Nagase Holdings America Leases Top Floor of 300 Park Blvd in Itasca

nagase

Nagase Holdings America has leased 48,500 square-feet on the top floor of 300 Park Boulevard, located at Hamilton Lakes in Itasca, Illinois. Currently located in New York City, the company will establish an office here to work more closely with Nagase Specialty Materials. Additionally, Prinova Group will relocate their corporate headquarters to the space.

Masaya Ikemoto, Representative Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer, Nagase & Co., Ltd. commented on the move, “We have approximately 120 group companies worldwide, and our business in the U.S., mainly in the chemical and food materials fields, has grown significantly in recent years to be the Group’s driving force. We will use this opportunity to co-locate multiple US entities and create synergies and collaboration between operating units. NAGASE is looking forward to this new chapter in the continued growth of NAGASE in the U.S., specifically the Chicagoland Area.”

NAGASE Group was represented by Jonathan Metzl of Cushman and Wakefield. 300 Park, owned by Hamilton Partners Inc., was represented by Patrick McKillen of Hamilton Partners.

About NAGASE Holdings America

Founded in 1832, Nagase offers global trading services of chemicals, plastics, electronics materials, cosmetics, and food ingredients. With more than 110 Group companies in 30 countries and regions, Nagase offers unique values to customers by combining group functions of manufacturing, processing, and R&D.

About Hamilton Partners Inc.

Hamilton Partners Inc., is one of the nation’s leading privately held commercial real estate development companies. The company is headquartered in Itasca, Illinois and has regional offices in Buffalo Grove, Downers Grove, Salt Lake City, Utah, Phoenix, Arizona, and Denver, Colorado. Hamilton Partners has full-service management offices in 15 additional locations throughout the Chicago area. Over the past 34 years, the company has developed over 39 million square feet and continues to own numerous prestigious, office, industrial, retail, and multi-family projects.

Learn more about doing business in DuPage County, Illinois here, or contact us to request information.

Data from Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source provides foundation for first U.S. approved RSV vaccine

Argonne National Laboratory

GSK’s vaccine, Arexvy, is based in part on structural biology work conducted more than a decade ago at the Advanced Photon Source, located in DuPage County at Argonne National Laboratory.

Press Release from Argonne National Laboratory

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a highly contagious disease that affects millions of people each year around the world, resulting in an estimated 160,000 deaths. In the United States, severe RSV causes 6,000 to 10,000 deaths among people 65 years of age or older.

On May 3, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Arexvy, an RSV vaccine developed by pharmaceutical company GSK plc, formerly GlaxoSmithKline plc. It is the first RSV vaccine to be approved in the United States, and according to GSK’s press release, the first for older adults to be approved anywhere in the world. This is a crucial step toward improving preventative care for this deadly disease.

Although Arexvy has recently been approved, its origins date back more than a decade. GSK’s vaccine is based in part on data collected at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility at DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory, starting in 2009. Those data were collected by Jason McLellan, now a professor at the University of Texas at Austin; Peter Kwong, chief of the structural biology section at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); and Barney Graham, who retired from NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 2021. (Graham is now the senior advisor for global health equity at Morehouse School of Medicine.)

McLellan was a postdoctoral researcher in Kwong’s lab at NIH from 2008 to 2013. The key to the RSV vaccine he, Kwong and Graham developed was a stronger understanding of the F protein, which sticks out from the surface of the virus and makes first contact with human cells, infecting them. The protein has two conformations: prefusion, a smaller form that first makes contact with cells, and postfusion, an extended form that the protein adopts once it has finished helping the virus into those cells.

Since infection depends on the F protein achieving its postfusion mode, McLellan, Kwong and Graham focused their efforts on stabilizing the protein in its prefusion form. This would provide a target for the immune system, helping it develop neutralizing antibodies against the virus. The researchers created more than 100 different variants of the F protein before they achieved success, and parts of that work were performed at the Southeast Regional Collaborative Access Team (SER-CAT) beamline at the APS, operated by the University of Georgia.

“The structures we determined at the APS played an important role in the development of this vaccine,” McLellan said. ​“The availability of light source facilities such as the APS meant that we could try multiple variants until we hit on the most stabilized antigen.”

In May 2013, McLellan, Kwong, Graham and their colleagues reported success, publishing their work in Science. In November 2013, they reported a vaccine candidate for RSV that was based on a prefusion-stabilized form of the F protein. When injected into animals, that vaccine candidate elicited exceptionally high levels of neutralizing antibodies. That paper was also published in Science, and included structural work performed at SER-CAT.

“SER-CAT is honored to have played a small but important part in building the groundwork for this momentous lifesaving vaccine,” said B.C. Wang, SER-CAT director. ​“This work illustrates the importance of making state-of-the-art resources such as SER-CAT available to the nation’s scientists.”

