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Economic Development

Todd D. Volker
Economic Development Coordinator
Kendall County
111. W. Fox Street
Yorkville, Illinois 60560

Email: tvolker@kendallcountyil.gov
Phone: (630) 381-9574

Business Start-Ups/New Businesses

First Stop Business Information Center: The best first-step in starting a business is connecting with knowledgeable business advisors and getting a sense of the business environment. The State of Illinois' First Stop Business Information Center can connect you to all these things. Consult the First Stop Business Information Center at this link.

Small Business Development Center (SBDC): Small Business Development Centers assist business owners and entrepreneurs developing new businesses by providing a host of free services, including business plan assistance, marketing assistance, operations and other kinds of assistance. The organization also hosts a seven week Business Growth Academy. Kendall County's SBDC is hosted by Waubonsee Community College, and its resources can be found at this link.

Fox Valley SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives): SCORE offers an incredible range of useful seminars on business topics, ranging from artificial intelligence to marketing to nonprofit management to human resources issues to financial reporting and business finances. The organization draws on the knowledge and experience of talented retired executives from all business fields. Fox Valley SCORE can be found at this link.

Energy Efficiency Savings

Commonwealth Edison
ComEd’s programs assist local businesses reduce electricity costs by lowering consumption. These programs can provide a competitive edge over other states where energy efficiency programs are not as robust or consumer-friendly as ComEd’s portfolio.

Please see ComEd’s Economic Development page for information on these programs.

Loan Programs

Kendall County Revolving Loan Fund Program
Kendall County has a below market interest rate loan program used to assist smaller businesses with job creation or retention by loaning up to $15,000 per job created or retained. The total amount loaned can be up to 49% of a project cost. Qualifying businesses must provide sufficient collateral for the loan.

Link to the revolving loan fund Pre-Application form.

To discussion an application or for more information, email kendalledc@co.kendall.il.us.

Private Activity Bonds
Through the Upper Illinois River Valley Development Authority (UIRVDA), Kendall County can offer tax-exempt bonds to projects of $1 million or more that have an emphasis on manufacturing. UIRVDA issues these bonds on behalf of manufacturing companies to finance the acquisition of assets such as land, buildings and equipment or to construct new or renovate existing facilities. Some of the benefits of the UIRVDA Industrial Revenue Bonds include low interest rates, long terms, flexible terms, and exemption from federal income tax on the interest.

For more information, please visit Upper Illinois River Valley Development Authority.

Kendall-Grundy Department of Community Action Microloan
The mission of the Kendall-Grundy Department of Community Action is to encourage self-sufficiency while recognizing the need for personalized, direct services for residents faced with hardships. To accomplish this goal, the Micro-Loan Program was established through a Community Service Block Grant to assist in financing micro businesses for start up or expansion efforts. A micro business is defined as any proprietorship, partnership or corporation that provides self-employment to borrower on a full-time, year-round basis and that provides employment for not more than five persons on a full-time and year-round basis.

For more information, please visit Kendall Community Action.

Tax Incentives

Property Tax Abatement
Abatement on property taxes can be offered for qualifying new and existing expanding businesses. Eligible applicants include Distribution and Logistics, Manufacturing operations, and Office Headquarters. The abatement of taxes can granted for three years for a 75%, 50%, 25% reduction in property taxes. Approval of a tax abatement is based on criteria such as job creation, total investment, use of property, and amount of property taxes anticipated to be generated.

For more information, please review the Property Tax Abatement Application

State of Illinois EDGE Tax Credit Program

The State of Illinois EDGE (Economic Development for a Growing Economy) program is designed to offer a special tax incentive to encourage companies to locate or expand operations in Illinois when there is active consideration of a competing location in another State. The program can provide tax credits to qualifying companies, equal to the amount of state income taxes withheld from the salaries of employees in the newly created jobs. The non- refundable credits can be used against corporate income taxes to be paid over a period not to exceed 10 years. To qualify a company must provide documentation that attests to the fact of competition among a competing state, and agree to make an investment of at least $5 million in capital improvements and create a minimum of 25 new full time jobs in Illinois.

For more information, please visit Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity.

Illinois Small Business Job Creation Tax Credit
The State of Illinois recently passed a new incentive for small businesses, the Illinois Small Business Job Creation Tax Credit. The law creates a $2,500 tax credit (that can be carried forward) on withholding tax for employers who hire new, full-time Illinois employees during the 12-month period beginning July 1, 2010. Only employers with 50 or fewer total employees qualify. The total credit allowance under the legislation is $50 million. In other words, the program will provide a credit for the first 20,000 qualified jobs. An on-line system will allow employers to register their new hires and, in effect, reserve their place in line. Employers can begin claiming the credit after the job has been maintained for a year.

For more information, please visit Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity.

Employee Training

Kane, Kendall, DeKalb Workforce Investment Board
Facilitated by the Illinois Workforce Investment Board, the Kane, Kendall, DeKalb Workforce Investment Board offers employee training programs to maintain and improve competitiveness generally for unemployed or underemployed. The WIB is a key player in the economic growth and competitiveness of the surrounding region. Established under a 1998 Federal law called the Workforce Investment Act, the Board has a mandate to create a workforce development system that meets the needs of area employers for qualified workers, and expands the employment opportunities available to area job seekers.

For more information, please visit Kane County Office of Community Reinvestment – Workforce Development Division.

Waubonsee Community College
Waubonsee Community College’s noncredit professional development courses range from one day to a month or two, giving employees the skills to improve at their current position or to start a new one. Waubonsee offers courses in several specialized areas, including truck driver training, CNC Operators, and industrial plant operations. In addition to courses taught on campus at Waubonsee Community College, courses are conveniently offered online.

For more information, please visit Waubonsee Community College Workforce Development.

Joliet Junior College
Joliet Junior College’s Corporate & Community Services provide both credit and non-credit programs for employers looking for a variety of training formats including short courses, one and two-day seminars and other flexibly scheduled workshops. Training programs offered include engineered technicians, renewable energy, forklift driving, warehousing & logistics, and refinery operations. These programs include hands on training to provide employees with on the job skills.

For more information, please visit Joliet Junior College’s Corporate & Community Services.

Tax Increment Financing Districts

Tax increment financing is available in eight locations within Kendall County. TIF Districts allow a municipality to use the projected increase in local property taxes (the increment) from a redevelopment project to pay for a variety of upfront, eligible costs involved in the project.

The eight TIF Districts located in Kendall County include two in Yorkville (Countryside Shopping Center at Route 34 and Route 47 as well as the Downtown Yorkville District), four TIF districts in Montgomery (northwest corner of Fifth Street and U.S. Route 30, Orchard Road, Caterpillar Drive, and Blackberry Creek), and one TIF district in downtown Oswego (Main Street and Washington Street).

For more information about Yorkville's TIF program, follow this link.

For more information about Montgomery's TIF program, follow this link.

For more information about Oswego's TIF program, follow this link.

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