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LEGAL NOTICE 

Request for Proposals
400 Maine St., Quincy, IL
Great Downtown Site for Retail, Office or Residential Building

 The City of Quincy is accepting redevelopment proposals for 400 Maine St. in Downtown Quincy, IL.  The 198-ft. by 99-ft. property is located at the southeast corner of 4th & Maine Streets, across the street from Washington Park.  The property has access to a public alley at the rear.  Zoning is D3, Downtown Riverfront, allowing for a wide range of residential and commercial uses. Proposals are to be submitted in a sealed envelope to:  Interim Director of Purchasing, 730 Maine Street, Quincy, IL  62301.  The outside of the envelope must be clearly marked, “400 Maine St. Redevelopment Proposal.” 

Proposals will be accepted no later than 4:00 p.m., June 30, 2014.  RFP specifications can be found online at: http://www.quincyil.gov/bids. The City of Quincy reserves the right to waive technicalities and to reject any and all proposals.  The City of Quincy reserves the right to accept the most advantageous proposal for the city.

By order of:
James Murphy
Interim Director of Purchasing

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On February 18th, Kevin L. Kliesen, a Business Economist and Research Officer with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, gave a presentation to the Quincy Rotary Club entitled, “A Look at the National and Local Economic Landscape”.

The presentation included a review of U.S. economic conditions and an outlook for the Quincy-area economy, including key trends that will likely affect a rural economy like ours over the next few years.

Here are a few highlights from the presentation:

• The performance of the U.S. economy should be better than last year.
• Consumers and large businesses are becoming a bit more upbeat. Small businesses appear less optimistic.
• Illinois’ economic performance the past few years has been boosted by strong export growth.
• Midwest manufacturing activity has grown faster than the nation the past few years.
• Quincy has seen healthy growth of real per capita income compared with other areas.

Mr. Kliesen concluded with an outlook for the Quincy-area economy:

• Key indicators suggest that that Quincy economy has outperformed many areas of the state.
• Like most cities its size, Quincy both benefits from and is harmed by national and international trends.
• The so-called manufacturing “renaissance” will continue to benefit Quincy and surrounding areas over the near term.
• Longer term, demographics present both opportunities and challenges for Quincy and other rural areas.

You can view the complete presentation here.

Disclaimer: The views expressed are Mr. Kliesen’s own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis or the Federal Reserve System. 

[share]Thanks to all who joined us for the 2014 GREDF Annual Meeting on January 8th. We had a great crowd and were excited to share economic development and business highlights from 2013, as well as unveil our 2014 Strategic Plan. In case you missed the evening, or would like to take a closer look, here’s the feature presentation given by outgoing Chairman of the Board, Mr. Tim Finlay.

Great River Economic Development Foundation
2014 Annual Meeting Presentation

January 8, 2014
Presented by: Tim Finlay, Chairman of the Board of Directors

This has been an exciting year at GREDF. A year ago, we celebrated the retirement of Jim Mentesti and thanked him for his 27 years of service to our region. In March, we welcomed new GREDF President, Marcel Wagner, who has hit the ground running.

Many people have commented to me that they like to come to the GREDF Annual Meeting because this is the place they can receive an overview of the activities helping to drive positive economic growth.

Tonight, we’ll do just that, but my comments will be brief so that Marcel can introduce the new GREDF Strategic Plan to you. The Strategic Plan is the roadmap for growth for our city, county and region.  We believe tonight’s theme, “Growing from Here”, captures the spirit of this plan and the economic development activities it entails.

Our region has been blessed with a great foundation, a platform if you will, for economic growth. The river, a robust highway transportation system and homegrown manufacturing and agricultural base are just a few of the assets that make us strong. Combine these with the greatest asset we have – our people – the people that live and work here, who have vision, determination and good old-fashioned work ethic, – and we believe that our area is poised for continued growth.

Let’s take a look back at the businesses, people and activities that have laid the groundwork for the possibilities ahead, starting with business retention and expansion.

