Business Assistance, Retention & Expansion

Uptown/Downtown C7: The EDC is recruiting individuals (protégés) for the Circles of Seven (C7) business mentoring program tailored specifically towards Uptown and Downtown business owners. C7 is a unique program designed to provide small and medium-sized business owners the opportunity to be mentored by a seasoned business person. The mentorship experience is conducted in a group setting with five other individuals (protégés) seeking the same mentorship experience. C7 groups will meet each month to discuss a wide variety of business issues. In partnership with the EDC, the Downtown Bloomington Association will offer full scholarships to the first five members interested in participating in this program. When signing up for the program, let the EDC staff know that you are a DBA member.

Entrepreneurs will benefit through the relationships they will build with others in their groups. Mentors will offer their wisdom and knowledge acquired from their experiences with growing their businesses. Protégés will have an outlet to discuss business struggles or frustrations with others who may be experiencing similar hardships. The program also offers an avenue for the sharing of new ideas and insight. There is a $20 application fee as well as a $75 program fee that will be waived for the first five Downtown Bloomington protégés committed to participate. The application deadline is June 27th.

Please contact Brooke Weishaupt (brooke@bnbiz.org) at
(309) 452-8437. The program will begin as soon as the groups are filled and prepared to start. For more information, visit www.bnbiz.org.

BizBAM: The business retention and expansion program, BizBAM, is in progress. In this program, a BizBAM outreach specialist meets with local companies to discuss issues affecting their operations and creates a custom response to short-term growth obstacles. This input helps the EDC develop strategies for the long-term health of the Bloomington-Normal business environment.

BizBAM outreach specialists are a link to a virtual response team of local not-for-profit, municipal, county and state economic development service providers. If you would like to schedule a meeting, or if you know of someone who may benefit from this program, please contact Marty Vanags at (309) 452-8437 or mvanags@bnbiz.org.

New Business Recruitment & Development

The EDC is leading the charge to establish a technology master plan for the community. What is this, and why is it important to attracting companies to the area? While communities plan for roads, sewer and water infrastructure, most communities do not or have not planned for infrastructure development. Why? Because it wasn’t within their scope of services, and it may never be. Large employers and institutions  require large amounts of technology infrastructure, and private suppliers are happy to oblige. So how does this all work together, or does it?

The technology master plan for McLean County will provide two critical needs. First, it will provide the community with a technology assets inventory. This inventory will allow us to look at areas that may need assistance or where we could improve service. Second, the plan will provide us with recommendations on how we might improve our technology capabilities so we can be more competitive. It is likely due to several large employers and our institutions of higher learning that we do have good access, but how does that compare to other communities? In a world of globalization, we need to be more competitive to attract new business and help existing ones grow and expand.

To learn more about the Technology Master Plan Task Force and the work being done, call the EDC and ask for Ken Springer or Marty Vanags.

Community Improvement

One Voice: We are beginning to prepare for the 2009 One Voice trip. We will begin soliciting projects to support in July. The projects must meet the following criteria: 1) must have an economic development impact 2) must improve the quality of life in McLean County 3) must have already formally requested federal funding. If you have a project you would like to submit for the One Voice task force to review, please contact Marty Vanags at (309) 452-8437 or mvanags@bnbiz.org.

West Bloomington: The next community summit for the West Bloomington Revitalization Project will be held July 17, 6:30-9:00 p.m. at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church. Please RSVP to Michelle Spicer at (309) 452-8437 or michelle@bnbiz.org. Anyone with an interest in the project is invited to attend. For more information, visit the EDC Web site at www.bnbiz.org and click on the "West Bloomington" button.

Program Oversight & Investor Relations

The EDC calls the companies, institutions, organizations and units of government that provide its funding “investors." Why not members or some other more common name? Unlike a “membership” organization, where a company might join to receive membership benefits, the EDC does not provide any direct services or benefits to its members deliberately. Instead, the EDC counts on the success of its programs to help local businesses grow and expand and attract new businesses so a company that provides funding will receive a return on investment. For a bank, this might mean more deposits as businesses grow. For a landscaping company, it might mean more large accounts to mow or trim. For a large service company, it means the proportionate share of carrying the burden of the community is reduced. 

