FEBRUARY 2011

InsideF E B R U A R Y | 2 0 1 1

The Southern Business Journal is a publication of The

Southern Illinoisan. Contact us via mail at 710 N. Illinois

Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901, or at P. O. Box 2108,

Carbondale, IL 62903. Also reach us on the Web at

www.sbj.biz and via e-mail at SBJ@thesouthern.com. The

Journal is published 12 times per year monthly, and

mailed to businesses, community development leaders,

chambers of commerce members and other

professionals in Southern Illinois. Copyright 2010 by

The Southern Illinoisan, all rights reserved. A subscription

may be obtained by calling 618-529-5454 or

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Contact usPublisher:

Bob Williams � 618-351-5038

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“exempt” employees — those notbound by the wage and overtime stan-dards of the Fair Labor Standards Act.Executives are such employees, butthey must meet certain criteria to beclassified as executives. For examples,the executive exemption has a mini-mum salary requirement: An employeemust make a minimum of $455 perweek ($23,660 per year), and thatsalary cannot be calculated as anhourly wage. It must be a straight salaryor fee. If an employee doesn’t makethat much money, he or she cannotqualify for the executive exemption.

Page 11

INDICATORS Still room for improvement: Unemploy-ment fell in 11 of the 18 Southern Illi-nois counties during November, the lastmonth for which complete statisticswere available. That’s encouraging, butthe decreases were far less than 1 per-cent, four counties reported unemploy-ment increases, and two more wereunchanged from October. The doldrumscontinued to plague the new vehicle andhome sales sectors, too. Just five coun-ties reported increases over the previ-ous month for both new vehicle andhome sales in November.

Pages 12-13

ACHIEVEMENTS Learn the latest: Find out who hasbeen hired, who has been promoted orwho has received an award for theirefforts in business. Make sure youcheck out our newest “Faces in thenews” collection of business portraits.

Pages 17-19

InsideArchitechniques, Ltd. .......................... 3

Carbondale Civic Center ...................... 7

Custom Cleaners .............................. 17

DataLock .......................................... 15

Feirich, Mager, Green & Ryan.............. 17

Ferrellgas ............................................ 3

Glass Haunt ...................................... 19

Jim’s Mobile Offices and Homes .......... 7

John A. Logan College ........................ 20

Oliver and Associates, Inc. ................ 10

Pepsi MidAmerica .......................... 8, 15

Raymond James Financial Service ...... 7

Silkworm Inc. .................................... 17

SIU Credit Union ................................ 24

Southern Illinois Healthcare................ 22

Southern Illinois University.................... 5

Williamson County Airport .................... 8

Your Jeweler ........................................ 9

Directory of Advertisers

ELDER ISSUES Planning ahead: Columnists ScottMcClatchey and Richard Habiger bothwrite this month on topics of greatimportance to seniors and thoseapproaching their golden years.McClatchey offers eight easy-to-remember steps that are the corner-stone for effective retirement planning.Habiger takes a closer look at therecent and tragic shooting spree in Ari-zona as a reminder to consideradvance-care planning, including Powerof Attorney for Property, Power of Attor-ney for Life, Living Will and AdvanceMedical Directive.

Page 6

STATE FOCUS Tax hike only a start: The state’s newincome tax rates are taking a biggerbite from our paychecks and causingmuch grumbling. But Columnist J. FredGiertz says the largest increase in Illi-nois history has the potential to createserious competitiveness problems forthe state. No healthy state would will-ingly increase its income tax rate by 66percent. But if a tax increase had notbeen approved, the state’s fiscal futurewould have been in real doubt, and thiswould have had dire consequences forbusiness. The crucial question facingthe state after the tax increase iswhether spending can be controlled.

Page 9

EMPLOYMENT LAW Executives may be exempt: ColumnistEd Renshaw continues his recentoverview of the laws governing

Every day, headlines and newsbroadcasts tell of events and happenings atSouthern Illinois University Carbondale,from talk of layoffs or budget shortfalls togood news including athletic success ornew research discoveries.

Often, it is easy for individuals without adirect tie to the university to downplay ordisregard what happens on the campus.Yet, many area analysts and businessleaders say that without the university, thelocal business climate would be muchdifferent.

More than 7,000 local residents areemployed by SIUC, and tens of thousandsof students from around the globe chooseto attend the university. The impact ofthose salaries and tuition dollars issignificant, said Scott Gilbert, associateprofessor of economics at Southern.

“It’s hard to think of very manybusinesses, especially in Carbondale andthe surrounding communities, that are notdirectly affected by SIUC,” he said. “Everystorefront, for example, is selling to peoplethat are students, faculty or staff, andwhile not every business is as sensitive towhat happens on campus as others, on thewhole, the university is such a large part of

the economy, there is no business that isnot influenced by SIUC.”

Gilbert says that the most affectedbusinesses, naturally, are retail stores,rental companies and restaurants thatparticularly cater to the studentpopulation. However, he points to othernon-student businesses that also rely onthe institution for business. One examplehe gives is a farm supply store. While sucha retailer may not rely on students, it doesserve faculty and staff with items such asgardening supplies, which are purchasedwith dollars earned by employment atSIUC.

“There are indirect effects in lots ofindustries, as dollars are handed downfrom students or staff to restaurant ownersto the grocery stores to the banks andsporting goods retailers and as thosedollars make their way around the region,”he explains.

So, how many dollars are there flowingfrom the university throughout SouthernIllinois?

“As far as I know, no one has been able

FEBRUARY 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 3

Cover Story Wanted: Leaders who will makeSouthern Illinois great

Do you know of a leader who is working tomake Southern Illinois a better place to live,work and get an education in the coming years?

We are seeking nominees for SouthernBusiness Journal’s “Leaders Among Us Class of2011.” For this year’s honorees, we are seekingvisionary leaders. They may be established,veteran leaders, or they may be forward-focusednewer leaders who see our region as a specialplace for opportunity, prosperity and growth.

Perhaps they will be excited by the planneddestination development in Marion andplanning a complementary venture. Or, theymight be involved in our region’s tourismindustry, which relies on the growing popularity of our vineyard andwineries, Shawnee National Forest, rental cabins, golf courses, SouthernIllinois University athletics and events, and our towns and their variousspecialty stores.

Perhaps they will be involved in some other sphere of culture, commerce orcommunity involvement.

This is your invitation to tell us about that special person. Perhaps they areessential for volunteer efforts offered through churches, civic groups orschools. They may also be outstanding performers at work, but we’re lookingfor those who excel beyond their careers. Some may be well known andrecognized by many as leaders who will serve Southern Illinois throughseveral generations. Others are likely to be behind-the-scenes stars, thehuman engines powering great initiatives, who are both willing and able toserve as top leaders.

Every spring for the last seven years, we have honored a group of peoplefrom across Southern Illinois — more than 100 outstanding people.

It’s easy to help us get started in this search for leaders. Just look aroundyour community and identify those folks who are leading and succeeding.

Please e-mail your nominations to gary.metro@thesouthern.com andinclude the nominee’s name, occupation, a description of the person’scommunity work and a few sentences on why you believe the honor isdeserved. Please include your telephone number, too, in case we need moreinformation.

Please submit the information before March 1.Those chosen for the Class of 2011 will be featured in a glossy, full-color

magazine to be published in early May. The Class of 2011 will be honored andgiven their awards at the Community Leaders’ Breakfast on May 5 at John A.Logan College.Find more business news

at www.sbj.biz.

SIUC impact on region is huge

BY LES O’DELLSBJ CORRESPONDENT

SEE COVER / PAGE 4

to tell recently how much the impact is interms of dollars,” says Debbie Moore,executive director of CarbondaleConvention and Tourism Bureau.

Gilbert says economists use a multiplierto determine the true effect ofexpenditures.

“There are complex methodologies thatfollow the whole chain of events,” he says.

The last study of SIUC’s impact on theentire Southern Illinois region wascompleted in 1993. It used a multiplier of1.78, meaning that every dollar generatedor spent by the university turned into$1.78. An earlier study that focused onlyon nine Southern Illinois counties showeda multiplier of 2.86.

Using either figure, it’s easy to see howthe university can benefit the region.According to figures released by SIUC forthe 2009 fiscal year, which ran from July2008 to June 2009, operating funds forthe entire Southern Illinois Universitysystem (including the Edwardsvillecampus and the Springfield-basedmedical school) topped $582 million. Inthat same year, students on theCarbondale campus received more than$263 million in financial aid. While a largeportion of financial aid pays tuition andrelated charges, much of that money paysfor students’ rent, groceries, furnishingsand supplies.

In a guest editorial earlier this year inThe Southern Illinoisan, SIU PresidentGlenn Poshard put the university’s buyingpower at “hundreds of millions” and saidthat budget problems at the institutionhad cost the local economy millions.

Carbondale Assistant City Manager forEconomic Development and Director ofDevelopment Kevin Baity carefullywatches what happens at SIUC.He says the impact stretches far beyondhis city.

“When you look at the number ofpeople that come into town on a dailybasis — instructors, students whocommute, and others — we consider ourdaytime population to be as many as55,000,” he says.

“Without the university, the landscapewould be very different. We would nothave the major retailers, the restaurants orretail base at the level we have. In manyways, we are insulated from the nationaleconomy because of the university.”

He says that’s true not only forCarbondale, but for other communities inthe region as well. George Trammelagrees. Trammel, the executive director ofMarion Chamber of Commerce, saysSIUC benefits his community, as well.

“It pays wages to people who live here,and it gives us another tool to attractbusiness to the area,” he says. “It is anasset to us.”

Trammel adds that the proximity of theuniversity was key in drawing Aisin toWilliamson County. The automobile partsmanufacturer has become one of theregion’s largest employers.

Other community leaders say even theregion’s small retailers benefit from SIUC.

“Students have a significant shoppingimpact on the area,” explains Darryl Jones,owner of Splattered Ink and president ofMurphysboro Chamber of Commerce.

“Whether they are buying furniture toput in their dorms and apartments fromSis’s Memories or if they are eating at 17thStreet, the students provide a significantboost to the economy.”

Jones also points to the high number ofvisitors that come to the region because ofthe university — and the dollars theyspend while they are here.

“The university also brings trafficthroughout Southern Illinois, visitinglecturers, educational conferenceattendees and presenters and, of course,the parents and family of the students,” headds. “This influx of people impacts thelocal economy for our small businesses.”

Moore says a number of universityevents including homecoming, athleticsand, of course, graduation, are big draws.

“It’s difficult to tell exactly what theimpact of these events is, but theycertainly fill hotel rooms in Jackson andWilliamson counties and sometimes evenUnion County. Depending on howgraduation is scheduled, that weekend canfill hotel rooms all the way up theinterstate to Effingham. It is significant,”she explains.

“The events benefit more than justhotels and restaurants. We track prettyclosely the business that goes on in placeslike orchards and wineries. They alwayshave increases in their weekend countswhen there are special events on campus.You can see the bump in sales tax revenue,as well.”

Other special events, such as concerts

and plays, draw from a wide region, too.“We combined the mailing lists of

Southern Lights Entertainment, ShryockAuditorium and the SIUC Department ofTheater, and had that plotted on a regionalmap,” explains Bryan Rives, director ofEvent Services for SIUC. “When welooked at it, it wasn’t just Carbondale thatpeople were coming from; it was all overSouthern Illinois.”

He says those trips to campus translateinto off-campus spending.

