A new four-week basic welding training program at John Wood Community College is opening a pipeline for area manufacturers seeking skilled workers for dozens of open positions.

Because of the need to place welders in immediate openings, John Wood created a program to help manufacturers connect with prospective employees armed with basic welding skills.

“In just four weeks, students can have a valuable skill that is in huge demand,” Pam Foust, JWCC dean of career and technical education said. “We have a least four employers telling us they need employees with these basic welding skills, so this training can help get their foot in the door.”

The new condensed welding program includes a basic welding class and lab and a course in welding symbols and blueprint reading. All are taught by an experienced, local welding professional at JWCC’s Workforce Development Center at 4220 Kochs Lane in Quincy.

“John Wood is helping us build a qualified employment pool,” Tom Schilson, general manager of Manchester Tank said. “We need employees with the welding skills to hit the ground running. Having that basic skill set and building on it brings value to the company and the employee.”

In addition to welding skills, JWCC helps students prepare for employment interviews and offers advice on key soft skills necessary to secure a job.

Knapheide Manufacturing Human Resource Specialist Mike Dailing says that prospective employees need both technical and soft skills to be successful employees.

“We definitely need more qualified workers, but if a prospective employee doesn’t have the soft skills such as dependability, motivation and communication, it is unlikely they will have a career with any company,” Dailing said. ”If an employee doesn’t show up on time, has a poor attitude and doesn’t work well with others, knowledge of a particular field doesn’t matter much.”

Patrick Allen of Hannibal, Mo., will complete his JWCC welding certificate in March and already has a job lined up with Knapheide Manufacturing.

John Wood Community College Workforce Development Center

“I like the construction part of welding and grew up watching my grandpa weld in his garage,” Allen said. “I started out as a carpenter, and took a temporary job while going to school, but it’s pretty clear that there are greater opportunities for people who have advanced welding skills, specifically MIG welding.”

Allen says the new four-week basic welding course is a great for someone looking to get into the field, but continued education is key.

“The basics help you learn what welding is all about, but in the long-run you need to learn more than just what’s in the book, you need to apply what you learn,” Allen said. “If you take the basics, get a job and then come back for more advanced classes, I think you can have a great career in welding.”

Following the four-week training, students can add to their knowledge of welding by continuing their education at JWCC. By completing just three additional courses to earn a certificate, a basic welder could gain increased pay and responsibility depending upon their employer’s needs and qualifications.

Some companies send employees directly to the training or partner with JWCC for on-site courses. Quincy-based Konstant Products currently has two groups of employees seeking welding certification at JWCC’s Workforce Development Center and Westermeyer Industries offers JWCC courses for employees and high school students at its plant in Bluffs.

The first four-week welding session runs from February 13 to March 8. Students take classes Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 .m. Additional sessions will be offered March 12 to April 5 and April 9 to May 5. Information about how to enter the welding preparation program and possible funding is available at jwcc.edu/weldingprep or by contacting JWCC at 217.641.4329 or admissions@jwcc.edu.

2011 was another great year for the Quincy/Adams County, Illinois region. The following is the “Business Developments” section of the speech our 2010/2011 GREDF chair, Connie Schroeder, gave during our 2012 Annual Meeting on January 11, 2012.

Our job at GREDF is to tell our story, that is, the story of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois. We do this in letters, emails and phone calls, on our website and most importantly, through personal contact with current and prospective businesses and you, our stakeholders.

We’re continuously refining our message and we’re blessed to have a wealth of resources about which to boast: transportation infrastructure, skilled workforce, educational opportunities, arts and culture.

We find examples and success stories help our message become more real to our audience. So please allow us to tell our story to you and share some good news from 2011 as we embark on a new chapter in 2012.

2011 Business Developments in Quincy and Adams County, Illinois:

• Prince Agri Products, which you’ll remember built a 150,000 square foot, $18 million dollar facility in 2010, announced this past September the acquisition of a new product line called Animate. The company has added over 40 jobs to the Quincy-area economy during the past 2 years and currently employs over 100 people. They continue to recruit for head-of-household positions in manufacturing, laboratory, quality supply chain and I.T.
  

