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Every community has a brand reputation or identity… what people say about them when they’re not around. More than a year ago, nine community organizations decided to work together to propel the image of our community forward. We formed the Brand Quincy/Adams County Partnership with the purpose of developing a cohesive, distinct and memorable brand.

Please join:

City of Quincy, Adams County, Arts Quincy, The District, Great River Economic Development Foundation, Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce, Quincy Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Quincy Park District and the Oakley-Lindsay Center

on Wednesday, January 13, 2016, at 5:00 pm at the Oakley-Lindsay Center in Quincy as we unveil the new community brand.

Cash Bar & Networking 5:00 pm
GREDF Annual Meeting 5:45 pm
Brand Announcement 6:00 pm

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Interests: Manufacturing, Distribution & Logistics, Agriculture, Healthcare, Tourism, Retail

Looking for: Start-ups, businesses looking to expand, young professionals, skilled laborers, entrepreneurs, investors, developers, creative thinkers

The Adams County Regional Economy Profile provides an industrial and demographic overview for our geographic area. This comprehensive assessment is intended to provide pertinent information about the region’s economic base, competitive attributes and population trends in order to help guide local and regional development. 

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Manufacturing Day Press Conference

Great River Economic Development Foundation, John Wood Community College, West Central Region Education for Employment System #240 and the Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois will hold a press conference celebrating National Manufacturing Day on Friday, September 25, 2015, at 8:00 am at Titan International Headquarters, 1120 N 28^th Street (corner of 28^th & Cedar) in Quincy. National Manufacturing Day is October 2, 2015.

Angela Caldwell, Workforce Development/Data Management Specialist, Great River Economic Development Foundation; Kim Boccardi, Director of Marketing, Titan International, Inc.; Mark Pfleiger, Director, West Central Region Education for Employment; Blanche Shoup, Director, Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois; and Mike Elbe, President, John Wood Community College, will each make brief remarks. Mayor Kyle Moore will make an official proclamation recognizing October 2, 2015, as Manufacturing Day in the City of Quincy.   

For more information contact Maggie Strong, maggies@gredf.org or 217.223.4313

JWCC to Hold Manufacturing Expo at Workforce Development Center

Robotics, 3D Prototypes, Pneumatics and Motor Controls to be on Display; 200 High School Students to Attend, Public Invited

John Wood Community College will host a Manufacturing Expo Friday, September 25 at the College’s Workforce Development Center, located at 4220 Kochs Lane in Quincy. The public is invited to attend from 12 to 2 p.m. free of charge.

The event is part of National Manufacturing Month and aimed at educating the region on the new world of manufacturing. More than 17 percent of Adams County employees are in the manufacturing sector, which is full of head-of-household careers for individuals with the right skills.

During the expo, participants will learn about the new technology used in the manufacturing industry through demonstrations and interactive displays. Robots, 3D printers, virtual welding, computer numeric control machines and state-of-the art industrial maintenance technology will be featured inside the JWCC Workforce Development Center.

JWCC instructors will demonstrate how a product is taken from concept and computer animation to its 3D prototype and production using new equipment used by regional employers.

Representatives from Knapheide Manufacturing, Doyle Manufacturing, Moss Industrial Training Skills, Sheet Metal Workers Local 91, Trinity Containers LLC, Kohl Wholesale, Fastenal and Lincoln Welding will showcase products and equipment during the expo. 

Earlier in the day, approximately 200 area high school students will visit the expo as part of a regional manufacturing career exploration effort. From 8:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. students will visit the JWCC Workforce Development Center and tour ten manufacturing sites arranged by the Great River Economic Development Foundation. Students from QHS, QND, Pleasant Hill, Southeastern, Camp Point Central, Liberty, Payson and Western in Illinois, Highland in Missouri and Keokuk in Iowa will tour regional manufacturing companies, including Titan International, Gardner Denver, Knapheide, Manchester Tank, ADM, Hollister Whitney, Gates Air, Craig Industries and Phibro Animal Health.

Information about JWCC career and technical programs, as well as admissions and financial aid will also be available. 

The event is a collaborative effort among JWCC, Great River Economic Development Foundation, Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois and the West Central Education Regional Education for Employment System #240. For more information, contact David Hetzler at 217.641.4953 or dhetzler@jwcc.edu.    

Adams County Works Keeps Focus on Workforce Development in the Region

[share]Community and business leaders and stakeholders are making progress on a shared vision for workforce development in the Adams County region and are underscoring these efforts with a new brand. Representatives from the three Adams County Works teams shared progress and accomplishments as part of a press conference held on September 1st, in celebration of Illinois Workforce Development Week.

