Focus on Providing Services Isn’t New at Caterpillar

December 11, 2019

Our Bold, Yet Achievable Goal. 

Selling services isn’t a new initiative at Caterpillar. Our brand is built on more than 100 years of product support. Caterpillar and our dealers – as well as our direct businesses such as Solar Turbines and Progress Rail – have always provided valuable services to customers. As early as 1880, Holt Brothers (later known as the Holt Manufacturing Company) published its first catalog and price list for aftermarket wagon wheels and parts. It was a very early effort to help customers keep their machines up and running – a focus we carry today. 

How about a stroll down Caterpillar services memory lane?

History of Services Timeline

• 1880 – Holt Brothers, later known as the Holt Manufacturing Company, publishes its first catalog and price list for aftermarket wagon wheels and parts.
• 1906 – The first Holt Caterpillar track-type tractor is sold. The company provides customer financing and sends a rep to the jobsite to set up the machine and provide operator training. 
• 1909 – The first remanufactured Holt Caterpillar track-type tractor is sold. 
• 1925 – Yancey Bros. Co., is named a Cat dealer after the merger of Holt and Best. This makes Yancey the oldest Cat dealer. 
• 1950 – Caterpillar Tractor Co. of England, becomes the company’s first global entity outside the U.S., selling parts to dealers for distribution throughout the world. 
• 1975 – Caterpillar and dealers create a program to broaden customer services. Called CAT PLUS, the program promoted a wide range of dealer services.
• 1985 – Used Cat® equipment gets a second life from Caterpillar Certified Rebuild (CCR) programs. 
• 1998 – The Cat Rental Store offers short-term equipment use – for a day, or even an hour. 
• 1999 – The Cat PartsStore offers convenience of online parts ordering. 
• 2008 – The global demand for sea transport increases; many ship owners turn to Caterpillar for refurbishing to extend fleet life. 
• 2012 – Parts.cat.com launched 
• 2018 – Caterpillar reaches 850,000 connected assets.
• 2019 – The Cat® App is launched, designed to track critical machine operating data from the field. 
• 2019 – Caterpillar announces goal to reach Machinery, Energy & Transportation (ME&T) services sales to $28 billion by 2026.