Fans of antique Caterpillar machines were given a tour of the latest Cat machinery, and a chance to see a rebuild project when they were invited to Finning recently.
The Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club (ACMOC, as it likes to be called) was welcomed at the Staffordshire HQ of Finning UK & Ireland - apparently, 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.
ACMOC members enjoyed a tour of the Finning site, with a static display of 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, which was supported by Alex Clarke, a CDI qualified operator trainer, and senior machine demonstrator Graham Knighton.
“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," said Finning UK & Ireland Brand and Events Marketing Manager Hayley Brown.
“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.
While ACMOC President Bodie Hunter added: “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.