Illinois Courts Caterpillar for Factory Amid 10% Unemployment

Illinois is trying to persuade Caterpillar Inc., the world’s largest construction and mining-equipment maker, that its home state is the best location to build a factory that will employ more than 1,000 people.

“We have reached out to them and we will continue our discussions,” Marcelyn Love, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, said Nov. 15 in a telephone interview. “We want to continue our relationship with them as well as to strengthen the Illinois economy.”