“Clayton and the region have watched excitedly as this facility grew out of the ground,” Clayton Mayor Joyce Deitering told dozens of plant workers and dignitaries gathered under a tent just outside the 1.6-million-square-foot plant. “In a tough economy, Caterpillar made a commitment to this community ... and it has provided a spark to help the community look forward.”
The new facility will eventually open 400,000 square feet of space, where Caterpillar’s heavy equipment parts will be packaged and stored.
The packaging area is expected to generate the next big wave of hiring at the plant, said General Manager Jeff Slocum, who lauded the work ethic of his new employees, many of whom had been un-employed for months before the plant opened. “We have been delighted with the people we’ve been able to hire here locally,” he said.
The distribution center ships parts all over the world but mainly supports five Caterpillar dealers: Ohio CAT; MacAllister Machinery in Michigan; Walker Machinery in West Virginia; and Whayne Supply in Kentucky, Slocum said.
“We are focused on continuing to meet the needs of our dealers and customers, and the expansion of our global (Caterpillar) parts distribution network ensures we are able to get the right part to the right place at the right time,” he said.
The Clayton center was preceded by the opening of a parts distribution facility in Waco, Texas, in 2009, and the company recently announced plans for another distribution center in Spokane, Wash., set to open late next year.
Montgomery County Commission President Debbie Lieberman said Ohio has some of the best infrastructure for logistics and distribution in the country, and she cited Caterpillar as an example of how Ohio can attract jobs by touting those assets. “We are incredibly proud and excited that (Caterpillar) recognized Montgomery County and the Dayton region’s formula for success ... .,” Lieberman said.
In a move symbolic of Caterpillar establishing roots in the community, company officials planted a red oak tree on the 150-acre property that encompasses the distribution center that Slocum deemed the “tree of the future.” It was planted near a 140-year-old oak that has been preserved on the property at the request of the local community.
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