▁value ▁of ▁US $ 4 5 . 1 3 ▁billion . ▁C ater p ill ar ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 0 ▁companies ▁whose ▁stock ▁is ▁track ed ▁in ▁the ▁Dow ▁Jones ▁Indust rial ▁A verage . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁Fort une ▁ 5 0 0 ▁company , ▁ranked ▁number ▁ 2 2 9 ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁and ▁first ▁in ▁its ▁industry , ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁$ 6 7 ▁billion ▁in ▁assets . ▁ ▁T ractor ▁design ▁ ▁Hor se - dra wn ▁combine ▁har v ester ▁▁ ▁Among ▁his ▁brothers , ▁Benjamin ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁techn ically ▁ade pt . ▁He ▁saw ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁farm ▁mach in ery , ▁and ▁expanded ▁the ▁company ' s ▁line ▁to ▁include ▁farm ▁equipment , ▁including ▁combine ▁har vest ers ▁and ▁steam - power ed ▁tra ction ▁engines ▁required ▁to ▁pull ▁them ▁through ▁the ▁fields . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 3 , ▁Benjamin ▁Hol t ▁produced ▁his ▁first ▁horse - dra wn ▁" Link - B elt ▁Com b ined ▁Har v ester ". ▁It ▁allowed ▁a ▁far mer ▁to ▁combine ▁cutting ▁and ▁th res hing ▁gra in ▁into ▁a ▁single ▁mechanical ▁operation , ▁en abling ▁far mers ▁to ▁cut ▁more ▁whe at ▁in ▁one ▁pass , ▁increasing ▁product ivity ▁and ▁cutting ▁labor ▁hours ▁nearly ▁in ▁half . ▁One ▁key ▁innov ation ▁Hol t ▁implemented ▁was ▁using ▁flexible ▁chain ▁bel ts ▁rather ▁than ▁g ears ▁to ▁transmit ▁power ▁from ▁the ▁ground ▁whe els ▁to ▁the ▁working ▁parts ▁of ▁the