Task force to assist in search for Mitsubishi plant buyer

Posted on July 31, 2015
Mitsubishi assembly line
The Mitsubishi Plant in Normal will close later this year. (WJBC File photo)

By Adam Studzinski

NORMAL – The task force which will work with Mitsubishi Motors to find a buyer for the company’s plant in Normal has been assembled.

The company announced last week it will stop production in Normal later this year. The task force consists of roughly 30 people. Normal City Manager Mark Peterson is among the group and said they will have two primary purposes.

“Number one to support the work force that will be displaced; make sure they have the services that they need and make sure that they have access to those services,” said Peterson. “The second purpose of that task force is to support the purpose of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and the UAW (United Auto Workers) in trying to find a buyer for that plant.”

Peterson explained the group does not want to get in the way of Mitsubishi.

“They’re taking responsibility for marketing that (plant) and selling it, but we want to be in a very supportive role,” said Peterson. “So by getting everybody together and coordinating our efforts, as opposed to having everybody do their own thing, we thought that would be helpful to Mitsubishi. They acknowledged that would be helpful.”

Peterson said the task force will also help facilitate information to the media and the community.

The first meeting will take place Thursday at 10 a.m. at Heartland Community College. Peterson said the majority of the meetings will likely be closed to the public.

“We felt that there may be some things discussed that are very sensitive; information that we need to share with the members of the task force that really is not appropriate for public consumption,” he said.

Peterson added they will likely hold media briefings before or after meetings.

The full task force consists of:

  • Town of Normal Mayor Chris Koos
  • City of Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner
  • McLean County Board Chairman Matt Sorensen
  • Gov. Bruce Rauner
  • Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti
  • U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) (Bart Ellefritz)
  • U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) (Travis Sterling)
  • U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) (Philip Lasseigne)
  • State Sen. Darin LaHood (R-Peoria)
  • State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) (Alex Henderson)
  • State Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) (Kathryn Hancock)
  • State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington)
  • State Rep. Keith Sommer (R-Bloomington)
  • Illinois DCEO Director Jim Schultz (Antonio Rolanda)
  • Illinois State University President Larry Dietz
  • Illinois Wesleyan University President Richard Wilson
  • Heartland Community College President Rob Widmer
  • Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman Bob Miller
  • Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Charlie Moore
  • Economic Development Council Board Chairman Jay Groves
  • Economic Development Council CEO Kyle Ham
  • McLean County Regional Planning Executive Director Vasudha Pinnamaraju
  • McLean County Administrator Bill Wasson
  • City of Bloomington City Manager David Hales
  • Town of Normal City Manager Mark Peterson
  • UAW Local 2488 President Rod Devary
  • Mitsubishi Motors of North America representative Dan Irvin

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].

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