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The Great River Economic Development Foundation hosts 2023 annual meeting

December 13, 2023

By Rose Lehner

Published: Dec. 13, 2023 at 6:58 AM CST

QUINCY (WGEM) – The Great River Economic Development Foundation had its annual 2023 meeting Tuesday night.

GREDF members and community leaders attended the meeting to look back on the economic successes of 2023.

GREDF members said Target and United Alloy boosted this year’s economic development.

They said next year’s plan will focus on affordable housing and job demands in the community.

“Work with elected leaders to adopt a strategy to combat the housing shortages that we have here so that way its more affordable and that people have more choices. We also know that childcare is a huge barrier for people to gain employment and so we want to continue to work with our partners to really develop some childcare solutions,” said GREDF President Kyle Moore.

GREDF members said they released a housing study last year and will implement their plans for it in 2024.

https://www.wgem.com/2023/12/13/great-river-economic-development-foundation-hosts-2023-annual-meeting/

Economic development meeting to highlight success, future plans

December 12, 2023

QUINCY (WGEM) – Those at the Great River Economic Development Foundation say they have a lot to celebrate.

President Kyle Moore said when they hold their annual meeting Tuesday, they will not only highlight past accomplishments but also plan future initiatives.

Moore said past successes include bringing Target to Quincy, bringing 73 new families to the city through their Q-Wrap program and the fact that 40 businesses have signed up for their Business Concierge Program.

He said they plan to announce three new workforce development programs to further help the businesses community in 2024.

“A lot of times in economic development, our current businesses and residents always ask why we always try to attract people from outside of the area and what are we doing for people that are already here?” Moore said.

Moore said the programs are designed to re-skill and re-develop the area’s existing workforce. He said they will continue to support local businesses.

Adams County Board chairman Kent Snider said GREDF has done a great job bringing businesses like Target to the Quincy area, as it’s brought jobs and other businesses along with it. He said he wants to see more businesses come to town, like restaurants and retail, to help bring more jobs to the area. Snider said he also wants to hear or see some more action when it comes to developing the riverfront.

“That can really help the economy and bring a lot of visitors here so we really need to get that off the ground and we’re still stuck in the process of burying the lines,” he said. “We need to get that finished so we can move forward and build our dock, build our amphitheater, whatever we want to do down there.”

Door open for the meeting tonight at 4:45 p.m. at the Oakley-Lindsay Center and the event starts at 5:30 p.m.. All members of the community are welcome to attend.

https://www.wgem.com/2023/12/12/economic-development-meeting-highlight-success-future-plans/

The Great River Economic Development Foundation invites the community to their 2023 annual meeting: ‘Putting the Pieces Together’

December 5, 2023

Quincy, Ill. (KHQA) — The Great River Economic Development Foundation invites the community to their 2023 Annual Meeting titled, “Putting the Pieces Together,” on Tuesday, December 12.

The event will begin with a social hour at 4:45 p.m., bringing together community partners, business leaders, elected officials and GREDF members for an opportunity to share and collaborate.

The annual meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. and features remarks from GREDF President Kyle Moore, County Board Chairman Kent Snider, and Quincy Mayor Mike Troup.

The annual meeting will give the public and GREDF members the opportunity to learn about GREDF region’s economic successes in 2023, along with practical strategies they can implement in their business to help retain and attract employees.

The meeting will conclude at 6:30 p.m.

Tri-State MakerFest draws students to OLC to learn about available careers

November 7, 2023

QUINCY (WGEM) – The Great River Economic Development Foundation hosted the fourth annual MakerFest on Thursday morning at the Oakley-Lindsay Center in Quincy.

The event highlighted National Manufacturing Month, which is in October.

Dozens of companies came from across the Tri-States and set up display booth for students to have the chance to ask questions about future local career opportunities.

GREDF Director of Workforce Development Angela Caldwell highlighted how Tri-State junior and senior high school students get to live locally after graduation.

“The different things that they can do right here at home – they don’t have to go to another state or a larger city,” Caldwell said. “They can stay here around family and get a very good head-of-household job.”

