With a great location on the Fox River and near to the vital city of Chicago, Aurora has long been an important industrial center. Industrial operations in Aurora run the full gamut, from companies that produce the newest pieces of technology to those manufacturing fabricated strainers and other metal goods. Here are a few of the major companies operating out of the Aurora area.
Caterpillar Incorporated
Caterpillar, or CAT, is a familiar name to anyone dealing in industrial vehicles and businesses using them. Although it is actually headquartered in Peoria, CAT has a secondary plant and headquarters operating out of Illinois. The company claims to be the largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment in the world. The factory in Aurora produces both stock and unique vehicle designs; if businesses in Illinois to those building Meadowvale homes are looking for a crane with a specific davit arm attached, this is where they will place the order.
Austin-Western Inc
Specific industrial niches seem to be attracted to the same spots (think Detroit and the automobile industry for example). Aurora is a place that seems to be ideal for companies who build heavy machinery. Austin-Western is also located within city limits, yet another manufacturer of heavy-duty equipment.
Allsteel Metals
This company's products can be found in everything from toolboxes to aquarium supplies. The main focus of the business is combining alloys to make stronger structures for all types of products.
Aurora is at the edge of the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor, and thus it is also a major center as far as electronic design and manufacturing. While many of the companies that make up this corridor are located in Chicago, Aurora enjoys billing as second most populous city in the state as well as one with lower overhead expenses. The training opportunities offered at Aurora University and the Math and Science Center have also attracted high tech businesses to the city.
The industrial sector in Aurora has always been booming, but today that boom does not come at the cost of the beauty of the city. As with many of America's large industrial cities (and particularly those in Illinois it seems) Aurora was beset with pollution for most of its history. The factories lined up along the Fox River contributed to that body's incredibly high rate of pollution.
The environmental movement of the 1970s began to see a major shift in the city of Aurora's outlook when it came to pollution and industry. Starting with ordinary citizens, the Fox River began to see major efforts to clean it up and make the water suitable once again. City and private efforts included waste water grit removal campaigns, bank cleanups, and higher penalties for polluting factories. Thanks to these efforts, the cleanliness of the River has seen great improvement.
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