Navistar representatives, along with roughly a dozen Illinois officials, announced plans this morning to move the manufacturing company’s headquarters to Lisle, retaining thousands of jobs in DuPage County.
“I’ve got one thing to say. Illinois is Navistar country,” said Gov Pat Quinn. “We believe in Navistar.”
Navistar President Dan Ustian added that the project would create about 500 engineering jobs right away.
Navistar, which makes heavy-duty vehicles and engines, said it will invest $110 million in the 1.2 million-square-foot Lisle headquarters, which will include product development.
Navistar’s headquarters are currently in Warrenville, though the company also employs more than 1,000 workers in Fort Wayne, Ind.
The technology center once envisioned for the Lisle campus will move, possibly to the Melrose Park facility as part of a possible $80 million investment. Another $15 million will be invested in a new parts facility.
Combined, Navistar will be investing $205 million in Illinois. The state gave Navistar an investment package of up to nearly $65 million, including tax credits.
Thank you Pat Quinn for keeping these jobs in the state!
What has become of the quality of writing. Did anyone proof this article? Very poor writing.
Sure, but Navistar is out-sourcing most of their IT staff to India. Way to go!
That was a fast fix!
Wait…Navistar is moving to Illinois FROM Illinois? Woohoo!
As a Lisle resident, thanks to everyone who made this happen. We welcome Navistar and appreciate their patience. It is a wonderful area and community.
Someone got some cash!!
@ navistar fan….you criticized the grammar while not using proper puntuation in your own criticism! Oops.
“What has become of the quality of writing.” Last time I checked that sentence deserves a question mark at the end.
I remember something about a pot and a kettle…..
2,000 jobs at $50,000 salary times 1% state income tax = $1,000,000 in income taxes a year. So the investment package we all paid for ($65M) will pay itself off after 65 years, assuming Navistar is still here in 2075.
Donny,
Don’t forget that you’re also employing 2000 new people and bringing in many new families to the area who will be spending their money at local businesses (generating revenue from state sales tax) and purchasing homes (generating money for the local economy via property taxes).
That investment package will pay itself off much quicker than 65 years, as long as Navistar doesn’t fold in the next decade or so. Plus, who can argue with adding 2000 permanent jobs not in the retail or food service industry?
It truly is a double-edged sword when the state (or a city) bends over backwords to give these companies breaks to keep or relocate their business’s. It is great to keep as many jobs here as possible and it means more business for all of the suppliers, but at the same time it is not fair to all of the companies who have been struggling to stay in business in the first place.
Truck manufacturing is about 70% of Navistar’s business, with engine manufacturing being a much smaller percentage. The article doesn’t even describe what Navistar is correctly!
Uh, Donny . . . the income tax rate is three percent, not one percent.
Add to that the sales taxes these people generate, the property taxes on the homes they buy or occupy, and the impact on other tax-generating businesses, as well as the tax revenue from Navistar and its affiliates, and it’s pretty clear that $65 million is a bargain.
It took Governor Quinn quite a while to get involved in this, only developing an interest in keeping Navistar after local officials in DuPage County had expended considerable effort in luring Navistar to Lisle.
Oops, my bad. Not sure why I pulled 1% out of my memory. Maybe I confused it with the tax hike being proposed (which would only reduce payback periods further to 15 years or less, hence bettering the deal for the state).
Even with a shorter payback I still don’t necessarily agree, as our personal taxes must go up to offset the tax credits they receive. But, if the jobs are here, the workers will be too (no matter the income tax rate).
Gotta love corporate welfare. A multi billion dollar corporation that just posted a profit of 137 million dollars and our broke state is giving them another 65 million. Incredible
Donny, there are definitely instances in which we give away too much (in tax dollars) to lure business. This just strikes me as as a reasonable incentive package, given not only the direct impact from Navistar jobs, but also the indirect benefit from those jobs that are created by having a large employer locate and expand its footprint locally.
The story behind all this is that Navistar had previously committed to relocating to Lisle, only to have a handful of NIMBYs engage in a nasty game of legal harassment to thwart the move. These folks cost all of us several million dollars through their selfish antics.
What are NIMBYs?
Here you go.
Welcome to Lisle.
Love ya,
Dad
NIMBY = Not In My Back Yard. “Bring jobs to Illinois, but I don’t want the traffic, congestion, and pollution near my house”
Kudos to the people who made this work. It would have sucked to lose this company to another state.
As a Lisle resident, I’m glad we got past the complainers and got Navistar to relocate here.
Quinn hasn’t done much right, but helping to keep a major Chicago area business from leaving the state is a good thing.
I don’t think “creating jobs” is the same as “moving jobs from Fort Wayne”. Navistar is good at off-shoring their I/T work to India, and their manufacturing to Mexico. And moving buildings every 3 years or so.
What the hell is Navistar.
The key to the negotiations was the attorney general’s office telling Navistar no “LTC”. No engine testing, no truck testing, no fuel storage and no fuel burning.
Lisle residents got everything they wanted. They brought a Fortune 500 company to their knees. Wonder what the AG had on Navistar and the deal that got cut?
And those new jobs – already reduced to 500 and split between Lisle and Joliet. Then there will be about 100 layoffs in West Chicago. And about 1200 layoffs in FortWayne. Net reduction in jobs… consolidation paid for by taxpayers. Brilliant, huh?