Celebrating What Is Made in Grundy County
Manufacturing is a vital part of Grundy County's economy, providing products, jobs, and opportunities that strengthen our communities. This October, the GEDC is celebrating Manufacturing Month by shining a spotlight on the people, businesses, and products that help make our region strong - and highlighting all the places you might find "a piece of Grundy County."
If you are in downtown Morris during Corn Festival, we hope you have a chance to stop by the "Made in Grundy" storefront display at 112 W. Washington Street (the former Thoughtful Spot). The exhibit showcased products created by local manufacturers and highlighted the innovation, creativity, and talent found throughout Grundy County and the surrounding region.
And there's even more to discover! Explore the profiles below to learn more about the manufacturers participating in Manufacturing Month, what they make, where their products can be found, and the important role they play in our local economy.
Airgas
Airgas, an Air Liquide company, has operated in Minooka since 2015, supplying industrial gases, equipment, and safety products to businesses throughout the Midwest. Its Minooka facility includes an advanced air separation unit capable of producing more than 500 tons of oxygen, nitrogen, and argon each day. These essential gases support a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, fabrication, healthcare, and other critical applications.
Where you see it:
From the balloons at your next celebration and the carbonation in your favorite beer or soda to food packaging, automotive repair, welding and cutting, cooking and heating, and medical gases used in healthcare, Airgas products play a role in everyday life.
Chevron - reg
Located in Seneca, Chevron’s renewable fuels facility has been part of Grundy County’s manufacturing landscape for nearly two decades. Formerly known as Renewable Energy Group (REG), the facility produces more than 60 million gallons of biodiesel each year, transforming renewable feedstocks and agricultural byproducts into fuel used across transportation and other industries. The facility supports local jobs while connecting Grundy County’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors to renewable energy markets beyond the region.
Where you see it:
Biodiesel can be blended with diesel fuel and used in trucks, buses, farm equipment, construction machinery and other diesel-powered vehicles. Made from renewable resources such as used cooking oil and animal fats, biodiesel helps power transportation and agricultural operations across the country.
Keg Grove Brewing Company
What started as an idea in Jeff’s garage eight years ago has grown into a thriving brewery in Grundy County. Today, Keg Grove Brewing Co. produces approximately 450 gallons of beer each week, with its beers distributed throughout Illinois. The brewery’s Holey Jeans Blueberry Wheat is a local favorite, accounting for about one-third of the company’s sales. Keg Grove showcases how a local idea can grow into a product enjoyed throughout the state.
Where you see it:
At restaurants, bars, and breweries throughout Illinois.
LyondellBasell
The LyondellBasell Morris Plant is the largest manufacturer in Grundy County. Using natural gas liquids as a feedstock, the plant manufactures ethylene, a key building block used to produce polyethylene plastic resins. These resins are used to manufacture countless products, including leak-proof and shatter-resistant containers, food packaging and materials used in automotive, construction, household and personal care applications. The Morris Plant is also committed to being a responsible community partner, supporting projects and organizations throughout Grundy County.
Where you see it:
From the packaging that helps protect your food to containers, automotive parts, household products, personal care packaging and construction materials, LyondellBasell’s materials are part of products people use every day.
Masterblend Fertilizers
Located in Morris, Masterblend International has been manufacturing premium fertilizer products for professional growers and turf care professionals for more than 35 years. The company produces water-soluble, controlled-release and granular fertilizers in a wide range of formulas, serving greenhouse and nursery growers, landscapers, turf professionals and customers around the world. Masterblend also offers professional-grade fertilizers for home gardeners, bringing the same technical-grade nutrients used by commercial growers to backyard gardens and home growing.
Where you see it:
From the tomatoes and vegetables growing in your garden to flowers, greenhouse plants, lawns, golf courses and sports fields, Masterblend fertilizers help provide the nutrients plants need to grow. Their products are used by professional growers and are also available for home gardeners.
Midwest Industrial Sales
Midwest Industrial Sales has been serving the heavy equipment industry from Gardner, Illinois, since 1984. Specializing in the rebuilding of heavy equipment components, the company restores transmissions, torque converters, hydraulic cylinders, axles, differentials, final drives and more. With customers around the world, Midwest Industrial Sales combines skilled craftsmanship and technical expertise to keep critical equipment operating.
Where You See It:
The components rebuilt by Midwest Industrial Sales can be found in the heavy equipment used for mining, construction, excavation and other demanding industrial applications. Their work helps keep the machines that build roads, move materials and power major projects running.
Motive Power Resources / IRT
With nearly two decades of experience in locomotive rebuilding, sales, leasing and service, Motive Power Resources (MPR) has helped modernize rail equipment while extending the useful life of older locomotives. Through its partnership with Innovative Rail Technologies (IRT), MPR is also manufacturing zero-emission, battery-electric locomotives in Minooka, advancing new solutions for the rail industry. Over the past 15 years, MPR has purchased and sold more than 500 locomotives, supporting evolving transportation needs across the country.
Where you see it:
MPR and IRT’s locomotives help move freight and support industrial operations across the rail network. Their battery-electric locomotives can also provide backup power for critical facilities, bringing new technology to both transportation and energy applications.
Pembina - Aux Sable
Located in Channahon, Pembina’s Aux Sable Liquid Products facility has been operating since 2000 and plays an important role in North America’s energy and manufacturing industries. One of the largest natural gas liquids extraction and fractionation facilities in North America, Aux Sable processes approximately 2.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas each day and produces more than 131,500 barrels of natural gas liquids, including ethane, propane and butane. These products serve as building blocks for plastics, chemicals, packaging, transportation fuels, home heating and other everyday products.
Where you see it:
From the propane used for home heating and cooking to the plastics and packaging used every day, Aux Sable’s products support manufacturing, transportation and energy industries throughout the region and beyond.
Tred-Mor Sponge Cushion Inc.
You may not know it, but there’s a good chance you’ve walked on a product made right here in Grundy County. For more than 60 years, Sponge Cushion has manufactured premium carpet cushions and acoustic underlayments at its Morris facility. Its Tred-MOR® products are used in hotels, casinos, conference centers and other commercial spaces around the world. To date, Sponge Cushion has supplied more than 4 billion square feet of product to the global market, connecting manufacturing in Morris to spaces around the world.
Where you see it:
Beneath the floors in hotels, resorts, casinos, offices, retail spaces, and homes, Sponge Cushion products help provide comfort, cushioning, and performance. You may not see it—but you’ve probably walked on it.
Utility Concrete Products
Utility Concrete Products (UCP) manufactures specialized precast concrete structures that support critical infrastructure throughout the Midwest. Its engineered products are used in stormwater systems, transportation and rail projects, utility and electrical infrastructure, and the rapidly growing data center industry. UCP has also supported major U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects, including the Chicago Harbor Lock Rehabilitation and Lock & Dam 16, manufacturing custom precast structures for critical navigation infrastructure.
Where you see it:
From the stormwater systems beneath roads to the utility infrastructure supporting data centers, rail projects, and electrical systems, UCP products are part of the infrastructure communities rely on every day. You may not see it—but it’s working beneath your feet.
