How Bad is Business in Chicago?
- John Deere, one of the Fortune 500 companies that still calls Illinois home, has been making capital expenditure decisions that Wirepoints founder Mark Glennon and Dan Proft described Monday morning as a slow-motion divestiture the state’s political class and business press have either missed or chosen to ignore. A new excavator factory is being built in Kernersville, North Carolina, and a one-point-two-million-square-foot distribution center with one hundred and fifty permanent jobs and four hundred to five hundred union construction positions is going up outside Hebron, Indiana. Proft said he was told by a reliable source in the industrial property sector that John Deere had been ready to green-light a Chicago location for that distribution center before taking a hard look at the lawlessness in and around the city and choosing Indiana instead. Glennon confirmed the pattern, noting that companies that pass up Illinois rarely say so publicly to avoid burning bridges, but the capital investment decisions tell the story clearly enough without any comment.
And not to put too fine a point on it:
- A text from a Chicago crane operator during the segment put a fine point on it: there are currently six standing permitted tower cranes in the city with only three more on the books for all of 2026.
Tower cranes are usually a pretty good indicator of economic growth - if you see a bunch of them operating then the building trades are active along with all the supporting businesses that go along with it. The fact that there are only six cranes active and only three permits pending means that there isn't any major construction going on which indicates a stagnant or shrinking tax base.
John Deere quietly moving operations elsewhere is another red flag.
Labels: money questions
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
49 Comments:
Coppers are leaving 024 as well. A once coveted district, many senior officers have chosen to bid out. Unsure exactly what is causing the exodus; however, manpower still remains an issue. The district is down over 100 officers from just a decade ago. A district that once took almost 20 years to bid into will take anyone as youngsters with 2 years or so can escape the ghetto. Many of whom have already gravitated to non-street assignments. Some can boast their entire careers have been devoid of the street while others take pride they have worked the street their entire career. Curious what's going on and why the exodus?
"Nothing Runs Like a Deere."
Add me to the list. Chicago is done.
Evidence of a dying city and state is evident in the phenomenon where employees get fed up with their lives consumed by commuting and relocate to be closer to their companies, thereby minimizing commuting times. Consequently, the entire tax base of the city or state is lost to another location due to an unfriendly business climate and unchecked crime.
This pattern is happening everywhere in the nation. Businesses move, pulling their employees, who in turn relocate their families, and the associated tax revenue that accompanies the relocation.
If Chicago police officers could legally commute, we would do so and bring our families along. A portion of us already do this, taking the risk for the sake of our families.
MD in 018 just got 90 days for the Cabrini-green incident.
Get ready for trains being fuller going the opposite way in the future.
Most union trades are swamped with work right now in other areas of the state and country
I'm surprised they haven't already moved. Even moving next door to Indiana they'd save millions in taxes.
Indiana and North Carolina are better run and managed states as compared to Illinois for long term growth economics!
I still see the Bears moving to Indiana and would be a major black eye to Illinois Democrats!
OT: It's about to get far worse: hellinois HB 1429 will turn the entire state, home rule town included into a permanent cesspool LA or any area in India. Think people living on ANY public space. Can't move the homeless to a shelter, clear them out of anywhere, unless you've given them 7 days notice.
It will be worse than 2 years ago. Over 800 pro witness slips exist from homeless organizations. Read: NGOs. We all know who's behind them.
Here's the bill, with the witness slip tab, along with a summary tab:.
https://my.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus/FullText?GAID=18&DocNum=1429&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=157430&SessionID=114
No more open spaces available for you. It's really bad.
Flood these lunatics phone lines. Flood the witness slips section. They need to know we don't wish to become a bigger and permanent filth hole.
Live in IN. Went to get ammo for 22 LR, went to local SG store. I don't shoot much but Coyote came onto property the other day. Need at least a warning. Every bit of ammo on shelves in open. Picked up a box, walked to register, paid, walked out. No ID required although I need one to vote. Can only hope it all stays that way.
I thought John Deere moved to Mexico???
This is the real meaning of losing white privilege. Every time that fool conehead opens his mouth he chases more revenue away.
the city wants crane operators hired based on dei,,, no green or blue hair equals no hire
That location is terrible. It would be a massive mistake for the bears
Great point about the cranes, we took a cruise out of the port of Miami in February, just from the deck of our cruise ship we cold see no less then 20 cranes and that was a limited view as Miami hugs the coast for miles and what we saw had to be only 10-20% of their skyline.
Chicago's progressives cheered when Ken Griffen and CITADEL left because he had the audacity to speak up about crime and the deteriorating business climate , the Chicago Tribune especially, while ignoring the long term implications.
Max out on deferred comp and leave Illinois as soon as you can with as much as you can
Nice.
Drive south on I65 from 80/94. They can’t build houses and those areas with the mega warehouses fast enough.
N.C. corp tax 2.0% (goal of achieving 0% by 2030)
IN corp tax 4.9% (active pursuit of lower amount(s))
IL corp tax 9.5%.
"Re-imagining" dollars - and sense.
Remember the Caterpiller plant in Aurora? 4.2 million sq. ft. facility employed 2700 personel. Obama, and criminal politicians of the democrat party pushed this money maker out of Illinois. High crime, taxes forced this money maker out of Illinois, and left thousands in the cold unemployed. Brilliant, huh?
