Comer Industries turns Loves Park plant into its flagship hub of U.S. operations
The Italian manufacturer completed a three-year, roughly $65 million renovation of its Windsor Road facility, doubling its size and establishing it as the flagship hub of its American operations while employing 352 people with room to grow to 500.
LOVES PARK, Ill. — A global manufacturer that serves some of the biggest agricultural and industrial companies brought team members here from around the world on Tuesday to celebrate a multi-year, multimillion-dollar investment in its Windsor Road plant.
Comer Industries marked the culmination of a three-year effort to fully renovate its facility at 1200 Windsor Road, which roughly doubled in size to nearly 600,000 square feet. The approximately $65 million investment, which does not include the cost of specialty equipment in the building, establishes the local plant as the flagship hub of the Italian company's operations in the United States.
"Several years ago we made a decision. We decided to not merely sell in America, but to manufacture and invest here, and we're growing here," Arlin Perry, who has been president of Comer Industries North America for more than a quarter century, said during a ceremony on Tuesday at the plant. "Today's inauguration is the tangible results of that decision. This facility expands our manufacturing capabilities and capacity. It strengthens our supply chain. It brings us close to our customers and it creates the foundation for future growth. Most importantly, it demonstrates our long-term commitment to the United States."
The plant now employs 352 people with room to grow up to approximately 500. The upgrades unified the company's operations in Woodridge, Rockford and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Comer, which was founded in Reggiolo, Italy in 1970, makes advanced engineering systems and mechatronic solutions for power transmission and powertrain systems. That work includes heavy-duty axles for CNH's large tractor lines and heavy-duty powertrain and drivetrain components for major agricultural and construction companies such as John Deere, Steiger and Caterpillar.
Matteo Storchi, the company's president and CEO, was in Loves Park from Italy on Tuesday to mark the milestone moment for the company and the community.
"We are celebrating commitment. Commitment to our customer. Commitment to this community. Commitment to the American manufacturer, and commitment to the future," Storchi said during the celebration. "For almost 60 years, Comer Industries has grown by investing in innovation, technology and people. Every important milestone in our history has started with the clear belief that growth is created by having the courage to invest before the opportunities become obvious. This facility is a reflection of that belief. It represents our confidence in this market, our confidence in our customer and our confidence in the talented people who work here every day."
Tuesday's event combined a gala-like affair with tours of the renovated space and its capabilities for customers. The event was attended by local and state dignitaries, Comer customers and partners, and members of its team from Italy, China, Japan, India, Germany, Brazil and the United States.
"It's particularly gratifying when you hear that a global company like Comer Industries looked at several communities and chose the Rockford region," said Angela Kay Larson, CEO of the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce. "This is a big boost to Loves Park, to the entire region, to have this esteemed manufacturer choose us."
Comer acquired Walterscheid Powertrain Group in 2021, taking over the Powertrain Rockford and Rockford Clutch brands. It bought the site from Hendricks Commercial Properties in 2023 to begin renovation, according to Eric Holstein, director of integration and manufacturing engineering for Comer North America.
The plant went through extensive renovations that essentially gutted the facility and rebuilt it, according to before and after photos that Holstein displayed. Now, it integrates advanced machining, assembly and painting operations with high-intensity warehousing and a research-and-development testing center equipped with cutting-edge technology, the company said.
"At Comer Industries we firmly believe that successful companies combine global capabilities with strong local roots," Perry said. "Our engineering expertise was developed over decades, but our success depends on our ability to serve customers where they operate, where they invest and where they grow."
Comer celebrated its renovation on the same day that PCI Pharma Services celebrated the opening of three new facilities in south Rockford. Those facilities are expected to create 650 new jobs. Both companies' investments are the result of years of work, Larson said.
"What we're seeing with Comer Industries, with PCI, with the recent visit from Airbus is people understand this location in the United States as being incredibly strategic. Top that with the skilled workers that we have here and it's an unbeatable combination," Larson said. "We are literally in the middle of everywhere with a lot of incredibly talented people."