Plastic home storage product manufacturer StyleMaster Inc. plans to add a 750,000-sf building. StyleMaster CEO Martha Williams hopes to increase her payroll from 50 to 450 with the expansion.
The African-American-owned company was recruited to the property by the Greater Southwest Development Corp. and the city's department of planning and development, which spent more than 10 years trying to convert the former drive-in theater into a 63-acre industrial park. In between those two uses, the land was littered with asphalt, concrete, auto parts among the 400,000 cubic yards of debris.
"This is real victory for this community and the city of Chicago," says Jim Capraro, executive director of the Greater Southwest Development Corp. "So many have fought for economic and social improvements in this community for years. Martha Williams and StyleMaster bring not only jobs and economic prosperity, but also a fighting spirit, a will to succeed in spite of long odds."
Williams, who grew up in Chicago Housing Authority developments, founded StyleMaster 10 years ago after working as a plant manager for a suburban Niles manaufacturer. "My heart is filled with gratitude to all those who have helped me realize this dream," Williams says.
The city provided Williams' company with $14 million in tax increment financing and $13 million in low-interest loans. "None of this would have happened if it hadn't been for the truly outstanding partnership of the private and not-for-profit sectors and several departments of City government," says Mayor Richard M. Daley.
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