More than 250 students from 16 schools across the region attended MakerFest, eager to learn more about what careers the Tri-States has to offer.

John Wood Community College Dean of External Relations Tracy Orne said the students who attended MakerFest already have their foot in the door when inquiring about potential career opportunities.

“Employers come to our classes while students are learning to recruit them, so today is a first job interview, I would say,” Orne said. “Saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to go to John Wood and get this training, what kind of jobs might you have for me when I complete this?’”

Upon graduation, they can seek local full-time employment in fields like manufacturing, logistics and other skilled trades with just one to three years of training.

United Alloy acquires permanent land for 200,000 sq. ft. facility

September 21, 2023

QUINCY, IL (KHQA) — In January of 2023, it was announced that Fortune 500 company United Alloy had plans to add a third location in the Gem City.

A few months later, they found a temporary location and began operating.

“United Alloy first reached out to GREDF last year looking for a potential facility and a potential site in Quincy, Illinois,” said GREDF President Kyle Moore. “They’ve heard about our good business climate here and they were able to find a smaller facility that they’ve opened up temporarily.”

But now, a big step has been made in a long-term commitment as they have acquired land for their permanent location which will be home to a 200,000 sq. ft. facility.

United Alloy acquires permanent land for 200,000 sq. ft. facility. (KHQA)

Great River Economic Development Foundation President Kyle Moore says they have worked closely with UA to find a location for a larger facility.

Not only does Moore say it is an exciting time for the city of Quincy to add a company such as United Alloy to the Gem City, bit he also says this will bring in additional job options to help keep residents here in Adams County.

“It’s important for our residents to have upward mobility and to have life fulfilling careers and we have a number of wonderful companies who have been here 175 years and we certainly are very appreciative of that, but it’s also nice to have new companies come in and offer other opportunities,” said Moore.

Moore says the Wisconsin-based company is the second out of state manufacturer that has made the decision to open a new facility in the region.

He says this addition of United Alloy is confirmation that Quincy and Adams County are moving in the right direction.

“I don’t think we give ourselves enough credit in Illinois that companies do want to move here, and so whether it be united alloy or we had TriMark move here last year and open a facility, I think it speaks volumes that we’re doing the right things here in Quincy and Adams County,” said Moore. “We’re investing in ourselves and when we invest in ourselves, others are going to want to invest in our communities.”

And Moore says bringing in united alloy is the perfect fit for the tradition Adams County has had for many, many years.

“It speaks to the strengths of the manufacturing industry in Adams County,” said Moore. “We are a bit higher than average when it comes to the percentage of our workforce that’s dedicated to manufacturing. That’s really what we’ve built our community on and that’s what we will continue to build our community on.

Representatives from United Alloy say they are excited to be a part of the Quincy roots and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Tourism dollars up for Adams County area

September 15, 2023

QUINCY (WGEM) – With all the events in Quincy, you might have seen a few more people attending them. An Illinois Report states tourism contributed to economic growth in the state, and Quincy contributed to the growth.

See Quincy officials say the dollars last year for Adams County totaled $131.9 million in visitor spending.

Executive Director Holly Cain said the money generated is 17% more than the previous year. She said they continue to see the dollars flowing in as their hotel-motel tax for Tourism hit it’s $750,000 cap, which they’ll receive later to use.

“New tourism events came in through the city this year already. From basketball, to billiards, to all types of different events coming in to the city that benefited us and we’ve been able to secure those events for the next couple of years as well,” Cain said.

She said with the money they look to use expand the use of influencers, radio, TV, digital to further advertise events and what Quincy has to offer. She said they also look to promote their wine trail, the Great River Road, their free bikes, and kayaks in the spring to capture those leisure visitors.

Great River Economic Development Foundation President Kyle Moore said the hotels, restaurants, and retail all benefit from the increased tourists. The taxes collected via sales tax and hotel motel go into the city to everything from roads, to pensions, and advertising. He said to keep the momentum going they need to continue utilizing Bet on Q.