Business Retention & Expansion

Prince Agri Products is growing again. The company took advantage of the City’s Economic Development Loan Program to extend a sewer line to its $3.5 million dollar, 12,000 square-foot addition on its South Quincy Development District campus. Expecting to hire six new employees, company officials now say they’re currently looking to fill two to three times that number to keep up with demand. Prince Agri officials cited a good working relationship with City and economic development officials, and an accessible workforce among the reasons for their continued investment in the Quincy area.

Trinity Containers L.L.C., a subsidiary of Trinity Industries Inc., has doubled its workforce in Quincy over the past year. Trinity Industries Inc. is a diversified industrial company that owns a variety of market-leading businesses which provide products and services to the industrial, energy, transportation and construction sectors. Trinity Containers is a leading international manufacturer of pressure vessels that currently employs more than 100 people in their Quincy manufacturing and logistics operations.

Gardner Denver has invested heavily in their Quincy manufacturing operations over the past year. The company has made significant capital investments including the purchase of new equipment and transformation of their manufacturing footprint. In 2014, the company plans to invest over $4 million dollars locally which includes the installation of a flood wall and gates.

Titan International is on pace to set record global revenue over $2 billion dollars in 2013 thanks in part to their continuing international growth strategy. The company, which was started and is headquartered in Quincy, employs over 8,000 people worldwide including approximately 1,000 in Quincy. Titan completed construction of a new building at the former site of Huck’s Corporation in 2013 to house their state-of-the-art Powder Coat Painting System. Along with their local investments into their business and people, Titan, as with many of the companies we mention tonight, is involved in the community.

The Knapheide Manufacturing Company proudly calls Quincy home and employs over 1200 team members throughout the Great River region. As the nation’s leading manufacturer of utility body and work solutions for commercial vehicles, Knapheide witnessed tremendous growth in 2013 requiring over 150 new manufacturing associates in Quincy alone. As a result, Knapheide achieved industry-leading market share and continues to foresee robust demand and growth for 2014 and beyond. To support future growth and product demand, Knapheide continues its longstanding partnership with John Wood Community College to develop vocational training programs in order to equip its workforce with world-class manufacturing skills for today and the future.

Archer Daniels Midland Company opened an intermodal container freight shipping and receiving facility in Decatur this past fall. This means there are more shipping and logistics opportunities available to companies in the Quincy area. GREDF and ADM Alliance Nutrition hosted ADM’s Managing Director of Intermodal and Container Freight in October to speak with area businesses about these opportunities.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois hired 169 new staff members for their Quincy office in 2013, bringing local employment numbers up to 836. The company has had a number of internal promotional opportunities and continues to hire and assess needs based on anticipated growth due to the Healthcare Exchange environment.

Timewell Tile has experienced growth in the last year which is continuing into 2014. The company currently employs 260 employees compared to 215 at this time last year. Timewell opened a new manufacturing facility in Iowa, began production of a new product line at its headquarters in Timewell and added a new crew and trencher to their ADI Field Installation Division based out of Golden.

Inc. Magazine recently included major regional employer, Dot Foods, on its list of the 5,000 Fastest Growing Private Companies for 2013. The ranking is based on 2012 revenues of $4.5 billion dollars and a three-year growth rate in excess of 34 percent. When a new 110,000-square-foot cooler warehouse is completed in the next few months, the company will have the capacity to add 50 new jobs in Mount Sterling. 487 of Dot’s 2,100 employees reside in Adams County.

It’s been another groundbreaking year for Blessing Hospital and the Blessing Health System. Quincy’s largest employer is on track to complete a $70 million dollar patient care addition in January 2015. Meanwhile, the third medical office building in the Blessing Health Center was completed in June. These brick and mortar investments are joined by Blessing Health System’s biggest news of the year, its agreement with the BJC Collaborative, a partnership among health care systems throughout Illinois, Missouri and Eastern Kansas. Blessing joined the Collaborative with the goal to improve the quality and efficiency of health care in the region.

