Joliet Caterpillar Plant Has Closed Forever

JOLIET, IL — For decades, the Joliet Caterpillar plant along Route 6 was the heart and soul of Joliet. Approximately 7,000 people made excellent wages employed in blue-collar manufacturing by the heavy machinery company. But as of this month, the number of people working for the Joliet Caterpillar is zero. Caterpillar has removed all of its signage on the buildings. It's shutdown.

June 30 was its last day of operation. Late last year, Caterpillar notified the final 285 workers that the building would be closing for good in the summer of 2019.

Caterpillar held true to its word and the property is empty now, except for round the clock security guards who are monitoring the site.

Caterpillar's footnote in Joliet's history will never be forgotten. There is a small exhibit in the downtown Joliet Area Historical Museum that pays homage to Caterpillar. The exhibit advises visitors that "For over fifty years, the Caterpillar Corporation has been a major Joliet employer."

On Friday, Will County Center for Economic Development President and CEO John Greuling told Joliet Patch that the Caterpillar plant closing will have virtually no negative impact whatsoever on the Joliet economy because Caterpillar has been phasing out its Joliet operations for several years now.

Joliet Patch previously reported that the remaining 285 Joliet Caterpillar employees were first notified of the layoffs on November 7, 2018. In 2015,Caterpillar announced it was beginning the process of shifting jobs from the Joliet plant to a facility in Monterrey, Mexico.

Greuling stressed that the Joliet and Will County economy, overall, is very strong, with Amazon currently the largest employer in Will County at around 7,000 jobs, including two facilities in Joliet.

The health care industry, led by Silver Cross Hospital, AMITA Health St. Joseph Medical Center and DuPage Medical Group, is another major employer, followed by the public schools, notably Joliet District 86 and District 204, he said.

Greuling believes the vacant Caterpillar plant along Route 6 will be attractive to another business investment group, but it's less likely the site will remain a manufacturing plant. Illinois does not have a great reputation at the moment for attracting major manufacturing companies, he added.

He said the Caterpillar site probably is not conducive to a distribution/logistics warehouse because it does not have the loading dock capabilities. But perhaps someone will tear the site down and erect another industrial warehouse.

Greuling said the site is prime real estate, with its close proximity to Interstates 80 and 55, plus the Des Plaines River and freight rail access.

"There's a lot of demand for space and it's a great location," Greuling said. "I just think that there are a lot of options for it. I-80 space is prime real estate right now."