In Peoria, Caterpillar’s move feels like ‘kick in the gut’

For almost 60 years, Caterpillar executives have dined regularly at Jim’s Steakhouse, an elegant, dimly lit restaurant in downtown Peoria. A small toy bulldozer signed by a former executive hangs on the wall.

"We’ve served every CEO throughout the years. And now they’re going to be eating at Gibson’s" in Chicago, said Tim Comfort, 61, owner of the restaurant, as he paced the floor and shook his head in disgust.

Like many other Peoria residents and business owners Tuesday, Comfort struggled to find words that could be printed in a newspaper when describing the town’s loss of the Caterpillar global headquarters. Tuesday morning, the company announced it would move about 300 white-collar workers to the Chicago area instead of building the new headquarters in Peoria that it announced in 2015 and later put on hold.

Furious. Saddened. Disappointed. Shocked. Several described feelings of betrayal and abandonment.

"A kick in the gut" is how Mayor Jim Ardis described it. Sitting in his office after a news conference on the loss, Ardis nonetheless attempted to focus on the positive.

Most of the 12,000 Caterpillar jobs will remain in Peoria, Ardis said. And while the company has been crucial to the town’s economy for many years, the health care system has overtaken Caterpillar as the largest source of jobs, he said.

"I think it’s probably going to have a real big impact, at least in the beginning, more on our ego than what the real impact is. We’ve always proudly boasted that Peoria is home of the world headquarters of Caterpillar," Ardis said.

Peoria mayor on losing Caterpillar HQ

Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis on losing the global headquarters of Caterpillar to the Chicago area. Jan. 31, 2017 (Greg Trotter / Chicago Tribune)

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The imprint of Caterpillar on Peoria seems nearly ubiquitous when driving in on Interstate 74. Motorists can stop in at the 50,000-square-foot Caterpillar Visitor Center, which houses a company museum. The minor-league Peoria Chiefs play baseball at Dozer Park, named after Caterpillar bulldozers.

What does Caterpillar mean to Peoria?

"There’s a term for it, that if you work for Caterpillar, you bleed yellow," said Ryan Murphy, 46, a former Caterpillar employee who now runs a downtown bar. "So many people’s whole families work for Caterpillar."

And though Murphy said the move would hurt downtown business, he believed the town’s economy would survive the loss.

"It’s just one of those bumps in the road where you see the pothole coming and … and you hope you don’t have a flat tire," Murphy said.

When Paul Berres, 58, heard the news, he immediately called his father, a former Caterpillar employee now living in Florida. Beyond the jobs, the company also has provided a trickle-down benefit to other businesses, as well as community philanthropy, said Berres, co-owner of Born Paint Co.

Caterpillar will move headquarters to Chicago area, citing transportation access Becky Yerak

Caterpillar said Tuesday it would scrap plans to build new offices in Peoria and instead relocate its headquarters and 300 employees to the Chicago area, becoming the latest in a series of high-profile companies seeking a bigger talent pool and better transportation options.

The announcement, made…

(Becky Yerak)

Berres said he believes Caterpillar’s strong presence in the Peoria area will continue for years to come, but also acknowledged the change would take some getting used to.

"I’ve been all over and whenever you tell people you’re from Peoria, they think you either grow corn or (work for) Caterpillar. … Peoria’s adapted to a lot of things, though, and we’ll adapt to this too," he said.

Mary Thomas, a 54-year-old paralegal, peered out the window of her law office across from where the Caterpillar headquarters were supposed to be built and didn’t voice as much optimism.

Thomas said the company’s decision to uproot its headquarters from downtown would have a devastating effect on an already sleepy part of town that’s largely dependent on attorneys, city employees and Caterpillar executives to support businesses.

"It’s going to become a ghost town," Thomas said.

gtrotter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GregTrotterTrib

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