Engineering firm Caterpillar is to invest £5.4m into the expansion of its Northern Ireland truck parts manufacturing operation, a move set to maintain 100 jobs.
The investment at the plant in Larne, County Antrim will also be used to develop skills after the American company decided to permanently source axles from Larne following a preliminary production period.
The company said it recognised the high standard of facilities, processes, and expertise in Northern Ireland, where it has an additional operation in Belfast.
It also boosts Caterpillar’s presence in the country, 18 months after 700 staff were made jobless as production was moved to a plant in China.
Caterpillar Northern Ireland operations director Robert Kennedy said: “It is a testament to the cost competitiveness of manufacturing in Northern Ireland and advantages the local facilities have in terms of proximity to customers, access to ports and other transportation infrastructure.”
Caterpillar managing director for articulated trucks Phil Handley added: “Caterpillar NI operations are proven and very capable.
“We’re happy with the level of quality we’ve had there, the team has been very responsive to our needs and has been really collaborating and working closely with us. It’s an excellent source for these key components.”
