Caterpillar Inc. and Sun Select Produce Inc. Announce Plans for Greenhouse Collaboration

PEORIA, Ill., March 7, 2016 /3BL Media/ – Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) and SunSelect Produce, Inc., known for producing premium greenhouse-grown vegetables for more than 30 years, today announced a strategic collaboration that will take the waste products of Caterpillar’s combined heat and power cogeneration facility in Mossville, Illinois, and put them to productive use in SunSelect hydroponic greenhouses. The agreement is subject to regulatory approvals, satisfactory due diligence, permitting and closing conditions. 

SunSelect will purchase real estate adjacent to Caterpillar’s energy generation facility, Advanced Tri-Gen Power Systems (ATPS), to construct a hydroponic greenhouse. The greenhouse is expected to utilize excess thermal energy and carbon dioxide from ATPS’s natural gas fired turbines. By providing low grade heat and abundant CO2, the collaboration will maximize healthy plant production in the SunSelect facility and allow for more efficient use of Caterpillar’s power generation plant.

"We're optimistic about what this project will mean for our local community, bringing new jobs to the area and a new option for locally-grown produce to consumers," said Frank Crespo, Caterpillar vice president and chief procurement officer with responsibility for ATPS. “This project also perfectly exemplifies Caterpillar’s commitment to sustainability – which seeks a balance of environmental stewardship, economic growth and social responsibility."

The SunSelect greenhouse will operate with a year-round growing season, serving as the company’s Midwest hub for both production and distribution. The greenhouse operations are expected to add up to 300 permanent local jobs when fully operational.

Reinhold Krahn, director of SunSelect said, "This collaboration is a significant step in our long-term growth strategy. Building on our existing distribution footprint, this Midwest base will allow us to expand our ability to grow fresh and healthy vegetables, safely and responsibly, on the smallest amount of land possible."

Subject to permitting, regulatory approvals and other required steps, it is anticipated that the agreement will close in the second quarter of 2016.

About Caterpillar
For 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent.  Customers turn to Caterpillar to help them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets.  With 2015 sales and revenues of $47.011 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives.  The company principally operates through its three product segments - Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation - and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment.  For more information, visit caterpillar.com.  To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.

About SunSelect
SunSelect is a leading greenhouse vegetable producer based in Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1985, it is now operated by the second generation of the founding Krahn family. Growing in both Canada and California on over 130 acres of high-tech greenhouse combined, SunSelect produces sweet bell peppers, tomatoes-on-the-vine and specialty tomatoes virtually year round. SunSelect is characterized by such sustainable practices as green carbon capture technology and, in 2014, became Canada’s first Fair Trade Certified produce grower. SunSelect’s signature brand is OUTRAGEOUSLY FRESH, introduced in October 2015. See www.sunselect.ca or follow Outrageously Fresh on Facebook and Twitter.

Forward-looking Statements
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