[share] Click here to read the December edition of Developments, the quarterly print newsletter of the Great River Economic Development Foundation. This packed edition includes the following articles:

• Celebrating Jim Mentesti’s 27 Years at GREDF’s Helm
• 2013 Annual Meeting Preview
• AAIM Employers’ Association “90 Days to Success”
• Region Charters Course to Train Students for Advanced Manufacturing Careers
• Search for New GREDF President Progresses
• Blessing Hospital Breaks Ground for Patient Care Addition
• Competing in a Global Marketplace
• GREDF Focuses on Retention Visits

If you would like receive Developments in your mailbox four times a year, please click here to sign up!

[share]Heritage Foundation Fellow to Speak at Industrial Association of Quincy Annual Meeting

Edmund Haislmaier, an expert in health care policy and markets at The Heritage Foundation, is the featured speaker at the Industrial Association of Quincy 2012 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, October 2nd. The breakfast will be held at 7:00am at Town & Country Inn and Suites, 110 North 54th Street. Tickets to the continental breakfast are available by calling Great River Economic Development Foundation at 217.223.4313 or downloading this registration form.

Mr. Haislmaier will give a speech entitled, “The Implications of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”.  The continental breakfast begins at 7:00 am with remarks beginning at 7:20 am. The cost is $15 per person. Tables of eight are available.

In his role at The Heritage Foundation, Edmund F. Haislmaier frequently is asked to help lawmakers design and draft specific reforms to the health system. Haislmaier’s expertise includes health care tax policy, Medicare, Medicaid, foreign health systems, pharmaceuticals and health care price controls.

Haislmaier, who works on related bills with both state and federal legislators, developed innovative strategies for states to create consumer-centered health insurance markets by using their authority to regulate insurance.

Under his design, employers may opt to enroll workers in a state health insurance “exchange,” through which each worker then buys coverage of his or her choice. Employers avoid the difficulties of administering a traditional “one size fits all” group plan, while employees pick their own coverage and take it from job to job. No one loses current tax preferences or other benefits of employer-sponsored insurance.

This approach is a key element of Utah’s health care reforms, adopted in 2009. And in recent years, 15 other states have asked Haislmaier and his colleagues in Heritage’s Center for Health Policy Studies to help develop consumer-focused solutions for their troubled health systems.

Haislmaier is in demand as a speaker at conferences on health policy and has testified before numerous federal and state legislative committees. A frequent guest on radio and television news and talk shows, his commentaries have been published in The Washington Times, New York Post and National Review Online among many others.

Before rejoining Heritage in 2005 as a research fellow, Haislmaier worked as a health policy consultant from 1998-2004 and was director of health care policy in Pfizer Inc.’s Corporate Strategic Planning and Policy division from 1994-1997.

He originally came to Heritage in 1987 as the think tank’s first policy analyst for health care. He was named senior policy analyst in 1994. He was promoted to senior research fellow in 2007.

Haislmaier is a member of the board of directors of the National Center for Public Policy Research. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from St. Mary’s College in Maryland.

Industrial Association of Quincy

• Industrial Association of Quincy has been in existence since 1945.
• IAQ membership has remained constant and includes both large and small industry, transportation, utilities and the financial and medical sectors.
• IAQ’s number one priority is to ensure the voice of industry is heard. IAQ continues to be an advocate for business and industry both in Springfield and Washington D.C. This has become more important as the cost of doing business escalates.
• IAQ is proud of the continued strong alliance with the AAIM Employers’ Association and the Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois.
• IAQ continues to have a strong voice in workforce development and infrastructure issues throughout the region.
• Through The Quincy Entrepreneurship Center, IAQ uses the resources of the Illinois Office of Trade and the International Trade Center to assist local businesses in international markets.
• IAQ partnership with GREDF remains strong. GREDF has acted as IAQ facilitator for the past 10 plus years and together the organizations support the Tri-State Summit and Mid America Intermodal Port project among other initiatives.
• IAQ Executive Committee includes: Jack Sharkey, Sharkey Transportation, president; Harry Marcionetti, Knapheide Manufacturing, vice president; and Tim Finlay, ADM Alliance Nutrition, secretary/treasurer.

