Robust Economy
Our Vision
Mattoon has a robust local economy due to its innovative business attraction and development plan which leverages infrastructure, offers progressive incentives, and develops industrial properties including infrastructure to attract businesses.
Our crowning achievement as a committee to date is the formation of Elevate CCIC. Elevate is a small business resource center offering workspace, programming, and a community of local business professionals dedicated to seeing entrepreneurs succeed. This project was made possible by our amazing community sponsors and a $325,000 Google.org grant from the 2018 Impact Challenge Illinois contest.
Elevate’s mission is to encourage, connect and grow the entrepreneurially-minded by providing resources and learning opportunities to empower success for the economic prosperity of the region.
Elevate envisions becoming the premier innovation center that fuels creative entrepreneurs in Rural America.
Strategies
- Develop a business incubator (ELEVATE).
- Develop a business recruitment/attraction program.
- Incentivize the development of the Route 16 corridor.
- Develop strong network infrastructure.
- Form teams to assist new business start-ups, target and attract businesses, and retain current businesses.
- Create an Industrial Park with shovel-ready sites.
- Develop a plan to attract secondary suppliers and customers for local industries.
- Launch entrepreneurship mentoring programs for adults.
- Develop a retail town center.
- Develop a standard package of business incentives.
- Create an economic / business developer position and standing committee.
- Promote the transition to a city manager system.
- Target specific industries for the incubator(s) to fuel growth.
- Partner with Eastern Illinois University and/or Lake Land College.
- Develop a partnership with Rural King.
- Market available funding such as the revolving loan program.
- Create a regional approach to marketing and business attraction.
- Improve and expand Mattoon’s digital footprint.
- Create an improved banding name.
- Market Mattoon on a billboard on I-57.
- Develop human capital and capacity.
- Create a range of assistance/expertise offered to include marketing, financing, insurance requirements, law compliance, accounting/taxes.
- Recruit people with specialized expertise to offer pro-bono business counseling.
- Develop a plan modeled on West Des Moines, IA.
