Director Agency and Customer Service Michael Martinez

Employees serve 49 local industries, but one might make consumers smile more than others.

Tootsie Rolls have been made on Cicero Avenue since 1966, and the Belt has served them ever since. The treats, named after the daughter of the Austrian immigrant who invented them, have been delighting children of all ages since before the turn of the 20th century. Tootsie Roll Industries now sells many famous brands of candy—including its titular flagship item—around the world and took in more than a half-billion dollars in sales last year.

Belt crews deliver raw material to Tootsie Roll Industries. Like other industries served, Director Agency and Customer Service Michael Martinez believes the manufacturer relies on the railroad as an extension of its business. Without sugar and corn syrup, the two main ingredients in Tootsie Rolls, the company can’t produce its star product. Thanks to the work of Belt employees, Tootsie’s supply chain is secure and reliable.

“They’re satisfied with us,” he said.

Martinez feels a responsibility to the customers, their employees and consumers.

“Everyone here plays a key role,” he said. “At the end of the day, the industries we serve have customers, and we have to make sure they can serve them. That’s why we serve every customer with the same level of professionalism and commitment.”

Other industries the Belt serves include Mobile Oil and Nabisco.

“Our customers make many products Americans use every day,” Martinez said.