Here are some updates to end your week:
Mason County Broadband: Last week, Kathie facilitated a presentation to the Mason County Board regarding the Mason County Broadband Feasibility Study conducted by Finley Engineering and CCG Consulting. Both companies have long histories of supporting rural communities throughout the United States, offering consulting services to the broadband, IP, and electric power industries. The primary scope of the project was to identify the homes and businesses in the county that don’t have good broadband and that should be eligible for grant funding to bring better broadband. The report ultimately is a tool for elected officials and the public to understand broadband issues in the County and as a tool for ISPs to use when seeking grant funding. The report was jointly funded by Mason County and the Just Transition Fund through a grant to the Greater Peoria EDC.
ICC Ag Employer Summit: Jeffrey attended the Agriculture Employer Summit hosted by Illinois Central College’s Agriculture Advisory Council and was able to join roundtables set up for employers to discuss current – and long-term talent challenges. There was lots of great conversation surrounding the increasing need for tech-savvy individuals in agricultural roles, how to attract students to explore career opportunities in Ag, and how to market Ag careers as bigger than just the farm. It was exciting to hear about efforts to attract more girls into Ag careers, how to get more students not already from farm backgrounds into CTE courses for Ag, improve the quality & quantity of Ag-related dual-credit courses, and more.
International Trade: GPEDC/Foreign Trade Zone #114 and the Illinois SBDC International Trade Center at Bradley University are co-hosting an upcoming seminar entitled “Moving Forward with Freight Forwarders.” Participants in this webinar will gain crucial insights on managing trade logistics in the global marketplace. BDG will share insight on key logistics considerations such as how to manage your shipping solutions relationships, effective import & export strategies, utilizing de minimis thresholds to your advantage, questions you need to ask your shipping provider, and a discussion on freight rates, incoterms and important resources. Free registration here.
Brazil Meets Peoria: Just a reminder that GPEDC and its sponsors (Distillery Labs and gener8tor) are hosting a reception to welcome a delegation of 33 Brazilian business and institutional leaders. The delegation is called Brazilian Techs Connection and is a mixture of startups, seasoned companies, industry groups and academics from the Mato Grosso region of Brazil. The reception is Monday, July 22 from 6 – 8 pm at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. There will be a short program, free appetizers and drinks, and plenty of time to visit with our new friends. Please RSVP here.
Upcoming Events: Lots on the agenda over the next few weeks, so here are some reminders:
-
- Distillery Labs Ribbon Cutting:. Join us to celebrate the grand opening of Distillery Labs on July 30 at 4:30 pm. Free to attend, but registration requested here.
- Lunch with Consulates: Have lunch with Ambassador Reyna Torres Mendivil of the Consulate of Mexico and Consul General Madeleine Fequiere of the Consulate of Canada on August 8 at the Par-A-Dice hotel in East Peoria. Their visit to our area is a joint project of the Peoria World Affairs Council (PWAC), East Peoria Chamber of Commerce and GPEDC. Tickets are only $25. You can register here.
- Gen. Petraeus: PWAC invites you to meet and hear from General David Petraeus (ret.) at a luncheon on August 19. He will share his insights on the history of conflict and the lessons that may prepare us to face future challenges. Get tickets ($25) here.
- Distillery Labs Ribbon Cutting:. Join us to celebrate the grand opening of Distillery Labs on July 30 at 4:30 pm. Free to attend, but registration requested here.
Have a great weekend.
Chris