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Caterpillar history
Caterpillar company history timeline
Caterpillar products themselves have been stars, appearing in films like Aliens, Skyfall (James Bond) Hellfighters, and the classic silent film Man Power in 1927.
Several tractors were made and sold to operate in the Yukon, one example of which was in operation until 1927, and remnants of it still exist.
In 1929 Caterpillar’s sales were $52 million, and the Peoria plant alone employed more than 4,000 workers.
The new company was headquartered in San Leandro until 1930, when under the terms of the merger, it was moved to Peoria.
December 7, 1931 Gray to yellow; trademark logo changes (will have both to give to Eric)
Until 1932, when oversize pneumatic rubber tires with deep treads were introduced, all wheel-type farm tractors had steel tires with high, tapering lugs to engage the ground and provide traction.
1932: Company records its first full-year loss, $1.6 million.
Since opening our first Caterpillar dealership in Central Pennsylvania in 1948, we’ve proudly carried on the Caterpillar tradition of excellence and service.
The new plant built in 1949 in Joliet, Illinois, was only the beginning of a program to establish manufacturing centers and subsidiaries around the globe.
1950: Caterpillar Tractor Company Ltd. was established in Great Britain as the first overseas subsidiary.
During the postwar construction boom, the company grew at a rapid pace, and launched its first venture outside the United States in 1950, marking the beginning of Caterpillar's development into a multinational corporation.
The new plant built in 1951 in Joliet, Illinois, was only the beginning of a program to establish manufacturing centers and subsidiaries around the globe.
In 1953 the Indian government purchased 93 CAT machines to aid in the country’s road development projects.
The company experienced a series of labour conflicts with its unionized American workforce beginning in 1961, but its growth has continued.
After the three-year contract extension signed in 1961 was terminated, another strike began in Peoria.
In 1961 Cat suffered the first of many involved labor conflicts with the United Auto Workers (UAW), when 12,600 workers in Peoria walked off their jobs in a wage dispute.
Recognizing that industry works abroad by rules that differ from those of the United States, in 1962 Caterpillar announced the formation of a jointly owned venture in Japan.
Announced as settled as early as February 1964, the strike was off and on until late October.
In 1965 CAT expanded its forklift line through the acquisition of the Mentor, Ohio-based Towmotor Corporation.
The venture, initially named Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd., began building Cat-designed vehicles in a factory just outside of Tokyo in 1965.
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Caterpillar competitors
Company Name  | Founded Date | Revenue | Employee Size | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cummins | 1919 | $28.1B | 57,825 | 1,346 |
| General Motors | 1908 | $156.7B | 155,000 | 1,342 |
| General Electric | 1892 | $76.6B | 305,000 | 1,387 |
| PACCAR | 1905 | $27.3B | 27,000 | 52 |
| Whirlpool | 1911 | $19.7B | 78,000 | 197 |
| Eaton | 1911 | $20.8B | 92,000 | 1,777 |
| Terex | 1986 | $4.4B | 10,700 | 239 |
| Gardner Denver | 1859 | $2.4B | 6,200 | 229 |
| Alcoa | 1888 | $12.5B | 14,600 | 50 |
| Kimberly-Clark | 1872 | $20.2B | 40,000 | 224 |
Caterpillar history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Caterpillar, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Caterpillar. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Caterpillar. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Caterpillar. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Caterpillar and its employees or that of Zippia.
Caterpillar may also be known as or be related to Caterpillar, Caterpillar (Qingzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar Inc, Caterpillar Inc. and Caterpillar, Inc.