When the company broke ground in 1981 on its current headquarters in Elk Grove Village, it also was considered a state-of-the-art facility, says executive vice president Jeffrey Sanfilippo. The company had 300 employees and $15 million in annual sales then, but has grown its payroll to more than 900 with $580 million in sales. "Within these walls, we hope to be a $1-billion company soon," Sanfilippo says.

McShane Construction Corp. has begun construction of the addition to the manufacturing facility, one of two buildings purchased by John B. Sanfilippo & Son. A 400,456-sf office building, east of Randall Road and overlooking the Northwest Tollway, also was part of the deal, but Panasonic is leasing back 160,000 sf at 1707 Alft Ln. The manufacturing facility, which will include office space, will be completed by June 2006, says Jim McShane.

John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc. considered sites in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas, where it already has facilities, before deciding to stay in Illinois, thanks heavily to a $5-million incentive package from the state's department of commerce and economic opportunity. The company will receive corporate income tax credits over the next 10 years based on keeping 930 jobs and adding 25 new jobs to its payroll, as well as job training money.