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April 2012

402 Court Street Pekin IL 61554

Phone: (309) 346-2106

Fax: (309) 346- 2104

Website www.pekinchamber.com

Email info@pekinchamber.com

New Members P.1

Ribbon Cuttings P.2, 5

Chamber Events P.3

Biz Barometer P.4

Recent Events P.5

CIRCLE P.6

2012 Chamber Annual

Meeting P.7

Membership

Announcements P.8

2012 R. David Tebben

Community Leadership

Academy Graduates

P.9

Membership Renewals

Chamber Board and

Ambassadors P.10

Fred Lawrence and Sons Fire Equipment., 206 Derby Street, Pekin IL 61554; phone: 309-620-1301; fax: 309-642-6646; email: flsonsfire@omnilec.com; Fred Lawrence, Owner; Business hours: 8am-5pm. Fire Service/ Safety Service: fire extinguishers, fire suppression systems (restaurant), first aid, emergency lightning, testing maintenance.

14th Street Hardware., 1315 Derby Street, Pekin IL 61554; phone: 309-642-6914; Kriss Brown, President; Business hours: 8am-6pm MTWTF, 8am-5pm Sat. Full service hardware store, glass cutting, pipe cut and threading, key cutting, paint mixing, plumbing, electrical, hardware, lawn and garden, tools, cleaning aids, paint and accessories

Established in 1893

We promote the growth of the Pekin area through the collective efforts of our members.

June 2011

CHAMBER connection We promote the growth of the Pekin area through the collective efforts of our members.

Welcome New Members

Steve Tuttle, Pekin IL 61554; Individual Member Family Quick Care, 3412 Veterans Drive, Pekin, IL 61554; (309) 353-6946; www.familyquickcare.com; Aimee Sarchet, President. Business Hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 7pm, Saturday 10am - 4pm, Sunday 12pm - 4pm. Family Quick Care is offers affordable and convenient healthcare for the working family. Their goal is to provide the best service for only the most common acute illnesses. They are not designed to replace your family doctor or to treat all medical conditions, but specialize in treating 90% of the most common acute illnesses, so that they can offer you the most efficient and affordable medical attention. Grace United Methodist Church of Pekin, 503 N. 4th Street, Pekin, IL 61554; (309) 347-7131; fax 347-3369; email: graceumc@pekingrace.org; website: www.pekingrace.org; Gary L. Ford, Pastor; Sean Masterson, Director of Family ministry; Cassie Koehler, Director of Christian Education; Dr. James Rimmington, Director of Music, Thomas J. Booth, Organist. Grace is a forward looking congregation, growing from a long history in Pekin (founded in 1844). They offer diverse worship experiences and family/youth focused programs. They are growing in God's grace - seeking to serve. Classic Donuts, 815 N. 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554; (309) 353-6887; Byron Stockman and Sandy Stockman, Owners. Business Hours: 5am - 11am every day. Classic Donuts have fresh made donuts, muffins, danishes, and cookies. You can also purchase their products at Hucks and Marathon stations. Pat Sullivan, Peoria IL 61525; Individual Member

Gregg Ratcliff, Pekin IL 61554; Individual Member

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Visit our website @

www.pekinchamber.com

Use the drop down box for

Chamber Resources

Click the Calendar

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Derby Street Antiques celebrated their opening with A ribbon cutting on March 1st. Representatives from the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Pekin joined owner John Betson and manager JR Owens and their family and friends at the event. Derby Street Antiques offers booth rentals for antiques, collectibles, crafts, and more. They have a general store feel that welcomes customers. Derby Street Antiques is located at 282 Derby Street, 346-1818. You can see more pictures from this event at http://picasaweb.google.com/PekinChamber

Ribbon Cuttings! Derby Street Antiques

Amanda's Closet has moved from downtown Pekin to a spacious 8,000 square foot store at 3214 Veteran's Drive (next to South Side Bank). Members of the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce were there to officially open the new store with a ribbon cutting and wish Amanda Rogy the best of luck in her new location. The consignment shop specializes in men's, and women's clothing, shoes, purses, accessories, and home decor. Find them on Facebook or call 346-4663

Amanda’s Closet

The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new business to Pekin with a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 21st. Command Center is located at 2222 B Court Street. Branch Manager Melinda Palmer and Patti Abernathy were joined in the ceremony by representatives from the City of Pekin and the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce. Command Center is a labor and staffing company. They can supply construction, clerical, hospitality, and event personnel and can be reached at 309-346-5627 or www.commandonline.com. You can see more pictures from this and other chamber events at: http://picasaweb.google.com/PekinChamber

