[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.

YOU ARE INVITED!
2012 Tri-State Housing Summit – June 7

The Tri-State Development Housing Task Force invites you to join elected officials and business/industry leaders for a day of dialogue about housing issues our region faces including resources, shortfalls and opportunities.

Adequate housing – like highways, healthcare and retail establishments – is necessary to achieve desired growth and quality of life in a region. For that reason, the Tri-State Development Summit established the Housing Task Force in 2005.

Our tri-state region is not immune to housing issues that communities around the country face – availability, affordability and quality. That’s why the Housing Task Force’s mission is to provide affordable workforce housing in the tri-state area. This includes:

• Increasing affordable housing options for the region’s workforce
• Providing counseling to first-time home buyers
• Identifying funding sources for housing development throughout the region

The creation of affordable housing can increase community pride, help attract industry and increases property values and the community tax base. Please join us Thursday, June 7, 2012 on the Campus of Culver Stockton College. Agenda and registration details are below.

Summit Agenda

8:00-8:45 REGISTRATION

8:45-9:00 WELCOME

• Don Patrick, President/CEO, NECAC
• Dick Valentine, President, Culver Stockton College
• Jarred Phillips, Mayor, City of Canton

9:00-9:30 TRAINING FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING

• Howard Kirchner, Workforce Development Director, Two Rivers Regional Council of Governments
• John Spring, Mayor, City of Quincy
• Stefan Crider, President, Crider Construction

9:30-10:30 LEGISLATIVE VIEWS

• Senator Brian Munzlinger (Invited)
• Rep. Craig Redmon (Invited)
• Rep. Paul Quinn
• Rep. Tom Shively
• Rep. Lindell Shumake

10:30-10:45 BREAK

10:45-11:15 HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT

• Nadia Anderson, Iowa State University

11:15-11:45 WORKFORCE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES

• Stacey Epperson, President, Next Steps

11:45-1:00 LUNCH

• Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder (Invited)

1:00-1:30 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING

• Janine Stephenson, Area Specialist, USDA Rural Development
• Lindsay Cheek, Area Technician, USDA Rural Development

1:30-2:15 HOUSING DEMAND AND AFFORDABILITY: TRENDS IN THE TRI-STATES

• Bobette Cawthorn, President, Quincy Realtors Association
• Gary Broughton, Century 21 Broughton Team

2:15-2:45 CLOSING REMARKS

• Chuck Scholz, Member, Tri-State Development Summit Steering Committee

Details & Registration:

DATE: Thursday, June 7, 2012

LOCATION: Culver Stockton College, Canton, MO

TIME: 8:00 am Registration, 8:45 am – 2:45 pm Program

COST: Free (lunch is furnished)

DEADLINE: Friday, May 25, 2012

To Register / For More Information:

Email or call Carla Potts (cpotts@necac.org or 573-324-6622) with the following information (You will receive more details including location and parking instructions upon registration):

• Name
• Organization
• Address
• Phone
• Email Address
• # Attending

[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.

From earth moving equipment to automobiles; medical devices to consumer products, Illinois is home to 20,000 manufacturers employing more than 600,000 people. These companies generate more than 13.5 percent of the GDP in Illinois.

In Adams County, about 100 manufacturers account for 16.89 percent of employment – much higher than the manufacturing employment share of 11 percent nationally.

IMEC, along with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and other friends of manufacturing, have launched an on-line resource to showcase the diversity of products made in Illinois and celebrate the companies that manufacture them.

Illinois manufacturers can register for a free profile page to feature their products and services, share company news, and display pictures and videos. In addition to increasing their visibility to website visitors at no cost, IMEC will promote the manufacturers to external audiences through social media and other direct marketing tactics, and link participating manufacturers to sourcing and buying opportunities.

Benefits include:

• Connecting with other Illinois Manufacturers
• Generating search engine visibility for your products and services
• Telling the story of Illinois: a Center for Manufacturing Excellence

For more information or to add your company to the list of Illinois manufacturers, please visit http://www.imec.org/Made-In-Illinois.cfm.

[share] The Great River Economic Development Foundation in partnership with The Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois has retained Growth Services, Inc., a workforce consultant, to conduct a survey of area employers. The goal of the survey is to evaluate the area’s workforce from the businesses’ perspective. The results will be used to identify and address workforce issues within the region and take steps to assure that the needs of area employers are being met, both now and in the future.

Local employers will be asked to provide information about their employee base, including the quality of the workforce, their experiences when hiring new workers, education, skill levels, wages, salaries, benefits, and commuting distances. The results will be used to generate an aggregate report and individual responses will remain confidential.

The report will also be used as an economic development tool to help both existing and prospective new businesses assess the area’s workforce.

