Logan County Economic Development Partnership announces support for displaced employees at Caterpillar or Mitsubishi

[October 21, 2015]  LINCOLN - Logan County residents impacted by the recent Caterpillar and Mitsubishi layoff announcements can take advantage of a new website, www.StayGP.org, that provides assistance in four areas: finding a new job, going back to school, starting their own business, and retirement opportunities.

This resource is provided through the five county economic development organization to which Logan County belongs, which is now known as the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council. The StayGP website is designed to help displaced workers identify new career opportunities or develop a retirement strategy in order to remain in the Greater Peoria region.

"When we heard the announcement from Mitsubishi and then Caterpillar about impending layoffs, we decided a resource like StayGP was something that could be helpful to those impacted," said Jennifer Daly, CEO for the Greater Peoria EDC. "We want our friends and neighbors in each of the counties served by the GPEDC (Peoria, Logan, Tazewell, Mason, and Woodford) to stay here in Greater Peoria. We hope StayGP will make it a little easier to find opportunities to do so."

The new website offers information organized into four pathways: find a job, go to school, start a business, and retirement opportunities. The first pathway lists local job postings, pulled from the online job bank Indeed, and resources to prepare for a new position. The second pathway provides data on the hottest jobs in the region, tuition reimbursement vehicles, and regional schools and training programs. The third pathway introduces regional resources for launching a business including local people you can talk to and programs that are helpful. Bradley University's Turner Center for Entrepreneurship, Startup Peoria, and SCORE are just a few of the programs that are highlighted. The fourth pathway is for anyone who chose early retirement and isn't quite ready to stay home. Opportunities to work part-time, teach, become a mentor, or make a difference as a volunteer for a local organization are a few of the options showcased in this section. StayGP also includes a calendar listing events and activities related to the four pathways and a contact list that anyone can join to receive updates and notifications.

The site was developed by Greg Paul Lynn and funded by the investors of the Greater Peoria EDC. Unity Point Methodist Proctor and DSM-H Consulting provided additional funding that helped to make the site possible.

"We want to thank everyone at the GPEDC who participated in developing and launching StayGP," said Bill Thomas, Executive Director of the Logan County Economic Development Partnership. "Having the support and resources of the GPEDC is greatly appreciated, as we work to help Logan County residents make plans in light of the Caterpillar and Mitsubishi announcements.”

Additional information regarding StayGP.org is available from the Logan County Economic Development Partnership office located at 122 North McLean Street in Lincoln.

Bill Thomas, Ex. Dir.
Logan County Economic Development Partnership
[e-mail]
Ph. – 217-732-8739 or 217-648-5077

[Bill Thomas]