Previously known as the Adams County Workforce Initiative, Adams County Works is an effort that began in 2013 to identify and address critical workforce issues.

 The overarching goals of Adams County Works are to:

1. Prepare youth to enter the workforce
2. Connect the willing to work
3. Advance current workers

Three teams have been established to achieve these goals:

1. Career Guidance Team: Working with businesses to convey to individuals the career opportunities and earning potential available in the Adams County region
2. Work Readiness Team: Developing work-ready citizens to become successful, productive members of the regional workforce
3. Transition Planning Team: Ensuring that as workers retire, the knowledge of those retirees stays with local companies and within the community

Adams County Works is being guided by a steering committee consisting of representatives from the Workforce 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 and the Great River Economic Development Foundation. 

In the coming weeks, eDevelopments will feature the work and accomplishments of each Adams County Works team, as well as provide information about how employers and individuals may get involved. Anyone interested in becoming a member of one of the Adams County Works teams should contact Angela Caldwell at 217.223.4313 or caldwella@gredf.org.

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Please help keep Jos. A. Bank in Quincy. Email your letter of support to gredf@gredf.org by Friday, June 12. GREDF will compile the letters and forward to the Men’s Wearhouse/Jos. A. Bank corporate leadership team.

Below is an example of language that could be incorporated into a letter, but we encourage you to personalize your letter. Call GREDF at 217.223.4313 or email maggies@gredf.org with any questions. Thank you.

Mr. Mark Neutze
Executive Vice President Store Operations
Men’s Wearhouse (Jos. A. Bank)

Re: Jos. A. Bank in Quincy, Illinois

Dear Mr. Neutze:

I am writing in regards to the potential closing of the Jos. A. Bank store in Quincy, Illinois. The Quincy store has been a very important business in downtown Quincy for over 20 years and is a destination store for men shopping for premium business wear from a 50-mile radius. Quincy is a regional center for retail shopping, dining and entertainment which is the reason retailers continue to open new stores in Quincy.

It is my understanding that the Quincy store continues to be profitable, has a dedicated and passionate store manager with decades of experience and serves a growing population. Quincy, in addition to being a retail hub, has a continually expanding health care industry. Blessing Health System, with over 3,000 employees, just this week opened an over $70 million dollar patient care addition less than a mile from the Jos. A. Bank store. Quincy Medical Group, with over 1,200 employees continues to add professional staff and capabilities, and is located just 5 blocks from the store. Executives and management from a broad variety of manufacturing and related industries continue to add professional talent, and many are current clients with both corporate and personal accounts. 

A group of concerned community leaders has come together to do everything it can to keep Jos. A. Bank in Quincy. It is my understanding that there are options to retain a profitable Jos. A. Bank in Quincy as either a franchise or company store. I believe there are also opportunities for its growth in both the short and long-term. Please consider making your business decision to keep Jos. A. Bank open in Quincy, Illinois, based on these opportunities.  

Kind regards,

[YOUR NAME]

[YOUR COMPANY]

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Quincy and Adams County Seek Resident Feedback in Survey by June 18

Survey aims to uncover residents’ perceptions of Quincy and Adams County

Quincy and Adams County have launched an intensive branding program aimed to discover, define and design the area’s competitive differentiator so it can stand out in the marketplace. To aid in this effort, residents are encouraged to fill out a short online survey by June 18, 2015, at:

www.brandquincy.com 

To bring outside objectivity to the project, Quincy and Adams County have partnered with Nashville-based North Star Destination Strategies. North Star has helped develop brands for more than 200 cities, regions, communities and municipalities nationwide.

“Over the next several months, using our Community BrandPrint process we’ll be digging out Quincy and Adams County’s competitive identity that is derived from the history, the culture, the geography and the society of a place,” said Don McEachern, CEO of North Star.  “Branding the City of Quincy and Adams County will give community members the tools to effectively manage the conversation that is taking place in order to build a reputation that is fair, honest and powerful.”

The integrated process includes research, strategy and creative development. The first stage is research and comprises about 80% of the work.  “Here we determine the state of your existing brand,” said McEachern.  More than 15 pieces of qualitative and quantitative research will paint a thorough picture of where Quincy and Adams County are today.  This research includes an assessment of the environment; inquiry origin, visitor origin, demographics and psychographics of residents and visitors; perceptions of visitors, residents and stakeholders; and a review of current communications and the competition. The Community Survey is a critical key to understanding the area from the perspective of a resident or business owner. 

