City Council questionnaire: Jobs
8. Can you name five businesses that have pulled up stakes and moved across the river or up north within the last four years? Bonus points if you can give me their stated reasons for doing so.
- Dan Gillette: O’Neill Trucking.
- George Jacob: Amerhart (inability to expand at the current location), Fleming packaging (Pekin incentives), there are a couple more I am working with confidentially to try to stay. Pepsi and Coke both left in the mid- late 90s.
- Jim Montelongo: No I cannot.
- W. Eric Turner: Waugh Foods, Shopko (Moved Out), Pepsi Cola moved to Morton, K’s Merchandise Closed and Preseley’s Southside Worm Ranch moved to Bartonville. Like every other city economic conditions change and in response companies look for other growth locations. Only the owners or board rooms know the real reasons behind those decisions anything beyond that is mere speculation.
- Gary Sandberg: Amerhart, moved to Pekin, needed more land/access to rail. Walz Scale, moved to E Peoria, needed more land. Waugh Foods moved to E Peoria no $$$ incentive to remain here. F. Scott’s, moving to Peoria Heights/Junction City building sinking, Presley Southside Worm Ranch moved to Bartonville, bigger location, Freidman Bros Bedding Company, moved to St Louis Comp. consolidation, Webcote, moved to E Peoria land availability. Some are “down south” in lieu of “up north”, so don’t know if they count.
- Gale Thetford: I am aware of numerous businesses that have left Peoria. Waugh Foods, Bemis, Tuffy Muffler, Outback Steakhouse, Ned Kelly’s Steakhouse, Agave Mexican Restaurant. My recollection is that Waugh Foods needed more space to expand their operations and Bemis was consolidating their operations. I am not certain as to the rationale for the others that I have mentioned.
- Patti Sterling Polk: Freidman Brothers-consolidation, Bemis consolidation-but actually moved to Mexico, Waugh Foods-expansion of their market to Bloomington, Shopko poor preforming stores, Winpak-expansion.
- Dan Irving: Waugh Foods – Moved to East Peoria. Something to do with zoning I believe. Winpack – Currently relocating to Pekin. Had issues with not being able to purchase their building. Pepsi – Moved to Morton. I am not sure of the reason other than highway accessibility. Mid State Terrazzo and Tile – Moved to Alta from Pierson Avenue due to deteriorating neighborhood. Jaspier’s Interiors – Moved to Mossville due to the cost of rent.
- Gloria Cassel Fitzgerald: Hotels, Apartments Complexes, restaurants, gas stations, and storage’s bends. The reasons are poor education levels for there children, crime, and more $ for there businesses.
- Ryan Spain: Winpac- No expansion space, high land price. Moved to Pekin. Amerhart- No expansion space, high land price, need for rail access. Moved to Pekin. Waugh Foods- No expansion space, better interstate access. Moved to East Peoria. Heart Technologies- Consolidated services into one facility, building was ready for relocation. Moved to East Peoria. Bemis Bag- Consolidated with another Bemis plant. Currently closed. Pepsi- Needed better interstate access, multiple facilities were consolidated. Moved to Morton. (This was more than 4 years ago).
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Wait a minute.
F Scotts is moving to Junction City?
Sweet!
Sandberg gets my vote on that nugget alone!
Did Gloria Cassel Fitzgerald understand these questions? Her responses aren’t very well written, detailed or on point?
I also thought Gloria Fitzgerald’s answer was bizarre.
Gale Thetford at least listed businesses that closed, but listing several chain stores (Tuffy Muffler, Outback Steakhouse, Ned Kelly’s Steakhouse, Agave Mexican Restaurant) that closed was showing a lack of knowledge as well.
How about Gateway Milling – lack of rail access, maybe?
Gateway Milling was more than two years ago.
Negociations breaking down with F Scotts in Junction City, Sully now thinking about Bloomington/Normal
Wow…this question puts some real distance between the candidates. Some folks are aware while others are not. I think a voter would be able to knock off three of four potential candidates right there.
I think if you look at the answers to this questionaire, there are a few folks who should be asking themselves why they are even in this race.
Midstate Terrazzo was never in Peoria, but rather West Peoria, but when you live where Dan does West Peoria probably seems like Peoria becaause of his “deteriorating neighborhood” comment.
Pepsi moved a Looooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnng time ago. Interestingly a business that repairs Waffle irons or makers nation wide, (YEP, DO YA BELIEVE A NATION WIDE WAFFLE MAKER REPAIRER, WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK?) now resides in the old Pepsi Building and appears to be doing quite well.
Relevance of the Pepsi update is a certain current Council candidate who used to be on the Council but shall remain nameless wanted the City to purchase the Pepsi Building location at Spring and Adams after Pepsi moved to facilitate the “S Curve” connection for the Obrien TIF she pushed thru the Council. A vacant lot or S curve pays how much in property taxes and employs how many workers and meets what definition of economic development???????????
How are those for clift notes????????????????????
Good start…..waiting for the longer version, would make for interesting reading….
“Gloria Cassel Fitzgerald: …The reasons are poor education levels for there children, crime, and more $ for there businesses. ”
Don’t forget lack of gammar! What a goofball answer. For some reason, I picture her being an Eleanor Abernathy type…
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8e/Crazy_Cat_Lady.jpg