Caterpillar has announced plans to keep its headquarters in Peoria, Illinois.
The announcement came from CEO Doug Oberhelman on Friday, February 20, 2015 at the Caterpillar Visitor's Center in the downtown area. Not only will the manufacturer stay in Peoria, it also plans on building a new 31 acre headquarters in the downtown.
At the announcement, Oberhelman showed off a mini model of what the new headquarters will look like. Oberhleman says the headquarters is supposed to span six city blocks. The CEO had been critical of the state's business and political environment over the past few years, when former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn was at the helm.
Friday, Oberhelman put to rest any rumors that the company was leaving, saying "We're here in Peoria to stay."
Oherhelman called new Governor Bruce Rauner a friend of his during the announcement. Rauner, who was also in attendance, said Caterpillar could have decided to put their new headquarters anywhere in the world, but they decided to stay in Illinois.
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