APRIL 2019 • Volume 17 | Issue 4

IN THIS ISSUE RiverBend Growth Association Names Grafton Winery & Brewhaus Its Small Business of the Month Small Business of the Month • Grafton Winery & The RiverBend Growth have been ranked Brewhaus Association has named Grafton as the Third Largest Winery & Brewhaus as its Small Winery by case Q & A - Young Adults Business of the Month for April production in the Committee 2019. St. Louis Region • Kate Booten Lori and Mike Nikonovich by the St. Louis • Jarrett Smiley opened Grafton Winery Business Journal. & Brewhaus in December They take pride Mayor Report 2008 with a vision to grow. in their products, • East Alton Since 2008 Grafton Winery & and because of the Brewhaus has done just that Vineyards they have for Got My Six, who supplies Welcome our new members while continually winning been able to produce more support dogs for veterans. • Bluff Outdoors distinguished awards. In 2013 wine which allowed them to Lori formerly volunteered • Nicky G’s Italian Eats Grafton Winery & Brewhaus increase their wholesale wine with the RiverBend Growth • StorCo Self Storage expanded with an addition to distribution and craft beer Association as an Ambassador, the Brewhaus and also created production. and Mike recently finished RBGA Members in the News the “Confluence Patio,” the Grafton Winery & Brewhaus his second term as a Board • Centerstone covered patio on the west side takes pride in their community Member for the Great Rivers & of the building. In 2015 they service and charitable Routes Tourism Bureau. They expanded again with Grafton contributions over the past are members of the Grafton Winery the Vineyards, a more ten years. They represent a Chamber of Commerce and traditional winery setting with large geographic area in the Illinois Grape Growers & great views of the vineyard, through their partnerships with Vintners Alliance. lake, and the apple and peach their distributors, and they try orchards at Eckert’s Grafton to give back to all the areas Grafton Winery & Brewhaus Farm. they serve. They have donated 300 W. Main St. The Grafton Winery & their wine and hosted a wine Grafton, Illinois 62037 Brewhaus has been recently tasting for American Cancer honored with the Trip Advisor Society and have donated wine Grafton Winery the Vineyards Hall of Fame. They give credit for Beverly Farm’s Denim and 21028 Eckert Orchard Rd. for this distinction to their Diamonds event. They have Grafton, Illinois 62037 terrific staff that treats their also donated the Vineyards 618-786-3001 guests as though they are venue space annually for the www.thegraftonwinery.com welcoming them into their Great Rivers Choral Society’s Make sure to stay up to own home. In 2018 they were Dueling Piano Fundraiser, and date with their latest news by RiverBend Growth Association awarded with the Illinois Made worked in partnership with following them on 5800 Godfrey Road - BGM Certification by the Illinois the Riverbend Parrot Head Facebook @GraftonWinery 6722 Godfrey Road Department of Tourism. They Club Trivia Night Fundraiser Instagram @graftonwinery Godfrey IL 62035 (618) 467-2280 PODCAST available at http://www.growthassociation.com/page/lets-talk/ more pictures on page 3 Watch this month’s video presentation http://www.growthassociation.com/page/event-videos/

www.GrowthAssociation.com BUSINESS EDGE April 2019 | page 1 Business After Hours Held at Alton Physical Therapy RiverBend Growth Association members enjoyed a wonderful evening filled with great networking, food from Bakers & Hale, and tours at Alton Physical Therapy at Business After Hours in April. The RBGA would like to thank the co-hosts for the evening. As always, the RBGA would like to thank everyone for attending and making the night fun!

Bakers & Hale Alton Physical Therapy 7120 Montclair, Godfrey 1719 Clawson, Alton bakershale.com AltonPT.com (618) 433-9748 (618) 462-1133

This is the fourth in a series to meet the students from the five area 2018-2019 high schools represented on our Young Adults Committee. This month Members features a student from Roxana and one from East Alton-Wood River. Meet Kate... Meet Jarret... What school do you What school do you I really enjoy the attend and what year What is your favorite attend and what year experience of meeting are you? sport to watch? are you? and working with new East Alton - Wood or Roxana High School people. River High School Senior What is one of the JUNIOR If you were stranded What’s your favorite things on your What’s your favorite on a desert island, Riverbend restaurant? bucket list? Riverbend restaurant? what three things Los Tres Amigos travel to all 50 states My favorite restaurant would you bring? Kate Booten I would bring a multi- Where do you like and a bunch of other in the Riverbend area is Jarret Smiley countries Applebee’s. tool knife, a fishing to visit for vacation? net, and a box of matches if I were California What do you like most about Where do you like to visit for stranded on a desert island. What are your hobbies? your job? vacation? My favorite place to visit for What is your favorite sport to Softball and hanging out with my bosses and coworkers vacation is Myrtle Beach, South watch? friends Carolina. My favorite sport to watch is If you were stranded on a . Name one of your most desert island, what three important leadership skills. What is one of the things on things would you bring? I seem to have the ability to get your bucket list? my dog, food, and probably my people to do what they’re supposed Something that is at the top of phone to do and keep them on task. my bucket list is to see the streets of Rome, Italy. What do you like most about your job?