  Federal Express Facility Now Under Construction

• Titan International purchased the former Huck Fixtures facility and plans to put part of its wheel production in the 100,000 square foot building this year. Titan reported record sales in the third quarter of 2011, up 79percent from the third quarter in 2010.
• Federal Express broke ground on a new $1.5 million dollar, 28,000 square foot facility located on six acres in the Wismann Ridge Business Park in August.
• The Spin Screed, the world’s lightest-weight roller screed which was invented and built in Quincy, was chosen by contractors to be used during a major remodel of the Boeing Manufacturing Plant in Everett, Washington. The plant is considered the largest in the world. Joe and Marlene Churchill, co-owners of Spin Screed, Inc., have seen their small business grow from its start 11 years ago to the point where the Spin Screed is now being used in major projects worldwide.
• U.S. Cooler is celebrating 25 years as a leading manufacturer of commercial walk-in freezers & coolers. During its history, the family-owned company has preserved a historic firehouse in downtown Quincy for its corporate headquarters and adapted green technology into its products. U.S. Cooler currently employs over 65 people in 7 States.
  

  Timewell Tile/ADI Installation Employee

• Timewell Tile continues to grow in its Golden facility, the former home of the Methode Plant. The company’sentire A.D.I. Installation Division was recently moved to the Golden facility which led to the construction of a new 5,000 square foot machine shop building. The A.D.I. Division joins the Transportation Division and Fitting Fabrication Division in Golden, which was relocated from a Michigan Plant. A production line runs 24 hours a day seven days a week out of the facility. 81 employees are currently based out of the 95,000 square foot building.
• Word came in December that the decision to close 252 United States Postal Service mail processing facilities nationwide including the Quincy facility would be delayed until at least May of 2012. GREDF, City officials and Mayor Spring worked successfully with Illinois and Washington lawmakers, including Senator Dick Durbin, to save the facility back in 2010, but a U.S.P.S. deficit in 2011 has prompted the agency to again look at taking drastic measures. Closing the facility would eliminate next-day delivery within the region and 60 to 70 positions. GREDF continues to support efforts to keep the facility open.
• Harris Corporation won a 2011 Governor’s Sustainability Award for Continuous Improvement. They received the recognition for their ongoing commitment to environmental excellence through outstanding and innovative sustainability practices.
• Tim and Tamie Lung, owners of the Crawdad’s Classic brand of products out of Camp Point are poised for growth in 2012. The company has launched a national marketing campaign and hopes to eventually bring bottling operations to the Adams County area.
• An AT&T Cell Phone Outlet and Aspen Dental Office are now open at the corner of 52^nd and Broadway in front of Walmart. GREDF assisted Quattro Development with the project and we were pleased to receive a letter addressed to Jim Mentesti from the developer stating, “Without question, the experience we’ve had working with you, your staff, and the Quincy municipal officials is the best we’ve encountered.” AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza came to the store opening on December 8^th.
• F&M Bank and Trust Company purchased the parcel east of Aspen Dental from Quattro Development. The Bank plans to start construction on a full service branch in 2012. GREDF assisted F&M in the selection of the site.
• T.F. Ehrhart Company is constructing a new building at 42^nd and Koch’s Lane in the East Quincy Development District. The company has been supplying heating and air conditioning equipment to contractors throughout Western Illinois for over 55 years.
• Good Samaritan Home continues to move forward on its $20.7 million dollar multi-phase renovation. When completed all types of senior housing will be available, from independent cottages to full-time nursing care units.
• Activity in the Schneidman Industrial Park continued in 2011 with the addition of Tillitt Collision Repair and Moore’s Floors which expanded into a 15,000 square foot building in order to enhance its commercial flooring operations.
• Preliminary site work has been completed at the future home of the U.S. Army Reserves Center Training Facility. The facility will be located at 24^th and Weiss Lane in the Northwood Business Park and site plans include a training building, vehicle maintenance shop and storage building.
  

