t ▁gained ▁experience ▁se cur ing ▁government ▁contract s . ▁These ▁capabilities ▁separated ▁him ▁from ▁his ▁competition . ▁Hol t ▁had ▁obtained ▁significant ▁lo ans , ▁and ▁begun ▁expansion ▁to ▁meet ▁the ▁war ▁pl ann ers ' ▁need ▁for ▁his ▁tra ctors . ▁Hol t ▁also ▁made ▁a ▁steam ▁power ed ▁tank ▁for ▁evaluation ▁using ▁Do ble ▁steam ▁engines . ▁ ▁C . ▁L . ▁Best ▁Gas ▁T ractor ▁Company ▁had ▁mean while ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁supp lying ▁the ▁market ▁for ▁smaller ▁agricult ural ▁tra ctors . ▁Although ▁Best ▁did ▁not ▁make ▁tra ctors ▁for ▁the ▁war ▁effort , ▁they ▁had ▁secured ▁promises ▁from ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁obtain ▁all ▁the ▁steel ▁required ▁to ▁continue ▁building ▁tra ctors ▁for ▁far mers ▁during ▁the ▁war . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁Best ▁had ▁gained ▁a ▁considerable ▁market ▁advantage ▁over ▁Hol t ▁by ▁war ' s ▁end . ▁Best ▁also ▁assumed ▁considerable ▁deb t ▁to ▁allow ▁it ▁to ▁continue ▁expansion , ▁especially ▁production ▁of ▁its ▁new ▁Model ▁ 6 0 ▁" Track layer ". ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁war ▁ended , ▁Hol t ' s ▁planned ▁expansion ▁to ▁meet ▁the ▁military ' s ▁needs ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁needed . ▁The ▁company ▁was ▁left ▁in ▁a ▁difficult ▁situation . ▁The ▁types ▁of ▁tra ctors ▁needed ▁by ▁the ▁military ▁were ▁very ▁different ▁from ▁what ▁far mers ▁needed . ▁Their ▁situation ▁was ▁w ors ened ▁as ▁art illery ▁tra ctors ▁were ▁brought ▁back ▁from ▁Europe , ▁de press ing ▁prices ▁for ▁new ▁equipment ▁and ▁Hol