IDOT to Host Stakeholder Meetings for High Speed Rail

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will be hosting a series of meetings to bring everyone up to speed on the status of the High-Speed Rail Program which will run from Dwight to Pontiac with trains running up to 110 miles per hour.  In the coming months, IDOT will be working on roadways and implementing safety measures which include quadrant gates, a new signal system, and fencing.  The inaugural run is anticipated to take place in September 2012. 

In preparation of this significant milestone, IDOT and the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) will be speaking with key stakeholders along with various educational and public safety organizations.  Furthermore, the IDOT, ICC, and members of the project team will be attending community events to personally communicate information about high-speed trains while focusing on driver education and the safety aspects associated with higher speed trains. 

Wednesday, May 30 2012
10:00am - Noon
Dwight Village Hall
ESDA Room
209 S. Prarie Ave
Dwight

Wednesday, May 30 2012
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Odell Public Library
301 E. Richard St.
Odell

Thursday, May 31, 2012
10:00am - Noon
Pontiac City Hall
City Council Chambers
115 W. Howard St
Pontiac

Please RSVP to Friday May 25 to Lisa Mentzer at 630-510-3944 or lisa.mentzer@imagesinc.net.  Please visit the project website, www.idothsr.org for up to date project information or to comment on the project.  

Energy Incentives and Programs

DCEO is offering up to $13 a lamp incentive for retrofit T8s and new T8 and T5 fixtures between June 1, 2011 and May 15, 2012.  ComEd Smart Ideas is offering an additional $2 per lamp bonus incentive for T12-to-T8 retrofits between September 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012.  Ameren Illinois ActOnEnergy The 10% T12 phase-out bonus extended to May 31, 2012.  Complete by March 31, 2012 and get a 10% early completion coupon. NICOR Announces New Program

Nicor Gas has launched a new program to help redevelop and revitalize communities through building upgrades. The Nicor Gas EEP Economic Redevelopment Program focuses on serving communities that are in need of economic redevelopment, as well as businesses and organizations that create jobs, offer social services or provide affordable housing. The program offers financial incentives and extensive technical assistance, helping building owners with every step of the process from evaluating energy efficiency needs to applying for rebates and finding qualified contractors.  Projects that complete the recommended energy efficiency upgrades can qualify to receive up to $100,000 in rebates.  The program also offers extensive technical assistance (valued at up to $20,000) to help building owners through every step of the process. WHO IS ELIGIBLE?  Commercial, industrial and large multi-family buildings served by Nicor Gas.  Public-sector buildings are not eligible. Projects located in, or promote economic development in, Enterprise Zones, TIF districts, or other economically challenged areas Other projects that could qualify are those that create jobs, offer social services, rehabilitate brown fields or vacant buildings, or provide affordable housing.  Qualifying facilities should be at least 10,000 square feet. To apply for this program or for more information, please contact the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Economic Redevelopment Team at 773.328.7040 or erp@cntenergy.org or visit http://nicorgasrebates.com/programs/economic

Illinois is Top Ten in Corporate Locations/Expansions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2012


Governor Quinn Announces Illinois Among Top 10 States for Corporate Locations in National Survey
Illinois Gains Over Last Year’s Ranking

CHICAGO – March 1, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced that the state of Illinois and Chicago have been named among the top 10 locations for new and expanded corporate facilities. Illinois ranked seventh among states, an improvement over last year’s eighth place ranking, and Chicago second in the metropolitan areas category in the annual analysis by Site Selection magazine, one of the nation’s premier corporate real estate and economic development publications. “We are committed to creating jobs and working hard to make Illinois an even more attractive place to do business not only in the Midwest, but globally,” Governor Quinn said. “We have an aggressive long-term strategy for bringing quality jobs to Illinois, which includes innovation, exports and foreign investment, business-friendly legislation, and addressing infrastructure needs. We will continue to do everything we can to further our economic growth and create jobs in Illinois.” In 2011, Illinois had 216 corporate facilities locate or expand in the state. Illinois joins Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia on the list of the top ten states with the most locations and expansions. With 167 projects, the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet metro area ranked second on the list of cities in the tier one, top ten metropolitan areas list. Illinois companies that have relocated or seen significant expansions this year include Ford, Motorola Mobility, Continental, FedEx, Chrysler and Mitsubishi, among others. “We are pleased that Illinois has again been named to Site Selection’s top 10 list for new and expanded corporate facilities,” said Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Warren Ribley. “Illinois is one of the top business destinations in the nation for good reason, and we will continue to direct our efforts toward attracting and keeping investment in the state, creating jobs for the future and strengthening our economy.” The Governor’s Cup analyses, issued by Site Selection magazine, are regarded by corporate real estate analysts as “the industry scoreboard.” Site Selection is the senior publication in the corporate real estate and economic development field and the official publication of the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC, at www.iamc.org). The magazine’s circulation base consists of 44,000 executives involved in corporate site selection decisions, most at the CEO/President/COO level.

Is your Business Ready to Go Global?

