Progress 2013

8
PROGRESS 2013 By BILL TUCKER [email protected] K ay Gieszelmann didn’t stop at a good idea. She took it all the way to great. Now, she is the undisputed, if unofficial, queen of frozen custard in the metro-east as the owner and operator of the two Annie’s Frozen Custard shops. Entering its 17th season over- all, Annie’s branched out last year, opening a year-round, dine-in location in Glen Carbon. It compliments the original Edwardsville location, a walk- up facility located in what was once a Jack Schmidt Ford deal- ership. Gieszelmann said the process began about 19 years ago and grew from a simple desire. “It was just because our kids were little and we liked ice cream,” she said. Two years of research later, Annie’s Frozen Custard opened for business at 245 S. Buchanan St. in Edwardsville. Gieszelmann’s daughters, Sarah and Emily, didn’t mind driving all over Madison County to buy frozen treats, but it wasn’t exactly Kay’s first choice. “We were going to Bobby’s in Maryville, Baskin Robbins in Granite City with my kids, my nephews. We made it a fam- ily event,” Gieszelmann said. “There wasn’t really anything in Edwardsville. That’s how it got started. The love of the frozen treat is really what drove us.” So Gieszelmann, with the help and encouragement of her hus- band, took a leap of faith. “Leo and I always wanted to own our own business. It takes a special kind of person,” Gieszelmann said. “It’s a risk.” So Gieszelmann and her daughter, Sarah, traveled to Milwaukee to research – and work at – a frozen custard shop. Annie’s first location soon fol- lowed. Sarah has since moved on from the family business, work- ing as an emergency room nurse in St. Louis. But her younger sister, Emily Reznack, stayed with Annie’s. “My youngest daughter manages the Glen Carbon store,” Gieszelmann said. “She was 10 when we opened the Edwardsville store. Her best friend, Abby (Busker), manages the Edwardsville store. Those girls were little. They could walk over from middle school when the Edwardsville store first opened.” Annie’s Edwardsville loca- tion opens for the 2013 season Feb. 24. The Glen Carbon store, meanwhile, will celebrate its first anniversary on March 21st. Gieszelmann has a partner in the Glen Carbon location, attor- ney Glenn Bradford, the man who pushed the idea. “It has gone very well,” Gieszelmann said of the Glen Carbon plan. “The drive thru is wonderful. Edwardsville and Glen Carbon have been very good to us.” That goes along with Gieszelmann’s belief that local people should support local businesses and vice versa. “I work very hard to sup- port all of the Edwardsville businesses and all of the inde- pendents particularly,” she said. “We try to give back. We had a fundraiser for Relay for Life. I think this year we’re going to try to do something for the orchestra. We’ve had a benefit for the Boundless Playground.” Gieszelmann also believes her employees help separate Annie’s from the crowd. During peak times, Annie’s employs approximately 30 people, with many sharing time between locations. “I can’t say enough about the employees,” Gieszelmann said, pointing out the responsibilities of the two store managers in particular. “They do an excellent, excel- lent job. And it can be a pretty big ship you’re steering.” There is no closely-guarded secret to the custard recipe used at Annie’s, although an empha- sis is placed on freshness. “It’s an all-natural mix. There are no preservatives in it,” Gieszelmann said. “We make it fresh all day long. It’s not fro- zen.” And it’s not just vanilla. Annie’s keeps things interest- ing with its standard offerings of vanilla, vanilla lite, chocolate and butter pecan. There’s also a flavor of the week – peppermint was offered over the holidays and summer usually features the interestingly named lemony snicket. “We have flavors. We’re the only independent custard shop on this side of the river that does that.” Gieszelmann said. In addition to the frozen cus- tard, Annie’s offers concretes, sundaes, shakes and more. Currently, Annie’s is conduct- ing a create-your-own concrete contest on its Facebook page. Also available, and often overlooked, is the line of gour- met hot dogs available for those who want something savory with the sweet. When both stores are open, their menus mirror each others and Gieszelmann likes it that way. See "ANNIES" on Page 5 Annie's Frozen Custard grows with the flow One family's love of ice cream results in an Edwardsville empire Marci Winters-McLaughlin/Intelligencer Above, Annie's original location at 245 S. Buchanan St. in Edwardsville. Below, the Glen Carbon location at 11 Illini Dr.

description

Local Business Outlook 2013

Transcript of Progress 2013

Page 1: Progress 2013

PROGRESS 2013

By BILL [email protected]

Kay Gieszelmann didn’t stop at a good idea. She took it all the way to

great.

Now, she is the undisputed, if unofficial, queen of frozen custard in the metro-east as the owner and operator of the two Annie’s Frozen Custard shops.

Entering its 17th season over-all, Annie’s branched out last year, opening a year-round, dine-in location in Glen Carbon.

It compliments the original Edwardsville location, a walk-up facility located in what was once a Jack Schmidt Ford deal-ership.

Gieszelmann said the process began about 19 years ago and grew from a simple desire.

“It was just because our kids were little and we liked ice cream,” she said.

Two years of research later, Annie’s Frozen Custard opened for business at 245 S. Buchanan St. in Edwardsville.

Gieszelmann’s daughters, Sarah and Emily, didn’t mind driving all over Madison County to buy frozen treats, but it wasn’t exactly Kay’s first

choice.“We were going to Bobby’s

in Maryville, Baskin Robbins in Granite City with my kids, my nephews. We made it a fam-ily event,” Gieszelmann said. “There wasn’t really anything in Edwardsville. That’s how it got started. The love of the frozen treat is really what drove us.”

So Gieszelmann, with the help and encouragement of her hus-band, took a leap of faith.

“Leo and I always wanted to own our own business. It takes a special kind of person,” Gieszelmann said. “It’s a risk.”

So Gieszelmann and her daughter, Sarah, traveled to Milwaukee to research – and work at – a frozen custard shop.

Annie’s first location soon fol-lowed.

Sarah has since moved on from the family business, work-ing as an emergency room nurse in St. Louis.

But her younger sister, Emily Reznack, stayed with Annie’s.

“My youngest daughter manages the Glen Carbon store,” Gieszelmann said. “She was 10 when we opened the Edwardsville store. Her best friend, Abby (Busker), manages the Edwardsville store. Those girls were little. They could walk over from middle school when the Edwardsville store

first opened.”Annie’s Edwardsville loca-

tion opens for the 2013 season Feb. 24. The Glen Carbon store, meanwhile, will celebrate its first anniversary on March 21st.

Gieszelmann has a partner in the Glen Carbon location, attor-ney Glenn Bradford, the man who pushed the idea.

“It has gone very well,” Gieszelmann said of the Glen Carbon plan.

