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FEBRUARY OF THE MONTH
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FEBRUARY MEMBER OF THE MONTH, PROFESSIONAL ADVANTAGE INC., REALTORS
• 15 years in business.
• Agents have advanced credentials as Certified Residential Specialists and are graduates of the Realtors Institute.
• Participates in the Chamber Golf Outing and Scholarship Committee.
• Co-owner Bob Ferguson is Chairman of the Chamber Board of Directors.
• Active supporter of Effingham County Community Foundation and the Effingham Unit 40 Educational Foundation.
• Agents are active in Effingham County United Way, Meals on Wheels, St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and the Effingham American Legion
Professional Advantage Inc., Realtors...Your Hometown Advantage.
JIM McDANIEL 2008 CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to Jim McDaniel on his selection as 2008 Effingham Citizen of the Year! Organizations such as the YMCA, St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital and local churches have improved the quality of life for local residents as a result of Mr. McDaniel’s efforts. He had the foresight to see the direction the highway system was taking and established the first truck stop in Effingham, which was a key factor in the city becoming a strong transportation hub. Jim used the success of the truck stop to start Effingham Truck Sales, and continues to be involved in that enterprise, serving the trucking industry in yet another capacity.
Mr. McDaniel is a man of vision and faith and is devoted to his family, church and community. Congratulations, Jim, on this well-earned recognition!
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CHAMBER COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP
In its 13th year, the Chamber Community Scholarship Program continues to be one of the premier scholarship programs in Effingham County. Because the scholarship recipients must be affiliated with a Chamber member business, the program is one of the most beneficial programs exclusively offered for our members and their employees and families.
Scholarships are awarded to both high school seniors and adults who are continuing their education. Each scholarship is $1,500 and can be used to finance tuition, books and fees for the recipients.
The qualifying criteria and requirements are listed on the scholarship applications. Both high school and adults are included in this mailing.
Download applications below.
Download Student Application Form
Download Adult Education Application Form
We strongly encourage members to make copies of the applications and inform their employees about this opportunity by posting the enclosed flyer.
The Chamber Community Scholarship Program would not be possible without the support of our Chamber members who contribute through the Scholarship Sponsor program. A complete list of contributors will be published in a later Chamber mailing and contributions are still being accepted. If your company wishes to donate to the Scholarship Program, contact the Chamber office at 217/342-4147.
Scholarship recipients and sponsors will be recognized at the June 1st First Friday Luncheon. The deadline for the return of the application is Friday, March 30, 2008.
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DALE CARNEGIE HIP PROGRAM TO BE OFFERED
Today’s competitive business world requires quality presentations, whether it’s selling a client, showing a new idea to senior management or energizing a team. With so much riding on the ability to make effective presentations, don’t miss this opportunity to sharpen those skills to perfection.
S.J. Grant and Associates, Inc.-Dale Carnegie Training will be offering a two day immersion program, High Impact Presentations, in Effingham. This seminar is as close as you can get to having your own personal coach. Seating is very limited, the environment is supportive, the work intense, and the results are outstanding. High Impact Presentations is guaranteed to make you a star presenter.
The seminar will be held on Monday and Tuesday, March 10th and 11th at the Fairfield Inn in Effingham. Watch your mail for more information about the seminar. You may also contact Ron Kinder at 217-821-6345 with questions or to register.
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NEW FACE IN THE CHAMBER OFFICE
The Chamber staff is pleased to welcome Melissa Hutmacher to the Chamber office. Melissa is a senior at Teutopolis High School and is working every morning at the Chamber through the school’s DO Program.
Melissa is planning to attend Lake Land College after graduation and is considering a career in teaching. She is a welcome addition to the office and we hope you greet her warmly when you stop by the office or talk to her on the phone. Great to have you with us, Melissa!
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FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
FEBRUARY 29 – LEAPING INTO ACTION
How often do you think about how much more you could get done if you just had an extra day to…….?
Well, you have just such an opportunity coming up on the last Friday of this month – February 29 or Leap Day.An extra day on the calendar that only comes around once every four years.
