The Pokagon Band has named Kathy George CEO of Four Winds Ventures to lead the tribe’s commercial gaming and hospitality expansion across southwest Michigan.

Project Runway–famous Mood Fabrics will open a 2,000‑sq‑ft showroom at 109 S. State St. this August, offering thousands of swatches, workshops and QR‑powered ordering.

Allstate hired CoStar CFO Christian Lown as its new executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Aug. 3. The move follows related leadership changes at CoStar and internal reshuffling at Allstate.

Lincoln Avenue Trader Joe’s won recognition after the NLRB opened a challenged ballot, giving the crew a one‑vote majority and making it the first TJ’s in Illinois to unionize.

Wintrust is buying Northern Trust’s guardianship business for about $1.2B, a deal that underscores consolidation in Chicago’s wealth‑management sector. Details on timing and regulatory signoffs remain limited.

George E. Johnson, the South Side entrepreneur behind Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen, has died at 99. Chicago leaders remember his business and civic impact.

Chicago-based Hub International filed confidentially for a U.S. IPO and is reportedly targeting about $3 billion, a major private-equity exit. The deal would be closely watched in Chicago and on Wall Street.

A Richland Center Kwik Trip sold a $167,000 Badger 5 ticket in the July 1 drawing. The retailer could receive a small bonus under the Lottery’s program.

Costco closed on land in Pleasant Prairie to move its gas station offsite, doubling pump capacity and freeing space for about 133 new parking spots. The purchase advances plans to ease pump-line backups around the store.

Do it Best announced Wednesday it will move True Value’s headquarters from Chicago to Fort Wayne’s Electric Works, consolidating corporate teams and adding jobs. The shift is part of an ongoing integration of the two companies.

Austin‑based Base Power has launched in Chicagoland, opening a Bloomingdale warehouse and promising cheaper electricity with whole‑home batteries. The company says it will add about 50 local jobs.

International Paper will close its Aurora sheet plant and shut converting operations in Elk Grove and Barrington by the end of Q3 2026, shifting customers and capital. Workers and local officials are waiting for WARN notices and more detail.

Kroger says the Mariano’s at 6655 Grand Ave. in Gurnee will close on July 17; affected employees are being offered transfer opportunities.