posted on December 23, 2014 14:18
San Antonio, Texas (December 23, 2014) – HOLT CAT® the Caterpillar® Equipment and Engine dealer for South, Central, North and North East Texas, announced today that its president and chief operating officer, Allyn L. Archer, has decided to retire on December 31, 2014 after a distinguished 43-year career with the company.
Archer joined the company as a service technician leadman in 1971 in Corpus Christi. He received numerous promotions and worked in multiple sales and service roles across the company, ultimately ascending into senior management.
In 1986, HOLT CAT CEO Peter M. Holt appointed Archer executive vice president and general manager. In this position he was responsible for leading all HOLT CAT divisions.
Archer became a partner with Peter M. Holt in 1993 and was promoted to president and chief operating officer in 1995.
Under Archer’s leadership, HOLT CAT grew from one of the smallest Caterpillar dealerships in the U.S. to the largest, based on sales volume. In 2002, Archer helped engineer a landmark acquisition of Darr Equipment Company, which doubled the company’s size and extended its operating territory to 118 counties in Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
“Allyn’s career has been distinguished by a relentless commitment to excellence, integrity, values and service,” said Holt. “He has left an indelible mark on this company and on the lives of countless customers and employees who have benefitted from his expertise and example.
“Under his leadership our business has grown dramatically to serve new markets and new lines of business, becoming the #1 Caterpillar dealer in the nation, Holt added.
“That is an outstanding legacy, and we will miss him. But after 43 years of loyal service, I’d say he’s certainly earned the right to spend more time with his family and enjoy his favorite hobbies: ranching, hunting and fishing.”
Archer is a native of McAllen, TX, graduating from McAllen High School and attending Pan American University in Edinburg. Prior to joining HOLT CAT he served as a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force.
Holt also announced that HOLT CAT executive vice president and general manager
David Harris will succeed Archer, effective January 1, 2015
About HOLT CAT®
HOLT CAT® sells, rents and services Caterpillar machines, engines, generator sets and trucks in a 118-county Texas territory spanning from the Red River to the Rio Grande. HOLT offers total machine and engine rebuild capabilities, sells used equipment around the world and fabricates its own line of land clearing equipment and HOLT Spray King® water tankers. HOLT is the dealer for Link-Belt Cranes in the Eastern half of Texas as well as the El Paso area. They are the dealer for AGCO/Challenger and Claas farm equipment for the Eastern half of Texas and portions of Arkansas and Missouri.
The Holt name has been associated with heavy equipment and Caterpillar for more than 100 years. Peter M. Holt, Chief Executive Officer of HOLT CAT, is the great-grandson of Benjamin Holt, who in 1904 developed the first successful track-type tractor which he named the “Caterpillar.” HOLT CAT has come to be synonymous with quality, integrity and commitment to customer service. The HOLT CAT team is committed to providing rock solid stability with superior products and services to heavy equipment and engine users from Brownsville to Texarkana, Texas.