This is your day to use any way you wish……..you can do something special with this “found time”, or you can let it be a day just like any other.The choice is yours.
I hope you’ll choose to use February 29 as a day to organize and plan how you’ll make 2008 a great year for yourself, your family, your business and your community.
It could be as simple as cleaning out your desk drawers and filing cabinets at the office, catching up on reading those brochures and magazines gathering dust in the corner, clearing out your email inbox of messages from months ago, and maybe even picking up the telephone and scheduling that important annual physical.
You could spend it in quality family time, connecting with a friend you’ve been too busy to see or talk to or visiting with an elderly neighbor or relative.You could invite your staff to sit down with you and brainstorm new ideas for marketing your product or service, improving productivity, saving money on purchases.
You could pick a charitable organization and “adopt” it for the day – take up a collection of needed items, provide volunteers, or hold a fun Leap Day event and raise money for their efforts.
Your Chamber will use this extra day in 2008 to take action on refining the mission and goals that will take our organization toward our vision as the business and welcome center at the crossroads of the Midwest. We are ready to “leap into action” on your behalf and make Effingham County a great place to live, work, grow, play, visit, prosper and raise a family.
However you choose to spend February 29 – make it the start of a new resolution for a Great 2008.
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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
COMPASS BENEFITS GROUP
105 S. Maple St.
Effingham, IL 62401
Libby Moeller, Advisor
217/347-9697
(Insurance, Investment Management)
LAKE SARA AREA WATER COOPERATIVE, INC.
114 W. Washington Avenue
Effingham, IL 62401
Mike Wente, President
217/342-9658
(Rural Water Utility)
EFFINGHAM LOCKSMITH SERVICES
708 Iowa
Edgewood, IL 62426
James Wright, Owner
217/343-4902
(Locksmith)
EXPRESS PERSONNEL SERVICES
616 Charleston Avenue
Mattoon, IL 61938
Diane Rieck, PHR - Owner
217/234-2211
(Employment Services)
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BUSINESS CONNECTIONS
CHAMBER CONGRATULATIONS:
*FIREFLY GRILL LLC was recently named to the Hot Ten List for the Best Eco-Friendly Restaurants by Bon Appétit magazine.
*The CITY OF EFFINGHAM received the Illinois Municipal League Risk Management Association’s Loss Prevention Safety Award for its accident prevention record.
*CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS purchased North Pennsylvania Systems, Inc., making Consolidated the 12th largest telecommunications company in the U.S.
*LAND OF LINCOLN CREDIT UNION has reached $1million in assets.
MEMBER WELCOME:
*Dr. Richard Kube II, a fellowship-trained spine surgeon, joined the BONUTTI CLINIC.
*Paula McGee has joined the sales staff of CENTURY 21 REALTY CONCEPTS.
MEMBER MILESTONES:
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MEMBER CHANGES AND NOTES:
*BUSHUE HUMAN RESOURCES has completed it 4,200 square foot expansion, providing the opportunity for increased staffing, better workflow and a conference room.
*Mark Goeckner, GOECKNER BROS. INC., purchased his brother Paul’s shares of the corporation. Mark will continue as president of the corporation, while his children, Thorin, Nealy and Travis, will assume positions of corporate officers in addition to their duties at the dealership.
*HN AUTOMOTIVE, INC. has merged with its affiliated company ACP of Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania and has changed its name to Hitachi Metals Automotive Components USA. The company will continue to be a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Metals America, Ltd.
*TEC MAILING SOLUTIONS, LLC, a Wisconsin Limited Liability Corporation, purchased Effingham Mailing Technologies, LLC.
(If your company has received an industry award, is celebrating a milestone anniversary, adding new staff members, expanding its facilities or opening a new division, please forward your news to Pat Copple. Please include a contact name and phone number.)
