Page 11 - Peterson 85 Years and Going Strong

INTRODUCTION: THE TEST OF TIME
The year 2021 marks Peterson’s eighty-fifth year as a Caterpillar dealer. After three generations, fifteen acquisitions, and thousands of cumulative years of employee dedication and customer loyalty, Peterson is still as vibrant and hungry as a start-up. Each generation has brought with it fresh blood, new ideas, and the drive to be the best in the business.
In many ways, Peterson’s history parallels the lives of the bridges that link our communities together in the San Francisco Bay Area—Peterson’s original home turf. Howard Peterson opened his doors for business on November 16, 1936—just four days after the opening of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Six months later, the first commuters crossed the iconic span of the Golden Gate Bridge. Both were built by contractors who got the machines and product support they needed from Peterson Tractor & Equipment Co. and its predecessor, Robinson Tractor & Equipment Co.—the original San Francisco Caterpillar dealership.
Today, the area’s original bridges have all been retrofitted or rebuilt to reflect the newest construction methods and safety standards for our growing population. Likewise, Peterson has streamlined and refocused itself through the years to better meet the needs of its employees and customer base. Many changes have come through new market opportunities, sometimes even before they were recognized by the mainstream marketplace. Others have been more painful, like shedding aspects of the business that just didn’t pencil out anymore. But each adjustment has built a better company more attuned and responsive to its customers and its employees. That stamina is a direct result of the core values Howard Peterson set forth from the beginning.
In 2010, Howard’s grandson—third-generation owner Duane Doyle Sr.—formalized those original values into Peterson’s Corporate Core Values: Customer First. Integrity. Excellence. Teamwork. Fun. He further prioritized them in the hearts and minds of the 1,700 people who work across Peterson with a company-wide program called Brand Ambassador (see Chapter 2).
Peterson has been tested in the crucible of change many times through its history. The net result is a company of resilience and opportunity, made strong by eighty-five years of innovation, elbow grease, taking risks, and living out its core values. Every day. Even now, it’s being driven by its fourth generation, with its fifth generation in the wings. That is the true hallmark of success.
In the following pages, you will read stories of Peterson’s Core Values in action over the past twenty-five years. As our loyal employees, world-class manufacturers, and coveted customers, we hope that you enjoy them and are proud to be part of the extended Peterson family.
9