I N THIS ISSUE PAGE 1: ANNUAL DINNER OVERVIEW PAGE 2: OUR 2018 BOARD & AMBASSADORS 2018 SPONSORS TO DATE PAGE 3: AWARD NOMINEES PAGE 4: BUSINESS OF THE YEAR PAGE 5: VOLUNTEERS OF YEAR PAGE 6: COMMUNITY BETTERMENT PAGE 7; THE FICKLE GODDESS OF FORTUNE PAGE 8: SMALL TOWN TRENDS WEBINAR SERIES PAGE 9: CHAMBER GOLF PAGE 10– 13 CHAMBER’ S 2017 ANNUAL REPORT PAGE 14 ACE HARDWARE PAGE 15 NATIONAL SMALL BUSINSS WEEK PAGE 16 YOUT I NVESTMENT AT WORK Chamber Connection 31 ST ANNUAL D INNER MEETING IS A WRAP ! The 31st Annual Pike County Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting & Dinner was held Thursday, March 22nd at the Crossroads Center in Pittsfield. The meeting was attended by close to 100 Chamber members, guests, city and village officials, and members of the media. Networking and social time began at 6:00 PM, with dinner and the program immediately following. A delicious ca- tered meal was provided by the Crossroads Center. Ariana White took the great photos you will see in this newsletter and online. Chamber Board president Beth White conducted the business meeting. Minutes from the previous year were approved and the financials placed on file. Susan Chenoweth was nominated and approved as a new member of the Chamber Board, representing Illini Community Hospital. Our 2017 Annual Report was distributed, which recaps highlights from our year. It is posted on our website, and inserted here in pages 10-13. Chamber highlights were shared via a new tactic-video. The Chamber’s 2018 sponsors were recognized at the meeting and a PowerPoint presentation containing a thank-you message and their logos ran as a continuous loop throughout the social hour and dinner. We recognize our 2018 sponsors on page two. Their logos are throughout this newsletter. The highlight of the evening is always the awards ceremony. Each year the Chamber presents a Business of the Year, Volunteers of the Year, and Community Betterment Awards. The recipients of all of the awards were selected from nominations made by chamber members and the community at large. There were a number of nominations for each award (page 3). The Fickle Goddess of Fortune made her ninth appearance as well— you can read more on page seven. We believe strongly that each person or business nominated was worthy and we hope they feel honored to be recognized by their peers. Our awards ceremony presentation shared the key points from their nomination submissions. It was clear that volunteerism and business is alive and well in Pike County. Please read about all of the Volunteer and Community Betterment recipients on pages five and six. The Business of the Year winner can be found on page four. Other events are featured. I would be happy to share other details if requested. Enjoy reading and share! DON’ T DELETE THIS NEWSLETTER! PLEASE FORWARD IT TO YOUR EMPLOYEES, CO- WORKERS & FRIENDS! Volume 10, Issue 1 Spring, 2018 Kaye Iftner, Executive Director and Editor
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IN THIS ISSUE
PAGE 1:
ANNUAL D INNER OVERVIEW
PAGE 2:
OUR 2018 BOARD &
AMBASSADORS
2018 SPONSORS TO DATE
PAGE 3: AWARD NOMINEES
PAGE 4: BUSINESS OF THE
YEAR
PAGE 5: VOLUNTEERS OF
YEAR
PAGE 6: COMMUNITY
BETTERMENT
PAGE 7; THE FICKLE
GODDESS
OF FORTUNE
PAGE 8: SMALL TOWN TRENDS
WEBINAR SERIES
PAGE 9: CHAMBER GOLF
PAGE 10– 13
CHAMBER’S
2017 ANNUAL REPORT
PAGE 14 ACE HARDWARE
PAGE 15 NATIONAL SMALL
BUSINSS WEEK
PAGE 16 YOUT INVESTMENT
AT WORK
Chamber Connection
31ST ANNUAL DINNER MEETING IS A WRAP!
The 31st Annual Pike County Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting & Dinner was held
Thursday, March 22nd at the Crossroads Center in Pittsfield. The meeting was attended by close to
100 Chamber members, guests, city and village officials, and members of the media. Networking and
social time began at 6:00 PM, with dinner and the program immediately following. A delicious ca-
tered meal was provided by the Crossroads Center. Ariana White took the great photos you will see in
this newsletter and online.
Chamber Board president Beth White conducted the business meeting. Minutes from the previous
year were approved and the financials placed on file. Susan Chenoweth was nominated and approved
as a new member of the Chamber Board, representing Illini Community Hospital.
