Ohio CAT acquires MTE’s location in Lima

Ohio Machinery Co. DBA Ohio CAT, Northern Ohio Peterbilt, and Ohio Ag Equipment, a Caterpillar dealer employing over 1,400 people in Ohio, has acquired the property and buildings formerly owned and operated by Magnam Truck and Equipment (MTE) situated in Lima within Allen County.

According to Ohio CAT, as an authorized Caterpillar, Peterbilt, and AGCO Dealer, the company sought property in this region to provide increased access for existing customers and prospects in the construction, transportation, agriculture, governmental, landscaping, and specialty contractor industries. Purchased on April 10, 2019, the property includes approximately 198 acres of land situated along I-75 in western Ohio.

“We currently operate a location in Perrysburg and another in Troy, which leaves a considerable gap for servicing customers in the areas in-between. Allen County, and more specifically Lima, will be an excellent location for us, as it’s about 70 miles from the Perrysburg location and 53 miles from Troy. This will make it easier for customers in this region to buy equipment, parts, and service,” said Ken Taylor, president of Ohio CAT.

“We would like to thank Lima, the community, and our vendors and customers for the years of support. We had a great 20 years at this location and value the support through many phases of growth and expansion. It is our hope that Ohio Machinery Co. will have the same success and support that we did,” said MTE officials.

The newly acquired property, located at the intersection of I-75 and Bluelick Road, includes three separate operating facilities totaling approximately 42,100 square feet. The company is assembling plans for the facilities, with Marous Brothers Construction, based in Willoughby, Ohio, providing design/build services. The project is expected to be complete in February.

“We will operate three divisions at the Lima location. There will be a focus on providing building construction products and delivering Caterpillar and allied rental solutions through The CAT Rental Store. Northern Ohio Peterbilt will offer truck sales, parts, and service. This division sells and supports heavy duty, medium duty, and vocational trucks, and its parts stores carry OEM and aftermarket parts. Finally, Ohio Ag Equipment, an authorized AGCO and CLAAS dealer, will offer high quality machinery, parts, and service support to the surrounding agricultural community,” said Taylor.

Lima will become Ohio Cat’s 31st location providing building construction products and delivering Caterpillar and allied rental solutions through the CAT Rental Store; the 11th Northern Ohio Peterbilt location; and the sixth Ohio Ag Equipment location.

According to Taylor, the available land offers tremendous opportunities for equipment demonstrations and events to be held on-site, as well as future growth. The new location will employ 45 employees to staff the three facilities. According to Taylor, there will be a strong need for a variety of positions, including sales personnel, service technicians, managers, and general office staff.

“Our sustainable competitive advantage is our products, our people, and the services we provide,” said Taylor.

Rendering of the new $45 million facilities Ohio CAT is constructing in Perrysburg

Ohio CAT is also investing $45 million in the construction of two new facilities in Perrysburg on 37 acres of land on Eckel Junction Road to replace its existing Perrysburg location. Each facility will be 75,000 square feet with one being used for a CAT Rental Store and the other for Northern Ohio Peterbilt.

Construction on the new Perrysburg facilities began in July, with an expectation for completion in March 2021. Marous Brothers Construction is providing design/build services for this project as well.

The company is celebrating its 75th anniversary in February 2020, and the Perrysburg and Lima investments are two of many investments around the state of Ohio that it has been involved in since 2012, noted Taylor.