>> Welcome to In Focus on WSIU.

I'm Brian Sapp.

We're exploring building a business in Illinois.

Innovation is the focus of this episode.

We're going to introduce you to businesses and show you how they try to stay on the leading edges of their market.

And we'll talk with regional Illinois business development leaders about the landscape of innovation here in Illinois.

First up, there's something we see every day.

Signs on buildings, cars, billboards, banners they're all created to let you know who a business is.

A sign company in Springfield continues to build on a family tradition started nearly 140 years ago.

Sign making may not seem like there's much room for innovation, but tradition and innovation have grown together as a sign company.

>> A sign company is a family business.

We we make visual communications of all types and help help our clients succeed by creating these ideas that are built to inspire, um, taking taking things to the next level for our clients.

It's really exciting, exciting process where we're a part of Tyburn.

>> Gaetz family has been making signs for six generations.

It began when his great great great grandfather, John Horn, started painting signs on railcars in Germany in the 1860s.

Now Todd, his brother Scott and cousin Cory Boatman continue the work began so long ago.

>> Our family has been able to see innovation take place.

We literally saw the light bulb get invented and come into signage.

You know, we went from gas lanterns with some of the early lighted signs to seeing the light bulb become part of it.

1908 we saw the invention of neon, which has been profound, continues to be profound, um, LEDs.

And so, whether it's lighting technology or whether it's the way that we handle graphics, what have you, there's there is a lot of different things.

And I think it always just takes someone being a little open.

>> Sign making has definitely changed over the last 80 years, but the goal has stayed the same helping businesses communicate who they are, and that's where they start with their clients.

>> We're in the sign industry.

You'll notice that there are some folks that maybe they're the the decal guy, maybe they are the the big crane truck install guy.

Um, and in our scenario, we kind of do it all.

It's, uh, it's definitely makes for a challenge to be able to wrangle all together all of those skill sets.

But at the end of the day, it's a real blessing.

And it's a great thing for our clients to be able to have a one stop shop, you know?

So whether I need a vehicle graphic real quick or I need a sign for a golf outing, or I need a big Vegas style high rise sign or a theater marquee.

I mean, huge, huge window.

But we we do all of that for our clients.

>> Once they figure out that design, the work moves out to their production facilities.

Todd takes us to the graphics department to show us some of the ways they can make these signs come to life.

>> Graphics makes up a huge part of what we do.

It's it might be a simple little sticker that you're buying.

It might be a quick banner golf outing sign, or it could be finishing a little finishing touch on a big high rise sign.

It could be any one of those things.

So they're from wall murals to vehicle graphics, all kinds of different applications.

Um, this space, we've got a lot of digital printing that you'll see a lot of cutting, a lot of equipment, doing a lot of different types of cutting on different substrates, um, and a lot of finishings.

>> Next, we're off to the fabrication shop for more work on client signs.

>> This is our fabrication part.

So you're going to see a lot more metal, a lot more assembly, a lot of larger science structures that are created back in this portion of the shop.

We've got some lighted letters stacked up up here.

A lot of what you would see on a restaurant or a business that you're frequenting a lot of lighted letters using those applications.

>> After six generations, history and innovation are two ideas that are inevitably intertwined at a sign company.

>> Yeah, history and innovation.

While they seem at odds.

We we love how they embrace, how they can embrace.

And for us, that is really a big part of what defines us.

Um, you don't you don't want to sit there and and throw everything away based on some new idea.

There's a lot of things we learn along the way, and history helps us to to learn a lot.

We don't want to get rid of that.

Um, and it's something to be appreciated.

There's there's.

So it means so much to so many people to so there's a lot of aspects to history.

>> Todd says they have plenty of work to keep the company busy, but they've built a culture that encourages employees to be open to new ideas.

>> And so innovation is always present in that way.

We're always trying to figure out how to move the needle forward.