“The drive thru is wonderful. Edwardsville and Glen Carbon have been very good to us.”

That goes along with Gieszelmann’s belief that local people should support local businesses and vice versa.

“I work very hard to sup-port all of the Edwardsville businesses and all of the inde-pendents particularly,” she said. “We try to give back. We had a fundraiser for Relay for Life. I think this year we’re going to try to do something for the orchestra. We’ve had a benefit for the Boundless Playground.”

Gieszelmann also believes her employees help separate Annie’s from the crowd.

During peak times, Annie’s employs approximately 30 people, with many sharing time between locations.

“I can’t say enough about the employees,” Gieszelmann said, pointing out the responsibilities of the two store managers in particular.

“They do an excellent, excel-lent job. And it can be a pretty big ship you’re steering.”

There is no closely-guarded secret to the custard recipe used at Annie’s, although an empha-sis is placed on freshness.

“It’s an all-natural mix. There are no preservatives in it,” Gieszelmann said. “We make it fresh all day long. It’s not fro-zen.”

And it’s not just vanilla.Annie’s keeps things interest-

ing with its standard offerings of vanilla, vanilla lite, chocolate and butter pecan.

There’s also a flavor of the week – peppermint was offered over the holidays and summer usually features the interestingly named lemony snicket.

“We have flavors. We’re the only independent custard shop on this side of the river that does that.” Gieszelmann said.

In addition to the frozen cus-tard, Annie’s offers concretes, sundaes, shakes and more.

Currently, Annie’s is conduct-ing a create-your-own concrete contest on its Facebook page.

Also available, and often overlooked, is the line of gour-met hot dogs available for those who want something savory with the sweet.

When both stores are open, their menus mirror each others and Gieszelmann likes it that way.

See "ANNIES" on Page 5

Annie's Frozen Custard grows with the flowOne family's love of

ice cream results in an Edwardsville empire

Marci Winters-McLaughlin/Intelligencer

Above, Annie's original location at 245 S. Buchanan St. in Edwardsville. Below, the Glen Carbon location at 11 Illini Dr.

Page 2: Progress 2013

By MATT [email protected]

Prior to the opening of Edison’s Entertainment Complex last June, CEO Matt McSparin

and his partners turned the focus of the venue from sports training to family entertain-ment.

Seven months later, McSparin has not looked back. Edison’s is a top five finalist to win “Best New Entertainment Center of 2012” by Tourist Attractions and Parks Magazine and Foundations Entertainment University.

The winner will be presented with an award at the Amusement Expo in March.

“It is not just the bowling alley. It is not just the laser tag. It is the combination of all the pieces that is providing that success that we are seeing,” he said. “One of the things we did learn while researching is you have to have three or four components put together the right way.”

Edison’s has those components.The complex, which is located

at 247 Route 157 in Edwardsville, offers laser tag, 12 lanes of bowl-ing, party rooms and a full-fledged arcade. Along with the entertain-ment, Edison’s also features family dining, which they have coined it being “Inventive Eats and Drinks.”

The combination makes for a unique experience in Edwardsville, and it is not just the town that has learned to appreciate it.

“It is growing. Anytime you have a new business, your circle of exposure is a constant effort to try and broaden that,” McSparin said. “We are seeing folks from Milstadt, Greeville, Vandalia and O’Fallon has also become a pretty good mar-ket beyond our core market. That was our hope, that we would be more of a destination.”

Edison’s certainly has turned into a destination, and it has not been a one-time trip.

“A business like ours has to approach that we are not just look-ing for one visit. We want to win you over with the experience,” McSparin said. “We want you to have the mind set that, ‘Hey, what do you guys want to do? Lets head up to Edison’s. We had a good time last week.’”

The repeat customers were some-thing McSparin was hoping for, but research told him to be more realis-tic with the expectations.

“The industry will tell us to not expect more than two to three visits per year. When I researched this business, and all of the things that go into it, it was actually a shock to the system,” McSparin said.

And, though research showed the repeat trips to be low through-out the year for the entertainment sector, it was much different for food.

Edison’s offers dining for a fam-ily night out, group outings or even just a quick stop in to end the day. Customers have the option of sit-ting in the lounge, at the lanes or in the restaurant located on the west-ern side of the building.

Food options include appetizers, five different salads, pizza, sand-wiches and burgers. There is also a separate kids menu.

McSparin could not pick out a top seller on the menu designed by Edison’s food and beverage direc-tor Randy Williams. By trying to attract two different crowds — fam-ily dining and family entertainment — the tastes of the respective par-ties differ.

“It is hard to put your finger on that,” he said. “I would put our nachos and our appetizer platter up against almost anybody’s.”

The menu is always growing. Edison’s has already rolled out some new items, including a couple new promotions.

“We just started prime rib on Fridays. We are eager to see how that turns out. We also just started a program where you get a free steak on your birthday. If it is your actual birthday, you can come in and get a free steak on us.”

The restaurant has separated itself far enough away from the bowling alley. Instead of hearing the constant collision between the bowling ball and pins or kids run-ning around and screaming, the dining experience is just like any other restaurant.

Once a concern for McSparin and his partners, customers have reas-sured them that the experience is

genuine.“That was one of my No. 1

worries with how that place is designed,” McSparin said about the noise from the bowling alley carry-ing into the restaurant. “I made it a point to go stand in the restaurant to tune into what the ambience was. What was I hearing? Was it distracting? Was it overwhelming

the restaurant?“I was going up to people and

asking, ‘Are you hearing the bowl-ing sound? Is it distracting you?’ They said, ‘No. We hear the music. We hear that clamor of voices in the restaurant.’”

For those wanting to be a part of the atmosphere, the lounge is the place to be. Located next to the bowling alley, customers can enjoy their time people watching or turn-ing their attention to one of the multiple flat screen televisions or the 9-foot projection screens.

“The lounge is a little bit differ-ent of a world. The atmosphere from the bowling is something that we find people liking. They like that in the background and that there is activity and action,” McSparin said.

Once done with their meals or drinks, families or groups are encouraged to head over to the

entertainment side of the complex.Bowling, laser tag and an arcade

are the highlights. And, unlike the stereotypical arcade setting, adults are much more present than teen-agers.

“We just continue to study what we see coming in the door and who is doing what. Interesting enough, the teenage group has not been an

overwhelmingly strong influence,” McSparin said. “It is typically the nuclear family or adults. I think most people would think of a place like this, it would be a bunch of teenagers running around. It really has not.

“A big part of our success has been adults feeling like they can come in and have a good time on a Friday or Saturday night. They can come in, have an adult beverage, do some bowling and play some laser tag. I think some of the adults are suprised with how much they are enjoying the laser tag. We are seeing adult participation in areas that are normally associated with kid activities.”

