Atals Biomechanics offers thermoplastic orthotic blanks, heel lifts, dorsal and plantar night splints, hinged, stirrup and hybrid ankle braces, neoprene back braces, tape and wrapping supplies, exam gloves, and aluminum crutches.

Contact Atlas Biomechanics:
1314 Kensington Rd, Suite 5173
Oak Brook, IL 60522
Email: info@atlasbiomechanics.com
www.atlasbiomechanics.com

Interested in joining Made in Illinois? Click here to begin promoting your business today!

The post Made in Illinois’ Featured Manufacturer: Atlas Biomechanics appeared first on IMEC Blog.

TenderLeaf Natural Products were developed because we needed safer, healthier products for our own family! All products are handmade in small batches, in Illinois and contain only natural ingredients.

At TenderLeaf we use as many ingredients and packaging from the USA as possible, and make every effort for our packaging to be recyclable and eco-friendly. TenderLeaf Natural Products are scented with ONLY pure essential oils, infused jojoba oil, clays and botanicals. NO synthetic fragrances, dyes, parabens, preservatives or sulfates are in our products and they are NEVER tested on animals! TenderLeaf Natural Products are proud members of PETA’s no cruelty program, Indie Beauty Network, and Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild.

We offer:
- Cremes
- Bar and Foaming Soaps
- Balms
- Powders
Our products are offered in natural fragrances and unscented specifically for people with sensitive skin to make it fun to use fresh, natural, and healthy products! Check us out online to find out more!

Contact TenderLeaf Natural Products:
2068 Heritage Rd
Decatur, IL 62521
Phone: 217-767-2200
Email:info@tenderleafnatural products
www.tenderleafnaturalproducts.com

Interested in joining Made in Illinois? Click here to begin promoting your business today!

The post Made in Illinois’ Featured Manufacturer: TenderLeaf Natural Products appeared first on IMEC Blog.

If you have a special project in mind we will listen to your needs and ideas then work with you every step of the way from design to delivery. We are flexible because you choose the design. There is no project too large or small. We enjoy working with do-it-yourselfers or large contractors. Bottom line…we will work with you for all of your treated lumber needs.

Our top products include: southern yellow pine dimensional lumber, metal, pole barn and deck kits.

Contact Perma Treat of IL:
602 N. Carbon
Marion, IL 62959
Phone: (800) 572-7384
Email:sara@permatreatlumber.com
www.permatreatlumber.com

Interested in joining Made in Illinois? Click here to begin promoting your business today!

The post Made in Illinois’ Featured Manufacturer: Perma Treat of IL, Inc. appeared first on IMEC Blog.

Ex-Cell Kaiser is a third generation family business started in 1933 by Joseph Goldberg, then servicing the burgeoning motion picture distribution business, which at the time was well established in Chicago, before it eventually moved itself to LA.

Some of our top products include:
• Recycling and Waste Recceptacles
• Mobiles and Stationary Garment Racks
• Mop, Broom, and Cleaning Tool Holders
• Outdoor Smoking Receptacles

Contact Ex-Cell Kaiser:
11240 Melrose Avenue
Franklin Park, IL 60131
Phone:(847) 451-0451
Fax:(847) 261-9448
Email:service@ex-cell.com
www.ex-cell.com

Interested in joining Made in Illinois? Click here to begin promoting your business today!

The post Made in Illinois’ Featured Manufacturer: Ex-Cell Kaiser appeared first on IMEC Blog.

The presentation is from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. followed by a networking lunch. The guest speakers include Thomas E. Berry, Jr., A. Courtney Cox and Raven Akram, all from the St. Louis law firm of Sandberg, Phoenix and Von Gontard P.C.  They will discuss pay issues, employment policies and handbooks, labor law updates, social media updates, current trends in employment law, sexual harassment and hiring, discipline and termination.

Cox represents businesses in employment-related litigation.  He is the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.  In that post, he directed 35 assistant U.S. attorneys and other staff covering the federal court district comprised of the 38 southernmost counties in Illinois.  He was in private practice in Benton for 25 years before becoming U.S. attorney.

Berry has represented clients before state, federal and local administrative agencies and in state and federal courts nationwide.  He has extensive expertise in business management.  The Illinois Business Journal named him one of the 2009 Southwestern Illinois All-Stars, and he is a frequent contributor to the publication.