Um, and just listening, you know, you when you when you have a challenge, sometimes it's a challenge and sometimes it's unique and maybe it's not going to come back up enough.

But if we run into the same challenge multiple times, whether it was maybe it was a way.

So we're so we're we're trying to listen.

We're trying to figure out how do we how do we take that opportunity that's in front of us, and how do we do it better next time?

Um, not always easy.

>> The mission for a sign company embracing History and tradition, Todd explains how they weave tradition with their work.

>> In today's world, there's so many different paths that we can go.

You truly have to enjoy what you do, you know, a lot of people have quoted the, the idea of if you enjoy what you do, you don't work a day in your life.

And I think that's very true.

Um, we, we try to, uh, we have a lot of creative folks.

And if you love being creative and you can be around this on a day to day, like, that's huge.

That's a that's a great opportunity.

It makes the days go by faster.

And you see your work out there and see what you do and a lot of appreciation in it.

>> You can experience the history of science for yourself by visiting the A sign company's free museum Monday through Friday at ten and two.

Check their website for location and details.

Now, when it comes to business innovation, businesses often need support.

That could mean a new technology or a streamlined way of offering a product or service.

And that's where organizations like the Springfield Growth Alliance can help.

We talked with Executive Director Kevin Mccrady about the ways they're supporting business innovation.

Ryan, thanks for joining us today.

>> Thank you for having me.

>> It's good to talk to you.

Um, we're talking technology, and I want to start with a kind of a broad view.

Can you just tell us what technology looks like there in Springfield?

Sangamon and how it's grown.

>> So we're really fortunate in our community because we have a lot of information technology employment, both direct and indirect.

And so let me kind of explain the difference there.

Uh, direct information technology employment is when you work for an IT firm, so to speak.

Uh, we have several of those here in Springfield.

Uh, one very large one is Levi, Ray and Schaub.

That's a multinational information technology firm that's headquartered here in Springfield.

And so the impact of the information technology knowledge base in Springfield really impacts the globe.

Um, they have locations all across the world and serve clients all across the world.

We also have large consulting firms.

One of those is MSF and W, located on the west side of Springfield, and they employ a lot of individuals and information technology, uh, serve a lot of clients all across the country.

And on the indirect type of employment, some of the major industries in Springfield require a lot of information technology staffing.

The healthcare industry, as you can imagine, uh, has always used a lot of information technology employment.

And with the adoption of AI and other things into healthcare, that demand is expanding.

Also have a lot of employment insurance and financial services and professional services, all supported greatly by information technology employment here.

So the opportunities for employment and information technology across Springfield and Sangamon County are very robust.

>> How have you seen it grow like the last 5 to 10 years?

I mean, it just seems like every day there's a new something new happening.

It just seems to be getting faster and faster.

You know, how has that changed with maybe some of these high tech, what we might think hard tech firms, but maybe just some other manufacturing and other firms like that.

>> Information technology is always changing.

As we know you buy something today, and within a week or two there's a new model that comes out.

Uh, but the way it's applied in the workplace has been very interesting for me to see.

Uh, historically, back ten years ago, people went to a four year school, got a computer science degree, then applied that into the workplace.

Now we're seeing a lot more of what are called certificates or badges for the skills.

I think that the IT world is changing so quickly, it's hard to constantly go back for another four year degree.

So the education institutions Lincoln Land Community College and the University of Illinois here in Springfield have computer science degrees.

They're very well thought of.

Uh, and they they send a lot of people into employment here in the community, but they also have had to start offering these certifications and badges.

So as the information technology world changes as it's applied into the workplace, these badges and certifications are becoming more and more in demand.

So there's that base level of education you have to have, but then they're staying up to date on all the technology.

And so that requires a constant recertification.

And it's been interesting to see how it gets applied into the business world.

You hear a lot about our country having a shrinking workforce.

So we're not making as many people as we used to.

Um, and people are retiring.

So businesses are having to learn how to use information technology to offset a shrinking workforce.

