This is the story of Peterson Tractor Co., a company that was started in 1936 by founder and company namesake, Howard Peterson. In 1977, Howard sold the business to his son-in-law, Bill Doyle, who provided leadership and continued growth for the company until 1995 when Duane Doyle, grandson of the founder, was elected president.
Read about Peterson's first 60 years in this interactive history book.
Peterson formed BuildingPoint Pacific, authorized distribution partner in California and Hawaii for the Trimble Buildings Portfolio
Peterson established KKMI, a full-service marine dock in Richmond, California
Three Peterson power technicians sent to Antarctica to service 3500 series generators
Peterson celebrated its 75th anniversary 2011 – Peterson launched new company strategy focused on core values
Peterson accepts territory formerly serviced by Bayshore International, becoming the authorized International Trucks dealer in northern California
Peterson acquired Spectra 3D and established SITECH Norcal/SITECH Oregon, authorized Trimble dealer throughout Peterson’s territory
Peterson Power receives Model Shop Award from California' s EPA Dept of Toxic Substance
Peterson Power Systems receives Winner of the Year for WRAP Award
Peterson celebrates its 70th year in business
Peterson's Fab Shop builds remote-control bomb scraper for unexploded mine remediation
The Fantastic Four movie is released – Peterson Power builds air-conditioned suit for The Thing.
The Cat Chopper debuts at ConExpo in Las Vegas (built by TV's Orange County Choppers)
Peterson launches "Quest For Success" - a continuous improvement initiative using 6 Sigma
Peterson opens the Cat Emporium merchandise store in San Leandro
Peterson expands territory into Southern Oregon - acquires territory from Pape Machinery with seven store locations
Caterpillar introduces ACERT® becoming the first engine manufacturer to offer a complete line of clean EPA compliant diesel engines
Peterson opens brand new facility in San Martin and closes old San Jose store
Caterpillar is the first company to globally launch 6 Sigma and deliver first-year benefits in excess of implementation costs
Caterpillar celebrates its 75th anniversary
Caterpillar unveils new line of compact construction equipment - CCE - at CONEXPO
World's largest off-highway truck, the 797, debuts at Cat Proving Grounds, ArizonaWorld's largest off-highway truck, the 797, debuts at Cat Proving Grounds, Arizona
End of 6-year long Cat strike in Peoria
Peterson Power enters Temperature Control market (air conditioning/chillers)
Peterson's moves into third generation with Duane Doyle as new owner/CEO
Peterson's new Santa Rosa store Grand Opening
Peterson Power Systems assumes PSD territory for all current Peterson territory plus Holt-Tenco
Recession hits Peterson Tractor
Cat assumes the new "triangle" logo
Peterson acquires Berglund Tractor territory (Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma, W.Solano, Napa Cos)
Cat launches $1.8 billion plant modernization program to streamline mfg process
Peterson celebrates its 50th year of doing business
Caterpillar Tractor Co. changes name to Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar enters a new market with introduction of its Cat 416 backhoe/loader
Cat offers over 300 products, more than double the number in 1981
Caterpillar Leasing Co. renamed Caterpillar Financial Services - expands equipment finance offerings to customers worldwide
Peterson holds equipment auction to help defray recession costs
Peterson acquires Zumwalt Tractor territory (Glenn Co.) - opens Willows store
Warms Springs Dam finished after 4 years / $358 million - Peterson provides on-site support
Worldwide recession costs Caterpillar equivalent of $1 million a day, forcing dramatic employment reductions
Peterson acquires Matthews Machinery territory (Humboldt Co.) with store in Eureka
Peterson builds giant building transporters for Sohio for Alaskan Pipeline
Cat introduces the new high-drive D10
Peterson moves into 2nd generation ownership with Bill Doyle as new owner/CEO
Peterson opens Engine Division at new Power Center facility on Teagarden in San Leandro
Peterson designs/builds giant tracks and propulsion systems for drill rigs for Alaskan pipeline
Carol Burns becomes Peterson's first woman to join the union (Operating Engineers, Local 3)
First hydraulic excavator – Cat 225 – rolls off assembly line in Aurora, Illinois
Peterson bought Cat Lift Truck franchise for all existing territory
