Grundy Reporter

A Canadian-based electric-car company will build a facility in Will County, bringing 750 new jobs. It will be its first U.S. manufacturing facility, and is backed by Illinois State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) in a recent statement.

Lion Electric Company plans to invest $70 million in the Will County facility, which is expected to be the largest of its kind in the U.S. The investment includes almost 750 new jobs at the facility projected to produce about 20,000 electric vehicles a year.

State Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) working on equipment during National Agriculture Week in March | senatorpatrickjoyce.com/

"I am pleased to welcome Lion Electric to Will County, as it will add to our state's industry-leading capabilities," Joyce said in a May 7 statement. "This facility will allow us to increase our contribution to the local economy and provide employment opportunities in our community."

Joyce, a long time Kankakee County Farm Bureau Board of Directors member and Senate Agriculture Committee chairman, has represented State Senate District 40 since he first was elected to the seat in November 2019.  He won the Democrat primary in March, defeating three challengers, and will face Republican Eric M. Wallace in November's General Election.

The Illinois Senate's 40th district is located in a portion of Chicago and includes all or parts of Bourbonnais, Bradley, Chicago Heights, Coal City, Essex, Flossmoor, Frankfort, Glenwood, Hazel Crest, Homewood, Joliet, Kankakee, Manhattan, Matteson, Mokena, Monee, New Lenox, Park Forest, Richton Park, Steger, University Park and Wilmington.

The new Lion Electric plant, about at 900,000 square feet that will make it the largest production plant of its kind in the U.S., will be located in Joliet.

The arrival of Lion Electric in Will County is part of the company's earlier announced "business combination" with Northern Genesis Acquisition (NGA).

"Today marks a big step forward in the evolution of Lion, as we accelerate our growth strategy to continue selling all-electric medium and heavy-duty urban vehicles on the cutting edge of technology, while developing new ones," Lion Electric Founder and CEO Marc Bédard said in a separate May 7 statement posted to the company's Facebook page. "We thank NGA, our investors and our Board of Directors for sharing and supporting our mission of being the leader in our industry as well as our vision which aims at improving our society, our environment and, above all, the quality of life of all around us."

Joyce, in his own statement, expressed his pride in the entire process that brought Lion Electric to Will County.

"I'm proud that our community will serve as a destination for this manufacturing company and will create high-quality jobs," he said. "I look forward to watching this project unfold and the facility grow for years to come."