Command Center

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Contact Us 402 Court Street Pekin, Illinois 61554 Ph: (309) 346-2106 Fax: (309) 346-2104 E-mail: info @pekinchamber.com Website: www. pekinchamber.com Chamber Blog: http://pekinchamber.blogspot.com Marigold Blog: http://marigoldfestival.blogspot.com

Scan to add the Chamber to your contacts! Your Chamber Staff: Bill Fleming, Executive Director Renna Hadsall Events Manager Diane Sego, Receptionist Brittney Beal, Office Assistant

Chamber Events

April 3 – Ambassador Meeting

April 4 – Member Promotion Meeting

April 4 – Executive Board Meeting

April 5 – Pekin 1st Committee

April 5 – Business After Hours

April 6 – Chamber Office Closed

April 9 – CIRCLE Legislative Reception

April 10 – Member Services Committee

April 12 – Transportation Committee

April 13 – Puttin on Pekin

April 16 – Annual Meeting

April 18 - Marigold Festival Committee

April 24 – Business Advocacy Committee

April 26 – CIRCLE Visits Springfield

Reservations Appreciated 346-2106 or

email us at info@pekinchamber.com

April 4th

Speakeasy Art Center

353 Court St.

Don't miss this opportunity to network with fellow chamber members and community leaders. You'll also enjoy refreshments, door prizes, entertainment, tours and information from our hosts. This month's event is co-hosted by the Speakeasy Art Center, Home Health Care Plus,

and Harbor Light Hospice.

April 13th

Knights of Columbus Hall 715 N. 11th St., Pekin

6:45 – 8:00 am

RSVP to 346-2106 or e-mail us at info@pekinchamber.com

Additional features of the breakfast include: Door prize drawings provided by local businesses One minute reminders “Meet the new Chamber Member” Spotlight on Business presentation Program will be Holly Crotty from TAPS

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Biz Barometer

Pekin’s sales tax disbursement from the state was the largest March disbursement ever. This is sales tax that was charged on sales in December.

Pekin’s March sales tax disbursement was 8.9% greater than March of 2011.

Pekin’s March sales tax disbursement has grown two years in a row, reversing a three-year downward trend.

East Peoria’s March sales tax disbursement was up 15% over March of 2011.

For the 12 months ending in March (which represents the 2011 calendar year sales) Pekin (+1.7%), Morton (3.2%), East Peoria (7.9%) and Washington (4.3%) all saw increases over the previous year.

The number of residential units sold in the 61554 zip code in the first two months of 2012 is up 6.7% over the same period in 2011.

The average sales price of a residential unit in Pekin in the first two months of 2012 is up 9.1% over the same period in 2011.

Pekin’s unemployment rate went from 9.6% in December of 2011 to 10.8% in January of 2012.

The number of people employed in Pekin (15,960) in January of 2012 is 301 less than December of 2011.

Compared to January of 2011, there are 172 more people employed in Pekin in January of 2012.

Compared to January of 2011, there are 1,299 more people employed in Tazewell County in January of 2012.

Nationally, non-farm payroll employment rose by 227,000 in February, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.3%.

Sources: Illinois Department of Employment Security; Illinois Department of Revenue; Peoria Area Association of Realtors; Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Business After Hours Held

Recent Events

The Salvation Army celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Rust Transitional Center by hosting the March 1st Business After Hours for the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce. You can see more pictures from this event at http://picasaweb.google.com/PekinChamber

Family Quick Care was officially welcomed to Pekin with a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 21st. Representatives from the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Pekin joined owner Aimee Sarchet and her family at the event. Located at 3412 Veterans Drive, Family Quick Care offers affordable and convenient healthcare for the working family. Their goal is to provide the best service for only the most common acute illnesses. They are not designed to replace your family doctor or to treat all medical conditions, but specialize in treating 90% of the most common acute illnesses, so that they can offer you the most efficient and affordable medical attention. Open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. they can be reached at 353-6946 or www.familyquickcare.com. You can see more pictures from this and other chamber events at: http://picasaweb.google.com/PekinChamber.

