nineteen-seventies
1971 Peterson bought CAT Lift Truck franchise for all existing territory
1972 First hydraulic excavator – CAT 225 – rolls off assembly line in
Aurora, Illinois
1974 Carol Burns becomes Peterson's first woman to join the union (Operating Engineers, Local 3)
1974 Peterson designs/builds giant tracks and propulsion systems for drill rigs
for Alaskan pipeline read more
1977 Peterson opens Engine Division at new Power Center facility on Teagarden
in San Leandro
1977 Peterson moves into 2nd generation ownership with Bill Doyle as new owner/CEO
1978 CAT introduces the new high-drive D10
1979 Peterson builds giant building transporters for Sohio for Alaskan
Pipeline read more
nineteen-eighties
1981 Peterson acquires Matthews Machinery territory (Humboldt Co.) with
store in Eureka
1981 Worldwide recession costs Caterpillar equivalent of $1 million a day,
forcing dramatic employment reductions
1982 Warms Springs Dam finished after 4 years / $358 million - Peterson
provides on-site support
1982 Peterson acquires Zumwalt Tractor territory (Glenn Co.) - opens
Willows store
1982 Peterson holds equipment auction to help defray recession costs
1983 Caterpillar Leasing Co. renamed Caterpillar Financial Services - expands equipment finance offerings to customers worldwide
1985 CAT offers over 300 products, more than double the number in 1981
1986 Caterpillar enters a new market with introduction of its CAT 416
backhoe/loader
1986 Caterpillar Tractor Co. changes name to Caterpillar Inc.
1986 Peterson celebrates its 50th year of doing business
1987 CAT launches $1.8 billion plant modernization program to streamline
mfg process
1988 Peterson acquires Berglund Tractor territory (Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma, W.Solano, Napa Cos)
1989 CAT assumes the new "triangle" logo |
