Category Archives: Business News

U-Haul Suing For Wrongful Towing Scam

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U-Haul van being refueled.Photo by Mikescottwood11
U-Haul van being refueled.Photo by Mikescottwood11

The U-Haul Company of Illinois, a do-it-yourself moving company that rents out trucks and trailers to individuals, is suing a group of Chicago-based towing companies for conducting a scam against them.

The suit alleges that the towing companies tried to convince renters of U-Haul vehicles to tell U-Haul that their truck had broken down and was in need of a towing service when in fact there was nothing wrong with the vehicles. The towing companies offered payment to the customers for fabricating the story. Then the towing company would come and tow the truck and charge U-Haul the towing and storage fees.

It is not known how many times this alleged scam occurred and by how many people and companies, but the suit names seven towing companies and seven individuals. According to the Chicago Tribune one U-Haul costumer rented a truck in Hoffman Estates, and was then offered by one of the defendants $500 to say that the truck was damaged and needed towing services.

U-Haul is seeking $50,000 in damages and an injunction against the defendants that they will never be allowed to tow any U-Haul vehicles again.

Cubs’ Legacy Sponsor American Airlines Is Not Airline of Choice for Flying Chicago Baseball Team

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Chicago Cubs logo
Chicago Cubs logo

In a bit of an ironical twist it turns out that the winner of a big legacy sponsorship agreement with the Chicago Cubs is not necessarily the same airline the team flies out and back of the Windy City.

American Airlines was successful earlier in the year to acquire a key sponsorship of Chicago’s home team, the Cubs; a deal even sweeter now that the Cubs are in the race for the National League pennant. Yet, when it comes to actual travel time, the Cubs pick American Airlines to take them on the road.

United Airlines, which used to have a ten-year contract with the team, simply could not compete with the American Airlines offer. Nevertheless, United Airlines supplies the team with its charter flights, including its most recent trips to New York City to play against the Mets.

The Cubs were hoping that this unusual arrangement would remain “under the radar,” but an internal United Airlines blog posted earlier last week that United had “played a big role in getting half of the postseason contenders where they need to be.”

The blog also stated that the airline has a “reputation for running a smooth charter operation” which gave them the opportunity to service 13 Major League Baseball teams this season.

Chicago Celebrates the Art of Architecture

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Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, Illinois. Photographer: David K. Staub
Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, Illinois. Photographer: David K. Staub

The first Chicago Architecture Biennial opened to the public last week, and is worth a visit. The exhibition features the projects of 100 designers brought together from 30 different counties spanning six continents.

The theme of the fair is well expressed in it title, “The State of the Art of Architecture.” The projects are intellectually challenging, joyful, futuristic, humanistic, and smart. Today’s architects joined together to truly confront the modern social issues head-on.

On the minds of these artists are such current concerns as global warming, income disparity, housing shortages and more. As the show states itself, “None of these (issues) are spatial questions alone, but none can be effectively addressed without design.”

The event is sponsored by Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events together with the Graham Foundation. The Foundation is a Chicago-based architectural grant-making organization.  At a cost of about $6.5 million the exhibition brings together a large collection of models, renderings, films, installations, and even some impressive doodles.

The exhibition is hosted at the Chicago Cultural Center at 78 E. Washington Street, a space which perfectly references the incredible classicism of the first Chicago architectural celebration, the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. The event is free to the public and is running until January 3rd, 2016.

ConAgra Considering Move to Chicago: Omaha Employees Worried

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Con Agra Foods Milton PA. Photo by Neubie
Con Agra Foods Milton PA. Photo by Neubie

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner offered tax incentives to the giant food company ConAgra earlier this year to entice them away from Omaha, Nebraska and set up shop in Chicago.

According to the Chicago Tribune these tax incentives corresponds with other reports that the owner of popular food brands such as Swiss Miss, Chef Boyardee and Slim Jim is getting closer to making the move to Chicago. The Tribune reports that ConAgra is considering renting a space in downtown Chicago’s Merchandise Mart which can hold upwards of 1,000 employees.

It is not known what Rauner’s incentives to ConAgra exactly were, and his offered was complicated by the fact that he later gave the order to halt similar tax incentives. The Tribune’s source said that the Governor still plans to honor his original offer.

Meanwhile, back in Omaha, where ConAgra has been located for almost 100 years, since 1922, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts is quilting together his own proposal with incentives to keep ConAgra at home despite the fact that his proposal is said to go beyond what the government can legally do.

According to the Omaha-World Herald the governor said:

“We are not restricting this to what is on the books. We are willing to work with them in whatever way necessary to help them be competitive in their industry.”

However the report was not enough to keep ConAgra employees from worrying. In another story from the World Herald it was reported that ConAgra CEO Sean Connolly warned that job cuts are coming, and that some ConAgra employees have even listed their homes for sale.

Industrious Heading to Nashville’s Glitzy Gulch

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Several real estate sources confirm that a Chicago-based company called Industrious has contracted to lease a space in Nashville, Tennessee considered to be the newest and most expensive office space in that southern city.

Industrious plans on transforming the space into suites available for lease to a variety of companies from start-ups to national high-tech firms.

The 18,000 square foot space in Gulch Crossing is located in Nashville’s first new office building built within the past six years. The time gap since the last building has created a market for high-end, record-breaking prices; rent for this place ringing up at a juicy $37 and more per square foot.