  JM Huber Expansion

• Farmers Bank of Liberty plans to establish a branch at 4134 Broadway in Quincy after purchasing the former restaurant building.
• J.M. Huber just completed an 18,000 square foot addition to its facilities in the South Quincy Development District. The expansion will house a production line for Huber’s food and pharmaceutical-grade of calcium carbonate. The product is currently being made in their California facility, but the economics made it more attractive to build in Quincy than expand in California.
• City officials are close to approving the site plan for a 50-unit, two-story, 64,000 square foot senior apartments complex at 48^th and State.
• Bank of Springfield announced plans to move its Quincy branch from 18^th and Broadway to 1111 Maine in downtown Quincy. The branch could open as early as late spring.
• Speaking of downtown Quincy, our partnership with the Historic Quincy Business District and executive director Travis Brown is as strong as ever. We are pleased to share that downtown Quincy’s occupancy rate is currently at 91 percent. Some of the 2011developments that contributed to this tremendous number include:
  

  The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center

  • The opening of the $27.2 million dollar Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in September.
  • The opening of First Bankers Trust Company’s 30,000 square foot, $5 million dollar banking facility at 12^th and Broadway in May.
  • The opening of the 48-unit, $9.2 million dollar Franklin Square Apartments complex at 3^rd and State which company officials tell us quickly filled and remains at full occupancy.
  • The opening of Cape Air’s ticket office at 727 Hampshire which is located in a block of beautifully rehabilitated and newly-leased buildings thanks to local developers, Austin Properties.
  • And the opening of a number of high-end restaurants including The Maine Course, ONE Restaurant and Bar and Talayna’s.

We’re excited to see work nearing completion at 8^th and Jersey thanks to Ameren Illinois’ site remediation program. As the $30 million dollar clean-up is completed we look forward to working with our H.Q.B.D. partners to find the right developer and project for the site.

2011 also saw the $5.5 million dollar renovation of the Quincy Public Library and Awerkamp Machine Company’s completion of a new warehouse at 716 Vermont in the downtown.

GREDF’s Entrepreneurship Specialist, Charles Bell had another busy year in 2011. He assisted over 70 businesses with startup and expansion planning, site location and financing. Charles helped Adams County businesses and entrepreneurs navigate a variety of financial incentive programs available to them, including the Rural Adams Development Corporation, Adams County Revolving Loan Fund, GREDF Central Business District Revolving Loan Fund, Adams Electric Revolving Loan Fund and Two Rivers Revolving Loan Fund. Specific examples of assistance include the expansion of Alliance Industrial Corporation on Highway 57 and the construction of a soybean treatment and warehousing facility owned by Chuck and Mary Beckman near Paloma.

GREDF’s 2012 Annual Meeting will be held Wednesday, January 11th at the Oakley Lindsay Center, 300 Civic Center Plaza, in Quincy. A cash bar will be available beginning at 5:00 pm with the meeting starting at 5:45 pm. No RSVP is required and the event is free and open to the public. Members of the business community and general public are encouraged to attend.

Outgoing GREDF Board Chairman, Connie Schroeder, Vice President of Corporate Integration and Innovation at Blessing Corporate Services will give the evening’s feature presentation which includes highlights from the past year. This year’s theme is “Telling Our Story”.

Other speakers include Quincy Mayor John Spring and Mike McLaughlin, Chairman of the Adams County Board.

GREDF has been a driving force in Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, since 1978. Our number one priority is to retain existing businesses and help them grow. We assist prospective businesses, site consultants and entrepreneurs. As our name, “Great River” implies, we collaborate regionally with our neighbors along the Mississippi River in Western Illinois, Northeast Missouri and Southeast Iowa.

For more information about GREDF and our 2012 Annual Meeting, please call our office: 217.223.4313 or email gredf@gredf.org.

Unemployment in Adams County continues to remain steady. Adams County’s rate for October 2011 was 6.8% which is 0.1% higher than last month and a year ago in October. Adams County has the fourth-lowest unemployment rate out of 102 counties in Illinois. Quincy’s rate was 6.7 percent, with IDES statisticians saying there are 40,348 people employed in the micropolitan area and 2,887 unemployed.

For a complete list of unemployment figures across the state, visit the IDES Local Area Unemployment Statistics website.

Group to Discuss Upper Mississippi & Illinois Rivers Locks & Dams at Roundtable

A roundtable will be held to discuss the importance of upgrading Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers Locks and Dams on Monday, November 28, 2011, at the Oakley Lindsay Center. The meeting is being hosted by the Great River Economic Development Foundation.