And that's interesting to see how that's changing things.

And it's going to be interesting to see what it means going forward.

>> Talking about going forward, your job is to to to be where you are now, but then also looking ahead to try to bring more companies in or support the companies you have.

Are there some trends or things that you see in the future that we can start to look forward to?

>> So a number of different things.

Application of artificial intelligence.

Wow.

That's that's something that is rapidly moving forward.

The University of Illinois has Innovate Springfield here in Springfield that is doing a lot of work on, particularly with high school and college age learners, about how to apply AI and how to learn about it.

But at the same time, they're doing a lot of information sessions with businesses on how they can can harness the power of AI for what they do every single day.

So they're trying to expand the knowledge base on both of both sides of that.

Also, going forward, we do expect to see data center investments here in our community.

These large data centers that we all hear about, I think some of us wonder if we need them, but we may be wondering about that while we're using our cell phone or using the internet.

So the answer is yes, we need them if we want to still have the benefit of this cloud and the internet power that exists out there have to find the right place for them.

So we're going to have to make sure our employment base is ready for the presence of data centers here.

And I feel like we are we these anchor education institutions, that we have the great things about.

The great thing about having those in your community is those are the kind of institutions that pull your community forward into the future.

And because they are also always looking into the future, too.

And so that that helps prepare us for what's coming.

>> I think we're going to wrap it up there.

Just it sounds like a great opportunity.

A lot of innovation comes down to problem solving and understanding the tools that you have.

So it sounds like a great chance for businesses to stay in the know like that.

I want to thank you for joining us, Ryan.

>> Thank you for having me on.

We appreciate it.

>> The Growth Alliance recently began a series of workshops to help entrepreneurs and small business owners succeed with their businesses in the next few months.

They're covering the basics of site selection and using data to understand customers.

Visit their website, thrive, and speak to connect and learn more.

Next up, we're talking coffee.

TJ Cowan with Cold Blooded Coffee is bringing innovation to hot and cold brews alike.

>> Ethiopian has a really cool, almost citrusy shade to the coffee.

Again, the soil is very acidic, which creates natural fruit notes.

>> With the way TJ Cowan explains how he roasts the best coffee.

You can't quite be certain if it's his love of coffee that makes him excited, or if he's had one too many cups.

Once you get to know TJ, you could find out it could be either one or both.

TJ only started drinking coffee eight years ago at the age of 33.

>> I didn't grow up drinking coffee.

I was 33 before I started, but once I started it was like, oh man, look what I've been missing.

So I just started with cold brew and, um.

Why is it good?

Why is it different?

What what makes a good versus a bad?

And we started jumping in to those details.

Um, and I just, I just had a feeling that if you really pay attention to details, that I could make something at home, um, where I wasn't spending a bunch of money out, and it sort of just took off.

>> It's part of his personality.

But paying attention to details, asking questions, and looking for efficiency is something he learned when he earned his degree in industrial engineering.

He honed those skills working for Toyota, the Department of Defense and local hospital systems.

One day, he decided he wanted to apply those skills to something of his own, and that's where the roasting and brewing of coffee all came into play.

>> So really, it started because I wanted to start doing something at home and saving some money and just being more efficient.

And what the magic that happened was by creating something that was efficient and cost affordable for me and with good quality, ended up being something that the community needed as well and brought us.

>> TJ and his wife launched Cold Blooded Coffee in 2017.

In January 2020, they signed the lease for their first brick and mortar store in Murfreesboro.

Because of the pandemic, it would take 11 months before they could open the doors.

That time forced Cold Blooded to reach out to the community in other ways and learn what was working and what wasn't.

>> So really, it started because I wanted to start doing something at home and saving some money and just being more efficient.

And what the magic that happened was by creating something that was efficient and cost affordable for me and with good quality, ended up being something that the community needed as well.

>> Since then, TJ's continued innovating, trying to improve their offerings.

