Several hundred jobs will be retained in Wamego, Kansas as Solar Turbines plans to begin operations in the Caterpillar Work Tools facility. The announcement was made on May 21st.
Per a Caterpillar spokesperson, “Caterpillar Inc. notified its workforce at its Wamego, Kansas, facility that Solar Turbines, a Caterpillar subsidiary, will take ownership of the facility. Solar will continue manufacturing operations in Wamego and will use the existing workforce.”
Solar Turbines, headquartered in San Diego, California was founded in 1927 as an aircraft company. The company became an official subsidiary of Caterpillar, Inc. in 1984. Today Solar Turbines is a key player in the 1 to 39 megawatt segment of the global gas turbine market.
The news came after Caterpillar announced in June 2024 that the Wamego Work Tools facility would be shutting down operations in mid-2025. The facility was listed for sale in late 2024 and according to Pottawatomie County Economic Development, garnered significant and almost immediate interest from regional, national, and international parties.
