IKEA Bolingbrook Progresses as Blue Walls Start to Appear; Swedish Retailer's Second Chicagoland Store To Open Fall 2005 Along I-355 North-South Tollway

Business Wire, Jan 6, 2005

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. -- IKEA, the world's leading home furnishings retailer, today noted that framing has been completed and blue composite panels are being installed for its future store opening this Fall in Bolingbrook, IL on 21 acres at the Boughton Road exit of the I-355 North-South Tollway. The 310,000 square-foot IKEA Bolingbrook will include 1,300 parking spaces. In addition to 500 construction jobs, approximately 350 coworkers will join the IKEA family when the new store opens.

"Now that our structure is formed and our blue paneling is going up, we are proud that we are still on our way to a grand opening next fall," observed Pat Smith, IKEA real estate manager. "With the roof already going up and now the blue panels, we hope to be fully enclosed by Springtime." IKEA Bolingbrook will be the second IKEA store and restaurant destination in the Chicagoland area. (IKEA Schaumburg opened in 1998 and is known for drawing customers from throughout the Midwest.)

IKEA currently has more than 205 stores in 32 countries, including 22 in the United States. For its U.S. expansion, the company is aiming to open approximately five new stores a year. Other U.S. stores being planned include: Atlanta, GA; Brooklyn, NY; Canton, MI; Dublin, CA; Frisco, TX; Somerville, MA; Stoughton, MA; and West Sacramento, CA.

Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered a wide range of home furnishings and accessories of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. For two years in a row, IKEA has been named to Working Mother magazine's list of "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" and last year received the magazine's Family Champion award in recognition of the company's family-friendly programs. IKEA is recognized as a socially responsible company, and supports initiatives that benefit causes such as children and the environment. To visit the IKEA Web site, please go to http://www.IKEA-usa.com. For information about employment, please visit http://JobsAt.IKEA-usa.com.