Reservations for the October 2nd breakfast at Town & Country Inn and Suites may be made by contacting GREDF, which serves as IAQ facilitator, at 217-223-4313 or gredf@gredf.org. Here is the registration form. The registration deadline is September 27th.

[share] Quincy, Illinois.  August 29, 2012…The Board of Directors of Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF) and James E. Mentesti, its President, today announced that he has chosen to retire after 27 years of service to GREDF and Tri-State area.  Phil Conover has been named interim President.  Mr. Mentesti will continue to support GREDF’s mission as a consultant during a transitional period.

[share]Governor Quinn signed Senate Bill 3616 on Tuesday, August 7, 2012, “providing stable and predictable job creation and retention incentives for the long term” via the Illinois Enterprise Zone legislation, according to Craig Coil, President of the Illinois Enterprise Zone Association.

Coil went on to say in a press release, “More importantly, it also gives communities with existing zones the opportunity to renew for up to 25 years, thereby stabilizing their long term economic development strategies and giving employers of all sizes and types a measure of predictability in planning for future job development and capital project opportunities.”

Championed by the Illinois Manufacturers Association (IMA) with significant technical assistance and support provided by the Illinois Enterprise Zone Association (IEZA) and the Taxpayers Federation of Illinois (TFI), Senate Bill 3616 represents a true collaboration of ideas and opinions. Illinois employers as well as media and local government leaders, Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development Organizations throughout the state helped promote the merits of the bill as well, reaching out to their respective legislators about the importance of remaining competitive for the long term.

Previous Post…

After nearly three years of discussion and negotiation, the Illinois General Assembly unanimously passed Enterprise Zone extension legislation on May 31st. The bill awaits Governor Quinn’s signature.

According to an email from Craig Coil, president of the Illinois Enterprise Zone Association, “Senate Bill 3616 will provide stable and predictable job creation and retention incentives for the long term, more transparency and performance reporting and revised qualification criteria which may give communities not currently designated as Enterprise Zones the chance to be considered for designation. It also gives communities with existing zones the opportunity to renew for up to 25 years.”

The Quincy & Adams County Illinois Enterprise Zone was established in 1984 under state legislation. The Enterprise Zone is considered one of the most effective economic development tools available. Enterprise Zone incentives help grow our economy by encouraging job creation, retention and investments in our communities.

Enterprise Zone incentives have included:

• Property tax abatement
• Building materials sales tax exemption
• Reduced permit fees
• Jobs tax credit
• Investment tax credit
• Income tax reductions
• Machinery and equipment state sales tax exemption
• Utility tax exemption

Last year the program is credited with creating 8,980 jobs and nearly $2.5 billion in investments throughout the state. In the Quincy/Adams County Zone alone, (which includes portions of Brown County) 61 projects resulted in over $41 million in investments and 423 jobs being created or retained. This does not include the short term construction and other jobs further benefiting local businesses and the economy.

Visit our Incentives Page for details about current incentives available under the Quincy/Adams County Enterprise Zone or contact Cathy Schluckebier (217.228.4515 or cschluckebier@ci.quincy.il.us) with the City of Quincy Department of Planning and Development for more information. 

[share] Adams County June unemployment figures rose slightly over May which can be attributed in part to a seasonal rise that coincides with the end of the school year.

Adams County still has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state of Illinois at 6.7%. Brown County (4.8%) and Woodford County (6.6%) are the only two counties out of 102 Illinois counties that have lower rates.

The City of Quincy’s June unemployment rate is 7.2% which is up 0.1% over a year ago in June.

See the figures for yourself at the Illinois Department of Employment Security website.

