Mantrac shares a message from Caterpillar

The events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continue to evolve rapidly. Caterpillar’s dedication and service to the safety, health and well-being of our team and the communities they serve remain strong.

In these unparalleled times, a number of governments continue to classify operations such as ours as essential activity for critical infrastructure. Customers use Caterpillar machines, engines and parts to provide electric and stand-by power for hospitals, grocery stores and data centres; transport food and critical supplies on the roads, rails and ships; mine commodities and extract the fuels essential to energy providers. Caterpillar is working to help ensure uninterrupted access to the products and services our customers need to get their jobs done in difficult times.

Caterpillar is taking appropriate precautions and implementing safeguards to protect our employees while they continue to provide the world what it needs. We have increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting facilities with special attention to common areas, we are following social distancing practices, and we are implementing other measures consistent with specific regulatory requirements and guidance from health authorities.

In addition to the direct efforts of our employees, the Caterpillar Foundation is committing $8.5 million to support communities, including underserved populations, who are affected by the virus. The investment is intended to have a global impact supporting the world’s most pressing needs by partnering with United Nations Foundation and the World Health Organisation Solidarity Response Fund. At the same time, we’re supporting local communities by engaging facilities to donate to local charities in an effort to create the biggest impact in our own backyards, including providing millions of meals for people in need.

In addition, the Foundation is partnering with organisations to provide resources to hospitals, medical staff and patients, as well as enabling online STEM and coding education for youth impacted by school closures. The Foundation is also expanding its existing U.S. Matching Gifts Program to provide a 2:1 match on employee and retiree donations to eligible nonprofits beginning March 16 through May 1, 2020, per the program conditions that can be found here. These gifts allow our people to give even more to the organisations they are passionate about and see how they are making a difference during this pandemic.

Looking ahead, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and act with urgency. Caterpillar has faced and overcome many challenges in our nearly 100-year history. Our dedicated employees and dealers around the world will continue to do our best to serve our customers and the needs of our global community during this unprecedented time.

To all our employees who are doing the work to support communities by maintaining production and distribution for essential infrastructure needs around the world, keeping our facilities and co-workers safe, continuing your work to help our customers and helping local charities serve important needs where you work and live, we thank you.