Despite the loss of the former Newcomb Hotel to fire this past fall, lots of great things are happening in the Historic Quincy Business District – new businesses, 93% occupancy, parking lots, Main Street awards and recent major announcements including the former Carson Apartments purchase by Austin Properties and the City Center Hotel purchase by Tracy Holdings which just last week signed a franchise agreement with Choice Hotels to renovate and brand the property as a new Quality Inn and Suites. Thanks to the vision of business and property owners, both small and large, downtown is growing and its future is bright.

Because business retention and expansion efforts are at the top of our priorities, GREDF partnered with the City and County to conduct a Business Survey in June of last year. Thank you to all who participated. Your feedback helped us identify the issues most important to our business community, and it gives us a platform for addressing those issues. We plan to conduct this survey annually and I would personally like to encourage all of you to participate.

Workforce Development

As identified in the survey, workforce development is both a threat and opportunity for area employers. The availability of skilled labor is a key factor in site selection and expansion decisions and our ability to retain and attract businesses directly impacts the capacity of our families to grow financially.

This is why GREDF is committed to meaningful and measurable workforce development initiatives. In April, more than 40 leaders came together to discuss workforce issues in Adams County and to develop a shared vision for long-term change.

Participants in this Mini Summit included representatives from secondary and post-secondary education, staffing services and a number of community-based agencies. The United Way of Adams County, the Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois, John Wood Community College and GREDF hosted the event.

As a result of this meeting, a steering committee of community leaders has been assembled and teams have been established to address the three most critical issues identified.

First, the Career Guidance Team is working with businesses to help identify and share career opportunities and earning potential available in the Adams County region. Second, the Work Readiness Team helps individuals understand what qualities they will need to be successful, productive employees and citizens. And third, the Succession Planning Team is helping to ensure that as workers retire, the knowledge of those retirees stays with local companies and within our communities.

All three teams have met and are in the process of developing missions and measurable goals.

More than 300 high school students toured local manufacturing facilities in October before attending a Manufacturing Expo at the John Wood Workforce Development Center. The tours and expo were part of a day-long event coordinated by John Wood and GREDF to show students manufacturing career opportunities available right here in their own backyard.

Manufacturing jobs in Adams County represent good careers and head-of-household salaries. There were over 5,000 people employed in manufacturing in Adams County with an average salary of over $49,000 dollars according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Manufacturing represents 17.5% of the total employment in Adams County as compared to 12% in the State of Illinois and just under 11% in the country as a whole.

Our local post-secondary educational institutions are focused on preparing students to enter the 21^st century regional workforce.

John Wood has been awarded a $2.1 million dollar grant to help create and expand innovative partnerships with businesses to educate and train workers with skills employers need in today’s marketplace.

An anonymous donor gifted $2 million dollars to Quincy University to renovate and expand the QU Center for Science at the university’s North Campus. And in November, QU received a $436,000 dollar grant from an anonymous local foundation to create an Academic Success Center on campus that will provide enhanced academic and career services to all QU students.

Area employers will benefit from the commitment of our educational institutions to prepare students for successful careers.

Business Attraction

When it comes to business attraction, personal relationships make all the difference. That’s why the GREDF team has spent much of 2013 cultivating those personal relationships with businesses and site consultants and leveraging Marcel’s experience and contacts to promote our region’s assets.

In June, GREDF project manager, Megan Backs attended Industry Week’s Expansion Management Roundtable in Florida. She met with eight site consultants and attended a number of presentations on the site selection process, project financing and workforce issues.

In October, Marcel attended the Annual Conference of the International Economic Development Council as well as Industry Week’s Expansion Management Roundtable where he met with top-level consultants that actively work with companies making location and expansion decisions.

In addition to these industry-sponsored events, Marcel has met face-to-face with key site selection contacts in Chicago, Indianapolis and St. Paul, as well as sent hundreds of personal emails to site consultants and corporate real estate executives. While business attraction doesn’t happen overnight, we’re confident in the potential for future investment as a result of our efforts.