Although the workshop is free, you must register no later than April 30th. To sign up, or for more information, call 618/536-2424, email sbdc@siu.edu or visit the website at www.siusbdc.com.

The post Register Today for Updates in Employment and Labor Law appeared first on IMEC Blog.

Contact Boston Leather:
1801 Eastwood Drive
PO Box 1213
Sterling, IL 61081
Phone: (815) 622-1635
Fax: (815) 622-3014
www.bostonleather.com

Interested in joining Made in Illinois? Click here to begin promoting your business today!

The post Made in Illinois’ Featured Manufacturer: Boston Leather appeared first on IMEC Blog.

By Nina Newhouser on behalf of the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program

The Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program offers rebates, incentives, education and resources to help businesses in the Nicor Gas service territory save energy and money. The Program can help you identify your company’s top energy conservation opportunities and offers up to $7,500 in rebates through the Steam Trap Survey Program.

Proper steam trap maintenance will provide you with improved steam system efficiency, potentially saving you money that can be reinvested into your business – in addition to the $7,500 in cash rebates. The Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program now offers assistance to help your company every step of the way, from identifying energy-saving opportunities in your steam system to making repairs easier and more affordable.

Learn more about how you can participate and earn incentives of up to $7,500 through the Steam Trap Survey Program and receive bonus rebates on any steam traps repaired or replaced from March 1, 2013 to May 31, 2013!

Visit NicorGasRebates.com/steam for information and steps on how to receive your bonus rebate.

Rebates are also available for the purchase of efficient space heating and water heating equipment, and for improvements like pipe insulation and boiler tune-ups. Business rebates range from $100-$500 per steam trap replacement, $500-$7,500 for high-efficiency condensing boilers, and up to $1,500 for a boiler tune-up. Full details on all of these offerings can be found at NicorGasRebates.com/businessrebates.

The post Steam Trap Rebates Available for Businesses appeared first on IMEC Blog.

• Comply with new “Facebook Laws.”  Illinois and Michigan now have laws that limit employers’ access to their employees’ social media accounts, prohibit “shoulder surfing,” and penalize employers that require employees to provide log in information.  Make sure that human resources personnel and managers are aware of and follow these rules.

• Make sure policies comply with federal labor laws.  The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) has increased its focus on non-union employer policies that could be read to “chill” employees’ right to engage in concerted activity.  At-will policies, social media policies, policies that prohibit negative comments about the company, coworkers or supervisors, and policies requiring employees to keep investigations confidential can all raise issues under labor laws if they aren’t drafted carefully.  Review policies with an eye toward whether they could be seen to discourage employees from working together to change employment conditions.

• Don’t discriminate against unemployed job applicants.  Several states have passed laws prohibiting discrimination based on the fact that an employee is or has been unemployed, and there are similar laws pending in many other states and in Congress.  Consider whether such a law applies in your state before considering unemployment status as part of employment decisions.

• Audit compensation practices.  We expect continued focus on minimum wage, overtime, and wage payment laws in 2013.  The same goes for pay discrimination claims – which the EEOC has targeted for the coming year.  Also for 2013, 10 states (AZ, CO, FL, MO, MT, OH, OR, RI, VT & WA) increased their minimum wage.

• Revisit Social Media Policies.  Social media law is changing so quickly that a policy drafted a year ago may already be obsolete or unenforceable.  Review your social media policy in light of the guidance issued by the NLRB. Also make sure that you’re taking advantage of your social media policy to protect your right to company social media accounts if an employee responsible for a company account were to leave.

• Consider mandatory arbitration.  Several courts across the country have recently upheld arbitration agreements that prohibit class claims.  Whether mandatory arbitration agreements are the right option for your company depends on a number of factors, including your industry and employee population, but any employer concerned about class action litigation at least should consider mandatory individual arbitration.

• Be deliberate in requesting and acting on background checks.  State and federal legislators and agencies keep tightening the restrictions on when employers may conduct certain types of background checks and how they may use the information they learn.  Tailor background check requests to the particular position and consider criminal history on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the offense, how recent it is, and its relevance to the position.

• Carefully consider accommodation requests.   The scope of accommodations required by the Americans with Disabilities Act continues to expand.  More and more employees are seeking extended leave as an accommodation after exhausting FMLA leave.  Likewise, a recent case suggests that employees who request a vacant position as an accommodation may have to be given a preference for the position – even if there are more qualified candidates.  Consider all accommodation requests on a case-by-case basis in light of these evolving standards and make sure that you engage fully in the interactive process.

