Gov. Pat Quinn: State will pay for Sears to stay in Illinois

By Sandra M. Jones and Julie Wernau, Tribune reporters 10:03 p.m. CDT, May 9, 2011

Sears Holdings Corp. has joined a growing list of companies threatening to move their headquarters out of Illinois, setting off a flurry of activity from government officials, including Gov. Pat Quinn, eager to keep thousands of corporate jobs in the state.

The retail giant, which has called the Chicago area home since 1887, is in early talks with officials from several states to relocate its Hoffman Estates headquarters. The states include New Jersey, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Georgia, according to a source familiar with the talks. The chief motivation for the move is to cut costs, the source said.

Quinn responded to Sears’ news Monday by saying the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is working to keep the company in Illinois.

via Gov. Pat Quinn: State will pay for Sears to stay in Illinois – chicagotribune.com.