The entire business community shares in the growth of business. Whether it is from businesses that are growing locally and increasing their employee counts or new businesses moving to the community, “all boats float from a rising tide.” So, instead of asking if you can be a member of the EDC, remember instead to ask what it takes to “invest” in the EDC. In the long term, your investment will pay off.

To find out more about what it takes to become an investor, call Marty Vanags, CEO, at (309) 452-8437.

Finance Information

If you seek financing for your project, the EDC may be able to help. The EDC can facilitate financing with private banking sources, public financial funds such as the McLean County Revolving Loan Fund, Community Development Assistance Program funding through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Finance Authority, as well as venture funds and other programs. For certain projects, the EDC is the local point of contact for obtaining specialized state and local tax and financial incentives, including the local enterprise zone. 

To improve your project's chances of obtaining funding through one of the above programs, please contact the EDC as early as possible in your project's lifecycle. Several of the financing options become inaccessible as the project gets underway. For details and criteria for any of the above programs, please contact the EDC at
(309) 452-8437.

Large, high-quality buildings are rare finds in this local real estate market.  This former IRS building contains 225,000 sf warehousing/distribution space with 24’ clearspan, 13 truck docks and 30,000 sf of office area with raised floors for easy configuration.  The building sits on 20 acres of flat land for easy expansion.  The building is located on IL-9, only one mile from the Central Illinois Regional Airport.  Parking for 350.  Asking $12,800,000; also for lease.  Contact Greg Yount at Coldwell Banker Commercial – (309) 662-3377.

Learn more about our building and sites locator.

StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
Reviewed by Brooke Weishaupt

StrengthsFinder 2.0 is not your typical business book. It is part of a larger strengths discovery program created by Gallup, the organization famous for its research and polls. StrengthsFinder 2.0 is the updated version of Gallup’s original book, Now, Discover Your Strengths.

In the back of each book, there is a unique code that allows you to access the online test. Therefore, it is not a book you can borrow or buy used. The test takes about 20 minutes and is comprised of questions that have you choose to what degree the statement describes you. The test only allows you a few seconds per question, as the theory behind it says your first instinct is usually the correct one.

Once you are finished with the test, you are presented with your top five strengths, a description of each and a list of activities to help you take advantage of them. The book is basically all the descriptions and suggestions gathered in one spot; however, the book also includes suggestions to help you work with or understand people who have strengths other than yours.

My strengths are: Input, Intellection, Learner, Achiever and Futuristic. After reading the descriptions of each, I have to say I agree with the assessment. I enjoy not just the outcome, but the process of learning and discovering new information. I can also be quite the perfectionist and a stickler for details, which shows up in the Achiever strength. My big dreams and plans for the future are showcased in the Futuristic strength. Click here to read more...

Good-bye to Chad Carson

Chad Carson, the EDC's business retention manager, has left the EDC to work in business retention with the Greater Houston Partnership in Texas. We thank Chad for all he has done during his time at the EDC, and we wish him luck with this new opportunity. We'll miss listening to his stories about Buffalo!

Until a replacement is hired, please contact Marty Vanags with your business assistance questions or needs.

Nicor Gas
by Chad Carson

Nicor has been part of the community fabric of Bloomington-Normal for five decades. The corporation's largest subsidiary, Nicor Gas, was founded in 1954 as Northern Illinois Gas and today is one of the largest natural gas distribution companies in the country, serving more than two million customers in 641 communities.

Nicor Gas operates a network of more than 32,000 miles of pipelines connected to one of the largest underground storage facilities in the country.

Nicor Gas does more than deliver energy resources, Nicor Gas' Community Relations Department is the liaison between the company and municipalities within its service area. The Community Relations Department coordinates natural gas infrastructure improvements with projects planned in municipalities and assists with most issues between communities and Nicor Gas.

EDC board member Bernie Anderson, sr. regional community relations director, assists with economic development, public works, finance, fire and police and franchise agreement issues. Additionally, he also addresses customer issues that are brought to municipal staff or local elected officials.

Even further evidence of commitment to their local service area, Nicor Gas employees, families and friends support the company's commitment to volunteerism by giving back to local communities during the celebration of Nicor's Volunteer Day.

