Monthly Archives: August 2018

Chicago’s Dominance

Dave from the City Beautiful talks about the wonders of Chicago including these facts:

• Home to the Obamas
• Most dominant metropolis in the interior of North America
• Almost 10 million residents
• 29 fortune 500 companies
• 2016 World Series Championship Chicago Cubs
• Biggest city between New York City and Los Angeles

He then details how Chicago got here as it wasn’t a foregone conclusion.

Recent Chicago Transactions

Two of the recent large business transactions that have occurred in the state of Chicago include a sale leaseback and a purchase sale agreement.  We examine them both briefly here.

The first involves NY institutional fund advisor Angelo Gordon and Gold Standard Banking which just finalized its sale-leaseback for its 189K SF property at 3700 South Kedzie Ave.  The buildings have been under the ownership of Gold Standard for more than two decades.  According to its representative Erik Foster:

“This portfolio provided investors with tremendous long-term stability, as it is fully leased to a strong-credit tenant. The recession-resistant food industry tenant relies on the location for its operations, making this a solid investment with long-term growth potential for the new owner.”

In the last three years, the company expanded its Chicago site by 22K SF to house a new baking line to meet increased product demand. It also opened a 201K SF bakery in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, in 2017.

The second concerns Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (HGV) in its purchase sale agreement of the top six floors of the 26-story DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago Magnificent Mile.  Working with Related Fund Management and The Chartres Lodging Group on the sale, this will be HGV’s first property in this market at a projected investment of around $54.5 million.

Business Development Opportunities: Mark Your Calendars

On September 21, 2018, make your way to the Aurora Downtown Campus.   From 9.30am to 2.00pm, a marketing training seminar will be conducted by the Waubonsee Community College’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for anyone seeking to enhance their marketing skills and network with experts in the field.

Some of the marketing leaders who will be presenting at Marketing Mania! include: Danny Schuman, Patricia Beets and Jill Salzman. Schulman wrote the book ‘The Worst Business Model in the World: A New Kind of Guide for a New Kind of Entrepreneur.’  He also established marketing consultancy firm, Twist.

Patrica Beets works as a national correspondent and business reporter. Together with her husband David, she co-founded Dell Cove Spices & More in 2010 as an online hobby which is now being run full time by David in a commercial kitchen.  Jill Salzman is a serial entrepreneur and author of ‘Found It: A Field Guide for Mom Entrepreneurs.’ She also co-hosts Breaking Down Your Business, a business podcast.