MB Financial Bank, headquartered in Rosemont, has been in operation for over 100 years. More than 2,200 employees work out of their Downtown, West Loop and Rosemont locations, all of which are easily accessible via CTA, Pace or Metra.

Transit was key when establishing HQ location near blue line in Rosemont

When MB Financial located its headquarters office in Rosemont in 2004, a key element of the location choice was proximity to the CTA Blue Line: Chicago-based employees could commute via the Blue Line and clients and executives could easily access O’Hare Airport for business travel. The walk from the train to the MB Financial campus is under 15 minutes. The bank also operates a free shuttle to the train station for door-to-door service. The Rosemont Transit Station is a hub for Pace buses, including the premier I-90 service connecting the Northwest suburbs to Rosemont.

Talent acquisition requires transit access from downtown

“Today, many employees want to live downtown, not own a car and use transit to get to work,” says Seth Heape, who leads corporate culture and diversity efforts. Additionally, on days employees are not working directly with customers, they can work out of a newly established “hoteling” office downtown.

About 20 percent of all employees use the pre-tax commuter benefit. The company also has a “Go Green” program to encourage sustainable practices at home and work and will reimburse employees up to $50 per year for relevant costs, including Divvy memberships. MB Financial invites Pace suburban bus services to come to its offices to present about its ridesharing programs and some vanpools have been formed by groups that live close to each other.

“The commute is very important to new employees and transit access can be a deciding factor for some,” says Heape. In 75 percent of interviews, candidates ask about location, commute or the option to work downtown.