“When somebody travels from fartheraway, they’re going to have to get here,buy gasoline, have dinner and maybe usehotel rooms. When parents come to visit,they’re also probably taking their studentsout shopping.”

Gilbert is quick to point out that thebenefit of having the university goesbeyond economic concerns.

“It’s not just a money impact,” he says.“The institution generates college degreesand educated people that go out andenrich our communities. We’re not onlytalking about dollars and cents, but thefuture of our young generations. That haslong-term affects in helping our area fordecades to come.”

Trammel says graduates from SIUCprovide a knowledgeable workforce foremployers in practically all fields, andwhen they find work outside of the area,there still is benefit.

“When they go away from here, theystill are from Southern Illinois — that’swhat their diplomas say — and theyrepresent the whole region.”

LES O’DELL of Carbondale is a regularcontributor to Southern Business Journal andThe Southern Illinoisan.

FEBRUARY 20114 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

FROM PAGE 3

Cover Story

STEVE JAHNKE / SBJ‘It’s not just a money impact,’ says Scott Gilbert, associate professor of economics.‘The institution generates college degrees and educated people that go out and enrich ourcommunities. We’re not only talking about dollars and cents, but the future of our younggenerations. That has long-term effects in helping our area for decades to come.’

It’s It’s youryour great idea and great idea and wewe can help make it better! can help make it better!

Illinois Small Business Development Center/International Trade CenterSpring 2011 Workshop Schedule

Starting a Business in IllinoisThis two-hour informational seminar cover the basic requirements of starting your own business including: legal structure, start-up requirements, finding financing, and business planning basics. • Wednesday, February 9: 1pm - 3pm (Dunn-Richmond, Room 150) • Thursday, February 24: 9am - 11am (Chester, Randolph County Courthouse - 1 Taylor St.) • Friday, March 11: 9am - 11am (West Frankfort, Sam Mitchell Law Building - 115 E. Main St.) • Wednesday, March 30: 9am - 11am (Dunn-Richmond, Room 150) • Tuesday, April 12: 1pm - 3pm (Herrin, Chamber of Commerce* - 35 Park Ave, Suite A) • Wednesday, May 11: 6pm - 8pm (Dunn-Richmond, Room 150) • Tuesday, June 7: 9am - 11am (Marion, Man-Tra-Con** - 3000 W. DeYoung St., IL Centre Mall)

*Co-sponsored by the Herrin Chamber of Commerce. ** Co-sponsored by Man-Tra-Con

Finding Financing • Wednesday, May 11: 2pm - 4pm (Dunn-Richmond, Room 150)Intro to Government Contracting • Thursday, February 24: 11am - 1pm (Chester, Randolph County Courthouse - 1 Taylor St.) • Wednesday, May 11: 4pm - 6pm (Dunn-Richmond, Room 150)International Trade: Are You Ready to Export? • Wednesday, March 30: 11am - 12pm (Dunn-Richmond, Room 150)International Trade: Current Trends in Exporting • Thursday, February 24: 1pm - 2pm (Chester, Randolph County Courthouse - 1 Taylor St. )

TO REGISTERWorkshop location is the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, 150 E. Pleasant Hill Road, Carbondale, unless

otherwise noted. Pre-registration is required for all workshops. To register for any of these workshops or for more information, please call 618.536.2424 or email sbdc@siu.edu or visit our website at www.siusbdc.com.

FEBRUARY 2011SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL6

Elder IssuesTips for retirement planning: Eight steps to get

you started on the right foot

Planningfinancially forretirement may feeloverwhelming. Forsome, that feeling iswhat keeps themfrom really focusingon andimplementing aplan. If you haven’tstarted planning for

your retirement, do yourself a favor andbegin today.

Here are some other ideas to help youget it done properly:�The earlier the better.Time is definitely one of your greatest

allies. A person who begins contributing amodest amount to a retirement plan intheir early 20s could end up on par withsomeone who contributes much moreaggressively but does not start until theirmid-30s. Even if you have to start small,start now. Whatever amount you canafford to set aside for later, do it, and let itgrow. If you don’t have the luxury ofstarting young, don’t waste time worryingabout it. Start now. You’ll never again beyounger than you are today.�Be smart about what you’ll need.

Yes, it’s true, the senior discount is aliveand well, and the general cost of livingmay be less for those who have retired.But, don’t forget, there are other costs toconsider. Your health care costs, forexample, may be greater in retirementsimply because you’re not as healthy asyou were in your youth. Additionally,you’ll want to take inflation into account.If you plan your retirement based on thecost of living and income of your 30s, bythe time you hit your retirement years, youmay find you greatly underestimated yourneeds.�How long will you need it?When Social Security was being

developed, in the 1930s, a male retiring inthe U.S. was really only expected to liveabout 12 years past his date of retirement.However, the average life expectancy of aU.S. citizen has risen fairly steadilythroughout the last 50 years. Dependingon when you retire, you may need to planfor 20 or more years of income.�Take advantage of tax-deferred

contributions.It sounds like a no-brainer, but

sometimes people determine how muchthey can afford to contribute to aretirement account based on their netincome, rather than their gross income.You may decide you can afford only $50less per paycheck, net. But, remember that

some contributions, like those to your401(k) for example, may be made withpre-tax dollars. That means you can affordto contribute a bit more from your grossincome and still only “miss” $50 fromyour net income. This is an importantconsideration.�Take advantage of matching

contributions.If your employer offers a 401(k) match,

consider scrimping here and there in orderto take maximum advantage of it. It’s avery positive domino effect. The more youcontribute, the more you earn in matchingcontributions (up to the maximumallowable amount). Think of it this way. Ifyour employer offers a 50 percent match,then for every $100 you don’t contribute,you’re missing out on $50 in “free money.”You’re also missing out on the growthpotential of that money as well.�Do the math.This might be the most important

retirement tip of all. Block off some timeto sit down and do some calculations.Consider the different levels ofcontributions you could make andcalculate how far those could take you bythe time you reach retirement. Once yousee what you could achieve, you may bemore motivated to increase yourcontributions.�Trim the fat.

Keep careful track of your spending forone month (if you bank online, you mayhave access to tools that help you do this).After one full month, sit down and take acareful look at what you spent money on.Did it all make sense? Was some of itfrivolous? Any regrets? Taking a close lookat exactly where your money is going isoften the best way to discover areas thatneed improvement, and ways you couldadjust your spending habits. Add up all themoney you feel you spent unnecessarily,then add that amount to the contributionmath you did previously. How muchfurther might that extra monthlycontribution have taken you?�Get help.These retirement tips are intended to

help you get started down a path toward,potentially, a more successful retirement.But they’re just that — a starting point.While it’s definitely important to educateyourself and understand your finances,seeking the assistance of a financialprofessional may be one of the best movesyou could make.

SCOTT MCCLATCHEY is a founder and LPLfinancial advisor with Alliance InvestmentPlanning Group, a Carbondale-basedinvestment firm located at 115 S. WashingtonSt. He can be reached at 618-519-9344 orscott@allianceinvestmentplanning.com.

McClatchey

BY SCOTT MCCLATCHEYSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Tucson shootings and long-term care

The Tucsonshooting of U.S. Rep.Gabrielle Giffordsand others is stillfresh in our mindsweeks later. Thistragedy should serveto remind us all ofthe necessity ofadvance-careplanning.

For those who have signed a Power of

Attorney for Property, Power of Attorneyfor Health, Living Will and AdvanceMedical Directive, it is a reminder of whythey have executed those documents. Italso should be a reminder of why theirchildren, grandchildren and all of theirloved ones, who are 18 years of age orolder, need to sign these documents. Now!

Sometimes serious medical events arecompletely unexpected. Having the rightlegal documents in place when theseunexpected events occur could mean thedifference between a bad outcome and anot-so-bad outcome — perhaps even agood outcome.

The Virginia Tech shootings were arecent illustration of parents being unableto get information about their “adult”children because the children had notgotten around to signing powers ofattorney for health care. And, who canforget the Florida case of Terri Schiavo andwhat can happen if a person does not havea written advance medical directive? Or,the more recent case of Anna NicoleSmith, who did not put her funeral wishesin her will or a “separate writing.” Or,recall the tragic case of a young Missouriwoman, Nancy Cruzan, which consumeda loving father when he was faced with an

inability to “help” his daughter removedeath-delaying machines due to themachinations of an ambitious politicianand a court system that failed in itsobligations to do justice.

The Tucson shootings also remind us ofthe importance of “having the talk” withour families, to discuss our wishes so thatour designated decision-makers canfunction more capably as health careagents in the event of a sudden medicalchallenge down the road. All of us can usethese unfortunate opportunities to bring

BY RICHARD HABIGERSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Habiger

SEE HABIGER / PAGE 14

FEBRUARY 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 7

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Entrepreneur’s MailbagThe essential question: Can Illinois tap its inner entrepreneur?

The four years Ispent inWashington, D.C.,taught mesomething veryimportant aboutmyself. Thatrealization is that Iam not cut out forpolitics. WithIllinois’ recent

decision to raise taxes, I have chosen tobreak my vow of political silence andthrow my two cents into the discussion.

At times, I will use real-world examplesin order to relay important small-businessconcepts. The state’s tax hike presentsanother case study for small businesses

and poses the question, “Can Illinoischannel its own inner entrepreneur as itlooks to move forward?”

What we know

By now, we have all heard the details. OnJan. 13, a 67 percent personal income taxincrease took effect, raising the rate from 3 to 5 percent. In addition, Illinoisbusinesses will see a 46 percent increaseas rates go from 4.8 to 7 percent. Thoughnot the most expensive place to live or dobusiness, the increases represents one ofthe largest increases in terms ofpercentage. With Illinois’ budget woessaid to be in the $15 billion range, the taxesare expected to bring in an estimated $6 billion.

Go on the offensive

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels hascompared Illinois to “The Simpsons,”calling the Land of Lincoln “thedysfunctional family down the block.”With other states suffering the sameunemployment fate, competition for jobsamong neighboring states has heated up.Does this now mean that Illinoisbusinesses are ripe for the picking? With agreat tourism network, now is a good timefor the state to go on the offensive,determining what makes our state greatfrom an everyday live, work and play pointof view. In small business terms, what isthe state’s competitive advantage? If wecan’t determine and communicate thisproperly, then how do we expectbusinesses to want to relocate here or,better yet, stay?

Get back to marketing

Some states are hiring sales reps withthe goal of luring away Illinois companies.Other states, like Wisconsin, are rollingout new ad campaigns aimed at attractingIllinois businesses. Wisconsin’s newcampaign reads, “Escape to Wisconsin.You are welcome here.” Ouch! Some of themore memorable ads I have come acrossrecently have not been from socialnetworking companies, consumer goodsmakers or auto manufactures, but havecome from individual states. Iowa,Michigan, Virginia and a rebuildingLouisiana have done a great job placingtheir messages in the right places and aregetting noticed by the right people. Onestate’s ad covered three pages in the WallStreet Journal; something tells me that

Gray

BY CAVANAUGH L. GRAYSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

SEE GRAY / PAGE 11

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At the end of2010, the state ofIllinois faced amonumental budgetproblem amountingto a shortfallestimated at $15 billion — madeup of the currentyear deficit plus ahuge overhang of

unpaid obligations. Unlike past years,the governor and General Assemblychose to act by passing a huge taxincrease in the waning hours of the 96thGeneral Assembly in early January.

