PEORIA, Ill., June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A recent ranking in an employment industry magazine positioned Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) high in the areas of diversity and inclusion. The ranking showed marked improvement over the previous year.

Readers of Minority Engineer magazine ranked Caterpillar fourth among thetop 50 places they would most like to work or that they believe would provide a positive working environment for members of minority groups. Last year Caterpillar ranked sixth on the magazine's list. Employers were ranked by the frequency they were cited by respondents to a 2005 "Annual Career PreferenceSurvey."

"This improvement in the ranking is a reflection of our goals atCaterpillar to form an inclusive culture. We value the diversity of unique talents, skills, abilities and experiences that enable Caterpillar people to achieve superior business and personal results. It is an honor to have received this recognition," said Sonya Miles , Caterpillar's Global Diversity Manager.

"At Caterpillar, we focus broadly on diversity that measures and reflectsthe global nature of our company and our customers. We are also building an inclusive culture where we work as a team. Both are part of the Enterprise Strategy and Our Values in Action. We know that by working together, we can produce better results than any of us can achieve alone," said Sid Banwart,vice president with responsibility for the Human Services Division at Caterpillar.

Minority Engineer magazine is the most widely read recruitment magazine for minority engineers in the United States. First Published in 1979, it is provided at no charge to qualified engineering, computer science, and information-technology students and professionals who are Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian American. The magazine reaches minority engineers nationwide at their home addresses, colleges and universities, and chapters of professional engineering associations.