ABB 2006/7 | State Profiles | Mid West region | Illinois | Profile

Even in today’s technology-driven global economy, where you locate your business is still an important consideration when looking to expand operations and reach new markets. And, like no other location in the world, the state of Illinois offers many advantages. Illinois is located in the central US, which makes it a natural and cost-effective place for storing and distributing products regionally, nationally and internationally. In fact, more than 200 of the Fortune 500 companies operate major distribution centres in Illinois.

More than 2,000 miles of interstate highway cross the state, including three coast-to-coast interstate highways. Illinois boasts two of the nation’s largest rail gateways, in Chicago and East St. Louis, 1,118 miles of navigable waterways that offer direct links to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, state-of-the-art intermodal facilities and ports, and the second-largest airport system in the US with 118 public use airports, 273 heliports and more than 1,000 aviation facilities.

The Illinois economy is the most diversified in North America, and includes biotechnology, agriculture, food processing, petroleum, coal, chemical products, machinery and much more

The crown jewel is Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, through which 1.7 million tonnes of cargo and 76 million travellers pass each year. Just last year, there were 93,500 international flights out of Illinois – an average of 256 flights per day. Moreover, no less than five different carriers offer daily direct non-stop flights from London to Chicago, and daily direct non-stop flights are also offered from Manchester and Glasgow.

Likewise, data transport is extremely efficient in Illinois. Hundreds of thousands of miles of fibre optic cable have been installed and virtually the entire state has digital switching capability.

As proof of the state’s strategic advantages, Illinois ranks as the top location in the Midwestern United States – and fourth in the nation – as a destination for Foreign Direct Investment, up 14% in the last five years. Four thousand eight hundred foreign-owned establishments have chosen Illinois as their place of business. This includes 900 UK-owned establishments, ranking the UK as the number one foreign-owned facilities investor in Illinois. And Illinois businesses know international trade. Direct exports totaled nearly $36 billion in 2005, a nearly 19% increase and representing almost 6% of Illinois’s Gross State Product (GSP). Exports have historically accounted for more than 15% of Illinois’s GSP growth over the past 10 years and export trade supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in the state.

The diverse, well-trained workforce of Illinois consistently ranks among the most competitive in the US, exceeding the nation’s productivity average and outperforming other Great Lakes region states

Another critical element to business success is quality employees. Once again, Illinois excels, offering a diverse, well-trained workforce that consistently ranks among the most productive in the US: nearly half of the six million workers in Illinois are professionals or skilled technicians; Illinois ranks fourth in the nation and second in the Great Lakes region for value-added productivity in manufacturing; and Illinois worker productivity exceeds the US average by $0.16 per hour. Productivity in the state outperforms other Great Lakes states by $2.15 per hour.

These impressive statistics are not accidental. The state’s job training programmes are geared towards meeting the specific and unique needs of Illinois employers, as well as individuals. Illinois is competitive in a variety of industries and has earned a reputation for being a global leader in biotechnology. This past April, Chicago was host to BIO 2006 — the first time the “Olympics” of biotech was brought to the Midwestern United States. The annual BIO convention is the industry’s largest gathering of researchers, major international and domestic biotech corporations, start-ups, regulators and investors.

BIO 2006 was a unique opportunity for Illinois to showcase its growing biotech business to the almost 20,000 people who attended from across the US and 62 countries. It was a record-breaking event in all categories, including setting a new record for the number of international attendees. Recently, Illinois was selected to host BIO 2010, representing another vote of confidence for our leadership and strengths in the biotech sector. The state of Illinois’s many strengths translate into competitive advantages for Illinois-based businesses – making Illinois an intelligent investment.

Illinois is no stranger to the British market. Through its West European office based in Brussels, which was established in 1968, pro-active promotions and programmes are organised throughout the UK, targeting British companies wanting to expand and find market opportunities in the US. During the past three years, in close partnership with local chambers of commerce and UK Trade and Investment, seminars and roundtable events have been organised in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Glasgow, promoting the state of Illinois as an ideal destination for UK companies. The European office’s ultimate goal is to entice those companies keen to expand in the US to the great state of Illinois and join the already very large concentration of British companies that have chosen Illinois as their US home-base.

The Illinois economy is the most diversified in North America, and includes biotechnology, agriculture, food processing, petroleum, coal, chemical products, machinery and much more

Equally in Chicago there is a strong British presence through the British Consulate’s Trade Commission and the British-American Business Council of the Midwest. Both organisations are there to assist British companies wanting to find potential partners, agents or distributors. If you want to learn more about opportunities in Illinois and the services it offers, we encourage you to contact us. Our team of experienced staff will be eager to assist you, confidentially and free of charge.

For more information, contact:
State of Illinois West European Office
Boulevard de la Cambre 28-30, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: 00 322- 646 57 30
Fax: 00 322 646 55 11
Email: Brussels@illinoistrade.org
Website: www.illinoistrade.org

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