Caterpiller gone to more favorable states. 4.2 million sq.ft. plant, 2700 left unemployed, too! Manufacturing in Aurora has gone down the tubes under democrat criminal rule.
Absolutely correct. Hammond is a terrible location. There are much better locations such as Crown Point or Porter County. Lot's of marginal areas, apartment complexes, poor schools, drug crime in Hammond.
I worked with a policewoman who lived with her kids and mom in the suburbs prior to getting hired. She kept the family in the suburbs with mom, got a place nearby in the city. Spent as much time as she wanted with her kids. Spent her days off with her kids and spent her working time in her city apartment. Extra bonus, if she needed quiet time she could always go to her place. She never got a beef as long as she spent her working time in her city apartment...
They're building SEVEN THOUSAND homes to the West of me here in Texas...begging for tradesman..
C'mon man. Its to help the
" housing challenged " voting bloc. Now excuse me. I have to take a shit on the sidewalk...
I'm not giving a piss bum 7 days notice to move. Taking all that junk and throwing it out... and that's to start.
Either justice works to protect us all, or vigilantism rise up... pretty simple actually
John Deere products have been going down hill for years. Kubota's quality and cost have hurt JD in a major way. They need to get out of Hellinois to save the company as their sales are lacking in a major way.
Yes and 020 seems to be the preferred landing spot for all the biggest dogs of 024. Please bid to 016 or 014 instead.
Elaborate.
No that's Juan Ciervo.
90 days? I could do 180 standing on my head…..
Indiana currently is like Tennessee 30 years ago. People from blue cities make fun of backwater Indiana. Meanwhile the Hoosier state keeps moving forward and building. 30 years from now wealthy libs from Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and other far-left enclaves will be moving there to escape high taxes, high cost of living, the expansion of socialism and general "fatigue". They will destroy it just as they did Nashville and Knoxville. Enjoy your red state while you can friend...once you see laundry detergent locked up behind plexiglass it's over.
Really ? Tell me more . Cranes are dangerous. Not as easy as it looks. Retired city crane operator.
The only construction around Chiraq and most of Illinois is public works. I see this in my travels across the country the last 5 years. Investment here has dried up.
worked the westside then went to 016 n retired, i will take a northside district over a southside district any day antime- edison park strong
4/21/2026 10:14:01 AM
Don't act like you guys were doing something on Z11 before all the 024 refugees arrived. Just merge 020 w/ 024 already
I have relatives in Iowa and have the same experience. The sports shop with ammo and guns was connected to the mall. Buy boxes of ammo. Walk around the mall with said ammo in a bag and get a pretzel. Nobody cares. It's amazing how well we can live without liberals but liberals need us to support them via welfare and protect them via Police and Military. Liberals suck.
Have fun with the insurance in Florida.
As a big f-u he donated so much money to the museum of science and industry that it was renamed. all the progressives and democrats will love calling it the Griffin Museum of science & industry 😂
: ) : ) : )
Comparing Kubota to Deere, is like driving a Kia and claiming its as good or better than a Lexus. If youve ever really needed to use a larger piece of farm equipment, not box store riding lawn mowers, you would not even consider red over green. Whats been hurting Deere is pricing, leasing and interest rates and the inability of farmers to work on the equipment themselves, without need for sophisticated, computerized diagnostic gear. Youre absolutely right about getting out of Illinois, definitely not a State for business.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhETDX2X77M
Actually, Indiana is probably the best choice for a new Bears stadium. The electric line runs from downtown south to nearly Dyer, or east to Michigan City with future expansion to South Bend. Indiana has quietly been building and expanding this rail line for the last decade. The above video shows the grand opening of the new stations along the line last month!
They had one in Rockdale and Peoria too. Lots of payroll.
IN yes, Hammond no. I thought Michigan City would have been a great choice.
Hate to say it but there are dogs and shit in every district!! 019 is a shithole with shit bosses..no wonder people are leaving 19 as well.
My house in Florida is on stilts. I also have a lift that pulls my car up into the living room during hurricane flooding. I pay no homeowners ins and only liability insurance. I save about $12,000.00 a year doing this, and have been doing it for 7 years.
The Chicago Tribune is ass wipe.
Smart money knows Chicago is finished.
This is the reaction to the 2021 Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, which the Chicago Tribune called “one of Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature accomplishments, requires Illinois to phase out the burning of fossil fuels for electricity by 2045 and sets an earlier 2030 deadline for closing certain gas-fired plants.”
Elwood was among the plants that Democrats gave the arbitrary death penalty.
One year after the governor signed the law, the Chicago Tribune proudly endorsed Pritzker’s re-election.
Much to its surprise, the editorial board discovered the evil Elwood plant is shutting down ahead of schedule.
On Friday, the newspaper ran an editorial, “Owner of massive Elwood Energy plant isn’t waiting for Illinois closure deadlines. They’re literally moving the plant to Texas.”
The editorial said, “Imagine that an entire nuclear reactor were shutting down for good in northern Illinois. The move at Elwood Energy is the equivalent.”
https://donsurber.substack.com/p/even-electricity-is-leaving-blues
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