Brunswick to leave longtime Lake Forest HQ for Mettawa
Brunswick Corp., makers of marine, fitness and billiard products, is expected to leave its longtime Lake Forest headquarters for Mettawa.
Brunswick said Wednesday it will relocate to a smaller 55,500-square-foot office in Woodland Falls Corporate Center, 26125 N. Riverwoods Road in Mettawa. The company signed a long-term lease and plans to move in late 2017.
"We sold off the bowling division in 2014 and then sold off the products group that included the bowling balls and pinsetters, so we have fewer operations here," said Brunswick spokesman Daniel R Kubera.
Brunswick's roots date back to 1845 when it was founded in Chicago. It then was based in Skokie from 1971 to 1993 before moving to 1 N. Field Court in Lake Forest. The company includes the Brunswick Boat Group that makes 15 boat brands; the Life Fitness Division that designs and makes fitness equipment; and the Mercury Marine Group with marine parts and accessories.
The Lake Forest headquarters has about 170 employees and all of them are expected to move to Mettawa next year, Kubera said.
To entice Brunswick, the new landlord is providing more amenities to the building, including a fitness center that will include its own brand of Life Fitness equipment, and a high-end food service.
"This is a great opportunity for Brunswick to transform both their culture and space by incorporating their activated workplace concepts, which are integrated into Brunswick's InMovement line of products, as well as modernizing its office environment," said David Saad, executive vice president of CBRE, which assisted in the lease. "With a new creative approach to its space and a host of best-in-class amenities, Brunswick will be well-positioned to energize its workforce along with the recruitment and retention of top employees for years to come."