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Tractors Malaysia Celebrates 93 Years Anniversary

Tractors Malaysia Caterpillar dealership, under Sime Darby Industrial Sdn Bhd, has crossed another important milestones in its long and rich history. Not many companies can proudly showcase the longevity and accomplishments that we have achieved. We are recognised as the oldest Caterpillar Dealership in Asia, which is a historical achievement in itself.

Historical Milestones of Tractors Malaysia

The journey started in 1929, when Sime Darby acquired Sarawak Trading Company which held the franchise for Caterpillar equipment. Back then, Sime Darby was still a young business entity established 19 years earlier in Malacca to manage 500 acres of plantation. The Caterpillar franchise gave the company an opportunity to venture into heavy equipment business. At the time, the company brought in equipment mainly to provide support and service in oil exploration activities. The development of the logging industry, however, saw Caterpillar equipment being used for opening trails making, log skidding, loading and stacking, and power generation in the timber camps.

Post World War Two saw an increased utilisation of heavy equipment in various industries as part of the global paradigm change towards modernisation and mechanisation of labour force. To tap into the potential growth, Tractors & Heavy Equipment Division was established by Sime Darby in 1950 to focus on sales and services for the heavy equipment industry while diversifying its business. Within seven years, Tractors & Heavy Equipment Division managed to expand its Cat dealership business to Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Christmas Island. It was a breakthrough that established Tractors Malaysia as one the premier heavy equipment distributors in Malaysia and Brunei today.

Today, Tractors Malaysia’s Caterpillar dealership under Sime Darby Industrial Sdn Bhd forms part of the Sime Darby Industrial Division, a core division of the Sime Darby Group. Sime Darby Industrial covers the Asia Pacific region with heavy equipment operations in Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, China, Christmas Island, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand.

In Malaysia, Tractors Malaysia offers a comprehensive list of heavy equipment and services, ranging from the sales of new machines, engines and used equipment to after sales support and rental equipment through its nationwide network of 17 branches and four depots.

Looking back through the history, Caterpillar Inc., was just four years older than Tractors Malaysia when it was established in 1925 with the merger of The Holt Manufacturing Company and C L Best Tractor Co. This makes the Tractors Malaysia Caterpillar dealership one of the oldest Cat dealers in Asia.

Sime Darby Industrial Sdn Bhd Milestones:

