UK Prime Minister David Cameron Shines a Light on Caterpillar

April 28, 2016

Thursday, 28 April was an historical day for Caterpillar in the UK, when the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, visited our Peterborough facility. This key visit formed part of the government’s campaign for the UK to remain part of the European Union, and in visiting, put Caterpillar’s facility in Peterborough on the map.

What is the EU Referendum?

A referendum will be held on Thursday, 23 June to decide whether Britain should leave or remain in the European Union. Eligible voters will be asked “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” and can chose between two responses:

• Remain a member of the European Union
• Leave the European Union

Caterpillar Position

Caterpillar supports continued UK membership of a reformed European Union.  We fully respect that the British people will decide the UK’s future relationship with the EU, but we believe the UK’s continued membership of a reformed competitive EU is the best option for the economic growth and well-being of both the UK and wider EU economy. Ultimately, it is fundamental to our business interests that we retain full access to the EU’s single market from here – as the vast majority of Cat® products manufactured in the UK are exported to the single market and third countries – and that we are able to serve our UK customer base from the EU with no constraints.

The visit began with the Prime Minister talking directly with Mark Dorsett, Caterpillar UK country director, and David Goldspink, operations general manager of Industrial Power Systems Division (IPSD) Medium Engines, discussing Caterpillar’s substantial footprint and business activities in the UK and our facility in Peterborough.  

He was given a tour of our world-class Peterborough facility and saw for himself the diversity of brands, product and services that Caterpillar offers in the market, as well as engaging with our employees in a Question & Answer session in the factory.

The Prime Minister met with Caroline Burstall, chairperson of the Women’s Initiative Network in Peterborough, where they briefly spoke about how Caterpillar encourages women into the manufacturing industry, as well as Joe Dobson, a graduate of our IPSD Apprentice Schemes.

During the Q&A session the Prime Minister answered many questions from employees from across the Peterborough site, on subjects ranging from the single market and access to free trade to how he would approach a reformed EU in the event of the British people voting to stay within the EU on 23 June.

Mark Dorsett, Caterpillar UK country manager, said, “It was an honour to have the Prime Minister actively engage with us and provide the opportunity for 2,000 employees to speak with him on a matter of such significant importance to the UK.”

"Caterpillar is a great company. As a major inward investor, we value Caterpillar's investment in innovation, technology and manufacturing of its products, which are sold around the world," said Prime Minister David Cameron.