Caterpillar’s Texas excavator factory opens
24 August 2012
US construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar has celebrated the opening of its new, 1.1 million ft2 (102193 m2) hydraulic excavator factory in Victoria, Texas, US.
Operating at full capacity, the US$ 200 million facility would triple Caterpillar's current hydraulic excavator production in the US. It is expected to employ about 800 people once it is fully operational.
The company said it had already hired about 225 new employees in Victoria, and planned to continue hiring based on demand for products made in Victoria and as it ramps up production with additional models to be produced at the new facility.
The excavators to be produced in Victoria are now made at a Caterpillar facility in Aurora, Illinois, US, and at a Caterpillar facility in Akashi, Japan. Caterpillar said expanding capacity in the US at the new Victoria location would better position it to serve North American customers with a single, dedicated facility.
Caterpillar added that the factory in Aurora would concentrate on other products while the factory in Akashi would be more focused on serving customers in Asia.