Garry Niemeyer, President of the National Corn Growers Association will chair the roundtable. The proposed agenda includes, among other topics, the following:

• Explanation and discussion of the Waterways Council, Inc. Capital Development Plan, Paul Rohde, Vice-President of Waterways Council, Inc.
• Priority list for locks and dams upgrades and repairs including budget and its impact on operations and maintenance, Army Corps of Engineers Representative
• Assessment on current situation in Washington, the Administration’s proposal and the Corps’ budget, Adam Nielsen, Illinois Farm Bureau Representative

This roundtable is a follow-up to an earlier meeting that was held in conjunction with and immediately following the 9^th Tri-State Development Summit on October 5, 2011 in Quincy. During that meeting, the group, which consists of representatives from private companies as well as agriculture, waterways and transportation associations, decided it was time to move beyond studies and analysis and into action.

In testimony on September 21, 2011, before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, Waterways Council, Inc. President and CEO Michael Toohey recommended the Inland Waterways Capital Development Plan as the path forward to improve the reliability of the crucial system and its infrastructure over the next 20 years.

“The inland waterways system is one of this country’s greatest assets. For over 200 years, our river system has facilitated affordable, reliable and environmentally friendly transportation as the building blocks of our economy,” Toohey testified. “It has allowed the low cost movement of large bulk commodities in an efficient and timely manner. But despite all of these advantages, our inland waterways infrastructure is suffering and in need of immediate modernization,” he added.

Great River Economic Development Foundation has been awarded a grant to help provide technical assistance to rural microentrepreneurs. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Wednesday the selection of 35 rural microdevelopment organizations for loans and grants to support rural business development, create jobs and strengthen local communities.

By awarding the $40,000 grant to GREDF, the USDA is recognizing the assistance that GREDF has been providing small rural businesses throughout the west-central Illinois region.

About two years ago the State of Illinois discontinued funding for Illinois Entrepreneurship Centers. GREDF has managed the Entrepreneurship Center under the leadership of Charles Bell for 7 years and continued to fund its operation out of cash reserves while looking for other funding because the Center’s work and results proved too important to the region to lose. This USDA grant will allow the Entrepreneurship Center at GREDF to continue to provide technical assistance to small businesses throughout the four-county region of Adams, Brown, Pike and Schuyler.

In addition to funding operation of the Entrepreneurship Center, GREDF has provided funding and staff support to oversee the City of Quincy’s Energy Efficiency Program and provided administrative assistance to the Mid America Port Commission to seek funding for development of an intermodal port on the Mississippi River and a Foreign Trade Zone in the tri-state area.

“A strong rural America and a strong agricultural industry go hand in hand,” said Vilsack in the release. “These investments will bring increased economic opportunity to rural residents and communities. They will help organizations expand job and economic opportunities in rural communities across the nation.”

Funding for each project is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the loan and grant agreement.

Types of technical assistance that this funding will help GREDF provide includes:

• Feasibility Analysis
• Business Plan Development
• Financing analysis and planning
• Sales & Marketing
• Location assistance
• Market analysis
• International Trade assistance
• Investor contacts
• Mentor matchmaking

One of the strengths GREDF brings is its regional partnerships with other economic development organizations, lenders and revolving loan funds, which assists the business in comparing options and assists the lender in reducing risk.

Examples of businesses that have been assisted in the past include:

• Austin Group, Inc., Spinscreed, Inc. and Fletcher Daycare all of Quincy
• Midwest Crop Insurance Services of Camp Point
• Timewell Drainage Systems of Timewell and Golden
• Nancy’s Private Practice of Mt. Sterling
• Houser Meats, Deb & Di’s and Bollinger Onken of Rushville
• Bale Bandit of Pittsfield
• JIREH of Barry
• Big River Fish of Pearl

Bale Bandit successfully moved manufacturing operations from Kansas to Pike County. Spinscreed, Inc. and Big River Fish received assistance in export marketing. Assistance has also been provided to establish new small business incubators in Barry and Mt. Sterling.

“We’re pleased that the USDA recognizes the value of the service we provide to the region’s businesses,” said Charles Bell, Director of the Entrepreneurship Center at GREDF. “USDA has been a strong partner in regional development not only in assisting the Entrepreneurship Center but also with its Revolving Loan Fund, Business & Industry Loan Program and housing assistance.”