July 27, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Nicole Bateman, President
Economic Development Corporation of Decatur-Macon County
PH: 217-422-9520
Decatur, IL Ranked 10th in the Nation for Top Manufacturing Hubs and 9th for Industrial Parks
Decatur, Illinois – Business Facilities’ 17th Annual Metro Rankings Report recognizes Decatur with two Top 10 Rankings: 10th for Top Manufacturing Hubs and the Decatur Commerce Park ranked 9th in the Industrial Parks category.
Among other criteria, Business Facilities’ editors based the Manufacturing Hubs ranking on cities where manufacturing’s share (by percentage) of the total workforce is the highest. Of the 47,800 people currently employed in Macon County, 10,900 (or 22.8%) work in Manufacturing; in the United States (as a whole), the average is 8.5%. In 2020, over $2.25 Billion was paid out in wages to the Decatur area community. Nearly 40% of those wages (almost $900 million) were paid to manufacturing employees.
“Everyone, from our small manufacturing companies to our global powerhouses, contributes to the fabric of our strong local economy,” says Nicole Bateman, president of the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur-Macon County (EDC). “At a time when there’s a renewed focus on U.S. manufacturing, we’re proud to receive recognition for being a top manufacturing hub.”
The EDC annually coordinates Manufacturing Days in October to expose area high school students to careers in manufacturing. 2021 will be the sixth year organizing more than a dozen companies to shine a light on job opportunities.
Business Facilities also ranked the nation’s leading industrial parks. The magazine states that size, growth potential, recent expansions and unique assets like water resources and on-site utilities were key factors in their Industrial Parks ranking.
“Commerce Park is the perfect location to build your facility and flourish in Decatur,” says Jaime Weiss, owner and managing agent of Commerce Park. “We have the capability to construct up to one-million square feet at our 147-acre industrial park. Your company can take advantage of everything Decatur has to offer, like direct connectivity to the Midwest Inland Port to get farther faster.”
“As an industrial park of this size, Commerce Park services massive markets and is able to access more than 99 million people for same-day delivery,” says Bateman. “With rail on site, intermodal ramp across the street and a massive build-to-suit opportunity, it’s easy to see why Commerce Park was recognized as ninth in the nation. It provides rich economic development opportunities for Decatur.”
For more information on the 2021 Metro Rankings Report and Business Facilities, visit BusinessFacilities.com. To find local careers in manufacturing, visit CareersDecatur.com. For more information on Commerce Park, click here.
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About the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County
The Economic Development Corporation of Decatur & Macon County is a nonprofit public-private partnership responsible for non-retail business attraction, expansion and retention efforts in Decatur & Macon County. Composed of a combination of leading private sector employers, labor, educational institutions and a variety of governmental bodies, the EDC is uniquely positioned to address the needs of Macon County’s existing business and employer base along with prospective businesses looking to locate in and around the Decatur, Illinois area. The EDC works with local, state and federal partners to provide economic, technical and training assistance to businesses in the Macon County area.