Uncategorized Archives | Great River Economic Develpment

The Adams County Board Announces Round Two of the GROW Program

March 31, 2025

Adams County, IL – The Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF), in partnership with the Adams County Board, is thrilled to announce that applications are now being accepted for the second round of the Adams County GROW Program.

In 2024, the Adams County Board designated $1 million from the ARPA funds to establish the GROW Program, which stands for Growing Residential Opportunities County-Wide Program, aimed at addressing housing needs. This initiative encourages developers to take abandoned houses or vacant lots into affordable housing. In its initial round, the program successfully funded 57 new housing units, distributing a total of $640,000 through the GROW Program.

In the second round, a total of $360,000 is available to provide developers with $20,000 non-repayment loans per unit. The project may involve constructing new residential units on vacant lots, which can include single-family homes, duplexes, condos, townhouses, cluster homes, or apartment complexes. Additionally, the development of currently uninhabitable or partially uninhabitable structures will be accepted. However, the GROW Program incentive cannot surpass 50% of the total project cost or $100,000, whichever amount is lower.

Anyone interested in learning more about the GROW Program, and to apply, please visit https://www.gredf.org/growing-residential-opportunities-county-wide-grow-fund/.

GREDF will be hosting two training sessions to review the program:

The first training will be on April 15th in the Oakley-Lindsay Center at 4 p.m.
The second training will be held on May 5^th at 12 p.m. on Zoom. If you are interested in obtaining the Zoom link, please email Madison Peters, GREDF Vice President at petersm@gredf.org.

Applications are due by 4 p.m. on June 17th. Applications can be sent via email to gredf@gredf.org; dropped off to the GREDF office, or sent via mail.

Career Spark STEAM Expo an ‘eye-opener’ for area students

March 20, 2025

QUINCY — Makayla Beaston thinks she wants a career in the medical field.

But talking with professionals from a wide array of career fields at the Career Spark STEAM Expo “has given me more ideas of different things,” the St. Peter eighth-grader said. “It gives us more of an eye-opener for what we’ll do when we’re older outside the classroom.”

Nearly 400 eighth-grade students from 11 area schools took part in Wednesday’s expo highlighting career paths available in science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

“We hope that students will have a better understanding of what is available around them as far as careers and a better idea of what they possibly want to do in the future,” said Taylor Rakers, district manager with Junior Achievement, which sponsored the expo with the Great River Economic Development Foundation and the Learning Technology Center.

The students, who potentially could be in the workforce before 2030, heard from representatives of 39 businesses divided into three career clusters in Quincy University’s Health and Fitness Center.

“It gives me a better opportunity to learn about some new stuff,” Payson eighth-grader Juston Casey said.

Mendon eighth-grader Addalyn Landwehr, who wants to be an ultrasound technician, focused on the health care professionals.

“It gives me a perspective on learning what I want to do for my job when I’m older,” she said.

Junior Achievement has offered career fairs since 2016, Rakers said, but Career Spark provided something different to students.

“The old ones were lecture-style format in a classroom setting. Business professionals would come in and tell about their careers,” he said. “With this format, they’re going to show the kids what they do for their career. We’re encouraging hands-on exhibits and activities so students can see, touch and feel versus being told.”

Blessed Sacrament eighth-grade Allison Lenane tried her hand at painting with a virtual reality system displayed by Knapheide.

While that may not be her career choice, “it was a good try to see what it would kind of be like,” said Allison, who leans toward working in hair or cosmetology.

The expo, she said, was equally good for students.

“It’s going to be good so I can see other opportunities I have to see if I’m interested in anything else,” she said.

“Anytime we get to get in front of kids and show them what’s out there and what’s possible, I think it’s really important,” said Travis Brown, chief business development officer with the Relish Jar, who talked with students.

SIU Center for Family Medicine residents encouraged students to test out a stethoscope and to take a look inside their ears.

“In the rural areas, there’s a big need for primary care doctors especially throughout West-Central and Southern Illinois. We are really working on trying to recruit kids early to understand the process of becoming a doctor,” said Dr. Owen Alford-Bichsel, a first-year resident born and raised in Quincy.

