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Brown
steps down at State Bank; Aughenbaugh chosen as new president
[NOV.
26, 2001] Terry
J. Brown, president and chief executive officer of State Bank of
Lincoln, will retire the first of January. Chosen to be the new
chief executive is Steve Aughenbaugh, currently department head for
commercial and installment loans.
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A
Dec. 14 open house from 1 to 4 p.m. at the bank’s main building,
508 Broadway, will honor Brown and his years of service. It will be
"Terry’s afternoon" at State Bank, Aughenbaugh affirmed.
Brown
said his most significant achievement is the growth the bank has
experienced during his 17-year tenure. When he was appointed
president and CEO in November 1984, the bank had total assets of
$61.6 million, total deposits of $52.4 million and total loans of
$27.7 million. These have increased to assets of $168 million,
deposits of $140 million and loans outstanding of $106 million.
During the same period, total equity capital, or net worth, of the
bank has more than quadrupled, from $5 million to $22 million.
Aughenbaugh
said of Brown’s success, "The big benchmark is in the
numbers, the growth and the performance of this bank since Terry has
been at the helm." Though Brown gives credit to many others,
Aughenbaugh added, "He has been the president all those years
during that growth."
Brown
noted that the bank is nearing its centennial. Founded in 1904, it
has "never, ever missed" paying an annual dividend, he
said, even during the Depression.
Brown
plans to continue to live in Lincoln and stay active in the
community, including continuing on the board of State Bank. His
community activities include being a member and former board member
of the Elks, past board member of the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber
of Commerce, former chairman of the board of Abraham Lincoln
Memorial Hospital, board member of Memorial Medical Center in
Springfield and past board member of St. Clara’s Manor.
While
maintaining their home in Lincoln, he and his wife, Kay, have also
bought a condominium in St. Petersburg, Fla., where they plan to
spend the cold weather months. Brown said he also expects to travel
and to work on his golf game.
The
Browns are members of Holy Family Church. They are the parents of
Julie Brown of Washington, D.C., and Troy Brown of Lincoln.
Brown
earned a bachelor’s degree in finance at Millikin University and,
like his successor, studied at the Graduate School of Banking at the
University of Wisconsin in Madison. Before coming to Lincoln he was
senior vice president of Corn Belt Bank in Bloomington.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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Aughenbaugh
has been at State Bank of Lincoln slightly longer than Brown. He was
named agricultural loan officer in October 1984. In 1990 he became
the bank’s farm manager and in 1999 was promoted to department
head for commercial and installment loans. Since joining the bank,
he has helped the bank become an important agricultural lender in
central Illinois.
"We
consider agriculture the main industry in our community," Brown
said, "The ag business is very, very important to us because
that’s where the growth has been. Steve has a really good
background in agriculture."
Aughenbaugh
said he intends to "continue to see that State Bank of Lincoln
remains as the top financial institution in Logan County, providing
banking services to our communities." Emphasizing his intention
to retain hometown commitment, he said local ownership plays a big
part in the strength of the bank.
Noting
that his entire career to this point has been in lending,
Aughenbaugh acknowledged that his duties will change to include
other aspects of the banking business. As president he will oversee
the deposit side and day-to-day operations as well.
Aughenbaugh
grew up on a farm near Kenney and graduated from Warrensburg-Latham
High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness from
Illinois State University. Before coming to Lincoln he worked for
Pittsfield Production Credit Association, an agricultural lending
institution. In 1997 he graduated from the Graduate School of
Banking at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
He
is currently treasurer of Logan County Fair Association board of
directors and a member of St. Clara’s Manor board of directors,
Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee,
Lincoln Elks Lodge, Lincoln Masonic Lodge 210, Valley of Springfield
Scottish Rite, Ansar Shrine of Springfield, Logan County Shrine Club
and American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. He is a
past treasurer of Logan County 4-H Foundation and former director of
Alpha Gamma Rho Beta Delta Chapter Alumni Board.
Aughenbaugh
and his wife, Sarah, have two children, Laura, 11, and Evan, 8, both
students at West Lincoln-Broadwell Elementary School.
[Lynn
Shearer Spellman]
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Lincoln
sweets lovers can expect boxed chocolates by Valentine’s Day
[NOV.
24, 2001] Construction
has begun on a Russell Stover Candies store on Lincoln’s west
side, and the company expects to open it around Feb. 1. The site is
at 901 Heitmann Drive, along Route 10 between GB Oil Travel Plaza
and Holiday Inn Express.
[Click here to
visit the Russell Stover website]
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Barry
Eastham, western regional manager for Russell Stover, said original
plans called for opening by Christmas, but progress has been
slightly delayed. He said it normally takes two months to open a new
store. The Lincoln store should definitely be in business by
Valentine’s Day, he said.
