Caterpillar to close Morganton facility, lay off 85 workers this summer

As part of a previously announced cost-saving effort, Caterpillar Inc. is closing its facility in Morganton this summer, and 85 workers will lose their jobs as a result.

The Illinois-based maker of construction and other equipment said in a filing with the state that it is shuttering its precision engine components plant at 90 Ceramic Tile Dr. The first round of layoffs begins July 24.

Caterpillar said last year that the local plant closure is part of a company-wide effort to reduce costs during “tough market conditions,” according to multiple news reports.

Since the company first announced the “major restructuring” in September 2015, it has closed more than 30 facilities, and its workforce has declined by more than 16,000, the company said in its 2016 annual report.

A spokeswoman would not say whether any additional plant closures are planned in North Carolina.

Some production will shift to other Caterpillar facilities. The rest will transition to outside suppliers, spokeswoman Janice Walters said in an email.

Walters said the company informed workers at the Morganton plant, which manufactures engine and undercarriage components, about the closure in April 2016. At the time, the company employed 110 people, Walters said. Since then, the company has been ramping down its workforce at the local facility.

This story was originally published May 31, 2017 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Caterpillar to close Morganton facility, lay off 85 workers this summer."