DOW named to 2021 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For

Midland, MI – Dow has earned a place on the Great Place to Work® and Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list, for the first time, ranking #99. Dow is only one of three manufacturing companies to make the list and is the only materials science company.

Now more than ever, community partners are an integral part of Kankakee County’s resiliance and growth. n 2020, United Way of Kankakee & Iroquois Counties – with our Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley – generated and distributed more than $600,000 for emergency Covid-19 relief. While this work continues, our United Way is mission driven to serve our residential and business community each and every day by investing in the strategic areas of: youth success; economic mobility; and access to health services.

Kankakee native and Spikeball CEO Chris Ruder has established a 51,000 SF Midwest distribution hub in the Kankakee Riverfront Opportunity Zone. The facility will fulfill orders from retailers including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Target, Costco and Walmart.

A vacant 576,000-square-foot warehouse in Manteno has found a new occupant and the company is seeking 600 workers. It appears the location, 1125 Sycamore Road, will house the packaging and distribution of supplies connected to COVID-19 pandemic. McKesson Corp., an Irving, Texas-based company, has signed a lease with property owner Cardinal Real Estate of Sherman Oaks, Calif. McKesson is advertising for 600 warehouse workers — specifically material handlers and machine operators — with pay at $17.45 per hour, including benefits. To support the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed (OWS), the company, through its centralized distribution network, will be involved with the movement of COVID-19 vaccines and ancillary supplies needed to administer vaccines.

As solar developments emerge across Kankakee County and the state, small businesses and residents now have the opportunity to contract with approved vendors of the Illinois Shines program to offset their electric costs and support the State of Illinois’ ambitious renewable energy goals. With a Community Solar subscription, qualified users are able to participate in renewable energy generation and energy cost savings, even if they are unable to have an on‐site system at their home or business.

Kankakee Community College has added a free interactive tool to its website that helps students and prospective students find careers that match their interests. The software, called Emsi Career Coach, tailors career options for users based on questions about themselves. The personalized results include career titles, labor market data and academic programs that could lead to those demand occupations. The software can also be used to build resumes and connect to job openings locally and regionally. Career Coach is free and is available for anyone to use.

The Kankakee and Iroquois Counties COVID-19 Community Response Fund announced today it has distributed an additional $320,000 to 17 organizations serving Kankakee and Iroquois counties. The fund established by the United Way of Kankakee and Iroquois Counties and the Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley also announced it has raised more than $650,000 since its launch in late March, including a $200,000 grant from the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund in late May. With this most recent round of funding, the Kankakee and Iroquois Counties Response Fund has made grants of $570,000 to 30 unique organizations.

If you think back to your days as an employee, you may recall that one of the best cases for a raise, a title change or even a promotion was to just learn new skills. For your business, the path to operational improvements, margin increases and new revenue streams is identical.

For 1099 workers who have lost work due to COVID-19, a new application portal will open on May 11 via the Illinois Department of Employment Security website. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) provides 100% federally funded unemployment benefits for those who are not eligible for the state’s regular unemployment insurance program, the extended benefit program or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), including independent contractors and sole-proprietors.

Businesses that think through the needs of their customers in an ever-changing and adapting world will ultimately outlast their competition by offering solutions that work well both today, post-pandemic and in the next big world change, whatever it may be.