Recently, volunteers in Bloomington-Normal cleaned White Oak Park Lake near Nicor Gas' own building on Martin Luther King Drive. Nicor teamed with Boy Scout volunteers at the lake project, continuing a relationship established a decade ago.

"I knew it was bad," Anderson said of garbage around the lake, but he wasn't expecting volunteers to find two loads of house shingles dumped at the lake.

They also piled several tires, beer bottles, mounds of clothing and some things that weren't easily identifiable. "It's shameful to do that to our environment," Anderson said.

The City of Bloomington, which owns the land around the lake, contributed by trucking the debris away.

The Twin Cities always have one of the best turnouts on Volunteer Day among many of the Northern Illinois communities that Nicor serves, Anderson said.

Nicor Gas is active in our community, partnering in economic development initiatives from the EDC to the Central Illinois Development Partnership and helping improve the quality of life of residents through active volunteering that makes a difference to the well-being of our community.

Learn more about Nicor Gas.

Uptown Toastmasters

Do you have trouble speaking in front of a room full of people? Would you like to find out how to better express your ideas? Are you interested in learning how to run meetings more effectively? Toastmasters can help you become a better speaker AND leader!

The EDC has started a Toastmasters International chapter, the "Uptown Toastmasters." At Toastmasters, members learn better communication skills by speaking to groups and working with others in a supportive environment. At each meeting, members give impromptu and prepared speeches and receive constructive evaluation from their peers.

Toastmasters helps employees give better sales presentations, improve their management skills, work better with other employees, effectively develop and present ideas, offer constructive criticism and accept criticism more objectively.

If you are interested in joining the group, please contact Brooke Weishaupt at (309) 452-8437 or brooke@bnbiz.org. Meetings are held the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Bank of Illinois Community Room, 200 W. College Ave., Normal. To learn more about Toastmasters, visit www.toastmasters.org.

A Special Thank You

The EDC would like to thank Corn Belt Energy for sponsor the Illinois Development Council's annual conference. The conference, which takes place in July, is Illinois' biggest event for economic developers and features several keynote speakers and workshops pertaining to the economic development field. Marty Vanags is on the board of directors for IDC.

A special thank you to Ron Stack, vice president of utility services at Corn Belt, for securing this sponsorship and for his continued commitment to enhancing economic development in McLean County and all of Illinois.

Advancing Wind Power in Illinois

Interstate Center, Bloomington, IL
June 25-26, 2008

The Illinois Wind Working Group (IL WWG) is holding its second annual conference, "Advancing Wind Power in Illinois 2008," on June 25-26, 2008. The conference covers all aspects of wind energy including small wind, community wind and large wind farms. Sessions will cover "how to's", policy recommendations, case studies, economics development, county zoning and siting and more. The conference brings to Illinois nationally recognized experts and local policymakers to discuss the means to encourage the growth of wind energy. An optional tour of Horizon Energy's Twin Groves Wind Farm is available for the evening of June 25. Pre-conference seminars are also available. Confirmed Plenary Speakers include:

• Phil Dougherty, National Co-Director, Wind Powering America, Department of Energy
• George Sterzinger, Executive Director, Renewable Energy Policy Project
• Bill Poole, Natural Resources Consulting, Inc.
• Joel Link, Invenergy LLC
• Gary Nowakowski, U.S. Department of Energy
• Christopher Merrett, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
• David Loomis, Illinois Wind Working Group

More information about the organization and the conference is available at www.wind.ilstu.edu.

The Illinois Wind Working Group (IL WWG) is affiliated with the Department of Energy's Wind Powering America's state Wind Working Groups. The Wind Powering America (WPA) is a regionally-based collaborative initiative to increase the nation's domestic energy supply by promoting the use of Wind Energy Technology, such as low wind speed technology, to increase rural economic development, protect the environment, and enhance the nation's energy security. WPA provides technical support and educational and outreach materials about utility-scale development and small wind electric systems to utilities, rural cooperatives, federal property managers, rural landowners, Native Americans, and the general public.

Student Intern Wanted

The Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is searching for a student intern for the North Central Region (McLean County).

Salary Range: $1227 - $2212/Monthly
Last Date to Apply: June 23, 2008
To apply: Candidates will need to complete and submit an online application or CMS 100 Employment Application to Human Resources Office; Attn: Natalie Farmer, 620 E. Adams St., 6th Floor, Springfield, IL 62701. Faxed applications will be accepted at (217) 524-0189.

