Manufacturing operations moving to Clinton

A manufacturer with more than 100 workers is closing two of
its Springfield facilities and moving operations to Clinton after a dispute
with the city over building-code violations.

Mike Hoyle has owned Kwik-Wall for 19 years, a company that
makes movable partitions for conference and convention facilities. Hoyle used
an LLC to purchase the former Farm and Home building on North Dirksen Parkway
for $2 million in April 2024, according to Sangamon County tax records, but
soon found himself at loggerheads with city officials over changes made to the
building.

“Farm
and Home had relocated and then this company moved in, and they did alterations
to the building without ever acquiring any permits or submitting any plans of
any kind,” Springfield building official Mitchell Flynn said.  “Back in August, we discovered what we
thought was an empty building was actually (a place) where glass assembling was
going on.”

Among the changes made were alterations to the building’s
electrical and fire safety systems, he said. Such violations can result in
hefty fines until they are corrected.

“I know
that they do still have pending violations they’ve never corrected. There’s
still information they’ve never submitted to the fire safety division. …  These are very big deals. This
is a commercial space,” Flynn said.

A building permit was filed Jan. 8 to “remodel (the) existing
building for glass assembly manufacturing and warehouse.”

City officials did not immediately provide information on
how much in fines have been levied against the company. Hoyle declined to
discuss the matter with Illinois Times.

In addition to the building at 2900 N. Dirksen Parkway,
Kwik-Wall has a second Springfield manufacturing facility at 4650 Industrial
Ave. and others in Mt. Pulaski and Darien, Wisconsin.

Curt Homann, executive director of the DeWitt County
Development Council, said Kwik-Wall will consolidate all of its Illinois
manufacturing to the 215,000-square-foot building in Clinton formerly owned by R.R.
Donnelly, a printing company.

He said
initially the plant will employ about 100 people, but it is anticipated the
facility’s workforce will grow to between 150 and 250 people during the next
four years.

“These are union jobs, and they’re not jobs that require a
college degree. So, it gives folks who aren’t going to college a good reason to
stay and live in Clinton and Dewitt County,” Homann said.

On Feb. 25, the
Clinton City Council and Clinton school board joined the DeWitt County Board in
agreeing not to collect taxes on the property for five years. Homann
said this incentive package was a critical component in getting Kwik-Wall to
move its manufacturing to Clinton. Initially, he anticipates much of the
existing workforce will commute to the city of 7,000, which is 43 miles from
Springfield.

“There’s some nice office space in (the building) as well,
and they are going to rehab that and make it a training center. Distributors
from around the country and the world will end up in Clinton for training,”
Homann said. “From an economic development standpoint, we’re certainly glad to
have the workers and the families coming to Clinton or living in Clinton, but
we’re also excited to have people from all over coming to Clinton even for a
few days.”

He anticipates some workers may move to Clinton while others
will commute. Over time, it is likely commuters will choose to seek employment
closer to Springfield and they will be replaced by Dewitt County residents, he
said.

Homann said Kwik-Wall will be providing partitions to the
Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

 ”He has
a pretty large contract. I don’t recall the exact number, but it was in the $12
million to $15 million range, and that is a 2026 contract. So that is part of
the push to be ready in Clinton by the end of this year or the very beginning
of next year.”

Kwik-Wall also reportedly has a partnership with a German
firm to provide glass partition walls.

Over the years, Clinton has lost much of its manufacturing
base. The city was once a leading manufacturer for pots and pans but in 1999 its
Revere Ware factory closed, and production was moved to China. R.R. Donnelly,
which printed mail advertising, closed last year.

Ryan McCrady, president and CEO of the Springfield Sangamon
Growth Alliance, said Kwik-Wall never reached out to his group about staying in
Springfield.

As to the loss of area jobs to Clinton, he said, “It’s reasonably close if there
are people that work there that want to commute to the new location. For those who
do not, the good news is that our community has a very large demand for labor.
And reemployment opportunities are pretty robust right now for employees who
decide they don’t want to commute to Clinton.”

This article appears in The state of the state.