• Watch for new FMLA forms and regulations. New forms issued by the Department of Labor are tailored to specific types of leave requests and help simplify the FMLA’s complicated notice requirements.  You can access the new forms at http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-fmla.htm under the heading “Recordkeeping.”  Also be sure to keep an eye out for final FMLA regulations on leave for qualifying exigencies and service member caregiver leave.

• Keep your non-compete and non-solicit agreements updated.  The law relating to non-compete and non-solicit agreements is constantly evolving.  For example, New Hampshire passed a new law requiring that employees be given specific notice of non-compete provisions at the time they are offered employment.  Also, several courts handed down decisions in 2012 on the issue of whether forum selection clauses in such agreements are enforceable (they often are, even in California).  It is a good idea to review your agreements for each state where you do business at least every two years.

• Get ready for 2014 Heath Care Reform mandates.  Both the employer “pay or play” and the individual coverage mandates take effect in 2014.  New policy rules (e.g. no preexisting conditions) and state insurance exchanges will also debut in 2014.  To avoid penalties, employers who employ the equivalent of at least 50 full time employees must offer coverage that is affordable and adequate.  Determining the number of equivalent full time employees (≥30 hours/week or 130 hours/month) is complicated under IRS regulations.  So, whether large or small, employers must plan this year for the impact of health care reform in 2014.

You can read the full article here.

Need help understanding all the updates surrounding employment and labor law? A workshop called, Updates in Employment and Labor Law, hosted by the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, will discuss these updates. Discussion topics include: pay issues, employment policies and handbooks, labor law updates, social media updates, current trends in employment law, sexual harassment and hiring, discipline and termination. The workshop will take place May 3, 2013 at the Dunn-Richmond Development Center. For more information, visit http://www.siusbdc.com/

The post 2013 Updates in Employment and Labor Law appeared first on IMEC Blog.

At this networking breakfast, CAIC President Ted Stalnos and IMEC President David Boulay will make a presentation about the Next Generation Services for Today’s Manufacturer. These services will assist manufacturers with elimination of non-value added activities, reduction in defects and minimizing scrap, and developing advanced technology and business practices for an optimized supply chain. Such strategies will help companies reduce costs and improve efficiency in order to gain a competitive edge over foreign competition.

The non-profit organizations, CAIC and IMEC, have joined forces to assist Illinois manufacturers with increasing profit and the creation of more jobs. IMEC specializes in one-on-one consultations with manufacturers and has a proven track record of having created and maintained more than 2,500 manufacturing jobs and amassing a $218 million aggregate impact for Illinois companies.  The CAIC’s mission is to retain and expand manufacturing efforts throughout the Chicago area and includes such members as Ford Motors, BP Petroleum, Kellogg’s, Nalco Chemical, Sherwin Williams, CN Railroad and many more.

The Networking Breakfast meeting is open to owners and executives of both large and small manufacturing companies throughout the Chicago area and will include networking opportunities along with information about efficiency assistance and methods to meet the demands of next generation manufacturing.

Manufacturers and representatives interested in attending this important event can register here.

The post Manufacturer Networking Breakfast: Gain Competitive Edge with IMEC appeared first on IMEC Blog.

Taylor Studios’ client list encompasses a diverse array of venues including museums, nature centers, visitor centers, zoos, universities, and corporations. The Taylor Studios team, which is comprised of project managers, interpretive planners, graphic designers, exhibit designers, and highly skilled fabricators, has the experience and talent to coordinate, research, design, manage, and produce exhibits of the highest quality. Taylor Studios believes in excellent customer service and we back our fabricated products with a five-year warranty as a testament to our exceptional quality and attention to detail.

Taylor Studios’ top products include: interpretive planning, exhibit design, graphic design, and exhibit fabrication in the form of models, murals, ground-forms, life-cast figures, interactives, etc.

Contact Taylor Studios, Inc.:
1320 Harmon Drive
Rantoul, IL 61866
Phone: (217) 893-4874
Fax: (217) 893-1998
Email: info@taylorstudios.com
www.taylorstudios.com

Interested in joining Made in Illinois? Click here to begin promoting your business today!

The post Made in Illinois’ Featured Manufacturer: Taylor Studios, Inc. appeared first on IMEC Blog.