The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Cook County Council of Economic Advisors, World Business Chicago and leadership from the food industry are set to launch a new industry cluster organization for food and beverage manufacturing and packaging companies in the greater Chicagoland area.
Chicagoland FOOD will connect food manufacturers and industry stakeholders, providing a vehicle for firms to collaborate to solve common challenges and capitalize on emerging growth opportunities. Major support for this initiative has been provided by the MacArthur Foundation.
The Chicagoland food manufacturing industry represents a massive part of the regional economy, offering major opportunities for inclusive economic growth, as detailed in a recently released report by RW Ventures and IMEC. Extensive analysis and input from scores of food firms and industry stakeholders highlights dramatic changes underway in the food industry – such as rapidly changing consumer tastes, complex new food safety regulations and aging workforces requiring skill upgrades – that are threatening the viability and growth of the region’s food firms.
Efforts are underway by the leadership of food firms and the business community to collaboratively grow the food industry, and help it capitalize on emerging product areas, changing industry dynamics, and opportunities for inclusive growth.
Click here to read the full press release from the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center.