February 2004 Newsletter. News That Hits the Mark. Business After Hours Thursday, February 12 5:00pm - 7:00pm

Transcription

1 Published by the February 2004 Newsletter News That Hits the Mark Building Businesses One Referral at a Time MORTON GROVE CHAMBER SAYS FAREWELL TO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR- KATIE DIMARIA Since May 2002, Katie DiMaria has served as the Executive Director for the Morton Grove Chamber of Commerce and regrettably will be resigning her position in February. In the past two years, the Chamber of Commerce has improved many of its services and introduced several new programs that have greatly increased the value of membership. Thanks to her hard work and dedication, the Chamber is left with a strong foundation for continued growth and success for the Chamber. The Board of Directors is preparing to find a new director and to handle all programs and events until the position is filled. Vicky Cosa, the Chamber s Administrative Assistant will be in the Chamber office Wednesdays and Fridays to help members. Katie will be leaving Morton Grove, but not going far. She has accepted the Executive Director position with the Niles Chamber of Commerce. I have enjoyed all the challenges and expectations of my job and I appreciate the relationships I have built with all the area business. Please join us at the hosted by Bally Total Fitness, Thursday, February 12 for Katie s last event. NEW ADDRES FOR THE CHAMBER OFFICE: mgchamber@sbcglobal.net CALENDAR OF EVENTS Thursday, February 12 5:00pm - 7:00pm Bally Total Fitness 6821 Dempster, Morton Grove Thursday, February 26 11:45am-1:00pm Women s Power Lunch Morton Grove Village Hall 6101 Capulina Thursday, March 18 11:30am-1:30pm Multi-Chamber Progressive Networking Luncheon Holiday Inn Northshore 5300 Touhy, Skokie Thursday, March 25 11:45am-1:00pm Women s Power Lunch Morton Grove Village Hall 6101 Capulina Thursday, February 12 5:00pm - 7:00pm Ballys Total Fitness will be hosting a Business After Hours on Thursday, February 12 at the Morton Grove facility on 6821 Dempster in the Prairie View Plaza*. Enjoy great food and drinks See a tour of the facility Discounts to Chamber members Gift Giveways Correction from January s newsletter: the BAH is NOT at the Village Hall as listed. Thursday, March 31 8:00am-9:30am Sales Vantage Open House Morton Grove Village Hall 6101 Capulina Pass the Newsletter On Pass the Chamber newsletter along to fellow employees and colleagues. Let everyone benefit from our programs, events and informational articles.

2 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE On behalf of the Board of Directors, I d like to take this opportunity to thank Katie DiMaria for her dedication to the Chamber. She has been an exceptional Executive Director. During her short tenure, we have refocused our mission and our efforts to being more responsive and providing more value to our members. We have improved our newsletter, added the Welcome Neighbor Program, the Shop Morton Grove Brochure, Women's Power Luncheon program and revamped our networking opportunities. Our membership has grown, and we just enjoyed one of the most successful Installation & Award Dinners in recent memories. It has been a pleasure working with Katie and I am sure you will all join me in wishing her well will be remembered as a year where the Chamber grew in membership, services and participation. While we are sorry to see Katie go, as a Chamber we can build on this momentum. The Board and I appreciate the confidence you have placed in us and we look forward to a successful year. Here are some of the exciting Chamber benefits you can take advantage of this year: We have planned at least SIX "." These popular events have been restructured to provide better networking opportunities for old and new members alike. Our Community Guide will be distributed this month. Our "Shop Morton Grove" brochure will be sent out to all businesses and residents in Morton Grove at least three times a year. We continue to get calls from members who gained customers because of this handy brochure. Golf Outing Please join us Monday, June 28, This year we have reserved the Highland Park Country Club for a day of relaxing and networking opportunities. These are just a few of the benefits we will continue to offer to our members. Please review your newsletter each month for more information on these and other events. Teresa Hoffman Liston ANNUAL AWARDS & INSTALLATION DINNER Kurt Meyer of the Rose Group accepts their Member of the Month Award The Honorable Lou Lang Installs our 2004 Board of Directors 30 year Anniversary Members: Malko Electric, Carlson Wagonlit Morton Grove Travel & John Crane Member of the Year Minuteman Press shares honor with family and friends. Check Out the Chamber website Mayor Scanlon recognizes Dino Karageorgis as the VIP Business Person of the Year.

