The Schaumburg area is one of the most vital, exciting and diverse business regions in the world and has been an example that other communities envy and emulate.
“Schaumburg is a global business community. We have major businesses here from Europe, from Asia, from Africa, from the Caribbean, from South America,” said Kaili Harding, president of the SBA. “You see that global influence in everything from our fantastic restaurants to our retail environment. There are so many business services here that are tying us to this global network.”
It all works because Schaumburg is located within the Chicago market’s transportation hub that includes railway, air freight and major interstates and allows products produced in the northwestern suburb to be transported around the country and allows components produced elsewhere to be easily brought in.
“Schaumburg is easily accessible and great for moving products and services,” Harding added. “It is so nice to see the world come together, right here in Schaumburg.”
Members agree.
“We are located four exits from O’Hare Airport. We are located next to the sixth-largest shopping center in the United States. It is also an architecturally fantastic facility, so we have many advantages over other convention centers in the United States,” said Dieter Heigl, general manager of the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel Convention Center.
“It’s convenient. You can eat here, sleep here and can even go shopping nearby since there is a local shuttle to Woodfield Mall,” he added. “We offer all that under one roof.”
“We want to be a partner and to help our small businesses in the Schaumburg area which we cater to,” Heigl said.
Ashraf Tbakhi, owner of the Pita House restaurant, has been a member of the SBA since 2006 and swears by the benefits of that membership.
“It helps a lot,” he said of the SBA. “Schaumburg is a very good area for our business with lots of people from around the world who live here.”
Pita House actively markets its Middle Eastern and Assyrian food to employees of international businesses in Schaumburg. So the Pita House has become well-known for consistent, quality products, good service and healthy foods, Tbakhi noted.
International manufacturers are also flocking to the Schaumburg area. For instance, Kuriyama of America, Inc., which produces a complete line of thermoplastic, rubber and metal hose products and accessories including couplings and fittings, for use in industrial and commercial applications, has its sales and marketing headquarters for North America in Schaumburg. The firm will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2018.
“We have over 5,000 distributors in North America and are branching out more globally because we are looking to expand our overseas reach,” said Tim O’Neill, marketing manager.
“One thing that we really like about Schaumburg is that it has many resources to offer us. We have our manufacturing nearby, our warehouse regularly purchases its equipment within Schaumburg and we work with three different temp agencies in Schaumburg to help with our staffing needs,” O’Neill said.
“Being part of the SBA has been really beneficial. It has helped us integrate more into the greater Schaumburg business community. Its manufacturing summits have been very good, as well,” he added. “There are nice people there and we have learned a lot of great things.”
The Swedish retailer IKEA also has a strong presence in Schaumburg. In fact, the local store is one of only two stores in the world that feature a unique octagon layout, according to Scott Kay, store manager. IKEA currently has a presence around the world with 400 stores in 28 different countries.
“As a Swedish company, we bring our identity within our product range all across the world through our unique product line and our furniture,” Kay said. “We also offer a Swedish restaurant, bistro and food market. You can get a taste of Sweden – all under one roof. When you walk in the door, you can smell the Cinnabuns, one of our best-selling, most notable products. We have regulars who come in every morning for our 99-cent breakfast before work.”
“We take great pride in being not just a global partner, but in being a local partner, too,” he added.
Schaumburg’s global diversity even reaches into its banks. MB Financial Bank in Schaumburg has a native of Poland, Marcin Bos, as its vice president/banking center manager.
“It is a very exciting point of pride for us to become a part of the communities we serve,” Bos said. “We partner with the SBA which is an exciting group with at least 10 to 20 different cultures coming together. This gives us an amazing opportunity to network for mutual causes and to try to cater to all of those cultures by having a diverse staff in our branch. One of the reasons we joined the SBA was for the diversity of its clients and the diversity of its members,” he added.
By engaging the community in the work of economic development and aligning public and private sector leadership, the Harding and the SBA feel that the Schaumburg region will continue to strengthen its status as a premier international corporate headquarters location and as a major retail destination in the U.S.