DIG BOURBONNAIS Draws Greater Chicago Developers to Bears Camp
The Economic Alliance, in partnership with the Village of Bourbonnais and Kankakee County Convention & Visitors Bureau, kicked off the 2017 7UP Chicago Bears Summer Training Camp at Olivet Nazarene University with DIG BOURBONNAIS on August 2. Attendees included Greater Chicago industrial real estate brokers, site selectors, utility reps and other development partners along with local business leadership.
Special thanks to celebrity guest, 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl champ and WBBM Newsradio play-by-play analyst for Chicago Bears Radio Tom Thayer, and to Brickstone Brewery for opening their production facility to our group.
PHOTOS BELOW
The DIG BOURBONNAIS program included a brief presentation by industry partner FutureCeuticals, a leading food ingredient innovator that completed a $2 million, 14,700 square foot expansion of its Momence headquarters this summer. The additional space will house the company’s 50-member sales, customer service and marketing force. Another 20 to 30 employees are expected to be hired within the next 12 to 24 months.
DIG BOURBONNAIS speakers reinforced the siting advantages of the Village of Boubonnais and Kankakee County, Illinois’ #1 Small Metro for Job & Tech Growth (Milken Institute 2013, 2014, 2016). These include a relatively low cost of doing business and growth-oriented regulatory environment, along with:
• $1.2 billion+ in capital investment 2014-2016
• Labor force of 2.6 million within 45 minutes drive
• 50 miles and less than 1 hour drive from Downtown Chicago
• 5-year property tax abatement, sales tax exemption for new construction. CLICK to download our Enterprise Zone incentives brochure.
• Robust industrial base includes significant presence of 9 Fortune/Global 500 companies. CLICK to download our 2017 Market Profile with Top Employers info sheet.
• 5 Interstate 57 exits, including new Bourbonnais Parkway interchange; 3 Class I railroads CLICK to read about the Bourbonnais Parkway Industrial TIF.
ONU Executive Director of Corporate Engagement Jeff Williamson with Tom Thayer
From left, CN Rail Manager of Business Development & Real Estate Scott Anderson with
Ivan Mariduena and Jim Adamo of Jennings Real Estate
From left, Hector Garcia of ComEd with David Alexander of Masuda, Funai, Eifert
& Mitchell, LTD and wife Tiffany
Jeff Bennett of McColly Bennett Commercial Real Estate with Tom Thayer
Ryan Phillips of Taurus Modal Group (center) accepts of a pair of preseason Chicago Bears
tickets from the Economic Alliance’s Tim Nugent and Lisa Wogan.
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champ Ted Petersen of Momence-based nutraceutical
powerhouse FutureCeuticals provides an expansion update.
From left, Laurie Wimberly of the Village of Bourbonnais, Lisa Wogan of the Economic Alliance
and Staci Wilken of the Kankakee County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Village of Bourbonnais Administrator Mike Van Mill with Tom Thayer
Village of Bourbonnais Mayor Paul Schore with Michael Karras of Fordham Capital Partners
Brickstone Brewery master brewer Tommy Vasilakis with Bourbonnais Mayor Paul Schore
Photos courtesy the Kankakee County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Scott Davis.