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| Economy |
| When Caterpillar Leaves Peoria, What Will Become Of The Town? |
| 2017-02-05 |
| [NPR] It's been a hard week in Peoria. William Ryan Owens, the Navy Seal who was killed in a raid in Yemen, was from Peoria, Ill. Defense Secretary James Mattis said, "He gave his full measure for our nation." And the Caterpillar company announced that after more than 90 years, it is moving its world headquarters from Peoria to Chicago. It is hard to overestimate the blow this is to Peoria. "A kick in the gut," is how Mayor Jim Ardis described it. He told Tanya Koonce, news director at member station WCBU, that Caterpillar's departure is "very sobering and very shocking." Caterpillar is 59th on the Fortune 500 list of American companies. It makes much of the construction, mining and farming equipment that digs earth all over the world. Caterpillar is why you could walk down Main, Adams or Monroe streets in Peoria and meet people from China, Germany and Nigeria. Peoria has been proud to be the town that sends strong machines to farm and mine the world. I believe the corporate HQ is moving to Chicago and the manufacturing segment will remain in place. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #7 the world HQ folks probably want to be near O Hare to facilitate biz |
| Posted by: lord garth 2017-02-05 21:38 |
| #6 "Escape from Illinois" The population has been in decline for years. I'm surprised CAT has stayed on as long as it has. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2017-02-05 14:45 |
| #5 #3 The surviving citizens of Illinois had best leave the state while they still can. This gives me a great idea for a spec screenplay: "Escape from Illinois". Anyone seen Snake Plissken lately? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2017-02-05 14:30 |
| #4 William Ryan Owens, the Navy Seal who was killed in a raid in Yemen, was from Peoria, Ill. Defense Secretary James Mattis said, "He gave his full measure for our nation." Funny how the left is taking a renewed interest in military deaths (along with the national debt, homelessness, executive orders, separation of powers) in the past few weeks, isn't it? |
| Posted by: Raj 2017-02-05 14:28 |
| #3 The surviving citizens of Illinois had best leave the state while they still can. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2017-02-05 14:10 |
| #2 "Chicago area" not Chicago. State Farm is quietly leaving Bloomington, IL, Allstate is looking, Sears about to go under. Within 10 years Caterpillar will build as many earth movers in Illinois as Boeing builds jets. Illinois, a Democrat Party model state |
| Posted by: Jumbo Elmilet3928 2017-02-05 13:42 |
| #1 They've also announced that they're moving about 800 production jobs to Arkansas from their Aurora, Ill. location. They've already scaled back their Peoria production workforce and moved various production components to RTW states. Only the white collar folks are moving within Illinois. Wonder why /sarc |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2017-02-05 12:37 |