Caterpillar Rides U.S. Demand for Data Centers, Mines

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Written by Will Ploch, Assistant Editor-in-Chief for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Caterpillar is responding to growth in the data-center, power-generation and mining markets with capacity expansions and equipment additions at some of its key production facilities.

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'Data'-Driven Order Backlog

The nationwide buildout of data centers is proving a boon to the construction industry, for which Caterpillar Incorporated often is a bellwether. The heavy-machinery manufacturer saw its order backlog reach $78 billion at the end of the third quarter, about double what it was 12 months ago, and it is building out capacity accordingly. Industrial Info Resources is tracking nearly $2 billion worth of active and proposed projects from Caterpillar.

According to Industrial Info Resources data, nearly half that total is attributed to expansions or additions to existing plants. Among the Caterpillar facilities that cater to the data center market is its gas-turbine plant in De Soto, Texas, where the company is planning expansions to manufacturing and warehousing capacities to better serve the region.

Industrial Info Resources offers more information on the De Soto expansion in its Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Industrial Manufacturing Plant and Project databases, where readers can find details--including construction schedules, investment values and necessary equipment--in a plant profile and project report.

"I think we will move a lot of natural gas in the next few years, and we are really strong in gas compression," said Joe Creed, the chief executive officer of Caterpillar, in a quarterly earnings-related conference call last week. He also pointed to the company's strong performance in reciprocating-engine development, as well as in large engines for Caterpillar's customers in the mining industry.



In the coming months, Caterpillar expects to finish construction on a production-capacity expansion at its Large Engine Center in Lafayette, Indiana, after which it is planning a series of equipment additions to more efficiently cater to a variety of industries, including those for mining and data centers.

Subscribers can learn more from a plant profile and detailed project reports on the expansion and equipment additions.

By the Numbers

• Nearly $2 billion: Total investment value of active and proposed projects from Caterpillar
• $78 billion: Caterpillar's order backlog at the end of the third quarter
• $1 billion: Value of recently announced investment to grow the company manufacturing capacity in North Carolina

Gearing Up for Demand Growth

In Caterpillar's Construction Industries segment, the company "launched Cat Compact earlier this year, a key part of our strategy to reach more small contractors in the growing compact construction-equipment industry," Creed said in the earnings call. "To support that growth and meet increasing customer demand, we announced a $1 billion investment to expand manufacturing capacity in Sanford, North Carolina."

The proposed expansion, which remains in its earliest development phases, would "incorporate advanced manufacturing technologies, automation, digital production systems and integrated logistics capabilities" to produce more track loaders and telehandlers; the latter is a heavy-duty machine that performs the work of a forklift, a crane and other equipment-handling machinery. Subscribers can learn more from a plant profile and a detailed project report.

Creed also pointed to strong third-quarter results in Caterpillar's Power & Energy segment, where "sales to users grew a robust 36%. Power-generation [sales] grew 75%, driven by very strong demand for turbines and the large reciprocating engines used in data-center applications."

Caterpillar reported consolidated sales and revenues of $20.7 billion for the third quarter, a 17.3% increase when compared with third-quarter 2025. The company's operating profits stood at $4.2 billion, a 38% increase.

Altogether, Industrial Info Resources is tracking more than 75 active construction equipment-manufacturing projects in the U.S. worth $2 billion, which includes more than $620 million worth under construction. For more information, see Industrial Info Resources' October 13, 2026, article - Construction Equipment Leads to U.S. Manufacturing Spending.

The Industrial Info Resources GMI Project and Plant databases offer a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and a full list of related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources also offers a full list of reports for active and proposed projects from Caterpillar.

Key Takeaways

• Caterpillar's order backlog at the end of third-quarter 2026 nearly doubled from the same point in 2025.
• Executives pointed to strong third-quarter results in the company's Construction Industries an Power & Energy segments.
• Caterpillar expects to finish construction in coming months on an expansion of its Large Engine Center in Indiana.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news, and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing, and energy-related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified, and verified plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).