WCED Newsroom

Morrison, IL (May 22, 2020) - Despite all the terrible news about the U.S. economy because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there some pockets of activity going on in the Whiteside County/Northwest Illinois region.  While the State’s unemployment rate for April hit 16.4%, several businesses in the region are hiring, and…

During the past few weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, Whiteside County Economic Development has been in touch with local businesses in the Northwest Illinois Region, gathering information from these businesses, and providing information regarding the COVID-19 response from Federal, State and local resources. While several businesses are in dire need…

COVID-19 FEDERAL AND STATE LOANS, GRANTS, UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, AND LEAVE.  A comprehensive resource guide provided to us by the Illinois Manufacturers Association (IMA).    

The Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity has provided many links to Federal & State Programs to aid in the Covid-19 pandemic.  

GIS Planning has released a free, interactive GIS tool to map the spread and impact of COVID-19 for US economic developers.

URGENT: Manufacturers Needed - Production for COVID-19 Response You may have seen this before, but there is a need for manufacturers to assist to produce needed supplies.Please read the following article to see how you can help.

The Whiteside Carrol Enterprise Zone (WCEZ) will be hosting two Enterprise Zone information meetings in March to provide local businesses with information about the region’s most effective local business incentive, and how it can assist businesses in their expansion or location in Whiteside and Carroll Counties. The meetings will be…

Enterprise Zone investment up significantly in 2019 Morrison, IL (January 6, 2020) – Economic activity in the Whiteside Carroll Enterprise Zone (WCEZ) picked up in 2019, with 19 projects and an investment of $38.6 million, up from 2018’s 13 projects with an investment of $10.5 million. The 2019 projects are…

Leading B2B E-commerce platform Alibaba.com is coming to Whiteside County on October 3, 2019, to introduce Northwest Illinois exporters and export ready businesses to the Alibaba.com Gold Supplier Program, an e-commerce platform that offers small and mid-sized businesses the ability to sell to markets served by Alibaba.com, including the U.S.,…

The 2018 Employment Base Growth for Whiteside County showed positive gains for local industries, especially when compared to the State and neighboring counties. Whiteside County’s 4th quarter employment base showed a +1.9% gain, putting it in the 70th percentile when compared to its peer group of 548 “small counties” nationwide.…