SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Dec. 23, 2014) – HOLT CAT, the Caterpillar Equipment and Engine dealer for South, Central, North and Northeast Texas, has announced that its president and chief operating officer, Allyn L. Archer, retired on Dec. 31, 2014, after a distinguished 43-year career with the company.
Archer joined the company as a service technician leadman in 1971 in Corpus Christi. He received numerous promotions and worked in multiple sales and service roles across the company, ultimately ascending into senior management.
In 1986, HOLT CAT CEO Peter M. Holt appointed Archer executive vice president and general manager. In this position he was responsible for leading all HOLT CAT divisions.
Archer became a partner with Peter M. Holt in 1993 and was promoted to president and chief operating officer in 1995.
Under Archer’s leadership, HOLT CAT grew from one of the smallest Caterpillar dealerships in the U.S. to the largest, based on sales volume. In 2002, Archer helped engineer a landmark acquisition of Darr Equipment Company, which doubled the company’s size and extended its operating territory to 118 counties in Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
“Allyn’s career has been distinguished by a relentless commitment to excellence, integrity, values and service,” Holt said. “He has left an indelible mark on this company and on the lives of countless customers and employees who have benefitted from his expertise and example.”
Archer is a native of McAllen, Texas, graduating from McAllen High School and attending Pan American University in Edinburg. Prior to joining HOLT CAT, he served as a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force.
Holt also announced that HOLT CAT executive vice president and general manager
David Harris will succeed Archer, effective Jan. 1.
HOLT CAT sells, rents and services Caterpillar machines, engines, generator sets and trucks in a 118-county Texas territory spanning from the Red River to the Rio Grande.