Strategic State Investment Will Create 35 New Jobs at Cortina Tool & Molding

FRANKLIN PARK - Governor Pat Quinn today announced that 35 new jobs will be created at Cortina Tool and Molding Company thanks to a state initiative that will give the company access to capital to grow and expand. Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda of creating jobs and driving Illinois' economy forward.

"Illinois is proud to be home to many strong businesses like Cortina who are helping revitalize our state's manufacturing sector," Governor Quinn said. "This investment is a win for Cortina, a win for Franklin Park and a win for Illinois' economy. We want to do all we can to make sure businesses know about the many ways our state can help them prosper and grow."

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is providing Cortina with access to capital through the Advantage Illinois Participation Loan Program (PLP), a federally-funded program that allows small businesses to obtain medium- to long-term financing to expand their businesses.

Cortina is receiving a loan to put toward the acquisition of Kimberly Clark's Workzone Products. DCEO is providing half the capital and American Charter Bank is providing the other half. Cortina will acquire that company's manufacturing equipment and inventory, located in Michigan and Canada, and relocate it to its Franklin Park facility. The move is expected to create 35 jobs over two years.

The acquisition will help Cortina expand its offerings as a specialized plastic injection molder. The company, founded in 1969 in Chicago, makes products such as warning barricades, traffic cones, work lights and reflectors that strengthen the safety of drivers, road construction workers and pedestrians throughout the country, as well as other consumer and industrial products materials like vehicular lenses and housings, promotional and marketing products and display stands.

"The state of Illinois is a committed partner in the advancement of small business," DCEO Director Adam Pollet said. "Approximately three out of every four workers in Illinois is employed by a small business. By helping them gain access to capital to expand, we help our state prosper and create more jobs."

At today's event, Governor Quinn also recognized San Francisco-based Digital Realty Trust for recently investing $28 million in a new data center in Franklin Park. The company's 575,000-square-foot office and industrial complex will help serve its growing client base of businesses needing data storage and cloud computing services. The company has created 50 new jobs this year and additional improvements to the site will create up to 100 new jobs. It chose Franklin Park due to its proximity to transportation like O'Hare and access to fiber-optic cables.

At Governor Quinn's direction, the state of Illinois has identified, recruited and supported companies with the potential to bring jobs and economic growth to Illinois. For more information on why Illinois is the right place for business, visit www.illinoisbiz.biz.

###

Directs Public Health Director to Lead Health Care Jobs Review as Illinois and Nation Mark Third Anniversary of Affordable Care Act

CHICAGO - As Illinois moves forward implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to increase access to quality health care, Governor Pat Quinn today tapped the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health to lead a workgroup that will recommend steps the state needs to take to fill thousands of new health care jobs created by the ACA. Today's announcement, on the third anniversary of the President's signing of the ACA into law, is part of Governor Quinn's commitment to improve the health of the people of Illinois. The workgroup will help ensure Illinois reaps the full benefits of the landmark legislation.

"In President Obama's home state, we are taking full advantage of this historic opportunity to increase access to health care and create thousands of good-paying jobs," Governor Quinn said. "The ACA will help bring affordable health coverage to hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois. We want to make sure our veterans, students and everyone who is looking for new career opportunities will be able to take advantage of the new health care jobs available."

To help ensure that Illinois is prepared for the growth in the health care jobs sector, the governor has directed the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck to lead a Health Care Workforce Workgroup. The workgroup will assess and plan for the jobs needed to achieve the goals of health care reform and meet the health needs of Illinois' growing, increasingly diverse and aging population.

The workgroup will assess the existing health care workforce landscape and develop an analysis of gaps that need to be filled both for current needs and the impending demand once hundreds of thousands of people gain access to health coverage as of January 1, 2014. The workgroup will recommend a workforce action plan by September 2013 to immediately address any gaps that are identified and to strengthen training and education efforts for health care jobs. In addition to IDPH, the workgroup includes the departments of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, Health Care & Family Services, Aging, Financial & Professional Regulation, Employment Securities, Veteran's Affairs, Human Services and Children & Family Services with support from the UIC School of Medicine and participation from external stakeholders as needed.

"This is a tremendously exciting time to be working in the health care field," Dr Hasbrouck said. "By making health care affordable and accessible, we can shift our focus to keeping people healthy instead of just treating them when they become sick. This transformation is creating career opportunities for thousands of people. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Quinn, Illinois is doing everything in its power to identify our workforce needs and provide paths to training and education so these needs can be met."

The workgroup is an offshoot of the Health Care Reform Implementation Council that the governor created soon after President Obama signed the ACA into law on March 23, 2010. The Council, led by the governor's Senior Health Care Policy Adviser Michael Gelder, includes all of the state's health care and human services agencies.