Bowling can be paid per game or per hour. The rates vary depend-ing on the time. Peak times (5 p.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Sunday) are a little more expensive than off peak. The per hour rate includes shoe rental.

Edison’s also offers bowling leagues.

Laser tag offers two different games, “Gaia’s Quest” and “The Vault.” Pricing varies for the num-ber of games played, and custom-ers do have the option of choosing an unlimited package.

“We are the cheapest in laser tag, even though we have the new-

est and brightest (equipment). We have a brand new arena with guns where you see your laser beam,” McSparin said. “This is state-of-the-

art stuff and we are the cheapest in the area.”

The arcade, which includes skee ball, operates off a surge card, as well as coins. The reloadable surge card uses reader technology and allows people to swipe the card to start the game of their choice. Tickets won on the games are uploaded to the card and can be

redeemed at the counter for differ-ent prizes.

Edison’s has been coming up with various pricing packages for

both the food and entertainment side.

Edison’s has five different party rooms with different packages for guests. Two rooms accommodate up to 30 people, two more up to 40 people and the other up to 50 people.

McSparin said the party rooms are popular.

“There are constant parties. Every Saturday, we will have 18 birthday parties going or corporate functions. We also have the adult functions on top of that every weekend,” McSparin said.

The party rooms are just one of the things that may not have been if McSparin and his group had stuck with the initial concept.

Instead, they made the change and now are thrilled they did.

“I think it was probably one of the more intelligent things that we did in terms of vision to where we were going,” he said. “The bowling essentially replaced the sports training. That forced other changes. We needed to have a higher-end restaurant and lounge.

“We are really pleased with how things have worked out and the response of the market."

McSparin, later, added, “This has well over performed our expectations. You do not get com-placent, you just keep thanking your blessings. That is how I look at it. This is a blessing that we have gotten fiber business like this.”

Current hours are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, includ-ing pricing and menus, visit the Edison's Entertainment Complex website at www.edisonsfamily-fun.com.

Page 2 – Thursday, February 20, 2013 - TheIntelligencer.com - PROGRESS

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A bright idea indeedEdison's

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Marci Winters-McLaughlin/Intelligencer

Above, Edison's principle owners Matt McSparin, left, and Terry Rujawitz. Below, the bowling lanes at Edison's.

Page 3: Progress 2013

By MATT [email protected]

Quality Buick, GMC, Cadillac was estab-lished in 1958. Now in their 55th year,

the formula that has brought them so much success hasn’t changed at all: Treat custom-ers, employees and anybody else who walks through the door just like they are a mem-ber of the family.

Family is very important to cur-rent majority owners Greg and David Stevenson, but running the business is more than just main-taining the family legacy. Both are still excited about cars even after having worked over 30 years with the dealership as full time employ-ees. The two have worked there as long as they can remember.

“People always ask how long we’ve been working here and I can’t even remember. We (Greg and I) started sweeping the floors as soon as we could push a broom,” said David. “Then we would wash the cars, work the service department, and deliver parts, all the way through high school and college.” (Officially it was 1972 when Greg started full time and 1973 when David started full time.)

Their love of cars and the busi-ness stems from the exposure to cars at an early age.

“We grew up in cars. We just love them. I remember when I was

young and the GTO’s were some-thing new, my dad would take us to the secret warehouse and let us see the cars before the public was allowed to see them. Back in the ‘60s it was top secret when a new car came in. They would paper the windows so nobody could see

in. They were shipped on trucks with covers so nobody could see them. Greg and I used to be able to get a sneak preview of the cars and when you’re in high school and you got to see the first GTO or something, everybody tried to find out what it looked like. It was like

we were part of a secret culture,” said David with a smile.

“That was the thing. David and I were right at the age where we had GTOs, Firebirds and the Grand Prixs. So Pontiac was per-formance. You could go the drag strip and Arnie “the Farmer” Beswick would be driving his GTOs. That was what was fun, you could walk into a showroom and see all these high cool perfor-mance cars and gas was cheap,” said Greg.

In recent years they have been going through a lot of changes. The biggest one was back in 2009 when they lost Pontiac, their sales leader, because of GM filing for bankruptcy.

“It was a tough time; it was scary. We were like every other dealership just sitting around wait-ing for that letter to come from General Motors that simply said you’re in or you’re out. We were one of the fortunate ones who were selected. There were some other very good dealers around that didn’t get chosen.”

Luckily they had previously picked up Buick, GMC and Cadillac that helped fill the gap that was created. And they have made other changes to the dealer-ship, including the introduction of a dedicated Internet sales depart-ment which expands the business beyond just the metro-east to the entire county.

On the corporate side, it was Bob Lutz being placed at the helm of GM, taking it back from the “bean counters” and changing the entire culture of GM and begin-ning to produce cars that people actually wanted to buy while regaining the prominence of GM.

It was Lutz who helped bring cars like the Cadillac CTS and SRX,

the Buick Lacrosse and Enclave to consumers.

“GM decided they wanted to regain that title standard of the world. People used to use the term ‘That’s the Cadillac of products.’ GM wanted that title back of the standard that people judged not

only vehicles, but all products by,” said David.

For Cadillac this started with the CTS and then they turned the wick up and stuffed a Corvette V-8 with 556 horsepower into it. They then designed one of the most advanced suspensions for the

CTS-V and showed the rest of the world that if people want a fast, good-handling ,luxury car, that you don’t have to buy German.

They continued this trend with the development of the Cadillac ATS, which has also shown that if

you want a fast, dynamic car that is just as comfortable taking you to the board room as it is ham-mering down an empty stretch of highway, that once again there was something from America you could buy.

Big news is the introduction of

the Buick Encore, which is a small car for the buyer who isn’t ready to give up the luxury that they have become accustomed to in their big cars.

“It’s a very ground breaking car. It’s a very small, very luxurious car. There is really no precedent for

it, so Buick is the first one out and we’ll see if the public is interested in one,” said David.

This will follow the Buick Verano which was a small luxury car that has done very well, which sets a good standard for the

upcoming Buick Encore.“But that is Buick’s line. That’s

where Buick wants to go,” said David. “Buick is competing with Lexus. That’s their target market. We think there will be a very good market for people who have just decided to downsize their vehicle, whether it be for better fuel econ-omy or just they want a smaller, easier to park vehicle. There are so accustomed to to luxury they just don’t want to give any of it up.”

Another big step made by GM that has helped is the move away

from large SUV’s and towards smaller crossovers. This was accomplished, in part, due to the move of basing these crossovers – like the Cadillac SRX, and the GMC Terrain – on a front wheel-drive car chassis and putting smaller, more fuel-efficient engines that can move these vehicles around with the same gusto as their big brothers because of their smaller size.

