Briefs: Starbucks opens drive-thru store

CRYSTAL LAKE -- Starbucks Coffee is opening a store with a drive-thru café at 1125 Rte. 31 at the corner of Rakow Road in Crystal Lake. The coffee shop opens at 4:30 a.m. Friday and will employ about 20 people. Angela Bianco-Hein serves as store manager. The store will be open from 4:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The store features an outdoor patio and indoor lounge.

Brannick Clinic expands to the area

ST. CHARLES -- The St. Charles Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony to welcome Brannick Clinic of Natural Medicine to the area. The event takes place at 4 p.m. Tuesday at 1650 E. Main St. and includes healthy hors d'oeuvres and drinks. Michelle and Kevin Brannick started the practice four years ago to have a comprehensive natural approach to health care. This is the second location for the practice. The original office is in Riverside. The clinic is a full-service health care facility for patients from birth to elder years.

Barnes & Noble to open bookstore

LINCOLNSHIRE -- Barnes & Noble Inc. will open a new bookstore in Lincolnshire Commons at 920 N. Milwaukee Ave. The store will stock close to 200,000 book, music, DVD and magazine titles. The store will debut Nov. 20.

Trustmark division receives upgrade

LAKE FOREST -- Trustmark Mutual Holding Co. announced that A.M. Best has upgraded the financial strength rating of Trustmark Insurance Co. and Trustmark Life Insurance Co. to A- (excellent) from B++ (good), and assigned both companies a stable outlook. Company officials noted that restoring an A- category rating has been a primary strategic priority for the entire organization, but mainly to support long-term growth of its voluntary benefits division, Voluntary Benefit Solutions.

Minee Subee center named 2007 finalist

MOUNT PROSPECT -- Minee Subee Early Education and Childcare Centers has been named a 2007 Illinois Business of the Year Finalist, an honor presented by the Loyola University Chicago Family Business Center and Harris Bank. Centers are in Arlington Heights, Lincolnshire, Mount Prospect and Hanover Park.

IHM Remodeling earns Torch Award

DOWNERS GROVE -- IHM Remodeling Repair Contractors won the 2007 Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Excellence. In it's 11th year, the award recognizes a company that demonstrates exceptional commitment to standards that benefit its customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and surrounding communities. Family-owned and operated, IHM is a full-service remolding company that specializes in home remodeling, kitchens, bathrooms, basements, custom additions, decks and more.

Women's business expo scheduled

NAPERVILLE -- North Central College's Center for Entrepreneurship and Small Business will host the 2007 Women's Business Expo from 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Harold and Eva White Activities Center, 325 E. Benton Ave. Sponsored by the Women's Business Network, the Business Expo will feature about 20 participating female-owned area businesses and provide opportunities for women in the community to learn about the network, exchange ideas and hear about the participating small businesses. Light refreshments will be served at the free event.

Partnership aims to educate children

ROSEMONT -- The School Nutrition Association and the National Dairy Council announced a partnership to improve the health of the nation's children. The focus will be on a nutrition education campaign that reinforces the benefits for children over age 8 of three daily servings of low-fat and fat-free dairy, as recommended in the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Recent health statistics show that only 2 percent of children meet the Dietary Guidelines, and more than 90 percent of girls and 70 percent of boys aged 12-19 do not meet current calcium recommendations.

Minee Subee center named 2007 finalist

MOUNT PROSPECT -- Minee Subee Early Education and Childcare Centers has been named a 2007 Illinois Business of the Year Finalist, an honor presented by the Loyola University Chicago Family Business Center and Harris Bank. Judith Katz, along with her late-husband, Norman, founded the business in 1974 when they were licensed for 45 children. The company encompasses four facilities and 700 children. Other centers are found in Arlington Heights, Lincolnshire and Hanover Park.

Kraft makes deal with investor

NORTHFIELD -- Kraft Foods Wednesday struck a deal with activist investor Nelson Peltz, adding two board members nominated by his Trian Partners and avoiding a potential proxy battle. Kraft said Trian, which holds a roughly 2.4 percent stake in the company and has been lobbying for changes, agreed to support Kraft's board of directors' full list of nominees at its next two annual meetings. In return, Kraft named Lois Juliber, retired vice chairman of Colgate-Palmolive Co, and Frank Zarb, managing director of private equity firm Hellman & Friedman LLC, to its board.

United concerned about fuel costs

CHICAGO -- United Airlines could ground up to 100 or more of its airplanes if soaring fuel prices ultimately cause consumers to buy fewer tickets, a top executive said Wednesday. Chief Financial Officer Jake Brace said there has not yet been any evidence of a falloff in demand, which has been strong since the second quarter. But he said United and other airlines eventually will have to deal with skyrocketing fuel prices by either raising fares further or reducing capacity rather than flying with too many empty seats.

Rise in oil prices stalls on new report

NEW YORK -- Oil prices stalled in their climb toward $100 a barrel Wednesday after a government report said oil inventories fell less than expected last week while refinery utilization remained flat. Light, sweet crude for December delivery fell 33 cents to settle at $96.37 a barrel on the Nymex. Before the report's release, prices rose as high as $98.62, a new record.

Sara Lee earnings drop 40 percent

DOWNERS GROVE --Hefty marketing spending weighed down earnings at Sara Lee Corp., as the food maker posted a 40 percent decrease in fiscal first-quarter profit. In the quarter ended Sept. 29, Sara Lee's net income fell to $200 million, or 28 cents per share, down from $333 million, or 44 cents per share a year earlier, when results included a 10-cent boost from discontinued operations. Revenue rose 8 percent to $3.13 billion, up from $2.89 billion in the first quarter of 2007.