Oroville Dam completed - Peterson provided on-site product support through duration
Triple 657 scraper designed by Buster Peterson goes to San Luis Canal project for Peter Kiewit
Peterson builds engine & component shop in San Leandro
Peterson introduces its new Quad D9 design which Caterpillar will buy and standardize
Peterson goes on-line with first computer - IBM 1440
Caterpillar teams up with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd to become Shin-Caterpillar-Mitsubishi to become the No. 2 maker of construction and mining equipment in Japan
Peterson acquires Ditz Bros Tractor territory (Santa Clara County) - opens San Jose store
Cat introduces first hydraulic scraper - the CAT 631
Peterson gets largest Cat equipment sale to-date, for any dealer worldwide with the Mangla Dam project in West Pakistan for Guy F. Atkinson, involving 300 machines
Peterson acquires Pringle Tractor territory (Santa Cruz County) - opens Santa Cruz store
Peterson sells first Demolition bucket for Cat 955 traxcavator to Bayshore Excavating
Peterson begins territory expansion with acquisition of Sierra Tractor (Shasta, Trinity, Tehama, Butte counties) and opens Redding & Chico stores - Caterpillar approves of switch to better serve the contractors building the Trinity River Dam
Peterson Tractor & Equipment Company changes name to Peterson Tractor Co.
Peterson acquires Bay Area Caterpillar marine engine franchise formerly handled by TASCO, aka Thomas A. Short Co. (Oakland)
Peterson's first international product support package to Morrison-Knudsen for the Helman River Dam in Afghanistan
Peterson featured on TV show: Richfield Success Stories aired on KGO
Ed Cryer becomes Peterson's first Parts & Service Sales Rep with dedicated truck
Peterson's Twin D8s are patented
Peterson ships the first SnoCAT D7 to Thule Air Force Base in Greenland for nation's Distant Early Warning System
Caterpillar's engine sales group is replaced with separate sales & marketing division. Engine sales now account for approximately one-third of the company's total sales and revenues
Caterpillar Tractor Co. Ltd., Great Britain is established to better serve customers worldwide
Howard Peterson moves his business to new HQ facilities in San Leandro, CA over Labor Day weekend where they remain at present
First self-propelled DW10 scraper introduced
Buster Peterson comes to Peterson and starts designing customized tractor innovations
Peterson moves headquarters across town to a new facility in Hayward at the corner of A and Soto streets that takes up an entire city block
U.S. army uses Caterpillar track-type tractors, motor graders, generators sets and a special engine for the M4 tank in WWII
Peterson hears the "news" about Pearl Harbor being attacked while hosting a duck hunt and customer dinner at a duck club in Benicia
Caterpillar's product line now includes motor graders, blade graders, elevating graders, terracers and electrical generating sets
Golden Gate International Expo opens on Treasure Island celebrating the building of SF Bay Bride and Golden Gate Bridge - all were constructed with Cat equipment
Peterson moves headquarters to brand new facility at Watkins St. in Hayward, CA
Oliver DeSilva is Peterson's first customer on the account books
Peterson's first advertisement comes out in Western Construction Magazine
Howard Peterson founds Peterson Tractor & Equipment Company (acquired from Robinson Tractor) in the San Francisco Bay Area with stores in SF and Oakland
Caterpillar's first Diesel Sixty Tractor rolls off the assembly line in East Peoria, Illinois
Stock Market Crash - starts the Great Depression
LeTourneau builds scrapers for Henry J. Kaiser's Cuban Hwy project read story
Holt Mfg Co. & CL Best Tractor merge to form Caterpillar Tractor Co.
RG LeTourneau builds first self-propelled telescoping scraper
World War I ends
Holt's "Caterpillar" track-type tractors are used by the Allies in WWI
Holt's first production steam-powered crawler - No. 122 is built
Holt's first gas track-type tractor tests before crowd
Holt's first steam track-type tractor is field-tested
Holt's wheel-type steamer No. 77 is built
Holt Manufacturing Co. incorporates in Stockton, California
Best offers engines from 2hp to 200 hp for irrigation, dairies, and boats
Best adapts his steam logger for use in the woods
Best patents his steam harvester
Daniel Best and Benjamin Holt each introduce their own steam traction engine