AroundTOWN
DECEMBER 2014
A Fond Farewell
As this is my last month with the Chamber, I want to say thanks.
• Thanks to all the businesses who have faithfully supported the Chamber
• Thanks to all the members who have volunteered their time and talents to the committees
and events of the Chamber
• Thanks to all the businesses and individuals that have sponsored our events or provided
gifts and services for our raffles and auctions
• Thanks to all the members that have supported me during my time as the Executive of
this Chamber of Commerce
I have many fond memories as I complete my 25 years with this organization. It has not just
been a job…it has been my life. Every day my life revolved around the chamber, its events
and its members. It was always my philosophy to provide the best service to our members
and to the residents of our community and to let our members know how appreciative we
have been for their support, their service and their generosity.
I ask that you give your full support to the new Executive and to the chamber and its efforts.
I will miss serving you and being part of your business successes. Just remember to say “hi”
when you see me around town!
Lynne
William Pack
Sleight of Hand
Membership
Lunch Meeting
Tuesday, December 2nd
The Arboretum Club
401 W. Half Day Road, Buffalo Grove
11:30 am Informal Networking
Noon-1:30 pm Buffet Lunch & Program
Cost
$18 Members & their Guests/$25 Non-Members
Reservations requested!
Heart of the Community Awards Gala
A very special thank you to all the sponsors and individuals that
helped to make the Heart of the Community Awards Gala a great
success.
Gala Sponsor Buffalo Grove Bank & Trust
Appetizer Sponsor
Sullivan’s Steak House
Champagne Sponsor
Plum Grove
Chocolate SponsorLong Grove Confectionery/
Arway Confections
Dessert Sponsor
Deerfield’s Bakery
Award Sponsors
Above Beyond
Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove
Above & Beyond -Youth
Populus XP, LLC
Business Philanthropy
(Lincolnshire & Buffalo Grove)
American Enterprise Bank
Community Volunteer
(Buffalo Grove)
Marc J. Blumenthal, Attorney
Community Volunteer
(Lincolnshire)
Radford Green at Sedgebrook
Teach & Inspire Saint Mary Parish Men’s Club
Together We CanState Rep. Elaine Nekritz –
District 57
Thank you also to—
• Marian Rodriguez from Carstar Mundelein for taking photos at
the gala
• The Arboretum Club for their assistance with the event
• Plum Grove for printing the programs
• Deerfield’s Bakery for providing the beautiful & delicious cakes
• Long Grove Confectionery for providing the wonderful candy &
munchies
• Crown Trophy for their assistance with the Heart Awards
And of course, a great big thank you to the committee whose hard
work and dedication made the success of this event possible—
Michael Abruzzini, Buffalo Grove Bank & Trust
Marc J. Blumenthal, Attorney at Law
Dan Dame, PMG Wealth Management
Carol Lieber, BGLCC
Lynne Schneider, BGLCC
Cathy Schwartz, Temple Chai
Lenna Scott, District 96 Community Foundation for
Educational Excellence
Table Sponsors
The Best Salon & Spa
Long Grove Confectionery
Ceannate Corp.
PMG Wealth Management
Mark & Rebecca Groves
Roti Mediterranean Grill
Hodgson Consulting
Lynne Schneider
Jersey Mike’s Subs
SNI Companies
and to Buffalo Grove Village Trustee Jeffrey Berman, former Heart
recipient Linda Rosen and Lincolnshire Economic Development
Coordinator Tonya Zozulya who assisted on the selection committee.
Nominations for the 2015 Heart of Buffalo Grove Awards will begin in
May. Be sure to nominate someone next year!
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Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce
50 1/2 Raupp Blvd.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 7124, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
(847) 541-7799 FAX—(847) 541-7819
Networking x2
Interacting with other area businesses is
an important element in growing your own
business. These relationships will bring leads
and referrals your way. The fastest way to build
those relationships is through a networking
group. It is through renewed contact that people get to know
you and your business. Renewed contact builds trust that you
are the person for the job!
Business Advantage Network
Now meeting
in Lincolnshire
This BGLCC networking group can help you build your
network. There will be self-introductions and a short networking
presentation followed by group interaction. Each month
members are placed in small groups for an additional monthly
meeting where you can get to learn more about those members
on an informal basis. A continental breakfast will be served. The
next meeting is
December 9th, 7:30-9:00 am
Sullivan’s Steakhouse
250 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire
Holiday Networking Breakfast
A fee of $25 per quarter will be assessed for this group. Don’t
forget to bring lots of business cards!
