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Hub Group Trucking, a subsidiary of Hub Group Inc., said it will acquire Estenson Logistics for approximately $306 million.

The business will be named Hub Group Dedicated Services and will operate as part of Hub Group Trucking, based in Oak Brook.

Estenson was founded in 1999 and has grown to be the 14th largest dedicated contract carrier in North America, according to Transport Topics. The company was recently recognized as The Home Depot’s Dedicated Van Partner of the Year for 2016. Estenson is a best in class operator with over 1,200 power units and over 5,000 trailers operating at approximately 120 customer locations. For its year ended Dec. 31, 2016, Estenson generated revenue of approximately $250 million.

With the addition of this service, Hub Group will offer a more complete multimodal solution to customers, which will include intermodal, truck brokerage, logistics and dedicated trucking. Hub Group expects to accelerate Hub Group Dedicated Services growth through cross-selling opportunities from its customer base. Hub Group’s trucking operation will expand to over 3,800 power units, which will result in opportunities to more efficiently deploy equipment and drivers.

The company’s leadership team, including CEO Tim Estenson, will continue in their current roles. Hub Group Dedicated Services will be headquartered in Mesa, Arizona.

We have been searching for an acquisition in the dedicated space for some time and have found an organization with a great fit in terms of culture, management style and business philosophy,” said David Yeager, Hub Group chairman and chief executive officer. “Estenson has a long history of outstanding customer service and is focused on safety and providing its employees with a solid foundation for growth. We believe that cross-selling opportunities are in excess of $100 million in the next five years.”

Hub Group expects the transaction will close on or about July 1, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and required approvals.

Source: DH Business Ledger

Technology Consulting Firm Honored for Continued Commitment to their Employees and Exceptional Human Resource Practices.

SWC Technology Partners has been named a 2017 Chicago 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For^®, marking the ninth consecutive year the IT
solution provider has been recognized. The award identifies and honors organizations that display the most innovative and thoughtful human resource practices and employee enrichment programs.

The Chicago Best and Brightest Companies to Work For^® award reflects SWC’s commitment and dedication to creating a workplace that is collaborative, fun, and focused on professional development. SWC’s benefits, extensive and award-winning career advocacy and mentorship program, educational trainings, and performance incentives have all contributed to continued recognition by the Best and Brightest. SWC also keeps employees motivated via unique employee development programs like workshops and hack-a-thons. Additionally, an active social calendar contributes to building a fun and rewarding environment with corporate events throughout the year including community service projects, team outings, health fairs, group activities, and the company’s legendary summer and holiday celebrations.

“SWC’s workplace recognitions are a testament to our employees and the commitment they have to each other and to our company. The abilities, integrity, and knowledge of this team is truly what fuels our company’s success. We strive to create a culture that encourages excellence but embraces fun – where employees can build relationships and feel valued, challenged and empowered every day.”

– Bob Knott, President of SWC Technology Partners

Companies are selected for The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For^®through an evaluation by an independent research firm using a variety of key metrics. The evaluation categories include Compensation, Benefits and Employee Solutions; Employee Enrichment, Engagement and Retention; Employee Education and Development; Recruitment, Selection and Orientation; Employee Achievement and Recognition; Communication and Shared Vision; Diversity and Inclusion; Work-Life Balance; Community Initiatives and Strategic Company Performance.

“Profitability and stability are essential for businesses in today’s economic climate. Companies that recognize that their employees are the key to their success achieve staying power. Our 2017 winners create their human resource standards to ensure employee satisfaction and they set standards for every business to aspire toward.We are proud to honor this year’s winners.”

– Jennifer Kluge, NABR president

About SWC Technology Partners

SWC Technology Partners is an award-winning provider of IT solutions to midsize organizations. For more than 35 years, SWC has excelled at helping Midwest organizations harness technology to drive innovation and accelerate business transformation. SWC specializes in business technology solutions that match the needs of mid-market organizations, including Cloud Computing, Managed Services, Data Analytics and Business Intelligence, End-User Enablement, Infrastructure Solutions, Software Solutions and Digital Marketing. Our focus is to identify our clients’ business goals first, then leverage our team of business and technology experts to partner in their success.

About the Best and Brightest Programs

The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For^® is a program of the National Association For Business Resources that provides the business community with the opportunity to gain recognition, showcase their best practices, and demonstrate why they are an ideal place for employees to work. This national program celebrates those companies that are making better business, creating richer lives and building a stronger community as a whole. It is presented annually in several markets including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Houston, Milwaukee, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, and Nationally.

