Caterpillar Decatur receives Ameren/ Illinois Development Council Business Partnership Award

Springfield, IL - The 2007 Ameren/IDC Business Partnership Award was presented to the Caterpillar Inc. facility located in Decatur, Ill., at the Illinois Development Council (IDC) Annual Conference in Peoria last month.
Started in 2003, the Ameren/IDC Business Partnership Award is presented annually to recognize exceptional contributions to Illinois community and economic development by Illinois corporations.

In nominating Caterpillar Decatur for the award, IDC Board Chair and Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County President Craig Coil highlighted the significant contributions the company has made to the overall economic progress in Decatur and Macon County.

“At the most basic level, Caterpillar Decatur has had a profound effect on the Decatur and Central Illinois regional economy in the last two years, hiring more than 1,600 new workers and investing in excess of $160 million into facility modernization,” Coil said. “In addition to on-going growth and capital investment at the Decatur facility, the company has worked tirelessly on providing contributions toward community improvements and effecting change in Macon County.”

Mike Kearney, Manager of Ameren’s Economic Development Division, said, ”At a time when Illinois' economy is facing escalating competition from global competitors, Caterpillar Decatur has stepped up to provide business leadership and collaboration with local economic development partners. This award reflects what we see in Caterpillar’s culture. It's a celebration of corporate values and community stewardship by private sector partners who are working to promote community life in Illinois and who are actively involved in the process of building local/regional development capacity. Ameren is pleased to sponsor this award in partnership with the Illinois Development Council, the state's leading association of economic development professionals”.

In receiving the award Janis Kirby, Caterpillar’s Manager of Culture Change said, “I want to personally thank the Illinois Development Council, Ameren and the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur & Macon County for recognizing Caterpillar Decatur’s efforts and contributions in the community. In my new position as Manager of Culture Change, I will continue to work with Decatur and will help East Peoria and Aurora to move in the same direction in their communities. The success of our communities, especially in the crucial areas of education and infrastructure, is an essential factor in Caterpillar’s continued success.”

The Illinois Development Council represents professional economic development practitioners and development partners throughout the state. IDC members work to improve Illinois' competitiveness through economic development policy advocacy, professional development and joint marketing initiatives. www.ildevelopmentcouncil.org

Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE) through its subsidiaries, serves 1.2 million electric and more than 800,000 natural gas customers in Illinois. www.ameren.com