John Schwan, 1st Lieutenant
John is a veteran of Vietnam (1966-1969), having enlisted out of college. He served with the First Air Cavalry and eventually attended OCS at Fort Benning. He is honored by the Pritzker Military Museum & Library.
John Schwan is Chairman of CTI Industries and has overseen the development of this small Barrington, IL firm to a publically traded company on the NASDAQ stock market. The company now has a presence in Europe and Latin America and has expanded from producing balloons for the novelty market to entry into the medical services and food packaging industries. Under his leadership sales have grown to $50 million annually.
John is an investor involved in a variety of business start-ups. His current investments include Old Smokehouse, Inc. a manufacturer of frozen foods; JHSWW LLC, a commercial real estate investment firm; USA Athletic Club, a sports and fitness facility; Everede Tool, a tool manufacturer serving the transportation, aerospace and national defense industries and White Horse Productions, a graphics web design firm. In 2004 he sold an original business venture to DS Smith, a multi-national company focused on packaging and office products.
John is a graduate of Lane Tech High School and North Park University in Chicago. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Lane Tech Century Foundation, an organization focused on improving the building and grounds of Lane Tech High School in order to improve the educational experience for current and future Lane Tech students. The organization has exceeded their original goal of two million dollars and continues to raise funds and awareness for the Chicago north side high school. Mr. Schwan is the patron of the Schwan Lecture Series at North Park University. The series sponsors guest lecturers to encourage political dialogue of current events.
He is a principal benefactor of Operation Support our Troops USA and is an advisor to the board. He is an active sponsor of Chicago 502 through the Union League Club. He is the past Post Commander of the American Legion Post at the Union League Club of Chicago and still an active member. Mr. Schwan actively supports Chicagoland ROTC programs and supports both financially and with administrative support organizations that locally support families of veterans. He is a founding member of Chicagoland Veteran’s Exchange – a non-profit organization dedicated to the hiring of veterans. He is a contributor to the Pritzker Military Museum & Library.
He is a service related disabled veteran; awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, Air Medal, two Bronze Stars with V for Valor device, and a Purple Heart. Mr. Schwan is active in the Sheridan First Cavalry Chapter – a veteran’s organization of the First Air Cavalry. This unit is dedicated to improving the lives of soldiers currently serving in theatre and adding returning veterans in finding employment and services. He has served on the board as President and is involved in several other veteran-related organizations in the Midwest. In addition, he actively recruits veterans for employment opportunities.
John Schwan serves on the Board of Directors at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library.