Another technology that is mak-ing waves and will help Quality Buick GMC Cadillac sell more vehicles is the innovative e-assist that uses an electric motor to provide additional power and improved fuel economy.

Quality Buick, GMC and Cadillac’s volume seller is still trucks so the introduction of a number of new GMC trucks is good news.

The focus on trying to improve fuel economy also crosses over to the truck line which will feature three engine options: two V-8s and a brand new V-6 that was specifically designed for the truck line. All three truck engines will feature “active fuel management” that shuts down cylinders when full power is not needed. All of the trucks will be outfitted with 6 speed transmissions providing additional fuel savings.

The rest of the design is much more evolutionary, focusing on improving the overall designs of the interior and exterior. A new version of GM IntelliLink “info-tainment” system will be an option and the four-door trucks will have a couple extra inches of leg room.

It’s not just car sales at Quality Buick GMC Cadillac. They have a full service department that can han-dle normally scheduled maintenance, tire rotations, oil changes, engine replacement and everything in between. If your car needs cosmetic repairs because of a fender bender or hail damage, they have a full service body shop.

In the immediate future, a brand new look is coming to the dealership

to match the new brand that is being launched by GM for the Buick, GMC Cadillac. The remodel will include a new show room, offices, waiting rooms, and delivery area among other changes.

“It’s going to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the area when it’s complete,” said David.

The beginning of March is the target date for the beginning of the remodel.

Other changes for the future are more expansion of the Internet busi-ness and more preowned cars.

The brothers are very excited about what the future holds for the family business and the prospect of Greg’s daughter entering the family busi-ness.

Currently, two of David’s sons work at the dealership. Chad is the business manager, and Cody is the used car dealership man-ager.

Even with all of the changes, David and Greg want to continue their commitment to the customers and to their employees that have helped make them a success.

“We want to give our employees a good place to work where they can support their families. And we appreciate our customers, the way that they take care of us and we take care of them. With David’s sons coming in and maybe my daughter we plan to be here for a lot more years,” said Greg.

“We’re looking forward to that 100 year (anniversary) mark,” said David.

Quality Buick, GMC, Cadillac, a Mark of Excellent Award winner, regularly has over 200 new and used cars in stock so the right car is always available.

The dealership's hours are Monday and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The service department is open Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For additional information, call 465-8881 or visit them at 1620 East Homer Adams Parkway, Alton.

Thursday, February 20, 2013 - TheIntelligencer.com - PROGRESS – Page 3

Quality cars merit quality service

Matt Winte/Intelligencer (1) For the Intelligencer (2)

Stan Gula, Joe Hanahan, Wayne Chamberlin, Keith St. Cin, Greg Stevenson, David Stevenson, and Chad Stevenson, from left, stand in front of Quality Buick, GMC, and Cadillac located at 1620 East Homer Adams Parkway in Alton. Also pictured are two views of the sales lot.

Dealership has been serving customers

since 1958

Page 4: Progress 2013

Page 4 – Thursday, February 20, 2013 - TheIntelligencer.com - PROGRESS

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If you’ve ventured over by Bella Milano’s looking for Olive Oils & More and realized its gone, there’s

no need to worry. Owner Mary Burke has spent the last month or so relocating her Olive Oils & More retail store to a new location in Park Plaza Center – just down from the new Craft Chophouse Restaurant in Edwardsville.

Burke was excited about her new location. “It’s a good fit for me because of the high end wine store and Massage LuXe – their customers and my customers,” Burke commented. “It’s a busier side of town I think. Everything seems to be happening around here right now. I want to be linked to all the things that hap-pen down here.”

While the size of her new space is similar to the old loca-tion, Burke does have plans to add a few more specialty items to her stock and she pointed out, “There’s always new flavors - new olives being pressed.”

But Burke’s exciting news is that she’s been chosen to be one of 10 stores out of 275 stores nationwide to be a test pilot to carry ultra premium extra virgin olive oils. “That’s a big deal because my supplier will send people periodically to make sure that my olive oil is the freshest – it can be no more than 60 days old. People are going to die when they taste this stuff. I will be one of 10 pilot stores,” Burke said enthusiastically.

Burke explained that the prod-uct will be shipped by cargo plane ensuring the freshest olive oil possible rather than coming by a ship. “That was a concern for me. Why do all of this if it’s going to sit on a ship for three months,” Burke recalled asking her supplier. “And she was like, 'Uh, it doesn’t.' So that’s pretty cool. That’s a big deal,” Burke noted. “My customers will be guaranteed the freshest product – the real deal.”

Using olive oils at the peak of freshness is what it’s all about Burke pointed out. “You lose

the health benefits the longer it sits on the shelf. You want to use your olive oil right away,” she emphasized.

And she also warned that not all olive oils are equal. Burke noted that some of the olive oils

we find on grocery shelves are actually cut with water and con-tain chemicals and preservatives, but the olive oils at Olive Oils & More don’t have these additives. “They are cold pressed which means no chemicals,” Burke

said. “It’s the first press. If you pour these products together, they will not mix well. They will stay separated. That shows you how true to the original olive and grapes that they are.”

She elaborated saying that

the issue in the U.S. is that the U.S. standards for olive oil importation are weak. “That’s why anybody can ship some olive oil anywhere and it can be commercial grade blended oils - not really true olive oil,”

Burke said. “There could be some private labels on grocery shelves that are authentic, but they are usually old.”

Burke pointed out that the freshness of her products and also the longevity of her sup-plier in the olive oil business are what make her products unique. “And my suppliers name is on every bottle with a phone number. It separates us from competitors because she’s been doing this since 1924,” Burke said.

Olive Oils & More offers high quality 100 percent extra virgin olive oil from produc-ers in California, Italy, Greece, Chile, Spain and Tunisia as well as balsamic vinegars made in Modena, Italy. The oils and vinegars are available in two bottle sizes, eight and 12.7 ounce, which are filled on site.

Burke said that cooking with olive oils and balsamic vin-egars “is just a healthier way of cooking.” The healthy aspect of cooking with the oils and vinegars is a big part of what drew Burke to selling the prod-ucts. “I got to the point of my life where I love to cook and this is just a healthier way of cooking,” she said. “No mat-ter if they are our olive oils (or not), it’s just olive oils should be the way to go (when cook-ing). “All that other stuff is hydrogenated fat and saturated fat, and it’s killing people.”

Olive Oils & More offers nearly a dozen different olive oils but the store’s “try before you buy” concept allows cus-tomers to sample products to make sure they like it. “So you get to sample everything before we bottle it, and we bottle it on site for you,” Burke said.

Burke also noted that her supplier requires that she par-ticipate in yearly training. “We go out to California. Training never stops. It's continuous,” she said.

