D C B u s i n e s s C o n n e c t i o n s D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 3

V o l u m e 2 , N u m b e r 4

M a t t D u f f yD e K a l b C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r c e

P l a n f o r Y o u r S u c c e S S

As 2013 comes to a close and we all look back at what we wanted to accomplish and we actually did accomplish. What kind of a year was it for you? Most of us have high aspirations for the mountains that we will climb and the goals that we will reach entering a new year. Whether or not we accomplish everything we set out to do can depend greatly on what new and unforeseen challenges arose that changed our path. That doesn’t mean that you didn’t have a successful year because you might have accomplished other things that were not on your list but are great accomplishments nonetheless.

As the New Year approaches and we look back, we tend to get caught up in what we were not able to accomplish instead of what we did. The annual goals are not about focusing on what we didn’t accomplish and just leaving them on your list but rather deciding what is most important and figuring out a way to accomplish those goals regardless of any outside challenges that might get in the way. No matter what you accomplish, you’ll often look to achieve something more.

Most organizations have a mission and a plan from which the annual goals are derived from. The same should be true for your own personal and professional goals. Decide on your priorities (family, work, volunteer activities, health, etc.) and align your goals with those so that you can be sure to not get too far off track when new challenges arise. Regardless of all the planning and preparation that you put into achieving your goals, things will change and obstacles will prevent you from getting your goals accomplished the way that you envisioned when setting them.

If you are setting the goals for your business, be sure to use your mission and strategic priorities to help guide your decisions and help you focus on the goals that are the most important. It’s easy to just focus on what is most prominent and in front of you at the moment and lose sight of the priorities as defined within your organization. Be sure to have a map of how to get from where you are to where you want to be and don’t stray too far or you’ll lose your way. In today’s world being busy is the norm for

W e l C o M e t o D C B u s i n e s s

insiDe this issue

See Success Page 6

MAtt DuFFY

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n i u P r o v i D e s l i n K A g e s t o t h e r e tA i l r e A l e s tAt e D e v e l o P M e n tP a g e 2

B o t h K i s h h e A lt h s Y s t e M h o s P i tA l s t o P P e r F o r M e r sP a g e 3

# g e tA F u t u r e @ D e K A l B h i g h s C h o o l P a g e 3

W h Y D e K A l B C o u n t Y ?P a g e 4

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D C B u s i n e s s C o n n e c t i o n s

DC Business Connections

is a quarterly business-

to-business e-edition

that will be sent to over

6,000 readers.

Information is provided

by local business leaders

from DCEDC, Northern

Illinois University, City of

DeKalb, DeKalb School

District, Kishwaukee

College, and more.

These e-editions will be

available online all year

at daily-chronicle.com.

If you would

like to be added to our

mailing list, be a guest

writer, or submit a

photo, please send your

information to

Lisa Angel at

langel@shawmedia.com.

The e-editions will

publish as follows:

March 15th

June 15th • Sept 15th

December 15th

Deadline for advertising

is 3 weeks before

publish date.

For rates or more

information contact,

Lisa Angel at

(815) 756-4841 ext.

2236 or at

langel@shawmedia.com

Northern Illinois University is DeKalb’s beacon for local business attraction and development. Tens of thousands of alumni have prompted me to ask developers if their company has some roots in NIU. Often, there are positive recollections of their experience at NIU – frequently business, finance and accounting alums. Numerous others are more recent engineering alums, or many are in education, nursing or have a liberal arts and sciences background, often punctuated by experiences from the Public Administration and Geography programs

Just this week, while meeting with a company being recruited to develop a retail facility, the development firm’s president mentioned his favorable experience as a successful accounting student in the mid-1980s. He and his company participated in sponsoring one of business classrooms or office suites at the Barsema College of Business building. He periodically celebrates his legacy at NIU with periodic attendance at football games.

Needless to say, NIU makes the DeKalb sales job a lot easier with the help that NIU provides in its proactive outreach to business alumni and through athletic events.

