Growing Pingree Grove lures company headquarters

An international cleaning supply company has buffed its way into Pingree Grove.

Minuteman International Inc. is moving its headquarters from Addison to the town of 2,650, bringing with it new jobs and tax revenue.

The company manufactures industrial and corporate sweepers, vacuum cleaners, scrubbers and floor burnishers.

Minuteman already operates a 100,000 square-foot facility on Route 20. The new plan involves converting that location into the company's corporate office and closing the one in Addison, company officials said.

Minuteman International runs offices and factories in Canada, Holland and across the United States.

"Pingree Grove will be our home base to allow us the future growth and expansion necessary to compete in this global market," Minuteman President and Chief Executive Officer Rudi Gutmann said in a prepared statement.

Pingree Grove's village board this week approved the project's annexation agreement and several variances for Minuteman International, which is not affiliated with the anti-illegal immigration group by the same name.

Once the entity sets up shop in Pingree Grove, it would become the town's largest employer, said Village President Wyman "Clint" Carey.

"It's starting to put Pingree Grove on the map and I mean look, it's a pretty big deal for this small town to be able to attract these headquarters," Carey said. "And hopefully, this won't be the last one we attract."

Minuteman International is expanding its base in Pingree Grove in part because of incentives.

Pingree Grove agreed to furnish the company with water and sewer service next year that will cost the town between $200,000 and $300,000, Carey said.

"That was one of the things which was attractive to us," said Chief Financial Officer Ruediger Schroeder.

The village also will pick up the tab to secure additional access points to the facility via Route 20.

Pingree Grove also will waive the fees its professional staff spent on the deal, help finance future development and split 30 percent of expected sales tax revenues with Minuteman; the company's cut would be $3,000 with the remaining $7,000 going to the town.

The company's handoff has already begun and as part of the transition, about 90 employees from the administrative staff and engineering department will relocate to Pingree Grove - 70 people work there now, Schroeder said.

About 160 employees should be working in Pingree Grove by year's end, Schroeder said.

That figure that would likely be a mix of new and current employees, Schroeder said. This location also will manufacture the company's full line of cleaning machines.

The company posts $90 million in annual sales and is spending $1.5 million to create new office space within the Pingree Grove facility, Schroeder said.

Company leaders approached village leaders with proposal because the company cannot expand in Addison, Schroeder said.

"It was a business decision to move (to Pingree Grove)," he said. "I mean, we own this land there and we think it's right for us as a company to make this move."

Minuteman bills itself as "a worldwide leader in industrial and commercial cleaning."

Carey hopes the Minuteman coup gives the town the added clout it needs to woo companies now in unincorporated Kane County, to Pingree Grove.

"Were going to talk with the businesses that are around there and continue discussions with them," Carey said.