Elgin business leader getting in touch with downtown
Don't ask Tonya Hudson what a valve cover is, or which season is best for 10W-40 motor oil.
Hudson, executive director of Elgin's Downtown Neighborhood Association, learned much more than that from a day at Tom's Auto Clinic, 264 Prairie St., Elgin.
"Their business is their life and their life is their business," she said. "There's no line. They don't have quitting time. They might be 8 to 5, but they're always thinking about their business and ways to enhance it. That's something important for DNA to understand."
Hudson's visit to Tom's, which has been in Elgin for 40 years and 35 at its current downtown spot, is part of the "A Day in the Life of a Downtown Business" program.
She's trying to get a better feel of challenges merchants face and how they distinguish their businesses and services from others.
One advantage, Hudson said, is that their service in general is more personal and knowledgeable.
Hudson hopes other DNA staff and board members also will partake in the program.
Tom Brockner, owner of Tom's Auto Clinic and also a member of the DNA board, certainly appreciates it.
He said a lot of progress has been made in the downtown, and finding the right mix of residents and people who work in Elgin during the day is key.
"We're talking more about what type of customers we have, what type of a mix of businesses (we want)," Brockner said.
Last month, Hudson took her turn serving drinks at the Elgin Public House, 219 E. Chicago St.
Perhaps future visits could be at a salon or riding along with a downtown city maintenance worker for a day.
Lou Gramm, the pub's co-owner, said she was glad Hudson came out because she learned the impact of downtown construction and saw how Gramm and her fiance, Greg Shannon, were hands-on owners.
"It's always different when you stand in someone else's shoes and it's good for (Hudson) and DNA to be able to understand what businesses are going through. Even though we're all separate businesses, we have a whole lot in common."