• Michael worked for Caterpillar (NI) Ltd for over 23 years.

• The company was founded in Belfast in 1966 as F.G.Wilson (Engineering) Ltd (FGW).

• Grew rapidly in the 1990s from one to three factories in Northern Ireland and nine subsidiaries globally.

• Acquired by Emerson Electric Co. in 1995 and later by Caterpillar Inc. in 2000.

• Part of Caterpillar's Electric Power Division (EPD), the company manufactured and sold 1 product, generating sets until 2012 with sales of $1 billion* and over 2,200 employees.

• In 2012, the business was downsized by one-third.

• Lost production was replaced by three new product lines over four years: Wheeled Material Handlers, Axles for Caterpillar Trucks, and Portable Gensets sold via the Omni Channel.

*For context: Cat Inc.'s total sales in 2012 were $66 billion, with $4 billion attributed to EPD. Cat Inc. sales dropped over subsequent years but are back to $66 billion for 2024