Committed to retaining existing business and attracting

new businesses to The Village of Downers Grove


AUGUST 2024

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Dear Downers Grove Businesses,

Welcome to our August update from SPARK, your Small Business Community Navigator Program. Focused on retaining and growing small businesses in our Downers Grove community, SPARK exists to keep you informed on businesses thriving and opportunities available to small businesses needing assistance in Downers Grove. I hope your summer has been enjoyable and I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming Annual Luncheon.


Respectfully,


Bryan Gay

President & CEO

Downers Grove Economic Development Corporation

Downers Grove Visitors Bureau

2024 DGEDC Annual Luncheon

Thursday, September 12 @ 11:00am

This year's program will feature Robert Barnett, Mayor of the Village of Downers Grove and Bryan Gay, President and CEO of the Downers Grove Economic Development Corporation along with a presentation of our annual Cornerstone Awards including an all-new fireside chat with our 2024 Award winners.


11:00am – Registration & Networking

11:30am to 1:30pm – Lunch & Program

DoubleTree Suites in Downers Grove

Register Today >

2024 Cornerstone Awards


The Downers Grove Economic Development Corporation will introduce the 2024 Cornerstone Award recipients at the Annual Luncheon. A long-established Downers Grove tradition, DGEDC Cornerstone Awards are presented annually to recognize new projects that have been completed in the preceding 12 months. Projects are judged on their economic impact and design attributes of their facility.

Calling All Craft Beer Lovers!

It's All About the Experience.

If you're a fan of craft beer and fun times, you're likely familiar with the Craft Breweries that call Downers Grove home. What you may not know about the art and science of craft brewing is the subject of this month's Dig Deep podcast featuring Tom Beckmann of Goldfinger Brewing and Ken Henricks of Alter Brewing. The DGEDC's Bryan Gay is joined by two of our village's most successful craft brew aficionados to discuss the economics of craft brewing in Downers Grove, Illinois, and beyond!

Listen Now >

Districts 58 & 99: Preparing Tomorrow's Workforce

Families living in Downers Grove and neighboring communities are fortunate to be served by two award winning public high schools and 13 neighborhood elementary and middle schools. Downers Grove North and South High Schools combine to serve nearly 4,700 District 99 students while more than 4,800 children from Downers Grove and parts of Lisle, Lombard, Oak Brook, Westmont and Woodridge attend District 58 facilities.


Thanks to the support of area residents, upgrades, improvements and expansions needed throughout Districts 58 and 99 will be completed by the summer of 2026. By updating mechanical systems and creating classrooms to leverage instructional technology, area students will continue to perform better than 90% of Illinois school districts in English, Language Arts and Mathematics. More importantly, District 58 and 99 faculty and staff will continue to earn the respect of parents and taxpayers for providing their children with a quality education and the skills needed to succeed in the future.


To learn more about District 99 and District 58 schools click below.

Learn More >

New Scoreboards Offer New Opportunities

If you've driven by Community High School District 99 schools lately you may have noticed they are sporting new beautiful digital scoreboards. District 99 is offering advertising opportunities during events. These "Cinema Ads" rotate during pregame, timeouts, and halftimes or other breaks during events. Local businesses are invited to consider promoting something happening within your organization, your foundation or a nonprofit partner, job openings, public information, a word of support to D99 teams, or just welcoming families back to a new school year or season.

Learn More >

BankFinancial, a full-service community bank, is one of our valued investors. BankFinancial is committed to offering superior customer service and innovative banking products to Downers Grove residents.


BankFinancial specializes in equipment financing, commercial real estate lending, healthcare lending, and treasury services. They are ready to assist clients with their business and commercial banking needs, as well as personal banking and wealth management. Whether it be a personal savings account or a business line of credit, BankFinancial has their customers in mind. They believe that is “How Better Banking Starts.”

Learn More >

Now More Ways to Connect with DGEDC!


The DGEDC has launched new Facebook and Instagram profiles. Now you can connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to stay informed about Downers Grove businesses, available resources and DGEDC news and events!

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