Hometown Plumbing & Heating, 13606 - 118th Avenue, Davenport, Iowa, received a prestigious construction award from Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa during the association's annual Excellence in Construction Gala held recently in Altoona.

Hometown Plumbing & Heating was recognized with a 2014 Award of Excellence in the Plumbing - Commercial & Industrial $250,000 - $1 Million Category. The award was presented based on the company's work on Heart of America Group - Elmore Marketplace Site Utilities - Davenport, Iowa. McClure Engineering Associates, Inc. was the architect/engineer for this project. Criteria for the award included complexity of the project, attractiveness, unusual challenges, innovation, safety, and budget compliance.

"This project is an example of the innovation and commitment to outstanding craftsmanship that embody merit shop construction. The superior workmanship illustrates the high level of quality produced by merit shop contractors," said ABC of Iowa President and CEO Greg Spenner.

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MOLINE, Ill ? October 31, 2014 ? SouthPark Mall is ready for its big reveal. For the past 12 months, the center has seen significant enhancements and today, in partnership with the community, retailers and shoppers, the new SouthPark will be unveiled.

At 10am on November 13th, SouthPark will officially reveal the new shopping experience. Officials from the City of Moline, the Chamber and a special guest, Santa will attend. "Rediscover SouthPark" festivities will include a ceremonial ribbon cutting, a free family concert with The Blenders, the 44th annual Mr. Thanksgiving's press conference, the opening of the newly designed Children's Play Area, and a multitude of local performers including Rockridge Show Choir, CASI New Horizon Band and Black Hawk College Choir.

"For over 40 years, SouthPark Mall has been an anchor in the community," said Kathy Jurgens, Property Manager for SouthPark Mall. "We are committed to bringing in the best brands and elevating the experience. We invite everyone to help us celebrate this major milestone as we share the new SouthPark Mall."

In total, thirteen national retailers have reinvested new prototypes into the center including Journeys, Shoe Dept. Encore and Bath & Body Works. Improvements to the interior and exterior aesthetics are making the mall a completely new shopping experience. The new lighting, brighter colors and soft seating amenities are transforming the center. The newly designed Children's Play Area will be revealed on November 13th as well. Located next to Express and DEB, the new area will feature a tribute to our farming community.

More excitement is set for the center as DICK'S Sporting Goods is now under construction. Known for an extensive assortment of authentic, high-quality sports equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories to serve the athletes and outdoor enthusiasts of the Moline community, DICK'S will be a great complement to the shopping center. The store will open in summer 2015.

"The City of Moline is very pleased and grateful for the substantial reinvestment made by Macerich into SouthPark Mall symbolizing their commitment to the Moline and Illinois Quad Cities community," said Mayor Scott Raes. "SouthPark Mall has been the community's commercial anchor for many years and this revitalized shopping center, with new prototype stores from national retailers and the addition of DICK'S Sporting Goods, creates an entirely new shopping experience for all citizens in the Quad Cities. The city is appreciative of its partnership with Macerich to make this goal a reality."

For more information on free, fun events, visit www.shopsouthparkmall-il.com/events or follow us on Twitter @SouthParkMallIL and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SouthParkMallIL.

Macerich, an S&P 500 company, is a fully integrated self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust or REIT, which focuses on the acquisition, leasing, management, development and redevelopment of regional malls throughout the United States.

Macerich currently owns 57 million square feet of real estate consisting primarily of interests in 53 regional shopping centers. Macerich specializes in successful retail properties in many of the country's most attractive, densely populated markets with significant presence in California, Arizona, Chicago and the Greater New York Metro area. Additional information about Macerich can be obtained from the Company's website at www.macerich.com.

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Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute Set to Open in 2015, Create Jobs

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and leadership from UI LABS to break ground on UI LABS' future headquarters and the new Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII). The event is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois' economy forward.

