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"Harrisburg is a great community with thriving local businesses and
hardworking men and women, and we want to help put even more of them
to work," Blagojevich said. "We recognize how important Midwest
Fabrication & Repair is to the local economy, as well as to the
customers it serves around the world. We will continue investing in
companies and communities that are investing in southern Illinois to
help create more and better jobs."
Midwest Fabrication & Repair began in Jim Ozee's garage in 1991
with $35,000 and one employee and has since grown into a $3.5
million company with nearly 60 employees. The company started out
doing automotive and mining fabrication and later added agricultural
parts manufacturing. Both business segments have been operated out
of the same building for many years, and the company's growth has
necessitated the construction of a new building for its
manufacturing production.
"We greatly appreciate this assistance from Governor Blagojevich
and the city of Harrisburg," said Jim Ozee, president of Midwest
Fabrication. "The funding will support our much-needed building
expansion, so we can continue to work and grow with the customers in
our automotive and mining fabrication business like automotive giant
Toyota and, in our manufacturing business, with new customers like
industry leader John Deere and Cioti, Montana and Bush Hog."
"Governor Blagojevich has demonstrated a real commitment to
build, grow and invest in southern Illinois companies like Midwest
Fabrication that will make our region more prosperous, both now and
in the future, and create more new jobs," said state Sen. Gary Forby,
D-Benton.
"It has been proven over time that Opportunity Returns is vital
in building up our companies and communities and creating more good
jobs," said state Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg. "Governor
Blagojevich's continued support is helping to put some of our
burgeoning local businesses on the road to even greater success."
"Midwest Fabrication & Repair is a true local success story, and
we are grateful for Governor Blagojevich's support in taking the
company to the next level and helping it compete with the leaders in
its industry," said Harrisburg Mayor Ron Morse. "With this grant,
the company will be able to purchase a new building, update its
existing equipment and, ultimately, add to its work force."
"This Opportunity Returns grant will enable Midwest Fabrication
to take its business to another level by becoming stronger and more
competitive in the marketplace," said Jack Lavin, director of the
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. "By unlocking the
potential of local businesses on the verge of tremendous success, we
can create jobs and keep our economy strong and growing. Governor
Blagojevich made a commitment to creating new jobs and providing a
better, stronger future, and this is further evidence of how we are
achieving these goals everyday across southern Illinois."
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 The Illinois Finance Authority has also approved more than
$700,000 in low-interest loans to help finance the purchase of new
equipment and the acquisition and improvement of the
43,000-square-foot industrial building.
"Our role is to help businesses and communities grow by providing
affordable financing to projects that create jobs and improve the
quality of life in Illinois," said Jill Rendleman, interim director
of the Illinois Finance Authority. "We're proud to be able to
support the expansion of Midwest Fabrication, which will create and
retain jobs locally and help fuel economic growth statewide."
Last week, Blagojevich announced that Illinois added more new
jobs than any other state in July. Illinois led the nation in
monthly job growth in July by creating 29,800 new jobs. This is the
second time this year that Illinois has created more new jobs than
any other state, which has never happened before in recorded
history. Illinois also led the nation in job growth in April. The
total number of new jobs created this year is almost 70,000, which
is the best start to a year since 1998 and more new jobs than in all
other Midwest states combined.
The Illinois unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in July, falling
lower than the national rate, which is 4.8 percent, for the second
consecutive month. This is the first time this has happened in more
than seven years. Since January 2004, Illinois has gained 144,300
new jobs, which is almost 60,000 more new jobs than the next highest
Midwest state.
These statistics were compiled by the federal Bureau of Labor
Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The
Bureau of Labor Statistics has posted its July data at
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/laus.pdf.
[To download Adobe Acrobat Reader for the PDF
file, click here.]
Site Selection magazine ranked Illinois third in the nation for
attracting new and expanded corporate facilities in 2005.
About Opportunity Returns
Blagojevich's Opportunity Returns regional economic development
strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating
jobs in Illinois' history. Since a one-size-fits-all approach to
economic development just doesn't work, the governor has divided the
state into 10 regions, each with a regional team that is empowered
and expected to rapidly respond to opportunities and challenges.
Opportunity Returns is about tangible, specific actions to make each
region more accessible, more marketable, more entrepreneurial and
more attractive to businesses. It is about upgrading the skills of
the local work force, increasing the access to capital, opening new
markets, improving infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs.
Opportunity Returns is about successfully partnering with companies
and communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach
its economic potential.
[News release] |
