The campus, first announced in 2011 with a $50 million price tag, will house high-tech machining as well as a metal sciences lab, allowing for more production capacity on its remanufactured parts and advanced wear coatings.
Officials told the Associated Press that it would bring together about 300 employees under one roof who were previously in several leased buildings and warehouses in Fargo and West Fargo.
Cat spokeswoman Rachel Potts told Forum News that, while the OEM initially said it would add about 250 jobs at the opening of the facility, it had not expanded the payroll to its 550-worker capacity due to the decline in the global mining industry and lower demand.
It is not known when that ramp-up could take place.
Crews at Main Avenue West will produce mining equipment including transmission and torque converter assemblies, about 60% of which will be exported.
State Governor Jack Dalrymple, who spoke at the grand opening ceremony Monday, called the facility an enhancement to the region, as Cat could have put the location anywhere in the US.
Illinois-based Caterpillar acquired the North Dakota assets of Gremada Industries in 2008.
Gremada was founded in 1962 by the sons of then-Caterpillar dealer president Francis Butler, and the following year the company began producing Cat parts.
