olean ▁Man ufact uring ▁Company ▁in ▁East ▁Pe oria , ▁Illinois . ▁Hol t ▁changed ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁company ▁to ▁Hol t ▁C ater p ill ar ▁Company , ▁although ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁tra dem ark ▁the ▁name ▁C ater p ill ar ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁company ' s ▁initial ▁products ▁focused ▁on ▁agricult ural ▁mach in ery ▁and ▁were ▁distributed ▁intern ation ally . ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁almost ▁all ▁of ▁its ▁production ▁was ▁military ▁mater iel . ▁Its ▁tra ctors ▁were ▁widely ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁Al lies ▁to ▁supp lant ▁horses ▁pulling ▁ha ul ▁heavy ▁art illery ▁and ▁to w ▁supply ▁trains . ▁Hol t ▁tra ctors ▁also ▁played ▁a ▁part , ▁to ▁varying ▁degrees , ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁military ▁t anks ▁in ▁Great ▁Britain , ▁France , ▁and ▁Germany . ▁Hol t ' s ▁equipment ▁was ▁cred ited ▁with ▁helping ▁the ▁Al lies ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁The ▁Hol t ▁Man ufact uring ▁Company ▁gained ▁world wide ▁recognition ▁for ▁the ▁quality ▁and ▁dur ability ▁of ▁its ▁equipment . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁war ▁ended , ▁the ▁Hol t ▁company ▁was ▁left ▁with ▁huge ▁sur plus ▁invent ories ▁of ▁heavy - d ut y ▁tra ctors ▁ill - su ited ▁for ▁the ▁agricult ural ▁market , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁domin ated ▁during ▁the ▁war ▁by ▁the ▁Hol t ▁Company ' s ▁primary ▁compet itor , ▁C .   L .   Best . ▁The ▁company ▁decided ▁to ▁focus ▁instead ▁on ▁heavy