Marketing/Branding

GREDF will be leading the effort to enhance and develop a brand for Quincy and Adams County that captures the essence and value of our region. Part of this new branding effort will emphasize our commitment to regionalism.

In November, the Tri-State Development Summit and its 35 counties was designated a Great Region by the USDA. The Summit has long recognized and worked to accomplish the task of assessing regional needs and identifying resources to meet those needs. The Great Regions designation will be another tool in our marketing toolbox.

The Summit’s Transportation Task Force held a meeting in Macomb in November to discuss transportation and highway issues. Task Force members think in terms of highway systems such as the CKC and Avenue of the Saints, rather than point-to-point roads. While these area leaders can point to decades of transportation successes, the challenge they face moving forward is a general lack of funding.

In addition to the work we do on behalf of the Tri-State Summit, GREDF has been involved in efforts that share the issues, assets and opportunities of the Quincy and Adams County region with the outside world.

Marcel took part in Congressman Aaron Schock’s Washington, D.C. Fly-In along with Mayor Moore and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Amy Looten. While there, Marcel presented an overview of critical issues facing the Quincy and Adams County Region.

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is a vital rural economic development strategy. Small enterprises are responsible for a large portion of the job growth and innovation in a rural region like ours.

We are able to make entrepreneurship development part of our overall strategy because of the experience and work of Charles Bell. As Director of the Entrepreneurship Center, Charles worked with over 50 clients in 2013, assisting with start-up, expansion and succession planning, site selection and financing. As a result, over a dozen entrepreneurs have started or expanded their business.

Several Quincy area organizations including GREDF, hosted an informational event for aspiring entrepreneurs in August. The event included a presentation by the Small Business Development Center and opportunities to speak one-on-one with experts about financing a small business, marketing and sales, legal and tax issues and human resources.

Membership

Economic development is not an endeavor of a single person or single organization. You’re here this evening because you understand successful economic development is a partnership and an intentional process.

For our city, county and region to grow, we need to be aggressive and we need to have focused goals. You are an important part of our efforts to grow this region. Thank you for what you do to support economic development in our area and for your support of GREDF.

What you are going to see from Marcel this evening is that GREDF has an aggressive plan to promote economic growth and is committed to executing this plan. Together, we, all of us, will continue to develop and grow this region to be the best it can be.

Thank you.

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The Board of Directors and Staff of the
Great River Economic Development Foundation

Invite you to attend our
2014 Annual Meeting

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Oakley-Lindsay Center
300 Civic Center Plaza, Quincy, Illinois

Cash Bar 5:00 p.m.
Program 5:45 p.m.

No charge to attend. No RSVP required.

The Great River Economic Development Foundation’s 2014 Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 8^th in Kent Hall at the Oakley-Lindsay Center, 300 Civic Center Plaza in Quincy. Doors open and a cash bar will be available at 5:00 p.m. with the meeting beginning at 5:45 p.m.

No RSVP is required and there is no charge to attend the meeting. Members of the business community and the general public are encouraged to attend.

Current Chairman of the GREDF Board, Tim Finlay, will give the 2014 Annual Meeting presentation which includes highlights from the past year. This year’s theme is “Growing from here”. GREDF president Marcel Wagner, Jr. will share highlights of GREDF’s new Strategic Plan which was adopted by the Board of Directors at their December meeting.

“What you’ll hear from Marcel during his remarks is that GREDF has a plan and we are committed to executing this plan,” says Finlay. “For our city, county and region to grow, we need to be aggressive in our economic development efforts and we need to have focused goals.”

“Our Strategic Plan will serve as a blueprint for Board policy decisions and guide the activities of the staff over the next three years,” says Wagner. “We’re thankful for the members of the Strategic Planning Committee and the work they and the staff have done to develop the goals, strategies and measurements of our economic development activities. Now the real work begins.”

