Former Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Don Fites grew up on a 90-acre farm in Indiana during the Great Depression.
There were only eight students in his high school graduating class -- "and two were my first cousins," Fites recalls.
While Fites says it's hard not to "learn some real values" in such an environment, his career at Caterpillar (IW 500/21) helped him broaden his horizons. Sixteen of his 42-plus years at the company were spent in overseas management positions, including a stint as marketing director of Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd. in Tokyo and as president of Caterpillar Brasil SA in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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| Don Fites |
Fites clearly developed a global perspective, which is evident in one of his core business philosophies: "If you're not competitive everywhere, you're not competitive anywhere."
In December 2010, IndustryWeek recognized Fites' illustrious career with Caterpillar by inducting him into the IndustryWeek Manufacturing Hall of Fame.