Corporate travel presents many benefits. Companies can expand their reach to more customers and new markets while employees get to learn new skills and gain valuable business experience. However, it can be challenging for organizations to manage the associated costs – just placing employees in a hotel for even a week or two can get expensive quickly. Add to that restaurant meals, laundry, parking, Internet and other incidental fees, and your company’s travel costs can skyrocket. The following are five simple ways you can help rein in corporate travel costs to keep employees on track and on budget.

1. Create Clear Travel Policies

Creating and communicating clear-cut travel policies is one of the easiest ways organizations can help control travel costs. Recent research shows that employees seek company guidance for corporate travel and will closely follow policies that offer simple, convenient choices and easy-to-understand guidelines.

When creating your corporate travel policy, these key components can help employees make the right choices:

• A range of acceptable daily rates for lodging and furnished apartments, as well as the acceptable per diem for meals

• A list of approved accommodations and amenities

• Guidelines regarding incidental charges, including laundry services, parking and Internet

• Acceptable payment and reimbursement methodsFor additional value, work with trusted providers who can offer expert business travel advice.

2. Win with Technology

In today’s connected world, employees expect to use technology to book flights, lodging and car rentals as well as track expenses. Companies can take advantage of a wide array of technology, including sourcing tools and apps, that give employees an easy way to ensure they’re booking travel that complies with company guidelines.

Like consumer travel websites and booking engines that show a range of options for flights and lodging, reputable corporate travel partners may provide similar technology to book corporate travel. For example, Oakwood Worldwide® provides access to hundreds of properties around the globe via a proprietary booking engine and the GDS, enabling companies to easily search and book accommodations within their existing travel management platforms in one seamless transaction. This is in addition to its Epic™ Global Sourcing tool, a comprehensive, cloud-based platform that matches a company’s housing needs with global inventory according to a wide range of criteria, including location, budget, floorplans, security requirements and more.

3. Combine Projects to Score Savings

Sending employees to work on longer term projects vs. making several shorter trips often leads to more economical travel options. Savings can add up quickly when they take fewer flights and lock in lower daily rates on long-term car rentals. Also, companies can often score savings by avoiding potentially high market rates for short hotel stays and, instead, book employees into furnished or serviced apartments that provide the conveniences of home with a fully equipped kitchen, in-unit laundry facilities, free or inexpensive Wi-Fi access, and housekeeping.

4. The Better Meal Deal? Dine In

Expenses can add up quickly when employees eat at restaurants or order from the hotel menu for every meal. Furnished apartments, which include full kitchens with refrigerators, stoves and cookware, provide flexibility to eat in for several meals each week – adding up to significant cost savings.

5. Avoid Add-On Fees

Settling a hotel bill can come with a few costly surprises, like tips, resort taxes and fees for Internet access and daily parking. Including hotel alternatives as an option for your traveling employees can help eliminate hidden fees because corporate housing providers often offer significantly reduced daily room rates while eliminating many ancillary fees.

Combining simple travel policies, money-saving strategies and the right mix of tech tools and corporate travel partners can help you deliver a successful corporate travel program that’s good for both your company’s bottom line and your employees’ peace of mind.

Oak Brook Park District’s Dean Nature Sanctuary is a sprawling 40-acre native conservation area that protects the diversity of a unique combination of Illinois ecosystems. The property at 115 Canterberry Lane in Oak Brook features oak savannah, wetland, pond, and prairie habitats. Recognizing the positive impact of parks and open space within the community, Ace Hardware’s Janeth Ballines reached out to the Oak Brook Park District to see if there was an opportunity for staff to give back and spend some time working in the sanctuary.

(Left to right) Ace Hardware employees Janeth Ballines, SongSu Kim, Tim Baker, Staci Mayfield, Robert Westman, Salman Majid, and Jessica Murabito worked to help clear litter and debris from Oak Brook Park District’s Dean Nature Sanctuary

On Thurs., May 11, seven Ace Hardware employees volunteered their time and energy to clear litter and debris from the prairie portions of the sanctuary. Everything from bottles and cans to concrete and metal were collected. According to Bob Johnson, Oak Brook Park District’s director of parks and planning, keeping the site free from litter and debris provides a more pristine natural habitat for plants and wildlife and helps to maintain a safe environment for visitors.

(Left to right) Ace Hardware’s Tim Baker, Robert Westman and Jessica Murabito worked to clear debris from the Oak Brook Park District’s Dean Nature Sanctuary’s native prairie during a volunteer work day on May 11

Johnson says that projects like these help educate the greater community on the benefits of natural sites and builds support for environmental stewardship. “It was great to be able to share the story of the Dean Nature Sanctuary with the team from Ace,” said Johnson. “They were an awesome group to work with and we appreciate their volunteer effort to ‘Keep the Dean Clean.’”

People’s Resource Center (PRC) has announced the appointment of Jenifer S. Fabian as Executive Director.

