August 20, 2021
Greetings,
Summer may be winding down, but there’s still plenty of positive news originating in Southwestern Illinois that we’re excited to share with you in this edition of Good NewsLink.
Earlier this month, the State of Illinois announced a $250 million “Back to Business” grant program aimed at assisting small businesses recovering from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic shutdowns. Funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act, the grant program includes specific set-aside amounts for certain uses, including $100 million dollars for businesses in areas disproportionately impacted by the pandemic; $30 million for arts and entertainment businesses that haven’t received previous aid; $25 million for restaurants and taverns that didn’t receive money from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund; $25 million for hotels; and another $25 million for businesses that didn’t receive Business Interruption Grant funding.
Led by Geri E. Boyer, PE, the team of Kaskaskia Engineering Group, LLC (KEG) is celebrating an exciting milestone this month of officially being in business for 15 years. The 100% woman-owned, professional engineering and construction firm has grown from a three-person operation in a small, shared office space in Belleville, Illinois to its impressive portfolio today of nine offices in four states, 50 employees and countless successful infrastructure projects throughout the Midwest. Also in the news is Southern Illinois Builders Association (SIBA) executive Donna Richer, who has been named the 2021 SIUE Distinguished Service Award recipient. The award recognizes the permanent mark she has left on SIUE and the community by holding administrative roles for more than 40 years at SIBA and serving on several not-for-profit boards.
In other exciting news, Helmkamp Construction was recently recognized as one of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Top Workplaces. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through an anonymous third-party survey, which uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, connection and more. Among the 151 companies that earned recognition for being a Top Workplace, Helmkamp ranked #12 on this year’s list, having also earned a spot on the list in 2019 and 2020. In related news, Helmkamp Construction Co. was also named as a finalist for the St. Louis Business Journal’s 2021 Best Places to Work list.
Continue reading for links to more of what's making headlines in the Metro East and have a great rest of your week!
Dr. Ronda Sauget
Ronda Sauget, D. Mgmt, MBA
Executive Director and CEO
Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois
104 Magnolia Drive, Ste B
Glen Carbon, IL 62034
618-692-9745
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Power industry faces clean-energy reckoning
(Illinois Business Journal, August 2021 Issue, Page 1)
A battle continues over energy regulation proposals that failed to muster the power needed to make it through the Illinois Legislature this summer. (Read More)
Small Illinois cities can now apply for share of $742 million in federal funds
(Advantage News, 8/5/2021)
Smaller cities across Illinois can now apply for their share of $742 million in federal taxpayer COVID-19 relief funds Congress approved earlier this year. (Read More)
State announces $250 million ‘Back to Business’ grant program
(Illinois Business Journal, 8/11/2021)
SPRINGFIELD – The state announced a $250 million “Back to Business” grant program aimed at assisting small businesses in the recovery from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic shutdowns. (Read More)
Illinois launches $10 million grants for tourism attractions and festivals
(Edwardsville Intelligencer, 8/10/2021)
On Tuesday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity announced a new $10 million grants program aimed towards helping the tourism industry recover from the pandemic by bringing back new and returning tourism attractions and festivals to the state. (Read More)
Expanded Grain Handling Capacity in the Ag Coast of America Strengthens St. Louis Region
(Crop Life, 7/20/2021)
The St. Louis region’s position as the most efficient inland port in the U.S. has been strengthened following the recent addition of a new grain handling terminal on the banks of the Mississippi River in Cahokia, IL, adding additional capacity in the area known as the Ag Coast of America. (Read More)
Bethalto School District plans to issue $10.29 million in working cash bonds
(Advantage News, 7/31/2021)
The Bethalto School Board on Thursday approved a resolution to issue $10.29 million in working cash bonds. (Read More)
New headquarters positions icon Mechanical for future growth
(St. Louis Business Journal, 7/21/21)
Mechanical engineering firm icon Mechanical has opened a new 40,800-square-foot headquarters in Granite City, Illinois, which represents the company’s growth in recent years while also preparing it for an anticipated wave of new business. (Read More)
Commentary: Spotlighting the St. Louis region’s global connectivity
(St. Louis Business Journal, 8/5/2021)
FreightWeekSTL returned for the fourth consecutive year in late May, still predominantly virtual but with several in-person discussions providing a welcome signal that things are returning to normal after the Covid-19 pandemic year. (Read More)
Holland Construction Doubling Size of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
(St. Louis Construction News and Review, 7/20/2021)
Swansea-based Holland Construction Services is constructing Phase II of an ambitious expansion of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport that will nearly double its footprint to serve a large increase in travelers. (Read More)
Eye Docs Developing New O’Fallon, IL Class A Office Building
(St. Louis Construction News and Review, 8/4/2021)
In their first venture as developers, two eye specialists are building a three-story, multi-tenant Class A office building along Illinois West Highway 50 that broke ground late last year and is aiming for completion in September. (Read More)
SIU, Delta Dental mark opening of Advanced Care Clinic in Alton
(Illinois Business Journal, 8/10/2021)
Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation on Monday joined the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine in Alton for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion and opening of the school’s state-of-the-art Advanced Care Clinic. (Read More)
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PCs for People help get computers in the homes of those who truly need them!
