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.

DuPage Business Center

DuPage Business Center

Commercial enterprise drives the success of DuPage County—and now, it has a new place to grow. Strategically located and planned for modern business, the DuPage Business Center is ideal for operations of any size.

PROPERTY FEATURES:

  • 800-acre campus
  • 5.5 million square feet upon total build-out
  • Flexible lot sizes
  • Corporate campus aesthetics, roadways and landscaping
  • Environmentally sensitive design; LEED certified buildings available
  • State-of-the-art communications and utility infrastructure
  • 10 GB bandwidth, scalable to 100 GB
  • Engineered for bandwidth speed, redundancy and survivability
  • Fully improved sites with off-site, common area detention
  • Designed to support 99.999% up time
  • ‘Rapid Response Team’ in place to address all technology, infrastructure/network requirements

USER LOCATION/BENEFITS:

  • Ideal for local, regional, national and international operations and headquarters
  • Flexibility in facility design and layout with customized land sites available
  • Low DuPage County taxes and operating costs
  • Strong DuPage County labor demographics
  • Close proximity to hotels, dining, shopping, golf and recreation
  • Abundant executive and affordable housing available within minutes
  • Adjacent to key transportation routes and public transportation
  • Nearby DuPage Airport supports corporate travel (7,570’ runway)
  • State-of-the-art water and sanitary treatment facility

THIS FIRST-CLASS PROPERTY IS ZONED FOR:

  • Manufacturing
  • Distribution
  • Light Industrial
  • Office
  • R&D
  • Data Centers
  • Medical Facilities
  • Retail & Commercial

STRATEGIC LOCATION.

The DuPage Business Center is located in West Chicago, Illinois, only 35 miles from the Chicago CBD. 

Plans in place to renovate Butterfield Office Plaza

Butterfield Office Plaza

Clear Height Properties and its JV partner Corcoran Commercial Real Estate, have launched the renovation and repositioning plans for 26Twentyfive, formerly known as Butterfield Office Plaza which was acquired in July. 

In conjunction with the launching of that program, the partnership has retained Oakbrook Terrace-based NAI Hiffman to lead the rebrand of the property and manage and lease the building. Executive Vice President Dan O’Neill, Senior Vice President Adam Johnson and Associate Ryan Maher of NAI Hiffman have been retained by the new owner to lead the leasing efforts. In doing so, the NAI team will leverage a modern brand, new name and website while differentiating the project from the many office centers, plazas and parks in the greater Oak Brook area. 

2625 Butterfield is a 200,774, square-foot, multi-story office building situated on 10 acres with premier visibility from the I-88 Tollway. The property has office spaces available for lease ranging in sizes from 700 to 9,000 square feet. 

“26Twentyfive, is an exciting edeavor for us,” said Dominic Sergi, CEO and president of Clear Height Properties. “We are excitied to reposition this asset into a new modern workplace environment that will inspire users of various sizes.”

A robust capital and redevelopment plan has been established for the asset in the coming months. Chief among the priorities for the renovated and repositioned 26Twentyfive include further amentizing the asset with the addition of modern conference facilities, fitness center, refreshed entrance, lobby and expanded WiFi lounge. 

“The amenity race isn’t just for the trophy, class A assets anymore. Businesses looking to attract a multigenerational workforce while providing a premier location for its employees and clients is important more now than ever,” Johnson said. “We are excited to work with Clear Height Properties to breathe new life into a well-located office asset, with outstanding, untapped potential.”

Press release issued by NAI Hiffman.

Featured in Daily Herald.

New spec industrial building strategically located at Western Bypass

A joint-venture between Distribution Realty Group and EverWest Real Estate Investors announced its plans to develop an approximately 190,000 square foot speculative industrial building at 220 York Road in Bensenville, Illinois.

Located in DuPage County, the building will feature modern Class A characteristics including 32′ clear ceiling heights, LED lighting with motion sensors, attractive storefront glass, up to 37 dock doors, and ample auto parking. The building is designed to appeal to high end warehouse and logistics companies seeking top-tier space in O’Hare.

“The assemblage of 26 parcels on 10 acres adjacent to the Illinois Route 390 and O’Hare International Airport created a best-in-class logistics location,” said Curran Darling, DRG’s Senior Vice President in Chicago. “From this facility, our customers can take advantage of O’Hare’s South Cargo Entrance from a low DuPage County tax location, along with great connectivity to the new Western Bypass which provides immediate access to Chicagoland’s interstate system.”

“Our firm views Chicago as one of the country’s most important logistics hubs,” said James Love, Managing Partner of DRG, “and we look forward to adding our 10th facility to the O’Hare submarket.” 

The venture has hired Sam Durkin and Dominic Carbonari of JLL to market the property for lease on its behalf. Arco Murray will construct the building on behalf of the partnership.

Distribution Realty Group LLC

Distribution Realty Group LLC is a privately owned industrial real estate firm with offices in Chicago and Nashville. The firm has acquired and developed over 3 million square feet of industrial and distribution facilities since its founding in 2013. For more information, please visit www.distributionrealty.com.

EverWest Real Estate Investors

EverWest Real Estate Investors is a real estate investor and operator located in Denver, Colorado.  The company was acquired by Great-West Life’s real estate advisory platform in February 2018 to help expand their international presence. For more information, please visit www.everwest.com. 

