Enthusiasts of antique Caterpillar® machines were given a tour of the latest Cat® machinery – and a chance to see a rebuild project in action when they were invited to Finning recently.
The Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club (ACMOC) was welcomed to the Staffordshire headquarters of Finning UK & Ireland, the world’s largest dealer of Cat machines, parts and services, to host its annual meeting.
Founded in 1991, ACMOC has thousands of members from around the world with an avid interest in the history of Caterpillar machinery.
Along with taking part in the annual meeting, members enjoyed a tour of the Finning site including an impressive display of static machinery including a Cat 395 hydraulic excavator, a Cat 770 off-highway truck, Cat D6 and D3 dozers, a Cat 14 motor grader and a Cat 986 wheel loader.
The visitors were also able to get hands-on with the machinery in a challenge at the Cat Compact Store supported by Alex Clarke, CDI Qualified Operator Trainer and Graham Knighton, Senior Machine Demonstrator, who is also a member of ACMOC.
Hayley Brown, Brand and Events Marketing Manager at Finning UK & Ireland, said: “The group all have a shared passion for Cat machines – old and new. While many of the members are collectors of antique machines, there are current owners and operators in the club too, including Tom Balls from J.C. Balls & Sons.
“During their visit we took the members on a tour around the Cannock site and workshops. As part of this, the visitors were able to see a Cat 345C hydraulic excavator rebuild in action, which the group was impressed to see.
“Engineers explained the rebuild process and how the machine would then proceed to the final paint stage before being handed over to the customer in early June. This was of particular interest to the group as they were able to see first-hand that Cat machines can be rebuilt to have many new lives.”
ACMOC President Bodie Hunter said: “We are so grateful to Finning for inviting us to host our AGM at the Cannock site and making us all feel so welcome. It was impressive to see the site in action and share this with our members, who are all huge Caterpillar enthusiasts.”
Finning and ACMOC also raised money via a raffle during their visit, splitting the funds raised between chosen charities – the East Midlands Air Ambulance, and Mind UK.
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