One of the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation’s (DCEDC) accomplishments has been the development and implementation of a five year Strategic Plan. During 2009 while conducting an extensive Business Retention and Expansion Visitation Program (Goal 2), they learned that 59% of the industries surveyed planned to expand during the next three years.
During 2010, they focused on Goal 4 – Enhance and Promote DeKalb County Business Climate to Support Expansion and Encourage New Business Formation. Significant expansion and new construction took place in DeKalb County last year, with the newest 3M Distribution Center in DeKalb’s Park 88 and SK Professional Tools in the Sycamore Prairie Business Park. These projects were two of the largest industrial buildings developed in all of Northern Illinois during this period. Smart Motion Robotics relocated to Sycamore. SK Express and Elgiloy expanded in the Sycamore Industrial Park. Algus purchased the former D. B. Hess plant on Peace Road & Route 38. Tegrant is expanding within their Pleasant Street headquarters.
DCEDC announces current activity in DeKalb County as:
- 3M is on schedule to complete their new 650,000 sq. ft. building on Macom Drive in Park 88 in April.
- Smart Motion Robotics in the Sycamore Prairie Business Park has completed their 32,000 sq. ft. building. They moved in and commenced operations in early January.
- Construction of the Hy-Vee grocery store located for the Pappas’ Sycamore Shopping Center is progressing.
- The Hobby Lobby store in DeKalb’s Northland Plaza is completed and open for business.
- Noodles & Company and Radio Shack have been operating since September in the Oakland Shopping Center.
- IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. has completed a 130,000 sq. ft. building in the Sycamore Prairie Business Park to accommodate SK Professional Tools, a company they acquired in August. They manufacture sockets, ratchets, hammers and wrenches.
- SK Express, Inc. has leased an additional 11,000 sq. ft. of space in the Sycamore Industrial Park.
- Stewart Family Chiropractic has established a start-up clinic in DeKalb County. The clinic was supported by a $44,223 loan from the DeKalb County Community Services Department.
DCEDC is a public/private partnership working to facilitate sustainable economic growth within DeKalb County. To learn more about DCEDC, please visit their website.
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When 3M moves to the new facility, how many existing buildings are being emptied to fill it? What will happen to those units? There are still buildings that have no tenants or businesses in them. The facility at Fairview and Seventh still has the agent’s banner sign on it, as do some others in that area, such as the old Spaulding building.
And while the Hobby Lobby store, Noodles and Company, and HyVee are nice additions to the community, will the employees there be able to purchase homes in the De Kalb market for $150K on up with their wages?