Nugent to Speak to Human Resource Managers’ Association

Tim Nugent, President & CEO of the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County and Ladonna Russell, Executive Director of the Grundy Livingston Kankakee Workforce Board will speak to the growth and development of Kankakee County April 19 at the Kankakee Area Human Resource Managers’ Association.

The Be in Illinois. campaign shines a spotlight on sectors where Illinois has a competitive advantage, including agribusiness, life sciences, manufacturing, tech, transportation and logistics – as well its rapidly emerging electric vehicle (EV) sector. Illinois already boasts the fifth largest economy in the United States, 18th in the world, and is home to more Fortune 500 companies (38) than all but three states.

ComEd announced the launch of a community solar project in Kankakee County that offers qualified ComEd customers throughout northern Illinois access to solar energy and savings of up to $1,000 annually on their electricity bills for a three-year subscription term. The Gar Creek solar project will serve up to 600 customers, and applications will be accepted through April 15 at ComEd.com/GiveARay. The project is owned by Fosler Solar, a Babcock & Wilcox company in Freeport, Ill., and was developed by Trajectory Energy Partners of Illinois.

El condado de Kankakee ocupa el quinto lugar entre las pequeñas comunidades manufactureras de Estados Unidos (AdvisorSmith). Junto con un conjunto diverso de industrias -desde la asistencia sanitaria y los productos farmacéuticos hasta la fabricación de acero, alimentos y plásticos, y el transporte y la logística- la zona sigue en una trayectoria de fuerte crecimiento. De hecho, nuestro sector manufacturero está en vías de crecer casi un 14% en la próxima década, con más de 7.000 empleados en esa industria a nivel local.

Affordable and easy solutions for small business owners addressing key issues associated with attracting, hiring and keeping talent in today’s tough labor market. Join Management Consultant Michelle Arentz, owner of Lazarus Learning LLC, in this virtual seven-part series exploring what workers are looking for and how small businesses can be competitive beyond wages.

KCC ranks seventh among all small community colleges in the upcoming 2022 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, published in conjunction with “G.I. Jobs” magazine. In addition, KCC is one of only 14 Illinois community colleges to achieve the Military Friendly® designation for the 2022-23 academic year.

Nominations are now open for the third annual Makers Madness: The Coolest Thing Made In Illinois, presented by Comcast Business.

Kankakee County received $21.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The Kankakee County Board introduced the Respond, Revitalize, and Reinvest initiative is help distribute this funding within the community.

Fresh Del Monte is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated producers, marketers and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, as well as leading producer and distributor of fresh produce across the globe. With a production facility located in Kankakee, the site employs roughly 250 people, and exports more than 20 million pounds of produce a year across the Midwest. 

ComEd in 2021 delivered some of its highest levels of year over-year reliability as a result of power grid investments such as smart switches that  reroute power around potential problem areas, new storm hardening and vegetation  management solutions, and cable replacement.