Davis Financial Group to merge with Bank of Springfield
Davis Financial Group and Bank of Springfield (BOS) have announced plans to merge. Pending regulatory approval, the merger is expected to take place this fall. All current Davis Financial Group employees will join the BOS Investment Services department. Davis Financial Group, 1005 S. Sixth St., was founded in 1981 with the goal of assisting clients…
Farnsworth Group relocates Springfield office to Park Place One
The Springfield branch of Farnsworth Group, a national full-service architecture, engineering and survey firm, has relocated to 3201 W. White Oaks Dr., Suite 1000. Farnsworth Group, based in Bloomington, acquired FWAI Architects in January 2020. The company has more than 500 employees working from offices throughout the U.S. The firm had been located in the…
Building permit roundup – August 8-August 15, 2021
USR-Desco Montvale Commons, LLC obtained a commercial remodel permit for 2801 S. Chatham Road. The contractor is not known and the project is valued at $30,000. Macs Convenience Stores, LLC obtained a commercial remodel permit for 3261 E. Clear Lake Ave. Earll Construction Co. is the contractor and the project is valued at $15,000. Macs…
Chris Hembrough to step down as president of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce
Chris Hembrough, the president and CEO of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce (GSCC) since July 2014, has announced that he will be stepping down on Nov. 30 to take a new strategic and business development role with Peerless Cleaning & Restoration Services. “I am extremely proud of the work the Chamber team, including staff…
Former Family Video to become Gopuff micro-fulfillment center
The former Family Video store at 1614 S. MacArthur Blvd. will soon be used to house a Gopuff micro-fulfillment center, pending approval by the Springfield City Council at the Aug. 17 meeting. Gopuff, a delivery service based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, currently operates more than 450 sites nationwide, including 285 micro-fulfillment centers, according to Abigail…
Dan Frachey launches Legacy Weavers Video
When one door closes, another door opens. And that is exactly what happened to Dan Frachey, former program director of the Chiara Center in Springfield. In February 2021, the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis made the difficult decision to close the doors of their retreat center permanently after being shuttered for a year due to…
Companies adapt to a remote workforce
By Holly Whisler Only one year ago, unless your job was deemed essential, you were working from home and doing the best you could with the technology you had on hand. On the flip side, employers were doing their best to support their remote workforces, often scrambling to put additional technology in place to allow…
State announces $250 million ‘Back to Business’ grant program
By Jerry Nowicki, Capitol News Illinois The state announced a $250 million “Back to Business” grant program aimed at assisting small businesses in the recovery from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic shutdowns. The program is funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act signed by President Joe Biden, and it includes specific set-aside…
Building permit roundup – July 26-August 8, 2021
Illinois Presbyterian Home obtained a commercial permit for a parking lot at 2101 W. Lawrence Ave. Groundsworks Contracting, Inc. is the contractor and the project is valued at $489,720. Pavinderpal S. Gill obtained a commercial building permit for an addition at 7004 Kingsmill Court. Terry Brown is the contractor and the project is valued at…
Lonzerotti’s in Jacksonville will reopen this fall with a new name and menu
Lonzerotti’s Italia Restaurant, a Jacksonville staple since 1987, has a new owner who plans to change the name and menu offerings when it reopens this fall. The original owners, Mike and Betty Goldasich, transformed the historic Chicago and Alton Railroad station building at 600 E. State St. into an Italian restaurant more than three decades…
Corrine’s Closet opens second location in White Oaks Mall
Corrine Campbell opened Corrine’s Closet in downtown Springfield in October 2018 and is now hoping to reach a new audience with a second location at White Oaks Mall. “The downtown crowd says they don’t go to the mall, and people on the west side have preconceived notions that there’s no parking or nothing going on…
Thomas Rechner rejoins Hanson Professional Services
Thomas Rechner, CAM practice/construction observation resident project representative, recently rejoined Hanson Professional Services Inc. Working at the Springfield headquarters, he will provide construction management and construction observation for all phases of the new Springfield-Sangamon County Transportation Center, the first phase of which is building the Sangamon Mass Transit District transfer center. Rechner, who previously worked…
LLCC to offer Google IT Support Professional Certificate
