Caterpillar Mini Excavator

With so many manufacturing jobs being sent overseas, it’s nice to hear about a company who’s doing the opposite: bringing those jobs back to America in an effort to meet the needs of the industry and our workers.

Caterpillar is providing the US manufacturing industry with two great boosts. At the end of this week, Caterpillar will be opening a plant in North Carolina that will produce axles for mining machinery. Additionally, and on a much larger scale, they plan to announce by the end of the year the US location for a new small tractor and mini hydraulic excavator manufacturing site, which they hope will make state-side distribution easier and provide jobs for our economy.

Based out of Peoria, Illinois, Caterpillar has a vested interest in seeing the American economy do well and says that it also plans on expanding its operations in Decatur, Illinois where it produced large mining trucks and in Peoria where it manufacturers its large tractors. Not only has the production of these large machinery products stayed in the country, but these products are primarily exports, offering economic input to the American economy without necessitating spending by American businesses—it’s money that’s flowing in one direction and the right direction for the US dollar.

The smaller machinery, to be produced in the new facility, has seen a gradual increase in demand in North America, and the company is hoping to cater to the local market and cut shipping costs. These small tractors are used primarily by individuals and small contracting and landscape businesses.

Caterpillar expects the new facility in North Carolina to create at least 1,000 new jobs for the Winston-Salem area and has stated that the plant in Japan, which the plant is intended to replace, will continue to play a different, but strategic, role in Caterpillar production.