1871 CEO Howard Tullman (left) talks about the tech hub's expansion with Gov. Pat Quinn.
Tale of two Tullmans: Brothers diverge on Quinn and Rauner
WED, 06/18/2014 - 1:15PM
Entrepreneurial brothers Howard and Glen Tullman have attained separate, booming successes that have taken them on different paths.
In this Illinois gubernatorial campaign, they're pursuing diverging politics, if their campaign donations are any indication.
Glen Tullman has invested big with Republican Bruce Rauner. His older brother, 1871 CEO Howard Tullman, has stuck with Gov. Pat Quinn, including giving him two $10,000 donations on March 18 -- two days after the March 16 primary.
Two days after that, on March 20, Glen Tullman stood with Rauner as the candidate announced that he had won a backing of Democrats and independents in the general election.
On Tuesday, Howard Tullman, announced a 25,000-square-foot expansion for 1871 at the Merchandise Mart, funded partially by a $2.5 million grant from the state of Illinois.
"This expansion would not be possible in addition to the state's funding without the support and commitments of a lot of new partners and new sponsors," Tullman said at Tuesday's expansion announcement.
“We intend to have lots of vision because we’re going forward in Illinois," Quinn said at the event. "We’ve been able with this great movement of 1871 to create more than 1,000 jobs in just a couple of years with a modest investment.”
Glen Tullman is the co-founder and Managing Partner at 7wire Ventures, an investment firm and he's the former CEO of Allscripts. In November, he was the first to infuse Rauner's campaign fund after Rauner's own donation blew the campaign caps, with a major investment of $250,000. Glen Tullman had donated to Quinn before that -- including $5,000 in 2011, $16,600 in 2010 and $10,000 in 2009.