Job Description: Under immediate supervision of the North Central Regional Manager, for a period not to exceed four years while actively enrolled in college; working part-time, performs a variety of support functions that further the objectives and goals set for the region by the Governor's Opportunity Returns program while attending college.

• Assists in marketing, public relations and other outreach strategies through activities such as media list building, contacts organization, newsletter compilation, phone contacts to businesses and communities, technical assistance to phone inquiries, setting up business retention and other community meetings.
• Participates in on-the job training; job shadows the Regional Manager and/or Account Manager in meetings as directed. Prepares materials, through research and writing drafts of material, as well as copying needed material for these meetings; takes notes of meetings.
• Assists professional staff in assigned research projects, analyzes and develops responses to regional needs in a combination of the following ILDCEO area: Director's office; Tourism; Workforce Development; Community Development; Technology and Industrial Competitiveness; Energy and Recycling; Homeland Security Marketplace; Business Attraction and Retention; Government Services; and other state, federal and local programs.
• Assists in the management of information through activities such as filing, preparation of PowerPoints, building a resource library and devising a "local" system for tracking and reporting on regional projects.
• Develops a working knowledge of state economic and community development programs.
• Assists in special projects to provide broad-based experience in state government for the purpose of acquiring a practical blend of theory and practice.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Requires knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to the completion of high school and active enrollment at a college, in a field of study related to economic development, such as business, marketing, economics. Requires knowledge of standard computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel and Access. Requires ability to travel to attend meetings with Regional Manager and/or Account Manager.

Elizabeth Dole Young Entrepreneur Scholarship

Women Impacting Public Policy is pleased to announce the release of the application for the 2008 Elizabeth Dole Young Entrepreneur Scholarship; this year’s application deadline is June 30th. The Scholarship, established in 2006 honoring Senator Dole as the WIPP Congressional Award Winner, is completing its first program year watching young women business owners grow and thrive in their community. It has been an exciting and educational process and we are eager to begin the process for the coming program year. The scholarship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain knowledge, skills and guidance from successful women business owners – as well as have a chance to receive a cash award to help grow their business.

The Elizabeth Dole Young Entrepreneur Scholarship is a bi-partisan effort, established to recognize high potential young women business owners who are leaders in their community, with resources and guidance to excel their businesses and personal success.

Qualifications:

• At least 51% woman-owned
• Entrepreneur between the ages of 21-35
• U.S. Citizen
• Business five years old or less
• Revenue of $500, 000 or less for service industries OR $1milion or less for manufacturing industries
• The business has capacity to assume more debt
• Owner has a satisfactory personal credit history

Program details are also available on www.WIPP.org:

2008 Scholarship Application

2008 Letter of Recommendation Form

Fact Sheet

If you have any questions on the application, please contact Jason Lalak at the WIPP office at JLalak@wipp.org or (415) 434-4314. Remember, applications are due June 30th.

Primer on Globalization

The International Economic Development Council has released its newest resource, the Primer on Globalization. The Primer:

• Uses clear language and established data to describe how economic development in the U.S. is changing
• Is designed to help economic developers distill the myriad opportunities and challenges presented by open, integrated markets
• Includes a set of practical suggestions for how to use the information to initiate positive transformations in your community.

Click here to download the Primer on Globalization.

Make-A-Wish Celebrity Sing for Wishes

Join the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois at the Celebrity Sing for Wishes event on Saturday, July 12th, from 6-10 p.m. at the Gill Street Sports Bar and Restaurant. Ten local celebrities will have the chance to sing with Gerry and the G-men to raise money for this great cause.

Celebrities include: Willie Brown, State Farm executive vice president; Denver Johnson, ISU football coach; Beth Whisman, WJBC midday show host; Jenny Li, WEEK-TV reporter/anchor; Dennie Bridges, IWU athletic director; State Rep. Dan Brady, 88th District; Jim Miller, Bloomington Country Club PGA golf professional; Shari Buckellew, Children's Discovery Museum manager; Amy Calhoun, A. Renee owner; and Dr. David Naour, general surgeon.

For more information or to donate, visit www.singforwishes.com. The event is sponsored by Verizon.