Additional speakers for the evening include Mayor Kyle Moore and Les Post, Chairman of the Adams County Board. Dan Henke, incoming Chairman of the GREDF Board of Directors, will recognize outgoing board members Connie Schroeder and Ken Sparrow, Jr. Ms. Schroeder is a former Chairman of the GREDF Board and Mr. Sparrow is a former Treasurer.

Henke will also introduce the newest members of the GREDF Board of Directors which include:

• Dr. Robert Gervasi, Quincy University
• Mr. Dave Hetzler, Jr., Gardner Denver
• Ms. Maureen Kahn, Blessing Hospital
• Ms. Carol Lewis, Quincy Medical Group
• Mr. Harry Marcionetti, The Knapheide Manufacturing Company
• Mr. Nick Rinella, The Rinella Company

The Great River Economic Development Foundation exists to maintain and improve the economic vitality of the Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, region through the retention and expansion of existing businesses and the attraction of new businesses to our entire region. For more information, call 217.223.4313.

[share]Community leaders and stakeholders are making progress on developing a shared vision for workforce development in the Adams County region. You may recall that in April of this year, more than 40 area leaders gathered to discuss workforce issues and create a platform for continued collaboration. Much work has been done since that time to move this agenda forward.

Several key issues were identified during the April meeting, and three teams have been established to address the most critical of those issues.

• Career Guidance Team: working with businesses to convey to individuals the career opportunities and earning potential available in the Adams County region
• Work Readiness Team: helping individuals understand what qualities they will need to be successful, productive employees and citizens
• Succession Planning Team: ensuring that as workers retire, the knowledge of those retirees stays with local companies and within the community

All three groups have met and are in the process of developing missions and goals specific to their area of workforce development. (The goal is to tie work of all the teams together into one comprehensive plan with measurable short and long-term objectives.)

This Adams County workforce initiative is being guided by a steering committee consisting of representatives from theWorkforce Investment Board of Western Illinois, John Wood Community College, United Way of Adams County, Quincy University, West Central Region Education for Employment System #240, Quincy Public Schools, Vatterott College andGREDF.

If you would like to get involved in one of the workforce teams, please contact Megan Backs at 217.223.4313 or meganb@gredf.org.

[share]Dear Partner in Economic Development,

Economic development is not an endeavor of a single person or single organization. Successful economic development is a collaborative and aggressive process. That’s why GREDF places a high value on partnerships and welcomes the opportunity to work with businesses and organizations like yours for the good of our region.

2013 has been a transitional year for our organization. The staff and I, with the support and direction of our board, have been hard at work developing a strategic plan and 2014 work plan. We’re not quite ready to share the entire plans yet (you’ll have to wait until our Annual Meeting on January 8, 2014), but here are the highlights:

1. Business Retention and Expansion – Conducting regular visits with our area businesses to help identify opportunities and threats is key to our region’s overall economic growth.
2. Workforce Development – We must work with our businesses and educational institutions to ensure existing and new businesses alike will have the qualified workforce they require to grow.
3. Business Attraction – We’ve already begun to promote our region to prospective businesses and site consultants and we’ll continue to do this on a greater scale in 2014.
4. Marketing and Branding – It’s important that we communicate a clear and concise Quincy and Adams County brand to potential investors and businesses.
5. Entrepreneurship – Providing assistance to individuals and small business owners helps grow our economy.
6. Membership – This is where you come in. We need income in order to maintain a qualified staff and provide exceptional economic development services.

If you haven’t done so already, please consider becoming a GREDF member or renewing your GREDF membership today. Although we receive funds from both the City and County to carry out economic development activities on behalf of both, half of GREDF’s budget comes from private members like you. You are an essential part of our economic development program. You care about the Quincy and Adams County area, so we’re asking you to invest in our efforts. We think you’ll like the return.

I look forward to getting to know you better in 2014. Our door is always open at GREDF and we welcome the opportunity to work with you more closely, so please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of service.

