PEORIA MAGAZINE March 2023

White said. There are nearly 10,000 apparel units on hand from more than 20 brands like lululemon, Vuori, Fjallraven and RC Outfitters' own private label. Cathy Williams likes what she sees when she shops at RC Outfitters. “It has everything I need under one roof,” she said. “Adam has a knack for identifying trends before they become trends. His shoe selection is progressive and his running gear and casual wear are unique to Peoria.” A COMPETITIVE STREAK TRANSLATES TO BUSINESS Another ingredient to RC Outfitters’ success has been ShaZam Racing, a spinoff race-timing business White owns with business partner Brad Henz, whom he calls a “timing guru.” Running has been a longtime passion for White, who took second place in the 1993 Class AA cross country state finals while he was at Peoria Notre Dame High

School, later ran at Wabash College in Indiana, and has competed in most major marathons around the world. ShaZam Racing owns and operates five area races, including signature events such as the Blarney Blitz to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day and Detweiller At Dark during the summer. The company provided timing and results services for about 200 races in 2022, many of them junior high school, high school and college cross country and track meets. White hopes to increase the number of races ShaZam does for clients by 10% this year. A RETAIL RESURGENCE DOWNTOWN? White said he’s cautiously optimistic that more retail businesses will join him Downtown and help revive an area he calls central to the economic health of central Illinois. All that’s needed, he said, are more downtown residents. He’s en couraged by the number of completed and planned residential projects.

“When we’ll get more retail downtown and what kind of retail we’ll get are yet to be determined,” he said. “If there's an influx of downtown residents, we’ll see more retail. I believe in small business people. If they recognize an opportunity, they’ll take advantage of it.” White has advice for entrepreneurs thinking about opening a business in Downtown Peoria. “Don’t rule it out because of the inher ent challenges of having a downtown business,” the third-generation Peorian said. “Do your due diligence. Run num bers. Look short term and long term. Don’t hesitate to ask for assistance from the city. If you decide Downtown works for you, you won't regret it.”

Steve Stein is a longtime Peoria area print journalist

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50 MARCH 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE