Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Archer Daniels Midland Company Chairman and CEO Patricia Woertz opened ADM’s new global headquarters and customer center today. ADM announced in December 2013, that it had selected Chicago for its new headquarters over a number of cities. The nearly 45,000-square-foot space located on the 46th and 47th floors at 77 W. Wacker Drive will house approximately 70 employees with room for growth and a state-of-the-art customer center that includes a culinary center to showcase ADM’s innovative food ingredients.

“On everything from our talent to our transportation, the City of Chicago is making investments in the public sector to create a platform for the private sector to succeed,” Mayor Emanuel said. “ADM is proof that when you invest in creating the best-trained and best educated workforce and building a 21st century infrastructure, businesses will follow. Congratulations to ADM. And welcome again to Chicago.”

ADM chose Chicago for its dynamic and growing food industry, its proximity to ADM’s operations and agricultural partners across the Midwest, a deep and talented pool of workers which will allow ADM to attract and retain employees with diverse skills over the coming years, and its central location, which provides convenient access to national and international transportation routes. Chicago has 1,400 daily departures to more than 200 cities worldwide – critical for ADM to reach its customers around the world and its operations at more than 650 locations including its regional headquarters offices in Decatur, Illinois; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Rolle, Switzerland; and Singapore.

“When we considered where to locate our new global headquarters, we looked at several cities, and Chicago represented the best opportunity for ADM to continue our growth,” said ADM Chairman and CEO Patricia Woertz.

Founded in Minneapolis, the agribusiness giant was previously headquartered in Decatur, IL and selected Chicago as its third global headquarters in the company’s 112-year history. ADM is currently ranked 27 on the Fortune 500, and is the largest public company in the state of Illinois.

The City of Chicago is focused on attracting corporate headquarters as part of the Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs. ADM is one of 27 companies to locate its headquarters in Chicago since Mayor Emanuel took office in 2011. There are now 31 Fortune 500 companies located in the Chicagoland area and eight in the city of Chicago.

About ADM

For more than a century, the people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) have transformed crops into products that serve vital needs. Today, 31,000 ADM employees around the globe convert oilseeds, corn, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, industrial and energy uses. With more than 270 processing plants, 470 crop procurement facilities, and the world’s premier crop transportation network, ADM helps connect the harvest to the home in more than 140 countries. For more information about ADM and its products, visit www.adm.com.

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Homepage Photo: “Another View of East Wacker Drive” by Johnathan on Flickr.