Caterpillar investing $5 million in Indiana workforce training program

Caterpillar Inc. announced October 21 that it would spend $5 million training and upskilling workers in Indiana as part of a larger push to spend $100 million total on its workforce through 2030. The company said it would announce more such spending in other states "soon."

In a company statement, Caterpillar’s Chief HR Officer Christy Pambianchi said the $5 million would help produce training resources for a “next generation” of the U.S. manufacturing industry. Caterpillar’s VP in charge of large power systems, Jason Kaiser, said the company thankful for the state and city for supporting their operations.

The construction equipment company made the announcement during a centennial event at its engine plant in Lafayette, Indiana that is receiving a $725 million capital expansion plan in August.

What people are saying

"The future workforce will need skills for what comes next," said Caterpillar Chief HR Officer Christy Pambianchi. "We have our experts working on innovative training and resources to help skill and inform the next generation on how to navigate the worksite of tomorrow, and we're excited to be starting here in Indiana to enable U.S. workers to enter high-quality jobs in the American manufacturing industry."

"Indiana is proud to be among the first states selected for Caterpillar's workforce investment, which is a testament to our pro-growth policies, world-class workforce, and reputation as one of the best states in America to start and grow a business," said Governor Braun. "Caterpillar's continued commitment to Indiana demonstrates the strength of our business climate and our shared vision for the future of American manufacturing. We look forward to working together to prepare more Hoosiers for the high-quality careers of tomorrow."

"The demand for energy is increasing like never before," said Jason Kaiser, Caterpillar Energy & Transportation Group President. "Many of the engines manufactured here in Lafayette will support power generation customers by providing reliable power – keeping operations running during outages and helping meet the growing energy needs driven by AI, data centers and other critical infrastructure across America and around the world."

Manufacturers investing in Indiana

Lamiflex Group invests $5.04 million to build plastic packaging manufacturing facility in Indiana
The new site will create 62 full-time jobs by 2027 will support U.S. sheet steel manufacturers with locally produced packaging materials.

Grillo’s Pickles invests $54M to build food manufacturing facility in Indiana
The new facility will be located next to a previously announced bakery site for King’s Hawaiian, both part of Irresistible Foods Group. 

BWF Envirotec invests $9M to build filtration manufacturing facility in Indiana 
The project will bring 60 new jobs to the City of Greendale, with average annual wages and benefits of around $75,000. 

Investing in American manufacturing in 2025 

This map shows where manufacturers are choosing to invest their resources, whether they are building new production facilities or expanding existing plants.