•Distributes refurbished corporate computers updated to Windows 10, with very low-cost, unlimited internet access for students, underserved populations, elderly, and veterans.
•They have connected over 450,000 people to internet and computing devices. The State of Illinois Office of Broadband has committed to facilitate the donation of 10,000 computers to PCs for People Metro East, but they have set a goal of sourcing a total of 25,000 computers in their first year in order to meet the significant need in our community, and they need our help to meet that goal.
•PCs for People is NAID AAA certified to wipe clean all data off computers and recertify them for reuse
•PC donations needed!!
If you would like more information about how to donate computers, please contact the Leadership Council office at 618-692-9745 or [email protected].
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(Riverbender, 8/11/2021)
BELLEVILLE - The team of Kaskaskia Engineering Group, LLC (KEG) is proud to announce the celebration of its 15th year in business. (Read More)
SIBA executive Richter to be honored with SIUE Distinguished Service Award
(Illinois Business Journal, 7/16/2021)
The Southern Illinois University board has approved recognition of builders association executive Donna Richter as the 2021 Distinguished Service Award recipient. (Read More)
Resilience defines year of construction for Contegra
(Illinois Business Journal, August 2021 Issue, Page 8)
While “challenging” is an appropriate description of enduring a pandemic for more than a year, “resilience” is an equally apt term for Contegra Construction. (Read More)
City sales tax revenue is rebounding
(Illinois Business Journal, 8/3/2021)
Fairview Heights sales tax is rebounding from a spiral that began with the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
In a report to the City Council, Director of Finance Gina Rader called attention to signs of recovery. (Read More)
Metro-East Contractor Named Top Workplace & Best Place to Work on St. Louis Area Lists
(St. Louis Construction News and Review, 7/21/2021)
Helmkamp Construction has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2021 honor by The St. Louis Post-Dispatch Top Workplaces. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage, LLC. (Read More)
New law aims to expand affordable housing
(Chronicle Illinois, 7/30/2021)
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday, July 29 signed a measure aimed at increasing affordable housing investment in Illinois, as well as a measure expanding the state’s low-income energy assistance program. (Read More)
IT firm serving region opens in Alton
(Illinois Business Journal, 8/2/2021)
Tech River Consulting, LLC, an information technology company, opened this spring in Alton. (Read More)
Illinois Gov. Pritzker signs legislation expanding telehealth access
(Edwardsville Intelligencer, 7/23/2021)
A bill signed into law Thursday by Gov. JB Pritzker is aimed at increasing telehealth access in communities across Illinois. (Read More)
Edwardsville is one step closer to adopting a sustainability plan
(Edwardsville Intelligencer, 7/29/2021)
EDWARDSVILLE — On Thursday night, the city’s Administrative and Community Service Committee approved a new sustainability plan, which will now be forwarded to the City Council for further action. (Read More)
East St. Louis group, trade unions give teens chance to ‘live out the American dream’
(Belleville News-Democrat, 8/16/2021)
Jordan Wade and Ja’Bryan Grissom are two teenagers taking traditional classes before joining the workforce. But Wade, a freshman at Southwestern Illinois College, and Grissom, a senior at East St. Louis High School, have also found another way to boost their preparations before stepping out as adults. (Read More)
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Check out our Education Newsletter
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SWIL Education Workforce Connection
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In April we published the first edition of the SWIL Education Workforce Connection newsletter. This is our monthly outreach to the Education and Business communities. As the name implies, the purpose is to connect stakeholders in the world of education with stakeholders in the world of business. Click on the link below to sign up, or email Dr. Bruce McLaughlin at [email protected].
Check us out!
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Thank you to the Leadership Council's Program Sponsors:
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