Barton: Mining companies, manufacturers must form alliances

摘要

The keynote session theme "Meeting the Global Challenge" is appropriate for today's highly competitive, global business environment. No doubt, the fundamental way we do business has changed. Cost-competitiveness is drawing miners and equipment manufacturers much closer together in relationships that go far beyond the purchase of machines - relationships that create benefits to miner and equipment manufacturer, according to Glen Barton, Caterpillar Inc. I will discuss these relationships - these alliances - from a mining equipment supplier's point of view. Caterpillar is building such alliances to better serve the needs of our global mining customers. Caterpillar has not done everything right, but it has been successful in adapting to the changing needs of the global mining customer. Caterpillar is a 14.3-billion dollars company that serves customers worldwide. Sales outside the United States represent about 50 percent of Caterpillar's total for several years. The mining business generates more than 3 billion dollars dollars annually and it is growing. Caterpillar's fundamental strength lies in serving miners and other large earthmoving customers. They require large machines, 24-hour-a-day support and a close relationship with their equipment suppliers.