News and Media

JREDC Reports on 2021 Scope of Work

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

To create, expand, recruit and retain job opportunities for Morgan and Scott Counties Since 1964, the mission of the Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation (JREDC) has remained consistent — to create, expand, recruit and retain job opportunities for Morgan and Scott Counties. These are not goals from a bygone era, these are action points that are worked on every day to improve the Jacksonville, Illinois region’s business environment and community. Through accordance with the Regional Economic Development Plan, the JREDC strives to advance its mission through: Business Attraction Business Creation Business Retention/Expansion Workforce Development Daily work includes marketing available sites and buildings to attract new investment, supportin...

Relocate to Jacksonville, Illinois: Manufacturing Jobs and Quality of Life Abound

Friday, December 18, 2020

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in November, jobs gains in manufacturing boosted employment by 27,000 and the average hourly earnings for all employees in manufacturing rose. With an increasing number of companies looking to onshore their supply chains because of the global pandemic, job opportunities are only increasing. In Jacksonville, Illinois, the manufacturing sector is strong and the quality of life is high, a winning combination for young people starting careers or experienced workers looking to relocate. Sampling of Manufacturing Job Opportunities In Jacksonville, IL CCK Automations, Inc. is one such manufacturing employer. It is a technology-based organization tha...

ILMO Products Company Shows That Jacksonville, IL is A Great Place for Business

Friday, November 20, 2020

ILMO Products Company is a mainstay of the Jacksonville region operating as a single-source provider of industrial, medical, and laboratory gases. Additionally, they offer bulk and residential propane, welding and safety equipment, industrial supplies and accessories, and welder rental and repair services. The company was founded in 1913 in Jacksonville as Illinois Tire and Vulcanizing by the Floreth family and remains family-owned to this day. While ILMO has expanded to a total of nine locations throughout Illinois and employs nearly 100 people, it remains headquartered in Jacksonville. “As the company has grown, there have been occasions for us to reevaluate ou...

In Focus: An Evolving Last Mile

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Apart from the tragic global health implications, the economic fallout from the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic has been highly disruptive. The longer-term impact from the profound behavioral shift on the part of consumers who have — by necessity — been introduced to online shopping will persist long after the current recessionary cycle ends. While some new online shoppers will go back to their pre-COVID habits once the pandemic is behind us, many will be “sticky,” finding the convenience of online shopping too alluring. One recent survey finds that 46 percent of shoppers currently plan to continue buying online. From curbside and in-store pickup t...

Infrastructure Investment as an Economic Stimulus Tool

Thursday, October 29, 2020

In times of economic struggle — such as the recession that abruptly arrived with the COVID-19 pandemic — analysts and advocates promote an array of options as effective tools for stimulating the economy. One of the most frequently suggested options is infrastructure spending. Proponents of infrastructure spending during dire economic times view it as a productive job creator and essential foundation for a long-term recovery and return to sustained prosperity. Brian Raff, director of Communications and Public Affairs for the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), cites a 2015 study by the Duke Center on Globalization, Governance, and Competitiveness to demonstrate infrastructure investment’...

Data-Driven Operational Strategies in the Pandemic Era

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

As state economies struggle between surging cases of COVID-19 and intense pressure to reopen — albeit with varying degrees of restrictions — companies that reduced or halted operations in response to stay-at-home orders are torn between the urgent needs to both restore revenue streams and to ensure the safety of their employees and customers. Since every location has a different dynamic and risk profile, creating a return-to-work strategy is complicated, whether a company operates in five locations or 500. The solution to developing a sound, portfolio-wide strategy includes having ready access to data, analytics, and insights, including regional and community-specifi...

The New Normal in the Automotive Supply Chain

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

For immediate evidence of disruptions in the automotive supply chain, you need to look no further than your local dealer. Many lots are nearly empty of new vehicles, with average dealer inventories across the U.S. far below the normal 50–60 days’ supply. How did this happen? Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic is a major part of the problem. When automotive production was abruptly halted in March, there were not any new vehicles being produced until early May. Even then, production has been proceeding in fits and starts. At the same time, consumers have continued to purchase vehicles, keeping auto demand surprisingl...

Have Years of Darwinism in Rural America Paid Off During COVID-19?

