advertisement

Libertyville entrepreneur puts fashion on wheels

When a friend gave Gina Crater-Lilja a sweater as a gift, she asked where the friend bought it. Off a truck, the woman said.

That's hardly the answer Crater-Lilja expected. But she loved the sweater and looked into a growing trend on the West Coast that offers fashion stores on wheels.

That's where Crater-Lilja got the idea to create Fashion in Motion in Lake County a couple of months ago. She partnered with Dominic Balbi of Buffalo Grove, obtained a former bread truck and converted it into a high-end women's fashion boutique.

“When you come home from work, a lot of women don't have time to shop,” she said. “So to fill that need for women who love the opportunity to get stylish clothes from a boutique, and do it on a lunch break, we decided to do this.”

Fashion in Motion can be used for private parties or be found parked at area businesses or events, including Bodyworks Fitness and Health Spa in Libertyville on Saturdays and the Libertyville Farmers Market on Thursdays, among other locations. Interested shoppers can see the schedule at fashioninmotiontruck.com.

“We only get six to eight pieces of one style. So when it's gone, it's gone,” she said.

The truck has the look and feel of a boutique with hardwood floors, crown molding, a dresser with a lamp, a small dressing room and other touches. It's targeted for women 35 and older, she said.

Crater-Lilja, an Ohio native, came to the Chicago area about 20 years ago for a sales and marketing job. She moved to Libertyville about 15 years ago. A fitness buff, she enjoys working out and doing various fundraisers for animal shelters or other good causes, she said.

She also enjoys driving the Fashion in Motion truck.

“It's hard to drive, so I had to learn to use the mirrors,” she laughed.

She also had to anchor everything inside the truck, so it would maintain a neat and orderly look, just in case she had to make a quick stop.

“I had to learn a lot,” she said. “You also have to be creative, but it also has been a lot of fun.”

Feldco president opens the door

Newly elected Des Plaines Mayor Matt Bogusz met with Feldco Windows Siding and Doors President and owner Doug Cook to discuss the community and commerce in Des Plaines. Cook also gave the mayor a tour of the facilities, where about 100 people work.

Facelift for Naperville homeowners

Naperville residents Steve and Laura Kovarik won the grand prize in the Hardie Home Outdoor Living Sweepstakes, an exterior home makeover valued at up to $30,000. Those on hand to present the award included Naperville Mayor George Pradel and Dave Donofrio of Naperville, the director of products and segments for James Hardie Building Products. The Chicago company plans to use James Hardie products to completely add new siding,

Oversees unit with international ties

Rob Crowell has been named Business Unit Director of the Functional Materials business at Elgin-based DSM Functional Materials Inc., effective Sept. 1. He will oversee operations of the unit, which includes facilities in Elgin; Stanley, N.C., Hoek van Holland, The Netherlands; and Shanghai, China.

FastTrack

Gerard van Grinsven has been appointed president and CEO of Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Schaumburg. He was previously in the same position at the Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital in Detroit. ... Lori McConville is the owner of the newly opened Marvin's Toy Store in downtown Crystal Lake. She was a kindergarten teacher in the Crystal Lake school district. ... Shawn Greenwald has joined Topco Associates LLC in Elk Grove Village as senior vice president and chief information officer and reports to the firm's CEO Randy Skoda.

Brett Hintz, general manager of TopGolf in Wood Dale, is the new chairman through June 2014 of the Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau. ... Tim Broccolo of Glencoe, John Sassaris of Hoffman Estates and Robert F. Hallberg of Elmhurst have been promoted to group presidents of commercial banking at Chicago-based MB Financial Bank. ... Eric Thiegs has been named senior vice president of business development at National Gift Card Corp. in Elgin.

Kashyap V. Trivedi and Zubair A. Khan have formed the new law firm Trivedi & Khan LLP in Schaumburg and Chicago. It will concentrate on residential and commercial real estate, commercial litigation, business transactions and creditor and debtor disputes. ... Brian Nagle of South Barrington and Jerrod Wigal of Chicago have rejoined the Capital Markets group of Cushman & Wakefield in Chicago. Nagle is now executive vice president and Wigal is director, focusing on office property investment sales in the Midwest.

Stephen T. Dennison is now project manager at Engineering Enterprises Inc. in Sugar Grove. ... Self-help author Anthony Robbins will “Unleash the Power Within!” July 18-21 during his visit at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive in Schaumburg.

Cynthia Cogil of Wilmette has been promoted from senior mechanical engineer to director of engineering at SmithGroupJJR, an architecture, engineering and planning firm in Chicago. ... Corwin Freeman Jr. of Elgin has qualified for the exclusive Top of the Table of the Million Dollar Round Table, an association of financial professionals in Park Ridge. He's a 31-year member of the organization and a two-time Top of the Table qualifier, which involves excellent client service, ethics and professionalism.

• There's more to business than just the bottom line. We want to tell you about the people that make business work. Send news about people in business to akukec@dailyherald.com. Follow Anna Marie Kukec on LinkedIn and Facebook and as AMKukec on Twitter.

Fashion in Motion truck, a women's clothing boutique on wheels.
Doug Cook
Steve and Laura Kovarik
Gerard van Grinsven
Shawn Greenwald
Brett Hintz
John Sassaris
Robert Hallberg
Eric Thiegs
Brian Nagle
Jerrod Wigal
Stephen Dennison
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.