By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Some of Illinois’ government and business leaders have just returned from a Japanese trade mission. From the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, president and CEO Mark Denzler said there is plenty for Tokyo to see in Illinois.

“Trade today is global, and lots of times you want to locate where your customers are or where your suppliers are,” Denzler said. “But our education and workforce system, and particularly the University of Illinois and the number of engineers they graduate every year is a huge advantage to Illinois, and finding those kind of talented men and women to join manufacturing companies and other businesses is a huge selling point.”

Denzler says a foreign company that wants American customers should want to be in the nation’s transportation hub – one which will soon benefit from a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure program.

Gov. JB Pritzker skipped the trip because of his broken leg, but his chief of staff, Anne Caprara, joined Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes and Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity director Erin Guthrie to lead the trip.

Dave Dahl can be reached at news@wjbc.com