Business & Tech

Business Roundup: Party With Mr. Fix It, New Aldi Opens, Roti Comes to Oak Brook

Also, sustainable design pioneer awarded, advances in medicine for tendon injuries, Realtors and bank raise money for charities and wealth advisor provides personal touch with new firm.

Festivities at Mr. Fix It's Ace This Weekend

Lou Manfredini, "Mr. Fix-It," will officially open his new Ace Hardware store at 46 S. Villa Ave., Villa Park, Friday through Sunday, Oct. 4-6. Festivities will include drawings and raffles, and Lou will be on site throughout the weekend. Here's the schedule:
  • Friday, Oct. 4: Doors open at 7 a.m., 50 percent off one item under $30
  • Saturday, Oct. 5: Doors open at 7 a.m., free reusable bag to First 200 customers and 20 percent off everything that fits inside it. Lou will broadcast his radio show, Mr. Fix It, live from the store from 7 to 10 a.m. 
  • Sunday, Oct. 6: Doors open at 9 a.m., $10 off any purchase over $20. Kids craft, grilling demo from noon to 2 p.m., and live music from Wood Street Bloodhounds from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

UICO Elmhurst Expands with State Grant

UICO LLC held a ceremony at its Elmhurst headquarters to thank state officials for investing in UICO and to celebrate expansion of the company’s operations and workforce. 

UICO supplies Fortune 1000 companies with duraTOUCH touch screens that work in harsh environments and with heavy-duty gloves. It was one of the first companies to receive financing from the Invest Illinois Venture Fund, which has invested $40 million in growth companies and leveraged more than $400 million in private funding.

These opportunities will allow UICO to nearly quadruple output in 2013 as demand for its premier touch solutions continues to surge.

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“The program has created nearly 2,000 jobs in Illinois,” said DCEO Director, Adam Pollett at the ceremony. “UICO is a shining example of that funding at work, and it’s a wonderful symbol to be here today to talk about that. We are proud to be funding a part of the puzzle for UICO.”   

Along with Director Pollett, the event was attended by Elmhurst Mayor Steven Morely, President and CEO of the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce John Quigley, and officials from DuPage County, including board member Paul Fichtner. 

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Roti Opens in Oak Brook

Roti Mediterranean Grill opened a new location in Oak Brook last month, at 520 W. 22nd St. It is the seventh of Roti’s healthy, quick-service Mediterranean restaurants in the Chicago area.

Roti supplies natural ingredients, sustainable meats and offers gluten-free and vegetarian options. Roti Chairman Mats Lederhausen, former senior leader at McDonald’s and Chipotle chairman, is the driving force behind Roti.                                                             

New Procedure for Tendon Injuries

Patients suffering from debilitating tendon injuries, such as tennis elbow and Achilles’ heel, can now experience quick, long-lasting pain relief with a new procedure. Elmhurst Outpatient Surgery Center is offering TENEX Health TX, a minimally invasive treatment developed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic.

“Patients used to avoid surgery for tendon problems such as tennis elbow because of the long recovery times and the mixed results,” said Dr. Ramsey Ellis, a hand and wrist surgeon who practices at EOSC. "Now, they can quickly experience relief and get back to all the activities that they enjoy.”

More than 10 million people in the US suffer from severe pain due to damaged tendon tissue. Common treatments address the pain but not the damaged soft tissue. Traditional surgery removes the damaged tissue but carries the risk of damage to the surrounding healthy tissue and a lengthy recovery. 

TENEX Health TX usually takes 20 minutes or less under a local anesthetic, requires only a small bandage to close the micro-incision, and offers quick recovery time, usually six weeks or less. Ultrasound imaging identifies the damaged tissue, and a small MicroTip delivers ultrasonic energy to break down and remove it.

"(Patients) have reported experiencing a nearly painless treatment, a quick recovery and lasting pain relief,” says Lee Simeone, a podiatrist using the technology to treat Achilles’ heel. I believe this new option will become the standard of care in treating damaged tendon tissue, the source of tendon pain.” 

ELMCARE Docs Join Illinois Health Partners

The physicians of ELMCARE, the physician hospital organization that includes 430 affiliated and independent physicians on staff at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, have agreed to join Illinois Health Partners effective Jan. 1.

Illinois Health Partners is a joint venture between two of Illinois’ top healthcare providers, DuPage Medical Group and Edward Hospital, to improve the quality of healthcare for nearly 100,000 HMO patients in the west and southwest suburbs. 

With the addition of ELMCARE, Illinois Health Partners has more than 1,300 affiliated physicians, expanding what is already one of the broadest networks of primary and specialty care physicians who see HMO patients in Illinois.  The providers will also work closely to develop clinical initiatives to improve the quality of healthcare, control costs and improve the patient experience throughout the region.

Patchett Awarded for Sustainable Designs

Elmhurst resident James Patchett, a pioneer in sustainable design, received the distinguished Christian Petersen Design Award at Iowa State University's College of Design in August. Patchett is an Iowa State University alumnus and founder and president of Conservation Design Forum, Elmhurst and Ann Arbor, Mich.