We should welcome Dr. Doug Baker’s push for all NIU students to have a mentoring and internship experience in the DeKalb area. The program not only furnishes great student experiences, but it pays dividends for 40-50 years after the student graduates and moves onto become a corporate decision maker.

NIU can create a challenge for retail attraction. We try to turn that challenge into an opportunity by creating a marketing argument using statistics work to highlight the benefits of locating stores in DeKalb. The large student population in DeKalb dilutes the household income that many retailers use as the formula for success. Upscale retail needs household spending to drive sales. The City circulates a number of materials to help retailers and developers understand that DeKalb’s retail strength is actually 10-20% greater than published household incomes due to the student presence in the local economy. DeKalb is a wealthier community than it appears using statistical averages.

Currently, the busiest new businesses in DeKalb are the fast casual and full service dining businesses along West Lincoln. Fatty’s, KFC, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Molly’s, Chipotle, Panda Express, the Junction, Mikimoto, Fushi Yami, Pizza Villa, McDonald’s etc. are all meeting places for students that live in the apartments and use the restaurants as places for studying and group meetings. We have fielded several recent requests for location assistance for restaurants on West Lincoln Highway and Annie Glidden Road.

One area that we are starting to market proactively is the redevelopment of the Annie Glidden Road and Hillcrest Drive area that has seen some business closings in the shopping center and movie theater.

The test of NIU’s ability to attract retailers is underway currently, as the City is targeting fashion apparel and accessory retailers. There is a belief that a small scale fashion/lifestyle shopping center with 10-20 fashion oriented retailers can be attracted to develop a new shopping center in the City –

niu Provides linkages to the retail real estate Development

roger hoPKins

See Retail, Page 6

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Kishwaukee and Valley West Hospitals were both named Top Performers on Key Quality Measures® by the Joint Commission in early November. Kish and Valley West Hospitals are two of 1,099 hospitals in the United States that earned the distinction of Top Performer on Key Quality Measures for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance. Kishwaukee Hospital, DeKalb, was recognized for its achievements in heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and surgical care. Valley West Hospital, Sandwich was recognized for its achievements in pneumonia and surgical care. The ratings for both hospitals are based on a combination of data reported to The Joint Commission during the 2012 calendar year.

Kishwaukee and Valley West Hospitals, and every hospital named as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures, must achieve key accountability measures in each category. An accountability measures is a quality measure that meets four criteria designed to identify interventions that produce the greatest positive impact on patient outcomes. A cumulative score of 95 percent or above is needed in each reported data set. A 95 percent score means a hospital provided an evidence-based practice 95 times out of 100 opportunities. Each accountability measure represents an evidence-based practice. Examples include giving aspirin at arrival for heart attack patients, giving antibiotics one hour before surgery, or providing antithrombotic therapy at discharge for stroke patients.

“We understand that what matters most to KishHealth System patients is safe, effective care. That’s why we’ve made a commitment to accreditation at both Kishwaukee and Valley West Hospitals, and to positive patient outcomes through evidence-based care. The entire health system is proud to receive this distinction from The Joint Commission,” said Brad Copple, Kishwaukee and Valley West Hospital president.

Both Kishhealth system hospitals top Performers

See Hospital, Page 6

#getAFuture @ DeKAlB high sChool M e s s a g e f r o m D r . J a m e s B r i s c o e

theresA KoMitAsKishHealth Marketing &

Public Relations

Kishwaukee and valley West hospitals named to Joint Commission’s l ist of Top Performers on Key Quality Measures for 2012

DeKalb High School, in cooperation with The DeKalb Chamber of Commerce and the DeKalb/Ogle Workforce Development Consortium hosted a Career Fair on November 6th. Thirty businesses from DeKalb and Ogle counties met in the DHS Field House to participate in the annual career day. Participating businesses covered most of the sixteen career paths and ranged from the DeKalb Police Department to Alexis Kay Designs and DeKalb Harley Davidson to Nippon Sharyo. Each participant took their stories to the Barbs, as students asked questions about careers and career paths to success in each of the vocations represented.

