976. Scott Borntreger credits the founder, Harry Buck, with being influential in the decision for he and his wife, Michelle, to take over the pharmacy in 1991. “I had been a pharmacist for five years before that and […]

Established: 2017 Owner: Josh Catalano Employees: 3 Services: ad agency In the summer of 2017, Josh Catalano left his full-time job as an art director and opened Height Media later that year. A graduate of the University of Illinois Springfield, Catalano is a photographer and videographer who specializes in branding, marketing, website design and development, social media and […]

Established: 1989 Owner: MOCN Board of Directors Employees: 11 Services: nonprofit In the 1980s, Marinda “Mini” O’Beirne fell in love with the idea of preventing child abuse through crisis nursery services. These were not readily available in Sangamon County, so O’Beirne spent two years planning a way to bring those services here. Unfortunately, she died […]

Established: 1993 Owners: Susan and Doug Bloemke Employees: 8 Services: bar and restaurant Northern Lights Lounge opened in 1993. In 2018, Susan and Doug Bloemke took ownership of the lounge and were sure to keep the personal service, atmosphere and good times that the customers had grown to love. Susan knew firsthand what made Northern […]

Established: 2020 Owners: Theo and Kristin Spilman Employees: 15 Services: Bakery Theo and Kristin Spilman opened Nothing Bundt Cakes in August of 2020. The couple wanted to create an opportunity for community growth in their hometown. The business is a from-scratch bakery, as they bake and frost all cakes onsite, which delivers high-impact results. Joy […]

Established: 2016 Owners: Missy Grady Employees: 5 Services: Real estate In 2001, Missy Grady left her teaching career to become a full-time real estate broker. She initially joined her family firm, Grady Realtors Inc., which was established in 1969. In 2016, the firm merged with The Real Estate Group Inc., which had been in business […]

Established: 2019 Owner: Nicole Woods-Malcom and Timothy Stanfield Employees: 5 Services: automotive TNS Detailing & Restoration was formed in October 2019 when Tim Stanfield and Nicole Woods-Malcom decided to draw on their years of auto detailing experience. “Nicole had a major battle with metastatic cancer in 2018 that placed a strain on the family budget,” […]