growth association volume 16 | issue 2 › wp-content › uploads › 2019 › 08 › ... ·...

www.GrowthAssociation.com BUSINESS EDGE February 2018 | page 1

A monthly publication of the RiverBend Growth Association...Your Regional Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Agency

FEBRUARY 2018 • Volume 16 | Issue 2 Serving Business, Encouraging Growth in Southwestern Illinois

RiverBendG R O W T H A S S O C I AT I O N

IN THIS ISSUE

Small Business of the Month• Sheppard, Morgan &

Schwaab, Inc.

Ambassadors Q & A• Kurt Ferguson• Linda Funk

Mayor Report• Alton

Welcome our new members• Bristow, State

Representative Monica• Brunaugh Construction &

Design LLC• Element Turf & Outdoor

Solutions• Functional Fitness Images• Mandh Properties• McKendree University

Ribbon Cuttings• Claywell Asset

Management• Element Turf & Outdoor

Solutions

RiverBend Growth Association5800 Godfrey Road - BGM

6722 Godfrey RoadGodfrey IL 62035(618) 467-2280

Business After Hours Held at Villa Rose Senior Living Community

Villa Rose Senior Living Community co-hosted the first Business After Hours for 2018 with George’s Photography and Food Service Consultants.

Villa Rose Senior Living Community opened their doors in 1984 in Bethalto, IL to provide affordable senior living community where older adults could enjoy a worry-free and peace of mind lifestyle.

Call them today to book a tour at 618-377-3239 or visit their website at http://www.villaroseslc.com/ to find out more information about their services and amenities.

George’s Photography is owned and ran by wife and husband team, George and Kimberly McGilvrey. Their goal is to work with their customers to create images that will be heirlooms not “just pictures.”

Contact them today on Facebook to check out their latest specials and promotions or website at http://georgemcgphotography.com/ to book for your next photo session.

The RBGA would like to welcome and thank co-host Food Service Consultants for participating this month as they are new members to the RiverBend Growth Association.

Food Service Consultants is a foodservice management company who services the St. Louis Metropolitan area. They currently service Villa Rose Senior Living Community and Marquette High School in the Riverbend area and are looking to branch even further into the Riverbend area.

Work with them today and contact them with any questions or concerns you may have by reaching them through their website at http://www.foodserviceconsultants.org/.

The RBGA thanks our February co-hosts and all that attended another successful event.

George of George’s Photography

Denise Woody of Villa Rose and Michael Kumpf of Food Service Consultants talk more about their services.

Winners of attendance prizes and 50/50 drawing


Watch this month’s video presentation at http://www.growthassociation.com/page/event-videos/

The RBGA presented the partners of Sheppard, Morgan & Schwaab, Inc. (SMS) as the Small Business of the Month winner for February 2018. They were joined by many members from the Riverbend community.

SMS is currently in their 126th year of servicing the area as local civil engineers and land surveyors. SMS has been partners in progress with the area and in place for four generations with plans to continue to bring a family-feeling environment to their line of business.

Their line of expertise

includes commercial site development, residential subdivision development, municipal infrastructure, transportation, water, wastewater, stormwater, utility engineering, and construction engineering.

Visit their site at http://smsengineers.com or call 618-462-9755 to learn more about their services and projects in the Riverbend area. SMS is prepared and ready to help with your project.

The RBGA appreciates Sheppard, Morgan & Schwaab, Inc. for all they do for the Riverbend community.

The RiverBend Growth Association (RBGA) honors Sheppard, Morgan & Schwaab, Inc. as February Small Business of the Month

The Riverbend community gather on February 14, 2018 to congratulate Sheppard, Morgan & Schwaab as its Small Business of the Month.

The RiverBend Growth Association (RBGA) hosted their first Breakfast Connections for the year. Individuals gathered, grew their network, and built relationships in a professional but relaxed environment while enjoying a breakfast buffet at Best Western Premier (BWP).

The Small Business of the Month award was presented by RBGA’s Director of Member Services, Trish Holmes, and the Chair of the Small Business of the Month Scoring Committee, Amy Schaake of Riverbender.com, who were honored to speak to the attendees about the winner for February 2018 -- Sheppard, Morgan & Schwaab.

