Sara Lee to add up to 40 jobs in Rochelle

By Thomas V. Bona

BusinessRockford.com

Three square meals a day keep Rochelle growing.

Sara Lee is the latest food company to expand in the Hub City, as the recession sends consumers to their dining rooms instead of to restaurants.

The 132,000-square-foot expansion of Sara Lee’s distribution facility here is its second in two years. It’ll add up to 40 jobs, bringing the total to 210.

Moreover, it retains Rochelle’s crown as having the largest of Sara Lee’s five distribution centers.

“It’s the best location based on where our manufacturers are and the people it serves,” said Larry Rogers, vice president of integrated logistics for the Downers Grove company.

The facility distributes frozen and refrigerated products such as Sara Lee baked goods, Ball Park Franks, Jimmy Dean sausages and Hillshire Farm meats to the central and northwestern United States.

Construction is scheduled to be complete by December. Sara Lee also is expanding its truck-parking area for increased traffic.

Several Rochelle food operations are having “record years,” said Jason Anderson, the city’s economic development director. Another food company has started talking about an expansion, he said.

“In hard economic times, food businesses tend to do well,” he said. “Sara Lee, being a Fortune 500 company — one of several we have in Rochelle — and expanding here is just a huge accomplishment for the city. We’re just thrilled to have a company of their caliber build in our community.”

The project comes with $2 million in Illinois Department of Transportation aid for a related road project. By extending Dement Road and widening Wiscold Drive, trucks from Sara Lee and nearby companies will be able to get to Interstate 39 without going through town.

The road project, which will cost up to $5.5 million and be completed in two years, would also open up 170 nearby acres for development, Anderson said. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development also is helping with the project, and the city is seeking federal stimulus funds.

It’s the latest good news for Rochelle, which has offset effects of the recession with growth in the food and technology sectors. It’s seen as an ideal place for distribution centers because it’s at the crossroads of two interstates and two major rail lines.

The Sara Lee facility is operated by Total Logistic Control, a Michigan company that does third-party supply chain work for retailers and manufacturers. TLC also operates facilities for other companies in Rochelle.

The Sara Lee expansion is being built by Tippmann Group, an Indiana-based contractor.

Executive Vice President Steve Tippmann said a key to Rochelle’s growth is the ease with which companies can get through the permitting and development process.

“It’s very clear that Rochelle wants the project, wants the tax base, wants the employees and the jobs and it’s a pleasure to do business in a community like this,” Tippmann said.

Contact staff writer Thomas V. Bona at 815-987-1343 or tbona@rrstar.com.

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