Chemtool bought by Lubrizol

By CHRIS FREEMAN

Chemtool announced Wednesday that it would be bought by Lubrizol, a division of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. The sale price was not announced, but Athans said there would be no changes to the Crystal Lake operations.

"There are no plans to close any facilities, we're not going to have any layoffs," he said. "In fact, we're going to have a job fair next week and we'll be adding more people."…

Chemtool announced Wednesday that it would be bought by Lubrizol, a division of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. The sale price was not announced, but Athans said there would be no changes to the Crystal Lake operations.

"There are no plans to close any facilities, we're not going to have any layoffs," he said. "In fact, we're going to have a job fair next week and we'll be adding more people."

Lubrizol is based in suburban Cleveland and is a division of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire bought Lubrizol in September.

Click on the following for more details:  http://www.nwherald.com/2011/11/09/chemtool-bought-by-lubrizol/adpzmip/

Chemtool’s good paying jobs? Chemtool Salaries in IL | Simply Hired

A full time minimum wage worker in Illinois working will earn $330.00 per week, or $17,160.00 per year. Illinois's minimum wage rate as of April, 2011 is $8.25 per hour

Average of all job listings in Illinois with the name Chemtool—$24,000

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

Click on the following for Illinois Chemtool salaries:  Chemtool Salaries in IL | Simply Hired

Average salary of all job listings for “Chemtool, Roscoe, Illinois”—$21,000

Average salary of all job listings for “Chemtool, Rockton, Illinois”—$21,000.

Drive provides gifts to troops

The gifts will be gathered at Chemtool sites and then taken on a semitruck to Operation Support Our Troops - Illinois in Naperville where they will be shipped out.
Owner Jim Athans spearheaded the partnership and has received support from employees including organizers Bob Shockley, a plant manager for Metalcote Division, and Lindsay DuBois, a sales representative with the Metalcote Division.

Click on the following for more details:  Beloit Daily News - your source for news, entertainment, sports, opinion, events, community, shopping and more > Archives > News > Top News > Drive provides gifts to troops

Chemtool keeping jobs at Crystal Lake facility

 

He estimated that 40 to 60 employees – down from about 250 jobs at its peak – would remain at 130,000-square-foot plant on 56 acres at 8200 Ridgefield Road [in Crystal Lake]

some production, some warehousing, and some packaging will remain. Crystal Lake is my town. I’ve lived here all my life.”

Click on the following for Mr. Athans’ plans for the Winnebago and McHenry County facilities:  Business Journal | Chemtool keeping jobs at Crystal Lake facility

Chemtool Hurdles Rising

WIFR Channel 23 reports the following regarding Chemtool, James Athens and the construction unions.

 
Storms is with a local trade union and is referring to Chemtool's President Jim Athens. He feels the company's falling short on pledged commitments to the community.

Athans' dismissing the fact that he's not hiring locally. He says the majority of his current construction workers are from the area except a McHenry County-based concrete company that turned in a better bid. As far as looking elsewhere, he's aware of other sites in Illinois and Indiana but wouldn't give any specifics.

Click on the following for more details:  Chemtool Hurdles Rising

March 2010 News from Growth Dimensions

Chemtool donates $5,000 to Growth Dimension

Growth Dimensions Welcomes Chemtool as Gold Member

Growth Dimensions is pleased to announce Chemtool Incorporated's gold membership in the organization.

Growth Dimensions has been working with Chemtool since 2005 through the organization's AgTech Initiative. The Initiative has assisted Chemtool in analyzing and recognizing opportunities in the biobased industry.

Chemtool Incorporated is one of the largest manufacturers and custom formulators of lubricants and specialty products in the world. The privately held company was started by James Athans in 1963 and currently employs nearly 500 people. The headquarters and main facility of Chemtool is located in Crystal Lake with a research and development team with highly qualified chemists, biologists, and technical specialists. The company has also recently located a 450,000 square foot distribution facility and Corporate Technology Center in Rockton, IL.

