Features

R & H Farm Supply to close

[FEB. 15, 2003]  R & H Farm Supply, Inc., in business in Lincoln since 1962, has announced plans to close, with the going out of business sale to start Friday, Feb. 21.

Manager Darren Humphres explained that for several years the number of farmers in the area has been going down, and business and industry have also been decreasing.  These represent the customer base for the farm supply and hardware store.  At the same time competition has gone up.  The result has been more ways “to split the pie up,” leaving a smaller share for each.  Eventually, the R & H share grew too small.

Humphres said the going out of business sale will begin next Friday, with 20 percent off.  The percentage reduction will gradually increase until the merchandise is gone.  According to Humphres no exact closing date has been determined.  “It could be a month,” he said, or more or less depending on business.

R & H Farm Supply is owned by Humphres’ father Harold Humphres.  It is affiliated with Ace Hardware, a buying group or coop.  There are eight employees.

Harold Humphres bought the business from the Custis family in 1985.  It was founded in 1962 by Roy and Helen Custis, from whose first names the corporate initials are derived.

[Lynn Spellman]

Paramedics enjoy spacious new home

[FEB. 14, 2003]  On Sunday, Feb. 16, Logan County Paramedics will show off their new 6,000-square-foot headquarters on Postville Road.

The open house will feature tours of both the downstairs business area and upstairs living quarters. Former state Rep. Jonathan Wright, a Logan County Paramedics Association board member, will speak at the 2 p.m. dedication ceremony. Also on the program are Dr. G.E. Blaum, president of the board of directors, and Steve Siltman, chief executive officer and office manager. Hours for the open house are 1-5 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

Siltman said the new location at 1300 N. Postville Road is ideal for serving the entire county. From the edge of Lincoln ambulances can quickly get to either city or county addresses, he explained. The paramedics moved into the building Nov. 16, 2002. Phone numbers remain the same: 911 for emergencies and 732-2212 for other business.

The new facility is five or six times the size of the paramedics' former headquarters at 1185 Walnut St. Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital leased that building plus ambulance space at the hospital to the county at half the operating cost, according to Woody Hester, ALMH president and chief operating officer. Space was the only reason for making the switch, Siltman affirmed.

"I think it's great!" office coordinator Shirley Alberts exclaimed about the roomy facility, which has more than enough closet and floor space for all her files. She said the new office affords a better atmosphere and more privacy for customers who want to discuss their bills. "It's a lot nicer that (the paramedics) have their own rooms," Alberts continued. "They can bring their stuff here, not have to lug it back and forth."

[Photos by Trisha Youngquist]

From the '50s through the '70s the building housed a John Deere dealership. Then it was a Pontiac-Cadillac dealership through the '90s. The paramedics association bought the structure from Jim and Patricia Glenn.

In renovating the building, the paramedics gutted the interior and started over from scratch. Everything is new, Siltman said, including new city water and sewer hookups, plumbing, heating and interior design. The renovation project is virtually complete, except for stripping and staining the garage floor, which will be done later in the year. Plans also include resurfacing the parking lot and adding signage as money becomes available.

The first and second floors are 3,000 square feet each. At ground level are offices, a training room, laundry and storage areas.

The training room includes pull-down screen with rear projection, a computer for Power Point and other presentations, and DVD and VHS projectors. Siltman said the room is heavily used. Besides board meetings and monthly training sessions, it is home to special classes such as a two-day Pre-Hospital Training Life Support course and a 16-week Emergency Medical Technician basic class. Steve Boatman of Loami is education coordinator. The training room, with outside access in the middle of the facade, is available for public use as well.

Also on the ground floor are the ambulance garage, housing four vehicles, and another garage with storage space and some exercise equipment. On the ambulance garage wall are maps to help locate patients. Included are maps of the city, county and multi-building sites such as Eaton Cutler-Hammer, Centennial Courts, Christian Homes and several mobile home parks.

Upstairs are living quarters for the paramedics. Each four-member shift works 24 hours, changing at 7 a.m. In addition to a spacious TV room, kitchen, eating area and two full baths, the living quarters contain 14 bedrooms, one for each full-time paramedic and two for part-timers. Siltman and Alberts, who work eight-hour days, do not have upstairs space.

Alberts said the association averages 260-275 ambulance calls per month. Despite benefiting from a Logan County levy for ambulance service, the association strives to be as self-supporting as possible. Siltman said, "If we ask for something, we're going to need it." The philosophy of the 12-member board is to "be prudent with tax dollars," Siltman emphasized.

