Glean benefits of Illinois’ natural gas

From the Daily Herald - posted 6/11/13: Around the nation, the issue of hydraulic fracturing raises passionate arguments from advocates who see the growing industry as a source of good, high-paying jobs and new revenue for state and local coffers. Meanwhile, opponents argue that the new technology being used to extract natural resources could lead to harming the environment. Rather than engaging in the typical legislative battle that’s occurred in other states, we took a different tack in Illinois where all parties sat down together for nearly a year and crafted a common sense solution that will allow this industry to flourish.

Click to read more ...

Fracking deal moves ahead in the House

From the llinois Issues Blog - Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - By Jamey Dunn: Supporters of fracking regulation have reached an agreement in the House that is likely to sail past the vocal opposition from some community groups and environmentalists and reach the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 1715 is the product of months of negotiations between lawmakers, industry representatives, unions, environmental groups and regulators. Backers call it the strictest regulations of horizontal hydraulic fracturing in the country. Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a process used to extract oil and gas by pumping water, chemicals and sand into the ground. The water fractures a source rock, allowing gas or oil to escape and be collected. Sand is used to hold the cracks in the rock open. Chemicals are added to the water for a variety of reasons, such as disinfection, lubrication and making the water thicker to keep the sand from sinking.

Click to read more ...

Protesters visit IMA

A group of approximately 50 protesters forced their way into IMA’s Springfield lobby and briefly chanted anti-fracking slogans for about 10 minutes Wednesday afternoon. The well-rehearsed protest disbursed when the group’s leaders heard police being dispatched via scanners they were monitoring. No damage was done, no arrests were made, and no minds were changed about the benefits of hydraulic fracturing.

The 2013 IMA Compensation Survey deadline has been extended

The Illinois Manufacturers Association and Verisight, Inc. invite you to participate in the 2013 IMA Compensation Survey. The data submission deadline for this survey has been extended to Friday, April 26th. All participants will receive a FREE electronic copy of the survey report. In addition, IMA members will receive significant discounts on custom reports.

Click to read more ...

Closing The Skills Gap In Manufacturing

From Manufacturing Business Technology: Warren Young, chief executive officer of Acme Industries, and Jim Nelson, vice president of the Illinois Manufacturers Association, discuss the outlook for manufacturing workforce as well as programs designed to close the workforce skills gap. In this series, subject matter specialists discuss best practices of thriving and growing companies identified in the McGladrey Manufacturing & Distribution Monitor Report. Watch the video here.