www.GrowthAssociation.com BUSINESS EDGE April 2019 | page 2 Board of Directors Welcome our newest members to the RiverBend Rob Schwartz, Chairman TheBANK of Edwardsville Growth Association John Roberts, Past Chairman Roberts Motors Bluff City Outdoors Bobby Garlands, Midsouth, model. The dining room has Mike Fitzgerald, Treasurer Mark McMurray President Muddy Waters, Slab Buster, been redecorated to better Scheffel Boyle 2813 E Broadway Southern Pro, Charlie Brewer, accommodate private parties, Lori Artis plus some of the best crappie Lewis and Clark Community Alton IL 62002-1861 College (618) 465-6175 rods in the industry. We are John Barnerd bluffcityoutdoors.com home to some of the best bass Simmons Hanly Conroy fishing tackle in the area, and all Tom Berry the hooks and terminal tackle Jackson Lewis P.C. you could ever need. We have a Dale Blachford Liberty Bank friendly staff, are locally owned, and is the perfect spot to have Greg Caffey and we hope you will stop in and your party of 20-48 people. City of Alton see us. NickyGs will cater your event at Doug Cobb you home, office or the venue Carpenters Local 664 of your choice! Menus can be Melissa Erker Nicky G’s Italian Eats customized to meet your needs! Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery Bluff City Outdoors is the Dee Gehrs Brad Goacher 1801 State Street See NickyGs.com for menus. Alton Memorial Hospital area’s hidden diamond for Mark Haggard fishing bait and tackle. We carry Alton IL 62002-3368 CNB Bank & Trust, N.A. a full selection of live and frozen (618) 406-9730 StorCo Self Storage Mat Hanley baits, the area’s best selection nickygs.com James Reid Owner OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s of gear for catching that world NickyGs is a full-service 1401 Vaughn Road Health Center Wood River IL 62095-1853 Pam Heepke class catfish. Tangling With caterer located at 1801 State Raifort Commerce Park Catfish, Big Cat Fever, Warrior St in Alton. Owners, Steve and (618) 712-0130 Cody Hinkle Cat, Shattered Cat, Surge, Penn, Dee Gehrs opened in summer STORCOsolutions.com Beverly Farm Abu Garcia, Daiwa, and lots of We are a storage facility and a Jennifer Jackson of 2017 as a small restaurant snagging hooks. We also have and ran it as such for a year. In shopping plaza with a few store Helmkamp Construction Co. fronts. Tim Kuebrich the area’s largest selection of summer of 2018 they moved Lake Drive Logistics lures for crappie and panfish: to an all catering business Jeff Lauritzen COUNTRY Financial Eric McRoy Advantage News David Miller More pictures of Grafton Winery & Brewhaus... St. Louis Regional Airport Stephanie Monroe Riverbend Chiropractic Center Scott Reichmann BarberMurphy Group Don Retzlaff Argosy Casino Alton Dan St. Peters St. Peters Hardware & Rental Stan Scott Illinois American Water Terry Shewmake IBEW Local 649 Jim Shrader Consultant Sam Stemm WBGZ/AltonDailyNews.com Dave Stevenson Quality Buick GMC Cadillac Steve Thompson Carrollton Bank Denise VonderHaar The Telegraph Dwight Werts Werts Welding & Tank Service Denise Wolff Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Elite Properties Augie Wuellner Alton Securities & Asset Advisors

www.GrowthAssociation.com BUSINESS EDGE April 2019 | page 3 RBGA Upcoming Events Thursday, May 16 | 11:00 a.m. Ribbon Cutting: Thrive All members are invited! 4854 N. Alby, Godfrey 62035 Visit our website calendar Wednesday, May 15 11:30 a.m. registration & lunch buffet for event details - Bluff City Grill | 424 East Broadway, Alton GrowthAssociation.com $12 admission

