STERLING, Illinois -
A longtime firm endorses doing business in Illinois by planning to double its workforce and build a new headquarters.
After 64 years in Whiteside County, plus some ups and downs, Halo Branded Solutions isn't about to pack up and ship out of Illinois.
"We will continue to have positions for everybody," said Halo's CEO Marc Simon, on April 5, 2017. "We'll continue to add to it."
As Simon perches on a ladder high about 250 employees, he brings good news: the company will expand and grow in Sterling.
"You've got to make the profit to begin with, then you can worry about the tax rate," he said. "Whether you have a little more or a little less regulation, it's all reasonable."
Halo handles promotional items for a wide range of national and local clients. It could move anywhere, but it's sticking in Sterling where it all began in 1953.
"Illinois is a great place to do business," he continued. "We're in the center of the country. We're a transportation center. We're a financial center. There's no compelling reason for us to look at moving the business anywhere else."
Despite a challenging business climate in Illinois, Halo is an example of a existing business that's here for the long haul.
"They said from the beginning, it's because of the employees and because of the workforce here," said Heather Sotelo, executive director of the Greater Sterling Development Corporation.
After weathering economic storms, including a real downpour on Wednesday, community leaders are celebrating.
Halo will build in a nearby industrial park that includes Enterprise Zone incentives. Construction will start in coming days and should open in about a year.
The company will gradually phase in 250 full-time jobs over the next five years. Jobs that pay competitive wages for similar sales and warehouse work, with room to grow.
"People who are talented are always looking for the next step up," Simon said.
After contending with other longtime firms leaving Whiteside County over the last 20 years, this local legacy is helping to reverse the trend by investing in Illinois.
"All of you are doing a terrific job," Simon concluded.
And, they're staying put in Sterling, Illinois.
Contact https://www.halo.com for information about employment.