3 MEMBER OF THE MONTH Member of the Month Carlson Wagonlit Morton Grove Travel is one of four Chamber members that are celebrating their 30th Anniversary Membership in Mr. Ed Peterson opened Morton Grove Travel on May 1, 1973 to provide a quality travel agency to the area. Peterson had spent much time traveling and enjoyed his experiences and found himself opening a business to help others do the same. Taking care of the customers and giving personal attention to each one of them has been the key to Morton Grove Travel s success. Morton Grove Travel has clients that have been with them since their doors opened thirty years ago and now are selling vacation packages to their client's children. The bulk of their business is for leisure vacations, but they also cater to corporate travel plans for businesses of all sizes. Recently, Carlson Wagonlit Morton Grove Travel has capitalized on modern technology by utilizing their own website sales. Checkout their site at and plan your next great vacation. Carlson Wagonlit Morton Grove Travel has been an established travel business in the community over 30 years. They have a well trained and friendly staff of agents. They have been given numerous awards, including the Award Of Excellence in 1997 & 1999 for leadership, dedication and commitment to the Carlson standards of excellence. They pride themselves on being the best they can be in all aspects of the travel industry. Being a travel agent is about dialogue. Meeting people and developing relationships is how Morton Grove Travel has maintained a thriving business. They are proud to be part of the community and serving the residents. They believe in having a presence in the business community by being involved in the Chamber of Commerce. Congratulations to Carlson Wagonlit Morton Grove Travel on your 30th Anniversary. Here s to many more years working together! Be Our Next Member of the Month Nominate a Chamber member or your own business. Consider the following: Community involvement Special achievement Dedication to the business community Unique business type or interesting promotion Please submit the company s name, the contact person and 2-3 sentences why this business should be considered. Send all nominations to the Chamber office. Fax # or our new address: MGChamber@sbcglobal.net PERRY DANOS, D.D.S. & ASSOCIATES General & Cosmetic Dentistry Implants Adults & Children General Dentistry Cosmetic Dentistry Insurance Accepted Tooth Whitening Orthodontics (braces) Computer Imaging Gum Therapy (847) W. Dempster Morton Grove, IL Check Out the Chamber website

4 Magazine Memories Looking for a movie poster, newspaper, magazine, or advertising posters from back to 1840 periodicals. Historical media images for parties, bat mitvahs, anniversaries. Its fast, inexpensive, everything is in the store, You don t have to order anything, it s a one stop shop for historical newspapers, 6006 Dempster Street, , Be A Loser Now! 5-Session Hypnosis Weight Loss Program. Let the power of your mind work for you to change habits an ideas about what and how to eat. Give yourself a present of a brand new you. Join BTG Works, Tuesdays 7:00pm-8:30pm February 24 March 23 at the Skokie Chamber of Commerce, Oakton Street, Skokie. Cost of program $125 or if paid postmarked by February 18, 2004 cost is $100. For more information call MEMBER MENTIONS Another Benefit From Your Chamber Membership Have interesting business news you want to mention to other Chamber members, us a quick press release to be printed in our new section: MEMBER MENTIONS Morton Grove Foundation s Taste All That Food! This local tradition and worthwhile cause donates over $35,000 to benefit local charities and they need your support. Taste 2004 is an evening of restaurant sampling, silent auction, raffle and cash prizes, music, entertainment on Thursday, March 4, 2004 at the While Eagle Banquets, 6845 Milwaukee, Niles. Tickets are available at the door for $35 or buy tickets before the event for $25. The Taste is looking for corporate sponsorship: Platinum ($2500), Gold ($1500), Silver ($1000) and Bronze ($500). See the order form inside or visit their website at WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Europa Home Furnishings located at 6231 Dempster in Morton Grove provides contemporary, modern, classic and transitional style furniture both domestic and imported. Interior decorator, Sophie, is always happy to help customers make their home feel cozy and beautiful to match each taste. Since 1986, Europa Home Furnishings has served thousand of satisfied customers. Stop by their storefront and you will be delighted with the furniture options. Checkout their website at St. Lukes Community Church Rev. Raymond W. Nyquist 9233 Shermer Road, Morton Grove (847) Check out our website! Need a Plumber? We know four. Call your Chamber when you need a source for goods and services. (847) The New community guide is about to go to print, we put ads in the guide that encourage residents to call the Chamber as a resource for products and services. Each ad focuses on a different business category. Look for more promotions like this from your Chamber. Growing business one referral at a time.

