Area Development
Construction equipment giant Caterpillar Inc. will invest approximately $140 million to locate a road grader plant in North Little Rock, Arkansas, according to the Arkansas governor's office and The Morning News of Springdale, Arkansas. The new facility is expected to employ 600 people at full operation. Company officials say the plant will occupy an existing 700,000-square-foot building that formerly housed a video assembly operation. "Moving motor grader production to North Little Rock is part of Caterpillar's long-term strategic plan to increase its large mining truck capacity in Decatur, Illinois, and drive greater focus on improving motor grader production," says Jon Harrison, a Caterpillar general manager. The Morning News reports that incentives offered to the company include $3 million and income tax credits from the state, city tax credits of $10 million to $13 million over 10 years, and training assistance through the Pulaski Technical Institute in Little Rock.