James Kosner | Peoria, IL

A business founder many times over, James Kosner has already left an indelible mark on Peoria. “I feel like I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur,” he writes, inspired by a childhood spent at his father’s factory. He started his first company, a landscaping business, when he was 13 and in just a few short years it was a trusted vendor for the cities of Peoria and East Peoria. He remembers the early days of snow plowing residential streets before showing up for first hour classes in high school.

From there, Jim grew JIMAX to include Wyncol Trucking which specializes in heavy hauling, and a demolition division, now the leading municipal and emergency demolition contractor in the area. “All of these companies,” writes Elizabeth Klise of the Peoria Historical Society, “revitalize and improve the beauty, vibrancy and safety of Peoria. In addition to leading these thriving companies, Jim lends his time and talent to many organizations, with leadership roles at Peoria Historical Society, Keep Peoria Beautiful, Big Picture and Peoria Grown. Peoria is truly a better place to live and work thanks to Jim Kosner and JIMAX.” Some notable projects he has helped with include the Great American Clean Up, the Tireless Project which collected more than 30,000 illegally dumped tires and the development of a sustainability center that specializes in green waste reduction and reuse.

Even with all this success, Jim has at times dealt with imposter syndrome. “I often worried, could a young person really manage and grow a ‘real’ business into something respectable? I overcame this by striving to build a reputation of delivering on our promises and exceeding our clients’ expectations. I will always be grateful to have had clients and friends that believed in us and pushed me to achieve at levels I wouldn’t have imagined without them.”

One key influence was Senator Chuck Weaver, whom Jim met as a young high schooler with big dreams. “I was shocked; he, having little spare time, a council person, a senator and an entrepreneur, had invited me for a coffee. He took the time to converse with me and become a mentor as I navigated the complexities of the commercial and municipal sectors.” Jim points to this mentorship as something that makes Peoria a great cultivation arena for young professionals.

Jim’s next venture is in the works but on a much smaller scale—micro, in fact. “My wife and I set out to raise the bar on what Miniature Highland cattle and show-quality Nigerian Dwarf goats can be. It has been so fulfilling to see our dream become reality, right here in Peoria County.”