Managing a large mine site is challenging enough, but U&M Mining faces the added complexity of managing remote sites that take days to access by boat. Thankfully, wherever there’s mining, Cat® dealers are there – and ready with parts.
A Cat customer since 1977, U&M has always counted on their local Cat Dealer Sotreq for daily assistance. According to Luciana Neves, Procurement and Logistics Manager at U&M, "The parts availability, speed and service are the differential that the Cat dealer brings to our business."
This strong partnership was crucial at their Juruti mine in western Pará, Brazil, located on the right bank of the Amazon River. It’s 880 km from Belém and only accessible by boat leaving Santarém to Juruti, then driving another 70 km. Sotreq keeps track of parts and maintains an inventory that’s always available and updated, to ensure availability for U&M. So when a problem appears, the dealer immediately sends the parts by ferry – a trip that takes 5 days to arrive to Juruti.
Neves emphasizes that these experiences further strengthen the relationship with the company. "Today, without a doubt, the best service, both at the product level and aftersales, is from Caterpillar. Even during days where things are not smooth, we have the trust and transparency to talk."
