Several facilities have shortened workweeks

30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ To bring production levelsin line with current demand, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) today notified full-time production employees at its Aurora, Decatur and East Peoria, Illinois,manufacturing facilities of permanent layoffs.A total of 2,110 productionemployees will be laid off at the three facilities as a result of thisdecision. The layoffs for production employees announced today are in additionto a wide range of other workforce and cost-reduction actions that wereoutlined by Caterpillar on Monday, January 26, 2009.In Aurora, where Caterpillar manufactures wheel loaders and hydraulicexcavators, 500 production employees will be laid off.In Decatur, where thecompany manufactures off-highway trucks, motor graders and wheel tractorscrapers, 1,026 production employees will be laid off.In East Peoria, whereCaterpillar manufactures track-type tractors and pipelayers, 584 productionemployees will be laid off.In addition to the production employees, a total of 416 support andmanagement employees in Aurora, Decatur and East Peoria have also beennotified of layoffs today.This includes 96 support and management staff inAurora, 146 in Decatur and 174 in East Peoria.These 416 support andmanagement staff make up a portion of the as many as 5,000 layoffs andseparations announced by Caterpillar on January 26, 2009.Other Caterpillarbusiness units are currently determining the level of layoffs and separationsneeded to reach the previously announced plan to reduce the company's supportand management workforce.These actions are in response to lower demand for products made at theIllinois facilities.As previously announced, Caterpillar is rapidlyexecuting strategic "trough" plans and implementing actions throughout thecompany to deal with a very challenging global business environment.Depending on business conditions, more layoffs and separations may be requiredas the year unfolds."It is never easy to take steps that impact the lives of our employees andtheir families," said Bob Williams, Caterpillar vice president for theAmericas Operations Division that includes the facilities in Aurora, Decaturand East Peoria."But over the last few months, recessionary conditions havehad a very negative impact on our customers and we must drastically reduce ourproduction levels and cost structure in order to remain competitive for thelong run."Employees impacted by this decision were notified today by Caterpillarthat the layoffs would begin on April 13, 2009.In addition, variousgovernment agencies and other officials were notified of this decision underthe United States Department of Labor's Worker Adjustment and RetrainingNotification Act (WARN) and the Illinois Worker Adjustment and RetrainingNotification Act ("IL WARN").In addition to reducing its global employment, Caterpillar has previouslyannounced other actions in response to current conditions.These include: Hiring freezes and suspension of salary increases for most support and management employees. Significant reductions in total compensation for executives/senior managers. Significant reduction in capital expenditures. Sharp declines in overtime work. Several facilities have shortened workweeks. Others will or have implemented full and partial plant shutdowns.About Caterpillar:For more than 80 years, Caterpillar Inc. With 2008sales and revenues of $51.324 billion, Caterpillar is the world's leadingmanufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gasengines and industrial gas turbines. Moreinformation is available at http:// HARBORCertain statements in this release relate to future events andexpectations and as such constitute forward-looking statements involving knownand unknown factors that may cause actual results of Caterpillar Inc.

to bedifferent from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements.In this context, words such as "will," "would," "expect," "anticipate,""should" or other similar words and phrases often identify forward-lookingstatements made on behalf of Caterpillar. It is important to note that actualresults of the company may differ materially from those described or impliedin such forward-looking statements based on a number of factors anduncertainties, including, but not limited to, (i) adverse change in generaleconomic conditions; (ii) adverse change in the industries Caterpillar servesincluding construction, infrastructure, mining, energy, marine and electricpower generation; (iii) Caterpillar's ability to manage material, includingsteel, and freight costs; (iv) Caterpillar's ability to generate cash fromoperations, secure external funding for its operations and manage itsliquidity needs; (v) material adverse change in customers' access to liquidityand capital; (vi) currency exchange or interest rates changes; (vii) politicalstability; (viii) market acceptance of the company's products and services;(ix) significant changes in the competitive environment; (x) epidemicdiseases; (xi) severe change in weather conditions negatively impactingoperations; (xii) changes in law, regulations and tax rates; and (xiii) othergeneral economic, business and financing conditions and factors described inmore detail in the company's Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and ExchangeCommission on October 31, 2008. This filing is available on our website at http:// We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.SOURCECaterpillar Inc.Jim Dugan, Corporate Public Affairs of Caterpillar Inc., 1-309-494-4100,. Now LastWeeks Peak 1 2 6 1 A Different Me - Keyshia Cole (Imani/Geffen/IGA) 2 3 6 2 Intuition - Jamie Foxx (J/RMG) 3 4 111 I Am...Sasha Fierce - Beyonce (Music World/Columbia/Sony Music) 4 1 2 1 Notorious - Soundtrack (Fox/Bad Boy/AG) 5 5 101 808s & Heartbreak - Kanye West (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam/IDJMG) 6 7 6 3 The Point Of It All - Anthony Hamilton (Mister's Music/So So Def/JLG) 7 - 1 7 The Ballads - Mariah Carey (Columbia/Legacy/Sony Music) 8 8 6 4 Da REAList - Plies (Big Gates/Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic/AG) 9 9 181 Paper Trail - T.I. (Grand Hustle/Atlantic/AG) 1019114 Soul - Seal (143/Warner Bros.). ) I will be releasing my top 30 prospects list this week, and here are five guys who just missed my cut.Daniel Brewer, DH/LF: Since being the Yankees' eighth round pick in 2008, Brewer has raked at the plate.

With around 250 plate appearances in Staten Island, Charleston, and Tampa, he produced wOBAs of .378, .415, and .358 respectively. He was a center fielder in college, but has not found a position at the minor league level.After being drafted, he said second base was most likely his future position, but he has not seen any playing time there. He also has a plus changeup and a below average curveball that he was working on.Marshall started 17 games for Charleston this season, but didn't pitch too well. He only struck out 6.18 batters per nine innings and walked 3.81 His ERA was an inflated 5.56 in 87.1 innings. Sadly, Marshall needed Tommy John Surgery and will miss most of the 2010 season.

He has a lot of upside, but it's tough to project a 19-year-old who won't pitch for another year, and hasn't had professional success to date.Graham Stoneburner, SP: The Yankees took a flyer on Graham Stoneburner in the 14th round and knew that it would be difficult to sign him. They got the Clemson starter/reliever signed, and he may very well have a bright future ahead of him. His fastball sits 91-94, and he also has a slider and changeup.His problem is command. He doesn't have great command of any of his pitches, which is common with a young pitcher with lively stuff. If he can learn to command his pitches, expect him to jump up this list next year.David Phelps, SP: Coming into the season, Phelps wasn't too heralded, even after putting up impressive numbers in Staten Island last season. Prospect maven John Sickels picked him as a sleeper, and it looks like he was spot on. Phelps has done nothing but put up numbers so far in his professional career.He was great for Charleston and then was flat-out dominant for Tampa, albeit in just seven starts.