BY ERICK ZEPEDA As the construction trades are faced with both a growing number of retirements and projected growth, there is a strong demand for apprentices to fill vacant positions. With the cost of college attendance continuing to rise, an apprenticeship offers an earn-while-you-learn approach that allows you to get paid from day one. Certified [...]
ARTICLES AND PHOTOS BY DAVID BLANCHETTE For 99 years, MJ Kellner Foodservice has been a respected family-owned Springfield business. As the company enters its 100th year in operation, it is positioned to continue its growth and success, according to owner Bill Kellner, who is also the CEO and president. Vice president and COO Dave [...]
BY KAREN ACKERMAN WITTER Inspiring better health was the motivation for Rusty Jones and business partner Tom Bushkie to create a high-quality beverage as an alternative to sugary drinks. They founded hellowater in 2017 in response to their research, which revealed that nearly 40% of Americans are obese, affecting over 18 million children, and 97% [...]
BY CINDA ACKERMAN KLICKNA It is 7:20 a.m. and 45 high school seniors file into a training room at Sikich. Some of the students razz each other about an upcoming soccer game; others grab a bottle of water or Pop Tart, laughing and engaging with each other. Their strong connection to each other [...]
A group from this year’s Leadership Springfield class is conducting a survey of area professionals to find out what motivates people to volunteer their time to nonprofit organizations and how they prefer to go about doing so. The brief, eight question survey can be accessed on SurveyMonkey. Leadership Springfield, a program of the Greater Springfield [...]
The public is invited to a reception and awards ceremony to honor the recipients of this year’s 15 Under Fifteen small business awards, sponsored by United Community Bank and Springfield Business Journal. The event will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 9 from 5:30-7 p.m. at United Community Bank, 1900 W. Iles Ave. There is no [...]
PROFILES BY ERIC WOODS Presented in alphabetical order Previous 15 Under Fifteen selectees
Transitioning from the private sector to the nonprofit world BY WILLIAM LEGGE Before joining the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Illinois, most of my career was spent in sales and management for large corporations. It was a never-ending cycle, with hard work often rewarded with an increased quota. Sure, the commissions were great. [...]
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY DAVID BLANCHETTE “There is always an activity at Senior Services. Our whole goal is to make sure that seniors are healthy and happy,” said executive director Carol Harms. “Our hope is to keep seniors independent for as long as they possibly can be.” Volunteers prepare Daily Bread meals before they [...]
By Karen Ackerman Witter The world could use more people like Craig Mannschreck— kind, upbeat, friendly, genuine, humble and concerned about others before himself. Mannschreck passed away peacefully on Aug. 21 after a three-month battle with lymphoma. “Craig was ‘others-oriented,’ “says Cindy Davis, Mannschreck’s longtime business partner at Resource One, located at 321 E. Adams [...]
