The Marion Chamber of Commerce will be celebrating milestones and our business community at its 101^st annual awards celebration on January 14, 2022 at the Pavilion in Marion. The program will feature presentations by the Chamber, elected officials, and our 2021 award winners. 

Members of the Marion Chamber of Commerce were asked to submit nominations in October for the Distinguished Business Award. The Distinguished Business Award goes to a business that has made significant contributions to the community. The recipient must be a member of the Marion Chamber of Commerce.

We are excited to announce the 2021 Distinguished Business Award finalists are:

• Commercial Janitorial Service
• Pepsi MidAmerica
• Priority Staffing Group

Commercial Janitorial Service

Marilyn Jones Stritzel, owner of Commercial Janitorial Services, has been in the service business for over forty years. Commercial Janitorial Services started with an office in her home and a shop in her garage. It serves the southern Illinois area from Mt. Vernon south and river to river. The client base is professional office buildings, industrial manufacturing, medical facilities, cleanup after construction and crime scene cleanup. Commercial Janitorial Services moved to their current location at 1300 East DeYoung Street, Marion in June, 2014. The company has grown from 19 employees in 2012 to 32 employees in 2021. Commercial Janitorial Services is blessed to have outstanding employees with hardworking leaders that have allowed the company to provide customers with top quality janitorial service. Marilyn is humbled and honored by this nomination. It is only possible because of the outstanding CJS staff.

Allen Jones, General Manager, joined the company in 2012 as Operation Manager. He is a graduate of Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg and then attended the University of Illinois Springfield campus. Allen also heads up special projects for CJS. In August of 2020, in an effort to keep Commercial Janitorial Services’ employees and the community safe, Allen attended training in remediation for COVID-19 in Baltimore, Maryland, receiving certifications that are approved by the CDC. In June of 2021, he added another certification as a Level 1 and Level 2 Bio-Technician. Through his leadership the company has expanded and grown into a business that is meeting the needs of our community.

D'Antre Berry joined the staff in 2012 as a 3^rd shift janitor. In February 2015, he was promoted to the day shift supervisor. D’Antre was awarded the company’s 2016 “Outstanding Employee Service Award”. In February of 2018, he was promoted to Field Trainer and Field Supervisor over all of southern Illinois.  Commercial Janitorial Services proudly promoted D’Antre Berry to Operations Manager in September of 2020. 

Brian Garbe joined Commercial Janitorial Services in August of 2018.  Brian is the Administrative Manager. He makes sure all employees are paid and all customers are properly invoiced! Brian also keeps the office running smoothly.

The Commercial Janitorial Services 2021 Service Award went to the COVID Remediation team. This team is lead by Tim Brown. Those receiving this award were Tim Brown, Michele Fuller, Russell Mighell and Gary York.

All of CJS employees have contributed to the Company’s success. As stated in our Mission Statement:

“Commercial Janitorial Services takes pride in building relationships with customers and employees by fulfilling our promise of providing top quality janitorial services through men and women committed to honesty, integrity and hard work,”

Commercial Janitorial Services and Marilyn serve the community by sponsoring many service projects for the Marion Chamber of Commerce. As well as the Child Wish Foundation, Darts for Kids, Hope for Justice, CASA and sport teams for the Marion Recreation Department. Marilyn is involved in many charitable organizations locally and around the world.

Marilyn has served on the Marion Chamber Board of Directors, past chairman of the membership committee, Ambassador, golf committee, graduation spree committee, annual dinner committee and wherever she is needed. She also served on the Williamson County Tourism Board.

Any time Marilyn is asked for advise on starting a business, she is quick to say join the chamber and get involved in the community! She believes in investing time and money into people and her community.

Thank you again for the nomination for the award.

Pepsi MidAmerica

Pepsi MidAmerica (PMA) was founded by Mr. Harry L Crisp in 1936, Mr. Crisp owned Marion Poultry and Hatchery on 1005 S. Court Street in Marion, IL. Mr. Crisp decided to put the soda on the trucks and said ‘if the soda sells, he will keep it’. In 1938 he moved the business to Marion Poultry and Hatchery and from there, PMA has grown. We have so much more to offer than just beverages and snacks, PMA prides itself in its community involvement. We support local events such as Williamson County Fair, Herrin Festa Italiana, The Du Quoin State Fair, and more. PMA supports local schools by providing them with the opportunity to earn money through the Collect the Caps program. In addition to this, we support schools by providing them with giveaway items for back-to-school events and sporting events; we also participate in local parades to give out product and candy. The Marion Sports complex was supported through a substantial donation from Pepsi MidAmerica and we are a sponsor for the Marion High School. We are an exclusive sponsor for the Marion Civic Center and Pavilion, and we have teamed up with Black Diamond Harley Davidson on multiple events in Southern Illinois. PMA provides employment to over 1200 individuals across Southern Illinois, Central Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri.

Pepsi MidAmerica offers more than bottled and canned products; we offer products through fountain, full line vending, and micro markets. Fountain drinks can be purchased through local restaurants, fast food chains, and convenient stores. Fountain drinks provide consumers with a fresh crisp taste of our product. If you’re unable to go to the store but want a beverage or snack, look for our full line vending machines; this is a one stop option to enjoy our beverages and snacks. We bring the convenience one step further with our Micro Market option. Our micro market offers fresh coffee, lunch and snack items, beverages, and a self-check out option. For a healthier option, the consumer can enjoy an ice-cold water from our 5-gallon Natural streams water. PMA will continue to support the community through local events, donations, and through ensuring our product is available to anyone.

Priority Staffing Group

Priority Staffing Group is honored to be nominated for the Distinguished Business Award from the Marion Chamber of Commerce. We opened our doors in October 2010 and are now celebrating our eleventh year of service. When we thought about what our tag line should be all those years ago, we knew instantly without hesitation how to convey our mission, “Your Success Is Our Priority”! The success of our clients, our employees and of our community is our goal in everything we do. We are grateful for the partnerships we have developed throughout the years and look forward to serving our community for many years to come. 

Award Sponsor

The Distinguished Business Member Award finalists and winner are selected by the members of the Marion Chamber of Commerce Awards Committee.

The first Distinguished Business Award was given in 2017 to Clearwave Communications. Last year’s winner was Fowler Heating and Cooling.