Major Employers

Government | www2.illinois.gov

The name "Illinois" comes from a Native American word meaning "tribe of superior men." Louis Joliet and Father Marquette were the first Europeans to arrive in Illinois in 1673. Illinois became a state on December 3, 1818 and was the 21st state to enter the Union. The state motto is "State Sovereignty, National Union." Illinois is the fifth most populous state in the country with almost 12.9 million people. Abraham Lincoln and three other U.S. Presidents have called Illinois home, including Ulysses S. Grant, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. The General Assembly adopted the state slogan, "Land of Lincoln" in 1955. Springfield is the state capital and home to more Abraham Lincoln sites than any other place in the United States, including the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Old State Capitol, Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, and Lincoln-Herndon Law Office.

Government | www.sps186.org

District 186, in collaboration with families and community, develops in all students the knowledge, understanding, skills, and attitudes to empower them to be responsible life-long learners and citizens in an ever-changing world. This is accomplished in a climate that promotes high expectations, strives to meet individual needs, and values diversity.

District 186 offers opportunities for all to learn, grow and succeed. Our students, teachers, administrators, staff and families are the #heartof186.

Government | www.uis.edu

Founded in 1970, the University of Illinois Springfield is one of three universities in the world-class University of Illinois System and provides students with a high-quality liberal arts education, exceptional public affairs opportunities and outstanding professional preparation programs. US News & World Report has ranked UIS among the top 15 public regional universities in the Midwest for the last 13 years. In 2020, it was listed No. 1 in Illinois and No. 4 in the Midwest. UIS alums comprise 28% of the college-educated workforce in Springfield, and students and alumni add $833 million to the Illinois economy annually.

Government | www.siumed.edu

SIU School of Medicine was established in 1970 with a mission to educate physicians to remain in central and southern Illinois. We are a medical school with four areas of excellence: medical education, patient care, research and community service.

Our 270 physicians treat patients throughout the region through our multidisciplinary clinics called SIU Medicine. We also engage in world-renowned research, notably in cancer, Alzheimer’s and audiology. Community service is a part of everything we do.

As a community-based medical school, we don’t own our hospitals, but partner with numerous hospitals in Illinois to ensure the needs of the communities are met with a patient-centered focus.

Our mission is to assist the people of central and southern Illinois in meeting their health-care needs through education, patient care, research and service to the community. We do this through the Triple Aim + 1: health care that is more effective, efficient, equitable and enjoyable.

Government | www.springfield.il.us

As the largest city in central Illinois, with a population of 117,000, Springfield is best known for being the home of our 16th President Abraham Lincoln and the place where President Barack Obama spent his early career in politics. Springfield is truly rich with history while maintaining a progressive and strong business environment.

Conveniently located on Interstate Highways 55 and 72, Springfield is in close proximity to St. Louis to the south; Chicago to the north and Indianapolis to the east. This central location gives Springfield a reach of over 536,000 people within a 40-mile radius. Our community also has five Class I railroads and the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport for both passenger and freight air service. 

Springfield boasts a strong education economy driven by numerous colleges, technical schools and universities including the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS), Lincoln Land Community College, Midwest Technical Institute, St. John’s College of Nursing, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and the Capital Area Career Center.

Springfield's medical and health care sectors are a core industry for central Illinois, making Springfield a regional provider of health care services. Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) and Memorial Health Systems are our two hospital systems but the community is also home to Springfield Clinic; Prairie Heart Institute; Prairie Education and Research Cooperative; Southern Illinois School of Medicine (SIU); and the Simmons Cancer Institute. 

In alignment with the education and workforce strategies, Springfield became home to a new business incubator in 2016, Innovate Springfield. Supported by the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance and Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln, the incubator is an effort to retain and attract talented entrepreneurs to the greater Springfield area. As an incubator for start-up business enterprises and social efforts, Innovate Springfield aims to create an environment where innovation can be celebrated and nurtured for the betterment of the greater community.

The lore and reputation of Abraham Lincoln has made Springfield a global destination because of the story of his life and the location in Springfield of his home and the Abraham Presidential Library and Museum. However, Springfield draws people year-round for festivals and events including the Illinois State Fair; the annual Route 66 Mother Road Festival; the International Carillon Festival; downtown's Old Capitol Farmer's Market; the SoHo Music Festival and activities at Southwind Park, an 80-acre state-of-the-art park that serves as a national model by providing inclusion for all people, with a special emphasis given to individuals with physical and cognitive needs.

Government | www.co.sangamon.il.us

Located in the heartland of both Illinois and the nation, Sangamon County was established in 1821 and has an estimated population of 200,000 in an area of 877 square miles. Sangamon County is a growing community with one of the nation’s lowest costs of living.

