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ECIDC would like to welcome its newest members:
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East Central Illinois October 2009 Development Update ECIDC FEATURED MEMBER Through 2009 ECIDC will feature one of its members in each newsletter... Casey Industries Chartered in 1960, Casey Industries has been the source of funding for most of the industrial growth in Casey since that time. Land, buildings, & equipment may be bought, held and sold for the purpose of improving the industrial climate of our area. Local civic and business leaders from a wide variety of Casey area institutions have developed Casey Industries to meet the needs of prospective new employers to the Casey area. From initial contact to start-up and beyond, you can rely on the support and dedication of these professionals. Casey Industries will work to the best interests and desires of the prospective company and help with land, enterprise zones- of which there are large areas in Casey & Clark County, tax abatements, lease-purchase agreements, labor surveys and long term finance arrangements.
Clark County Update Marshall, IL The City of Marshall Illinois has welcomed several new businesses over the past few months. Los Tres Caminos and The Robins Nest have opened restaurants near Interstate 70. Two new flower shops, Shabby Chic Creations and Maria’s, offer a wide variety of arrangements in addition to several specialty items. Petro Junction, located on the south side of Marshall, is a fuel and convenience store. Doric Products hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the addition of a 22,000 sq. ft. building at their facility. Their offices are now located in the building plus additional square footage for much needed storage space. Doric Products manufactures burial vault liners and employees 27 people at the Marshall plant. On October 3, a rededication ceremony was held at the historic Joseph Guinnip Sweep Pole Well located along the west side of Clarksville Road approximately 3 miles northwest of Marshall. A sweep pole is a counter balance tree trunk, lodged in the fork of a vertical tree. At one end of the sweep is a bucket for lowering into the well. At the other end is the counterbalance, with a weight equal to a full bucket of water. It has been reported that Abraham Lincoln frequented this well during his travels throughout Illinois. For more information on the well, contact the Chamber office at 217-826-2034. For more information on Marshall, contact Julie Bounds at 217-826-8087 or visit www.marshall-il.com.
The Center for Business & Industry Launches the Manufacturing Reliability Institute
On April 23, the Center for Business & Industry at Lake Land College launched the regional Manufacturing Reliability Institute. The Institute was developed to meet the needs of businesses in the areas of maintenance reliability, overall equipment effectiveness, root cause analysis, technical skills training and leadership for maintenance and manufacturing professionals. During the Institute launch, participants heard presentations on achieving World Class Reliability from featured speakers Gary Pelini, a 40 year veteran of Honda, and Kevin Lewton, Senior Maintenance and Reliability Manager of MetDemand. After the presentations, participants toured the $1 million dollar manufacturing skills lab. The Manufacturing Reliability Institute is housed in the Workforce Development Center at 305 Richmond Avenue East in Mattoon, Illinois. Future programs to be presented by the Institute include: Achieving Reliable Plant Capacity, Building a Business Case for Reliability, Preventive and Predictive Maintenance, Maintenance Manager Training Series, Root Cause Analysis, Project Management and Maintenance Planning and Scheduling. For additional information call (217) 234-5218.
Homegrown Responses to Economic Uncertainty in Rural America This is an article summary below. The full article can be viewed here. Although rural communities have been hit hard by the recession, those communities that have approached economic development by looking within to their current strengths and resources are often doing better than those who are attempting to lure companies to relocate by promising low wages and tax incentives. The three strategies identified and expanded upon in this article for homegrown reinvention include: Place-based development, which bases its strategies off of the distinctive and special characteristics of a place, such as natural resources, cultural heritage, and other amenities. Economic gardening, which relies on "growing your own" by creating an environment and culture that supports and fosters entrepreneurial growth. Creativity and talent cultivation, which relies on creating an environment that fosters and supports individuals and firms who use art or design in their products and services. In order to support this type of culture rural communities must:
LOW COST, HIGH RETURN REGIONAL EVENTS U of I Extension Local Government Information and Education Network Tele-Institutes October 22th 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Energy Conservation--It's all in the Details We all pay a price to consume energy. That price is both economical and environmental. As energy costs continue to rise, we need to change the way we consume energy to combat rising costs and improve environmental quality for future generations. This program will focus on how local governments can conserve energy, decrease energy costs, and reduce the negative impacts on the environment.
November 19th 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Legislative Update 2009 This Tele-Institute will provide all local government officials with a review of current State and Federal legislative issues. Officials will learn the progress of these State and Federal legislative issues and the impact they have on Illinois local governments and the communities they serve. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss new legislation with professionals who specialize in State and Federal legislative issues. Local government leaders interested in participating in these educational programs should contact their local county Extension office for further information and to register for the programs. Click here to find the contact information for your county Extension office.
ECIDC Upcoming Events... November 19th 11:00 a.m. ECIDC Board of Directors Meeting, LLC Workforce Development Center, Mattoon, Ill.
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East Central Illinois Development Corporation (ECIDC) was established in 1984 to assist economic development in an eleven county region consisting of Christian, Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Jasper, Moultrie and Shelby counties. ECIDC was one of the first regional economic development organizations in the state and has continued to assist in meeting the economic development needs of east central Illinois. |
