For the past seven to 10 years, much of the growth along I-88 from Dixon to DeKalb has come from large distribution centers.
The recent announcement of a nearly 1 million-square-foot vegetable greenhouse in Rochelle is a sign of change. The huge greenhouse will allow for growing fresh vegetable throughout the winter. The company will aim to provide fresh produce to the Chicago market. I believe success of this business will trigger more super large greenhouses for our region.
Bay Valley Foods has been in Dixon for many years. More recently Bay Valley built a facility in Rochelle. This past spring, Sensient Food Flavoring in Amboy broke ground on an expansion that will nearly double the size of the plant and come close to doubling the size of the workforce. Crest Foods in Ashton has gone through numerous expansions and now employs 600 people.
Northern Illinois near the I-88 and I-39 intersection is in a sweet spot for much more in the way of expanding and new development of food-based companies because of the proximity to large population centers like Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Louis.
Our economic leaders should not hyper-focus on distribution; the food industry must continue to grow as the population increases. Our region is well-suited for more food-centered companies, and area leaders should certainly spend more time marketing to attract more companies that focus on feeding millions of people.
I'm Phillip LeFevre, and that's my perspective.
