Dear Members:
My thanks to you Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry members and guests who braved the inclement weather on January 25 to ring out our Centennial Celebration at our 100th Annual Award Gala at The Drake Oak Brook Hotel—the inaugural event staged in the hotel’s newly-renovated main floor ballroom.
While the start of our Awards Program hour was delayed 30 minutes to accommodate late arrivals, there were no complaints with cocktails and hors d’ouevres plentiful, and the Post-Awards Party extended well beyond the ballroom’s closing whether in the hotel bar or at one of many favorite establishments back in Elmhurst.
Taped by Elmhurst Our Kind of Town—whose former Producer Genie Urick became the 27th inductee into the ECCI Civic Hall of Fame—our Awards Program will air on Comcast Channel 6 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 during February on Sundays and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Later, it will be available for viewing at elmhursttv.com.
It was nice to see how many attendees donned the keepsake commemorative lapel pin sponsored by our 2018 A.J. “Toche” Terrones Business of the Year honoree The Elmhurst Independent with proceeds from the newspaper’s 40-page ECCI Centennial Celebration special section published for Chamber of Commerce Month last September.
Featuring the six-color Elm leaf (prominent in our Chamber’s new logo) above a ribbon with the years 1918 and 2018, our commemorative lapel pin also will be available to members at monthly networking events and at the office while quantities last.
Attendees also watched our Chamber’s new two-minute promotional video, produced in partnership with the Elmhurst Suburban Life/Shaw Media, projected on a big screen. The video showcases10 long-time Elmhurst member businesses—seven of which were in attendance—including several multi-generational family businesses.
Congratulations to Andrea Pokrefke of Awards Gala Sponsor Suburban Bank & Trust who won $2,302.50 as the lucky winner in our year-long Centennial Celebration Split-The-Pot Raffle. Having bought raffle tickets on three different occasions, including that night, Andrea came out a winner with her four-ticket purchase at the October 11 Business After Hours hosted by Fitness Formula Club.
On behalf of the Executive Committee, Centennial Celebration Board of Directors Chair Ken Bartels of Awards Gala Sponsor Community Bank of Elmhurst and Ken Bartels Consulting surprised both Centennial Celebration Committee Chair Julie Miller of IRS Trouble Solvers and yours truly with special recognitions. Julie’s new award will only be presented every 100 years and I received a Cubs-themed painting of Chicago’s skyline.
Hear The E-town Low Down
Yours truly is the featured guest on The E-town Low Down’s first podcast of the new year, as grilled by co-hosts Robbie, Rick and PK.
State of Our City
A full house of members and guest attended Elmhurst Mayor Steve Morley’s Annual “State of Our City” Address at our Chamber’s January 8 Membership Breakfast hosted by Community Bank of Elmhurst in the second-floor Hammersmith Community Room.
The program was taped by Elmhurst Our Kind of Town for airing on Comcast Channel 6 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 during February on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Later, it will be available for viewing at elmhursttv.com.
State of the County
DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin (R-Elmhurst) delivered his State of the County Address at Bobak’s Signature Events in Woodridge on January 9 before a “Sold Out” audience of more than 220 businesspeople representing Elmhurst and 11 other chambers of commerce. Cronin discussed his efforts to consolidate property tax-funded governmental bodies for the benefit of residents and businesses countywide.
Elmhurst Community Directory
Some 19,200 copies of the 2019 Elmhurst Community Directory, produced in partnership with the Elmhurst Suburban Life/Shaw Media, were Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)-delivered to every residential, business and Post Office box address in Elmhurst in January. Some 800 to 1,000 Directories will be distributed via our New Resident Greeter Tote Program, and thousands more Directories are available at numerous public locations—including Elmhurst City Hall, Elmhurst Public Library and Elmhurst Park District Administration Office—and businesses.
Happy Anniversaries
Eight members are celebrating milestone Chamber anniversaries in February, as follows: 25 years—Catalano, Caboor & Co.; 20 years—Ankle N Foot Centers and District 205 Foundation; 15 years—Jane Dilworth & Associates and Luurs Garden & Flower Shoppe; 10 years—Massage Envy and Stasica Construction; and 5 years—HPN Worldwide.
New Members
The Chamber welcomed three new members in January as follows: Integrated Design, New York Life Insurance Company and Pilot Pete’s Coffee and Treats.
Reactivated Members
Spring Inn, now under new ownership, reactivated its membership in January after a 20-year hiatus.
No Longer Members
The Chamber said goodbye to the following eight members in January: Blue Collar Computing, Brewpoint Coffee and Roastery, Clarion Hotel Conference Center, Cohab & Company, Conquer Myasthenia Gravis, Coora Construction, Forum Financial Management and Mrs. Illinois International (Kaili Harding).