Pros
Legacy, brand, and stability. Even in the downturn, Cat managed to find a way to come out alright. Plenty of people who can tell you what they think
Cons
Absolutely abhorrent senior management in Production Facilities. Cat seems to have an identity crisis between wanting to embrace the buzz words of the Top 50 Companies such as 'engagement', lean manufacturing', accountability, etc. But they fall significantly short on all. Politics are so thick that its impossible to figure out who is calling the shots because they're looking to get ahead, or that it actually might be the right thing to do. The disenheartening running joke is that if you are completely incompetent, or do absolutely nothing, you will get promoted. In the few years I've been here, I've seen it all too often. You have to literally lie or steal to get fired. There is a lot of good talent within Cat, but the focus doesn't seem to be on building those folks up and getting them exposed to other areas of the business. There is an entire plant that has been working their tails off to keep Cat out of the 2009 Government Bail Outs--we've been worked, bled plenty and thought we would have some semblance of a reward at the end. No merit promotions, no merit increases, even though there are plenty of people who have gone into the PCP pool (no one wants them) who find other jobs at higher salary grades. Where's the justice in that??