"We're very happy to be a member of the organization and part of the board of directors,"stated Joel Day of Chemtool's Business Development." Chemtool Incorporated's philosophy is similar to that of Growth Dimensions. We believe in giving back to the community and we do what we can to make improvements and make this area a better place to live.

Mr. Day joined Chemtool incorporated in early 2010 and will be representing the company on Growth

Dimensions' Board of Directors. Growth Dimensions looks forward to Chemtool's leadership and participation in the organization throughout the years ahead.

Pictured Above: Chemtool Production Center- Rockton, IL

March 2010 News from Growth Dimensions

Despite economy, Rockton leaders optimistic about TIF performance | The Rock River Times

A short story evaluating Rockton and Chemtool. 

Chemtool presently has 60 employees on the site, and that 40 additional employees will be relocating from the Crystal Lake facility at the beginning of March.

As a result of Chemtool owner Jim Athans’ investments, Adams estimated the challenged property is now worth approximately $15 million.

“Two years ago, when we first set this up, it was considerably less than that,

Click on the following for details:  Despite economy, Rockton leaders optimistic about TIF performance | The Rock River Times

Chemtool begins moving in

Boxes are coming in and out of the former Woodward Governor building on the corner of Illinois Highway 2 and Rockton Road.
Chemtool is moving in while Woodward Governor is moving out of the 105,000-square-foot facility.

Athans said Chemtool has moved in a few offices that are filled with workers from the Crystal Lake, Ill. facility and new hires from the Stateline Area

Click on the following for more details:   Beloit Daily News - your source for news, entertainment, sports, opinion, events, community, shopping and more > Archives > News > Local News > Chemtool begins moving in

Lawsuit filed over commission in Chemtool deal - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Old news from 2008 maybe coming to court soon. 

Williamson Real Estate Inc. claims it showed the property, owned by Guiffre II LLC, to Chemtool Inc. on at least six occasions and was going to receive a 6 percent commission on the $6.5 million deal the sides reached on Jan. 24, 2006.
The deal was later canceled

Lawsuit filed over commission in Chemtool deal - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

McHenry County, Chemtool still do not have a deal on pollution case: IEP has become involved.

I received an email response  from the McHenry County States Attorney regarding the current status of their action against Chemtools’ Crystal Lake facility. 

Your request for information on the above referenced matter was forwarded to me.  The Chemtool case is ongoing and was recently continued for status to 10/13/09.  The Illinois EPA has gotten involved and taken over part of the matter which has altered the litigation. There is no final settlement as of yet.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thomas J. Carroll

Civil Division, Chief

McHenry County State's Attorney's Office

815-334-4159

For details regarding the issues involved in the case go to this June 2009 article from:  Northwest Herald | County, Chemtool near deal

Chemtool move likely a boon for taxes -

Jim Athans’ final plan? Sell/lease old Beloit TIF site to someone else and move into Woodward plant in Rockton.

The pressure is on him to get some business in there,” Winters said. “He’s paying himself back out of that $2 million,” which had been part of an agreement between Athans and the village for investing in a Chemtool tax increment financing district

Now the move will actually cost Athans because the building is not in a TIF district.

Winters suspects that Athans will try to sell the old Beloit Corp. property he previously bought to make up for that.

Chemtool move likely a boon for taxes - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Manufacturer Diversifying By Investing In Its Local Facility

Manufacturer Diversifying By Investing In Its Local Facility
Chemtool is building a 400 thousand square foot manufacturing facility in Rockton.

See the Channel 23 video on Mr. Athans and Chemtool:  Manufacturer Diversifying By Investing In Its Local Facility

Manufacturer considers leaving Elkhorn for larger facility -- Walworth County Today

Officials from the company told the Gazette in January that their was no room to expand in Elkhorn, and eventually they would consider moving.

In 2003, opposition from Linn Township residents prompted Chemtool owners to reconsider their plans to build a plant on a 102-acre property off County Highway B, :

Click on the following for the rest of the story:  Manufacturer considers leaving Elkhorn for larger facility -- Walworth County Today

Beloit Daily News - your source for news, entertainment, sports, opinion, events, community, shopping and more > News > Local News

This article tells some new facts about the illusive plans of Mr. Athans. 

