Cat increases Victoria excavator plans

Caterpillar has announced plans to significantly increase its manufacturing capabilities and capacity for hydraulic excavators at a new facility in Victoria, Texas.

In August 2010, Caterpillar announced that it would build the excavator plant in Victoria, investing about US$130 million to open the 78,970m2 operation.

Work is currently underway at the site, and the company plans to invest an additional US$70 million to add another 19,000m2 to the facility. The added investment will increase excavator capacity beyond the original plans and will include the addition of selected fabrication manufacturing for excavator production.

“Based on our analysis of where customer demand is moving for excavators in the years ahead, it makes sense to increase capacity in Victoria now, so that we can better serve our customers,” said Gary Stampanato, Caterpillar vice president. “In addition, we have also determined Victoria is the right location to produce selected fabrications for the excavators that will be assembled in this new facility.”

Excavator production in Victoria is expected to begin in 2012. Once fully operational, the new facility will more than triple the current capacity of hydraulic excavators produced by the company in the US and would more than double the number of Caterpillar employees in the country making excavators.

Caterpillar currently produces two excavator models at a facility in Aurora, Illinois, where it also produces wheel loaders, soil and landfill compactors, wheel dozers and components. Once fully operational, the Victoria facility would produce a total of seven excavator models.