2024 Market Profile – Kankakee County
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Scan here to see the 2024 Market Profile here : 
Kankakee County is moving full steam ahead in welcoming new industry and new opportunity to the region. The area, just 45 miles south of Chicago, showcases an economical cost of living, diverse industry base, significant transportation and infrastructure improvements, and strong education and workforce partners.
The area recently welcomed Illinois’ largest manufacturing deal in decades as Gotion Inc. begins work on its first US electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Manteno. The company will invest $2 billion and create 2,600 positions at full capacity. This new industry is expected to attract ancillary business development to the area.
Ranked #3 among small manufacturing hubs across the US by Business Facilities Magazine, Kankakee County attracts top international, national and local employers. Food, chemical and plastics manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, iron and steel, health care and the hospitality industries boast thousands of employment opportunities.
The 2024 Market Profile recently released by the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County showcases this information, along with additional facts including:
- Cost of living at 87.9% with the cost of housing, utilities, health care and groceries consistently below the national average
- $2.15 billion in capital investment in 2023
- More than $8.1 billion exported from Kankakee County in five years
- 106% more manufacturing positions than the national average
- Six I-57, three Class 1 rail lines, and the Greater Kankakee Airport (IKK) within the county limits
“Kankakee County is really a world-class community. We see employers of all business sectors come together, the cost of living makes sense, and the opportunities to grow and develop in education and employment are strong,” said Tim Nugent, President/CEO of the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County. “We are looking forward to consistent growth in the future.”
For hard copies of the 2024 Market Profile contact Angela Morrey, Vice President of Business Development with the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County at amorrey@kankakeecountyed.org or 815-935-1177.
The Economic Alliance is a 501c6 public/private partnership that works to create jobs and expand the economic base by improving the local business climate in Kankakee County. The Alliance employs a collaborative approach to support development in the strategic areas of business retention, expansion and attraction, and workforce and community development.