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Caterpillar: A Leading Name in the Construction Equipment Industry
Caterpillar Incorporated, also referred to as CAT, is a leading name in the equipment industry. The company is based in the United States and has its headquarters located in Peoria, Illinois. Caterpillar Inc., or CAT, is well known through out the world for being the largest corporation responsible for manufacturing construction equipment, mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines. Caterpillar is well known for durable and reliable products, and for it distinctive look, the infamous Caterpillar tracks and yellow paint. Caterpillar Inc. manufactures a wide variety of heavy equipment in varied sizes and models capable of handling all types of jobs, and this would include the very popular Caterpillar D9 model bulldozer. Caterpillar Incorporated: The History The company dates back to the late 19th century when Daniel Best and Benjamin Holt had the notion that steam tractors held the future of farming and they began experimenting. Prior to 1925, Benjamin Holts family was the pioneer of track tractors and engines powered by gasoline. Caterpillar was eventually formed on April 15, 1925 with the merger of Holt Manufacturing Company and the C.L. Best Gas Traction Company. After the merger, the company underwent several changes, and by the end of World War II the company began to grow. This eventually lead to the launching of their first venture outside of the United States, and this occurred in 1950, marking the beginning of Caterpillars rise as a big corporation. Today, Caterpillar equipment includes a wide range of track type tractors, hydraulic excavators, backhoe loaders, motor graders, off-road vehicles, wheel loaders, gas turbines and more. CAT equipment has become the choice brand for many different industries like construction and excavation, road building, the mining industry, forestry, energy, transportation and material transporting companies. Sales and Business More than half the sales made by Caterpillar are from customers overseas, and this is mostly due to the fact that CAT products are being sold in almost 200 foreign countries. The success of the Caterpillar Corporation has yielded them a worldwide network of more than 200 dealers, with 63 of them in the United States and the rest overseas. From a manufacturing perspective, Caterpillar equipment and their components are manufactured in 42 factories within the United States, and a total of 58 factories located in other countries like Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, England, India, Japan and other countries. The Caterpillar Corporation and Labor All big businesses have their ups downs and Caterpillar has had its share of problems. In the early 1980s, the company was faced with a massive union strike and a downward turn in product demand, and this almost led to the company's demise. At one point during the strike, it was reported that products were piling up so high in the manufacturing plants that the temporary hires could barely move around and get to their stations to work. Another down turn for the company occurred in the 1990s when Caterpillar was faced with yet another worker strike. However, to make matters worse, Caterpillar hired permanent replacements for the union workers that were on strike and this led to retaliations. Some of the top executives for the CAT organization and some employees were subjected to vandalism to their vehicles, and this made the situation worse for the company. After the strike in the 1990s ended, things began to look up for the company, and economically it was doing well. It also led to Caterpillar adopting a quality management program called "6 Sigma", which helped to reduce expense costs, inventory, and identify and correct defects that occur to processes and products.
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