The inaugural Small Business ConnectionFest was hosted Wednesday, April 17 from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM in the Kroc Center at 405 Vermont St. ConnectionFest was free, open to the public, and was a one-stop shop for small businesses and entrepreneurs to learn from industry leaders to achieve their new or next business adventure. Businesses learned more about where they are going from concepts and ideas through transition planning and retirement.

In the Vendor Hall, guess met with experts in finance, marketing, bookkeeping, legal, insurance and real estate to learn more about starting and growing a business. Speakers were scheduled throughout the day for guests to hear first hand about owning a business, what the Small Business Development Center can do for businesses, as well as tips on succession planning and what pitfalls to avoid.

Additionally, students taking the “Creativity, Innovation, and New Products Development” class at Quincy University got a chance to present their entrepreneurial ideas to business owners for advice on starting their business.

“I think it is a good opportunity to present my business plan,” explained Noam, Quincy University Student. Classmate Ella responded, “It will be good for the experts to see what new businesses college students are coming up with.” Teaching the class is Roger Leenerts who was excited for his students to be able to present. Leenerts stated, “It has been personally rewarding seeing college students excited about entrepreneurship!”

Vendor Hall included representatives from:

All Phase Property Solutions

First Mid Bank & Trust

Happel Inc., REALTORS

Hauk & Owens, LLC

HomeBank

IPI Wealth Management, Inc.

KHQA

Peoples Prosperity Bank

Poole Communications

Quincy Tri-State SCORE

Illinois Small Business Development Center at Western Illinois University

The District

Thyme Square Cafe

Speaker schedule was as follows:

8:00 | Jennifer Breeden, Assistant Professor of Business at Quincy University & small business owner

8:30 | Jim Boyd, Illinois Small Business Development Center at Western Illinois University

9:00 – 9:10 BREAK

9:10 | Charles White, Small Business Administration, U.S. Small Business Administration

9:40 | Rob Newbolt, IMEC – Succession Planning

10:10 – 10:20 BREAK

10:20 | Quincy University Students – present their business plans & Craig Hemming, Doors N More, Inc. – His story and ask/answer from QU students

11:20 | Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce – Business Plan Competition & Golden Bridges, Inc. – Business Plan Competition experience

Small Business ConnectionFest is in partnership with Great River Economic Development Foundation Adams County Works Team and the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce.

Adams County Works Team Organizers include John Wood Community, Quincy University, West Central Region Education for Employment System #240, United Way of Adams County, and Workforce Board of Western Illinois.

Adams County Works Transition Planning team is proud to present their next seminar on Wednesday, April 10 from 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM in the Quincy Public Library, 526 Jersey St. Quincy, IL 62301.

Guest speaker is Casey Ragar, United States Marine Corps, retired, with “14 Leadership Traits: Are you a leader?” as his topic. Ragar teaches participants the importance of being a good leader to be a good manager, as well as how companies can seek out leaders for management positions.

“To often the corporate world looks for managers instead of leaders,” states Ragar. “Employees work for managers because they have to; while employees work for leaders because they want to.”

Goal Setting Kicks Of Adams County Works Quarterly Seminars

Adams County, IL – The first Adams County Works Transition Planning seminar was rescheduled to be held on Wednesday, February 13 from 11:45 am – 1:00 pm in the Oakley Lindsay Center Lindsay Room at 300 Civic Center Plaza, Quincy, IL.

Guest speaker was Phil Conover, president of Quincy University, presenting on strategies and ways to look at Goal Setting. Insights included methods of “playing up,” as well as developing a strong work ethic, learning how to treat people the right way, keeping yourself morally strong and learning how to appreciate what you have at every given moment of your life.

The Goal Setting seminar was open to the public. Lunch was purchased for $10 and included a turkey or ham sandwich on croissant, chips, cookie and a drink. Lunch registration was found online at www.gredf.org under Workforce Development. RSVPs Angela Caldwell at caldwella@gredf.org

The team at Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF) welcomed all to attend their annual meeting on Wednesday, January 9 in the Oakley Lindsay Center (OLC), 300 Civic Center Plaza.

Networking and cash bar was available in the OLC foyer at 5:15 PM with a brief program at 6:00 PM inside the Quincy Community Theater. The presentation acknowledged the work our companies and community organizations are doing with regards to workforce development strategies and being ready for our future workforce.

