McHenry County EDC - McHenry County, IL - Strategically Located in the Center of the Business Triangle Between Chicago, Milwaukee & Rockford

Over 60 business leaders attend economic luncheon.

EDC President Pam Cumpata welcomes over 62 business leaders to our Economic Luncheon held on Friday, September 30th at 31 North Banquet & Conference Center in McHenry.  Senior economist, Bill Strauss from the Federal Reserve spoke on the state of the economy and manufacturing in the US.

Collaboration works!

As an organization founded on transportation initiatives, we are proud of our consistent, decade long focus on this priority project and congratulate all of our collaborative partners who have been working on a full interchange at Rt. 47 for many years.  A plus for everyone!  Please see the press release below.

 Illinois:
The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future
-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Wendy Abrams
September 21, 2011 630-241-6800 ext. 2387
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ILLINOIS TOLLWAY ADVANCES ILLINOIS ROUTE 47 INTERCHANGE PROJECT
New Agreement Will Build Full, All-Electronic Interchange; Construction to Begin Next Year

DOWNERS GROVE, IL – The Illinois Tollway Board of Director’s Strategic Planning Committee today recommended approval of an intergovernmental agreement among the Tollway, the Village of Huntley, Kane County, McHenry County and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) authorizing the financing and construction of a new $69 million, all-electronic interchange at Illinois Route 47 on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) in Huntley, Illinois.

The Illinois Route 47 Interchange project will include construction of six new ramps, all-electronic toll collection, bridge reconstruction on Illinois Route 47 over I-90, as well as local traffic signal installation and lighting improvements. Existing ramps only provide access for drivers traveling to and from the east on I-90 and were constructed as part of the original Tollway system, which opened in 1958.
“Building a complete interchange will create more opportunity for continued economic development along Illinois Route 47 and will open up access between the Tollway and a regional north-south transportation route,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. “The Illinois Tollway has committed to rebuilding I-90 as a 21st century corridor and this project will be one of the first pieces to be completed as part of our new Move Illinois capital program.”

Recent approval of the Illinois Tollway’s $12 billion, 15-year capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, enabled the Tollway to move the Illinois Route 47 Interchange project up to 2012 from 2014. Once the intergovernmental agreement is approved by all of the participants, the Village of Huntley will finalize construction plans, and the Tollway will lead construction and seek competitive construction bids for the project. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2012, with completion of the project anticipated in 2013.

“The Illinois Route 47 Interchange project has brought out the best from all involved in a show of intergovernmental cooperation and coordination of limited resources,” said Illinois Tollway Board Director Tom Weisner, who chairs the Illinois Tollway’s Strategic Planning Committee. “Communities looking to the Tollway to advance interchange improvements in their own areas should follow the example set by this project.”
In addition, the project will feature several new green construction initiatives, including a geothermal water piping system that makes use of the earth’s natural heating and cooling abilities to help heat and cool nearby plaza buildings in a more cost-effective and sustainable manner, reflective roofs and trellised vegetation for plaza buildings to further reduce heating and cooling costs, as well as ramp shoulder pavement that will allow water to seep through and reduce stormwater runoff.

Under the agreement, the Tollway will finance half of the estimated $69 million project cost. Consistent with the Tollway’s Interchange Policy requiring local communities to cover half of the cost of interchange improvements, the local share will be split: IDOT will contribute approximately 25 percent and the remainder will be funded by Huntley, Kane County and McHenry County. Huntley also has funded the $2.5 million cost of preliminary design and engineering studies, as required by the Tollway.
Illinois Route 47 Interchange -

The new interchange will provide full access between Illinois Route 47 and I-90, opening up direct access to and from the west to Huntley for future commercial, office and light industrial space. The current partial interchange provides access to existing developments, including Huntley Outlet Center and Del Webb’s Sun City Huntley, as well as recent developments, General RV and FYH Bearing Units USA.
The agreement will be presented for approval by the full Illinois Tollway Board of Directors at its September 29 meeting.

