• Mayor’s campaign remains $28,700 in debt to SupplyCore, has nearly $40,000 in funds

By Brandon Reid
Assistant Editor

If the race for Rockford mayor were determined by dollars and cents, Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey (I) would win a third term by a landslide.

The most recent D-2 reports of campaign contributions filed by two of the three candidates running for mayor in the April 9 election — Democrat Jim Hughes and Morrissey — showed Hughes with $4,201.18 in funds and Morrissey with $39,317.90 in funds. The third candidate, Republican Michael Kleen, had not yet raised enough funds in his mayoral campaign to file a D-2. However, he said in an e-mail Feb. 18 that he had just raised enough funds to file a D-1, and his updated D-1 will show a “funds available” balance of $1,487.

Kleen added in his e-mail: “Most of the money I’ve raised so far has come from individual contributors, and some from the Winnebago County Republican Central Committee. I’ll only have to file a D-2 outlining donations and expenses after the first $3,000, so that information won’t be publicly available until sometime after April 1. Unless, of course, I get a few $1,000-plus donations between now and then.”

The quarterly D-2 reports include contributions and expenditures for the period of Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2012, and do not reflect activity past Dec. 31, 2012. As a result, each campaigns’ total funds available are likely different today than they were at the end of the quarterly reporting period.

Morrissey’s contributions

According to Morrissey’s most recent D-2 quarterly report, his campaign, “Citizens for Morrissey,” had $28,359.47 at the beginning of the reporting period, had received $21,040 during the reporting period, had spent $10,081.57 during the reporting period and had $39,317.90 at the close of the reporting period.

Individual contributions from the D-2 quarterly report include the following:

All-Circo, Inc. (public affairs and consulting firm, Chicago) — $1,500 (Oct. 8, 2012)

Comcast Commercial Services, LLC (Philadelphia) — $500 (Oct. 8, 2012)

John J. Kelly Consulting (Chicago) — $1,000 (Oct. 8, 2012)

Joseph Behr & Sons, Inc. (Rockford) — $1,000 (Dec. 10, 2012) and $5,000 (Dec. 28, 2012)

Carrie and Jeffrey Lee (Rockford) — $250 (Oct. 18, 2012)

LoRayne Logan, owner of The Work Place (also a member of the Rockford Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, vice president of the Rock Valley College Foundation, and former member of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council and volunteer for Citizens for Morrissey, Rockford) — $2,000 (Dec. 3, 2012) and $3,000 (Dec. 3, 2012)

Montel Technologies, LLC (Rockford) — $500 (Dec. 10, 2012)

Richard Nordlof, president/owner of Mechanical Tool & Engineering Co. (Rockford) — $5,000 (Dec. 3, 2012)

Southern Imperial, Inc. (Rockford) — $1,000 (Dec. 12, 2012)

Individual contributions from A-1 ($1,000+ year-round) reports (contributions received after the quarterly reporting period) include the following:

Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, Ltd. (Rockford) — $1,000 (Feb. 1, 2013)

Rockford Toolcraft, Inc. (Rockford) — $1,000 (Feb. 6, 2013)

Patrick Murphy, president, Metrology Resource Group (Rockford) — $1,000 (Feb. 6, 2013)

Gary (and Tina) Kaatz, CEO, Rockford Health Systems (Rockford) — $1,000 (Feb. 13, 2013)

Morrissey’s most recent quarterly report also indicates Citizens for Morrissey owes a total of $28,700 in debt to SupplyCore, Inc. The debt is in relation to loans given April 1, 2005 (original amount was $20,000) and May 23, 2005 (original amount was $13,500). Citizens for Morrissey has paid a total of $4,800 toward the debt.

SupplyCore is a global defense contractor with headquarters in downtown Rockford, 303 N. Main St. According to the Illinois State Board of Elections’ campaign disclosure website (elections.il.gov ^[2]), SuppyCore has given more than $150,000 in contributions, in-kind donations, services and loans to Morrissey’s campaign since 2001.

Also, between 2001 and 2006, Albert Provenzano, owner of SupplyCore, Inc., donated $6,125 to Citizens for Morrissey.

SupplyCore has also been a contributor to Citizens for Joe Sosnowski, Citizens to Elect Judge Ed Prochaska, Citizens for Rebuilding Rockford, Citizens for Prorok, the House Republican Organization, Empower Rockford Committee and Brighter Schools Brighter Future Referendum Committee.

SupplyCore, Inc.’s president and CEO is Peter Provenzano. According to SupplyCore’s website, Peter Provenzano “has led SupplyCore in winning multiple defense contracts in support of U.S. troops worldwide. …

“During Mr. Provenzano’s tenure, SupplyCore has been awarded Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 500 award five years in a row and inducted into the Inc. Hall of Fame. This annual award recognizes America’s fastest-growing privately-owned companies. Today, SupplyCore maintains a worldwide network of offices in Japan, Okinawa, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Illinois, California, South Carolina, Missouri, Florida, Ohio and Georgia.

“Mr. Provenzano has maintained SupplyCore’s headquarters in his hometown where he is very active in the community. He was honored with the Rockford Park District’s Community Service Award in 2010. In addition to participating on numerous Boards, Mr. Provenzano is Chairman of the Rock River Development Partnership (RRDP), a public/private partnership he co-founded with Rockford’s Mayor. In May 2011, he was inducted into the Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s ‘Tourism Hall of Fame’ for his work with RRDP and establishing the Rockford City Market.”

According to the RRDP website, the organization “brings together public and private leadership to envision, coordinate and execute a strategic action plan for Rockford’s core that leads to a more vibrant city center and revitalized neighborhoods. We believe that our River and our People are our greatest assets and that we must offer the community a better connection to it and to one another.”

