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Averyville gets a facelift with Komatsu's demolition of century-old factory buildings [Journal Star, Peoria, Ill. :: ]
[August 22, 2014]

Averyville gets a facelift with Komatsu's demolition of century-old factory buildings [Journal Star, Peoria, Ill. :: ]


(Journal Star (Peoria, IL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 22--PEORIA -- For over 100 years, factories that produced heavy equipment loomed over North Adams Street in the section of Peoria known as Averyville.

They did, that is, until this year when Komatsu America Corp. followed through with previously-announced plans to demolish the structures.

Now that the old buildings are down, Komatsu is landscaping the area, with work expected to be completed by the end of the month, said Mari Aoyagi, Komatsu's marketing communications and branding manager from its U.S. headquarters in Rolling Meadows, outside Chicago.



Komatsu employs 650 people in Peoria where the Tokyo-based construction equipment manufacturer produces dump trucks and wheel loaders for the mining industry. One of the firm's products includes the world's largest dump truck.

But before Komatsu set up shop here in 1988 in a joint venture with the Dresser Co. (who they bought out in 1996), there were other heavy equipment interests involved.


Although Peoria has long been the earth-moving headquarters for Caterpillar Inc., this part of town has been focused on machines produced by other manufacturers.

From 1890 until 1928, the village of Averyville occupied this area before being incorporated into Peoria. The village was named after Robert Avery, who opened his plow-manufacturing company just north of the city of Peoria in order to save taxes.

The innovative Robert LeTourneau, whose statue stands in Glen Oak Park, brought his own brand of earth-moving equipment to the site in the 1930s, developing breakthrough machines like the wheel dozer and the Tournapull.

During World War II, hundreds of Tournapull scrapers, dozers, rooters and rollers were shipped to war zones in Europe and the Pacific.

In 1953, LeTourneau sold to Westinghouse Air Brake Company (WABCO). In the years to follow, the owners of the factory buildings went through changes: American Standard, Dresser, Komatsu-Dresser and finally just Komatsu.

Neighborhood groups such as the Averyville Improvement Association have applauded Komatsu's effort to clear the site. "Now we're not going to have to look at those ugly buildings anymore," said Rosilee Walker, the association president.

Steve Tarter is Journal Star business editor. Tarter's phone number is 686-3260, and his email address is [email protected]. Follow his blog, Minding Business, on pjstar.com and follow him on Twitter @SteveTarter ___ (c)2014 the Journal Star (Peoria, Ill.) Visit the Journal Star (Peoria, Ill.) at www.PJStar.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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