CORPORATE SPONSORS (through April 29, 2019) American Family Insurance - G. Fischer American Water Resources Beverly Farm C.J. Schlosser & Co., L.L.C. Cedarhurst of Bethalto rsday May 30, 2019 Cedarhurst of Godfrey Claywell Asset Management 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Cope Plastics, Inc. Donnewald Distributing Company Raging Rivers WaterPark Helmkamp Construction Co. 100 Palisades Parkway Liberty Bank • The largest networking event Mid America Audiology Group Grafton IL 62037 of the summer Midwest Members Credit Union Morningside of Godfrey • Opportuniti es to learn about your Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery $5 ADMISSION community Quality Buick GMC Cadillac  t dr • 150+ winners of fabulous prizes Chiropractic Robert “Chick” Fritz, Inc. Incud te  wrng, • Sponsorships available Roberts Motors o , s n n uc  t ac Schiber Truck Company, Inc. Sheppard, Morgan & Schwaab SSM Health Physical Therapy TheBANK of Edwardsville CO-HOSTED BY Dcis vrag Tucker’s Automotive & Tire, Inc. WBGZ/AltonDailyNews.com compliments of The Wealthcare Group -Donnewald Distributi ng -Graft on Winery & BOOTH SPONSORS Brewhaus Airport Plaza Bowl/Bowl Haven Lanes -Old Bakery Beer Alton Little Theater, Inc. -Robert “Chick” Fritz Fo &  rs Alton Physical Therapy compliments of Associated Bank -Alton Sports Tap Bliss Salon & Spa -Argosy’s Hops House Boots on the Green -Bakers & Hale Elsah, Village of -Great Rivers Tap & Grill First Mid Bank & Trust -Loading Dock Marathon Pipe Line LLC -Raging Rivers OSF Healthcare Saint Anthony’s Health Center RiverBender.com Rolling Hills & Spencer T. Olin SNIP Alliance Fr r frmi, c Tr  t RBGA  618-467-2280. St. Ambrose Catholic School State Farm - Steve Tassinari RiverBend Growth Associati on | 5800 Godfrey Road - BGM | Godfrey IL 62035 | GrowthAssociati on.com Telle Tire & Auto Centers

www.GrowthAssociation.com BUSINESS EDGE April 2019 | page 4 A Year of Progress for Professional Hearing Associates

Professional Hearing “Professional Hearing Associates was formed to Associates is a great addition create relationships with to our Riverbend area. Dr. patients by offering the highest Hopper and his office is an quality of services. Since being asset to our community in business for the past year and will help the Riverbend those patient relationships have grown, and now Professional continue to thrive and grow Hearing Associates will be by helping meeting the expanding their office space to healthcare needs of area accommodate an even more residents,” explained Dr. comprehensive approach to Stephanie Monroe of River hearing healthcare. Along with Bend Chiropractic Center and expanding their office space member of the RiverBend Professional Hearing Associates Growth Association’s Board also has plans to increase their of Directors. Audiology and Hearing Aid coverage area. Services offered by Professional

Dr. Hopper is in the business Hearing Associates include: Dr. Joe Hopper of Professional of healthcare not retail. He Tinnitus Treatment Options, Hearing Associates has been wants to present you or your Diagnostic Audiological serving the local Riverbend loved ones with customized Evaluations, VNG – Balance community for more than Professional Hearing Associates solutions that fit your lifestyle. Evaluation, Custom Earmolds 20 years. With his wife, Kim 1344 D’Adrian Professional Park Professional Hearing Associates and Earplugs, Cerumen Hopper, Dr. Hopper decided provides a number of services Removal, Hearing Aid Godfrey, IL 62035 to open his own practice in and has professionals on staff Evaluation and Selection, professionalhearingassociates.com the Riverbend dedicated to with the expert knowledge Hearing Aid Dispensing & 618-466-4444 using the latest technology to required to treat your hearing Fitting, Hearing Aid Repairs, diagnose and treat patients’ Facebook @DrJoeHopper healthcare needs. As a private Industrial Hearing Screenings, hearing difficulties and to practice, Professional Hearing and Musician’s Ear Plugs & provide state of the art custom Associates is geared towards Monitors (Evaluation and solutions to rehabilitate individual patient care and Fitting). hearing. With a Doctorate their own treatment plan and degree in Audiology, Dr. Hopper goals. As an Audiologist who The RiverBend Growth offers solutions to a multitude holds a doctoral degree, Dr. Association supports of different hearing healthcare Hopper has special training in Professional Hearing needs. the prevention, identification, Associates, and its members, by assessment, and non-medical offering a Showcase to member treatment of hearing disorders. businesses. Please visit http:// www.growthassociation.com/ “Professional Hearing page/member-benefits/ if you Associates with Dr. Hopper’s would like to know more about experience and personality this member benefit. makes it easy to connect with him. I think this is the main reason for the growth of his business this past year,” expressed Amelia Brinkman of Regions Bank and Ambassador for the RiverBend Growth Association.

www.GrowthAssociation.com BUSINESS EDGE April 2019 | page 5 RBGA-O at Breakfast Connections

For this month’s Breakfast Connections, RBGA members enjoyed a game of RBGAO, a human networking bingo activity, that helped make networking easy and fun for all.

