PEORIA, Ill. — Caterpillar will continue to operate its facilities in Illinois during the “Stay at Home” period.
Caterpillar spokeswoman Kate Kenny confirmed in an e-mail to WMBD Saturday night the company will continue to operate while respecting Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Executive Order. The company’s statement reads:
“Caterpillar continues to operate our Illinois facilities while adhering to the Governor’s Executive Order. Our employees’ safety, health and well-being remain a top priority.” – Kate Kenny, Caterpillar Corporate Media Manager.
Kate Kenny | Caterpillar Inc.
Governor Pritzker said earlier Saturday he did not shut down manufacturing facilities such as Caterpillar due to the potential long-term effects on the supply chain of getting essential products made.
In Gov. Pritzker’s daily briefing Saturday, he spoke on the importance of manufacturers in the state of Illinois.
“There’s a supply chain of manufacturing that occurs, not just for the end product you see on a shelf, but all the way back. The bread you see on the shelf is not just the bread itself, but there’s a twist tie and there’s a plastic bag that holds the bread. Those are all manufacturers that are necessary in order for that good to end on the shelf. The same is true for bottle makers for pharmaceuticals,” Gov. Pritzker said.
“You can see there’s a whole supply chain behind many of the things that are necessary for everyone’s daily life. To make sure that essential business operations include all of the supply chain across the board. For people who are curious if companies in their industry or something they’re interested in is covered as an essential business operation, they should go and look at the order we issued,” Gov. Pritzker said.
You can find the frequently asked questions on the Governor’s order here.
