The annual Chamber Directory & Buyers’ Guide is in development, which means it’s time to submit an ad! The Chamber mails the guides to 7,000 homes in the Evergreen Park area each year, reaching every resident.
Advertising in this handy guide is a terrific way to maximize your exposure in the community! The black & white ads are available in three sizes: 1/4 page for $125; 1/2 page for $275, and a full page for $400. Color options are available as a center spread in 1/2 page for $400 and full page for $525. In addition, there is one inside cover available for $525 in full color, and the outside back cover in full color is available for $650.
Percy J. Allen Jr., right, with his father, Percy J. Allen Sr., who also works for M.E.P. Exterminating
M.E.P. Exterminating
The Chamber brings back its ‘Meet a Member’ feature this month with M.E.P. Exterminating. A Chamber member for 12 years, M.E.P. Exterminating is a licensed, bonded and insured company that specializes in pest and rodent control.
Owner Percy J. Allen Jr. says he has “always had an entrepreneurial spirit and the desire to start, own, operate, and expand my own company.” He established M.E.P. Exterminating 16 years ago, naming the company after his daughters Mahogany, Ebony, and Pyeisha Allen.
During these unprecedented times, Allen says he maintains a positive attitude about his business and community. “My hopes for M.E.P. Exterminating and Evergreen Park are hopes I have for our world post Corona (COVID-19)—and that is of health, happiness, and prosperity.”
To learn more about Allen’s services and request a quote, call M.E.P. Exterminating at 708-422-9902.
Cool Clouds Vapor Shop
Cool Clouds is a retailer of electronic cigarettes and e-liquids, also known as vapor products. The business, located at 3837 W. 95th St., assists adult smokers in their transition away from combustible tobacco products.
The store is owned by Evergreen Park residents Bridget Carey and Reid Nuttall. Both are former smokers who enjoy helping other adults find a less harmful alternative to smoking cigarettes. Their approach starts with educating customers about the range of smoke-free products available, then finding a good fit.
“We walk our customers through the process, asking questions about their smoking habits and how much they smoke, as well as finding their level of comfort with this technology,” said Nuttall. “Then we work with their budget, lifestyle and goals to find a device, nicotine level and flavor that will be satisfying and make the task of quitting smoking less daunting.”
About Vapor Products
According to the Cool Clouds website, vapor products are electronic devices with three components: a battery power source, a heating element, and e-liquid. E-liquid is applied to the heating element directly or passively with the use of a tank and with the power of the battery, the liquid is heated to the point that it becomes vapor.
Vapor products include electronic cigarettes, personal vaporizers, mods, pens, cigalikes and vapes. The one unifying characteristic is that these devices do not burn, so they do not expose users to harmful smoke or tar.
E-liquids usually contain a mix of these four ingredients:
- PG (Propylene Glycol) is used as a base and a stabilizing agent.
- VG (Vegetable Glycerin) assists in producing a thick cloud of vapor.
- Natural or artificial flavors that impart a sweet or tobacco-like taste.
- Nicotine can be included at various levels, allowing customers to decrease nicotine over time if they choose. E-liquids are also available without nicotine.
The Evergreen Park shop opened in 2014 and is their original location. They also have a second store in Tinley Park.
Cool Clouds also offers a range of CBD (cannabis) products, as well as glass and accessories for customers who use cannabis.
To learn more about Cool Clouds, visit them online at https://www.coolcloudsvapor.com/.
Chamber members enjoyed learning more about the summer Geoca-Ching! contest in Evergreen Park and tested their geocaching skills at a workshop on Friday, March 22.
Emily Kenny from Multidisciplinary Education for the Environment (ME4E) explained the phenomenon of geocaching over lunch at the Evergreen Park Public Library. Kenny, a librarian at the Oak Lawn Public Library, is a geocaching enthusiast and is partnering with the Chamber to educate members and assist businesses participating in our first geocaching contest this summer.
Geocaching is a high-tech game in which players use GPS-enabled devices to hunt for hidden containers, or geocaches, at outdoor locations. Millions of players worldwide have enjoyed geocaching since its inception about 20 years ago. Geocaching is essentially a treasure hunt, and there are more than 3 million geocaches hidden around the world.
The Evergreen Park Chamber of Commerce is bringing this fun game to local businesses, as a way to promote them and increase foot traffic to their locations during the summer, when business can be sluggish. From June 3 to August 2 this summer, Geoca-ching! contestants will use their GPS-enabled device and the GPS coordinates of participating business locations to find small containers (called geocaches) hidden somewhere, usually outside. Then they will enter the business and redeem the geocache for coupons, logo merchandise, or special offers—anything you decide!
At the end of Kenny’s presentation, she gave Chamber members a clue to a geocache hidden at the library, then invited them to hunt for it. The process took them outside to find a clue, then back indoors to search for a hidden container. Members enjoyed the hunt to see who would be the first person to solve the puzzle and find the geocache.
Should you choose to have your business participate, the Chamber will provide you with a waterproof geocache container. You can collaborate with the Chamber on the contents, which should include a colored log sheet, a writing utensil, and instructions for verifying the geocache. The Chamber, with Kenny’s help, will help you set the coordinates for your geocache once you have found a hiding place for it. Finally, you will need an incentive item, such as a coupon or other giveaway, for contestants who find the geocache.
Don’t miss out on this creative opportunity to mix business with pleasure, and bring new customers through your doors! Email the Chamber for more information on becoming a participating business!
9449 South Kedzie Ave., Suite 196
Evergreen Park, IL 60805
708-423-1118