Growth Dimensions

Business Development

2009/2010 Job Creation and Investment

Belvidere / Boone County Enterprise Zone:
Growth Dimensions administers the Belvidere-Boone County Enterprise Zone, which provides financial incentives for the development and expansion of commercial and industrial facilities. This past year, thirty-four commercial and six industrial projects were started or are under construction that will result in the creation of 112 jobs and will generate over $6 million of capital investments in the Belvidere-Boone County Enterprise Zone.

Industrial Related Investments included:
BioVantage Fuels LLC, General Mills Incorporated, Acument Global Technologies, Chrysler Group LLC, Versacold Logistics Services, and Corrugated Metals/IDT.

Commercial related investments included:
DareCloud Development, T6 Wireless, Boone County Historical Society, Glamour Nails, Discover Me Travel, Stop-N-Go, Donn Gustafson, Salvation Army, La Guadalupa, Stylehouse Furniture, Road Ranger, All My Stitches, Community Building Complex, Sala de Bellesa Las Rosas, Pasqual Avila, Ed Marx, Belvidere Park District, All Paws Pet Wash, District 2 Fire Department, Boone County Council on Aging, State Street Auto Rebuilders, Jack Wolf, Lori's Little Critters, Great Clips, PDR Enterprises, Great Kitchens, Poon & Le LLC, O&K Tax Service, Kennitt's Ale House, Kenco Repair Inc., Great Kitchens, C.L. Quick Stop, Debbie Carlson, and Mark Mitchell.

Business Development Work Program
Accomplishments

Development and Implementation of Business Retention & Expansion Programs

  • Growth Dimensions hosted the Manufacturer's Appreciation Breakfast. The event featured a workshop presentation on "Waste to Profit" by Mary Hallock from the Illinois Manufacturing Extension Center
  • Worked with manufacturing companies on retention issues where assistance ranged from addressing needs and solutions to city zoning amendments, enterprise zone certifications and other state incentives

Development and Implementation of Business Recruitment & Attraction Programs

Marketing, Information Management & Tradeshows

  • Mark Williams was part of nine-member delegation that attended Bioenergy Days 2009 in West Sweden, in the cities of Lidköping and Trollhättan, from September 28-30. Sweden is one of the leading countries in developing and implementing fossil fuel independence, a goal they began in 2006 and will reach by 2020. Bioenergy Days 2010 will be held in Rockford from September 27-29
  • Mark Williams traveled to Turin Italy where he visited Fiat Group’s global headquarters and participated in a high-level automotive summit. The summit was hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce and focused on the Italian company’s interest in investing in North America . Williams was able to meet with Fiat purchasing executives to discuss the company’s plans in North America and Fiat’s needs to move portions of its supply chain, thereby creating investment opportunities
  • Working with developers to identify available development sites and infrastructure needs in the Poplar Grove and North Boone area
  • Participated in I-39 Logistics Corridor Association
  • Completed marketing brochure and design and production of summary brochures of the Labor Availability and Commuter Analysis Reports

Development and Implementation of Workforce Development Programs

  • Partnered with the lead agencies involved in workforce development: Workforce Connection and Boone and Winnebago Counties Workforce Investment Board, the Rockford and Belvidere Chambers of Commerce, the Rockford Area Economic Development Council, Winnebago County, Abilities Center/TECHWORKS and Rock Valley College to hold a job fair in the efforts to help companies in this area recruit and train new employees
  • Worked with the lead agencies involved in workforce development: Boone/Winnebago Workforce Investment Board regional strategic workforce planning and economic development research study, as well as on the Advisory Board and Executive Committee for the Critical Skill Shortage Initiative being administered by the Rock River Training Corporation as well as local businesses, educational institutions and government agencies

Business & Industry Updates

Growth Dimensions Remains Involved for Future Plans of Belvidere Assembly Plant:
Being at the table, building off of past collaborative successes, and building long lasting international relation-ships are just a few of the key elements when discussing the future production opportunities at the Belvidere As-sembly plant after the production of the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass comes to an end in 2012. Read More...

Acument Global Technologies:
Acument Global Technologies, parent company to Camcar Belvidere, expanded production and increased employment at their Belvidere facility in 2009. Acument's Belvidere location is absorbing operations from other company plants that have recently closed their doors. Prior to the current changes, the Belvidere plant employed about 100 people. With the added production, employment grew to about 130 people this summer. Currently the company is employing 140 hourly and 20 salaried workers, a small portion of those employees are temporary. Recently, demands have expanded by 140% and the Belvidere Operation is also now dealing with $15-$18 million worth of products from the Wytheville Virginia plant shutdown. Read More...

General Mills/Green Giant Receives Partnership Award
General Mills was named the recipient of the 2009 Ameren/Illinois Development Council Business Partnership Award. The presentation of the award was made at the recent Illinois Development Council’s 2009 Annual Conference held in Lisle, IL. General Mills was recognized for its partnership in community outreach through leadership service on several area civic organizational boards including Growth Dimensions, the Belvidere Area Chamber of Commerce and the Boone/Winnebago County Workforce Board. Read More...

IDT Defence Contract Would Create 250 New Jobs
Efforts by Integrated Defense Technologies (IDT) (Corrugated Metals) in Belvidere to successfully bid for a Department of Defense contract to manufacture Expeditionary Earth Filled Protective Barriers were temporarily squashed when the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) awarded the contract to a United Kingdom based company. With the help of Senator Dick Durbin and Congressman Don Manzullo, the City of Belvidere, Boone County and Growth Dimensions, the DLA agreed to re-bid the contract providing another opportunity to IDT. The award would bring 250 new manufacturing jobs to the Belvidere area. Growth Dimensions remains actively involved in assisting IDT with its efforts to secure the contract.

Hardware Store Locates in Countryside Square
Poplar Grove Pro Hardware has opened it's doors at 13530 Julie Drive. The store is the 14th business in the Countryside Square development, which is located off of Route 76 in northern Boone County. Mike Farley, owner of the hardware store and of Farley Properties, says that despite the tough economic times, Poplar Grove's business community has come together to support one another. "If we as a business community can think outside the box a little more than usual and provide the right services that people need to conduct their everyday lives we will be OK and stay afloat ," stated Farley. Countryside Square was built in 2005 and currently has 17 occupied units.