For over 20 years, Jeni has dedicated her career in nonprofit leadership to improving services for low-income and disadvantaged communities. PRC serves nearly 30,000 residents of DuPage County each year by providing social services and educational programs to create paths to self-sufficiency.

“We are excited to welcome Jenifer to our team. She brings a wealth of experience and we are looking forward to her leadership and commitment to furthering the mission of PRC,” said Board President Henry Davis.

Jenifer has served for the past six years as Executive Director of The Community House in Hinsdale, an organization that provides residents of 40 surrounding suburbs with recreation and social services including counseling, youth literacy and autism support, and educational opportunities. Prior to The Community House, Jenifer served for seven years as Director of Quality and Performance Improvement at Access Community Health Network, which owns and operates over 50 health centers that deliver services to under served communities in the Chicago area, serving more than 215,000 patients annually. Jenifer has also served as Director of Property Management for Lakefront Supportive Housing Corporation (now Mercy Lakefront), a national leader in supportive housing for homeless, disabled and senior populations, where she managed a $7 million budget providing housing services for 973 residents at nine locations. Earlier in her career, she served at Deborah’s Place, an agency that provides housing, job training, and support services to women who are homeless in Chicago.

“I am so delighted to be joining the PRC family,” said Ms. Fabian.  “The work this community does every day to support our neighbors and respond to needs is truly inspiring. I share PRC’s passion for connecting the community and meeting needs together.  I am honored to join the team and can’t wait to meet everyone and get started.”

Jenifer Fabian received a Master’s in Public Health, Health Policy and Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University.  She has served as an examiner for the Lincoln Foundation for Performance Excellence and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and is an alumna of the Menttium Executive leadership development program. She has also served on the Board of Directors of West Suburban PADS (now Housing Forward) and is currently a member of the Friends of Housing Forward Advisory Group, the Rotary Club of Hinsdale, and the Assistance League of Chicagoland West.

Jenifer will begin her duties at People’s Resource Center on June 12, 2017.

Inquiries: Linda Cheatham, Interim Executive Director, 630-682-5402 or [email protected]

About People’s Resource Center

Meeting Our Community’s Needs – Neighbor to Neighbor

Since 1975, People’s Resource Center (PRC) has been bringing neighbors together to respond to hunger and poverty in DuPage County.

Over 30,000 DuPage residents rely on PRC for help each year. With a team of over 2,400 volunteers, we offer nutritious food and other basic necessities like clothes and rent assistance for people facing tough times.  We also connect people with resources-education and tutoring, jobs, technology, art, a caring community-to create a future of hope and opportunity for all.

PRC is able to provide these services because of the generosity and support from our neighbors. More than 2,400 volunteers work with our employees offering time, skills and resources to help their neighbors. Donors contribute food, clothing, books, computers, and money to support our work.  The majority of our support comes from caring neighbors in DuPage County.

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has notified the Oak Brook Police Department of their intent to hold a demonstration in support of the campaign to increase the minimum wage of “quick service” restaurant employees to $15 per hour. The demonstrations are scheduled to occur on Wednesday May 24^th.  We are anticipating the closure of Jorie Blvd to provide for the safety of those participating in the demonstrations.

Wednesday, May 24^th (times are estimates based upon circumstances):

• Demonstrators to march and protest on N/B Jorie Blvd between Forest Gate to Kensington.
• 6:00 AM-11:00 AM: N/B Jorie Blvd closed from Forest Gate to Kensington.
• Intermittent closures of S/B Jorie Blvd is also anticipated.
• The demonstrators are expected to clear the area by approximately 11:00 AM.

Please understand that these road closures could change based on the actions of the demonstrators.

The Oak Brook Police Department will have appropriate resources in place to ensure for emergency responses if needed.  Residents and building managers should allow for traffic delays during this time.

For live updates as the event unfolds please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook: OakBrookPoliceDepartment                       Twitter: @Oakbrookpolice

Additional inquires contact Sergeant Benjamin Kadolph at 630-368-8732 [email protected]

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT

Parents that would like to incorporate their kids into their fitness routine will have plenty of opportunities this summer at the Oak Brook Park District. Starting June 5, the park district is adding five family-friendly fitness classes to their regular group exercise schedule.

According to Michael Delgado, Oak Brook Park District’s fitness supervisor, the park district began hosting trial classes during Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks in response to a popular request for the addition of kid-friendly fitness classes. “We tested classes while kids were out of school and they were so successful we decided to launch a full schedule this summer,” says Delgado.

