The business of Southwestern

Vol. 21 No. 4 • January 2021

I-270 overhaul to represent major changes By DENNIS GRUBAUGH

In coming years, the landscape of one of the busi- est roads will change forever. When done, Interstate 270, from the Riverview Drive interchange in to Illinois Route 157 in Glen Carbon will afford drivers a more convenient, east-west commute and better access to the ancillary roads along the way. In short, this will no longer be your father’s 270. Or, even your grandfather’s, if he was around when the road was finished in 1965. The rebuild is anticipated be- cause vehicle volumes are expected to increase 31 percent with growth and development along the corridor, based on highway data compiled in 2017 and projected out to 2044. “The highest daily use now is 56,900 per day. That is expected to go up 74,400. Some of the family members who are part of NOTS Logistics in Nashville, Ill., from left: Joe Kirchner, If no improvements are made, conges- tion would be at or near capacity,” Matt Michael Palko, Jason Povolish, Andy Kirchner, Kevin Brink and Michael Kollbaum. Overbey, project engineer with Craw- ford, Murphy & Tilly, said during a 40-year-old warehouser still breaking new ground recent forum. “Already, the accident rate along the stretch is nearly double the NOTS Logistics helps build Beach. Because of the more rural site, the and is the oldest of his siblings. “My statewide rate for the United States.” Nashville, Ill., area into Washington County operation gets less two brothers and three sisters were attention, but that’s starting to change. all there in 1981 when Jimmy Carter Contributing factors for crashes employment center “People see our location it’s like, oh was exiting as president and we had include capacity, lack of proper merg- my gosh, they have no idea the vast- 19 percent interest rates and my dad ing distances and narrow shoulders. By DENNIS GRUBAUGH ness of what exists out here,” said Andy said, ‘Hey, let’s go into business’.” Overbey and several other trans- Kirchner, the president and CEO, who It began with the purchase of a portation and engineering officials A new, 216,000-square-foot grew up in the business. “Millions and one-truck operation while the fam- laid out the challenges facing 270 dur- warehouse is adding to the land- millions of square feet of warehouse ily, led by parents Tom and Pat, was ing a public presentation in the fall. scape of a family operated indus- space, and we’re not the only ones living on a rural farm, eight miles Kirk Brown, program development trial park in Nashville, Ill., that that have grown up out here. We’ve outside Nashville. The business Tom engineer with Illinois Department of has quietly grown into one of the kind of been ’ best purchased was known as Norren- Transportation, said the preliminary engi- largest of its kind in Metro East. kept secret to be honest with you.” berns Truck Service, originally begun neering study looks at improvements to the The structure is the 24th build- The business hub along Il- in 1925 by Henry Norrenberns and entire corridor, including the interchanges at , Old Alton Road ing for NOTS Logistics, which rivals linois Route 27, just off Inter- family in Albers but sold a couple of and Route 203 in Granite City, Illinois the significance if not the size of the state 64, is turning 40 in 2021. times before Kirchner’s purchase. Route 111 and at Pontoon much larger Gateway Commerce “I was there the day we started,” said n See NOTS, Page 22 Beach and Route 157 in Glen Carbon. Center in Edwardsville and Pontoon 54-year-old Kirchner who was then 14 n See 270, Page 2 Podcasting studio gives business a chance to spread vital message By DENNIS GRUBAUGH Illinois Small Business Development doing some training,” she said, just before “The SBDC at SIUE has a proven Center for the Metro East has launched SIUE’s holiday break. “We’re looking to track record of supporting small busi- For months now, closeted busi- a podcasting studio, located within get a graduate student to oversee the oper- nesses and entrepreneurs from the Metro nesses have sought to break away the SBDC offices in Alumni Hall. ations, maybe help with some editing. The East, and we are proud to assist with their from a virus that has had them shut “We had put in a proposal for this goal is to offer services to business so they important work,” she said in a release. off from any kind of success. room, so that the SBDC and clients can promote their company and grow their SBDC has been able to pur- A new podcasting service at could use it for marketing, webinars, audience on line. We’ll use it ourselves chase necessary equipment to get SIUE may help some of them in get- video podcasting (and more), said for interviews with different partners.” the studio running, with the hopes ting back to business as usual. SBDC Director Jo Ann DiMaggio May. Pam Farrar, the Foundation’s executive of growing it in coming weeks. Bolstered by a grant from the Ed- The Foundation liked the concept. director, said her organization is happy to n See STUDIO, Page 7 wardsville Community Foundation, the “We’ve got everything ready to go and help with the virtual technology project.

ILLINOIS BUSINESS JOURNAL ROUTING SLIP Please initial and pass to the next executive in your department. The Year The last person is to return to my offi ce. Thanks in Review Special Section Pages 9-17