Media Contact:
Lenora Fisher, Director of Business Attraction
lfisher@greaterpeoriaedc.org | 309-495-5959
##Released July 28, 2021 ###
Peoria Metro, One of the Top 10 US Mid Sized Health Care Hubs
Peoria: The Peoria Metro is recognized as one of the Top 10 Mid Sized Health Care Hubs in the United States according to Business Facilities magazine.
This news comes fast on the heels of the Peoria Bio-Made pitch release and Jake Becraft’s (CEO and Co-founder of Boston-Based, Strand Therapeutics) advocacy for the region. Each accolade reinforces the message that Peoria has all the pieces in place to be the nation’s next biomedical manufacturing hub. In this 17th annual metro rankings report, regions were evaluated on a range of criteria including health care employment per capita. The State of Illinois in general captured six Top 10 rankings in a range of categories.
“Those of us familiar with Greater Peoria know the region’s incredible assets and value, and it’s gratifying to receive external validation of what we know to be true. We look forward to working with biomedical manufacturing organizations that are looking for new locations with a high quality of life and return on investment,” says Lenora Fisher, Director of Business Attraction at the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council.
“This recognition echoes my evaluation of the region’s strengths: 1. A talented, highly educated STEM workforce; 2. an affordable cost of living; 3. aligned anchor institutions like OSF, Jump Simulation, University of Illinois Medical School and others that are putting Peoria on the map,” says Jake Becraft, founder of Peoria Bio-Made and CEO of Strand Therapeutics.
The annual ranking report can be accessed here.
For more information about the Biomedical Manufacturing industry in the region and the Bio-Made Pitch deck, click here.
About Business Facilities Magazine
Business Facilities is the leading source of intelligence on corporate expansion and relocation since 1968, covering the full range of the experience, from “how-to” information on comparing the financial incentives offered by different communities around the world, to profiles of the latest relocations undertaken by major corporations. The Business Facilities brand consistently focuses on innovative, strategic ideas that help C-Level executives make the best location choices.”
About the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council
The Greater Peoria Economic Development Council (GPEDC) is a regional economic development organization covering the Greater Peoria area spanning across five counties in central Illinois: Logan, Mason, Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford. The GPEDC’s mission is to promote economic development in the region through its six core programs which are Business Attraction, Business Assistance, Workforce Solutions, Innovation and Startups, Rural Development and the development of a regional Manufacturing Network.
The EDC tackles issues from the attraction of new businesses to the region, providing timely and needed assistance to existing businesses to grow and scale up, encourage and promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the region, finding innovative ways to ensure the availability of a talented workforce in the region while supporting rural development and encouraging active collaborations among existing manufacturing companies in the region. The GPEDC is also committed to issues around diversity, equality, and inclusion in the region to promote great quality of life for everyone.
About Peoria Bio-Made
Peoria Bio-Made, led by Jake Becraft, is a 501c3 working to establish Peoria as a global biotech hub. Their mission is to build incentives from local, state, and federal leaders to help attract high growth biomedical business to the area; create education opportunities to train the workforce of Peoria’s next innovation; and contact global biomanufacturing leaders to build the case for Peoria’s economic value within the biomanufacturing industry.
Contact
Please direct any questions about the event to Lenora Fisher, Director of Business Attraction at the GPEDC by email at lfisher@greaterpeoriaedc.org or by phone at 309-253-6010.