The State of Illinois has a new program to financially assist Illinois businesses in exporting their products. The STEP Program will provide grants to businesses who attend one of ten Trade Missions sponsored by the State.  Additionally, if a Trade Mission does not align with your product, you may be eligible to receive a $1500 grant to create an individual trade mission designed specifically for your company.  The State will arrange meetings with potential trading partners and reimburse 75% of your hotel and airfare.  The State has $1.25 million allocated for this program.  Their goal is to double exports by 2014.

This is a rare opportunity and we hope that many of our businesses take advantage of the availability of these funds. Please contact the GLCEDC staff for more information regarding this program.  More information can also be found on the State's website: http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/exports/Pages/STEP.aspx

Is there an App for that job? Check with Rural Development

By Colleen Callahan, Director of Illinois USDA Rural Development

When we’re looking for an answer to something these days, it’s common to “google it” or ask, “Is there an app for that?” 

It turns out there is an app for job creation. It’s the intended application of USDA Rural Development. As a lender, rural development’s commitment is to finance the future of rural communities. To that end, USDA Rural Development has been working to pursue some of the same strategies suggested recently in the proposed American Jobs Act. 

In Illinois, rural development has assisted rural communities to provide the infrastructure and support for innovative businesses that are the key to job creation and retention.  

USDA Rural Development assists with building basic infrastructure that supports economic development in rural communities, including electricity, water systems, broadband and housing.

We create and sustain rural job opportunities and support entrepreneurs from the micro-enterprise level to large-scale manufacturing, so those who live in rural communities don’t have to commute to metropolitan areas in order to support their families and pay their mortgages. 

In partnership with other public and private sector businesses, the loans we are providing to rural businesses have created or saved more than 5,600 jobs in Illinois. And we continue to improve the economic climate of rural areas by helping develop additional job opportunities for the underserved rural areas and populations.

Those of us in rural America know that in difficult times, we need to come together to work out a solution that benefits everyone, not just a few or just those in certain geographic areas.

It’s about balance.

What happens when our atmosphere gets out of balance? We have storms.

What happens when our systems get out of balance? We get sick.

And what happens when we don’t use a balanced approach to our governmental decision-making? We create our own demise.

Elected leaders in Washington need to acknowledge the consequence of one-sided initiatives as they work to support job growth and build a stronger future for all Americans. 

A wise man once said that nothing can ever be sliced so thinly as to not have two sides. His wisdom can be applied to how we find solutions to our current needs.

Consequently, there is an app for job creation. It’s called common sense.

And partnering with rural development, when rural communities and businesses want to create and sustain jobs, makes good sense.

Illinois Office of USDA Rural Development

Free Webinar this Friday

FRIDAY: Webinar Promotes Rural Small Business Development
White House Rural Council Members Delta Regional Authority & Appalachian Regional Commission Highlight Efforts to Promote Job and Economic Growth in Rural America

REGISTER NOW Webinar on Rural Small Business Development Friday, August 26, 2011 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM EDT John Fernandez, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, U.S. Economic Development Administration Chris Masingill, Federal Co-Chairman, Delta Regional Authority Earl Gohl, Federal Co-Chairman, Appalachian Regional Commission

On Friday, August 26, 2011, White House Rural Council members, Delta Regional Authority and Appalachian Regional Commission, will join U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John Fernandez for a webinar to discuss strategic efforts to promote rural small business development. President Obama signed an Executive Order in June establishing the first White House Rural Council to ensure Federal resources are being coordinated across the government to strengthen rural communities and accelerate growth. Last week, the President announced a series of initiatives that leverage existing programs and funding to help small businesses and to meet other critical needs in rural communities.

The GLCEDC will host a viewing of this webinar. All are welcome to watch it at our new office located at 210 W. Water St. in Pontiac. Please email larry@glcedc.org to RSVP.

State of Illinois Export Seminar - FREE

Businesses of All Sizes - Please Join Us for a Free Export Seminar Central Illinois Welcomes "Illinois Export Week" Thursday, June 23, 2011 * 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Springfield, Illinois Are you currently exporting or considering exporting? You may not realize it, but there are significant opportunities for Illinois companies of all sizes to expand internationally. This half-day export workshop features presentations by local companies sharing their export successes and tips. Also featured will be speakers representing local, state, and federal trade resources so you can learn how to access programs to help in your export growth. PLEASE CLICK HERE to register for this free event as part of the Governor’s Illinois Export Week! Agenda Welcome and Overview Mayor J. Michael Houston-City of Springfield Mary Roberts, Deputy Director, Illinois Office of Trade and Investment Exporting Opportunities and Challenges - Panel Discussion Illinois Office of Trade and Investment Illinois SBDC International Trade Center at Bradley University Illinois Department of Agriculture U.S. Department of Commerce, Commercial Service U.S. Small Business Administration Celebrating Export Success - Panel Discussion Lamboo Inc., Springfield Brandt Consolidated, Springfield Brianza Bella, Carlinville LOCATION: Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Quantum Growth Partnership 1011 South Second Street, Springfield, IL 62704 For more information: Contact: Becky Schlouch Phone: 217-785-2709 Email: becky.schlouch@illinois.gov For registration: PLEASE CLICK HERE