Target Industries: Manufacturing
Since the late 1800s, Jefferson County, Illinois has been a place where skilled workers created products for the nation and world, and our communities continue to be a source for top-quality manufacturing.
Our county’s central location and excellent transportation connections make it easy for manufacturers to obtain raw materials and ship finished products. We’re at the intersection of Interstates 57 and 64 (and a short drive from I-70), placing more than 133 million consumers within an eight-hour truck drive. Through the local Milano Railway Logistics transload facility, manufacturers have access to BNSF, Canadian National, Evansville Western, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, and CSX. And Mt. Vernon Outland Airport (KMVN) accommodates aircraft as large as 757s with a 6,500×150-foot ILS-equipped runway.
That central location also explains how we have a labor force of more than 639,000 people within an hour of our businesses. We keep our manufacturing workforce and pipeline strong with employer-focused high school and postsecondary programs in subjects such as CNC machining, welding, robotics, engineering, CAD/drafting, electronics, maintenance, electricity, business, and accounting. Plus, the cost of manufacturing here is lower, thanks to remarkably affordable natural gas and electricity (with redundant service available).