Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – At the moment, there may still be more questions than answers about the purchase of what used to be known as the BUNN-O-Matic Corporation by a Chicago-based company, the Ali Group, that also makes food service equipment.

Michelle Ownbey, publisher of the Springfield Business Journal, tells the WTAX Morning Newswatch those questions center around Bunn’s two facilities in Springfield.

“The corporate headquarters over on Ash Grove, the manufacturing facility on Stevenson (Drive)…they’ve got somewhere around 850 employees just in Springfield.  There’s also other facilities in some other outlying communities,” said Ownbey. “It certainly stands to have a big effect on Springfield’s economy if (the sale) indeed does affect any of the manufacturing operations.”

Ownbey said, though, there’s not just the manufacturing operations that could take a hit.

“The Bunn family has done a lot of philanthropy in the community, been involved in many ways,” said Ownbey.  “A couple people asked me (Thursday), ‘What about Pease’s at Bunn Gourmet?  Am I going to be able to get my cheesecake?’  We don’t know what will happen to some of these spin-off businesses and all that.”

BUNN officials did not comment to the Springfield Business Journal, and the Ali Group didn’t comment further to WTAX, past Ali Group’s news release.

Ownbey says from a historical standpoint, BUNN had been owned by five generations of family over the years, and started out as a grocer that was open when Abraham Lincoln was living in Springfield.  It didn’t start manufacturing beverage-making machines until 1957.  That family ownership came to an end Thursday.