State's Economic Development Director Announces More Than $5 Million in Federal Grants to Help Illinois Businesses Go Green, Create Jobs

SPRINGFIELD–(ENEWSPF)–September 8, 2011. Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Warren Ribley today announced more than $5 million in federal stimulus funds to help Illinois businesses purchase equipment and retool to expand into the green sector and create jobs.

“The green industry is a growing employment sector that will be critical to Illinois’ economic recovery,” said Director Ribley. “By helping Illinois manufacturers retrofit their businesses to incorporate green technology, we are creating jobs, strengthening our economy and helping Illinois businesses grow.”

The Green Industry Business Development Grants are being funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and are part of the State Energy Plan. The funding will help five Illinois businesses create and retain nearly 200 jobs. The project cities include Decatur, Rockford, Vernon Hills, Carol Stream and Chicago. This is the second round of Green Industry Business Development Grants awarded to Illinois businesses; the first round resulted in more than $42.1 million in awards to 21 businesses.

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Illinois received over $130 million to implement the State’s Energy Plan, Illinois’ comprehensive blueprint to address the state’s energy production needs. More than 12,000 green sector jobs are being created over the next two years as a result of the Plan, which is administered by DCEO’s State Energy Office. For more information, visit www.ildceo.net.

The State Energy Office awarded Green Industry Business Development grants through ARRA to the following organizations:

Grantee Name	Project City	Grant Amount	Project Description
PPG Industries, Inc., Flat Glass Mount Zion	Decatur	$1,234,450	The company will upgrade and expand its plant to enable the production of TCO coated glass for photovoltaic modules.
Bourn & Koch Inc.	Rockford	$2,175,000	Will purchase equipment necessary to retool existing products for the remanufacturing of wind turbine gearboxes.
ZF Services North America, LLC	Vernon Hills	$349,290	To purchase and install equipment to remanufacture failed 1-3 MW wind turbine gearboxes from Midwest wind farms.
Titan Tool Works	Carol Stream	$860,000	To purchase equipment to make larger and more complex wind turbine components at larger production volumes for one of its largest customers, Vestas Wind.
All Cell Technologies, LLC	Chicago	$460,433	The company will make various process and equipment upgrades to more efficiently assemble high cycle Li-ion battery packs for LEVs and upgrade prototype and testing for EV batteries.