Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce

January 9th we will host business after hours at our north Sheridan location from 4-6. Even more importantly is our new Yoga and Pilates classes offered through our new Diet and Wellness Program and in addition we will be offering FREE Balance Screenings  I hope you will be able to help us spread the word and thank you for your continued cooperation and support. Please email or call me with any questions.  Yoga-Classes begin January 13th and will run for 8 weeks, every Monday from 4-6 pm at Ridgeview Grade School located at 3903 West Ridgeview Drive, Peoria, IL 61615 cost is $100.00 register in person at any IPMR location or download registration form online at www.ipmr.org Pilates —Pilates is one of the safest and most effective methods of exercise available.  It's used by rehab and prenatal clients, athletes, celebrities, and everyone in between.  Pilates caters to different body types, ages, and is applicable for any stage of life.  Classes w...

Pekin Hospital and Lite Rock 107 are proud to recognize Pekin Community High School students Brooke Mingus and Brody Oberle as recipients of the Pekin Community High School (PCHS) Student Award for December. Brooke, a senior, was nominated by Mrs. Amanda Fitts, a School Counselor at PCHS.  In the nomination, Mrs. Fitts cited Brooke’s contributions to the overall atmosphere at Pekin Community High School. Brody, a senior, was nominated by Mrs. Amanda Fitts, a School Counselor at PCHS.  In the nomination, Mrs. Fitts cited Brody’s contributions to PCHS’ football team, National Honor Society, and the Peer Assistance Committee. Each month, two PCHS students who excel in moral character, positive attitude, volunteerism, demonstrate ideal role-model behavior, and who contribute to the classroom are nominated by teachers, counselors, and high school personnel. The students must be seniors and show remarkable qualities which help them prepare for a promising future. Seth Mingus,...

Thanks to the following businesses, organizations and individuals who have renewed their investment in the chamber… 4-Star Members **** CEFCU  **** **** Pekin Hospital**** 3-Star Members *** KMI / Kriegsman *** 1-Star Members * Avanti's Ristorante * * Heartland Bank & Trust Company * * OX Paperboard Illinois * * Pekin Park District * * R. A. Cullinan & Sons * * Ray Dennison Chevrolet  * Classic Members Art's Ads Bagley & Miller , Attorneys Bard Optical George Beres Brookmeadow Apartments Casey's General Store Champion Fitness Physical Therapy Dan Pfeifer State Farm Dr. Robert Ehrich, DDS  Glesne Family Dentistry Hometown Title, Inc. Johnson Mechanical Services Dr. Robert Johnson, DMD Kuhfuss & Proehl, PC  Dr. Jerry Marshall Monge Crouch & Mahoney Pekin Riding Club, Inc. Les Pulfer Pekin Animal Hospital Pekin Public Library Redbrand Credit Union ReMax Home Realtors Glen Rittenhouse Ruskusky Foot & Ankle ...

Pekin’s sales tax disbursements received from the state in December were 12.5% less than December of 2012.  December disbursements typically represent sales taxes collected by merchants in September and paid to the state in October. For the 12 months ending in December, Pekin (+5.0%), East Peoria (+9.4%), and Washington (+2.5%) all received more sales tax disbursements than the 12 months ending in December of 2012.  Morton’s sales tax disbursements received from the state were down (-0.2%) for the same period.   The number of residential units sold in Pekin in the first eleven months of the year was 3.3% greater than the sales in the first eleven months of 2012. The average sales price of a Pekin residential unit in the first eleven months of the year was $108,956, which is down 0.2% from the average price for the same period in 2012. The unemployment rate in Pekin rose to 10.1% in October, up from 9.8% in September and 8.2% in October of 2012.  The number of...

Savant Capital Management, www.savantcapital.com, one of the nation’s largest independent registered investment advisory firms and headquartered in Rockford, IL, today announced its acquisition of Paragon Advisors, a Naperville, IL based, registered investment advisory firm. This acquisition will bring Savant’s current AUM to $3.7B. Savant Capital Management’s acquisition of Paragon Advisors will further strengthen Savant’s Chicago-area footprint with the addition of 130 Illinois families. The transition will be made seamless as Gregory De Jong, founding principal of Paragon and two Paragon client service team members will join Savant Capital. “We said from day one of deploying an M&A strategy that we would only consider the best RIAs,” said Brent Brodeski, CEO of Savant Capital Management. “And Paragon lives up to their name, aligning with us regionally, structurally, philosophically, and culturally. We are proud to welcome Paragon’s team and their clients to the Savant family...

