Officials from Navistar International Corp. are expected to announce the engine manufacturing company’s plan to move its headquarters to Lisle at a Wednesday morning press conference, DuPage County Board president Bob Schillerstrom said Tuesday.
“This is a great thing for DuPage County,” Schillerstrom said. “Obviously it will bring jobs to DuPage and keep jobs in DuPage.”
He didn’t have an estimate for how many jobs the project would save or create.
Navistar President Dan Ustian, Gov. Pat Quinn and Attorney General Lisa Madigan, as well as other state and local leaders, are expected to be at the 10 a.m. press conference at the Alcatel-Lucent site, 2701 Lucent Lane, in Lisle.
Navistar officials previously said they were exploring locations in Alabama, Texas and South Carolina because of local opposition to the proposed headquarters site in Lisle. The company is currently located in Warrenville.
In one November hearing before the village’s planning and zoning commission, about 100 people spoke out against Navistar’s proposal, including nearby residents and representatives of a school for autistic children that had just opened next door to the building.
They were concerned in part about air pollution, noise, traffic and safety issues.
Navistar, now based about 3 miles away, has maintained that those fears are unfounded. The company scaled back plans for engine testing at the site, and school officials dropped their opposition.
Brian McClure of Lisle, one of the leaders of the opposition earlier this year, said if Navistar is just moving its headquarters to Lisle, “it would be great.”
“If this is just a way to get the engine testing facility, that is something else,” he said. “We will sit back and see what happens.”
– Angie Leventis Lourgos, Gerry Smith and Art Barnum
There were other meetings with many pro-Navistar Lisle residents . . . http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=132966930050121
So, how did they overcome the threat of NIMBY suits? I’m sure McClure doesn’t have the answer.
Congratulations CHD!
Well done. Green ribbon time!
“He didn’t have an estimate for how many jobs the project would save or create.”
Of course not – they are laying people off. Duh.
So, what does Illinois plan to cut to provide the corporate welfare package of some $65 million?
Navistar has been an admirable member of the community – a good neighbor and a sponsor of many community events. Having Navistar leave DuPage County would have been decimated the area. Think about the amount of money that churns through the community with 500+ people working there year in and year out – food, gas, tolls, auto repairs, hotels, business supplies, clothing, cleaning, daycare, entertainment, … Think about what impact 100+ more houses on the market would have had to our property values as families were forced to move to find other employment. $65M (if it’s anything even close to that) is a wise investment for the benefit of us all.
So as Navistar announces more layoffs in DuPage at the West Chicago Parts Distribution Facility and a move of the entire facility to Will County, shall we give credit to Schillerstrom for that, too?? Empty airport park and Navistar moves from West Chicago to Joliet. It remarkable that this company gets paid by the State (with tax incentive) to lay people off and move to another county and elected officials brag that they have “retained jobs.” BS.
Even if they have layoffs it’s great to have a major business stay local and not move to another state. We need all the tax dollars we can get from the employees!
thank you navistar for leaving chicago (your corporate birthplace) & then fleeing to the burbs! corporate cowards.