Bears Camp VIP Event Draws Greater Chicago Developers

The Economic Alliance, in partnership with the Village of Bourbonnais and Kankakee County Convention & Visitors Bureau, kicked off the 15th year of Chicago Bears Training Camp at Olivet Nazarene University with a Developers Day event on July 28. Attendees included Greater Chicago commercial and industrial real estate brokers, developers and manufacturers, along with local business leadership.

PHOTOS BELOW
 

The 2016 Developers Day program included a brief presentation by education partners ONU and Kankakee Community College, utility partners ComEd and Aqua Illinois, and industry partner CSL Behring, a global bioscience leader in the midst of a $250 million expansion of its Kankakee site.
 

Speakers reinforced Kankakee County’s site location advantages, including a relatively low cost of doing business and growth-oriented regulatory environment, along with:
 

• $1 billion+ in capital investment for 2014/2015

• Labor force of 400,000 within 30-minute drive

• 50 miles and less than 1-hour drive from Downtown Chicago

• 5-year property tax abatement and sales tax exemption for new construction

• Robust industrial base includes 6 Fortune 500/Global 500 manufacturers

• 5 Interstate 57 exits, including the new Bourbonnais Parkway interchange; 3 Class I railroads
 

ComEd discussed recent changes to its Rider DE program, which is used to pay for standard off-property work ComEd must do to provide electrical capacity to new or expanding customers, while Aqua discussed details of its $15 million 2016 capital plan to accommodate growth. 

Celebrating its 50th year, Kankakee Community College stressed its focus on workforce readiness, including its Manufacuring & Industrial Technology Center programming. ONU recapped the college’s recent academic developments, including more than 300% growth in its Engineering Department. 

From left, Bourbonnais Village Administrator Mike Van Mill, Ryan Phillips of Transwestern,
Bourbonnais Trustee Randy King and Bourbonnais Mayor Paul Schore


Kankakee Community College Vice President of Instructional and Student Success
Dr. Michael Boyd addresses the crowd.


From left, CSL Behring Kankakee Site Head of Communications Maureen Powell,
CSL Behring Senior Vice President and Kankakee Site General Manager Tricia Stewart,
and Bourbonnais Mayor Paul Schore


Aqua Illinois Area Manager Melissa Kahoun (right) with Aqua’s Dominique Ahramovich 

Wayne Stuart of Osman Construction Corp. with Economic Alliance President/CEO Tim Nugent


Greg Jones of CITGO Petroleum was the lucky winner of a pair of Bears tickets,
presented by Bourbonnais Mayor Paul Schore.


Economic Alliance President/CEO Tim Nugent
with SERVPRO Kankakee County’s Greg Stewart and family


From left, Dan Michael of Goodwill Industries, Jeff Bennett of McColly Bennett Commercial
and Mark Goodwin of Goodwin & Associates Real Estate


Andy Hamilton of the Will Kankakee Regional Development Authority with wife Teresa


ONU Director of Marketing & Engagement Remington Anksorus with Lisa Wogan
of the Economic Alliance (left) and Laurie Wimberly of the Village of Bourbonnais


KCC’s Dr. Michael Boyd and Chris Curtis of Nugent Curtis Real Estate


Kankakee County Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors
and Executive Director Staci Wilken


Jeff Bennett and Sheila Martin of the Economic Alliance


2016 Kankakee County Developers Day sponsors, speakers and local officals