Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce

The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce hosted their 17th annual Business and Community Recognition Luncheon on Thursday, October 30 at the Pekin Country Club.  The chamber’s Member Promotions Committee coordinated the luncheon, which was sponsored by Enviro-Safe Refrigerants, Pekin Insurance, ActOnEnergy, Pekin Trophy House & Engraved Gifts, The Greenhouse Flower Shoppe, and Pekin Hospital.  Additional sponsors included CEFCU, Herget Bank, NRG Powerton, UnityPoint Health, ICPR Family Practice and South Side Bank. Recognition was given to twenty-eight area businesses and organizations in the following categories:  “green” projects or programs; new ownership or management; new business or building; additional employees; major retraining effort; new technology or major equipment investment; other business improvements; and, community involvement. Additionally, one business was recognized for 100 years of operations. The speaker at the luncheon was Diana Hall, owner and...

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As part of a 10-year plan to strengthen and modernize its natural gas delivery system, Ameren Illinois is investing more than $10 million to construct a 4.5-mile transmission pipeline from Pekin to Tremont. The project involves replacing pipeline originally installed in the 1930s with new, higher-strength 16-inch steel transmission pipeline. Emergency valves will also be replaced with modern new isolation valves. Work is currently underway and is expected to wrap up in early November. In the second phase of the project, Ameren Illinois will replace 8.4 miles of steel transmission pipeline – from East Peoria to Tremont – in phases over the next two years. Transmission pipelines are larger pipelines that operate at higher pressures to transport large volumes of natural gas to and from compressor stations and storage facilities, as well as to distribution centers. This project is essential for Ameren Illinois to continue providing safe and reliable service to Peoria and surrounding ...

Fourteen teams representing twelve chamber member organizations competed in the 10th Chamber Challenge Trivia Nite on Friday, October 24th.  Congratulations to the team from Illinois American Water Company on their victory.  Teams from Pekin Insurance, Liberty Village of Pekin, and CEFCU also won prizes for best costumes, best decorations and best team spirit.  You can see more pictures from this event at http://picasaweb.google.com/PekinChamber

The Peoria Rivermen will pay tribute to legendary owner Bruce Saurs on opening weekend this year with “Bruce Saurs Hockey Weekend in Peoria,” presented by Heritage Bank, on Friday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 25 at Carver Arena. Both nights will feature a 7:05 p.m. puck drop against Huntsville, as well as a big-time giveaway, specialty jerseys and a fantastic group ticket special. With the support of Heritage Bank, the Rivermen will offer free magnetic schedules to the first 1,500 fans through the doors both Friday and Saturday. Plus, ticket prices will be knocked back to just $8 to commemorate “88” years of life for the Peoria sports icon, who passed away July 10. Furthermore, the Rivermen will honor Saurs by wearing special edition jerseys each night. The custom sweaters, which bare the Peoria Journal Star’s image of Saurs drinking from the IHL’s Turner Cup during the 1990-91 season, will be auctioned off live at Carver Arena following the Saturday night contest. $2 hot dogs and $...

South Side Trust & Savings Bank, a subsidiary of Mid Illinois Bancorp, Inc., is pleased to announce the Grand Opening of their new Northpoint Financial Center, located at 8919 N. Knoxville Ave., in Peoria, Illinois on Monday, October 27, 2014.  A ribbon cutting will be held on Monday, October 27, 2014 at 10:00 a.m.  A Grand Opening Celebration will be held Monday, October 27 th through Friday, October 31 st , with refreshments and drawing for a 16GB-Wifi iPad Air. The new Northpoint Financial Center is a first class financial center with Wealth Management (Trust and Brokerage) as well as full Personal and Business Deposit and Loan Services.  Dwayne Banks serves as Manager of the Northpoint Financial Center along with Rich Firebaugh – Senior Vice President & Trust Officer, Tamie Pearson – Financial Advisor, Bill Koenig – Assistant Vice President Commercial Lender, and Angie Menefee – Mortgage Loan Consultant. Banks has worked in the banking industry for 3...

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Goodwill of Central Illinois has received a donation of $150,000 from the General Wayne A. Downing Foundation. The presentation was made at Goodwill’s Reception of Honor, held October 10, 2014. The event recognized veterans and supporters of veterans. The General Wayne A. Downing Foundation keeps his legacy alive through inspiration, shaping the leaders of tomorrow, as well as education and support of our military heroes. The foundation maintains the Memorial Garden and Education Wall at the General Wayne A. Downing International Airport. In addition, they collaborate on and fund the General Wayne A. Downing Scholarship at Illinois Central College. The foundation also supports the General Wayne A. Downing Home for Veterans, which is operated by Goodwill of Central Illinois. The home provides a secure, intensive and holistic environment for honorably discharged homeless male veterans who have a diagnosed disability. Since opening, in 2005 the residence has provided a home for 106 vetera...

