Fortune Brands Innovations will be honored with Lake County Partners 2025 Community Investment Award on May 1, recognizing the company’s commitment to bringing significant new jobs to the region.
This post can also be found on Lake County Partners’ blog.
In a move that blends accelerated growth with regional investment, Fortune Brands Innovations (FBIN) is planting deeper roots in Deerfield, Ill., moving its headquarters to the former Horizon Therapeutics campus and transforming the space into a vibrant hub for innovation, with room for 1,000 associates, including a significant number of new hires. The company is poised to add at least 400 full-time jobs, with the potential for more by 2027.
Known for transforming spaces into havens through leading brands like Moen, Master Lock, House of Rohl, SentrySafe and Therma-Tru among others, Fortune Brands has consistently been recognized for its management, corporate responsibility and commitment to creating products that improve the lives of its customers and their communities.
Fortune Brands’ new headquarters represents more than a change of address. It’s a bold step forward as the company powers continued innovation with ample collaboration opportunities, while staying focused on community and talent investment.
Making a strategic investment in Lake County
Following a comprehensive national headquarters search, Fortune Brands ultimately chose to stay close to its roots while uniting its workforce in one collaborative space.
“Fortune Brands Innovations’ expansion shows that premier locations with world-class office space still drive demand,” said Kevin Considine, president and CEO of Lake County Partners. “Their renewed presence is an endorsement of Lake County, and a vote of confidence in the region’s talent and business environment.”
Illinois’ EDGE (Economic Development for a Growing Economy) tax credit program played a key role in solidifying the decision, making the Deerfield location a strategic investment in both the company’s future and the state’s growing innovation economy. In 2024 alone, companies in the EDGE program committed more than $650 million in investments across Illinois communities, reflecting a desire from the state and local official to attract and retain high-quality employers in the region.
“Our goal is to power innovation as an efficient and agile organization,” said Leigh Avsec, Executive Vice President, External Affairs, and Chief of Staff for Fortune Brands, who will accept Fortune Brands’ award at the Big Event. “Obviously having the right space is essential to do that, but more importantly, we need the right talent. From engineers and digital experts to marketers and financial leaders, the door is open for ambitious individuals looking to be part of something big.”
Designing an engine for innovation—and a magnet for talent
The company’s under-one-roof approach took off in the aftermath of the pandemic, when executives piloted “Deerfield Week,” with leaders coming together from various satellite offices to collaborate in person. The result was a powerful, fast-paced energy that was difficult to replicate over digital channels.
While leadership saw the potential for better ideas, faster decision making and higher engagement, they realized simply mandating in-office attendance wouldn’t drive a meaningful culture shift. The company is outfitting the new headquarters with key features to make office time live up to the commute. Amenities like an on-site gym, basketball court, daycare, cafeteria, and even a bowling alley help turn everyday encounters into relationship-building moments.
Designed to spark organic collaboration, the space encourages chance encounters and casual knowledge sharing—something employees said they missed during remote work. Fortune Brands will also maintain its flexible hybrid schedule, keeping Mondays and Fridays as work-from-home days, while gathering its workforce in Deerfield on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. For those who can’t be on site, there are conference spaces outfitted with upgraded soundproofing, cameras, and even unique furniture arrangements to help every team member feel like an equal part of the conversation.
By bringing teams together from across brands and functions, FBIN aims to foster deeper collaboration and drive faster execution of digital and product strategies. It’s about creating a space where creativity isn’t just encouraged—it’s expected.
“We want people to be at their best when they’re at Fortune Brands,” Avsec said. “Our environment is built to help people flourish—professionally, personally, and creatively. We’re creating more than a nice office space. We’re designing an engine for innovation.”
To help support its vision in attracting talent, Fortune Brands has unveiled a new value proposition for its forthcoming global headquarters, rooted in the powerful idea that the office should be a place where everyday innovators are given the space to thrive.
The new space will come to life with a culture of continuous improvement and curiosity that drives product excellence. Fortune Brands is creating the conditions for accelerated advancement opportunities for those looking to make a significant impact and shape the future of the industry. And the company will continue to focus on autonomy, authenticity, inclusion and collaboration, while also supporting work-life balance.
This value proposition is more than just a hiring pitch—it’s a direct reflection of how FBIN operates every day.
Writing the next chapter of Fortune Brands Innovations’ success
As Fortune Brands prepares for a new headquarters and an influx of new talent, they will be positioned and staffed to continue to disrupt their industry. The company’s brands and track record of innovation will intersect with a modern, purpose-driven workplace that supports a culture designed to unlock growth.
“We’re entering a new era,” Avsec said. “While there are certainly challenges ahead, we’re better positioned than ever for long-term success, both in how we serve our customers and how we support our people.”
Fortune Brands has unveiled ongoing plans to invest in technology, connected products and other artificial intelligence enhancements. Recent innovations span residential and commercial use, from water leak detection and energy-efficient entry doors to workplace safety and smart security solutions, highlighting the brand’s tenacity and commitment to cross-pollinating ideas across its products and applications.
With a unified team, a modern headquarters, and a renewed sense of purpose, Fortune Brands is charting a new path—one where innovation isn’t confined to products, but infused into how people work, collaborate, and grow. From designing smarter homes to building smarter teams, everything FBIN does adds up to something bigger: a company transforming not only spaces, but what the modern company can be. And they’re doing it all in Lake County.
