HISTORY BERGERAT MONNOYEUR

In 1929, just four years after the founders of Caterpillar established the now world-famous engineering and manufacturing operations, Bergerat Monnoyeur, a French family business, joined the Caterpillar dealer network and became the exclusive distributor for Caterpillar products and services in France.

Bergerat Monnoyeur & Caterpillar history starts in 1929

1906-1929 : Sowing the seeds of the future

At the beginning of the century, as France entered the industrial era, French companies imported their equipment from England, the only country then spearhead of the industrial revolution.
In France, entrepreneur and visionary Henry Bergerat, together with his cousin Francis Monnoyeur, founded the 'Hy. Bergerat & Co' company in 1906. The firm imported machines supplied by industrial corporations of world renown such as Armstrong-Whitworth for machine-tools or Ruston-Proctor for steam shovels.

At the same time, with a flair for mechanical progress, Francis Monnoyeur, travelling in Spain, came across the "machine of the future" - the Caterpillar 'Thirty'.

On December 6th, 1929, he signed the contract making the 'Hy. Bergerat Monnoyeur & Cie' company sole agent for the 'Caterpillar Tractor Company' in France.

In 1931, Caterpillar launched an other 'machine of the future' : The Caterpillar 'Sixty', first Track-Type Tractor Diesel (picture).

The Caterpillar founders are Benjamin Holt, who has built the first steam track-type tractor 'Holt Caterpillar' and Daniel Best, builder of agricultural machines. They merge their 2 companies in 1925, to form 'Caterpillar Tractor Co'.

Thanks to the commercialization of Caterpillar machines and to the service offer quality, Bergerat Monnoyeur became a specialist in selling building and construction machines.

For more than 80 years, Caterpillar built machines, developed technlologies and became the leader and the most important producer of machines for construction, quarries, industry.

Since 1929, loyal commitment to customer service

At the same time, Caterpillar equipment was a league of its own in Europe. While offering their customers equipment of excellent quality and perfectly tailored to their needs, Henry Bergerat and Francis Monnoyeur aimed to extend their services in the form of a major strategic asset : a local field service which would supply the company's customers with all the spare parts and repairs needed for their business.

First subsidiary Bergerat Monnoyeur & Cie in Toulouse

Thus, as early as 1938, the first subsidiary was set up in Toulouse. Bergerat Monnoyeur's decision to develop a spare parts and repairs service played a crucial role during World War II, when the occupation of the country cut off supply of new machinery and parts from the United States. By the end of the war, the company had become one of the country's most prominent names in construction equipment and machinery. This placed the group in a strong position to benefit from the French reconstruction market in the postwar years.

Up to 1960s, the two associates were to heighten their regional operations with subsidiaries in Bordeaux, Nancy, Lyon, Marseille and Lille.

1961-1989 : An efficient partner on major worksites and a key to expanding business

Hy Bergerat & Cie launched an extensive aftermarket program including repairs and an extensive stock of spare parts

Against a buoyant economic backdrop, the company structured itself and deployed its expertise to enhance field service and meet its customers' precise demands, multiplying regional workshops, opening its first specialized workshops (marine engines and motors, lift-trucks, mobile cranes).

1972 Bergerat Monnoyeur livreaza utilaje pentru armata franceza

1979 Bergerat Monnoyeur livreaza D6 utilaje pentru armata franceza

The crisis during the 1980s hit the building industry but, far from waning, corporate service quality fostered the company's continued growth. In 1981, Bergerat Monnoyeur became Caterpillar general representative agent in Algeria. After this, the group diversified to handling and energy sectors.

The 1990s : Birth of the Groupe Monnoyeur and the Caterpillar division

Throughout these years, Bergerat Monnoyeur successfully accompanied Caterpillar to new territories in Romania and Moldavia (1991) and Poland (1997).

New activities appear, in particular in Romania, like: importing Renault cars, Renault Trucks commercial vehicles' distribution, farming equipments' distribution in partnership with John Deere.

Following its diversification, Bergerat Monnoyeur reorganized its activities. Thus Bergerat Monnoyeur became the Groupe Monnoyeur in 1994 and divided its equipment activity into :
- Bergerat Monnoyeur Manutention (today APROLIS, which commercializes lift-trucks)
- Bergerat Monnoyeur Energie (today ENERIA, which commercializes generators and engines)
- Bergerat Monnoyeur International (today MAGELLAN, which commercializes world branded equipment goods in Algeria with Bergerat Monnoyeur Algérie, and in Romania with IPSO)
- Bergerat Monnoyeur Travaux Publics became Bergerat Monnoyeur in 2001 because of the diversification of its customers into sectors such as public works, agriculture, landscaping, etc.

From Caterpillar machines' selling to renting

In the mid-1990s, after being seen like the specialist in selling construction machines, Bergerat Monnoyeur develops its activities in a new and promising field: short-term rental of construction equipments. Bergerat Monnoyeur acquires Slevmi company in 1997, renamed later Bergerat Monnoyeur Location.

In the 2000s, Bergerat Monnoyeur continued its expansion in 2005 in assuming Caterpillar dealership for Belgium and Luxemburg.

Now, Bergerat Monnoyeur is the exclusive Caterpillar dealer in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania and Algeria. It handles the sales, rental, maintenance and repairs for new and used Caterpillar machines.