Springfield Business Journal Illinois

01/02/2026

Growth Corp, an SBA 504 lender for small and mid-sized businesses, has announced a leadership transition effective Jan. 1.

Growth Corp, an SBA 504 lender for small and mid-sized businesses, has announced a leadership transition effective Jan. 1. After 35 years as president, Doug Kinley will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer, while Sara Vanhala has been appointed president. Vanhala is a nearly 20-year veteran of...

01/02/2026

A public outcry and inaccurate information on social media about a proposed data center in rural Logan County have prompted officials to delay votes on zoning necessary for the project until at least February.

Representatives of Miami-based Hut 8 Corp. plan to make a presentation and answer questions about the company’s proposal to build a 500-megawatt data center on 200 acres of farm ground near Latham at 7 p.m. Jan. 5 in front of the Logan County Board’s Zoning and Economic Development Committee.

A public outcry and inaccurate information on social media about a proposed data center in rural Logan County have prompted officials to delay votes on zoning necessary for the project until at least February. In the meantime, representatives of Miami-based Hut 8 Corp. plan to make a presentation an...

01/01/2026

The January issue of SBJ is out now, featuring an interview with Phil Martin of Martin Engineering.

He discusses current and upcoming projects and plans to sell the company later this year to two longtime employees:

https://www.springfieldbusinessjournal.com/columns/questionandanswer/qa-with-phil-martin

Phil Martin started working on job sites with his father, Russ Martin, at a young age and graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. After starting his career with Turner Construction Company in Chicago, he returned to Springfie...

12/31/2025

A look at the bars and restaurants we lost this year in Springfield:

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

12/30/2025

While Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport has struggled to attract more regular commercial airline routes, director Mark Hanna says a new initiative involving hybrid aircraft could provide multiple flights a day for up to 30 passengers at a time traveling from Springfield to Chicago:

Mark Hanna knew the first question at the Citizens Club of Springfield’s Dec. 19 public policy forum regarding the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport would be something along the lines of, “Any new commercial airline routes coming soon?” Not much to report, Hanna said, although there have been so...

12/29/2025

Gabatoni's has reopened for dine-in service and has new ownership and a new look. Our restaurant reviewer, who has been patronizing the Italian restaurant since the 1990s, shares his impressions from a recent visit:

I’ve been going to Gabatoni’s since I arrived in Springfield in 1999 and maybe even in 1992 while I was here for a judicial clerkship. I was saddened when the pandemic led the prior owners to shift to takeout only, which lasted even after the COVID-19 restrictions eased. But, with new ownership ...

12/29/2025

Do you love where you work? Nominate your employer for this year's Best Places to Work, sponsored by Springfield Business Journal and United Community Bank:

Each year, Springfield Business Journal and United Community Bank sponsor an awards program that recognizes the Best Places to Work in our community. This awards program is unique, because it requires employees to nominate their own company. The criteria include: Feb. 1 is the deadline to make a nom...

12/27/2025

After more than six decades in the same family, Halls Harley-Davidson has been sold to another central Illinois family.

After more than six decades in the same family, Halls Harley-Davidson has been sold to another central Illinois family. The location at 2301 N. Dirksen Parkway will be rebranded as Simpson’s Harley-Davidson. New owners Rhett, Trent and Linn Simpson also own Andrae’s Harley Davidson in Urbana. .....

12/24/2025

HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital hosted Santa’s Workshop, a Christmas gift store for parents of pediatric patients who will be spending Christmas at the hospital.

Volunteers, including sponsor Michael McGraw and his three sons, helped wrapped and deliver gifts yesterday.

https://youtu.be/A7Xgo5MA974

12/24/2025

A publicly traded company wants to build a large-scale data center in rural Logan County near Latham, about 30 miles northeast of Springfield, while local residents scramble to find out more details and delay what could be a mid-January vote on a zoning change that’s needed for the plan to proceed.

A publicly traded company wants to build a large-scale data center in rural Logan County near Latham, about 30 miles northeast of Springfield, while local residents scramble to find out more details and delay what could be a mid-January vote on a zoning change that’s needed for the plan to proceed...