Illinois Chamber and Illinois Development Council Present “Edies” to Recognize those who Imagine, Design, Invest, Build and Bring Jobs, Growth and Prosperity to Illinois Communities.

Five Illinois Economic Development projects were presented with Edie Awards at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting in Chicago June 25. Governor Pat Quinn, keynote speaker for the luncheon meeting, praised their accomplishments in creating jobs and investing in Illinois.

 

Edie Awards (E-D, for Economic Development) are given jointly by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Development Council (IDC) to recognize economic development projects throughout Illinois that were completed last year. Winners were notified in May, and officials representing each winner were invited to receive their awards at the Chamber’s annual meeting at the Hilton Hotel. Dixon Mayor Jim Burke and LCIDA President John Thompson were in attendance to see representatives from UPM Raflatac, Inc. receive their Edie Award.

The company invested $109 million in a new pressure sensitive label stock manufacturing facility and distribution center in Dixon after a multi-state search covering 92 potential locations, including a final win against a site in Northwest Indiana. There are 115 employees working at the 287,000 square-foot plant.

The Edie Awards have up to fifteen categories based on geography (City of Chicago, Metropolitan Chicago or statewide projects) and development type: manufacturing, commercial, energy, technology and transportation/distribution. The Illinois Chamber and IDC asked for nominations from across the state for development projects completed in 2008 in any of those categories and had a joint awards committee review the nominees and determine the projects most worthy of an Edie Award.