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The History of Warren CAT
Warren CAT's history derives from the family values, traditions, and Texas roots of the Warren Family. The family's association with Caterpillar began in 1971 when Jack Treanor, CEO of Treanor Equipment Company, named Johnny Warren as General Manager of Compressor Systems Inc (CSI). CSI manufactured natural gas-powered compressors and equipped them with Caterpillar gas engines supplied by Treanor Equipment. Treanor's Caterpillar sales territory encompassed numerous counties in West Texas - from Odessa to Abilene.
During the early 1970's, the petroleum industry proved to be profitable as the price of oil and gas soared. In 1975, Johnny Warren, along with the Warren and Vineyard families, formed Vineyard Ranch Company (which was renamed Warren Equipment in 1990) to purchase CSI from Jack Treanor. The company expanded to meet the growing needs of customers from the natural gas industry.
In March 1985, Johnny Warren was named Dealer Principal for Treanor Equipment Company. The following year, the dealership rights for West Texas Equipment, the authorized Caterpillar dealer for territory for Amarillo and Lubbock, became available. The family embraced the opportunity to serve West Texas and the Texas Panhandle by merging West Texas Equipment and Treanor Equipment to form a stronger, more diverse organization under the name of West Texas Equipment Company (DBA West Texas CAT). The new enterprise encompassed over 100,000 square miles of territory in four major population areas of West Texas.
West Texas CAT had many successful years under the leadership of Johnny Warren. Mr. Warren passed away in 1999, but his vision and legacy would live on. An organizational plan was developed through collective efforts of the family, key board members and Caterpillar, which would carry on the values established by Johnny Warren. Carole Warren, Johnny's spouse, assumed the role of Chairman; Richard Folger was appointed as President of Warren Equipment Company and Jim Nelson, a Warren family member, was named Dealer Principal for West Texas Equipment.
In 2001, the dealership rights of Darr Equipment Company for Texas and Oklahoma became available. The Warren Family envisioned an increased market share and the magnitude of synergies that could be formed by joining the two companies by placing a unified focus on the specialized markets currently served by West Texas Equipment. Once again, a proposal was submitted to Caterpillar, and Jim Nelson was named Dealer Principal for the Darr Equipment territory in Oklahoma and the eleven counties surrounding Wichita Falls, Texas.
April 1, 2002, brought a new organization, Warren Power and Machinery, LP. (DBA Warren CAT). Within this new dealership, one thing remains consistent, Nelson firmly upholds Johnny Warren's "Employees First" philosophy deemed as the foundation of the organization's success.
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