PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — Company towns like Peoria, Illinois, have long relied on a major employer to provide generations of locals with jobs and give the cities their central identity.
Now many of those midsize communities are looking to redefine themselves as more companies trade longtime hometowns for major cities with easier access to global markets and the lifestyle that talented young workers want.
Caterpillar Inc.’s decision to move 300 top headquarters jobs to the Chicago area made Peoria the latest place with a vacuum to fill.
In 2014, Decatur, Illinois, lost Archer Daniels Midland to Chicago. ConAgra Foods moved 1,000 jobs last year from Omaha, Nebraska, to Chicago. Some companies also are leaving suburbs for downtowns, though suburban communities are still a popular choice.
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