Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar Inc. is planning to layoff up to 5,000 salaried and management employees by the end of 2016 and as many as 10,000 overall through 2018 as part of a company-wide restructuring plan. In addition, more than 20 production facilities could be closed or consolidated.
Caterpillar has a mining equipment division in Oak Creek and a large mining equipment factory in South Milwaukee, employing about 1,000 workers in the greater Milwaukee area.
Caterpillar has not yet committed to the closure or consolidation of plants, nor has the company decided which plants could be affected, the manufacturing giant said.
