Illinois' Opportunity Returns Program Keeps On Returning
Governor Rod Blagojevich's Opportunity Returns program
is making good on its promise to bring business to
Illinois.
By Michelle Janowitz
Governor Rod Blagojevich
Photo by Illinois Office of the Gov.
In September 2003, Governor Rod Blagojevich unveiled
Opportunity Returns, a regional economic development
plan touted as the most aggressive and comprehensive
approach to creating jobs in Illinois' history. Dismissing
a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development,
Gov. Blagojevich divided the state of Illinois into
10 regions-finding areas with common economic strengths
and needs-and developed a plan with specific actions
for each region. Opportunity Returns was specially
tailored to deliver palpable results for local businesses,
and it seems that almost a year and a half after the
unveiling of this initiative, it is staying true to
its name.
The governor set his sights on developing the economy
of the Southeastern region of Illinois in February
2005 through his statewide Opportunity Returns program.
During a visit to HN Automotive, Inc. in Effingham,
IL, he announced a new investment package that will
allot $1 million in Opportunity Returns support and
help create 35 new jobs and retain 95 other jobs at
this local auto parts manufacturer, as well as stimulate
$16 million in private investment. Gov. Blagojevich,
standing alongside business and community leaders
from throughout the region, also laid out his aggressive
Opportunity Returns strategy to bring increased entrepreneurship
and economic opportunity to the Southeastern region.
The Opportunity Returns agenda laid out for the Southeastern
region includes four primary goals to specifically
address the economic development needs of the area:
invest in business development; strengthen education,
job training, and technology; expand economic infrastructure;
and support key regional industries.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity (DCEO) is handling the state's investment
package for HN; it includes a grant to help purchase
the building, a grant to the city of Effingham for
the construction of an access road and a municipal
parking lot, an Employer Training Investment Program
(ETIP) grant that will help enhance the skills of
its workforce, and various Enterprise Zone benefits.
"We're pleased to partner with Gov. Blagojevich,
the state, and local governments to expand our operations
in Illinois," says J.R. Elder, vice president
of manufacturing at HN Automotive. "We believe
that our location and the skilled local workforce
offer a competitive advantage in the new global economy,
and it was an easy decision to build on the success
we've already experienced here in Effingham."
Southwest Region Reaping Rewards
Support coming through the Opportunity Returns program
recently went to USF Holland, an operating company
of the USF Corporation, located in Edwardsville, IL.
The company, which is part of the Southwestern region
of Illinois, is being awarded $2.8 million in Opportunity
Returns support to help construct a new terminal in
Edwardsville, giving the company added capacity to
meet growing demand in the marketplace. This expansion
will also create 230 new jobs for the state of Illinois.
Source: Bureau
of Labor Statistics
The DCEO is administering this business investment
deal, and will make available $2.8 million in Economic
Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credits
based on job creation over a 10-year period. It will
also provide $87,500 from ETIP to upgrade the skills
of its workforce. The city of Edwardsville and Madison
County, IL also served as important partners to USF
Holland in helping to move the expansion project forward.
"USF Corporation wishes to acknowledge Gov.
Blagojevich for the financial assistance provided
through the Opportunity Returns program," says
Thomas E. Bergmann, CEO of USF Corporation. "The
strong growth that USF Holland is experiencing will
be well served by this program."
Northeast Region Also Sees Returns
Like the entire state, the Northeastern Illinois
region is also reaping the rewards brought about by
the Opportunity Returns program. A package of Opportunity
Returns grants totaling more than $1.3 million was
awarded to energy company BP's olefins and derivatives
(O&D) unit, which it expects to sell in an IPO
later this year. The Opportunity Returns support was
cited as an important factor behind the company's
decision to create 340 jobs in the Chicagoland area.
The company's headquarters, which will be home to
approximately 125 staff, will be located in the downtown
Chicago area at the Aon Center. An additional 215
employees will be based in DuPage County, IL.
"This generous package of grants confirms our
belief that Illinois is one of the most pro-business
environments in the country: a major factor behind
our decision to locate our headquarters and Global
Derivatives operating unit in the Chicagoland area,"
says Ralph Alexander, chief executive of BP O&D.
"Add to this world-class transport links, a robust
corporate services sector, first rate-universities,
and excellent local amenities, and there is really
nowhere better for a new global company to be based."
The DCEO will be in charge of providing the financial
support for the company. It will make available a
Large Business Development Program (LBDP) grant, as
well as funding through ETIP to help the subsidiary
train its new employees.
ILLINOIS FAST FACTS
- Population (2003): 12,653,544
- Largest Cities (2003): Chicago, 2,869,121;
Aurora, 162,184; Rockford, 151,725; Naperville,
137,894; Joliet, 123,570
- Targeted Industries: Automotive, manufacturing,
warehouse and logistics, medical technology, food
processing, plastics, and call centers
- Key Incentives: Economic Development for
a Growing Economy (EDGE), Large Business Development
Program (LBDP), Employer Training Investment Program
(ETIP), Energy-Smart Pricing Plan, Enterprise Zones