Sangamon County has a strong and thriving local economy that is based upon healthcare, professional services, state government, tourism and agriculture, all of which help provide for one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state. Sangamon County is also home to the Mid-Illinois Regional Medical Center, including the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, as well as several colleges and the University of Illinois at Springfield, a four-year state university that is ranked as one of the best in the Midwest. Sangamon County enjoys a national reputation as a wonderful place to live, do business and raise a family, and is home to several of the nation’s most significant historic sites.

Government | www.il.ngb.army.mil

Steeped in heritage and tradition, the Illinois National Guard has served our state and nation for nearly 300 years. Under the French, Kaskaskia residents participated in the first militia muster on May 9, 1723. From 1778 to 1779, IL militia joined Colonel George Rodgers Clark and fought the British contributing to the victories of the American Revolution. Captain Abraham Lincoln enlisted during the Black Hawk War, becoming a member of the Illinois National Guard on April 21, 1832. During the Civil War, 259,100 Illinois Volunteer Militia served. In 1918, Colonel Otis Duncan became the highest ranking African-American Soldier in the entire American Expeditionary Force during the World War I. In 1942, 325 men from Company B, 192nd Tank BN suffered severe hardship as P.O.W.’s at the hands of the Japanese during the Bataan Death March during World War II. From the early days at Kaskaskia, service during the world wars, Korea and Vietnam, the Global War on Terror and peacekeeping missions’ in-between, Illinois Guardsmen have earned 113 Medals of Honor.

This tradition of service continues to this day with some 13,000 Illinois National Guard military men and women ready to help our state or our nation at a moment’s notice, always ready, always there! The National Guard!

Government | www.llcc.edu

Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) is a comprehensive community college serving individuals of all ages. The LLCC district comprises all or parts of 15 counties in central Illinois and covers 4,115 square miles. It is the largest community college district in Illinois in terms of land mass. The main campus is in Springfield, with Outreach Centers in Jacksonville, Beardstown, Taylorville and Litchfield. The mission of LLCC is to provide district residents with quality educational programs and services that are accessible, affordable and responsive to individual and community needs.

Government | www.usps.com

The City of Springfield has 5 post office locations.

Government | www.183wg.ang.af.mil

We are a premier Total Force Wing, serving proudly in the global contingency and homeland defense roles and missions, providing highly skilled and effective Airmen, readily available for global engagement to meet national objectives and civil support to the citizens of Illinois, Recognized for Excellence, Respected for Performance, and Relevant for the Future; demonstrating our core values: Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All We Do.

Healthcare | Headquarters | www.choosememorial.org

One of the leading healthcare organizations in Illinois, Memorial Health of Springfield is a community-based, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to patient care, education and research.

Our more than 6,700 staff members, partnering physicians and hundreds of volunteers are dedicated to improving the health of the communities we have served since 1897. In a year, we serve an average of more than 40,000 inpatients, more than 667,000 outpatients and more than 125,000 patients in our four Emergency Departments. Our highly skilled team has a passion for excellence and is dedicated to providing a great patient experience for every patient every time.

Healthcare | Headquarters | www.hshs.org

Since 1875, the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis have been caring for patients in Illinois, Wisconsin and other locations in the United States and across the world. Today, Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) is a multi-institutional health care system that cares for patients in 14 communities in Illinois and Wisconsin.

With 15 hospitals, scores of community-based health centers and clinics, nearly 2,300 physician partners, and more than 15,000 colleagues, HSHS is committed to its mission “to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality Franciscan health care ministry.”

HSHS continues to advance its mission through its care integration strategy by working closely with physician partners in Illinois and Wisconsin to deliver high quality, patient-centered care. Together, we strive to ensure each patient who enters our system has seamless access to health and wellness programs, primary and specialty care, and acute and post-acute care.

Through their commitment to our care integration strategy, HSHS physician partners coordinate closely with our hospital and clinic colleagues to provide our patients with holistic care that meets their individual needs.

By leveraging the latest technology, emphasizing the importance of relationships, and living its values, HSHS is making a positive difference in the lives of the patients and families it is privileged to serve.

Healthcare | Headquarters | www.springfieldclinic.com

Springfield Clinic is a forward-thinking, physician-led multispecialty medical group devoted to providing the highest quality health care to its patients. More than 650 physicians and advanced practitioners deliver care in approximately 80 medical specialties and sub-specialties serving more than 20 counties reaching more than 500,000 patients in the greater central Illinois area. As one of the largest private multispecialty medical clinics in the state, Springfield Clinic currently employs over 3,500 clinical and administrative staff members who are committed to improving health, providing value and serving the community.

