Craig Wolf, Poughkeepsie Journal

An idea for a food-processing center that formerly existed in Poughkeepsie has come back to life.

But, not in Poughkeepsie.

It’s in Decatur, Illinois, and bears a name that reflects the original idea: National Foodworks Services, and it is the brainchild of a couple of former Poughkeepsie businessmen.

September 25, 2015 3:58 pm  •  CHRIS LUSVARDI H&R Staff Writer

DECATUR — Juan Luciano sees development of the Midwest Inland Port as an example of how innovation is being embraced in Decatur.

Luciano, the president and CEO of Archer Daniels Midland Co., sees further opportunities to change the economic outlook for Central Illinois.

“You can truly feel the momentum building,” Luciano said Friday during an event at Richland Community College to officially launch a marketing effort for the port. “This is a moment to start thinking bigger about the possibilities in Central Illinois.”

Decatur Magazine – June/July 2015

Brush College Road.

When we drive this road, chances are we pay little attention to its landscape. We scoot past non-descript industrial buildings and smokestacks; move through steam; bump over some railroad tracks; and maneuver a narrow viaduct. Most days, a few sniffs tell us that Archer Daniels Midland and Tate & Lyle plants are operating at full capacity.

Brush College Road, which connects Interstate 72 at the north end to Lake Decatur at the south, is also a regular route for local business owner and entrepreneur Tony Caccomo, who’s driven it many times since moving to Decatur in 2010 from Poughkeepsie, New York.

The difference?

Herald & Review – May 2015

Food facility in former school seen as transformational

DECATUR – Tony Caccomo sees an opportunity by redeveloping the former Brush College School building to be part of transforming the food industry.

The building at 575 N. Brush College Road in Decatur was purchased last month with plans to create and operate National Foodworks Services. Caccomo, who is one of the partners in the project, began seeing the opportunity when he first toured the facility.

I knew it when 1 came through:’ said Caccomo, owner of My Shipping Place at 303 E. Pershing Road in Decatur.

“This is as good as it gets!’

RACHEL RODGERS H&R Staff Writer

DECATUR – Richland Community College and National Foodworks Services have partnered to foster future business development skills and entrepreneurship within the community.

In anticipation of the Brush College School being restructured as a food manufacturing hub just down the road from the college, Tony Caccomo, one of the partners in the project, and Richland President Gayle Saunders entered an agreement Wednesday to develop a community kitchen incubator to expand the concept of food processing, packaging and development for entrepreneurs in the Decatur area.

Plans for the building, which was purchased last month and is located at 575 N. Brush College Road, include the construction of a bakery, wet kitchen, an aggregation center for locally farmed and hydroponic products, and equipment for specialized packaging and distribution.

Business Journal – May 2015

The former Brush College School in Decatur has a new owner with plans to develop the site into a food manufacturing hub,

The building at 575 N. Brush College Road was closed as a school in May 2013 and was sold in April 2014 with plans at the time to develop it as a transitional living space for veterans. The Decatur City Council approved a request in March to rezone the 7.5 acre site from a single-family residence district to an intense commercial/light industrial district.

The petitioner of the request was Tony Caccomo, owner of My Shipping Place at 303 E. Pershing Road.