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| Read the Letter Sent to Local Officials Announcing Caterpillar Not Building New Plant in Illinois |
Caterpillar informed local leaders in Peoria County Monday by e-mail that the company will look elsewhere to build a plant as it relocates 1,400 manufacturing jobs from Japan. The text of that email:
Thank you very much for your interest in Caterpillar's North American small track-type tractor and mini hydraulic excavator facility. Caterpillar has certainly enjoyed a rich history in Illinois and we look forward to continuing that experience. We appreciate your community's interest in this project and we have reviewed the information that you have provided to us. As you know, we have a site selection and business modeling team in place that has been reviewing a comprehensive set of criteria to determine the optimal location for this facility. These factors include logistics, port access, labor markets, supplier base, and governmental partnership opportunities. We have defined a very tight search area that is primarily being driven by logistics, port access, and proximity to our division headquarters in Cary, North Carolina.
As a result, we regret to inform you that your community is not a viable option for this particular project. Please understand that even if your community had the right logistics for this project, Caterpillar's previously documented concerns about the business climate and overall fiscal health of the state of Illinois still would have made it unpractical for us to select your community for this project. Caterpillar intends to continue calling for long-term changes in Illinois and to offer help to the state as it works toward real and fundamental reforms that will position communities like yours to compete for future projects. While we understand this news is not positive for your community, it is our hope that you and your leaders will join us in our efforts to improve the business climate in Illinois.
Again, we are very appreciative of the interest your community has in this project.
The North American Facility Site Selection Team
Caterpillar, Inc.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) |
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| 02 08 12 by Newsroom |
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