Prime Minister Matteo Renzi made his first official visit to Chicago on March 30, 2016. The visit by the Italian head of state focused on Italian manufacturers in the Midwest at the ITA’s i3 Forum=Impact. Innovate. Integrate. at the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center. “The i3 Forum provided a unique opportunity for U.S. and Italian manufacturers to address the challenges and trends in the marketplace through sharing practical experiences,” said Roberto Luongo, Director General of the Italian Trade Agency. "Chicago is not only the epicenter of the U.S. advanced manufacturing ecosystem, it

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics - Census of Employment and Wages, out of 13,104 household furniture and cabinetry manufacturers in 2014, California topped the list with 1,428 shops, followed by Florida (1,073), New York (691), Texas (665), and North Carolina (643). Illinois (549), Ohio (499), Pennsylvania (471), Indiana (386), and Virginia (343). However, when it comes to number of employees in the field, North Carolina moves into the top spot, with 26,406, followed by California (21,509), Mississippi (16,098), Indiana (15,148), Texas (14,074), Wisconsin (10,403), Pennsylvania (9

MIDWEST EXCHANGE Inc. announced their plans to proceed with their own PET Recycling plant to produce 100% recycled PET material, giving Greater Chicago region a World Class facility and closing the loop for recycling in North America. “We believe this to be a great step in our sustainability program and provides our clients with an environmentally friendly option to using virgin resin”, stated Alex Casillas, President and Founder of MIDWEST Exchange “Our goal is to eliminate our dependency upon foreign virgin PET resin by producing locally and manufacturing recycled resin (RPET) from local

Italian widget manufacturer (fasteners, screws, nuts, studs, wheel bolts) V.AR.VIT SpA has leased 55k SF in Aurora's 1455 Sequoia Dr for its first North American locale. About V.AR.VIT SpA Founded in Reggio Emilia in 1962 by Aristide Vescovini, by 1975 V.AR.VIT. was already established as a major supplier to agricultural, industrial and earth moving machinery manufacturers and a leading supplier of spare parts worldwide. Today V.AR.VIT. distributes the Group's products to over 70 countries around the globe. V.AR.VIT. has two large finished product warehouse facilities, both of which are highly