About Move Illinois

The Illinois Tollway’s $12 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, will improve mobility, relieve congestion, reduce pollution, create 120,000 jobs and link economies across the Midwest region. Move Illinois will address the remaining needs of the existing Tollway system; rebuild and widen the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) as a state-of-the-art 21st century corridor; construct a new interchange to connect the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to I-57; build a new, all-electronic Elgin O’Hare West Bypass and fund planning studies for the Illinois Route 53 Extension and the Illiana Expressway.

About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 286 miles of interstate tollways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) and the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80).
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MCEDC is collaborating on an Indonesia Trade Event

You're invited to:
Doing Business in Indonesia 
An International Trade Event
 
World Trade Center Chicago-Illinois (www.WTCIL.org) is pleased to invite you to learn more about international trade with The Republic of Indonesia.  The World Trade Center in collaboration with The Indonesian Trade Promotion Center and The Consul General of The Republic of Indonesia along with the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation - MCEDC, cordially invite you to attend a FREE trade promotion event:
 
"Doing Business in Indonesia"
Thursday, September 29th
7:30 am - 9:00am
Free Continental Breakfast 

  
 The Shah Center - MCC
4100 W. Shamrock Lane
Room 116
McHenry, IL 60050
 
 To register, call MCEDC at 815.363.0444 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 
Why do Business in Indonesia?
Abundant natural resources, a young and technically trained work force and a large and growing domestic market, combined with an improving investment climate and a higher global profile are just a few of the many strengths.

• World's 4th Largest Population - 232M
• GDP growth rate of 6.5% (Q1, 2011)
• With over 238 million people, it is the world's fourth most populas country
• GDP US$ 550 Billion (2009)
• Largest economy in S.E. Asia
• 17th largest global economy
• In the Top 10 "most attractive destinations for (FDI)" foreign direct investment (UNCTAS World's Investment Prospect Survey)

You will also have the chance to learn more about:
• How to sell your products into Indonesia
• Sourcing important natural resources for your manufacturing process from Indonesia
• Purchasing products for distribution into the U.S. Market
• Update on the upcoming World Trade Center Chicago Illinois trade mission to Jakarta, Indonesia in October 2011 

For more information you can reach World Trade Center Chicago Illinois at               773-313-3735.
Get more information!

Upcoming WTC Events
 
 
Inbound Trade Mission: Estonia
Thursday September 22, 2011 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM CDT
Radisson Hotel
 
Ambassador John Bolton
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM CDT
Stonegate Conference Centre, Hoffman Estates
 

MCEDC Investors meet with Congressman Manzullo

Over 50 MCEDC Investors met with Congressman Don Manzullo this morning at the MCC Shah Center in McHenry.  The Congressman expressed his appreciation for the concern over his wife's recent illness and also pledged to continue to work on behalf of McHenry County and our primary employers no matter how the redistricting works out.  The Q & A was informative and enlighting and his candor was most appreciated.

The EDC's Legislative & Government Affairs committee's goal for 2011 was to provide opportunities and access to our elected representatives. In addition to the MCEDC's outreach efforts in Washington DC, Tom Zanck, Chair of the Committee, outlined the events sponsored this year - Legislative Coffee with U.S. Senator Mark Kirk in April, Small business listening tour with Congressman Joe Walsh in May,  Annual Legislative Breakfast with State Representatives & Congressman Manzullo & Walsh in June, Legislative Coffee with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin earlier this August and the Coffee with Congressman Manzullo held today.

MCEDC believes it is imperative that the primary employers of McHenry County have opportunities to share their concerns and needs and to meet with our elected representatives creating a dialog that can only help build solutions to the economic issues of today. 

Photography By Robin F. Pendergrast Photography, Inc.

For more information, see NWHerald Blog by Chris Freeman.

http://www.biz-journal.com/blogs/entries/2011/08/18/33533497/index.xml