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Incubators give companies a start – New firms find space, bargain rents to begin increasing production
Tom Traficano spent three months searching for a manufacturing facility for his new business, but everything was too expensive or needed too much work.
Just getting property owners’ attention was a problem.
"When you’re looking for a small amount of space, zoned properly, it can be tough to get that," Traficano said. "Sometimes you never even get a call back."
Then, two months ago, through word of mouth, he found the Fulton-Carroll Center, a 410,000-square-foot business incubator on the West Side operated by the Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago.
The facility’s move-in condition was as enticing as the reasonable rent, and the landlords seemed eager to accommodate him, said Traficano, a former banker who started Chicago Commercial and Consumer Brands a year ago to manufacture dry spices, seasonings and confectionery mixes.
By Ann Meyer
Special to the Tribune
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