Kendall County to shine spotlight on local businesses through Made in Kendall program

Local businesses play a big part in Kendall County's economy. Of the 2,500 businesses in Kendall County, 97% of them have less than 50 employees, said Kendall County Board Chairman Matt Kellogg.

"That right there is another reason that people want to come here," Kellogg said. "When they walk into these shops, a lot of times the owner is there or the children of the owner. People love being able to come in and interact and not just run through the checkout line."

During the State of Kendall County address on Sept. 26 at Hoover Forest Preserve's Meadowhawk Lodge in Yorkville, Kellogg announced the county will shine the spotlight on local businesses through a new program called Made In Kendall.

"We're going to be highlighting businesses that make or produce things in Kendall," he said.

Nominations will be taken starting in October, with an awards presentation scheduled for January. Fox Valley Winery in downtown Oswego was recently recognized by the Illinois Office of Tourism as an Illinois Made business.

The Illinois Made program encourages residents and visitors to discover the people, products and experiences found at small businesses in every region of the state. Since 2016, the Illinois Office of Tourism has been selecting a group of local businesses that exemplify the authentic experiences and innovative products made in Illinois.

In his comments, Kellogg also talked about how county officials are trying to keep ahead of the continued growth of Kendall County.

"We don't want to be reactionary," he said. "We want to plan with all the people in the room."

Kendall County's population is expected to grow from 139,977 in 2024 to 149,935 in 2029. Kendall County's efforts to attract more economic growth was also discussed in the presentation.

Kendall County is one of seven counties that is part of the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership, a collaboration to drive economic growth and advance equity across the region and its communities. Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties are also part of the collaboration along with the city of Chicago.

World Business Chicago Chief Growth Officer Kyle Shulz said the partnership looks to "uplift" the region. World Business Chicago manages the partnership.

"We have the ability to attract companies the world over," he said.

County officials are also working on getting young people job training. Kellogg said he has spoken to Oswego School District 308 Superintendent Andalib Khelghati about internship programs for students.