>> We really lean in to what's hard and what's expensive because normally the answer is how do you get to be the best?

Well, that's super hard and it's super expensive and most people shy away from it.

We lean into it, and what we've learned is if you really know every detail of the process, it won't stay hard.

And there's a there's a better way and a more efficient way to do something without cutting cost or cutting quality.

So we actually chase hard.

Um, which which our employees don't appreciate in the beginning, but they've learned the culture and understand to be the best.

Um, you have to you have to do the best.

Plus, um, and do it in a very easy way that is sustainable.

So for us, that's what we are known for.

>> And he's found out you don't get there without taking some chances and changing your mindset on failure.

>> Every successful person that we know, um, has gotten to where they are through failures and and you're right, the mindset of failures is not to avoid them, but to have as many as possible.

And the big part of my job is to make sure that when I communicate with our employees that that failures are okay, they're actually expected because the mindset and the culture that creates is I'm okay to try things now.

>> This is where his engineering degree and other experience has kicked in.

It's helped push cold blooded coffee success.

It's important to keep track of where you've been so you can explore new possibilities.

>> To be able to innovate.

There's there's a saying, uh, that is that is vital.

And it is.

You cannot improve what you cannot record, right?

Data is is vital.

If you can't record it, you can't improve it.

So you have to know what the baseline is.

So we can go in and take a look at it and then say, let's see if we can duplicate it.

And if you can duplicate it, you're on to something.

>> TJ records each step of the roasting process, watching the time and the temperature.

He's used this knowledge to roast about £600 of coffee per week.

The roasted coffee fills orders from online customers to their cafes in Murfreesboro and Johnny Logan College, or to the coffee shops around the area that use the beans in their stores.

By using this data, over the last eight years, he's been able to develop new flavors and maintain consistency for his customer base.

>> 30s is an eternity, and you can roast the same bean 200 different ways.

I can bring flavor, different flavors out of the exact same bean.

If you guys were to say you have one bean, create 20 different coffees from it.

I could do it in a heartbeat.

Super easy to do.

Um, but every bean we talked about details that matter.

Every bean has something very special about it.

>> After a little more than 20 minutes of roasting at temperatures over 300 degrees, the beans are done.

From here, the beans are bagged up, ready for making that perfect cup.

It's a mixture of art with science.

TJ uses creativity to make the science give him a product he can be proud of.

>> What you're left with is a phenomenal Ethiopian blonde roast.

So we sell this as a bright side.

That's 100% single origin.

Um, or we mix it into a half Columbian, half Ethiopian, which was my favorite, called Tatted Barista.

So you get a little bit of chocolate notes.

You get a lot of the Ethiopian fruit notes.

>> After seeing TJ work.

You come away with an understanding that his excitement is genuine, but you also learn that it comes from a love of the craft and being caffeinated.

>> I love what I do because it takes God's gifts that he's given me and allows me to use them in a very creative way.

Um, and I get to drink a lot of caffeine in the process.

>> You can find cold blooded coffee at their stores in Murfreesboro and Johnny Logan College.

Or you can find them online at Cold Blooded Coffee and Roastery.

Com.

Business growth doesn't just happen on its own.

It takes a lot of effort and resources for success.

She now serves the economic development needs in the 17 counties in southern Illinois.

I talked with Seniors Executive Director Deb Barnett about their role in supporting business growth in the region.

Deb Barnett, thanks for joining us.

Glad to have you here on building a business.

You're the executive director of See Now, Southern Illinois now.

Can you tell us a little bit about what see now is what they do and who they serve?

>> Of course.

So see now is an economic development organization.

We cover the 17 southernmost counties in Illinois.

And appropriate to our topic today are one of our priorities.

Actually, our top priority is business growth.

And making sure our existing businesses are strong, growing and staying in southern Illinois and also attracting new business and jobs to the area.

We also make sure that we have a strong talent pipeline.

