They are in Tongzhou, Jiangsu province, and include a proving ground and a large wheel loader manufacturing facility.

The OEM said that the first location, the Asia Pacific Proving Ground facility, will provide validation and product development services for Cat machinery produced in the region, while the large wheel loader manufacturing facility will support both mining and quarry applications in the country as well as its focused growth markets.

The Cat 986 large wheel loader, which is produced at the large wheel loader facility, was designed at its Wuxi research and development center and was validated at the APPG. It is the company’s first vehicle to be designed, validated and built in the country specifically for the Chinese and global markets.

“Caterpillar takes a long-term view of the market in China, and our focus on product development here will enable our strategy to win in China,” resource industries group president Steve Wunning said.

“As we expand our portfolio of locally designed and produced machines in China, Caterpillar is better positioned to serve our customers in China and around the globe.”

The site in Tongzhou is at the mouth of the Yangtze River to the East Sea, which provides an easier way to ship machines from the Asia Pacific region and from inland China to the proving ground facility for testing and eventual transport to end users globally.

The facilities are also near several existing Caterpillar manufacturing facilities in China and much of the company’s existing supply base.

“This is a new important step as Caterpillar continues to systematically strengthen its business model in China,” China operations vice president Qihua Chen said.

“We support our customers in China that take part in infrastructure development, energy production and resources utilization.”

Caterpillar now has 23 manufacturing facilities, four new facilities under construction, four research and development centers and three logistics and parts centers in China that employ 15,000 workers.