Vermilion Advantage gets grant to create jobs, improve economy

DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced on Thursday that Vermilion Advantage was awarded a grant for economic recovery and resiliency planning throughout the county.
Vermilion Advantage and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) joined Pritzker in the announcement that the nonprofit would be receiving $80,000 in federal grant funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration's Local Technical Assistance program.
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The nonprofit organization combines the functions of a chamber of commerce with an economic development agency with the goal of creating and sustaining an environment for successful business and economic growth in Danville, and throughout the rest of Vermilion County.
Additionally, state assistance was able to strengthen the grant application to support private capital investment and create jobs in Danville specifically.
'Illinois is committed to investing in projects that leverage that strengthen economic development opportunities while creating jobs,' Pritzker said. 'Thanks to organizations like Vermilion Advantage, and support from the Federal Grant Support Program, businesses in Vermilion County will benefit for years to come from the recruitment plan created through this initiative.'
Vermilion Advantage also applied for a received a $10,000 investment from DCEO through the Federal Grant Support Program and contributed $10,000 of local funding support to the project in order to make their federal application more competitive.
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The $100,000 planning project aims to help with the development of a strategy for economic recovery and resilience to target Vermilion County's business recruitment and retention efforts, including workforce development throughout Danville.
'Vermilion Advantage is excited about our partnership with TPMA on the East Voorhees Redevelopment Study,' said Mike Marron, President, Vermilion Advantage. 'This is a critical first step in building a solid plan for the revitalization of East Danville. We start from this point by creating our new economy of the future.'
The strategy of the planning project will include the following:
Assessment of current economic conditions
Industry analysis
Workforce skills assessment
Strategy for targeted outreach
Recommendations for industrial site development
The project will also involve data and other analysis for the entire county, and specific attention will be focused on Danville's E Vorhees Street corridor. This area is being described as a 'prime location for future industrial development' to bring in new economic opportunities and jobs to the county.
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Once finished, the project will be part of the roadmap towards future economic sustainability and economic resiliency in the E Vorhees Street corridor area, and throughout the rest of the region.
'DCEO's Federal Grant Support Program continues to give Illinoisans a competitive advantage to secure federal funding that will support Illinois communities,' said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. 'The State of Illinois is investing in Vermilion Advantage's plans to create new jobs and economic opportunity for families in Vermilion County.'
The Local Technical Assistance program was created to help fill the knowledge and information gaps that could prevent leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors in distressed areas from making the most favorable decisions on local economic development problems.
'As a strong partner in Vermilion Advantage's work to strengthen the local economy, I'm proud to see this important organization receive critical grant funding,' said Senator Paul Faraci (D-Champaign). 'The community in Vermilion County will greatly benefit from Vermilion Advantage's plans to support the business environment by boosting economic recovery and resilience.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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