By Howard Packowitz
In the same mammoth car plant that the CEO of Chrysler, Lee Iacocca, and the head of Mitsubishi stood with then-Illinois Governor Jim Thompson almost three decades ago, about six-hundred members of the local chamber of commerce gathered Tuesday to receive a pep talk about the local economy.
Chrysler and Mitsubishi have long since abandoned the old Diamond Star plant west of the Twin Cities, but the factory is now in the hands of Rivian Automotive, which plans to eventually hire a thousand workers to make electric vehicles.
“It’s a very symbolic place to meet, obviously, and I think everybody got that,” said Mick Fleming, President of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, and the event’s keynote speaker.
“The potential for electric vehicles is strong. Whether the market is ready for it, it certainly will be by the time this plant is done,” Fleming also said.
Rivian Vice President Jim Thomas said collaboration among business and government leaders was a key to Rivian locating here.
“The universities are here. (They) work cooperatively together. The school systems do also, so it provides an environment of collaboration that’s a little bit more than you see in a much larger city,” said Thomas.
He offered no timetable for Rivian to begin making electric cars at the plant, and the company did not offer tours to chamber members attending Tuesday’s event.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at howard.packowitz@cumulus.com
