7 Amazing Feats on 7 Continents

Africa – Caterpillar’s First Overseas Dealer

Paul Parrenin settled in Tunisia and started his dealership in 1902. In 1912, Parrenin became the first Holt Manufacturing Company dealer outside of the United States. In 1926, shortly after Holt merged with Best Tractor Co., Parrenin became an official dealer of Caterpillar Tractor Company and were the first representation of Caterpillar outside the United States. Parrenin focused solely on agriculture until 1945, when Caterpillar broadened its line of earthmoving equipment, and Parrenin soon expanded into that industry.

 Fun fact: Parrenin is the oldest Holt Manufacturing Company dealer still in operation.

Asia – Three Gorges Dam

From the Three Gorges Dam to the large hydropower stations including the Changheba, Baihetan and Wudongde hydropower dams, thousands of Cat machines have contributed to the development of clean energy in China. The Three Gorges Dam, for example, employed more than 300 Cat machines.

Fun fact: Cat 777C Off-Highway Trucks and D11N Track-Type-Tractors played important roles in the river closure work for the Three Gorges Dam construction project.

2021-04-23

Europe – Istanbul Grand Airport

At the crossroads of East and West, Istanbul is the natural site for a global air transport hub. That’s a good thing because by 2023, Turkish Airlines plans to transport more than 120 million passengers per year – nearly double its current numbers. That ambitious goal presents a major challenge: building the world’s largest airport from the ground up in just 42 months. To handle the huge scale, difficult site conditions and tight deadline, the Istanbul Grand Airport assembled a fleet of more than 400 machines, all from Caterpillar. They will rely heavily on Cat® EMSolutions™ technologies to streamline equipment management for the project’s massive fleet. 

Fun fact: Caterpillar’s remote monitoring technology tracked and provided data about every machine 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

South America – Itaipu Dam

In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers elected the Itaipu Dam as one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World, and Cat products played a role in building it. When the first Cat machines arrived for land clearing at Itaipu, experienced mechanics from the local Cat dealer were onsite to assure that service would be excellent from the outset. 

Fun fact: When the first 50 Cat units arrived in port, the dealer assembled and transported each machine to the work site.