Since then, various permutations of that vaccine have undergone clinical trials. Arexvy is based in part on the vaccine candidate developed by McLellan, Kwong, Graham and their fellow researchers.

In its main clinical trial, Arexvy was administered to approximately 12,500 patients age 60 or older. The vaccine was shown to reduce the risk of developing lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD), a common RSV-related illness, by 82.6 percent, and severe LRTD by 94.1 percent.

 ​“I’m very pleased to see our hard work pay off with an approved vaccine for RSV,” McLellan said. ​“Vaccine development and approval takes time, but knowing that our research will result in lives saved and severe illnesses avoided is immensely gratifying.”

Since 2013, McLellan and Graham have turned their attention to coronaviruses, applying the same technique they developed for RSV to the infamous spike protein found on coronaviruses. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, they joined with other colleagues to apply their method to inhibit the spread of the disease. They discovered that the same principle applied to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and the mutations they developed were incorporated into both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines.

“The COVID-19 vaccines were developed and approved quickly, but it was this structural biology work by McLellan and his colleagues on other viruses, such as RSV, over more than a decade that helped make them so effective,” said Bob Fischetti, Argonne group leader and life sciences advisor to the APS director. ​“It’s great to see the work come full circle and result in an approved RSV vaccine. It underlines the continuing public health benefits of basic research occurring at the APS and other light sources worldwide.”   

About the Advanced Photon Source

The U. S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory is one of the world’s most productive X-ray light source facilities. The APS provides high-brightness X-ray beams to a diverse community of researchers in materials science, chemistry, condensed matter physics, the life and environmental sciences, and applied research. These X-rays are ideally suited for explorations of materials and biological structures; elemental distribution; chemical, magnetic, electronic states; and a wide range of technologically important engineering systems from batteries to fuel injector sprays, all of which are the foundations of our nation’s economic, technological, and physical well-being. Each year, more than 5,000 researchers use the APS to produce over 2,000 publications detailing impactful discoveries, and solve more vital biological protein structures than users of any other X-ray light source research facility. APS scientists and engineers innovate technology that is at the heart of advancing accelerator and light-source operations. This includes the insertion devices that produce extreme-brightness X-rays prized by researchers, lenses that focus the X-rays down to a few nanometers, instrumentation that maximizes the way the X-rays interact with samples being studied, and software that gathers and manages the massive quantity of data resulting from discovery research at the APS.

This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. DOE Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://​ener​gy​.gov/​s​c​ience.

Breakfast with the Chair

Breakfast with Chair Conroy

Mental Health in the Workplace

DuPage County business leaders gathered on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at CBRE in Oak Brook for an important, roundtable discussion about mental health in the workplace. A variety of businesses and organizations throughout DuPage engaged in meaningful conversations about the resources available in DuPage County and what employers can do to help remove stigmas and support workforce. The discussion was led by Lori Carnahan, LCPC, Deputy Director of Behavioral Health at the DuPage County Health Department and Chris Hoff, MPH, Director of Community Health Resources at the DuPage County Health Department.

To open discussion, The Hon. Deborah Conroy, Chair of the DuPage County Board, shared that almost 50 million American adults experienced mental illness in 2019 (before COVID). And 15% of American youth has reported a major depressive episode in the past year.

“The plain fact is that demand is great, especially, among our youth. But I believe that getting the right people on the team, using the resources we have, and those we will pursue, we can make a difference. I know we will change and even save lives,” said Chair Conroy.

Pictured above: Chris Hoff, DuPage County Health Department, Glenn Mazade, Old National Bank, DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy, Lori Carnahan, DuPage County Health Department, and Greg Bedalov, Choose DuPage

24/7 Urgent Crisis Resources

Lori Carnahan, LCPC shared the resources available through the DuPage County Health Department (DCHD), including calling or texting 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Prevention Hotline. DCHD is a local center within the national hotline and can provide support, prevention, and resources 24/7. They also have a mobile response team that can meet someone at their location.

The blue button below can be downloaded for employers to use and should link to DCHD’s 24/7 Urgent Crisis Resources.

Creating Workplace Environments that Support Health & Well-Being

To kick off a discussion about how employers can help support mental health, Chris Hoff, MPH shared an excerpt from the U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being.

“When people thrive at work, they are more likely to feel physically and mentally healthy overall, and to contribute positively to their workplace… This creates both a responsibility and unique opportunity for leaders to create workplace environments that support the health and well-being of workers.”

