Lake County Partners touts AbbVie projects and local wins in Q1 briefing

Kevin Consonai, president and CEO of Lake County Partners, told the Lake County Finance & Administrative Committee on Thursday that the county is off to a strong start in the first quarter with several business wins and a busy project pipeline.

Consonai said two AbbVie announcements together represented roughly $575,000,000 in investment connected to the company’s Sheridan Road campus, and he referenced about 3,500 new jobs tied to that activity. He also described a Libertyville-based manufacturer, Bath Concepts, as an approximately $80,000,000 investment expected to retain roughly 400 jobs and add about 100 new positions after a multi‑year recruitment effort.

Consonai discussed labor‑force trends for Lake County, noting the county remains materially below its pre‑COVID 2019 labor‑force level and that demographic shifts and housing availability complicate the labor supply. He said Lake County is unique within Chicagoland in showing a persistent gap in the labor force compared with some neighboring counties.

On housing and economic development tools, Consonai outlined an upcoming 'speed‑networking' event to connect municipalities and developers, and said his office is working with state partners on Opportunity Zone renewals where tract selection matters for practical eligibility. He also described a recent luncheon that brought a UK firm with an AI leak‑detection product together with roughly 35 agencies to explore potential municipal pilot work.

Committee members asked for follow‑up analysis on automation risk and industry vulnerabilities; Consonai said his team would return with more detailed projections at a future meeting.

The committee thanked Consonai for the update; no formal action was required.