Cornerstone

One of the largest real estate developments in the country needed a brand that could draw global innovation firms.

The Challenge

Cornerstone is a $750 million, 641-acre mixed-use development in Grayslake, Illinois, a near suburb of Chicago. The visionary plan included 3,000,000 SF of light industrial, research-and-development and office space which would create 9,000 high-quality jobs close to where people live. In addition to the protracted approval process—spanning numerous local, county, and state administrations and EDO entities—the biggest challenge was the location’s distance from the expressway and the spine of Chicago’s industrial corridor hugging Lake Michigan to the east.

Insight

We recognized that the solution required us partnering closely with the brokerage team and economic development agencies to build a brand that would showcase Cornerstone as the next great innovation corridor. Our research revealed the area as a hub for the biotech, pharmaceutical, and packaged goods industries. Additionally, we recognized that the quality of the labor force, lower taxes, and transportation infrastructure gave it the edge over competing properties in Wisconsin and Illinois.

The Answer

Silva Brand operated as more than a marketing firm during the development process—we were a critical part of the leasing team, spearheading logo design, architectural renderings, sales collateral creation, website development, signage production, and national PR. The strategy worked: In 2020, the park inked its inaugural facility—a LEED-certified 1,400,000 SF facility for the medical supply company, Medline Industries, Inc. At completion, it will be the fifth largest warehouse in the world.

The Cornerstone website is rich with content not only about the park but about local, county, and state incentives, job training, and national supply chains.

Our national PR campaign for Cornerstone generated almost 150 articles nationally across daily newspapers, business publications, and real estate trade magazines.

Cornerstone’s brochure is equal parts commerce and lifestyle aimed at attracting innovation firms from around the country to Lake County.

Cover and pages of the Cornerstone brochure.

“We worked directly with Silva Brand to develop a new website that is certain to drive interest in the new 640-acre Cornerstone Development. Crafting compelling stories that showcase incentives, workforce and lifestyle is an art, and Silva Brand painted a powerful picture of one of Lake County’s largest and most exciting developments.”

Kevin Considine, President and CEO
Lake County Partners

A portrait of Kevin Considine, President and CEO of Lake County Partners.

Other Projects

Alter We helped transform a family-owned company into one of America's preeminent real estate developers.

Riverwalk The largest commercial development on Native American land in U.S. history needed a brand that could stand the test of time.