Midwest

Study Stirs Debate on Future of Chicago Waterways
Mon, 01/02/2012
A new Army Corps of Engineers study of Chicago-area waterways has stirred the debate over whether to sever the connection between Lake Michigan and inland waterways that were created by the construction of canals a century ago. The study, released on Dec. 7, is part of the Corps’s nearly decade-long process aimed at preventing invasive species,...

Green Scene: Wondering how other businesses are using renewable energy? Get a sneak peek
Thu, 09/29/2011
A handful of Chicago-area business owners with renewable-energy systems on their premises are inviting anyone curious enough to stop by on Saturday for a firsthand look at how they work.Fifteen businesses are participating in the Illinois Solar Tour, a daylong event of free, self-guided tours where individuals can get a close-up look at solar...

Green Scene: 11 wealthy families team up to invest in clean tech
Thu, 07/28/2011
Eleven wealthy families are now scouting for investment opportunities in the clean-energy sector – and the investment syndicate they’ve formed has already inked some deals. The Cleantech Syndicate was created in 2010 but only announced its formation late last month after it accumulated a large enough membership and demonstrated some investment...

Biggest Stock of Foreclosed Homes: Right Here
Fri, 07/08/2011
Although it never shared the notoriety of Miami, Los Angeles and Phoenix during America’s foreclosure crisis, the Chicago area now has the nation’s largest inventory of foreclosed homes because it is harder to unload troubled properties here than in most other metropolitan areas. The inventory data compiled by RealtyTrac, a California company...

Green Scene: Germans eye Chicago for renewable energy expansion
Thu, 07/07/2011
 Chicago and the Midwest could see an uptick in renewable-energy business with a German flavor if goodwill forged at a recent gathering translates into real deals. That optimism was shared by many among the 120 attendees at a recent daylong meeting in Chicago between business executives, policy experts and government officials from...

Chicago biz-for-sale numbers on the upswing
Fri, 04/08/2011
BizBuySell.com released its quarterly Insight report on the small business-for-sale transaction market this week, and the data is very much in line with our local results.  According to the BizBuySell first-quarter report, the number of reported closed business-for-sale transactions rose 2% nationally from the first quarter of 2010 to the...

In Dorchester, a House Becomes a Home for Art
Thu, 04/07/2011
The wooden floors of the house at 6918 South Dorchester Avenue came from a West Side bowling alley. The stacks of vinyl records once stocked a Hyde Park record shop, and some of the windows once served as doors in a museum. Viewed from the kitchen, the words “Museum Hours: 9 to 5” run backward across the glass.  The works of the artist...

Laurel Delaney: Small firms can no longer afford to ignore globalization
Wed, 04/06/2011
From my debut column on Crain’s small-business blog, you got an idea of why the Internet is a global entrepreneur’s best friend, how it offers many options and such convenience for customers worldwide, and why we no longer have the choice to ignore globalization. This column provides related information about three topics: 1. Illinois exports...

Want to Increase Voting? Discounts Seem to Work
Sat, 04/02/2011
Tuesday elections in Chicago and Cook County will inspire dismal turnouts, perhaps 25 percent countywide. But there’s a potential remedy: discount coupons for rock climbing. I came upon this remedy for the United States’ somnolent electoral politics while attending the annual gathering of the Midwest Political Science Association. It’s a...