“Over the past twelve (12) months we have experienced record low unemployment,” explained Angela Caldwell, workforce development director for GREDF.“ Businesses in Adams County / Quincy, IL continue to expand and are in need of work ready candidates to employ.” These reasons are why the Adams County Works Teams are so important.

Caldwell goes on to say, “It is imperative we equip current workers with the advanced interpersonal skills needed for future promotions, as well as reach into our institutions of learning and provide real time information and training for our future talent pipeline.”

“It has been amazing to experience the growth in the community over the past 5 years, but with growth brings new challenges,” states GREDF president, Marcel Wagner. “At the meeting guests heard about those challenges, specifically with workforce, and how businesses are developing innovative approaches to meet these challenges.”

Wagner continues, “Guests also heard from nationally recognized expert, Colleen Walton, on what communities need to do in the future to continue the growth that has been part of our success.”

Walton is a marketing strategist for Brand Acceleration in Oralndo, Florida. Walton works in brand and marketing program implementation for various communities and is an active member of several Economic Development Councils. Additional speakers include Quincy Mayor, Kyle Moore and County Chairman, Kent Snider.

What can you look forward to at the 2018 Tri-State MakerFest? The full event happens Thursday-Saturday; November 1-3, 2018 inside the Oakley Lindsay Center at 300 Civic Center Plaza, with Friday reserved for tri-state high school students. Thursday and Saturday are open to the public.

Thursday, November 1 from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

• B2B Social Networking & hosted bar sponsored by HOMEBANK.
• Part 1 of the S.T.E.A.M. bridge building competition where guests vote on aesthetics.

Businesses are welcome to attend the afterhours networking event and preview participating MakerFest businesses in the OLC hall. Be the first to hear about a new Talent Attraction & Retention Project to launch for our community, led by Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF) and the Herald-Whig.

“The most critical issue facing our community is finding enough skilled workforce to fill open positions in our growing industries,” states Marcel Wagner, GREDF president.

“Quincy and our region is fortunate to be in a growth mode,” continues Ron Wallace, Publisher HW & VP of Newspapers. “However, we recognize there is a gap in our workforce. Therefore, we need to get the message out to other areas about our growth, as well as our low cost of living and quality of life, encouraging people to seek Quincy for their place of employment. This new Talent Attraction & Retention Project will allow us to tell our story, target regional job seekers, and offer a solution for people in places suffering higher unemployment rates.”

Additionally, be the first to see completed projects from the S.T.E.A.M. bridge building competition, sponsored by Ameren Illinois, and vote on bridge aesthetics. Engineers from local companies paired up with participating schools with the goal of not only building the strongest bridge out of balsa wood, but also inspiring careers in S.T.E.A.M.

Roger Leenerts, engineer at Leenerts Group reflected, “Last week was a great start to the MakerFest bridge building contest! I was so impressed with the enthusiasm of the teachers at Paris High School and the interest that the students had in this event. Not only were the students interested in doing well in the competition, they were fully engaged in the learning process about engineering principles of good bridge design. It’s fun to be a volunteer with a group like this!”

Participating school classes & their engineer coach include:

Unity High School – Stephanie Altgilbers

Engineer – Deepak Balaji from ADM

Quincy Christian School – Lloyd Keeney

Engineer – Charles Paquet from Knapheide

Paris (Mo) High School – Suzanne Otto

Engineer – Roger Leenerts from Leenerts Group

Pittsfield High School – Paul Lennon

Engineer – Brian Norman from Klingner

“I believe this event is very important for connecting students and the community to all the available S.T.E.A.M. related businesses the area has to offer,” explains Deepak Balaji, plant engineer packaging – ADM Oilseeds. “This exposure to the local industry is key in driving the economy and future of the area. I think this will teach students that careers in S.T.E.A.M. are beyond just math and sciences but more importantly teamwork and collaboration.”

Saturday, November 3 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

• See employer exhibits accepting applications & resumes, tech demonstrations showcasing company innovations, equipment & video presentations and interactive displays.
• Part 2 of the S.T.E.A.M. bridge building competition where bridges will be tested, as well as S.T.E.A.M. activities for K – 6^thgrade students.

