Caterpillar Expands Operations in United States

 Caterpillar Expands Operations in United States

Caterpillar Inc. announced today it has selected land near Athens, Georgia, as the location for a new facility that will build small tracktype tractors and mini hydraulic excavators.

The state-of-the-art, one-million-square-footfacility is expected to directly employ 1,400 people once it is fully operational. The total investment for opening the new facility will be about $200 million. In addition to the 1,400 people working in the new facility near Athens, Caterpillar estimates another 2,800 full-time jobs will be created in the United States among suppliers and at other non-Caterpillar companies that will support the new facility.

Company leaders and officials from the state of Georgia and the Athens area announced the decision today at a news conference held at the Georgia state capitol in Atlanta.

“We are making a series of significant investments around the world to position Caterpillar to maintain its leadership position, and I am thrilled to be in Georgia today to announce that Athens will be the newest city to be home to a Caterpillar production facility. We are even more excited that this project will create more than 4,200 jobs in the United States,” said Caterpillar Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Doug Oberhelman.

“Georgia is proud to have built a business climate that provides the logistics, workforce, speed and efficiency that global industry leaders like Caterpillar are looking for,” said Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. “We appreciate Caterpillar’s continued investment in our state, and this new operation will resonate in our workforce and our economy for generations to come.”

About Caterpillar:

For more than 85 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. With 2011 sales and revenues of $60.138 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company also is a leading services provider through Caterpillar Financial Services, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services, Caterpillar Logistics Services and Progress Rail Services.

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Dredging Today Staff, February 17, 2012; Image: caterpillar