(Jackson, Mn.)– More jobs could be coming to a major employer in Jackson.
Officials with Agco were in Jackson Thursday to meet with the Governor and city officials. They’re trying to woo the company to transfer the operations of a production facility it will be closing in Illinois to Jackson. An Agco plant in Heston, Kansas is also in the running.
Governor Tim Pawlenty touted the high quality of the area’s workforce and the region’s quality of life. He said the expansion would be a natural fit for the Jackson facility, which currently employs about 875 people. Pawlenty again called on the legislature to pass his JOBZ program that would establish tax-free zones in greater Minnesota. Pawlenty says it could play a major role in negotiations with Agco.
The Agco plant in DeKalb, Illinois that will be closing employs 186 people. Brian Truex, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing and Technologies and Quality for Agco, says not all of those jobs will be transferred. He says it will be more like 100 to 150.
Truex didn’t give a firm time frame as to when a decision might be made, but a previous news release indicates one could be coming early next month.
Tom Willett, Economic Development Coordinator for the city of Jackson, says they’ve put together a proposal addressing the company’s concern over employee training, tax relief, extending the airport runway and construction of a new motel.