The award is given annually to alumni, staff and friends of the university for distinguished work that advances the design and art professions. Patchett and his team at CDF renovate landscapes with emphasis on sustainable site planning and development, advancement of water resource-management techniques, integration of native landscape systems and promotion of ecological restoration. CDF’s projects include the award-winning green roof atop Chicago’s City Hall. The team also is responsible for:

  • Award-winning site development and the green roof at ISU College of Design’s King Pavilion, the first higher education building in Iowa to achieve LEED Platinum certification. 
  • West Union’s downtown restoration project, featuring geothermal heating, streets and sidewalks made of porous pavers, and 36,000 square feet of rain gardens.
  • Ann Arbor Municipal Center, which harnesses rainwater through green roofs, permeable pavements, rainwater planters and streetscapes. This LEED Gold facility won a 2012 Merit Award from the Michigan ASLA.
  • A new campus master plan for Chicago’s Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum that includes a butterfly garden, outdoor classroom, children’s garden, birch maple garden and native prairie.

“(Patchett) was integrating native landscapes with what we now call green infrastructure in the 1980s and ’90s, before this was considered a best practice,” said Luis Rico-Gutierrez, dean of the College of Design. “He He is a role model for our students and an alumnus who exemplifies the commitment of this university and this college to improve the environment and living conditions for people all over the world.”

Last year, Patchett co-founded Whole Systems Integration, a collaborative of more than a dozen leading U.S. sustainable design firms, to offer turn-key design, building and management services for high-performance projects. He also spearheaded formation of Solutions in the Land, a for-profit consortium to help farmers restore their lands’ vitality and surrounding watershed. Patchett and partners purchased more than 100 acres near South Haven, Mich., to pursue ecological and research initiatives and to create demonstration farms, a conference and education center, an environmental research center and a hotel. 

In the mid-1990s, Patchett helped establish the Conservation Land Stewardship to ensure trained, capable installation and subsequent management in restoring native ecosystems. He also co-founded the Conservation Research Institute, which pursues scholarship and investigation of sustainable issues.

Patchett is a Fellow of the ASLA and a LEED Accredited Professional. He received the Natural Leader Award from the Chicago chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council in 2008. He lectures nationwide on sustainable design and has taught in Iowa State’s landscape architecture department.

Realtors Raise Funds for McDonald House

The Elmhurst office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in August raised more than $2,000 in Pulling for the House, a fund-raiser for Ronald McDonald House charities. RMH allows families of sick children to stay together during their time of need. 

Along with sales associates, members of the York Football Team competed to pull an 80,000 pound semi truck. Festivities included a carnival, barbecue, musical entertainment and raffle prizes.

“We are very proud of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s outstanding commitment to the Ronald McDonald House,” said Nancy Thunberg, branch manager of Elmhurst Coldwell Banker.

Charter One Pledges 259,350 Meals

RBS Citizens Financial Group announced it will provide 4.5 million meals to local food organizations by year end. As part of Citizens Helping Citizens Fight Hunger, the bank’s program to help eradicate hunger in communities served by Citizens Bank and Charter One, RBS has provided more than 3 million meals to date. In Illinois, Charter One has provided 123,500 meals to local organizations and pledges to provide a total of 259,350 meals in 2013.

“Hunger is a daily concern for many people. During Hunger Awareness month, we are making a commitment to fund an additional 1.5 million meals to bring attention to this basic issue,” said Marc Paulhus, president of Charter One and RBS Citizens, Illinois. 

RBS also encourages colleagues to volunteer with food organizations and other nonprofit partners through Citizens Helping Citizens Give, its program for volunteerism and donations. The company anticipates colleagues will have volunteered an additional 1,500 hours to food organizations by the end of 2013. To help food programs keep their shelves stocked this summer, RBS colleagues donated nearly 4,200 meals during the company’s 19th annual Colleague Appreciation Week in June.

Aldi Opens New Store in Addison

Aldi opened a new store at 1038 N. Rohlwing Road in Addison last month. 

Customers will find more than 1,400 items sold under Aldi exclusive brands for prices up to 50 percent less than traditional supermarkets, according to a press release from the company. Aldi cuts overhead by offering a cart rental system, smaller store footprint, and open carton displays, and it encourages customers to bring their own shopping bags. 

The store conducts rigorous testing on all products and stands behind them with a guarantee: If a customer is not satisfied with a product, Aldi will replace it and refund their money. 

Aldi has grown without merger or acquisition to more than 1,200 stores in 32 states. Over the last several years, Aldi has added, on average, 80 new stores each year. The Addison location will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Aldi accepts cash, debit and EBT cards.

Oak Brook Wealth Management Firm Opens

Wealth manager Scott A. Schuster has opened Dashboard Wealth Advisors LLC at 1520 Kensington Road Suite 107, Oak Brook. Schuster, a certified public accountant and certified financial planner with more than 20 years of experience, left a national firm to offer more customized and personal services to his estate and wealth planning clients, according to a press release.  

Schuster earned a degree in accountancy from University of Illinois. He helps clients define their goals for financial independence, identifies their risks, and personalize their investment, estate and tax strategies.  Like the dashboard in an automobile, each individualized plan is presented in easily understandable terms with quick reaction times when necessary. Schuster is joined in this new venture by Paul Casazza of South Elgin, partner at Dashboard and financial advisor at RJFS, and Mary G. Phillips of Naperville, operations manager. 


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