Author: brent

Cloud Tax Gives Startups Sticker Shock

Posted on | by brent
By: John Pletz, Crain’s Chicago Business Like shoppers getting a post-holiday credit card bill, tech companies are suffering sticker shock after finding out what the city’s cloud tax will cost them. Companies such as Amazon Web Services are warning their customers in Chicago that they’ll be collecting the city’s new 5.25 percent tax on their bills in the new year. For some companies, that could mean an annual tax in the six figures that will pinch profits or increase their burn rates, which could cause them to slow their rate of expansion. Continue reading →

Letter to the Editor: Crain’s Chicago Business, Cloud Tax Gives Startups Sticker Shock in Chicago

Posted on | by brent
Dear Editor, This letter is in response to John Pletz’s piece titled “Cloud tax gives startups sticker shock,” I’m pleased to avoid the chill in the air set by Chicago’s 5.25 percent cloud tax by choosing the warm and friendly business climate of DuPage County. Leaders in DuPage County have given us entrepreneurs abundant opportunities to expand our businesses without being burdened by excessive regulations and exorbitant taxes. Continue reading →

Suburban Office Vacancy Hits Lowest Level in 14 Years

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By: Ryan Ori, Crain’s Chicago Business Suburban Chicago office landlords didn’t sign any blockbuster leases in the fourth quarter, but they still had reason to toast 2015. Overall suburban vacancy fell to 18.5 percent in the period, down from 19 percent in the previous quarter and 22.6 percent a year earlier, according to Chicago-based Jones Lang LaSalle. Vacancy, which climbed all the way to 25.4 percent in 2010 during a downturn, is at the lowest level since third-quarter 2001. Continue reading →

Illinois Moves Up to #2 in the Nation for Electrical Grid Modernization

Posted on | by brent
ComEd Smart Grid project helps position Illinois for improved ranking in Grid Modernization Index

CHICAGO (Jan. 25, 2016) – In 2015 ComEd achieved record reliability for a third year in a row, much of it due to smart grid work begun in 2012. This modernization work, along with ComEd’s focus on customer engagement, helped position Illinois as the second in nation in the 2015 Grid Modernization Index (GMI).

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Seize the Future Development Foundation is Now Invest Aurora

Posted on | by brent
Aurora, IL – Seize the Future Development Foundation, Aurora’s economic development partnership is now Invest Aurora. The city of Aurora launched a branding initiative in early 2015, revealing a new logo at the State of the City. Subsequently, Seize the Future Development Foundation sought to rebrand as well, with a focus to more closely align the name and look of the organization with its mission – to grow the economic vitality of the city of Aurora. As such, the Board of Directors chose to rebrand the organization as Invest Aurora. Continue reading →

Mesirow Financial Named One of the Best Places to Work in Money Management

Posted on | by brent
Mesirow Financial announced that it has been named among the Best Places to Work in Money Management by Pensions & Investments, the leading source for international money management news, research and analysis. In its category of firms with more than 1,000 employees, Mesirow Financial earned top rankings from its employees for its entrepreneurial environment, accessibility of management, camaraderie and collaboration. Mesirow Financial first earned this honor in 2013. Continue reading →