News & Events

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?

CSL Behring continues to grow in Kankakee County as they look to open the area’s first plasma donation center at their site on Rte. 50 in Bourbonnais Township. CSL Behring Kankakee employs 1,500 and has invested more than $750M in the area in the past six years.

Con una inversión de capital de más de $1500 millones en los últimos años, exportando más de $7000 millones de nuestras empresas y fabricantes del condado de Kankakee, y con un costo de vida económico (92,1 %) y costos de vivienda (79,4 %), esta comunidad es un atractivo para el comercio, la industria y la habitabilidad.

The One Workforce grant program covers tuition, textbooks, fees, hand tools, materials, and personal protective equipment for students enrolled in programs which can lead to employment in a field related to manufacturing. Grant students are enrolled in KCC manufacturing-based certificates and associate degrees such as: welding, machine tool, industrial maintenance, electrical technology, and manufacturing technology.