Yoga may be one of the oldest practices in human history to focus on a person’s happiness - a person’s physical and emotional well-being. In the United States it is estimated that 36 million adults practice yoga on a regular basis. They are likely to practice one of a couple kinds of yoga that derive from Vedic yoga and involve 12 basic postures, with names like cow, cobra, or fish. These kinds of yoga will also involve teaching deep breathing patterns  along with a focus on being present and mindful. Luckily for Mackinaw area residents, we have an expert on the subject: Julie Rhoades of Yoga4Life, located at 107 South Main Street in Mackinaw.

For this week’s Business Spotlight, I was able to speak with President of KDJ Sales and Services Inc, Dustin Schmidgall, and get a peek into the history of his company and what the future may look like moving forward. Started by Keith Schmidgall in Armington IL in 1978, the company originally focused on residential plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. After about 7 years, the decision was made to move the company to Mackinaw in 1985 and switch focus to doing electrical work on grain elevators. In 1987, the company moved to the Mackinaw Industrial Park, where they remain today. In 1995, KDJ added to their list of services when they added automation and control systems development.

With 10 years of experience in fire equipment and the fire safety industry, Fred Lawrence, along with his wife Emily, started Fred Lawrence and Sons Fire Equipment in Pekin in 2010. Business came quickly and before long, the decision was made to incorporate the business to its current name F.L. Sons Fire Equipment Inc. in 2015. Fred and Emily began hiring employees and realized that their current situation: one work truck, a very small 10’x15’ garage, and a spare room in their home acting as an office - just wasn’t going to meet their needs. So, the Lawrence family started to look elsewhere, knowing that they would need a home for them and their 2 sons, along with a separate building to run their business out of.

Nestled in the Mackinaw business district, there lies a small building with enormous heart. If you drop in at 107 Fast Avenue, in Mackinaw, you’ll likely find Keyth Mooneyham practicing his craft - Shotokan Karate. Keyth, 43, practiced the art as a child, Keyth decided to return to it in 2007 when his children became school aged. In 2011, Keyth earned his blackbelt and, around the same time, took over the program from his former sensei. He described that transition as “flawless”, owing to the fact that he had spent years training in the building.

At the edge of Mackinaw sits an interesting piece of central Illinois history. Known as “The Tea Room” today, this old train station was once a stop on a trolley line that existed between Champaign and St. Louis. In 1978, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Despite this designation, The Depot sat empty for 40 years until an experienced business woman with a vision stepped in. Enter: Beth Wiegand.

Born from a need for paintball, Pub 52 has had a wild evolution. Explaining this evolution, owner Larry Morgan, took me on a quick tour of the property. We started on the paintball course, where he showed me a couple “Holes” for his next idea: paintball golf. Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like, and it looks just as hard. Next, he took me to the side of his building and pointed out his plans to expand the cement landing for more outdoor space. Larry also quickly told me about other ideas he has tried in the past: miniature golf and batting cages. Shrugging with a bit of a smile, Larry says “Some ideas work out, others don’t”.

At the corner of N. Main and Fast Ave. sits a pillar of the Mackinaw community - a building in which every resident of Mackinaw has visited, most on a weekly basis. Honestly, it would be tough to overstate the relationship Mackinaw IGA has with the community. If it’s possible for a small-town grocery store to transcend into something much more, Mackinaw IGA has surely reached that status. 

At the edge of Mackinaw sits an interesting piece of central Illinois history. Known as “The Tea Room” today, this old train station was once a stop on a trolley line that existed between Champaign and St. Louis. In 1978, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Despite this designation, The Depot sat empty for 40 years until an experienced business woman with a vision stepped in. Enter: Beth Wiegand.