Sincerely,

Marcel

Marcel W. Wagner, Jr., CEcD

P.S. Just click on the Become a GREDF Member graphic above to download a pdf of our current membership investment form.

[share] Great River Economic Development Foundation, John Wood Community College and the Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois will hold a press conference celebrating National Manufacturing Day this Friday, October 4, 2013, at 9:30am at Prince Agri Products’ facility located at 221 Prince Agri Way in the South Quincy Development District.

Megan Backs, Great River Economic Development Foundation; Dean Warras, Prince Agri Products; Jacqui Bevelheimer, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Mike McLaughlin, Adams County Board; Mark Pfleiger, West Central Region & Quincy Area Vocational Technical Center; Blanche Shoup, Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois; and Dr. John Letts, John Wood Community College, will each make brief remarks. Mayor Kyle Moore will make an official proclamation recognizing October 4, 2013, as Manufacturing Day in the City of Quincy.

The premiere of the “Manufacturing Our Future” public service announcement (PSA) series will conclude the press conference. The television and radio commercials are aimed to close the gap between the perception held about manufacturing and the reality of the industry today, which operates in clean environments and has high-paying careers for people with the right skills.

The production of the PSAs was funded by a Perkins grant received by JWCC to promote careers in manufacturing. WGEM, KHQA, Star Radio, Y101 will air the announcements in support of the community effort to educate the public about the new world of manufacturing.

A Manufacturing Expo is also set for October 24 at JWCC’s Workforce Development Center in Quincy. The event will feature demonstrations and products made by the 100 manufacturers in the region.

A tour of Prince Agri Products’ state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will be available to those in attendance at the conclusion of the press conference (no cameras or recording devices allowed during the tour). A map with directions to the Prince Agri Products facility from Radio Road is attached.

A press packet including manufacturing statistics will be available at the press conference. For more information, contact Megan Backs at GREDF, 217.223.4313.

[share]The first six months of my tenure at GREDF has been an excellent experience.  I have learned that the strength of the Quincy business community anchored by a number of locally owned businesses and supported by international companies operating in Quincy has been a key to the success of our community.  I’ve had the opportunity to meet with over 120 companies and groups during this time.  I’ve also come to appreciate the strength and talents of the GREDF staff, the dedication of the Board and Executive Committee and the long established partnerships that are critical to the success of GREDF.  This combination forms a very strong base to take GREDF to the next level in the future.

2013 – A Transition Year

2013 is a transition year for GREDF in terms of leadership, budget and focus.  The 2013 work plan put together by Maggie Strong and Megan Backs has been the transitional document guiding GREDF activities this year.  The staff and board of directors have begun working on strategic planning for the 2014 program year.

2014 Plan of Work

At the December Board meeting a plan of work will be proposed to the Board for approval.  This plan will encompass all of the initiatives that the staff will work on in 2014.  Core initiatives will focus on Business Retention and Expansion, Workforce Development, Marketing and Promotion, Membership and communicating the GREDF mission to the community. The Tri-State Summit and regional participation will also be a focus.

Workforce Activities

In the meetings thus far the most critical issue facing the business community is workforce.  The ability to find and hire qualified people has been a universal discussion.  Under Megan Backs’ direction, GREDF partnered with John Wood, the United Way and the regional Workforce Investment Board to host a half day meeting of Adams County education and workforce leaders to define workforce issues and begin a process to address those issues.  A steering committee of 8 stakeholders was formed and has been meeting to develop a coordinated county-wide strategy.  This is one of the most challenging tasks that GREDF faces.

Stakeholder Communication

As I began my tenure with GREDF it was clear that although GREDF had excellent communication tools such as the e-development newsletter, there needed to be more direct communication between the staff, board leadership and public partners. I began a bi-weekly update specifically on staff activity to the GREDF Board.  The GREDF Board update is a confidential internal document.  In May I started a monthly report to the Quincy City Council distributed via email and to the Adams County Board as a printed document. These communications are written to not violate any confidential information GREDF receives from company meetings and to enhance communications with our public partners.

