GREDF looks back on “A Year of Change” at annual meeting

QUINCY – Several community business leaders turned out Thursday evening for the annual meeting of the Great River Economic Development Foundation at the Oakley-Lindsay Center.

GREDF President Kyle Moore welcomed the crowd as he hosted his first annual meeting leading the organization. The former Quincy mayor took over the helm in June.

He said the theme for the meeting, “2021: a Year of Change” meant more than just Moore taking over as GREDF President from Marcel Wagner, who retired after nine years with the organization.

” It’s the change in our community from pandemic response to economic recovery,” Moore said. “It’s about the change in experience for the human resource professional who is having a difficult time finding applicants. It’s about the restaurant owner having to shut down for a day because there’s no help in the kitchen. It’s about how when we need that part or appliance for our homes, it could be in  stock, or sitting on a slow boat from China.” 

Moore also discussed GREDF’s shift in focus from primarily bringing in new industries to assisting the existing employer base grow and thrive:

“The Great River Economic Development Foundation began in 1978, and for the thirty years the followed, GREDF helped to shape and carry out the economic development agenda for the city and county,” he said. “This primarily centered around developing areas in our economy and public places that had gone underdeveloped. This included, developing an industrial park to meet the needs of our manufacturing sector, bringing in national retailers and box stores to make us a retail destination, promoting the Historic Quincy Business District, advocating for investing in transportation, trailways and other amenities that make a community a place worth living in.

Ten years ago, we increasingly found GREDF responding to the pressures felt throughout our business community from the State of Illinois. This included fighting to keep major employers from leaving for states with a more friendly business environment. While we weren’t always successful, we can point to Lehigh Fluid Power’s purchasing of Ortman Fluid Power from Quincy Compressor and keeping their operations here…During those ten years, our area also experienced unprecedented private investments by companies like Knapheide Manufacturing, ADM, Blessing, Kohl Wholesale, Quincy Medical Group, Phibro Animal Health and so many others. 

In recent years, feedback from our business partners began to change. While we could celebrate the historic investments and low unemployment rate, many companies were finding it harder and harder to fill open positions… and that was before the pandemic. As we are all aware, the pandemic only magnified the labor shortage that was already on the horizon.”

Specific examples of the shift in strategy included working with AVANCE, USA to team up with employers to recruit skilled workers from Puerto Rico. Nine workers and their families have moved to Quincy over the last few months.

Moore also touted the “Quincy’s Calling” program to help fill open jobs by recruiting alumni back to Quincy and to recruit skilled workers within an hour drive to Quincy. The City of Quincy is also providing up to $5,000 for for people who move to Adams County to fill an open job. They must stay in the job for a year before they are reimbursed with a property tax rebate or credit for rental housing.

“Quincy is open,” Mayor Mike Troup said during his remarks. He also added he hoped to share some good economic news on the retail front early next year.

Since the launch of the campaign, Moore said 38 people, and some with families, have moved to Quincy to take advantage of the offer. In order to assist new residents, GREDF began the Quincy Concierge Program the help new residents connect with the community.

Workforce training and development was also discussed with multiple programs, including the Adams County Empowered Program. Adams County Board Chairman Kent Snider said the County Board contributed $50,000 to the plan, which gives candidate a career assessment, placement with a local employer, and on the job training for individuals who are currently on probation.

“Workforce development is easy to track a plant closes or a new employer moves to town, it’s easy to track, but when job growth outstrips population growth and our retirees outnumber those entering into the workplace, tracking progress becomes difficult,” Moore said. “We need our students to train for and embrace the jobs of today and tomorrow. We need those individuals who are working multiple part time jobs, to know there’s a better way to prosperity through a full-time career.”

Moore wrapped up his remarks by reminding people GREDF still wants to help fill empty storefronts and will work to bring “new opportunities” to Quincy.

“If you are a property owner or a developer, GREDF often acts as a confidential resource to connect investors to local opportunities,” he said. “In the last six months, GREDF submitted seven proposals to Intersect Illinois to connect existing properties with companies who are looking to invest in our state. If you own a commercial site, GREDF works with the City of Quincy and Nexite to market our area to national retailers. If you own warehouse space, GREDF gets calls nearly every week from companies in need of additional warehousing options.”

John Wood Community College President Mike Elbe was awarded the Thomas A. Oakley Award for Economic innovation. Elbe just finished a two-year stint as GREDF’s board chairman. Payne Schoen is GREDF’s new board chair.

Wagner was awarded the Distinguished Economic Lifetime Achievement award and the title “President Emeritus”.