Insights from a Cat^® customer on his relationship with Caterpillar and his Cat dealer.

It’s an approach to the work that applies to our sponsorship partners, our dealers and our customers. It focuses on the idea that the work you do when no one is watching makes all the difference in the world!

You might have seen the “soft launch” of “There’s No Off-Season” on the boards in arenas during the NHL’s Stanley Cup. It officially kicked off at the 2024 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, with a video featuring the Columbus Crew’s Steven Moreira and Hidden Creek, a top landscape design company in Central Ohio and long-time Cat® customer.

“I started a landscaping company with my best friend, Matt Seiler, 26 years ago and we did it because we didn’t want to sit at a desk all day long,” said Hidden Creek Owner and Co-Founder Jason Cromley. “We were hands on guys. We had calluses. We were like ‘let’s get out there.’ I currently sit at a desk all day,” he added, with a laugh.

But Jason “got off the bench” and helped with our video shoot. He found locations that worked for the shots the crew was looking for and he operated a backhoe loader for multiple takes. Jason was particularly excited to do this because the words “There’s No Off-Season” ring true for his company.

“So, we use ‘there’s no off-season’ in our sales pitch and when I saw that, I was like, we say the same thing,” Cromley said. “It helps us close deals. That’s the dedication it takes if you’re ever going to be successful. In Columbus, we still have a pretty strong winter here, but we don’t have an off-season,” he continued.

Cromley says he’s developed great relationships with the sales team at Ohio Cat, his local Cat dealer and Cat Financial and he credits them with taking the same approach - “There’s No Off-Season” - to helping him grow his business.

“Our sales rep is always trying to give us the best opportunity,” Cromley said. “We lease most of our equipment and when the lease is up, we’ve bought out some of the things like excavators as we only use an excavator 300 hours a year versus a skid steer we’re running almost 2000 hours - so I want to lease that and be done with it. In three years, we want something new – fresh hours, fresh warranty.” 

That support includes using Customer Value Agreements or CVA’s.

“I have two mechanics on staff that can fix things, but I’ll be honest, I don’t want them dealing with the daily service stuff,” Cromley continued. “We’ve got a good relationship with the service team at our dealership.”

As a season ticket holder, Cromley was able to attend the MLS All-Star Game and says it was a thrill to see the final product on the big screen at Lower.com stadium.

“It was super cool, Cromley said. I’m really proud of where our company is. I’m really proud of Columbus, Ohio. I love this city, so for us to get some notoriety, the MLS All-Star Game was huge, the stadium is brand new, it looks absolutely beautiful, so I was super proud to even be considered for it. It was really exciting.”

The “There’s No Off-Season” campaign will unify all our sponsorship properties. In the coming months, you’ll see more stories about the approach and putting in the work.