As companies around the world are trying to deal with the uncertainty of tariffs being imposed by President Donald Trump, Lake County business and political leaders are quietly taking steps to protect local enterprises from negative impacts.
Both Lake County Partners President and CEO Kevin Considine and Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart recently traveled abroad — Considine to Japan and Hart to Mexico — trying to convince foreign businesses to expand or locate in Lake County.
Considine said there are already 24 Japanese businesses and 15 from Germany operating in Lake County, as well as scores from other international locations manufacturing goods or supplying materials to locally owned companies.
“By international companies manufacturing here, it not only brings jobs but — with respect to tariffs — it also helps the companies that they supply,” he said. “It means more jobs, investment and money to be spent locally.”
International companies are a key part of the economy in Lake County, with the recent foreign visits serving as a thank you for their contributions, and an effort to expand growth and make new connections for additional companies.
Tariffs are creating a certain amount of uncertainty now, but Considine said a major reason it is important for international businesses to develop a presence locally is to avoid the kind of supply-chain issues that happened five years ago during the COVID pandemic. Local production helps minimize or eliminate such problems.
“Getting products and raw materials from (overseas) was very difficult during COVID,” Considine said. “The supply-chain difficulties were hard to come back from. That killed us during COVID.”
Foreign companies operating in Lake County are not new. Considine said they include both factories and offices. The Chicago area is a transportation hub, enabling it to efficiently move goods and send personnel seamlessly to most parts of the U.S. or around the world.
“We are the biggest market for virtually everything,” Considine said of the U.S.
Getting products to market across the country from Lake County and the rest of Illinois is very efficient. Hart said 83% of the continental U.S. population is a two-day trucking distance from the state.
“What’s good for Illinois is good for Lake County,” Hart said. “With the third-largest interstate highway network in the U.S., the most-connected intermodal rail system and the nation’s largest airports and inland waterways for barges, manufacturers can transport their goods and people across the globe with greater speed and reliability.”
Traveling to Japan in mid-March with the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership, Considine said 500 Japanese companies operate in Chicago and its suburbs, employing 60,000 people. They saw people with whom they had existing relationships, and made new acquaintances.
“Part of this trip was a chance to say thank you,” Considine said. “Developing relationships means constantly coming back.”
Just as Considine was part of a group representing Chicagoland, Hart said her trip to Mexico with business and political leaders — Gov. J.B. Pritzker organized the mission — was about creating a partnership between Illinois and Mexico.
“The governor said, ‘We are your neighbors and your friends,’” Hart said. “Illinois has a great story to tell about (why to) partner with Illinois businesses. A big part of our mission was about developing and starting relationships.”
Dealing with both Japan and China has changed over the years. Considine said that Japan’s population is getting older, and its purchasing habits are changing. Its businesses need to find larger international markets for their products.
Considine said 20 years ago, China was a place from which to import inexpensive products, but it is not just a location for inexpensive goods any longer.
“Now, they are really good at making stuff,” Considine said.
