Page 19 - Peterson 85 Years and Going Strong

Looking back, Bill Doyle is the reason we’re still in business. He made a decision to not let a competitor get a foothold in our territory and that’s why we’re here. In my opinion, it’s also why we’ve been given more territory. As subtle as he is, Bill Doyle did more for Peterson to get us to where we are today than most people will ever realize.
– Jeff Goggin, COO, Peterson-Cat
cade, Peterson took on three new Cat territories: Matthews Machinery (1981), I.G. Zumwalt Co. (1982), and Berglund Tractor (1988). And all de- spite the recession of 1981–82 and the heavy in- flux of competitive foreign equipment—especially in the hydraulic excavator market. Armed with an aggressive marketing plan, Peterson’s sales force
shut down the competition within its territory under the marketing banner, If it’s not a Cat, it’s a dog! No competitor could withstand the onslaught longer than twenty-two months, tops. By the time the Berglund territory came up in 1988, Peterson had recovered and was pushing record-high sales volumes again.
Top left, clockwise: Changing ownership in Eureka in 1981; new Santa Rosa store in 1991; new Peterson signs in Eugene; updating Redding signage in early 2000s; new San Martin store in 2002
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