Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that Mead Johnson, a global leader in pediatric nutrition, that develops, manufactures, markets and distributes more than 70 products in over 50 countries worldwide, will locate its Global headquarters in Chicago, bringing with it 200 jobs.
“From education to transportation, we are making the right investments to give companies the confidence they need to invest in Chicago’s future and Meade Johnson’s decision to relocate here is the latest example of that,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “This is part of our strategy to ensure companies like Meade Johnson know Chicago has the talent they need to drive their growth, which in turn creates critically-needed jobs for residents in all of Chicago’s neighborhoods.”
Mead Johnson chose to locate in Chicago for a number of reasons, including the city’s proximity to key agencies and service providers; easy access to attractive, world-class amenities for employees and global visitors; the availability of public transportation options for employees and visitors, most importantly simple and direct airport access; and a strong platform for recruiting and hiring top talent.
“This move is about our long-term future. Locating in the center of a vibrant, world-class city and business hub like Chicago is consistent with our vision to be the world’s leading nutrition company for babies and children,” stated Kasper Jakobsen, Mead Johnson’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our new downtown location will offer us advantages in terms of access to resources, employee and visitor amenities, and our ability to attract and retain the very best talent. We look forward to making Mead Johnson Nutrition part of the fabric of the Chicago community over time.”
The company’s new global headquarters will be in the River Point Tower now under construction on the west bank of the Chicago River at the corner of Lake Street and Canal. The new location offers flexible, high-quality office space with room to grow.
In addition to its striking appearance, the building will have a vast array of sustainable features and has already received LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) GOLD pre-certification.
The company was founded in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1905 by Edward Mead Johnson, Sr. Inspired by his son’s feeding difficulties, he left the company he had co-founded with his brothers – Johnson & Johnson – so that he could pursue the development of new feeding solutions to help infants and children. Evansville, IN, became Mead Johnson’s operational and research center in 1915; and as the company expanded its global presence, production and research facilities have been added in multiple locations around the world. In May 2009, Mead Johnson established a corporate headquarters in Glenview, IL, just a few months after its successful Initial Public Offering, and the company’s presence in the area has grown to more than 170 positions, including executive leadership, corporate staff, global marketing and U.S. commercial roles, which will relocate to the new Chicago headquarters.
The City of Chicago is focused on attracting corporate headquarters as part of the Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs. Mead Johnson is one of 31 companies to locate its headquarters in Chicago since Mayor Emanuel took office in 2011.
Mead Johnson is part of the S&P 500 and has just over $4.4 billion in global sales. The company’s mission is to nourish the world’s children for the best start in life. The Mead Johnson name has been associated with science-based pediatric nutrition products for over 100 years. The company’s “Enfa” family of brands, including Enfamil® infant formula, is the world’s leading brand franchise in pediatric nutrition.