McDonald's growth helped family behind A.J. Antunes

Wherever Oak Brook-based McDonald's went, so did Glenn Bullock and his family along with Carol Stream-based A.J. Antunes & Co.,

When Bullock joined A.J. Antunes in 1983, he didn't realize just how much the hamburger chain would influence his life. During more than three decades, he saw A.J. Antunes grow internationally. He married the owner's daughter. And, eventually, he bought out his brother-in-law's shares and took over as CEO.

While Bullock aims to continue to grow A.J. Antunes, he also realizes that a large part of their success comes from hamburgers.

It started around 1955, when Bullock's father-in-law, Augie Antunes, and another partner worked in an industry that represented manufacturers. They later developed and sold pressure switches, which worked on ovens to sense air flow or gas pressure and to turn them off when certain levels were not met. The company later made food service cooking equipment and water purification systems.

A.J. Antunes' big break came when Augie met Ray Kroc. McDonald's needed equipment that would heat up danishes for the breakfast rush. As McDonald's later branched out to Europe and Asia, Augie followed with all the food service equipment.

"We grew and followed wherever Mcdonald's expanded," said Bullock, 56. "Wherever McDonald's opened a restaurant, we provided the equipment and we also had to have a service company in each one of those countries."

A.J. Antunes is now in about 140 countries with 250 workers in Carol Stream, another 60 workers in China and more in offices in Switzerland, Florida, Colorado and New Hampshire. Besides McDonald's, the company also supplies equipment to Wendy's, Burger King, Panera Bread, Taco Bell, Sonic, among other major chains.

While A.J. Antunes itself expanded over the years, its leadership also changed. Augie died in 1990 and his son, Jim Antunes, took over for about a decade.

Meanwhile, Bullock had started in 1983 and eventually met and married Augie's daughter, Jane. They now live in Batavia. Bullock had invested most of his career in the company and wanted to see it continue. When Jim decided to leave, Bullock bought out his shares and became CEO.

Now the next generation of the company has started to work for the company, which marked its 60th anniversary this year, he said.

"We want the legacy of the company to to continue," Bullock says. "We want to maintain our family atmosphere and its culture."

Nurse turned entrepreneur

Susan Barzacchini of East Dundee, opened Wired Lotus Jewelry School inside Artisticology in her hometown. Barzacchini was a registered nurse for 15 years in Ohio and later a technical director for Good Shepherd's cardiac ultrasound department in Barrington. Her family moved last year from Hoffman Estates to East Dundee, where she met Tricia Saviano, founder of Artisticology, which offers art therapy, painting and pottery classes. Barzacchini was invited to sublet space so she could teach jewelry making.

Marking one year

Owner Susan Samway and husband, Peter Samway, owners of Simply Luxe Bridal Boutique in Algonquin, marked the store's anniversary. Susan, a Deerfield native, was a merchandising consultant for a bridal store in California. Her philosophy is whether brides have a $1,000 budget or $12,000 budget, she can help them.

FastTracks

Nicholas Zito of Rev3 Innovation Center in Naperville will be honored Wednesday for Outstanding Service to Entrepreneurs at the 16th Annual Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards hosted by the Business Ledger. It will be presented during a reception at Northern Illinois University, 1120 E. Diehl Road, Naperville. Rev3 helps people and companies manufacture products, software and technology. He is also business services director of Choose DuPage.

Naperville resident Kathryn Van Eeuwen is the new president of ATG Trust Co., a subsidiary of Attorneys' Title Guaranty Fund Inc. She also serves on the board of trustees for KidsMatter and on the board of directors for Loaves & Fishes Community Services. Van Eeuwen volunteers for the Naperville Educational Foundation and DuPage PADS.

Steve Byrne, co-owner of FinalRoadMap.com and featured in this column in July 2014, is hosting a forum on end-of-life planning on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Oak Brook Public Library, 600 Oak Brook Road, Oak Brook. The website allows you to provide detailed instructions to loved ones on what to do after they've passed. The program comes at a time when Medicare has proposed paying doctors to discuss end-of-life plans with patients. If approved, the policy would go into effect next year.

Cynthia K. Wade, founder and president of Geneva-based Do-over. me, a nonprofit that supports people to try again at various things in life, appeared Sunday on WGN-AM Radio. ... Joe Kramer, a lifelong resident of Wheaton, is marking 23 years with his landscaping business. ... Heath Yarger is the new project engineer for the Missner Group in Skokie. He will prepare budgets and proposals, awarding and issuing subcontracts, maintain project schedules, among other duties.

Jonathan Ellihou is the new vice president of Channel sales at Other World Computing in Woodstock. The company, founded by CEO Larry O'Connor, provides Mac and PC memory upgrades. ... Karen Emerle, a real estate appraiser from Evanston, received the Volunteer of Distinction Award from the Appraisal Institute.

• There's more to business than just the bottom line. We want to tell you about the people that make business work. Send news about people in business to akukec@dailyherald.com. Follow Anna Marie Kukec on LinkedIn and Facebook and as AMKukec on Twitter.