Christian County recently gained some insights into their current economic development as the Christian County Economic Development Corporation attended the Site Selector Meeting in Chicago. Matt Hart, Executive Director of the CCEDC did not miss the opportunity to hear what Intersect Illinois, the marketing arm of development in Illinois, is needing out of counties to support incoming business and industry.

Hart came out of those conversations with three main takeaways, the first being unity between the private and public sectors of the county. Hart Says Christian County has proven to have strong relationships between the two and cites the Taylorville Correctional Facility as living proof.

The second takeaway Hart relays is "site readiness wins", meaning developers will look at geography, workforce, and other manufacturing around a proposed site for extra benefit. Hart is happy to report that the surrounding 30 miles population of 230,000 workers fits into the sweet spot that incoming industry may be looking for.

The workforce remains a major contributing factor to incoming business, says Hart. Christian County has a history of a dedicated and consistent workforce which can bode well for future development.

The CCEDC will hold their second Economic Incentives Workshop on Thursday, November 7th at their office located at 108 West Market Street in Taylorville. More information can be found at christiancountyedc.com.

Matt Hart appeared as a guest on the WTIM Morning Show.