For the last two years, GPEDC has been part of the Illinois Defense Network (IDN) thanks to a Department of Defense grant awarded through the University of Illinois Chicago Voorhees Center. The IDN promotes and sustains the regional manufacturing supply chain and workforce development. The Peoria Region (Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Mason, Logan, Marshall, Stark, Fulton, McLean counties) is nationally recognized as one of twenty-three robust manufacturing clusters by the American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative. Regionally, manufacturing is a strong industry base of product and service development such as design engineering, fabrication, casting, welding, data and manufacturing process solutions.
The grant supported technical services, diversification, lead development, training, marketing, educational forum, networking events and access to resources. Members within the Greater Peoria Manufacturing Network received several contract awards with the Rock Island Arsenal, US Army and the US Air Force.
The IDN program will continue with additional funding flowing through the Voorhees Center from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. To receive more information regarding the defense sustainability and resiliency project, please contact Sally Hanley at shanley@greaterpeoriaedc.org or Linda Krendick at lkrendick@greaterpeoriaedc.org.