Lincoln
is outside the region Eastham normally manages, but because several
eastern stores are currently in progress and none in his territory,
he is in charge of the Lincoln location.
The
company intends to employ 10 to 15 people locally, with the store
manager to be hired first. Eastham said that Russell Stover would
hold a job fair for prospective employees. No workers will be
brought in from outside the area.
The
store will carry the company’s full line of first-quality boxed
chocolates as well as intermediates and seconds, both to be sold at
discounted prices. Intermediates are overstocks or nearly outdated
first-quality candies. Eastham said that seconds, which do not meet
quality-control standards for appearance, offer a good value for
those primarily interested in taste.
Seasonal
items will include candies created and packaged to relate to
specific holidays, especially Christmas, Valentine’s Day and
Easter.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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The
store will include a candy kitchen, which will feature hand-dipped
candies, peanut brittle and cookies with Russell Stover candies
baked in. "They’re really unique. Where else can you get a
coconut cluster cookie?" asked Eastham. Another special treat
is what the company calls a Storm, ice cream with candy mixed in.
Eastham
said Lincoln was chosen as a location because it is a "nice
town with highway access." Russell Stover Candies does not
locate in major malls but prefers stores with direct access to
parking. "Easy in, easy out" is convenient for customers,
Eastham said.
Six
new Russell Stover stores are currently in the pipeline. One in
Lawrence, Kan., will open in two weeks. The others besides Lincoln
are in Manchester, Tenn.; Shawnee, Kan.; and two in Alabama. At
least six other stores have already been constructed, remodeled or
expanded this year, Eastham said. The company headquarters is in
Kansas City.
Roger
Webster Construction, Inc., is at work on the Lincoln building.
[Lynn
Shearer Spellman]
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Work
force, community support credited for success and expansion at
Willamette
[NOV.
17, 2001] Over
50 people gathered for the ceremonial groundbreaking for a new
warehouse at Willamette Industries, Inc., at the intersection of
Lincoln Parkway and Fifth Street Road. Willamette General Manager
Joe Nemith thanked dedicated employees for the company’s 8 percent
increase since last year in a time when the industry in general is
down.
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"Willamette
has been a member of the community for a long time," Nemith
told the group of company employees, Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of
Commerce ambassadors and others. "It’s very easy to do
business in Lincoln."
The
70,000-square-foot warehouse and manufacturing space is roughly
triangular in shape and is expected to be completed in April,
according to Nemith. It is being added on the south side of the
existing building, where the railroad spur used to be located. The
spur is being relocated to make room for the addition.
Nemith
said Willamette has built three expansions since purchasing the
plant in 1992. The plant itself has been in continuous operation
since 1947. It is one of three Willamette facilities in Illinois,
the other two being in Chicago. The company has spent over $50
million improving the three Illinois plants in the last five years,
according to Nemith.
"Five
competitors have closed their doors in the last two years,"
Nemith said. He credited dedicated employees and the resultant good
customer base for Willamette’s growth in a period of industry
decline. "We hope to be here another 53 years," he added.
Though
not yet built, the addition has already increased the number of
local employees. "This expansion will provide the Lincoln
facility the necessary room to add additional converting capacity to
the plant in 2002," Nemith said. "In anticipation of this,
we have already added six new employees, who are now undergoing
training. We expect to add an additional four employees after the
new equipment arrives." Willamette employs about 100 people in
Lincoln.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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General
contractor for the addition is H & H Construction Services, Inc.
of Carlinville, which also handled Willamette’s two previous
expansions. Jim Hudson, president of H & H, said, "We are
very excited to be working again for Willamette Industries. This
company has been a strong asset to the Lincoln community."
Nemith
stated that the expansion of the Lincoln facility "is due to
the faith Willamette has in both the Lincoln work force and the
community in which it is located. The dedication of our employees to
Lincoln’s success and the community’s support has made this
major capital expenditure a very easy decision to make."
Willamette
Industries is an integrated forest products company with 105 plants
located in the United States, France, Ireland and Mexico. The
company owns 1.7 million acres of forestland in the U.S. and manages
it sustainably to produce building materials, composite wood panels,
fine paper, office paper products, corrugated packaging and grocery
bags.
The
groundbreaking was ceremonial and took place around a company sign
on the east side of the building. In fact, ground has already been
broken and leveled for the warehouse.
[Lynn
Shearer Spellman]
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Proposed
industrial park: poll results
[NOV.