Athans said he would also like to move the Elkhorn, Wis., plant to the facility as well.

Woodward will be leasing some of the building back for a period of time, but he declined to comment on the amount of money Chemtool is offering Woodward.

The location, which is on the corner of Illinois Hwy. 2 and Rockton Road, is also conveniently located a mile away from Chemtool’s plant at the former Beloit Corporation at 1165 Prairie Hill Road.   Chemtool bought … [that] building in January of 2008. About 50 people now work there.

Athans plans to move Chemtool’s corporate headquarters in Crystal Lake to Rockton as soon as possible after the deal is closed. He expects 50 employees to move initially and then the remainder of the 500 employees should be relocated to Rockton within a year or a year and a half.

Click on the following for the rest of the story:  Beloit Daily News - your source for news, entertainment, sports, opinion, events, community, shopping and more > News > Local News

Chemtool to buy Rockton facility from Woodward - - BusinessRockford.com

A repeat for the most part of information already known.

Athans said Chemtool had wanted to build a 75,000-square-foot office building next to a former Beloit Corp. building at Prairie Hill Road and Illinois 2 but jumped at the chance to acquire the nearly 103,000-square-foot Woodward building and surrounding property. The Woodward building is less than five minutes away on the corner of Illinois 2 and Rockton Road.
“You can’t find a better looking building,” Athans said. “It’s set up for assembly and test so we’ll have to add on to it, but this allows us to get moving much more quickly.”

Chemtool to buy Rockton facility from Woodward - - BusinessRockford.com

Woodward Selling Rockton Plant

Woodward Governor says it wants to sell Rockton plant to Chemtool.

Posted: 4:33 PM Aug 26, 2009

Chemtool will initially bring 50 jobs to Rockton and anticipates total employment in Rockton to be 500 team members. The approximately 210 Woodward Rockton members will relocate to the Woodward Rockford facility on North Second Street in the coming months. Construction on the 102,266 square-foot Rockton building was completed in 1989.

Click here for the rest of the story:  Woodward Selling Rockton Plant

Woodward to sell Rockton facility to Chemtool-- WREX.com – Rockford’s News Leader

Chemtool purchases building rather than builds in Rockton.

Woodward Governor has announced its plans to sell its Rockton facility to Chemtool Incorporated.

Woodward employees told 13 News they heard about the probable sale earlier in the day on Wednesday. Woodward confirmed the news around 4:00 p.m.

"We are pleased to have located such a beautiful facility for our new corporate headquarters," said James Athans, Chairman, Chemtool Incorporated.

Click on the following for more details:  Woodward to sell Rockton facility - WREX.com – Rockford’s News Leader

Rockton to add clause favoring local bids - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

 

The clause will award a Rockton-based company the project if the bid is within 2 percent of the lowest bid.

Click on the following for the rest of the story:  Rockton to add clause favoring local bids - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Rockton awaits sewer-project guidance - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Trustees approved an agreement in February that will have Chemtool Inc. give the village $2 million to invest in the Chemtool Tax Increment Financing district’s infrastructure.The village will guarantee Chemtool Inc. owner James Athans at least half of the money, $1 million, to be returned over an unspecified length of time

So far Chemtool has hired about 30 Rockton area residents, he said.

Click on he following for the rest of the story:  Rockton awaits sewer-project guidance - Rockford, IL – Rocford Register Star

Northwest Herald | County, Chemtool near deal

The savior of employment for Boone County continues negotiations with McHenry County States Attorney Office.

County prosecutors are working with Chemtool outside of court to get the rural Crystal Lake manufacturer to cease sewage and chemical spills.

The county’s lawsuit asks for Chemtool to pay $500 and $750 a day for each day it has continued to violate county health and stormwater ordinances. The lawsuit also asks for a fine of $500 for every week it occupies the building without the permit.

Read the rest of the story by clicking on the following:  Northwest Herald | County, Chemtool near deal