I Love Mokena: A Bit of Local Business in Every Big Mac

Welcome back.

As you travel down 191st Street east of LaGrange Road, near the Hickory Creek Commuter Station, in our peaceful little village, you come across numerous commercial buildings. Some of the names on these structures are very familiar. , Darvin Furniture, Entenmann's, etc.

There is one name that you probably don't recognize, even though the company has been in Mokena for decades. Provisur.

Provisur? Just doesn't ring a bell. The outside of the huge, well-tended building doesn't offer up many clues as to what's going on inside the massive walls. Today we will shed some light on the mystery, which is also a source of community pride.

Several decades ago a small machining company in downtown Mokena began designing specific food processing equipment intended to help other companies that served the world's largest restaurant chain. The name of that restaurant chain was already a household word. McDonald's. As in Ronald, and the Hamburglar, Happy Meals and all the rest.

The entrepreneurs that founded this little startup company came up with some inventive and time saving ideas to manufacture food processing equipment for what they now call QSRs (Quick Service Restaraunts). Fast food places to you and I.

The food processing equipment they manufacture is shipped to thousands of locations around the globe. Any company that supplies food products to QSRs most likely uses equipment made by Provisur.

Still not ringing a bell. Maybe you've heard of Formax, the original name of that little start up company that originated in downtown Mokena. The name Formax was actually a clever way for the company to let the world know about a very important player in their industry. Perhaps if it was spelled a little differently, such as For McDonalds, the idea would resonate that much sooner. It was shortened to Formax and the rest, as they say, is history.

Eventually the company was merged into a larger corporation that provided a more complete solution for QSRs world wide and the name was changed to Provisur.  Over 20 years ago they needed room to grow and moved into the current location at 9150 West 191st Street.

Oh, and one more important point. 9150 West 191st Street, Mokena, IL is the WORLD Headquarters for Provisur Corporation. How about that! And the longtime plant manger, Brian Ernat, is a proud Mokena resident.

From the USA, to China, Europe, Australia and beyond, the equipment that helps keep those Big Macs, fries and a shake ready and waiting for you in the drive-thru window, no matter what part of the globe you happen to be in, is manufactured right down the street. Our street.

Mokena, you just gotta love it!