March 2011
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JOLIET AREA GREAT TEACHERS BANQUET - The Chamber's annual banquet honoring area teachers will be held on Thursday, March 10th at the Jacob Henry Mansion's Victorian Ballroom  Fifteen teachers from the Joliet area will be honored this year.  Cocktails will begin at 5:00, followed by dinner & program at 6:00.  Cost is $35 pp and reservations may be made at the chamber events registration page , or by calling the Chamber office at 815-727-5371.  This is an important part of the business/education relationship that the Chamber has formed over the past few years with our local schools.  Please come and show your support for the schools and the businesses who are sponsoring this event.

MEMBER LUNCHEON - Please join us for our March Member Luncheon on Monday, March 21st at 11:30 a.m. at Harrah's Joliet Casino & Hotel.  Our speaker will be Senator Christine Radogno, Illinois Senate Minority Leader.  Cost for the luncheon is $30 pp and reservations are required.  You may register on-line through the Chamber's website here.

2011 SPRING BUSINESS & HOME SHOW ...Saturday, April 2 at Westfield Louis Joliet mall from 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.  This show has been changed to a one day show!  Cost has been reduced to $325 for a booth for the day. Don't miss this great opportunity for your business to showcase itself to the Joliet community.  This is a business & home show combined - any business can participate in this EXPO.  Many great sponsorship locations are available...call the Chamber for details!

SPRINGFIELD DRIVE-DOWN - The Chamber's annual Springfield Drive-Down will be held on May 4-5.  All legislative meetings will take place on May 4, followed by a cocktail hour and dinner, which all the area legislators are invited to.  Cost is $135 pp which includes everything except your hotel reservation!  A block of rooms have been set aside for the night of May 4 at the Holiday Crowne Plaza.  Please call the Chamber for more info or to reserve.  You are responsible for making your own hotel reservation by calling calling 217.529.7777 before April 22 and mention that you are with the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce.

MEMBER NOTES & NEWS BRIEFS

The Department - The Joliet Restaurant and Liquor Lounge was featured on Groupon! on Tuesday, Feb. 22nd and Groupon! subscribers had just 24 hours to get a $40 gift certificate for only $20.  The gift card cannot be combined with any other offers but it is really a great deal for those who want to check out The Department for the first time or for returning customers.

"We hope that we can be a part of opening the door a little wider for future businesses and restaurants in our area to be featured on Groupon!  The collective buying power is a win for the consumers and a win for the participating businesses/restaurants because it saves customers money and gets new guests in the door giving us an opportunity to win them over," said owner Hallie Brenczewski.

Traditions Restaurant & Pub - Come out on March 17th - St. Patrick's Day - to Traditions for the best corned beef in town!  Traditions is located at 3000 W. Jefferson Street in Joliet. Call 815-730-0888 for more info.

Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center - Provena has announced a new partnership with Healthagen to put medical and facility information into the hands of smartphone users with the free iTriage application.  Smartphone users can download iTriage for their iPhone, iPod Touch or Android smartphones through the app stores, or log onto www.iTriageHealth.com from any internet-enabled device to access healthcare information.

Robert E. Hamilton Consulting Engineers, Inc. - In the last week of January, Robert E. Hamilton Consulting Engineers, Inc. (REHCE) was notified that the firm has been selected for Illinois Department of Transportation Phase I & II work and State Toll Highway Authority Phase III work.  The projects include planning, surveying, GIS, Studies, design, crash studies, construction observation and hydraulic design.  www.REHamilton.org.

Heroes West - A Meet and Greet will be held on Thursday, March 24 from 4:30 - 7 p.m.  Come for an inside look at their banquet facility, a full-service Private Room accommodating up to 80 guests comfortably and as few as 45!  You can enjoy a small sample of the delicious banquet and catering selections, along with Blue Moon Madness specials to help March us right into summer!  Please RSVP to susanseehw@gmail.com.

Silver Cross Hospital - The American Alliance of Healthcare Providers (AAHCP) recently announced that Silver Cross has been recognized as one if the Top Ten winners of the Hospital of the Choice Award for 2011.  This is the seventh time that Silver Cross has been recognized as one of America's Most Customer Friendly Hospitals.

Mahoney, Silverman & Cross LLC. - Congratulations to George F. Mahoney III, founding member of Mahoney, Silverman & Cross LLC, on his election to President of the Illinois Bar Association.