“Which has been used to bring conventions into the community, they’ve done a Quincy specific tourism campaign. I believe a hundred thousand dollars per year for the last three years. So from an economic stand point, I think it shows that when you invest in yourself it pays dividends in the future,” Moore said.

He said the look to continue to invest in the Quincy-specific tourism campaign. He said they could increase the budget for the campaign to further invest in the community. In regards to major events of next year, officials with SeeQuincy say they’ve signed a contract to have the Illinois State Pocket Billiards Championship will return for 2024 and 2025.

He said it also encourages people to consider moving to Quincy to help fill the jobs available in the area.

Citing need for housing, GREDF proposes incentives for development

September 12, 2023

Quincy Herald-Whig QUINCY — The Quincy City Council will consider a plan to incentivize housing development in the city.

Aldermen on Monday heard results of a two-year housing assessment that found a lack of housing locally.

Kyle Moore, president of the Great River Economic Development Foundation said the study found there are 588 jobs open locally that pay more than $36,000 a year, but only 104 residential units available.

According to Moore, nearly 60% of GREDF’s members believe that there is a housing shortage in Quincy.

“Members like Blessing Hospital and Knapheide Manufacturing began to tell us they were having to put new hires in hotels and Airbnbs because they could not find a suitable place to live,” Moore said.

GREDF’s plan, should the council choose to proceed after reviewing it in the next month, would be partially funded by a grant program called Research in Illinois to Spur Economic Recovery. The program is intended to speed up economic recovery from COVID-19 by funding new economic plans on the local level. According to Moore, recent precedent has made housing a valid recipient of the grant.

“On average, the city once issued 67 new residential permits per year with a value of $10.8 million,” Moore said. “Post-pandemic there was an average of 23 permits issued with a value of $9.2 million. In the last 10 years, there were six years where there were zero requests for new subdivisions.”

In addition to these issues, seniors in Quincy are breaking from the generations before them by remaining in their homes long after their children have left. Combined with a lack of housing in the $100,000 to $200,000 range and elevated construction equipment and material expenses, Quincy is struggling to attract the young professionals that employers need.

“Using today’s cost to construct a new home $130,000 would buy you a house of approximately 600 square feet, not large enough for a growing family,” Moore said. “Based on our study, we conclude that to keep up with demand, Adams County needs 400 units built this year, 500 over the next five years and 1,600 in total over the next 10 years.”

RISE funded the initial research phase of the project but requires GREDF to obtain permission from the City Council before financing the implementation of the project.

The plan, which was also presented to the Adam’s County Board, dictates housing incentives be offered to reduce prices, a revolving loan program and partnerships with banks and community organizations to raise awareness of federal and state housing programs.

Preliminary concerns offered by aldermemn after the meeting included the risk that construction companies will simply take advantage of incentives to increase their profit margins, marking the price up to current market rates.

In other business, the Central Services Committee opted to table the proposed riverfront electrical burial project due to high costs, and a lack of support from Ameren Illinois. The project, at its lowest quote, will cost $1.184 million.

The committee also suspended the reconstruction of Hampshire from Eighth to 10th until construction prices fall or further grants become available.

The committee approved $75,000 to replace a garbage lift, as well as $119,000 for a small garbage truck.

Treasurer Linda Moore announced the city’s new utility payment system, Invoice Cloud, will go live at 8 a.m. Aug. 28. The new system will offer more control over payments, allowing users to pay before the due date, Customers who previously had auto-pay set up will have to register again, but those with bank auto-drafting set up will continue to pay the same way.

New Quincy Housing Plan looks to be solution to more living options

September 8, 2023

QUINCY, IL (KHQA) — Over the past year, discussions in the city of Quincy have been centered around the need for affordable housing.

After the Great River Economic Development Foundation, GREDF, conducted a county-wide housing study and shared those results, the Quincy City Council voted that the city is in dire need of more funding for more housing.

GREDF President Kyle Moore says this is a step in the right direction.

“It’s important, one because our employers are having a hard time recruiting people here because the lack of housing,” said Moore. “It’s also important because we’ve heard from a number of people, whether they be newcomers to Quincy or people who are just looking to move into a new home, how difficult their journey is.”

