We value the companies located here. Public and private sectors are committed to helping existing and new businesses achieve success. State and local officials continue to work together to create a supportive environment that encourages business relocation and expansion. That commitment is a big reason why many world-class companies have chosen to locate and expand their operations in the greater Springfield area.

Several large employers topped the list of retention and expansions in 2008 including AIG, SIU School of Medicine, Springfield Clinic, Psychiatric Solutions, Kindred Health Care, Scheel’s, and M.J. Kellner Foodservice. The Quantum Growth Partnership and Q5 partners are proud to support the retention and expansion of these local employers.

The health care industry has seen rapid development in the past 12 - 18 months and continues to be the fastest growing sector in the regional economy. Springfield’s growth as a regional destination for medical care is visible through four large expansion projects. Springfield Clinic and SIU School of Medicine recently completed major expansions to their presence in Sangamon County, while Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. and Kindred Healthcare are new entrants to Springfield’s growing medical market.

The SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute will serve as Southern Illinois University’s center for cancer care and research for downstate Illinois as well as the new front door for the medical school campus in Springfield. The three-floor, 63,000 sq. ft. facility opened this summer and is located a few blocks from downtown in the Medical District.

Springfield Clinic recently completed a $40 million expansion and renovation of the Clinic’s main campus facility at 1025 S. 7th Street. The four-story, 115,000 sq. ft. addition to the medical office facility will house approximately forty physicians across numerous fields.

Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. recently opened the new Lincoln Prairie Behavioral Health Center, occupying the 90,000 sq. ft. former Doctor’s Hospital. The new facility will specialize in psychiatric care for adolescent patients and will employ a staff of approximately 150, ranging from physicians and therapists to case managers and support staff. Another new entry to the regional health care market is Kindred Healthcare, which plans to open a new 50-bed, acute care facility in Springfield designed for long-term care for critically ill patients.

Scheel’s, an all-sports superstore, announced plans to construct a 200,000 sq. ft. retail shopping experience to anchor the new Legacy Pointe Development. The proposed three 300-acre development will be the area’s first lifestyle center and has implemented the city’s first Business Improvement District. The store will employ up to 400 employees and expects to draw from a market area between 1.2 and 1.6 million consumers.

M.J. Kellner Foodservice opened its new $8.7 million, state-of-the-art facility in Springfield. The 90,000 square-foot facility is located in the I-72 Business Park. M.J. Kellner now employs approximately 100 people in its Springfield facility.

Q5 staff worked closely with the company representatives and staff from the City of Springfield to address a number of issues including extension of the Enterprise Zone, property tax abatement from the New Berlin School district, and the extension of International Parkway.

Congratulations to those businesses and the additional expansion projects during 2008. The Quantum Growth Partnership thanks our partners at the City of Springfield, Sangamon County, and the State of Illinois for their partnership in retaining and creating jobs.

Together, we are transforming the economy of Sangamon County.