PEORIA, Ill., Sept. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on its
90-year history of providing unmatched product support around the
world, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) today announced a
reorganization in its dealer and customer support divisions. These
changes are designed to improve and speed the delivery of customer
support while simplifying the way Caterpillar interacts with its
global dealer network.
"These organizational changes will drive needed simplicity to
the business, further enabling us to meet customer and dealer needs
by becoming more nimble, lean and responsive," said Rob Charter, Caterpillar group president with
responsibility for Customer & Dealer Support. "Our dealers are
the best in the industry when it comes to knowing and serving our
customers. These changes will help Caterpillar increase
accountability at the divisional level and continue to
differentiate the Caterpillar business model from our
competitors."
The company is also placing added executive office emphasis on
three strategic initiatives – data analytics, digital and
innovation capabilities; Lean Transformation; and the Across the
Table initiative. Having this additional, executive office focus
complements the new structure of Caterpillar's customer and
dealer-facing divisions.
Mining Division Changes
As previously announced,
Chris Curfman, vice president with
responsibility for Caterpillar's Mining Sales & Support
Division is retiring, effective December 31,
2015. His division will be integrated into the existing
Global Mining machine business divisions. Bringing product,
operations, sales and marketing organizations together in both the
surface and underground mining applications aligns well with our
customers and will also enable a more effective cost structure in a
challenging mining environment.
The surface mining sales and support teams will join the Hauling
& Extraction Division, which will be renamed the Surface
Mining & Technology Division, led by Caterpillar Vice
President Tom Bluth.
The underground mining sales and support teams will join the
Material Handling and Underground Division, led by
Caterpillar Vice President Denise
Johnson.
Customer and Dealer-Facing Organizational Changes
The
company is reorganizing divisions across the company into a new
structure that will improve efficiency and reduce complexity. This
new organizational structure will enable the company to more
quickly deliver on its previously announced Across the Table
goals.
"Our team will be more responsive, agile and better positioned
to work with our dealers as we serve our customers," Charter
said.
- Distribution Services Divisions – the primary interface
with our dealers, these divisions will remain but be reduced to two
from three. The two groups will maintain sole responsibility for
dealer development and performance, succession and continuity,
along with portfolio management, operational excellence and Across
the Table strategy execution.
- Asia Pacific, CIS,
Africa & Middle East
Distribution Division, Vice President Raymond Chan – covers dealers in
Asia-Pacific, CIS, Africa and the Middle East.
- Americas & Europe Distribution Division, Vice President
Phil Kelliher – covers dealers
in North and South America and
Europe.
- Global Aftermarket Solutions Division, Vice President
Nigel Lewis – new organization
created to accelerate the growth of aftermarket sales and service
solutions. This organization combines the aftermarket sales and
marketing resources, with a focus on improving and growing
aftermarket sales and service for Resource Industries, Construction
Industries and Energy & Transportation, including Cat Work
Tools and Cat Reman products.
- Wear Components & Aftermarket Distribution Division,
Vice President Doug Hoerr – new
division that merges the design and manufacturing of components and
aftermarket distribution into one division to enhance the company's
focus on components availability and inventory improvements. This
organization will be closely aligned with the Global Aftermarket
Solutions Division to ensure product offerings meet or exceed
customer and dealer expectations.
- Marketing and Digital Division, Vice President George Taylor – newly created division that
builds on the current Analytics & Innovation Division. Taylor,
who has also been named Caterpillar's Chief Marketing Officer, and
his team will establish a go-to-market strategy for the integration
of data analytics, providing state-of the-art solutions and support
for customers and dealers. In addition to the digital
transformation of the dealer and customer experience, the
division's functions include global brand management, marketing,
rental services and retail sales development.
- Sustainable, Work Tools & Industry Solutions Division,
Vice President Greg Folley – new
division that brings together the sustainable businesses of Cat
Reman and Caterpillar Safety Services with the company's machine
attachment business – Cat Work Tools (design and manufacture). The
new division also includes two external sales groups, Cat OEM
Solutions and Defense and Federal Products.
