The Mitsubishi plant in Normal is the Japanese motor company’s only manufacturing plant in North America. Production at the plant has fallen off in recent years as sales have dropped.

Mitsubishi Motors isn’t saying the Japanese-based motor company will be shutting down its plant in Normal, despite multiple news sources reporting the company has already made a decision to do so.

Mitsubishi spokesman Dan Irvin in Normal has reportedly only said the company continually reviews its supply chain to make sure it remains competitive.

Two Japanese business newspapers have reported that the plant close, but no named sources.

Annual production at the Normal plant has dropped to 64,000 vehicles from more than 200,000 in 2002.

The Normal plant is Mitsubishi’s only manufacturing plant in North America.

Mitsubishi’s sales in the United States have fallen to where the company sold only 82,000 vehicles last year, less than one percent of the total market.]

Normal Mayor Chris Koos has stated he hasn’t heard anything official from Mitsubishi.

The plant in Normal opened in 1988 as a joint venture with its then-partner, Chrysler. It employs 918 workers. Mitsubishi is reportedly ready to begin negotiations with labor representatives to maintain jobs for the plant’s employees,  who are represented by the United Auto Workers union.

Kyle Young, vice president of UAW Local 2488, which represents the plant’s workers, said the union’s contract expires in August.

The Normal plant is the only Japanese-owned U.S. auto factory whose hourly workers are represented by the UAW.

— Mitsubishi may be closing down its  Normal plant —