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

As cities reel from a public health crisis and civic unrest, rural and small town community leaders are the unspoken heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have historically learned how to thrive through fostering creative connections between limited resources and community needs. Years of practice navigating threats and finding solutions keeps rural America surviving, even amidst a pandemic. Progressive rural community leaders developed a task force in March. They used frequent and clear communication on the local plan. Rural America applied well-practiced skills listening to citizens, health care professionals, business owners and educators to make decisions right for their own communities...

In Focus: Increased Data Center Growth Driven by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

The stratospheric rise of the cloud over the past few years caught many off guard and created an arms race among the cloud providers, with data center development underpinning the effort. These cloud providers were anticipating ever-increasing demand for the cloud by globally creating a robust and redundant network of massive data centers tethered together through a network of smaller data centers and fiber connection locations. Data centers that service other segments of the market (wholesale colocation, “edge,” and retail) were also riding the wave of increased demand. Little did we know a global pandemic would make data centers and th...

Remote Workers Find the Quality of Life and Connectivity They Need in the Jacksonville Illinois Region

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, 43 percent of the workforce worked from home at least some of the time according to Gallup data. With the pandemic, that percentage increased, and many people switched completely to remote work. With that switch, many found a certain freedom. In April 2020, people in the U.S. relocated at twice the rate they did one year ago, and that higher rate of moves continued through May, The Wall Street Journal reported. Remote workers are looking to relocate from more populated, pricey metros to smaller cities where they can more easily social distance, get more bang fo...

Business is returning and needs you

Monday, October 26, 2020

While it feels like 2020 has lasted more than a year already, we have been through a lot in a short amount of time. The shutdown started in a cold, gloomy month and everything looks different now … the sun is out, and though it feels like summer, summer doesn’t yet feel normal. Gone for the time being are the opportunities for large gatherings that we all associate with summer fun: concerts, fairs, and festivals. Businesses are open, but even they seem different. And they are. Many small businesses downtown took advantage of the shutdown to make changes: Norma’s has a completely ne...

Civic clubs aid community growth

Monday, October 26, 2020

There are three legs required to build a strong foundational stool of sustained community transformation: the local media company, local chambers of commerce and Main Street organizations and, of course, community government or leadership. While a three-legged stool can stand just fine, nothing beats a stable four-legged stool. When it comes to building a four-legged stool of sustained and powerful community transformation, we must consider adding local civic clubs or groups to the other legs. Local civic clubs such as the Rotary, Optimist, Shriners, Exchange, Young Professionals, Kiwanis, American Legion, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and religious groups are loaded with talented and visionar...

Make Your Next Pitch Instantly More Compelling By Using This One Philosopher's Framework

Thursday, October 22, 2020

Want to know with confidence that your elevator pitch will land? Would clarity and persuasion help you attract more clients, investors, mentors and sales? To maximize success in conversation, ensure you are following Grice’s maxims. Twentieth-century British philosopher Paul Grice shifted the way we think about semantics and language. His maxims for conversation are part of his work on the cooperative principle, which states that when people engage with one another there are unspoken assumptions around how the conversation will unfold. Research tells us that we grasp the nuances of Grice’s maxims from an early age; a 2015 study found that children as young as six year...

Jacksonville Partners with Local Businesses to Better Serve the Community

Monday, October 19, 2020

Jacksonville partners with local businesses and organizations to better serve the community. The Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation (JREDC) has a mission to help local businesses and the local economy thrive. Creating partnerships with local businesses helps this goal. We here at the JREDC are a great resource for any business that is looking to locate in the area as well as for existing businesses who may need assistance. We connect businesses with local partners that can help other businesses succeed. Click here to view our partnerships and for more information on how the JREDC can help your business thrive!

Available Featured Properties in and Around Jacksonville

Monday, October 12, 2020

Check out the available featured properties in and around the Jacksonville Region on our website today! The Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation (JREDC) is dedicated to helping businesses and site selectors find the right property for their business needs. This is why we have listed available properties for sale or lease on our website for free! Site selectors and business owners looking for property can sift through the list of available properties in our region and take advantage of our in-depth information on every available featured property. Click here to view the list of featured properties in the Jacksonville region an...

Jacksonville’s Economic Development Website Offer Online Workforce Resources for Businesses and Employees

Monday, October 05, 2020

Jacksonville’s economic development website offers online workforce resources for local businesses and employees. Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation’s (JREDC) website has gathered online workforce resources for businesses and the local workforce. The goal is to help as many businesses and people succeed in the Jacksonville area as we can. The JREDC is committed to helping guide businesses find and hire qualified employees. It is also dedicated to helping people find the right business to advance their careers. We have set up a page on our website where people can go to which highlights some of the main workforce resources available. Clic...

