LITTLE ROCK, AR — Caterpillar Inc., alongside Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, announces the launch of its workforce commitment in Arkansas, marking another step in its five-year, $100 million Building the Future Workforce Initiative. With an allocation of up to $3 million, the funding aims to prepare Arkansas workers for jobs in modern manufacturing and industry technician roles.

“Every community has the talent to build a strong manufacturing workforce. Investments like this can help create more opportunities for that talent to grow and succeed,” said Christy Pambianchi, Caterpillar's Chief Human Resources Officer. “Arkansas has exciting momentum within our industry, and this commitment will help build the training pathways and programs needed to prepare workers for the modern manufacturing careers that lie ahead.”

As Caterpillar places growing emphasis on strengthening U.S. manufacturing capabilities, Arkansas represents an opportunity for growth, and the state's rising potential made it a natural fit for this investment. Caterpillar employs more than 530 people in Arkansas and works with 60 suppliers across the state.

In North Little Rock, Arkansas, Caterpillar's facility opened in 2010 as a dedicated motor grader plant and later expanded to add medium wheel loader and paving products to the product line. The facility is also embracing modern manufacturing technologies to improve efficiency, quality, velocity, and cost, along with having a focus on safety and technology.

This initiative helps strengthen collaboration among Arkansas training institutions, students, employers, and other key community-based organizations. It seeks to expand hands-on manufacturing pathways for students, increase technical training capacity across the region, and deepen employer engagement through collaborations with organizations.