JOLIET – Caterpillar says that 285 employees will be laid off when their Joliet plant closes next year.
“As previously communicated, Caterpillar intends to transition manufacturing currently performed in Joliet to other Caterpillar facilities. We have reached an agreement with the IAM to extend the current Joliet contract into 2019 to complete the work at the facility so we can meet customer needs,” said a Caterpillar spokeswoman in a statement.
The plant, which opened in 1951, has been preparing their team for four years for the work moving from Joliet Illinois to Mexico.