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Business & Tech

Business Comings & Goings: Office Depot Moving From Orland Park Place

Little Joe's opens third location, Orland Township to host a free job fair at the township Activity Center and other business news.

Office Depot will be closing its store at Orland Park Place on Dec. 12 and is expected to move sometime in 2013 into a much smaller space across the street in Ravinia Plaza.

The move is part of the office supply retailer’s move away from larger stores into much smaller stores.

“During the past few years, Office Depot has been focused on improving the in-store shopping experience for our customers by remodeling stores into a smaller format, which makes them more intimate and easier to navigate,” Office Depot communications manager Julianne Carelli said in an email. “The current store is nearly 22,000 square feet and does not fit in with our new format plans.

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“The relocated, smaller format store will be about 7,000 square feet and is anticipated to open in the near future at a convenient area location,” Carelli wrote.

Office Depot is seeking bids for a location at 15202 S. LaGrange Road, according to bidclerk.com.

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The company said it would continue to serve its customers through retail stores in Chicago Ridge and Frankfort, or online at www.officedepot.com.

Little Joe’s Adds 3rd Location

Little Joe's Famous Pizza, which has locations in Tinley Park and New Lenox, held a grand opening last month for its newest store at Lincoln-Way Lane and LaGrange Road in Frankfort’s Crown Centre.

"It feels wonderful," said Frankfort resident Sue Vazquez, who owns Little Joe's along with her husband, Abby. "It's great being able to have a place where you live."

Sue's son Gerardo Vazquez will manage the Frankfort location, which is the smallest of the three with indoor seating for 33. There is an uncovered outdoor eating area that can accommodate 64, Sue said.

"We're going to add some under cover outdoor seating in the spring," Sue said.

Gerardo Vazquez said the Frankfort location would offer a slightly different menu with more gluten-free, organic and vegan food choices.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

For information, call 815-534-5084.

Charter Fitness employees to aid CureSearch

Orland Park-based Charter Fitness' Director of Sales Dan Collins and Director of Personal Training Roger McGreal will participate in the Ultimate Hike benefiting CureSearch for Children's Cancer on Saturday, Oct. 20.
 
The Ultimate Hike is a 30-mile trek on the Tecumseh Trail in Yellowwood State Forest located in Nashville, Ind., and will raise money for CureSearch for Children's Cancer, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to fund and support children's cancer research.

"I am a father of two beautiful girls.  I know what it is like to worry, fret, and protect as a parent,” said Collins.  “I wanted to do something that could help children and parents in need in any way, no matter how small."
 
So far, Collins and McGreal have raised more than $2,500 toward their $5,000 goal. To make a donation, visit the Charter Fitness blog.
 
Visit http://www.charterfitness.com/fitness-blog/ultimatehike to follow Collins' and McGreal's journey every step of the way. 

Arborists Trade Show in Tinley Park

The Illinois Arborist Association will hold its 30th annual Conference and Trade Show on Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 16-17, at the Tinley Park Convention Center. For information, visit Illinois Arborists online.

Orland Township Job Fair on Oct. 16

Orland Township is hosting a free job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, at the Orland Township Activity Center, 14807 S. Ravinia Ave. in Orland Park.

The following companies will be available from 10 a.m. to noon: Brightstar Care, Brannigan Chiropractic Center, American Family Insurance, Entertainment Cruises and Tucker Rocky Distribution Center.

Companies scheduled to attend from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. include Walgreens, Dove Chocolate Discoveries, Waddell & Reed Advisors, Harmony Health Plan, HCR-Manor Care, Larlin Home Care, Prudential, Liberty Mutual Insurance, LeafGuard Chicago, Home Instead Senior Care, Visiting Angels of Orland Park, Rasmussen College, Rodan + Fields Dermatologists, Pace Suburban Bus Company, Moraine Valley Community College, Avon, Allstate Insurance, Surface Shields Inc., Employment and Employer Services Inc., First Midwest Bank, DeVry, Bedford Motor Service Inc., Illinois Institute of Art and Mary Kay Cosmetics.

South Suburban Small Business Annual Meeting

The South Suburban Small Business Association will hold its 15th annual Fall Meeting and Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday Oct. 17, at the Odyssey Country Club, 19100 S. Ridgeland Ave. in Tinley Park.

Jeff Weniger, senior investment analyst and assistant vice president at Harris Private Bank, will be the keynote speaker and deliver a presentation on Investment Perspectives in a Macro Risk World.

The cost for the luncheon is $30 for SSSBA members and $35 for non-members.

For more information, to register for this event or to join SSSBA, call Nancy Burrows at 708-596-2000 ext. 2568 or visit them at SSSBA online.

PSC Job Fair on Oct. 17

Representatives will be recruiting for full- and part-time positions ranging from entry level to professional and managerial levels at the Prairie State College annual fall job fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the PSC Conference Center, 202 S. Halsted St. in Chicago Heights.

Attendees are encouraged to dress in business attire and bring résumés to present to recruiters for open positions.

The job fair is co-sponsored by UPS, the Chicagoland Regional College Program and the Illinois workNet Center.

Among the employers registered to recruit at the event are Speedway, RoadLink, Manor Care Health Services, Awakened Alternatives Inc., Illinois workNet Center, FedEx, LaBranche’s Childcare Center, CN, Heartland Food Corp./Burger King, Gideon’s 300 Security Services, Whole Cell Accessories, New Hope Center Inc., CRCP, Franciscan Alliance, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, PSC Human Resources, Sedona Staffing, and UPS. Click here for an up-to-date listing.

The fair is free and open to the public. Registration is available on the job fair website.

If you're interested in more local happenings, check out Orland Park business news and Tinley Park business news.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bob@chicago-patch.com.

You can also catch up on Comings & Goings in other parts of the Southland at www.southlandbusinessnews.blogspot.com and southlandsavvy.com.

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