Page 467 - Peterson 85 Years and Going Strong
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exponentially, so too does the scope of commit- ment and demands. As Peterson’s first female of- ficer and mother of three, Erin understands that more than most. “People ask me all the time, ‘How did you guys make it to four generations?’ And I tell them we’re blessed. There’s no other answer. It could have fallen apart at any time. And it almost did a few times. But it didn’t. We always made it. Dad, Poppa, and Grampie were very good stewards of what we’ve been given. And we’ve all worked our tails off. In a family business, you don’t get to go home and shut it off. When we go on vaca- tion, we have family meetings, we talk about work. You’re on your phone constantly dealing with stuff. There is no shutoff valve. But we are very, very blessed. God has blessed our whole family through this business.”
PETERSON 4.0 BECOMES OFFICIAL
On June 11, 2020, Duane Jr. officially signed on to Caterpillar’s Sales & Service Agreement as Peterson’s next dealer principal. Since Caterpillar prefers a five-year overlap, both Duane Sr. and Duane Jr. will run Peterson as co-signatories until 2025. In a letter dated February 10, 2020, Duane Sr. wrote, “It is with great pleasure and confidence that I can announce that Peterson’s continuity plan to the fourth generation has been enthusiastically accepted by Caterpillar. Duane Jr. and Erin have been approved to carry on the great partnership between Caterpillar and Peterson for many years to come.”
That proud announcement was a culmination of years of planning, grooming, and hard work by all involved. None are prouder than Duane Sr. and Sue. “Duane and Erin really lean on each other,” says Duane Sr. “Caterpillar recognizes that fact and really appreciates it. Kirk Miller, our Cat dis- trict manager, says that Duane and Erin are like one plus one equals three. So they are very highly regarded within Caterpillar.”
As overseer of dealership succession for Cat’s Se- attle district, Miller has perhaps the best take on how Caterpillar views Peterson’s leadership. “Ev- ery dealer principal has a certain profile. Duane’s (Sr.) style with Caterpillar is think first, speak sec- ond. Every executive at Caterpillar I’ve ever come across has high regard and high trust in Duane. He comes off as very authentic and very genuine, and what you see is what you get. And that fosters trust, which is extremely important to Caterpillar.” And so it will continue with Peterson’s fourth gen- eration, Duane Doyle Jr. and Erin Doyle Sorgel, because they have grown to love the business just like the generations before them.
    Top to bottom: Signing Cat’s Sales & Service Agreement in June 2020 made Duane Jr. the officially recognized 4th generation president & CEO of Peterson. Pictured (L-R) Duane Doyle Sr., Duane Jr., and Kirk Miller; Duane Jr., Erin & Duane Sr. in San Leandro in 2020
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