Deal: Extraordinary day for Georgia

In what will be a major economic boost for Georgia, today Gov. Nathan Deal and Doug Oberhelman, Chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Inc., announce that Caterpillar will locate a new one-million square foot manufacturing facility in Clarke and Oconee counties.  According to WSB's Sandra Parrish, the new facility with about 1,400 employees will have 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.”

The Caterpillar facility will be located on the 250 acre “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.  

According to a release from the Governors' Office, 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.  

The release also mentions that the capabilities of Georgia Quick Start, the state’s renowned program that customizes its workforce training process to a company’s needs, was a major factor in Caterpillar’s decision. Working through Athens Technical College, Quick Start will train Georgia workers in the full spectrum of Caterpillar’s needs – including those working in the office and production employees. Caterpillar intends to break ground in March 2012 and begin operations in late 2013. The company anticipates that the vast majority of employees at the new facility will be hired locally.