“The commitment to being a doctor is pretty big. Knowing that early on can help a lot of students. Maybe they’re the first in their family to become a doctor and don’t know how much schooling is involved, how much debt is involved. We’re kind of providing that information.”

Hamilton science teacher Haleigh Hempen-Bell hopes her students find something that interests them at the expo.

“With our junior high kids, I’m not expecting for them to have their life planned out, but it would be helpful for them to know an area they would like to go into so they can help narrow their direction down in high school,” Hempen-Bell said.

The expo aims to bridge the gap between education and employment by demonstrating how STEAM-related fields play a vital role in everyday life and the workforce.

“Career Spark is about sparking curiosity and helping students connect their classroom learning to real-world opportunities,” GREDF Director of Workforce and Community Development Cole Schwartz said.

By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR Herald-Whig Staff Writer dhusar@whig.com

Roundtable targets modern approach to labor shortage

March 5, 2025

QUINCY — When the subject is automation and workforce in the manufacturing setting, Jeremy Smith makes one thing clear.

“It’s not automation or workforce or workforce or automation. The two really have to go together,” said Smith, a technical specialist with the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center.

But a report commissioned by the Upjohn Institute found small- to medium-sized manufacturers lag behind compared to larger manufacturers and often face larger financial, skill set and cultural hurdles in adopting automation technology.

Quincy area businesses and human resources professionals came together Tuesday for the Western Illinois Regional Roundtable focused on modern approaches to address the local labor shortage.

“It’s really just bringing together local organizations and business leaders to get a more in-depth view of workforce resources across the state and locally with a focus on how manufacturers are utilizing automation and showing them ways they also may be able to utilize automation and train their workforce,” said Cole Schwartz, director of workforce and community development with the Great River Economic Development Foundation.

Knapheide Manufacturing Facilities and Maintenance Manager Chuck Makins said the business looks for ways to enhance its workforce — and its automated technology.

“Automation has been a big help to improve our processing out there, shore up some of the labor shortcomings that everyone is having,” Makins said. “We’re always looking for ways to hire new people, especially trades.”

Many manufacturers assume that implementing automation is too costly or only beneficial for large companies, but a slate of speakers challenged those assumptions by sharing strategies for adopting automation technologies and training current employees while also highlighting state and local resources.

“We have to do something,” Smith said. “There’s a continued workforce shortage, so we’ve got to upskill the current workforce, hold onto the current workforce and we’ll need to supplement with automation and other advanced technologies.”

IMA offers similar roundtable programs across the state, working with local partners such as GREDF.

While the financial hurdles may be greater for small businesses, overcoming cultural challenges can be easier.

“For smaller manufacturers with a smaller workforce, making that cultural change, while still not easy, can be simpler to get everyone pulling together,” Smith said.

Manufacturers of all sizes also can turn to a range of financial resources to help overcome financial challenges.

“There’s plenty of automation partners that if given a clear problem statement will be able to put together a cost-effective solution,” Smith said. “The idea is automation should be solving a problem. That problem can’t just be lack of automation. What are we trying to do with this piece of advanced tech equipment, what problem are solving, then we can put together that financial piece.”

Workforce and technology challenges in manufacturing are nothing new.

“The manufacturing industry is still alive, despite the fact all the way back in 1963 we were saying there’s a talent shortage,” Smith said.

But GatesAir HR Generalist Dena Pracht hoped to find some advice because workforce recruiting has gotten harder.

“Because of the environment that we’re in, different challenges with types of business and types of skills we’re looking for, some jobs are harder to recruit for,” Pracht said. “I’ve seen the ebbs and flows over several years, how it changed. I’ll try to get some information on how to more effectively recruit in the market we’re in right now.”

Story By: Quincy Herald Whig – Deborah Gertz Husar – 3/4/25

New initiative to address childcare shortage in Adams County

February 25, 2025

By Clare Edlund

Published: Feb. 24, 2025 at 11:46 PM CST|Updated: 9 hours ago

QUINCY (WGEM) – A new initiative is underway to address Adams County’s growing childcare shortage.

