Caterpillar Invests in U.S. Manufacturing and Future Workforce Skills Training in Indiana
Caterpillar Inc. announced that Indiana will be among the first states to receive funding from its five-year, $100 million workforce pledge, and has committed up to $5 million to training and upskilling efforts across the state. The pledge, announced as part of the company’s Centennial celebration, aims to grow interest in advanced manufacturing careers and prepare U.S workers for the future, unlocking quality jobs and industry-wide innovation.
“The future workforce will need skills for what comes next,” said Caterpillar chief human resources officer Christy Pambianchi. “We have our experts working on innovative training and resources to help skill and inform the next generation on how to navigate the worksite of tomorrow, and we’re excited to be starting here in Indiana to enable U.S. workers to enter high-quality jobs in the American manufacturing industry.”
Caterpillar made the future workforce announcement at the company’s large engine facility in Lafayette, Ind., which recently announced a $725 million capital expansion – one of the largest single manufacturing investments in the company’s global history – to greatly increase engine production and help meet the nation’s growing power needs.
Caterpillar will announce future workforce pledges in other states soon.
“Indiana is proud to be among the first states selected for Caterpillar’s workforce investment, which is a testament to our pro-growth policies, world-class workforce, and reputation as one of the best states in America to start and grow a business,” said Indiana Governor Mike Braun. “Caterpillar’s continued commitment to Indiana demonstrates the strength of our business climate and our shared vision for the future of American manufacturing. We look forward to working together to prepare more Hoosiers for the high-quality careers of tomorrow.”
“The demand for energy is increasing like never before,” said Jason Kaiser, Caterpillar Energy & Transportation Group president. “Many of the engines manufactured here in Lafayette will support power generation customers by providing reliable power – keeping operations running during outages and helping meet the growing energy needs driven by AI, data centers and other critical infrastructure across America and around the world.”
One of the United States’ oldest manufacturers, Caterpillar has more than 65 primary locations in 25 states and independent dealers from coast to coast. As a net exporter, Caterpillar workers in the U.S. build products that are shipped around the world, growing U.S. exports by 75 percent since 2016.
Caterpillar employs 51,000 people in the United States, including more than 4,100 workers at 12 facilities in Indiana.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.