SAN ANTONIO — Peter Holt, CEO of Holt Cat, the Caterpillar dealer for South and Central Texas, announced Holt's purchase of certain assets of Dallas-based Darr Equipment Co., making Holt one of the largest Caterpillar dealers in the world.

“The purchase of Darr's Texas operation is consistent with our company's vision of stability and effective strategic growth,” said Holt.

The company's Caterpillar roots go back about 100 years. Holt is the only Caterpillar dealer owned and operated by descendents of the developer of the first commercially successful track-type tractor. Peter Holt is the great-grandson of Benjamin Holt who in 1904, developed the first successful track-type tractor which he named the Caterpillar. In 1925 Ben Holt's company, the Holt Manufacturing Co., merged with a competitor to form Caterpillar Tractor Co., which is known today as Caterpillar Inc.

The transaction will double the size of the company from 900 to 1,800 employees in 27 locations, adding full-service stores in Irving, Fort Worth, Waco, Longview, Texarkana and Tyler; Cat Rental Stores in Dallas, Fort Worth, Waco, Longview and Grand Prairie; and specialty operations in Irving, Bridgeport and Mineral Wells.

Holt Co. is No. 38 on the RER 100.