Industry Strengths & Resources

Access to Water

The communities and industries of DuPage County are served a water supply through Illinois’ Lake Michigan Water Diversion. On top of that, DuPage County owns and operates six water systems to service customers. There will always be ample supply to ensure your business has a healthy flow.

Unrivaled Expertise

With 72,000 of the nation’s top farms covering nearly 76% of its total land area, Illinois truly feeds the world. Illinois farms are top producers of corn, soybeans, livestock, dairy and poultry. The state ranks #1 in the U.S. with $180 billion in processed food sales, and some of the world’s most well-known food producers are proud to call Illinois home. Not only does the state boast more patents in food-related industries than any other state – it possesses more than many other countries.

Institute for Food Safety and Health

DuPage County is also unrivaled in growing research talent. Located just outside DuPage County in Bedford Park, the Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) is a one-of-a-kind applied food science research consortium comprised of the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the food industry. In collaboration with the FDA, the IFSH provides stakeholders with the opportunity to develop and exchange knowledge, experience, and expertise in the areas of food safety, food defense, food processing, and nutrition.

Staffed by the Illinois Institute of Technology, the IFSH is the only institute in the country bringing together FDA, food industry, and university researchers to work side-by-side on the development, validation, and implementation of food processing and packaging technologies critical for food safety.

The IFSH has one of the first Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) facilities in the US specifically designed to study the behavior of pathogens and virulent organisms in real-world food processing conditions. It also hosts the nation’s premier Food Safety Modernization Act training programs.

With 5 research platforms in food processing & packaging, food microbiology, chemical containments & allergens, nutrition, and proficiency testing, the IFSH is leading the way for the industry.

And with a strong talent pipeline from the Illinois Institute of Technology Department of Food Science and Nutrition thanks to graduate and professional student collaboration, the organization is also fostering the industry’s future.

Good Food Accelerator

The Good Food Accelerator gets farm and food businesses ready for prime time, giving them the skills to launch or scale up their enterprise. As the nation’s first accelerator focused on building supply chains for sustainable local food, the Good Food Accelerator trains thousands of farmers and food producers each year, and helped businesses raise more than $23M in the last few years alone.

Family Farmed

Family Farmed is a non-profit organization committed to expanding the production, marketing and distribution of locally grown and responsibly produced food, in order to enhance the social, economic, and environmental health of our communities. The organization strives to build public/private partnerships that support the growth of regional food systems that benefit farmers, consumers and businesses.

Family Farmed actively works to increase local and sustainable/organic food sales in the region to create new jobs, sustainable economic development and rural revitalization. They seek to preserve Illinois farmland through the development of high-value markets that give regional producers a fair price for their crops and encourage them to stay on their land.

Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network

Choose DuPage also continually refreshes the Beverage sector. The Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network is the region’s food and beverage cluster organization, charged with driving inclusive economic growth in the region by bringing together the local food & beverage industry to collaborate on opportunities in workforce development, food safety, innovation & technology, and business services.