* The governor made his second trip to the Bloomington area in a week today…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, local stakeholders, and Ferrero North America leadership to celebrate the grand opening of the continent’s first Ferrero chocolate factory in Bloomington, Illinois. The 70,000 square-foot expansion to Ferrero’s manufacturing campus in Bloomington will produce chocolate used in iconic products like Kinder®, Ferrero Rocher®, Butterfinger®, and CRUNCH®. The facility is the company’s first chocolate processing plant in North America and third globally.
“Central Illinois is the heart of our nation, and this most recent $75 million Ferrero expansion is an exciting addition to a thriving manufacturing landscape in the region,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We have worked hard to make this one of the best states in the nation to do business, and to help companies like Ferrero deepen their roots here. Thank you to the folks at Ferrero for your commitment to the people of Illinois.”
Governor Pritzker joined the Ferrero North America team three years ago to break ground on the new facility, and the construction was completed this year.
* Pritzker took questions…
Q: Why double-down on efforts, invest so much here in Bloomington? We just saw you at Rivian the other day.
Pritzker: Well, it’s in part due to the great economic development efforts right here in Bloomington/Normal. So let’s give credit where credit’s due. Locally, the mayor, the Economic Development Council, Patrick Hogan, doing a great job, Mayor Koos. And so that’s part of it.
I think the other is companies want to come here. They want to be in central Illinois. So we’re just trying to make it easier for them to come at the state level by providing some tax incentives. So they know we’re here, we can compete with other states. It’s very exciting and, frankly, the fact that I’ve been here twice in less than a week to cut ribbons on new manufacturing is a testament to the people of Bloomington. […]
Q: Certainly there’s no question that the Logan Correctional Center needed very serious attention. What is your response to people who are municipal leaders in that area who are concerned about the exodus of jobs?
Pritzker: Well, certainly we should all be paying attention to how can we get more economic development into the area, into Logan County and make sure that in Lincoln in particular, that we’re attracting great new private sector jobs. I don’t know where the facility will end up, the one that you’re talking about that will be closed for a while. That’s going to be part of the conversation that we had in town hall meetings and in the hearings, it’ll be had. But I’m excited about the prospect of attracting new businesses to the area just like we’re doing here in Bloomington. And I think that really is the future for most places across the state, to not rely upon a state-run facility that’s a prison. That can’t be a great economic growth strategy for the area. And so we want to work together to see how we might be able to attract some new companies like this one, and like others that we’ve been getting to the state of Illinois to Logan.
That assumes he can convince a big company to open up a facility in or near Lincoln. It’s within his power to simply rebuild that prison where it’s at now.
Then again, the Ferrero plant is only a half-hour drive from Lincoln. And the Rivian plant is a few miles further.
Discuss.
- Merica - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:12 pm:
great comments and perspective from the governor. Using prisons as “economic growth” is how we created so many unecessary prisons to begin with. Lincoln has its own problems which is why 2 universities recently closed their doors. Lincoln doesn’t invest in itself and it shows. Due to its close proximity to Springfield, Lincoln already has a large number of residents with state jobs.
- Back to the Mountains - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:13 pm:
He’s both right and missing the mark. Yes, prisons are not the best economic development strategy in the world. All the same, you take the jobs where you can get them, and prisons are regional economic drivers. They always have been, and that is (part of) why they have historically been dispersed throughout the state.
- TheInvisibleMan - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:19 pm:
One of the first things the mayor of Crest Hill said when he heard about the Logan county prison moving to Will County, was that this would be a great opportunity to bring in economic development to the community.
Ignoring the obvious fact that the existing Stateville prison has brought a grand total of zero new development in the decades it has been in Crest Hill.
- Jerry - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:26 pm:
Gov Pritzker talks the way Republicans used to talk. Before they became big government fanatics (i.e., regulating women’s bodies, etc).
Sure prisons are jobs. Also costs taxpayers $30,000.00 to $70,000.00 a year, per person, to manage them.
The Governor is right it’s not great “Job Creation” strategy.
Maybe Lincoln would like to build a free stadium for a football team?
