Archive for November, 2008
November 29th, 2008
 In addition to the events for the “LiveBig Weekend”, this years’ Jobapalooza is being held Saturday, November 29, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at Giovanni’s Restaurant & Convention Center 610 N. Bell School Rd, Rockford, IL. Several manufacturing companies have reserved space at this event. Here is the list as of now…manufacturers are in bold….Â
Aerotek; Alpine Bank; AMCORE Bank; Beloit Clinic; Bergstrom; City of Rockford; Cumulus Broadcasting; Danfoss Drives; Field Fastener; Furst Project Professionals; Gary W. Anderson & Associates; GrahamSpencer; Haldex Hydraulics; Hamilton Sundstrand; Ingenium Technologies; Lindgren, Callihan, Van Osdol & Co.; OSF Saint Anthony Mecial Center; Rasmussen College; River District Association; Rock River Valley Blood Center; Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau; Rockford Area Economic Development Council; Rockford Area Realtors; Rockford Business College; Rockford Chamber of Commerce; Rockford College; Rockford Health System; Rockford Park District; Servicom-llc; SwedishAmerican Health System; Sikich; TAC; ThermoFisher Scientific; Trekk Cross-Media; Winnebago County; Walter Wayne Commercial Real Estate; and workplace.
If you are interested in attending this event, you can check the Rockford Society for Human Resource Management web site at; it also gives a list of ALL the LiveBig Weekend events:
http://www.rockfordshrm.org/
November 28th, 2008
Now here is an interesting web site that came to me from a reader of my blog: “Recession? Let’s start a Revolution”
http://madehereinamerica.com/default.aspx
This one has lots of good information and it keeps growing. Who says we don’t make stuff here in the U.S.?
November 26th, 2008
It’s the time for buying our friends and family Christmas or Thanksgiving presents. Now here is an idea…why not buy stuff made in Illinois, USA?
Here is a new web site that is building a list of companies that make products suitable for gift giving or buying for ourselves through the year.
http://madeinillinois.biz/
Let’s keep our hard earned money here in our state.  Mrs. Fisher’s Potato chips and Heartland products made here in Rockford are two that come to mind.
http://www.heartwoodcreations.com/
www.mrsfisherschips.com/
Can you think of any others??
November 26th, 2008
In addition to the events for the “LiveBig Weekend”, this years’ Jobapalooza is being held Saturday, November 29, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at Giovanni’s Restaurant & Convention Center 610 N. Bell School Rd, Rockford, IL. Several manufacturing companies have reserved space at this event. Here is the list as of now…manufacturers are in bold….Â
Aerotek; Alpine Bank; AMCORE Bank; Beloit Clinic; Bergstrom; City of Rockford; Cumulus Broadcasting; Danfoss Drives; Field Fastener; Furst Project Professionals; Gary W. Anderson & Associates; GrahamSpencer; Haldex Hydraulics; Hamilton Sundstrand; Ingenium Technologies; Lindgren, Callihan, Van Osdol & Co.; OSF Saint Anthony Mecial Center; Rasmussen College; River District Association; Rock River Valley Blood Center; Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau; Rockford Area Economic Development Council; Rockford Area Realtors; Rockford Business College; Rockford Chamber of Commerce; Rockford College; Rockford Health System; Rockford Park District; Servicom-llc; SwedishAmerican Health System; Sikich; TAC; ThermoFisher Scientific; Trekk Cross-Media; Winnebago County; Walter Wayne Commercial Real Estate; and workplace.
If you are interested in attending this event, you can check the Rockford Society for Human Resource Management web site at; it also gives a list of ALL the LiveBig Weekend events:
http://www.rockfordshrm.org/
November 24th, 2008
Here is another web site where you can buy stuff made in Illinois for Thanksgiving or Christmas; sure beats that stuff made in, well, you know!
http://www.agr.state.il.us/marketing/expo/expoexhibit.html
Here’s the other link that’s useful.
http://madeinillinois.biz/
Let’s keep looking for these locally manufactured products!!
November 24th, 2008
No one said fixing the auto crisis was going to be easy. Here are two views. The first from Mitch Albom, Editorial Writer for the Detroit Free Press…
http://www.freep.com/article/20081123/COL01/811230371/1082/col01
This one is from Mitt Romney, former Detroit resident, and son of George Romney, past President of American Motors and former Governor of Michigan.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5218239.ece
Unfortunately, the fate of a major part of U.S. manufacturing rests with the meeting Dec. 2nd, when the auto guys come back to Congress. I hope they have a plan that will work.
