by Eric Peterson, Daily Herald
Schaumburg's new designation as a "Better Business Town" is likely to remain a rare distinction in the region -- a reflection of the village's efforts to educate the public against fraud as it maintains a vibrant business community with high integrity, the local Better Business Bureau leader said.
"This is not going to be easy to obtain," said Steve Bernas, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois, which awarded the distinction. "It'll be based on the rigorous standards we apply. But I believe Schaumburg will be at the forefront as it has been in the past."
Only three municipalities in the regional BBB's jurisdiction have met the criteria so far. Rockford has received the designation, and Bernas will be presenting it to Naperville on Tuesday.
The distinction recognizes not only the strength and vibrancy of a business community but perhaps even more so its dedication to ethics and integrity, Bernas said.
He explained that the BBB was created a century ago to combat false advertising and other bad business practices, as well as to recognize quality wherever it's found.
"We started when government wasn't there yet to protect consumers," he said.
Schaumburg is a prime example of what the new designation is all about, Bernas said. Its Illinois' largest center of economic activity outside Chicago and home to nearly 5,000 businesses that, together, employ more than 80,000 people.
The village also consistently appears on the regional BBB's top 10 list for total number of BBB-accredited businesses as well as the total number of monthly consumer visits to BBB.org, Bernas said.
"Schaumburg is a very vibrant community," he said. "They've really helped us to expose the bad actors. They're all about educating the consumers. They're isn't enough law enforcement in the world to stop all the scam artists."
Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly gratefully accepted the Better Business Town plaque from Bernas at this week's village board meeting.
"Well, this is a great honor for the village, having never received one of these before. Now we need to know how do we be number one?" Dailly joked. "We'll have to find that out."
Dailly said the designation is a way of measuring Schaumburg's progress in its aim to maintain a reputable business community.
"We like to think that Schaumburg is great for business," Dailly said. "We hear it, but we'd also like to make sure that we ensure keeping Schaumburg as the place for business."
Lisa Gilbert, president of the Schaumburg Business Association, also spoke to the Daily Herald about the importance of the new designation.
"It's wonderful to see Schaumburg be recognized for the community it is," she said.