Our 2017 Annual Report was distributed, which recaps highlights from our year. It is posted on our
website, and inserted here in pages 10-13. Chamber highlights were shared via a new tactic-video.
The Chamber’s 2018 sponsors were recognized at the meeting and a PowerPoint presentation
containing a thank-you message and their logos ran as a continuous loop throughout the social hour
and dinner. We recognize our 2018 sponsors on page two. Their logos are throughout this newsletter.
The highlight of the evening is always the awards ceremony. Each year the Chamber presents
a Business of the Year, Volunteers of the Year, and Community Betterment Awards. The recipients
of all of the awards were selected from nominations made by chamber members and the community at
large. There were a number of nominations for each award (page 3). The Fickle Goddess of Fortune
made her ninth appearance as well— you can read more on page seven.
We believe strongly that each person or business nominated was worthy and we hope they feel
honored to be recognized by their peers. Our awards ceremony presentation shared the key points
from their nomination submissions. It was clear that volunteerism and business is alive and well in
Pike County. Please read about all of the Volunteer and Community Betterment recipients on pages
five and six. The Business of the Year winner can be found on page four. Other events are featured.
I would be happy to share other details if requested. Enjoy reading and share!
DON’T DELETE THIS NEWSLETTER! PLEASE FORWARD IT TO
YOUR EMPLOYEES, CO-WORKERS & FRIENDS!
Volume 10, Issue 1
Spring, 2018
Kaye Iftner, Executive Director and Editor
P 2
Beth White, President Farmers National Bank of Griggsville Charlie Hull, Vice Pres, Individual Peter Wright, Treasurer, Wright Place Auto Body David Fuhler, WBBA Carolyn Casteel, Casteel’s Bob Evans, Pike County Historical Society Brenda Middendorf, Two Rivers RC&D/Access Ill/PCEDC Coy Bainter, First National Bank of Barry Jennifer Niebur, Niebur Funeral Homes Andy Sprague, Sprague’s Kinderhook Lodge Robert Wood, City of Pittsfield Jan Gates, the Golden Ruler, Gates, Inc, Barry Business Assn. Jeremy Wombles, Hopewell Winery Diane Vose, JWCC Susan Chenoweth, Illini Community Hospital (new 3/18) Kaye Iftner, Executive Director
2018 Chamber Board
2017-2018 Ambassadors
Kim Ator, Farmers State Bank Sheila Davidsmeyer, Northwestern Mutual Financial Tammy Harshman, Illini Health Services Nancy Kurpaitis, Florence Village President Erin Ruebbelke, KHQA Rita Neff, CNB Bank & Trust Shelly Martin, CNB Bank & Trust Nathan Painter, Edward Jones Marci Freesen, UCB Bank Gretchen Bogatzke, UCB Bank
Leaving in March 2018:
Megan Newman, formerly Pike County Health Department, now
Pittsfield Economic Development Director
Thanks to our 2018 Sponsors
We thank our 2018 Sponsors for their support. We keep our dues as
low as possible to encourage membership from all sizes of businesses.
Sponsorships allow us to do additional projects and better serve the
community. Sponsors are recognized throughout the year. Call us if
you’d like to join this wonderful group of people and businesses by
being a 2018 sponsor!
PLATINUM LEVEL
Illini Community Hospital
Two Rivers Jeep Club
VIP
CASSCOMM
Cintas
Farmers National Bank of Griggsville
Pike County Economic Development
Pike County Farm Bureau
United Community Bank
FIRST CLASS
Farmers State Bank
First National Bank of Barry
Illini Health Services
Niebur Funeral Homes
Northwestern Mutual Financial
Pike County Housing
Royal Printing
BUSINESS CLASS
Casteel’s
Illinois Electric Cooperative
This Sign Ads
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park at Pine Lakes
Wright Place Auto Body
Thanks to our Platinum Sponsors
Our Awards:
The Business of the Year recognizes a successful Pike County business that has demonstrated integrity
and community involvement.
The Volunteer of the Year can be any Pike County resident who volunteers his or her time to support Pike
County and his or her community.
The ninth annual Community Betterment Award is intended to recognize the contribution of an
individual or group of individuals whose vision and actions have bettered the city or village in which they live.
The Fickle Goddess of Fortune (see the background on page 7) is a traveling award bestowed upon a business
we feel fortunate to have in the county. She made her 9th appearance this year.
