Chicago, Bloomington and Elgin Companies Receive 2011 Edie Awards for Economic Development

CHICAGO, May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- What do a solar power plant in Chicago, an electronic manufacturing services provider in Bloomington and a bearings plant in Elgin have in common?  

The answer is all three projects were named winners of the Edie (Economic Development in Illinois) Award today.  The annual award is given jointly by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Development Council (IDC) to recognize significant economic development projects finished in the prior year throughout Illinois.

"Even in times of economic turmoil companies are out there investing in our state and creating jobs," said Doug Whitley, president and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. "The Chamber is proud to be working with the Illinois Development Council to recognize some of the exciting developments that were completed across the state."

The Illinois Chamber and IDC believe it's important to showcase recent accomplishments -- especially when they translated into more jobs, tax base and economic vitality in Illinois.  

"These companies and the local economic development teams are in the trenches across the state, creating jobs and investing in our communities," said Marty Vanags, chairman of the Illinois Development Council. "These successful projects are too often overlooked and we wanted to take a moment and reinforce the notion that economic development like this is central to keeping our state vibrant and healthy."

The Edie Awards have up to fifteen categories based on geography (City of Chicago, Metropolitan Chicago or statewide projects) and development type: manufacturing, commercial, energy, technology and transportation/distribution.  The Illinois Chamber and IDC asked for nominations from across the state for manufacturing, commercial, energy, technology or transportation projects completed in 2010. An awards committee reviewed the nominees and determined which projects were worthy of an Edie Award.  

The three winners of the 2011 Edie Award are as diverse as Illinois' economy, including:

• Exelon Generation invested approximately $60 million to build the largest urban solar installation in the United States – a power plant on a brownfield site in Chicago's historic West Pullman neighborhood (West 120th Street between South Peoria and South Loomis Streets).  The 41-acre site had been vacant for more than 30 years and is now home to more than 32,000 photovoltaic (PV) panels converting the sun's rays into clean electricity with zero carbon emissions.  The site generates more than 14,000 megawatt-hours per year – enough energy to power up to 1,500 homes annually.  Approximately 200 construction jobs were created to build this facility, and Exelon sourced much of the building materials from nearby manufacturing facilities.
• CAMtek, Inc. invested $10 million to expand its presence by taking the 225,000 sq.ft. former IRS building on Empire Street in Bloomington and transforming it into its new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.  CAMtek, Inc. is an Electronic Manufacturing Services provider and a certified women-owned business specializing in technologically advanced printed card assembly and other value-added services for a wide range of industries, including aerospace, medical, military, communications, agriculture and large equipment manufacturers throughout the United States.  By working with the Economic Development Council of Bloomington-Normal area and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, CAMtek felt comfortable turning away overtures from Indiana and chose to remain in Illinois, retaining 38 jobs and growing the employee base by another 27.  With this expansion, CAMtek has gained entry into global markets which brings additional opportunities to double its workforce in the coming years.
• American NTN Bearing Manufacturing Corp. finished its sixth expansion in Elgin in 2010 – a $26 million, 130,000 sq.ft. manufacturing facility that has the infrastructure to double in size if needed.  The plant's 80 new employees manufacture taper roller bearings and hub bearings for the automotive market.  Founded in 1918, American NTN is one of the world's largest bearing producers – with 50 plants worldwide and more than 12,000 employees. American NTN originally came to Elgin in 1975 and has grown ever since.  It now has more than 500 employees in its various Elgin locations.

The Edies will be formally presented at the Illinois Chamber's annual meeting in Chicago on June 17.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce promotes the interests of Illinois business by working to improve the state's business climate. The Illinois Chamber aggressively advocates legislation and public policies that support economic growth, and is a source of timely and reliable information on matters important to its members, Illinois employers and the general public. The Illinois Chamber also provides effective programs and services to its 3,500+ members to meet their business needs, including immediate answers to tax and human resources concerns and access to training and consulting services. www.ilchamber.org

The Illinois Development Council is an association of economic development professionals and allies that strives to build relationships, professionalism, and a positive atmosphere in which to create jobs and wealth in Illinois.  These individuals are employed by municipalities; not-for-profit economic development councils or community development corporations; utilities; railroads; planning commissions; state government; and other partners interested in retaining and growing businesses in Illinois. Members of the organization participate in mutually beneficial public policy, marketing and educational efforts.  www.ildevelopmentcouncil.org.

SOURCE Illinois Chamber of Commerce