The Chicago metro area can be best described as a group of self-sufficient business districts that, when combined, creates a diverse, powerhouse location for expanding and relocating companies.
Not only is there one of the most vibrant downtowns in the country, but numerous communities, such as Bolingbrook and Downers Grove, rival almost any metro area in the country for attracting growing companies.
The olefins and derivatives (O&D) unit of BP is taking advantage of this climate by relocating nearly 350 jobs in the Chicago metro. The new company’s headquarters, which will house about 125 workers, will be based in downtown, while more than 200 additional employees will be based in suburban DuPage County.
Last year, BP announced plans to consolidate the O&D division of its petrochemical business into a stand-alone entity. BP expects to sell the new company in an IPO later this year.
The new company will receive $1.3 million in grants from the state of Illinois as a result of the project. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will make available a Large Business Development Program (LBDP) grant, as well as funding through its Employer Training Investment Program, to help the unnamed subsidiary train its new employees.
Expansion projects are happening throughout suburban Chicago. Sara Lee Corp. will add 400 jobs to its new corporate headquarters facility in Downers Grove, while U.S. Cellular has begun operations at a new 100,000 square foot call center in Bolingbrook.
The new site for Sara Lee, a global manufacturer and marketer of brand-name consumers products, will serve as home to not only its corporate staff, but also to employees of the company’s North American businesses.
As part of the relocation, the company is moving its bakery business from St. Louis, its packaged meats businesses from Cincinnati and its beverage business from Rolling Meadows, Ill., to Downers Grove. Sara Lee has begun relocating employees, and anticipates the entire move will be complete by July 2006.
U.S. Cellular’s new call center employs about 250 workers, and the company expects to add 200 employees by the end of the year.
The facility houses call center operations, and training and conference facilities, and it employs customer service, customer relations, help desk and tech support employees.
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