News & Events

As more advanced technology enters the workplace, many United States employees are seeking positions that allow them to work remotely. Companies and employers are starting to shift their recruitment methods in order to accommodate this new trend in the workplace.

Kankakee County sees opportunity in the growing economic trend of remote workers. Many Chicago-land employees are seeking a reduced cost of living and a more family-friendly area that can be found in Kankakee County by working remotely.

With further growth on the horizon in the gluten-free space, pizza maker Urban Farmer has announced the expansion of its Manteno, Illinois, headquarters with the purchase of an existing industrial property at 1551 N. Boudreau Road. The 111,000 square foot facility will supplement UF’s original 50,000 square foot headquarters. With this expansion, UF’s total employee count is expected to reach 350 in 2019.

Kankakee Metropolitan Statistical Area has kept it’s number one ranking as the #1 Small Metro in Illinois in 2018 and has also jumped from 77 to 26 among 201 small metros nationwide in the “Best-Performing Cities Index” published by the Milken Institute in January 2019. Included in article are other economic indicators and rankings for Kankakee MSA in recent quarters.

The RESearch Kankakee County, IL, Conference & Expo is a focused opportunity for commercial, industrial and residential developers and others to learn more about our major active projects; prime Metro Development Zones, properties and plans; and relevant incentives and financing opportunities.

New position created to coordinate transportation and economic development projects related to major expansions of industrial and commercial enterprises within the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) planning area to ensure technical competence and compliance with all current local, state, and federal policies, standards, guidelines, and criteria.

Global air filtration leader AAF Flanders recently increased the capacity of its Momence, Illinois, operation by taking occupancy of 260,000 SF of additional space in neighboring Kankakee. The expansion accommodates the growing warehouse distribution needs of AAF Momence, which produces 110,000 air filters per day to serve 6 states in the Midwest market.

Area Development magazine has ranked the Kankakee, IL, Metropolitan Statistical Area first among 394 MSAs nationwide for year-over-year growth in its “Leading Metro Locations” Q2 2018 report. The foremost site and facility planning publication determined the ranking by reviewing 21 economic and workforce indicators pulled from seven data sets originating from three sources – the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census American Community Survey and Emsi.

The Economic Alliance is working in partnership with CGI Communications Inc and the County of Kankakee to produce a series of videos highlighting leading growth in the community’s industrial market along with local quality of life amenities, including in-demand education, recreation and housing opportunities.

Cybersecurity defense is now a concentration in the computer science major offered by the Department of Computer Science in the Martin D. Walker School of Engineering at Bourbonnais’ Olivet Nazarene University. Reed Hall of Science is the home for the university’s new cybersecurity lab. Enrollment is now open for fall 2018 to students who want to enter this demand discipline.