For eight years, Illinois state leadersturned a deaf ear to warnings about thelooming fiscal crisis that their actionswere creating. Year after year, spendingexceeded continuing revenues with thestate financing the deficits with varioustemporary expedients includingborrowing, pension underfunding and,finally, by simply not paying its bills.Neither tax increases nor seriousspending cuts were implemented.

Over the years, fiscal imprudencebecame the norm, but this time therewas a difference. Capital marketsthrough bond underwriters sent a clearmessage to the state that things had tochange. The state of Illinois, with one ofthe lowest bond ratings in the country,has been facing a 2 percentage pointpremium when it borrowed, comparedto low risk jurisdictions. With athreatened downgrade from ratingagencies, this premium was set to rise.

If borrowing continued to be used tofinance current operations, Illinoiswould have slid into a downward spiralthat was compared to the plight of smallEuropean countries, such as Ireland andGreece, facing unmanageable debt loads.

After years of timidity, the governorand the Democratic leadership in theGeneral Assembly cobbled together alarge income tax hike with individual

rates rising from 3 percent to 5 percentand the corporate rate from 4.8 percentto 7 percent. With the additional 2.5 percent personal property taxreplacement rate, corporations face acombined rate of 9.5 percent. This rate isamong the highest in the nation and,combined with the federal rate, one ofthe highest in the world. The tax is billedas temporary, with rates scheduled to fallin four years and again after 14 years,although many are skeptical as towhether these reductions willmaterialize.

This was a pure tax increase with noreform. The tax base was not broadened;there was no relief for low-incometaxpayers; and, there was no additionalproperty tax relief. Sometimes taxincreases are coupled with reforms, butnot this time. Further, the tax increasewas not coupled with spending increasesthat are often used to buffer the impactof higher taxes.

We have become familiar with theterm “tax-and-spend liberals.” However,in Illinois the order was reversed sincespending occurred before the taxes wereimposed. The tax increase may prove adifficult sell for the Democratic Party(the tax was approved with noRepublican support) which must defenda higher tax, along with furtherspending cuts, since the new tax revenuewill not fully close the deficit.

Illinois citizens have becomeaccustomed to the something-for-nothing philosophy employed by formerGov. Rod Blagojevich, who promisedcontinuing spending increases with notax increases, regardless of the long-term fiscal impacts. Blagojevich is nolonger around to suffer the politicalconsequences of his imprudence, but hisparty is still in power.

It would be easy to reject the massivetax increase out of hand. This is thelargest increase in Illinois history andhas the potential to create seriouscompetitiveness problems for the state.No healthy state would willinglyincrease its income tax rate by

66 percent. However, the choiceconfronting the state was not between awell functioning state government withlow taxes and one with a much higherrate.

The real choice involved a low-taxstate on the brink of insolvency.Businesses are concerned about hightaxes, but they also worry about anunstable, unsustainable fiscal climate. Ifa tax increase had not been approved,the state’s fiscal future would have beenin real doubt and this would have haddire consequences for business.

The crucial question facing the stateafter the tax increase is whetherspending can be controlled. TheRepublicans and the businesscommunity wanted spending restraint tobe addressed first before higher taxeswere considered. The Democraticleadership chose to tax first. In reality,the budget problem is so large thatfeasible spending cuts alone could nothave solved the problem.

This suggests that the budget crisis isnot over. The additional revenue fromthe tax increase will not solve the state’slong-term fiscal imbalance. Spendingdiscipline is needed. Richard Nixon oncesaid the most dangerous time in a crisisis when you think it is over. This maywell be true now in Illinois.

If the governor and General Assemblybelieve the tax increase solved the state’sbudget problem and go back to their oldspending habits, the extra revenue willprovide only a brief respite from thecrisis, and it will return with avengeance. On the positive side, the taxincrease legislation did not provide foradditional spending and included a weakprovision that would negate the tax

increase if spending increased markedlyin future years.

The real test will be if the disciplinethat it took to increase taxes can becarried over to spending restraint. Pastexperience is not encouraging in thisregard, but there is at least hope.

J. FRED GIERTZ is a professor of economicswithin the University of Illinois’ Institute ofGovernment and Public Affairs. He can bereached at 217-244-4822 orjgiertz@ad.uiuc.edu.

FEBRUARY 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 9

State FocusTaxes bumped up, but more needs to be done

to stop reckless state spending

Giertz

BY J. FRED GIERTZ SBJ CONTRIBUTOR Illinois citizens have become

accustomed to the something-for-nothing philosophy employed by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Find more business newsat www.sbj.biz.

FEBRUARY 2011SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL10

Family MattersThe ties that bind can help a family stay healthy together

Being a healthyfamily in today’sworld meansworking together.

It seems likeeveryone is stressedout these days,especially families.If parents are notworrying aboutmoney, they’re

worrying about their kids. They’reworking so hard to provide, they’re notreally present even when they’re athome. The kids’ numerous school andsocial activities keep them so busy,they’re not around much either.

Daily life settles into a disorganized

mess and, before we know it, the entirefamily is suffering from anoverabundance of unhealthy habits andstress. Eating out becomes the normbecause there’s no time to plan, prepareand clean up a meal. It’s easier to let thekids go off to their room and play videogames all night when we’re too tired orhave too much to do.

Truthfully, families will probablyalways feel like they can’t keep up. It’sdifficult to practice good timemanagement when four or five peopleare running in different directions.

However, a simple back-to-the-basicsapproach may be the best way to not getlost in the hustle and bustle of everydaylife. “Getting back to being a family,” notjust individual members of a household,is a good mantra to adopt towardsworking together to change the cycle of

unhealthy living.You don’t necessarily have to

eliminate all of the extracurricularactivities; just make a commitment tolive healthier lives. If you’re dedicated toa cause, the issue of time will work itselfout. And there’s strength in numbers.

The family that eats together

Dinner time can be one of the mostrewarding and beneficial activities for afamily. First, you control the menu. Youcan watch calories, control portions andmake healthier choices about what youeat, while teaching your kids to do thesame.

But, the benefits aren’t onlynutritional. Staying home for dinner fivenights a week instead of eating out savesmoney, which can help alleviatefinancial stress. And, don’t look at

dinner time as a chore; look at it as anopportunity for communication andinvolve the whole family. For example,no video games or television whileeveryone else works. Give the kids taskssuited to their age, and use the time totalk. It’s a great way for the family tointeract and make memories.

The family that plays together

Physical activity is an important partof maintaining good health. It’ssomething we can easily nudge out oflives because we just can’t find the time.

A good way to accomplish this is tofind a physical activity in which theentire family can participate. When it’scold outside, maybe this meansestablishing a bowling night or setting

Harrison

BY BRIAN HARRISON, M.D. SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

SEE FAMILY / PAGE 16

FEBRUARY 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 11

Employment LawEmployees who are executives may be exempt

from minimum wage and overtime requirements

In the last twomonths, we’vediscussed twocategories ofemployees who areexempt fromminimum wage andovertimerequirements underthe federal FairLabor Standards

Act.Not surprisingly, these employees are

referred to as “exempt” employees.Exempt employees generally must qualifyas executive, administrative orprofessional employees. (Certaincomputer workers and outside salespeoplecan also be exempt even though they don’treally fit into the three qualifyingcategories.)

Last month, we looked at factors thatmake an employee exempt as anadministrator. The month before that, wedid the same analysis of the professionalexemption from minimum wage andovertime requirements. This month, we’lladdress the final category: the executiveexemption.

It is important to remember that justlike the professional and administrativeexemptions, the executive exemption hasa minimum salary requirement. That

means the employee must make aminimum of $455 per week ($23,660 peryear), and that salary cannot be calculatedas an hourly wage. It must be a straightsalary or fee. If an employee doesn’t makethat much money, he or she cannot qualifyfor the executive exemption.

On the other end of the salary analysis,an employee may be exempt if theemployee makes more than $100,000 peryear, even if his job duties would notqualify him for the exemption. This typeof employee is considered to be so “highlycompensated” that overtime andminimum wage rules do not apply. Keep inmind, however, that the highlycompensated exemption does not apply toemployees engaged in “blue collar” jobsinvolving repetitive physical labor orproduction-line work.

Once it is established that an employee’ssalary meets the required minimum, ananalysis of the employee’s job duties isnecessary to determine if he or she is trulyperforming as an executive. Simply put, anemployee will qualify for the executiveexemption only if the employee isperforming primarily non-manual, officework. This doesn’t mean he has to be in anoffice, but it certainly means he or shemust be doing work or making decisionsthat involve managerial, intellectual oradministrative expertise.

Under the executive exemption, theprimary duty of the employee must bemanagement of the business or a

department/subdivision of the business.This means the employee must superviseat least two other employees and musthave authority to hire, fire and promoteemployees. However, even if the employeedoes not have the ultimate authority tohire, fire and promote, the employee maystill qualify if his or her recommendationsare given great weight and are usuallyfollowed.

The U.S. Department of Labor definesthe “primary duty” of an employee to bethe employee’s principal, main, major ormost important duty. This does notnecessarily mean simply the duties onwhich the employee spends the mosttime, although time spent on managerialduties is an important factor. Generally, ifan employee spends more than 50 percentof his time performing managerial work,that employee will qualify for theexecutive exemption.

But, not spending 50 percent of yourtime on managerial duties does notautomatically disqualify you from beingclassified as exempt. Other factors can beconsidered as well. If the managerialduties are highly important to the businessoperation or the employee is virtually freeof any direct supervision, the employeemay be exempt.

For example, a night manager at aconvenience store may spend most of histime doing non-managerial tasks withother employees, but that night managermight be exempt his or her decisions are

important to the business and are largelymade independently.

The U.S. Department of Labor providesa list of duties that are considered to beexecutive or managerial. These includeinterviewing, hiring and trainingemployees; setting rates of pay and hours;planning work schedules; maintainingproduction or sales records; handlingemployee complaints; discipliningemployees; preparing budgets; monitoringlegal compliance issues; determiningequipment and materials to be used byemployees; and setting standards foremployee safety and security.

There may be some similarity betweenduties that qualify for both the executiveexemption and the administrativeexemption. One way to distinguishbetween the two exemptions is to focus onwho is “in charge” of the business or adepartment at any given time. Thatperson is likely to qualify for the executiveexemption, so long as he or she issupervising at least two people and meetsthe minimum salary test.

ED RENSHAW is a partner with theCarbondale law firm of Feirich/Mager/Green/Ryan. F/M/G/R is a general practicelaw firm offering a full range of legal services,including labor and employment law,commercial transactions, banking, realestate, workers’ compensation, municipal lawand estate planning. Call 618-529-3000 orvisit www.fmgr.com.

Renshaw

BY ED RENSHAWSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

state was serious about getting its message across. It’stime for Illinois to up its marketing efforts becauseeveryone else seems to be doing so.

Innovate new programs

What do Hollywood Video, Borders Books and OfficeMax/Office Depot all have in common? Somewhere alongthe way, each organization forgot how to innovate. As a

result, they are either nonexistent or no longer relevant inthe marketplace. With a sizable budget deficit, Iunderstand that there isn’t a lot of money to be tossed atnew programs. However, this shouldn’t stop the statefrom trying or at least taking a page from the playbook ofother states. Virginia is aggressively doling out cash andbusiness incentives to lure job-creating businesses. Todate, the state has raised a $57 million economicdevelopment package, with Gov. Robert McDonnellrequesting another $54 million for the program. Virginiahas managed to implement this program, while closing a$4.2 billion budget deficit.

