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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Caterpillar center officially opens

Employees and visitors walk through the new Caterpillar parts distribution center on Spokane’s West Plains on Thursday. The company held a short ceremony to cut the ribbon on the plant, which has been in limited operation since August. (Jesse Tinsley)
Employees and visitors walk through the new Caterpillar parts distribution center on Spokane’s West Plains on Thursday. The company held a short ceremony to cut the ribbon on the plant, which has been in limited operation since August. (Jesse Tinsley)Buy a print of this photo

Local officials and Caterpillar executives gathered Thursday for a dedication of the company’s new distribution center, built and opened last year near Medical Lake.

Company officials said the plant is part of a billion-dollar expansion of Caterpillar’s global parts supply system. The Spokane site’s primary customers are mining companies in the United States and Canada.

Caterpillar’s automated ordering system can deliver emergency parts to Spokane’s airport within 90 minutes of receiving an order, said Brad Gile, the plant’s manager. The 565,000-square-foot building will have, when fully stocked, about 200,000 distinct parts.

About 150 people work there, operating shifts six days a week.

Tom Sowa