Insurance | Headquarters | www.horacemann.com

Horace Mann was founded in 1945 by two Springfield, Illinois, teachers who saw a need for quality, affordable auto insurance for teachers. Since then, we’ve broadened our mission to helping all educators protect what they have today and prepare for a successful tomorrow. And with our broadened mission has come corporate growth: We serve more than 4,100 school districts nationwide, we’re publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: HMN) and we have more than $12 billion in assets.

We’re motivated by the fact that educators take care of our children’s future, and we believe they deserve someone to look after theirs. We help educators identify their financial goals and develop plans to achieve them. This includes insurance to protect what they have today and financial products to help them prepare for their future. Our tailored offerings include special rates and benefits for educators.

Insurance | www.bcbsil.com

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) has served the people of Illinois since 1936. We are the largest and most experienced health insurance company in the state, providing more than 8.1 million members with comprehensive and affordable health plans. While health care evolves rapidly across the nation, our dedication to the people and Illinois communities we serve won't change. We are your friends, your families, and your neighbors. We will always take pride in investing in our communities' needs and give our time and talents to help make Illinois a better place.

Manufacturing | Headquarters | www.bunn.com

Since 1957, Bunn-O-Matic Corporation (BUNN®) has been at the forefront of dispensed beverage equipment manufacturers. Founded upon five generations of family entrepreneurship, BUNN has become a global partner you can count on for reliable beverage equipment and outstanding post-purchase support wherever customers are served. The BUNN core values of honesty, integrity, and courtesy have created a global network of loyal commercial and home customers who are served by the company's brand promise, A Partner You Can Count On™.

Finance | www.wellsfargo.com

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion
in assets. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,400 locations, more than 13,000 ATMs, the internet and mobile banking, and has offices in 32 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 260,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 29 on Fortune’s 2019 rankings of America’s largest corporations.

Non-Profit | www.hope.us

Founded in 1957, Hope is an educational innovator for individuals with disabilities which grew from a residential campus in Springfield and has since expanded to become so much more. We now impact thousands of children who represent a broad spectrum of learning styles and abilities. Through our multi-state outpatient Autism Clinics providing ABA therapy and diagnostics, our academies in Chicago and Springfield, our residential program, and our clinical expertise provided through the Illinois Crisis Prevention Network, Hope has been able to pioneer cutting edge interventions that support individuals to achieve optimally, regardless of socioeconomic background, learning style, or disability. The individuals we serve enjoy improved learning outcomes, increased confidence, independence and a greater appreciation for differences.

Transportation | www.firsttransit.com

First Transit, Inc. supplies precision, efficiency, innovation, and all-around expertise to both public and private transportation systems. For 60 years, First Transit has had hands-on experience with nearly every facet of transportation operations, maintenance, and administration. As the nation’s leading provider of public transportation contracting and management services, we know transit.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, First Transit operates in more than 300 locations, carrying 350 million passengers annually throughout North America in 39 states, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, India, Panama and 4 Canadian provinces.

First Transit’s business practices are designed to offer exceptional customer service, an award-winning safety program and the highest satisfaction that comes from quality throughout our operations.

Technology | Headquarters | www.lrs.com

LRS is a global technology leader with several different business divisions. We employ more than 900 people throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. We continue to grow year after year.

All our divisions came about, in one way or another, as a result of our origins as a consulting company. At first glance, the different divisions may seem disconnected, but in reality, each one was an organic expansion of our work in the IT industry. More than 35 years later, LRS is the solid, diverse and growing company that remains headquartered on Monroe Street in Springfield with many offices across the globe.

Coal Mining & Shipping | www.archcoal.com/aboutus/viper.aspx

U.S.-based Arch Coal is a leading coal producer and marketer, with 96 million tons of coal sold in 2017. We have two distinct but complementary lines of business. We produce high-quality metallurgical coal for sale in the global steel market, and we produce highly cost-competitive thermal coal, primarily in the PRB, for sale into the domestic and international power generation markets.

Arch is a well-positioned American coal company with large, modern, low-cost mining complexes and high-quality reserves in strategic U.S. coal supply basins. In total, we represent over 13% of America’s coal supply from our active mining complexes in West Virginia, Wyoming, Colorado and Illinois.

Finance/Banking | Headquarters | www.ucbbank.com

United Community Bank (UCB) is a $2.5 billion bank operating seven bank brands with more than 100 bank and ATM locations in 33 communities.

Headquartered in Chatham, Illinois, UCB is employee-owned and managed, and does not answer to any out-of-state management or shareholder group. This allows us to make smart decisions that provide the best possible products and services for our customers. Our local management philosophy and corporate stewardship extend to each of the communities our banks, our employees, and our customers, call home!

UCB traces its roots back to 1907, when Farmer’s State Bank was established in Greenfield, IL. In 1973, a local group invested in Farmer's State Bank with the goal of delivering the ultimate customer service while continuing to welcome other banks in central, southern, and western Illinois into the United Community Bank family.

