ROCHELLE, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and hundreds of guests attended an event in the northern Illinois community of Rochelle to mark the grand opening of Nippon Sharyo's new rail car manufacturing facility.
The Japanese company has a contract to build 160 new passenger rail cars for the Chicago-area's Metra commuter rail system.
WNIJ Radio (https://bit.ly/PbSHNn ) reports that Japan's ambassador to the United States, Ichiro Fujisaki, was at Thursday's event and called it a special day. Fujisaki also predicted a great future for the partnership.
The plant will also be the company U.S. headquarters, and it will employ nearly 300 workers.