This month, participants had the opportunity to hear from Kathy Weaver as she presented with Jamie Ruyle, both of Investment Planners, on why it is important to have a financial advisor in your network.

The RBGA and Promotions Committee hopes everyone enjoyed it. These events are led by Director of Member

Services, Trish Holmes, and promoted and planned with the help of the Promotions Committee. Activities will continue to spotlight businesses in attendance while attendees will have a creative and fun way to both learn about local business and promote their own.

This networking event is growing every month and RSVP’s are not required but strongly encouraged to help promote your business or organization.

Please join us at the next event which will be our Total Networking Luncheon at Bluff City Grill on March 21st where we will have a fun and engaging networking activity.

Attendees Grow Their Network at Breakfast Connections

Sheppard, Morgan & Schwaab Partners accept the Small Business of the Month plaque after telling more about their services and projects in the Riverbend area.

40 participants gather to hear a presentation and network with RBGA members.

Kathy Weaver of Investment Planners delivers a presentation on having a financial advisor in your network.


Welcome our newest members to the RiverBend Growth Association

Board of Directors John Roberts, Chairman

Roberts MotorsAugie Wuellner, Past Chairman

Alton Securities & Asset Advisors

Mike Fitzgerald, TreasurerScheffel Boyle

Lori ArtisLewis and Clark Community College

John BarnerdSimmons Hanly Conroy

Dale BlachfordLiberty Bank

Greg Caffey City of Alton Doug Cobb

Carpenters Local 664Karen Cooper

Illinois American WaterMelissa Erker

Phillips 66 Wood River RefineryBrad Goacher

Alton Memorial HospitalMark Haggard

CNB Bank & Trust, N.A.Mat Hanley

OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center

Pam HeepkeRaifort Commerce Park

Jennifer JacksonHelmkamp Construction Co.

Tim KuebrichLake Drive Logistics

Eric McRoyAdvantage News

Alan Meyer1st MidAmerica Credit Union

David MillerSt. Louis Regional Airport

Stephanie MonroeRiverbend Chiropractic Center

Scott ReichmannBarberMurphy Group

Don RetzlaffArgosy Casino Alton

Dan St. PetersSt. Peters Hardware & Rental

Rob SchwartzTheBANK of Edwardsville

Jim ShraderThe Telegraph

Cindy SmalleyCope Plastics

Sam StemmWBGZ/AltonDailyNews.com

Dave StevensonQuality Buick GMC Cadillac

Steve ThompsonCarrollton Bank

Vicky VogtBeverly Farm

Dwight WertsWerts Welding & Tank Service

Karen WilsonState Farm Insurance

Denise WolffBerkshire Hathaway Home Services Elite Properties

Jess WoodmanWoodman Collision Center

Charlie YanceyIBEW Local 649

Bristow, State Representative MonicaRep. Monica Bristow528 Henry StreetAlton IL 62002-2611(618) 465-5900

Brunaugh Construction & Design LLCJason BrunaughP.O. Box 3944539 Alby St.Alton IL 62002-0394(618) 433-8811brunaughconstructiondesign.com

General Building Contractor- New construction, remodel, insurance restoration, small interior commercial remodeling

Element Turf & Outdoor Solutions, LLCKrysta Mueggenburg26 E. DelmarAlton IL 62002(618) 467-7047

www.elementturf.comElement Turf & Outdoor

Solutions, LLC (formerly Cutting Edge Lawn Service) is a local, family-owned business specializing in commercial, municipal, and residential lawn care services. Their list of services includes mowing,

landscaping design and installation, hardscaping, curbside leaf pickup and leaf removal, fertilization and weed control, deep core aeration and dethatching, seeding/overseeding, commercial snow removal and more. Element Turf prides itself on being professional, convenient and offering only the best in customer service. They deliver this by utilizing top-grade commercial equipment, a highly trained staff, frequent quality checks, and state of the art software. The company serves communities in and around Alton, Godfrey, Bethalto, Wood River, East Alton, Edwardsville, and Glen Carbon.