Net Linc
This BGLCC networking group can also help you build your
network. At Net Linc there will be self-introductions and informal
networking. The next meeting is
December 17th, 11:45 am-1:00 pm
Philly G’s, 1252 Highway 45, Vernon Hills
(just west of Milwaukee Avenue)
Lunch is $15 per person which includes a salad and a choice
from three entrees. Please RSVP to Carla Solar at 847-7747946. Don’t forget your business cards!
E-mail—[email protected]
Internet—www.buffalogrovechamber.org
Executive Board:
Interim President:
Larry Wankovsky, Triple J Ventures
Vice President:
Dr. Gregg Stern, Stern Chiropractic
Treasurer:
Michael Abruzzini, Buffalo Grove Bank &Trust
Secretary:
Jan Obrand, In Working Order
Past President:
Marc Blumenthal, Attorney at Law
At-Large Exec Director:
Greg Diethrich, Stevenson High School Community
Foundation
Ex-Officio Director:
Dr. Eric Smith, Smith Back & Neck Pain Center
Directors:
Vicki Baker, Gifts of Distinction
Robert Braun, American Enterprise Bank
Nels Flatebo, The Leaders’ Forum
Adriane Johnson, Populus XP, LLC
Mark Michelini, Stevenson High School
Nona Novak, Pioneer Press
Cathy Schwartz, Temple Chai
Lenna Scott, District 96 Foundation
for Educational Excellence
Carla Solar, Candy Bouquet
Village Liaisons
Jennifer Maltas, Village of Buffalo Grove
Tonya Zozulya, Village of Lincolnshire
Executive Director & Editor—Lynne Schneider, A.C.E.
Administrative Assistant—Carol Lieber
Graphics by: Evan Hill Design
Photos by: Lynne Schneider
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New Members
Michal Sejzer
Adorned / Michals Imports Ltd.
Lincolnshire
Carey Smolensky
Carey Smolensky Productions
Wheeling
Joe Buscaino & Walter Pryor
Ceannate Corp.
Buffalo Grove
Anna Matiushenok
Infiniwiz
Rolling Meadows
Hot Deals
Member-to-Member Discount Program
Have you taken advantage of Hot Deals
– the Chamber’s Member-to-Member
discount program?
As a Discount Provider—make sure that
your staff is aware of the discount that you
are offering to Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire
Chamber members.
As a Chamber Member—make sure that you take
advantage of this program provided by the Chamber.
Utilize the goods and services of Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire
Chamber members. It’s ‘good business’ to support your
fellow chamber members.
Hot Deals can be found on the chamber’s website— www.
buffalogrovechamber.org. Click on the Hot Deals button. All
participating members are listed.
Membership Investment
After Hours 2015
Your 2015 Membership Investment packets will be mailed
out during the month of November. We thank you for
your continued support of the Chamber and hope that
you will continue in 2015. Remember that a chamber
membership gives you a network of businesses to interact
with and many educational, promotional and networking
opportunities.
The Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber
has begun to fill in its After Hours schedule
for 2015. After Hours events allow our
members to network in a casual setting
with no meeting structure. Sponsors open
their business to members and provide food and drink to
those that attend. We also encourage 2 or 3 small business
to share a sponsorship. You would need to provide the
location and refreshments for the event. If you are interested
in holding a Before or After Hours event, please contact the
Chamber Office at (847) 541-7799.
Please make sure that you update your information on the
invoice and return with any other pertinent forms when
you send your payment. Now is also the time to consider
upgrading to an enhanced membership, offering a Hot
Deals Member-to-Member Discount or becoming a member
of one of the Chamber’s many committees. If you have any
questions, please call the Chamber Office at (847) 5417799.
Please note—According to the IRS, dues MAY NOT
be deducted as a charitable expense but MAY be
deducted as a business expense.
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BusinessBytes
Have you taken advantage of the member-to-member
e-mail blast? The Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber provides a
way for members to let other members know about upcoming sales, new products,
awards and recognitions. This e-mail blast, BGLCC Business Bytes, will be e-mailed
to members on the 1st and the 15th of each month.
• News items must be 100 words or less.
• News items must be labeled ‘For E-mail Blast’.
• News items must be e-mailed to [email protected].
• News items must be received by the 10th and the 26th of the month.
• Only e-mailed items will be accepted.
• All news items are subject to approval.
Chamber Scholarships
Since 2004, the Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire
Chamber of Commerce has awarded
$17,000 in scholarships through the
Ronald J. Jonas Memorial Scholarship
Fund. The Chamber funds the scholarship
program through a 50/50 raffle held at our
membership meetings and After Hours
events, a special opportunity to donate at
membership renewal time and through the
generous donations of Chamber members
or their companies. When a donation is
received, the donation is recognized in
the Chamber’s newsletter and the students
receiving the scholarships are also notified
of the companies that generously donated.
Help Us Boost the Scholarship Fund!
The January Installation Lunch will also be
a fundraiser for the scholarship fund. We
are looking for raffle and auction prizes…
gift certificates, gift baskets, sporting
event or theater tickets, overnight stays,
etc. Prizes should be worth a minimum of
$10. All donors will be recognized at the
lunch and in the Chamber’s newsletter. Help
us continue to give scholarships. Call the
Chamber office for additional information.
Prizes needed in the office by January 8th.
Remember, your participation either
as a raffle participant or a scholarship
fund donor will be greatly appreciated
by the deserving recipients!
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Gold
Platinum
Members 2014
Kevin Geraghty
Algonquin Longhouse, Inc. NFP
Members 2014
660-1230
Robert Braun, American Enterprise Bank
Norma Alperstein & Guy Tolvstad
465-9700
Greg Lundgren &
Chris Snider
913-9112
The Arboretum Club &
Wild Goose Café
Kristina Perez Brunswick’s & Tavern ’45
Thomas & Bill Feldgreber
821-9000
Michael Abruzzini
Buffalo Grove Bank & Trust
634-8400
Kevin Weasler &
Anne Galla
Culver’s of Buffalo Grove
229-1123
Margaret Martinez Danny’s Pizzeria
259-0560
Karim Khoja Dunkin’ Donuts (BG)
229-9567
Karim Khoja Dunkin’ Donuts (Lincolnshire)
791-0572
Fred Shirzadi
Carlo Gavazzi
465-6100
Elliott Hartstein
Hartstein & Associates LLC
830-6474
Evan Hill
Evan Hill Design, Inc.
478-8122
Brian Shepard &
Susan Dennison
Indian Trails Public Library
459-4100
Michael Kogan
Kogan Self Defense
877-4711
Sallie Winfrey &
Jack Vellios
Lawn Doctor of BG /Lake Zurich
844-1332
Stu Cohen &
Laura Rossow
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
215-7100
Annette Brumby
Momentous Identity Solutions
Adriane Johnson
Populus XP, LLC
609-3071
Gary Gilliam
Prairie House Tavern
415-2255
Marilyn Dopler
RE/MAX Suburban
385-3028
Nancy Wolowicz &
Donna Jones
Saint Mary Parish & School 541-1450
Steve Gename,
Ron Ross & Becky Kirchner
Suddath Relocation Systems
of Chicago, LLC 662-7699
662-7699
Deb Mattes &
Cathy Schwartz
Temple Chai
537-1771
Laurie Gens
Viper Alley
499-5009
David Becker
Wheeling Auto Center
259-3776
Robert Zehnder & Lisa Mitchell
Hodgson Consulting & Solutions, Ltd
906-5005
Gary Rogers
Jersey Mike’s Subs
224-676-0520
(224) 360-7427
Become a Platinum or Gold Member and receive additional member benefits.
Craig Leva
Long Grove Confectionery
459-3199
Nichole Lateano & Traci Honings
SNI Companies
325-2980
Joe Buscaino
Ceannate Corp
888-853-8148
Call the Chamber Office at (847) 541-7799 for details.
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Business After Hours
There is no After Hours
scheduled for December.
Want to host Before or After Hours
during 2015?
Contact the Chamber Office
Enhance Your Chamber
Website Listing
The Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber of
Commerce provides the opportunity for you
to enhance your listing on its website, www.
buffalogrovechamber.org. Each member of
the chamber can be found on the website
under Member Search and can be accessed by company name
or business category. Opening the link (Information Page) provides
basic information, a website link and a very short description.
We offer you the opportunity to enhance your listing on the
Chamber website in the following ways—
• Add your logo on the Member Directory Page where you
are listed
• Add a website link on the Member Directory Page where
you are listed (Free for Gold Members)
• Have priority placement on the Member Directory Page
where you are listed PLUS an enhanced Information Page
Lake County Young
Professionals Power Hour
Join young professionals from the Lake County area
each month for a Power Hour. This next event will
be held on Tuesday, December 2nd at Shakou, 625
N. Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville from 5:30-7:30
pm. The cost is $20 per person at the door which
includes appetizers and drink. Bring a white elephant
item for a holiday gift exchange.
• Add one or more banner ads to the chamber website
Call the Chamber Office for additional information.