Depending on where you sit on the issue, you are eithersteaming mad about taxes being raised or you see it as

everyone’s responsibility to carry the burden. For yearsnow, Illinois has been known as the anti-business state.And, with the recent round of taxes, that may be hard forsome to argue. The question that many business ownersare now pondering is at what point does the costs ofdoing business in Illinois outweigh the benefits?

CAVANAUGH L. GRAY is director of business development forThe Entrepreneur Café, L.L.C. in Carbondale. For informationon other state and city small business initiatives or for moreinformation on how to start, grow and succeed in smallbusiness, be sure to follow The Entrepreneur Café, L.L.C. onTwitter, www.twitter.com/ TheECafe, or atwww.ecafellc.com.

GRAY: EntrepreneurFROM PAGE 7

692U. S.

699State

Metro East $3.08 $3.08 $2.72Springfield $3.07 $2.90 $2.75Illinois $3.23 $3.07 $2.85U.S. $3.10 $2.98 $2.76

Jan 11 Dec 10 Jan 10

208

200

204

206

S

210

‘10

212

A

214

M J

216

J

218

A

220

O NN D J F’09

M

Consumer Price IndexThe CPI measures average price changes of goodsand services over time, with a reference base of 100in 1982-84.To put into context, a current CPI of194.5 means a market basket of goods and servicesthat cost $100 in 1982-84 now costs $194.50.

U.S. city averageNov 10 218.8

Midwest urbanNov 10 208.8

SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

95949392919089

96979899

100101102103104105106107108

D J A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N DJ J A S O N F M

U of I FlashIndex

The Flash Index is an early indicator of the Illinois economy’s expectedperformance. It is a weighted average of growth rates in corporate earnings,consumer spending and personal income. An index above 100 indicatesexpected growth; an index below 100 indicates the economy is contracting.

Dec 10 94.9

Q3 10 Q3 09 Change 2008 2007 Change Q3 10 Q3 09 Change

Nov 10 Nov 09 Change 2009 2008 Change

$703,363 $704,651 � 1.8%

$4,366,099 $4,498,493 � 2.9%

July 10 July 09 Change

2009 Change

YTD TOTALS

MONTHLY TOTALS

$7,725,727 $7,520,856 � 2.7%

2008ANNUAL TOTALS

100

102

103

104

105

78

90

DM J J A S O N F M A M

98

94

’09

88

86

84

82

81

80

76

J’10

74

72

70

68

66

64J J A S O N

Chicago Fed MidwestManufacturing IndexThe CFMMI is a monthly estimate by majorindustry of manufacturing output in the SeventhFederal Reserve District states of Illinois, Indiana,Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. It is a compositeindex of 15 manufacturing industries, includingauto and steel, that uses electrical power andhours worked data to measure monthly changesin regional activity. It is compared here to thenational Industrial Production index forManufacturing (IPMFG). Base year is 2007.Starting in November 2005, the index excludedthe electricity component.

IPMFG Nov 1092.3

CFMMI Nov 1081.1

SOURCE: FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CHICAGO

Williamson County RegionalAirport passengers

728 343 �112.2%

3,378 1,062 � 218.1%

Nov 10 Nov 09 Change

2009 Change

YTD TOTALS

MONTHLY TOTALS

Anna 101.4 114.5 113.3 112.3 111.7 109.7 � 4.4%Benton 55.7 69.4 71.4 72.4 75.0 70.4 � 1.4%Carbondale 500.0 565.5 587.7 607.4 610.4 579.4 � 2.4%Carterville 35.4 39.9 40.1 40.3 39.9 32.7 � 22.0%Chester 44.5 52.9 51.5 51.7 54.0 51.1 � 3.5%Du Quoin 69.9 100.8 91.9 94.4 103.1 95.0 � 6.1%Harrisburg 161.6 191.9 179.3 173.6 168.5 164.9 � 16.4%Herrin 130.2 147.2 135.9 134.4 137.5 127.9 � 15.1%Jonesboro 10.1 12.5 12.4 11.3 11.5 11.5 � 8.7%Marion 569.3 676.0 673.4 662.4 592.7 545.9 � 23.8%Metropolis 67.9 77.1 75.9 79.8 74.8 69.4 � 11.1%Mount Vernon 427.8 476.7 482.8 461.5 501.0 475.3 � 0.3%Murphysboro 109.0 129.1 117.1 94.9 93.0 94.6 � 53.4%Nashville 79.8 107.9 101.8 105.2 105.7 101.1 � 6.7%Pinckneyville 31.4 37.2 39.0 35.8 41.7 38.0 � 2.1%Red Bud 61.9 70.1 77.7 73.7 82.5 82.5 � 15.0%Sparta 107.4 126.4 130.5 129.5 133.1 127.7 � 1.0%Vienna 33.0 37.1 40.5 39.8 36.9 32.7 � 13.5%West City 72.8 91.9 89.6 82.8 77.7 70.8 � 29.8%West Frankfort 92.3 111.4 111.2 111.4 106.8 102.3 � 8.9%REGION $2,761.4 $3,235.5 $3,223.0 $3,174.7 $3,157.6 $2,983.0 � 8.5%ILLINOIS $122,262.0 $139,593.2 $237,438.0 $180,162.7 $173,362.8 $167,459.0 � 16.6%

YTD Oct 2010City 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005% change

05-09

Retail sales for Southern Illinois cities

SOURCE: LATEST STATISTICS AVAILABLE FROM THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. FIGURES ARE IN MILLIONS.

Labor force Jobless Nov 2010 Oct 2010 Nov 2009 Change month Change year

Unemployment rates for Southern Illinois counties, state and nation

Alexander 3,188 363 11.4% 11.1% 12.3% � 0.3 � 0.9Franklin 18,098 2,109 11.7% 12.1% 13.0% � 0.4 � 1.3Gallatin 2,772 265 9.6% 10.1% 10.7% � 0.5 � 1.1Hamilton 4,151 384 9.3% 9.5% 9.4% � 0.2 � 0.1Hardin 1,849 190 10.3% 10.6% 11.8% � 0.3 � 1.5Jackson 33,873 2,470 7.3% 7.4% 7.5% � 0.1 � 0.2Jefferson 20,580 1,872 9.1% 9.0% 10.3% � 0.1 � 1.2Johnson 5,181 540 10.4% 10.5% 10.7% � 0.1 � 0.3Massac 7,485 633 8.5% 8.1% 8.6% � 0.4 � 0.1Perry 9,460 1,040 11.0% 11.2% 12.0% � 0.2 � 1.0Pope 1,980 197 9.9% 10.3% 11.3% � 0.4 � 1.4Pulaski 2,949 305 10.3% 10.4% 11.2% � 0.1 � 0.9Randolph 15,559 1,311 8.4% 8.4% 9.3% 0.0 � 0.9Saline 13,208 1,267 9.6% 9.9% 10.6% � 0.3 � 1.0Union 8,374 942 11.2% 10.8% 11.1% � 0.4 � 0.1Washington 8,309 598 7.2% 7.4% 8.2% � 0.2 � 1.0White 7,736 665 8.6% 8.5% 8.6% � 0.1 0.0Williamson 35,610 3,202 9.0% 9.0% 9.4% 0.0 � 0.4 .,REGION 200,362 18,353 9.2% 9.7% 10.3% � 0.5 � 1.1ILLINOIS 6,686,338 613,724 9.2% 9.2% 10.4% 0.0 � 1.2U.S. 153,698,000 14,282,000 9.3% 9.0% 9.4% � 0.3 � 0.1SOURCE: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. FIGURES ARE NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED. 2,750 2,636 � 4.3%

2008ANNUAL TOTALS

694Murphysboro

Consumer credit scoreCredit scores are numeric reflections of financialbehavior and credit worthiness and they are basedon information included in a credit report. Rangingfrom 330 to 830, a higher score means a lowercredit risk. Scores are from January 2011.

692U. S.

699State

698Region

SOURCE: EXPERIAN

SOURCE: AAA

Metro East $3.08 $3.08 $2.72Springfield $3.07 $2.90 $2.75Illinois $3.23 $3.07 $2.85U.S. $3.10 $2.98 $2.76

Jan 11 Dec 10 Jan 10

208

200

204

206

S

210

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212

A

214

M J

216

J

218

A

220

O NN D J F’09

M

Consumer Price IndexThe CPI measures average price changes of goodsand services over time, with a reference base of 100in 1982-84.To put into context, a current CPI of194.5 means a market basket of goods and servicesthat cost $100 in 1982-84 now costs $194.50.

U.S. city averageNov 10 218.8

Midwest urbanNov 10 208.8

SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

95949392919089

96979899

100101102103104105106107108

D J A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N DJ J A S O N F M

U of I FlashIndex

The Flash Index is an early indicator of the Illinois economy’s expectedperformance. It is a weighted average of growth rates in corporate earnings,consumer spending and personal income. An index above 100 indicatesexpected growth; an index below 100 indicates the economy is contracting.

Dec 10 94.9

Home sales Total units sold, including condominiums

SOURCE: ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

Alexander 5 6 � 16.7% 17 32 � 46.9% $50,000 $37,450 � 33.5%Franklin 68 67 � 1.5% 276 332 � 16.9% $42,625 $59,500 � 28.4%Gallatin 2 7 � 71.4% NA NA NA $35,800 $40,000 � 10.5%Hamilton 0 1 � 100.0% 7 8 � 12.5% $0 $142,500 � 100.0%Hardin 3 4 � 25.0% 0 0 0% $124,500 $76,500 � 62.7%Jackson 97 129 � 24.8% 383 467 � 18.0% $104,000 $104,000 0.0%Jefferson 66 81 � 18.5% 332 381 � 12.9% $79,000 $84,200 � 6.2%Johnson 24 16 � 50.0% 78 92 � 15.2% $62,000 $44,000 � 40.9%Massac 21 13 � 61.5% 112 128 � 12.5% $89,500 $56,500 � 58.4%Perry 26 23 � 13.0% 126 149 � 15.4% $75,000 $42,500 � 76.5%Pope 2 2 0.0% 10 9 � 11.1% $15,000 $75,750 � 80.2%Pulaski 1 2 � 50.0% 13 4 � 225.0% $39,000 $47,500 � 17.9%Randolph 31 34 � 8.8% 149 136 � 9.6% $83,900 $68,500 � 22.5%Saline 33 28 � 17.9% 80 78 � 2.6% $47,000 $54,200 � 13.3%Union 21 27 � 22.2% 101 91 � 11.0% $115,000 $79,000 � 45.6%Williamson 160 186 � 14.0% 639 705 � 9.4% $98,000 $98,750 � 0.8%ILLINOIS 24,628 32,776 � 24.9% 107,075 140,378 � 23.7% $154,000 $164,000 � 6.1%

Q3 10 Q3 09 Change 2008 2007 Change Q3 10 Q3 09 ChangeMEDIAN SALES PRICE

SOURCE: INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Hotel/motel statsTotal amount of revenue generated in Carbondaleby hotels and motels for room rentals only.

New vehicle sales Total cars, trucks sold based on title applications filed.Excludes motorcycles, trailers.

SOURCE: ILLINOIS SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE. LATEST DATA AVAILABLE.

