CHICAGO – Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich announced today that he is directing the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to work with Alcan Packaging Centralia in an attempt to avoid its recently announced plant closure.  Alcan Packaging Centralia produces packaging for the pharmaceutical and personal care markets and employs 221 people.  The company says it wants to close the facility by March 1, 2006.

“We must do everything we possibly can to keep Alcan Packaging in Centralia where it belongs because there are 221 dedicated men and women who do great work at this facility every day.  And if, despite our best efforts, Alcan Packaging decides to proceed with this plant closure, our Rapid Response Team is prepared to offer comprehensive job training and assistance to make sure their next job is the right job,” Gov. Blagojevich said.

State Senator John Jones (R-Mt. Vernon), State Representative Kurt Granberg (D-Centralia), Centralia Mayor John Stuehmeier and union officials are joining Gov. Blagojevich in this effort. 

“By working together, we hope to convince Alcan Packaging that it is not only in the community’s best interest to keep this facility open, but that it is the right thing for the company as well,” State Senator Jones said.

“Gov. Blagojevich and I are not going to let these jobs just walk out of Centralia without a fight.  We have a number of economic development tools at our disposal, and we will use them to try and come up with some solutions to keep Alcan Packaging open for business.  This is critical for Centralia and the entire region,” State Rep. Granberg said.

“We think there are viable options to keeping Alcan Packaging here in Centralia, and I am working closely with Gov. Blagojevich, Senator Jones and Representative Granberg to try and make it happen,” Mayor Stuehmeier said.

“We greatly appreciate the rapid response by Gov. Blagojevich, along with Senator Jones, Representative Granberg and Mayor Stuehmeier.  We must do everything we can to keep these 221 hardworking men and woman on the job,” Southern Illinois Central Labor Council President Paul Noble said.

Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns regional economic development strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating jobs in Illinois’ history.  Since a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development just doesn’t work, the Governor has divided the state into 10 regions – each with a regional team that is empowered and expected to rapidly respond to opportunities and challenges.  Opportunity Returns is about tangible, specific actions to make each region more accessible, more marketable, more entrepreneurial and more attractive to businesses.  It is about upgrading the skills of the local workforce, increasing the access to capital, opening new markets, improving infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs.  Opportunity Returns is about successfully partnering with companies and communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach its economic potential.