# Details on Stern Pinball's New 50% Larger Factory **Source:** Knapp Arcade **Type:** article **Published:** 2022-11-17 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/details-on-stern-pinball-s-new-50-larger-factory --- ## Analysis Stern Pinball is relocating to a new 163,875-square-foot facility in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, representing a ~50% expansion from its current 110,000-square-foot location. The company is investing $6.5 million in the relocation with a 10-year lease costing $26 million total, beginning October 2023. Elk Grove Village is providing up to $2 million in tax incentives to retain the manufacturer. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] New Stern facility will be 163,875 square feet vs current 110,000 square feet — _Town of Elk Grove Village records and filed documents_ - [HIGH] Stern spending $6.5 million on relocation including building upgrades, prep work, move-in costs, equipment and furniture — _Town records documentation_ - [HIGH] 10-year lease with Prologis set to begin October 2023 at $26 million total — _Town records and lease documentation_ - [HIGH] Elk Grove Village offering Stern up to $2 million in tax increment financing over 6 years to stay in town — _Town incentive package documentation_ - [HIGH] Stern originally moved to Elk Grove from Melrose Park in 2015 — _Historical records referenced in article_ ### Notable Quotes > "Stern's budget -- including building upgrades, prep work, move-in costs, and equipment and furniture -- is $6.5 million." > — **Town records** > _Specific breakdown of relocation investment costs_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Stern Pinball | company | Major pinball manufacturer relocating to expanded facility in Illinois | | Elk Grove Village, Illinois | organization | Municipality providing tax incentives for Stern to remain and expand | | Prologis | company | Building owner leasing 163,875-square-foot facility to Stern for 10 years | | Kuehne + Nagel | company | Transportation and logistics firm currently occupying the space Stern will move into | | Melrose Park, Illinois | organization | Previous location of Stern Pinball before 2015 move to Elk Grove Village | ### Topics - **Primary:** Facility expansion and relocation, Manufacturing capacity and infrastructure, Business investment and municipal incentives - **Secondary:** Stern Pinball strategic planning ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — News of facility expansion is generally positive for manufacturer growth and production capacity. Tone is factual and informative. No negative sentiments expressed. ### Signals - **[business_signal]** Municipal retention of Stern Pinball in Elk Grove Village demonstrates local economic value of manufacturer and manufacturing infrastructure (confidence: high) — Elk Grove Village awarded $2 million in tax increment financing to keep Stern in jurisdiction and incentivize expansion - **[business_signal]** Stern Pinball committing significant capital ($6.5M+) to facility expansion with decade-long lease, indicating confidence in long-term market demand and company growth trajectory (confidence: high) — $6.5 million relocation budget, 10-year $26 million lease agreement, ~50% facility size increase - **[market_signal]** Stern's expansion suggests anticipation of increased production capacity and market growth in pinball manufacturing (confidence: medium) — 50% increase in square footage from 110,000 to 163,875 square feet indicates planned scaling of operations --- ## Transcript I was recently able to find a number of interesting pieces of information about the new, larger location that Stern Pinball is planning to move to in papers filed with the town of Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Stern's new facility will be a couple of blocks away from its existing location and expand to 163,875-square-feet. The company's current facility is 110,000-square-feet, so the new location is just under 50% larger. According to town records, Stern is spending more than $5 million on the relocation project. More specifically, the article below says that "Stern's budget -- including building upgrades, prep work, move-in costs, and equipment and furniture -- is $6.5 million." The total lease will cost $26 million. The 10-year lease with the building's owner Prologis is set to begin in October 2023. The spot is currently occupied by a transportation and logistics firm called Kuehne + Nagel, which is moving to a new location itself. Stern was considering leaving Elk Grove Village, so the municipality awarded it up to $2 million in "tax increment financing funds" over the next six years to entice it to stay in town. This payment consists of $1.25 million when a certificate of occupancy is issued, $400,000 after five years, and $100,000 after year six. Stern Pinball originally moved to Elk Grove from nearby Melrose Park back in 2015. Elk Grove Village Addendum Regular Village Board Meeting https://www.elkgrove.org/home/showpublisheddocument/13649 8 million quarters to continue playing: Elk Grove gives Stern Pinball incentive to stay in town, expand https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20221117/8-million-quarters-to-continue-playing-elk-grove-gives-stern-pinball-incentive-to-stay-in-town-expand Below are several renderings of what Stern's new facilities will look like, again according to documents filed with the town. _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: a3657695-1488-4893-8d1d-faffc94dadf2*