Roland Berger helps Belgium with Caterpillar restructuring

The Belgian government has appointed the international consulting firm Roland Berger to supervise the restructuring of Caterpillar in Belgium. The U.S. engineering company announced a major restructuring plan late February in which 1,400 jobs are being cut at its plant in Gosselies at Charleroi (Belgium).  Caterpillar is a global manufacturer of heavy trucks, excavators, bulldozers and shovels.

Restructuring

According to Caterpillar the restructuring is due to the economic slowdown and the limited prospects for growth in the European market, for which the production in Gosselies is intended. Also new environmental standards and growing competition from low-wage countries weigh on the site. Gosselies is one of the biggest factories of the machine manufacturer in Europe, but it is also the most expensive.

Led by the strategy consulting firm the special task force is going to analyse the macro-and micro-economic causes and consequences of the restructuring the next few weeks. The special task force should also examine the impact of the sub-contractors, as well as the support that can be granted to them.