Deerfield-based Caterpillar moving global HQ to Dallas-Fort Worth area
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Deerfield-based Caterpillar is moving to Texas.
The company announced it'll move its global headquarters to its existing office in Irving, Texas.
"We believe it's in the best strategic interest of the company to make this move, which supports Caterpillar's strategy for profitable growth as we help our customers build a better, more sustainable world," said Chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby.
In a statement, Deerfield Mayor Daniel Shapiro said he was disappointed with Caterpillar's decision.
"Since moving to Deerfield in 2017, Caterpillar has been a good corporate citizen. We have enjoyed our relationship with them and appreciate all they have done for our community. However, Caterpillar is not unlike other companies that are reassessing their space needs as we come out of the pandemic. Our highly skilled labor force, transportation access and being a desirable place to live - qualities that made Deerfield an appealing corporate headquarters location for Caterpillar in 2017 - remain the same. We are disappointed to see them go but look forward to very exciting opportunities ahead," Shapiro said.
According to a news release, Caterpillar has had a presence in Texas since the 1960s. Illinois will be the place with the company's largest concentration of Caterpillar employees.
The company said it'll start transitioning to Texas later this year. It's unclear how many workers will be affected by the move.
Seven years ago, Caterpillar said it would stay in Peoria and expand its corporate headquarters. Back then, CEO Doug Oberhelman said the construction equipment maker will modernize its riverfront complex to include a three-tower building. The company said it will expand the site to 31 acres and six blocks and add amenities and innovative workspaces to "retain and attract the finest talent in the world."
"Caterpillar will stay in Peoria," Oberhelman reassured the crowd to loud applause.
Back in 2017, the construction equipment giant considered moving 800 production jobs out of Aurora.
In 2012, workers went on strike at the Joliet plant but an agreement was reached months later.
Illinois lawmakers expressed their disappointment by Caterpillar for move to Texas. Illinois U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) along with U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) released a collective statement:
"Caterpillar's surprise decision to move its headquarters from Illinois after nearly 100 years is extremely disappointing. While in terms of jobs impact for Illinois, this transition will only directly affect about 1.5 percent of Illinois' 17,000 Caterpillar employees, we will do everything we can to encourage Caterpillar to not only preserve these jobs, but also follow through on its promise to continue hiring even more Illinoisans in the weeks and months to come, including meeting its 500 hire goal in Decatur and to grow the number of jobs in downstate Illinois."