The survey will be sent to employers electronically, and it is designed to be user friendly and take approximately 30 minutes to complete. “We encourage all those receiving surveys to participate; higher participation rates will enable us to better identify and address issues that are of importance to our employers,” says, Jim Mentesti, GREDF president.

[share] Meeting today’s manufacturing challenges demands a lean enterprise – streamlining product design and manufacturing by applying Lean Manufacturing principles, concepts and techniques. The primary focus of this effort is the continuous elimination of waste in the company’s business processes. Implementing Lean practices involves changing a work area or a business process to maximize efficiency, improve quality and safety, eliminate unnecessary motion and inventory, and save time and resources.

What Can You Expect from The Lean Overview with Simulation?

This interactive workshop combines comprehensive classroom instruction with simulation of a production facility. The basic concepts of Lean Manufacturing and the tools and methodology necessary to implement “Lean” on the shop floor are demonstrated. Participants assume the role of production workers, applying Lean tools to their individual workspaces and the entire product line. This learn-do technique, over four “shifts”, illustrates cause and effect relationships for each of the Lean tools presented.

Participants review methodology and lessons learned from previous shifts, deciding what and how to implement while working with realistic constraints such as available resources, cash flow and resistance to change.

Take Experience Back to Your Facility

Following the Lean Manufacturing Overview and Simulation, participants will have learned several new techniques to aid you in the Lean transformation on-site. You’ll be able to:

• Differentiate between a “push” and a “pull” system
• Identify the eight (8) wastes that must be eliminated to make the manufacturing processes Lean
• Explain how those wastes reduce company profits
• Understand the functions of a Kanban system
• Make more effective use of the employee’s time following waste elimination

MARCH 15, 2012  8:00AM – 4:00PM

John Wood Community College
Workforce Development Center
4220 Kochs Lane, Room W136
Quincy, IL 62305

AGENDA
Round 1 – Traditional Manufacturing  8:00AM
Round 2 – Standardized Work, Visual Controls Workplace Organization (5S)  10:00AM
Break – Lunch  12:00PM
Round 3 – Batch Size Reduction, Point of Use Storage, Quality at the Source  12:30PM
Round 4 – Pull Systems, Cellular/Flow Manufacturing, Takt Time, Work Balancing  2:00PM

FEES: $229 per person (includes lunch and all training materials)

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

INFORMATION
Contact David Padgett, IMEC Business Development Specialist, at 618.581.8076 or DPadgett@imec.org.

SPONSORS
John Wood Community College, IMEC, Manufacturing Improvement Specialists, Great River Economic Development Foundation, Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois

New JWCC Welding Training Opens Pipeline of Skilled Workers for Area Manufacturers

[share] A new four-week basic welding training program at John Wood Community College is opening a pipeline for area manufacturers seeking skilled workers for dozens of open positions.

Because of the need to place welders in immediate openings, John Wood created a program to help manufacturers connect with prospective employees armed with basic welding skills.

“In just four weeks, students can have a valuable skill that is in huge demand,” Pam Foust, JWCC dean of career and technical education said. “We have a least four employers telling us they need employees with these basic welding skills, so this training can help get their foot in the door.”

The new condensed welding program includes a basic welding class and lab and a course in welding symbols and blueprint reading. All are taught by an experienced, local welding professional at JWCC’s Workforce Development Center at 4220 Kochs Lane in Quincy.

“John Wood is helping us build a qualified employment pool,” Tom Schilson, general manager of Manchester Tank said. “We need employees with the welding skills to hit the ground running. Having that basic skill set and building on it brings value to the company and the employee.”

In addition to welding skills, JWCC helps students prepare for employment interviews and offers advice on key soft skills necessary to secure a job.

Knapheide Manufacturing Human Resource Specialist Mike Dailing says that prospective employees need both technical and soft skills to be successful employees.

“We definitely need more qualified workers, but if a prospective employee doesn’t have the soft skills such as dependability, motivation and communication, it is unlikely they will have a career with any company,” Dailing said. ”If an employee doesn’t show up on time, has a poor attitude and doesn’t work well with others, knowledge of a particular field doesn’t matter much.”

Patrick Allen of Hannibal, Mo., will complete his JWCC welding certificate in March and already has a job lined up with Knapheide Manufacturing.

“I like the construction part of welding and grew up watching my grandpa weld in his garage,” Allen said. “I started out as a carpenter, and took a temporary job while going to school, but it’s pretty clear that there are greater opportunities for people who have advanced welding skills, specifically MIG welding.”

Allen says the new four-week basic welding course is a great for someone looking to get into the field, but continued education is key.

“The basics help you learn what welding is all about, but in the long-run you need to learn more than just what’s in the book, you need to apply what you learn,” Allen said. “If you take the basics, get a job and then come back for more advanced classes, I think you can have a great career in welding.”

