Employees at the new facility will be paid "at or above 120 percent of the average wage paid to full-time employees in the same job classification in Peoria County," according to the company.

Once production on the new model ramps up, the company expects to employ 300 to 500 people in Peoria, he said. The buses cost about $250,000 to $300,000 each, D’Hollander said.