CommunityLink
Edwardsville - Glen Carbon, IL
Business & Industry Two separate but equal elements help fuel the vivacity of business and industry in and around Edwardsville and Glen Carbon: diversification and cooperation. Diversification can be witnessed in the transformation of a once coal-dependent village like Glen Carbon, which rapidly redefined itself into a contemporary bedroom community adjacent to a four-year academic institution that happens to be one of the area’s biggest employers. Diversification can also be found in the revitalized historic downtown of Edwardsville, which found a fresh economic life along with a will to compete amidst new commercial developments just as the town’s population began to swell. In fact, both Edwardsville and Glen Carbon have exercised proactive approaches to absorb the population shift that has brought thousands of new residents.
Cooperation is a mindset that has thoroughly saturated these communities. Often just an over-indulged buzzword, cooperation is examined and practiced in its essential form by the economic development leadership of Edwardsville and Glen Carbon. Two business advocacy organizations are at the heart of this leadership: the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce and TheAlliance of Edwardsville and Glen Carbon. The local Chamber of Commerce is a network builder responsible for ensuring that hundreds of businesses and professionals are connected by a forum that informs them and gives them a voice in the sustenance of existing businesses. TheAlliance, on the other hand, specializes in fostering the conditions that will attract the right kind and amount of new business and industry to the area.
Furthermore, both the Chamber and TheAlliance are assisted in their missions by the presence of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA), which represents five counties in Illinois (including Madison) and six counties in Missouri. The significance of partnerships with organizations such as the RCGA lies in the articulation of initiatives that not only serve Edwardsville and Glen Carbon, but are also tailored to serve the economic good of the neighboring communities.
And finally, no discussion of economic development and cooperation could be complete without at least a partial recognition of the role played by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). The university, along with District 7 schools and Scott Air Force Base, located in the O’Fallon area, employs almost one-third of the local population. But more important than SIUE’s capacity to create employment is its commitment to molding a landscape in which other employers can prosper. Several current development initiatives highlight this commitment.
First, there is University Park, a 330-acre research and technology center carved out of SIUE’s sprawling 2,660-acre campus. Much like an incubator, University Park was established as a sanctuary for new and existing companies that were tooled in such a manner that they would benefit from direct proximity to the university and a state-of-the-art business infrastructure. Unlike an incubator, University Park has space available for permanent residency. Currently, 14 companies have tenancy in six privately owned buildings.
Overall, University Park offers potential relocators developed sites of up to 50 acres. It also offers existing structures that are finished and ready for turnkey occupants. University Park is outfitted with state-of-the-art fiber-optic infrastructure; it is adjacent to several interstates and a vast transportation infrastructure; and it is situated right next to a large and diverse labor force. With over 13,500 students, SIUE offers employers a full range of potential workers. From semi-skilled, part-time laborers to highly specialized interns and recent graduates, the university’s student body is a precious resource for the residents of University Park.
One of those residents is the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center, a fully funded $20 million laboratory that emulates commercial ethanol plants but, in that process, seeks to discover more cost-effective methods for doing so. This Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center is part of regional Bio Belt initiatives, and it has earned extra funding for the construction and operation of an Advance Worker Training Facility.
Another exciting development currently underway on University Park grounds is the construction of Spring Green Lodge, an all-suite hotel and conference center. Upon completion, this beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired structure will accommodate up to 300 guests. The Lodge will serve as an upscale venue for business meetings, small conferences, parties, lectures, receptions, dinners,
weddings and other gatherings. Among other things, Spring Green Lodge will feature both a library and an exhibit area dedicated to the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis H. Sullivan and other American architects of substantial renown.
Of course, there are many ambitious economic development initiatives underway in the greater Edwardsville and Glen Carbon area that are relatively independent of SIUE. For instance, the Gateway Commerce Center, which is currently under development, will transform parts of the once manufacturing-dependent American Bottoms into a locus of distribution. The Gateway Commerce Center contains almost 2,400 acres and offers 7.5 million square feet of space. Situated within the interchange of Interstates 270 and 255, the Commerce Center is only 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis and is being marketed nationally as one of the Midwest’s largest commerce parks.
Edwardsville and Glen Carbon are home to national companies such as Hershey, Dial, Lanter Courier, Buske Trucking, Cassens Transport and Hortica. Hortica, a long-time leader in insuring florists and greenhouses, was founded 110 years ago and now has about 245 employees in Edwardsville. Hortica is currently developing the 100-plus-acre Pin Oak Corporate Park near Route 143 and Interstate 55.
Aside from industrial and knowledge-based economic growth, the retail facet of the development puzzle has also been surging in recent years. Several areas, such as the county courthouse strip in downtown Edwardsville, along with Cottonwood and Montclaire Malls, have enjoyed vigorous activity and aggressive expansions in recent years. The mall areas have witnessed a resurgence, as big-box stores such as Kohls, Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Lowe’s and Home Depot have taken up residency in the neighborhood. In the downtown area, quaint restaurants, coffee shops, specialty stores, art galleries, and numerous arts and crafts festivals highlight the community’s commitment to commerce and culture. Adjacent to the Madison County Courthouse, from mid-May through mid-October on every Saturday, you can find the Goshen Community Market, an enterprise of such uncompromising quality that it has won the Governor’s Hometown Award.
While the hustle and bustle of life in Edwardsville and Glen Carbon continues to rise and quicken, it’s comforting to know that all of this growth is being approached with foresight and caution. This phenomenon is best understood through programs like the I-55 Transportation and Growth Management Plan. As the local communities prepare to absorb an estimated 20,000–25,000 new residents over the next quarter-century, the I-55 Growth Corridor — located east of Edwardsville, running from Route 143 south towards the Interstate 270/55 interchange — is being planned to ensure that future developments are wisely and responsibly constructed. In the case of the I-55 plan, leaders are negotiating an altruistic agenda to guide
everything from road construction to the design of new residential and commercial developments.
