Chicagoland once again takes top honors for business relocation and expansion!

Site Selection Mag names Chicagoland top spot for 12th straight year!

Better yet, the magazine cited the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership to which McHenry County belongs as one of the main reasons. Now in its third year, GCEP unites McHenry County with Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, and Will counties, and the City of Chicago, into an alliance to promote regional economic development and enhance our collective participation in the global economy.

“The key to maintaining Site Selection’s Tier 1 Top Metros No. 1 rank for 12 years in a row? It came down to removing competition between surrounding counties so that everyone can work as a unified team to draw in fresh business to the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro region,” the article states.

McHenry County Board Chairman Michael Buehler echoed a similar sentiment in an accompanying news release from World Business Chicago, which helped bring GCEP together.

“Site Selection Magazine’s accolade is further confirmation that the Chicago Metro area attracts world-class companies because of its world-class workforce, infrastructure and business climate. As we’ve seen in McHenry County in recent years with the expansion of General Kinematics, GCEP’s partnership model to attract new businesses and foster their growth makes us more and more attractive to job creators and investment. McHenry County is proud to join our county and municipal partners in celebrating this honor,” Buehler said.

Site Selection Magazine, according to its website, publishes information to help business expansion planners make informed decisions.

It’s time for McHenry Sham-ROCKS the Fox

McHenry‘s annual St. Patrick’s Day bash starts the evening of Friday, March 14, with a concert featuring live music, food and green beer from 7 to 11 p.m. at Miller Point Park. The park will host live bands and fun throughout the weekend, and you can find a complete list of bands and times by clicking here.

The river in downtown McHenry gets dyed at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 15, with a parade starting at noon, and the event ends at sunset Sunday evening with a fireworks display at the park – with concerts rocking throughout the weekend.

Randall Road Phase 2 work is starting

This week, crews will be installing a temporary traffic signal at Miller Road, and next week, workers will start removing medians between Miller Road and the Acorn/Polaris intersection to prepare for temporary pavement installation. You can learn more about the project, and sign up for alerts and updates, at randallroad.info.

The multi-year project, when complete, will improve traffic flow and ease congestion on the northern segment of Randall Road between Alexandra Boulevard in Crystal Lake and the Acorn Drive/Polaris Drive intersection in Lake in the Hills. It will add travel lanes, a sidewalk and shared-use path to link bike and pedestrian paths in surrounding neighborhoods, intersection improvements, and more.

Educator of the Year nominations sought

If you have a top teacher, administrator, or support staff member you feel stands out and deserves recognition, click here to learn more and submit a nomination; the deadline is April 1. The contest is open to all schools in Educational Service Region 44, which covers most of McHenry County except School Districts 300, 220 and 118.

Nominees and winners will be honored at the Educator of the Year Dinner on Saturday, May 10 at Turnberry Golf Club, 9600 Turnberry Trail, Lakewood. Tickets are $39, plus a $4.45 processing fee, and are available for purchase on the ROE website. Nominees must attend the banquet in order to win.

The ROE is soliciting sponsorships to help cover the cost of the event; sponsors who are interested can contact Regional Superintendent Diana Hartmann at 815-334-4055, or at DKHartmann@mchenrycountyil.gov.

Looking to volunteer? McHenry County has a one-stop shop!

The county website has a one-stop portal that makes it simple to find and apply to volunteer for agencies such as the Animal Control and Adoption Center, the Emergency Management Agency, the Medical Reserve Corps and the Sheriff’s Office. If you’re looking to apply for vacancies on county government boards and commissions, the portal will take you to the application page – any commission with a green button next to it has a vacancy.

If you’re looking to serve your community elsewhere, the portal will take you with a click to the volunteer center maintained by the United Way of Greater McHenry County.

Click here and find your way to make a difference!

McHenry Music Festival unveiling its music lineup

Country music star Sam Hunt will headline the night of Friday, Sept. 12, with country singer Zach Miller also performing. Rock-reggae fusion act Slightly Stoopid is scheduled to headline Saturday’s acts, with rock-reggae band The Elovaters also performing. Follow the festival on Facebook or visit its website as other band announcements and the opening night headliner are announced in the coming weeks.

The annual music festival was created to provide funding for city projects to enhance the quality of life for children and their families; proceeds from this year’s festival will help pay for the construction of a bike riding complex at Knox Park.

Organizers this year rebranded the festival to include McHenry‘s name; since 2021, it has raised more that $1.2 million for city projects, including a splash pad at Fort McHenry Park, the amphitheater at Miller Point Park, and upgrades to the Veteran’s Memorial Park playground.

If you like what you see, you can help us reach more McHenry County residents and businesses by sharing it!

Follow Us On Social Media

Staying connected and informed is more important now than ever! Follow McHenry County on social media to make sure you don’t miss a thing!

What is McH Thrive?

McH Thrive is a collaborative initiative being implemented by McHenry County and the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) in partnership with the McHenry County community, including cities and villages, businesses and residents.