‘A very good vibe’: New businesses discuss their moves to Schaumburg
Four businesses that recently moved to or are relocating to Schaumburg discussed their experiences Tuesday during the Schaumburg Business Association’s Mid-Year Economic Update.
They ranged from Wheels LLC, which manages thousands of vehicles for clients in the U.S. and Canada from its new headquarters in the iconic Zurich North America building, to Sweet Reserve Cafe & Bakery, which chose the village’s Town Square for its fourth location.
Also represented were a pair of health care services providers. Hanger Clinic opened a 19,500-square-foot integrated care clinic for orthotic and prosthetic patients in the former Ethan Allen furniture store on Golf Road this spring, while Duly Health and Care will open a 99,000-square-foot medical office in the former At Home space, just south of Costco, in early August.
Chris Smith, chief operations officer at Wheels, said that while technology is changing his industry rapidly, the new headquarters features a sign reading “Relationships Matter.”
Employees who’ve moved from the company’s previous headquarters in Des Plaines proudly brought their families to see the new offices on Sunday, he said.
“They’re super, super excited,” Smith said. “This is a highly engaged workforce.”
Asked what the top challenge of the year has been, Smith cited the ever-changing tariff outlook.
Nicolas Dronen, vice president for enterprise strategy and growth at Duly, said the company hopes its new Schaumburg facility provides convenience and cost efficiency by having a wide range of services under one roof.
“(Duly has) grown over its 30-year evolution by meeting the patients where they’re at,” he said.
Dronen identified finding the right staff as the firm’s biggest challenge.
For Hanger Clinic, which had its start during the Civil War, technology improvements have been key to its 160-year history, Area Director John Quigley said.
The goal of the new Schaumburg center is not only to provide convenience for local clients but also to be a place where clients can fly in and have orthotic and prosthetic devices created for them within two days, without compromising quality.
“There are similar centers but not quite as unique as this,” Quigley said. “It’s really a state-of-the-art facility. The outcomes are phenomenal.”
The benefits of locating in Schaumburg have exceeded expectations, he added.
“It just has a very good vibe,” Quigley said. “You can feel it when you drive in here.”
Providing the small-business perspective was Humera Rauf, who spoke of her experience becoming an entrepreneur in the wake of the pandemic. Her first Sweet Reserve Cafe & Bakery opened in Lombard.
“When we were in Lombard, there were certain areas we knew we wanted to grow into,” Rauf said. “We just fell in love with Town Square.”
One of the goals of the business is to find potential employees among people living with limitations and challenges.
“We really, really focus on training them,” Rauf said.
The diverse culture of Schaumburg has provided her such employees with a strong work ethic, she added. When asked how the community can help Sweet Reserve grow, Rauf said partnerships with other businesses for their special events would be of mutual benefit.