Kansas Logistics Firm Sublease Plants Downtown Chicago Flag

Shamrock Trading is giving the Loop something it hasn’t seen much of lately: a growing tenant adding to the downtown workforce.

The Kansas-based transportation services firm locked in a downtown office lease, bucking a market still defined by shrinkage, Crain’s reported. The company leased 24,800 square feet on the 10th floor of 151 North Franklin Street, a 35-story tower that the John Buck Company and Morgan Stanley developed in 2018.

Shamrock is subleasing the floor from CNA Financial and plans to open next month, adding a second local outpost as it gears up for a major Chicago-area hiring spree. It already has an office in west suburban Lombard. Colliers brokers Tom Volini and Sven Sykes represented Shamrock in the deal.

Shamrock was drawn to the tower’s modern amenities, transit access and the fact that CNA’s old space was move-in ready. The sublease runs through CNA’s existing term, which marketing materials show stretches to May 2035.

Shamrock, which operates a collection of logistics, finance and tech-related businesses serving shippers, is chasing the same recruiting edge that’s brought other suburban companies downtown.

The dual-office setup is meant to help the firm court recent grads who want an urban address, while still appealing to experienced professionals eyeing suburban commutes, the company’s Vice President of Real Estate Matt Huderski told the outlet. The Chicago office will be Shamrock’s 11th nationwide.

Shamrock plans to hire 100 people downtown and 30 more in Lombard by the end of next year, doubling its Chicago-area headcount.

That growth puts Shamrock in line with a broader surge of logistics-related companies bulking up Chicago offices since 2020. Arrive Logistics, MoLo Solutions, Loadsmart, Spot Logistics and Total Quality Logistics have all expanded in the city, reinforcing Chicago’s long-running status as a freight and supply-chain hub.

The move lands squarely against the prevailing tide of companies cutting space or abandoning the city’s core. Downtown vacancy is near record highs as hybrid work thins demand.

— Eric Weilbacher