New lawsuit alleges Mount Prospect officials are harassing company
Prestige Feed Products has revived harassment claims against Mount Prospect with a new lawsuit in Cook County circuit court.
The animal feed producer is also seeking to prove the plant at 431 Lakeview Court does not constitute a nuisance, despite persistent odor complaints from residents living nearby.
The company also is pursuing a lawsuit against Mount Prospect to prevent the village from shutting it down the factory. The village and Des Plaines are fighting the case, which is scheduled for trial in September.
In addition, the Illinois Attorney General has filed suit against Prestige for “allegedly allowing excessive odors and causing air and noise pollution.” That suit states that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency reported excessive burnt-cheese odors in areas around the plant and off site during inspections in 2023 and 2024.
The attorney general’s office also said an environmental consulting firm hired by Prestige identified high levels of Butyric Acid.
Prestige’s latest lawsuit names the village, Mount Prospect Mayor Paul Hoefert, Village Manager Michael Cassady and Director of Building and Inspection Services William Schroeder as defendants. It repeats claims against officials that were recently rejected in court by Cook County Circuit Judge Thomas More Donnelly.
Prestige is seeking a jury trial and monetary judgment of at least $50,000, plus attorney’s fees and costs. It is also looking for punitive damages and compensation for financial losses.
The company says it has spent more than $1.45 million on odor mitigation equipment and expert reports and $580,000 in attorney fees. It says it stands to lose its nearly $3 million in investment in the facility if the village pulls its occupancy permit and business license.
Prestige argues the village is trying to revoke its business license on the basis of “subjective inconsistent complaints,” rather than scientific data.
The lawsuit cites four scientific odor studies commissioned by Prestige between 2021 and 2024. It also states Prestige, Mount Prospect and Des Plaines tested air samples at 15 locations between November 2024 and March 2025.
The studies revealed odor levels “either immeasurable or well below the factual and legal definition of nuisance,” Prestige states.
The claims against Hoefert and Cassady relate to public statements about the possibility and desirability of Prestige relocating.
The suit claims Cassady and Schroeder were satisfied by a fan system intended to mitigate odors that was installed in late 2023. But in January 2025, the village ticketed Prestige for failing to submit a building permit application for the fan.
Prestige says it submitted the application, only to be turned down in March. The suit states village officials, including Schroeder, indicated they are reconsidering all previously issued and approved building permits for equipment at the facility.
Village officials and counsel were contacted but would not comment for this story.