Posts by Doug Hessong

Seize the moment The time is right for renewed regional investment in economic development By Terrance Hall, Eight Fifteen Impact In March 2024, the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) engaged Eight Fifteen Impact to develop a new strategy and tactical plan for the organization’s newly chartered economic development work. At the time, I was…

Civics Our rights, duties, and privileges as citizens By Angela Kay Larson, Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce On my desk, you’ll find a small textbook, “First Lessons in Civics,” published in 1898. The book is a relic, yet I find many of its lessons enlightening, causing me to wonder why civics is no longer standard…

Politicians, lone nuts, and dancing guys The story of resurgence in the Village of Durand By Village of Durand Mayor Sheila Hoffman As elected officials in local government, we step up to tackle the challenge to leave things a little better than we found them. That’s exactly what the Village of Durand has set out…

GRCC task force announces business community expectations for new RPS205 superintendent Earlier this year, the GRCC Board of Directors assembled a task force comprised of members from the Government Affairs and Talent Committees with the objective of capturing the voice of business in relation to the RPS205 Board of Education’s efforts to recruit a new…

Clean energy dominance Illinois needs to reclaim the nuclear energy leadership it held decades ago By Michael Dunn Jr., Region 1 Planning Council Our local elected leaders have spent the past two years working closely with ComEd and state and federal officials to develop a strategy for funding critical energy infrastructure. The key questions before…

The intersection of public and private Tips on how businesses can work effectively with local government By Christine Hand, managing editor At the annual Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) Pow(H)er conference on Nov. 13, a panel of local elected officials—Dawn Granath, 9th Ward alderwoman, Rockford City Council; Christina Valdez, 16th Ward councilwoman, Winnebago County…

Thriving innovation ecosystems What Rockford can learn from other mid-sized cities By TC Bell, EIGERlab When people talk about innovation, the spotlight often shines on places like Silicon Valley, Austin, or Boston. But in recent years, mid-sized regional cities have quietly transformed themselves into thriving innovation hubs. Their stories hold powerful lessons for the Rockford…

Modern manufacturing careers Not your grandfather’s machine shop By Kika Young, Forest City Gear The Rock River Valley has always been a place where hard work and craftsmanship thrive. Industry was already booming when my grandparents, Stetler & Evelyn, founded Forest City Gear in 1955. Since then, manufacturing has waxed and waned. But one truth…

Business retention and expansion visits The unsung hero of economic development By Terrance Hall, Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce What’s harder than explaining what I do as an economic development professional? Explaining how important business retention and expansion (BRE) visits are to the whole effort. So what is a BRE visit exactly? To answer that,…

Hidden IP risks for local manufacturers Supply chain shifts can trigger legal concerns By JP Kale, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. Amid ongoing supply chain disruptions, local manufacturers and business leaders are innovating how and where goods are produced. But these changes carry significant legal risks that must be addressed before relocating operations or suppliers.…