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| Gates Rubber Galesburg Plant Adds Jobs; Listen to Full Announcement Here |
A Galesburg plant that has been the subject of massive reductions in recent years has started expanding again.
Officials from the state, the Western Illinois Economic Development Partnership, and Gates Rubber announced Friday morning that the Galesburg Gates plant has added 25 jobs, and has turned part of the plant into a Distribution Center for industrial hoses.
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Senior Account Manager, and now Galesburg Mayoral Candidate Sal Garza, says the project was one that needed to be done. "There were a great number of obstacles that, basically, pointed in a different direction," Garza said. "But I think because of (Gates plant manager) Logan (Stiers) and (United Steelworkers of America Local 685 president) Dave (Barbero), and a number of other folks, we did not accept that. We did not accept that this couldn't be done."
Plant officials say the Galesburg plant beat out several other out-of-state plants in getting the expansion, which was made possible through state incentives, which included a grant administered through the Prairie Tech Learning Center in Monmouth that provided money for training.
Garza says the jobs will not only help Galesburg, but also Knoxville, since the plant is located inbetween the two cities.
To hear the announcement in its entirety, CLICK HERE (mp3 format).
(Sal Garza, right, with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, speaks at the United Steelworkers Union Hall Friday morning. Listening are, from left to right, State Representative Don Moffitt; Jolene Willis, Executive Director of the Western Illinois Economic Development Partnership; and Logan Stiers, Gates Rubber Galesburg Plant Manager. WGIL News Photo by Will Stevenson.) |
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| 08 21 08 by Newsroom |
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