Former Mitsubishi Plant Now Owned By Rivian Automotive

Rivian Automotive has completed the purchase of the former Mitsubishi plant in the McLean County city of Normal, where it plans to manufacture electric vehicles.

The company confirmed the purchase on its Twitter feed on Thursday.

The Pantagraph in Bloomington reports Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe said Thursday in a statement the company "couldn't be more excited" in purchasing the plant. He added the location will be crucial to bringing the company's products to market.

The 2.4 million-square-foot plant was shut down by Mitsubishi in 2015, and sold to a liquidation company.

Rivian Automotive moved to acquire the plant, and received tax breaks from the Normal Town Council in December.

Scaringe says Rivian plans to employ 1,000 and invest $175 million to start up production in Normal. At its peak, Mitsubishi Motors employed 3,000 workers at the plant, which opened in 1985 as Diamond Star Motors, a joint venture of Mitsubishi and Chrysler.

Michigan-based Rivian was founded in 2009 as a design company with an emphasis on concept vehicles. After two name changes and a move from its original headquarters in Florida, the company is promising to manufacture a vehicle that delivers a “better way to achieve” mobility.

The Rivian website offers few specifics about the vehicle it will be making. A video on the website outlining the company’s vision ends with the words, “coming soon.”