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Economic Development Group Seeks to Create New Jobs in County

Article Source: The Daily Illini

The Champaign County Economic Development Corporation recently set its two-year goals, which include providing support to create 3,000 new jobs in Champaign County.

Over the next two years, the corporation aims to attract $225 million in new private investment to Champaign County, assist companies to grow payroll by $132 million and increase private sector influence in the corporation by doubling the number of its private investors.

“Ultimately, we want to increase the level of income in our communities, which will be a big economic boost to the local economy,” said Erik Kotewa, deputy director of the corporation. “In order to do that, we have to attract new jobs by either expanding current businesses that are here or attracting new businesses.”

Financial contributors give money to the Economic Development Corporation to help fund business retention programs aimed to ensure that Champaign County-based companies are satisfied, ease expansions and provide other services that help keep corporations in the area.

In the past 10 years, Champaign County has been in the bottom half of the Midwestern community peer group for job growth, according to the EDC’s two-year strategy. Creating 3,000 jobs would put Champaign County in the top third.

Lori Gold Patterson, CEO of Pixo, a technology firm in Urbana, doubled the size of her company in less than a year. She said she supports the EDC’s strategy, and her company will help the corporation reach its goals.

“The more jobs that are created locally, the stronger the economy is,” Gold Patterson said. “The more likelihood there is a growing talent pool here we can pull from.”

The EDC also aims to attract $225 million in new private investment to the county, such as expanding local companies or new companies investing in new facilities, which would create jobs.

In assisting companies with growing their payroll, the corporation seeks to ultimately increase per capita pay to $26,000 from $23,700, according to the two-year strategy.

“They’re aggressive (goals), but they’re realistic and provide something for the organization and the region to shoot for in terms of growing the economy,” said Bruce Knight, Champaign’s planning and development director.

Kotewa said in order to accomplish its two-year goals, the corporation strives to double the number of private investors who contribute to the EDC.

“These goals are bigger than what we can accomplish with our current level of resources and with the current level of involvement in our organization from local stakeholders,” Kotewa said.

Gold Patterson said she supports this initiative and thinks the corporation needs to focus more on the private sector business model. She said other companies should support the organization once they see the value of it.

The corporation provides industry roundtables for Champaign County-based corporations to discuss collaborative opportunities. On Nov. 21, the EDC will host its annual meeting highlighting products made in Champaign County.

Gold Patterson said Pixo has seen solid outcomes from these services and thinks they enable businesses to better meet the needs of the workforce. She said the corporation’s annual meeting has tremendously helped her staff.

“Pixo is a technology firm, and the staff at our company historically did not have the opportunity to be inspired by other innovations and technology in the county,” Gold Patterson said. “It really helps when you’re in a creative field or a technology field to feel the energy and the growth and the idea creation around you.”

Kotewa said achieving the two-year goals may be a challenge, but he is confident they are realistic numbers based on information regarding what other economic organizations across the country are doing.

“The thing to keep in mind is that this reflects a county-wide effort,” Knight said, “so everybody is pulled up by attempting to achieve these goals.”

JSM to Offer Fastest Internet Service in the Country

Article Source: JSM Apartments

CHAMPAIGN, IL —  JSM, the leading student apartment and property development company in Champaign, announces it will feature an astonishing 10 gigabit (Gbps) internet connection, equivalent to 10,000 megabits-per-second (Mbps), at their Green Street Towers property, a luxury seven-story student apartment complex serving students attending the University of Illinois. This internet service will make Green Street Towers the fastest student apartment complex in the country.

Partnering with Pavlov Media, one of the nation’s largest private providers of broadband services to multi-family real estate owners, Green Street Towers will feature Pavlov Media’s Tesseractiv® and WebSnap™ technology offering speeds 100 times faster than average internet services available throughout the country.

“We’ve heard from our residents that fast internet service is important to them when deciding where to live,” said Marianne Hartman Tichenor, director of housing for JSM. “They do all their communicating and television watching on the internet.  We decided to get in front of this trend by partnering with Pavlov Media and offering the fastest internet possible at our most popular building.  In addition, all of our buildings will have Pavlov Media’s internet and WebSnap technology.  They’ll really be able to see a difference.”

JSM plans to have Green Street Towers equipped with the 10 Gbps internet connection by fall 2014. Additionally, JSM and Pavlov Media will provide up to 1 Gbps internet speeds at every JSM property by fall 2014.

