Jackson Growth Alliance (JGA) has received a USDA Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) to help expand Kite Hill Vineyards, a female‑owned winery and member of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail. The grant supports new equipment that will increase production capacity and strengthen the local wine industry. Owned by Barbara Bush since 2006, Kite Hill Vineyards […]
When Kevin Quinn and his family decided to relocate to Carbondale, it wasn’t a business opportunity that brought them here first — it was family. After law school, and two decades of government work in an office environment, he found himself searching for something different. With his wife’s parents living in Carbondale and the promise […]
Jackson Growth Alliance (JGA) is taking a major step toward creating new industrial development opportunities in Jackson County. The organization has secured a $140,139 Site Readiness Grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), funding that will support critical due‑diligence and engineering work on 88 acres of property under a transferable option […]
Carbondale, Illinois is emerging as one of the Midwest’s most promising hubs for small business growth — and the story of Hobby Homebrew shows why. What began nearly twenty years ago in a closet and garage has grown into a 6,000‑square‑foot specialty retail and distribution center serving customers across the country. Their journey reflects the […]
A strong local economy starts with strong local leaders. Jackson CEO is helping shape that future by giving Jackson County high school students the tools, connections, and confidence to become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs. Instead of sitting behind a desk for a business class, Jackson CEO students spend their year visiting local businesses, hearing directly from community […]
Based in Carbondale, Illinois, Emriver, Inc. is quietly shaping how the world understands rivers. Founded by fluvial geomorphologist Steve Gough and now led by his wife Katherine Poulos, the company has spent decades crafting hands-on river process simulators that are used globally in classrooms, research labs, and conservation projects. These tools—stream tables and flumes—bring the […]