Five Common Ways To Fund A Small Business Beyond Personal Savings

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

One of the most cliched statements in starting a small business is that “it takes money to make money”... but it is often true. Many businesses need an infusion of cash to buy essential components of their operations. For a pizzeria, that could be an industrial oven, and for a yard care business, that could be a commercial lawn mower. A common funding practice many new business owners take is to use personal savings and start small by reinvesting profits into the business. This approach, known as bootstrapping, seems rooted in common sense, but can be restrictive to your business’ growt...

Have a Job Opening in the Jacksonville Region? Submit it Here!

Monday, September 28, 2020

Have a job opening in the Jacksonville Region? Submit it now to Jacksonville’s Regional Economic Development Corporation’s (JREDC) website. The JREDC’s website is offering businesses the opportunity to post job openings for free! All businesses have to do is go to our website and fill out the information on the job that is available. This includes Job Title, publish date, type of job, pay information, and other requirements and qualifications for the job. Lastly, contact information for the business must also be provided. Once you have submitted this information the JREDC will post the job opening on our website. Click her...

The Jacksonville Region Has Properties and Resources to Support Onshoring Companies

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

For companies looking to stabilize their supply chains by onshoring, the Jacksonville region in Illinois has the desired assets and amenities that appeal to site selectors looking to relocate or expand. Why Did Onshoring Become a Key Strategy? Strengthening supply chains by onshoring became critical for many businesses as the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the vulnerability of relying on global resources and products. Over the past 40 years, focus on cost reduction steadily motivated companies to relocate manufacturing overseas as global markets opened up in places such as China, South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. Businesses are now seeing that reducing the risk o...

Get to Know Jacksonville’s Hard-Working Workforce

Monday, September 21, 2020

Check out our new economic development website and get to know Jacksonville’s hard-working workforce. The Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation (JREDC) has a mission to help site selectors and business owners get to know the area. One way we have done this is to compile up-to-date information on our local workforce. Our demographics give site selectors and business owners looking for a location demographic information such as the total number of businesses and the total number employed. This information also includes specifics on the different types of businesses and industries thriving in Jacksonville as well as workforce education demographics and more...

Get to Know the Jacksonville Region

Monday, September 14, 2020

Get to know the Jacksonville region and see why people love living here! The Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation (JREDC) works together with the chamber of commerce, and other organizations to inform people about Jacksonville and the many perks to living and working here. Located in the heart of Illinois, Jacksonville has a population of approximately 20,000 people. Jacksonville has two liberal arts colleges, one community college, and great K-12 school districts. Jacksonville has national retail stores, fortune 500 businesses, small businesses, and a strong manufacturing base that adds to our economic vitality. We have many affordable housing options and ...

Jacksonville’s Entertainment Sector Has Something for Everyone

Monday, September 07, 2020

Jacksonville’s entertainment sector has something for everyone! If you are into arts and entertainment this is the place for you. We are home to the Jacksonville Symphony, the Illinois College TheatreWorks, and Lovejoy Hall. We also have several bars and restaurants that offer happy hours along with live music. If you are into sports, we have several golf courses, the Jacksonville Speedway, and Lenz Field – which features competitive baseball and softball games. Jacksonville also hosts several annual events that people look forward to and enjoy every year. This includes our Beaux Arts Ball, Rotary Bass Tournament, Morgan County’s Fair, 4t...

Enjoy Jacksonville’s Parks and Recreation!

Monday, August 31, 2020

Jacksonville has a variety of parks and other recreational activities for its residents and others to enjoy! Jacksonville has several local parks to choose from including Godfrey Park which is a fully accessible park for everyone to enjoy. Jacksonville has a wildlife sanctuary, several nature and hiking trails, several golf courses, and more. Jacksonville is also home to Lake Jacksonville. Our lake was voted the number one Bass Fishing Lake in Illinois. Nature lovers will love enjoying the outdoor activities we have to offer here. Click here for more information on the parks and recreational activities that Jacksonville has to offer!

ILMO Products Company Shows That Jacksonville, IL is A Great Place for Business

Friday, November 20, 2020

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