Economic Alliance for Kankakee County
Kankakee County Economic Development Source

Ken Hayes Open House Draws Large Crowd

An open house held June 19 at Ken Hayes Industrial Park spotlighting the site's dramatic progress drew more than 100 community stakeholders, including State. Rep. Lisa Dugan and State Sen. Toi Hutchinson. All were impressed with the 200% growth rate and substantial reinvestment at the Bradley park in just two short years. Attendees were offered a rare insider's look at the operations of five of the park's 16 tenants: Greif Containers Inc., ByPak Inc., Arctic Snow & Ice Control, Restoration Works, and C&R Raceway. The event was sponsored by the Economic Alliance in conjunction with the three metro chambers of commerce. Thanks to all who joined us! Visit our Flickr group page to see more images from this event. Pictured: Mike Bysina, owner of converted paper products manufacturer ByPak Inc., describes his operations.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/kankakeecoedc/

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Alliance co-sponsoring Local Foods Breakfast Saturday, June 27

Under the umbrella of the Kankakee County Ag Expo Committee, the Economic Alliance will co-sponsor a 100% locally sourced breakfast at the Saturday, June 27 Farmers Market in Downtown Kankakee. The breakfast, which runs from 7:30-9:30, is part of a larger "Celebration of Ag" that day. Tickets for the breakfast are $10 each and are available at the Kankakee Farm Bureau (815/932-7471), University of Illinois Extension (815/933-8337), the Kankakee County Soil and Water Conservation District office (815/937-8940 ext.#3), WKAN AM 1320 (815/935-9555) and at the Farmers Market information table on the Saturdays prior to the breakfast.

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APOLLO ALLIANCE: Vision Energy’s $1 Billion Wind Bet in Illinois

Residents of Kankakee County, Illinois are ready for the new clean energy economy. Inspired by the calls for more green jobs during the 2008 presidential campaign, a local group of business, education, and government leaders is working to make green-collar jobs a reality in their region. They recognize the potential for green-collar jobs to transform the local economy while also benefitting the country and the environment. They also see investment in wind energy as the wave of Kankakee’s clean energy future. The manifest evidence that such a transition is possible comes from Vision Energy, a Cincinnati-based developer of clean energy projects that has built two large wind firms in north central Illinois and in Indiana. The company has proposed a 33,000-acre, $1 billion wind farm encompassing parts of four Illinois counties. The K4 project, according to Vision Energy President Turner Hunt, will build and operate over 300 wind turbines and employ as many as 250 construction and 40 full-time operations and maintenance workers. The project is part of Illinois’ steady rise as a wind power center. As recently as 2003, the state generated just 50 megawatts of power from wind. This year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, it has capacity to generate nearly 1,000 megawatts and is the eighth largest wind power supplier among all the states.

http://apolloalliance.org/uncategorized/vision-energys-1-billion-wind-energy-bet-in-illinois/

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Downtown Kankakee Master Plan Update Released

An update to the Lakota Group's 2000 Downtown Kankakee Master Plan, which accounts for the evolving business climate and recent improvements in the district, was recently released by the Kankakee Development Corp. The revised Master Plan will be used by the city as a coordinated guide for the future improvement and development of Downtown Kankakee. It will also be used to create work programs focused on the implementation of recommended projects and marketing initiatives.

http://www.kankakeecountyed.org/documents/general_reports/Kankakee_Book_2008-12-08[1].pdf

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Greater Kankakee Airport Master Plan Adopted

Kankakee County Board members in February adopted a land use study for the Greater Kankakee Airport, which includes recommendations for economic development at the 950-acre site.

http://tinyurl.com/chm9cz

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Aqua Illinois Displays at Alliance Annual Dinner

Aqua Illinois was one of 10 entities with displays at the Alliance's recent Annual Dinner. The local water utility was also a generous sponsor of the event, which was attended by an estimated 150 community stakeholders.

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Micro-Loan Program Available

In a tightening credit market, it is increasingly challenging for entrepreneurs with a less than perfect borrowing history to access needed seed money. A new partnership between Kankakee County and Accion Microfinance of Chicago is intended to help fill that gap. The county board in September approved a sum of $75,000 for a countywide Micro-Loan Program. The funds will be made available to Accion, a not-for-profit organization, which is charged with marketing and administering the program. Intended recipients are high risk and minority borrowers in Kankakee County who do not qualify for traditional loans.

http://www.kankakeecountyed.org/index_link_files/AlliancenewsletterAutumn2008.pdf

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Economic Alliance Drafts Top Employers Industrial Profile

The Economic Alliance of Kankakee County in conjunction with the Kankakee County Planning Department has developed an industrial profile of the County's top employers. The profile can be accessed by following the link below.

http://www.kankakeecountyed.org/index_link_files/TopEmployers.pdf

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Economic Alliance Unites Region's Leaders in Pursuit of Jobs and Investment

"Armed with facts, figures and a unified team of business and political leaders pulling in the same direction, the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County means business." Read the rest by turning to page 14 of the new edition of IMAGES Magazine.

http://imageskankakee.com/

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