The Five Essentials for Workplace Mental Health & Well Being include:

Protection from Harm

  • Prioritize workplace physical and psychological safety
  • Enable adequate rest
  • Normalize and support mental health
  • Operationalize Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility norms, policies, and programs

Connection & Community

  • Create cultures of inclusion and belonging
  • Cultivate trusted relationships
  • Foster collaboration and teamwork

Work-Life Harmony

  • Provide more autonomy over how work is done
  • Make schedules as flexible and predictable as possible
  • Increase access to paid leave
  • Respect boundaries between work and non-work time

Mattering at Work

  • Provide a living wage
  • Engage workers in workplace decisions
  • Build a culture of gratitude and recognition
  • Connect individual work with organizational mission

Opportunity for Growth

  • Offer quality training, education, and mentoring
  • Foster clear, equitable pathways for career advancement
  • Ensure relevant, reciprocal feedback 

DuPage Employers in Action: Real World Examples

Throughout the discussion leaders from a variety of industries and organizations shared what they are doing to support mental health, remove stigmas, and create healthier workplaces.

Examples include:

  • Creating employee recognition programs.
  • Designating spaces for meditation and mindfulness.
  • Offering outdoor amenities such as gardens, sports and recreation, walking paths, etc.
  • Hosting social events that foster a positive culture.
  • Bringing pets to work.
  • Supporting physical fitness through contributions to gyms and fitness memberships.

Breakfast with the Chair events are hosted by Choose DuPage, with Hon. Deborah Conroy, DuPage County Board Chair. This series of events is an opportunity for local business leaders to connect, learn and discuss important topics effecting DuPage County. Special thanks to CBRE for hosting us in their Oak Brook office.

For more information about the DuPage County Health Department, visit their website.

In Chicago’s Suburbs, Developers are Rethinking Everything

DuPage Business Beat Podcast

DuPage Business Beat | Podcast Episode 1

COVID changed the way millions of people work. Now, its aftershocks are pushing developers and communities across Chicagoland to think creatively about how they use their space.

In this episode, host Greg Bedalov meets with two real estate industry experts to discuss the stories behind key trends in employment, industry sectors, the regional GDP, and more. From the ‘amenities race’ to innovative mixed-use developments, Greg and his guests cover the topics that impact people and businesses across the region. 

Guests: Jim Adler and Mark Moran, Executive Vice Presidents of Chicago-based brokerage firm NAI Hiffman

Host: Greg Bedalov, President and CEO of Choose DuPage

Dive Deeper:

A special thanks to College of DuPage for supporting today’s episode. Stay tuned for more episodes of the DuPage Business Beat.

New retail and office leases secured at Naperville’s CityGate Centre

Naperville office lease

Calamos Real Estate LLC recently announced it has entered into two new lease agreements, one each for retail and office at CityGate Centre in Naperville.

Apotheco Pharmacy Group will open its newest retail location leasing 3,740 square feet at 2155 CityGate Ln., bringing the 54,479 square-foot retail building to 90 percent occupancy. The lease, brokered by Frontline Real Estate Partners for Apotheco and Calamos Real Estate for CityGate Centre, will commence July 1, 2023, for a 10-year term. Warren Johnson Architects, Inc., will design the space which is projected to open in late summer.

With locations in 15 states including an existing Illinois location in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, Apotheco is a dermatologic pharmacy; it keeps a fully stocked, extensive inventory of dermatology medications frequently used to treat acne, eczema, psoriasis, wound care and more. While its pharmacists are highly specialized in dermatological medications, they are fully licensed to fill other prescribed medications and will order as needed, making it a welcome amenity for residents of Domain CityGate, the new, 285-unit luxury apartment building that opened at CityGate Centre fall 2022, other area residents and employees of CityGate Centre’s commercial tenants.

“Beyond the convenience it offers those who live and work here and nearby, Apotheco makes a lot of sense at CityGate Centre,” said Calamos Real Estate Vice President Chris Landis. “As home to two leading dermatology practices— Oak Dermatology and Duly Health & Care—it’s a smart choice for this highly specialized, yet full-service, pharmacy to open its west suburban location at CityGate Centre.”

In another separate transaction, Elequin Capital, a capital investments firm founded in 2019 by Pete Guiterrez and headquartered in midtown Manhattan, has leased 2,628 square feet of ready-to-use office at 2135 CityGate Ln. The lease, which brings the Class A building to more than 86 percent occupancy, will commence April 1.

At CityGate Centre, the best attributes of an urban neighborhood – walkable access to fine dining along with casual fare; green space; a Forbes-rated, AAA Four Diamond hotel; healthcare, spa & fitness facilities; new, luxury apartments; and easy access via the state and interstate highway systems – and the Illinois Prairie Path – are together in a pristine, suburban setting. The mixed-use campus provides ample parking, food options, workout facilities and more that both commercial and residential tenants are looking for.

Calamos Real Estate LLC, a subsidiary of Calamos Property Holdings LLC, is focused on real estate activities throughout the United States, including acquisitions, development opportunities and joint ventures. The firm’s flagship development, CityGate Centre in Naperville, is a unique mixed-use development offering superior leasing opportunities for corporate and commercial tenants, as well as property management services of the highest caliber.