Mark Your Calendars!
The Chamber’s Installation Lunch will be held on Tuesday, January 13th
at The Arboretum Club in Buffalo Grove. Join us for the installation of
the 2015 Chamber Board and the celebration of the 2015 Milestone
Anniversaries of your fellow chamber members. In addition, the
Chamber Commitment Awards and the Ambassador of the Year
awards will be presented. Watch for the reservation form which will
be included in our December Events e-mail blasts. A reservation form
follows the newsletter.
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Chamber Chatter
A representative of SNI Companies attended the After
Hours at American Enterprise Bank on November
20th and won the $200 Mixer Money. Watch for the next
Business After Hours where you will have the chance to
win $100. The drawing will be at approximately 6:15 pm.
Don’t miss it. You could be the winner!
Get Plugged In at the
Business Connection Expo
The second annual Business Connection Expo was a big success
with great interaction between the small businesses and the
participating companies. Special thanks to all those that helped to
make this event successful—
Workshop Presenters—
Networking Sponsor—Walgreens
Media Sponsor—The Daily Herald
Special Thanks—
Lunch Sponsor—Metra
Event Bag Sponsor—Buffalo Grove Bank & Trust
• Beckley CPA, Costco, Eddie Merlot’s, LifeMaps, Populus XP
LLC and Sunset Foods for providing raffle prizes
Keynote Speaker — George Mui, US Department of Commerce
• The staff at the Arboretum Club for their assistance and
consideration with this event.
Participating Companies—
BMO Harris Bank
Buffalo Grove Park District
ComEd
Dept. of Human Services
Lake County
Metra
Siemens
State of Illinois CMS
Village of Buffalo Grove
Walgreens
Panelists—
Rona Fourte — Walgreens
RuthAnne Hall – Lake County
Maria Lazic — State of Illinois CMS
Brett Robinson—Village of Buffalo Grove
Janice R. Thomas— Metra
Keith Barlog—Vernon Area Public Library District
Maria Lazic—State of Illilnois CMS
Robert Steiner—SBA
Janice R. Thomas—Metra
Anna Yackle—Indian Trails Public Library District
• State Graphics for the printing of materials
• Buffalo Grove Bank & Trust and Hollander Moving & Storage
for providing goodie bag items.
And of course, a great big thank you to the committee whose hard
work and dedication contributed to the success of this event—
Adriane Johnson (Chair), Populux XP, LLC
Michael Abruzzini, Buffalo Bank & Trust
Annette Brumby, Momentous Identity Solutions
Wright Chase, District 96 Foundation
for Educational Excellence
Nels Flatebo, The Leader’s Forum
Judith Kristan, Beckley CPA
Nona Novak, Pioneer Press
Ronnis Oher, LifeMaps
Kathy Peterson, USANA Health Sciences
Marian Rodriguez, CarStar Mundelein
Ron Ross, Hollander Moving & Storage
Dawn Wright, First American Bank
If you were unable to attend, we hope you will join us next year for
this exciting business event.
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Chamber Board Elections
The following slate of officers and directors for 2015 was presented at the
November luncheon meeting.
Executive Board
President— Mike Abruzzini, Buffalo Grove Bank & Trust
Executive Vice President— Dr. Gregg Stern, Stern Chiropractic
Vice President— Larry Wankovsky, Triple J Ventures
Treasurer— Robert Braun, American Enterprise Bank
Secretary—Jan Obrand, In Working Order
Past President— Marc Blumenthal, Attorney at Law
Directors for 2-year terms—
Greg Diethrich, Stevenson Community Foundation
Nels Flatebo, The Leaders’ Forum
Judy Kristan, Beckley CPA
Nona Novak, Pioneer Press
Cathy Schwartz, Temple Chai
Directors for 1-year terms—
Mark Michelini, Stevenson High School
Carla Solar, Candy Bouquet
Directors not up for election and completing their terms—
Vicki Baker, Gifts of Distinction
Adriane Johnson, Populus XP
Eric Smith, Smith Back & Neck Pain Center
After announcing the slate at the November Lunch meeting, members were
given until November 18th to petition to run for the board. If no one petitions
to run against the Board, the slate is automatically declared elected.
Financial Partners Group
This industry-specific exchange is for members that
are accountants, attorneys, banks, financial planners,
insurance and real estate professionals. The group
meets on a bi-monthly basis to discuss issues specific
to their industries.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, January
15th at the Chamber Office from 7:30-9:00 am. There
will be self-introductions and a discussion on issues
pertinent to these industries.