Alexander 10 7 � 42.9% 137 169 � 13.3%Franklin 67 77 � 13.0% 989 1,341 � 7.5%Gallatin 14 15 � 6.7% 184 294 � 30.7%Hamilton 15 11 � 36.4% 224 287 � 10.4%Hardin 6 11 � 45.5% 94 109 � 19.3%Jackson 86 67 � 28.4% 1,348 1,969 � 21.4%Jefferson 55 41 � 34.1% 842 1,270 � 14.9%Johnson 17 24 � 29.2% 353 481 � 14.8%Massac 14 18 � 22.2% 278 422 � 3.7%Perry 28 49 � 42.9% 565 689 � 8.0%Pope 2 7 � 71.4% 85 123 � 10.8%Pulaski 7 11 � 36.4% 124 221 � 11.1%Randolph 61 63 � 3.2% 936 1,208 � 7.3%Saline 44 44 0.0% 719 1,064 � 15.7%Union 37 29 � 27.6% 447 596 � 11.6%Washington 20 37 � 45.9% 515 621 � 4.4%White 36 40 � 10.0% 471 721 � 8.6%Williamson 114 140 � 18.6% 1,868 2,515 � 9.7%REGION 633 691 � 8.4% 10,179 14,100 � 11.1%

Nov 10 Nov 09 Change 2009 2008 Change

$703,363 $704,651 � 1.8%

$4,366,099 $4,498,493 � 2.9%

July 10 July 09 Change

2009 Change

YTD TOTALS

MONTHLY TOTALS

$7,725,727 $7,520,856 � 2.7%

2008ANNUAL TOTALS

100

102

103

104

105

78

90

DM J J A S O N F M A M

98

94

’09

88

86

84

82

81

80

76

J

IPMFG Nov 1092.3

YTD TOTALS

MONTHLY TOTALS

Anna 101.4 114.5 113.3 112.3 111.7 109.7 � 4.4%Benton 55.7 69.4 71.4 72.4 75.0 70.4 � 1.4%Carbondale 500.0 565.5 587.7 607.4 610.4 579.4 � 2.4%Carterville 35.4 39.9 40.1 40.3 39.9 32.7 � 22.0%Chester 44.5 52.9 51.5 51.7 54.0 51.1 � 3.5%Du Quoin 69.9 100.8 91.9 94.4 103.1 95.0 � 6.1%Harrisburg 161.6 191.9 179.3 173.6 168.5 164.9 � 16.4%Herrin 130.2 147.2 135.9 134.4 137.5 127.9 � 15.1%Jonesboro 10.1 12.5 12.4 11.3 11.5 11.5 � 8.7%Marion 569.3 676.0 673.4 662.4 592.7 545.9 � 23.8%Metropolis 67.9 77.1 75.9 79.8 74.8 69.4 � 11.1%Mount Vernon 427.8 476.7 482.8 461.5 501.0 475.3 � 0.3%Murphysboro 109.0 129.1 117.1 94.9 93.0 94.6 � 53.4%Nashville 79.8 107.9 101.8 105.2 105.7 101.1 � 6.7%Pinckneyville 31.4 37.2 39.0 35.8 41.7 38.0 � 2.1%Red Bud 61.9 70.1 77.7 73.7 82.5 82.5 � 15.0%Sparta 107.4 126.4 130.5 129.5 133.1 127.7 � 1.0%Vienna 33.0 37.1 40.5 39.8 36.9 32.7 � 13.5%West City 72.8 91.9 89.6 82.8 77.7 70.8 � 29.8%West Frankfort 92.3 111.4 111.2 111.4 106.8 102.3 � 8.9%REGION $2,761.4 $3,235.5 $3,223.0 $3,174.7 $3,157.6 $2,983.0 � 8.5%ILLINOIS $122,262.0 $139,593.2 $237,438.0 $180,162.7 $173,362.8 $167,459.0 � 16.6%

YTD Oct 2010City 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005% change

05-09

Retail sales for Southern Illinois cities

SOURCE: LATEST STATISTICS AVAILABLE FROM THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. FIGURES ARE IN MILLIONS.

Labor force Jobless Nov 2010 Oct 2010 Nov 2009 Change month Change year

Unemployment rates for Southern Illinois counties, state and nation

Alexander 3,188 363 11.4% 11.1% 12.3% � 0.3 � 0.9Franklin 18,098 2,109 11.7% 12.1% 13.0% � 0.4 � 1.3Gallatin 2,772 265 9.6% 10.1% 10.7% � 0.5 � 1.1Hamilton 4,151 384 9.3% 9.5% 9.4% � 0.2 � 0.1Hardin 1,849 190 10.3% 10.6% 11.8% � 0.3 � 1.5Jackson 33,873 2,470 7.3% 7.4% 7.5% � 0.1 � 0.2Jefferson 20,580 1,872 9.1% 9.0% 10.3% � 0.1 � 1.2Johnson 5,181 540 10.4% 10.5% 10.7% � 0.1 � 0.3Massac 7,485 633 8.5% 8.1% 8.6% � 0.4 � 0.1Perry 9,460 1,040 11.0% 11.2% 12.0% � 0.2 � 1.0Pope 1,980 197 9.9% 10.3% 11.3% � 0.4 � 1.4Pulaski 2,949 305 10.3% 10.4% 11.2% � 0.1 � 0.9Randolph 15,559 1,311 8.4% 8.4% 9.3% 0.0 � 0.9Saline 13,208 1,267 9.6% 9.9% 10.6% � 0.3 � 1.0Union 8,374 942 11.2% 10.8% 11.1% � 0.4 � 0.1Washington 8,309 598 7.2% 7.4% 8.2% � 0.2 � 1.0White 7,736 665 8.6% 8.5% 8.6% � 0.1 0.0Williamson 35,610 3,202 9.0% 9.0% 9.4% 0.0 � 0.4 .,REGION 200,362 18,353 9.2% 9.7% 10.3% � 0.5 � 1.1ILLINOIS 6,686,338 613,724 9.2% 9.2% 10.4% 0.0 � 1.2U.S. 153,698,000 14,282,000 9.3% 9.0% 9.4% � 0.3 � 0.1

2008ANNUAL TOTALS

up with our loved ones these obviously unpleasant issues.While we keep the victims of this tragedy in our hearts

and prayers, you also can try to make a trace of good comefrom it by using these stories to get a conversation startedand as a motivator to get the right legal documentscreated before something unfortunate should happen inour own lives.

New Medicaid rules

As I write this article, Illinois has not yet adopted therules implementing the federal Deficit Reduction Act,known as the DRA. By federal law, Illinois was required toadopt new rules implementing the DRA by July 1, 2006.Illinois finally got around to announcing its intent to adopt new rules in2010, and it was anticipated that the new rules would bein place by this time. While implementation of the new

Illinois DRA-compliant Medicaid rules is stalled, no oneshould assume the rules will not soon be adopted.Everyone, from those who may eventually need long-term care (at home or in a nursing home) to nursinghomes themselves (many of which may face bankruptcydue to what the new rules will do to their cash flow), needto clearly understand that the new rules will be adoptedeventually. And, when they are adopted, they will beretroactive to Feb. 8, 2006.

Long-term care at home

It is a rare person who wants to reside in a nursinghome. Most want to continue to reside at home, with careand assistance being given in whole or in part by familymembers. (Frankly, a better option for many seniors is totransition to assisted living or supportive living. But thatis a topic for another article.)

For wartime veterans, the VA offers fantastic monetarybenefits to those who need the funds to help stay at homeor to pay for an apartment at an assisted or supportiveliving facility. These benefits are also available to a

surviving spouse of a wartime veteran.In Illinois there are a number of programs that provide

some financial assistance. Instead of listing all of theprograms that may be of help, allow me to mention fourthat are little known:�Qualified Medicare Beneficiary�Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary �Qualifying Individual program�Qualified Disabled Working Individual program

For more information on these and other benefitprograms, go to the Egyptian Area Agency on Agingwebsite at www.egyptianaaa.org/EligibilityGuidelines.htm.

RICHARD HABIGER is a member of the board of directors ofEgyptian Area Agency on Aging, former president of theIllinois Chapter of the National Academy of Elder LawAttorneys and author of the Illinois edition of “How to ProtectYour Family’s Assets from Devastating Nursing Home Costs:Medicaid Secrets.” You may contact him at 618-549-4529 orinfo@HabigerElderLaw.com.

FEBRUARY 2011SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL14

Economic Development

The news thatChina has surpassedJapan as the world’ssecond-largesteconomy madeheadlines almosteverywhere. Butwhat does thatranking, and othershifts taking placeon the global

economic stage, really mean for investors?In recent years, China has pushed past

Germany, France, Great Britain and nowJapan in terms of total economic output,with some analysts suggesting that it willovertake the United States as the world’sbiggest economy as soon as the year 2030.Whether or not that prediction andtimeline hold true, there’s no doubt thatChina has achieved remarkable economicgrowth since beginning to adopt free-market principles about 30 years ago.

According to the World Bank, China hasachieved annual economic growth ofalmost 10 percent, three times the globalaverage, during the last three decades.

Although its gross domestic product in2009 was about $4.9 trillion, far below the

U.S. 2009 GDP of more than $14 trillion,China has already grabbed a number of topspots. It edges out Germany last year asthe world’s biggest exporter, according tothe World Trade Organization, and is nowalso both the biggest maker of and marketfor new cars. Its enormous manufacturingsector also has turned China into theworld’s top energy user, according to theInternational Energy Agency.

China is not alone in posting impressivegrowth. The economies of otherdeveloping nations are also surging. Astudy released by the consulting firm ofPricewaterhouseCoopers predicted that by2030 the combined GDP of China, India,Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia andTurkey — what PwC dubbed the“Emerging Seven” nations — will be some30 percent higher than the aggregateoutput of the U.S., Japan, Germany,France, United Kingdom, Italy andCanada, or what are generally referred toas the Group of Seven economies. At thatpoint, China will be the world’s largesteconomy, with the United States rankingsecond, followed by India, Brazil, Russia,Germany, Mexico and France. As of now,the U.S. economy accounts for almost 30percent of the world’s GDP and a littlemore than 40 percent of the global marketcapitalization.

Of course, a lot can happen in 20 years,but whatever the future lineup turns out tobe, there’s no question that investors arepaying attention to the changing fortunesof national economies. According to theWorld Bank, capital flows to developingcountries during the first five months of2010 were up 90 percent from the sameperiod in 2009. The bank also predictedthat GDP in developing countries wouldgrow by 6.2 percent in 2010 and 6 percentin both 2011 and 2012. That’s more thantwice the growth rate projected for high-income countries.

In seeking to capitalize on the growthprospects of up-and-coming countries,investors need to keep a number of factorsin mind. One is that economies of manydeveloping nations remain tied to theirnatural and agricultural resources. In theevent of a new global economic downturnthat reduces demand for these resources,the outbreak of currency wars or theimposition of trade tariffs, their growthcould curtail. The same goes for politicalinstability, which has impeded economicdevelopment among emerging nations.

Investors also should be aware that thegrowth prospects of companies indeveloping nations may already bereflected in their stock prices. Growthalone is not enough; investors also need to

do their homework to be sure they are notoverpaying for that growth. Additionally,it’s worth remembering that foreignnations have different standards in termsof accounting and disclosure than thoserequired of corporations headquartered inthe U.S.

Because they are volatile, emergingmarkets should make up only a smallportion of an investor’s total portfolio. Aswith any investment class, diversificationis well advised, meaning that investorsmay want to consider vehicles that enablethem to participate in the growth of aregion as a whole — Latin America, forexample — rather than focusing on theprospects of any one country. Bear inmind, too, that many multinationalcorporations headquartered in the U.S. arenow receiving the majority of theirrevenues and profits from overseasoperations, meaning that investors canparticipate in the growth of developingnations without owning foreigncompanies.

