Local businessman, volunteer named Gurnee Days honoree

Longtime businessman, volunteer and community leader Dan Kloczkowski has been named this year's Gurnee Days honoree and grand marshal of the festival parade.

Kloczkowski and two partners founded KHM Plastics, a manufacturing company, in Gurnee in 1982, and he has been a part of the community ever since. He has served on the village's zoning board of appeals and plan commission. He also was a founding member of the Gurnee Chamber of Commerce in 2009 and is now the group's executive director.

"He deserves it, has for years, but I'm glad he's finally getting recognized now," said Elmer Fallos, one of several people to nominate Kloczkowski for the honor.

Each year, Gurnee Days organizers choose an individual or couple from the community to recognize meaningful contributions that make the area a better place to live and work. Last year's honoree was Mayor Kristina Kovarik.

Fallos said Kloczkowski has been instrumental in helping Gurnee business owners through his work at the chamber. Kloczkowski takes time to learn the needs of chamber members and extends a hand or connects them to someone who can help.

"He's a very thoughtful and caring man," Fallos said. "He would do almost anything for anybody."

Kloczkowski was an active member in the Breakfast Exchange Club and was instrumental in combining the group with the Exchange Club of Gurnee in 2014. He has long had a leadership role in the group's annual Rib Fest event at Gurnee Days.

"A lot of people know me as the Rib Fest nut," said Kloczkowski, who has been part of it since 2001. "It became somewhat of a passion ... I'd start the day at 6:30 a.m. and keep going until I had to turn off the lights at 11:30 p.m."

Kloczkowski said he was surprised to be honored and never set out to win awards when he began his community work.

The annual Gurnee Days celebration is Aug. 9-12. This year's theme is "Gurnee Days Celebrates the Decades." Highlights include the Exchange Club's Rib Fest from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11, at Viking Park, and the parade at noon on Sunday, Aug. 12.

As the traditional kickoff to the festival, the testimonial dinner where Kloczkowski will be honored is set for Aug. 9.