Educational products company hand2mind gears up for expansion in Vernon Hills
Educational toy and materials company hand2mind is expanding and consolidating its footprint in Vernon Hills, creating 37 new full-time jobs and retaining 288 existing positions.
Company and village officials gathered last week for a ceremonial groundbreaking of a 698,360-square-foot distribution center on 35 acres in the Vernon Hills Industrial Park, 100 S. Milwaukee Ave.
The site is part of the 70-acre former American Hotel Register world headquarters property in the Continental Executive Park. The new build-to-suit hand2mind facility will be it primary distribution center and consolidate operations now spread across four locations.
Receiving, inventory management, shipping and other functions will be centralized for more efficient operations and to meet growing demand for products that are assembled and distributed to schools, retailers and consumers nationwide.
The company creates screen-free, hands-on learning tools and educational toys that help kids in grades prekindergarten and higher build skills through “exploration, problem-solving and active play,” according to a news release announcing the new facility.
Hand2mind has been headquartered at 500 Greenview Court in Vernon Hills since 2000. It is a sister company of tariff-busting Learning Resources, which long has been located in Vernon HiIls.
“We are thrilled to be able to expand our operations in our longtime home of Vernon Hills,” Rick Woldenberg, CEO for hand2mind and Learning Resources said in the announcement.
“With our larger footprint, we will be able to create more Illinois jobs to meet growing demand for our products, and build a stronger foundation for our team, our customers and the communities we serve,” he added.
Woldenberg gained national attention as the plaintiff in a successful lawsuit to overturn tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
The project is supported by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity through its EDGE program, which provides incentives for significant capital investments and creating or retaining jobs in Illinois.
According to DCEO, the estimated value of the credit against state income taxes for the project is about $4.2 million. Visit dceo.illinois.gov.
The building is developed by The Missner Group, Avgeris and Associates, and Wylie Capital.
Village officials in July approved the industrial park which will containing up to 1 million square feet.
The site once was scouted by an undisclosed Fortune 500 company thought to be Amazon for a nearly 3 million-square-foot office/warehouse. But the proposal, nicknamed Project Zeus, was withdrawn before a public hearing was held.
mzawislak@dailyherald.com