Caterpillar Breaks Ground on $1 Billion Sanford Facility
Caterpillar is investing in its Sanford, North Carolina plant, where it has operated for over 25 years. The company plans to build a new $1 billion facility to manufacture compact track loaders and telehandlers, which are material handlers that combine a forklift's reach with a crane's lifting capacity.
The new facility will have a more technology-enabled manufacturing environment than the existing plant, which currently employs 2,000 workers. However, the jobs from the new hires, 600 employees hired starting last spring, will be transferred to the new site once it is operational. Caterpillar stated that North Carolina was chosen for the new plant due to its long-standing presence in the state and a strong local workforce.
The company plans to feature advanced manufacturing technologies, automation, digital production systems, and integrated logistics capabilities in the new facility. According to Rod Shurman, Construction Industries Group President at Caterpillar, 'As demand for compact equipment continues to increase, we're investing to better serve this growing segment of customers.'