  • 1929-1989
    • Sime Darby acquired the Sarawak Trading Company with Caterpillar franchise for Sarawak in Malaysia.
    • Hastings Deering Engineering Company Pty. Ltd was formed to acquire the distribution of Exide batteries, Sydney Ford distributorship (trucks, cars and tractors) and an Alice Springs Ford dealership.
    • Hastings Diesels Ltd was incorporated to manage Caterpillar equipment dealerships at Alice Springs and Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia.
    • Tractors & Heavy Equipment Division was established in Sime Darby Berhad.
    • Hastings Deering obtained the Caterpillar franchise for Queensland through the purchasing of premises and taking over the operations of former dealer, Waugh and Josephson Ltd.
    • Tractors dealerships extended to Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Christmas Island.
    • China Engineers Limited (CEL) was appointed as the Cat dealer in Hong Kong and Macau regions.
    • Tractors Malaysia was incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Sime Darby in Singapore.
    • Tractors Malaysia’s head office moved to Kuala Lumpur and is listed on the stock exchange.
    • Hastings Diesels Ltd opened a facility at Gove (N.T.) to support the large fleet of Caterpillar machines sold to the major bauxite-mining project established there.
    • CEL became a subsidiary of Sime Darby Group.
    • Cyclone Tracy hits Darwin. Hastings Deering assisted with the cleanup by providing equipment and necessary machine maintenance and repairs around the clock.
    • Tractors Malaysia celebrated its 50th anniversary as a Cat dealer.
    • CEL was appointed as the Cat dealer in Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan. Hastings Deering commenced operations at Honiara in the Solomon Islands.
    • Tractors Malaysia began its manufacturing and assembly operations.
    • Tractors Malaysia acquired AMIM Holdings Sdn. Bhd., Ford Concessionaires Sdn. Bhd., Auto Bavaria Sdn. Bhd. and Land Rover (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. from Pernas Sime Darby Holdings Sdn. Bhd.
    • CEL became the first Cat dealer to sell stand-by generator sets in China.
  • 1990-2009
    • The Hastings Deering Group was acquired by Sime Darby Berhad.
    • Hastings Deering extends its branch network with a new branch at Andrews on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
    • AustChrome, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hastings Deering commenced operations in Mackay, Queensland, providing hard chroming and hydraulic repair services to the dealership territory. CEL received the ISO9001 Quality Control Certification (DNV).
    • CEL founded the Shunde CEL Equipment Co. Ltd.
    • Tractors Malaysia moved into its own premises, a 35-acre site named Tractors Engineering Complex in Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia.
    • CEL was appointed as the Cat dealer in Fujian, Jiangxi and Hunan.
    • Hastings Deering acquired Caltrac, the Caterpillar dealer in New Caledonia.
    • Hastings Deering officially opened its Gold Coast branch.
    • CEL was appointed as the Cat dealer in Xinjiang region. Hastings Deering’s Rockhampton and Cairns branch workshops achieved Caterpillar five-star rating for contamination control on 2 July. CEL received the OHSAS18001 Occupational Safety and Health Certification (DNV).
    • Hastings Deering officially opened its Darwin branch. CEL won the Caterpillar 6 Sigma Award Competition for Asia Pacific Division (APD) region.
    • Hastings Deering was one of the winners in the Caterpillar 6 Sigma Award competition for Asia Pacific Division (APD). It also won the title of “Best in District”.
    • CEL's Foshan Shunde CEL Equipment Co. Ltd. received the ISO9001 Quality Control and OHSAS18001 Occupational Safety and Health Certification (DNV). CEL passed the F&IU Security Management System Review.
    • Tractors Malaysia was delisted from Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad.
    • Tractors Malaysia was renamed as Sime Darby Industrial Sdn. Bhd.
    • New branch facilities opened at Hastings Park in Mackay. The existing branch at Connors Road was refurbished and re-opened as the Component Rebuild Centre. CEL signed Independent Provincial Dealership Agreement with Caterpillar.
  • 2010-2019
    • Hastings Deering Truck Centres opened a new branch at Richlands in Brisbane. CEL's new Shunde Facility commenced operation. CEL was appointed as a Trimble dealer. The New Hastings Deering Institute of Technology training centre opened at Acacia Ridge in Brisbane.
    • Caterpillar completes $8.8 Bucyrus acquisition. Hastings Deering became the first Caterpillar dealer in the world to sell, service and support the new range of Caterpillar underground and surface mining equipment. CEL was appointed as a JLG distributor.
    • CEL celebrated its 50th anniversary as a Cat dealer. New facilities opened around the Hastings Deering network. Toowoomba branch opened a new Truck Centre in August. A new state-of-the-art dedicated General Construction Store opened in November at Acacia Ridge, Brisbane and a dedicated General Construction Store and Truck Centre also opened on Turbo Drive in Mackay. CEL attained distribution rights and to provide support service for Bucyrus products.
    • Hastings Deering’s Condition Monitoring Centre celebrated its 40th anniversary. HDIT opened a new operator training and demonstration complex at Morayfield, North Brisbane in March. The dealer owned facility, which simulates an operational open cut mine, was the first of its kind for a Caterpillar dealer in Asia Pacific and possibly the world. In April, Toowoomba branch opened a new large equipment workshop to service and repair large earthmoving machinery. In April, Toowoomba branch opened a new large equipment workshop to service and repair large earthmoving machinery.
    • Terberg Tractors Malaysia appoints 11 territory Dealers across Asia Pacific.
    • Tractors Singapore Limited expands CAT machine coverage in Maldives with appointment of second level distributor by Maldives Transport and Contracting Company Plc. CEL opened its new provincial headquarters in Fujian, China.
    • Terberg Tractors Malaysia Sdn Bhd (TTM) was awarded a RM88 million contract by Westports Malaysia to strengthen its terminal tractors fleet.
    • Sime Darby Industrial acquired Australia-based Heavy Maintenance Group Pty Ltd, increasing its market share in the Australian chroming and reclamation market.
    • Sime Darby Industrial expanded its footprint to New Zealand with the acquisition of Gough Group Limited, whose business interest include the New Zealand Caterpillar dealership.
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