In 2013, Caterpillar made a decision to invest in this community on a site at the west end of Atlanta Highway. As a part of their agreement with the State of Georgia they were obligated to create 1,390 jobs at the site by 2020. Caterpillar achieved their job creation goal this year – a full five years ahead of schedule.

Caterpillar announced that it was coming to the site in February of 2012 after a long site selection process.  The site is a joint development of Athens-Clarke and Oconee Counties. What is unknown to most is that the site was late to the process, Athens and Oconee were contacted about the project in January 2012. The next two months would be a frenzy of effort and intense meetings to determine if the project was even possible. Luckily for this community, leaders emerged in both communities that had a “can-do” attitude, and the biggest project in this area for some time was put together in two months. Two months is an aggressive schedule to put together any project, much less one of this scope! This project serves as a reminder of what is possible if willing community leadership works together with strong corporate partners.

After the announcement, the real work started. In a very short nine months, Caterpillar and its engineers and contractors built an 840,000 square foot facility, moved over one million yards of dirt, and installed multiple miles of infrastructure. Ahead of schedule once again, Caterpillar finished their building in October of 2013. An undertaking of this magnitude is impressive, but to be done in this timeline is unprecedented. Again, this success is a testament to Caterpillar’s unwavering dedication to getting the job done. Governor Deal even commented that this project is one of the rare occasions that he has had an announcement and a grand opening of the same company in a year!

Caterpillar went on to meet its internal goal of rolling product off of the assembly line in November 2013, and has since added another assembly line for small track type tractors. They continually perform ahead of schedule. Hitting their job creation goal early is just another example of the commitment they have to their product, their plant, and to their community.

The Selig Center for Economic Growth Director Jeffrey Humphreys predicted Caterpillar’s annual economic impact would soar to $1.4 billion, with $33 million in annual state and local tax revenue. If past success is any indication, it is logical to assume that Caterpillar is well on their way to making this level of impact in this community. So when you see a Caterpillar tractor working on a construction site or work boots in your local restaurant, be proud that Caterpillar is an Athens Made product!