Featured Property: Brewster Creek Business Park

Brewster Creek Business Park

Located in the DuPage County portion of the Village of Bartlett, Brewster Creek Business Park is a former gravel quarry turned growing business park developed through a partnership between the Village of Bartlett and Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Company. 

Currently home to 90 businesses many of which reside within industrial condominium units in addition to the free-standing buildings, Brewster Creek will have 40 buildings totaling four million square feet with the recent completion of two more in recent months.

Industrial real estate developers Exeter Property Group, Ridge Development and G4 Development have recently completed speculative buildings, and Village economic development staff is partnering with the brokers in an effort to attract more quality tenants to Brewster Creek.  

Emerging Food Cluster

Food giant Greco & Sons was the first major food distributor to locate in Brewster Creek Business Park, followed by Get Fresh Produce, Rana Meal Solutions, Cheese Merchants of America and candy packager creative werks in the following years. Thermo Fisher Scientific tests food safety in their Brewster Creek location. Each of these companies found Brewster Creek’s available reasonably priced land, DuPage County taxes, access to a strong workforce and proximity to State highways ideal for their Chicago area location.

Together, these businesses employ well over 1,000 and provide high-quality food products to many restaurants, grocery stores and other clients throughout the Midwest and the country.

German High-Tech Precision Cluster

Bartlett’s pro-business attitude has also attracted several high-precision German-based advanced manufacturers including Herrmann Ultrasonics, Wittenstein, Bremskerl and BBS Automation in recent years. With a newly formed relationship with the German-American Chamber of Commerce, Bartlett has welcomed these companies with open arms in a continuing effort to strengthen the Village’s tax base and increase foreign direct investment in DuPage County.  

Automotive Cluster

Midwest Molding, Bremskerl, Winhere Brake Parts and Auto Truck are four Brewster Creek businesses in the auto supply chain. With Winhere Brake Parts relocating to Bartlett in early 2017, these companies have found their Bartlett location ideal to attract and retain a high quality workforce thanks to local workforce development programs.  

Strong Workforce

Another competitive advantage of Brewster Creek is that innovative businesses have found the Bartlett area’s talented workforce to possess the training, education and skills to help their companies grow and prosper. The Village has partnered with local workforce development organizations including the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, Elgin Community College’s Workforce Development program and the recently-launched Workforce Development Center in neighboring Hanover Park.  

Village Staff assists companies with meeting with one or more workforce development partners to help facilitate the recruiting and hiring of the workers whether entry-level, technically skilled or management professionals.  

Open to the Public

You can board your dog, bring your pet to the veterinarian, learn self-defense and improve your fitness in Brewster Creek Business Park. Although most of the 90 businesses in Brewster Creek Business Park are wholesalers, contractor offices, manufacturers and other B-to-B businesses, Bark Avenue Daycamp, Bartlett Animal Hospital, Xtreme Training Academy and Frontier Fitness are open to the public in Bartlett’s premier business park.

Brewster Creek Business Park List

The list of businesses located in Brewster Creek continues to grow year after year, and should continue to expand in 2017 and beyond as the Chicago area industrial market continues growing.  From a logistics and distribution standpoint, Brewster Creek is ideally positioned for growing companies to serve their customers more efficiently while enjoying an attractive and safe setting for their employees, customers and vendors.   

Click here for the 2017 list.   

New Buildings and Available Space

Contact Tony Fradin at (630) 837-0800 or tfradin@vbartlett.org to discuss how your client or your own business can become part of this strong and diverse business park or for a personal tour of Brewster Creek Business Park.  

Luxury Amenities, Restaurant Planned for Marq on Main Apartment Complex in Downtown Lisle

Development in Downtown Lisle

Proximity to the Lisle commuter station is not the only attraction of Marq on Main, the mixed use residential community currently under development on the site what once was the Old Village Hall in Downtown Lisle. The project has a host of luxury amenities to offer residents seeking the vibrancy and convenience of downtown living coupled with the small-town ambience and natural surroundings of the “Arboretum Village.”

 

The mixed-use development includes 202  1- and 2-bedroom apartments in five stories on Burlington Avenue and three stories along Main Street, with indoor parking for residents and tenants, as well as 35 new on-street parking spaces. Some 15,000 square-feet of new commercial space will add restaurant and retail uses that will strengthen the commercial district, build foot traffic and enhance the downtown as an attractive dining destination. The development will feature a new public plaza offering outdoor dining at Main and Burlington, as well an additional public plaza at Spencer and Burlington, and two rooftop courtyards providing along Burlington Avenue. An upscale restaurant and craft beer tap room is planned.

 

“We are pleased to be adding to the vitality of Downtown Lisle,” says Marquette President and CEO Nick Ryan. “Mayor Broda and the Village have remained committed to economic development and this transit-oriented development is the type of development that has seen great success in surrounding communities. We expect to see the same energy and interest in downtown Lisle.”

 

Amenities residents can enjoy include a resort-style pool with cabanas and sun deck, as well as a pergola lounge, fire table and grilling stations. Indoors, residents will have access to a tech lounge and a chill lounge with coffee available 24-hours. An onsite health club is also planned. The development brings an investment of $45M to downtown Lisle, and is now leasing for an expected Fall 2017 opening.

 

Oak Brook Lakes

Oak Brook Lakes is a 91-acre development in Oak Brook, Illinois. This 10-year project broke ground in February 2017 and offers a great synergy to accommodate many different lifestyle options, including:

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