News & Events

The Back to Business program’s new round of grants has $175 million available to provide to qualifying restaurants, hotels, and creative arts organizations. All applicants will receive a grant as long as they meet eligibility requirements and submit proper documentation and attestations required by the program.

The two-phased, $14 million project to upgrade Riverside Medical Center’s emergency room was the first major overhaul of the emergency department in more than 30 years. The space was fully redesigned over the course of 18 months.

The Kankakee County location of CSL Behring is one of the largest biotech sites in the world – encompassing 140 acres and 40 buildings on site. CSL Plasma set to open Spring 2023. With 1,500+ employees, the company makes up 20% of the manufacturing base of Kankakee County.

Crown Cork in Bradley is named the 2023 Innovator in Manufacturing by the Daily Journal for the 2023 Progress Awards.

The Back to Business (B2B) grant program provides recovery grants for businesses in the hardest-hit industries.  Through the state’s B2B and Business Interruption Grant (BIG) Programs, DCEO has provided more than $535 million to more than 15,000 businesses since the start of the pandemic.

The Economic Alliance received the Kankakee Daily Journal 2023 Progress award for Excellence in Real Estate.

The Kankakee River Watershed Conference held in March, 2023 discussed how local communities and statewide efforts are working to ensure the area’s greatest asset is protected. Key topics including water quantity and quality, biodiversity, nutrients and agriculture, river recreation, watershed initiatives, and sand and sediment were discussed.

$175 million in available grant funding through the Back to Business (B2B) program. Following state recovery for businesses totaling nearly $1.5 billion, the latest American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) -funded opportunity is designed to provide additional support for the hardest-hit sectors, including restaurants (B2B Restaurants), hotels (B2B Hotels), and businesses or organizations in the creative arts sector (B2B Arts). To provide hands-on support and raise awareness about the program, the State has mobilized a network of more than 100 community navigators across Illinois. 

On Thursday, April 13, Kankakee Community College will host a Job Fair from 9 a.m. – noon in the KCC College Center.

One of the biggest challenges manufacturers are facing today is attracting skilled workers. With an aging workforce and new generation of workers entering the industry, manufacturers are forced to take a multifaceted approach to build their talent pipeline, but the question is where do you begin?