The Department of Planning and Development, World Business Chicago and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity have been working to find a way to keep Archibald Candy Corp. from closing its doors. But it is difficult to find a solution when a company is unwilling to participate. Archibald executives’ plan to sell off parts of their company, and put hundreds of their dedicated employees out of work, was put together without ever exploring the idea of government assistance to help save them.
While the company kept their decisions a secret, World Business Chicago officials had been tracking the company’s failing performance for more than two years. They worked with the labor unions to find an alternative fate for the company, including the idea of the workers buying the company themselves. But despite our best efforts, the company’s executives never sought our assistance. When they finally agreed to meet with us, they said their decisions were made and that their hands were tied.
In this era of globalization, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development and World Business Chicago are dedicated to creating new employment opportunities and preserving the thousands of jobs that make Chicago one of the strongest, most diverse employment bases in the country. And when Chicago companies seek our help, we have been tremendously successful in helping them achieve their goals, and making their businesses stronger than ever. A perfect example of how the system is supposed to work is the way the city and state were able to help Keebler expand their production plant on the Far South Side. The company had been struggling in an outdated, cramped facility in the Stockyards Industrial Corridor. They seriously contemplated moving their operations out of state. But rather than jumping the gun and abandoning Chicago, they appealed to us for help.
Today, with an economic development package from the city and state, the Pullman neighborhood is now home to the world’s largest ice-cream-cone plant and Chicago has hundreds of new jobs that moved here from Keebler’s operations in Michigan.
As Archibald’s dismantlement plans have not yet been finalized in bankruptcy court, we remain steadfast in our efforts to keep Fannie May operations alive, well and in Chicago.
