Laker Nation News

During the regular May meeting, the Lake Land College Board of Trustees approved a partnership with the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Eastern Illinois University. Under the agreement, Lake Land will provide space in the new Effingham Technology Center for the SBDC to provide its services in the Effingham community.

Hosted by the Eastern Illinois University Lumpkin College of Business & Technology, the SBDC provides free, in-person advising and affordable training to support local start-ups and small businesses with planning, funding, marketing and more. It is grant-funded on the state level by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and federally by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

The EIU SBDC serves eight Illinois counties and is one of many SBDCs assisting small businesses across the nation. Collectively, these organizations support one million business owners nationwide every year.

By partnering with Lake Land College and leasing space in the Effingham Technology Center, the EIU SBC looks to expand its reach moving forward.

“We pursued an SBDC and this newer satellite center for Effingham County to support business and economic development of the region,” said Austin Cheney, Dean of the Lumpkin College of Business & Technology. “I’m thrilled with the partnership formed and grateful to Lake Land College for providing space in the beautiful, newly renovated Effingham Technology Center!”

The Effingham Technology Center is a 100,000-square-foot building that was acquired by Lake Land in 2023 with the goal of expanding educational programs and college class offerings in the Effingham area. The space available in the facility also presents new opportunities for the College to create partnerships with local organizations. Under the agreement, the College will lease space at no cost to the SBDC in the new Effingham Technology Center.

“One of the priorities outlined in our strategic plan is to leverage partnerships just like this to support the local workforce,” Lake Land College President Josh Bullock said. “We’re excited to work with a wonderful organization like the SBDC that shares our commitment to strengthening our communities.”

The SBDC is one of three Lake Land College partners that will host operations in the Effingham Technology Center. The building also houses the operations of Patterson Companies as well as the Effingham-based Creating Opportunities for Regional Employment (CORE) Academy.

More information about the Small Business Development Center is available on the Eastern Illinois University website at EIU.edu/SBDC.

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