A northern Illinois manufacturing facility plans to add 90 jobs through an expansion. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Wednesday at the Nippon-Sharyo plant in Rochelle. Company officials, along with many state and local dignitaries, were on hand to announce the opening of a third shop. That's where the company will continue to produce passenger rail cars.
The company says the expansion was needed to meet contract demand for cars that operate on high-speed rail lines in the U.S. Governor Pat Quinn says it underscores the importance of Nippon-Sharyo's decision to locate here.
"And we're very happy that the company was able to win competition to build rail cars," Quinn said.
Metra's chairman also hinted that the commuter rail agency might order more cars from the plant in the future. Nippon-Sharyo opened its Rochelle facility in 2012, and currently employs 400 people there.