C.H. Robinson set to expand in Chicago

Global logistics services provider and freight forwarder C.H. Robinson recently announced it plans to open up a new office building in Chicago.

The company said the new office building will be 207,000 square-feet build-to-suit location at 1511 Webster Park in the Lincoln Park section of Chicago, adding that Sterling Bay, a commercial real estate developer, that acquired the 4.18-acre site earlier in 2015 will develop and manage the property. The company expects to move into the new building in late 2018.

C.H. Robinson inked a 15-year lease for the property, which it noted marks a major upgrade compared to its current Chicago hub, a 160,000 square-foot facility located at 1840 N. Marcey Street.

A company spokesman said that by nearly doubling its Chicago headcount since 2005, when it moved into the N. Marcey Street building, it hopes to continue growing its Chicago footprint. The new location will be home to the company’s Chicago Central office, which is home to approximately 1,000 or its nearly 2,000 Chicago-based employees (which make up nearly 15 percent of the company’s employees) and these 1,000 employees will relocate to the new building. C.H. Robinson has nine offices in the “Chicagoland” area.

“Over the past decade, Chicago has emerged as our largest center of employment, and one of our most important global markets,” said Pat Nolan, vice president at C.H. Robinson, in a statement. “Chicago’s longstanding history as a multimodal transportation hub, its thriving tech industry, and its rich talent pool make it an ideal place for us to do business. We hope to continue growing in Chicago in the years to come.”

C.H. Robinson’s growth in Chicago, specifically the continued development of its North American surface transportation business, helps it to continue to deliver on its mission to improve the world’s transportation and supply chains while delivering exceptional value to its customers and suppliers, the spokesman said.