Springfield, IL – 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. In addition, over the past five years General Mills completed a $50 Million in capital expansion at its facility located in Belvidere with the obligation to create 75 new jobs and retain 358 jobs.

General Mills’ partnership recognition doesn’t stop with capital investment and job creation. General Mills goes above and beyond to give back to the community it calls home. General Mills’ commitment to the community and the local United Way organization is recognized throughout Northern Illinois.

In 2008, the United Way Parking Lot Sale ended up being an over whelming success. Through employee pledges, parking lot sale, a silent auction and the General Mills Foundation match,the plant raised more than $460,000 in 2008 for the local United Way. Michael S. Kearney, manager of Economic Development for Ameren, said that “General Mills in Belvidere has been a stable and growing industry for the Belvidere area and the State of Illinois at-large even through cyclical changes in our economy.”

The Business Partnership Award was started in 2003 and is presented annually to recognize those private corporations that demonstrate the characteristics of partnership with local development groups and that lend positive support to community and economic development efforts in Illinois.

Pictured Above Left to Right: Mark Williams, Immediate Past Chairman of the Illinois Development Countil; Vince Castle, Plant Manager of General Mills in Belvidere; and Michael S. Kearney, Manager of Economic Development for Ameren Services