Cheer the classes on as Dr. Wolfmeir from John Wood Community College uses equipment to test the structural qualities of each bridge.

Participating businesses and organizations include:

Adams Fiber

Archer Daniels Midland Company

Blessing Health System

Craig Industries

Dot Foods, Inc.

First Bankers Trust

First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust

GatesAir

Herald-Whig

Hollister-Whitney Elevator

HomeBank

John Wood Community College

Knapheide Manufacturing

Kohl Wholesale

Lakeside Casting Solutions

Manchester Tank

Quincy Area Vocational Technical Center

Quincy Medical Group

Quincy University

Sisbro, Inc.

Sparks Maintenance

Titan International, Inc.

Workforce Innovation Board

MakerFest is sponsored by HOMEBANK and in partnership with John Wood Community College, Workforce Innovation Board of Western IL, West Central Region Education for Employment System #240 / Quincy Area Vocational & Technical Center.

For more information, contact Joi Cuartero Austin at GREDF (217) 223-4313.

Great River Economic Development Foundation is a 501(c)6 not-for-profit organization with a mission to maintain and GROW the economic vitality of the Quincy and Adams County, IL region through the retention and expansion of existing businesses and the attraction of new businesses to our entire region.

Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF) and its partners are celebrating Manufacturing Day and kicking off the 2018 Tri-State MakerFest. All were invited to a press conference and manufacturing facility tour on Friday, October 5 at 9:00 AMin the new Knapheide Manufacturing Facility – 1848 Westphalia Strasse, Quincy, IL.

This past year brought the addition of aluminum to Knapheide’s product line-up, as well as growth in their workforce with the addition of 140 new employees. Latest developments include an expansion to their engineering lab, which features new testing capabilities, a maintenance expansion, a finish and trim addition and new roads to help with receiving supplies and staging loads.

“Our region has always had a strong nationwide manufacturing history that’s thrived thanks to a hardworking community,” said President & CEO, Bo Knapheide. “Our company been fortunate to grow over our 170 years and we are excited about the future. It’s extremely important that our region continues to work to be competitive in order to attract new businesses and the needed employees to fill those jobs.”

Marcel Wagner, GREDF president began the press conference followed by, Workforce Innovation Board (WIB) director Blanche Shoup. HOMEBANK president, Mark Hayes spoke on the upcoming MakerFest, with Mayor Kyle Moore presenting the Governor’s Manufacturing Day Proclamation. The press conference concluded with words from Knapheide Present & CEO, Bo Knapheide, and tours of the facility were offered immediately following the press conference.

“We look forward to hosting this years Tri-State MakerFest, as we open the event up to all employment industries,” states Angela Caldwell, director of workforce development at GREDF. “It is important for our students, job seekers and the public to see all the regional opportunities available to grow our workforce.”

Participating businesses and organizations include:

Archer Daniels Midland

Blessing Health System

Craig Industries

Dot Foods, Inc.

First Bankers Trust

First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust

H & B Tooling/Sparks Maintenance

Herald-Whig

Hollister-Whitney Elevator

HomeBank

John Wood Community College

Knapheide Manufacturing

Lakeside Casting Solutions

Manchester Tank

Quincy Area Vocational & Technical Center

Quincy University

Sisbro, Inc.

Titan International, Inc.

Workforce Innovation Board

MakerFest is sponsored by HOMEBANK and in partnership with John Wood Community College, Workforce Innovation Board of Western IL, West Central Region Education for Employment System #240 / Quincy Area Vocational & Technical Center.

For more information, contact Joi Cuartero Austin at GREDF (217) 223-4313.

Great River Economic Development Foundation is a 501(c)6 not-for-profit organization with a mission to maintain and GROW the economic vitality of the Quincy and Adams County, IL region through the retention and expansion of existing businesses and the attraction of new businesses to our entire region.

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Planning for the 2018 Tri-State MakerFest is underway and this year, all businesses are welcome to register for the 3-day event, celebrating employment industries. The event takes place Thursday-Saturday, November 1-3 inside and outside the Oakley Lindsay Center at 300 Civic Center Plaza, Quincy, IL 62301.

