Equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. announced Friday plans to move some of its manufacturing operations from Japan to North America, in order to be closer to many customers in North America and Europe. While a location for a new plant to house the operations has not been decided upon, the company plans to finalize its decision by the end of the year, and start building the new facility by 2012.
The new plant will manufacture small tractors and mini hydraulic excavators, two products whose market has evolved in the last few decades--a majority of customers for the products are now in North America and Europe, according to the company.
Elsewhere in North America, Caterpillar plans to open a new plant next week in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that will produce axels for mining machines, and the company plans to expand its production of large mining trucks in Decatur, Illinois and large tractors in East Peoria, Illinois.
Additionally, Caterpillar plans to open a new facility in Batam, Indonesia, that will manufacture mining trucks for companies throughout the Asia-Pacific region.