New supplier park and jobs coming to Normal, says Rivian and Gov. Pritzker
NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — Rivian will build a 1.2 million square-foot supplier park in Normal as part of a $120 million investment in the area that will see close to 100 new jobs.
The news was announced by Gov. JB Pritzker and the company early Monday.
'This significant investment will pave the way for EV suppliers to locate in the park and create hundreds of new jobs while bolstering the supply chain and manufacturing ecosystem in Illinois. Construction on the supplier park is underway and is expected to be completed in 2026,' the two said in a joint statement.
The park will allow the company to co-locate suppliers that produce component parts for Rivian vehicles, with the parts transported across U.S. Route 150 to the company's main facility for assembly into final R1 and R2 models. The move, the company says, will allow Rivian to buoy their supply chain, keeping it consistent throughout the manufacturing process.
'We are excited to see this supplier park coming together so quickly,' said Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe. 'This will be a key enabler to increasing production at the plant in 2026 when we start to build R2 in addition to R1 and our commercial vans.
'We are grateful to Gov. Pritzker and the state's partnership, and are looking forward to welcoming suppliers at the new space,' he added.
The governor's office touted the move as a large investment in the state by a leading manufacturer.
'In Illinois, we aren't just making electric vehicles: we are creating an entire ecosystem – attracting investments, bolstering our workforce, and strengthening the EV manufacturing supply chain,' Pritzker said. 'Rivian's investment will attract suppliers from across the globe to invest in Illinois and continue to create good-paying jobs, providing Illinois with the competitive edge to thrive in the clean energy economy.'
The news comes off last year's announcement by the EV maker to invest $1.5 billion investment to build its R2 model at its Normal facility and create more than 550 full-time jobs.
Area politicians were thrilled with the news.
'With the creation of this new supplier park and investment from Illinois, Gov Pritzker and Rivian, Bloomington and our surrounding community has the potential for more job creation and Economic development,' said Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady.
'This is one of the most exciting investments our region has seen — cementing Normal as a national leader in clean energy and putting us at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution,' said state Sen. Dave Koehler, a Peoria Democrat. 'We're grateful to Rivian for their continued commitment to our community and workforce.'
Rivian's investment was supported by a $16 million incentive package, which includes a Reimagining Energy and Vehicles (REV Illinois) tax incentive valued at $5 million over the course of 20 years.
The remaining incentive package primary consists of capital grant support. The REV Illinois agreement specificizes the creation of a minimum of 93 full time jobs and a $119.6 million investment.
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