Visit Olive Oils & More at www.oliveoilstoreandmore.com or recipes that utilize her prod-ucts or follow her on Twitter. In addition, Burke keeps her Facebook page updated or call the store at 656-4645 with addi-tional questions.

By WILLIAM H. RodGERS MS, RN Anderson Hospital

Anderson Hospital has begun work on a 5,400 square foot expansion of its Cardiac Cath lab facilities. The plan calls for a complete renovation of the third floor POB 1 to accommodate two new cath labs as part of Phase I

construction. The Cardiac Catheterization Lab is a specialized service providing both diagnostic and interventional cardiology procedures.

In both 2011 and 2012, nearly 1000 procedures were performed in the Cath Lab including diagnostic heart catheterization, balloon angioplasty, and stent placement (including cardiac and peripheral stenting). The new Cath Labs will allow our physicians and staff to continue providing high level diagnostic and interventional cardiology procedures to our patients as well as more advanced peripheral vascular procedural capa-bilities. According to Dr. Laura Gruen, an interventional cardiologist with the Heart Care Group, “I am very excited about the Cath lab expansion project. This project will ensure that we can continue performing routine cardiac procedures and address emergencies simultaneously, without delay. Both of these aspects are critical in delivering the best cardiac care to our patients.”

The new digital imaging system will allow for greater versatility that is capable of performing an increasingly wide variety of complex proce-dures. In addition to providing cardiac and peripheral procedures, the new labs will enhance existing procedural capabilities such as pacemak-ers and implantable defibrillators. Patient volumes have steadily grown since the inception of the cath lab in 2006, that along with the May 2011

initiation of 24 hour, 7-day a week coverage for interventional emergent cardiac care has created a sense of urgency to expand procedural space. This project will ultimately create an attractive, state of the art facility for our doctors, cath lab staff and our patients in addition to facilitating the continued delivery of progressive, award winning interventional cardiac services to our surrounding communities. The new labs are slated to open in June 2013. Diagnostic and treatment procedures currently being performed in the Anderson Cath Lab include:

Cardiac Catheterization: A diagnostic procedure completed by gently inserting a catheter into the blood vessels that feed the heart. Several injections of x-ray dye are made into the arteries allowing doctors to visualize heart blockages. Pressure measurements also are taken inside the heart to further evaluate the heart chambers and valves.

Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty: Also known as PTCA or balloon angioplasty, this interventional procedure involves inserting a balloon tipped catheter into a narrowed heart artery. The balloon is then inflated and deflated to compress the blockage of plaque and increase blood flow.

Coronary Stenting: A stent is a small metal coil, or mesh tube, that may be placed in the artery to keep it from re-closing by providing a scaffolding-like support. A stent is commonly used in conjunction with balloon angioplasty.

Permanent Pacemakers and Implantable Defibrillators: Pacemaker implantation involves the placement of an electronic device that helps the heart to maintain a regular rhythm. Automated Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (AICD) is a device that can deliver a shock to restore a normal rhythm when dangerous arrhythmias occur.

Coronary Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS): Device which utilizes sound waves to assist in the evaluation of the heart arteries. A small

catheter is advanced into the artery and pictures are taken from with-in to better define the blockages.

Fractional Flow Reserve: (FFR) is a technique used in coronary catheterization to measure pressure differences across a narrowed or blocked artery, usually due to coronary artery disease to determine the likelihood that the narrowing is compromising blood flow to the heart muscle.

Peripheral Angiography and Angioplasty: procedure which exam-ines arteries of the body, i.e. arteries of the legs, kidneys, and upper body for diagnosis and treatment, helping increase the blood flow where needed. Balloon and stents are often utilized in other arteries outside the heart, including the legs and kidneys.

Cardiac Cath Lab procedures require a physician referral and are performed by a cardiologist following an evaluation. Have ques-tions or need more information, call the Cardiovascular Services Department at 618-391-5859.

In addition to the Cardiac Cath Lab procedures, another component of Anderson Hospital’s cardiac services is Cardiac Rehabilitation. Cardiac Rehabilitation is an outpatient exercise and education pro-gram designed specifically for patients who have had heart attacks, angioplasty, stent placement, stable chest pain, or bypass surgery. This program is lead by registered nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical exercise specialists, and assists patients to build strength and endurance, while monitoring their response to exercise. Education regarding risk factors and prevention strategies is also a key element of the program. Physician referral is required. For further informa-tion, please contact the Health Management Center at 618-391-6710.

Submitted by: William H. Rodgers MS, RN, Director Cardiovascular Service, Anderson Hospital, 618-391-5859

Expansion of Cardiac Cath Lab under way at Anderson

Olive Oils and More moves as it grows

Marci Winters-McLaughlin/Intelligencer

Olive Oils and More is moving across town into Park Plaza Center on Buchanan Street.

Page 5: Progress 2013

By STEVE [email protected]

When Pita Pit opened in Edwardsville last June, it was the

only Pita Pit in the Metro East. It still is. And owner and manager Jim Hettler says that while he sometimes enjoys eating at other restau-rants, Pita Pit offers healthi-er and tastier alternatives.

“You look at some of the other sandwich shops and they’re offering you about 75 percent bread and 25 percent protein and vegetables. We’re the exact oppo-site here,” Hettler said during a recent lunch-hour rush.

The Pita Pit menu has a dis-tinctly Mediterranean flair, fea-turing meat pitas such as gyros and chicken souvlaki, humus and black olive toppings, and sauces like tzatziki and ancho chipotle. The Greek platter is a combina-tion of Greek pitas that include chicken souvlaki, gyro and falafel. And the Build-Your-Own specialty platter allows custom-ers to customize their pita plates.

“It’s not just healthy,” says Hettler. “It’s the flavor that brings people back time and time again. There are things that we offer that most don’t. Roasted red peppers aren’t something you see in many of these restaurants. Humus is one of our most popu-lar pitas.”

Pita Pit is located at Edwardsville Crossing, in space that was once occupied by Dippin’ Dots. While there are more than 300 Pita Pits around the world, the only other Pita Pits in the region are in St. Louis. The

restaurant was founded on the premise that diners are looking for an exciting alternative to the usual fast food fare.

To that end, the restaurant has ditched heavy breads and buns and created light and tasty Lebanese-style pitas. They used leaner, savory meats and offer flavorful cheeses and veggies. They have also added “exotic” toppings, including the compa-ny’s own zesty signature sauces.

Late last year, while dooms-dayers were counting down the end of the world – ancient Mayan prophesy purportedly predicted the last day as Dec. 21 – Pita Pit began offering what turned out to be one of its most popular pitas: the Apocalyptic Pita.

With the world having now been spared, it’s being called the Post-Apocolyptic Pita.

