STATE OF ILLINOIS
BRUCE RAUNER
GOVERNOR

It’s a new day in Illinois.

When I was sworn in as Governor in January 2015, I made a commitment to forge a path toward long-term prosperity and a brighter future for Illinois and to make the Land of Lincoln the best place in the country to live and work. I ran for Governor because I strongly believe in the potential of Illinois and its residents. Under my administration, we will make Illinois the kind of state others aspire to become, a national leader in job growth and education quality.

The people of Illinois are some of the most innovative, entrepreneurial and hard-working people our nation has to offer. Illinois is home to over 200 colleges and universities – including world-class institutions like the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois, one of the top 15 public universities in the Country – and a highly educated, diverse workforce, with one in three people holding at least a bachelor’s degree. Our highly skilled, dedicated workforce attracts companies from all over the world, with 34 Fortune 500 companies and nearly 2,000 foreign firms choosing to do business in Illinois, including over 300 UK companies that employ 55,598 Illinoisans.

Illinois’s diverse economy offers businesses access to a wide variety of industries and opportunities. Home to the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, Chicago has a thriving financial services community, while also offering access to a growing advanced manufacturing industry. Downstate Illinois fuels the world, producing the food we eat and the energy to power our cities and factories.

With a central location, Illinois is truly the heartland of North America. Companies can take advantage of our state’s extensive transportation and logistics system to access any market in North America in less than a day. Three international airports with over one thousand flights a day, including 11 daily flights between Chicago and the UK, give Illinois companies a global reach. An extensive network of class I railroads, interstate highways, and waterways facilitates ease shipping to and from Illinois. With Lake Michigan to the northeast and the Mississippi River along Illinois’s western border, firms are easily able to ship large volumes of goods internationally. As the largest exporting state in the mid-west, our companies rely on Illinois’s world-class infrastructure to get their goods to market quickly and safely.

While Chicago is affectionately referred to as the ‘Second City,’ Illinois is committed to becoming number one in the nation in business development and growth. I am working hard every day to enact structural reforms to protect middle class families and make it easier for businesses to thrive in Illinois. My administration is committed to growing a strong, diverse business community in Illinois, and we look forward to working with the UK’s business community to explore new opportunities in Illinois.

I invite you to contact our Illinois Department of Commerce or visit www.illinois.gov/dceo to learn more about doing business here and how Illinois can be a partner in your success.

Sincerely,

Bruce Rauner
Governor