Eight organizations joined forces on Monday to launch Adams County CAREs. The acronym stands for “Childcare Advancement and Recruitment Effort,” which is exactly the goal of this new incentive program.

“We have a wonderful, dedicated, professional and caring childcare workforce already in Adams County,” said Catherine Meckes with one of CARE’s partner organizations, Community Foundation of West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri. “But, the figures show we need more.”

Meckes said the latest report reveals 3,600 Adams County children under age 5 need care. Yet, licensed providers can only handle half of that demand.

“This childcare shortage has forced parents to maybe delay going back to work after the birth of the child,” said Marla Willard with West Central Child Care Connection. “It has kept some parents from entering the workforce altogether.”

CAREs comprise three incentives to attract more childcare providers. They include paid internships, scholarships and sign-on bonuses.

“It’s going to provide great care for the children,” said April Darringer, early childhood coordinator and assistant professor at JWCC. “It alleviates some of the stress that we have on our current childcare system and it’s going to provide parents the peace of mind they need.”

Darringer said they expect care to greatly reduce if not eliminate tuition expenses for early childhood education students.

“One of the issues we found was that we needed more teachers,” Darringer said.

Quincy Area Vocational and Technical Center students will have an opportunity to receive hands-on experience at Blessing’s Early Learning Center with free dual enrollment at John Wood Community College.

CAREs also plans to offer up to $3,000 sign-on bonuses for new Adams County childcare providers.

The program is a $250,000 investment by the Adams County Board with matching support from philanthropic and private partners.

Organizers involved in Adams County CAREs include:

Great River Economic Development Foundation
Blessing Health System
JWCC
West Central Child Care Connection
Community Foundation
Tracy Family Foundation
Adams County Board
Community Foundation of West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri

GREDF and Adams County Board partner for increased childcare

January 6, 2025

By Zeke Shapiro

Published: Dec. 26, 2024 at 3:46 PM CST

QUINCY (WGEM) – Following a recent dip in childcare workers since the COVID-19 Pandemic, GREDF and the Adams County Board partnered to increase employment.

According to a report by GREDF, the amount of childcare slots in Quincy has dropped by 14% since 2018. Because of the glaring decline, the Adams County Board decided to figure out a plan to combat the problem.

“Since COVID, there were some employees that, when it was time to go back to work, they didn’t want to pursue it anymore,” Adams County Board Chairman Bret Austin said.

The plan is to create a program that would recruit high school and college-aged Quincy residents to participate in the childcare field. The Great River Economic Development Foundation, or “GREDF,” decided to partner with the board to launch the program.

“[The program includes] a paid assistance at Quincy High School, a tuition assistance for the enrollment at John Wood Community College, and then a $3,000 sign on bonus,” GREDF Vice President Madison Peters explained.

Both Austin and Peters explained that it would be a three-pronged attack that would educate, train, and retain childcare employees from within Adams County.

“The hope is to inject immediate impact into childcare for the community,” Austin explained.

Austin said the goal is not only to create more jobs for Adams County residents, but to alleviate the stress on working parents and provide a setting to educate and nurture children.

Quincy Seeing Economic Benefits of Large Retailers

December 11, 2024

By Zeke Shapiro

Published: Dec. 10, 2024 at 7:24 PM CST|Updated: 13 hours ago

QUINCY (WGEM) – The recent increase in the number of large retail stores in Quincy has created economic benefits for the city.

Up and down Broadway Street, large retail stores such as Target and Ollie’s have popped up. The benefits of those companies bringing their shops in are numerous.

“You’re seeing so many opportunities coming up with jobs and just more people coming to the city,” said Quincy Assistant Planning Director Jason Parrott.

According to Parrott, the increase in large retail stores in Quincy is causing a positive chain of events within the city. More shops mean more shoppers which means more tax revenue.

“When the people from out of town come to shop at Target, they’ll see that there are restaurants in town that have good reviews and then we start seeing more business for small businesses,” explained Kyle Moore, president of the Great River Economic Development Foundation.

