Cadence plans corporate office and other operations in Joliet

JOLIET – A southwest suburban logistics company wants to move its corporate office to Joliet and open a natural gas fueling station for trucks at the new site.

Cadence Premier Logistics, now located in Alsip, presented its plan Wednesday to the Joliet City Council Land Use and Legislative Committee.

“This is going to be our new corporate office,” President and CEO Rocky Caylor told the committee. “This is where we want to grow from.”

The company would relocate 120 jobs. It plans to add between 100 and 150 jobs in the two years after the opening of the new facility, Caylor said.

Cadence, which also develops safety products for the transportation industry, would have a warehouse, light assembly plant and truck maintenance facility at the Joliet site. The fueling station would also have a convenience store.

Joliet would still have to approve zoning for the operation, which would be in the Laraway Crossing Business Park at Illinois 53 and Emerald Drive. Caylor said the company also has a potential site in Indiana but prefers Joliet.

The committee voted to recommend the project for approval to the full City Council, although Councilman Jim McFarland raised concerns about increased truck traffic.

“I feel we have a safety hazard at Emerald and 53,” McFarland said.

McFarland asked if the company would consider helping pay for a traffic light at the intersection.

City staff said they are in discussions with Ryan Companies, the developer of Laraway Crossings, about a possible traffic light at Emerald, an entry point to the business park. Public Works Director James Trizna said staff began exploring a traffic signal at the intersection in February when IKEA announced it would build a distribution center in Laraway Crossings.

Caylor said the natural gas fueling station would serve Cadence’s trucks and those already in the area. He said Cadence trucks would move north from the site to Interstate 80.

Rezoning and special use permits for the site will probably go to the City Council for approval in June, said James Haller, director of community and economic development.

In the meantime, the staff plans to continue working with Ryan Companies and the Illinois Department of Transportation on plans for a traffic light at Emerald Drive.