2019 May Issue

By DENNIS GRUBAUGH    Supporters are closing in on the launch of an incubator program to foster new business startups in the Metro East.    Paul Ellis, the director of economic development for Fairview Heights, has spent the last several months pulling together various resources, enlisting the support of state and local governments, local banks, educators and…

By DENNIS GRUBAUGH    Businesses chasing after government contracts have a nation of opportunity in front of them, and they could have an inside edge if they’re part of the growing HUBZone network.    The Historically Underutilized Business Zones, or HUBZone, program helps small businesses in urban and rural communities gain preferential access to federal procurement opportunities.…

By DENNIS GRUBAUGH    Backers of small business are lining up behind an Illinois senator’s proposal that they say would improve microlending to entrepreneurs in both rural and urban settings.    U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, said the new legislation would help small-business owners secure the financing they need to grow their businesses.     Duckworth says “The…

By DENNIS GRUBAUGH    It’s not a cast of thousands but the faces that appear in a new, locally produced video are familiar ones representing thousands of jobs in Southwestern Illinois.    And the message the participants offer goes straight to the heart of what ails many of today’s businesses — the need for good employees who…

Yes. It’s the most efficient and effective way to design the health-care system By WENDELL POTTER    There’s one fact that’s important to establish before any debate about health-care reform: The U.S. has the most expensive and fractured health-care system in the world, and American businesses have been picking up the tab.     Right now, we’re…

No. Improving current system would preserve choices, save money in long run By LAUREN CRAWFORD SHAVER     As the debate over America’s health-care future continues to develop, we have heard an increasing amount about so-called “Medicare for all” proposals. The fact is, while “Medicare for all” may make for a nice slogan, the negative impacts…

    IBJ: You look well. People will wonder how you’re doing.        Lazerson: I feel good. I’ve got some medical problems, but everybody does at this age (88).        IBJ: You’ve got an award coming up, a doctorate of humane letters, at the spring commencement. That’s a nice honor.        Lazerson: Thank you.        IBJ:…

Special to the Illinois Business Journal    Data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reveals the St. Louis Regional Ports held onto the top ranking as the most efficient inland port district in the nation in terms of tons moved per river mile during 2017, the most recent year for which final numbers are available.…

By ALAN J. ORTBALS    Construction is now underway on a new cancer care center near the campus of HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon, Ill. Early next year, Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois (CCSI) will move from its current location in Swansea to join St. Elizabeth’s in the new building.    Cancer Care Specialists have 20…

Illinois Business Journal staff report    A new, statewide apprenticeship model will involve several Southwestern Illinois entities in a plan to improve employment opportunities for residents.    The model builds on a successful partnership in Chicago — the expanding Chicago Apprentice Network between City Colleges of Chicago, Aon and a growing list of other businesses.     The…