Construction Industries Update
In addition to these
changes, the Global Construction & Infrastructure
Division, led by Vice President Paolo Fellin, has added responsibilities. As
part of the company's move to improve its dealer and customer
coverage model, the division will also assume sales
responsibilities for work tools, industrial and waste, paving and
forestry products, as well as responsibility for heavy rentals.
The above moves will be effective November 1, 2015.
About Caterpillar
For 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has
been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive
change on every continent. Customers turn to Caterpillar to help
them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets.
With 2014 sales and revenues of $55.184
billion, Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of
construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines,
industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The
company principally operates through its three product segments -
Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy &
Transportation - and also provides financing and related services
through its Financial Products segment. For more information, visit
caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, visit
caterpillar.com/social-media.
Forward-looking Statements
Certain statements in this
press release relate to future events and expectations and are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe,"
"estimate," "will be," "will," "would," "expect," "anticipate,"
"plan," "project," "intend," "could," "should" or other similar
words or expressions often identify forward-looking statements. All
statements other than statements of historical fact are
forward-looking statements, including, without limitation,
statements regarding our outlook, projections, forecasts or trend
descriptions. These statements do not guarantee future performance,
and we do not undertake to update our forward-looking
statements.
Caterpillar's actual results may differ materially from those
described or implied in our forward-looking statements based on a
number of factors, including, but not limited to: (i) global and
regional economic conditions and economic conditions in the
industries we serve; (ii) government monetary or fiscal policies
and infrastructure spending; (iii) commodity price changes,
component price increases, fluctuations in demand for our products
or significant shortages of component products; (iv) disruptions or
volatility in global financial markets limiting our sources of
liquidity or the liquidity of our customers, dealers and suppliers;
(v) political and economic risks, commercial instability and events
beyond our control in the countries in which we operate; (vi)
failure to maintain our credit ratings and potential resulting
increases to our cost of borrowing and adverse effects on our cost
of funds, liquidity, competitive position and access to capital
markets; (vii) our Financial Products segment's risks associated
with the financial services industry; (viii) changes in interest
rates or market liquidity conditions; (ix) an increase in
delinquencies, repossessions or net losses of Cat Financial's
customers; (x) new regulations or changes in financial services
regulations; (xi) a failure to realize, or a delay in realizing,
all of the anticipated benefits of our acquisitions, joint ventures
or divestitures; (xii) international trade policies and their
impact on demand for our products and our competitive position;
(xiii) our ability to develop, produce and market quality products
that meet our customers' needs; (xiv) the impact of the highly
competitive environment in which we operate on our sales and
pricing; (xv) failure to realize all of the anticipated benefits
from initiatives to increase our productivity, efficiency and cash
flow and to reduce costs; (xvi) additional restructuring costs or a
failure to realize anticipated savings or benefits from past or
future cost reduction actions; (xvii) inventory management
decisions and sourcing practices of our dealers and our OEM
customers; (xviii) compliance with environmental laws and
regulations; (xix) alleged or actual violations of trade or
anti-corruption laws and regulations; (xx) additional tax expense
or exposure; (xxi) currency fluctuations; (xxii) our or Cat
Financial's compliance with financial covenants; (xxiii) increased
pension plan funding obligations; (xxiv) union disputes or other
employee relations issues; (xxv) significant legal proceedings,
claims, lawsuits or government investigations; (xxvi) changes in
accounting standards; (xxvii) failure or breach of IT security;
(xxviii) adverse effects of unexpected events including natural
disasters; and (xxix) other factors described in more detail under
"Item 1A. Risk Factors" in our Form 10-K filed with the SEC on
February 17, 2015, for the year ended
December 31, 2014.
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SOURCE Caterpillar Inc.