News and Events

The following press release is from illinois.gov. To view the original, click here. SPRINGFIELD, May 17, 2023 - Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced the launch of the Blue Collar Jobs Act (BCJA) Tax Credit application for eligible companies. BCJA is a bipartisan...Continue Reading

WorkShare IL is a voluntary program that provides employers facing a decline in business with an alternative to layoffs. The program allows an employer to reduce the number of hours worked in any unit of their business in order to avoid permanent layoffs. Each employee in an affected unit continues...Continue Reading

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Boone County held a ribbon cutting at 10:30am Friday, September 8th, 2023 to officially reopen the Poplar Grove Road Bridge over Beaver Creek. The previous load-restricted bridge did not meet current design and safety standards. The new $2.3 million bridge was completed on time and underbudget.Community members have been anxiously...Continue Reading

The Workforce Connection Training Program provides training funding and support services for eligible participants in Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (TDL) careers.TDL careers include many options such as Forklift Drivers, Warehouse workers, Aviation Mechanics, Automobile Technicians, Truck Drivers, and so much more. To learn more, check out our website and all...Continue Reading

The Business Resiliency grant opportunity, funded through the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus (CDBG-CV), is now available for County Leads to begin preparing applications. More than $24 million has been allocated to reimburse eligible businesses for expenses to prevent, prepare for or respond to...Continue Reading

Agriculture holds immense importance in America due to various economic, social, and environmental reasons. Here are some key aspects of why agriculture is vital in the United States: Economic Contribution Agriculture is a significant contributor to the U.S. economy. It generates billions of dollars in revenue each year,...Continue Reading

The following press release is from Walmart Inc. 1.2 million square-foot facility in Belvidere, Illinois to create new local tech-powered jobs Belvidere, Ill., June 20, 2023 – Today, Walmart announced plans to build a 1.2 million square-foot high-tech perishable distribution center (PDC) in Belvidere, Illinois. The new facility, located approximately 12 miles east of...Continue Reading

Boone County is seeing a flurry of activity in new and expanding business construction. Growth Dimensions is currently working with 54 new businesses and 31 existing businesses.   The Belvidere-Boone County Enterprise Zone continues to yield substantial investments in locations prime for...Continue Reading

For the second year in-a-row, Growth Dimensions participated in and supported the Accelerating Creatives & Entrepreneurs (ACE) Conference & Expo. The 2023 ACE was held at the MPOWR Coworking + Collaboration Center in downtown Rockford, on May 11th. The event attracted more than 50 small business owners, entrepreneurs and...Continue Reading

Economic growth is the core of a community’s vitality. The ability of businesses to operate and flourish offers jobs for residents, increases financial opportunities and improves the overall quality of life in an area. But starting and running a business is a challenging endeavor. From the established company to the...Continue Reading

Belvidere and Boone County, Illinois welcomed record-setting investments in commercial and industrial developments, in 2022. From bringing in diversified industries to strengthening our workforce pipeline, Boone County continues to be a great place to Live, Work and Play. BUSINESS ACQUISITION & EXPANSION PROJECTS In 2022, Growth Dimensions worked with 89 projects...Continue Reading

Do you have an employee who you would like to see take their leadership skills to the next level or a lead person looking to fine-tune their talents? Rock Valley College (RVC) is looking for 6-8 individuals to participate in the pilot of their newly-created Leadership Development program. As part...Continue Reading

On January 18, 2023, we celebrated the graduation of Angelica Zarco, Nancy Tejeda, Ruth Mendez and Esteban Gutierrez, as they successfully completed the first-ever Spanish-led Kauffman FastTrac® Program for entrepreneurs in Belvidere and Boone County, IL, offered through Growth Dimensions. Participants followed a rigorous 10-week schedule, covering five content areas: ...Continue Reading

On Wednesday, December 7, 2022, Growth Dimensions Economic Development honored their 2022 Investors, Board of Directors, committee members and volunteers, with a holiday breakfast. “We appreciated spending the morning with great people who are so invested in economic development for Belvidere and Boone County,” stated Pamela Lopez-Fettes, Executive Director...Continue Reading

The following is an excerpt from Thomson Reuters, published on December 6, 2022 in the article titled, "Illinois Legislature amends REV Illinois Act; Makes Other Tax Changes," written by Margaret Eisler. The Illinois Legislature has adopted changes to the Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois Act (REV Illinois Act), including...Continue Reading

On Friday, December 9, 2022, the owners of a to-be constructed DQ Grill & Chill held a religious ground blessing and ceremonial groundbreaking at their future site located at 1610 North State Street, in Belvidere, Illinois. Belvidere and Boone County are experiencing an increase in diversified industries and businesses,...Continue Reading

The Boone County Community Foundation (BCCF) hosted their annual community grant breakfast, on November 15, 2022. Love + Action = Community was the theme of the breakfast, as the Foundation highlighted, celebrated, and awarded grants to organizations that provide services to and help meet the needs of Boone County! The...Continue Reading

The OM Group, along with the City of Belvidere and other local officials, commemorated the new construction of Speed Trek at an official groundbreaking on October 28, 2022. This new development, located at Genoa Road and Crystal Parkway in Belvidere, Illinois, will see a fuel center with a 12,000...Continue Reading

Welcome to Boone County in Focus, a communication keeping the community up-to-date on what's happening within Growth Dimensions Economic Development, Boone County and beyond. OM GROUP BREAKS GROUND ON NEW FUEL CENTER The OM Group, along with the City...Continue Reading

Established in 1979, Growth Dimensions Economic Development provides a progressive and cooperative environment which improves the quality of life by fostering economic opportunity and personal growth. With economic development partners throughout Belvidere-Boone County, Growth Dimensions is advancing a coordinated economic development strategy to create jobs, promote community assets and stimulate...Continue Reading

A ceremonial groundbreaking held on August 25, 2022, marked the official start of construction on the future home of General Mills’ 1.3 million square foot warehouse and distribution center, in Belvidere, Illinois. This facility, located on 111 acres at the intersection of Irene Road and U.S. Route 20, will...Continue Reading