Functional Fitness ImagesChad Campbell Owner2712 Corner CourtAlton IL 62002-5328(618) 365-1427functionalfitnessimages.com

In addition to the traditional

one-on-one training sessions, We offer packaged deals that are suited for a variety of fitness goals. Whether you are getting ready for special occassion, or prefer working out in a group, need nutritional direction or only need initial guidance to help you get started, We are here to help!

Mandh PropertiesKarl Nalley Owner1 Holly DriveWood River IL 62095-3308(618) 251-5474

McKendree UniversityAndrew Hill Recruiter701 College Rd.Lebanon IL 62254(618) 616-4874www.mckendree.edu

Founded in 1828, McKendree University’s historic Lebanon, Illinois, campus is located 25 miles from downtown St. Louis. Total enrollment is over 3,000, including a campus in Radcliff, Kentucky, and online programs. McKendree was rated among the top regional universities nationwide in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” for 2017. It is a College of Distinction, one of “America’s 100 Best College Buys,” and recognized by Victory Media as a “Military Friendly School.” McKendree offers more than 50 undergraduate academic majors and graduate programs in education, clinical mental health counseling, business administration, nursing, and criminal justice. Bearcat student-athletes compete in 33 men’s and women’s sports and are members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference of NCAA Division II. The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts is southern Illinois’ premier performing arts venue, presenting world class dance, drama, classical music and jazz and showcasing student talent.


Kurt Ferguson

AmbAssAdor Q & A

Linda Funk

Where do you work?The Telegraph

About how long have you been an ambassador?

1.5 years

What’s your favorite Riverbend restaurant?

Jimmy the Greek’s

Where do you like to visit for vacation?

Cancun, Mexico

Name one of your most important leadership skills.Listening

What do you like most about your job?Meeting people

What are your hobbies?Golf, pool, playing piano

What is your favorite sport to watch?Baseball and hockey

What one sentence would you like to hear from your boss?

You’re doing a great job!

What is one of the things on your bucket list?Seeing the Grand Canyon

Where do you work?Regions Bank, Godfrey

About how long have you been an ambassador?

Maybe 1994

What’s your favorite Riverbend restaurant?

It changes every week! Right now it is Decaro’s!

Where do you like to visit for vacation?Florida

Name one of your most important leadership skills.Positive Attitude

What do you like most about your job? Helping people save money

What are your hobbies? Sewing & quilting & Grandkids!

What one sentence would you like to hear from your boss?

Please take the week off!

What is one of the things on your bucket list? Visit Hawaii

SAVE THE DATES

Thursday Friday Friday May 31, 2018 June 15, 2018 August 24, 2018

Visit our website calendar for event details at www.GrowthAssociation.com.


RBGA cuts ribbon to celebrate completed renovations and move with Claywell Asset Management

RBGA cuts ribbon with Element Turf to celebrate name change and relocation

The RiverBend Growth Association (RBGA) celebrated with Jim Claywell and his team on February 6, 2018. After many renovations, opening of a Godfrey office, and joining Raymond James, Claywell Asset Management financial advisor, Jim Claywell, is more than ready to help individuals take a personalized approach to managing their wealth.

Make an appointment today to develop a portfolio that will be driven toward your long-term success that takes in account personal needs and constraints. Individuals will find comfort in their future as well as the comfortable environment as they enter the office to set out long-term goals.

Contact Jim Claywell at 618-433-8881 to set up an appointment or visit the website at https://www.raymondjames.com/claywellassetmanagement/ to find resources and more information and services that can help plan for a better future.

The community gathers to cut a ribbon for Claywell Asset Management.

Call today to book your appointment - 618-433-8881

The RiverBend Growth Association (RBGA) celebrated with owner, Krysta Mueggenburg, of Element Turf & Outdoor Solutions as they launched their new branding, new name, and newer location on February 23, 2018.

Element Turf & Outdoor Solutions, formally known as Cutting Edge Lawn Service, was started in 2009 by woman business owner Krysta Mueggenburg and her father-in-law. Krysta’s vision has continued to remain strong and Element Turf & Outdoor Solutions now services the Alton, Godfrey, and Edwardsville areas.

Call today at 618-467-7047 to schedule an appointment. Element Turf offers services including lawn mowing, landscaping design, brush trimming, mulch and rock, leaf removal, snow removal, and many more. Visit their website at http://www.elementturf.com to check out their photo gallery and to chat live with a customer support representative.