"I've made this facility a major priority for Illinois by personally making our case to both the White House and Secretary of Defense, as well as securing key private sector partners because I know how important this institution will be to revitalizing our manufacturing industry," Governor Quinn said. "The Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute will help keep Illinois' economic comeback going. I'm pleased to break ground on this facility that will solidify Illinois' position as a high-tech manufacturing hub, support our growing technology and innovation sectors and create jobs across the state."

The Governor personally petitioned the Secretary of Defense twice and made the case to key White House officials about the benefits and importance of DMDII. The Governor also worked to bring key private sector partners into the initiative, including CAT, Deere & Company, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and many more.

"Our U.S. industrial base is the engine that drives our economy and equips our soldiers, sailors and airmen. It is critically important that we maintain our technological advantage within a strong, adaptive and resilient U.S. industrial base,"  Andre Gudger, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy, Department of Defense said. "The Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute, along with the other pilot Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation, will provide this competitive edge to not only the Department of Defense, but to other federal agencies, industry, and the nation as a whole."

"DMDII will enable Illinois to lead the nation in a 21st century manufacturing renaissance, which is precisely why I worked hard over the past two years to help bring the Institute to our state," Senator Durbin (D-IL) said. "World-class partners from around the state and across the country?including General Electric, John Deere, Caterpillar and Boeing?will work to improve manufacturing efficiency to create new opportunities for businesses and workers. DMDII will make our small and midsize manufacturers more competitive globally by allowing them to integrate computing capabilities throughout design, testing and production. But most importantly, the Institute will be a great source of innovation, development and economic growth in our state and position us as a leader in the field for years to come."

"Manufacturing has been an important part of Chicago's past and we are making sure that the next generation of advanced digital manufacturing will play an even greater role in our future. This is an important milestone in a long effort and a larger strategy to put the City of Chicago front and center of the digital manufacturing revolution," Mayor Emanuel said. "The research that comes out of the Digital Lab will underpin the products, the patents, and the production of so many new technologies, create new companies and help us attract existing companies to Chicago, and most importantly, create and sustain a new generation of good-paying jobs right here in the City of Chicago."

Located on Goose Island, DMDII is set to revitalize America's manufacturing industries by enabling U.S. manufacturers to harness data to make their products better, faster and more cost-competitive. Leveraging a co-investment of $70 million from the U.S. Department of Defense and matching investment from industry, university and state and local government partners, the Institute will help U.S. manufacturers increase productivity through a more effective use of data across every stage of the manufacturing process.

"We are building the factory of the future - where business and academia will convene to tackle important manufacturing challenges," Caralynn Nowinski, Executive Director of UI LABS said. "At the same time, this facility will be the place where American workers - and the next generation of workers - will have an opportunity to see, learn and participate in the transformation of U.S. manufacturing."

Early support from the Quinn Administration was essential to the launch of DMDII. In March 2013, Governor Quinn approved the investment of $60 million in Blue Waters at the University of Illinois, which provides the supercomputing power for this initiative, and set Illinois' application apart from other contenders for the DMDII. The Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute will reduce development and deployment costs for U.S. manufacturers while creating billions of dollars in value for the industrial marketplace?spurring long-term economic growth and job creation. The facility is scheduled to open late in the first quarter of 2015.

"Advances in digital manufacturing are already improving companies' performance all across America," Dean Bartles, Executive Director of DMDII said. "DMDII is going to take these advances to the next level by bringing technical expertise and connecting the dots across America's supply chain."

DMDII demonstrates Chicago's increasing prominence as a national leader in advanced manufacturing. DMDII is a public-private consortium that brings together over 40 leading manufacturing and technology companies with more than 30 university, government and community partners, including: Boeing, Caterpillar, Dow Chemical, General Electric, Illinois Tool Works, John Deere, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Northwestern University, PARC, Purdue University, Procter & Gamble, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rolls Royce, Siemens, University of Chicago, University of Illinois and University of Texas-Austin.

