Over 100 gather to discuss the state of the I-39 Corridor

Pictured left to right, Illinois State Representative Tom Demmer, Roger Hopkins, Paul Borek, and Jerry Sagona

On Friday, July 23, REjournals and the I-39 Logistics Corridor Association co-hosted the State of the Illinois I-39 Corridor summit at the newly renovated Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Rockford. Over 100 attendees heard from Illinois State Senator Dave Syverson of Illinois' 35^th district and Representative Tom Demmer of the 90^th District discuss the unique challenges and opportunities facing their constituencies and business community of the greater Rock River Valley metro region.

The three featured panels highlighted various topics related to the I-39 Corridor, specifically economic development opportunities, manufacturing, transportation, and distribution capabilities. The site selection of new developments, leasing trends, and current health of credit and lending markets were the main themes during the first panel, while specifics on business parks and infrastructure improvements were the focus for the second panel. Additionally, transportation and logistics, particularly as it relates to air freight, the region's aerospace industry, and rail system were the primary topics during the third panel.

Mark Goode of Venture One Real Estate emceed the event and moderated the first-panel discussion while Patrick Hoban, CEO of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council, and Roger Hopkins, Administrator for the I-39 Logistics Corridor Association also moderated panels.

Speakers participating in the three primary panel discussions included Matt Sexton of Facebook, Paul Borek of the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation, Patrick Hoban of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council, Jerry Krusinski of Krusinski Construction, Roger Hopkins of the I-39 Logistics Corridor Association, Jerry Sagona of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council, Jason Anderson of the City of Rochelle, and Eric Pitcher of the BNSF Railway.