The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce  today announced its participation in this year’s Small Business Saturday, taking place on November 29, 2014. Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to strengthening the community by supporting local small businesses. Now in its fifth year, Small Business Saturday serves as the ceremonial kickoff to the holiday shopping season for small businesses across the United States. In 2013, nearly 1,500 Neighborhood Champions rallied local businesses and created events and activities to drive shopping at small businesses around the country. The day was also championed by elected officials in all 50 states and Washington D.C., including President Obama who took his daughters shopping at a local bookstore. The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes the importance of supporting small business in central Illinois, the jobs they help create and the culture they instill in local communities. According to the U.S. Small Businesses Administration,...

Service Master of Central Illinois 501 Meadows Ave. East Peoria, IL 61611 309-694-9821 Steven Fleming, Owner Scott Phegley , Marketing Joe Isbell, Accounting/Finance  www.servicemasterci.com 24/7 Disaster restoration services. "Restoring Peace of Mind"

Sazani's 901 Chateau Dr North Pekin, IL 61554 309-583-0094 Ben, Manager Lani, Assitant Manager  www.sazanis.com Specializing in Italian food, steaks and seafood.

Representatives from the Pekin, Peoria and East Peoria chambers of commerce recently gathered together for a ribbon cutting at ServiceMaster of Central Illinois. The new owner, Steven Fleming, along with his family and some employees participated in the event. Located at 501 Meadows Avenue in East Peoria, Service Master of Central Illinois provides 24/7 emergency service for those dealing with fire or water damage. They can be reached at (309) 694-9821 or www.servicemasterci.com .  You can see more pictures from this event at:   http://picasaweb.google.com/PekinChamber .

In 7 of the first 9 months of 2014 the General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA) has seen an all-time record number of passengers travel through its facilities. September 2014 represents the 7th consecutive month of the best passenger growth in the history of the airport with 51,820 people choosing PIA. Similar records were set at PIA in March, April, May, June, July and August of 2014 with each month showing an average of a 7% increase from the year before. “PIA’s leadership and the people who work hard at the airport every day are grateful for the customer loyalty we have seen in 2014. It is our privilege to try to make everyone’s travel experience as good as it can be,” said Gene Olson, Director of Airports. “The opportunities that lay ahead for the Peoria International Airport are many and we are excited to see what the future can bring as we continue to serve our business and leisure travelers and grow our connection to the global landscape,” added Olson. Thr...

Goodwill of Central Illinois, in conjunction with The General Wayne A Downing Foundation, has completed its Patriot Weekend. Festivities included Reception of Honor, Forward March & Run and Stand Down for Homeless Veterans. Each event honored our veterans and raised funds for their continued support. Goodwill’s Reception of Honor was held on Friday, October 10, 2014 and recognized local veterans and supporters of local veterans. The Veteran Patriot Award, sponsored by The Wyman Group, was presented to J. Ryan Hubbard. The Citizen Patriot Award, sponsored by Vonachen Services, went to Lesley Matuszak. The Military Patriot Award, sponsored by P.J. Hoerr, was given to Captain Daniel Curtin. The Business/Association Patriot Award, sponsored by Lincoln Office, was presented to The Greater Peoria Honor Flight. The General Wayne A. Downing Award was given to one of the four Patriot Award winners. J. Ryan Hubbard was presented with this honor. Saturday, October 11, 2014 saw 250 ru...

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Nearly 70 chamber members and their guests attended the October 10th Puttin' On Pekin breakfast.  Joy Knollenberg won the early prize, while Mitch O'Shaughnessy won the late prize. Illinois American Water was presented with the Spotlight on Business; Destiny Shafer accepted the Blue Ribbon Award for Dunkin' Donuts; Leon Edwards accepted the Sunshine Award for the Center for Prevention of Abuse. Leigh Ann Brown, the Director of Economic Development for the City of Pekin, was the program.  You can see more pictures from this and other chamber events at:  http://picasaweb.google.com/PekinChamber

The three $100 Gift Card Winners of the Champion Fitness Patient Rewards Program have been selected for the 3rd quarter.  Carol L. Miller Linda Coley and Brandon Kozloff were chosen from the pool of candidates that were collected during the months of July, August and September. Any and all past patients, along with those who refer others to Champion for physical therapy, are eligible for the contest. Names are collected on a quarterly basis, with winners being named in April, July, October, and January. The 4th quarter list of candidates is already underway and those winners will be drawn in January, 2015. "The idea for this promotion came as a result of Champion wishing to thank individuals for having confidence in our abilities to provide outstanding physical therapy to our patients," said owner Jeff Schade.  "Whether that person chose to return to us for their most recent therapy needs, or they recommended someone else to try Champion, we reall...