More press coverage:

Pavlov Media to Offer 10gbps Connection at Champaign Apartments, Broadband Illinois

Champaign Unit 4 School District Highlights Facilities in New Video

Article Source: Champaign Unit 4 School District

In an effort to provide information to the public about how Champaign Unit 4 School District has used funds from the county-wide 1% sales tax, the District has released a video highlighting its new and renovated facilities. The work done at Garden Hills Elementary School, Booker T. Washington STEM Academy, Carrie Busey Elementary School, and Westview Elementary School, is featured, emphasizing the ways the spaces are impacting student learning. The District also highlights upcoming renovations to take place at Robeson, Bottenfield, and Kenwood elementary schools. This will be the first in a series of six videos highlighting each of the District’s goals this school year.

The Promises Made, Promises Kept Committee, which is comprised of community members and District employees, ensures that the District uses the funds on school facilities as promised to the taxpayers. The Promises Made, Promises Kept Committee meetings are open to the public, and meeting dates can be found on the District website.

You can view the video here on the District’s Vimeo page.

 

New International Trade Specialist Joins Local Small Business Development Center

 

The Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign County Economic Development Corporation has hired Kathie Cravens as its International Trade Specialist for the new International Trade Center, a partnership with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Cravens was the top candidate following a search and comprehensive evaluation that included the SBDC, Champaign County EDC, University of Illinois, and DCEO.

Ms. Cravens, a seasoned International Trade Specialist with years of exporting experience, has traveled and lived abroad, worked closely with numerous international dealers and distributors, and has attended several international trade shows. She has advised small to medium sized companies on their export practices and has been directly involved with exporting numerous shipments of U.S. manufactured goods to every continent around the world. “I’m excited about the opportunity to assist Central Illinois companies with their expansion into the international market in an effort to expand international trade opportunities in the region and create new jobs,” stated Cravens.

She will provide in-depth advice on international trade techniques, export processes, and international market opportunities to local companies. In addition, she will provide research support for new markets and products and referral assistance for export related activities, licensing, certification, legal and financial consultation, logistics and customs issues.

“We are excited that a professional with significant international experience has joined our team,” said Greg Gonda, Director of the Small Business Development Center. “Her expertise will be an asset in expanding the array of services we offer and assisting companies with their expansion into foreign markets.” Cravens joins Gonda and Tim Montague as the third staff member.

To contact Ms. Cravens and learn more about the International Trade Center, please contact her at 217-378-8535 or kathie@champaigncountyedc.org.

Anheuser-Busch InBev Unveils ‘Bud Lab’ at the University of Illinois Research Park

Article Source: UI Research Park

LEUVEN, BELGIUM – August 30, 2013 – AB InBev, the leading global brewer has announced a partnership with the University of Illinois, and will open the Bud Lab, a state of the art data analytics center, at the University of Illinois Research Park at the beginning of next month.

The Bud Lab will focus on data analytics, developing data research and innovation to solve problems ranging from assortment optimization, social media and market trends to large scale data initiatives, bringing together the University of Illinois’ top talent with the company’s portfolio of leading beer brands in a vibrant environment designed to stimulate innovative thinking.

“Our dream is to be the Best Beer Company in a Better World.  To achieve our dream we need to constantly innovate and attract the best talent, and our collaboration with the University of Illinois provides a tremendous opportunity to work with the best and brightest in the field,” said Claudio Garcia, Chief People and Technology Officer for AB InBev. “Through our permanent presence on-campus we will be at the edge of leading research and innovation, working together with some of the best minds in key fields including statistics, computer science, business and engineering. We strongly believe that our collaboration will put forth new and exciting solutions and insights, and we look forward to working closely with the team here.”

Rafael Pinterich will serve as the Director of the Bud Lab, and will focus on selecting and implementing experimental projects.  Prior to joining the collaboration with University of Illinois initiative, Rafael served several different roles within AB InBev such as Project Specialist, Regional Finance Manager and People & HR Lead for Latin America North. In his role as director, Rafael will focus on selecting and implementing experimental projects. He will also be working closely with students, guiding their work and providing them with experiences that will complement university knowledge.

Through the Bud Lab, AB InBev will provide students the opportunity to enhance their University of Illinois education with real-life projects addressing key global product challenges. The University of Illinois has a long and distinguished history in data systems, artificial intelligence, systems and networking, architecture and parallel computing, which make a strong partnership for AB InBev to pursue applications in analytics from data-intensive researches to support a data-driven world.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Phyllis Wise said, “As a truly global institution, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is pleased to welcome AB InBev, a world leader in consumer products, to our Research Park. We have a long tradition of international relationships and collaborations, one that is further advanced with this new analytics lab. We are excited about the new research and learning opportunities this partnership will create for our students and faculty and about the new insights around global products and international business that will follow.”

More press coverage:

– Photos from Grand Opening of Bud Lab, Champaign County EDC Facebook Page
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