Peoria, Illinois-based Caterpillar Inc. announced Friday plans to build a new manufacturing facility in Athens, Georgia. The factory will build small track-type tractors and mini hydraulic excavators. Caterpillar is investing a total of about $200 million for the 1-million-square-foot plant. The new facility will be part of Caterpillar's Building Construction Products (BCP) Division, which is based in Cary, North Carolina. The machines are currently made at a plant in Sagami, Japan but the Sagami location will be turned into a parts plant instead.
The Georgia plant will become Caterpillar's global source for small track-type tractors, while the mini hydraulic excavators will be sent to customers in North and South America. In addition, the company plans to export partially assembled mini excavator base units to a facility in Europe.
Construction will begin in the next 45 days and initial production is expected to begin in late 2013, ramping up to full production over a five-year period.