RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Sears has had a long history with both Chicago and Illinois. In 1887, Richard Sears moved his company, R.W. Sears Watch Co., from Minneapolis to Chicago. Richard Sears posted a job opening for a Watchman in which Alvah C. Roebuck applied for and was hired. In 1893, Sear, Roebuck and Company was incorporated; and,
WHEREAS, Sears, Roebuck and Company began a mail order business. While the earliest catalogs featured only watches and jewelry, by 1895 their catalog offered various items such as clothing, furniture, stoves, toys, and sportsmen's gear; and,
WHEREAS, Due to the increasing volume of merchandise, by 1906, a warehouse and mailorder plant was opened on Chicago's west side. At the time, this building was the largest business building in the world; and,
WHEREAS, Early in 1925, recognizing the potential of a retail store, Sears, Roebuck and Co. opened one their first on at the mail order plant. By November 1925, Sears opened two more retail stores, one on Lawrence Avenue, and the other on 79th Street in Chicago. Today, these stores represent the two oldest operating stores in the Sears retail store system; and,
WHEREAS, In 1969, Sears announced plans to build a new headquarters building in downtown Chicago. The 110-story Sears Tower became the world's tallest building when it opened in 1973; and,
WHEREAS, In July 1989, Sears announced that they were building a new complex in Hoffman Estates, and by 1992, moved their entire corporate headquarters there, and,
WHEREAS, In 2005, Sears Holdings Corporation was formed by the merger of Sears, Roebuck and Co. with Kmart Holdings Corporation, making it the fourth largest retailer in the United States; and,
WHEREAS, After more than 100 years in the Chicago area, Sears might move its headquarters out of Illinois. Tax breaks that assisted Sears in Illinois will expire next year; and,
WHEREAS, Illinois HB 3435, introduced by Representative Fred Crespo, 44th District, and Thomas Morrison, ...
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