Additionally, the Illinois Workforce Investment Board (IWIB) voted on March 14th, 2013 to re-constitute its Health Care Taskforce to develop a long-term strategic plan for a sustainable labor force in Illinois, which will meet the health care needs of its residents for years to come. The taskforce will allow for broader stakeholder engagement and build upon the current work of the Illinois Pathways, Health Sciences STEM Learning Exchange.

Governor Quinn demonstrated his commitment to creating health care jobs in February when he announced a $52.5 million investment in a new allied health addition at South Suburban College in South Holland. Supported by $41.6 million in funding from Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program, the addition will dramatically expand opportunities for students in the south suburbs to pursue professional training for good-paying jobs in the health care field.

Illinois has received more than $250 million in federal funds to prepare for the full implementation of the ACA in 2014. Among the major steps it has taken are the following:

·         Conditional approval by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of a state-federal partnership, the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace that will start enrolling clients on October 1. The Marketplace will be accessed through a robust, user-friendly website where individuals, families and small businesses will be able to compare health care policies and premiums and purchase comprehensive health coverage.

·         Establishment of an Essential Health Benefits benchmark plan that spells out the benefits that must be covered for health plans on the Marketplace.

·         Received a $25 million Community Transformation Grant that is being used to fund the We Choose Health program designed to promote a healthy, active and tobacco-free lifestyle along with quality preventive and clinical care.

·         Received a $2 million federal grant that will advance efforts to develop a State Health Care Innovation Plan. The funding is intended to aid states that are working to design and implement improvements to their health care systems that will bolster health care quality and decrease costs.

Governor Quinn has also urged the House of Representatives to pass Senate Bill 26, which has already passed the Senate and will increase access to health care through the Medicaid program.

For more information on Illinois' implementation of the ACA, visit: http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/healthcarereform/Pages/HealthReformImplementation.aspx.

###

CHICAGO - As part of his commitment to creating jobs and driving Illinois' economy forward, Governor Quinn today launched the Illinois Creative Economy Initiative. The initiative will explore innovative strategies to grow the $2.7 billion creative economy in Illinois, which employs thousands of people and is a key driver of tourism to our state. The governor made today's announcement at the Illinois Arts Alliance's "Make Art Work" forum, where he highlighted the significant positive impact the arts have on Illinois' economy.

"Culture means business in Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "This initiative will strengthen our creative economy in Illinois, which will create more economic growth and make Illinois an even more vibrant place to live and raise a family."

The Creative Economy Initiative will be led by Ra Joy, who will work to bring all stakeholders together to identify and deploy strategies to boost a variety of arts and strengthen their role in the state's economy. Joy has served as executive director of the Illinois Arts Alliance since 2007, and has been an advocate, community organizer and coalition builder for various arts causes for more than 15 years. He also serves on the Chicago Cultural Advisory Council.

According to the Illinois Arts Alliance, the arts contribute at least $2.75 billion annually to our economy, creating more than $300 million in state and local tax revenue and supporting 78,000 full-time equivalent jobs for artists, managers, marketers, designers, carpenters and other related professions. In addition to their direct positive impact, studies show that the arts are a magnet for business and attract companies that want to lure high-skilled employees by locating in places that offer strong cultural amenities like museums, theaters, dance companies and orchestras. Those institutions are also a strong driver of tourism, with cultural tourists spending an average of two and a half times more on event-related expenses than local residents. Illinois hosted a record 93.3 million out-of-state visitors in 2011, a 10 percent increase from 2010.

Governor Quinn long supported the creative economy in Illinois and was awarded the 2012 Public Leadership in the Arts Award from Americans for the Arts. Throughout his career in public service, he has worked to ensure that all Illinois residents have meaningful opportunities to experience and participate in the arts. He has also kept Illinois at the cutting edge of the creative economy by supporting strategic incentives like the Illinois Film Tax Credit and the Live Theater Tax Credit.

Additionally, through his Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program, Governor Quinn has delivered vital funding for numerous arts projects around the state. Projects funded by the program include new performing arts centers at Western Illinois University and Rock Valley College as well as Chicago's Black Ensemble Theater and Cinespace Studios, which has been home to many Illinois-based productions including Chicago Fire and the upcoming feature film Divergent, which alone is expected to bring 1,000 jobs and $30 million in local spending.

For more information about the Creative Economy Initiative, visit CreativeEconomy.illinois.gov.

Legislation to Advance President Obama's Affordable Care Act Moves to Illinois House of Representatives

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn released the following statement on the Illinois Senate's passage of Senate Bill 26 to increase access to health coverage:

"I thank Senate President John Cullerton, Senator Heather Steans and everyone in the Illinois Senate who voted today to increase access to health coverage for the uninsured under President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.

"Access to quality healthcare is a fundamental right. We strongly support the Affordable Care Act, which will improve the health of hundreds of thousands of people across Illinois, strengthen our healthcare system and create thousands of good jobs in the healthcare field.

"I urge the Illinois House to also pass Senate Bill 26 and make the promise of the Affordable Care Act a reality in Illinois."