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LOOK WHAT’S ON THE CHAMBER’S WEBSITE
It is always good to receive positive feedback about our projects and programs. We recently received the following comment about our Chamber web site:
“Now that I’ve been in Effingham for about 5 months I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you how valuable the chambers’ web site was to Deb and I as we considered a career opportunity here. We first accessed the site via the City’s site then later went direct to the chamber’s own site. Interactive, current , full of the good stuff that newcomers to a community want to know…, health care,life, business vitality, schools etc.. even more important, the community lives up to the sales pitch !
"Thanks for making Effingham shine.”
Leon J. Holschbach, Corporate President
Midland States Bank
We are happy that Mr. Holschbach was able to learn about his future home through the Chamber’s website and encourage everyone to visit www.effinghamchamber.org and see the services and information that can be learned with just a few clicks of the mouse.
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COUNTERFEIT BILL ID SEMINAR OFFERED
The Effingham Police Department is hosting a Counterfeit Bill Identification seminar for Effingham area businesses on Tuesday, February 26 from 10:00 a.m. to noon. The training session will be presented at the Effingham City Council Chambers by the Effingham City Police Detective Division, assisted by United States Secret Service Agents.
This seminar will provide businesses with extensive identification information, as well as proper protocol in dealing with counterfeit bills. The seminar will conclude with a brief question and answer session.
Call the Effingham City Police Administration at 217/342-5331 to make a reservation. There is no charge to attend but reservations are preferred.
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RADIO SHACK SEEKING LOCAL FRANCHISER
The Radio Shack Corporation is interested in finding someone in the Effingham area who is interested in the opportunity to open a Radio Shack dealership.
The RadioShack Dealer Franchise program is a low cost investment with tremendous sales potential for your business. Since a RadioShack franchise is really a store within your existing store, many of the costs of starting a new franchise business may not exist.
Visit www.radioshackcorporation.com for more information.
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FREE ANSWERS TO BUSINESS CHALLENGES
Do you need advice on running your business but can’t afford costly consultants? MicroMentor may be the solution for you. MicroMentor connects entrepreneurs, low income business owners and start-ups with successful business owners and managers.
These mentors provide advice and counseling on business plan writing, online sales, time management, marketing, web site development and finance management.
Mentoring relationships generally take place via e-mail or phone and are confidential. Volunteer mentors are required to have at least 3 years of business ownership or 5 years business management experience. To learn more about the MicroMentor program, visit www.micromentor.org.
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Effingham, Illinois -
COMMUNITY ECONOMIC INDICATORS
FEBRUARY 2008 |
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DECEMBER
2007
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DECEMBER
2006
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CITY BUILDING PERMITS:
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Month, Commercial
Month, Residential
Year To Date, Total
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3/$ 211,300
4/$ 37,200
160/$40,175,595
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1/$ 9,100
3/$ 48,350
186/$ 36,298,021
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LABOR MARKET - COUNTY:
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Total Labor Force
Employed
Unemployed
Eff. Co. Unemploy. Rate
Illinois Unemployment Rate
US Unemployment Rate
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18,858
18,011
847
4.5%
5.3%
4.8%
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18,186
17,571
615
3.4%
3.9%
4.3%
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ANNUAL AVERAGE:
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2006
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2005
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Total Labor Force
Employed
Unemployed
Eff. Co. Unemploy. Rate
Illinois Unemployment Rate
US Unemployment Rate
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19,319
18,490
829
5.4%
4.7%
4.6%
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17,967
16,962
1,005
4.7%
4.8%
5.1%
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CITY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS:
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Total Assets - 4th Qtr. '07
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$713,831,092
(Total 10 Banks Reporting)
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$676,255,411
(Total 10 Banks Reporting)
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RETAIL SALES:
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2007
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2006
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City - (2nd Qtr. 07/06)
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$165,698,831
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$147,856,582
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County - (2nd Qtr. 07/06)
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$192,771,773
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$173,567,298
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Total Sales-City (FY 07/06)
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$632,252,828
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$640,059,399
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Total Sales-Cou.(FY 07/06)
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$730,579,295
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$738,111,687
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Total Sales-City (CY 06/05)
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$637,203,441
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$614,981,194
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Total Sales-Cou.(CY 06/05)
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$736,155,035
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$711,699,526
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