TINLEY PARK

Southland Chamber hosts regional EXPO

The Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce, a regional chamber representing businesses in 85 communities, will host its 22nd Annual Expo and Conference Thursday at the Tinley Park Convention Center, located at Interstate 80 and Harlem Avenue in Tinley Park.

The expo will feature key industry speakers covering topics such as real estate, banking, logistics, manufacturing, economic development, technology and health care.

Contact Annemarie Gutchewsky, director of business activities at (708) 957-6950, ext. 118, for more information.

KENTLAND

Water bottling company to open plant

A Canadian company plans to open a water bottling plant in northwestern Indiana.

Ice River Springs says it will build a 273,000-square-foot plant and hire about 100 people in Kentland, about 40 miles northwest of Lafayette.

The company will manufacture plastic bottles at the plant and fill them with water from a nearby spring. The $20 million facility is scheduled to open next spring.

CROWN POINT

Registration for farming program has begun

Bill Moran, district conservationist for Lake County's U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service announced that registration has begun for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program for 2008.

EQIP offers financial and technical assistance for farmers to install structural practices or implement management practices on agricultural land.

Farmers are encouraged to apply as soon as possible for the 2008 EQIP funds. Applications that were not funded in previous years will need an updated application and updated conservation plan.

More information is available at www.in.nrcs.udsa.gov or by calling (219) 663-0588.