Mayor Patti York bestowed Employer of the Year honors on four St. Charles area businesses during the May 19 St. Charles Chamber of Commerce general membership meeting at The Columns Banquet & Conference Center. 
     “We are pleased to recognize local businesses who continue to grow and thrive in our city,” said Mayor York.  “These companies make a huge investment in our community and as employers provide support and benefits to their employees.  In addition,” York added, “their generous commitment in giving back to the community through various charitable and civic organizations is commendable, for it represents the spirit behind this well-deserved recognition.”
    St. Charles annually presents the Employer of the Year award in the categories of service, manufacturing/industrial, retail and energy efficiency. The 2010 honorees are:

Service
Sams Carpet Cleaning & Repair, 1602 North Fourth Street (63301) -- 636-949-8229
Sams Carpet Cleaning & Repairs has been providing exceptional service in carpet, furniture, and oriental rug cleaning since 1985.  They also offer tile and grout cleaning, air duct cleaning and 24-hour water damage restoration services.  The company has been voted the #1 carpet cleaner in St. Charles County by Suburban Journal readers every year for 14 years straight. “We are honored for the recognition, by the community we service, and remain committed to continuing our mission to provide quality service to the region,” said Jeff Sams, president.  With their success has come growth in the form of a new location, which features 18,000 square feet of space as well as sales growth of 15 to 20 percent during 2009-2010.  Additional employees have been added to accommodate this growth, particularly in the area of oriental rug cleaning, which has developed into a new division:  FrenchTown Rug Cleaning.  Sams was able to take the risk to launch this new division, investing in space, equipment, supplies, training, and new staff located at 1602 North Fourth Street.  The company currently employees 32 people, who all take part in annual performance reviews, weekly meetings, special association events and related lunch and dinners.  There are bonuses provided for staff members who excel and contribute to the company's growth potential.  Staff also has access to on-the-job training, seminars and professional certification.  They receive paid time off, vacation, holidays, health and dental coverage, and a 401(k) retirement savings plan.  Sams Carpet Cleaning & Repairs is very generous in their support of charities within the community as well.  This is done through participation in national and local events such as youth programs, golf tournaments, sponsorships, auctions, etc.  The past three years they have co-sponsored a team for the St. Louis Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure ®.  This team was formed to honor Jeff's sister Tammy Ostmann, who battled the disease herself and is currently winning; it is a cause close to their hearts.

Manufacturing/Industrial
American Railcar Industries, Inc., 100 Clark Street (63301) – 636-940-6000
In February of 1864, the Milton Car Works was formed in Milton, Pennsylvania by Murray, Dougal & Company. A year later, the Milton Car Works began delivering some of the world’s first tank cars.  Designed by Amos Densmore, this unique conveyance consisted of two wood stave barrels mounted on a flat car.  The Densmore tank car ushered in a new era for the railroads and a new industry that 129 years later would become American Railcar Industries, Inc.  American Railcar was formed in 1994 from the acquisition of railcar component manufacturing and railcar maintenance assets from ACF Industries.  Today ARI, a publicly held corporation, is a fully integrated supplier to the North American freight car market.  According to company President James Cowan, ARI designs and manufactures new railcars, railcar parts and operates a network of railcar centers. “We supply rail fleet management and Engineering services to shippers, equipment leasing companies and railroads,” he said.  “Our industrial products group provides the industry with a variety of services, including steel and aluminum castings, heavy steel fabrication, roll forming, production machining, specialty welding and forging.”  Located at 100 Clark Street, ARI currently employs 1,370 people, providing stock options, bonus payments, promotions and stock appreciation rights to its staff members who excel and contributed to the company’s bottom-line.  In the area of training and education, ARI offers seminars, tuition reimbursement and membership opportunities in professional organizations related to the company’s industry.  On the benefits side, ARI offers health insurance, life insurance, 401(k) contributions, vested pension plans, disability insurance, paid vacation and holiday time off.  The company’s current challenges of the day are associated with the fact that railcar manufacturing in this country is operating at 15 percent of the industry’s capacity.  The company is also committed to community support and charitable giving, through their financial contributions to local organizations, as well as their generous donation of company parking lots for use by the city’s Convention & Visitors Bureau in support of local events and tourism activities.  ARI is a partner in four separate and distinct ventures – Amtek Railcar Industries Private Limited; Axis, LLC; Ohio Castings Company, LLC; and US Railcar Company, LLC.

