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Former Rockford Manufacturer Sold To British Company

Susan Stephens
/
WNIJ

A company with a long Rockford history has been sold. The Rockford Register Star reports cabinet hardware manufacturer Amerock was one of the brands recently sold off by Atlanta-based Newell-Rubbermaid to London-based Nova Capital.

Amerock was founded in Rockford in1928 and employed 18-hundred people at its peak. Its name was derived from “America” and “Rockford.” Newell-Rubbermaid, then based in Freeport, bought the company in 1987 and gradually moved most of the jobs out of the region. A distribution center in Freeport that employs 135 people is part of the sale to Nova Capital. 

Amerock’s presence in Rockford these days is its old downtown factory that is still awaiting redevelopment.

Susan is an award-winning reporter/writer at her favorite radio station. She's also WNIJ's Perspectives editor, Under Rocks contributor, and local host of All Things Considered.