Call 618-467-7047 today to set up your appointment

The community joins workers and family of Element Turf to celebrate all the changes and success that has recently taken place.


SAVE THE DATE

RBGA Upcoming EventsWednesdayMarch 21, 2018Total Networking LuncheonBluff City Grill

ThursdayMarch 22, 2018 Business After HoursApexNetwork Physical Therapy, Wood River

WednesdayApril 18, 2018Breakfast ConnectionsBest Western Premier

Visit our website calendar for event details.www.GrowthAssociation.com

Chamber Representative

Diane is a REAL ESTATE Broker with 12 years’ experience in the Real Estate Market & 10 years’ experience in Appraising. Being very familiar with the market values & properties in the River Bend Area, I am able to represent clients professionally & zealously. With great appreciation for the History of this area, I serve on the Historic Commission and with great intensity work toward Historic

Preservation of our many older homes.

Diane Plummer, Broker AssociateRE/MAX River Bend2375 B Homer Adams Pkwy. | Alton, IL 62002Cell: 618.531.4634 | Office: 618.462.5300Visit my website at www.dianeplummer.com

Member Diane Plummer is being spotlighted because she attended Business After Hours this month at Villa Rose.

Meet our newest Board Member....Mathew Hanley

Mathew Hanley currently serves as Vice President of Finance, Western Region for OSF HealthCare System which includes OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center and has been in that role since March 1, 2016. Prior to his appointment at OSF Saint Anthony’s, he served several roles at OSF HealthCare Ministry Services including director of strategic affiliations and senior financial analyst.

Prior to joining OSF HealthCare, Mathew worked as a senior audit and advisory associate at KPMG in its healthcare and pharmaceuticals division, focusing on health care providers and payors. He started his career as the senior accountant at Martin and Shadid, CPAs, focusing on all aspects of accounting and finance.

Mathew earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and an Executive Master of Business Administration from Bradley University in Peoria. He is a licensed CPA in the state of Illinois.

Mathew is engaged to Jayme Nowell, an eClinical staff pharmacist with OSF. They plan on marrying in November 2018 and both live in Alton. In his spare time, Mathew loves to work on home improvement projects, snow skiing, spending time with family and travelling.

Welcome, Mathew. We look forward to working with you.

The RBGA has a section on our website with Employment Opportunities.

It’s located at http://www.growthassociation.com/page/

employment-opportunities/.

It can also be accessed from the header of any page throughout the site.

Members can post their job openings on this page.

Here’s the link: http://www.growthassociation.com/page/create-employment-ad/


Mayor Report – Brant Walker, City of Alton

On September 13, 2017, the Alton Regional Multi-modal

Transportation Center (RMTC) opened its doors to the public. The 9,000 square foot facility provides Amtrak passenger rail service with connections to mass transit. Passengers will be able to travel from Alton to Chicago in approximately four hours upon the completion of all high-speed rail system improvements. Additionally, a Request for Proposals has been issued for the development of the 35 acres surrounding the facility. Commercial development of the site will bring new business opportunities and revenue growth to the City of Alton in the near future.

Thanks to our Building and Zoning Department, over the last two years, we have over $38 million in new capital investment by local businesses and are continuing our very successful business retention visits.

The Alton Fire Department has completed its inaugural year in ambulance operations. This critical service allows fire department paramedics to provide uninterrupted patient care from bedside to emergency room. The first eleven months of operation were completed utilizing only one ambulance, and both

call volume and revenue have exceeded projections. As a result of the operation’s success, a second ambulance was placed in service last month to answer the additional call volume. Even with the additional medical calls our firefighters were able to complete 7,220 hours of training and extinguish 156 fires that occurred in buildings with combined property values of $105 million. We look forward to what 2018 has in store for fire department operations.

Although crime in the City has decreased, it has increased nationwide. Thanks to the coordinating efforts of the Madison County States Attorney office, the Village of Godfrey and the City of Alton, each entity donated 1/3 of the funds for the purchase of the new License Plate Reader cameras which are located on the Clark Bridge. These cameras will be equipped to read every license plate of each vehicle crossing to and from Missouri into Illinois, any plates registered as stolen or attached to a warrant will send an alert to several police departments including Alton and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. The Alton Police Department has hired one new officer and is in the process of hiring another.

The Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater was a huge success again in 2017, with sold out concerts with featured national acts such as Air Supply and Better than Ezra. This also marked our third year of the hugely successful Sauce Food Truck Festival and added to our line-up was our newest event -- Bikes and BBQ Festival. After many years, we welcomed the return of the Alton Expo with five days of food, games,

rides and live entertainment. Each amphitheater event was sold out and we expect an even bigger and better list of entertainment for the 2018 season.

Our Public Works department

aggressively continues its undertaking of improving the city streets, parks, and sewer infrastructure. The City of Alton recently received notification from the East-West Gateway Council that the project the city submitted for federal funding was included in their Transportation Improvement Program. The 2019 TIP funds that were approved will be used to reconstruct sidewalks near the Lovejoy Elementary and Alton Middle Schools providing safe routes for pedestrians and students to travel. Specifically, new ADA compliant pedestrian routes will be installed along College Avenue from Pleasant to Holman Streets, Johnson Street from Tremont to

College Avenue, and Rock Springs Drive from College to Memorial Drive. In Spring of 2018, the city will begin making long overdue repairs to the sewer mains that serve the businesses along the Broadway corridor. Once these updates are completed, Broadway will receive a new asphalt pavement surface and ADA accessible improvements will be addressed from city owned rights-of-way from Henry Street to Allen Street. These projects will be paid for using federal grant dollars secured by the Public Works Department.

Additionally, the city expects to have the new concession building and entrance at Gordon Moore Park completed by the end of 2018 as part of the $2.2 million project paid for by federal and county grants along with donations from the members of our community. These improvements are in addition to the continuing efforts to enhance the park experience for our citizen’s by committing to make capital improvements to all parks throughout the Alton Park System. We hosted numerous recreation events such as baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, kickball and golf, in our City parks last year and we will be doing the same this year.

I along with my administration am looking forward to 2018! We will continue the work needed to improve our city for our residents.


Young Adults Committee works with children at Kreative Kids

by Lauren Walsh and Will Dixon

The ten members of the RBGA Young Adults Committee thoroughly enjoyed themselves on February 8th while helping the young children at Kreative Kids. This non for profit was the pick of junior Will Dixon and senior Lauren Walsh of Alton Marquette Catholic High School. The members worked with the young kids that attend Kreative Kids to create a fun and exciting learning environment. The young kids learned things such as jumping, running, going over and under, and around as well as throwing, rolling and sliding in a series of games modeled after the Winter Olympics this year. A few of the games included an obstacle course, skiing, snow ball bowling, and a bobsled race.

Kreative Kids has had a huge impact on the community for the last 47 years. They believe every child deserves a good education so they make sure that is exactly what happens. They offer kids from the ages of 6 weeks to 12 years an education fit to their age level as well as before and after school care programs. They help kids to see that learning is fun and in the end extremely beneficial. They push kids to experience exciting things and gain knowledge through doing so. The kids the Young Adults Committee worked with truly were amazing and inspirational. They even showed the high school helpers to have fun when they returned to their classrooms later that morning.

The RiverBend Growth Association’s Young Adults Committee is comprised of two high school students from each of five high schools in the area: Marquette Catholic High

School, Alton High School, Civic Memorial High School, East Alton-Wood River High School, and Roxana High School. The committee meets once a month and volunteers their time and efforts to non-profits in the area. Each school selects one non-profit and then the whole group volunteers and works together at one non-profit per month. In March, the students will host a Mr. Irresistible contest at Civic Memorial High School. The proceeds from the event are donated to one of the non-profits and to a deserving committee member in the form of a scholarship.

Senior Lauren and junior Will chose this non-profit because of its importance and outstanding message. They saw all the kids it helps to grow to become the future of our community. At Marquette both students are very involved. Will was a part of the soccer team who won State this past season as well as the 26-0 basketball team. He plays baseball and is also a member of National Honors Society. Will is the president of the junior class and enjoys working with kids and loved the experience offered by Kreative Kids. He plans to volunteer there over the summer. Senior representative Lauren is Student Council President, an Illinois State Scholar, part of Students Against Destructive Decisions, the Public Relations officer for Breast Cancer Awareness, a member of National Honors Society, Cultural Awareness Club, and Campus Ministry. Lauren enjoys reaching out and getting everyone involved at here school and in the community. She serves as the captain of the soccer team, golf team and the cheerleaders this year.

