EDC shares Rauner’s concerns about Illinois business climate

Posted on May 17, 2018
Mike O'Grady
Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council Interim CEO Mike O’Grady says the community has a lot to offer prospective businesses despite the state’s financial woes. (BN EDC)

By Eric Stock

NORMAL – Local economic developers say recent business expansions in Bloomington-Normal have more to do with what’s happening in McLean County than in Springfield.

Gov. Bruce Rauner is seeking to clarify comments he made previously suggesting Rivian Automotive was moving too slow in adding jobs and starting production at its plant in Normal, declaring that Illinois should be more pro business.

Spokesman for the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council Zach Dietmeier told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin business recruiters encountered that question when trying to lure Brandt Industries last year.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Dietmeier and O’Grady on WJBC.

“That’s not entirely inaccurate,” Dietmeier said. “We face a lot of those issues, especially when Brandt came to the community the first questions they asked us was why should we come to Illinois.”

Interim CEO Mike O’Grady said the EDC focused on local incentives and the local workforce when it attracted Brandt Industries to McLean County last year.

“You’re not coming to Illinois, you are coming to McLean County,” O’Grady said. “I started talking about the benefits we have in the community, a highly educated workforce a workforce that had been in manufacturing.”

Brandt and Rivian have both received financial incentives to come to McLean County.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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