Partnerships

PARTNERSHIPS The Rockford Chamber collaborates with a variety of organizations across the community

The Greater Rockford Growth Partnership

The Greater Rockford Growth Partnership (GRGP) kicked off in January 2021 as the umbrella organization for the Rockford Chamber of Commerce and Rockford Area Economic Development Council. The long-range vision of the GRGP is that other partner organizations linked toward economic development will also come in under the umbrella and be part of a collaborative strategy to grow the region’s economy. The Vision and Mission for the GRGP is:

Vision: With united vision and bold action, we will be the most vibrant, innovative, thriving economy and mid-sized region in the nation.

Mission: The Partnership is the catalyst for economic prosperity and well-being by cohesively leveraging our strengths to accelerate business growth, innovation, and entrepreneurs within the region.

In addition to working with partner organizations, the GRGP has adopted values and set key focus areas for the year including talent development, community branding and business policy. The GRGP recognizes that community collaboration is the key to accomplishing goals successfully. It is critically important that the GRGP work closely with local governments and leaders at the front end to be part of advancing the region and solving issues that may impair long-term growth.

“Ultimately, the GRGP is the unified voice of business in our region,” said GRGP CEO Einar Forsman. “We need to move the needle on important metrics; we can do that most effectively by working toward the same goals.”

“We all want the same thing – to be better, bolder and more effective,” said GRGP Board Chairman Jeff Hultman. “The key to accomplishing this is to unify organizations, align our goals and achieve them together.”

In working together under one partner organization, the Rockford Chamber and RAEDC will each have their own president and retain their separate boards and individual focus. Both the Chamber President, recently announced Caitlin Pusateri, and the RAEDC President, Therese Thill, also make up the executive team of the GRGP along with CEO Forsman. The Rockford Chamber will support existing businesses through leadership, education, networking, advocacy and community pride, while the RAEDC will focus on growing businesses in the region through attraction, retention, expansion, innovation and promotion to external markets.

As a new organization, The GRGP will work with the Rockford Chamber and RAEDC to ensure strategies, goals and decisions work best for both organizations and for the region as a whole. The organization will make sure both large and small businesses benefit and will actively coordinate with other regional groups and the public sector to support and grow businesses in northern Illinois.

GRGP Adds Export Trade Assistance to Local Businesses

In 2021, in conjunction with the US Department of Commerce, the GRGP added a Federal office for a Director for International Trade and Export Assistance to assist businesses in establishing export relationships This is a federally funded position and the GRGP provides the local office space for the Director and works to support trade activities and awareness at various local events. For more information call Adam Shanks of the US Commercial Service at 779-208-2211.

Small Business Development Center

The Illinois Small Business Development Center at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce offers services free of charge to aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners – chamber members and nonmembers – in the Rockford area. As a partnership between the Chamber, the Small Business Administration and the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, the center operates out of the NIU-Rockford, 8500 E. State. St., and maintains office hours at several locations throughout the region, including the downtown Rockford Chamber office, 308 West State Street, Suite 350. For questions, call 815-987-8100 or go to www.rockfordsbdc.org.

The SBDC has worked with a large number of clients this year due to the significant number of people planning to start or grow their own business. Fifty-three percent of our clients are woman-owned businesses, and fifty-three percent are minority-owned businesses.

Manufacturing DaySM

Manufacturing Day returns for regional high school students

Connections were live and in person for 2021

October is all about manufacturing month, and in the Rock River region, the National Manufacturing Day committee worked on a rather robust experience for area high school students. The event is usually held annually on the first Friday in October nationwide. MFG Day (Manufacturing Day) encourages thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders to show the reality of modern manufacturing careers. This year’s Manufacturing Day event was held on Thursday, October 7th, most importantly back in-person! Thanks to Career Education Associates of North Central Illinois (CEANCI) for their continued partnership on this event.

In 2021, local manufacturers were surveyed by committee members and then assigned logistically to a participating school. Their tour host site representative visited the participating school/students as a guest speaker to provide information about the company. Committee members also felt there needed to be multiple chances for student/partner engagement, providing a greater opportunity for them to “connect,” and perhaps resulting in an internship or job.

What a “win-win” situation for both sides of the aisle!

Post-tour, students attended a business lunch and mini expo. This not only provided the students with a broader scope of what’s available in the region, but also paved the way for the expo vendors to gain greater exposure to the future workforce!

With Rockford having a heavy saturation in the manufacturing market, it’s important to expose students to various job positions. The possibilities range from machining, engineering, logistics, sales, marketing, administration and more! Over the next eight years, it is estimated that 4.6 million new manufacturing jobs will need to be filled nationwide.

Manufacturing is the number one contributor to Illinois’ economy; with roughly 18,000 companies employing more than 550,000 Illinoisans and producing $108 billion in total output.