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Mt. Prospect backs tax incentives for uniform supply company

Mount Prospect officials are asking Cook County to renew a 12-year tax break to help keep a uniform and janitorial supply company in the village.

Village trustees voted this week to recommend that the county board approve a Class 6b tax incentive for Lechner and Sons, a break that would save the company thousands on property taxes over the next 12 years. The family-owned company, which moved from Chicago to 420 Kingston Court in 2003, provides uniform rentals, restroom and janitorial supplies, microfiber towels and healthcare linens.

The 6b incentive was created to make Cook County properties more appealing to manufacturers and similar businesses by addressing the disparity between the way commercial property is assessed in Cook and its neighboring counties. It reduces the assessment level for qualified properties from 25 percent to 10 percent for the first 10 years, 15 percent for year 11, and 20 percent for year 12. After year 12, the assessment level returns to the full 25 percent for the property.

If Lechner and Sons did not receive the renewal, its tax bill would jump from $1.30 per square foot to $3.20 per square foot, according to officials. Similar properties in Lake and DuPage counties range from $1 to $1.50 per square foot.

Company owner Brian Lechner told the village board his firm earns about $9 million in annual revenue and employs about 88 people.

"We are growing at about 12 percent a year, so we will add about six to 10 people to the local economy in the year going forward and we're hoping every year," he said.

He said the company enjoys the amenities Mount Prospect offers.

"The Randhurst development gives us a lot of places to eat, a lot of our consultants stay in the hotels, and we see Mount Prospect getting better each year," Lechner said.

Trustee Paul Hoefert said without such incentives, properties in Cook County would struggle to compete with those in the Collar Counties.

"It continues to show, I think, that we are friendly to business and we want to be competitive as best we can with the tools that we have," he added.

"I think it's important that you want to stay here. We need more of these buildings filled," Trustee Richard Rogers added. "You're doing a great job. You also have 88 employees, which eat lunch here, spend their money here, pay their taxes here. This is a good thing for the village."

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