Customer takes delivery of 250,000th Celebration Compact Track Loader and receives the keys at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017

Chris Philemon is a loyal Cat customer out of Marshville, North Carolina. He normally doesn’t buy his machines factory-direct.  But Philemon jumped at the chance last fall when he received a call from his Carolina Cat® dealer salesman, John Crocker.

“He was at the factory when this machine started coming off the line and he took a picture of it and sent it to me and says – I was thinking of you when I saw this machine,” remembers Philemon. “And I told John – well, we need to get this, we need to purchase this.”

It was no ordinary Cat 299D2 XHP Compact Track Loader.  It was the 250,000th celebration machine manufactured at the Sanford, North Carolina production facility. To mark the occasion – and Philemon’s purchase – the track loader was painted black with custom chrome decals, the trademark color for C.D. Philemon Grading & Trucking, Inc.

“HE’S BEEN IN BUSINESS 25 YEARS. OUR 250,000th UNIT, HIS 25th YEAR IN BUSINESS. IT’S A GOOD MARRIAGE.”

“For our skid steer and compact track loader line, we can custom-paint our machines to match the customer’s requirements,” says Caterpillar Product Expert Kevin Coleman.

Representatives from Caterpillar and Carolina Cat joined Chris Philemon at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017 to celebrate the purchase.  The prized 250,000th celebration machine was also there.

“He’s been in business 25 years. Our 250,000th unit, his 25th year in business. It’s a good marriage,” says Coleman.

Philemon says he’s especially thankful for the relationship he has with his dealership. “Any time I’ve ever needed support or I needed help, they’ve always been there for me,” says Philemon. “That’s why I keep coming back to Caterpillar.”