“We put the different meats and sauces together, and the people just love it,” Hettler says. “We put some of the Philly meat with our chicken souvlaki meat and we add some onions, bell pepper and pineapple along with some artichoke, and we put a little lettuce and tomato and sour cream and ancho chipotle sauce. So we’ve got a lot of really great flavors. That’s why people come back time and time again.”

The Pita Pit customer base is people 18 to 35 who are inter-ested in fitness and nutrition. Hettler taught nutrition for part of his 23 year-career in the Air Force.

In fact, he worked out his con-cept for a restaurant based on his travels throughout the Middle East during his military career.

He retired in 2004. Four years later, Hettler pulled

in front of an eatery in Iowa City and saw his vision realized. He

was looking for lunch during a visit to the University of Iowa, where his daughter, Amanda, was entering law school.

Hettler pulled into a Pita Pit, ordered lunch, and spent 90 min-utes talking with the owner. He was sold.

As Hettler moved ahead with his plan, the economy tanked and he wound up losing his loan.

While Pita Pit has an almost cult-like following among college students, the restaurant’s demo-graphics actually range “from the youngest to the oldest,” he says.

A significant part of the busi-ness is catering, which happens primarily during lunch hours. They offer free delivery within three miles for orders of at least $20. Hettler says the restaurant does a lot of catering for local businesses and parties. Many deliveries are to Glen Carbon and Maryville.

“One of our biggest customers is Proctor and Gamble, down at the warehouses,” he said. “We’ve fed 600 people down there. It was just huge. Them and Turner Electric. And Anderson Hospital and Scott Credit Union are huge customers. And we have a lot of doctors and pharmaceutical reps - they’re continually ordering pita platters.”

The restaurant is in the pro-cess of creating a portable Pita Pit trailer that will be wheeled to fairs and festivals in the area. Scott Air Force base has already given them permission to park it in front of the BX, or Base Exchange. Pits Pit is already eyeing O’Fallon for a restaurant down the road.

Last summer, Pita Pit offered live music on the outside patio. That will pick up again this spring and summer. Hettler has

already scheduled bands for Saturday evenings, starting in April.

The restaurant will also be expanding soon. Workers will begin knocking down a wall to

create space for 40 more seats. Plans are to have the renovation finished by April 1. Hettler, who plays guitar, says it will have a rock ‘n roll theme and be known as “The Rock ‘N Roll Annex.”

An interior designer in town is working on plans. For now they hope at least to offer gelato and crepes, and have a chocolate fountain on Friday and Saturday nights.

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In fact, both will offer live music this summer as well as a bag toss game.

“I think the music has been good. It was well-received in Edwardsville," Gieszelmann said.

“The stores are similar, but there’s a lot of biking and walk-up traffic in Edwardsville,” Gieszelmann continued. “I feel like I have the best location in Edwardsville and best location in Glen Carbon. When you look at the corners, that just happened.” Downtown Edwardsville – and events like the Route 66 Festival or the Bonifest – certainly send custard lovers down Buchanan Street to visit Annie’s.

ShowPlace 12 and Edwardsville High School, meanwhile, help the Glen Carbon location.

Gieszelmann said, however, that residents

travel from as far away as Granite City, Troy and Highland to enjoy a frozen treat.

And that says something.Before Annie’s, frozen custard fans had to travel

to Bobby’s in Maryville. For ice cream, there were North Side Dairy Haven and the Glen Carbon Dairy Queen.

Annie’s arrived and thrived – even as the compe-tition increased.

“Think about what has come along,” Gieszelmann said. “We have a second Diary Queen, Cold Stone Creamery, there was the frozen yogurt shop for a short time by Buffalo Wild Wings. So there’s been competition come along in these 17 years.”

Annie’s grew from one location to two even while others we’re trying to carve out their own niche.

Will there be a third location?Gieszelmann said she’s pleased with what’s trans-

pired to this point.“Maybe that’s for the next generation,” she

said. “It’s been good. We’re pleased we’re open 12 months. We thought that was the right choice.”

Annie's

Pita Pit – something besides a sandwichMarci Winters-McLaughlin/Intelligencer

Pita Pit owner Jim Hettler at his restaurant in Edwardsville Crossing.

Page 6: Progress 2013

By JULIA [email protected]

We’ve all likely been in a position before where we’ve wished we had a close friend or family member with legal know-how to get an opinion

on a legal matter. Whether it’s some kind of contract we signed or even if we’ve considered going to small claims court, we’ve likely had a moment where we would have sought legal advice, if only it weren’t so costly.

Attorney Neal Wallace’s new business, Cup of Justice, which is located in downtown Edwardsville, provides legal service with a unique twist that addresses these exact situations. He offers an attor-ney-ear and subsequent legal advice for a reasonable price from an ala’ carte menu in an atypical attorney office setting that’s more akin to a coffee shop with its sofas and cushioned chairs. He also provides a cup of coffee, bakery items and sets aside one day just for walk-ins.

Wallace had the idea in 2010 when he opened Cup of Justice, his law practice, in the old Duke Bakery in Godfrey. “It was a law practice, but it’s a different twist on it. On Friday and Saturday mornings I would locate myself there at Duke Bakery on Godfrey Road,” Wallace said of his old business. “ I had a corner in the bakery where I’d meet folks. The idea was to be available on a walk-in basis for consultations and also to be in a casual atmosphere. And then the third thing was to have a menu of services. We really wanted to make it comfortable for people to come and get what-ever issue it was that they had taken care of.”

In July of 2012 the Duke Bakery building caught fire and the bakery elected not to return to the building. Looking for a new location for his business, Wallace said that an attorney friend suggested Edwardsville.

Wallace reopened Cup of Justice at 216 East Park St. in Edwardsville last November. Local residents may recognize the location behind the Edwardsville Library which is the peach home once occupied by The Framery.

Mimicking the Duke Bakery concept, the Edwardsville Cup of Justice consultation area is more like a comfortable living room area complete with a sofa and plush chairs. “You can see this is not your typical lawyer type entrance with a fancy brass door and that kind of image,” Wallace pointed out. “We try to make it where we have the casual feel. And we

do have the temptations from Taste of Heaven (bak-ery) – so we’ve carried on with that too.”

The main focus of Cup of Justice is on what’s called unbundled services. “In 2010 the Supreme Court rules kind of opened up the door a little bit more on unbundled services which really allows for more flexibility in hiring an attorney,” Wallace explained. “Before, if you hired an attorney for a certain matter, you kind of had to hire him for the whole ball of wax. Whereas this kind of tried to make it where attorneys would be more willing to take just a piece.”