Development Services Firm Koru Group Moving HQ to Naperville’s CityGate Centre

CityGate Centre Class-A Office Space

Calamos Real Estate LLC recently announced it has entered into a lease agreement with Koru Group, PLLC, a development services firm, to relocate its headquarters to CityGate Centre in Naperville. Koru will occupy 7,752 square feet of Class-A office space at 2135 CityGate Ln. The lease will commence on March 1 of this year.

Koru Group was incorporated in Geneva, Illinois in 2022 by merging longstanding firm Craig R Knoche Civil Engineers and Surveyors, owned by Steven Kudwa, with ECA Architects and Planners, owned by Eric Carlson, to create a seamless and holistic design process.

“Coming together as a new entity, we are excited to move to a new space that not only accommodates growth, but also is in an exceptional environment that reflects our brand,” said Kudwa. “Eric and I work diligently to maintain the highest level of quality but it’s our true commitment to serving our clients that sets us apart from other design firms.” 

Koru Group serves clients in more than 15 states specializing in private land development projects by bringing together a robust design team of architects and engineers to create projects that fit their client’s needs.  

“Many of our clients have shared that while they can’t tell the difference between an ‘A’ set of plans or a ‘B’ set of plans, they can certainly tell the difference between ‘A’ level of service and ‘B’ level of service,” said Carlson. “We are committed to providing both at all levels of our organization.”

At CityGate Centre, the best attributes of an urban neighborhood – walkable access to fine dining along with casual fare; green space; a Forbes-rated, AAA Four Diamond hotel; healthcare, spa & fitness facilities; new, luxury apartments; and easy access via the state and interstate highway systems – are together in a pristine, suburban setting. The mixed-use campus provides ample parking, food options, workout facilities and more that tenants are looking for.


Calamos Real Estate LLC, a subsidiary of Calamos Property Holdings LLC, is focused on real estate activities throughout the United States, including acquisitions, development opportunities and joint ventures. The firm’s flagship development, CityGate Centre in Naperville, is a unique mixed-use development offering superior leasing opportunities for corporate and commercial tenants, as well as property management services of the highest caliber.

DuPage County Trade Apprenticeship Expo

DuPage County Trade Apprenticeship Expo

Shining the Light on the Skilled Trades, PowerForward DuPage Hosts Trade Apprenticeship Expo

PowerForward DuPage recently announced the return of the DuPage County Trade Apprenticeship Expo. The event features interactive, hands-on demonstrations by the county’s building trade organizations as well as opportunities to meet with instructors to learn more about each individual apprenticeship program.

“It’s our opportunity to throw open the doors and invite everyone to come in – residents, students, post-graduates, parents, guidance counselors, teachers – to learn what each trade is about,” said PowerForward DuPage Executive Director Karyn Charvat. The expo, sponsored by the DuPage County Building & Construction Trades Council and Construction Industry Service Corporation, will be held at the IBEW Local 701 Union Hall, home to PowerForward DuPage.

The expo started in 2018 when Charvat noticed a gap forming in the construction trade industries.

“With the baby boomers retiring, they are really leaving quite a gap in the workforce,” she said. “And realizing younger generations don’t necessarily have the interest in the trades that other generations before them once did, we knew there needed to be some external effort, on behalf of all the trades.”

The event is free to attend but requires online registration at PowerForwardDuPage.com.

WHO: DuPage residents, students, post-graduates, parents, guidance counselors, teachers

WHEN: Thursday, November 10th, 3:30pm – 6:30pm

WHERE: IBEW Local 701 Union Hall 28600 Bella Vista Parkway Warrenville, IL 60555


About PowerForward DuPage

PowerForward DuPage acts as a professional partner for businesses, developers, contractors, individuals and municipalities to further excellence and growth in the electrical contracting industry. Visit powerforwarddupage.com for more information.

 

The Smartest, Sleekest & Healthiest Workplaces in DuPage: 2022

Offices in DuPage County

When is a workplace more than just a place for work?

By transforming their offices into collaborative environments and impactful customer experiences, businesses across DuPage County are making us rethink the modern workplace—and even work itself.

These are eight of DuPage’s smartest, sleekest and healthiest workplaces in 2022.

Flavorchem SRS Center for Taste Innovation

Downers Grove, IL | Flavor/Ingredient/Innovation

Flavorchem

Flavorchem Flavorchem

Located on the campus of the company’s global headquarters, the new SRS Center for Taste Innovation gives Flavorchem customers a boutique experience—encouraging innovation, collaboration, and experimentation with trending foods, beverages, flavors and ingredients.

And while the work is focused on tastes and scents, the workplace itself delivers an unforgettable sensory experience.

