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A deep dive, a big book campaign, and Chicagoland's 12 years on top: sharing northeastern Illinois' economic success stories
In this newsletter, we're celebrating economic success stories throughout our region, along with new opportunities and events.
Choose DuPage hosted an event, called Deep Dive DuPage, which brought local leaders together to explore key issues.
A big crowd gathered for a fundraising event at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, where local officials announced a partnership to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Will County.
An Advance McHenry County grant will help sustain local business ownership by helping owners craft succession plans, assist business owners with transition planning, and help aspiring entrepreneurs acquire transitioning businesses.
And our region is celebrating its 12th consecutive year as the top metropolitan area in the country for corporate relocation and investment.
If you're not yet a subscriber, please sign up for the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning's (CMAP) topic-based newsletters. And if you have regional economic news to share, tell us about it.
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A dozen years at No. 1: Chicago area named best U.S. metro area for corporate relocation and investment
Chicago has once again been named the best metro in the U.S. for corporate relocation and investment by Site Selection Magazine, marking its 12th consecutive year at the top.
This ranking — based on project count — highlights northeastern Illinois' global economic strength, business-friendly environment, and deep talent pool.
Site Selection Magazine counted 582 total projects in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area, nearly 100 more than second-place Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington in Texas.
These competitive advantages are championed by the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership (GCEP) — a collaboration between the city and seven surrounding counties (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will) — to drive investment and business expansion across the region. CMAP set the work in motion for the partnership and World Business Chicago has managed it since 2023.
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A data-driven look at our region: World Business Chicago publishes latest economic dashboard
The World Business Chicago (WBC) Research Center published its latest economic dashboard, offering a data-driven look at how Chicago closed out 2024 and what trends are shaping the year ahead.
With new U.S. policies taking effect and economic conditions evolving, businesses are navigating a landscape of uncertainty. The WBC Research Economic Dashboard highlights regional stability, including:
- Spending and activity: How do we rank compared to New York City, Los Angeles, and Houston for consumer spending, average daily flights, and consumer price index?
- Employment by industry: which northeastern Illinois counties are up or down, in tech, life sciences, and manufacturing?
- Information about housing, employment, and innovation, including an unemployment rate map for our region.
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 Catherine Jones, associate vice president of Workforce Development at McHenry County College, John Mink, manager of the Illinois Small Business Development Center, and Mark Piekos, executive director of the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation, presenting the Strong Transitions Program to the McHenry County Board.
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In McHenry County, Strong Transitions Program helps business owners craft succession plans
A new program funded through a $225,000 Advance McHenry County grant will help sustain local business ownership by helping owners craft succession plans.
The Strong Transitions Program will also assist existing business owners with transition planning and help aspiring entrepreneurs acquire transitioning businesses in McHenry County.
Under the program, business owners who intend to sell their company receive one-on-one exit strategy counseling from experienced advisors. Also, an interactive workshop series prepares entrepreneurs to buy and operate an established company.
The program is a partnership between the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation and the Illinois Small Business Development Center at McHenry County College.
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 At top: Deep Dive DuPage drew a big crowd in Naperville. At bottom: Greg Bedalov (from left), Jon Adams, and Hugh Elliott. Greg is the president and CEO of Choose DuPage; Jon is an executive with Calamos Real Estate, and Hugh is with Dugan + Lopatka CPAs, the latter both served as event sponsors.
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Deep Dive DuPage takes a look at key issues that affect our region
Choose DuPage hosted an event called Deep Dive DuPage earlier this year in Naperville, bringing local leaders together to explore key concerns, such as:
- How national trends are impacting DuPage businesses?
- What’s the story behind the headlines?
- Where’s our economy heading next, and how can you be ready?
The event featured an economic outlook given by Jon Adams, CFA, senior vice president, chief investment officer for Calamos Wealth Management. Also, Greg Bedalov, president and CEO of Choose DuPage, shared details about DuPage's economy and economic development landscape.
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Intersect Illinois: Economic development organization's leaders join DuPage Business Beat podcast
DuPage Business Beat podcast host Greg Bedalov welcomes two guests from Intersect Illinois, the state's economic development organization, to explain how they're addressing challenges and opportunities. Bedalov is joined by Christy George, president and CEO, and John Atkinson, chair, for Intersect Illinois.
