Caterpillar, one of the big names in the construction equipment industry, is building a new factory in Athens, Ga., and the project is on schedule. The Athens Banner-Herald reports the massive structure has come a long way since March, when workers broke ground at the site, just off the Atlanta Highway. Most of the walls have been erected and the roof installation is underway. Not surprisingly, the Gray Construction Company, which is in charge of the project, is using Caterpillar equipment for the job.
This new factory, which will produce mainly small track-type tractors, mini excavators and bulldozers, marks Caterpillar's return to the U.S., as the company's manufacturing has been taking place in Japan, The Red and Black, the University of Georgia newspaper, reports. The $200 million project is scheduled to be finished and open for production by 2013. Caterpillar is making efforts to be environmentally responsible. The 825,000-square-foot manufacturing building will only take up 135 acres of the 248-acre site, clearing only the land that is necessary and leaving trees on the rest of the property untouched. The news source also indicates that the dirt excavated from the construction site will be reused.
"We have hired a small number of employees who have relocated to the Athens area. We will begin hiring a lot of key positions beginning in early 2013," Todd Henry, facility manager for the new plant, told the Banner-Herald. "The timeline is to have around 300 employees working in Athens by the end of 2013. Then, as we continue to ramp up with small track-type tractors, our employment should reach nearly 1,000 employees. As demands call for it and we continue to grow this business, we intend to have nearly 1,400 employees by 2018."
Red and Black reports there will be work for welders, machine operators, painting technicians and assembly line operators. Plus, the factory's presence in the community will also likely spur economic growth. Henry indicated there could be as many as 2,800 new full-time positions created among local suppliers.
Once production gets underway at the new plant, there will be more new construction equipment like bulldozers and tractors on the market. Companies looking to purchase new items can make room in their inventory and increase their budget by placing used equipment up for bid in online auctions.
