Zahid Tractor Executives Attend Inauguration of Caterpillar's Middle East Distribution Centre

Wednesday 21 March, Jeddah, KSA

Executives from Zahid Tractor, a division of Zahid Group and one of the world's largest Caterpillar dealerships, attended the inauguration of the newly completed Caterpillar Middle East Distribution Centre (MEDC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Wednesday 6 March.

The 500,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility in the Jebel Ali Free Zone will assist in strengthening Caterpillar's primary after-market parts support network in the region.  The proximity of the MEDC to Saudi Arabia will improve Caterpillar's service offering to Zahid Tractor's Construction Machinery Division and will fast-track the provision of parts to its dealerships in the Kingdom, resulting in considerably shorter lead times for parts and better product availability.

Mr. Fahad Y. Zahid, Executive Vice President of Zahid Tractor, said: "Caterpillar's new Middle East Distribution Centre signifies an important investment in the region and a dedication to the perennial progress of the Middle East economy. The enhanced logistics and service offering the new MEDC will enable us to offer will not only benefit our direct clients, but it will also serve to improve efficiency of operations across a variety of sectors in Saudi Arabia."

He continued: "Our partnership with Caterpillar has played an integral and vital role in the development of the Kingdom's construction industry for more than sixty years. We are proud to continue this role, helping to facilitate our country's substantial current and future projects in commercial real estate development, industrial expansion and the infrastructure sector."

Attendees at the inauguration learned of the latest innovative operational practices and customer services in place to improve the process of distributing Caterpillar parts to Saudi Arabia and throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

"We are very pleased to be adding the Middle East Distribution Center to our industry-leading global parts network," said Steve Larson, Vice President of Caterpillar Inc. and President of Caterpillar Logistics Inc., "With the outstanding product support capability of CAT dealers in the region and the improved parts availability this operation will deliver, we will continue providing customers with an unmatched level of after-sales support."

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About Zahid Tractor & Heavy Machinery
The Zahid family has been distributing Caterpillar machinery and equipment since 1950, serving virtually all of the Kingdom's public and private sectors. Zahid Tractor & Heavy Machinery Co. Ltd. was incorporated in 1967, and over the years it has added international brands such as Challenger agricultural tractors, Daewoo buses, Demag cranes, JLG material handling equipment, Lorain cranes, Rammer industrial hammers, Renault trucks, Svetruck specialized lifts, Terex cranes, Stetter concrete mixers and transporters, CIMC Superstructures and Volvo trucks and buses. The company became well equipped to provide fully integrated solutions to its demanding clientele.

Zahid Tractor was subsequently restructured into three efficiently run divisions - Construction Machinery, Commercial Vehicles, and Rental. Today, the company provides comprehensive, customer-centric specialized solutions to the construction and infrastructure, industrial, logistics and warehousing, agriculture, transportation, petroleum, and mining industries.

Zahid Tractor's Construction Machinery Division (CMD) has a product range that covers the full spectrum of construction, mining, earth moving and road equipment, and power generators. Managing one of the world's largest Caterpillar dealerships, CMD is committed to quality, flexibility and superior product by Browse to Save" href="www.zahid.com/en/division/group-companies/zahid-tractor/construction-machinery-zahid-cat.html">support while providing clients with fully integrated solutions. Its state of the art facilities, high-level 'first-pick' parts availability, and a large and wide network of branches located strategically across the country support expert technicians and field service engineers. Value added services maximize equipment productivity and provide clients with invaluable time and cost savings.

As a paperless organization, Zahid Tractor is fully connected through a sophisticated communication network. It continues to innovate and set world-class standards and has become renowned for its commitment to advanced technology and quality.

Through its well-developed Electronic Quality System (EQS), the company is able to control and manage all of its documentation, making it that more effective and efficient. Achievements include early ISO 9001 certification and becoming one of the first Six Sigma companies in the Kingdom with a focus on developing and delivering near-perfect by Browse to Save" href="http://www.zahid.com/en/section/group-companies/zahid-tractor">products and services.

www.zahidtractor.com
www.zahidcat.com

About Caterpillar, Inc.
For more than 85 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. With 2011 sales and revenues of over $60 billion, Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company also is a leading services provider through Caterpillar Financial Services, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services and Progress Rail Services.

For media enquiries please contact:
Khalid El Shurafa, Marketing Manager, Zahid Tractor
Tel: +966 2 6671156 x 332
Mob: +966 553044341
Email: kshurafa@zahid.com

© Press Release 2013