The Opening Bell

Getting upgraded for some flyers happens once in a blue moon, but for more frequent flyers its a regular part of their lives in the air. Steve Grzanich and Brian Sumers (Sr. Aviation Business Editor at Skift.com) chatted about the new point system at United Airlines that is hoping to simplify the upgrading system (but frequent flyers will be the customers that will benefit most). They also recapped the annual Skift Global Forum gaining valuable insight about the direction of […]

There is a lot of good but also just as much bad in the business world these days. Steve Grzanich wrapped up the business week with Paul Nolte (SVP & Sr. Portfolio Manager at Kingsview Asset Management) but most notably they touched on how Wall Street didn’t seem to care about the growing buzz of impeaching President Trump. (At 14:36) Brian Sumers (Sr. Aviation Business Editor at Skift.com) jumped back on with Steve after the Skift Global Forum where he […]

On September 27th, 2019 Steve Grzanich shares the day’s potential market drivers: A report on personal income and spending for August is out today (analyst expect an increase from last month) The report on August Durable Goods is out this morning The Consumer Sentiment Index is out today

The banking industry is an incredibly regulated industry, but as the world changes so do those regulations. Steve Grzanich checked in with Doug Myers (SVP & Private Banking Regional Manager at Associated Bank) on the weekly Associated Bank Thought Leader conversation to run through the list of industry shifting regulations that customers should be aware of. (At 16:45) Jonathan Maze (Executive Editor at Restaurant Business Magazine) then touched on the developing news of the morning as McDonald’s announced their decision to test a […]

On September 26th, 2019 Steve Grzanich shares the day’s potential market drivers: A report on GDP Growth for Q2 is out today along with data on wholesale inventories for August, and the weekly look for first time unemployment claims Esther George, and Mary Daly are discussing monetary policy on behalf of the Federal Reserve today  Accenture, Conagra Brands, Carnival and Micron Technologies all report earnings today

The Midwest is one of the country’s main manufacturing hubs, and Skokie helps keep Illinois on the manufacturing radar. Bennett Wakenight traveled out to Skokie for the Building Business Around Town conversation (presented by Associated Bank) with Joe Block (President and CEO of Block Steel Corporation) to learn about the everyday products that use aluminized steel, how the company overcomes challenges (like industry tariffs) and the roots that started the family business.    

On September 25th, 2019 Steve Grzanich shares the day’s potential market drivers: A report on new home sales for August is out this morning The Mortgage Bankers Association reports on weekly mortgage applications The State Street Investor Confidence Index is out later today along with the EIA Petroleum Status report Ferrellgas Partners, KB Home, Pier One Imports and Worthington Industries Inc all report earnings today

As the seasons change, so do the transportation methods for many Chicagoans. Steve Grzanich checked in with Mary Wisniewski (Transportation Reporter at The Chicago Tribune) to recap a few different transportation stories including the Blue Line O’Hare station closures, the Navy Pier flyover slowly getting completed and more. The focus then shifted to the monthly Building Business Around Town conversation with Associated Bank and Joe Block (President and CEO of Block Steel Corporation) shared the story behind the third generation […]

The restaurant industry is fast moving and social media plays a large role in the business success to help create conversations among customers. KFC created a product worth talking about called the Kentucky Fried Chicken & Donuts Sandwich, so Steve Grzanich and Bennett Wakenight discussed that and other novelty products that are popping up in the restaurant world. (At 15:22) Michael Edwards (CEO of The Chicago Loop Alliance) joined the program to share the results of a study detailing how […]

On September 24th, 2019 Steve Grzanich shares the day’s potential market drivers: Data on housing prices leads off the day today (The Case-Shiller and Home Price Index) Numbers on September Consumer Confidence is out this morning The Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index is released by this afternoon AutoZone, BlackBerry and Nike all report earnings today