G&W President: Mayor Claar Was 'Instrumental in Paving the Way to Make Us Feel Welcome'

Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar has been lauding the G&W Electric move to Bolingbrook as one of the most important in years. 

Now, G&W brass are returning the favor. 

In an interview with The Herald-News, John Mueller, president of the electrical systems company, said Claar played a key role in the corporation relocating from Blue Island to Bolingbrook. 

From The Herald-News:

When Mueller decided to move his company’s manufacturing operations and headquarters to larger quarters, officials in Wisconsin and Indiana offered better economic incentives and services than Illinois.

Then he met with John Greuling, CEO and president of the Will County Center for Economic Development (CED), and Bolingbrook Mayor Claar.

“Roger and John did an awesome job of matching the Indiana and Wisconsin teams,” Mueller said. “They were instrumental in paving the way to make us feel welcome in Will County.”

Claar announced the company's move in January at his annual state of the village address.

Since then, G&W—an international designer of electrical systems that has powered such high-profile buildings such as the Kennedy Space Center, Harvard University and MIT—has taken advantage of a $5.6 million tax incentive from the state and $24 million worth of bonds from Will County. 

The village has also waived a slew of fees—fees such as occupancy fees, and fire and building plan review and inspection fees—that will save the company another $50,000.

Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar said G&W, which moved its headquarters and administrative operations to the Crossroads Business Park off Route 53, brought more than 300 jobs to the Bolingbrook-area.

Claar said the move was "a mayor's dream,” during his state of the village address in January.