Moore, who served two terms as Quincy mayor from 2013-2020 added that in his time residing and working in Quincy, he has not seen growth like this.

Parrott also added that the current explosion of large retail stores emerging is not expected to stop in the future.

“With the way it’s going now, we really could see more stores opening up within the next few years,” Parrott explained.

The Great River Economic Development Foundation Hosts 2024 Annual Meeting

December 11, 2024

The Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF) invites the
community and press to attend our 2024 Annual Meeting. This year’s theme, “Impact Multiplied,”
showcases GREDF’s commitment to leveraging its expertise, partnerships, and strategic investment to develop high-impact initiatives that create economic growth and foster a more inclusive business
environment.

The GREDF Annual Meeting for 2024 will take place on December 11th at the Oakley-Lindsay Center. This event will bring together stakeholders, such as community partners, business leaders, elected
officials, and GREDF members, for an opportunity to share and collaborate.

GREDF has played an important role in transforming the region into a hub for innovation, job creation, and sustainable development. This year, the focus will be on GREDF’s commitment to not only
achieving measurable results but ensuring that each success leads to even greater benefits for our
community’s people and businesses. Attendees will hear from GREDF President Kyle Moore, Outgoing County Board Chairman Kent Snider, and Quincy Mayor Mike Troup, who will highlight the
community’s impact on local economic development.

Who: Great River Economic Development Foundation

What: Great River Economic Development Foundation’s 2024 Annual Meeting “Impact Multiplied”

When: Wednesday, December 11, 2024
4:45-5:30 PM: Social Hour
5:30-6:30 PM: Annual Meeting

Where: Oakley-Lindsay Center | 300 Civic Center Plaza, Quincy, IL 62301

Small Business Saturday hits Quincy this weekend

December 2, 2024

November 28, 2024 | By Emma Dalke, MRN Content Creator

QUINCY- Small Business Saturday is this weekend, Nov. 30 in The District with exclusive deals, holiday treats and festive activities at many downtown retailers.

“It’s important for The District to keep this as a holiday, because most, if not all, downtown businesses are small,” Executive Director of The District, Brianna Rivera said. “They’re locally owned, family owned… they really rely on us to promote events like Small Business Saturday.”

American Express launched ‘Small Business Saturday’ in 2010 to promote local businesses, celebrated on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which falls on November 30th this year.

“Small businesses play a crucial role in our local economy. Their influence extends beyond mere job creation; they bring innovative ideas and new perspectives to our community,” said Madison Peters, Vice President at GREDF, in a press release. “We are dedicated to supporting our local businesses throughout Adams County. Celebrating Small Business Saturday is just a small way for us to express our gratitude for the significant contributions they make to our community.”

Tom Frese, owner of Tri-City Sports says he will likely see a minimum of a double increase in sales on Saturday.

“We’re gonna easily see more people down here. They just do a nice job of promoting it. I think when you’re in a small community like Quincy, they really do back your small businesses, so it’s a nice thing,” Frese said.

Frese said that Black Friday is busier for larger stores and on Small Business Saturday’s local businesses get to shine. He is opening on Saturday from 9-2 p.m.

“We’ll see a lot more traffic down here on Saturday, which is nice, so we can be prepared for that…” Frese said. “We’ll see a minimum of a double increase on Saturday. We may end up staying open later. There’s a lot of heavy traffic down here, on Small Business Saturday. We’ll definitely see a hike in business.”

This event encourages people to shop local in preparation for the holiday season.

“Small Business Saturday is a celebration of the heart and soul of our community—our local businesses. Every purchase made downtown supports our neighbors and strengthens our local economy. The District does our best to amplify our downtown business owners through our social media platforms and popular downtown events,” said Rivera.

Jobs in the Gym gives students employment options

November 26, 2024

The Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF) and the Quincy Area
Vocational Technical Center (QAVTC) are proud to announce the Jobs in the Gym event, aimed at
helping area high school students explore career pathways and connect with local employers. This
event, formerly known as Careers in the Commons, took place on November 20, 2024, in the
Quincy High School gymnasium, running from 7:30am to 2:30pm.

