Significant investment creates thousands of jobs in Will County and revives two shuttered plants
Hyundai Translead will invest $450 million and create nearly 2,500 new jobs to establish new trailer manufacturing facilities in Will County—a powerful vote of confidence in Illinois’ standing as a preeminent destination for manufacturers and corporate growth.
Hyundai Translead is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company, a global automotive leader headquartered in South Korea. Located on the former sites of Caterpillar’s heavy equipment operations and Lion Electric’s operation site in Will County, the company’s new facilities will expand its manufacturing footprint and accelerate the state’s momentum in business attraction.
Illinois EDC worked closely with Hyundai Translead, leading the project from beginning to end by coordinating with the State of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), utilities, local partners like Will County Center for Economic Development, the City of Joliet, and workforce entities.
“Illinois offers fundamental advantages—like unrivaled connectivity and a skilled workforce—that have long made it a center for American manufacturing. Hyundai Translead is building on that legacy with a transformative project that will create thousands of good-paying jobs and opportunities,” said Christy George, Illinois EDC president and CEO. “Illinois EDC is proud to have worked with our Team Illinois partners on a project that will have such a profound impact, and that proves businesses want to be in Illinois.”
“Illinois EDC exists to attract new jobs and capital investment to Illinois. We help Illinois stand out in an increasingly competitive environment by working in lockstep with our Team Illinois partners to provide a tailored approach to the site selection process and by matching companies with a trained workforce,” said Paulina San Millan, Illinois EDC SVP of business development. “Hyundai’s decision to establish two manufacturing facilities in Illinois is a result of this strategy in action.”
“As it creates thousands of good jobs and revives two shuttered plants in Illinois, Hyundai’s $450 million investment holds tremendous capital and symbolic value,” said Claire DeLay, Illinois EDC manager of clean energy production and manufacturing. “Working on this project has been a career highlight, and I look forward to seeing Hyundai Translead thrive in Illinois in the years to come.”
Guided by DCEO’s Illinois’ Economic Growth Plan, Illinois recognizes advanced manufacturing as a key industry for growth and opportunity. Illinois offers manufacturers unparalleled advantages for growth, including robust and modern infrastructure, a top-tier workforce, and a strategic location in the heart of the U.S. In addition to Hyundai Translead, in 2026 the state has attracted major manufacturing investments from Tangent Technologies, DMG MORI, and CSL.
In the News
- Crain’s Chicago Business: Hyundai division to revive two Joliet factories with 2,500 jobs
- Trucks, Parts, Service: Hyundai Translead announces new plant in Illinois
- Global Trailer: Hyundai Translead announces strategic investment
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