Caterpillar moving headquarters to Chicago from Peoria

Prairie grass grows in front of the Caterpillar Visitors Center on Jan. 31, 2017, in Peoria. The company has announced it will move its headquarters to the Chicago area, though many workers will remain in Peoria.

The Caterpillar Visitors Center in Peoria is seen Jan. 31, 2017. The company announced it will move its headquarters to the Chicago area. It said the “vast majority” of 12,000 Peoria jobs, which include manufacturing and white-collar positions, would remain in central Illinois.

People exit the Caterpillar Visitors Center in Peoria on Jan. 31, 2017. The company said it will move its headquarters to the Chicago area. The new headquarters will house about 100 workers by the end of the year and ultimately grow to 300 employees.

Men walk on Adams Street in downtown Peoria, a block from the Caterpillar Visitors Center, on Jan. 31, 2017. The company announced it will move its headquarters to the Chicago area; it has not decided on whether to locate in the city or suburbs.