It was reported in September 2016 that Rivian was negotiating to buy a manufacturing plant formerly owned by Mitsubishi Motors in Normal, Illinois.[13][5] In January 2017, Rivian acquired the plant[13][10] and its manufacturing contents for $16 million,[14][5] with the plant to become Rivian's primary North American manufacturing facility.[4] Rivian’s acquisition of a near production-ready facility instead of building a new factory[10] has been likened to Tesla's acquisition of the NUMMI plant in California.[14][5] The company received a $1 million grant and a five-year tax abatement from Normal contingent on meeting employment targets and investing $40.5 million over five years.[4] Rivian also received $49.5 million in tax credits from the state government; these credits are also contingent upon meeting employment targets and investing at least $175 million into the site by 2024.[14][5]