Illinois Northeast Region

Major Employers and Headquarters

Higher Education

• Aurora University
• DePaul University
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Loyola University Chicago
• Northwestern University (#9 nationally ranked university)
• University of Chicago (#6 nationally ranked university)
• University of Illinois at Chicago

Unique Facts

• Population 7,655,490+; Workforce of almost 4,000,000
• Home to several Fortune 500 companies; 275 digital startups launched annually; over two-thirds of Illinois’ manufacturers are located in the Northeast Region, with 10,000+ manufacturing facilities (2020).
  3rd largest container hub in the world
• 4 hours or less flight times to all North American destinations
• Northeast Region is home to the United State Navy Boot Camp which serves as a major economic driver to the State
• Home to the Illinois Medical District (IMD), which is made up of over 560 acres of medical research facilities, labs, a biotech business incubator, and two universities. The IMD is anchored by four major hospitals.

Chicago facts

• #1 metro for Big Ten Alumni & #1 city for Recent Grads (2020)
• Ranked “Top Metro” for corporate expansions 7 consecutive years (2020)
• 416 business expansions/relocations (Chicago MSA); $5Binvestment (2020)
• #1 in Foreign Direct Investment (2019)
• 1,800+ foreign based companies accounting for $140B+in FDI (2020)
• Home to many of the world's leading stock exchanges, including the Chicago Board of Trade, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and the Chicago Board Options Exchange, making the Chicago area a leader in the financial services industry

Region Specific Assistance

Renee Wott, MPA
Northeast Regional Manager
312-305-1892
Renee.Wott@Illinois.gov

Joe McKeown
Northeast Region Manager
312-814-1457
Joseph.Mckeown@illinois.gov

Agnes Masnik
Northeast Region Manager
312-882-6840
Agnes.Masnik@illinois.gov

Sacella Smith
Northeast Region Manager
312-639-4029
Sacella.Smith@Illinois.gov

• Site Selection
• Customized Workforce Training
• Regional & Local Collaboration
• Expedited Permitting, Licensing & Other Approvals
• Connection to Key Stakeholders and Civic & Business Partners
• Potential Financial Support
• And more!