Two of the planned facilities are in Will County, including sites formerly used for Caterpillar heavy-equipment operations and Lion Electric electric-bus production. Officials described the commitment as the largest single manufacturing job-creation pledge in recent Illinois history.

The investment also includes a Manufacturing Training Academy at Joliet Junior College. The college says the new facility will expand its capacity to train industrial-maintenance and advanced-manufacturing technicians and double its welding capacity.

At a news conference, Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy said the project would help revive an area that once served as an economic engine for the city and could support families and careers. Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said the county is a hub for manufacturing and job growth in Illinois and the Midwest.

Pritzker said Illinois has about 650,000 manufacturing workers but needs more people with the specialized skills employers require. The academy is intended to help meet that need by preparing local residents for the jobs.

The announcement comes amid a mixed picture for the state’s manufacturing workforce. Illinois has attracted Hyundai Translead’s planned investment, while other employers have announced closures or departures in recent years. Tyson Foods said earlier this year it would close a Rock Island County beef plant, and Caterpillar announced in 2022 that it would move its global headquarters from the Chicago area to Texas. Pritzker said the headquarters move involved about 120 jobs and that Caterpillar has since added thousands of jobs in Illinois.

Pritzker said Illinois competed with other states to secure Hyundai Translead’s investment. The state has not provided a timeline for when the new jobs will be filled.