The RRDP is best known for the Rockford City Market, which is a collaborative effort of several agencies, including RRDP, River District Association, the City of Rockford and Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. The market, which began June 11, 2010, takes place every Friday during the summer months along Water Street between State and Jefferson streets in downtown Rockford. More than 55,000 visitors attended the market in 2012, and five vendors have found permanent storefront locations in downtown Rockford since the market’s inception.

Other notable contributions to Morrissey’s campaign made in 2012 include the following:

Metrology Resource Group (Rockford) — $1,000 (Feb. 6, 2012), $750 (June 11, 2012) and $250 (June 25, 2012)

Leading Edge Hydraulics (Rockford) — $1,500 (Feb. 6, 2012), $1,800 (March 19, 2012) and $875 (June 11, 2012)

Dial Machine (Rockford) — $1,000 (March 6, 2012)

Cliffbreakers River Restaurant & Convention Center (Rockford) — $1,000 (March 6, 2012)

Thomas & Nancy Lorden (retired, of Lorden Distributing, Rockford) — $1,000 (March 4, 2012)

Patrick Bachrodt (Rockford) — $500 (Feb. 6, 2012)

Chris J. Cooling (Cherry Valley) — $500 (March 6, 2012)

Lee Foecking (Rockford) — $200 (March 6, 2012) and $500 (June 11)

Hinshaw & Culbertson (Rockford) $250 (March 6, 2012), $100 (March 6, 2012) and $500 (June 25)

Lou Bachrodt Auto Mall (Rockford) — $500 (March 6, 2012)

Gary Marzaroti (Rockford) — $300 (Feb. 6, 2012)

Maggio Truck Center, Inc. (Rockford) — $2,500 (June 4, 2012)

Spring Creek Development (Rockford) — $1,000 (June 4, 2012)

Heartland Solutions Group, Inc. (Lake Barrington, Ill.) — $1,000 (June 28, 2012)

Wanxiang New Energy Division (Elgin, Ill.) — $1,000 (June 28, 2012)

AEB Inc. (Moline, Ill.) — $1,000 (June 28, 2012)

ComEd PAC (Chicago) — $250 (June 25, 2012)

Gary & Tina Kaatz (Rockford) — $250 (June 11, 2012)

Rockford Bank & Trust (Rockford) — $250 (June 11, 2012)

Larson & Darby, Inc. (Rockford) — $500 (June 11, 2012)

Kent Mallquist (Rockford) — $250 (June 11, 2012)

SwedishAmerican Health Management Corporation (Rockford) — $500 (June 11, 2012)

Williams & McCarthy (Rockford) — $500

All-Circo, Inc. (Chicago) — $1,500 (Oct. 8, 2012)

Walgreens Co. (Deerfield, Ill.) — $500 (Aug. 14, 2012)

Richard Nordlof, president/owner, Mechanical Tool & Engineering Co. — $5,000 (Dec. 3, 2012)

Hughes’ contributions

According to Hughes’ most recent D-2 quarterly report, his campaign, “James (Jim) Hughes for Mayor,” had $4,221.18 at the beginning of the reporting period, had received $80 during the reporting period, had spent $100 during the reporting period and had $4,201.18 at the close of the reporting period.

Individual contributions from A-1 ($1,000+ year-round) reports (contributions received after the quarterly reporting period) include the following:

Illinois Licensed Beverage Association (Rockford) — $1,000 (Jan. 9, 2013)

Family Amusements of Northern IL (Rockford) — $1,000 (Feb. 13, 2013)

IBEW Local 364 (Rockford) — $1,000 (Feb. 15, 2013)

Rockford Anesthesiologists Associated (Loves Park, Ill.) — $1,500 (Feb. 15, 2013)

Rockford Ambulatory Surgery Center (Rockford) — $1,000 (Feb. 15, 2013)

Carl Scandroli (Rockford) — $1,000 (Feb. 15, 2013)

Individual contributions from previous D-2 quarterly reports include the following:

Jim Hughes — $700 (transfer in, June 26, 2012)

Larry Anderson (Ashton, Ill.) — $500 (July 31, 2012)

Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (Rockford) — $250 (Aug. 29, 2012)

Irish Rose, Inc. (Rockford) — $200 (Aug. 29, 2012)

Joseph C. Scandroli & Carl R. Scandroli (Rockford) — $500 (Aug. 29, 2012)

Laborers’ Local 32 P.A.C. — $250 (Aug. 29, 2012)

Plumbers & Pipefitters UA Local No. 23 (Rockford) — $250 (Aug. 29, 2012)

Rockford United Labor AFL CIO (Rockford) — $250 (Aug. 29, 2012)

Howard Teitelbaum (Highland Park, Ill.) — $250 (Sept. 19, 2012)

The Olympic Tavern (Rockford) — $200 (Aug. 29, 2012)

Kleen’s contributions

As stated earlier in this article, Kleen’s campaign had not yet raised enough funds to be required to file a D-2. However, the candidate said he had just filed a D-1 report that showed his campaign had $1,487 in funds, with contributions mainly from individuals and the Winnebago County Republican Central Committee.

The most recent D-2s available from the State Board of Elections for “Citizens for Michael Kleen” are from his D-2 Final Report for the period of April 1, 2012, to June 30, 2012. The report is reflective of his unsuccessful bid for a seat on the Winnebago County Board. The report showed $33.75 at the beginning of the reporting period, $33.75 in expenditures and $0 in funds at the close of the reporting period. The report also showed a debt of $1,285.26, which referred to funds he loaned to his own campaign. The campaign received a total of $660 in contributions, all from Angela Howser of Disclosure News of Calhoun, Ill.

From the Feb. 20-26, 2013, issue