{"id":4845,"date":"2025-10-24T19:05:28","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T19:05:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=4845"},"modified":"2025-10-24T19:05:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T19:05:28","slug":"salukis-build-here-launch-celebrates-collaboration-and-growth-across-southern-illinois","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=4845","title":{"rendered":"Salukis Build Here Launch Celebrates Collaboration and Growth Across Southern Illinois"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Scott Moller, SIU alumnus and co-owner of Hangar 9, addresses nearly 150 attendees during the Salukis Build Here launch party on Oct. 23 at Hangar 9 in downtown Carbondale. The event celebrated businesses owned, operated, or connected to SIU alumni and highlighted new opportunities for collaboration and growth across Southern Illinois.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CARBONDALE, Ill.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Nearly 150\u00a0alumni, community leaders and business owners packed Hangar 9 on Thursday, Oct. 23, for the\u00a0Salukis Build Here Launch Party, a celebration of alumni entrepreneurship,\u00a0collaboration\u00a0and the growing momentum across Southern Illinois.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The event marked the public debut of\u00a0Salukis Build Here, a partnership among\u00a0Southern Illinois Now (SI Now), the\u00a0SIU Foundation, the\u00a0SIU Alumni Association, the\u00a0City of Carbondale,\u00a0Carbondale Main\u00a0Street\u00a0and the\u00a0Carbondale Chamber of Commerce. The initiative celebrates\u00a0Saluki-owned,\u00a0operated\u00a0and SIU-connected businesses\u00a0and invites more alumni to start,\u00a0relocate\u00a0or expand in the region.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cSalukis build here, and they do,\u201d said\u00a0Steven Mitchell, Carbondale\u2019s economic development director. \u201cWe count roughly 150 Saluki-owned businesses in Carbondale, and our office is a one-stop shop to connect you with resources, incentives and people who can help your business thrive.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mitchell explained that in just three years, the city\u2019s business improvement program has invested $750,000 into new and expanding businesses, generating more than $2 million in private development downtown.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you aren\u2019t already doing business here, my question is: why not?\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0said. \u201cCarbondale is growing fast, and we\u2019re building the infrastructure to match that growth.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Scott Moller, SIU\u00a0alumnus\u00a0and co-owner of\u00a0Hangar 9, said collaboration is the key to Carbondale\u2019s success.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cIf you decide to do business here, you\u2019re going to get a lot of support from a truly collaborative community,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen we announced that we were buying Hangar 9, the city and the university reached out right away to help us succeed. That partnership and enthusiasm are what make this community so special.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

William Lo, executive director of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, spoke about the collaboration that drives the city\u2019s economic growth.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cCarbondale\u2019s business community is built on relationships,\u201d Lo said. \u201cWhen alumni, entrepreneurs, and local leaders work together, great things happen. Salukis Build Here is about strengthening those connections so that more alumni see Southern Illinois not only as where they came from, but as the place where their businesses can thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lo then introduced Abby Ancell, SIU alumna and managing partner of St. Nicholas Brewing Company, who highlighted the region\u2019s accessibility and culture of connection.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span>\u201cSouthern Illinois has something special: access,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can walk right up to the people who can help, whether\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0someone from the Chamber, City Hall or another business owner, and they will take the time to guide you. That kind of personal connection\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0happen everywhere. Here, when one business grows, everyone grows.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt Collinsworth, executive director of\u00a0Carbondale Main Street, spotlighted the city\u2019s momentum.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cIn the last\u00a018 months\u00a0alone, more than 20 businesses have opened or expanded along Main Street,\u201d he said. \u201cCarbondale\u2019s energy is contagious, and the growth we\u2019re seeing is proof that this community is on the move.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Collinsworth introduced\u00a0Laura Harbaugh, owner of\u00a0Harbaugh\u2019s Caf\u00e9, a long-standing favorite among students and locals. Harbaugh shared why she chose to build her restaurant in Carbondale and why she continues to believe in its future.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cCarbondale is welcoming and affordable, with a community that believes in small\u00a0business,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is a town where people show up\u00a0for\u00a0each other. More businesses help each other thrive, and\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0still plenty of room for\u00a0new ideas,\u00a0creativity\u00a0and growth.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From a regional viewpoint,\u00a0Deb Barnett, executive director of\u00a0SI Now, emphasized that the Salukis Build Here initiative reaches far beyond Carbondale.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing Saluki leadership at every level, from hospitality and agritourism to advanced manufacturing,\u201d she said. \u201cSouthern Illinois is open for business and built for success. Salukis Build Here is about highlighting that success and inviting others to be part of it.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Allison Hasler, founder of\u00a0Southern Illinois Vacation Rentals, shared how her business has grown from a few rental cabins into a hospitality company managing more than 40 short-term rental properties throughout the region.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSouthern Illinois has always had\u00a0the beauty,\u00a0the charm\u00a0and\u00a0the community\u00a0pride,\u201d Hasler said. \u201cBut I saw an opportunity for people to experience it more deeply by creating spaces that reflect who we are and where we live. Many of the properties we manage are owned by families,\u00a0professionals\u00a0and fellow Salukis who believe in this area\u2019s future. Together,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0not just building cabins;\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0building real momentum for Southern Illinois.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hasler continued, \u201cSouthern Illinois\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0a\u00a0stepping stone.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0fertile ground where you can grow anything if you lead with passion. Every time I onboard a new property,\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0hiring local cleaners, working with local contractors, and sending guests to local restaurants,\u00a0wineries\u00a0and boutiques.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0how we build stronger communities and keep our economy moving forward.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Lynn Andersen Lindberg, executive director of\u00a0SIU\u2019s Office of Innovation and Economic Development, outlined how the university supports entrepreneurs through the\u00a0Illinois Small Business Development Center\u00a0and related programs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur advising is free, confidential and delivered by people who have owned or managed businesses themselves,\u201d she said. \u201cWhether you need help with marketing, a prototype or government contracting, we have the expertise and resources to support you at every stage of your business journey.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Moller closed the program by emphasizing the shared mission behind the partnership.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTonight showed what\u2019s possible when Salukis and Southern Illinois rally around local\u00a0business,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen alumni, the city and the university come together,\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0no limit to what we can build.\u00a0Let\u2019s\u00a0keep growing\u00a0\u2014\u00a0together.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Attendees sampled offerings from\u00a0New Kahala,\u00a0Tres Hombres,\u00a0Rip\u2019s Brick Oven Pizzeria,\u00a0St. Nicholas Brewing\u00a0Company\u00a0and\u00a0Quatro\u2019s Deep Pan Pizza\u00a0while networking with community leaders and learning about upcoming opportunities through\u00a0Salukis Build Here.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more and get connected at\u00a0<\/span>salukisbuildhere.com<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CARBONDALE, Ill.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Nearly 150\u00a0alumni, community leaders and business owners packed Hangar 9 on Thursday, Oct. 23, for the\u00a0Salukis Build Here Launch Party, a celebration of alumni entrepreneurship,\u00a0collaboration\u00a0and the growing momentum across Southern Illinois.\u00a0 The event marked the public debut of\u00a0Salukis Build Here, a partnership among\u00a0Southern Illinois Now (SI Now), the\u00a0SIU Foundation, the\u00a0SIU Alumni Association, the\u00a0City of … Continue reading Salukis Build Here Launch Celebrates Collaboration and Growth Across Southern Illinois<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,3,4,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-events-engagement","category-higher-education","category-illinois-higher-education","category-siu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4845"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4856,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4845\/revisions\/4856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}