Patten Cat Building New Rental and Sales Facility in Wauconda, Ill.

Patten Cat, Caterpillar’s authorized dealer in Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana, announced plans to open a new facility in Wauconda, Ill., designed to expand the company’s ability to better serve the northwest area of the Chicago area, including Lake and McHenry counties. The location will be designed as a one-stop shop for contractors and industrial accounts with a mix of rental and sales, along with service and parts.

The location, scheduled to open in the spring, will offer earthmoving equipment, aerial lifts and power equipment, as well as allied equipment and construction supplies. The new facility is key to expanding Patten’s footprint, company officials said.

“We continue to grow as a company and this is a great opportunity to not only expand our customer base, but to better serve those existing customers in Lake and McHenry counties,” said John Hofmeyer, manager of Patten Cat Rental Store. “We are seeing greater demand in McHenry County in particular.”

Hoffmeyer added the facility will serve a number of industries including heavy construction, commercial construction, industrial and landscaping, which will be an important target for rental.

“This is a significant event for Patten Cat because it is the first new facility we’ve opened in almost 50 years and we are returning to a region in which we have a lot of great customers and support,” said Hofmeyer. “The city of Wauconda has been great throughout the whole process and we could not have asked for greater support. We hope people see this as our commitment to the area and the market.”

Michael Wetter will oversee operations at the new facility. Wetter is a two-year veteran of Patten Cat, and is located currently in the company’s Joliet, Ill., facility.

Headquartered in Elmhurst, Ill., Patten Cat, a major rental player, is No. 66 on the RER 100.