Gaspare Sanfilippo and his son John started their small storefront in Chicago in 1922, and the first Sanfilippo facility was constructed in Chicago in 1929. In 1959 they expanded into a larger downtown Chicago facility and began diversifying into various nut types and products. They entered the retail market in 1974, and eventually built a corporate and production facility in Elk Grove Village in 1980. The business continued to expand and grow, until they relocated corporate and Fisher Nuts operations to their current 1,060,000 square-foot building in Elgin in 2007. The international corporate headquarters in Elgin boasts the most advanced automation system in the nut industry, which maximizes the efficiency of operations and ensures an incredibly fresh product. About 700 employees currently work out of the Elgin facility.
“The Sanfilippo story is a great example of the American Dream coming true,” said Tryon. “Through hard work and perseverance, a small storefront has been transformed into an incredibly successful business. I’m incredibly proud to have their corporate headquarters and Fisher Nuts division located in the 66th Legislative House District.”
In addition to the primary headquarters in Elgin, John B. Sanfilippo & Son operates a shelling, processing and packaging plant for walnuts and almonds in Gustine, CA, and also operates facilities in Selma, TX, Bainbridge, GA and Garysburg, NC. Nationally, the company employees more than 1,300 people, with jobs reaching across every step of the nut business, from grower to consumer. While they ship their product internationally, the Elgin building includes an Outlet Store, where consumers can buy a variety of products straight from the source. John B. Sanfilippo & Son has an average monthly distribution of product of 23.4 million pounds of nuts, or an average monthly sales total of $82.4 million.