Top Chicago business stories of 2015

Dec. 19--Black Friday protests, Egg McMuffins for dinner and Michael Jordan's multimillion-dollar beef with Dominick's and Jewel were among the much-talked-about business stories that captivated Chicagoans in 2015.

Here are the Tribune's top 10 local business stories:

United CEO turbulence: United Continental CEO Oscar Munoz was already facing big challenges when he suffered a heart attack on Oct. 15 after barely a month at the helm. Brought in to replace Jeff Smisek, who abruptly resigned in September amid a federal corruption probe, the energetic former railroad executive was looking to shake up the culture and improve sagging performance at the airline, a mission deferred until his expected return in the first quarter. Brett J. Hart, the company's general counsel, is acting CEO while Munoz is on medical leave.

Black Friday protests: Brick-and-mortar Black Friday sales declined by nearly 12 percent nationally this year, according to ShopperTrak, as holiday shopping continues to migrate online. Protesters blocking stores over the fatal shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald by Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke depressed Black Friday sales even further along North Michigan Avenue, where merchants reported year-over-year declines of 25 to 50 percent.

Oprah closes Harpo: Oprah Winfrey announced in March that she would close Harpo Studios in Chicago, her television home for more than two decades. Harpo Studios had been at the center of Winfrey's broadcast universe since it opened in 1990, hosting her syndicated daily talk show through its finale in 2011, when she left for the West Coast to launch her cable network, OWN. Harpo had about 200 employees when the closure was announced, with staffers let go in waves. The studio ceased production in December. Chicago-based real estate developer Sterling Bay Cos. bought the four-building Near West Side facility in 2014.

Merger mania hits close to home: Pittsburgh-based H.J. Heinz completed its purchase of Kraft Foods in July, forming Kraft Heinz, the third-largest food and beverage company in North America. The transaction, valued at nearly $63 billion by Dealogic, ushered in major changes at Northfield-based Kraft, including the departure of top executives, the August layoff of 700 employees and the pending move of its headquarters to the Aon Center in Chicago.

In October, Deerfield-based Walgreens Boots Alliance agreed to buy Rite Aid's nearly 4,600 stores for about $17.2 billion including debt. Walgreens, the nation's largest drugstore chain, has nearly 8,200 stores. The Federal Trade Commission must sign off on the proposed merger, and may require Walgreens to divest of some stores or could block the deal entirely to preserve competition.

Supermarket giant Kroger agreed to buy Milwaukee-based Roundy's in November, an $800 million deal including debt, that includes 34 Mariano's stores in the Chicago market. Launched in 2010, fast-growing Mariano's has won over shoppers with a reputation for quality, a wide offering of organic and fresh products, and an upmarket vibe, something CEO Bob Mariano vowed won't change under new ownership.

In November, Anheuser-Busch InBev agreed to buy SABMiller to create what it called "the first truly global beer company." It remains to be seen what the deal, valued at more than $117 billion by Dealogic, will mean for the Chicago headquarters of MillerCoors and its 450 employees.

Michael Jordan wins, donates millions in beef over supermarket ads: In September, former Bulls star Michael Jordan won an $8.9 million federal jury verdict against defunct supermarket chain Dominick's for using his identity without permission in a 2009 steak ad in a Sports Illustrated commemorative issue. Last month, he settled the case with Dominick's, as well as a related lawsuit against Jewel-Osco, which are both owned by Cerberus Capital, for an undisclosed amount. On Tuesday, Jordan made good on a post-verdict promise by donating settlement proceeds, minus attorney fees, to 23 Chicago-area charities, including After School Matters, Casa Central and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Amazon adds Illinois sales tax, opens Joliet warehouse: Online giant Amazon began collecting sales tax from Illinois shoppers in February, complying with a new state law aimed at treating e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retailers equally. Illinois became the 24th state where Amazon agreed to collect sales tax, either because it has facilities in the state or because of a law requiring it to do so. In October, Amazon opened a 500,000-square-foot Joliet fulfillment center, having previously relied on warehouses in Indiana and Wisconsin to serve Chicago and avoid state sales tax.

Griffin vs. Griffin billionaire divorce case settles: In October, billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin and his wife, Anne Dias Griffin, settled their contentious and high-profile divorce case, a day after a public trial over their prenuptial agreement was set to begin. The CEO of Chicago-based Citadel, Ken Griffin filed for divorce from his wife of 11 years in July 2014, precipitating a war over the validity of their prenuptial agreement, along with custody and child support issues. Financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

In September, Griffin was named by Forbes as the richest man in Illinois with a net worth of $7 billion. This month, the newly divorced Griffin told CNBC he planned to donate several million dollars to Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio's campaign.

Chicago gains corporate headquarters, loses Oreos: Two weeks after its July merger, Kraft Heinz announced it was forsaking its north suburban Northfield home for the Aon Center downtown by early next year. In September, Motorola Solutions said it planned to leave its sprawling Schaumburg headquarters next summer for 500 W. Monroe St. in the West Loop. In October, Omaha-based ConAgra Foods announced it would downsize and relocate its headquarters to Chicago's Merchandise Mart.

In July, Mondelez International announced it would will lay off half of its 1,200 employees in its bakery on Chicago's Southwest Side, moving production of Oreos and other snack products to a plant in Mexico. That decision prompted Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump to declare he would never eat another Oreo cookie, a pledge he repeated often on the campaign trail.

Obamacare in Illinois facing challenges: Illinois residents may have gotten sticker shock in the third season of open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act. Insurance premiums increased by double digits in many cases, despite higher deductibles. Meanwhile, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois took its PPO plan off the Illinois health insurance marketplace, eliminating its most popular individual option, which offered the largest provider network on the exchange for 2015 coverage. Open enrollment ends Jan. 31.

McDonald's shake-up shows signs of success: Bolstered by the launch of all-day breakfast in October, McDonald's saw sales rise in the third quarter for the first time in two years, a sign that the Oak Brook-based burger giant may have regained some of its mojo under new CEO Steve Easterbrook. Elevated in March to replace the retiring Don Thompson, longtime McDonald's executive Easterbrook went back to basics, trimming menu items, selling company-owned restaurants to franchisees and working to improve food quality and order accuracy. Offering an Egg McMuffin for lunch and dinner may prove be to the inflection point in luring customers back to the Golden Arches after years of stagnant sales.

rchannick@tribpub.com

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