Business Roundup: Cat accuses Wirtgen of patent infringement; P2P rentals, online equipment sales aren’t here to disrupt dealers; LiuGong global dealer conference; Thompson Cat adds Prinoth Panther

Cat fires back at Wirtgen with patent infringement complaint; ITC investigating

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on Nov. 22 said it will investigate allegations by Caterpillar that German manufacturers Wirtgen GmbH and Joseph Vögele AG violated patent laws.

The probe is based on a complaint filed by Cat on October 26, a complaint that is nearly identical to one filed to the ITC by Wirtgen against Cat in July. The products at issue in the investigation are road construction machines, including road milling and road paving machines.

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P2P heavy equipment rental, online sales aren’t here to disrupt dealers—they’re an evolution

Rather than a threat, online equipment sharing and rental services represent an evolution of the traditional distribution model. In fact, there’s a lot for dealers and rental houses to like about an industry with these new digital players. Here’s why.

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BigRentz promotes Imbimbo to CFO

BigRentz, a full-service, online construction equipment rental marketplace, has promoted Neda Imbimbo to chief financial officer.

Imbimbo was formerly the vice president of finance and operations at BigRentz. She’s been instrumental in instituting accounting processes, systems automation and operations that have enabled the company to experience consistent double-digit revenue growth, the company says.

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LiuGong holds global dealer conference on eve of 60th anniversary

More than 1,000 attendees from over 70 countries attended LiuGong’s 2017 Global Dealer Conference, held this week in Changzhou, China. The event also celebrated the company’s coming 60th anniversary, and announced a global tour that will stop at each overseas facility.

 

LuiGong says it now has nearly 300 dealers in more than 100 countries. These dealers are assisted by 12 regional subsidiaries, nine parts distribution centers and three manufacturing plants outside of China. Currently, 30 percent of company business comes from non-Chinese operations.

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Thompson Cat adds Prinoth Panther to rental lineup

Another dealership has signed up to represent the Prinoth Panther lineup.

Thompson Cat of Memphis, Tennessee, which covers western Tennessee and northern Mississippi, will add the Panthers to its offerings.

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