Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar (CAT), the world's largest manufacturer of construction machinery, was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Ill. CAT is a publicly traded company and one of the Dow Jones Industrial Average companies. Caterpillar's products include construction, mining and agricultural equipment, construction vehicles and a wide range of engines. Caterpillar Inc. was ranked 136th in the 2013 World's 500 largest companies.