Moore says the study took a look at not only low-income housing–but housing at all levels.

“This housing study really gave a 360 degree view of the housing market in Quincy,” said Moore.

New Quincy Housing Plan looks to be solution to more living options. (KHQA)

Moore says many people looking for a place to live in Quincy have had a hard time finding something affordable and available.

The new housing plan looks to solve that issue.

“Affordable market rate apartments, for example, have a .7% vacancy rating. When you take about income rate apartments, those would be what some people would title low-income,” said Moore. “But there are a number of apartment buildings that are just income-based where it’s a sliding scale based on what you make. That vacancy rate right now is 3%.”

Affordable housing also includes starter homes.

Currently, Moore says the average mortgage in Adams County is $1,100 meaning with the current market conditions, families can afford around $130,000 house.

Moore says there are only about 35 houses at that price in the market.

He says there will need to be a significant number of additional homes to provide adequate housing options.

“We looked at not only affordable apartments, income-based apartments, we looked at town homes, senior homes, as well,” said Moore. “We projected that in one year alone, we need 400 units alone brought to the market just to keep up with demand.”

Moore says everything with the housing plan points back at the major goal–growing the city of Quincy.

“The important thing, when this housing study is passed, we are going to be able to apply for and tap into state and federal funding, and that’s what is also the good thing about this program,” said Moore. “We’re going to be able to bring in more dollars back into the community that people pay to Springfield and Washington D.C.”

Moore says the plan still needs to be approved by the Adams County Board which he hopes happens at their next board meeting.

Local business reacts to new GREDF resources

September 8, 2023

QUINCY (WGEM) – We have more information on the new resources available for businesses in Quincy.

The Great River Economic Development Foundation announced the launch of their Business Concierge Program on Wednesday.

Director of Business Development Madison Badgley said she started the program to further support local businesses. She said the program connects businesses to local resources to help them navigate everything from finding investors, getting licenses, and other tackling challenges. She said it’s a great resource for new entrepreneurs.

“We can help with developing and writing a business plan, we can help with walking you through different programs that are available with the city and county and the state,” Badgley said.

For established businesses, she said they provide business check-ups to help them stay within any state, federal, or local guidelines or laws.

Lloyd’s Gifts and Collectibles owner Doug Tenhouse said he spent a lot of time in corporate management and he thought he knew enough about establishing a business. He said he ran into some troubles, such as setting up sales tax with the state, federal tax information, even local ordinances.

“Well I kind of leaned on the previous owner of the business for some questions, people that had been in similar types of businesses, leaned into my mom who had worked in the bank and for some of those kind of things,” Tenhouse said.

He said the program would have helped him with those issues and he said he could use it now to help him and other businesses continue to thrive such as finding ways to expand their customer base or understanding any new state or federal rules and regulations.

If you wish to inquire about the Business Concierge Program you can call GREDF at (217) 223-4313 or email Madison Badgley at badgleym@gredf.org.

GREDF begins new program for Adams County entrepreneurs

September 7, 2023

WGEM – September 6, 2023

QUINCY – Officials at the Great River Economic Development Foundation announced Wednesday there will be a new program designed for entrepreneurs.

GREDF will start the Business Concierge Program to help entrepreneurs start a business, expand their operations, or look for ways to optimize their business in Adams County.

GREDF says the goal of the Business Concierge Program is to provide full service for any business-related help. Using the program’s resources could help entrepreneurs have a stress-free process.

Services Available to Entrepreneurs:

Provide individual assistance in opening or expanding your small business.
Connect entrepreneurs to information, programs, and resources available.
Assistance in developing a business plan.
Provide market research, competitive analysis, and workforce information.
Resources on on-boarding and retaining employees.
A partner to guide you through the development process for tenant improvements or new construction.
Serves as a business facilitator within all City and County departments.
Advise entrepreneurs on which permits/licensees they may need.

In addition to the Business Concierge Program, GREDF developed a Business Check-Up. The check-up will allow entrepreneurs to check in with their businesses for necessary elements like legislative changes state and federal training or updating their employee handbook.

Businesses that are interested in either option can click here.