If you are not already a member of the group and
would like to attend, please contact the chamber
office. Only chamber members in the six listed
categories are eligible to attend. Potential member
guests are always welcome. Please note that a
yearly fee of $25 will be assessed to cover the cost
of coffee and meeting expenses. Thank you if you
have already contributed. For additional information,
contact the chamber office at 847-541-7799.
Want to see a Partner’s Group for your industry?
Contact the chamber office.
The Chamber Board would like to thank the 2015 Nominating Committee—
Marc Blumenthal, Attorney at Law (Chairman), Marilyn Dopler of Re/Max
Suburban, Nona Novak of Pioneer Press and Dr. Eric Smith of Smith back &
Neck Pain Center for their hard work. We appreciate your time and effort.
Earn a Free Lunch
Do you know a business that would benefit from chamber
membership? Many new members are brought to the chamber
through referrals by current members and in appreciation, you
will receive a free lunch and chamber bucks when they join.
Call the Chamber Office at (847) 541-7799 to give us the referral
information or an application form can be downloaded from the
website at www.buffalogrovechamber.org. Make sure you remind
them to say they heard about the chamber from you.
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December 2014
Sun
Mon
Tue
1
Wed
General Membership
Meeting
11:30 am - 1:30 pm
The Arboretum Club
Thu
Fri
Sat
2
3
4
5
6
9
10
11
12
13
18
19
20
25
26
27
LCYP Power Hour
5:30-7:30 pm
Shakou, Libertyville
7
8
Exec Board meeting
Noon
Business
Advantage Network
7:30–9:00 am
Sullivan’s Steakhouse,
Lincolnshire
2015
14
15
16
Full Board meeting
Noon
17
Net Linc
11:45 am-1:00 pm
Philly G’s, Vernon Hills
2015
Chanukah
21
22
23
24
Christmas Day
28
29
30
31
2015
New Years Eve
Next Month—January 2015
4
Lake County Young Professionals Power Hour TBD
5:30-7:30 pm
13 Business Advantage Network
Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Lincolnshire
7:30-9:00 am
13 Installation Lunch
The Arboretum Club
11:30 am-1:30 pm
15 Financial Partners Chamber Office
7:30-9:00 am
20 Basic Training Chamber Office
8:00-9:30 am
28 Net Linc
Philly G’s, Vernon Hills
11:45 am-1:00 pm
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You’re Invited!
Infinite Opportunities -- Unlimited Success
Annual Installation Lunch
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
The Arboretum Club
401 W. Half Day Road
Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Installation of the 2015 Chamber Board
2015 Milestone Anniversary Recognitions
Member Recognitions
11:30 a.m. Networking
12:00 p.m. Buffet Lunch & Program
$20.00 per person – Members & their Guests
$25.00 per person – Non-members
Please register by January 9, 2015.
Name
Company
Address, City, Zip
Phone
Fax
Email address
Enclosed is my check in the amount of $
Charge — MC
Signature
Visa
Discover
AmEx
# Members
# Non-Members
Card No.
CID #
Exp. Date
Return to—Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber, P.O. Box 7124, Buffalo Grove 60089
Credit card reservations may be faxed to (847) 541-7819
or register on the chamber website
BUFFALO GROVE LINCOLNSHIRE CHAMBER
8th Addendum to 2014 Membership List Please add the following new• and renewing* members to your Membership List & Business Directory
• Adorned / Michals Imports Ltd.
255 Parkway Drive - #212, Lincolnshire 60069
847-947-8165
Fax—224-676-0658
Email—[email protected]
Website—www.getadorned.com
Michael Sejzer
(fashion jewelry & accessories)
• Ceannate Corp — FMS Investment Corp
1100 W. Lake Cook Road, Buffalo Grove 60089
888-853-8148
No fax
Email—[email protected]
Website—www.ceannate.com
Joe Buscaino
(education partners)
• Carey Smolensky Productions
593 N. Wolf Road, Wheeling 60090
847-808-1500
Fax—847-818-1551
Email—[email protected]
Website—www.cpsworldwide.com
Carey Smolensky
(event entertainment)
• Infiniwiz
1835 Hicks Road – B, Rolling Meadows 60008
847-994-1111
Fax—847-994-1101
Email—infiniwiz.com
Website—www.infiniwiz.com
Anna Matiushenok
Please make the following changes to your Membership List & Business Directory.
• BMO Harris Bank
(Half Day Road location)
Additional contact—Craig Kowitt
Phone—847-876-8422
Email—[email protected]
Updated—11/20/14