Coldwell Banker Honig-Bell - Congratulations to Coldwell Banker Honig-Bell for being named the No. 1 Coldwell Banker company in closed adjusted gross commission income for Illinois and the northern region for independently owned and operated affiliated companies in the Coldwell Banker system in 2010.  

Joliet Park District - The March for Babies walk will be held on Sunday, April 10.  Registration will begin at 8:00 AM at the Joliet Memorial Stadium, 3000 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet, followed by a 3.2 mile walk beginning at 9:00 AM.  You can register for the walk by going to www.marchforbabies.com.

Member Spotlight

The Petal Shoppe, Inc. florist is located at 1007 W. Jefferson Street in Joliet.  They are a full-service florist, specializing in WOW!  No order is too small or too big for their creative staff.  They handle weddings, funerals, dances, birthdays and any other occasion where flowers are needed.  Delivery to Joliet and the surrounding area is available.

The Petal Shoppe offers a wide variety of products including green plants, blooming plants, balloons, gift items, and a large selection of fresh flowers.  They carry flowers from the traditional to the unusual, and can also special order many items.

The Petal Shoppe has been a reputable florist at the same location for 30 years, and became the Petal Shoppe three years ago.  They have three talented employees to handle all of your needs - Lisa Kelly (Owner), and floral designers, Nikki Burket and Sue Beal.  They have over 20 years of experience.  You can visit their website at

www.thepetalshoppeinc.com, or for more personalized service, give them a call at 815-726-7735.

Sponsors

Please contact Mike or Trish at the Joliet Chamber for more information. This spot is a great opportunity to get your message out to nearly 2,000 individuals.

Photo Gallery

Expo 2011 at Westfield Mall

Friday and Saturday, February 11 & 12

Business Showcase at St. Joseph Academy

Wednesday, February 16

Business After Hours @ Joliet Off Track Betting / Bookie Magee's

Thursday, February 24

Joliet Area Great Teachers Banquet

Thursday, March 10, 5:00 p.m.  Jacob Henry Mansion Estate Victorian Ballroom.  Cost $35 pp.  Reservations required.

Member Luncheon

Monday, March 21, 11:30 a.m.  Harrah's Joliet Casino & Hotel.  Speaker Senator Christine Radogno.  Cost $30 pp.  Reservations required.

Coffee & Technology Seminar Series

Wednesday, March 23, 7:30 a.m.  Coldwell Banker Honig-Bell.  "What's New In Telephone Technology".  Cost $10 pp.  Reservations required.

Business After Hours

Thursday, March 24, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.  Hollywood Casino Joliet.  Cost $2.00.

Open House / Ribbon Cutting

Monday, March 28, 10:30 a.m.  Easter Seals Joliet Region, Inc., 212 Barney Drive, Joliet.

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A. BARR SALES INC.

Abri Credit Union

AT&T

Berman Capital Management & Research

Brodnicki Group / Market America

D Oxley Construction, Inc.

Hometown National Bank

Joliet Area Historical Museum

Mortenson Construction

NextMedia Radio Group

NICOR Gas

Nowacki Insurance Agency

NuMark Credit Union

R. Berti Building Solutions

Senior Helpers Caring In Home Companions

Senior Suites of Joliet

Servpro of Joliet

Smithereen Pest Management Services

Turk Furniture

Vitas Innovative Hospice Care

Wingate by Wyndham

Exciting New Announcement !!!

We are excited to announce that our members can now access our new Business / Membership Directory as well as a new Calendar / Online Registration page. 

First, when you visit our Chamber home page you can easily click on Business/Membership Directory and you will be taken to a newly designed search page.  From here you may search for members by company name and/or business categories.  A full category drop down menu is available as well as an improved key word search function.  Once a business or category has been displayed, new options appear as well in terms of business information. A scrolling list of new members appears on the right sidebar and you now have a feature that allows you to start your own list and/or roster to save for future reference. 

Second, we have added a brand new and easy to use Calendar of Events page that now allows all members to register and pay for their luncheon, dinner, etc online with a credit card or opt for an invoice to be sent out.  No more faxing or mailing or calling in a reservation (we'll still gladly accept) as you can now complete your registration and receive confirmation right away.  You can view the entire calendar in a special view and print out. Also, now you can set up a reminder to be sent directly to your inbox for an event.  Finally, you now have the option to import the events directly into Microsoft Outlook which is especially useful in this time of smart phone use. 

Take some time and check out both of these new features and we suggest that you utilize them to their fullest capabilities. You can feel free to contact us if you need help in one of the areas.