ACMOC Members Experience Caterpillar Visitors Center

The Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club (ACMOC) held a special event on Friday, April 19 to showcase the Caterpillar Visitors Center (CVC) to its members.

ACMOC's mission is to foster its members and the general public's appreciation for the historic role of Caterpillar machinery in shaping the world. Kent Bates, a Caterpillar retiree and former ACMOC director, was key in the restoration of three pieces of Caterpillar machinery currently on display in the CVC’s Heritage Gallery – a Model Twenty Tractor, a D3400 Generator Set and a D8 Tractor.

Before visiting the CVC, over 130 ACMOC members toured different Caterpillar facilities, including the Edwards Training Center for a product demonstration. The day culminated with a reception at the CVC, where members were greeted by Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman. Other speakers included Jim Baumgartner, Director of Corporate Affairs, and Kent Bates, who presented on the restoration process of the Model Twenty Tractor.

 “This special event showcased the new Caterpillar Visitors Center to our members, and how it compliments ACMOC’s mission to connect collectors of Caterpillar machinery, as well as others interested in the company’s heritage, and promotes the restoration and preservation of these historical machines,” said Dave Wintermute, President of ACMOC. “At the event, we officially launched the Allison Bloom Scholarship Fund which, like other scholarships we offer, encourages students to go into engineering with a construction or agricultural focus.”

Based in Peoria, Illinois, ACMOC’s membership has steadily increased since its formation in the early 1990s to include thousands of members worldwide who all share a similar interest – the legacy of antique Caterpillar machinery.