Caterpillar to acquire century-old Cat dealer Fabick

Caterpillar entered into an agreement to acquire John Fabick Tractor Company, a Cat dealer of more than 100 years covering parts of Missouri and Illinois, all of Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The transaction requires regulatory approval and is expected to close within 30 days. Caterpillar framed the deal as supporting a seamless ownership transition while preserving local service.

Why it matters: Caterpillar rarely owns its dealers, so taking one in-house signals how closely it wants to guard the customer relationship during succession.