So workforce is a priority and then marketing is our third priority, just really marketing the southern Illinois region as a whole.

>> Okay.

Um, let's talk about that.

We're talking about growth.

Innovation in this episode.

How are those two linked?

Linked?

Can you have growth without innovation?

>> That's a good question.

I think the two do go hand in hand.

Um, lots of innovation happening in southern Illinois, of course.

I think of right here at Siu Carbondale.

We have the Office of Innovation and Economic Development, our small business development center, Apex Accelerator that helps with government contracting.

Um, small business incubator Siu Edwardsville has their international trade center.

So, so many resources to help businesses thrive and innovate and grow and think of new ways of doing things.

>> Okay.

Um.

What?

When I say innovation, I think it can mean lots of things.

I've tried to as I've put this show together, I want to kind of keep it general.

What what is innovation and what are some of the ways that that can manifest itself?

>> Yeah, that's a great question.

I think innovation for me, I just think of progress.

Right.

And new and it doesn't have to be a big jump.

It could be just something an incremental.

An incremental change.

I think of manufacturing a lot.

Also when I think of innovation, um, you know, I was in a meeting recently where someone said even communicating what manufacturing is to our youth, it is no longer a factory and a plant floor.

It is a facility.

It's a high tech facility.

And so that when I think of innovation and manufacturing, there's a lot of innovation happening in manufacturing, with automation, with robotics and really high tech solutions to the work they do every day.

>> For your mission, how do you guys try to be innovative at sea now?

What does that look like for you guys?

>> Yeah, I think even starting with a 17 county region was a bit innovative.

When I share that with some of my colleagues around the country and in the state, they say, wow, 17 counties, that's a lot.

And as I now actually won a national award for our regional partnerships through the International Economic Development Council.

So that tells me that what we're doing is unique and innovative.

Um, really focusing on that regional approach and everyone rowing in the same direction, um, is innovative in and of itself.

It's not common, I should say.

>> Okay, your your background, you've spent a lot of time working in economic development, thinking about best practices, just growing a business.

What are, um, maybe some ideas for those people that are watching.

Either they want to, you know, look at other businesses being innovative or somebody has their own business and they want to grow.

What are some ways to be open to innovation and how do you spur that?

>> Yeah, that's a great question.

And I would first say to realize that they're not in this alone.

So all of those resources that I mentioned at the start are available to them and at no cost.

Um, so I think that's really important.

I also think getting connected with the business community and not being afraid to ask the questions.

Uh, so many people think they have to have it all figured out.

Nobody has it all figured out.

So really connecting and and diving into some of those lessons learned from other business owners and other companies, but also what's going on in the field.

There are many, many trade organizations, depending on the industry that folks can tap into.

But, you know, just the idea, the concept and getting started.

I would definitely start with your local small business development center.

Again, I mentioned that's here at Siu Carbondale, but those are around the state and around the country.

>> And they just celebrated their 40th.

>> Very cool.

Talk about asking for help.

What how can people how do you get connected with people that might need help?

>> Yeah, we we receive direct inquiries all the time.

One of the things that we really try to do at sea now, and that the people who had the initial discussions for what became Sea now really emphasizes that we not duplicate efforts.

So we have partners all throughout the region and throughout the state.

So when we receive a call for help, one of the first things that we do, there's actually a book called Ask Who, not how.

So we ask who can help this person.

And we really try to refer out to our partners that do that work.

And if there's no one that does that, then we certainly dive in and do our best to help them.

But it takes a lot of partners.

And again, we won that regional partnership award.

So that tells us that it's working.

>> Well, Deb Barnett, thanks for joining us.

Glad to have you here.>> Thanks so much, Brian.

>> You can connect with Sea now and sign up for their monthly newsletter at Southern Illinois Now.org.

That's all for this episode of Building a Business, and our next episode, we'll explore how businesses are meeting the demands of a changing workforce.

For WSIU, I'm Brian Saab.

Thanks for watching.