It was “dinner and a show” on Aug. 24 when hearty food, good friends and great equipment all came together in the Blue Ridge Mountains where Carolina Cat held an open house at its Deep Gap branch. The event was both an appreciation to the company's many loyal customers and a chance for them to learn more about Carolina Cat's line of construction equipment and services.
Located off U.S. Highway 421, just down the hill from the Blue Ridge Parkway, Carolina Cat's Deep Gap branch welcomed about 125 people to the outdoor event.
Under an almost cloudless sky and temperatures in the mid-70s, Carolina Cat customers lined up to be treated to a catered lunch by the Woodlands Barbecue Restaurant from nearby Blowing Rock.
The showcase portion of the open house was an exhibit of several different types of Cat equipment, including compact track loaders, mini-excavators, small dozers and skid steers. Several Carolina Cat folks were on hand to answer questions about the machines.
Top Shelf Excavators on Hand
But, the feature product on display was Cat's new, next generation 323 excavator, one of three models now available.
The Cat 323 stood out in the Deep Gap branch yard, due not only to the fact it was larger than the other pieces on display, but because of its elegance and sleek design.
The Cat 323, as well as the 320 and 320 GC, are engineered for higher performance, efficiency and fuel economy, along with better operator comfort and productivity. Another of Cat's goals was to build these machines with a lower cost-per-hour performance, too.
Each of Cat's Next Generation excavators have an increased efficiency — up to 45 percent more. At the same time, the fuel consumption on them is reduced by as much as 25 percent, due to lower engine speeds and a large hydraulic pump. Finally, their maintenance costs can often be 15 percent lower than those found on older models, due to extended and more synchronized maintenance intervals.
Carolina Cat's new line of excavators also are tailored to meet different work needs. For instance, the Cat 320 GC is better suited to work in low-density earth, such as sand. By contrast, the 323 excavator is great for moving blasted rock, a high-density material.
Caterpillar Enthusiasts Welcomed
Among the folks anxious to see the Carolina Cat models on display was Faye Brown, who, with her husband, Roger, are retired farmers from Elkin. Both are enthusiastic Cat customers and have put several pieces of the company's equipment to work on their spread over the years.
Not waiting for help and sporting both a Cat T-shirt and visor, Faye scrambled up and into the cab of the Cat 323 excavator in just seconds to test out its controls. From her reaction, it was clear she enjoyed every minute of the experience.
The Browns were among many family farmers who attended the open house, with their young kids, to see the updated models of the equipment they use in the field.
Others came from various construction and materials companies in the area who enjoy the sales and service they get from Carolina Cat. A group of guys from the Boone and North Wilkesboro Vulcan Materials plants, for instance, made the trip to Deep Gap for the event.
The Deep Gap location is one of 10 Carolina Cat branches in central and western North Carolina. Based in Charlotte, home to three offices, there are also dealerships in Asheville, Sylva, Greensboro, Hickory, Monroe and Troy.
Carolina Cat's Deep Gap branch is managed by Daniel Hale. The facility is located at 7394 Old Highway 421.
For more information, call 828/268-9992, 877/461-2709 or visit www.CarolinaCat.com.
CEG
(L-R): Lloyd Baldwin, Carolina Cat Rental; Caroline Marston, Carolina Cat marketing coordinator; James Bear, plant manager of Vulcan Materials locations in nearby Boone and North Wilkesboro, N.C.; Mitch Christenbury, Carolina Cat corporate account manager; and Mark Kincer, Carolina Cat sales manager of Western N.C., are ready to greet customers and answer questions at the open house.
Guests of Carolina Cat enjoyed 70-degree weather and BBQ catered by The Woodlands, a fabulous establishment in nearby Blowing Rock.
Griff Sansbury (2nd from L), salesman of Carolina Cat, discusses the product line with interested customers.
(L to R): The Vulcan Materials crew — James Bear, Boone and North Wilkesboro, N.C., plants manager; Takoda Holman, mobile equipment mechanic; Randall Robinson, mobile equipment mechanic; Jacob Wood, mobile equipment mechanic; Brian Parker, North Wilkesboro plant supervisor; and Casey McMahon, Boone plant supervisor — are ready to see the newest Caterpillar equipment.
A guest thoroughly inspects the 305.5E2 mini-excavator.
(L-R): Mike Tropsha, VP and GM of Carolina Cat’s Construction Division; Agnes Weisiger of Carolina Cat; and Mitch Christenbury, Carolina Cat corporate account manager, take care of business at the open house event.
(L-R): Caterpillar 303.5E2 CR and 304E2 CR mini-excavators are on display with a 323 medium excavator at Carolina Cat’s open house.
Carolina Cat also showed off its 249D and 226D CTLs.
Nikki Maple of Carolina Cat’s marketing department, welcomed and registered guests for the event.
(L-R): The 303E CR mini-excavator, 249D compact track loader and 262D skid steer excavator.
Two-year-old Wade Sparks and his twin sister, Charlotte, test the Cat 305.5E mini excavator. Their parents, Leslie and Yancey Sparks, own a farm in Sparta, N.C.
Two-year-old Wade Sparks and his twin sister, Charlotte, test the Cat 305.5E mini excavator. Their parents, Leslie and Yancey Sparks, own a farm in Sparta, N.C.
Roger and Faye Brown, farmers from Elkin, N.C., — and big Cat enthusiasts — check in for the event.
Easton Ellis (top) age 7, and Karson Ellis, age 2, of Hickory, N.C., seem to know their way around this 289D compact track loader. Their folks are Dillon and Beth Ellis.
Griff Sansbury (R), Carolina Cat salesman, talks to a customer who is interested in the inner workings of this machine.
Caterpillar’s 323 excavator is ready for its debut at Carolina Cat.
Eric Olson
A writer and contributing editor for CEG since 2008, Eric Olson has worked in the business for more than 40 years.
Olson grew up in the small town of Lenoir, NC in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where he began covering sports for the local newspaper at age 18. He continued to do that for several other dailies in the area while in college at Appalachian State University. Following his graduation, he moved on to gain experience at two other publications before becoming a real estate and special features writer and editor at the Winston-Salem Journal for 10 years. Since 1999 he has worked as a corporate media liaison and freelance writer, in addition to his time at CEG.
He and his wife, Tara, have been married for 33 years and are the parents of two grown and successful daughters. His hobbies include collecting history books, watching his beloved Green Bay Packers and caring for his three dogs and one cat.
Read more from Eric Olson here.
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