GODFREY, Ill. – The RiverBend Growth Association welcomed several added members to its organization in the past few weeks. New members included Cookie Factory Bakery & Café, Heather’s Zen Den Yoga Studio, Most Precious Promotions & Productions, Rent A Center, Transworld Business Advisors, Genesis Wealth Management Group, and Mogul Brand Solutions.
Cookie Factory Bakery & Café is a locally owned and woman-run business that is “proud to represent the city of Alton with stellar selections.” Specializing in bringing homemade treats into the hands of their neighbors, they are located at 202 Alton Square Mall in Alton (inside Alton Square Mall).
They offer a variety of bakery goods as well as meal options from their menu to their customers while continuing to prioritize quality and dedication to service. Their goal is to satisfy every customer’s craving, from sweet tooth to savory appetites.
For more information about Cookie Factory Bakery & Café and its menu offerings visit online at www.cookiefactoryalton.com or call (618) 462-5731.
Heather’s Zen Den Yoga Studio was founded in 2021 as a dedication to Owner Heather Garrigus’s brother with the purpose of growing the yoga community throughout the greater Riverbend region while striving to be the destination for Zen in the Metro East.
Located at 95 Eastgate Plaza in East Alton as a part of the revitalized East Gate Plaza, the studio specializes in offering a warm and welcoming environment of Zen to the community with a variety of yoga classes for everybody. All body types and skill levels are welcome.
When asked why she was joining the RBGA membership, Garrigus noted, “As a small business, we understand that local connections are what help local businesses thrive. Yoga means unity, and we hope to bring the benefits of yoga to everyone in the community. As a growing business, we also hope to connect and find mentors and support from other businesses in the area.
For more information about Heather’s Zen Den Yoga Studio, visit online at www.heatherszenden.com or call (618) 373-9099.
Most Precious Promotions & Productions is an all-in-one entertainment and promotional company. They offer mobile DJ services, a 360 photo booth, podcast studio rentals, social media management and content creation, marketing and promotional strategies, and more.
Located at 200 N. Center Drive, Suite A, Alton, the company immersed itself in the Riverbend area over a year ago, housed inside the CALC building by Alton Square Mall. Specializing in custom, affordable packages and services, the company encourages the community to “come and secure your entertainment needs with us; we bring the international experiences from the cruise ship directly to you!”
Owner Mahogany Henderson said, “I am joining RBGA for added community support, to advance my company’s outreach and networking. This is my very first time ever joining any chamber of commerce or growth association. I am excited, honored, and extremely grateful to be welcomed by the RBGA with open hugs. By joining, I am hoping to gain the following, support, marketing, expanded networks, partnerships and community of businesses to build and expand with.”
For more information about Most Precious Promotions & Productions, visit online at www.mostpreciouspromotes.com or call (833) MOS-GOT-U (667-4688).
Rent A Center has been “improving the lives of their customers and coworkers by having a winning spirit, acting with a servant’s heart, and treating others how they would like to be treated since 1973,” noted Store Manager Kaitlin Barrett.
Located at 2831 Homer Adams Pkwy., Alton, Rent A Center offers a variety of home furnishings and personal electronics with a worry-free guarantee to ensure that customers have confidence in their big-name purchases. “Our budget-friendly payment options work with any household. We want to set your purchase up for success and we do so with our open-door philosophy. Communication is the foundation of our business and we’re excited to build relationships with our customers,” Barrett added.
“We firmly believe in the power of networking and connecting with other businesses,” Barrett explained as the motive behind joining the RBGA. “Working hand in hand with others who share our values and possibly customer base can only benefit for all parties involved. We hope to find like-minded individuals who are charged with providing excellent customer service for their patrons and to work hand and hand with other businesses to help us to sharpen our marketing, networking, and hospitality skills.”
For more information about Alton’s Rent A Center, call (618) 462-0956 or stop in during business hours, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Transworld Business Advisors has been helping people buy and sell businesses for over 40 years.
“We are the world’s largest business brokerage with over 900 brokers in over 250 offices worldwide and tens of thousands of businesses sold,” noted Business Advisor Charlie Scarlett. “We help sellers value their businesses, develop an exit strategy, prepare the business for sale, and market confidentially to a worldwide audience using the top business-for-sale websites and a mailing list of over 400,000 buyers. We work with individual and strategic buyers helping them find the right businesses, and we help business owners expand through the acquisition and franchising of unique business models.”
Scarlett said that while his office is in O’Fallon, Mo. (305 B Sonderen St.), he works remotely from his home in Edwardsville. “Each Transworld office is locally owned and operated,” Scarlett explained further. “I am joining the RBGA to get to know other business owners in the area,” he added. “I hope to develop new listings, through direct contacts or referrals, with business owners looking to sell their businesses.”
To learn more about Transworld Business Advisors and Scarlett’s services, visit online at www.tworld.com/stlouiswest or call (636) 400-5409.
Genesis Wealth Management Group provides client services to the Riverbend region through Registered Investment Advisor Bill Kinkel. Kinkel works with clients in Illinois and Missouri, building his practice on “a conservative approach utilizing a holistic values-based financial roadmap that is easy to understand, specific to his client’s needs, and becomes the bedrock of a robust financial plan.”
A Greenville University graduate, Kinkel can help clients navigate the Illinois Secure Choice Act, advise on 401K plans as well as Simple and SEP IRA plans, and also help in managing healthcare costs and retirement, Social Security, and Medicare.
With an office located at 1 Terminal Drive, Suite A, East Alton, Kinkel also provides opportunities for CPAs and other professionals to earn Professional Education Credits, or CPEs, by providing workshops at his office or at the client’s site. A non-credit version of his workshops is also available to community and civic organizations in a guest speaker format.
“By joining the RiverBend Growth Association, I hope to establish mutual relationships and share information on the services we offer,” Kinkel noted.
For more information about Genesis Wealth Management Group and Kinkel’s services, visit www.billkinkel.com online, call (618) 368-2100 or (618) 610-2450.
Mogul Brand Solutions has joined the RBGA to network with other local businesses and its own client base as well.
“The River Bend Growth Association is a great way for us to get involved in the community and learn more about businesses around us. We would like to stay connected with what is going on in the area and joining the association will help us do that,” noted Co-Founder and CEO Garrett Hanes.
“Joining an association can provide many benefits, including the opportunity to gain wisdom from other members. In a world where information is constantly changing, it is important to have a network of people who can offer guidance and support. By joining an association, you can tap into the collective knowledge of its members and learn from their experiences. In addition, you can benefit from the networking opportunities that an association provides. By connecting with other members, you can develop relationships that can help you advance your career or business. Therefore, joining an association can be a wise decision for those who are looking to gain knowledge and grow professionally,” Hanes added.
Located in the greater Edwardsville area, the agency offers website design and hosting services, paid ad and social media management as well as SEO, content creation, logo design, and other marketing services throughout the St. Louis region.
For more information about Mogul Brand Solutions, visit www.mogulbrandsolutions.com online or call (618) 978-8504.
The RiverBend Growth Association is the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development organization for the 11 communities known as the Riverbend. For more information about the Growth Association, visit growthassociation.com online or call (618) 467-2280.
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