15, 2001] On
Tuesday and Wednesday, Lincoln
Daily News conducted
an e-mail poll. The poll’s intent was to get a general feel from
the community for their first responses to the proposed industrial
park. Some have said with wisdom that the economy is not conducive
at this time. Others feel there is no time that is going to be good.
The results are as follows:
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Citizens
of Lincoln and Logan County:
Are
you in favor of the proposed new industrial park?
Yes
— 91 percent
No
— 9 percent
Comments
No:
The events of September 11 make the timing of a new industrial park
a very poor decision. With the current economy, it will only be a
matter of time before all segments of government will be running out
of money. Not one dollar of taxpayer money should be spent on this
project.
******************************
Yes:
If you stop growing and changing you begin to DIE.
******************************
Yes,
I think we NEED to get moving and progressing! It is so sad to see
our younger generations who go off to college, leave to never return
to Logan County as their home county and possibly even leave the
state. I know that not all leave the county, but IMHO, a high
percentage do. We are in need of jobs in this area, and hopefully
jobs that will support families ... not what happens in much of the
service industry. These industries are needed, but we need a variety
of jobs available.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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Yes,
it will take some risk, but dreaming and never working toward those
dreams is something like hiding our heads in the sand and hoping
that we don’t suffocate or get forgotten about, while other
communities grow and prosper.
I
attended a meeting where Mark Smith gave an excellent presentation:
Well thought out, researched, and input from some wise people, at
least IMHO. He made a lot of sense.
The
question of "Is this the right time to do this?" (meaning
build the industrial park) reminds me of something I heard long ago
in reference to a young couple — educated and in a good, stable
marriage — wanting to put off having children "until we can
afford them." The answer from wise older lady was, "My
dear, if you wait until you can afford children, you never will have
them."
Sometimes
we have to just decide what it is that we want, make a feasible
plan, set our minds to it, and follow through by working for it! If
we can unite on a common goal and agree to work toward it, we CAN do
it!!!
******************************
Lincoln
is long overdue for this type of thinking!! Building an industrial
park makes far more sense than a statue of Abe Lincoln.
******************************
[LDN]
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Announcements
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Gifts
from your community available
[NOV.
29, 2001] A
supply of the city’s official Christmas ornament for 2001 is now
available at several
locations in downtown Lincoln.
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This
year’s ornament depicts the Lincoln Public Library. Made in
the United States, the 24 karat gold-over-brass ornaments come in a
blue velvet folder stamped with the city’s corporate seal and a
numbered certificate of authenticity, including the city
proclamation and history of the building.
They are
available for $15 at Eckert’s, Inc., Merle Norman Cosmetics/That
Place, Inc., and MKS Jewelers. Ornaments that have been pre-ordered
need to be picked up at the Main Street Lincoln office, located on
the second floor at 303 S. Kickapoo (Union Planters Bank).
Logan
County Courthouse pillows have also arrived. The 16-inch,
full-color tapestry pillows are backed and corded in dark
green. They also are made in the United States.
Supplies
are limited, and the cost is $29.95. Currently, the
pillows are available at Beans ’n Such, MKS Jewelers, Eckert’s
and at the Main Street office. Pre-orders must be picked up at
the office.
[Main
Street Lincoln news release]
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Guide
addresses latest round of tax-law changes
[NOV.
23, 2001] New
tax legislation signed by President Bush this year offers investors
numerous opportunities to reduce their taxes as they prepare for
their financial futures.
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A.G.
Edwards’ annual tax-planning guide, "Tax Saver," can
help you uncover potential tax savings hidden within your investment
portfolio. The guide — available at no cost — provides key
information about income taxes, education planning, retirement and
estate planning, as well as 10 tips to help reduce your tax
liability this year.
Anyone
interested in obtaining a free copy of "Tax Saver," which
offers a complete list of tax-saving strategies available to
investors and a calendar of important tax deadlines, should call the
Lincoln A.G. Edwards office at (217) 732-3877 or (800) 596-0014 or
see the website at www.agedwards.com/fc/tom.kissel.
[A.G.
Edwards news release]
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 The
Chamber Report
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The
Chamber of Commerce is a catalyst for community progress, bringing
business and professional people together to work for the common
good of Lincoln and Logan County.
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Bobbi
Abbott, Executive Director
Lincoln/Logan
County Chamber of Commerce
303
S. Kickapoo St.
Lincoln,
IL 62656
(217)
735-2385
chamber@lincolnillinois.com
www.lincolnillinois.com
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Honors
& Awards
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Main
Street Corner News
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Main
Street Lincoln
303
S. Kickapoo
Lincoln,
IL 62656
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Phone:
(217) 732-2929
Fax:
(217) 735-9205
E-mail:
manager@mainstreetlincoln.com
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