 A Toyota 8-Series forklift |
To accommodate growth, forklift dealer and wholesaler Atlas Toyota Material Handling is planning to move its headquarters and technical shop services about 8 mi. (12.8 km).
"We need more space," says Allen Rawson, president and chief executive officer. "We will begin the move in late 2015 and be operational in 2016."
Atlas is acquiring and will occupy 246,000 sqft. (22,853 sqm) in two contiguous 1970-era industrial buildings on 10.25 ac. in a business park in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.
Currently, the Atlas operations in Schiller Park have 161,000 sqft. (14,957 sqm) in four buildings on 6.5 ac.
Rawson projects investing millions of dollars for the acquisition, redevelopment construction, infrastructure installations and physical move.
Over time, Atlas may benefit from at least USD1.6 million in tax increment financing (TIF) district proceeds under an agreement with Elk Grove Village officials. The village created the Busse-Elmhurst TIF district after conversations with the Atlas team.
Atlas represents four forklift brands including the nameplate Toyota line. "We began with Bendi and Drexel about 15 years ago and Big Joe about five years ago," Rawson says. Other equipment includes Aichi aerial work platforms, Seegrid robotic vision-guided automated guided vehicles, Motrec and Columbia specialty vehicles, Hamaco hydraulic lift tables and other equipment
In addition to the Schiller Park location, Atlas has full-service forklift-focused branches in Bedford Park, Batavia and Mokena, collectively ringing the market for the metropolitan Chicago area.
Atlas has operated a Bobcat division since 1965 and has additional northern Illinois facilities in Wauconda, West Chicago and Yorkville for that equipment.
"(Under the Atlas International Lift Trucks identity), our wholesale operation requires lots of space for equipment storage," Rawson says. "We are dragging machines between buildings in the winter."
Many of the 1,000 wholesale-related forklifts on site in Schiller Park are stored out of doors, sometimes resulting in dislocations. With the new site, "we will move indoors" in Elk Grove Village, he notes. In operation since 1951 and in addition to the Illinois facility, Atlas International Lift Trucks has two California locations in American Canyon and San Bernardino.
Under the TIF district, property taxes for relevant local governments are frozen at current levels for as many as 23 years. Taxes collected above those levels are allocated to a special village fund that is used to pay for public and private improvements. Those payments will include some for Atlas' benefit.
The village says Atlas after its relocation may seek reimbursement for about USD887,000 in moving costs, USD272,000 for excavation, USD250,000 for environmental clean-up and engineering, USD140,000 for soil remediation and hauling and USD51,000 for storm sewers. The village has about 20 years to pay those costs from incremental funds.
Atlas has more than 300 employees of whom 250 are based now in Schiller Park.