Thank you to Mr. Keith, CEO at Kreative Kids, for arranging this wonderful opportunity for the members of the RBGA Young Adults Committee: Lauren Walsh and Will Dixon of Marquette, Anya Jones and Caden Akal of Alton High, Adam Flack and Kaylee Klaustermeier of Civic Memorial, Nicholas Hayes and Kate Booten of East Alton-Wood River, Krysta Meyer and Abigail Stahlhut of Roxana.

Thank you too, to the mentors: Cindy Smalley of

Cope Plastics, Lindsey Kahl of Midwest Members Credit Union. Amber Scott of 1st Mid America Credit Union, Jeff Lauritzen of Country Financial, Sandy Smith of TheBANK of Edwardsville, Alex St. Peters and Trish Holmes of the RiverBend Growth Association.

The young kids participate in games created by the Young Adults Committee.

The Young Adults Committee and the some of the young kids at Kreative Kids Learning Center.


Young Adults Committee makes video for Big Brothers Big Sisters event promotion

The Young Adults Committee this year was given the opportunity to work with the non-profit organization called Big Brothers Big Sisters. The project was to create a video to promote their Bowl for Kids Sake event that will be held in March. The activity took place at Bowl Haven Lanes in Alton, IL and the students created a skit that would be entertaining for the community to watch, but would also get the community to be interested in participating in the bowling event. The summary of the video was that the students were going to be bowling, but not in the correct way. Some students pretended to use the bowling ball as a tennis ball, other students bowled in another lane, and many other problems. However, the end goal of the video was to promote an event that would be fun for a family to participate in and would raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Every year, the Young Adults Committee fundraises money through an event that will benefit a selected non-profit out of the pool of organizations that the students will work with over the course of the year. The non-profits are chosen at the beginning of the year, and then an organization out of five is assigned to the students. Each school is are in charge of communication with the non-profit and about the activity that will be going on. Each experience at the non-for-profit organizations is different, yet gratifying to the students. They are able to learn more about their community through an amazing program, and also build relationships. The Big Brothers Big Sisters activity was very memorable because the video that the students made will reach out the community in a variety of ways, and the

activity granted the students the opportunity to work with each other to create something unique and fun.

The two students that are representing Alton High School this year are Anya Jones as the senior representative and Caden Akal serving as the junior representative. Anya Jones, a senior this year, is a member of the Thespian Troupe 126 theatre organization, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honors Society, and serves as the president of Student Council. Anya is involved in many music activities, such as, the school plays, choir, the Red Harmonix Show Choir, and has also participated in the Illinois All-State Choir for her second time this year. After high school Anya plans to attend the University of Kansas or Missouri State University to major in Human Biology on a Pre-Dental track with a minor in Business.

Caden Akal, the junior representative, said, “The video we made for Big Brothers Big Sister was very fun to make, and I am glad that I got the chance to make something that will connect well with the community. I was also able to get to know my fellow Young Adult member even more and work as a team. I knew about Big Brothers Big Sisters, but I did not know very well until I was able to work with them and learn about all of the things they do for the kids in the Riverbend area. They are doing something really amazing and I’m glad that I got this opportunity to work with them with Anya for this non-profit organization.”

Caden Akal is a very active athlete for the Tidalwaves Swim Club and the Alton High School Swim Team. He is also involved in his church’s youth group at

Enjoy Church alongside Anya. After high school Caden plans to attend college, while continuing to swim, and he is undecided on what field he would like to major in. Caden works very hard in his studies and he is excited to serve as the senior representative next year for Alton High School.

Pictured is the Young Adults Committee working on the video for Big Brothers Big Sisters.


Ticket and sponsorship details at https://goo.gl/6xRW79.

growth association volume 16 | issue 2 › wp-content › uploads › 2019 › 08 › ... ·...

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