CEFCU’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that a record Extraordinary Dividend of $12 million has been distributed to CEFCU member/owners.  This dividend was based on members’ savings and loan activity during the year 2013, with $6 million going to borrowers and $6 million going to savers.  The amount each member received was determined by dividends earned and interest paid during the first 11 months of the year, as of November 30, 2013.  On December 16, dividends were deposited to members’ Savings accounts.                       Over the last 14 years, CEFCU has returned $75 million in Extraordinary Dividends to members.  CEFCU Board Chairman, Thea Robinson, stated, “The Credit Union continues to see strong financial results, and this success is due in no small part to the continued loyalty of CEFCU member/owners.  I am proud the Credit Union is able to extend this dividend, the largest in the his...

Pekin Hospital is proud to announce it has been named a 2013 Guardian of Excellence Award winner by Press Ganey Associates, Inc. The Guardian of Excellence Award recognizes top-performing facilities that consistently achieved the 95 th percentile of performance in Physician Engagement. The Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award is a health care industry symbol of achievement.  Fewer than 5% of all Press Ganey clients reach this threshold and consistently maintain it for the one year reporting period. Press Ganey partners with more than 10,000 health care facilities, including more than half of all U.S. hospitals, to measure and improve the patient experience. "We are proud to partner with Pekin Hospital,” said Patrick T. Ryan, CEO of Press Ganey. “Achieving this level of excellence reflects the organization’s commitment to delivering outstanding service and quality. Pekin Hospital’s efforts benefit patients in Central Illinois and will lead to improved patient experien...

South Side Trust & Savings Bank, a subsidiary of Mid Illinois Bancorp, Inc., at its December 2013 Board Meeting, announced the promotion of Dwayne A. Banks to Assistant Vice President. Banks has worked in the banking industry for 33 years, serving as the manager of the Northpoint Facility at South Side Bank for the past 16 years.  He attended Peoria High School, and is a member of 1977 State Championship Basketball Team.  Banks went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Western Illinois University.    He was inducted into the Western Illinois University Hall of Fame in 2002.  Banks is Secretary of South Side Office of Concern Board of Directors and Treasurer of The Pier NFP Board of Directors.  He is married to wife, Demetra, and has one son, Dwayne Jr., and two daughters, Danielle and Dreyanna. South Side Trust & Savings Bank, a locally owned financial institution since 1922, has $669 million in assets and ...

Federal Emergency Management Agency and Small Business Administration specialists will answer questions and talk to survivors of the Nov. 17 tornadoes in Pekin on Tuesday, Dec. 17 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Avanti’s Dome 3401 Griffin St Pekin, IL 61554 FEMA and SBA specialists will be available to: Explain the federal disaster assistance registration process and available recovery programs Register survivors for assistance Provide information on low-interest disaster loans You do not need to attend this event to register for assistance.  Register with FEMA online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585, or register with a smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov .

Over 100 chamber members and guests attended the December Puttin' On Pekin breakfast at the Knights of Columbus Hall. Holiday entertainment was provided by the PCHS Choral Chamber Choir. Jo Ellen Patterson won the early prize and Diane Houlihan won the late prize. Rob Hancock was presented with an award for his 20+ years of service to the Pekin 1st Committee; Rich Kriegsman accepted the Spotlight on Business Award for Kreigsman Warehouse; Trinity Lutheran Church Giving Tree accepted the Sunshine Award; and, Buster Hanley accepted the Blue Ribbon Award for Preston Hanley Funeral Homes and Crematory. Eight lucky winners went home with over $300 in prizes from chamber members as part of the big year end door prize drawing.

When Wednesday December 18, 2013 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM CST Add to Calendar Where Peoria Chamber of Commerce Board Room 100 SW Water St. Peoria, IL 61602 Driving Directions This internet marketing workshop is focused on helping business owners who are getting started with online marketing or those who are seeking ways to improve their online marketing strategy.  ATTRACTING WEB TRAFFIC will be presented by Fred Dirkse, President and founder of Online Innovative Creations (OIC) Group, Inc. and an expert in his field. The workshop is   FREE but please register by clicking below.   Register Now! Questions? Please call, email, or check our website. We hope you can jo...

