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20 Companies and Founders to Research in Illinois

Explore Illinois company headquarters records and their recorded founders, with sources and owner planning resources from AE Tax Advisors.

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What connects these companies to Illinois?

This collection draws from 48 distinct company records with a recorded headquarters association in Illinois among the reviewed localities. This is a bounded source collection, not a complete census of businesses in the area. It shows 20 alphabetical examples, selected from the public founder reference library. The underlying headquarters statements come from the existing company source snapshot; administrative location records were reviewed on October 10, 2026. Known historical companies and headquarters statements marked as ended or deprecated are excluded.

This is company-location research. It does not establish a founder’s residence, a present operating address, current employment, revenue, or an AE client relationship. The linked source records can change; confirm current details directly with the company. Numbers identify entries rather than rank business quality.

Read the business context before reaching out.

The entries include different activities, such as American boutique commercial due diligence and growth strategy firm; former American oil company, current brand of BP; American marketing intelligence firm; developer of Galileo attribution platform; Fortune Most Innovative 2024; Chicago-based; Independent film studio in America, specializing in film and distribution.. Compare each company’s description, founding associations, and dated source material before treating two businesses as peers. A headquarters location can be useful for local research without defining the company’s customer footprint or where all its operations take place.

  1. 2nd St Strategy

    American boutique commercial due diligence and growth strategy firm. Recorded founding year: 2020.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: James Agres. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail · Company website recorded in the source.

  2. Amoco

    former American oil company, current brand of BP. Recorded founding year: 1889.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: John D. Rockefeller. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail.

  3. Arcalea

    American marketing intelligence firm; developer of Galileo attribution platform; Fortune Most Innovative 2024; Chicago-based. Recorded founding year: 2015.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Michael Stratta. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail · Company website recorded in the source.

  4. Ave Fenix Pictures Studios

    Independent film studio in America, specializing in film and distribution.. Recorded founding year: 2014.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Zachary Laoutides. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail · Company website recorded in the source.

  5. BMO Bank

    US bank. Recorded founding year: 1882.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Norman Wait Harris. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail · Company website recorded in the source.

  6. Boeing

    American global aerospace and defense corporation. Recorded founding year: 1916.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: William Boeing. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail · Company website recorded in the source.

  7. Braintree

    payment processing service operated by PayPal. Recorded founding year: 2007.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Bryan Johnson. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail · Company website recorded in the source.

  8. C.D. Peacock

    American jewelry company. Recorded founding year: 1837.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Elijah Peacock. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail · Company website recorded in the source.

  9. Chicago Rapid Transit Company

    defunct operator of the Chicago 'L'.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Samuel Insull. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail.

  10. Crate & Barrel

    Furniture and home goods chain. Recorded founding year: 1962.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Gordon Segal. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail · Company website recorded in the source.

  11. Dotty's

    chain of American slot-machine parlors. Recorded founding year: 1991.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Craig Estey. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail.

  12. Essanay Studios

    American film production company. Recorded founding year: 1907.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: George K. Spoor. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail.

  13. FASA Corporation

    American publisher of role-playing games, wargames and board games. Recorded founding year: 1980.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: L. Ross Babcock III. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail · Company website recorded in the source.

  14. Feastables

    American brand. Recorded founding year: 2021.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Jim Murray. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail · Company website recorded in the source.

  15. Fusion92

    American marketing transformation agency headquartered in Chicago. Recorded founding year: 1999.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Matt Murphy. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail · Company website recorded in the source.

  16. Haidilao

    chain of hot pot restaurants. Recorded founding year: 1994.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Zhang Yong. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail · Company website recorded in the source.

  17. International Harvester

    U.S. manufacturer of agricultural machinery and construction equipment.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Cyrus McCormick. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail.

  18. Johnson Publishing Company

    American publishing company based in Chicago, Illinois. Recorded founding year: 1942.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: John H. Johnson. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail.

  19. Kellanova

    American food company. Recorded founding year: 1906.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Will Keith Kellogg. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail · Company website recorded in the source.

  20. Landhoven

    Dutch-American construction engineering company. Recorded founding year: 2012.

    Recorded headquarters locality: Chicago, Illinois. Company headquarters source · Locality and state source.

    Recorded founders: Joshua Oduyemi. Founding associations describe the public record and do not establish current ownership.

    Read the full company and founder research trail.

Prepare for your own next business decision.

If you are researching this collection as a business owner, start with the decisions on your own desk rather than assuming another company’s structure or planning fits yours.

  1. Map the states where your company has people, property, and activity.
  2. List the purchase, hiring, expansion, or ownership decisions still open.
  3. Write down the deadlines, existing advisers, and records available.
  4. Discuss the work you need, who will perform it, and how implementation will be coordinated.
  5. Confirm deliverables and fees in a written scope before engaging.

Meet the publisher: AE Tax Advisors.

Christina Nortman, CPA, is Founder and Principal of AE Tax Advisors. Explore the firm’s approach, review owner planning resources, or book a discovery conversation to discuss your next milestone. Publication ownership and featured placement are disclosed; the companies above are research references.

Continue your local research.

Chicago (48 company records)

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AE owns and publishes this directory. Listed founders are not presented as AE clients.