Students were able to walk through the Field House and visit with businesses or careers of interest to them. Each business was represented by one or more capable advisors, who answered the questions or directed the students to a place where more information was available. Deb Loitz from Northern Rehab Physical Therapy Specialists said, “We felt the career fair went well. We spoke to numerous students who seemed genuinely interested in the field of physical therapy and they indeed asked pertinent questions related to our field.”

Despite the limited time, Colette Tracey from Junior Achievement notes, “The students were very respectful and very impressive. There was a depth of intelligence and maturity in so many, that is very rare at their age.” Along with the businesses represented, sponsorship came by way of Jimmy John’s, Hy-Vee, Kish Health Systems, Wal Mart and Starbucks.

The DeKalb high School Staff would like to extend our thanks to those businesses that participated and the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, as we really appreciate your help in giving our students a glimpse of the world beyond school.

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DeKalb County’s operational assets ensure the success of manufacturers and distributors by contributing to the bottom line – period. The Top Ten Competitive Advantages of DeKalb County are:

1. LOCATION AND TRANSPORTATION - Located on I-88 in the center of the I-39 Corridor, DeKalb County affords congestion-free access to Metro Chicago destinations and Mid-American markets. Convenient corporate passenger and cargo charter flights are available through DeKalb Airport, only minutes away. International commercial flights through Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport are within an hour’s drive. Cargo transshipment is available via intermodal facilities for all six major U.S. railroads.

2. SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE / PROFITABLE OPERATIONS - Target’s DeKalb Distribution Center rapidly attained top-tier performance among the company’s distribution centers. Proximity to vendors and de-consolidators enables Target to generate cost savings by taking advantage of backhaul opportunities. Performance and community partnerships inspired 3M to select DeKalb for five distribution center expansions, including four new buildings. DeKalb serves as the main distribution complex for 3M domestic and export operations.

3. SPEED TO MARKET - DeKalb County communities go out of their way to ensure that projects can be completed ahead of schedule and become productive assets for business. The SK Hand Tool headquarters and manufacturing facility in the Sycamore Prairie Business Park was completed by Krusinski Construction in only 12 weeks. 3M’s fifth DeKalb Distribution Center was completed in Park 88 by Clayco and Venture One Real Estate in 4 months.

4. DYNAMIC EDUCATION AND RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS - Northern Illinois University, the second largest research university in Illinois with 22,000 students, offers nationally-recognized programs including accounting, business management, engineering, operations management and information technology. NIU routinely partners with businesses on management consulting and product development assignments. Kishwaukee College provides valuable programs in engineering, automated engineering technology and diesel technology.

5. UNLIMITED, COST-EFFECTIVE BROADBAND - NIU has made DeKalb County a hub of high-speed fiber optic networks facilitating virtually unlimited broadband services to companies and institutions at competitive prices. Networks like the DeKalb Advancement of Technology Authority (DATA) interface with all regional and international telecommunications networks connecting with the fast-shrinking world marketplace.

6. SIZEABLE TALENTED WORKFORCE - The DeKalb County Labor Market includes 277,662 workers residing within a 40 minute drive. Employers can access a sizeable talent pool from Northern Illinois University and Kishwaukee College, and the Kishwaukee Education Consortium (KEC) provides a variety of high school vocational programs.

7. MANUFACTURING HUB - Manufacturers thrive in DeKalb County in part because a world class supplier network is in place to serve engineering, product development, problem-solving and testing operations. Some of the best molding, metal stamping, metal forming, forging, finishing, plating and body panel design and fabrication operations in the Midwest are within easy access. Top notch machine shops provide machine tools, cutting tools and advanced technology.

8. CULTURE OF INNOVATION - Barbed wire was invented here and DeKalb AgResearch revolutionized agriculture throughout the world with the development of hybrid seed corn. IDEAL INDUSTRIES transformed the electrical industry with the introduction of screw-on wire nut connectors. Auto Meter, worldwide leader in racing industry performance instrumentation, develops 200 new products each year. Smart Motion Robotics provides the egg industry’s leading robotic packing solution.

