Corner Barkery owner finds niche after leaving a tough industry
Lisa Senafe of Palatine worked for a number of years as a loan officer for a mortgage company in Schaumburg.
Many in her family also worked in the mortgage industry. So it was a natural career path that helped her to pay for college, she said.
She even met her husband, Giovanni Senafe, at the mortgage company.
But by 2007-2008, the real estate bubble had burst, mortgages defaulted and thousands of homes were part of a wave of foreclosures. Then the recession hit.
She quit doing mortgages and started a completely different business - healthy pet food.
She opened her first retail store called Bentley's Corner Barkery in 2008 in Arlington Heights. It focused on natural and chemical-free foods and other products for pets. The store was named after their own dog, she said.
"When I was growing up, I had wanted to become a veterinarian but vet school was too pricey," said Lisa Senafe, 39. "But when I was kid, I used to bring home all kinds of animals, hamsters, tadpoles, a crow with a broken wing, stray cats, just a slew of animals."
Leaving the mortgage industry, starting a new career, and opening a new business all during a tough economy had worried her. Her husband continued to work in the mortgage industry until the retail store became more successful, she said.
After expanding the Arlington Heights store, Giovanni joined her full-time and they started opening one store each in Long Grove, Hoffman Estates, Libertyville, Glenview and two in Chicago. Another is set to open in Westchester in mid-November, she said.
"We just worked through it and didn't let any negativity get us down," she said. "We offered a unique product and knew it would be good."
Abts are honored
Alice Abt of Riverwoods, her late husband Robert Abt, and the family behind Abt Electronics in Glenview received the National Leadership Award for their dedication to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
About 2,000 local supporters of the museum gathered for the event last week at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. For about 20 years, the Abt family has been involved with the museum, chaired its Wings of Memory Society, underwritten transportation to and from the Chicago luncheons for hundreds of local Holocaust survivors and have donated to the museum's endowment to ensure the museum stands in perpetuity. Their children and grandchildren also are involved in the museum's Next Generation group and Teen Committee, and more, museum officials said.
Energizing talks
Russ Riendeau of Barrington and executive vice president of Jobplex, a DHR International Co., spoke in 2014 at the TEDxNaperville. He returns again on Nov. 6 when he will talk about "colorful ways to reset our energy and focus in today's hectic, 24/7 stimulated world." He said he writes and records music and recently co-authored an e-book called Mayberry Capitalist's Club with Stacey Edge, which came out earlier this year. He has another e-book coming out in a few months.
FastTracks
Sarah Butler of Elgin is the new franchise sales consultant at Re/Max Northern Illinois. She will work with prospective Re/Max franchisees in the Northern Illinois region, including the northern third of the state from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. ... John P. Mick II has been appointed to Chicago regional manager and Scott Ahles is the new Milwaukee regional manager at Baxter & Woodman Inc. in Crystal Lake.
David Martinez, Xfinity store manager, cut the ribbon on the new Oak Brook store. The event also included Matthew Quantz, senior director of retail for Comcast; Natalie Rodriguez, director of sales and marketing with Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce; Mark M. Moy, village trustee; and Jack Segal, vice president of communications for Comcast. ... Jonathan W. Berger, CEO and director of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, said he will retire from the Oak Brook company in April 2017. Also, Nathan D. Leight, who was director and chairman of the board, and Denise E. Dickins, director and chair of the company's audit committee, resigned last week. Robert Uhler, president and owner of The Uhler Group, was elected as a director.
Marc Levin became the first local franchise owner of ShelfGenie in Elk Grove Village. The company customizes glide-out shelving for homes. ... Anders Gustafsson, CEO of Zebra Technologies, and Juliann Larimer, vice president of North America sales, were on hand at the company's Lincolnshire campus where they also opened the Zebra Experience Center for the public. The center offers consumers a chance to learn more about what the company offers and how it works with various industries, including health care, retail and sports.
Betty R. Johnson has been appointed senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer at MYR Group Inc., a specialty contractor serving the electrical infrastructure market in Rolling Meadows. She replaces Paul Evans, who was CFO and treasurer. ... Roman J. Seckel has become a partner in the Drendel & Jansons Law Group in Batavia. ... Christa L. Van't Hul is the new project engineer in the environmental group at Engineering Enterprises Inc. in Sugar Grove.
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