Rivian Receives Prestigious National Community Impact Award for its Contributions to Illinois

NORMAL, Ill. and PLYMOUTH, Mich., May 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Rivian is pleased to announce that it has received the prestigious annual Corporate Investment and Community Impact Award (CiCi) from Trade & Industry Development. The award recognizes projects whose site selection decision made a strong positive impact on the local community and rewards the joint efforts of local organizations to attract new businesses.  In the past year, Rivian has revitalized a 508-acre, 2.6-million-square-foot plant in Normal, Illinois. The company has made an initial investment in restoring the plant and is on track with milestones to continue to ramp up new hires as the plant becomes fully operational.  

RJ Scaringe, Founder and CEO of Rivian commented, "We are honored to receive this distinguished award and take investment and job creation in the Bloomington-Normal, Illinois community very seriously. The excellent location near key transportation hubs and well-trained workforce in the area were key factors for selecting the area. This award represents how strong relationships can be established between private businesses and the public sector to provide a positive impact on the community. We continue to work with state and local officials to explore additional opportunities for public-private collaborations."

"The CiCi award is given for the collaboration of both private business and public to bring a manufacturer into the community," said interim CEO of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council (BNEDC) Mike O'Grady. "We are confident in the work that Rivian is already doing to impact our community, and this award shows others feel that way, too."

BNEDC is recognized for the honor, along with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Town of Normal. Other key stakeholders include McLean County, Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District, Central Illinois Regional Airport, Normal Public Library, Community Unit School District No. 5 and Heartland Community College.

The award is presented by Trade and Industry Development Magazine and this year's 13th annual awards honor industries including mining, automotive, ecommerce, manufacturing, food processing, and textiles. Rivian was honored for developing projects that will have unique effects in their local community. 

The auto industry is the fourth-largest employer in Illinois. Rivian continues to be an active player in this industry and community through various initiatives, and as it grows, Rivian will need to hire hundreds of employees.  With that growth in mind, Rivian is already an active player in the community supporting non-profit events for the United Way such as the recent 48in48, providing space for the 4H High School robotics team, or supporting local, state and federal law enforcement by allowing their SWAT teams to use Rivian facilities for training exercises.  The company is also working with the local educational system to enhance STEM programs in engineering and manufacturing technologies and looks to experiential learning through job shadowing and internship programs. 

About Rivian
With the introduction of its first vehicle in 2020, Rivian is advancing the shift to electric, autonomous and shared mobility. Rivian vehicles will incorporate the company's cloud-based digital architecture, self-driving platform and advanced battery system. The company employs around 350 people and has vehicle design and engineering operations in Plymouth, Michigan, technology and engineering operations in San Jose and Irvine, California and manufacturing facilities in Normal, Illinois. For more information visit www.rivian.com.  

SOURCE Rivian

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