CATERPILLAR SELECTS GRAY CONSTRUCTION TO DESIGN AND BUILD NEW $200 MILLION MANUFACTURING PLANT IN GEORGIA

(Lexington, KY – February 24, 2012) – Caterpillar Inc. has tapped Gray Construction to design and build its new one-million-square-foot manufacturing plant near Athens, Georgia. Gray adds the $200 million project to its list of manufacturing plants under construction for companies such as Austal, BMW, Morton Salt, Siemens and Whirlpool.

This is the second major project that Caterpillar has awarded Gray, which is nearing the completion of a $426 million, 850,000-square-foot plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where Caterpillar will manufacture surface mining truck axles.

The new facility, which will be located in Clarke and Oconee counties near Athens, will manufacture small track-type tractors and mini hydraulic excavators.  Gray, which is ranked third among the top U.S. green contractors in manufacturing plant construction, will design and build this facility utilizing sustainable concepts that align with Caterpillar’s corporate sustainability model.

According to Gray President and CEO, Stephen Gray, as many as 400 to 500 construction jobs will be created during the plant’s construction, which will begin March 2012 and is expected to be complete by March 2013.

“We realize how important it is when we go into any community that we reach out to the local businesses to hire and buy locally as much as we can,” stated Gray. “When hiring locally, we look for a strong safety record coupled with technical skills. All work awarded by Gray is based on the most competitive price, complete scope of work, good references, a strong financial condition and a strong record of safety performance. Of course, the real jobs will come through employment when the plant opens and the economic multiplier of those jobs.”

Gray has built numerous projects in Georgia for customers including Academy Sports + Outdoors; Amazon.com; Johnson Controls; Procter & Gamble and Sherwin-Williams. The nationally ranked engineering, design and construction firm currently has several large projects, mostly located across the South, that are underway or recently completed including eight projects for Volkswagen on their Chattanooga, Tenn. campus; a Siemens gas turbine plant in Charlotte, North Carolina; a Whirlpool plant in Cleveland, Tenn.; and multiple projects for Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama.

“The South has become an increasingly attractive location for top-tier manufacturers, distributors and other corporations,” said Gray.  “In fact, we have over 20 projects underway right now in the southeast region with Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and North Carolina leading the way.”

J.M. Mullis, and the Harvest Group, of Memphis, Tenn. provided the comprehensive site selection and package negotiations for this project.

“Our team evaluated several states during a very accelerated four-month project location selection process,” said Mike Mullis, owner and president of J.M. Mullis, Inc.  “Key factors included a qualified labor pool, transportation and logistics, physical site characteristics, area quality of life, and the types and levels of state and local packages to assist with meeting the business plan for the project. The State of Georgia and Athens-Clarke County/Oconee County worked diligently with our project team to win his project, and the state and location will be excellent long-term partners with Caterpillar’s Building Construction Products (BCP) Division.”

“The jobs generated by the construction of the Caterpillar plant are a key part of the economic benefit the company is bringing Georgia,” said Chris Cummiskey, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “These workers are building Georgia’s future, and we are proud that they will have the opportunity to contribute their skills to the project.”

Companies interested in working with Gray on the Caterpillar facility in Athens can contact Gray at roadrunnerbids@gray.com.

About Gray Construction

In addition to being ranked 3rd nationally for green manufacturing plant construction, Gray Construction has designed and built close to 470 manufacturing facilities across the U.S. totaling more than 57 million square feet. Gray is a nationally ranked design, engineering and construction firm with offices throughout the United States. Gray provides customers with programming, planning, site selection, engineering, design and construction and equipment installation services. Gray’s experience includes projects for the automotive, distribution, food and beverage and manufacturing markets. For more information visit www.gray.com.