MICHAEL P. TISON is an investment advisorand registered principal with Raymond JamesFinancial Services Inc., with offices inHarrisburg and Marion. He can be reached at618-253-4444 or michael.tison@raymondjames.com.

Tison

BY MICHAEL P. TISONSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

The rise of China — what does it mean to investors?

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FEBRUARY 2011SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL16

Your BusinessDifferences in gender impact both work and home relationships

Let’s dig deeper!Continuing with myseries on behavioraldifferences betweenmen and women, theopposing traitsdiscussed here affectboth workplace andpersonalrelationships. Onceagain, keep in mind

that these behaviors are generalities.There are always exceptions to the rule.Also, notice an interesting phenomenon.The two sides, put together, create a wholepicture. We all have both feminine andmasculine traits, just in different ways andvarying degrees. Neither behavioral styleis right or wrong, or good or bad. Justdifferent.

Men prefer to be respected and admired;women prefer to be liked and approved of.Be very clear that I am not saying womendon’t want to be respected and admired,or men don’t want to be liked. These aregeneralities and preferences. Manywomen, including myself when first in thebusiness world years ago, are in denialabout this difference and several others. Itold myself, “I don’t care if they like me ornot. I need to be respected to get ahead.”Yes, I did need to be respected to getahead. But, the truth is, I also wanted to beliked and still do. I simply wasn’t beinghonest with myself because I felt itsounded weak.

If I had to choose between the two, in

most business situations, I would stillselect respect, but overall, I would preferboth. Because of mens’ more independentnature and superiority programming, theycan more easily compromise on the “like”aspect and shoot for respect.

Men tend to withdraw under stress.Remember, they were programmed forindependence and superiority, and thinkthey should solve their own problems. Ifyou have read “Men Are From Mars,Women Are From Venus,” you may recallthat John Gray tells us that men go intotheir caves when stressed. They don’twant help; they want to figure it outthemselves. So, they go off some placewhere they can ponder the issue andprocess it.

On the opposite end of the spectrum,women talk under stress for two reasons —they bond through sharing feelings andproblems, and they are more verbal.(Biological differences support this, too.The areas of the brain responsible foremotions and verbal use are larger inwomen than in men.) Talking throughissues helps women process andunderstand. A very different style. Whathappens? Men see and hear womentalking about all of these problems andthink, “Good grief. She’s going to have anervous breakdown any second now. She’snot ready for promotion.” No, it’s just astyle difference.

Men bond through tasks and activities.Working on the car, playing sports,painting the house, building a garage. As Ijust mentioned, women bond throughtalking and sharing. When a woman’spartner comes in from a game of golf and

she asks him how the game was, whatdoes he say? “Fine.” Then she asks whathe and his friends talked about. “Nothing.”He’s serious. And, if they did talk aboutsomething at any length, he doesn’tremember what. Or, if he does remember,he doesn’t necessarily want to talk aboutit. Even so, he feels just as close to hisfriends as she does to hers; it’s just adifferent style of bonding. Neither of thesestyles is right or wrong, good or bad. Justdifferent.

Of course, men do talk, but generallynot to the degree women do, and it’s oftenabout sports, hobbies or business. Thesedifferences are international. My friendAndrew in Sydney, Australia, told meabout the Great Aussie Barby Syndrome.This is where all the men stand around thebarbeque talking about sports, and all thewomen sit somewhere nearby talkingabout kids or other “womanly” topics.Heaven help anyone who attempts aborder crossing. Andrew advised that thisis seen as treachery to your gender.Looking at this behavior from anAmerican perspective, our male-femaleinteractions can often be similar, whetherwe want to admit it or not. It’s just thatour judgment of the “treachery” is lessconspicuous. We’ll refer to the offendingperson as a flirt, a suck-up, brown-noserand, yes, sometimes a traitor.

Further supporting the difference inbonding styles, researchers havedetermined that management tends toview male employees as task oriented andfemale employees as people oriented;however, these two orientations don’tnecessarily oppose each other, but

compliment one another (as do many ofthe differing styles discussed in myGenderSmart book). Women report that iftheir staff is happy (as a result of the bossbeing people oriented), they will workmore productively and effectively (bemore task oriented).

I can’t repeat too many times howimportant it is to recognize that no style isright or wrong, and that there are alwaysexceptions. Many men have apredominantly feminine style ofcommunication and many women amasculine style. Whatever works!Actually that’s the key right there — aslong as their style works. Most people getthe best results from a blended style, onethat honors their authenticity while, at thesame time, taking into account the style ofthe person with whom they areinteracting.

Next month … even more behavioraldifferences!

JANE SANDERS of Mount Vernon is a speaker,trainer and facilitator in the areas of gendercommunication, strategic business orwork/life planning, presentation skills,authentic leadership confidence, recruitingand retention of women and selling to women.Her clients include Toyota, MassMutual,Prudential, U.S. Steel, Walgreens and MayoClinic. She is the creator of the UndercoverConfidante service, offering discovery andsolutions to employee issues. She is the authorof “GenderSmart: Solving TheCommunication Puzzle Between Men andWomen,” available on her website. Reach Janeat 618-204-5540, jane@janesanders.com orwww.janesanders.com.

Sanders

BY JANE SANDERSSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

up a ping pong table in the family roomor garage. When it’s warm, put up abadminton or volleyball net in thebackyard. Take family walks. There aremany different ways to be active, so findsomething everyone enjoys.

The family that changes together

Healthy change is a family decision.As parents, you set the standard for yourchildren’s healthy and unhealthy habits.When you set the example, they’llfollow, and when everyone is workingtoward the same goal, it’s easier to stayon the healthy path.

After a few months, you’ll notice thechange. With better eating habits and amore active lifestyle, you’re likely to feelmore relaxed. And, since you’ve spentall that time together, you might findyou actually know each other better. Youjust might be able to sit back and realizeyou have a lot less to worry about.

DR. BRIAN HARRISON is a board-certifiedfamily practice physician in practice forBenton Community Healthcare. He can bereached at 618-438-5670.

FAMILY: The ties that bind can help a family stay healthy togetherFROM PAGE 10

Find more business newsat www.sbj.biz.

FEBRUARY 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 17

AchievementsFaces in the news

Vakkalanka Royyuru

Gremmels

Rinker

Guebert

Litherland

CarlsonMcClallen

Criste Kumar

Stewart

Meisenheimer

Anderson

Barham

RagonKennedy

Find more business news at www.sbj.biz.Martin

Faces in the newsHave you been promoted? Send a photo. Has a colleague

at work completed an intensive continuing education program?Send a photo.

Others in the business community will want to know it, so pleaseconsider passing on your employment news and photos to

the Southern Business Journal. Feel free to e-mail the informationto sbj@thesouthern.com.

AchievementsFEBRUARY 2011SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL18

Physicians join

Southern Illinois HealthcareFour physicians have recently joined

Southern Illinois Healthcare. They includeDr. Bhanu K. Vakkalanka, Dr. SasikalaRoyyuru, Dr. Claravel Criste and Dr.Prassana Kumar.

Vakkalanka, an oncologist, joined thepractice of Dr. Sujatha Rao at HemOncCare in the Cedar Court complex inCarbondale. His cancer specialty areas ofinterest include lymphoma, lung, prostate,breast and colon.

Royyuru joined the medical staff at theCenter for Medical Arts in Carbondale,providing a full range of family medicinewith a special interest in women’s health.

Criste, a board-certified pediatrician,joined Community Health and EmergencyServices, Inc. in Carbondale and Cairo. Shealso has a special interest in the treatmentof patients with autism spectrumdisorders.

Kumar, an interventional cardiologist,joined Prairie Cardiovascular and themedical staff of Prairie Heart Institute atMemorial Hospital of Carbondale. MayoClinic trained, he utilizes minimallyinvasive treatments for select heart valvediseases and defects.

Guebert celebrates 35 years Bruce Guebert is celebrating 35 years

with First National Bank of Steeleville.Guebert began his banking career as

operations assistant in June of 1975. Fromthere, he was promoted to assistant cashierand bank security officer, cashier andsecurity officer, and, in 1993, vicepresident, cashier and bank securityofficer.

He is a lifelong resident of Steeleville anda 1975 graduate of Eastern IllinoisUniversity. He and his wife, Debbie, havetwo children.

Gremmels joins law firmJordan Gremmels recently joined the

Chester-based law firm of Fisher,Kerkhover & Coffey as an associate.

He graduated from Chester High Schoolin 2002 and Southern Illinois UniversitySchool of Law in May. He completed theIllinois Bar Examination and was sworn inNov. 4 by the Honorable Lloyd A. Karmeier.

Gremmels’ general law practice willconcentrate in the areas of criminaldefense/traffic, personal injury andworker’s compensation for the injured

employee.He is the son of Rick and Delana

Gremmels of Chester.

Sales associates join Century 21Century 21 House of Realty, Inc., with

five offices serving all of Southern Illinois,welcomes three new sales associates.

Genny Peterson has joined theCarbondale office and can be reached at618-457-3344.

Terry Davis and Casie Frink havejoined the Carterville office and can bereached at 618-985.3717.

Health care centers

earns recognitionStaff members of Jonesboro

Rehabilitation & Health Care Centerrecently won awards at the Petersen HealthCare 2010 Awards Ceremony, along withmembers of all 90-plus skilled nursing,supportive, assisted and independent livingfacilities Petersen Health Care owns andoperates in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.

The day included presentations,motivational speakers, team building andentertainment. A $24,634.71 donation wasmade to St. Jude Midwest Affiliate in honorof Miss Chloe Petersen, the daughter ofPetersen Health Care owners, Mark andVicki Petersen.

Administrator Norma Spurlock saidthe center was recognized for Overall BestMedicaid PRD Increase, Most ImprovedAccounts Receivable, Most ImprovedCensus for Medium Facility, Most Med-AAdmissions for Medium Facility and FirstPlace Fewest and Best Complaint Surveys.

Greater Egypt Commission

presents awardsAwards were presented during Greater

Egypt Regional Planning and DevelopmentCommission’s 49th annual meeting Dec. 14in Mount Vernon Holiday Inn.

The Business/Industry Award waspresented to United Methodist Children’sHome in Mount Vernon. Gary Lemmon,president/CEO, accepted the award.

The Meritorious Service Award waspresented to A. S. “Ike” Kirkikis, recentlyretired executive director of thecommission. He had worked for thecommission for more than 42 years.

Jeffery Robinson, outgoing chairman,was presented a plaque in appreciation forhis leadership in 2009-10.

At the commission’s annual businessmeeting, the following board memberswere elected as officers for 2011; chairman,Doug Bishop, Perry County; first vicechairman, Steve Damron, JeffersonCounty; second vice chairman, KevinBaity, city of Carbondale; third vicechairman, Fred Kelly, Perry County;fourth vice chairman, Jeffery Robinson,Williamson County; secretary, CurtGrothoff, Jefferson County; treasurer,Donna Sue Bozarth, Franklin County;and, at large, Darnecea Moultrie, JacksonCounty.

Heartland Women’s Healthcare

makes historyHeartland Women’s Healthcare did

something Dec. 17 that has never been donein Southern Illinois. Dr. David C. Waltersperformed the very first da Vincihysterectomy at Good Samaritan Hospitalin Mount Vernon.