Jobs in the Gym is designed to give high school juniors and seniors a unique opportunity to interact
with representatives from local businesses, learn about potential job opportunities, and explore
various career fields. By gathering a diverse range of industries and businesses under one roof, this
event provides students with direct access to information on job roles, skill requirements, and
potential career paths that are available locally.

“We are excited to partner with QAVTC in hosting Jobs in the Gym,” said Cole Schwartz, Director of
Workforce Development at GREDF. “This event goes beyond a traditional job fair; it allows students
to discover industries, speak directly with professionals, and learn firsthand about what it takes to
succeed in different career fields.”

30 employers across the Quincy area have already signed up for this event. Jobs in the Gym offers businesses a valuable platform to engage with young talent and inform students about potential career opportunities within their organizations.

Golden Rule Entertainment Announces Quincy Baseball Club will official play in Prospect League

November 18, 2024

QUINCY — The unofficial return of collegiate summer baseball to the Gem City is finally official.

Now comes the push to be ready by May.

Golden Rule Entertainment, the parent company of the Quincy Baseball Club and the owner of the Prospect League’s Springfield Lucky Horseshoes, announced during a press conference Friday morning Quincy will field a team in the Prospect League that will play at QU Stadium beginning with the 2025 season.

That leaves six months to choose a nickname, create a logo and a brand, develop a roster and make improvements to QU Stadium before the the league is scheduled to kick off its season, somewhere around May 27.

“We will act rather swiftly,” said Jamie Toole, the president and chief storyteller for Golden Rule Entertainment.

That starts with a name-the-team contest. Much like it did when it launched the Lucky Horseshoes, Golden Rule Entertainment will seek the input of the community in developing a nickname. The contest will be online through quincybaseball.com.

“Everything we do, we want it to be about the community and geared toward the community,” Toole said. “Baseball is our platform, not our purpose.”

The purpose is to promote and encourage community interaction and growth.

It’s been the way Toole and others have approached things since the first phone call was made.

Last April, Toole contacted Tim Hoker, a 2000 Quincy University graduate and a member of the Golden Rule Entertainment team, with the idea of bringing baseball back to Quincy. The Quincy Gems ceased operations following the 2023 season and were sold to Full Count Ministries of Henderson, Tenn. The Full Count Rhythm played in the Prospect League during the 2024 season.

Hoker just happened to be on the beach spending spring break with his family when Toole called, but it didn’t keep him from jumping on board immediately.

“(Toole) was like, ‘How about Quincy?’” said Hoker, who lives in Grayslake, Ill., but will run the Quincy Baseball Club. “I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’ So it’s been a relatively short timeframe, but there are all of the things we have gotten done so far. And there’s still plenty more to do.”

Structurally, that means making improvements to QU Stadium.

Hoker said there are three specific projects that need addressed — fixing the dugouts, redoing the seating and replacing the lights — and the cost will be shared by what Hoker referred to as a three-headed monster of Golden Rule Entertainment, Quincy University and the City of Quincy.

How much each will be asked to contribute is still being negotiated.

In the meantime, the ownership group is working on putting a team together.

Brad Gyorkos, the head coach at Culver-Stockton College, will be the Quincy manager. Gyorkos spent the 2022 and ’23 seasons as the Quincy Gems manager and skippered the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes last summer. The move back to Quincy is welcome and Gyorkos is excited to build a winning franchise here.

“Summer baseball belongs in Quincy,” Gyorkos said.

But Toole, Hoker and others want to impact the community beyond baseball season.

“We’re not going to be a baseball team that’s here for 30 games,” Hoker said. “We’re going to be a baseball team that’s ingrained in the community.”

Said Toole, “We want to create a vision. We want to be sustainable.”

And recognizable, which is why picking the right nickname with the right colors and the right logo is vitally important.

“We want to sell hats and shirts,” Toole said. “We want people in Hawaii and Alaska and Florida wearing Quincy merchandise. We’re proud of this community and we want the rest of the world to know how cool it is.”

November 15, 2024 | By Matt Schuckman, Sports Editor