The Doings Oak Brook

Business Briefs

Fri, 18 May 2012 10:52:01 -0500

Wilmette kitchen to be featured on North Shore kitchen tour The 2012 “Designer Kitchens of the North Shore” kitchen tour presented by the Junior League of Evanston-North Shore will feature seven kitchens from prominent Chicago design and remodeling companies. One of the seven featured on the tour is a Wilmette kitchen renovation completed by Normandy Remodeling, of Hinsdale, that has received wide acclaim and national recognition. Normandy Designer Vince Weber worked closely with the owners of this 1960’s colonial home to redesign the space to better suit their family’s needs. The homeowners felt their small kitchen was isolated from the rest …

Business Briefs

Tue, 22 May 2012 20:39:03 -0500

Pekin Life holds annual meeting Pekin Life Insurance Company held its annual meeting on May 8, 2012, at the Company’s Home Office in Pekin, Ill. The company reported net income of $3.1 million. Premium income decreased by 8.7 percent to $224.4 million. Life Insurance in force exceeded $13.0 billion in the year 2011. At the meeting, shareholders elected directors Craig W. Concklin, of Hinsdale, and Daniel V. Connell and A. Richard Kriegsman, both of Pekin, to three year terms to expire in May 2015. Other directors whose terms continue are: Steven R. Anderson, of Loves Park, Byron A. Dodd, of Ann, …

Realty Briefs

Mon, 21 May 2012 14:58:57 -0500

Brady named to Prudential Real Estate Honor Society Dianne Brady of Prudential Rubloff Properties has been named to the prestigious Honor Society for 2011 by Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, Inc. The award recognizes residential sales professionals who exemplified great performance in closed residential gross commission income, commercial gross commission income or closed 25 residential units for the year. Brady was recognized at the Prudential Real Estate’s Sales Convention held in Orlando, Fla.. “Dianne is an outstanding individual to have on our team,” said Michael Pierson, president and chairman of Prudential Rubloff. “She has built a solid customer base with …

Realty Briefs

Fri, 18 May 2012 10:34:00 -0500

News from Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) Of the 72,731 listings on the market in all nine Chicagoland counties in 2011, 388 of those listings, or 0.53 percent, were co-ops. Of Cook County’s 39,358 listings, the co-op percentage was higher, with 352 listings, or 0.89 percent. In addition, all luxury co-ops, with a listing price above $1 million, were in Cook County. Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) compared the number of co-ops on the market in 2011, the average sold price, maximum sold price and total sales volume for all nine Chicagoland counties to Cook County. Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) is …

Construction gets rolling on Oak Brook Pinstripes

Thu, 10 May 2012 03:41:08 -0500

With construction already underway, a ceremonial ground-breaking event was this week held at the site of the future Pinstripes restaurant in the parking lot of the Oakbrook Center Mall. The Oak Brook location will be Pinstripes’ fourth overall and will be another sales-tax generator for the village when it opens this fall. At 32,000 square feet, the two-story complex will feature Italian cuisine, 16 bowling lanes and 10 bocce courts. “This is a great thing for the village of Oak Brook,” Village President Gopal Lalmalani said at Tuesday’s event. “We’ll do everything we can to ensure they’re successful because if …

Business Briefs

Tue, 08 May 2012 20:13:15 -0500

New director of marketing named for Visitors Bureau Brent Edwards has joined the staff of the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau as director of marketing. Edwards most recently served as executive director for the Chicago North Suburbs Convention and Visitors Bureau. Prior to his position with the North Suburbs, Edwards served as the director of marketing for the Elgin Area CVB. “We are thrilled and excited to have Brent a part of our team,” stated Skip Strittmatter, executive director for the DuPage CVB. “His talent and skill-set are a great match for the direction the CVB is heading.” Edwards has been …

Summer job outlook better than in 2011

Thu, 10 May 2012 03:29:11 -0500

The summer job outlook for high school and college students appears to be slightly more promising than was the case a year ago. “The sense I get is that things have improved somewhat,” said Steve Erickson, the first-year executive director of the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce & Industry. “It seems to me there are jobs to fill out there. I get the feeling, personally, that there are more this year than last year.” Steve Gustis, manager of the Career Services office at College of DuPage, said the summer job market looks a little bit stronger in 2012. “A lot …

Finding that job

Thu, 10 May 2012 03:28:58 -0500

For area high school and college students still seeking summer employment, a Youth Summer Job Fair is scheduled from 12:30 to 3 p.m. May 10, at workNet DuPage Career Center, 2525 Cabot Drive, Suite 302, Lisle. Attendees must be at least 17 to participate. Employers expected to be there include Aerotek Professional Services, Brookfield Zoo, Office Depot, PGA Tour Superstore, TJ Maxx, Manpower and UPS. Job seekers should bring an updated copy of their resume and be prepared to complete applications on site with employers. The job fair is part of an effort led by the National Association of Workforce …

Franklin Park firm, Oak Brook parent company pay asbestos penalty

Thu, 10 May 2012 03:43:31 -0500

A metal manufacture in Franklin Park has paid reduced fines after being cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for exposing workers to asbestos. On Friday, A.M. Castle paid a $63,500 penalty related to activities at Castle Metals, said OSHA spokeswoman Rhonda Burke. That’s down from $127,600 that OSHA originally proposed. OSHA cited Castle Metals, 3400 Wolf Road, in early April with 22 “serious health violations.” The agency defines that as “when there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.” “Approximately 121 …

Oakbrook Terrrace firm to see boss’ air time

Thu, 03 May 2012 03:40:05 -0500

FastSigns of Oakbrook Terrace is gearing up for Friday’s episode of the CBS series “Undercover Boss” to watch Catherine Monson, FastSigns’ international chief executive officer as she investigates the inner workings of the more than 530-location FastSigns franchise system. “It’s going to be really fun to see Catherine in the trenches, in FastSigns centers, getting her hands dirty,” said Robert O’Hearn, owner of the Oakbrook Terrace FastSigns. “She’s already told us that we should get a good laugh out of some of the jobs she did. “Most of all, we’re looking forward to seeing her show the rest of the …