Gulch Crossing has already attained 86 percent occupied with the addition of Industrious. Already in the building in Deloitte, who rented there just ahead of Industrious.

It is expected that Gulch Crossing will house between 600-800 workers;  giving the area a strong business feel during the day, standing out as Nashville’s most visible example of its newly born urban renewal. The building also houses 2,000 apartments and condos, upscale retailers and restaurants.

 

Hoffman Estates Looking forward to Two New McDonald’s Locales

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Photo by juanstermonster
Photo by
juanstermonster

A McDonald’s is being considered to fill the space left empty by the long vacant Myoda Computer Center in Hoffman Estates outside Chicago. Myoda, located at 1070 North Roselle Road was taken over by a bank five years ago when the mortgage on the property was foreclosed.

Hoffman Estates is planning other improvements to their village, including putting in a traffic light this autumn at the entrance to the shopping center on Roselle Road.

If the plan for the McDonald’s is given a green light, then Hoffman Estates will have two of the newest McDonald’s in the area, instead of one of the oldest ones. That’s because the old McDonald’s is coming down as soon as a new, already approved, McDonald’s at Barrington Square Town Center opens up.

The Myoda building is a two-story structure that housed a computer store, but also had space for other tenants. The land is now owned by the BBCN Bank, which is planning to sell the property to a broker, who will then contract a lease for a new 4,338-square-foot McDonald’s complete with dual drive-through lanes.

If approved work on the new McDonald’s most likely won’t begin until the beginning of the next construction season, said Peter Gugliotta, Director of Planning, Building & Code Enforcement for Hoffman Estates. Once begun it should take between four to six months for the fast food restaurant to be completed.

Motorola Solutions Moving to Chicago

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motorolaAfter 50 years in Schaumburg, Motorola Solutions Inc will be moving its global headquarters to Chicago. Schaumburg, which is about a 40 minute drive outside of Chicago, has been an example of how a company can create a sprawling corporate campus in the ‘burbs.

Along with its headquarter operations the giant maker of communications equipment for government and first-responders will be taking about 800 jobs to Chicago.
There will remain behind in Schaumburg a cadre of mostly software and hardware engineers numbering about 1,600. They will be grouped into two buildings, the twelve-story corporate tower, and the 2-floor IT building.

The entire campus, all 277 acres, will be sold and redeveloped. Then Motorola will lease back the two buildings back from the new owners, said spokeswoman Tama McWhinney.

“People come, people go,” Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson said. “Motorola has been going for quite some time.”

Chicago Taco Bell to Serve Alcoholic Beverages

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Taco Bell. Photo by Anthony92931
Taco Bell. Photo by Anthony92931

Wine, beer, sangria, and a variety of frozen mixed drinks will be introduced for the first time at a US Taco Bell fast food restaurant starting on September 22 in Chicago. This location will also be the first to introduce tapas-style appetizers, have a mural painted by a local artist, and display an open kitchen.

“You will literally be able to see the food,” said Meredith Sandland, Taco Bell’s chief development officer. “(Customers will be) able to see all the beautiful ingredients,” she added.

The opening of this branch was first announced at the beginning of the summer, but without details such as opening date or exact location. Another Taco Bell with a similar theme is planned to open in San Francisco later in September. Taco Bell says that the basic menu and food preparation at the new locations will be the same as at the more traditional stores under the brand, aside from the innovations named above.

The new Taco Bell will open in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. They will be charging $4 ofr wine and beer, and $4.50 for sangria. The frozen drinks, called “Twisted Freezes” will contain rum, tequila, or vodka. These mixed drinks will be priced between $6.19 and $7.19.

Japanese Uniqlo Launching in Chicago

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Uniqlo store in Hong Kong. Photo by Slisalsok
Uniqlo store in Hong Kong. Photo by Slisalsok

Near the end of October Uniqlo, a Japanese retail chain, will be opening its flagship store in Chicago. The store will be Uniqlo’s second largest, with 60,000 square feet of floor space located at 830 North Michigan Avenue on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Uniqlo’s largest store is on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Uniqlo deals in casual clothing such as jeans, scarves and sweaters. They also sell sportswear for men, women and children.

“Chicago is a global city that’s home to some of the finest cultural and sports institutions in the world, and we are thrilled to join the city’s rich landscape,” said Larry Meyer, CEO of Uniqlo USA.

It is expected that the new outlet will create 400 new jobs. Uniqlo is a global company with over 1,600 stores and 40 in the United States. The Chicago branch will be the first in the Midwest.

Chicago Policeman Helps Homeless Man

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Photos from CPD Facebook page
Photos from CPD Facebook page

In widely seen photos first published on the popular social media web site Facebook, a Chicago policeman is shown helping a homeless man at a Chipotle in Lakeview.

The photos show Sergeant B. Hagarty buying lunch for a homeless man who had been digging through the garbage outside the restaurant. The officer noticed the man, tapped on the window, and beckoned for the man to come over. He then asked the homeless man if he was hungry. When the man said yes, Sgt. Hagarty invited him to come inside.

The kind policeman then purchased a meal for the man, shook hands with him, and then left.

The Chicago Police Department put the picture up on its Facebook page. In a short while the page received more than 16,000 “likes” and was shared more than 6,000 times.

The CPD offered praise to Hagarty, explaining that his behavior should be a role model for others. Hagarty is planning on retiring from the CPD at the end of this year, after 35 years of service.