Family Quick Care

Pekin Chamber Joins CPR The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors recently voted to join Chambers for Pension Reform (CPR). Why is the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce a part of this coalition? The State of Illinois’ fiscal crisis should be one of the most important policy issues for the State and the Illinois business community. You can read more about this important issue and how you can get involved at: http://pekinchamber.blogspot.com/2012/03/pekin-chamber-joins-cpr.html

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CIRCLE Legislative Reception

Join CIRCLE in Springfield

The CIRCLE Capitol visit will be Thursday, April 26th, and we need you to join with 150 business leaders from 17 other chambers of commerce throughout Central Illinois who are working together to advocate for a common agenda with the Illinois General Assembly. We have surveyed our members to identify issues of importance across the region and now we need to share those issues with key members of the General Assembly. These will be issues that impact YOUR business and OUR region, so please join us for an all-day session on April 26. You will play an active role in the discussions with the policy makers so sign up today! You can get more information, including registration info, by clicking here.

This year the traditional Heart of Illinois Legislative Reception is connected with CIRCLE (Central Illinois Chambers Regional Legislative Effort). The Chambers in Canton, East Peoria, Chillicothe, Morton, Pekin, Peoria and Washington are hosting the area legislators to give our members the opportunity to talk directly with their elected officials about issues that impact them. The Circle Legislative Reception will be held on Monday, April 9th, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Par A Dice Hotel in East Peoria. The cost is $40 for chamber members. You can get more information and registration info by clicking here.

Greater Peoria Knows the Score

Greater Peoria scores excellent when it comes to economic performance, innovation, people and livability according to the Greater Peoria Regional Economic Scorecard released on March 22, 2012 by The Heartland Partnership. The Heartland Partnership, CEO Roundtable volunteers and Bradley University business professors have spent more than a year gathering data on hundreds of categories to see how the region stacks up. You can download the complete scorecard here: http://d27vj430nutdmd.cloudfront.net/22137/103644/103644.1.pdf

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Savant Capital Management, a nationally recognized fee-only wealth management firm, is pleased to announce that financial advisor Daryl R. Dagit recently earned the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation. For more information please visit the Chamber Blog at http://pekinchamber.blogspot.com/2012/03/savant-advisor-earns-certified.html The Pekin Hospital Foundation Garden Gala will be held on Saturday, April 14, 2012, at 6 p.m. at Embassy Suites in East Peoria and will recognize the contributions of longtime Pekin Pediatrician Terry Tosi, M.D. For more information on the Garden Gala, please visit www.pekinhospital.org/gala or visit us on Facebook. Illinois American Water has announced its 2012 Firefighter Grant Program. Through this program, the company provides financial assistance to fire and emergency organizations serving communities in it service areas. To learn more about how to apply for a grant please visit the Chamber Blog at http://pekinchamber.blogspot.com/2012/03/illinois-american-water-announces-2012.html Join the YWCA of Pekin and several other local organizations in a Stand Against Racism. The objective of the program is to bring organizations together who believe, like the YWCA, that united we can eliminate racism. Get more information and sign up at www.StandAgainstRacism.org or contact the YWCA of Pekin at 347-2104.

Membership Announcements For all the details regarding these announcements, visit our blog @ http://pekinchamber.blogspot.com

Pekin Main Street and Artistic Community Theatre of Pekin will be presenting a Murder Mystery Dinner show entitled “My Fatal Valentine” on Saturday, April 14 at the Speakeasy Art Center, 353 Court Street in downtown Pekin. Doors open at 6:00 and dinner will be served at 6:30. For more information visit http://pekinchamber.blogspot.com/2012/03/murder-and-mystery-coming-to-downtown.html Ameren Illinois ActOnEnergy®

program will be offering FREE online training events that you can access from the comfort of your desk over the next two months. These training events are designed to help businesses become more knowledgeable about energy efficiency. For more information on all ActOnEnergy training events, go to ActOnEnergy.com/Education.

AAIM Employers’ Association Education Center is pleased to offer several educational opportunities in April. Detailed information on these and other events is available on AAIM EA’s website at www.eaconnect.com. AAIM Employers’ Association is an HRCISM Approved Provider. Registrations can be made at 800.948.5700 or online at www.eaconnect.com.