By Karen Ackerman Witter Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) is launching a new program in October that is perfect for someone who has lost their job, is looking for a career change or wants to learn a new skill. LLCC is part of a cohort of community colleges that is partnering with Google to offer…
Daily Stealz & Furniture has opened at White Oaks Mall
Daily Stealz & Furniture of Springfield has opened at White Oaks Mall. The business sells items at a flat rate, but the price drops each day. “It is an experiential shopping destination that is likened to a treasure hunt,” said Adrienne Hood, general manager for White Oaks Mall. “This business model is gaining in popularity…
Art gallery, gift shop and cafe to open in former Robbie’s space
Although he’s spent more than two decades in the construction industry, Michael Wiest said opening an art gallery is a natural fit for him. “I’ve been an artist all of my life; that’s my first love,” he said. “I have a master’s degree in fine arts and architecture.” His wife, Mary, and Dr. Carmen Chase…
Chatham Cafe opening second location in Springfield
Chatham Café is coming to Springfield. Lu Asani, who co-owns the restaurant along with her husband, Kevin, confirms that the couple has signed a three-year lease with an option to purchase for the former McDonalds restaurant at 1825 S. MacArthur Boulevard. Chatham Café has been located at 414 N. Main Plaza in Chatham since 2015,…
Adam Coers joins Graham & Hyde Architects.
Adam Coers has joined the design team of Graham & Hyde Architects, 1010 Clocktower Drive. Coers specializes in the education and commercial sectors in both an architectural and structural capacity. He has more than nine years of experience in the construction industry, including with Farnsworth Group and Morton Buildings. “Adam is an ideal team member,”…
The Chamber Job Fair
With more than 50 participating employers, the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce’s job fair is back in a big way. A list of the participating employers can be found on the Event Calendar for The Chamber at www.gscc.org. Whether you’re looking to advance within your current industry or start a new career, there are plenty…
Building permit roundup – July 19-July 25
Lake Pointe Storage, LLC obtained a commercial building permit for 6420 and 6230 S. Sixth Street Frontage Road East. Trachte Building Systems is the contractor and the project is valued at $550,000. Carpenter Street Hotel, LLC obtained a commercial fence permit at 525 N. Sixth St. The contractor is Hotel Ventures Development and the project…
Sonepar USA to acquire Springfield Electric Supply
Sonepar USA, a subsidiary of the privately held Sonepar Group, announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Springfield Electric Supply Company, expanding its presence in the Midwest. Springfield Electric is a family-owned business headquartered in Springfield since 1912 that offers a full line of products and services to electrical contractor and commercial…
Tony DelGiorno to open his own law firm
Tony DelGiorno is starting his own law practice, after nearly two decades with Rammelkamp Bradney, P.C. “I’ll be focusing primarily on what I always have, which is elder law, estate planning, Medicaid protection for nursing home cases, guardianships, probate and trust cases,” said DelGiorno. “But this is a new opportunity to remarket myself in Springfield,…
The Central Illinois Customer Service Association to host an educational and networking
The Central Illinois Customer Service Association is hosting an educational and networking event on Thursday, July 22, from 5-7 p.m. at Erin’s Pavilion at Southwind Park. David Ziebler will give a presentation on “Networking successfully in the new world.” Light appetizers and a cash bar will be available. For more information or to register, visit…
Building permit roundup – July 12-July 18
DG Springfield, LLC obtained a commercial accessory structure for a rooftop solar array at 5901 S. Sixth St. Frontage Road East. The contractor is WCP Solar and the project is valued at $15,000. 4590 Industrial Drive, Inc. in care of Kenneth J. Piek, president, obtained a commercial accessory structure permit for a standby generator system…
PNC bank to close downtown location
PNC Bank, which occupies the first floor of the office building at 1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, announced in a letter to customers that it will close its downtown location on Oct. 15. A bank has anchored the property for decades, initially as National City Bank, which was acquired by PNC Bank in 2008.…
Horace Mann to acquire Madison National Life in $172 million transaction
Horace Mann Educators Corporation has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Madison National Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Independence Holding Company. Madison National is a leading writer of employer-paid and sponsored benefits provided to educators by K-12 school districts. The transaction is expected to close early in the first quarter of 2022, subject to…
