CLAYTON — Work continues on Caterpillar Inc.’s new $69 million parts distribution center here as the heavy equipment maker reported a five-fold increase in first-quarter profit on Friday.

Hiring at the Caterpillar Logistics Services site will continue through May, said spokeswoman Bridget Young. The company plans to hire 500 to 600 employees for the center. Prospective employees can go to the website www.JoinTeamCaterpillar.com to file an application.

The center will receive its first shipment for processing May 9, Young said.

The Clayton center’s economic impact includes an annual payroll of $12 million to $14 million. Local vendors will be hired for groundskeeping, snow removal and other jobs.

Caterpillar reported Friday that its first-quarter 2011 profit rose to $1.2 billion from $233 million in first quarter 2010. Strong demand for construction-related equipment drove the increase, company officials said.

Montgomery County Commissioner Dan Foley said Caterpillar’s earnings report is good news for the Dayton area.

“It makes the hard work that went into this by a lot of people all the more gratifying when you hear the company is doing well,” Foley said. “I believe that they’re going to be a strong employer here for many years to come.”

Jason Murphy, Caterpillar human resources manager for the Clayton center, recently said some of the people the company has hired from the Dayton area had been out of work for up to two-and-a-half years.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.