Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Alderman Anthony Beale joined Method Products, PBC executives to open the company’s flagship manufacturing facility in the Pullman neighborhood on Chicago’s south side. The 150,000 square foot ‘South Side Soapbox’ is the first new factory to be built in Pullman in more than 30 years and is the first LEED-platinum certified factory in its industry. The facility will provide nearly 100 green manufacturing jobs for local residents by the end of 2015, and will provide public access to green space on its 22-acre site.

The City provided $8.1 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) assistance for site acquisition and preparation of the new Method facility. Designed by Chicago-based William McDonough + Partners, the $30 million “Soapbox” is the first LEED-platinum certified factory in its industry. The 150,000 square foot facility includes product manufacturing, bottle production, warehousing and distribution. As part of Method’s commitment to sustainability, the Soapbox will use recycled and local materials whenever possible with at least 20 percent of materials inside the factory originating from within 500 miles of where the Soapbox stands. With a zero-landfill goal, almost everything entering the factory will be used in products, recycled or composted. Method also plans to leverage the manufacturing plant as a learning opportunity for the community and will to conduct public tours to educate on renewable energy, hydroponic farming and green manufacturing.