- TJ - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:26 pm:
Why show much interest in Bloomington-Normal? Because McLean County has shifted from red to purple to light blue. Keeping this area happy is going to be pretty big for retaining the US 17th House district.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:27 pm:
“All the same, you take the jobs where you can get them”
Where you can get them is generally up to the private sector. I can’t comprehend why the state should spend money to prop up downstate towns for no reason other than that the locals can’t reach for their bootstraps.
Funny what’s considered “waste” and “welfare” and what isn’t.
- Alice Childress - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:32 pm:
I agree with Back to the Mountains. Yes it would be great if JB can lure a company that will hire 300-500 people. But the difference between companies/factories and prisons these days is simple: prisons will stay populated. Crime isn’t going anywhere. Companies can come to a community, promise the sky and be gone is less than 10 years. It’s a tough situation for sure.
- vern - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:35 pm:
=== Because McLean County has shifted from red to purple to light blue. ===
This theory is pretty clearly disproven by his “interest” in Manteno. To the extent that politics are involved in this, he seems to have a general preference for more jobs and businesses in Illinois. That’s both good politics and good policy. Meanwhile, Republicans are bending over backwards to oppose economic development. This might be part of why many parts of Illinois have shifted towards voting for Democrats.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:45 pm:
What vern said.
…at least the first part.
- H-W - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:51 pm:
This goes hand in hand with SB 426.
- supplied_demand - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:52 pm:
==prisons will stay populated. Crime isn’t going anywhere==
State prisons are factually less populated than 10 years ago. The state prison population was over 45k in 2010 and fell under 30k by 2022.
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/graphs/jails2024/IL_prison_jail_populations_1978-2022.html
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:54 pm:
===But the difference between companies/factories and prisons these days is simple: prisons will stay populated===
Tell that to Lincoln, Illinois.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:06 pm:
Pritzker is right in the sense that he knows CMS isn’t hiring state workers. What are we down now…?…9 thousand vacant positions in state government that CMS seems to be in no hurry to fill?
Rauner only dreamed of being so effective.
So yeah, he knows full well that a county can only rely on private employers. Because the state is simply not hiring anymore.
It’s not like all those 9000 are posted on the CMS website. Positions are only open to receive applications if they they’ve got upper management support or patronage to get filled. There used to be MOU’s that certain posts were always open. Now it’s posted for a month, twice a year. See how that cuts down on the applicants?
So yeah, count the state out as an employer.
- H-W - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:09 pm:
@ Supply_Demand (nice name)
Actually, crime is going down nicely, and has been for a long trend now. That combined with intentional rehabilitation efforts suggests we will do better. Win-Win in my book.
- Anyone Remember - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:10 pm:
===Using prisons as “economic growth” is how we created so many unecessary prisons to begin with.===
And, in the competition to get prisons, is how we got things like this … .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5-d2WOgpfQ
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:19 pm:
===Rauner only dreamed of being so effective.===
I was intrigued by that, so I took a few minutes and looked up actual headcounts:
FY15: 50,843
FY17: 48,969
FY23: 50,406
FY25 (Authorized): 60,183
- LincolnCoNative - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:21 pm:
== Lincoln has its own problems which is why 2 universities recently closed their doors. ==
I would argue the reasons behind the universities closing are significantly more complex than “Lincoln has its own problems”.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:23 pm:
===are significantly more complex than “Lincoln has its own problems”. ===
I would agree, but quite a few townspeople were up in arms about the Black students recruited by one of those local colleges.
When towns win a town v. gown fight, both sides lose. Ask Carbondale.
- cal skinner - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:30 pm:
A women’s prison closer to Chicago would be a benefit to probably a majority of the inmates.
- Dotnonymous x - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:32 pm:
The dark dirty prisons were never meant to be economic crutches.
Prison guards losing their jobs or having to relocate…makes my heart feel a certain kind of way.
- H-W - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:35 pm:
Rich wrote: When towns win a town v. gown fight, both sides lose. Ask Carbondale.
I can think of a few examples that support this thesis.
- ArchPundit - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:39 pm:
===Crime isn’t going anywhere.