Retail
WorkSafe Midwest, Inc., 211 Hughes Lane (63301) – 636-724-2075
At WorkSafe Midwest, Inc., the main emphasis is on seismic protection of data equipment and electronics throughout the world.  According to company President Michael Reilly, WorkSafe Midwest is well into its eighth year of operation, striving to constantly increase its level of expertise by developing products to protect clients' businesses. "Our ultimate goal is to keep 'mission critical' equipment running as smoothly as possible," he said, "and help ensure a rapid and easy operational recovery in the event of a seismic disturbance.  Our success is made possible by contributions from our team of hardworking professionals, which consists of a diverse range of personnel from sales and marketing experts, product engineers and designers, and service and manufacturing specialists."  Located at 211 Hughes Lane, WorkSafe Midwest currently employs seven staff members, providing full-time staff both health and dental benefits.  The company just this year initiated an SEPP or Substantially Equal Periodic Payments plan to enhance retirement investments and related financial distributions on behalf of its employees.  Management at the company encourages staff to participate in both personal and professional development opportunities, and likewise, offers employees the added benefit of tuition reimbursement.  Staff are rewarded for their contributions through increased responsibility, frequent pay increases, and company-sponsored recognition lunches.  Over the course of the past four years, the company has moved from a former basement office to a 3,000 square foot location, with annual sales of more than $1 million.  WorkSafe's current business challenges center on the fact that it's sometimes difficult to convince target clients that they do, indeed, reside in a seismic area or zone. The company's innovations in seismic mitigation have been well-received not only in domestic seismic regions, but also in seismic hot spots throughout the world.  WorkSafe Technologies – the company as a whole – handles affairs worldwide with an established presence throughout the United States and Canada, as well as Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, Turkey and Mexico; with expansion plans into Western Europe, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia slated for the near future.  WorkSafe Technologies located in St. Charles handles all related business in the Continental United States east of the Rocky Mountains, including Federal Government Contracts.  The company is committed to the local community through its support of youth baseball and various school and community-related activities.

Energy Efficiency
St. Peter Catholic Church and School, 324 South Third Street (63301) 636-946-6641
St. Peter Catholic Church and School -- located in the historic downtown district of St. Charles -- is rich in beauty not to mention a 160-year tradition.  St. Peter is a short walking distance from Missouri's First State Capitol, and directly across the street from SSM St. Joseph Health Center.  Since 1850, generations of Catholics have come to know Jesus Christ and His Church through ongoing worship and service at St. Peter Church.  According to Fr. Stephen Bauer, Pastor, the church welcomes all visitors that attend their various religious and civic festivals.  "It is our hope that St. Peter Church will assist not only our own parishioners, but the community at large, in knowing what our ministry has to offer."  Located at 324 South Third Street, St. Peter Catholic Church and School -- along with its some 70 staff members -- are being honored for their collective efforts to promote energy efficiency.  Like many businesses, they recycle paper, plastic and glass, along with failed electronics and on-premise equipment such as air-conditioning units.  When it comes to fluid capture and recycling/reuse, the good people at St. Peter reuse fry oil for some eight parish dinner events annually.  On the high end of energy efficiency, the parish recently purchased a new 95.5 percent efficient boiler and two 95 percent efficient gas furnaces.  They've also converted all of the facility's incandescent church lighting to fluorescent, cutting input wattage by 75 percent.  In addition, they've converted all school fluorescent lighting from T-12 to T-8 with electronic ballasts, and are now in the process of converting the parish center building to T-8, as well.  Over the course of the past year, in addition to the new boiler, furnaces and air conditioning units, St. Peter has made significant HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) improvements, including new energy-efficient controls on the boiler in the parish center.  This has already improved or reduced the parish gas bill.  Plus, with the help of a Facade Grant from the City of St. Charles, the church replaced $106,000 worth of school windows, and has reduced its gas consumption and increased energy efficiency by nearly 30 to 45 percent across the board so far in 2010.  As a parochial school, St. Peter has used recycled paper (including the back sides of used sheets) for years.  "Even before recycling was en vogue," said Steve Weseman, the parish business manager.  The parish leadership team has also gone on record to say that given the opportunity to expand or build a new building, they would definitely consider a green, energy-efficient facility on their campus.

     The city’s annual economic development awards presentation took place as a part of the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce luncheon meeting, in conjunction with the chamber’s Small Business Person of the Year Award.  Wendy Black, owner of Main Street Gym was the 2010 recipient.
     Mayor York indicated the city of St. Charles has prospered over the years by encouraging local businesses to grow and expand and by keeping pace with a growing population.  “In our ever-changing economic environment, our city has been built on a proud past and continues to build and foster an exciting future,” York said.  “It is because of city businesses that our community can confidently expect dynamic growth to continue throughout 2010 and for many years to come.”