"Calling FireFly 'the poster child' of Peoria NEXT", National City regional president Doug Stewart said that technology was not in short supply in Peoria. "Ideas are not our problem. The issue is management, first, and capital second. If we are going to hit a home run, FireFly is the closest thing we've got."
Doug was probably right on both counts. If you recall, he also said the PRM would need a $14 million endowment. Hmmm.
Joseph O'Neill, G&D president said of FireFly CEO Williams, "His company could change the world of fuel cell technology and he wasn't getting any cooperation from anyone." JS,5/19/07.
Hmmmmmm.
A pause. Glen Barton, ex-president of Caterpillar joins FireFly board of directors as reported by the JS on 9/27/05.
On January 27. 2008, U.S. Democrat Senator Dick Durbin said, "I like the parentage of this company. Caterpillar is a company well grounded in technology. I like what I see here. Early reports are very positive". Durbin had announced earlier that $3.2 million had been budgeted for FireFly.
Tax-payer dollars, not Durbins. Also Caterpillar spun this company off and was not involved in FireFly's management, Mr. Curbin. Durbin also cited U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood for lining up military contracts for FireFly when LaHood acknowledged FireFly's 45 employees for their work on a revolutionary ways to to create energy with a new battery.
State Representative Aaron Schock said "Silicon Valley started with just one company, too. (not a correct statement, Aaron) Hopefully, this will be the first of many new ventures to open here." August 13, 2008, JS reporter Steve Tarter.
You all know what Mayor Jim Ardis, the Chamber's Kyle Hamm, IB Editorials,and County Board Chairman Bill Prather said as most of you read The Peoria Chronicle blog.
"200,000 Oasis batteries are planned to be produced by FireFly in 2009. Components for the batteries will be made in Peoria and shipped to various manufacturers around the country." Journal Star 8/17/08.
We were all hopeful that this enterprise would succeed. But what was it that ex-Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan said about "excessive exuberance"?
1 comment:
I left out what ex-Mayor Dick Carver said. "The FireFly deal was the most exciting thing that happened to Peoria since building the Civic Center."
LaHood said, "the 'icing on the cake' was keeping FireFly in Peoria."
Both these supportive comments along with 8 others appeared in the JS on June 10, 2007.
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