About The Will County Center For Economic Development (CED)
OUR MISSION
To improve the quality of life for all residents in Will County by recruiting new companies offering high-quality jobs and a solid tax base while assisting existing businesses to retain and add jobs.
The CED serves as the primary point of contact for Will County when seeking information on available sites and buildings, population and labor force statistics, business assistance and incentive programs, local government entitlements and major new developments in the region.
Latest News
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Regional Partnership for Economic Development Announced
The new Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership was announced this week and includes the City of Chicago, Cook County and six counties across the northeastern Illinois region including Will County.
Clarius Partners’ Lion Electric manufacturing facility: A once-in-a-lifetime project in Joliet
The kind of project that doesn’t come along very often. That’s how Peter Schmidt, senior vice president with Rosemont, Illinois-based Meridian Design Build, described the Lion Electric project in Joliet, Illinois.
Annual Report Speaks To Will County
Ruth Colby, CED Board Chair, welcomed more than 250 guests and thanked members of the CED Board for their time, guidance, and leadership in making the CED and Will County the best it can be. She reflected on the CED’s forty-one years of success. In 2022 forty-three investor organizations marked 30 years or more of investment in the CED, which was commemorated through presentations of Certificates of Appreciation recognizing their commitment to community and their partnership with the Will County Center for Economic Development.
IDOT Launches New Site to Keep Public Informed on I-80 Reconstruction
The Illinois Department of Transportation has launched a new website, I80will.org, to provide the public with the latest information on the $1.2 billion reconstruction of Interstate 80 through Will County, one of the cornerstone projects of Governor JB Pritzker’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program.
ComEd Recognized as National Utility Leader in Attracting Jobs, Investment to Region
ComEd has been recognized again for its leading role in supporting economic growth and job creation across northern Illinois, according to new rankings today by Site Selection Magazine, which named ComEd as one of the Top 20 utilities in economic development. Selected from more than 3,300 electric companies across the country, ComEd is among the top 1 percent of all utilities in attracting new businesses, jobs and investments.
Free Business Enterprise Program Certification Virtual Webinar
The Will County CED, in partnership with County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant and the State of Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion, is hosting a free virtual webinar to educate minority, women and disabled business owners about the Illinois Business Enterprise Program (BEP).
Will County Elected & Appointed Officials Come Together To Put Best Foot Forward
Thirty-three elected and appointed officials and municipal staff representing eleven Will County communities and two State of Illinois Representatives came together for a morning of learning on August 23rd at the CED’s Economic Development Training for Elected and Appointed Officials.
New Community Data Released by Regional Planning Agency
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is the region’s comprehensive planning agency and publishes an annual comprehensive workplan and annual report and collects comprehensive community data to help make northeastern Illinois a stronger, more resilient place to live and do business.
CED Infrastructure Coalition Hears the Latest News
The CED’s Infrastructure Coalition met recently for a mid-year update on State and regional transportation projects, studies, and plans. This important CED Coalition’s mission and charge is making sure Will County is meeting the infrastructure needs of our businesses and residents.
CED Hosts Eye Opener Breakfast
For the first time since 2019 board members, investors, partners and supporters of the Will County Center for Economic Development came together to network and hear about the successes and growth of Will County over the past year.