Construction Equipment Sector Brings Big Projects to U.S.

The U.S. construction equipment-manufacturing sector is holding its own as companies line up more than $690 million worth of active projects. Kansas and Texas stand out as particularly big spenders in the sector with more than $450 million in projects between them.

Equipment giant JCB (Rocester, England) will soon launch its Project Sky in San Antonio, Texas, which encompasses building a 720,000-square-foot plant that will manufacture the company’s popular telescopic handlers and elevated aerial platforms. According to a trade publication, the factory will be JCB’s second-largest in the world after its headquarters in England. The initial phase of construction is set to be completed by October 2026, leaving room for expansion projects that could possibly manufacture other lines of JCB equipment. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Industrial Manufacturing Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.

One of the most familiar names in construction equipment, Caterpillar Incorporated (NYSE:CAT) (Irving, Texas), plans to begin adding new equipment and systems to its 821,000-square-foot plant in Seguin, Texas, this year, for the manufacture of the new C13-D 13-liter diesel engine. Components for the engine will be manufactured in nearby Schertz, and the engines will be assembled in Seguin. Caterpillar describes the C13D as a "rugged and power-dense engine made for machines that continuously tackle tough jobs in a number of industries including mining, construction, materials handling, aircraft ground support and more." The new engines are expected to begin rolling off the line in late 2026. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.

After renovating a 750,000-square-foot building in Salina, Kansas, Kubota (Osaka, Japan) is in the beginning stages of a Phase III expansion, installing new production lines that will manufacture Kubota’s compact track loaders. The new lines are expected to begin operating early next year. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.

After nearly 25 years in operation and several expansions later, Weiler Incorporated (Knoxville, Iowa) is performing yet another expansion project at its flagship Knoxville location. Weiler manufactures a range of products for the mining and road-building sectors and in 2019 acquired Caterpillar’s forestry products division. The company’s current expansion focuses on the equipment used in the asphalt road-laying sector: commercial pavers, rollers and material transfer vehicles as well as related parts. The company launched the project last summer, and when completed, the plant will be more than 16,000 square feet larger and better able to meet the growing demand for Weiler’s road construction equipment. Subscribers can click here for more details of the project.

Toro’s (Bloomington, Minnesota) Ditch Witch segment is one of the most popular lines for underground construction equipment such as trenchers, horizontal direction drilling systems, mini skid steers and more. In 2022, Toro announced it would be expanding its facility in Perry, Oklahoma, where Ditch Witch equipment is manufactured. Last summer, the project began, entailing the addition of approximately 170,000 square feet, which includes a new paint facility that will increase production quality and efficiency. When announced, the expansion was expected to bring about 100 new jobs to the plant. General contractor Conco Construction (Wichita, Kansas) is expected to complete the project in late 2026. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.

Subscribers to Industrial Info’s GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.