Please join us next month on May 15th at Bluff City Grill as Eric D. McRoy continues to deliver valuable content based on “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

Friday June 21, 2019

11:00 shotgun start NEW 4-person scramble

$1,800 Cash Pay Outs 1st, 2nd & 3rd place in 3 flights 5801 Pierce Lane | Godfrey IL 62035

REGISTRATION www.GrowthAssociation.com | 618-467-2280

Sponsor Opportunities Player Clubhouse Sponsor $800 Opportunities Own A Hole Sponsor $400 Team $500 Beverage Cart Sponsor $350 Individual $125 Putting Green Sponsor $200 Tee Box Sponsor $150

TITLE SPONSOR RiverBend GROWTH ASSOCIATION Serving Business, Encouraging Growth in Southwestern Illinois

Sponsorship registration deadline is May 31, 2019.

RiverBend Growth Association | 5800 Godfrey Road - BGM | Godfrey IL 62035 | 618-467-2280 | GrowthAssociation.com

www.GrowthAssociation.com BUSINESS EDGE April 2019 | page 6 RiverBend Growth Association’s Young Adults Committee helps spread awareness of Child Abuse Prevention Month By: Will Dixon and Grace Administration building. They volunteer organization to Schulz also took a brief tour of the collaborate with. center and highlighted some Grace Schulz is a junior On April 11, 2019, the Young of the services that the center who has only been involved Adults Committee of the offers. RiverBend Growth Association The volunteer experience “Doing this volunteer worked at the Madison had a very important meaning experience opened my eyes County Child Advocacy Center behind it. By cutting out and hopefully many others in Wood River, Illinois. The pictures of boys and girls for to the problem of child the Child Advocacy Center, abuse in my community.” “This volunteer work the members increased - Will Dixon, Marquette gives our staff much more awareness of Child Abuse Catholic High School time to assist children in Prevention Month. This has need and focus on making a community impact that is in the Young Adults this community safer.” very valuable and gives the Committee this - Claire Cooper, Child surrounding towns a look school year. She Advocacy Center into how many people are plays , and affected by child abuse. has been involved members worked with Claire Will Dixon and Grace Schulz with campus Cooper during their volunteer are the YAC representatives ministry, student experience. from Marquette Catholic High council, National Will Dixon and Grace Schulz School. There are five different Honors Society, chose to partner with the schools from the area that and yearbook club Child Advocacy Center to are a part of this organization: during her time at help spread awareness of Alton High School, Civic Marquette Catholic. and golf teams. He is the Child Abuse Prevention in the Memorial High School, East Will Dixon is a senior who has President of Student Council, Riverbend community. In the Alton Wood River High School, been involved for the past Vice President of National members’ experience, they Marquette Catholic High School two years. During his time Honors Society, and will be assisted the Child Advocacy and Roxana High School. Each at Marquette Catholic, he attending the University of Center with their children’s school has two representatives has been a member of the Illinois at Urbana-Champaign display at the Madison County who chose a non-profit baseball, soccer, basketball, this fall.

Mayor Report - Joe Silkwood, Village of East Alton The Village of East Alton 24,000 cars per day drive in Village paid for the engineering a brick by had many exciting economic the Route 3 corridor and are with our MFT funds. This contacting developments last year. enjoying the renovations as project turned out great for the Village Hall, Everybody is talking they take place. If you haven’t Wilshire area and we are all Keasler about the improvements at been by in a while I encourage looking forward to this year’s Recreation Eastgate Plaza along Route you to take a look for yourself. Soapbox Race as the track Complex, The 3. New ownership has In the center of town we will be smooth and fast! The East Alton made tremendous progress were fortunate that Schnucks Soapbox race is scheduled for American in their first year and they chose the East Alton Shop N September 7th. This race is Legion, or the East Alton are continuing to work on Save as one of the grocery a wonderful way to provide a History Museum. this huge redevelopment. stores they purchased. The forever memory to a young boy Please remember to support The Village has taken more Schnucks side of Wilshire or girl at a very low cost. Other local businesses whenever inquiries in the last year on has recently been purchased activities and food booths possible. My office is always this property and surrounding and we are optimistic about make this a festival for the open for questions or inquiries properties than the last 20 the future of Wilshire with whole family. on locating businesses in East years. Entertainment, food, Schnucks as the anchor tenant. Phase II Veteran’s Memorial Alton. I hope everyone has a and exercise is being added and The Village completed was completed in the last year. great spring/summer. upgraded to the existing center. the Berkshire Hill road It includes a brick walkway I expect that the next few years improvement with the honoring Veterans leading will lead to more at Eastgate assistance of a 75% federal up to a monument displaying and just as importantly to the construction grant and a 25% Village residents that were entire Route 3 corridor. Over Madison County grant. The killed in war. You may purchase

www.GrowthAssociation.com BUSINESS EDGE April 2019 | page 7 RBGA Members IN THE NEWS

