Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. reported that its massive new distribution, assembly and shared services center in Rantoul, IL qualified for up to $3.4 million in tax and other economic incentives from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The company held an official groundbreaking ceremony for the 800,000-square-foot building on Aug. 14.

The state’s targeted investment package, estimated at $3.4 million, includes Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credits, which are based on jobs and distributed over a period of 10 years and a training grant through the Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP). The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will administer the package, which will help create 50 new jobs and retain 255 jobs.
 
The new center, which is scheduled to be completed in late 2013, will house 300 existing Easton-Bell employees and serve as one of the company’s primary North American sites for assembling, distributing and servicing Easton, Bell, Riddell, Giro and Blackburn brand products. Construction of the LEED-certified facility will entail the laying of approximately 18 miles of electrical cable, 42,000 cubic yards of concrete weighing approximately 85,000 tons, and 3,000 tons of steel.

“This project has been several years in the making, and we are absolutely thrilled to break ground on the new site today,” said Donna L. Flood, chief operations officer and president of Giro/Easton Cycling. “On behalf of the entire company, I’d like to thank the many local and state officials who have been supportive of Easton-Bell Sports strengthening its foothold in Champaign County. This new facility will provide a number of important benefits to our business, our employees and the local economy.”

“Easton-Bell has had roots in Rantoul for nearly 30 years and I’m pleased that the company has decided to continue to grow and thrive here in Illinois,” Governor Pat Quinn said. “This new facility will help boost the local economy by creating good paying jobs.”

The new center will consolidate Easton-Bell Sports’ current Rantoul operations into a single structure with advanced technology and design capable of producing shorter lead times for customer orders, the highest quality order shipments, and long-term cost savings that can be re-invested in the business.

Easton-Bell Sports’ history in Champaign County dates back to 1983, when Bell Sports acquired a motorcycle accessories manufacturing facility in Rantoul. The company has expanded its local presence over the last three decades, shipping more than 13 million units annually and serving as one of the area’s largest employers.

“We’re pleased that Easton-Bell has been able to move to the groundbreaking phase of this project,” said Erik Kotewa, deputy director of the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation. “This is a testament to the amazing workforce in Rantoul, evidence of the strong partnership between the Village of Rantoul and local employers, and a catalyst for further well designed and striking development in this new ‘gateway’ for Champaign County.”

The new center will handle products under the company’s Bell, Blackburn, Easton Cycling, Giro and Riddell brands. The new site location is Rantoul’s Village Industrial Park (at the NW intersection of Highway 136 and Interstate 57).