With da Vinci surgery, a hysterectomyrequires only a few small incisions, so thepatient can get back to life within days,rather than the usual weeks, after surgery.

Walters is the author of “Just Take ItOut!: The Ethics and Economics ofCesarean Section and Hysterectomy.” Hehas served the Mount Vernon communityfor more than 15 years.

Ike Honda raises $4K for charityLocal car dealership Ike Honda dedicated

$50 to charity for every car sold from Nov.12 to Dec. 15, raising a total of $4,300 fortwo local charities.

Ike Honda recently presented $2,150 toThe Night’s Shield Children’s Shelter ofWest Frankfort and Pat’s Kids (PoshardFoundation).

Henrici’s restaurant re-opensHenrici’s restaurant recently re-opened

at 108 N. 14th St. in Herrin with ChefJamie Boaz at the helm. Boaz wasformerly with C-Infinity Events Center inCobden.

For information, call 618-988-1550.

ISP auction benefits local childrenMore than $4,350 was raised from the

Illinois State Police District 19 charityauction Dec. 9 at the district headquarters.Retired District 19 troopers and currentstaff, along with local businesses andvendors, donated the various items that

were auctioned off.As a result of the auction, District 19 was

able to make a $625 donation to a charitableorganization already identified in each ofthe seven counties it serves. The donationswere made to charitable organizationscoordinating programs for underprivilegedchildren in the area during the holidayseason.

Bank donates flag poles, bookHerrin Security Bank recently donated

flag poles to two area churches and a copyof the book, “Herrin’s GreatestGeneration,” to Herrin City Library.

The flag poles were erected at FirstChurch of the Nazarene and First BaptistChurch, both in Royalton. The book wasdonated to the library in memory ofNational Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

Anderson named board chairmanGlen Anderson of Paducah Water, Tom

Garrett of Paducah & Louisville Railwayand Lynn King of Lourdes Hospital havebeen named, respectively, chairman of theboard, chairman-elect and vice chairmanfor Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce.

Anderson took over as chairman of theboard on Saturday. Garrett will serve in2012 and King in 2013.

Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce isa not-for-profit private businessorganization with nearly 1,000 memberfirms.

Stewart joins medical staffNeonatologist Dan Stewart, M.D.,

recently joined the medical staff at WesternBaptist Hospital in Paducah. He joins amedical staff of approximately 240physicians, representing 40 medicalspecialties.

Stewart is president of NeonatalAssociates, medical director of NICU atKosair Children’s Hospital and a pediatricsprofessor at University of Louisville Collegeof Medicine. He is a graduate of Universityof Louisville School of Medicine, where hecompleted a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine.

Schimpf re-elected SIBA presidentRod Schimpf of Schimpf Construction,

Inc., in Carbondale has been re-electedpresident of Southern Illinois BuildersAssociation.

Other officers for 2011 are Brad

FEBRUARY 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 19

AchievementsBickhaus of Glen Carbon, first vicepresident; Rob Malone of O’Fallon,second vice president; and Bill Tindall Jr.of Pontoon Beach, treasurer.

SIBA is a trade association of contractorsrepresenting 500-plus commercial andindustrial building, highway and utilityconstruction contractors throughoutSouthern Illinois.

Hanson and employees

recognizedHanson Professional Services, Inc. and

three of its employees were recognizedduring the Associated General Contractorsof Illinois’ 104th annual convention at theIllinois Department of TransportationContractor of the Year awards luncheonDec. 7 in Springfield.

The three employees were JeffLitherland, P.E., Matt Rinker and MikeBarham. Litherland resides in Carbondaleand works in Hanson’s Carbondale office at3125 New Era Road.

IDOT’s Division of Aeronauticspresented six awards for airport projects atthe ceremony, with Hanson serving as theprimary aviation consultant at four of thesix airports recognized.

Hanson is a national, employee-ownedconsulting firm providing engineering,architecture, planning and allied services.The firm’s corporate headquarters is inSpringfield.

Tanner partners at law firmTyson Tanner is now a partner of the

Pinckneyville-based law firm of Seibert,Bigham & Tanner. His status as a partnerwent into effect Jan. 1.

Tanner has been associated with the firmsince 2007. He graduated from Du QuoinHigh School in 2000 and earned hisbachelor’s degree in political science fromSIU Carbondale in 2003. He graduatedfrom SIU School of Law in 2006.

Ogden acquires

accounting practiceWilliam Bradley Ogden, CPA, has

acquired the Carterville accountingpractice of Sandra Congiardo, who isretiring.

Ogden has served clients in Williamson,Jackson and Perry counties as a certifiedpublic accountant for more than 10 years.

His office is located at 802 W. Main St. inCarbondale. He also retains the office

formerly occupied by Congiardo at 206 N.Division St. in Carterville.

For appointments, call 618-529-3220 or618-985-4866.

Cook graduates from academyCraig A. Cook, a graduate of Benton

Consolidated High School and SIUCarbondale, graduated Dec. 17 from theHighway Patrol Academy.

He has been assigned to Zone 8 inMissouri, which patrols New Madrid andPemiscot counties.

Meisenheimer

celebrates 35 yearsCountry Financial representative Mike

Meisenheimer of Jonesboro is celebrating35 years of serving the needs of clients inthe Union County area.

In an effort to serve his clients better,Meisenheimer furthered his insuranceeducation and completed the course worknecessary to earn the Life UnderwritersTraining Council Fellow designation.

His office is at 104 W. Broad St. inJonesboro. The office phone number is618-833-2123.

McClallen elected IOMS presidentGerald McClallen, a board certified

osteopathic emergency physician fromCarbondale, was elected president of theIllinois Osteopathic Medical Society duringits recent winter scientific seminar andannual meeting in Lombard.

The president is the highest rank of thesociety, and terms are for one year.

McClallen is chief of staff and chairmanof the Medical Executive Committee for St.Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro,where he is the director of EmergencyMedicine. He is also on staff at MemorialHospital of Carbondale and HerrinHospital and serves as a part-timeattending physician at SIU Student HealthCenter in Carbondale.

Johnson joins medical staff Molly Tillay Johnson of Alto Pass has

joined the medical staff at Southern IllinoisUniversity School of Medicine as apediatric/family nurse practitioner,providing patient services at SouthernIllinois Family Medicine in Carbondale.

She also is a faculty member for themedical school’s doctoring program forfirst-year medical students in Carbondale.

Johnson previously was a family nursepractitioner with Rural Health, Inc. in Annaand Shawnee Health Center Migrant Campin Cobden, as well as Albert EinsteinMedical Center in Philadelphia.

Stacey joins Jackson Pools

and SpasCraig Stacey recently joined Jackson

Pools and Spas of West Frankfort and Du Quoin.

Stacey has more than 15 years ofknowledge in the pool and spa industry.

Carlson attends

life insurance seminarJames R. Carlson of Pinckneyville, a

Modern Woodmen of Americarepresentative, recently completed a five-day educational program at ModernWoodmen’s home office in Rock Island.

The program focused on helping familieswith Modern Woodmen life insuranceplans, annuities and fraternal memberbenefits.

Kennedy joins company

as new agentRyan Kennedy recently joined the

Sparta-based Buy A Farm Land andAuction Company as a new agent.

Kennedy’s family has been involved inthe real estate business for more than 40years, and he plans to carry on thattradition for another 40 years. Buy A Farmspecializes in rural real estate, includingsales and auctions.

Anyone interested in buying or sellingproperty may call Kennedy at 618-303-5222. For a complete list of properties andauctions, visit www.buyafarm.com.

Ragon opens realty office

in HarrisburgUnited Country Exodus Realty has

opened as a new real estate company inSouthern Illinois.

Franchised by the national real estatecompany, United Country Exodus Realty isowned by real estate agent L’Erin Ragonand headquartered at SIC FoundationCenter office, 540 N. Commercial St.,in Harrisburg. Ocie Paxton is the licensed managing broker.

The company serves Williamson, Saline,Jackson and other counties throughoutSouthern Illinois.

Real estate services include residential,commercial, land and agriculturalproperties. For more information, call 618-252-2190 or visit www.harrisburgilrealestate.com.

Martin named

Country Financial repJennifer Martin of Pinckneyville has

been named a financial representative forCountry Financial.

Martin earned a bachelor’s degree infinance and economics from McKendreeCollege, Lebanon, in 2004 and a master’sdegree in business administration fromLindenwood University, St. Charles, Mo., in2006.

She serves clients from her office at 1420Sparta Centre Drive in Sparta. She can bereached at 618-443-3399.

Your Business is aWork of Art...

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FEBRUARY 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 21

Business Fine PrintP E R M I T S | B A N K R U P T C I E S

Building permits

CarbondaleHotel Builders of America, 2301 Reed Station

Pkwy., $1,200,000Old National Bank, 509 S. University Ave.,

$1,773,514Bike Surgeon, 406 S. Illinois Ave., $5,000Southern Illinois Region Soc. Services, 608 W.

Main St., $5,000Throgmorton Leasing, 1006 N. Bridge St.,

$10,000Kathryn Parrish, 605 S. Tower Road, $2,500Harold Kirk, 1009 W. Jefferson St., $2,500

HerrinPhil Preston, 612 W. College St., $225,000Jerry Kenner, 49 Foxfire, $160,000Sharon Beltz, 403 Margaret Drive, $130,000

MarionWhitegate Enterprise, 1904 Spring Garden,

$78,000Scott Crannick, 4005 S. Market, $8,000J.E. Douglas, Inc., 2902 W. DeYoung, $120,000

MetropolisMike Souders, Hospital Drive, $3,000

Mount VernonRick Fritschle, 1601 10th St., $0Taco Bell, 4205 Broadway, $190,000Patricia Tate, 313 4th St., $0Marion Eye Center, 2900 Broadway, $3,200Ameren IP, 2610 Broadway, $4,000Sherri Robinson, 131 Castleton, $66,926Kohl’s, 141 Davidson Ave., $271Roy and Mary Payne, 2620 Windcrest, $4,500Terry Friedman, 301 Caborn, $2,000City of Mount Vernon, 1918 Water Works Road,

$0City of Mount Vernon, 420 20th St., $0St. Mary Parish/School, 115 14th St., $0Anytime Fitness Center, 616B 42nd St.,

$2,800Anytime Fitness Center, 616B, 42nd St., $300Church of God, 1704 Harlan Road, $135,000Kohl’s, 141 Davidson Ave., $8,500Kohl’s, 141 Davidson Ave., $24,000Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, 1200 27th St.,

$13,500Brad Porter/Ed Merriman, 4400 Woodglen Lane,

$120,000

MurphysboroTerry Ridings, 1912 Walnut St., $3,200David and Emily Flowers, 19th and Gartside,

$45,000Jack Raino, 1512 Oak St., $5,000Pat Lindner, 1931 Wall St., $1,500

Bankruptcies

Chapter 7Anna M. Vickers, 510 White Oak, StonefortWayne L. and Tasha L. Wininger, 590 Hoc Briar,

No. 18, CarbondaleBeverly E. Slone, 11719 Simon St., MarionCasey J. Shepard, 304 W. Cline St., MarionJoseph C. and Stormie N. Long, P.O. Box 274,

ShawneetownMichael A. Downey, 101 Mill St., ChesterJames B. Melvin II and Jamie L. Melvin, 75 Little

John Loop, Tunnel HillRoger W. Wilfong, P.O. Box 43, AddievillePatricia Darlene Babb, 201 E. Ninth St.,

