Sarah Graham is the new executive director of Land of Lincoln Workforce Alliance.
Sarah Graham has accepted a position as executive director of the Land of Lincoln Workforce Alliance. The previous director, Anne Schneider, is retiring as of June 30 after 14 years with the organization. The Workforce Alliance covers a five county region serving Sangamon, Cass, Logan, Menard and Christian counties with many workforce partners throughout the…
A family business changes families
When you think of a family business, McDonald’s probably isn’t what comes to mind. But for Steve and Karen Jeffers, they’ve built their careers and their families on more than four decades of working for McDonald’s. “We met when we were 15 years old, when we both worked at the McDonald’s on Jefferson Street,” said…
Upcoming Local First Workshop
Local First is hosting a workshop for small business owners, How to Succeed at the Hardest Part of Business: Employees. It will be held on Friday, July 13 at 9 a.m. at Engrained Brewery & Restaurant, located at 1120 W. Lincolnshire Boulevard in Springfield. One of the most challenging things about entrepreneurship is finding -…
C J Saladino joins Hanson Professional Services
C J Saladino recently joined Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s Springfield headquarters as a vice president in the firm’s power market. He will work on business development opportunities with new and current clients in the power industry and provide liaison and consulting services to them. “C J will bring additional value to our customers — and…
Read which building permits were approved by the City of Springfield between June 4 and June 10, 2018.
Building permit roundup – June 13 BY STACIE LEWIS Sharper, Inc. obtained a commercial building demo permit for a partial demolition of an accessory structure at 631 s. 4th Street. The owner will be the contractor and the work is valued at $1,600. Sharper, Inc. also obtained a commercial remodel permit for the same address…
McMahon parts ways with Local First
After nearly six years, Bill McMahon will no longer be the executive director for Local First Springfield, as of June 15. Board president Val Yazell said, “Bill has taken us from a grassroots organization; he served as a great face and voice for Local First for many years. We’ve just grown so much in the…
The Show Must Go On: Donnie B’s Reopens
Donnie B’s Comedy Club and the adjacent restaurant, Westside Pub and Grill, closed on June 9 and owner Don Bassford had originally announced the business would not be able to continue to operate. “We officially closed on Saturday night, I gave glasses away and when I walked out of the bar at 1:15 on Sunday…
Underdog Sports, Memorabilia & Games
A new sporting goods store is preparing to open in the Town and Country Shopping Center on MacArthur Boulevard. Underdog Sports, Memorabilia & Games is the brainchild of Paul Layton and his fiancé, Kelly Pulliam. While the store will sell new and used sporting equipment and memorabilia, it is not your traditional retail business. Layton…
Buzz Bomb Brewing Co. buys second brewery
By Niko Robledo Buzz Bomb Brewing Co., a downtown Springfield brewery located at 406 E. Adams St., has purchased a second brewery in Illiopolis to meet their rising demand. Formerly known as Reinstone Brewery, the facility will contain a 10-barrel electric brewing system. Co-owners Bill Larson and Josh Flanders say this new facility will nearly…
Local First to host a workshop for small business owners
Local First is hosting a workshop for small business owners, Business Management: Challenges, Growth, & Adaptation. It will be held on Tuesday, June 12 at 9 a.m. at Sangamon Reclaimed, located at 1315 Otis Street in Springfield. In 2013, Brian Frieze launched Sangamon Reclaimed after seeing a gap in the market for reclaimed wood and…
33rd Annual Small Business Awards
The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce will hold the 33rd annual Small Business Awards on Tuesday, June 19 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Springfield. The Chamber’s Small Business Awards, presented by Hickory Point Bank, recognizes area small business people for their outstanding achievement in five different business categories. Regular attendees include area business owners…
Kayla Graven joins DSI
Downtown Springfield, Inc. (DSI) has announced that Kayla Graven has been named program and events manager. Graven comes to DSI with six years of experience in fund development and event management in the non-profit sector. Previously she served as the fund development manager at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Illinois Capital Region and prior…
Options for former RTD Motorsports building
The owners of the former RTD Motorsports building at 2430 N. Dirksen Parkway in Springfield are now considering turning the property into a multi-unit retail center. The Jackson Family Limited Partnership, based out of Decatur, previously bought out the RTD Motorsports dealership and in 2016 they purchased a nearby building at 3230 Atlanta Drive, which…
Read which building permits were approved by the City of Springfield between May 21 and May 27, 2018.