Not sure why there is such fatalism when we have seen dramatic drops since the 70s/80s/90s that has largely been sustained with blips for the pandemic. We’ve also found effective ways to not throw everyone in prison which reduces the amount going in and going back.
===I would agree, but quite a few townspeople were up in arms about the Black students recruited by one of those local colleges.
This was an issue, but it’s also true that it’s challenging to recruit BIPOC students to rural, largely white areas. It’s not impossible, but it can really be challenging–which local resistance just makes worse.
- Central Illinois Centrist - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:43 pm:
Patrick Hoban*
Mayor Mwilambwe*
- Honeybear - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 2:22 pm:
Thanks so much for looking that up Rich. I stand corrected. What I can’t understand is that if our numbers are going up, why is it that understaffing seems to be so pervasive, at least where I am in the Metro East and we’re down so many positions we’re told, how can we be going up in overall numbers. This is a sincere question. Anecdotally we’re at skeleton crew. Is the growth in other regions? Is my union lying? Or is it like the national economy which is doing well but the guages by which we measure it don’t factor in how regular folk are doing.
I’m more than willing to say I am wrong but I’d like to get a clue as to why.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 2:27 pm:
===understaffing seems to be so pervasive===
Authorized doesn’t mean filled.
- Uhm, ok - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 2:29 pm:
“Prison guards losing their jobs or having to relocate…makes my heart feel a certain kind of way.”
Wow. Taking pleasure in the misfortune of others. What a great person you must be.
- @misterjayem - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 2:45 pm:
“Taking pleasure in the misfortune of others. What a great person you must be.”
The blinding irony of saying this about jobs built on caged human beings…
– MrJM
- TheInvisibleMan - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 2:50 pm:
“Taking pleasure in the misfortune of others.”
Like every small town mayor who enjoyed having a prison in their town?
To paraphrase U. Sinclair - It’s difficult to get a man to understand something, when his prosperity depends on him not understanding it.
- Webster - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 2:51 pm:
==jobs built on caged human beings==
This is a strange take. What do you suppose should happen to somebody who murders others? I guess you’ve never lost a loved one to violence. Must be nice to be so privileged.
- Jibba - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 2:51 pm:
Small farm towns were lost in the last half of the last century due to loss of rural population on farms, so the services like banks and hardware stores could no longer be supported.
Somewhat larger towns like Lincoln are being lost this century due to manufacturing loss and ending of the services they provided to outlier towns, plus retail draw toward bigger cities. Let’s be honest…the workforce is not really there any longer to support large state institutions like prisons and care homes. Time to shift them to where the clientele is, and where employees can be had in abundance. Central Illinois cities might be large enough to sustain themselves against population and job loss, especially if government helps draw investment.
- Alice Childress - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 4:02 pm:
Re: Prison pop declining. It’s not. In fact, FY23 saw a slight increase from the previous year. Covid 2020 and legislative actions with regard to sentencing has put a nice dip over the last 4 fiscal years. Having said that, there is a leveling out this FY(24) with no distinguishable decline. And forecasting the next 2-3 years, barring extreme advocate input and action at the Capitol, the population will hang around that 29k number.
There’s no utopia coming. Crime stats aside, criminals will keep being criminals and IDOC is where they go.
As this pertains to Logan, well, it doesn’t. But we will need space for the criminals. I think a better question is why IDOC isn’t utilizing existing beds and shift inmates around and use (and fix/upgrade) the current facilities.
- Skeptic - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 4:06 pm:
Seems to me that if people could earn as much taking care of the elderly as they do keeping people locked up, the world would be a much happier place.
- @misterjayem - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 5:17 pm:
“I guess you’ve never lost a loved one to violence. Must be nice to be so privileged.”
You have no idea what you’re talking about.
– MrJM
- Excitable Boy - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 5:54 pm:
- Taking pleasure in the misfortune of others. What a great person you must be. -
Having a state job that requires zero skills and pays six figures isn’t guaranteed in the bill of rights. If a guard doesn’t want to move he or she can go out and find a job like the rest of us do.