Centerstone Receives Grant to Improve Community Health Care in Southern Illinois Behavioral health in the following counties: informed, and will integrate substance abuse treatment, organization seeking new Calhoun, Greene, Jersey, primary and behavioral education and support to clients to receive access to Macoupin, Madison and St. care. This program will be communities in Florida, community behavioral health Clair. used to increase access to Illinois, , , and services Those who qualify can and improve the quality of and additionally Centerstone, a national participate in this and other community behavioral health offer individuals with leader in behavioral health programs through Open Access services. It will expand services intellectual and developmental care, is seeking new clients walk-in hours between 9:00 am through the use of evidence- disabilities life skills to enroll in a new grant – 2:00 pm at the Alton, IL office based practices to provide development, employment and funded program. The Certified (2615 Edwards St.). During comprehensive community- housing services. Nationally, we Community Behavioral Open Access walk-in hours, a based mental and substance have specialized programs for Health Clinic (CCBHC) grant new client will receive a mental use disorder services. service members, veterans and was awarded to Centerstone health assessment. For more information about their loved ones, and develop to expand and improve New clients who will this grant and other programs employee assistance programs community health care in participate in this program please visit our website at for businesses of all sizes. Our Southern Illinois. will be included in National www.centerstone.org or call research institute improves The focus population Outcome Measures (NOMs), (855) 608-3560. behavioral healthcare through includes individuals with which prompt clients about About Centerstone research and technology, serious mental illness, their perception of care. Centerstone is a not-for- and our foundation secures substance use disorder, Services for this program profit health care organization philanthropic resources to co-occurring disorders, and will be patient- and family- dedicated to delivering care support our work. For more children and adolescents with centered, recovery-oriented, that changes people’s lives. information, visit www. serious emotional disturbance wellness-focused, trauma- We provide mental health and centerstone.org.

Continuing Critical Water and Wastewater Service during Flooding

As we well know in the River December 2000. If the new lining sewer mains to replacing prove their value Bend, flooding can leave a water treatment plant had not meters and hydrants, as well every day and scar that is remembered for been built, Illinois American as upgrading water treatment especially during generations. Illinois American Water’s Alton District water plant equipment. times of crises. Water learned this firsthand, treatment plant certainly In Alton, the answer was The investments along with our Alton friends would have been flooded building a new water treatment we’ve made and neighbors, in 1993. many, many times over the plant, out of flood-prone areas. ensure we are well positioned Together, we worked hard to last two decades. Because At times, our equipment to continue to meet customer save our old water treatment of this proactive major capital can’t be moved out of a needs in the communities that plant located on the river, investment in our water flood plain so operational rely on us. including constructing a levee infrastructure, reliable water plans are created, practiced of about 98,000 sandbags service is no longer threatened and followed to ensure Some of us who experienced holding 1,500 tons of sand, but in the Alton District to our continued service. This is it will never forget the Great it was to no avail. The river customers during flood-prone what is occurring currently Flood of 1993. There are many took over the water treatment times. in Grafton. While the river stories and memories. One plant and interrupted water This is an example of how continues to rise, our Illinois of those memories was of a service to our customers. Some Illinois American Water invests American Water team is able flooded water treatment plant customers were without water not only for future demand to continue providing critical in Alton. That’s a memory that service for a week while the and stricter EPA drinking water wastewater service. Water will not repeat itself. system was restored. guidelines, but also for possible service is also uninterrupted After the Great Flood of emergency situations like as it is provided from our Alton Karen Cooper is Senior 1993, Illinois American Water flooding, drought and more. water treatment plant. Water Manager of Illinois American constructed a new water We invest approximately $70 in Godfrey also comes from the Water’s Southern Division. treatment plant high on the million to $100 million annually Alton water treatment plant. bluffs, overlooking the river, in water and wastewater The continuous investments out of flood-prone areas. The system improvements, from made in our water and new plant went into service in extending water mains and wastewater infrastructure www.GrowthAssociation.com BUSINESS EDGE April 2019 | page 8