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Board members include Blaum, Wright, vice-president Warren Peters, treasurer Shirley Edwards, secretary Bob Thomas, Randal Storm, Clifford Sullivan and Paul Beaver, all of Lincoln; Bill Martin of Atlanta; Eldon Behle of Elkhart; Suzanne Aper of New Holland; and Gene Bathe of Hartsburg.

This year for the first time since the '70s, Siltman said, the county ambulance service provider is not receiving any subsidy money aside from a $50,000 levy to purchase ambulances, down from $125,000 last year. The maximum levy remains at 5 cents per $100 assessed valuation, or .05 percent, and would bring in about $190,000. However, the actual levy has never reached even .04 percent. This year it is .0133 percent.

Siltman noted that the financial status of Logan County Paramedics Association is dependent on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, which are subject to change by the federal government. If reimbursements fall, the paramedics may have to ask for a higher tax levy.

Reimbursement levels were cited by ALMH president and CEO Woody Hester in 1999 when he announced that the hospital would not compete to renew its ambulance service contract. He said Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates are less favorable for hospital-based ambulance services than for those that are non-hospital based. Therefore it is in the best interest of the community to have a non-hospital-based service. In 2003 the rate differential continues, providing LCPA with more reimbursement money than the hospital would receive for the same service.

The four ambulances owned by the association are 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002 models. Siltman expects to buy a new ambulance in 2004. One reason this year's levy is down is that there is already enough in the county ambulance fund to make the purchase.

Prior to the early '70s local ambulances were operated by funeral homes. Then ALMH contracted with the Logan County Board to provide ambulance service for the county. At first Decatur Ambulance Service supplied the vehicle and one EMT, while ALMH contributed the other EMT, space for the ambulance and a bedroom. Attendants also worked for the hospital, primarily in the emergency room, Siltman said.

In 1976 the county passed an ambulance service referendum. With the new tax dollars ALMH was able to sever its relation with Decatur Ambulance Service, purchase an ambulance and receive a $50,000 annual subsidy for operating expenses, including salaries. At about the same time all EMTs enrolled in nine-month paramedic school at St. John's Hospital in Springfield, graduating in 1977.

ALMH continued to operate the ambulance service until 1999, when it did not seek to renew the contract. Then the Logan County Board bid out the ambulance service. The successful bidder was the newly formed Logan County Paramedics Association, made up of hospital paramedics plus a board of directors from the community. In December 1999 the association began serving the county.

The current full-time paramedics are organized in three alternating 24-hour shifts. On A shift are shift manager John Olmstead, Gene Simer, Deana Jones and Troy Howie of Atlanta. B shift comprises manager Penny Thomas, Danny Dean, John Short and Molly Williams of Mason City. C shift consists of manager Corey Slack and Steve Boatman of Loami, Heather Bree of Springfield and Polly Riggs. All not otherwise identified are from Lincoln. In addition to Siltman, Alberts and the full-time paramedics, there is a part-time fill-in roster of 10 paramedics, one EMT and several clerical workers.

[Lynn Spellman]

Automotive business plans
move to Woodlawn Road

[FEB. 11, 2003]  The most colorful buildings in town are about to come down, and J&S Auto Centre will soon have a new home on the corner of Woodlawn and Palmer.

Jim Horn, who owns J&S Auto with his wife, Shelley, said he expected to close on the Woodlawn Road property and begin demolition soon. "Permits, permits, permits," he said in explaining one element that makes the process take a little longer.

The Horns have already succeeded in getting the property rezoned from residential to commercial.

"We're shooting for a June 1 grand opening," Horn said. Realistically, though, he knows it may take a month or month and a half longer to complete construction and the move.

[Photos by Bob Frank]

The Horns plan to erect a 4,000-square-foot building to house their automotive store and Bombardier all-terrain vehicle dealership. The building will include a showroom for the ATVs. There will be two overhead doors for vehicles on Palmer and an entrance each on Woodlawn and Palmer. It will be a "nice-looking, unique building," Horn said.

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Most of the 31,000-square-foot property will be purchased from the Buelter estate. In addition, there is a 9-by-110-foot strip at the rear that comes from a neighbor's property.

Horn said the reason for moving is that J&S Auto Centre has outgrown its current home on Logan Street. The Horns began the business 13 years ago at 101 N. Logan. Seven years later they moved across the street to 103 S. Logan. That move also was motivated by the need for more space.

[Lynn Spellman]

Auto repair firm readies new home

[DEC. 26, 2002]  Erv Guyett, owner of Collision Concepts, takes a professional, analytical approach to running his business. It appears to be paying off. In four years his auto repair firm has almost tripled its gross sales and now is building more space.

