Legacy: The Early Days and West Texas Equipment Company
The history of Warren CAT derives from the family values, traditions and Texas roots of the Warren family. The family’s association with Caterpillar® began in 1971 when Jack Treanor, CEO of Treanor Equipment Company, named Johnny Warren as General Manager of Compressor Systems, Inc. (CSI). CSI manufactured natural gas-powered compressors, equipped with Caterpillar gas engines supplied by Treanor Equipment, in a sales territory spanning numerous counties in West Texas, from Odessa to Abilene.
The petroleum industry proved to be profitable as the price of oil and gas soared, and in 1975, Johnny Warren – along with the Warren and Vineyard families – purchased CSI from Treanor Equipment to form what would become Warren Equipment Company.
In March of 1985, Johnny Warren was named Dealer Principal for Treanor Equipment Company. The following year, the dealership rights for West Texas Equipment, the authorized Cat® Dealer for the Amarillo and Lubbock territory, became available. The Warren family embraced the opportunity to serve West Texas and the Texas Panhandle, merging West Texas Equipment with Treanor Equipment to form a stronger, more diverse organization under the name of West Texas Equipment Company (DBA West Texas CAT). This new enterprise encompassed over 100,000 square miles of territory in four major population areas, becoming the major West Texas Cat Dealer and enjoying many successful years under Mr. Warren’s leadership.
Johnny Warren passed away in 1999, but his vision and legacy would live on. An organizational plan was developed through collective efforts of the family, board members and Caterpillar, which would carry on the values established by Mr. Warren. Carole Warren, Johnny’s spouse, assumed the role of Chairman; Richard Folger was appointed as President of Warren Equipment Company and Jim Nelson, a Warren family member, was named Dealer Principal for West Texas Equipment.
Expansion: From West Texas and The Panhandle to Oklahoma
In 2001, the dealership rights of Darr Equipment Company for Texas and Oklahoma became available. Once again, a proposal was submitted to Caterpillar and Jim Nelson was named Dealer Principal for the Darr Equipment territory in Oklahoma and the eleven counties surrounding Wichita Falls, Texas.
April 1, 2002 brought a new organization, Warren Power and Machinery, LP. (DBA Warren CAT). Within this new dealership, one thing remains consistent: Mr. Nelson firmly upholds Johnny Warren’s “Employee First” philosophy, deemed as the foundation of the organization’s success as a Cat Dealer, and continues supplying the region with the highest quality parts, service, engines and construction equipment. With each successive year, Warren CAT continues to grow in its construction, power, hydraulics, and Rental Store divisions and capabilities.
Vision: Transition to the Next Generation
On March 2, 2015, the Board of Directors of Warren Equipment Company announced the election of James C. Nelson as President of Warren Equipment Company (WEC) and also to the board of directors. Mr. Nelson remains Dealer Principal and President of Warren CAT. Under his expanded leadership, Warren CAT continues to aggressively address the needs of its construction, agriculture, governmental, mining and oil and gas customers with world-class equipment, parts, technology and service.