MNI: Illinois Manufacturing Jobs Increased A Half Percent Over Past Year

Following several years of declines, manufacturing employment in Illinois rose a half percent over the past twelve months according to the 100th anniversary 2012 Illinois Manufacturers Directory®, an industrial directory published annually since 1912 by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Illinois gained 3,496 industrial jobs between November 2010 and November 2011, the first time in over a decade that the 100-year-old company recorded a gain in manufacturing employment for the state. Manufacturers’ News reports Illinois is now home to 19,111 manufacturers employing 817,063 workers.

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IMA member Plante Moran Launches Food & Beverage Consulting Practice Nationwide

Plante Moran, PLLC, one of the nation’s largest accounting and business advisory firms, recently announced the launch of the firm’s food and beverage industry practice. Based in Chicago and led by Jeff Mengel, partner and certified public accountant, the practice formalizes the expertise that Plante Moran has gained serving the needs of more than 200 food and beverage industry clients for over 80 years. Plante Moran’s food and beverage practice consists of over 350 manufacturing and distribution professionals providing a variety of services including financial statement auditing, tax planning and compliance, technology assessments, operations improvement, cost containment and transportation cost reduction to clients nationwide. The client base consists of food processors in several diverse industry sectors including confectionery, frozen foods, snacks, baked goods, dairy, and natural processors.

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Plan to attend the IMA’s February Breakfast Briefing: Gaining Supply Chain Advantages Through Superior Payment Practices

When: Thursday, February 23, 2012 Where: Mon Ami Gabi, Oak Brook Center Mall, Oak Brook We’ve partnered with Roberta Tamburrino, from U.S. Bank, to update you on Supply Chain issues facing manufacturers. Join your peers on Thursday, February 23 to discuss:

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American Benefits Council files amicus brief on ‘severability’ issue in U.S. Supreme Court health reform case

“If the Supreme Court rules that the individual mandate is unconstitutional, then the ‘shared responsibility’ provision of the law requiring employers to offer health coverage that satisfies the individual mandate should also be struck down,” according to an amicus (friend of the court) brief filed in February by the American Benefits Council.

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Conference Board: Employment Trend Index™ Increases in January

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index™ (ETI) increased 0.73 percent in January to 105.81, from the revised figure of 105.04 in December. The January figure is also up 5.9 percent from the same month a year ago.

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