Caterpillar to expand South Carolina manufacturing facility

Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill., has announced plans to expand its manufacturing facility in Sumter, S.C., nearly tripling the plant's square footage.

The facility currently produces small hydraulic cylinders used in a variety of Cat® products. The additional capacity will bring the production of large hydraulic cylinders from the company's Joliet, Ill., facility to Sumter. Once the expansion is completed, the Sumter facility will be the primary source for small and large hydraulic cylinders for North and South America. The expansion in Sumter will allow the Joliet facility to focus on increasing production for other components currently produced in Joliet.

The $20 million expansion plan includes an additional 170,000 sq. ft., bringing the Sumter facility's total footprint to approximately 275,000 sq. ft. When the expansion is fully operational and at full capacity, Caterpillar expects to add more than 80 jobs over a two-year period.

Work is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2012.