They won’t catch up with the coasts. But microbreweries catch on here. By David Blanchette Just eight years ago there were none in Springfield. Now there are five operating microbreweries in the capital city area with a sixth soon to open, and don’t be surprised if you see more in the coming years. Craft beers [...]
Aruna Mathur Aruna MathurPHOTO/ Terry Farmer Photography, Inc. BY ROBERTA CODEMO Giving back to others is a common theme that is woven throughout Aruna Mathur’s conversation. When she was a small child in India, her mother taught her to give to others. She said that the difference between animals and humans was that [...]
By Rachel Johnson The current trend in Springfield is for businesses to relocate to the west side, but bucking that trend is the Brown, Hay and Stephens law firm. The oldest law firm in the state of Illinois, BHS has been at the corner of Fifth and Adams streets since 1858. An original tenant of [...]
By Rachel Johnson Fifty years ago on April 11, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act, making it illegal to discriminate in renting or selling property based on race, color, religion or national origin. Illinois and Chicago, in particular, were key areas struggling for equality at the time. With the swell of immigrants [...]
Family-owned Emerson Press of Divernon has deadlines to meet By David Blanchette Many things have changed during the 50 years that Emerson Press has been in business. But two things have remained the same – it’s still a family-owned and operated business, and there are still deadlines to meet. Leonard Emerson operates the business that [...]
By Scott Faingold Few would disagree that the 55-year old YMCA building at the corner of Fourth Street and Cook in Springfield has seen better days. Addressing this, a plan was unveiled at a well-attended March 13 meeting of the Enos Park Neighborhood Improvement Association at Third Presbyterian Church to replace the old facility with [...]
By David Blanchette A Pleasant Plains brother and sister had big ambitions 65 years ago when they founded what became one of central Illinois’ largest agricultural businesses. “Early on I decided we wanted to be the General Motors of the fertilizer business,” said 91-year-old Glen Brandt, the co-founder of BRANDT. “But I never dreamed that [...]
Phil Zinn, of Zinn Construction in Sherman, has been building homes for 15 years BY ZACHARY ROTH When Phil Zinn takes you through his offices, there are pictures of some shiny, modern homes built with the latest and greatest in homebuilding technology. And then, there are other houses, maybe without the bells and whistles, but [...]
KEB makes giving back part of its corporate culture BY JANET SEITZ For Dale Becker, the benefits of charitable giving add up, both personally and professionally. Becker is a CPA and partner with the Springfield accounting and management consulting firm Kerber, Eck, & Braeckel (KEB). Becker became involved in charitable efforts, “almost out of the [...]
The State House Inn, located at 101 E. Adams in Springfield, is undergoing a rebranding as part of a recent ownership change. General manager Jerald Harris stated that the prior owners sold the hotel on November 8, 2017. He explained that they are now owned by Packard Hospitality Group out of San Diego, California. “We’re [...]
