In 1961, my family opened the Circle Boring & Machine Company. As we continue to invest in new technologies and equipment, we are always looking to excel in areas of machining that help turn our customers’ “innovations into realities.” However, if we want to continue advancing our mission and supporting our customers’ needs, we need a business environment that supports small, family-owned companies like mine.
Unfortunately, lawmakers in Springfield are advancing legislation that fuels lawsuit abuse, making Illinois an even more hostile place to operate. The proposals ultimately stack costs against the businesses that help our economy move forward.
Illinois is already known for having an overly litigious climate. Winnebago County, where we operate, saw over 61,000 civil cases filed in 2024, which translates to approximately four lawsuits for every person in our county.
This summer, the governor signed SB 328 into law, which opened our state’s courts to even more frivolous lawsuits that often have little to no connection to Illinois. To make matters worse, during the most recent veto session, lawmakers passed a decoupling bill, an energy bill, and a mass transit bill—all of which will increase costs, leaving small businesses like mine to pay the price.
As we look forward to 2026, I hope lawmakers will work hard to reverse this course.
Instead of creating new burdens that raise costs for entrepreneurs, they should focus on reforming our civil justice system so that small manufacturers like mine can continue to do what we do best: innovate, grow, and support our communities.
John Ekberg is co-owner of Circle Boring & Machine Company in Rockford, Illinois.