Wallace offered an example stating that with small claims matters, clients often just need help writing an answer to a complaint or assistance with one hear-ing. “Or they just need something like that where there’s some of the leg work that they can do them-selves or maybe they just need advice on how to do it themselves,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense if there’s a lawsuit that’s about $3,000, to pay an attorney a $1,000 retainer fee and then $200 an hour which is what I’d be looking at in order to make it worth my while. But what they can do is they can come in and have the consultation, pay for that advice and then they go on and handle it on their own.”

Having handled numerous small claims cases over the years, Wallace offered another example of how he offers assistance to clients. “Say for instance you have a real estate dispute and neighbors are arguing about where the fence line is. The tendency when someone is in that kind of conflict, they tend to focus on the things that the other person has done that has made them angry, and those aren’t necessarily the things that matter in the case,” Wallace noted. “So, just hav-ing the 25 minute conversation with them and saying, OK, I understand that this makes this person bad in your eyes and it makes it really frustrating to live next to them but that’s not going to help your case any. So if we can direct them away from those things and on to the things that the judge is going to really say, OK, that’s what matters legally, we’ve just essentially won the case for them. We’ve giving them the tools so that they can win the case.”

Cup of Justice’s business model also makes practi-cal sense because more people have access to justice who otherwise might not seek it. “They would either just roll over and say, 'Well I’m not going to fight it, I’ll write the guy a check or I’ll just give up,'” Wallace said. “Whereas with this kind of a service, they can get to justice without incurring massive cost.”

It’s a win-win for both Wallace and the client. “It is flexible for me because I’m not looking to be the Wal-Mart of lawyers. It’s not that I do what I do at a

lower rate. My standard hourly rate is $200 an hour, but I can do these consultations, and it’s $40 for 25 minutes,” Wallace added. “I can do that because from an administrative standpoint, they can come in and talk to me, get their advice and go their way, and there’s no follow up for me. In that administra-tive follow-up is a cost for me, and so I can do it at a lower rate because it truly does cost me less. I think it’s a good thing, and I think there’s a lot of people who can benefit from it.”

While Madison County offers free legal advice through its Land of Lincoln Legal Services, Wallace pointed out that he serves a different niche. “They do a great job, but they are very, very limited in what they can do because they are just over loaded with cases,” he said. “It can be free legal aid but you have to qualify financially. And once the person qualifies financially – which it’s a pretty tight quali-fication – but even then, there are a lot of people that qualify financially that they are not able to help because once they put them in that pool, then it’s whose case is the most dire. So someone that’s in a small claims case, that’s not going to compare to a child custody case or something like that where something really serious is at risk. Not to minimize it, but we’re not talking about a judgment, we’re talking about a life with a child or something like that. It has to be only the most urgent, emergency cases are taken just because they only have so much funding and that’s all they can do. So there’s this niche in between that is there.”

He also elaborated about online legal services like Legal Zoom which is more of a do-it-yourself legal service. “That’s OK in one respect, but you don’t get any legal advice with that,” Wallace said. “All they do is get some document that no lawyer reviews once they fill it out. They pay for a form and they do it themselves. So there is this in between land that there is a niche that needs to be filled.”

Cup of Justice fills that niche nicely. When clients walk in the door, they receive a menu to look at that lists a few of the many services Wallace provides. Twenty-five minute consultations are $40 or $35 for seniors and students. There’s also drafting of legal documents for real estate deeds, codicil, health care power of attorney and property power of attorney which are all under $100.

Wallace also provides simple to more complex wills with health and property power of attorney which range from $300 and $500. He can provide assistance with numerous legal forms as well as sales contracts, contracts for deeds, leases, foreclosure

alternatives, short sales and deed in lieu of fore-closures. “Someone can send me a document with whatever questions they have and I will send them a no obligation quote stating this is what I’ll charge to review, answer your questions and mark up the doc-ument,” Wallace said. “Because a lot of people get a contract or an employment contract or something like and they think, 'I don’t know. Do I want to give that to an attorney?' So that way they know, this is what it is going to cost you and this is what kind of advice you can get out of it, and they can make their decision from there. It’s really about that kind of informed consent.”

“We are a full service law firm. A large part of my practice is wills and trusts,” Wallace added. “I’ve been practicing for 16 years and so there is a wide range of services that we provide. It’s not just the unbundled services.”

When asked what kind of reaction he gets from the casual, laid back, coffee and baked good approach to his business, he admitted that he gets a real mix of reactions. “I either get great reactions or I get, 'Well that’s weird,'” he said. “Like when I was at the bak-ery, I’d get asked, 'Why are you, as a lawyer, in a cof-fee shop?' And yet, when you have a problem and you want to go talk to your friend, what do you do? You say, let’s go have a cup of coffee. And so that’s kind of the same approach we’re trying to have here. We’ll sit down with you and walk through this with you and it doesn’t have to be this overwhelming process where whatever legal trauma you’re going through is doubled by the trauma of talking to that lawyer and being so worried about, what am I going to have to do? Am I going to have to get a loan to pay for this? So we just try to make it a real straight forward approach.”

Cup of Justice is open six days a week. Appointments are taken from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Saturday appointments can also be scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon, but Tuesdays are reserved for walk-in clients from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wallace also has a conference room in his building that he is willing to make available to small com-munity groups for a nominal fee. The room seats 15 comfortably around a conference table or about 20 people easily could sit either around the table or perimeter of the room. Wallace said that he’d also provide the coffee to a group that was looking for a different place to meet on occasion.

Visit Cup of Justice online at www.AcupofJustice.com or call 692-9967 for more information.

Page 6 – Thursday, February 20, 2013 - TheIntelligencer.com - PROGRESS

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Cup of Justice serves up legal advice and, yes, coffee

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Cup of Justice owner, attorney Neal Wallace, in his Edwardsville office.

Page 7: Progress 2013

By LAURA [email protected]

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but your wellness is strictly in your hands

and Kristen M. Jacobs, M.D., invites you to take your first step today by designing your wellness plan with guidance from her dedicated team at Ooh La La Spa, Anti-Aging and Wellness in Glen Carbon.

“You have to choose to make health and wellness a part of your life,” Jacobs said. “I go through phases too. But once you make that commitment you will feel so good.”

Ooh La La Spa has an extensive list of services that will compli-ment your goals including skin care, fitness, anti-aging or cessa-tion of cravings.

The initial consultation at Ooh La La is complimentary and Jacobs encourages individuals to make an appointment to get their questions answered about aesthetic services and to learn how they can take baby steps to achieve wellness, look terrific and feel good.

Jacobs knows all about taking small steps to achieve a goal.

She set a goal to participate in her first marathon in 2007 and along with running daily, posted the marathon flyer on her refrig-erator to remind her every day of the upcoming event and her goal to complete the race.

