Economic Growth DCEDC has a track record of over 1.6 billion in business and industrial development since 1987, creating 10,000+ jobs and boosting resident employment by over 20,000. This indicates a strong, ongoing opportunity to partner on new development, incentives, and workforce solutions to sustain growth in DeKalb County.

Workforce & Training Strategic emphasis on workforce development and strengthening public/private partnerships suggests readiness to collaborate on training programs, upskilling initiatives, and apprenticeship pipelines with local manufacturers and employers.

Manufacturing Focus Recent partnerships and events around automation and manufacturing excellence (with Illinois Manufacturers' Association and Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center) point to a priority area for sales opportunities in automation tech, process optimization, and facility upgrades.

Digital & ERP Readiness Adoption of SAP ECC, SAP PPM, Power BI, and ISO 13485 indicates a mature tech stack and potential for selling enterprise-wide solutions, analytics services, or compliance-related solutions to streamline operations for county/bi-county employers.

Facilities & Development History of large-scale development projects and build-to-suit facilities (e.g., 800,000 SF dry storage) signals demand for real estate services, construction partnerships, and property/project management offerings to support new and expanding tenants.