Ready, Set, Go!

[share] Organizers of the Tri-State Development Summit are holding a workshop titled Ready, Set, Go! in Hannibal, MO on March 23 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.  The purpose of the workshop is to highlight areas of success and opportunities for economic growth in the Tri-State Development Summit region as we emerge from the economic downturn.

Topics to be discussed include Recreation & Tourism, Workforce Development & Education, Transportation and Business.  Our region is poised for economic growth and prosperity as we enter the recovery phase of the recession.  We have essential infrastructure, recreation & tourism amenities, an un-matched quality workforce and a strong business community.  Businesses, Economic Development Professionals, Educators, Tourism Directors and City & County Government Officials are all encouraged to attend.

The workshop has been planned in partnership with Northeast Missouri Economic Development Council and MoDOT.  Main Street Cinema 8 in Hannibal, MO will be the location of the majority of the workshop.

SCHEDULE
9:45     Registration
10:00  Recreation & Tourism: Current & future trends of leisure travelers; how to capture the market with new and
               innovative events or marketing.
10:30  Workforce Development & Education: What can we do now to prepare our workforce for current and
              emerging industries?
11:00  Transportation: We will discuss the various modes of transportation available to the public and business
              community in the tri-state area as well as what is on the horizon. In addition, we will hear about the economic
              impact of transportation systems and the existing situation in Missouri.
11:30  Business: Panel of 3 businesses discuss why they choose to operate their business in the Tri-State
              Development Summit Region.
12:00  Luncheon Speaker: Pulling It All Together
              Lunch at Kerley’s Pub—two blocks from Main Street Cinema 8 (lunch included in registration fee)
1:00    Adjourn

For more information & to register, contact Summit Coordinator, Shelby Crow at sschoon@illinois.edu or 217.223.8380; or download the Workshop Registration Form.

2011 signifies the 15^th year for the Tri-State Development Summit.  In the 15 years since the inception; the Summit Region has adopted numerous Task Forces and achieved many successes in each of those task force areas.   The Summit Region now comprises 35 counties in Northeast Missouri, Southeast Iowa and Western Illinois.

Steering committee members have announced that the 9^th Tri-State Development Summit will take place October 5, 2011 in Quincy, Ill. The mission of the Tri-State Summit is to bring together leaders in Southeast Iowa, Northeast Missouri and Western Illinois to define common issues; to develop an on-going dialogue to effectively address those issues; and to improve the quality of life of the entire tri-state region through economic development activities.

For more information about the 9^th Tri-State Development Summit, visit www.tristateofmind.org.

[share] Adams County, Illinois unemployment stands at 7.2% for January. That’s a full 2 percentage-point drop from January 2010. Adams County currently ranks 2nd lowest in unemployment out of 102 counties in the state. Unemployment in Quincy dropped 2.2% from a year ago and now stands at 7.6%.

In an article in the Quincy Herald-Whig, GREDF president Jim Mentesti said the labor force has grown in the past year in Quincy and Adams County.

“Usually when the labor force grows, it can move your unemployment rate up too but the reverse has been true locally,” Mentesti said.

He has seen “numbers moving in the right direction” at a time of year when unemployment can spike in communities with a lot of retailers who might downsize after the Christmas shopping season.

The Quincy micropolitan statistical area had the state’s lowest 2010 annual average unemployment rate for larger job markets — at 7.5 percent. 

See the numbers for yourself: visit Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) on the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s Labor Market Information website.

Chemical Safety Workshop for Small Manufacturers to be held April 4 in Quincy 

[share] With help from a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Illinois Manufacturing Extension Center is providing in-depth training and technical assistance – at no cost – to enable Illinois manufacturers to recognize, prevent, and avoid workplace safety and health hazards associated with exposure to chemical agents. The workshop will integrate safety and health responsibilities, with management techniques and operational tactics. 

COURSE INFORMATION
IMEC safety experts will train your employees to recognize areas that may expose them to hazardous situations while they perform their job functions. They’ll learn: 

 • how working with or near hazardous materials can create special hazards
 • to identify the hazards they may face
 • to recognize signs or symptoms of exposure to hazards
 • about the consequences of exposure to these various hazards 

DATE AND TIME
April 4, 2011
8:30AM – 12:30PM 

LOCATION
Blessing Hospital, 1005 Broadway
Quincy, IL 62301 

COST
FREE 

REGISTRATION
Visit http://www.imec.org/imec.nsf and click on EVENTS
Or FAX registration form to 309-677-3289 

QUESTIONS?
Contact Lori Amerman, IMEC Safety Specialist at 618.453.3829 or LAmerman@imec.org

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

[share] A look back at TRANSPORTATION in the tri-states in 2010…

When it comes to transportation developments, I’ll sum it up with one phrase, “We’ve come a long way, baby!” The term Forgottonia is all but forgotten thanks to transportation successes over the past decade. Much of that success can be attributed to the leadership of the Tri-State Development Summit and its transportation task force.

The biggest accomplishment of 2010 came with the completion of the Chicago to Kansas City Expressway, or CKC.  And while Summit task force members have been working for years, tri-state highway champion, Tom Oakley has been at it for decades. Tom’s vision and perseverance is the reason we will see tremendous economic benefits for the communities along the route which was given the common designation of Route 110.

The next steps involve working together to promote the CKC as an efficient, less congested route between these two major Midwestern cities. Summit leaders have mailed information about the CKC to 400 civic and business leaders in the communities served by the corridor. The four-lane highway provides even greater access to companies requiring dependable transportation methods and now is the time to tell the world that the tri-state region is open for business.

In other highway news, U.S. 34 four-lane upgrades from Gulfport to Monmouth are closer to reality. The $73 million dollar project is a result of the capital construction bill approved in 2009. IDOT officials announced that the Biggsville bypass portion will be the first phase of construction because it serves a school where traffic safety is a concern.

It was a year of highs and lows for supporters of the Mid America Intermodal Port Authority. In spite of missing out on both TIGER One and TIGER Two infrastructure grants, significant interest in the South Quincy Development District and the Port remains. The river is without a doubt one of our greatest tri-state resources and it provides huge opportunities for our area industries to compete internationally. We will continue to work toward the foreign trade zone status the intermodal port would offer.

U.S. Representative John Mica, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee joined Representative Aaron Schock for a tour of the South Quincy District and proposed Port site in August. Mica said the Port, along with other projects in the region, could add hundreds and possibly thousands of jobs. In a follow up letter, Representative Schock said the meeting and news conference were wholly successful. I’d like to welcome Carol Merna, District Chief of Staff for Congressman Schock. Thanks for joining us.

To date, $12.5 million dollars in infrastructure work has been completed at the proposed Port site. This investment along with the support of private companies has encouraged us to not give up. The city, county and region are committed to establishing the port facility and look forward to one day seeing its potential realized. 

Regional air service has come a long way since Cape Air began providing service just over a year ago. Six weekday flights to St. Louis, low fares and a code share agreement with American Airlines have all contributed to the highest passenger totals since 2006. Airport Manager Marty Stegeman says that Quincy Regional Airport could see 10,000 enplanements this year which would mean more federal dollars for the facility.

Andrew Bonney, a Vice President with Cape Air who spoke at our 2010 annual meeting, intimated there is a possibility that the company could establish a maintenance base at the Quincy Regional Airport.