DECATUR, Ill. (WAND)- Decatur ranks among the Top 10 for Top Manufacturing Hubs and Industrial Parks according to the Business Facilities’ 17th Annual Metro Rankings Report.

Decatur was ranked 10th for the Top Manufacturing Hub, and the Decatur Commerce Park ranked 9th in the Industrial Parks category.

According to the EDC, Business Facilities’ editors rank Manufacturing Hubs by cities where manufacturing’s share (by percentage) of the total workforce is the highest. 

For instance, of the 47,800 people currently employed in Macon County, 10,900 (or 22.8%) work in manufacturing.

The average is typically 8.5% in the United States. 

In 2020, over $2.25 Billion was paid out in wages to the Decatur area community. Nearly 40% of those wages (almost $900 million) were paid to manufacturing employees.

“Everyone, from our small manufacturing companies to our global powerhouses, contributes to the fabric of our strong local economy,” says Nicole Bateman, president of the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur-Macon County (EDC). “At a time when there’s a renewed focus on U.S. manufacturing, we’re proud to receive recognition for being a top manufacturing hub.”

Business Facilities also ranked the nation’s leading industrial parks. 

The magazine states that size, growth potential, recent expansions, and unique assets like water resources and on-site utilities were key factors in their Industrial Parks ranking.

“Commerce Park is the perfect location to build your facility and flourish in Decatur,” says Jaime Weiss, owner and managing agent of Commerce Park. “We have the capability to construct up to one-million square feet at our 147-acre industrial park. Your company can take advantage of everything Decatur has to offer, like direct connectivity to the Midwest Inland Port to get farther faster.”

“As an industrial park of this size, Commerce Park services massive markets and is able to access more than 99 million people for same-day delivery,” says Bateman. “With rail on site, intermodal ramp across the street and a massive build-to-suit opportunity, it’s easy to see why Commerce Park was recognized as ninth in the nation. It provides rich economic development opportunities for Decatur.”

For more information on the 2021 Metro Rankings Report and Business Facilities, visit BusinessFacilities.com.