Caterpillar’s Tony Fassino Discusses R&D Investment, Building the Workforce of the Future in POLITICO Focus Feature

Last week, POLITICO Focus unveiled the third video in its Building America's Promise series, sponsored by CONEXPO-CON/AGG and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). The hub showcases the people and innovations driving the future of construction and highlights how equipment manufacturers are transforming the industry through advanced technology, sustainability initiatives, and workforce solutions.

The latest video features Tony Fassino, Group President of Construction Industries at Caterpillar Inc., who offers insight into the biggest challenges facing research and development across the sector: reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and addressing the skilled labor shortage.

Watch the video below or view it here.

Fassino emphasized Caterpillar's commitment to workforce development, noting the company's $100 million investment over the next five years to support new technologies and talent pipelines. "We need policymakers' support for U.S. manufacturing and labor development. As an industry, we also have to help build the workforce of the future alongside them," he said.

The Building America's Promise hub launched earlier this year with a feature interview with AEM President and CEO Megan Tanel, who underscored the industry's economic footprint, the challenges facing manufacturers, and the importance of CONEXPO-CON/AGG in bringing together industry leaders and policymakers. The second video of the series, an interview with Komatsu North America Corp. CEO Rod Bull, highlighted workforce development trends in the industry.

As the countdown continues to CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026, set for March 3-7 in Las Vegas, AEM and its partners are using platforms like Building America's Promise to highlight how manufacturers are delivering safer, smarter, and more sustainable solutions that build America's future.

or view it below

Explore the hub and meet the leaders powering America's progress here.