As you enter the building, you step into an open marketplace. Modeled after trendy urban food halls, the sights, smells and flavors immediately get you in the right mindset. Grab a snack and a coffee, then head to the building’s expansive R&D kitchen, the dedicated pilot plant, the Flavor Lab, or a sensory room for blind and controlled testing. Later, after a long day of working with new products and technologies, you can unwind in one of the premium guest suites.

What makes the SRS Center for Taste Innovation special is that it combines the functional aspects of flavor innovation – state-of-the-art equipment, machines and capabilities – with a matching aesthetic experience. In addition to the urban food hall-style marketplace entrance, there are four specialized application centers including one modeled after a vintage bakery, another that feels like a trendy bar, and a confectionery-centric application center that seems like a place where Willy Wonka would feel right at home.

Get an inside look at the SRS Center for Taste Innovation.  

Architect/Design Team: Lauren Sahs, Designer; Brian Campbell, PM; Matt Meives, Architect.

About Flavorchem: From humble beginnings, Flavorchem has grown to incorporate two business divisions and four global campuses. Today, the family-owned enterprise manufactures over 5,000 flavors, fragrances, and private-label food products annually.

Fun Fact: Announced in 2020, this 25,000-square-foot facility was built on a warehouse affectionally called the “Boneyard,” where old equipment and furniture was stored.


Sassetti Headquarters

Oak Brook, IL | Accounting/Finance

Sassetti

Sassetti Sassetti

Birthday cakes are nice, but Sassetti decided to celebrate 100 years of business with something better—a beautiful new headquarters.

Stepping into the accounting firm’s Oak Brook office today, it’s hard to believe that it was a blank canvas just over a year ago. In summer of 2021, Sassetti began building their new office with a simple goal: to create a space where their team could feel happy and productive.

Today, it seems like they’ve done just that. With natural light and pops of color setting the mood, the 9,500-square-foot office brings together collaborative workspaces, meeting rooms and focus areas, giving employees the flexibility to work how they want, where they want.

Architect/Designer: Dawn Newman, Newman Architecture

About Sassetti: Started in 1921, Sassetti LLC is a CPA firm providing tax strategy, accounting support and assurance services for closely held business owners, family run companies, individuals, not-for-profit organizations and SEC-regulated entities.

Fun Fact: Newman Architecture, the firm behind Sassetti’s new office, has designed a number of recognizable buildings across DuPage, from the Girl Scouts of America’s Camp Greene Wood in Woodridge to the Warrenville Public Library. 


REMPREX Headquarters

Lisle, IL | Logistics, Technology and Data Solutions

Remprex

Remprex Remprex

REMPREX promises to take their clients into the future. When you step into the Remote Operations Center (ROC) of their Lisle facility, it almost feels like you’re already there.

Built in 2020 in Lisle’s Olympian Office Center, the ROC is the centerpiece of the company’s new 33,693-square-foot headquarters. From the real-time TV wall – which makes the ROC feel like a NASA control room – to the custom switchable glass of the executive boardroom, the entire facility feels designed to get you in a future-focused mindset, while amenities like a large lounge with a training room prioritize employee wellness.

From their sleek, high-tech headquarters, REMPREX leverages data insights, human-assisted technology and decades of first-hand experience to help today’s clients think like the businesses of tomorrow.

Architect/Design Contributors: The Interior Design Group LTD (IDG); Larry Dohrer, Architect; Diane Hansa, Designer; The Missner Group, Management.

About REMPREX: Founded in 2006, REMPREX creates customized operating solutions by combining a broad suite of value-added services for intermodal terminals to improve on safety, service levels, cost control and facility capacity. In addition to their Lisle headquarters, the company has locations at more than 80 rail, port and transportation facilities across North America. 

Fun Fact: The designers of the REMPREX facility worked hard to incorporate the brand into nearly every aspect of the facility, from floors that feature REMPREX colors to wall art that showcases the company’s reach.


The Shuman

Naperville, IL | Class-A Office Building

The Shuman Naperville Office Space

The Shuman Naperville Offices Office space in Naperville Shuman

While major cities are known for offering some of the most luxurious working environments, the Chicago suburbs have turned the tables. In recent years, a number of offices have appeared across DuPage that rival the best of their urban counterparts—proving that you can have a luxury workspace close to home.

One of the most striking examples? The Shuman in Naperville. Purchased in 2018 and renovated in 2019, this 350,000-square-foot space has been reinvented as a socially activated, multi-tenant, class-A office building. Here, there’s no such thing as an ‘ordinary’ workday. From the five-story, light-filled atrium to the state-of-the-art gym and the rotating selection of Chicagoland restaurants, the Shuman delivers a truly luxurious experience centered on collaboration, community, health and wellness.

