More than 300 UK-based firms at 700 locations in greater Chicago
- HSBC, BP, Diageo, Dyson, FirstGroup, RBS, Synovate, Willis…
- Sears Tower renamed Willis Tower, 2009
- Aviva, opened N. American HQ, 2008
More than 180 Chicago-area companies in the UK
- Aon, ITW, Marmon Group…
2010 Imports to the Chicago Customs District
- Total: US$2.8 billion
Top Import Categories:
- Industrial Machinery, Including Computers
- Pharmaceutical Products
- Optic, Photo, Medical or Surgical Instruments
2010 Exports from the Chicago Customs District
- Total: US$2.8 billion
Top Export Categories:
- Pharmaceutical Products
- Aircrafts and Aircraft Parts
- Industrial Machinery, Including Computers
Selected recent/notable business expansion activity
- Aviva plc, North American executive HQ, Chicago, 2008
- British School of Chicago, new campus, Chicago, 2008
- HSBC, new North American HQ, Mettawa, 2008
- Diageo plant and technical center expansion, 2008
- Willis Group Midwest HQ ops consolidate to downtown, 2008
- BP downtown move of financial and other operations, 2010 (1,000+ jobs)
British Consulate-General in Chicago (1855)
Birmingham Sister City relationship, since 1993
British School of Chicago, since 2001; British-American Business Council, Chicago
More than a half million people in the Chicago area claim English, Scotch or Scotch-Irish ancestry; collectively, the 7th largest ethnic grouping.
