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Kankakee native to run Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
April home sales in Illinois up 15.7% from a year ago; median prices stable across state
Flip though the virtual pages of the 2012 IMAGES of Kankakee County magazine.
Connect with the Alliance
The mission of the
Economic Alliance of Kankakee County
is to create jobs and expand
the economic base by improving the business climate. The Alliance actively supports the retention and expansion of existing businesses as well as the attraction and recruitment of new companies.
OUR business
is helping YOUR business.
815.935.1177
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Manufacturers' Coalition Initial Meeting Set for June 19
Responding to long-standing calls for a forum for industry leaders to network and discuss common issues, the Alliance announces the initial meeting of the Kankakee County Manufacturers' Coalition. The meeting will be held at the BASF plant in Kankakee, starting at noon on June 19. BASF Operations Manager Erich Reuter will host.
On the agenda are a brief presentation "Recruitment of Professionals to Kankakee County" by Yvonne Burnett, Physician Recruitment Manager at Riverside Medical Center, lunch and a discussion of possible next steps for the Coalition. The meeting will conclude by 1:30 p.m. with an optional tour of the BASF facility.
To RSVP or for more information, contact Alliance Director of Business Development Steve Husak at 815-935-1177, email shusak@kankakeecountyed.org.
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Student Life & Rec Center Walk-through
 | | CLICK PHOTO to check out interior progress. |
Construction continues on Olivet Nazarene University's
168,000 sq. ft. Student Life & Recreation Center, slated for completion in December. Highlights of the facility will include an eight-lane, 200 meter indoor running track with Mondo surface, the American university system's tallest rock climbing wall, and a 10-lane competition pool.
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Kankakee-Bradley MSA Ranks Among Top 100
Small Cities for Jobs Nationwide
NewGeography.com's 2012 "Best Cities for Jobs" rankings found the Kankakee-Bradley metropolitan statistical area at #87 among small cities nationwide. In Illinois, only Springfield ranked higher. The study examined employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics covering November 2000 through January 2012, with rankings based on recent growth trends, mid-term growth, long-term growth and the region's momentum. Details here.
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2011 Winner Establishes Bourbonnais Office
Technology services and equipment provider GeekSpeak Inc., one of the top winners of the inaugural Kankakee County business plan competition
 EnterpriseU, is set to open its first commercial office at 263 N. Convent, Suite 1, in Bourbonnais
on June 1.
GeekSpeak, third place winner in the 2011 contest, will open its doors just weeks before the June 19 announcement of the 2012 EnterpriseU competition winners. Read more here.
Join the Alliance in welcoming GeekSpeak to the
Kankakee County business community Thursday, June 7!
Click here for event details.
"Meet the Contestants" in Manteno
EnterpriseU contestants had the opportunity in April to hear from local developer Adam Baumgartner (fourth from left), who started his first business - a Subway franchise - with personal savings at age 18. Eight years later, he employs more than 100 at eight eateries and a couple of pool construction outfits.
Contestants toured Manteno's Rad Rides by Troy before heading to Pub at Midtown. Also in attendance were program sponsors Dr. Ed Piatt of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Josh Lundmark of LinkPoint Media. 
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Field Presents to River Roundtable,
Plans Kankakee County Biological Inventory
Following a presentation by conservation field staff members before the Kankakee River Roundtable in March, Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History has sited a local summer intern to perform a biological inventory. The Alliance-supported project involves cataloging our area's important natural characteristics and attractions and developing related promotional copy.
Laurel Ross, Field Museum Director of Urban Conservation and chair of Chicago Wilderness, will return to the area August 28 to present "Discovering Our Bioregion" at Green Drinks Kankakee. Details here.
The next meeting of the Kankakee River Roundtable will be Friday, June 8 at 10:00 a.m. in the 3rd floor conference room, 200 E. Court Street, Kankakee. All are welcome. Visit www.gokankakeeriver.org for more information. 
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A committee of public- and private-sector leaders aiming to spur local commercial, residential and visitor investment has been formed to strengthen Kankakee County's internal and external image. Led by the Economic Alliance, the group will collaborate to identify our area's strongest points of differentiation, an effort that is expected to help prioritize physical improvement countywide as well as improve returns on marketing investment.
Throughout the month of June, the 2020 Vision Committee will circulate a resident survey. Created in conjunction with Dr. Don Daake at ONU, the project will provide a baseline quality of life assessment. The electronic survey may be accessed at the Economic Alliance website after June 1.
This fall, the group will spearhead an in-depth regional assessment by Destination Development International.
Economic Alliance of Kankakee County staff attended the North Central Illinois Council of Governments Economic Development Summit in Princeton in May. Guest speaker was Roger Brooks of Destination Development International, who has presented to the 2020 Vision Committee on increasing new business, residential and visitor investment through community branding.
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Connecting Business and Education
 Economic Alliance President & CEO Mike Van Mill leads Junior Achievement program "Our City" for 3rd grade students atLorenzo Smith School in April.
 Manteno High School and Kankakee Area Career Center student intern Jake Wayner with the Alliance's Gina O'Neill 
Kankakee High School intern Ajee Bryant assists Alliance Sustainable Business Coordinator Marilyn Campbell in preparing displays for Kankakee Community College's 2012 Sustainability Expo.
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