Director of Manufacturing (Retired), Caterpillar Inc.

James Reeb

Jim joined Caterpillar in 1973.  His journey took him from a wash tank operator and union member to the Director of Manufacturing for one of the greatest manufacturing companies in history.

He completed a 4-year manufacturing apprentice program in 1979.  During this period, Jim began attending college.  He earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Management from the University of St. Francis and a MBA from Governors State University.

Over his 37-year career, Jim managed all functions within Operations, Supply Chain and Procurement.  He has also managed Product Engineering and Research organizations. Jim has significant global business experience.

He is currently working with the Manufacturing Institute as an Industry Champion and is a member of the Industrial Advisory Board for CR Industries in Joliet, IL.  Jim is a volunteer math tutor at the Joliet Job Corps and SCORE mentor. He is the past Chairman of the Valley Industrial Association and has served on the advisory boards for Georgia Tech’s School of Mechanical Engineering, The Technology Innovation Program and the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT).