The seventh in our series of articles highlighting the remarks of GREDF Board Chairperson, Connie Schroeder at our 2011 Annual Meeting.

[share] A look back at RURAL and REGIONAL HAPPENINGS in the tri-states in 2010…

The Rural Adams Development Corporation celebrated 10 years in 2010 of operating a low-interest, revolving loan fund designed to finance projects that will create and retain jobs in rural Adams County. The non-profit organization formed with the help of GREDF and includes seven rural banks. Since 1990, R.A.D.C. has provided 61 loans totaling nearly $2 million dollars. Communities that have been impacted include Camp Point, Clayton, Golden, Liberty, Mendon, Payson and Ursa to name a few.

We’re pleased to share that the R.A.D.C. has never administered a loan that has defaulted and GREDF’s own loan program has a nearly perfect record.

Someone who knows a lot about rural Adams County communities is Adams County Highway Engineer Dick Klusmeyer who put down his ruler in May after 39 years with the Highway Department, 26 of those leading its operations. Dick has been instrumental in bringing infrastructure improvements to the South Quincy Development District which led to millions of dollars in private investment and hundreds of jobs. He was also responsible for launching the award-winning Adams County G.I.S. program. We’re pleased that Dick is one of those guys who never completely stops working. He currently sits on the GREDF board and remains a staunch advocate of the Mid-America Port. Dick, thank you for your vision, service and continued support.

C&L Tiling’s purchase of the former Methode plant in Golden has turned into one of the most notable good-news stories of rural Adams County in 2010. The company has experienced tremendous growth in the past couple of years necessitating their expansion into the former plant. The move allowed them to add new production capacity to their Timewell facility by moving non-production functions to Golden including their trucking and ADI installation headquarters. They also relocated their Fittings Fabrication operations from their Michigan plant to the facility. Forty employees operate out of Golden and the company has tentative plans to add another building to the site. They also lease space to Dot Foods and Jansen Seed Company.

Big River Fish in Pearl is at the beginning stages of developing an export market to China for Asian Carp. During the last month they shipped 30 to 40 thousand-pound containers of frozen fish. Our Charles Bell assisted the company in navigating the Chinese market. Charles has traveled to China on behalf of GREDF to research export opportunities. Plans are underway for Big River Fish to open a second processing plant in Griggsville.

Midwest Crop Insurance Service, one of the nation’s largest general agencies in the Federal Crop Insurance industry, officially merged into AgriLogic Insurance Service. Their Camp Point headquarters will serve as the new A.L.I.S. Midwestern Regional Service Center. We assisted Midwest Crop Insurance with financing for the expansion that will eventually lead to over 18 new employees in Camp Point. Charles Bell also helped the company develop their international business, providing contacts and separately helping one of the owners develop an export market for a food product they plan to package locally.

A valued partner in small business development is retiring at the end of month after serving the region for 20 years. Dan Voorhis, director of the Small Business Development Center at Western Illinois University has helped hundreds of small businesses in a 12-county region develop business plans for start ups and expansions. Thank you, Dan for your friendship and service.

Ursa Farmers Cooperative celebrated 90 years in August. Over 800 partners and friends attended the annual meeting celebration. The Co-op is looking at building a new grain elevator in Canton, Missouri which is directly across the river from its Meyer facility. Between 500 to 600 of the cooperative’s 2400 members live on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River and a new elevator would help to better serve these individuals.

Tri-State Development Summit coordinator Shelby Crow has given us permission to announce tonight that the 2011 Summit will be held October 5^th in this very building in the Quincy Community Theater. 2011 marks the 15^th year of bringing together tri-state leaders to define common issues, to develop on-going dialogues to address those issues and to improve the quality of life of the entire tri-state region.

2010 Summit activities saw a continuation of the theme of entrepreneurship from the 2009 Summit in Fairfield, Iowa. The entrepreneurship task force held a series of workshops for entrepreneurs in all three states. Highway and river infrastructure improvements continue to remain at the top of the Summit priority list and much progress has been made.

Significant validation for the role of the Summit came in the form of census data revealing the potential loss of one seat each in the U.S. House of Representatives for Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. Now more than ever the Summit’s 35 counties must stand together to keep our political leaders aware of the issues our communities and region face.

The sixth in our series of articles highlighting the remarks of GREDF Board Chairperson, Connie Schroeder at our 2011 Annual Meeting.

[share] A look back at QUALITY OF LIFE in the tri-states in 2010…

So we think the Quincy area is one of the best places to live in America. Our region has a low cost of living, great schools, low crime, good healthcare and an abundance of parks and recreational opportunities. We enjoy the availability of affordable housing, we have a love for the arts and many more factors that make the tri-states a great place to raise a family.

Speaking of raising families… In October Forbes Magazine ranked Quincy number eight on its list of the Best Small Cities to Raise a Family. We are honored to have received the recognition, but not that surprised. The magazine compared Quincy to 126 other cities with a population under 100,000 and ranked us on five quality of life measures including short commute times, percentage of adults with a high school degree, median household income, rate of home ownership and housing affordability.

Quality of life is a phrase often used in economic development. That’s because it’s an important factor in expansion and site selection decisions. After all, a business is only as good as its employees and a high quality of life leads to happy and productive employees. That’s why we continue to celebrate and support organizations and people who are contributing to our region’s excellent quality of life.

Just a few notable projects and events from the past year…

The Quincy Public Library is in the midst of a $5.5 million dollar renovation project to better serve the needs of the community. Good Samaritan Home is making progress on the second phase of their major construction project. The Foose Center for Alzheimer’s care is complete and when the entire $20.7 million dollar project is finished, Good Samaritan Home will have doubled its number of licensed and private rooms.

130 veterans from the tri-states experienced the national memorials constructed in their honor in Washington, D.C. thanks to the Great River Honor Flight and the individuals and businesses that support the organization. Two more flights are already scheduled for this spring.

The Home Builders Association of Quincy completed its first-ever Charity House building project in September. Over one hundred volunteers donated their time and materials for the project. Proceeds from the home’s auction were donated to Habitat for Humanity and Camp Callahan.

The City of Quincy was recognized with an Arts Friendly Community Award honorable mention by Arts Alliance Illinois and the Illinois Municipal League. Quincy was one of ten cities in the state chosen because our community leaders recognize the importance of the arts in fostering a vibrant and creative community.

Quincy-based Red Cactus Salsa partnered with The First Tee National Office and is donating a percentage of all its retail sales to support First Tee’s mission and core values including responsibility, honesty and confidence. The First Tee of Great River has been serving children in the tri-states for over a decade.

In March Quincy-native and Olympian Caren Kemner announced the formation of the Quincy Riverfront Athletic Association, a committee of parents, athletes and business leaders who are working toward accreditation with the Community Olympic Development Program. It’s about creating opportunities for kids and drawing on community resources, says Kemner.

TNT Kartways celebrated 50 years during their Vintage Kart Olympics in September. Owner and founder Gus Traeder, who is a member of the Racing Hall of Fame, built the facility after years of promoting the sport. And more than nine hundred street rod owners converged on Quincy for the 35^th annual Early Tin Dusters Color Run in October. The event brings about two thousand visitors to the area and generates between $700,000 and $1 million dollars for the local economy.

Tourism remains strong in the tri-states. Adams County ranked 22^nd out of 102 Illinois counties in visitor spending. Visitors spent $78 million dollars and created 740 jobs in 2009. The Quincy Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is now part of Travel Mississippi River, a 15-organization, 2-state effort to market river communities.

The fifth in our series of articles highlighting the remarks of GREDF Board Chairperson, Connie Schroeder at our 2011 Annual Meeting.

[share] A look back at ENERGY, INFRASTRUCTURE and TECHNOLOGY in the tri-states in 2010…

ENERGY

Renewable energy projects are moving forward in the region. Adams Electric Cooperative held an open house this summer to celebrate the commercial operation of its Pigeon Creek Wind Turbine in southeast Adams County. Adams Co-op is also moving forward with the development of a second turbine in Brown County that is expected to be completed this year.

GREDF development partner Prairie Power recently received permits to begin testing a process where it adds biomass fuel, wood and/or grass to its coal-fueled power plant in Pearl. The results could lead to the use of renewable fuel sources to supplement the fuel presently used at Pearl. I’d like to welcome Jay Bartlett, president and CEO of Prairie Power to our meeting this evening. Thank you for joining us.

The City of Quincy Hydro-Generation project continues to move forward. Extension of the 1603 tax provisions and interest from equity investors should hasten the pace of development this year.