Thursday evening from 4PM-6PM includes a B2B networking, hosted bar and part 1 of the high school S.T.E.A.M. competition. Friday from 9AM-12PM is the student open house, and Saturday from 9AM-12PM is part 2 of the S.T.E.A.M. completion, along with activities for K-6^thgrade and a job fair from employment seeking individuals.

Sponsored by HOMEBANK, the event enables us to showcase local businesses to area students and job seekers, giving guests an in-depth look at tri-state area businesses, while promoting available opportunities, and helping to build our regional workforce.

“We participated (last year) because it was a great opportunity to meet with high school students from across the area,” explained Jim Rubottom,VP Human Resources at Knapheide Manufacturing. “It allowed us to promote our company and discuss opportunities at Knapheide. To be able to explain not only a job is available, but a person can build a career and grow with our organization.”

“Students were able to ask questions outside of the classroom about opportunities and careers available not just with ADM but with many different local industries after they graduate,” said Brenton Wadsworth, Refinery Manager at Archer Daniels Midland Company. “I am looking forward to talking with the young adults and giving them some advice to help guide them in their career path after high school.”

Business can participate in various ways including:

• Setting up tech demonstrations to showcase company innovations,
• Having a display of equipment, robotics or video presentation,
• Presenting something interactive,
• Having an exhibit for students and job seekers to promote available opportunities, discuss skills needed and take applications.

Businesses can register online by filling out the Business Participation Format www.gredf.org under the Workforce Development tab. There, companies have a choice of booth size starting at $85, with option for both indoor and outdoor display. RSVP Deadline is Monday, October 1.

MakerFest is also in partnership with John Wood Community College, Workforce Innovation Board of Western IL, West Central Region Education for Employment System #240 / Quincy Area Vocational & Technical Center and the Quincy Herald-Whig.

Guests joined Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF) and partners on Friday, September 7 at 9:00 AM inside the Oakley Lindsay Center foyer – 300 Civic Center Plaza, for a press conference and check presentation from the Heroes at Heartland Event.

Heroes at Heartland took place on Saturday, August 11 with over 200 veterans, military personnel and their family members in attendance. Several members from the Illinois Veterans Home were also there to join the festivities. 48 side-by-side owners donated use of their off road vehicles and gave rides to guests, for a total of 75 volunteers for the whole event donating their time. Over 300 guests came out to Heroes at Heartland this year.

The check presentation is for sponsorship raised $4000 to split between Great River Honor Flight and Tri-State Warrior Outreach. As a think you to our volunteer drivers, Titan raffled off a set of tires for the second time, and will present the tires to the winner. A gift certificate from HMF Performance Products was also raffled off this year.

The program opened with Quincy Mayor, Kyle Moore, followed by a check presentation to both the Great River Honor Flight and Tri-State Warrior Outreach by GREDF president, Marcel Wagner. Titan presented the tires to the raffle winner and Ron Wallace, general manager of the Herald-Whig and VP of Newspapers, concluded the presentation.

Great River Honor Flight | recognizing American Veterans for their sacrifices and achievements by flying them to Washington DC to see their memorials at no cost.

Tri-State Warrior Outreach | dedicated to helping Veterans in the Quincy and surrounding areas with unmet needs.

The August Adams County Works Transition Planning seminar was held on Wednesday, August 15 from 11:45 am – 1:00 pm at the Quincy University Hall of Fame Room (in the health & fitness center). The quarterly topic was Business Communication with guest speaker Debbie Reed, President / CEO of Chaddock.

“Research has shown that the most valued skills in the contemporary job market are effective communication skills, and yet that is also the skill that managers identify as the number one weakness in new hires,” states Debbie Reed, President / CEO Chaddock.“Attendees at the session will walk away with tips they can immediately apply in their workplace and lives to strengthen the effectiveness of their communications.”

All were welcome to attend the Business Communication seminar.

Debbie Reed has more than 30 years of marketing, strategic planning and organizational leadership experience.  She has worked in P.R. and marketing for non-profit organizations, a national financial institution, and for five years owned The DDR Group, a marketing communications firm specializing non-profit work. For the past 24 years, she has been with Chaddock, having served as Director of Marketing, Director of Planning and Special Projects, Chief Operating Officer, and for the last twelve years as President/CEO of the agency.