Business
Illinois Bus Tour Launches Today With 30+ Stops Across State
Decatur, IL – A 45 foot bus is hitting the road across Illinois beginning Friday, Oct. 2, for a statewide tour with more than 30 stops aimed at showcasing manufacturing jobs, facilities and career opp
By Elliot Vaughn · 2026-10-02T16:53:55.758Z
Decatur, IL – A 45 foot bus is hitting the road across Illinois beginning Friday, Oct. 2, for a statewide tour with more than 30 stops aimed at showcasing manufacturing jobs, facilities and career opportunities.
According to the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center, the fifth annual “Makers on the Move” bus tour launched Friday at TCCI Manufacturing in Decatur. The tour runs through Friday, Oct. 9, with stops planned at manufacturing facilities, colleges and community centers across Illinois.
The kickoff coincides with Manufacturing Day and the beginning of Manufacturing Month.
TCCI Manufacturing, which produces electric and belt driven compressors for several markets, hosted the opening event. The Decatur stop also included a ribbon cutting for the Climatic Center for Innovation & Research, a facility designed to allow companies to test thermal and vehicle technologies under controlled conditions.
After leaving Decatur, the fully wrapped tour bus will travel across the state. Organizers said planned destinations include Springfield, DeKalb, Chicago and the Quad Cities, along with other Illinois communities.
Educators, economic development officials, public officials and industry advocates are expected to participate at various stops as the tour works to connect manufacturers with potential future employees.
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association said manufacturing directly employs 662,298 workers in Illinois and supports as many as 1.77 million jobs. The organization also cited 580,000 open manufacturing jobs nationally as the industry works to attract and train additional workers.
Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, said the tour will highlight both manufacturers' contributions to communities and employment opportunities available in the industry.
A complete schedule of tour stops and additional information is available at makersonthemove.org.