           — Winter weather can pose many challenges to a homeowner.  One of the biggest and most costly is frozen pipes.   Illinois American Water reminds homeowners to make preparations now to prevent water damage from frozen pipes. Illinois American Water’s Vice President of Operations Barry Suits said, “This last winter was one of the coldest on record in Illinois.  It serves as a reminder for completing important cold weather preparation.  A few simple steps taken this fall can help prevent costly repairs this winter.”  Illinois American Water offers these tips to help customers prepare before cold weather: ·         Search your house for un-insulated pipes, especially in unheated areas. Consider wrapping pipes with electric heating tape, but follow manufacturers' instructions carefully to avoid a fire hazard. ·         Know what areas are vulnerable to freezing, including b...

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Dan's Signs 1012 Derby St. Pekin, IL 61554 309-620-7550 Velma Mylott Danell Brooks  Offering a variety of signs to fit your personal or business needs. Dan's Signs offers vinyl, plastic, and electric signs. They also offer banners, yard signs, and more.

October 18th, 2014 from 5pm - 7pm at the American Legion Hall (718 Court St, Pekin, IL 61554), there will be a Spaghetti Dinner to benefit the Carol House of Hope at the Center for Prevention of Abuse. This event will be hosted by the Ladies Auxiliary Amvets. There will be vendors, raffle items and a 50/50 raffle. For more information contact Mary Kirby at 309-246-8435.

The YWCA Fall 2014 Pekin Women's Leadership Network is now accepting applications for participants. The Pekin Women’s Leadership Network empowers women to become effective leaders by providing essential skills and strategies for professional and personal growth. A variety of carefully tailored programs are designed to support women in all phases of their careers. To get more information or an application click here .

The Relay for Life team will be available to share information with you on October 23rd at the Avanti's Dome during the Pekin's Night Out Against Crime Event. They will be available from 6pm - 8pm.  Find them on facebook for more information on upcoming events:  https://www.facebook.com/PFCNazareneAmbassadorsTeamRelayForLife20142015?fref=ts

Pekin residents encouraged to vote for the Marigold-adorned tank Illinois American Water’s new 1.25-million-gallon elevated water storage tank located at 1700 Riverway Drive in Pekin is in the running to be named Tank of the Year.  Tnemec Company is hosting the Tank of the Year contest.  Pekin residents are encouraged to vote for the tank, which features the City of Pekin’s unique marigold logo.  Voting begins today, Monday, Oct. 6, at www.tnemec.com/tankof the year.  Contest rules allow one vote per person during the two week voting period.  As a result of the voting, Tnemec will select the Tank of the Year winner from the top 12 tanks.  A fan favorite determined by the number of votes will also be announced. According to Roger Goodson, operations superintendent for Illinois American Water’s Pekin District, the new elevated water tank is an investment of over $3 million for reliable water service. “The new tank helps ensure adequate supp...

The Speakeasy Art Center hosted the October 2nd Business After Hours.  Guests enjoyed good food and drinks, door prizes, and networking with other business and community leaders.  You can see more pictures from this great event at:   http://picasaweb.google.com/PekinChamber .  For more information on the Speakeasy's upcoming events, visit http://speakeasyartcenter.com .

Representatives from the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Pekin held a ribbon cutting at Liberty Village of Pekin on October 1st.  The event was in recognition of Liberty Village's newly opened Bounce Back Program consisting of specialized rehabilitation services.  Don Fike, president of RFMS, Inc., was joined by the local staff of Liberty Village of Pekin for the ribbon cutting.  For more information about the Bounce Back Program visit  http://www.libertyvillageofpekin.com  or call 353-1600.  You can see more pictures from this and other chamber events at  http://picasaweb.google.com/PekinChamber .

Goodwill of Central Illinois, in conjunction with The General Wayne A Downing Foundation, will host, Reception of Honor, on October 10, 2014 at Goodwill Commons. The event will begin at 5:00 pm and recognize the people, military members and organizations who provide exemplary support for our veterans. “It is so important to not only honor our veterans and members of the military, but also the people and organizations who support them,” said Patty Fuchs, Goodwill President and CEO. “We are looking forward to a night of patriotism, followed the next day by our Forward March & Run race and Stand Down for Homeless Veterans.” The following awards will be presented: THE VETERAN PATRIOT AWARD Honors a U.S. veteran from any branch of service who has used his or her military experience to provide support to veterans and our community. THE MILITARY PATRIOT AWARD Acknowledges an active U.S. military member who shows courage and determination while working to ensure services and support ...

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