Agencies
Services
Illinois Southern Region
Regional Hubs
- Carbondale
- Marion
- Mount Vernon
- Harrisburg
- West Frankfort
Counties
- Williamson
- Jackson
- Franklin
- Jefferson
- Saline
- Perry
- Union
- Wayne
- Massac
- White
- Johnson
- Wabash
- Hamilton
- Edwards
- Alexander
- Pulaski
- Gallatin
- Pope
- Hardin
Key Industries
- Transportation
- Distribution Logistics
- Manufacturing-Automotive
Major Employers and Headquarters
Corporate HQ:
Higher Education
- Southern Illinois University (ranked among top 5 percent of all U.S. higher education institutions for research)
- John A. Logan College
- Shawnee Community College
- Rend Lake College
- Southeastern Illinois College
- Illinois Eastern Community College: Wabash Valley and Frontier
Unique Facts
- Population 375,000; Workforce 142,000+
- Four of state’s 13 Port Districts; three Class 1 railroads; 3 interstate highways
- Awarded a $13.9M grant from U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development
- Located between the nation’s mightiest rivers – the Mississippi and Ohio
Region Specific Assistance
Kim Watson
Southern Region Manager
618-889-6731
Kim.Watson@illinois.gov
Darrell Hampsten
Southern Regional Manager
217-986-0641
Darrell.Hampsten@Illinois.gov
The Illinois Department of Commerce is Your One-Stop Resource
- 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!