5 CHAMBER HAPPENINGS THIS MONTH WE REFERRED THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS: Rose Group DiMaria Builders Paper Moon Recycling Complete Travel & Cruises J&D Signs Sign-A-Rama Teresa Hoffman Liston, Attorney at Law Velkat IT Solutions Sales Vantage Sales Vantage meets monthly as a leads group for businesses to grow their business. Members of the group are made up of Skokie, Niles and Morton Grove Chamber members who are proactively building their business. There will be an open house for this group hosted by the Morton Grove Chamber of Wednesday. March 31 from 8:00am-10:00am at the Morton Grove Village Hall, 6101 Capulina. All Chamber members are welcome to join if they are interested in being involved with this leads group. Contact the Chamber office for more information (847) Fully Trained & Supervised Personnel Complete Floor & Carpet Care Maintenance Service Inc. Professional Janitorial Services Insured & Bonded FAX: W. DEMPSTER MORTON GROVE, IL (847) HONESTY COMMUNICATION VALUE COMPLETE SERVICE ON DOMESTIC AND IMPORTS ALL WORK GUARANTEED - FREE ESTIMATES Alternators Batteries Brakes Computer Alignment Computer Diagnostic Center Computerized Wheel Balancing Corporate Vehicle Service Exhaust Systems Fleet Service (Special Rates) Front End Work SPECIAL RATES FOR FLEET MAINTENANCE & SERVICE 15% OFF ANY REPAIRS OVER $100 OFFER CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFERS Heater/Air Conditioning Lube & Oil Change Pre-emission Testing Radiator Repairs Service on Light Duty Trucks Shocks & Struts Tires Towing Available Transmissions Tune-up **We Deliver Your Vehicle Within 3 Miles of our Shop. (847) (847) Fax (847) Waukegan Rd. Morton Grove, IL Check out our website!

6 NEWS FROM THE VILLAGE USE HOME RULE VOLUME CAP FUNDS FOR CAPITAL EXPANSION This year, the State of Illinois has allocated the Village of Morton Grove $1.8 million in volume cap funds for private and public projects. Each home rule municipality in Illinois can direct its annual volume cap funds to aid a variety of projects, from singlefamily residential rehabilitation to capital expansion of existing businesses. If the annual volume cap is not used by May 1, a municipality must enter a competitive process with other municipalities to access remaining funds until the following year. Businesses interested in applying for the 2004 volume cap funds should contact Tim Angell, the Village s Community and Economic Development Director, at (847) , or at t_angell@mortongroveil.org, by March 1, Interested businesses should also consult with legal counsel familiar with federal and state restrictions placed on the use of volume cap funds for private capital expansion projects.

7 FROM THE CHAMBER OFFICE Thursday, February 12 5:00-7:00pm Bally Total Fitness Thursday, March 18 Progressive Networking Luncheon 11:30-1:30pm Multi-Chamber Tuesday, April 6 5:00-7:00pm Bugle Newspaper Tuesday May 18 New Member Orientation 8:00-9:30am Breakfast May TBA Monday, June 28 July Tuesday, July 20 August Wed., September 15 5:0pm - 7:00pm Wed., October 13 5:00-7:00pm Thurs., November 11 5:00-7:00pm December 9 (Tentative) 5:00pm - 7:00pm Legislative Luncheon Annual Golf Outing & Dinner Fundraiser Parade Concert in the Park Seminar TBA Double Tree Guest Suites Black Forest Restaurant - Multi Chamber Costco Wholesale Annual Holiday Party With these great values, Can you afford NOT to participate in these great Chamber programs? Executive Director Katie DiMaria For the past two years, I have had the pleasure of being your Executive Director. I am so proud of the accomplishments we have made in that time. The Chamber of Commerce is a respectable and beneficial organization because of its members and has grown to be a vital part of the community. While I am sorry to be leaving Morton Grove, I am confident in the future success of the Chamber. It has been a difficult decision to leave, because I have enjoyed working with all of you tremendously. I want to thank all our Chamber members for their support and efforts. We have worked hard to increase the programs and services to make the Chamber a vehicle for businesses in the area. I hope that all of you continue to get involved and nurture your vested interest in the economic development of Morton Grove. Please continue to take advantage of your Chamber membership, it is the best tool for growing your business. I am also confident in our Board of Directors who will not only select a new director that will be an asset to the organization, but also they will maintain the Chamber until the position is filled. The Board of Directors have many new ideas and energy for 2004, and it will be great year for the Chamber. Again, thank you to all our members, our Board of Directors and the office staff. I have truly enjoyed working with all of you. Please join me for the at Bally Total Fitness on Thursday, February 12. I wish everyone the best in success! All members should have received their Chamber membership decal for This window front sticker indicates to patrons you are a Chamber member and a reputable business the area. If you have not received your decal or would like another one contact the Chamber office at (847) Katie DiMaria

8 BUSINESS BUILDING EVENTS - WOMEN S POWER LUNCH State Representative Elizabeth Coulson was the special guest at our first Women s Power Lunch of the year. Each woman who attended the lunch had an opportunity to introduce themselves and their business to the group. Representative Coulson spoke about health issues, prescriptions, insurance for seniors and children and issues for women in business. Named 2004 Chamber Member of the Year Minuteman Press Come see what makes us special! 25% Discount for New Customers or if you already work with us - refer us someone new and your next job is 25% off! 6101 Capulina Morton Grove, IL Phone: fax: mgchamber@sbcglobal.net web-site: The Morton Grove Chamber of Commerce & Industry is a business organization dedicated to the advancement of the economic, commercial, industrial and civic interest of Morton Grove. Presorted Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Morton Grove, IL PERMIT NO. 73