(Associated Press)

Motorola Solutions moved its global corporate headquarters from a sprawling campus in northwest suburban Schaumburg to downtown Chicago Monday.


Some employees will occupy the six floors near the top of a 44-story office building on 500 W. Monroe in the West Loop.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel walked around the new facility shaking hands with employees and visiting office cubicles. He said it’s nice to welcome back a company that got its start in the city back in the 1920s.

“Motorola was a very important part of Chicago history,” Emanuel said. “And with today’s ribbon cutting, it’s a very very important part of Motorola and Chicago’s future.”

Motorola as a company was founded in 1928 on Harrison Street. The headquarters will house the company’s chief technology office, ventures group, software engineering team and corporate functions.

It will also house an innovation center showcasing products and services used by the company’s 100,000 customers worldwide.

“Where you work matters and today we’re opening our new collaborative workspace in the heart of Chicago,” said Motorola Solutions chairman and CEO Greg Brown. “We look forward to welcoming our employees as well as attracting new talent that is critical to our company’s future.”

A Motorola spokesperson said the first team of employees moved into the new facility Monday, which will house six floors by mid-September.

The company also operates its America Sales headquarters at 224 S. Michigan Ave., occupying two floors with 300 employees.

An engineering facility in Schaumburg will continue to house 1,600 employees. Motorola Solutions has more than 3,000 employees in the Chicago region.