The new home for Collision Concepts, located two lots east of Lee's Home Furnishings, at the intersection of Woodlawn Road and Macon Street, is expected to open by the end of March 2003. With 13,500 square feet, it is more than three times as large as the current space, behind Graue Chevrolet-Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac-Cadillac at 1907 N. Kickapoo. That location has 4,200 square feet, including office space.

[Photos by Lynn Spellman]
[New site for Collision Concepts]

The business was formerly Graue's body shop. Since January 1998, when Guyett and Dick Taylor of Dick Taylor Automotive Service in Springfield bought it, annual gross sales have grown from $400,000 to just under $1.1 million. And they have grown without adding personnel, because there is just no room for more workers.

Guyett said his firm produces $7 per square foot per month over the national average but pays for that in number of times vehicles must be moved. The ideal is no more than four moves during the repair process, but he averages at least five. He observed that 18 vehicles were once parked in the limited space "like a can of sardines."

In 1998-9 Guy Taylor, Dick Taylor's former production manager, served as general manager in Lincoln, reporting to Guyett in Springfield. In January 2000 Guyett bought out his partner and personally took over the local operation, changing to the current name. By early 2001 the business grew out of both production area and office space. Construction on the new facility started in fall 2002.

Guyett said he chose the west-side site because his business is location-driven. He is seeking a high-traffic area and curb appeal, something the location behind Graue's lacks since it has no curb view at all. Guyett wants visiting his office to be like driving to the doctor. By that he means a professional-looking business where customers are comfortable and which they feel they can trust with their second-most-expensive possession.

Work areas will all have metal halide lighting, the form of artificial light closest to natural sunlight. This will improve quality control by letting workers see the vehicle as it will be seen on the street. At the Kickapoo Street location Guyett has it in the spray booth only.

He ran a comparison study of production results with and without metal halide lighting. This is typical of Guyett's analytical approach to his business. "We can't expect to grow unless we know how, why, when," he noted.

[Inside the 1907 N. Kickapoo business]

The new facility offers a climate-controlled estimating bay, also with metal halide lighting. Guyett said the extremes of Illinois weather mean that customers sometimes swelter and sometimes freeze if estimating is done outside.

The auto repair business carries a large administrative load, requiring one administrative position for every two production technicians, according to Guyett. "It is 95 percent insurance-driven," he said, and much of the paperwork depends on requirements of the various insurance companies. In addition, parts distribution and daily communication take their share of administrative time.

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In the current arrangement, Guyett, repair process manager Matt Heubner and a receptionist share the small office space. Right now the receptionist post is vacant, but Guyett expects to fill it and a detail technician's before moving to the new facility. Two more hires are possible by the end of 2003. One would be a person with parts and production responsibilities to act as liaison between the office and shop.

Current employees include body repair technicians Bill Baughman and Bobby Quisenberry, refinish technicians Michael Armitage and Jason Williams and detail technician Chris Schnorr. All hold ICAR (Inter-Industry Commission on Automotive Collision Repairs) gold class status, as does the business. To achieve this rating each person must have taken 80 percent of the total ICAR instruction offerings for that position and the business must have 80 percent of its employees meeting this standard.

Collision Concepts is also an Automotive Service Excellence blue ribbon holder, which means that 95 percent of technicians have passed a four-year renewable exam for their position. Baughman is an ASE master technician, holding certification in all six possible areas.

Collision Concepts is a concessionaire for Enterprise Rent-a-Car. In Illinois, unlike some states, the driver at fault in an accident must provide transportation while the other person's vehicle is being repaired. Therefore, Guyett encourages auto insurance rental car coverage. He said rental expense is the third largest component of insurance cost, after vehicle repair and bodily injury. So insurance companies are interested in speed of repairs.

To schedule work Collision Concepts uses the CR Auto Scheduler Plus from Collision Resources and in fact was a test firm for the program. It looks at the last 15 similar repairs to determine how long the job will take, then generates three possible beginning dates and corresponding finish times. Guyett said the program allows his business to bring in no more than it can handle. Still, he is wary of over-promising on delivery and does not guarantee delivery time. Hidden damage is a big unknown, he explained.

[Erv Guyett, owner of Collision Concepts]

"This is a funny business," commented Guyett. "We can't create sales." Collision Concepts gets business through word of mouth, insurance agents and even police referrals. About 40 percent of the 85 repair orders per month are General Motors vehicles. This figure reflects growth from the original connection with Graue, and Guyett is looking for further expansion including more high-end foreign cars.

The Collision Concepts mission statement emphasizes customer service: "The primary standard of quality will be measured through the eyes of our customer and their satisfaction level." The firm employs a third-party company to survey all customers after the repair is complete. Guyett is proud of his 99.2 percent customer satisfaction rating.

