It’s been nearly two months since the announcement by Caterpillar that they will be closing down their facility in Wamego. The announcement has brought a major shock to the region and Pottawatomie County as it is one of the biggest job producers in the region.
Executive director Shanna Goodman said that the news stunned Pott County ECODEVO as it did everyone else.
“We heard the announcement about the same time as everyone else did,” she said. “We did not get a heads up from Caterpillar on their decision.”
In recent weeks, a task force consisting of around 18 members has been assembled to address the closure and keep jobs in the region. Goodman highlighted the task force’s top two priorities – finding the displaced workers jobs in the region and getting the Caterpillar facility sold to another company.
“Those are our two biggest priorities right now,” she said. “Making sure we find these workers jobs and keeping them in the region is number one on our list and then getting the Caterpillar facility sold is second. However, that step is a little more difficult because they own the building.”
The Wamego Caterpillar facility is set to close down by mid-2025. Goodman reported that she has heard from several organizations and companies about possibly coming into the region over the past couple months. There has also been some good news lately as the company Dymax announced in late-June they do plan to stay in Wamego long-term.