Prior to the official groundbreaking ceremony, guests took a tour of the 94,000-square-foot facility. Dignitaries viewed renderings of the soon to be completed space by architecture firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM). The building is located at 1333 Hickory Ave. on Goose Island, an industrial zone in the heart of the city that is rapidly becoming an "Innovation Island."

SOM's design for the DMDII space plays on the idea of transparency by adding glass storefronts and window bays to the existing building's exterior. Glass walls, exposed plumbing and mechanical systems reinforce the theme and foster an open, collaborative environment. The completed building will include a manufacturing floor for demonstrations, classrooms, a lecture hall and collaborative meeting rooms.

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We are quickly coming to a reckoning in this country regarding the well-being of retirees, says Jeff Bucher, a financial advisor who helps working-class Americans plan their golden years.

"I suppose it's cliché for the head of a financial firm to say that he cares for his community, but we really do put our money where our mouth is," says Bucher, who, through his firm, Citizen Advisory Group, (www.citizenadvisory.com), has contributed to the local Boys & Girls Club, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and to development of an Olympic training center for wrestling at Ohio State University, his alma mater, where he earned a wrestling scholarship.

"My clients represent the bulk of America: honest, hard-working and typically blue collar or middle class. Most of them weren't executives at Fortune 500 companies, and many are stressed out when they first come to us because they've been sold this idea of needing x-amount for a retirement nest egg."

In reality, you don't need a hulking nest egg to get by in retirement, and you may be better off without one, says Bucher, who explains why.

•  Lifetime income vs. nest egg; reconsider what wealth means to you. What's preferable to you: stockpiling money throughout the entirety of your earning years so that you can have a large nest egg for retirement, or investing your money wisely so that you can both use it during your younger years and receive paychecks during retirement?

"Two million dollars in savings is not the optimal perspective for true wealth," Bucher says. "True wealth is not serving money; it's having your money serve you. I'm more interested in offering folks true wealth via ethical financial structures suited to individual goals."

•  Obsession with a nest egg prevents you from doing things. Consider the mentality of an obsessive nest-egger: Hoard your hard-earned money your entire life, decade after decade, straight through retirement. Don't spend anything on travel, or a vacation home, or anything else you may enjoy, because you have to protect the egg.

Life is short, and by the end of it, these folks haven't done anything but work and save money.

"You don't have to be a millionaire to do so many things for yourself, family and community with your money," he says.

•  Consider supplementing a smaller savings with a part-time job - seriously. You hear the scare tactics - Grandma doesn't want to spend her golden years greeting shoppers at Walmart.

"That's nonsense; retirees are some of the most talented people in our country, working as a greeter is not their only option," he says. "Most of us have something we'd like to do that we couldn't during our earning years. Retirement is the perfect time to indulge that passion! People are better off staying active, no matter who or how old they are."

Supplemental income through a fun, part-time job cuts the income needed from a retirement next egg and adds healthy activity. Teach swimming at the local YMCA, work at a golf course or as an usher at a sports venue. Or start a small business selling the crafts you've developed a skill for creating.

•  Volunteering actually saves retirees money. When you're at a job, you don't have much opportunity to spend money. You won't run up the electric bill at home, nor go to the movies, amusement parks, shopping or use much money getting there. While working, you're too busy, and the same is true when folks volunteer somewhere. Volunteering at the hospital or elsewhere gives retirees purpose, engages their minds and bodies, gives them the happy knowledge that they're helping others, and prevents them from spending money on entertainment to keep from being bored!

About Jeff Bucher

Jeff Bucher is president of Citizen Advisory Group, (www.citizenadvisory.com), and is an Investment Advisor Representative of AlphaStar Capital Management, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. He has a life and health insurance license with the state of Ohio. His membership affiliations include the exclusive Ed Slott's Master Elite IRA Advisor Group™, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), the National Association of Fixed Annuities (NAFA) and the Forum 400. He has earned Top of the Table honors through the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT). Bucher is a former standout wrestler at The Ohio State University, where he earned an athletic scholarship and honed his leadership skills en route to earning four varsity letters.