Komatsu is building a new, environmentally friendly office building in Peoria's North Valley neighborhood.
The manufacturing company broke ground Monday on the project, which will replace an aging office building. The new building will be powered by solar energy and is designed to conserve water.
Dan Funcannon is Komatsu's senior vice president of surface haulage.
“We're making investments in not just the people here, but also the technology, so the big R & D center as well, that is helping to decarbonize the products that are moving those minerals for us and for our customers,” he said.
U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Moline, said Komatsu is a leading manufacturer for decarbonization efforts.
“You're developing the products and the modern infrastructure that are years ahead of where we are right now,” he said. “You recognize that if we want businesses to succeed, if we want our to continue to grow, and if we want to create those sustainable communities, we need to think of our planet and how our environment will be our partner.”
Komatsu anticipates the new building will cost around $30 million to complete.
Chris Setti, CEO of the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, said the investment is not just in manufacturing, but in engineering.
“What [people] might not know is they have over 100 engineers who develop not only this mining truck, but all other sorts of mining trucks across the Komatsu portfolio,” Setti said. “And that's really a great secret that hopefully isn't a secret anymore, that we are not only the place that makes machines, but we are the place that designs machines.”
The office is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2025.
