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Business & Industry
...Working Smart!

Carbondale is poised for growth in its industrial sector. It has in place the facilities, infrastructure and qualified labor pool to accommodate new economic development. Through its Carbondale Business Development Corporation, the city is actively pursuing new industry for the area.

The City of Carbondale recently completed a water treatment plant that incorporates the most up-to-date equipment and processes. The $9 million project is currently operating at an 8 million gallon capacity but can easily be expanded to handle 24 million gallons.

The city-owned Cedar Lake is a deep water reservoir that assures both businesses and residents an ample supply of water well into the next century. The new Bicentennial Industrial Park includes more than 120 acres of improved land with mainline rail access, general industrial zoning and Enterprise Zone benefits.

Other industrial sites include the Southern Illinois Airport, with 71 acres available for development and 600 N. Illinois, with 11 acres. It is one of several businesses to recently expand in Carbondale.

Another is Com-Pac International, maker of medical and specialty plastic bags and Nutrition Headquarters, a maker and marketer of vitamins.

What they, and others, are finding is that conditions are right for industry to prosper in Carbondale. Carbondale's central Midwest location is ideal for efficiently getting goods to major metropolitan areas.

Ground Rail and Air Service

Carbondale has immediate access to U.S. 51 (north/south) and Illinois Route 13 (east/west). It's less than 20 minutes from Interstates 57 & 24 and less than 45 minutes from Interstate 64. Six carriers serve Carbondale's industries.

Ten trains daily offer freight service on the Illinois Central Railroad's mainline track between Chicago and New Orleans. The Norfolk Southern Railroad runs four trains daily and connects with Kansas City, St. Louis and Atlanta. Piggyback service is available less than 10 minutes from Carbondale. The city also enjoys daily passenger service from AMTRAK between Chicago and New Orleans.

Recently, Carbondale joined with other area communities to form the Route 13 Growth Corridor, an economic development promotion which is focusing on the area's excellent railroad access network.

The Southern Illinois Airport, with two runways of 5,800 and 4,100 feet respectively, is a fixed base operator with aircraft storage, repair and maintenance service, fuel facilities and charter service available. Commercial air service is provided by Trans World Express with flights three times daily to St. Louis at Williamson County Airport, 15 minutes away.