Brewster Creek Business Park has long served as the key economic engine that keeps Bartlett humming.

Home to more than 75 businesses housed in 48 buildings comprising over 5.2 million square feet, this modern business park includes Fortune 500 companies like ITW and McKesson along with mom-and-pop businesses.

What was once a gravel quarry has become a dynamic area of commerce that supports thousands of jobs in industries that include the automotive supply chain, food production and distribution, robotics, warehousing and more.

A TIF Done Right
The Village of Bartlett partnered with gravel mine company Elmhurst-Chicago Stone in 1999 to create a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District and redevelop the quarry site into one of the premier business parks in the Chicago area.

Since development began, the value of the properties in Brewster Creek Business Park has risen dramatically. Initially worth an estimated $2 million, Brewster Creek has added hundreds of millions of dollars in investments during the past two decades. The TIF reimbursed the land developer for more than $120 million of land development costs including grading, roads, water and sewer service, landscaping, bond issuance fees and debt service.

The result is a public/private partnership in the true sense of the words, creating a win-win-win-win scenario for the landowner, the businesses that call the business park their home, the many employees who come to work there every day and the Village of Bartlett.

By the time the TIF has concluded and the business park is fully developed, it will be a proven model of success - increasing and diversifying the village’s tax base and transforming a depleted gravel pit into the backbone of the village’s economy.

A Strong Food Cluster
Food giant Greco & Sons was the first major food distributor to locate in Brewster Creek Business Park. It soon was followed by other food sector companies, such as Get Fresh Produce, Rana Meal Solutions, Cheese Merchants of America and candy packager creative werks. In addition, Thermo Fisher Scientific tests food safety in their Brewster Creek location. 

The reasonably priced land that was available along with DuPage County taxes, access to a strong workforce and proximity to state highways made Brewster Creek Business Park an ideal Chicago area location for each of these companies.

Together, these businesses employ more than 1,000 people and provide high-quality food products to restaurants, grocery stores and other clients throughout the Midwest and the country.

German High Tech Precision Cluster

Bartlett’s pro-business attitude also has attracted several high-precision, German-based advanced manufacturers, including Herrmann Ultrasonics, Wittenstein, Bremskerl and BBS Automation in recent years. A strong relationship with the German-American Chamber of Commerce has enabled Bartlett to welcome these companies with open arms, strengthening the village's tax base.

Automotive Cluster
Midwest Molding, Bremskerl, Winhere Brake Parts, Camcraft and Auto Truck are five Brewster Creek businesses that are in the auto supply chain. 

Strong Workforce
Besides its great location, the greatest competitive advantage that innovative businesses have found at Brewster Creek Business Park is the talented workforce in the Bartlett area. Employees possess the training, education, work ethic and skills to help companies grow and prosper. 

The Village has partnered with local workforce development organizations, including the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, Elgin Community College’s Workforce Development program and the recently-launched Workforce Development Center in neighboring Hanover Park.

Village staff can help your company meet with one or more workforce development partners to facilitate the recruiting and hiring of workers, whether entry-level, technically skilled or management professionals.

In addition, Hanover Township frequently hosts job fairs, where businesses can successfully recruit new employees.  

There is still time to construct a build-to-suit for you or your client.

Although the large sites in the DuPage County portion of Brewster Creek Business Park have been developed, there are several two- to five-acre sites left.

Contact Economic Development Coordinator Tony Fradin, tfradin@bartlettil.gov, for information about available spaces and land sites at the business park.