The brand that changed the planet
During World War I, two competitors in the United States were in the business of agricultural machinery and heavy industry equipment. Benjamin Holt's and Daniel Best's companies were in each other's hair more than once. But the economic crisis after World War I brought the two entrepreneurs together.
In 1925, the merger of the two manufacturers created the Caterpillar Tractor Co. and began a chapter in one of the most iconic industrial automobile companies.
The joint venture meant a boom in offerings. The number of Caterpillar machines expanded and during the years 1926 to 1929 the company doubled profits and even tripled the number of tractors and excavators sold.
The revolutionary 1930s
The turn of the 1920s and 1930s brought another technological shift. The Caterpillar Twenty was a huge success among farmers and propelled the brand to the top of the world in its field.
In 1931, a complete change of look took place. The original grey and red colour combination was replaced by the iconic yellow and black combination.
In the 1930s, the company scored another success when it modernized Rudolf Diesel's diesel engine. The 1897 invention was efficient, but at the cost of high consumption. A pair of American engine builders redesigned the engine and came up with the D9900.
Worldwide expansion
World War II slowed production. But in the 1950s, the company came up with its first expansion into the world. The Caterpillar brand established a sister company in the UK and expanded into Brazil in 1954.
During the 1950s, the company went global and continues to be a market leader to this day. The Caterpillar brand is seen by craftsmen around the world as synonymous with progress, quality and honest work.
Caterpillar currently manufactures over 400 different construction machines. Their range includes small and large excavators, off-road and on-road trucks and dump loaders. When developing new machines, their technologists focus on both quality and comfort for the loader operator.