Collision Concepts makes all ICAR-approved repairs. Services include free estimates, lifetime written warranty on all work, paintless dent repair, glass installation, courtesy cars and ride service, rental cars on site, available financing and computerized damage estimating. Business hours are 8-5 Monday-Friday. The new address will be 1005 Macon; the phone is (217) 735-2100; and the website is collisionconceptsinc.com.

[Lynn Spellman]

Announcements

The Chamber Report

[JAN. 24, 2003]  Bobbi Abbott, executive director of the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce, is a recent graduate of the Institute for Organization Management at the University of Arizona in Tucson. A professional development program of the United States Chamber of Commerce, the institute is the premier continuing education program for chamber and association professionals.

The Institute for Organization Management has trained chamber and association leaders for more than 80 years. According to Abbott, "This program offers innovative, challenging and leading-edge continuing education for chamber of commerce and association executives from across the country. We learn skills to address the challenges of increased competition, greater member demands and tighter resources as we lead our organizations and communities."

The curriculum consists of four one-week sessions, focusing on a numerous competencies, including leadership, budgeting, membership, management, legal issues, ethics, policy development, partnerships, strategic planning, advocacy and communications. The University of Arizona is one of five sites to host the institute each year to over 2,000 executives.

As a graduate of the four-year program, Abbott received accreditation in organization management and points toward professional certification. She has served as director of the local chamber of commerce since Jan. 1, 1998.

[Press release]

Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce

Bobbi Abbott, Executive Director

303 S. Kickapoo St.

Lincoln, IL 62656

(217) 735-2385

chamber@lincolnillinois.com
www.lincolnillinois.com

Honors & Awards

Rhonda Jones named as ALMH Employee of the Year

[JAN. 14, 2003]  Rhonda Jones, a nurse with the Medical/Surgical Department at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, was recently named as the ALMH 2002 Employee of the Year.

Jones was nominated by her fellow employees, who stated, "Rhonda is a dedicated, hard worker who puts her patients first, treating them as she would want to be treated, and is always doing the extra things to make them comfortable, like washing and fixing their hair or tending to foot care."

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Rhonda was born and raised in Mount Pulaski but now lives in Chestnut with her husband of 23 years, John, and their children Daneil, 19, Damin, 12, and Devin, age 5. In her spare time Rhonda enjoys fishing, gardening and spending time with her children.

An outstanding ALMH employee is recognized each month, and the ALMH Employee of the Year is selected from among the monthly honorees. In the past year, ALMH Employees of the Month have included Kim Frizzell, radiology; Brenda Grider, medical-surgical; Harlyne Callahan, emergency; Roxanna Gleason, lab; Katrinka Buchen, housekeeping; Alice Hegland, medical-surgical; April Gehlbach, materials management; Helene Bales, medical records; Kenneth Gill, plant operations; Barbara Logan, operating room and same-day care; and Sheila McCoy, rehabilitation.

[ALMH news release]

Main Street Corner News

Main Street Lincoln recognizes
volunteers and elects new officers

[FEB. 13, 2003]  At its annual meeting last week at the Maple Club, Main Street Lincoln announced officers elected for 2003. The new officers are David Lanterman, president; Dan Doolin, vice president; Susie Fuhrer, treasurer; and Linda Churchill, secretary. Main Street Lincoln also welcomed newcomers Dr. Kristin Green-Morrow and Chris Slack to the board

The Lincoln College Express provided a festive evening of entertainment for the annual meeting. Recognition was giving to outstanding volunteers of 2002: Paul Beaver, Linda Churchill, Ron Keller, Dick Logan, Michelle Schick, Melody Shew, Angela Stoltzenburg and Betty Verderber. Awards of outstanding service were given to exiting board members Jan Schumacher and Dale Bassi.

Sen. Bill Brady joined in the festivities as did several Lincoln government officials.

"It is obvious by the great attendance and enthusiasm of the attendees that Main Street Lincoln plays a positive role in promoting our downtown and enriching our community," said incoming president David Lanterman.

Main Street Lincoln is a volunteer-driven organization. It is only with the help of the community that goals are achieved. Volunteer opportunities, big and small, are always available. If you'd like to help with the goals of 2003, please call Main Street, 732-2929, for more information.

[Main Street Lincoln press release]

Main Street Lincoln

Cindy McLaughlin, Program Manager

303 S. Kickapoo

Lincoln, IL 62656

Phone: (217) 732-2929

Fax: (217) 735-9205

E-mail: manager@mainstreetlincoln.com