“I hadn’t run since college but I figured out a way to do it,” Jacobs said. “You have to set goals. If I don’t have another athletic event to participate in, I’m just as lazy as the next person.”

She arrived in Chicago, a city sweltering with record tempera-tures. During the run she learned the event was cancelled due to excessive heat. She was approach-ing mile 18 of the 26.2 mile event. Jacobs continued to run and didn’t stop, running the entire course. She came to the event to achieve her goal and when she returned home – it was mission accom-plished.

Under Jacobs leadership, Ooh La La Spa has broadened the com-pliment of services offered and is now embarking on the creation of a wellness center like no other in the area.

“There are so many things we can do to help someone and we’re here to help you take baby steps,” she said. “When patients come in for a Botox treatment we talk about all the services we offer such as skin care and weight loss. You don’t just come in and get a treat-ment and walk out, we look at the entire picture. There are so many things we can help you with that don’t cost that much. It depends on their goals.”

Jacobs is very proud of her spa and loves the fact that her clients leave feeling good about them-selves.

Ooh La La Spa is the number one Botox provider in the area.

Botox is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to improve the look of mod-erate to severe frown lines in areas of the upper face.

Jacobs prides herself on her art of injecting Botox and knows that her patients are her canvas.

“My client’s appearance is the best marketing tool I have,” she said. “If they don’t look good no one is going to come to me. I’m very natural so I want everyone who walks out of here looking very natural. I pride myself with a less is more approach in my ser-vices.”

Ooh La La is also the largest pro-vider in the metro east for prod-ucts such as Juvederm, SkinMedica and Latisse.

“Most of us care about what we look like and we don’t want that aging to kick in,” Jacobs said. “Using our skin care products will help keep the youthful appear-ance and help prevent skin cancer – probably the number one reason why you should use the appropri-ate skin care products for protec-

tion.”Another service blossoming

at Ooh La La is the FDA cleared non-surgical treatment that freezes fat which is then naturally eliminated from the body called CoolSculpting.

The skin care services found at Ooh La La Spa range from deep cleansing facials to makeup.

Jacobs stated that the skin care products offered at the spa are one of the things that set them apart from other providers.

“The line of products we use is called SkinMedica,” she said. “This line is superior to every other line out there. It breaks down the damaged skin then builds your skin back up to protect it from the environment and signs of aging. Because of that stimulation of col-lagen, your skin gets tighter, toned and the fine lines and wrinkles improve.”

The spa’s current location in Glen Carbon features 12,000 square feet of beautifully decorated and calming interior treatment rooms designed for the various services the spa offers.

“Since relocating to this facility we’ve grown tremendously in ser-vices and staff,” Jacobs said. “We started with three employees and now we have twelve employees. Soon we will be adding two more people. I have an outstanding staff who are wonderful, dedicated employees.”

Jacobs is not working alone in her endeavor to create the largest and most comprehensive spa and wellness center in the metro east. Dr. Robert Wise, her husband, recently relocated his chiropractic office to the Glen Carbon facility to enable the wellness center to treat patients head to toe.

“I wanted to create the wellness clinic for years,” she said. “I really want to help people lose weight, become mentally prepared and empower them. This is my next step. My husband has stepped in and is helping with this. The components of the wellness center will include weight loss, chiro-practic care, acupuncture, preven-tive health and auriculotherapy which is needleless acupuncture and helps with smoking cessation, cravings for chocolate or salty foods.”

Jacobs has a simple goal for her spa services – to make people happy by looking and feeling ter-rific after a visit to Ooh La La Spa.

Progress slated for the spa in 2013 will not stop at the compre-hensive wellness center. Ooh La La Spa will soon offer a hair salon and nail technician services to open later this year.

“Again, it’s a step by step pro-cess for me.” Jacobs said. “I’m very particular about who I want to work with. I want to provide the best services possible.”

Services currently provided at Ooh La La Spa include: Botox

cosmetic, dermal fillers (Juvederm and Radiesse), laser treatments including laser hair removal, laser vein removal, skin rejuventa-tion and resurfacing, massage, microdermabrasion, dermaplan-ing, chemical peels, microcurrent skin tightening, medical grade skin care (SkinMedica and Obagi), Jane Iredale mineral makeup, CoolSculpting, nutrition and

weight loss counseling and the full range of chiropractor services.

Dr. Jacobs, who is board certified in Family Practice and specializes in aesthetic medicine, is taking her facility to the next level in 2013, slowly but surely, taking it one step at a time.

"I invite both men and women to allow my team at Ooh La La Spa to assist them in taking their

health and wellness into their own hands,” Jacob said. “Don’t delay good health for another day. Today is the perfect day to begin looking great and feeling fabulous.”

Ooh La La Spa, Anti-Aging and Wellness is located at 110 Cottonwood Road, Glen Carbon, Illnios and can be found on the Internet at www.oohlalawellness.com.

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1520 9th Street, Suite 255 Highland, IL 62249

If you’re among those who suffer from chronic or non-healing wounds, then you know that having sores that do not signifi cantly improve with conventional treatment can be quite uncomfortable... and may even lead to amputation. When wounds persist, a specialized approach is required for healing. Now St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland offers an interdisciplinary method of treatment involving a variety of therapies and techniques at its Wound Care Center, located in the SJH Medical Arts Building (1520 9th Street,, Suite 255, in Highland). All services are provided by Dr. Jose Diaz, Jr., who serves as Medical Director of the Wound Care Center, and Dr. Janet Alvarado.Both are affi liatedwith theHSHS Medical Group.

Among the treatmentoptions available:• Diabetic ulcers• Pressure ulcers• Ischemic ulcers• Venous insuffi ciency• Traumatic wounds• Non-healing surgical incisions

If you suffer from a chronic or non-healing wound, ask your physician for a referral to the SJH Wound Care Center or contact us directly for an assessment.

Call (618) 651-2502to learn more.

Thursday, February 20, 2013 - TheIntelligencer.com - PROGRESS – Page 7

Ooh La La Spa offers a better you

Laura Scaturro/Intelligencer (1) For the Intelligencer (1)

Above, patient Kim Runge receives a Botox injection from Dr. Kristen Jacobs at the Ooh La La Spa in Glen Carbon. Runge travels from Marion to take advantage of the services offered at the spa. “I’ve had several different treatments at the spa and it makes me feel great.” Below, the husband and wife team, Dr. Robert Wise and Dr. Kristen Jacobs, join forces to provide comprehensive aesthetic and chiropractic services at Ooh La La Spa, Anti-Aging and Wellness Center located in Glen Carbon.

Page 8: Progress 2013

Page 8 – Thursday, February 20, 2013 - TheIntelligencer.com - PROGRESS

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