Caterpillar

   For over 85 years, Caterpillar Inc. builds a global infrastructure and, in cooperation with its international dealer network, ensures progress and positive change on all continents. The volume of product sales in 2012 amounted to $ 65.875 billion US dollars. Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and gas engines, and industrial gas turbines. Cat products are sold worldwide. The company is a leader in logistics services, complete equipment upgrades, and a full range of financial services for customers to purchase Cat products. The Holt brothers in 1883 created a company in Stockton, California, which produced agricultural machinery. Charles Henry was in charge of business matters, while his younger brother Benjamin was in charge of product development and production development. The wheeled tractors were too heavy, weighing up to 450 kg. They were stuck in the loose soil, because of this, the demand for the product was low. Then Benjamin came up with endless sprockets. This is how tractor tracks appeared. In the First World War, they migrated to tanks. Tractors, agricultural machinery - start of production The company grew and in 1904 launched a tracked tractor that brought commercial benefits. In 1908, the brothers buy a combine harvester company. In the same year, tractors with a gasoline engine were added to the product line. The following year, the purchase of a plant in the city of Peoria took place. This was a strategic move, as eastern Illinois was the center of the US agricultural regions. The plant needed re-equipment. It required a large investment, which paid off two years later. The plant employed 625 people. From 1908 to 1913, a number of improvements were made to tractors: the spring suspension was reinforced, steel elements appeared, and three transmission speeds. In 1910, Holt registered the Caterpillar trademark to increase the promotion of his technique. In translation, the name "caterpillar" is "caterpillar".

In 1925, Holt Manufacturing Company and C. L. Best Tractor Co merge to form Caterpillar® Tractor Co. In November 1931, co-production began in Peoria, Illinois. The choice fell on Peoria not by accident. First, Illinois was considered the industrial center of both the United States and neighboring Canada. Secondly, the largest city in this state was Chicago - a developed industrial center. Thirdly, the state had large diasporas of immigrants from Europe, mainly Germany, who happily went to work for a new enterprise, that is, Caterpillar was provided with highly qualified personnel.

By the beginning of the 1940s, the production line was significantly expanded - in addition to classic gasoline and diesel tractors, graders and power plants were produced. The beginning of the war and the increased needs of the US armed forces marked the beginning of the production of engines for the M4 tanks by the company. As World War II ended, Caterpillar continued to grow and develop as the company needed new territories and markets to market its products.

The company, as a world leader in its industry, has been severely hit by the crisis. The situation of the enterprise was worsened even more by the appreciation of the dollar, which made Caterpillar Tractor products less attractive and in demand in comparison with their Japanese counterparts. To overcome the crisis, it was decided to expand the production line. This allowed the company, while remaining one of the leaders in the field of heavy engineering, to start selling small equipment. The results were not long in coming - in 1987 the Caterpillar Tractor Co. Ltd reached 150 units, almost doubling.

The Caterpillar empire grew rapidly. Tractors, tractors, road machinery and equipment for mines began to be used in more than 150 countries around the world.

 Today, with $ 70 billion in assets, Caterpillar is the industry's number one manufacturer and a true work equipment and machinery empire.