Tri State Summit 

Planning for the May 2014 Tri-State Summit is ongoing with Megan and Maggie working on the initial planning issues.  The Steering Committee has reduced the number of Task Forces to four: Connectivity, Housing, Tourism and Transportation (now including rivers issues).

Galesburg Exchange / International Trade initiatives

• An exchange of leadership ideas between Quincy and Galesburg began in May when a group of community and economic development leaders from Galesburg came to Quincy.  During this initial exchange I met Gary Camerano, the Global Strategies Director for the City of Galesburg.  Gary and I have had several opportunities to meet and discuss how our two cities can work together to promote international trade in our region.
• The State of Illinois recently formed an Export Advisory Council to work directly with local E.D. organizations on trade issues.
• The Chamber and GREDF also met with a business delegation from Macedonia that was in Illinois.
• Charles Bell and I traveled to Peoria to meet with the director of their FTZ, Port Director and International Trade specialists.  Regional partnerships will help GREDF become more active providing our businesses with international trade opportunities.

Regional Economic Development contacts

I’ve had the chance to meet with a number of the Economic Development representatives in the region.  GREDF is working with Gina Sherman in Pike County to offer assistance on a proposed project in Nebo.  Contacts with the USDA representatives, N.E. Missouri Power Coop and Macomb have been made.  I’ve also been attending the monthly Rural Area Development Council meetings with Charles Bell.

Port Authority

I’ve been working very closely with Charles Bell on Port Authority and River issues.  Charles has an excellent working knowledge and relationship with regional and state officials.  Several representatives from AdamsCounty attended meetings in Springfield to discuss changes at the state level in Port and river issues.  We’ve met with Keokuk, Iowa, representatives and GREDF facilitates monthly meetings of the regional Port group.

Discussions with Federal Waterway officials had helped in the re-submission of the Tiger Grant application for a new proposed Port facility.  Unfortunately, the latest Tiger Grant was not approved and therefore new discussion must begin about the future of the Port and other possible funding sources.

GREDF worked with the Adams County Board to write a resolution that the Board will send to both State and Federal legislators. That resolution highlighted the serious maintenance and upgrade issues on the Mississippi.  The Board will be sending the resolution to other Illinois River counties and urging them to pass a similar resolution and forward it on to legislators.

Projects

Work on specific projects is ongoing.  GREDF staff is working with several local companies that have expansion potential.

Marketing / Promotion of Quincy and Adams County

I’ve begun several activities related to marketing.  Maggie and Megan put together a very informative introductory package about Quincy in both printed and electronic format.  To date I’ve sent that packet along with a letter electronically to 78 site consultants, national realtors and several corporate real estate executives I’ve worked with in the past.  In May I began one–on-one meetings with this group.  To date I’ve met with representatives from KPMG in Columbus, and spent 2 days in Chicago at meetings with Deloitte, Binswanger, Duff and Phelps, Mohr Partners and Newmark Knight.  I also met with 2 manufacturing companies I contacted last fall that are potential relocations from Cook County.  Megan Backs attended the Industry Week Magazine Consultant meetings in Florida from June 10th to June 13th.  At that event she had one-on-one meetings with eight national consulting firms.  This event gave Megan a broader understanding of that part of economic development.

Two events in October will provide additional marketing opportunities.  The International Economic Development Council Annual Meeting is being held in Philadelphia and during that three-day meeting I will have the opportunity to meet with a number of national site consultants and commercial real estate firms to discuss opportunities in Quincy, specifically the assets of the South Quincy Development District and transportation.  The second event is similar to the meetings Megan attended in June.  I will be attending the Industry Week Magazine Consultants Roundtable for 3 days and have one on one meetings with 10 to 12 consulting firms that work on major, high value projects.