BrookportShari C. Spurlock, P.O. Box 4, AnnaKimberly Ann Winters, 132 W. National, Apt. A,

HarrisburgLadonna S. Sims, P.O. Box 232, AnnaDonna M. Frazer, 610 Seymour Lake Road, Ellis

GroveLori A. Emery, 1605 Yost Ave., Apt. A, MarionMarvin A. and Velma J. Cole, 821 Market St.,

MetropolisDeborah L. Hammonds, 206 College, BentonEdward Charles and Geraldine Marie Nason,

20679 N. Hails Lane, TexicoSarah A. Sullivan, 1055 Campground Road,

AnnaRobert Adam and Deanne Twardoski, P.O. Box

387, OkawvilleLarry Giovanetti, 302 W. Fourth St., Johnston

CityTara C. Melching, 614 Cottonwood St., Prairie

Du RocherRobert A. Cremeens, 501 Virginia, CartervilleCharles L. and Barbara A. Barlow, 301 Maple

St., AnnaHarold D. and Dorothy J. Woolard, P.O. Box 142,

CartervilleOrville Richard Finckbone, P.O. Box 28, RichviewRosemary Ann Johnson, P.O. Box 163, BentonCharles E. and Debbie K. Johnson, 311 E. Hull

St., McLeansboroJeffrey R. Hill, 806 E. Main St., SteelevilleSamuel David Smith, 103 Elm St., EnfieldRobert H. Zappa, 1187 Newpart Road, No. 6,

West FrankfortJames K. and Kay L. Clark, P.O. Box 144, MarionJames V. Russell, 401 Ullin Ave., UllinDebra Dianne Graham, 903 S. 20th St., Mount

VernonEvette L. Fenton, 2103 Roblee Ave.,

MurphysboroMarcia Ellen Cox, 1216 W. Chautauqua St.,

CarbondalePatricia A. Ankenbrand, 415 N. Mulberry St.,

Mount CarmelSteven Richard Hicks Sr., 19487 N. Stratford

Lane, Mount Vernon

Darrell W. Ensminger, P.O. Box 159, AllendaleWayne Eugene Bolyard, 301 N. Poplar, BlufordLindell L. Slaughter, 110 W. Franklin, Du QuoinMichael Allen Fleming, 118 Mongoose, ZeiglerAnn M. Melvin, 1401 Noah St., Johnston CityKellie C. Miller, 408 S. U.S. 51, MakandaSandra Darlene Hicks, 19487 N. Stratford

Lane, Mount VernonJeromy S. and Heather L. Mocaby, 11867

Welborn Lane, PittsburgMack I. and Marilyn L. Hale, 105 Walton Lane,

Apt. 3, AnnaJeffery R. Winters, P.O. Box 54, MuddyLawna R. Winters, P.O. Box 206, EldoradoMary Ann Torcaso, P.O. Box 124, ValierJames Kent and Amy Nicole McDermott, 20399

N. Boyd Lane, DixJeffrey A. and Susan E. Rockett, 16728 N.

Campground Lane, Mount VernonJohn R. Shields and Rebecca S. Shields, 13510

N. Auburn Lane, BlufordDeborah S. Hockett, 930 York Road, Mount

Vernon

Chapter 13Kevin E. and Amanda E. Furlow, P.O. Box 761,

MarionMichael C. Gray, 609 Center St., CartervillePaul A. Calvert, P.O. Box 5, JonesboroAnthony G. Dover, 2069 Shumaker Road, Villa

RidgeJacqueline F. Toler, 3106 Edgewood Park,

MarionJerry and Charlene A. Wougamon, 508 N. 15th

St., MurphysboroWilliam T. and Shelley A. Feltmeyer, 541 N.

Division St., Du QuoinChristopher A. Carl, 105 S. Sixth, ViennaJames V. Walls, P.O. Box 64, CoelloGary W. McGraw Sr., 707 N. Ninth St., BentonHoward Eugene Bailey, 237 N. Line St., Du

QuoinElizabeth A. Canning, P.O. Box 83, VergennesJohn N. and Teri Y. Niemeyer, 102 Belinda Drive,

MarionAngela R. Schwartz, P.O. Box 56, GalatiaBetty L. Jacobs, 23931 Corinth Road,

ThompsonvilleMary E. Pierson, 154 Illinois 3, Grand TowerJeffrey W. and Jana B. Rector, 3243 Vermont,

CartervilleMatthew S. Denbow, 107 W. Lincoln St.,

HarrisburgKenneth M. Snorden, 2701 Jones St., 1B,

Mount VernonJason Lamar and Laurie Ann Edwards, 9005 Old

Illinois 14, Du QuoinMiles L. and Brenda D. Hopper, 1212 N. 11th

St., HerrinLeroy and Nancy Lou Monge, 3116 Deer Ridge

Road, Goreville

William J. and Jamie B. Douglas, 9240 Illinois13 West, Carrier Mills

Paula F. Bailey, P.O. Box 891, ShawneetownSarah J. and Michael W. Robey, P.O. Box 41,

OrientJames E. and Rebecca D. Fuller, 6302 Hickory

Hill Road, MetropolisJerry L. Turner Jr. and Delonah Rouse Turner,

321 Country Club Lane, HarrisburgJames G. Kassen and Rachelle A. Ribbin

Kassen, 901 Oregon, CartervilleGlen and Tamara Steele, 321 Windy Pine Trail,

PercySusan E. Adams, 109 Williford Road, JonesboroRyan A. and Lindsey D. Bandera, 209 W. Fifth

St., West FrankfortEugene Basso III, 4657 Espy, SesserMichael D. and Shirley A. Smith, 264 State

Pond Road, JonesboroRobert E. Melin Jr., 2008 Northwoods Place,

Mount VernonCharles A. Hall, 210 Rocky Top Lane, GalatiaLarry R. Owens, 722 S. Land St., HarrisburgSusan R. Jenkins, 203 W. Lindell St., West

FrankfortJames P. Adams, 805 Aurora Lane, MarionJack D. and Billie V. Huff, 14596 Allen Road,

HerrinSandy L. Rose, P.O. Box 606, RoyaltonCheryl Ann Stearns, 615 S. Emerald Lane,

CarbondaleDonald L. Reynolds, P.O. Box 205, CartervilleLinda J. Gunning, 1229 S. Hobson St.,

HarrisburgMarcella D. Stroehlein, 3687 Illinois 13/127,

PinckneyvilleStephen G. and Lora L. Bowen, 1405 W. Maple,

HerrinJames Douglas and Joni Lynne Durham, 9063

E. Strawbridge Road, Mount VernonRusty A. and Sarah E. Thompson, 1201 Adams

Ave., Johnston CityJean Earline Harris, 3020 Sunfield Road, Du

QuoinIlene R. Tregoning, 8948 Burch Road, Du QuoinErval Dale and Ellen R. Akens, 711 Farris St.,

CartervilleKristine Marie Mitchell Pawela and James A.

Pawela II, 301 E. Cleveland, West FrankfortJason Huseman and Andrea G. Anderson

Huseman, 526 Huseman Road, Campbell HillLori L. Deacon, R.R. 1, Box 147, HerodJeffery Scot and Sherry Maureen Douthett, 209

Powell Ave., McLeansboroJeffrey P. and Donna K. Henderson, 200

Michaelson Court, AnnaJeremy Robert Helbig, 4720 Klasing School

Road, AddievilleMark A. and Christina Paige Tripp Gregory, 3153

SEE FINE PRINT / PAGE 23

http://www.sih.net

FEBRUARY 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 23

Business Fine PrintP E R M I T S | B A N K R U P T C I E S

Union St., Du QuoinDavid L. McGee and Becky M. McGee, 4679

Illinois 37 South, MarionIla Dean Strothers, 322 E. 11th St., Mount

CarmelDouglas E. and Rosemary L. Boggs Jr., P.O. Box

201, EqualityMarilyn Shipp Gary, 317 S. 19th, Mount VernonAndrew K. Balkansky, 700 W. Walnut St.,

CarbondaleMichelle M. Croissier, 700 W. Walnut St.

CarbondaleRonald W. Etherton Jr. and Amy Beth Ann

Etherton, 302 S. 15th St., MurphysboroMichael G. and Melinda J. Goodman, 425

Mission Chapel Lane, AnnaWalter K. and Jill A. Bean, 14519 E. Windson

Road., Mount Vernon

Stephen Dale Courson, P.O. Box 203, MountVernon

Wilma C. Courson, 1173 County Road 300North, New Haven

Karimee Schernekau, 409 W. Washington, DixDonald R. and Sharon N. Lang, P.O. Box 515,

MetropolisRicky L. Cast Jr., 1150 Shiloh Road, CobdenSandra L. Justus, 15 A. Meadow Brook Lane,

West FrankfortChester D. and Dora L. Manary, P.O. Box 296,

PercyCynthia M. Eckles, P.O. Box 1111, Mount Vernon

Find more business newsat www.sbj.biz.

Mark Your CalendarFeb. 1

Beginning Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Feb. 2Beginning Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to

4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Time & Stress Management: 8:30 a.m.to 4 p.m., Room F109, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$90. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Feb. 3Beginning Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to

4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Feb. 4Beginning QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Feb. 7Beginning Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to

4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Feb. 9Intermediate Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to

4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Starting a Business in Illinois Seminar:1 to 3 p.m., Room 150, Dunn-RichmondCenter, 150 E. Pleasant Hill Road,Carbondale. Free. An optional businessstart-up kit is available for $15. Call 618-536-2424 or e-mail sbdc@siu.edu.

Feb. 10Intermediate Access 2003: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Feb. 11Visio 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room

F111, John A. Logan College Center forBusiness & Industry, 700 College Road,Carterville. Cost is $55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Feb. 14Intermediate Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to

4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Feb. 16Advanced Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to

4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Intermediate Publisher 2003: 8:30 a.m.to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. Logan

College Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Feb. 18Intermediate QuickBooks 2009:

8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A.Logan College Center for Business &Industry, 700 College Road, Carterville.Cost is $55. Call 618-985-2828, ext8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Feb. 22Intermediate Access 2007: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mail cbi@jalc.edu.

Feb. 23Beginning Word 2007: 8:30 a.m. to

4 p.m., Room F111, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mailcbi@jalc.edu.

Feb. 24Advanced

Access 2003:8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., RoomF112, John A.Logan CollegeCenter for Business& Industry, 700College Road,Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mailcbi@jalc.edu.

Team Building: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,Room F109, John A. Logan College Center

for Business & Industry, 700 CollegeRoad, Carterville. Cost is $90. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or e-mailcbi@jalc.edu.

Starting a Business in Illinois Seminar:9 to 11 a.m., Randolph CountyCourthouse, 1 Taylor St., Chester. Free. An optional business start-up kit isavailable for $15. Call 618-536-2424 or e-mail sbdc@siu.edu.

Intro to Government Contracting: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Randolph CountyCourthouse, 1 Taylor St., Chester. Free.Call 618-536-2424 or e-mailsbdc@siu.edu.

International Trade: Current Trends inExporting: 1 to 2 p.m., Randolph CountyCourthouse, 1 Taylor St., Chester. Free.Call 618-536-2424 or e-mailsbdc@siu.edu.

Feb. 28Advanced Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to

4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry,700 College Road, Carterville. Cost is$55. Call 618-985-2828, ext 8510 or

e-mailcbi@jalc.edu.

http://www.siucu.org