Wheeler Machinery Co. The Formation of Caterpillar, Inc. Shortly before World War I, there were more than 200 manufacturers building track-type tractors. This was a new industry. Tractors were replacing horses and mules on the farm and in construction work all over the country. In 1925, two prominent tractor manufacturers, C.L. Best Co. and Holt Manufacturing Co., merged to form Caterpillar Tractor Co. The new enterprise had just five models to sell (the Thirty, the Sixty, the 2-Ton, 5-Ton and 10-Ton) but the company established a good dealer organization and developed a dependable supply of parts and service readily available for the products sold. Before Wheeler Machinery Co. In 1926, Herbert Landes acquired the first Caterpillar dealership in the Intermountain West, and Jesse Wheeler, a retired Studebaker dealer, came out of retirement to help Mr. Landes run the business. In 1929, Jesse’s son, J.K. Wheeler, joined the firm as a salesman and sold Caterpillar products from Winnemucca, Nevada, to Rock Springs, Wyoming, and from Blackfoot, Idaho, to the Arizona border. Mr. Landes sold out to Don Robinson in 1944, who sold out to J.K. Wheeler and Walter Kershaw in 1951, at which time a new corporation, Wheeler-Kershaw Co., came into being. J.K.’s son, Don Wheeler, began working in the shops and yard in 1947 while attending the University of Utah. After graduation and two years in the U.S. Air Force, Don rejoined the firm in 1955 as a floor salesman. In 1956, Lyle Campbell hired on with the company as the administrative assistant to J.K. Wheeler. Lyle brought with him a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters in Business Management. Wheeler Machinery Co. – A Dream Is Finally Built Walter Kershaw sold his interest to J.K. Wheeler in 1957, and the company’s name was changed to Wheeler Machinery Co. Two years later, the company moved to a new 65,000-square-foot facility at 300 West 2100 South, and conducted business from this location for 21 years, from 1959 to 1980. Don Wheeler and Lyle Campbell assumed the leadership of the company in 1971, as J.K. was approaching retirement age, and they acquired ownership control in 1981, at J.K.’s passing. Two of Lyle’s sons, Rob Campbell and Scott Campbell, began working in the parts and service departments in 1978 and 1979, respectively, while attending college. Another of Lyle’s sons, Paul Campbell, began working as a salesman at the company in 1988, upon his graduation from college Service, Integrity, Stewardship Don Wheeler and Lyle Campbell led Wheeler Machinery Co. capably for 25 years, from 1971 to 1996, during which time they built a legacy of service, integrity and stewardship, while doubling the number of employees, from 300 to 600. In 1980, as a result of company growth, Don and Lyle moved the company to a brand-new, 250-000-square-foot facility on 80 acres of land at 4901 West 2100 South. Today, this state-of-the-art structure is still among the largest, most advanced equipment dealer facilities in the world. In 1996, Rob, Scott and Paul Campbell acquired ownership control and assumed the leadership of the company, at a time when Don and Lyle were approaching retirement age. As they took over, the Campbell brothers formally adopted “service”, “integrity” and “stewardship” as the company’s Guiding Principles, and established a Ten Year Vision to have Wheeler Machinery Co. be the top equipment distributor and services supplier in the Western United States, as measured by market share, return on assets and customer satisfaction. Today, the company is ahead of schedule, with Rob Campbell as President, and Paul Campbell as Executive Vice President of sales and rentals. Strength, Support, Solutions Much has changed in the 77 years since Caterpillar began selling its three sizes of track-type tractors. Today, Wheeler Machinery Company sells, rents and services more than 400 Caterpillar-brand machines and power systems, from truck engines and generator sets to skid steer loaders and excavators to 360-ton mining trucks. Caterpillar machines and power systems are industry leaders in reliability, with a reputation for retaining high market values. Wheeler Machinery Company. also sells, rents and services Challenger farm machinery, Trail King trailers, Wacker construction equipment, Safe-T-Shield trench boxes, Valew water tanks, Multiflo pumps and Trimble laser systems. In 2001, management established Solutions Financial Services, a finance company that helps Wheeler's customers purchase machines, pay for parts and service work, pay off old account balances and consolidate debts into lower monthly payments. This new finance company also owns a 50% interest in an insurance agency, to help Wheeler's customers purchase all types of insurance at good rates. In 2002, management established Wheeler Transport, a trucking company that helps Wheeler's customers efficiently move their machines from job to job. Wheeler Machinery's 800-plus employees are conveniently housed in thirteen locations throughout the Intermountain West, including Salt Lake City, Ogden, Lindon, Park City, Logan, Vernal, Salina, Cedar City, St. George, Moab, Roosevelt, Delta and Ely, NV. Each employee is dedicated to providing "strength", "support" and a multiplicity of "solutions" for every customer. Contact Information Wheeler Machinery Co. 4901 West 2100 South Salt Lake City, UT 84120 United States (801) 978-1370 (801) 974-0115 www.wheelercat.com Contact Seller Print This Listing