component manufacturing here, and they’re selling those to Honda, Ford, Toyota.” Currently NTN-Bower employs 750 people, offering what Inman describes as, “good family wage earning jobs with benefits.” Pella Windows is another Macomb success story, growing dramatically since it set up operations in the city 15 years ago. Inman recounts,“Macomb, Illinois was where they wanted to build a plant and invest in the community and employ people from this area.” Originally manufacturing wood window products for high end homes, Pella relocated their vinyl window manufacturing line from Kentucky, expanding from 170 to 650 jobs. A DOWNTOWN STORY Macomb’s downtown showcases the unique history of the city, while also offering a glimpse into its exciting plans for the future. “We have a vision of retail development, niche boutique type outlets, mixed with service and banking on the first floor of many of our historic downtown buildings,” explains Inman. “We are also promoting, both with financial support and incentives, residential development on the second floor of many of those buildings.” The city has invested over $6 million in state and federal grant money on infrastructure upgrades, including new sidewalks, street surfaces, and reconfigured parking. “We knew that we had some infrastructure issues, and that if we were going to ask people to partner with us, we should probably set the tone,” he adds. So far, the strategy is working. “We have a 90% plus occupancy rate for our business storefronts downtown, and we’re seeing more folks living on the square.” The area also features an 1872 courthouse, which McDonough County invested $4 million to renovate, further enhancing the heart of the city.“That still acts as the county’s governmental seat where courtrooms are at, and it included a significant security enhancement for the building,” Inman reports. “But it really is a picturesque county courthouse in a picturesque downtown historic setting.” 89 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 10 MACOMB, IL
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