Hilco Global Establishes a College Scholarship Program for Students Living in Chicago's Little Village Community

CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hilco Global today announced the launch of the Hilco Global Scholarship Program called "Hilco Scholars", to be awarded to qualified candidates living in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood.  The goal of the new scholarship program is to help prepare students in the Little Village community for a professional career in Skilled Trades including manufacturing and engineering; construction management; transportation, distribution, and logistics; and information technology.   

The scholarship program will award a full scholarship for the period of two years, to two students who are pursuing a degree in a Skilled Trade program at one of the seven Chicago City Colleges. The scholarship award can be used for education-related expenses including tuition, fees, books, and equipment.

In early 2018, Hilco's real estate redevelopment group, Hilco Redevelopment Partners, purchased the shuttered Crawford Power Generation site in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood and began working on plans to redevelop the property into a state of art facility for last mile logistics and retail warehousing.  The new complex, now called Exchange 55, is expected to boost the local economy and bring new skilled jobs to the neighborhood.  

Jeffrey Hecktman, CEO and Chairman of Hilco Global explained, "As a company beginning a substantial real estate project within the Little Village community we wanted to go beyond investing in the cleanup and redevelopment of this industrial site by making an investment in the most important asset of all ? the young residents in the Little Village neighborhood".  

Hecktman continued, "For many years Hilco Global has supported programs that promote and encourage educational opportunities for Chicago's kids.  Last Summer, in a series of local community meetings with residents and leaders in the neighborhood, we promised to demonstrate our commitment to becoming a stand out corporate citizen.  The new Hilco Scholars program is just one of many ways we plan to give back to our new neighbors."

The new Hilco Scholars program has been in development since the fall of last year and has been planned and structured in close collaboration with the City Colleges of Chicago Foundation who will manage the process of seeking candidates throughout the Little Village neighborhood.  HILCO leaders will play an active role in the final selection of the first 2 recipients.  

Roberto Perez, CEO of Hilco Redevelopment Partners said, "Our plan is to not only provide a full scholarship for two students, but to also create opportunities for the students to gain hands-on experience and apply what they learn through a paid internship program at Hilco, and possible future employment."  Perez has been a vocal champion of the quality of the local workforce in Little Village since identifying the redevelopment project almost two years ago.  Perez said, "The caliber of the workforce located within Little Village is one of the most attractive features of this project to prospective tenants.  This project has already attracted interest from marquee companies who want to locate here because of the labor force."

"Our students are truly inspiring - when given the opportunity, they make the most of it," said City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado. "This scholarship will open the door for more students to pursue meaningful careers in high-demand fields." 

About Hilco Scholars Program: The Hilco Scholars program will be available to students for the Fall 2019 semester.

• Candidates must reside in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood (60608 or 60623 zip codes)
• Candidates must be a resident of the City of Chicago and eligible for in-district tuition rates.
• Candidates interested in pursuing an associate's degree in Skilled Trades area of their choice at any of the seven colleges including manufacturing and engineering; construction management; transportation, distribution, and logistics; and information technology.
• Candidates must be a high school or GED graduate.

Scholarships will be awarded for two semesters per academic year and are renewable for up to two years, provided that the student continues to remain in good academic standing and meet eligibility criteria.  In addition to offering the scholarship, Hilco Global also is providing an opportunity for the students to receive an internship with the organization. 

More details will be available this Spring.  In the meantime, for questions, contact [email protected].  

About Hilco Global: Hilco Global (www.hilcoglobal.com) is a privately held diversified financial services company and the world's preeminent authority on maximizing the value of assets for both healthy and distressed companies.  Hilco Global operates as a holding company comprised of over twenty specialized business units that work to help companies understand the value of their assets and then monetize that value.  Hilco Global has a 30-year track record of acting as an advisor, agent, investor and/or principal in any transaction.  Hilco Global works to deliver the best possible result by aligning interests with clients and providing them strategic insight, advice, and, in many instances, the capital required to complete the deal.  Hilco Global is based in Northbrook, Illinois and has 600 professionals operating on five continents.

SOURCE Hilco Global