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A year of growth: Lake County Partners reflecting on 2024, looking at a fresh pipeline of projects
Lake County Partners, which promotes economic development in Lake County, is looking back on 2024. It was a record year of growth where they developed a fresh pipeline of projects to pursue in 2025.
The group touted:
- Major investments and new jobs.
- A commitment to collaboration and community, including the BIG Event, Municipal Meeting Series, and the annual Invested Together event.
- A new approach that increased website traffic by 242%.
Spotlight on CMAP: Lake County Partners highlight our agency's focus on northeastern Illinois' future
Lake County Partners also recently highlighted CMAP on their website and newsletter. A blog post highlights how 2024 marked a year of progress, and the work that lies ahead developing the Regional Transportation Plan and a shared vision for the region.
And their newsletter featured a Q and A with CMAP Executive Director Erin Aleman, covering how her background in transportation and planning shapes her leadership approach.
Lake County is an important regional partner in our work. Thanks to the LCP for highlighting CMAP!
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 A big crowd showed up at the Rialto Square Theatre to kick off a fundraising campaign for a partnership with The Dollywood Foundation to bring an Imagination Library to Will County. Attendees posed with a cutout of Dolly at the event.
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Will County hosts a celebration to kick off Dolly Parton's Imagination Library campaign
Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant and the Will County Center for Economic Development announced a partnership with The Dollywood Foundation to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Will County. The program mails free, high-quality, and age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five.
The Imagination Library of Will County is supported by the statewide expansion of a program launched by Governor JB Pritzker in 2023. The state program matches every dollar raised locally, improving countywide programs' abilities to raise funds and register children. With the state match, every $16 raised locally will sponsor one child to receive a full year of books.
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CMAP Annual Report highlights work that supports a robust regional economy
CMAP supports a robust regional economy. Our 2024 Annual Report highlights how we serve northeastern Illinois, its communities, and its people to improve infrastructure, mobility, environment, the economy, and quality of life.
CMAP coordinated with regional and local partners to leverage and promote our region’s significant transportation and freight infrastructure assets, diverse talent, strong exporting industries, and world-class institutions of innovation, research, and culture.
We improved data resources like the Job Quality and Access Tool, to help local leaders plan for and invest in equitable resilience measures. We also supported regional economic development through the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership, which celebrated one year of impact driving economic growth and advancing equity.
We look forward to continuing this critical work to serve, strengthen, and empower the region alongside our partners in 2025.
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CMAP’s Advocacy Agenda details policy positions and priorities that will guide our region
In 2025, CMAP will mark its 20th anniversary. Over these two decades, we have worked with our federal, state, and local partners to make northeastern Illinois a stronger, more resilient place to live.
Our region remains one of the world’s greatest economic centers with a diverse workforce, vast multimodal transportation system, and abundant natural resources. Yet, it faces challenges from the need to adequately fund transportation, support resilience, and an increasingly competitive global economy with starker economic disparities.
CMAP’s 2025-2026 Advocacy Agenda details policy positions and priorities that can help our region address challenges, seize opportunities, and continue to thrive:
- Securing a dedicated annual appropriation from the state to support a wider range of technical assistance offerings. Our region’s cities, villages, and counties will benefit for years with a modest investment in CMAP.
- Sustainably funding transportation.
- Increasing opportunities for comprehensive planning and economic development.
- And more, with actionable steps, found in the latest agenda.
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Invest in Cook helps local governments and partners advance transportation projects
Applications are open for the 2025 Invest in Cook program. The $8.5 million grant program helps local government and agency partners cover some of the costs of planning and feasibility studies, engineering, right-of-way acquisition, and construction associated with transportation improvements.
The program prioritizes proposals that support transit and other transportation alternatives, support the region's role as North America's freight capital, promote equal access to opportunities, maintain and modernize what already exists, and increase investments in transportation.
Eligible applicants include local governments, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, and natural resource or public land agencies, as well as any other local or regional governmental entity with responsibility for transportation or recreational trails within Cook County.
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Makers Madness: help determine the coolest thing made in Illinois
What’s The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois? You can vote on that!
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association launched the sixth annual Makers Madness contest, a bracket-style tournament to determine the state's top manufactured product.
Voting to narrow the field to the top 16 products began March 4, with consecutive rounds of voting taking place each week. The contest will culminate with an awards ceremony on April 9 at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, where The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois 2025 winner will be named.
Last year’s champion was the Komatsu mining truck, a rugged, large capacity vehicle used for construction and mining made in Peoria.
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