Following the four-week training, students can add to their knowledge of welding by continuing their education at JWCC. By completing just three additional courses to earn a certificate, a basic welder could gain increased pay and responsibility depending upon their employer’s needs and qualifications.

Some companies send employees directly to the training or partner with JWCC for on-site courses. Quincy-based Konstant Products currently has two groups of employees seeking welding certification at JWCC’s Workforce Development Center and Westermeyer Industries offers JWCC courses for employees and high school students at its plant in Bluffs.

The first four-week welding session runs from February 13 to March 8. Students take classes Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 .m. Additional sessions will be offered March 12 to April 5 and April 9 to May 5. Information about how to enter the welding preparation program and possible funding is available at jwcc.edu/weldingprep or by contacting JWCC at 217.641.4329 or admissions@jwcc.edu.

[share] 2011 was another great year for the Quincy/Adams County, Illinois region. The following is the “Business Developments” section of the speech our 2010/2011 GREDF chair, Connie Schroeder, gave during our 2012 Annual Meeting on January 11, 2012.

Our job at GREDF is to tell our story, that is, the story of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois. We do this in letters, emails and phone calls, on our website and most importantly, through personal contact with current and prospective businesses and you, our stakeholders.

We’re continuously refining our message and we’re blessed to have a wealth of resources about which to boast: transportation infrastructure, skilled workforce, educational opportunities, arts and culture.

We find examples and success stories help our message become more real to our audience. So please allow us to tell our story to you and share some good news from 2011 as we embark on a new chapter in 2012.

2011 Business Developments in Quincy and Adams County, Illinois:

• Prince Agri Products, which you’ll remember built a 150,000 square foot, $18 million dollar facility in 2010, announced this past September the acquisition of a new product line called Animate. The company has added over 40 jobs to the Quincy-area economy during the past 2 years and currently employs over 100 people. They continue to recruit for head-of-household positions in manufacturing, laboratory, quality supply chain and I.T.

  

• Titan International purchased the former Huck Fixtures facility and plans to put part of its wheel production in the 100,000 square foot building this year. Titan reported record sales in the third quarter of 2011, up 79percent from the third quarter in 2010.
• Federal Express broke ground on a new $1.5 million dollar, 28,000 square foot facility located on six acres in the Wismann Ridge Business Park in August.
• The Spin Screed, the world’s lightest-weight roller screed which was invented and built in Quincy, was chosen by contractors to be used during a major remodel of the Boeing Manufacturing Plant in Everett, Washington. The plant is considered the largest in the world. Joe and Marlene Churchill, co-owners of Spin Screed, Inc., have seen their small business grow from its start 11 years ago to the point where the Spin Screed is now being used in major projects worldwide.
• U.S. Cooler is celebrating 25 years as a leading manufacturer of commercial walk-in freezers & coolers. During its history, the family-owned company has preserved a historic firehouse in downtown Quincy for its corporate headquarters and adapted green technology into its products. U.S. Cooler currently employs over 65 people in 7 States.

  

• Timewell Tile continues to grow in its Golden facility, the former home of the Methode Plant. The company’sentire A.D.I. Installation Division was recently moved to the Golden facility which led to the construction of a new 5,000 square foot machine shop building. The A.D.I. Division joins the Transportation Division and Fitting Fabrication Division in Golden, which was relocated from a Michigan Plant. A production line runs 24 hours a day seven days a week out of the facility. 81 employees are currently based out of the 95,000 square foot building.
• Word came in December that the decision to close 252 United States Postal Service mail processing facilities nationwide including the Quincy facility would be delayed until at least May of 2012. GREDF, City officials and Mayor Spring worked successfully with Illinois and Washington lawmakers, including Senator Dick Durbin, to save the facility back in 2010, but a U.S.P.S. deficit in 2011 has prompted the agency to again look at taking drastic measures. Closing the facility would eliminate next-day delivery within the region and 60 to 70 positions. GREDF continues to support efforts to keep the facility open.
• Harris Corporation won a 2011 Governor’s Sustainability Award for Continuous Improvement. They received the recognition for their ongoing commitment to environmental excellence through outstanding and innovative sustainability practices.
• Tim and Tamie Lung, owners of the Crawdad’s Classic brand of products out of Camp Point are poised for growth in 2012. The company has launched a national marketing campaign and hopes to eventually bring bottling operations to the Adams County area.
• An AT&T Cell Phone Outlet and Aspen Dental Office are now open at the corner of 52^nd and Broadway in front of Walmart. GREDF assisted Quattro Development with the project and we were pleased to receive a letter addressed to Jim Mentesti from the developer stating, “Without question, the experience we’ve had working with you, your staff, and the Quincy municipal officials is the best we’ve encountered.” AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza came to the store opening on December 8^th.
• F&M Bank and Trust Company purchased the parcel east of Aspen Dental from Quattro Development. The Bank plans to start construction on a full service branch in 2012. GREDF assisted F&M in the selection of the site.
• T.F. Ehrhart Company is constructing a new building at 42^nd and Koch’s Lane in the East Quincy Development District. The company has been supplying heating and air conditioning equipment to contractors throughout Western Illinois for over 55 years.
• Good Samaritan Home continues to move forward on its $20.7 million dollar multi-phase renovation. When completed all types of senior housing will be available, from independent cottages to full-time nursing care units.
• Activity in the Schneidman Industrial Park continued in 2011 with the addition of Tillitt Collision Repair and Moore’s Floors which expanded into a 15,000 square foot building in order to enhance its commercial flooring operations.
• Preliminary site work has been completed at the future home of the U.S. Army Reserves Center Training Facility. The facility will be located at 24^th and Weiss Lane in the Northwood Business Park and site plans include a training building, vehicle maintenance shop and storage building.