Using that research, North Star will develop a brand strategy that is relevant to Quincy and Adams County’s current situation but also differentiates the area to consumers. “We are seeking to capture the essence and value of our community and to develop an effective comprehensive marketing and public relations plan based on this brand,” said Maggie Strong, VP of the Great River Economic Development Foundation.

The final stage of the project will involve the development of a brand identity guide for Quincy and Adams County. “You will get suggestions for a new logo and tagline as part of this guide. But a brand is so much more than that,” said McEachern. “Your community needs to wear this new brand like a second skin. We will provide you the creative tools and ideas to make that happen.” This includes ideas for communications, signage, special events, community outreach, online initiatives, merchandising and more.

“Our identity should appreciate the heritage of the community,” said Strong. “But we also want to represent a robust vision for the future that can be embraced by the entire region.”

 Quincy and Adams County Branding Project Overview

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Have you heard about the Mid-America Intermodal Port?

Established in 1999 by a compact between Illinois, Iowa and Missouri, the 26-county, Mid-America Port Commission was designed to be a catalyst for economic growth in the Tri-States. The developer of the first of six proposed physical Port projects is the Mid-America Intermodal Authority Port District, an Illinois Port located in the South Quincy Development District on the Mississippi River, approximately one mile below Lock and Dam 21 .

But what exactly is the Mid-America Intermodal Port? Let’s break it down:

Mid-America: The middle of America, a physical location that aligns with global business strategies and offers major market proximity.

Intermodal: The movement of freight by two or more modes of transportation. This port will have the ability to ship, receive or transload between truck, rail and barge at the South Quincy site and between truck and air at the regional airports.

Inland Port: A rail or a barge terminal that is linked by rail or inland waterway to a seaport with regular inland transport services.

Why should we care?

The total project cost is estimated at $70 to $80 million. That’s a huge investment for our region and translates into hundreds of jobs during the construction phase. Long-term, the Port will make the South Quincy Development District an ideal logistics location with more than 1,500 develop-able acres adjacent to the proposed Port location.

A number of companies currently located near the Port site have indicated the new Port facilities would drive significant capital investment and job creation adjacent to the new Port.

Promotion of the Mid-America Port development opportunities to prospective businesses and site consultants (such as this new brochure developed by GREDF) could lead to millions of dollars in investments by companies looking for a physical location that aligns with their global business strategies. The primary purpose and major benefit of the Port is to give regional businesses access to lower cost and best modes of transportation to help them stay globally competitive and keep jobs here.

In the works:

Over the past several weeks, Port and economic development officials have met one-on-one with a number of key officials, including; Paul “Chip” Jaenichen, Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration; William Paape, Director, Gateway Inland Waterways, MARAD; Governor Bruce Rauner; Jim Schultz, Director, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Randy Blankenhorn, Secretary, Illinois Department of Transportation; and Wayne Rosenthal, Director, Illinois Department of Natural Resources to share this status update:

• The project has been selected as part of the USDOT Build America Transportation Investment Center Program, a fast-track project program providing technical assistance on permitting, public/private partnership structure, funding and other requirements.
• A $1.3 million grant from DCEO for permitting, design and engineering has been approved.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) has requested and received regular updates on the status of the project.
• The Port District and a local engineering firm are preparing the TIGER application.

The Bottom Line:

The Mid-America Intermodal Port has the potential to pay huge dividends for decades to come, maintaining and improving the economic vitality and quality of life of the entire tri-state region.

Click here to see the newest marketing piece for the Mid-America Intermodal Port. Want to know more? Contact us at 217.223.4313. 

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Representatives from North Star Destination Strategies, the company hired by a team of key stakeholders representing organizations within the City of Quincy and Adams County to develop a marketing brand for the City and County, will hold a Public Meeting this week in Quincy.

Community Branding PUBLIC MEETING
Tuesday, April 28
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm 
Quincy Public Library
526 Jersey Street

North Star representatives will give a brief presentation and hold a Q&A session so that the general public may learn more about the community branding process and offer feedback.

14 months ago, the Quincy and Adams County Community Branding Team was formed with the purpose of 1) establishing a marketable and recognizable brand which captures the essence and value of the community, and 2) developing an effective comprehensive marketing and public relations campaign based on this brand.