The Illinois Department of Transportation announces that work is under way on US 24 / IL 9 near Lamarsh Creek and Cameron Ln. in Peoria County. Median work, milling, and paving are scheduled for this project, which is expected to be completed by early May. Motorists should expect lane closures while the work is being completed. For updated traffic information visit http://www.gettingaroundpeoria.com/ The YWCA is accepting nominations for outstanding leadership and achievement awards to be presented at its 31st Annual Women’s Recognition Day luncheon on Thursday, May 3rd at the Pekin Country Club. Nominations to honor outstanding accomplishments and contributions of women in their careers and community service are being accepted at the YWCA office through April 16th. For more information please visit http://pekinchamber.blogspot.com/2012/03/ywca-of-pekin-seeks-nominations-for.html The Heart of Illinois Regional Port District (TransPORT) is moving forward with development of a public international marine terminal along the Illinois Waterway. This public port will enhance the movement of products manufactured in Greater Peoria and sold to world markets. For more information on this project please contact Steve Jaeger, Executive Director of TransPORT at 309-495-5918 or email sjaeger@h-p.org. For more on TransPORT visit www.portdistrict.com.

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Congratulations to the following graduates of the 2012 R. David Tebben Community Leadership Academy:

Hope Brock – Pekin First Church of the Nazarene

Darin Girdler – City of Pekin Roger Goodson – Illinois American Water

Andrea Gschwend – Herget Bank Steve Haines – Illinois Corn Processing

Carrie Helmig – CEFCU Don Jolly – City of Pekin

Jason King – Illinois Corn Processing Linda Ledger – Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory

Brigette Lobacz – Moehle, Swearingen & Umholtz, Ltd. Melanie Long – McDaniels Marketing Communications

John Priester – Pekin Hospital Erik Reader

Mitch Richards – YWCA of Pekin

Andy Snell – Excel Foundry & Machine

2012 R. David Tebben Community

Leadership Academy Graduates

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Thanks to the following members who recently renewed their investment in the Pekin

Area Chamber of Commerce:

American Cancer Society/Relay for Life ~ American Motor Trends ~ Associated Bank Avanti's Dome Events & Sports Center of Pekin ~ Bond Eye Associates

Boy Scouts of America/W.D. Boyce Council ~ Bridgeway ~ Greg's Garage Door Service Hometown Title ~ J H Car Wash ~ Dr. Brendon J. Johnson, OD PC

Kiwanis Club of Pekin ~ Kouri's Pub ~ Pekin National Bank Pekin Trophy House & Engraved Gifts ~ Sam Leman Auto Stop ~ Carol Shields

St. Paul Wonderland ~ State Representative Mike Unes ~ Super 8 T-Shirt House ~ Tazewell County Jaycees ~ Teresa Ann Tucker

Winpak Heat Seal Corporation ~ WTVP TV

Board of Directors

President

Skip Schermerhorn, Herget Bank

President Elect

Drew Leman, Leman Property Management

Vice President

Tom Hornstein, Excalibur Seasoning Company

Treasurer

Aindrea Balagna, Wolf Tesar & Company

Past President

Althea Geiser, B'Ribboned, Etc.

Board of Directors

Kevin Andrews, Pekin Hospital

Courtney Antonini, Tazewell County

Denise Comerford, Sound Choice Hearing Clinic

Daryl Dagit, Savant Capital Management

Paula Davis, Pekin Community High School

District #303

John Dennison, Ray Dennison Chevrolet

John Franks III, Pekin-Peoria Yellow Checker

Cab

Yancy Green, Riviera Tan

Greg Henderson, Henderson Funeral Home

Neal Johnson, Ameren Illinois Utilities

Scott Kriegsman, Elliff, Keyser, Oberle &

Dancey

Brent Morgan, Timbercreek Rehab & Health

Care

Paul Scherer, Associated Bank

Diane Steiner, Pekin Insurance

Laurie Barra, Mayor, City of Pekin

Ambassadors

John Abel, Preston Hanley Funeral Homes and Crematory

Mike Arnold, Glass Specialty Company Angie Atherton, McDaniels Marketing

Communications

Daryl Dagit, Savant Capital Management Amy Darling, Pekin Insurance Brittany Dorf, Pekin Community Bank

Arlene Heine-Meyer, World Wide Travel Cathy Lusch, Herget Bank Rose Melz, Illinois Collections Unlimited

Stacey Mutchler, Harbor Light Hospice Christie Perry, Pekin Hospital Amanda Rogy, Amanda’s Closet

Les Rosiere, Jim Maloof Realtor Paul Scherer, Associated Bank Joe Shehorn, Unland Companies

Diane Steiner, Pekin Insurance Robin Thomas, Chemtura Agrosolutions Teresa Ann Tucker, Individual Member

David Vaupel, Preston Hanley Funeral Homes and Crematory

Milissa Welborn, Busey Bank