Caterpillar to create 1,400 jobs in Georgia
| Friday, February 17, 2012 |
Global manufacturer announces it will locate U.S. factory in Clarke and Oconee counties
Gov. Nathan Deal and Doug Oberhelman, Chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Inc., announced today at the Capitol that Caterpillar will locate a new manufacturing facility in Clarke and Oconee counties. The new facility will be part of Caterpillar’s Building Construction Products Division (BCP), and when fully operational will have about 1,400 employees and a total investment in Georgia of $200 million.
“This is an extraordinary day for our entire state, and a game-changer for Clarke, Oconee and surrounding counties throughout northeast Georgia,” said Deal. “The excitement and promise of today’s announcement are why we’re fighting so hard to make Georgia the No. 1 place in the nation to do business. Caterpillar will find a happy home here, and our state’s logistics, workforce, speed and efficiency will give the company an edge in the global marketplace. We appreciate Caterpillar’s confidence in Georgia’s workforce and continued investment in our state through this new BCP operation.”
Caterpillar will locate its new one-million-square-foot facility on more than 250 acres of a prominent industrial site, commonly known as the “Orkin Site,” that spans Clarke and Oconee counties.
“I am thrilled to be in Georgia today to announce that this site near Athens will be the location of Caterpillar’s newest production facility in the United States,” said Oberhelman.
“Our objective with this new facility is simple — to better serve the large base of customers who use the machines we will make at this new factory,” said BCP Vice President Mary Bell. “The Athens site was selected from among dozens of locations considered due to its proximity to major ports, a strong regional base of potential suppliers, a positive and pro-active business climate and a good pool of potential employees with manufacturing experience,” Bell added.
The new facility in Georgia will become Caterpillar’s global source for small track-type tractors and for mini hydraulic excavators. The new facility will provide completed machines for customers in North and South America. In addition, the company also plans to export partially assembled mini excavator base units to a facility in Europe, where final assembly will take place, improving delivery times for European customers.
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