Our Nominees:
Business of the Year
Free Press Coffee & Jane Ann Petty
Harpole’s Heartland Lodge and Resort
Whitetail Properties Real Estate LLC
Volunteer of the Year
Sheila Davidsmeyer
Lloyd Lawber
Stefanie Rennecker and Ryan Lowe
Community Betterment
Joe Petty Construction, Chris Petty, Jonas Petty
Eastside Gardens and Bloomers
Two Rivers Jeep Club
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We are pleased to announce our 2017 Award recipients (announced at the 2018 meeting) and share in
the celebration of their recognition in the following pages:
Business of the Year: Harpole’s Heartland Lodge and Resort, Nebo, IL
Volunteers of the Year: Stefanie Rennecker and Ryan Lowe
Community Betterment: Two Rivers Jeep Club
Fickle Goddess of Fortune: Teddy’s Bar & Grill in Griggsville
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Twenty-three years ago, Gary Harpole with his mother Wanda by his side,
started Heartland Lodge with the vision of promoting our area’s scenic
beauty to attract visitors, similar to how Colorado promotes its mountains
and Florida promotes its beaches. Then 25 year old Gary moved next to the
family farm in a tiny teardrop trailer and began to construct the first of what
has now grown to three lodges and a large guest cabin.
Each lodge décor features a unique theme, all oriented to the outdoors.
Standard in each lodge is a gathering room and lower level recreation rooms.
Most of the 31 guest rooms feature panoramic views of rolling hillsides.
Heartland Lodge Resort has become a popular place for corporate retreats,
weddings, family weekends, reunions, special events, themed weekends,
and of course hunting.
Although our area enjoys a reputation throughout the US for whitetail deer hunting, outdoor enthusiasts come to Heartland Lodge for
quail and upland bird hunting as well. Many guests also come for unique sporting opportunities beyond hunting. In 2015, Heartland
Lodge opened an expanded ATV park, with over 60 miles of ATV trails through 1,200 acres. An estimated 4,000 visitors used the
park in 2017.
In October of 2017, Harpole’s Heartland Lodge & Resort announced the construction of four new luxury cabins. The focus of these
self-contained cabins is to bring more tourists into the region on a year-round basis and to have them spend money in our
communities. Guests staying at these cabins will be encouraged to visit local attractions, events, stores, and restaurants. Along with
weekend getaways, longer vacation stays will be promoted. The cabins will serve as a ―home base‖ for vacationing guests. Along
with our local county attractions, activities within an 80-mile radius of the resort will be promoted. Some will invest in our commu-
nities by purchasing land, building their own cabins/homes, and starting new businesses along with other development.
In 2017, the entire Heartland Lodge & Resort attracted over 20,000 visitors from all over the world to Pike and Calhoun Counties,
injecting millions of dollars into our economy, impacting local restaurants, grocery stores, and retail establishments.
The entire team at Heartland Lodge is dedicated to making our community a better place to live and visit. It is a vital part of their
core values and what motivates them to work hard every day. The Lodge is noted for their outstanding customer service. The
tremendous vision, business success, and focus on the community are why Heartland Lodge and Resort is our 2017 Business of the
Year recipient. Congratulations to Gary, Wanda, and the entire Heartland Lodge crew!
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Did you know…..
National research shows that consumers believe a company is trustworthy, involved in the community and is an industry leader when it
is part of a Chamber? A national study from the Schapiro Group found that consumers are 63% more likely to buy from a Chamber
member, and the first place people look for information about a community is the local Chamber of Commerce. Traffic on the
Chamber’s web site (www.pikeil.org) certainly supports this fact- and the Chamber Member Directory is the second most visited page
on the site! In addition, the Chamber handles dozens of calls every week from businesses, tourists and residents looking for your
business. Call us today and ask how we can help market and promote your business.
The 45th Great River Honor Flight took place in
October of 2017. It was a unique group that included
veterans from Korea and Vietnam, with all but two of
them being from Pike County Illinois. The group
consisted of 66 local veterans – 7 who served during the
Korean conflict and the remaining 59 served in Viet-
nam. They headed to Washington DC along with 46
guardians, many of who were relatives of the
veterans.
This special group came to be due to a request by a cou-
ple of individuals from Pike County. They wanted to
see if there could be an Honor Flight with just veterans
from their county and began raising money for it more
than a year in advance of the trip. The driving force for
this effort was a brother sister duo–
Stefanie Lowe Rennecker and Ryan Lowe.
Stefanie works in the Western School District, and Ryan in the Pleasant Hill School District. Both districts supported the effort .
They reached out to other school districts but were determined to make the trip happen no matter what. They held community and
school fundraisers, gathered donations, and got the communities behind them to honor area veterans with this trip. Thanks to
Stefanie and Ryan, and a lot of other volunteers, 112 Veterans and their Guardians ( twice the normal size of previous Great River
Honor Flights) made memories that would last a lifetime. Congratulations!