  

• Farmers Bank of Liberty plans to establish a branch at 4134 Broadway in Quincy after purchasing the former restaurant building.
• J.M. Huber just completed an 18,000 square foot addition to its facilities in the South Quincy Development District. The expansion will house a production line for Huber’s food and pharmaceutical-grade of calcium carbonate. The product is currently being made in their California facility, but the economics made it more attractive to build in Quincy than expand in California.
• City officials are close to approving the site plan for a 50-unit, two-story, 64,000 square foot senior apartments complex at 48^th and State.
• Bank of Springfield announced plans to move its Quincy branch from 18^th and Broadway to 1111 Maine in downtown Quincy. The branch could open as early as late spring.
• Speaking of downtown Quincy, our partnership with the Historic Quincy Business District and executive director Travis Brown is as strong as ever. We are pleased to share that downtown Quincy’s occupancy rate is currently at 91 percent. Some of the 2011developments that contributed to this tremendous number include:

  

  • The opening of the $27.2 million dollar Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in September.
  • The opening of First Bankers Trust Company’s 30,000 square foot, $5 million dollar banking facility at 12^th and Broadway in May.
  • The opening of the 48-unit, $9.2 million dollar Franklin Square Apartments complex at 3^rd and State which company officials tell us quickly filled and remains at full occupancy.
  • The opening of Cape Air’s ticket office at 727 Hampshire which is located in a block of beautifully rehabilitated and newly-leased buildings thanks to local developers, Austin Properties.
  • And the opening of a number of high-end restaurants including The Maine Course, ONE Restaurant and Bar and Talayna’s.

We’re excited to see work nearing completion at 8^th and Jersey thanks to Ameren Illinois’ site remediation program. As the $30 million dollar clean-up is completed we look forward to working with our H.Q.B.D. partners to find the right developer and project for the site.

2011 also saw the $5.5 million dollar renovation of the Quincy Public Library and Awerkamp Machine Company’s completion of a new warehouse at 716 Vermont in the downtown.

GREDF’s Entrepreneurship Specialist, Charles Bell had another busy year in 2011. He assisted over 70 businesses with startup and expansion planning, site location and financing. Charles helped Adams County businesses and entrepreneurs navigate a variety of financial incentive programs available to them, including the Rural Adams Development Corporation, Adams County Revolving Loan Fund, GREDF Central Business District Revolving Loan Fund, Adams Electric Revolving Loan Fund and Two Rivers Revolving Loan Fund. Specific examples of assistance include the expansion of Alliance Industrial Corporation on Highway 57 and the construction of a soybean treatment and warehousing facility owned by Chuck and Mary Beckman near Paloma.

You are Invited!

[share] GREDF’s 2012 Annual Meeting will be held Wednesday, January 11th at the Oakley Lindsay Center, 300 Civic Center Plaza, in Quincy. A cash bar will be available beginning at 5:00 pm with the meeting starting at 5:45 pm. No RSVP is required and the event is free and open to the public. Members of the business community and general public are encouraged to attend.

Outgoing GREDF Board Chairman, Connie Schroeder, Vice President of Corporate Integration and Innovation at Blessing Corporate Services will give the evening’s feature presentation which includes highlights from the past year. This year’s theme is “Telling Our Story”.

Other speakers include Quincy Mayor John Spring and Mike McLaughlin, Chairman of the Adams County Board.

GREDF has been a driving force in Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, since 1978. Our number one priority is to retain existing businesses and help them grow. We assist prospective businesses, site consultants and entrepreneurs. As our name, “Great River” implies, we collaborate regionally with our neighbors along the Mississippi River in Western Illinois, Northeast Missouri and Southeast Iowa.

For more information about GREDF and our 2012 Annual Meeting, please call our office: 217.223.4313 or email gredf@gredf.org.