Becker Iron & Metal Relocating Headquarters to Illinois

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has announced that Becker Iron & Metal Inc., a scrap metal firm, is relocating its headquarters from St. Louis to Venice, Illinois.

“We are continuing to take the necessary steps to increase our competitiveness in the global economy, which is why more businesses are choosing to move to Illinois,” says Governor Quinn in a release. “We are stabilizing our fiscal climate, investing in a state-of-the-art transportation infrastructure and supporting emerging green technologies – and it’s giving us an edge over competing states.”

Construction of the new headquarters operations is expected to cost around $4 million. To assist in the relocation and construction, Illinois is offering a grant of close to $1 million, administrated through the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Freight Rail Program. The grant will help finance construction activities, including new rail track, radiation detection and lighting.

The Venice facility is expected to handle more than 500 railcars of scrap metal per year. Becker is currently preparing final engineering plans for the site, and occupancy on the new facility is expected by June 2011.

“This agreement exemplifies a great partnership between the private and public sectors to stimulate the regional economy,” says Mike Becker, president of Becker Iron & Metal. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the state of Illinois.”