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The Jacksonville Region Has Properties and Resources to Support Onshoring Companies
22 Sep 2020
News
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 of disruptions of their operations is of utmost importance. Even before the pandemic, businesses felt the impact of supply chain interruptions due to natural disasters such as the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and the Thailand floods. The offshoring bubble is deflating.
Why Companies Should Onshore in the Jacksonville, Illinois Region
Located in the heart of Illinois, the folks who live in Morgan and Scott counties enjoy a vibrant lifestyle in safe communities “near major metros, but a world away.” Jacksonville has a liberal arts college with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, innovative community colleges and great K-12 school districts. With national retail stores, fortune 500 businesses, small businesses and a strong manufacturing base, the economic vitality is evident. Residents enjoy affordable housing options and a lower cost of living as compared to bigger cities.
Available Commercial Sites
Here is just a sampling of properties available in Morgan and Scott counties. The complete listings of affordable sites and available buildings can be found here and here.
Manchester Industrial Park. This 70 acres of flat land is located 10 miles from both US-36 and I-72, and just 21 miles from the Jacksonville Municipal Airport.
Tri-County Industrial Site. This 82-acre site is Ameren Elite Certified, located in a growing industrial area and supported by a pro-business community ready to help with fast and easy permitting. It also features easy access to interstates and rail with an ample supply of water and sewer capacities.
Former Shopko Building. This versatile 101K+ square foot space could serve as a retail outlet as well as light industrial. The building faces the main thoroughfare of Jacksonville which is heavily lined with commercial and retail businesses, and zoning could easily allow light industrial which is proving to be all the rage for e-commerce in 2020.
Tax advantaged and incentivized zones
According to Kristin Jamison, Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation (JREDC) President, there are some unique opportunities for economic growth. “The Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation has fostered great working relationships with our government officials,” said Jamison. “Whether it be TIF district, Enterprise Zone or Opportunity Zone incentives, we are able to facilitate local, state and federal assistance for new and expanded development in the Jacksonville region.”
Location
The Jacksonville region is positioned to be a distribution hub for major markets throughout the Midwest and rapidly growing South Central U.S. The region is strategically located between Missouri and Indiana, and with the expanded development of US-67 from St. Paul to St. Louis, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa will be even more conveniently accessible. Because of its central location on the I-72 and US-67 corridors, the region is ideal for businesses looking to move products throughout the country. It’s why major food processing and agricultural businesses, and high-tech manufacturing companies have already made their homes here. Chicago, Indianapolis, Kansas City and St. Louis are all well within 275 miles of Jacksonville. Click here to see just how advantageously the region is positioned for business.
Transportation Assets
The Jacksonville region has the full spectrum of transportation assets: highway, air, river and rail. It has exceptional roadway access to the east, north and south via its frontage on I-72. It benefits from its location on the US-67 corridor and its proximity to I-55 (less than 30 miles). The Jacksonville Municipal Airport is a local option for air travel while Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield, IL is only 38 miles away. Immediate access to the Illinois River has proven key for agricultural commodity companies as well as any business utilizing barge transportation systems. Jacksonville has three major railroads running through it: Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Norfolk Southern and Kansas City Southern.
Workforce
The Jacksonville region is a work-ready environment through the commitment of its secondary schools, community colleges and 4-year degree institution. They create opportunities for personal growth and achievement, while also providing a strong talent pipeline for local businesses. Jacksonville is, in fact, a college town “and proud of it,” home to the Phi Beta Kappa liberal arts school, Illinois College. Lincoln Land Community College is also available to provide company specific training and design programs to assist employers in training and educating a high performance workforce. Click here to explore more workforce data.
Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation (JREDC) is Eager to Assist
The JREDC is your time-saving connection to resources to accelerate your project by providing the facts and figures businesses need: statistical data, general community data, topic-specific information and comparative data. Email JREDC or phone 217.479.4627 for specific information on available buildings and sites, financing and incentives, labor market information, tax information, demographics, traffic counts, retail sales data, economic indicators and trends and zoning information.