A Holiday Gift Show at the Avanti’s Dome on Saturday, December 14, 2013, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. On display will be Candles, Sweatshirts, Wood Crafts, Personalized Ornaments, Jewelry, Candy, Purses, Florals, Hair Bows, Metal Yard Ornaments and much more. Come join the Holiday Festivities at the Avanti’s Dome, 3401 Griffin Ave., Pekin, Illinois. For more information, contact Sheri (309) 346-3663 or email sheri@avantisdome.com

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced the opening of a Business Recovery Center in Washington, Illinois. The Center will open today to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance for losses caused by the severe storms and tornadoes on Nov. 17. SBA’s customer service representatives are on hand at the Center to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program and assist business owners in applying. “Businesses with physical damages or disaster-related working capital needs should seriously consider visiting the Center and applying for a low-interest SBA disaster business loan,” said Robert Steiner, SBA’s Illinois acting district director. The Center is located and opening as indicated below, until further notice: Tazewell County Washington Library 380 N. Wilmor Road Washington, IL 61571 Hours: Monday – Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday – Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed: Sunday Applicants may apply online using the...

Liberty Village of Pekin hosted a great Business After Hours at Pekin Estates. Chamber members were treated to tasty food and drinks, a door prize drawing, and tours of the facility.  You can see more pictures from this and other chamber events at:  http://picasaweb.google.com/PekinChamber

Pekin Hospital is pleased to offer an adult diabetes education workshop on January 20, 21, and 22.  The series of three classes will be held from 2 – 5 p.m. in the 4 South Education Classroom at Pekin Hospital. The classes are designed to provide information on managing adult diabetes and to help diabetics learn and develop the skills of self-management of diabetes therapy.  Topics covered in the sessions will include:  the importance of diabetes control and the factors that influence this control  how to plan meals according to food selections and serving size  the possible complications associated with diabetes  why exercise will benefit your health and make you feel good Workshop speakers will include a Certified Diabetes Educator, Registered Dietitian, Registered Nurse, Registered Pharmacist, and Registered Medical Technician. Class fees are $70 per person (one guest may accompany the registrant at no extra cost).  The $70 includes all three classes...

Friday, December 6th, 5PM - 8PM  - Christmas on Court Luminary Walk Downtown Pekin. Music on stage by Nathan See and a special visit by Mrs. Santa. Saturday, December 7th, 7PM - 8:30PM - Music on Stage by London is Falling. $5 cover charge Saturday, December 14th, 6PM - Pekin Main Street and Artistic Community Theatre Present Murder at The Christmas Party at the Speakeasy Art Center. Friday, December 20th, 7PM - 8:30PM - Jump N Jive by London is Falling. $5 cover charge Speakeasy will be closed, December 24th, 25th & 31st.

Dr. Volkan Sumer and his staff at ICPR Family Practice is happy to announce that they are accepting new patients! At ICPR Family Practice we want you to take an active part in your healthcare by asking questions, discussing options and learning what changes you can make to live a healthier life. We view each patient’s relationship with their healthcare provider as a partnership, working together to help you reach your optimal health. ICPR offers convenient evening hours and specific appointment times set aside for illness and emergencies; these are just two ways we make sure we are here when you need us. We also offer in-house diagnostic services such as x-ray, lab tests, diabetic counseling, balance testing, pulmonary function testing, at home sleep-apnea testing, weight loss programs, a cosmetic skin care center, immunizations and vaccinations for the entire family, and more. By offering these services in house we eliminate the hassle of you running from office to office to g...

by Bill Fleming   Retailers, service providers, and businesses and organizations of every type have to deal with a new reality:  mobile devices (phones & tablets) will soon be the preferred tool for virtually all consumer communications and commerce.     Consider the following:   1. 42% of emails are opened on a mobile device. (litmus.com)   2.  70% of e-mails “that don’t look good” on a mobile device are immediately deleted. (BlueHornet.com)   3.  17% of Cyber Monday sales were made on a mobile device.  That's a 55.4% increase over last year. (IBM)   4.  Mobile internet traffic represented 31.7% of all online traffic on Cyber Monday, a 45% over last year. (IBM)

Sam's Club will be hosting a Holiday Open House, December 6th - 8th.

According to NFIB and American Express Research, Consumers Aware of Small Business Saturday Reported Spending $5.7 billion at Small Businesses on Nov 30 as the Holiday Shopping Season Officially Begins In spite of a shorter shopping season and challenging economic environment, Small Business Saturday helped jump start the holiday shopping season for small businesses across the country. According to the second installment of the 2013 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, released today by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and American Express, consumer awareness of Small Business Saturday across the U.S. jumped to 71 percent from 67 percent during the same period a year ago. Of those aware, 46% said they shopped on Small Business Saturday. With awareness up, the end result was increased spending at small businesses. This year, consumers who were aware of Small Business Saturday reported spending $5.7 billion with independent merchants on the day,...