The Prairie Mills Wind Farm development in northeast Adams County encountered some hurdles this past year, but construction on the $300 million dollar clean energy project could begin later this year or in early 2012. GREDF and our energy consultant Pete Pohlman have been involved with the project and numerous other energy-related projects including hydropower for a number of years and will continue to provide assistance as needed.

INFRASTRUCTURE/TECHNOLOGY

The City of Quincy pursued new fiber optic technology in 2010 allowing United Kingdom-based i3 America to install cable in the municipal sewer lines in southeast Quincy. If the test installation proves successful, the hyper-fast internet the cable allows could make Quincy attractive to a broad range of business prospects. City Planner Chuck Bevelheimer said that the City is currently working with the company to address maintenance issues before they look at moving forward. 

 Adams Telephone Co-Operative is investing in a $35 million dollar project to construct its own new high tech fiber optic network to provide the fastest internet speeds possible. The multi-phase, multi-year project began in August with an initial $5.5 million dollar investment targeting Golden, Mendon, Ursa and Lima. GREDF board member and Adams Telephone CEO, Jim Broemmer calls the project a huge infrastructure investment in rural Adams County that will set up these communities for new technologies and services for the next 50 years or more.

AT&T and IPhone users throughout the area rejoiced when the 3G icon appeared on their screens. Advanced telecommunication features such as 3G open up our area for even more business development opportunities.

The fourth in our series of articles highlighting the remarks of GREDF Board Chairperson, Connie Schroeder at our 2011 Annual Meeting.

A look back at EDUCATION & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT in the Tri-States in 2010…

[share] Quincy University’s confidence in the future is displayed in the $5.2 million dollar, 92-room dormitory taking shape on campus. Students will begin living in the new suite-style dorm in the fall. Q.U. welcomed its largest incoming class in 15 years at the start of the fall semester.

Enrollment is also up at Culver Stockton College and Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing. Culver experienced a 26 percent jump from the 2009 to 2010 academic year. Blessing-Rieman is up 10 percent over last year and enrollment has increased 30 percent over the last six years. A change in name for Hannibal-LaGrange University signifies that area school’s commitment to the future.

In June Jim Mentesti delivered the commencement address to Vatterott College graduates. I’d like to share with you a portion of his remarks, and I quote, “As an economic developer, I am especially pleased with who I see before me. You’re making my job easier. The skills you now have make it easier for me to encourage our manufacturers, service industries and hospitals to grow and expand. Knowing they will have qualified individuals to fill new job openings makes a difference. A quality workforce, that’s you, also helps me attract new business and industry to our area,” end quote.

John Wood Community College is a valued partner in workforce development as well. At a little over a year old, the college’s state-of-the-art workforce development center houses a number of the seventeen career training and workforce education programs which include truck driver training, fire science, health education, electrical technology, restaurant management, construction technology and sustainable local foods.

In response to workforce demand, the College has launched customized training in aluminum welding in addition to its current welding program. A number of local companies including Manchester Tank and ADM are working with John Wood to develop programs specific to their workforce needs. All of these initiatives contribute to the College’s role as an essential partner in workforce development and retention. We’d like to thank John Wood’s Dean of Career and Technology Workforce Education and former GREDF Chairman, Phil Conover, for the work he continues to do in partnership with GREDF making retention calls throughout the year to area businesses.

2010 was a busy year for GREDF and the Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois. Our partnership with WIB is a strong alliance that fosters economic development by maintaining a dynamic workforce development environment. A number of initiatives took shape. We completed a survey of area businesses’ workforce needs. Companies answered questions about what issues they are facing and what help they need to meet current demand and expand. As a result, a number of companies were referred to the Workforce Investment Board for funding to assist in employee training.

I would like to welcome some special guests tonight. WIB, YP Quincy and GREDF are working with area students to help them identify career and employment opportunities within the community. These young people will be touring companies, meeting with young professionals and getting the help they need to pursue training and education. Ladies and Gentlemen, will you please stand and be recognized? Thank you. And thank you also to Blanche Shoupe of the Workforce Investment Board and Shelby Crow of YP Quincy and the Tri-State Development Summit for your work.

[share] The Springfield Illinois Business Journal recently featured Quincy and our robust business climate and high quality of life in a front page article. Read the full 4-page article here: Springfield Business Journal Quincy Article January 2011.