Members of the Community Branding Team include:

• Adams County – Rick Gengenbacher and Mike McLaughlin
• City of Quincy – Mayor Kyle Moore and Chuck Bevelheimer
• Great River Economic Development Foundation – Marcel Wagner and Maggie Strong
• Oakley-Lindsay Center – Rob Ebbing
• Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce – Amy Looten
• Quincy Area Convention and Visitors Bureau – Lori Tuttle
• Quincy Park District – Rome Frericks
• Quincy Society of Fine Arts – Lenny Bart
• The District – Bruce Guthrie

Over the past year, the team developed a request for proposal, received 11 competitive responses, interviewed two finalists, raised the necessary funds for the project and entered into a partnership with North Star Destination Strategies, Inc.

“We have been impressed with North Star’s approach to the branding process because of how it combines research, strategy, creativity, action and education,” says Maggie Strong, a member of the Branding Team and Vice President of the Great River Economic Development Foundation. “The success of this process will be a direct result of pulling everyone together to speak in one voice.”

The public meeting is part of North Star’s 4-day in-market trip that will also include community tours, one-on-one stakeholder meetings and focus groups. The results of this visit and the additional qualitative and quantitative research conducted by North Star will help determine the brand “story” of Quincy and Adams County.

North Star representatives will be available to speak with the media immediately following the public meeting. Please contact Maggie Strong at maggies@gredf.org or 217.257.0721, for more details.

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Value Stream Mapping: 
Hands-on training for the small and mid-sized manufacturer

JOHN WOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Workforce Development Center

4220 Kochs Lane

Quincy, Illinois

APRIL 21 & 28

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) enables a company to identify waste in manufacturing and administrative processes using objective data. Cross-functional teams develop a plan to reduce or eliminate waste by streamlining work processes and cutting lead times. VSM often results in reduced costs, improved communication and increased quality. During this training, IMECexperts will use case studies and process examples that participants identify in their own organizations to guide you through concept training, application, and value stream improvement implementation.

Through Value Stream Mapping, a team of employees can map all steps in the current state from internal or external customer hand-offs back to raw material. Value-added and non-value-added activities and information flows in both manufacturing and administrative process will be assessed with the goal to develop a future state vision that acts as a blueprint for on-going Continuous Improvement activities. The Future State often represents a significant change compared to the way the company currently operates. The participants in the VSM training will develop an implementation strategy to make the Future State a reality. The most urgent needs will be addressed first, and can typically be accomplished in a very short time frame with the appropriate resources applied.

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

The workshop illustrates the basic skills involved in Value Stream Mapping. This group training exercise is designed to introduce participants to the concepts and outcomes of VSM development.

DEVELOPING A VALUE STREAM MAP

Following the workshop, IMEC is available to facilitate a cross-functional group of your employees through the Value Stream Mapping process, implementing the techniques learned on a selected company value stream

AGENDA

Day One (April 21)

• Describe the characteristics, benefits and importance of Value Stream Mapping
  • How to make roadblocks in a process visible and measurable
  • Linking the 7 Wastes to clear cost savings
  • Visualizing an entire process and quickly identifying improvement projects
• Appreciate the importance of a Value Stream Manager
• Understand the benefit of Project Charters and how to implement

Day Two (April 28)

• Create a Current State Map
• Define and review basic Lean principles
• Develop the skills necessary to create a Future State Map
• Develop an effective implementation plan using the Project Charter

Fees: $375 per person* (register 2 or more for $325 pp)

Fees include lunch and all training materials.

REGISTRATION

Register your company seat(s) at www.imec.org/events.cfm, or call IMEC at 888.806.4632.

INFORMATION

Contact Rob Newbold, IMEC Regional Manager, at 217-572-1551 or rnewbold@imec.org. 

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Request for Proposals

[Legal Notice]

The City of Quincy is offering Tax Increment Finance (TIF) funding to assist redevelopment proposals for mixed use commercial/residential redevelopment projects.  The City is requesting building owners and developers of multi-story buildings submit proposals for upper-story residential redevelopment that will increase market-rate housing opportunities in downtown Quincy.  The city is willing and able to offer TIF funding assistance for acquisition, financing and renovation of mix use projects that support the development of market rate housing.

Proposals are to be submitted in a sealed envelope to:  Interim Director of Purchasing, 730 Maine St., Quincy, IL  62301.  The outside of the envelope must be clearly marked, “Downtown Redevelopment Proposal.”  Proposals will be accepted no later than 4:00 p.m., April 2, 2015.  RFP specifications can be found online at 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

View and download the Downtown Development Prospectus.