Page 277 - Peterson 85 Years and Going Strong

We work with our customers to get
the most potential out of their machinery for their special applica- tion. That’s customer service—providing the customer with what they need.
– Jack Ravazza, general manager of Special Services, Peterson-Cat, San Leandro
In 2014, Ravazza and Duane Jr. also brought in Dale Smith as the new lead engineer in San Lean- dro. With twenty-five years of experience wrench- ing, running several shops, and working as a TC (troubleshooter) and trainer, Smith has accrued a huge cache of knowledge to pour into the next gen- eration of designs. “Many of the projects we take on require more than just structural engineering. They often require a combination of hydraulics, electronics, and power train along with structural design,” says Smith. That’s where his background becomes invaluable. “Engineering is a group effort. If you leave one person’s input out, you may miss the key piece you need to make that project a suc- cess. I take input from any source I can, plus the people I’ve learned from in the past, and put it all together to come up with a solution to solve our customer’s challenges. It’s a collaboration.”
Since he joined the team, Smith has worked on several projects that have helped his customers gain a competitive edge in their respective markets. “We’ve got our focus back,” says Duane Jr. “Get- ting a new engineer on board was a top priority be- cause without engineering, you can’t have Special Services. Jack is back and excited to be doing what
Patent for large capacity bucket (facing page) turned into iron (above)
he’s really good at. And we’re investing again in people and tooling. We’re back and our customers can see that.”
Today, the big dream machines of the past have giv- en way to more practical designs. Each project is a collaboration between Peterson’s fabrication shop and the customer with a need. Each undertaking is a highly focused, customized solution where a machine or process was often non-existent before. And each helps the customer save money both
Dale Smith/L & Jack Ravazza viewing drawings for Buster’s Twin D8
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