News and Media

Banding together for the common good of our community

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Our community, our state, our nation and our world have been forever changed in a short time due to COVID-19. As I write this article, Governor J.B. Pritzker announced a stay-at-home order for the 13 million residents of the State of Illinois. Locally, this last week has been difficult for most of us as we struggle to understand how to handle new and uncomfortable restraints associated with educating our children, socializing with our family and friends, eating our meals, completing our work and so much more. For some, it may be hard to reconcile the loss of local business due t...

Front Line: New DOT Focus on Rural Development

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Last October U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced a new initiative focusing on transportation and related development challenges in rural areas. The new effort was called ROUTES — Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success. ROUTES will build on two successful DOT discretionary grant programs, now called BUILD and INFRA (previously known as TIGER and FASTLANE, respectively). BUILD supports varied projects. INFRA has a freight focus. Many rural communities, of course, have successfully competed for these grants. It’s DOT’s concern, however, that these individual successes don’t provide the far-reaching leverage necessary to deliver benefits across vast rural areas...

In Focus: Taking Steps to Fill Your Company’s Talent Pipeline

Thursday, March 19, 2020

It’s no secret the manufacturing and construction industries are facing a shortage of workers at every level. To build a talent pipeline, manufacturing and construction companies need to embrace the challenge, dedicate resources, and invest in programs to change the future. Building a solid talent pipeline requires a multifaceted approach that addresses internal and external factors of your organization. One set of strategies is applicable to positions in management or other high-skill careers. Companies should establish programs to engage at the university and technical college levels by presenting to classes, sponsoring student competitions and organizations, developing internship programs, and recruiting o...

Light industrial is all the rage for e-commerce.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

As an industrial real estate broker in one of the country’s hottest submarkets, Patrick Turner sensed opportunity when he heard a news report announcing the closure of a national-brand bakery complex near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. “A light went off in my head,” says Turner, a vice president in the Rosemont, Illinois, office of Colliers International. “When you’re talking about urban infill, you can’t just go out and find 10 acres [4 hectares] anywhere around the airport. It just doesn’t happen.” Click here to read full article.

The Evolution of Facility Design

Thursday, March 19, 2020

When looking to build a new facility or renovate an existing one, manufacturing leaders need to consider several factors for the best return on investment. In the past, operational efficiency was often the most prominent, if not the only consideration. But today, the physical characteristics of a manufacturing facility must now deliver beyond operational excellence. The building or campus’ presence must now also serve as a recruiting tool, a reinforcement of brand, a testament to the company’s mission and values — not to mention, contributing to the overall aesthetic of the community to ensure government and neighborhood support. Click here t...

What Should High-Growth Companies Look for in a Community?

Thursday, March 19, 2020

I’ll start off by stating the obvious…you’re reading this article because you understand the importance of selecting the optimal business location. I believe this to be true across the board, regardless of industry sector, company size, facility type (i.e. headquarters, distribution center, etc.) or other factors. But perhaps it is most important to entrepreneurs and high-growth startup companies (herein referred to collectively as entrepreneurial companies). While companies listed on the Fortune 500 list may initially come to mind when thinking about corporate site selection projects, entrepreneurial companies have increasingly begun to recognize the value of utilizing a systematic evaluation proces...

JREDC: Building on last year's success with increased opportunities

Monday, March 02, 2020

The Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corp. recently hosted our annual meeting with investors and allies as our invited guests. The event allowed our organization the opportunity to recognize two Jacksonville businesses that are actively increasing the economic strength of our region: Reynolds Consumer Products and Cedarhurst Senior Living of Jacksonville. It is forward-thinking businesses like these that provide good-paying jobs for our region and increase the tax base to maintain and improve infrastructure at the local and county levels. Our efforts were guided by JREDC’s five-year regional plan, adopted by the board of directors in 2018. In addition, the executive board outline...

JREDC and Partners Submit Video to HGTV's "Hometown Takeover"

Tuesday, February 04, 2020

In collaboration with the Jacksonville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce and Jacksonville Main Street, the Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation recently submitted a video to HGTV's "Hometown Takeover" renovation contest. Ben and Erin Napier of the hit series "Home Town" will hit the road to help a community under 40,000 revitalize their aspects of their town. The four local organizations banded together to submit Jacksonville as a worthy community that would greatly benefit from the renovation of historic homes and businesses.

Morgan County Prepares For Federal Census

Monday, January 13, 2020

In Mid-March, homes across the country will begin receiving invitations to complete the 2020 Census. Local leaders in the City of Jacksonville and Morgan County have already begun preparations to capture as much of the population of the county as possible to ensure that the county receives the maximum amount of federal grant money driven by population numbers and to try to stymie the loss of a U.S. Congressional seat. Kristen Jamison of the Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation says that people should not worry about their information being stolen or compromised during the federal census because it is protected unde...

Resolve to be counted in the 2020 Census

Sunday, January 12, 2020

As we were busy celebrating the end of 2019 and making resolutions for the new year, the U.S. Census Bureau released its estimation that Illinois has lost more than 51,000 people in the past year — or 0.4% of its population — because of declining birth rates and out-migration. This is the sixth straight year the bureau has reported a population loss in the Land of Lincoln. As the state’s population decreases, its political and economic power erodes, as well. Click here for the complete article.

Where the (good) jobs are

Thursday, January 09, 2020

With unemployment at a 50-year low—the rate in Illinois was 3.9 percent late last year—it's an excellent time to be in the job market and not a bad time to be a corporate employee. Labor shortages have put the spotlight on once-sleepy corporate human resources departments. HR has gained stature as companies seek to recruit and retain talent through coaching and leadership-development programs. Recruiters who can spot and court talent are in demand, as are HR specialists, generalists and compensation consultants. "The HR function has been elevated as the labor market has gotten tighter," says Daniel Zhao, senior economist at employmen...

Where you spend your money matters

Thursday, January 09, 2020

The holiday shopping season is officially upon us, and this is the perfect time to remind readers that shopping locally greatly impacts our community. While the convenience and price comparison options of online shopping are enticing, let’s consider how we can strengthen our local economy when choosing gifts for our family and friends this year. Click here for the complete article.

Identifying available, skilled workers crucial to community’s future

Thursday, December 12, 2019

The mission of the Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corp. (JREDC) has remained the same since its inception as the Jacksonville Area Industrial Corp. in 1964: to create, expand, recruit and retain job opportunities for Morgan County. Today, the JREDC Board of Directors and staff are dedicated to continuing this mission through business attraction and business creation initiatives, retention and expansion of current industry and development of our workforce in both Morgan and Scott counties. To achieve this work critical to the health of our regional economy, JREDC’s Board of Directors adopted a five-year Regional Economic Development Plan in 2018, identifying seven goal...

JREDC, Others Working To Fill Vacant Storefronts in Jacksonville

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Vacant business properties currently are plentiful around Jacksonville. While the blame for why businesses have left and what caused them to leave are many; currently, a few groups are working to try and get Jacksonville’s economy back on track right now. With the Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation’s recent online auction of the former AC-Humko complex currently underway this week; the JREDC is currently trying to find homes for other businesses to fill the vacant buildings in the area. Kristen Jamison, Vice President of Marketing of JREDC, says that the old ShopKo property currently just isn’t in the right position t...

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