Today, our United Community Banks include: United Community Bank, Brown County State Bank, Golden State Bank, Marine Bank & Trust, Mercantile Bank, Farmers State Bank of Camp Point, and Liberty Bank.

Healthcare | www.lincolnprairiebhc.com

Lincoln Prairie Behavioral Health Center, located in Springfield, Illinois, is dedicated to providing youth with compassionate mental health treatment that encourages self-responsibility and personal growth. We are the only facility of our kind in Central Illinois.

We provide psychiatric treatment to children and adolescents that present with a broad range of psychiatric and behavioral disorders. A clinically skilled multidisciplinary team works to partner with the youth and family to accomplish their goals in a supportive and therapeutic environment.

Finance/Banking | Headquarters | www.inb.com

At INB, formerly Illinois National Bank, we are more than personal loans and CD rates. We are more than savings bonds and current mortgage rates and digital banking.

At INB, we are a community of people serving the communities around us. Based in Abe Lincoln's hometown of Springfield, IL, we make it a business practice to understand what our communities in central Illinois and St. Louis want and need. We learn about each of our markets and their goals, and then we work with local business leaders and individual community members to meet those goals.

Being a community bank means local decision-making happens quickly and efficiently. It means that your banker knows your name and your commercial lender meets you for coffee. It means that our people invest back into the communities they live in year-round to make them better places to live and work. You'll find our staff chairing community boards, working at the local food bank, and helping the children of our community through organizations like the Boys and Girl Scouts. We also provide financial support to hundreds of organizations through event sponsorship.

At INB, we are more than finances – more than a loan calculator or a credit card. Our goal is to assure our community is strong and that each of our customers lives a financially sound life. To do that, we offer mortgage loans, checking accounts, savings accounts, and even tax services and wealth planning. We even provide custom solutions to businesses and municipalities through our Treasury Services team. We're even home to the largest remittance center in downstate Illinois.

We are stability, peace of mind, and commitment. At INB, we are a community.

Manufacturing | www.standardaero.com

Founded in 1911, StandardAero has become one of the world aerospace industry’s largest independent maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) providers. Our company’s success is the outgrowth of the synergistic merger of businesses with complementary specialties that have exponentially increased our capabilities and generated unprecedented customer commitment and value.

StandardAero offers extensive MRO services and custom solutions for business aviation, commercial aviation, military and industrial power customers. More than 6,400 professional, administrative and technical employees work in 40+ major facilities around the world, with additional strategically located regional service and support centers all across the globe.

Services include MRO for aircraft and rotorcraft engines, auxiliary power units and components; airframe services including major alterations; FAA authorized avionics capabilities; comprehensive engineering services; and custom exterior and interior design, completion and paint. We provide these capabilities through our network of specialized facilities and mobile service teams.

StandardAero is owned by The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG), a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across four business segments: Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Credit and Investment Solutions.With $222 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2019. Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of our investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest.

Agribusiness | Headquarters | www.brandt.co

BRANDT is proud to be known as one of the fastest-growing, family-owned companies in the United States. Since 1953, the Brandt family and its employees have remained true to a philosophy planted deep in the company’s midwestern roots and forged by an American spirit that focuses on a commitment to quality people and quality products.

Whether you grow soybeans or sugar cane, corn or cotton, or pomegranates and pineapple, BRANDT is focused on helping you take control of your bottom line. With more than 250 products, BRANDT is preferred by farmers who grow everything from row crops to fruit to vegetables to turf and ornamentals. BRANDT products are sold in 48 U.S. states and more than 45 countries.

BRANDT offers the products, knowledge and customer service to help make its business partners at home and around the world successful. By taking care of its customers, near and far, BRANDT helps families, farms and communities ensure a safe, secure supply of fiber, fuel, and food.

Finance/Banking | Headquarters | www.bankwithbos.com

With a focus on community, Jack A. Marantz founded BOS in Springfield, Illinois in 1965. Today, the tradition continues under the leadership of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Tom Marantz.

From our roots as a neighborhood bank on Springfield’s southeast side, BOS has grown to 13 full-service branches. You can find us in Springfield, Jacksonville, Chatham, Quincy, Swansea, Shiloh, Glen Carbon, and Staunton, IL and Brentwood, MO. As we continue to expand operations, you have our promise to remain privately held and responsive to your needs.

Manufacturing | www.nudo.com 

Today, Nudo is owned by Grupo Verzatec, an international company with headquarters in Monterrey, Mexico, and the parent company of Stabilit America. Stabilit is one of the leading manufacturers of Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) products, produced in Moscow, TN and Monterrey, Mexico, and marketed in the United States under its Glasteel brand.