A manufacturer with more than 100 workers is closing two of its Springfield facilities and moving operations to Clinton after a dispute with the city over building-code violations.
Mike Hoyle has owned Kwik-Wall for 19 years, a company that makes movable partitions for conference and convention facilities. Hoyle used an LLC to purchase the former Farm and Home building on North Dirksen Parkway for $2 million in April 2024, according to Sangamon County tax records, but soon found himself at loggerheads with city officials over changes made to the building.
“Farm and Home had relocated and then this company moved in, and they did alterations to the building without ever acquiring any permits or submitting any plans of any kind,” Springfield building official Mitchell Flynn said. “Back in August, we discovered what we thought was an empty building was actually (a place) where glass assembling was going on.”
Among the changes made were alterations to the building’s electrical and fire safety systems, he said. Such violations can result in hefty fines until they are corrected.
“I know that they do still have pending violations they’ve never corrected. There’s still information they’ve never submitted to the fire safety division. … These are very big deals. This is a commercial space,” Flynn said.
A building permit was filed Jan. 8 to “remodel (the) existing building for glass assembly manufacturing and warehouse.”
City officials did not immediately provide information on how much in fines have been levied against the company. Hoyle declined to discuss the matter with Illinois Times.
In addition to the building at 2900 N. Dirksen Parkway, Kwik-Wall has a second Springfield manufacturing facility at 4650 Industrial Ave. and others in Mt. Pulaski and Darien, Wisconsin.
According to Hoyle, the two Springfield properties will be listed for sale, but the administrative headquarters will remain here.
Curt Homann, executive director of the DeWitt County Development Council, said Kwik-Wall will consolidate all of its Illinois manufacturing to the 215,000-square-foot building in Clinton formerly owned by R.R. Donnelly, a printing company.
He said initially the plant will employ about 100 people, but it is anticipated the facility’s workforce will grow to between 150 and 250 people during the next four years.
“These are union jobs, and they’re not jobs that require a college degree. So, it gives folks who aren’t going to college a good reason to stay and live in Clinton and Dewitt County,” Homann said.
On Feb. 25, the Clinton City Council and Clinton school board joined the DeWitt County Board in agreeing not to collect taxes on the property for five years. Homann said this incentive package was a critical component in getting Kwik-Wall to move its manufacturing to Clinton. Initially, he anticipates much of the existing workforce will commute to the city of 7,000, which is 43 miles from Springfield.
“There’s some nice office space in (the building) as well, and they are going to rehab that and make it a training center. Distributors from around the country and the world will end up in Clinton for training,” Homann said. “From an economic development standpoint, we’re certainly glad to have the workers and the families coming to Clinton or living in Clinton, but we’re also excited to have people from all over coming to Clinton even for a few days.”
He anticipates some workers may move to Clinton while others will commute. Over time, it is likely commuters will choose to seek employment closer to Springfield and they will be replaced by Dewitt County residents, he said.
Homann said Kwik-Wall will be providing partitions to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
”He has a pretty large contract. I don’t recall the exact number, but it was in the $12 million to $15 million range, and that is a 2026 contract. So that is part of the push to be ready in Clinton by the end of this year or the very beginning of next year.”
Kwik-Wall also reportedly has a partnership with a German firm to provide glass partition walls.
Over the years, Clinton has lost much of its manufacturing base. The city was once a leading manufacturer for pots and pans but in 1999 its Revere Ware factory closed, and production was moved to China. R.R. Donnelly, which printed mail advertising, closed last year.
Ryan McCrady, president and CEO of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, said Kwik-Wall never reached out to his group about staying in Springfield.
As to the loss of area jobs to Clinton, he said, “It’s reasonably close if there are people that work there that want to commute to the new location. For those who do not, the good news is that our community has a very large demand for labor. And reemployment opportunities are pretty robust right now for employees who decide they don’t want to commute to Clinton.”
This article appears in Best Places To Work 2025.