Monday, July 6, 2009 9:17 PM CDT
ECIDC presents BESI awards to outstanding businesses, business leaders
Staff Report
EFFINGHAM — The East Central Illinois Development Corporation presented three Business Ethics and Social Involvement (BESI) awards during its annual dinner, according to an ECIDC press release.
The BESI awards, sponsored by Eastern Illinois University, Lake Land College and the ECIDC, recognize businesses and individuals who have distinguished themselves in the pursuit of ethics and social involvement.
The awards this year honored Gerald Forsythe of Wheeling, Kitchen Seed Co. of Arthur, and Ken Vogt of Effingham. In addition, Gary Kuhns of Mattoon was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from ECIDC.
Forsythe, a Clark County native, is the chairman and chief executive officer of Indeck Power Equipment Co. and Indeck Energy Services, located in Wheeling.
The Indeck Group has grown into North America’s largest supplier of emergency and back-up steam generation while expanding into the design and fabrication of water treatment equipment and renting generator sets, chillers, and compressors.
He also owns Forsythe Family Farms in Clark and Edgar counties, Canyata Golf Club in Marshall and Iron Horse Golf Club in Tuscola.
While he resides in the Chicago area, Forsythe and his wife, Jean, are the founders of the Marshall Educational Trust Fund, which provides no-interest loans to students who need financial assistance to further their education.
Kitchen Seed has steadily grown since its inception in 1974 to become the “premier independent seed company” in East Central Illinois. It has grown from $600,000 in annual sales to sales in the multi-million dollar range. Its current and past customers include such countries as Turkey, France, Switzerland, Russia and Ukraine.
Owner Phil Kitchen has encouraged his employees to be involved in their communities. Various community positions that his 15 employees hold or have held include an Arthur school board member, two current Arthur Park District directors, a volunteer fire fighter, Arthur Area Association of Commerce, the Arthur Village Board, Farm Bureau Young Leaders Organization and volunteer coaches.
Ken Vogt is a certified public accountant and partner of West & Co. in Effingham.
While serving on the board of the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he helped to create the ExCEL Awards Program (Excellence in Community & Economic Leadership). He also initiated the Effingham Business Report and helped to create the chamber of commerce’s resume service.
Vogt also serves as a member of the Friends of St. Anthony’s Board of Directors, the fundraising “arm” of the hospital. He currently serves on the Effingham Catholic Charities Advisory Board.
Gary Kuhns has served First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust for more than 32 years in Mattoon, Sullivan and Neoga. He is currently a vice president with the Wealth Management Department in the Mattoon facility. He has also served East Central Illinois and is an advocate for economic and community development in the area.
Kuhns has served two terms on the Lake Land College Board of Trustees, sat on the Lincoln-Sargent Board, served on the Cumberland County Development Corporation board and received the Citizen of the Year Award in Cumberland County in 1995.
Kuhns worked with the Kellogg Foundation and Rural Partners to develop the Cumberland County Strategic Plan for Community and Economic Development and has served on the ECIDC Board of Directors. Kuhns also serves as a Coles County Soil and Water Conservation District director and is the co-founder of the Neoga’s Children’s Christmas Shopping Spree.
Kuhns lives near Mattoon with his wife, Sharon, and has two sons, Andrew and Nicholas. He has spent a lifetime making a positive difference in the communities in which he lives, works, and serves.
ECIDC assists economic development efforts in a nine-county region consisting of Christian, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Moultrie and Shelby counties. For more information about the organization, contact Trisha Mason, executive director, at 540-3517.
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