Oak Brook Park District’s Family Fitness Classes will be held at the Family Recreation Center, 1450 Forest Gate Road, and will be open to kids ages 8-13. Youth participants must be accompanied by an adult. “Several of the classes utilize fitness equipment that really wouldn’t be age appropriate for anyone under 8.” says Delgado. The park district will evaluate the programs at the end of the season to determine the feasibility of expanding the program, or offering classes for even younger participants.

The Oak Brook Park District is charging a heavily discounted resident/nonresident fee of $2/$4 for participants ages 8-13 years old, per class. Adult members may attend for free. Resident and nonresident adult nonmembers can pay the daily fee of $10 per resident or $12 per nonresident to access a class.  All classes are drop-in and no preregistration is necessary.

For more information, please call 630-990-4233 or visit www.obparks.org.

Class Schedule:

Family Boot Camp – Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:20am-10:05am (June 5-September 2)
The whole family is guaranteed to work hard, feel great, and have fun. This class combines cardio, strength training, flexibility, and core fitness using a variety of fitness tools.

Family Cardio Interval– Tuesdays from 5:15-6pm (June 5-September 2)
Get fit and have fun as a family in this upbeat cardio interval class. Cardio, strength, and stretching intervals will be alternated throughout the class.

Family Outdoor Walking with Weights – Tuesdays from 6-6:45pm (June 5-September 2)
Experience a full body workout while enjoying the great outdoors. This class takes the group outside on the Central Park Pathway system.

Family Yoga-Wednesdays from 8-8:45am (June 5-September 2)
This gentle yoga flow incorporates restorative yoga suitable for all levels and abilities.

Family Zumba – Saturdays from 9:05am-9:55am (June 5-September 2)
This isn’t a workout, it’s a party! Bring your kids to this high-energy dance fitness experience. Latin inspired rhythms and music will get your family moving like nothing else.

Near-Peer mentoring program matches young business leaders with diverse
students pursuing STEM careers

While seven of the top 10 fastest-growing occupations in the state are projected to be STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) or STEM-related occupations, according to the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition, a steady stream of Illinois graduates still head to the West Coast and other tech hubs each year, taking key skills with them. Compounding this lack of STEM talent are the lack of
career-readiness skills that new graduates possess to be successful in the workplace.

In alignment with its mission to attract and retain a talented workforce, and in appreciation for the challenges surrounding school systems face, the Greater Oak Brook Economic Development Partnership has developed a unique “near-peer” mentoring program, matching young business professionals from the Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce with students interested in pursuing in-demand STEM
careers. In its initial launch, young leaders from Ace Hardware, GEA Architects, Terracon Construction, SWC Technology, and Northwestern Mutual are working together with 40 students from the culturally and economically diverse Willowbrook High School on real-life work simulations over an eight-week period.

The development of this innovative, corporate focused program has been guided by its Steering Committee, chaired by Susan Lindquist, Chief Talent Officer of BCS Financial, and Mary Biniewicz, STEM Coordinator of DuPage Regional Office of Education, and is supported by the Chamber’s staff and higher education partners.

“While there are alternate mentoring programs, the STEM Bridge Partnership program is truly unique in taking the vantage point of the employer by focusing on career-readiness skills, a perspective our high school partners tell us students rarely see,” explained Valentina Tomov, CEO of the Greater Oak Brook Economic Development Partnership. “Working within the broad cultural and economic diversity of Willowbrook High School and championed by its principal Dan Krause, we are seeking to inspire
young students to be prepared to pursue the emerging STEM careers of tomorrow.”

The Architecture/Engineering program, led by young professionals Rich Blair from GEA Architects, Ltd. and Sean Toolan from Terracon Construction, challenges students to design the layout and develop the construction schedule for a new Yolk Restaurant, an actual project on which Blair and Toolan are currently collaborating. The Math in Marketing program, led by Ace’s Shannon Kelly, simulates an Ace Hardware category review, a process of analyzing a product’s performance and profitability. These students are conducting product testing, analyzing marketing data and building out actual plan-o-
gram displays at Ace’s warehouse headquarters.

The students are continuously applying essential skills including innovation, research, planning, evaluation, communication, and collaboration, under the inspirational guidance of their young mentors. “Our “new-peer” mentors have continuously shared their personal stories of how their early successes or sometimes failures in the workplace have been so dependent on non-technical skills. The narrow age gap between the mentors and the high schoolers makes them more relatable, providing that bridge to greater impact in their lessons”, shared Tamryn Hennessy, Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce Program Director.

“Through partnering with the Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce our students have gained valuable real-world experiences that will guide them on their journey to be college and career ready,” shared Willowbrook High School principal Dan Krause.

The STEM Bridge Program will conclude May 16 with a culmination ceremony at Willowbrook High School, where the students will briefly share their projects with the Steering Committee and celebrate their accomplishments.