Hi yes the caterpillar brand is very strong in a lot of markets, but with the problems cat have in their core businesses,how long before they concentrate on these businesses and drop the forklift line.
Cat have now major problems in minning and construction equipment so wont they want to put all focus on these and pull out of other not as important markets
Cat branding is worth its weight in gold to most buyers and does command a premium in the secondary market. MCFA gets pins because of the name, even a Jung branded Cat sells before the Jung in the U.S.
Cat is not in the forklift business. They are in the getting a royalty for the brand business. Cat does not have any owner ship in MCFA any longer.
Now with that said lot of people think that either Cat or Mitsi will not continue the branding much longer(5 years) either one could not resign the deal
Cat because MCFA low market share and less than great products, only a few CAT heavy dealers left in the mcfa network.
MCFA because they just bought unicarrier, and the CAT brand on forklifts does not command extra money in todays market place. and the partnership with JUNG which is the real premium product in the us market