Peterson Tractor’s Chico, Calif., branch became a Caterpillar-certified Five Star Contamination Control facility, indicating that the branch is in accordance with Caterpillar’s contamination-control procedures, according to Peterson Tractor’s website. A dealership can only claim to be 5-star certified after scoring more than 95 percent on a 16-section, 94-standard review of its facilities and procedures.
The Peterson shop considered contamination control important because contamination is responsible for the majority of hydraulic systems failures and can enter the system during maintenance.
“A Cat technical communicator visited our facility and checked our wash facility, fuel injection test bench, hydraulic cylinder and hose rebuild areas, and transmission bench and verified that we followed proper parts and fluid storage procedures,” said Milt Taylor, Chico product support manager. “By the end of the visit, we had a list of areas for improvement and we made it our mission to address them.”
Taylor said after six months of work Caterpillar’s parts and service operations rep showed up unexpectedly for an inspection, and the branch passed with 470 out of 492 points.
“Teamwork was the deciding factor in earning certification,” Taylor added. “Our shop foremen took the lead in organizing our efforts and every person at the store joined the fight. We don’t leave parts on the floor, we clean equipment when it comes in the shop, we battle dust and dirt on a daily basis. It’s something that we do to set ourselves above the competition and deliver value to our customers.”
Peterson Tractor, based in San Leandro, Calif., is a Caterpillar dealer with 17 branches in northern California and Oregon, and is No. 39 on the RER 100.
