LOCATION: Located in the prairie lands of Northern Illinois, Rochelle offers the best of both rural and urban living, superior schools, open green spaces, a small town atmosphere, and a safe and clean environment to raise a family. Rochelle is only 30 minutes from Rockford, Illinois - the second largest city in Illinois - and less than 90 minutes from downtown Chicago.

ROCHELLE BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY PARK: A 160 + acre technology, research and development campus is located along the Northern Illinois Technology Triangle which ensures instant transmission of large volumes of data with redundancy. Tenant data and computing centers currently under construction include Allstate Insurance, Northern Trust, and the RMU Technology Center. A regional multi-gigabit fiber optic-based system provides high speed data transmission, connecting businesses to world-wide opportunities. Rochelle is among a handful of cities across the nation who own and operate a local fiber-optics network.

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

Airports: Six international grade airports are within a 90 minute drive of Rochelle. The Northwest Chicagoland International Airport at Rockford (RFD) is 20 minutes from Rochelle and is home to the second largest UPS cargo hub in the country. RFD is the 18th largest cargo airport (O'Hare is 8th and Milwaukee 51st) in the U.S.

Highways: The Transportation & Logistics Corridor (I-39) and the Research and Development Corridor (I-88) intersect at the edge of Rochelle and offer a significant advantage to businesses and industries who locate in Rochelle by providing quick access to the interstate highway system via three interchanges.

Railroads: The Rochelle Railroad provides access to the mainlines of both the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the Union Pacific Railroads. The UP Global III Intermodal Transportation Facility provides fast, efficient and low cost shipping opportunities to customers all around the globe.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT: For over 30 years the Greater Rochelle Economic Development Corporation (GREDCO) has been successful in attracting new industries to the Rochelle area. Rochelle offers up to a five year real estate tax abatement program for new and expanding businesses and industries. Since 2003 over $650,000,000.00 of new capital investment has been made in Rochelle creating hundreds of new jobs for the region.

COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL RECRUITMENT: The City of Rochelle is committed to a strategic plan for recruiting retail and commercial developments. A CommunityID Study was completed by Buxton, the industry leader in customer analysis for the retail industry. The study has identified suitable retailers, based on the trade area's consumer lifestyles and buying habits (psychographics) identified by Buxton.

COMPETITIVE EDGE: Businesses in Rochelle enjoy a low cost, business friendly environment with superior transportation systems connected to one of the greatest centers of commerce in North America - the City of Chicago. Additionally, our Foreign Trade Zone status, a readily available work force, and a community that provides significant "quality of life" amenities, makes Rochelle an excellent location for business.

UTILITIES: Rochelle Municipal Utilities (RMU) is a City-owned and operated municipal utility, providing electric, water and sanitary sewer, and high-speed internet service. Rochelle is able to provide affordable and reliable electric service, vital for the future economic vitality of the region. NICOR supplies natural gas to the Rochelle area. They offer the lowest natural gas prices in Illinois and the fourth lowest in the nation.

POPULATION: The population of the City of Rochelle is currently estimated at 10,000. The regional labor market provides a pool of nearly 283,000 potential skilled and unskilled workers. A five-county Northwest Illinois Labor Availability Report as well as an Ogle County Labor Availability Report dated July 2007 is available upon request.