Employees Go the Distance

While some Caterpillar employees interact with their customers on a daily basis through phone calls and email, others travel more than 1,500 miles to offer their assistance. Recently, two Integrated Manufacturing Operations Division (IMOD) employees traveled the distance to best serve a Caterpillar dealer.

Welding Technician Thomas Conlin and Welding Engineer Brad Horton from the Decatur facility, along with Field Engineer James Deissler of Tucson, Arizona, traveled to a mine site in Cananea, Mexico. The team then assisted the Cat^® dealer, MATCO, with a Cat^® 797F Large Mining Truck (LMT) front frame repair that had never been performed before. In preparation for the repair, the team oversaw the fabrication of a replacement front frame at our facility in Decatur. Then at the mine site, the frame was attached.

"I enjoyed working with our customers first hand," Horton said. "Their feedback and pride for our equipment makes me proud to work where I do. Our dealerships are very talented at what they do and getting their feedback is always helpful - they see things first hand."

Even with a few challenges, Conlin said the process was quicker and smoother than he expected, and the 797F Large Mining Truck was successfully repaired and back in service.

"One of the most amazing and rewarding parts of traveling is seeing the equipment in action," Horton said. "Standing on top of a 797F Large Mining Truck and being able to see the sheer size is humbling. It really motivates and excites you to keep putting all the effort you do into your job."