Gardner Museum Public Hearing Set for Thursday, June 7

[share] The Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County will hold a public hearing on Thursday, June 7th at 6.00 pm in the Gardner Museum Building at 332 Maine Street, Quincy, Illinois. The purpose of this hearing is to seek public willingness to support the mission of the Gardner Museum.  Citizens are invited to attend, tour the building and grounds and offer ideas for funding the Museum.

Built in 1888 to serve as the Quincy Public Library, the architecturally significant structure on the southwest corner of Fourth and Maine has served in recent years as the Gardner Museum of Architecture and Design.

Great River Economic Development Foundation President Jim Mentesti and Historic Quincy Business District Executive Director Travis Brown are heading a Blue Ribbon committee to gauge public support of the museum. The museum closed because of a lack of financial support in March and was taken over by the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County.

The Society would like to continue the mission of the Gardner Museum, if public support makes this financially feasible. The Society hopes a creative partnership can be found to provide the financial support and reuse of the building for public or nonprofit use(s).

“The Gardner Museum building is an extremely important and architecturally significant structure in downtown Quincy. We hope to see a lot of engaged citizens at Thursday’s public hearing,” says Travis Brown, HQBD Executive Director.

If you are unable to attend the hearing, written or emailed comments can be submitted to:

Jim Mentesti
Great River Economic Development Foundation
300 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 256
Quincy, IL 62301
217-223-4313
gredf@gredf.org

[share] After nearly three years of discussion and negotiation, the Illinois General Assembly unanimously passed Enterprise Zone extension legislation on May 31st. The bill awaits Governor Quinn’s signature.

According to an email from Craig Coil, president of the Illinois Enterprise Zone Association, “Senate Bill 3616 will provide stable and predictable job creation and retention incentives for the long term, more transparency and performance reporting and revised qualification criteria which may give communities not currently designated as Enterprise Zones the chance to be considered for designation. It also gives communities with existing zones the opportunity to renew for up to 25 years.”

The Quincy & Adams County Illinois Enterprise Zone was established in 1984 under state legislation. The Enterprise Zone is considered one of the most effective economic development tools available. Enterprise Zone incentives help grow our economy by encouraging job creation, retention and investments in our communities.

Enterprise Zone incentives have included:

• Property tax abatement
• Building materials sales tax exemption
• Reduced permit fees
• Jobs tax credit
• Investment tax credit
• Income tax reductions
• Machinery and equipment state sales tax exemption
• Utility tax exemption

Last year the program is credited with creating 8,980 jobs and nearly $2.5 billion in investments throughout the state. In the Quincy/Adams County Zone alone, (which includes portions of Brown County) 61 projects resulted in over $41 million in investments and 423 jobs being created or retained. This does not include the short term construction and other jobs further benefiting local businesses and the economy.

Visit our Incentives Page for details about current incentives available under the Quincy/Adams County Enterprise Zone or contact Cathy Schluckebier (217.228.4515 or cschluckebier@ci.quincy.il.us) with the City of Quincy Department of Planning and Development for more information. 

[share] Jobless rates declined again in Western Illinois for the month of April. Adams County had the 2nd lowest unemployment rate in the state at 5.6 percent. Brown County had the lowest at 4.1 percent

The City of Quincy’s unemployment sits at 6.0 percent.

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

[share]Adams County continues to be among the lowest in the state when it comes to unemployment numbers. March 2012 unemployment for the county was 6.3%. That’s down 0.8% from February and makes Adams County the 2nd lowest county in the state behind Brown County (4.6%).

The City of Quincy was at 6.6% for the month of March, also down 0.8% from the previous month.

View the unemployment rate numbers around the state of Illinois for yourself at the IDES Local Area Unemployment Statistics website.

[share] Adams County is tied for the second lowest unemployment in the State of Illinois for the month of February at 7.1%. That is 0.3% lower than January of this year. Adams County tied with Du Page County, coming in second only to Brown County out of the 102 counties in the state.

The City of Quincy’s unemployment sits at 7.4% which is also 0.3% lower than January 2012.

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