Relocation to Quincy

On September 9^th, my wife, Karen, and I moved into our new home here in AdamsCounty.  Karen and I are very excited to become permanent members of the Quincy community.

My thanks to the GREDF Board of Directors for the privilege of serving in a leadership role in this great organization.  The past 6 months have been a very positive experience and I look forward to moving GREDF forward.

Respectfully submitted,

Marcel W. Wagner Jr., CEcD

Business Survey Results Reveal Region’s Strengths and Areas for Growth

[share]203 individuals and organizations responded to the online survey conducted by the Great River Economic Development Foundation in partnership with the City of Quincy and Adams County. The 13-question survey was designed to gauge the current business environment in our region and set benchmarks for measurable growth.

“I am glad to see so many of our Adams County businesses take the time to fill out the survey and share their ideas and concerns,” says Adams County Board Chairman, Les Post. “Business retention and recruitment are key to the economic future of Adams County and the results of this survey will help outline the needs of the business community and give us good guidance to help make improvements.”

When asked the community’s strengths as a place to do business,80% of survey respondents chose quality of life and 64% indicated cost of living was at the top of the list. Both of these factors, along with the local economy (44%) and community leadership (41%) contribute to the region’s attractive business climate.

The workforce/labor market ranked number one in respondents’ eyes at 43%, closely followed by the cost of doing business (40%) when it comes to the community’s weaknesses. The area’s low unemployment impacts the availability of a qualified workforce which is why workforce development will continue to be one of the region’s top priorities. While the local cost of doing business is competitive, comments indicated that room for improvement exists when it comes to the State of Illinois.

When asked to rate the quality and availability of workers in the area on a scale from one to seven with seven being the highest/most favorable: 63% of respondents have a favorable opinion of the quality of workers in the area and 68% of respondents are neutral/positive when it comes to availability of workers in the area (choosing four and above).

Workforce development again comes into play with 36% of respondents indicating their projected employment needs are increasing, while 55%report their needs as stable. With 44% of businesses surveyed planning to expand within the next three years, developing a plan to attract and train a qualified workforce is essential for continued growth.

Survey respondents indicated they are experiencing recruitment issues with the following positions or skills: Skilled Production Labor (26.5%), Unskilled Production Labor (21%), Scientific/Technical (19.7%), Marketing/Sales (17.6%), Management (12.9%) and Administrative (10.8%). Other in-demand positions and skills include IT/programming, accounting and “professionals”.

“The results show that Quincy’s quality of life and inexpensive cost of living make it an attractive place to do business,” says Mayor Kyle Moore. “Now we must continue to work with GREDF, the County and our education partners to address the workforce needs of our business community.”

“This survey has been a proactive collaborative effort to recognize businesses for their commitment to the area, as well as develop a deeper understanding of business opportunities and impediments to growth,” says GREDF president, Marcel Wagner. “Our organization looks forward to continuing to partner with City and County officials to address the issues raised in the survey in meaningful and measurable ways.”

Future surveys are planned to track the progress of economic development efforts.

Click here for a 1-page overview of the 2013 Business Survey Results.

FREE 16-Week Training Session Starts August 26

[share]John Wood Community College will offer a free 16-week manufacturing training starting August 26 at its Workforce Development Center at 4220 Kochs Lane in Quincy.

The training is focused on helping participants gain qualifications for entry level manufacturing jobs, which are in high demand regionally.

The program will provide an overview of the machining and manufacturing process from start to finish. Students will be introduced to a variety of skills in the planning, machining and finishing of metal products and develop skills in the use of hand tools, drill press, band saw, engine lathe, vertical milling machine and related equipment.

Individuals can complete GED requirements while in training and females are encouraged to apply.

The free program is funded by a grant JWCC received from the United States Department of Labor to help produce qualified, skilled employees for manufacturing positions.

More information is available by contacting JWCC at 217- 641-4941 or by visiting www.manufacturingourfuture.org. Interested individuals may also visit JWCC’s Career Readiness Center to learn more and apply.