Grace Holdings, LLC obtained a commercial fence permit for 997 Clock Tower Dr. Swaar Bros. of Mason is the contractor and the project is valued at $1,500. Dan Daugherty obtained a new commercial building permit for a proposed RainStorm Car Wash at 2905 Stevenson Dr. The contractor is unknown project is valued at $500,000. Daugherty…
Systemax’s continuing social media seminar series
Local marketing firm Systemax is offering a workshop on “Instagram vs. Snapchat for Businesses,” the fourth of a series of six social media seminars designed to address questions that business owners may have about how to best promote their products and services. This session will help people understand an overview of each platform as well…
Underneath the Purple Rain
Break out your ruffled shirt and eyeliner and join Downtown Springfield, Inc. in celebrating what would have been Prince’s 60th birthday while supporting revitalization efforts in the heart of our city. On Thursday, June 7 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. DSI will host “Underneath the Purple Rain” at the Barker family farm, located at 4491 Old Chatham…
A bicentennial look to the future
Springfield leaders and thinkers say where we’re going, and where we ought to go Article and photos By David Blanchette The state’s bicentennial observance gives Illinois residents the chance to reflect on how far we’ve come in the past 200 years, but it also asks what the state will be like in 2218. Things will…
Building Springfield
Construction projects underway all over town BY MICHELLE OWNBEY One sure sign of spring is construction projects taking shape all over town, and with the City of Springfield issuing commercial permits worth more than $26 million dollars in the first quarter of 2018, there are plenty of them in progress. Not surprisingly, most of the…
Keep on truckin’
Springfield’s food trucks are learning to navigate city regulations BY SCOTT FAINGOLD “Last summer, the Illinois Future Farmers of America asked us and AZTCA to come set our food trucks up on the south side of the convention center for an event there,” said Randy Twyford, owner and operator of the Twyford BBQ food truck.…
New retail center gets third tenant
Little Lincoln’s Toys will be the third tenant in the newly constructed retail center at 3450 Liberty Drive in Springfield. Owner Ryan Leake said that the new business is taking the remaining 1800 square feet in the building and hopes to have the build out completed by August. Ram Talluri, the franchisee for Sky Zone,…
Time for small-scale development
By Lisa Clemmons Stott Here’s another version of “shop local” you may not have considered: anyone can become a local developer. That’s the premise of the Incremental Development Alliance (IDA), a nonprofit consortium of people developing their own new construction or rehab projects and whose shared goal is to cultivate 1,000 other “small” developers in…
New marketing and business development director of White Oaks Mall named
Lori Kiel has been named director of marketing and business development at White Oaks Mall. “We are thrilled to welcome Lori to our dynamic team at White Oaks Mall,” said Clay Emerich, general manager of the mall. “Her impressive marketing experience combined with her passion for business will be a tremendous asset as we broaden…
New owner for No Agenda 321 in Chatham
No Agenda 321, a bar and tapas restaurant located at 321 N. Main Street in Chatham, has been sold to Jose Lopez, who also owns and operates the Casa Real and Tacos Pepe restaurants in Springfield. Jamie Loftus owns the retail center in Chatham where No Agenda is located, and he decided to open his…
Doug Cheatham joins Town and Country Bank
Town and Country Bank has announced that Doug Cheatham has joined the bank as executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer. Cheatham is responsible for overseeing the bank’s accounting, finance and credit departments. “Doug is an industry veteran with deep experience, a commitment to strategic leadership and a proven track record in increasing efficiency and…
Read which building permits were approved by the City of Springfield between May 14 and May 20, 2018.
Building permit roundup – May 23 BY STACIE LEWIS Trust 413-015 in care of United Community Bank TR D obtained a commercial permit to remove hazardous electric, plumbing and other materials at 1400 S. 8th Street. Zach and Garrett Pierson are the contractors and the project is valued at $10,000. St. John’s Hospital obtained a…
Carquest Auto Parts moving to S. MacArthur location
Carquest Auto Parts will soon be moving into the former Advance Auto Parts location at 2625 S. MacArthur Boulevard in Springfield. Meanwhile, Advance Auto Parts will consolidate their two local stores into one location at 2721 South Grand Avenue. In 2014, Advance Auto Parts, Inc. bought the parent company of Carquest, making the new combined…
