Race for hair kept Finamore busy for more than 50 years

At 72, Paul V. Finamore is a former Marine sergeant and Marine sky diver. He's even been a champion third-degree black belt. But the battle he took on in his career became a popular one: Hair ... and the race to keep it.

Finamore is founder and chairman of Hairline Creations, which has operations in Arlington Heights, Chicago and Southwest Suburban Hickory Hills. (Another location in Mount Prospect was open from 1976 to 1986, when it closed after a fire.) Finamore and his 33 employees recently marked the company's 50th anniversary.

"I've passed the business on to my son-in-law, Arthur Jaskula, president and daughter Stephanie Jaskula, the chief operating officer," Finamore said. "The plan is to go for another 50 and hopefully my two grandkids will take it from there."

In his younger years, Finamore wanted to be a police officer but was told he was too short, so he entered the U.S. Marines and served in Southeast Asia as a sergeant until he was discharged in 1963. He then served two more years in the reserves.

He also worked as a barber, and noticed how many clients had male-pattern baldness. So he wanted to find a way to help his customers.

By late 1963, he headed World of Wigs Manufacturing Co. and the company became international. But he also worked on another system where men could wear a hair system all the time, including in the shower, he said.

"I started the business on my mother's kitchen table, the women's wig business was starting to take off and I thought this was an opportunity," Finamore said. "My folks lent me $6,000 to purchase inventory from overseas. Timing was very important as I did not want to miss the trend."

In 1963, he said he worked hard and quickly to build the business.

His first office opened in 1964, and within 3 years, he had four locations. He shipped men and woman's hair goods throughout the world, he said.

"My focus was primarily developing custom made hairpieces," he said.

Hairline creations then operated as a division of World of Wigs, and he soon received seven patents, he said.

"My goal was to be the finest hair replacement company in the country," he said.

Wood Dale chef tapped for Le Méridien

Chef Franco Diaz of Wood Dale has become the new executive chef at Le Méridien Chicago Oakbrook Center, which expects to complete its $25 million remodel in July that will include a new bar and restaurant concept as well as a ninth-floor 3,000-square-foot ballroom with spectacular views. Diaz most recently was executive chef at The Drake Hotel in Chicago.

Asian leaders eye Schaumburg

Matt Frank, assistant director of community development/economic development manager for Schaumburg, along with Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson, the Schaumburg Business Association and others hosted several ambassadors from Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and elsewhere. After lunch together, the group visited the Motorola Solutions campus in Schaumburg to strengthen business ties, Frank said. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Community includes 10 countries that represent one of the largest economic markets in the world. They explored business opportunities both with Motorola and elsewhere around Schaumburg, he said.

FastTracks

Brian Schroeder of Inverness, an appellate lawyer for more than 20 years, is a new partner at Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP. ... Michael R Rohrwasser, president of Vantage Financial Partners Ltd., said the firm is marking its 25th anniversary. ... Yasmin Farid and Julio Argueta, both 2013 graduates of UIC College of Dentistry, have opened a dental practice in Winfield.

Chris Wu and wife Heather have opened a new bakery/cafe in Hoffman Estates called Great Harvest Bread Co. where they handcraft freshly baked breads, specialty loaves, gourmet sandwiches, and some sweets from scratch and even have a classic stone mill that they use to grind their own wheat fresh daily.

Mindy Hinkel, a registered nurse and bariatric coordinator from Willowbrook, was named Nurse of the Year at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital. ... Todd Piccolo of Ivanhoe in Lake County has joined MB Real Estate Inc. as vice president of its MBRE Healthcare division. ... Barrington resident Brian Graves, managing director at Dresner Partners, spoke at a meeting of the Chicago Chapter of the International Executive Resources Group. He was part of a panel discussing the ins and outs of global mergers ad acquisitions.

Reid Harman, president and founder of Echelon Design Inc. in Gilberts said his company has been named a finalist for the 2014 American Business Stevie Awards. Winners will be announced at the awards banquet on June 13 in Chicago. ... Richard Tallo has joined Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in Itasca as its new chief marketing and communications officer. Also Gallagher has appointed Curtis Anderson, Sarah DiLorenzo, Richard Tallo and Thomas Tropp as corporate vice presidents.

Eric Clymer, board certified in emergency medicine, and Patrick Mackey, board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics, have joined DuPage Medical Group. Clymer will practice in the Glen Ellyn and Lise offices, while Mackey will be at the Carol Stream and Wheaton offices. ... Evanston resident Terry Howerton, co-founder and CEO of Chicago-based TechNexus, has been named to TechNet's executive council. Howerton is the founding chairman of ITA, a trade organization serving nearly 700 tech companies throughout the Midwest. He founded and leads TechNexus, a growth incubator that aligns with leading corporations to build new ventures.

Denice Shuty, who founded Writely Yours, said the firm is changing its name to ArchiBusiness Marketing in Glendale Heights. ... Rick Hans, divisional vice president of investor relations and finance for Deerfield-based Walgreens, and Snehal Shah, Walgreens manager of investor relations, were in Las Vegas last week to address the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Health Care Conference.

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