Cover Story: HOLT AgriBusiness - "Driven To Keep You Growing"

Do you remember the times when farm equipment dealers knew every customer by his or her first name? When equipment sales representatives recognized that your needs were different than those of your neighbor—and took the time to talk to you about them? Or when the dealership actually worked with individuals on a finance program or lease agreement?

HOLT AgriBusiness continues to provide the legendary customer service of years past, and offer some of the most productive farm equipment in the industry. But their real strength is their people. Working out of facilities that are strategically located and dedicated to agriculture, the staff is wholly committed to customer service through personal attention to equipment and finance needs, unmatched parts support, and state-of-the-art in the field service.  Just as they have for over 75 years, every deal is sealed with a handshake and a smile.

Since 1933, the Holt family has served customers in a diverse spectrum of industries—construction, mining, industrial, petroleum, and agricultural applications—with keen attention to quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. Through four generations, the Holt family continues to extend that same level of commitment to agricultural customers in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, and beyond.

HOLT is equally proud of their Value-Based Leadership process, which plays an integral role in their operation. Introduced by fourth generation company CEO Peter M. Holt, it defines success in terms of managing by a set of ethical values. Peter J. Holt, son of Peter M. Holt, is helping to carry this tradition into the next generation within his role as Senior Vice President of Diversified Businesses where he is responsible for leading HOLT CAT’s rental service company, HOLT AgriBusiness; and HOLT Crane and Equipment. In effect, it seeks to connect employees, customers, shareholders, and all stakeholders in a circle of involvement so that the activities of one group directly benefit the others.

A HISTORY OF INNOVATION

It was the mid-1880s when Benjamin Holt helped establish the Stockton Wheel Company, which later became the Holt Manufacturing Company, in California’s fertile San Joaquin Valley. One of his first innovations, besides the wagon wheels and farm tools on which the company was founded, was the horse drawn “Link-Belt Combined Harvester”—named for the link-belt chains that replaced costly gears.

Although other combines existed at the time, none dealt with the current challenges and reduced service requirements like the HOLT harvester. As a result, Holt helped lower the cost of harvesting wheat from around $3 per acre to $1.75. Benjamin Holt also went on to develop the first hillside combine for use in the Northwest. By 1900, HOLT Manufacturing Company was the leading combine manufacturer in the nation.

HOLT Manufacturing’s commitment to agriculture didn’t stop there. In 1890, the company produced its first steam traction engine. When attached to a HOLT combine, in place of horses, it cut the cost of harvesting wheat to only 25 cents per acre.

Unfortunately, heavy steam tractors bogged down in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta — prompting Benjamin Holt to come up with an idea for self-laying tracks in place of wheels. On November 24, 1904, the first successful trackstyle tractor, which he named “The Caterpillar,” crawled into American history. Four years later, in 1908, Holt advanced his track-type machine even further with a gasoline engine. 

As the company grew, HOLT moved the tractor manufacturing operations to a more central location in Peoria, Illinois. HOLT Manufacturing eventually merged with a competitor and became Caterpillar Tractor Company. One of Holt’s sons, William K. “Bill” Holt, established the first Caterpillar dealership in Mexico in the 1920s. In 1933, Bill Holt expanded his Cat operations into Texas. Over the years, HOLT innovation once again came to the aid of farmers and ranchers with the development of the HOLT Root PlowTM, HOLT Root RakeTM, and other brush management implements, all of which are still being manufactured and sold today.

Even before the development of track-style agricultural tractors, HOLT was helping Texas producers clear land, till the soil, and improve livestock production.

Today, the HOLT land-clearing equipment is sold all over the world—a tribute to the second generation of HOLT ingenuity. The Holt family continues to service and support agriculture through HOLT AgriBusiness, which strives to extend the personal service and support to ag customers in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, and beyond. 

LEGENDARY SERVICE & SUPPORT

HOLT AgriBusiness offers legendary service and support for every product they sell, including for many products and brands they don’t sell! HOLT has the capability to quickly serve your needs and provide you with the guarantee of quality workmanship at competitive prices - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Field Service

If you can’t get your equipment into the shop, a field service technician will be dispatched in a fully equipped service shop on wheels. Their heavy-duty trucks are equipped with cranes, air compressors, cutting and welding equipment, and the latest technology in electronic equipment for fast and accurate troubleshooting and repairs. HOLT’s field service brings expert repair and maintenance to your job site to help you keep your downtime to a minimum and production to the maximum.

Shop Service

The shops’ service facilities have the equipment and trained experienced personnel to repair your machine quickly and at a fair price. Spacious service bays, overhead cranes, lubrication lines, and the latest tooling and technology are in place so that the technicians can make fast, accurate, and cost efficient repairs.

Welding and Fabrication Services

HOLT also offers a wide variety of welding and fabrication services:

Fabrication: HOLT’s welding shops have the capability to build and modify components to meet your needs for customized equipment.

Salvage: Roller frames, buckets, and blades can get a second life with the proper rebuilding. They can bring these components back to like-new condition.

Boring Bar: Worn pin bores can be welded and re-bored to original specs to help you maximize service life and achieve top production from your equipment. Wheel loader center pins, articulation joints, truck bed hinge pins, and loader bucket and linkage pins are just a few examples of wear points that can be rebuilt to like-new condition. Whether performed in the field by fully equipped boring and welding service trucks or in the shop, you are assured a first class repair.

Undercarriage Services

They have the capability and experience to repair all sizes and brands of undercarriage, including tracks for cranes. The undercarriage repair facilities completely rebuild links, rollers, and idlers, as well as straighten, realign and rebuild track roller frames. 330-ton twin ram track presses enable technicians to provide professional pin and bushing turns for large tractor undercarriage. HOLT also offers a complete inventory of exchange track rollers and idlers to help reduce costs. 

Preventative Maintenance

HOLT’s mobile maintenance service can provide a regularly scheduled complete preventative maintenance program performed on your job site to keep your equipment in top operating condition. For a flat rate price you can have a first class preventive maintenance program on every machine you own, Caterpillar and other makes.

The mobile maintenance is more than routine oil and filter changes. It’s a full preventive maintenance program that can cut your maintenance costs and reduce your overall repair costs.

HOLT can make your life easier by removing the worry and hassle of equipment maintenance and EPA compliance, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business. Regular equipment maintenance allows you to achieve maximum uptime on equipment, minimize operating costs, reduce unplanned repairs and downtime, as well as preserve resale value. The problem everyone faces is getting maintenance done at the right time, according to factory guidelines.

A HOLT Customer Support Agreement (CSA) is any arrangement between you and HOLT that reduces your cost per unit of production. Agreements are tailored to fit your particular situation and can range from simple scheduled maintenance kits to comprehensive total cost performance guarantees. CSAs insure that your Cat equipment will run at top performance, reducing noise and emissions, and conserving resources as well as reducing waste. CSAs may also include operator and technician training to improve work safety.

There are no pre-set requirements or specific products or services that you must agree to buy. In every instance HOLT works with you to create an individualized plan and can include one or an entire fleet of machines.

Customized Solution

In addition to traditional maintenance, HOLT’s Custom Engineered Products Division can provide individualized design and fabrication work for the unconventional needs. They can manufacture attachments, components, and special application pieces that will help you operate more efficiently, while making your job easier. 

LOCATIONS

HOLT has more than 12 locations throughout South, Central, North and East Texas, as well as in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and Sikeston, Missouri. To find a HOLT AgriBusiness location near you visit HoltAg.com or call (877) 882-5992.