Founded in 1910 as Holt Caterpillar Company, Caterpillar machinery is known for its "caterpillar yellow" color. One of the founding fathers of the company, Benjamin Holt, came up with the idea to cover tractor wheels with tracks or planks to prevent the heavy machinery from sinking into the dirt. The machines gained popularity during World War I, where – more... they served as major artillery vehicles in Europe.

Caterpillar provides up to a six percent match on 401k plans for its employees, as well as a bonus, which the company began offering with it ended its pension program. Employees start at Caterpillar with two weeks paid vacation. That increases to three weeks at five years, and four weeks at 15 years. Women get six weeks of maternity leave, and the company recently began offering two weeks paid leave for fathers or spouses.

Employees think caterpillar is a "great company that allows room for growth if you apply yourself," though individuals have to "take initiative in their career planning." People who work at Caterpillar also like that they get to "work on initiatives that are changing how the company does business," but some think the "company struggles to find balance between market downturns and upturns," which leads to a feeling of instability. – less