In July 2003, Peterson acquired the southern Oregon Caterpillar territory of Pape Bros., officially launching a brand new entity: Peterson Machinery Co. At Caterpillar's founding in 1925, two franchises covered Oregon: Bunting Tractor headquartered in La Grande and Feenaughty Machinery out of Portland. Since then, the territory has shifted through 13 different dealerships until finally coming to rest in Peterson's hands. And as history will testify, Peterson never gets rid of territory.
"We know that Peterson/CAT is No. 1 in the
industry. And, the way to maintain that
leadership is to behave like we're No. 2,
trying to be No. 1."
- Ernie Fierro, past-PMCo president, retired
When Pape Bros. diversified their dealership offerings beyond Caterpillar’s dealer parameters, the world-famous heavy equipment manufacturer started looking for a new dealer to handle its southern Oregon territory. After a year of negotiations, Peterson was awarded the territory and Peterson Machinery Co. was born. From the get-go, management ordered numerous machines to beef up inventory. The local customer base was shocked when Eugene's rail yard was packed with car after car of Caterpillar equipment shortly after Peterson opened its doors for business. It gave PMCo a huge jump-start that the competition was not expecting. It was also very important that management from both Peterson's California and Oregon organizations go out into the field and meet the customers and see what they were expecting.
The Peterson team was determined to start strong in Oregon, and, five great years later, we're even more committed to bringing you the best in Caterpillar sales, parts, service, and rental.
“Southern and central Oregon is a great
territory for us. The diversity of the region
allows us to serve a wide range of customers
in the construction, forestry, agriculture,
and landscaping industries. We’re looking
forward to being here for a long, long time.”
- Jeff Goggin, Peterson Machinery President
RELATED STORIES:
• Peterson Acquires Pape Bros. (Press Release)
• Peterson's CAT Rental Store opens
More about Peterson Machinery Co.
www.petersoncat.com
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