Retco Alloy and the Value of Choose DuPage

Retco Alloy of Wood Dale moved to DuPage County due in large part to the services they received from Choose DuPage and workNet DuPage. Mike Maziarka, the President and CEO, bought Retco Alloy in 2009 at which time it was located in Elk Grove Village, Cook County having previously been located in Chicago for 70 years. Retco Alloy assembles, packages, and distributes vocational and technical education kits to educational institutions and employs twelve people.

Early in 2009 Retco’s lease was ending and Mike decided to look for a new location to cut costs on rent, upgrade to a modern facility, and to be closer to home. Mike heard from many people including real estate brokers that DuPage County would meet his criteria. They told him that because of a lower tax structure on commercial buildings in DuPage County, rents tended to be lower and the skill level of the DuPage workforce was superior. This prompted him to contact Choose DuPage to get more information on potential locations in the County.

The Choose DuPage Team immediately provided Mike with a list of buildings that met his requirements through the CoStar database. Choose DuPage also provided Mike with a plethora of business resources including information on the Incumbent Worker Training Grant Program through workNet DuPage. In March of 2009 Retco leased with the intent to buy an 11,000 square foot building in Wood Dale, DuPage County. In the fall of 2009 Retco received a grant of $11,780 workNet DuPage to assist with training of its current workforce.

According to Mike, “If all locations were equal, the stellar service I received from the workNet staff and the Choose DuPage staff would have been enough to cement our decision to move to DuPage County.”