The Gift Box is a gift shop in Atlanta located just off Historic Route 66. The Gift Box offers locally made unique gifts and free gift wrapping. Currently, they have 21 local artisans located in Atlanta, Lincoln, Bloomington, and McLean. You can find many different items at The Gift Box including goat soap and bath products, stained glass, laser engraved items, blown glass, candles, wax, handmade jewelry, bird houses, signs, repurposed farm and garden tools, candy, popcorn, t-shirts, Watkins table runners, boo boo bags, aprons, rugs, and many more great gift items. The Gift Box is open Wednesday- Saturday from 10 AM- 4 PM and Sunday from 12:00 PM- 4:00 PM. They also offer local delivery and can schedule appointments for any possible wants a customer could have. Artists that work with The Gift Box are more than willing to customize their items to create something that you would be proud to give as a gift. 

White’s Farm Equipment is a business in Waynesville that sells new and used farm equipment and a variety of vintage tractor and machine parts. Looking more specifically at their products, they sell Westfield Augers, Big Dog Mowers, Bobcat Mowers, a variety of new and used equipment, Interstate Batteries, KillBro Grain Wagons, TroyBuilt, and Summers tillage and spray equipment.  They also can provide maintenance to automotive, lawn mowers, and farm equipment. Being one of the only local farm equipment providers for Waynesville and other small towns in the area, White’s Farm Equipment is known for having a great connection with it’s customers. Their commitment to a strong relationship with Waynesville and other small towns has been a key factor in the business’ success.

The Hopedale Garden Shop is a garden center located in Hopedale that supplies soil, potted plants, lawn decorations, and other garden necessities. It has been a staple for gardeners in Hopedale and the surrounding communities. To have such a convenient location and great service available within minutes to maintain a beautiful garden, is the main advantage of the Hopedale Garden Shop. Like any local business, it has been extremely important for the Hopedale Garden Shop to maintain a steady relationship with local gardeners, which they have done by providing quality products with every product they sell to their customers. 

Leann Boyd is a mom of two children with a passion for selling rare and unique items. Boyd began the business “Leann’s omething For You” to fufill her passion. Located in Armington, IL, she sells antiques, jewelry, home decor, books, music, and other unique items. She will also be selling flowers and plants throughout the warmer months. Boyd also has a passion for gardening, and will sell quality plants that have been taken care of well. She has been running this business for over a decade, so you can expect high quality items from the shop. Many of the reviews on the business’ eBay shop state that the items are packed very well, the shipping is quick, and that Boyd is easy to work with. Boyd’s average rating for the business within the last 12 months are: five stars for accurate description, shipping speed, and communication and four and a half stars for reasonable shipping cost. 

Minier Lanes is a bowling alley that provides family fun to locals by way of bowling. They host many bowling leagues and events throughout the year that are enjoyed by citizens in Minier and the surrounding area. Some of their events include the 9 Pin no Tap Team Tournament, 9 Pin Snake Bite Tournament, and open bowling on the weekends. They have leagues available for children and adults to compete and have fun. Minier Lanes has extremely positive feedback with 4.9 stars out of 5 from 46 Google reviews. It is also highly recommended by Olympia High School’s IHSA State bowler Trevor White. 

The Farm Sitter is a dog walking, pet and farm sitting business from Mackinaw, IL. that owner Chris Youngmark opened in 2018. When asked about how he got started, he proclaimed, “I began The Farm Sitter based on the premise of helping farmers in rural areas with pet care when they are away from their residence, specifically in the Mackinaw Area where I reside.”

Retrospect Salon & Boutique has recently opened in Danvers and the co-owners, Ashley Hathaway and Wendy Dotson are very excited for their new business to get rolling. Ashley is from Elkhart, IL and has been in cosmetology for 10 years. Wendy is from Bloomington, IL and has been in cosmetology for 18 years. Their salon and boutique is a retro theme with a hair salon, tanning, and a boutique with clothing and accessories. 

Why watch reruns on the Food Network or Cooking Channel when you can tune in to Mackinaw's Own "Cooking with Carol". This addictive cooking class available on the Facebook platform stars local restaurateur, Carol Haynes. Carol and her husband, Patrick, are the owners of Mackinaw's popular restaurant Haynes on Main.