Bustos, Durbin Applaud Central Illinois' Designation as a "Manufacturing Community"

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) applauded the news that the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council has received one of 12 new designations under the U.S. Department of Commerce's Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) initiative. This program began in 2014 and is designed to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in communities nationwide by supporting the development of long-term economic development strategies.

"Today's announcement designating Central Illinois as a "manufacturing community' is great news for our region's workers and our economy," said Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, who advocated for today's designation in a letter to Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. "This federal designation not only recognizes our region's rich manufacturing heritage but will help ensure we continue to be a leader in creating the good-paying manufacturing jobs of today and the future. I look forward to continuing to work with both our public and private sectors partners to keep Illinois' manufacturing resurgence on track."

"Under the leadership of the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council and others, Central Illinois is distinguishing itself as one of our country's leading centers of manufacturing. Today's federal designation will allow the region's manufacturing sector to build on its historical strengths and leverage recent growth -- including the federally funded Digital Manufacturing Lab -- by expanding access to federal funding and resources," Durbin said.

The Greater Peoria Economic Development Council represents Peoria, Tazewell, Mason, Woodford and Logan Counties and is dedicated to economic development in Central Illinois.

From the communities that applied this round, 12 were selected by an interagency panel, based on the strength of their economic development plans, the potential for impact in their communities, and the depths of their partnerships across the public and private sectors to carry out their plans. The 12 designated Manufacturing Communities will receive coordinated support for their strategies from the following eleven federal agencies with more than $1 billion available in federal economic development assistance:

Appalachian Regional Commission
Delta Regional Authority
Environmental Protection Agency
National Science Foundation
Small Business Administration
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. Department of Defense
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Department of Transportation

These communities will receive a dedicated federal liaison at each of these agencies who will help them navigate available federal resources. They will also be recognized on a government website, accessible to prospective private foreign and domestic investors, looking for information on communities' competitive attributes.

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