November 21st, 2008
I think GM, Ford or Chrysler should not be forced into Bankruptcy, otherwise known as Chapter 11 (C-11). This filing will allow the company to continue tooperate, but:
1. Many small-medium suppliers would get next to nothing for the payables they are owed from any of the “3″. I talked with one local supplier the other night whose company is owed “millions” and if his customer went Chapter 11, they’d get a small part of what they are owed. That’s the way the Bankruptcy works. Some Rockford manufacturers could get hit hard and possibly have to file for bankruptcy as we.
2. Pension funds for former or current employees that include GM or Ford stocks, could become worthless. Sure, they ‘re pretty low right now, but remember Chrysler 25 years ago when it went down to $3/share? As they got well and paid their government loans AHEAD of schedule, the stock price went way, way up. I wish I bought then. It could happen here if they avoid C-11.
3. Where will they get the DIP financing? That’s “Debtor in Possession” financing from banks/government to operate while they reorganize.
If the “3″ and Congress can fashion a bailout plan, Congress MUST put some strings and oversight over the use of the loaned money and the 3’s restructuring plan which should include: executives wages of $1/year, sale of foreign assets and foreign ventures, MAJOR concessions from the UAW and the Dealer network, and a rigid timetable to implement the changes and for paying back the loans.
Well, I guess it’s not that critical as Congress is going on vacation until next month.
November 20th, 2008
So if this is such a serious problem, how come the auto guys didn’t have their act together and how come Congress can just walk away from this problem? Now this is leadership in action! Excepted from the WSJ…
Democratic leaders in Congress decided Thursday to delay a vote to bail out auto makers until December and demanded the Big Three companies show how the funds would transform their beleaguered industry.
“The executives of the auto industry have not been able to convince the American people or the Congress that this bailout would be their last,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said at a news conference.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: “Until they show us the plan, we cannot show them the money.”
She and Mr. Reid said Congress would return to work in early December to vote on legislation if auto makers produce an acceptable plan. They said there was no plan in circulation that could pass both houses of Congress and win President George W. Bush’s approval.
The bill faces an uncertain future on Capitol Hill. The measure would speed release of $25 billion in already approved loans designed to help the industry meet higher fuel-economy standards.
Similar approaches have been opposed by senior Democrats, including Speaker Pelosi, who have instead pushed an alternative measure that would carve $25 billion for the industry out of the $700 billion financial rescue fund. The compromise bill faces other hurdles, especially from liberals who don’t want any retreat from environmental mandates on the industry.
Congress could return the week of Dec. 8, but only if auto makers deliver an acceptable plan.
Meanwhile, United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger warned the Bush administration and Congress to come to an agreement on aid for the domestic auto industry because “inaction is simply not an option.”
Mr. Gettelfinger said without help, one or more of the Detroit Three auto makers could collapse by the end of this year, and “the costs that would come from this are just too great.”
The odds were great that Congress would break today without taking action on any legislation that would help would help GM, Ford and Chrysler LLC.
November 19th, 2008
I recently made contact with the State of Illinois Office of Trade and Investment to see if they could assist me in finding distributors in Canada. Anyone thinking of this as a market, should read further.
After an earlier e-mail exchange with the Chicago office, I received a telephone call from two IL/Canada representatives, one of whom is a former Rockfordian, Jeffrey Johnson. He attended West H.S. and moved to Canada in 1990.
We had a very good discussion about their process whereby they research the possibilities, conduct telephone interviews, then arrange for a visit to Canada for face-face meetings. This should occur after January 1st.
I was impressed with the service I received from this office and I look forward to developing this market.
A good use of our taxpayer dollars!
November 19th, 2008
At the invitation of the Rockford Area Economic Development Corporation (Mark Podemski and Marie-Louise Pettersson), I took advantage of meeting with them and Leif Eriksson from the Sweden Export Sales company called ITM. Marie-Louise is an intern from Sweden working with RAEDC and helped to organize maybe 10 companies for Mr. Eriksson to visit. Mr. Eriksson is the Director, Industrial Development of the City of Lidkoping, Sweden.
An interesting concept that Sweden has developed. Thanks to Mark who saw this as an opportunity for local area manufacturers to enter Sweden/Europe by training a Sweden sales representative to sell their products in Sweden and other parts of Europe.
The program works by a local company agreeing to hire on a pre-screened young person from Sweden to work and train in his/her company for 6 months. There would also be a training program on various sales modules that would include International Trade Strategies, International Market Research,International Law and several others over an 11 day period, most of which would be back in Sweden.
At the end of the 6 months, the trainee returns to Sweden to a facility that acts like an incubator and for low facility costs, the newly trained sales representative begins selling for the Rockford company as their employee.
It looks like a good way for a company to begin the journey of exporting into Sweden/Europe.
If you’d like more information, contact Marie-Louise at mlpettersson@rockfordil.com or 815-987-8118. Better hurry, she retuns to Sweden in February!
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