9. SHOVEL-READY SITES – Proactive developers have established industrial parks with construction-ready sites in nearly every community in DeKalb County. DCEDC guides site selectors and business executives in the selection, planning and development of industrial sites and buildings.

10. PRODUCTIVE BUSINESS CLIMATE - DCEDC’s “Voice of Industry” survey quantified the county’s outstanding business climate. In this survey, DeKalb County ranked above the North American average in all categories of workforce evaluation, and public services scored above average in 10 of the 11 categories surveyed. In addition, 59% of companies surveyed reported that they planned to expand with a 93% probability it would be in DeKalb County.

WhY DeKAlB CountY?M e s s a g e f r o m P a u l B o r e k

PAul BoreK

Executive Director,DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation

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WhY DeKAlB CountY?M e s s a g e f r o m P a u l B o r e k

DeKalb High School was ranked in the

TOP 10% OF HIGH SCHOOLS

in the nation

by U.S. News and World Report, refl ectingthe high standards set by our whole staff.

Our mission is to educate our students to reach their potential while preparing them to

contribute to our global society.

Photo taken by Jeff Struthers of Jeff Struthers Fine Art Photography

Thank YouThe DeKalb School District Board of Education,

administration, staff and families would like to thank the following who generously donated to have our district

logo painted on the water tower by DeKalb High School:

Brian Scholle, Scott Zeimet & Darrell Foss from State Farm Insurance

Dr. Steven & Michele Glasgow from Midwest Orthopaedic

Jeff Dobie of Fatty’s Pub & Grille

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D C B u s i n e s s C o n n e c t i o n s

The e-editions will publish as follows:

March 15th • June 15th September 15thDecember 15th

Deadline for advertising is 3 weeks before publish date.

For rates or more information, contact

Lisa Angel at (815) 756-4841 ext. 2236 or at langel@shawmedia.com

Sucess Continued from page 1

most of us but being focused and accomplishing your goals is better than just being busy.

While we look towards 2014 and the many great things we hope to accomplish, be sure to celebrate 2013 and what you have accomplished by joining us this holiday season at DeKalb County’s Largest Holiday Office Party at Fatty’s Pub & Grille on Thursday, December 19th beginning at 5pm. If you would like to find out more about this event or anything at the DeKalb Chamber be sure to visit our web site at www.dekalb.org.

Retail Continued from page 2

hopefully as part of some of the City’s vision for the downtown area.

If you have suggestions for retailers that would fit our local market – please call DeKalb’s economic development staff, or send an email to: Jennifer Diedrich, Economic Development Coordinator, 815-748-2365, jdiedrich@cityofdekalb.com, or Roger Hopkins, Economic Development consultant, 815-748-2363, roger.hopkins@cityofdekalb.com.

Hospital Continued from page 3

Because of KishHealth System’s commitment to providing the highest quality of care, Kishwaukee and Valley West Hospitals take part in a number of quality, patient satisfaction and Medicare and Medicaid surveys that also rate clinical performance to ensure the health system’s commitment to excellent patient outcomes. About KishHealth SystemKishHealth System provides services to the greater DeKalb County area in northern Illinois. The system is comprised of two non-profit community hospitals and several other non-profit healthcare providers. Health system entities include Kishwaukee Hospital, DeKalb; Valley West Hospital, Sandwich; KishHealth System Cancer Centers at Kishwaukee Hospital and Valley West Hospital, KishHealth System Hospice, The Center for Family Health, KishHealth System Foundation, and KishHealth System Physician Group with locations in DeKalb, Sandwich, Genoa and Plano, and KishHealth System Home Care. The vision of KishHealth System is to be the best place for employees to work, the best place for physicians to practice and, most of all, the best place for patients to receive care. KishHealth System was included in the 2013 annual list published by Becker’s Hospital Review and Becker’s ASC Review, “100 Great Places to Work in Healthcare.” KishHealth System and the other hospitals, health systems, ambulatory surgery centers, and physician groups included in this list offer robust benefit packages, positive work environments, excellent employee recognition programs and opportunities for professional development and continuing education.