The MCEDC invites all of its members and interested citizens to participate in its fourth annual "Springfield Day" on Tuesday, March 25th. This year the event is hosted by both the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) and the Litchfield Economic Development Office. The day will be filled with meeting representatives from DCEO – Digital Divide, Lt. Governor's Wi-Fi and Rural Telecom, Vince Demuzio Broadband Initiative, Illinois Department of Transportation, ICC – Rail Safety Program, DCEO - Opportunity Returns Staff, Enterprise Zone, Business Financing, and Tourism.

The purpose of these meetings is to find out what programs, services and grant opportunities these agencies have available. The group will be in Springfield from approximately 9 am until 3 pm. There is no fee to attend the event in Springfield and lunch will be provided. Car pooling is normally organized among participants.

The trip is open to anyone. Space is limited and pre-registration is registration is required. Therefore, to reserve your spot please contact Amanda Cole at 217-532-3941.

The Lumpkin Family Foundation awarded a grant to the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation in late February. The micro-grant of $1225 covered part of the expenses of training at the Basic Economic Development Course. The five-day training featured presentations on technology to manage organizations; business retention and expansion methods; strategic planning; community and economic development theory; workforce development and a number of other topics. The 70 participants, including MCEDC's Heather Hampton+Knodle, were assigned groups to develop a case study on a community facing job losses. Groups worked after hours each day to develop their action plan and a presentation to recruit a prospective industry to the community. Heather's group was ranked number one for its action plan by a panel of judges representing government, universities and business in Arizona.

Hillsboro's Mayor Bill Baran worked with MCEDC to apply for a grant entitled Community Wireless Broadband Pilot offered by Lt. Governor Pat Quinn. The grant is to apply seed money for establishing Wi-Fi networks in downtown areas. The Hillsboro application included the two blocks of North Main Street and the Sports Complex as areas where Wi-Fi might benefit people visiting the Hillsboro area. If the grant is awarded, work will begin on installation and seeking ongoing sponsorship funds to support the network this summer. MCEDC and the City of Hillsboro thank the Hillsboro Sports Association, Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce, Regional Office of Education and Montgomery County for writing letters of support. We also thank the county for funding the full-time position for a GIS Coordinator. We thank GIS Coordinator Ray Durston for assisting in preparing maps of the project's proposed coverage area.

Ameren's Economic Development group is purchasing the license of a software tool called the Synchronist Business Information System®. Ameren invited the MCEDC and the City of Litchfield, along with approximately 60 other economic developers from Illinois and Missouri to meet the software's developer and review the product at Ameren's corporate headquarters in St. Louis. The software relies on data gathered at business retention and expansion visits to generate a range of reports that capture everything from opportunities to improve the business climate to needed skills to develop in the workforce as well as business-specific information that will be kept confidential. MCEDC is very excited to be invited as a data input user of this software tool. It is an item that we could not afford on our own. We look forward to entering an agreement with Ameren this spring to begin using the software as an anchor for our BR&E program.

The MCEDC is the designated administrator of the Montgomery County Revolving Loan Fund. The Revolving Loan Fund Committee met the end of February to review its first application for a loan. The committee recommended to the county board that the loan be funded.

The Montgomery County Revolving Loan Fund is funded by a portion of the proceeds from the sale of coal rights in 2004. The county board set aside a pool of funds to be used to develop existing and new businesses and to further diversify the county's economy. Any lending institution may approach the fund for partnering on a business loan.