Explore the Shuman’s high-end amenities and urban-inspired workplace experience.

Design/Renovation: Franklin Partners

Fun Fact: Want to practice your swing? Head to the Shuman Open, an on-site golf simulator open for year-round play. 


M/I Homes Chicago-Area Headquarters

Naperville, IL | Homebuilding

DuPage workplaces

As one of the nation’s leading homebuilders, M/I approaches homebuilding with the idea that every square foot must serve a purpose.

M/I applied that same principle when moving their Chicago-area headquarters to CityGate Centre in Naperville, an office where every square foot (all 26,669 of them) serves a purpose.

Representing Naperville’s largest office space move in 2022 thus far, the new space brings together all of M/I’s core services, from homebuilding operations and design to mortgage and title. By bringing these services under one roof, the company can enhance collaboration among its workers and streamline the customer experience.

The new office’s focus on health helps employees feel right at home. In response to COVID-19, Calamos Real Estate installed an ionized clean-air system in the building that houses M/I’s office. This state-of-the-art filtration system eliminates harmful viruses and bacteria from the air without producing harmful levels of ozone or other byproducts, allowing employees to breathe easy while staying true to M/I’s sustainability commitment.

The new location is also key to acquiring and retaining talent. Located among the communities where many of their employees live, CityGate Centre offers employees and customers access to shopping, dining, health services, a luxury hotel and luxury apartment rentals. Learn more about CityGate Centre’s Class A office spaces and amenities.

Architect: Ron Walker, EWP Architects

About M/I Homes: Founded in 1976 by Irving and Melvin Schottenstein, M/I Homes has fulfilled the dreams of over 140,000 homeowners and grown to become one of the nation’s leading homebuilders.

Fun Fact: All of the attributes you see on the “We Wall” (pictured above) were submitted by M/I associates.


Norix Headquarters

West Chicago, IL | Design & Advanced Manufacturing

Norix Industrial Office Space

Top Workplaces in DuPage

For Norix, a leader in the design and production of furniture for healthcare, corrections and other challenging environments, sustainability is front and center. Now, the company’s new corporate headquarters in West Chicago is bringing that value to life—inside and out.

Much like M/I Homes’ new Naperville office, the Norix corporate headquarters in West Chicago consolidates the company’s core services under one roof. Here, products are manufactured, assembled, packaged and stored alongside a showroom for customers and the company’s corporate offices. This allows Norix to streamline their operations and improve collaboration, while inviting customers and employees to join in their commitment to sustainability.

The new building and campus embody that commitment. Located within the 800-acre DuPage Business Center, the 22-acre Norix campus is inspired by the natural prairie that existed prior to the industrial park’s development. That comes with some perks; the landscape’s natural grasses and wetlands require less mowing—less herbicides and fertilizers, too. Meanwhile, paved surfaces are designed to filter stormwater back into the ground, reducing the need for irrigation.

Then there’s the building itself. Designed according to LEED Gold standards, the 205,563-square foot headquarters is mostly powered by clean-energy sources – including on-site solar panels – while features like double-paneled insulated curtain glass and sunshades reduce energy consumption. Powered by clean energy and immersed in natural light, the Norix team integrates green manufacturing principles into their design and production, including product lines made with recycled materials.

That commitment to nature and sustainability extends to the employee experience, with outdoor patios, walking paths and natural interior lighting helping workers feel connected to nature. In-house showers encourage employees to bike to work, while preferred parking spaces are reserved for carpoolers and fuel-efficient vehicles.

Learn more about Norix’s Green Policy.

Architect Team: Heitman Architects

About Norix: Leveraging more than 35 years of experience, Norix designs innovative, robust furniture that meets the real-world need for humanizing challenging environments. 

Fun Fact: Heitman Architects, the team behind the new Norix headquarters, has designed more than eight million square feet of LEED-certified industrial buildings, including the first of its kind in Illinois.


P4 Operations Center

Downers Grove, IL | Private Security/Crime Prevention

P4 Companies

P4 Companies P4 Companies Top Workplaces

In the security industry, information is everything. And at the state-of-the-art P4 Operations Center in Downers Grove, information from thousands of sources – cameras, alarms and other sensors – comes together to help the company provide some of the best security solutions in the business.  

P4 provides security for thousands of clients, from schools and hospitals to government officials and even large-scale events. And while they employ thousands of on-site officers in Illinois and elsewhere, their Downers Grove Operations Center functions as the organization’s eyes and ears.

From here, operators tap into real-time data and coordinate with security officers to monitor their clients’ locations and assets, prevent potential crimes, and respond to emergencies. Operators can even lock and unlock doors and perform talk-down procedures to help de-escalate situations hundreds of miles away. The Operations Center also enables P4 to provide cost-effective alternatives to traditional officer staffing, including remote alarm response, video monitoring and other off-site solutions, giving P4 the flexibility to serve a wider variety of clientele. 

In addition to the command center, the 11,000-square-foot Operations Center is also home to P4 Academy, a training facility where security officers take courses in subjects like Emergency Management, Tactical Training and Human Resources Training.

Designed By: P4 President and CEO Lawrence A. Doria

About P4: A locally focused security company supported by state, national and global resources, P4 provides on-site and remote security services for corporations, governments, schools, hospitals, private individuals and others.

Fun Fact: The P4 team recently worked with local police to help prevent a potential car theft at a Chicago-area dealership. Read more about it here.


Venture X Oak Brook – Chicago 

Oak Brook, IL | Shared Workspace

VentureX offices in oak brook

VentureX VentureX

In 2021, businesses and professionals everywhere were grappling with new hybrid-work models (and many of us still are).

Meanwhile, Venture X was building a solution.

With more than 28,000 square feet of space and 80 private offices, Venture X Oak Brook – Chicago is a shared workspace designed for today’s hybrid working models. Flexible, adaptable and featuring all the amenities a team of up to 10 employees might need, the space is designed to accommodate work in all its forms.

Need a quiet place to focus? Step into a turn-key private office with sound suppression. Want to host an event? There’s a space for that. Need to pull the team together for a brainstorm? Head to an on-demand meeting room.

While Venture X provides tenants with the privacy and security they need, it also brings them together as a community. During and after the workday, tenants can relax, mingle and collaborate in a variety of shared spaces—from a café with gourmet coffee and tea to a wellness room, member lounges, and a large, fully furnished outdoor terrace. Venture X also regularly hosts events to help professionals network, meet potential business partners, and share best practices across industries.

Explore the space and take a virtual tour here.

About Venture X Chicago – Oak Brook: Built in 2021, Venture X is a locally owned and operated workspace providing flexible terms, turn-key private offices, event space and on-demand meeting and desk solutions. Private offices can accommodate individuals or teams of up to ten employees, and members are welcome to retrofit their office to suit their needs.

Fun Fact: As a tenant at Venture X Chicago – Oak Brook, you get access to all of Venture X’s locations around the world, from Canada and Mexico to Dubai, India and more.


Keep Exploring the Offices and Workplaces of DuPage County

Workplaces in DuPage County

DuPage is home to a diverse ecosystem of businesses from a variety of industries. Over decades of growth and evolution, this ecosystem been nurtured by our diverse workforce (more than 640,000 strong), our education system, our regional supply chain, our pro-business policies, and the high quality of life that helps us attract top talent.

With that economic growth has come a flourishing office market, where local businesses are introducing bold innovations that turn their ‘workplaces’ into collaborative environments, social spaces and impactful customer experiences.

Want to see more of DuPage’s smartest, sleekest and healthiest workplaces? Take a look at our 2021 list here and our 2020 list here.

ComEd Recognized as National Utility Leader in Attracting Jobs, Investment to Region

 Electric utility ranked among top 1 percent of all American utilities for reliable and clean energy infrastructure 

 ComEd has been recognized again for its leading role in supporting economic growth and job creation across northern Illinois, according to new rankings by Site Selection Magazine, which named ComEd as one of the Top 20 utilities in economic development. Selected from more than 3,300 electric companies across the country, ComEd is among the top 1 percent of all utilities in attracting new businesses, jobs and investments. 

“Companies continue to invest in northern Illinois thanks to the unparalleled access to clean, affordable and reliable power that is essential for meeting the demands of today’s digital economy,” said Gil C. Quinones, CEO of ComEd. “With industry-leading reliability fueled by our investments in grid modernization, ComEd’s service territory is attracting investment from some of the most innovative and exciting industries in the nation. We are committed to continuing the grid investments needed to transition to a clean energy future and power growth of Illinois companies that bring jobs and opportunity into the communities we are proud to serve.” 

This marks the ninth year ComEd has earned the recognition – a testament to the company’s strong record in delivering clean, reliable and affordable power for 9 million people and businesses in the region, including some of the world’s largest companies. Last year alone, ComEd helped launch 16 new commercial projects – with commitments to invest $3 billion locally and create 4,700 new jobs. 

 “Just as utilities’ generation and distribution portfolios turn toward renewables and smart technologies, the economic developers at Top Utilities like ComEd are helping their communities pursue sustainable growth by cultivating the flow of smart capital and talent,” said Adam Bruns, managing editor of Site Selection. 

