Looking for the Midwest’s Next Hot Tech City? Bet on Springfield, IL
Tech is STEM-ulating the economy in this unexpected city.
More than 40 years ago, three men founded a local computer consulting company in Springfield, Illinois, a small Midwestern town with friendly people and an excellent quality of life.
Today, that business — Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc. (LRS) — is a top information technology company providing software solutions to Fortune 100 companies worldwide. Springfield has grown into a vibrant city but remained a great place to live, work and raise a family, which is why the now-global company has kept its headquarters here, despite all of its success over the years.
“It is possible to be a global leader from a small community,” says Shannon Heisler, Director of Marketing and Recruiting for LRS. “In a lot of ways, being based in a small community is what enabled us to thrive. We could grow quietly and incrementally; we were able to set our own course, and we could invest in our employees.”
Looking for the Midwest’s next hot tech city? Put your money on Springfield. Not only is Illinois’ capital city affordable, but it also has high-quality educational opportunities, world-class healthcare providers, hardworking and energetic employees and easy accessibility to the rest of the country (and the world).
Springfield — and the greater Sangamon County area — is known primarily for being where Abraham Lincoln lived and worked before becoming our 16th president. But this area also has a growing tech scene, thanks to its supportive business environment and family-friendly amenities.
The region has a strong talent pool, with thousands of students developing valuable skill sets at colleges and universities like the University of Illinois Springfield; Southern Illinois University, School of Medicine; Lincoln Land Community College and Midwest Technical Institute.
At the University of Illinois Springfield, for example, computer science is one of the most popular majors among both undergraduates and graduate students. Students here can earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science or information systems security and a master’s degree in computer science.
At nearby Lincoln Land Community College, students can earn an affordable associate’s degree in computer science, mathematics, engineering science, business, accounting and many other technology-adjacent fields. The community college keeps tabs on local industry needs to ensure it’s always offering the most up-to-date education in coding, networking, cybersecurity and database technology.
“Our big focus is on doing outreach with employers who are hiring our students,” said Carmen Allen, a computer science professor at Lincoln Land Community College. “Computer science changes rapidly, so we’ve really tried to find out what these employers need.”
Tech companies in Springfield can also benefit from an employee work ethic and loyalty that’s hard to find in Silicon Valley and other tech hubs. At LRS, for example, the average tenure of employees is more than 12 years. It’s not uncommon to walk through the halls and meet people who have worked there for more than 20 years.
“People in Springfield are hardworking; they’re honest, they’re driven. They want to do well, and they want to see the community do well,” says Heisler. “The people of this community are very invested in the companies they work for, and they are dedicated to the mission.”
Thanks to close proximity to Chicago, St. Louis and a number of other larger cities, the Sangamon County region is also easily accessible to the rest of the world. Employees can easily fly in and out of Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, which has daily flights to Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth.
It’s also an affordable place to live, with tons of outdoor recreation and arts and culture opportunities. It makes the region an easy sell to young employees with growing families or those fed up with the high price tag and frenetic pace of bigger cities. It’s easy to get around, with very little traffic and short commute times, averaging 17 minutes.
That same affordability also makes Springfield a more forgiving environment for new businesses who find that their startup funds last longer here. “When the cost of living is so low, there is a much lower burn rate for startups here,” says Katie Davison, executive director of Innovate Springfield, a social innovation and business incubator led by the University of Illinois Springfield.
At Innovate Springfield, startups can get support for everything from finances to legal questions to business growth. The incubator has helped cultivate a community of entrepreneurs who can share advice, talk through the struggles of starting a business and support each other. The organization’s programming is also beneficial to longstanding businesses that just need a refresh.
Davison says she believes Sangamon County is poised for innovation in technologies related to health, government, insurance, finance, data analytics and the web. And with so many tech-friendly amenities, it’s easy to see why.
“We have a number of active business associations, supportive financial institutions and a tight-knit community that wants to see others succeed,” says Davison. “If you commit to engaging with the community, it will give back to you.”
Springfield has what it takes to become the Midwest’s next hot tech city. From an educated workforce to a supportive business climate and beyond, the region is ripe for future growth in tech — you can bet on it.
This article was sponsored by the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance.