Nippon Sharyo Ltd. opened its first American railcar manufacturing plant. According to the company, the new factory will employ 250 workers by the end of next year and create additional jobs throughout the company's American supply-chain. Nippon Sharyo has already identified more than 200 potential suppliers and vendors in the Midwest region alone. Deputy Federal Railroad Administrator Karen Hedlund attended the opening. In opening the Northern Illinois plant, Nippon Sharyo is fulfilling a commitment made to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in 2009 to establish U.S. manufacturing operations in order to meet eligibility requirements of the U.S. Department of Transportation's 'Buy America' program. Nippon Sharyo invested $50 million in the Rochelle facility. During the plant's construction, employment ranged from 50 to 120 building and trades workers at a time. The facility has the capability to produce 120 new passenger cars annually, and its first orders include commuter rail cars for service in Illinois, California, Virginia, and Ontario.