What do France, Canada, Vietnam and Japan all have in common? In the past 30 days, Greater Peoria EDC staff have connected with companies or organizations from each of those countries. Lenora Fisher joined us as our first ever full-time Director of Business Attraction and she has really hit the ground running.

The first visit was from Business France, the economic consulate organization for that country. They have offices across the nation and personnel at their Chicago office specialize in the French transportation sector and were very interested to visit us to learn more about the region’s expertise in autonomous vehicles. You can read more about their visit to Greater Peoria further down in this newsletter.
Next, we were visited by Atlas 365, a Canadian startup working to develop construction materials from industrial hemp. They were identified as a potential partner by Kim Uhlig, our retiring Director of Business Attraction and the State of Illinois’ DCEO Canadian contact. Hemp has been legal to grow in Canada for decades and now that is legal again to grow in the United States, we’ve been investigating how our region can be the national center for both growing industrial hemp and processing it. The visit from Atlas 365 helped jump start some great conversations with farmers and business people.
Join us at The Big Table Greater Peoria this October!
The Big Table is a day of regional community building through conversations designed to strengthen and connect communities.

 When: October 15, 2019
Where: Peoria Civic Center

Through open, thoughtful conversations that focus on how we can strengthen our region, we will spark new relationships and new ways for working together by deepening our understanding of each other and what our region needs.
On August 27th, GPEDC was named Community Partner of the Year by the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship at Bradley University. We are honored and grateful to be recognized as an organization that strives to make a positive impact in the community.

The Greater Peoria region hosted representatives from Business France for an area introduction in August. Our guests were interested in learning about the region’s autonomous mobility initiatives and companies supporting the railroad industry.

Thanks to those who participated in the Business France visit and stay tuned for additional opportunities to come!
The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship at Bradley University, have announced the teams for the 2019 Brave Launch cohort. It is an impressive roster featuring companies with tremendous potential for growth and innovation.

GPEDC is proud to be a sponsor of this remarkable program.
At the Greater Peoria EDC, we are experimenting with new ways to play an active role in building a strong regional food economy. One way we can participate is by helping to reduce the barrier of entry for beginning farmers interested in building their skills and expanding their knowledge base in agriculture.
Be part of the conversation to shape Peoria's future. Share your feedback so budget decisions reflect the community’s priorities.

There are two ways to engage online:
  • 2020 Budget Challenge - help determine budget priorities
  • Shape Peoria’s Strategic Direction - share ideas for initiatives that address key challenges
There is still time to sign up to volunteer for 2019 Greater Peoria CareerSpark! CareerSpark is being held on October 8th and 9th.

We are currently looking for Bus Greeters and Tour Guides. Get involved and #BetheSpark.
The Fall cohort of CO.STARTERS has launched! This time around, we wanted to give these entrepreneurs a chance to learn about each other with a team-building exercise. They started off by tackling the "Marshmallow Challenge".

Stay tuned for more updates as the Fall 2019 CO.STARTERS rolls along.
On August 28th, GPEDC and Illinois Defense Industry Network (IDIN) hosted a Manufacturing and Supply Chain Forum. We were excited to sponsor this informational and networking session.

Watch the video for a quick recap of the event.
The Pekin Main Street Board is planning an Open House in Downtown Pekin on September 26th from 4 - 7 PM to entice people who may be interested in opening a business to consider Downtown Pekin as their destination. 

Guests are invited to first stop the at Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce to grab a map of available properties open for tours that evening.
As often happens, a community partner asked us to reach out to help a client who they knew was experiencing strong business growth. Their story is one of the many thriving small businesses in the Greater Peoria area.

JC Screen Printing, LLC in Goodfield, Illinois custom prints all things apparel for any occasion. Learn more about this growing Goodfield business.
More Good News in Greater Peoria