Caterpillar's East Peoria foundry restart targets Q3 mining truck demand
The iconic Illinois foundry will return to production in the third quarter after a two-year refurbishment, feeding Caterpillar's 797F mining truck program.
Caterpillar confirmed that its East Peoria foundry will return to production in the third quarter after a two-year refurbishment. The site will feed large castings into the company's 797F and 798 AC mining truck lines, where order books have strengthened alongside copper and critical-minerals demand.
The investment, estimated at around $325 million, included a new melt floor, replacement of four induction furnaces, and upgrades to environmental controls. Caterpillar said the site will add roughly 400 hourly positions at full output.
The restart is notable given the long decline of US foundry capacity for heavy castings. Caterpillar executives framed the reinvestment as a hedge against supply risk at Asian foundries that had become the default during the 2010s consolidation wave.
Written by
Sam Okafor
Construction, mining, and ag OEMs. Former editor at Diesel Progress.
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