A special edition Cat 444 backhoe loader has taken pride of place at the Staffordshire HQ of Finning UK and Ireland as part of the celebrations to mark Caterpillar’s 100-year milestone.
The manufacturer has commissioned an exclusive number of machines to be painted in ‘Centennial Grey’. This harks back to the original Cat machines, introduced in 1925 in ‘battleship grey’, with the ‘Hi-Way’ yellow with black trim not coming into use until 1931.
Gary Megarrell, MD of Finning UK & Ireland, said, “The Cat 444 backhoe loader landed at Cannock HQ recently and is one of only 10 special edition machines in this model. The Cat backhoe loader represents an important part of Caterpillar’s UK production with a long history of evolution across several series and model upgrades.
“The first Cat backhoe loader was introduced in 1985, marking the beginning of Caterpillar’s locally-built backhoe loader production. For this reason, it is poignant to have it as the first centennial machine to arrive at Finning, a pivotal machine for our market, both in terms of manufacture and influence.
“Caterpillar’s history of innovation, commitment to sustainability and consistent investment defines it as an integral part of the UK and Ireland construction industry landscape, that we at Finning are incredibly proud to represent.
“Our historic relationship with Caterpillar has existed for 92 of those 100 years, demonstrating our shared commitment to service excellence. As industry needs evolve, we will continue to leverage the expertise at Caterpillar, with remotely operated machines, satellite guided equipment and alternative fuel engines all playing a part in developing more efficient, sustainable and cost-effective industries in the UK.
“To demonstrate our pride in our shared history, as well as the beginning of the next 100 years together, we are excited to be able to offer customers the chance to get up close with the Centennial machine as we take it on tour. We are looking forward to hearing from Cat enthusiasts about their love of these machines and to celebrating with our branch staff and customers.”
The Cat 444 will be heading to Plantworx from September 23-25 and will be making an appearance as part of celebratory activities to be announced at selected Finning branches later this year.