The magazine attributes ComEd’s investments to enhance grid infrastructure and promote reliable, clean energy service as key factors that are driving jobs and new business to Illinois. This includes: 

Reliability

ComEd has a key role to play in powering business, as it continues to make the investments necessary to enhance resiliency in the face of climate change, improve safety, and achieve new technology needs in an increasingly clean energy economy. These investments are paying off: ComEd’s overall reliability has improved 79 percent since investments began in 2011, avoiding more than 18.6 million customer interruptions and producing more than $3 billion in savings, including avoided business losses. ComEd’s industry-leading reliability performance continues in 2022, with the company providing its highest reliability on record for the first half of the year, and record storm restoration time amid an uptick in severe storms. 

Clean Energy Access

In support of Illinois’ goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050, ComEd is working closely with a growing developer community to increase access to clean and affordable solar energy in the residential and commercial and industrial (C&I) sectors. Since the community solar program launched, subscribers have grown substantially – from 700 in 2016 to nearly 30,000 residential customers today. 

ComEd offers C&I customers a Distributed Generation (DG) Rebate of $250 per kilowatt of installed solar energy, which helps offset the out-of-pocket costs of installing a qualified renewable energy generating system. In the past four years, ComEd has provided close to $94 million in DG rebates to expand solar projects in northern Illinois. 

EV Expansion

ComEd has also proposed a Beneficial Electrification (BE) plan which commits $300 million over the next three years to help remove barriers to beneficial technologies, including electric vehicles (EVs). A mix of rebates and programs will help communities and customers advance toward clean transportation goals as outlined by the State of Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) law, which seeks to put 1 million vehicles on the road by 2030. The plan also includes technical assistance for businesses with customized fleet assessments, and a new rate delivery class that would help large business customers offset the upfront costs of installing EV charging infrastructure at scale. 

Affordability

ComEd continues to expand programs that help customers save on energy, while keeping monthly bills among the lowest in the nation. ComEd customer bills today are in line with the past several years, and next year’s average bills are expected to remain below those of the 10 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Recently, ComEd’s energy efficiency program hit a critical milestone, saving northern Illinois communities a total of over $7 billion on their electric bills – including nearly $3 billion in savings for businesses – since 2008. 

Workforce Development

To prepare communities for a clean energy future, ComEd is expanding workforce training programs that prepare more diverse, local workers with clean technology skills. Last year, more than 1,700 local residents participated in job training programs sponsored by ComEd, including programs to prepare residents for overhead electrical, construction and solar careers. These programs have a strong job placement rate, with close to 75 percent or more hired upon completion. 

“Access to reliable, affordable, and increasingly sustainable energy is key to companies making location decisions,” said Intersect Illinois CEO Dan Seals. “We’re pleased to see ComEd recognized for its commitment to economic development in Illinois.” 

“We congratulate ComEd on news that it is recognized as a national leader in economic development by Site Selection Magazine,” said Michael Fassnacht, President & CEO, World Business Chicago, Chief Marketing Officer, City of Chicago. “This recognition is well deserved and testament to ComEd’s long-term commitment to the Chicagoland region, strong performance and innovative energy efficiency programs, all of which are vital to helping local businesses thrive.” 

“ComEd’s track record on reliability, resiliency and affordability has been vital to the growth of our region, and will play a key role in driving economic investment and jobs here for many years to come,” said Will County Center for Economic Development CEO, Doug Pryor. “Businesses know that ComEd provides industry-leading reliability, low and stable pricing, business-focused energy efficiency programs and renewable energy solutions that are critical to businesses aiming for long term sustainability. This provides businesses confidence knowing that when they choose Will County and northern Illinois, they’ll remain competitive in an ever-changing climate.” 

ComEd’s year over year investments in grid modernization continue to drive new business to the area. This includes strong growth by sectors like data centers, logistics and manufacturing, all of which depend on a high volume of clean energy to power local operations and customers served around the world. 

To read the 2022 Top Utilities Ranking story by Site Selection magazine, click here. 

Crown Castle Joins Choose DuPage Board of Directors

Crown Castle DuPage County

Choose DuPage is pleased to announce Crown Castle has joined the Choose DuPage board of directors. Crown Castle, located in Downers Grove, designs and builds solutions for their clients’ unique connectivity needs. They own, operate and lease more than 40,000 cell towers and approximately 85,000 thousand miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber solutions across every major U.S. Market.

“Joining the board of Choose DuPage is a commitment to advancing our region,” said Greg Bedalov, president and CEO of Choose DuPage. “We are excited to work with Crown Castle and our other private and public-sector leaders to promote DuPage as a premier global business location and support our local business climate.”

“We are thrilled to be joining Choose DuPage and their mission to make DuPage County a premier location for those who both work in and call the area home,” said Crown Castle Public Affairs Manager Renee Morales. “Our infrastructure connects communities to essential data, technology, and wireless service – bringing information, ideas and innovations to the people and businesses that need them. As new technologies continue to advance, we look forward to bringing connectivity to the region, ensuring DuPage County remains a strategic location for businesses to thrive.”   

Click here to view a full list of board members.