About the Will CountyCenter for Economic Development

The CED is a private non-profit 501(c)(6) developmentcorporation formed in 1981

Funding for the CED comes from private and public Investors committed to the CED’s Missions and Principles

Our services are available for free to all private and public entities committed to creating a robust economic future for Will County

About the Will County Center for Economic Development

The mission of the Will County Center for Economic Development is to assist in:

• The retention and expansion of existing businesses

• The recruitment of new businesses, and

• The creation of new jobs and investment throughout Will County

CED Mission

The CED’s programs and services are based on the following principles:

• Defense of the Will County and Illinois Economies

• Competitiveness of Will County Businesses

• Diversification of the Economic Base

• Inclusive Economic Development

• Infrastructure Modernization

• Workforce Attraction and Development

CED Guiding Principles

Real Estate Information: Comprehensive site and building data base

Economic Data & Research: Development activity & trends, population,

workforce, taxes, regulations, customized research

Incentives: Project & program eligibility and analysis

Government Guidance: Contacts and coordination with federal, state,

and local officials

Presence Where It Counts: Federal and state lobbying

CED Services to Businesses

Economic Update

Economic Conditions in Will County

Population: 692,310 (2018, up 2% from 2010)

Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (July 2019 – Lowest July since 1998)

Median Household Income: $82,477 (2017, 5th – highest in State)

Job Growth: 8,450 New Jobs (Q2 2018 – Q2 2019)

Housing: 1,594 new building permits (2018, up 15% from 2017)

Illinois Leads in Job Creation

Illinois is significantly outperforming its neighbor states in job creation after the recession.

Will County Job Creation

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

220,000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW Data

Will County Private Jobs 2001 - 2018

Recession

215,000 jobs in 201837% job growth post-recession

123,000 in 2001

156,000 in 2009 recession trough

Will County Unemployment

Will County Industrial Inventory

1996: 51 million sf

2019: 184 million sf

2005: 101 million sf

Business Developments

New Major Business Developments – Q1 2019

Company Building Size City IndustryGrainger 408,932 Joliet Industrial SuppliesLennox International 400,393 Romeoville Home GoodsBed Bath & Beyond 361,176 Bolingbrook Home GoodsSaddle Creek 287,709 Elwood TransportationNGL 283,866 New Lenox TransportationSaratoga Specialties 269,662 Bolingbrook Food/BeverageA&R Logistics 250,560 Joliet TransportationNovo Building Products 250,000 Channahon Home GoodsTouchpoint Logistics 206,983 Joliet TransportationSymbia Logistics 206,711 Bolingbrook TransportationAutomann USA Inc 202,582 New Lenox AutomotiveAmazon 153,350 Monee Production/PrintingSwap.com 132,123 Woodridge RetailWeatherTech 110,000 Bolingbrook ManufacturingWC EMA & Animal Control 18,000 Joliet Government Services

Novo Building Products - Channahon

250,000 square feet in new Channahon Route 6 Business Center

Industry leading manufacturer and distributor of mouldings, stair parts, doors, and specialty building products.

Diageo - Plainfield

1.5 million square feet

137 acres

Supports existing 525-job Diageo production facility in Plainfield

Project includes expansion of 143rd

Street west to Ridge Road

NFI/Hasbro - Joliet

Purchase to occupy

992,640 square feet

Silver Oaks Hospital – New Lenox

100-bed facility

Specializes in mental health and substance use disorder treatment

Joint venture between Silver Cross Hospital and US HealthVest

WeatherTech Expansion - Bolingbrook

Expansion of Bolingbrook headquarters

Premier automotive accessories and OEM auto supplier and manufacturer

Supports WeatherTech’s 1500+ employees in Bolingbrook

IDOC Inpatient Treatment Center - Joliet

$150 million investment

180,000 sf, 250-bed facility

400 jobs

Broke ground in 2019, to open in 2021

S&S Activewear - Lockport

750k sf build-to-suit industrial building

350 jobs

Will County headquarters company

Joliet Cold Storage Expansion - Joliet

230,000 sf of additional cold storage space

3rd phase of facility

Cold storage/food demand remains high

Avatar – University Park

New rail spur and expanded service

Will County headquartered company

Leading manufacturer in raw materials and ingredients used in the food, drug, and personal care industries.

Amazon Make-On-Demand Facility – Monee

Make-On-Demand Facility

Amazon’s 6th Will County facility

Up to 400 new jobs (250-300 off-peak)

153k square feet

Open July 2019

Magid Glove Solar Project - Romeoville

The Midwest’s largest rooftop solar array

3.5 MW of power generated by 10,500 panels

Cadence Pit Stop - Joliet

77,000 sf new facility, expansion of Cadence Premier Logistics footprint

Serving newest technologies in transportation

Additional opportunities for technical training with local schools

Four Seasons - New Lenox

612 single-family residences on the 223.26-acre Teerling Nursery property

12,000 sf clubhouse facility and 1.65 miles of trails

Breaks ground 2019, models open and homes under construction in 2020

Highland Ridge - Lockport

New mixed use development

240 new residential units in 12 buildings

4 commercial lots with space for retail, restaurant, office, medical, hospitality

Transportation Initiatives

Will CountyThe Largest Inland Port in North America

Major Will County Transportation Projects

Transportation MapCenterPoint Intermodal Center

CenterPoint Intermodal Center- Elwood

CenterPoint Intermodal Center- Joliet

Walmart Regional Distribution Center

Elwood Illinois

IKEA Distribution Center

Joliet Illinois

The Importance of Freight in Will County

The Importance of Freight in Will County

State Capital Bill

Will County Transportation Funding Includes:

$848 million for I-80 reconstruction

$162 million for South Suburban Airport I-57Interchange (Budget)

$6 million for Lewis Airport Control Tower

$3 million for Pinnacle Drive Extension in Romeoville

$2.5 million for Brandon Road Locks

$0.8 million for Route 53 Safety Improvements

www.i-80coalition.com

I-80 Coalition – Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of the I-80 Coalition is to accelerate the completion of the “I-80 Project” by the end of 2023. The coalition will accomplish its purpose by:

Engaging a broad group of concerned and interested stakeholders in a grass roots campaign.

Becoming well-informed of all current and possible ways to complete the “I-80 Project”.

Sharing all available information and research with public and private decision makers.

Funding a public information and lobbying initiative to influence a positive decision making pathway to complete the project.

I-80 Project/Study Area

Des Plaines River Bridge

Des Plaines River Bridge Preferred Alternative

New Realigned

Bridges over the

DPR

Existing Bridges

Removed

Houbolt Parkway Extension

Thank you for being a partner in economic development!

John GreulingPresident and CEO

john.greuling@willcountyced.com