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Greater Freeport Partnerships spotlights manufacturing growth, workforce pipelines and talent-attraction programs
Summary
Executive Director Winter and partnership staff described manufacturing-sector highlights, recent enterprise-zone expansions supporting multimillion-dollar investments and plans to launch workforce programs and tours to retain and attract talent in Freeport and Stephenson County.
Executive Director Winter presented the Greater Freeport Partnerships quarterly report to the Freeport City Council, focusing on manufacturing-sector activity, recent capital investments and workforce initiatives.
Winter said October is manufacturing month and highlighted a recent stop by the Illinois Manufacturers Association "makers on the move" bus tour at Snack King. She said manufacturing accounts for about 30% of Stevenson County employment and that the average manufacturing wage in the county is "just shy of $72,000 a year." Winter described the sector’s economic footprint as roughly $2.8 billion.
Winter cited two local expansions supported through the Northwest Illinois enterprise zone: a Savencia Kobelina expansion she said enabled a $7 million investment and the creation of 42 positions, and a $5.5 million expansion by Burner Food and Beverage to expand milk intake and storage capacity. Both projects, Winter said, are under construction.
Workforce remains the sector’s principal challenge, Winter said. She described initiatives to retain and recruit talent including a Midland CEO program set to launch in 2026 to teach entrepreneurship and leadership to high-school juniors and seniors; an Oct. 31 tour for area high-school students of local manufacturing facilities; and a Nov. 12 joint career and job fair organized with Highland Community College and Freeport High School. Winter said the partnership is also working with the Yield program and the Awaken Foundation to explore aligning programs with manufacturing skill needs.
Nicole, partnership staff, described talent-attraction strategies including employer toolkits with relocation information (housing, schools, health care, childcare) and a Stephenson County area advocate program that offers guided visits for recent in-migrants and newly hired employees. Nicole said the partnership provides one-on-one VIP tours for recruitment of high-level hires.
Council discussion was brief; no formal council action was taken on the partnership report during the meeting.
Background: Winter said the partnership helped expand the enterprise zone boundaries to include the Savencia Kobelina site, which she credited with enabling the company’s investment. She noted tight local labor-market conditions—Winter cited about 946 unemployed people in the county in August and more than 1,100 unique job postings during that month, representing roughly 313 employers—and said those figures underscore the partnership’s focus on keeping talent local.
Ending: Winter and Nicole invited councilors and community members to participate in upcoming career events and said the partnership will continue coordinating with local employers and educators to build pipelines into manufacturing careers.
