Despite Challenges, Will County 'Poised for Growth,' Group Says

At what was dubbed an “economic eye opener,” Will County Center for Economic Development (CED) President and CEO John Greuling shared some harsh truths with local officials and members of the business community during a Thursday morning event at the Romeoville Recreation Center.

But despite some of the more sobering topics — like the fact that Illinois ranks 48th on Chief Executive Magazine’s list of Best States for Business — it wasn’t all bad news. Even continued economic tough times haven’t halted development completely, Greuling said, citing new developments like Synnex Technologies and the $20 million in Romeoville, Joliet’s new Hollywood Casino, the new Logoplaste corporate headquarters in Plainfield and G&W Electric’s Bolingbrook facility.

Romeoville Mayor John Noak said the village has worked to provide a “progressive business atmosphere,” touting developments including facilities for major corporations including Home Depot, Kimberly Clark, Sears and Ulta.

Between 2010 and 2011, according to Grueling, more than 5,100 new jobs came to Will County. In Romeoville alone, 1,400 jobs were added, Noak said.

The county is also home to numerous Chicago-area intermodal centers, including the new $950 million CenterPoint Intermodal Yard in Joliet.

“This [came to Will County] during the great recession, folks,” Greuling said.

Facing challenges

But he cautioned that “it’s not all rosy.”

“The problem is, our state of Illinois right now really does suffer from a lot of challenges,” Greuling said.

The state’s reputation for being unfriendly to business has caused it to drop from its 2006 ranking of #8 on Chief Executive magazine’s list of best businesses to almost dead last at #48. The rankings are based on factors including state income tax rates, corporate income tax rates, the perceived attitude of government to business, crime rates, real estate costs and tax incentives for businesses.

Illinois’ reputation is causing nearby states, notably Indiana, to try to entice businesses away from Illinois, Greuling said.

“Why are we being pickpocketed by other states?” he asked, citing Indiana’s “The Grass is Greener” campaign to lure development.

The housing market also continues to take a hit in Will County, Greuling said, citing a declining number of building permit applications. At the height of Will County’s growth in 2003, there were 8,661 residential building permits issued. Last year, there were 492 and so far in 2011, there have been 68, he said.

Bringing jobs to Will County

Greuling also talked about the CED’s five-year plan.

“It’s called jobs,” he said. “ … It’s all about jobs.”

That means working to help existing Will County businesses expanding, along with working to recruit companies in targeted growth industries like health care, food processing, business and professional services, global transportation, manufacturing, life sciences and sustainable energy.

“There’s been no recruiting program in almost 20 years in Will County,” Grueling said. “We think now is a good opportunity to do some outreach.”

Another big aspect of making the county more marketable to businesses is the funding and construction of major infrastructure improvements, Greuling said, including high-speed rail and the planned Illiana Expressway.

The project is a partnership between Illinois and Indiana with the aim of connecting I-55 in Illinois to I-65 in Indiana.

“We believe this is the real deal,” Greuling said of the planned expressway.

“Unimagined opportunities”

Locally, improvements are being considered for the I-55 interchange at Weber Road in Romeoville. Other projects under consideration to improve access to the interstate include new interchanges at I-55 and Airport Road and I-55 and Essington.

Romeoville has partnered with Bolingbrook and Romeoville on the Airport Road and Essington interchange studies, and is working with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Will County and Village of Bolingbrook on the Weber Road proposal, Noak said.

Plans are also in the works for a Metra station at 135th Street and New Avenue, slated to open in late 2013 or early 2014, according to Noak.

“We will create previously unimagined development opportunities on the far east side,” he said, adding the village is also continuing planning on a future downtown redevelopment along the Route 53 corridor.

“Romeoville is a place where businesses can locate and prosper,” Noak said.

Editor’s Note: Greuling’s “Will County: Poised for Growth” PowerPoint presentation from Thursday’s meeting is available on the CED website.