Global Distribution Company Chooses Illinois for Expansion; Will Create Approximately 90 Jobs

MASCOUTAH, Ill. - June 14, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today joined executives from North Bay Produce, Inc. in opening the international company's new refrigerated warehouse at MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah. As part of Governor Quinn's commitment to boosting Illinois' economy, the company announced it will create 10-15 permanent and 80 seasonal jobs once the facility is fully operational.

According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, May was the ninth straight month of declining unemployment in Illinois.

"North Bay's decision to locate its global distribution facility at MidAmerica Airport reinforces the Metro East's role as a key transportation hub to the world," Governor Quinn said. "Our goal is to make Illinois the inland port of the nation, and we remain committed to ensuring the Metro East continues to play a vital role in our economic growth."

The company's expansion to MidAmerica Airport is a key step in its plans to open the Asian trade lane that is integral to the company's future growth. The fresh produce marketing and distribution company will serve as the new anchor tenant for the airport's international trade route linking the Americas with Asia. The new $5.7 million, 36,448-square-foot facility can hold 1,317,600 pounds of product, which arrive from all over the world year round.

"With this new state-of-the-art facility, the international reach this site brings to the business model, and the opportunity to be in this great Midwest area, I know we found in MidAmerica Airport the best new home for our expansion," noted Mark Girardin, president of North Bay Produce. "This new location will allow our quality product to maintain the freshest, quickest-to-market character at a great value, and we're excited to get our operations here up and running."

North Bay Produce, Inc. is an international, grower-owned, year-round, fresh produce marketing and distribution cooperative, headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan.  The company's 25 stockholders are located in the United States, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru. Its multi-year search for an additional central United States location with great logistics ingredients led North Bay to MidAmerica Airport.

Under Governor Quinn's leadership, DCEO has worked diligently to identify and aggressively court companies like North Bay Produce that are looking to expand their global reach. Governor Quinn has long supported MidAmerica's efforts to build a large cargo hub at the airport, with MidAmerica's director accompanying the Governor on his trade mission to China last year. Illinois ranks first in the Midwest for trade and as a destination for foreign investment. The Governor will continue to build on this success by playing a key role in marketing Illinois' world-class attributes abroad and personally meeting with companies to recruit them to Illinois.

For more information on why Illinois is the right place for any business, visit www.illinoisbiz.biz.

 

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Senator Harkin championed the continued funding of the National Asthma Control Program and the American Lung Association applauds his efforts. Earlier today, the Senate Appropriations Committee again voted to keep the National Asthma Control Program as a stand-alone program and maintained its funding level of $25.3 million for fiscal year 2013.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, made the comment below about invoking the Thurmond-Leahy rule on circuit court judicial nominees.  Previously, Chairman Patrick Leahy expressed respect for the informal rule.  During an executive business meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 12, 2008, Chairman Leahy said, "... I want to say, I appreciate the comments of the Senator from Delaware.  He knows that we are now way past the time of the Thurmond Rule, named after Senator Thurmond when he was in the minority, and I'm trying to respect that. ..."

Senator Grassley's comment:

"There's no need to make an exception to the Thurmond-Leahy rule based on the number of circuit court judges confirmed during this presidential election year, especially compared to the last couple of presidential election years.

"The Senate considered district court nominees into the fall during the last two presidential election years but not circuit court nominees, as was said today.  In fact, during both 2004 and 2008, the last circuit court nomination considered was in June.  No one has suggested that no more district court nominations will be considered this year this year.

"Since 2008, the Senate has confirmed 149 circuit and district court judges and two Supreme Court Justices nominated by President Obama, and his term is not over.  During President Bush's entire second term, which was the last time two  Supreme Court Justices were confirmed, the Senate confirmed a total of only 119 circuit and district court judges.

"This year, the Senate has confirmed five circuit court nominees.  Likewise, in 2004, the Senate confirmed five circuit court nominees.  Yet, in 2008, the Senate confirmed only four circuit court nominees.  The Senate did not confirm additional circuit nominees in 2008 even though, for example, the Fourth Circuit had a vacancy rate that was more than 25 percent, and four qualified nominees were pending in the Senate for that circuit alone.

"In addition, so far this year, the Senate has confirmed 22 district court nominees.  That's three times as many nominees as the Senate had confirmed by this date in 2008, when it had confirmed only seven district court nominees.  Similarly, by this date in 2004, the Senate had confirmed only nine district court nominees.

"Based on this record, it's disingenuous to suggest that Senate Republicans have not been fair in the consideration and confirmation of judicial nominees.  And, it is entirely appropriate and consistent with past practice to invoke the Thurmond-Leahy rule at this point."

thought you might find this particularly interesting as Iowa is a Right To Work State. Senior Policy Analyst in Labor Economics James Sherk has just published  a piece on the bailout being for the United Auto Workers (23 billion worth).

The U.S. government will lose about $23 billion on the 2008-2009 bailout of General Motors and Chrysler. President Obama emphatically defends his decision to subsidize the automakers, arguing it was necessary to prevent massive job losses. But, even accepting this premise, the government could have executed the bailout with no net cost to taxpayers. It could have?had the Administration required the United Auto Workers (UAW) to accept standard bankruptcy concessions instead of granting the union preferential treatment. The extra UAW subsidies cost $26.5 billion?more than the entire foreign aid budget in 2011. The Administration did not need to lose money to keep GM and Chrysler operating. The Detroit auto bailout was, in fact, a UAW bailout....read more

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Corrine Williams
Midwestern Regional Media Associate
The Heritage Foundation
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