Heavy expansion for Holt Cat

SAN ANTONIO – Heavy equipment dealer Holt Cat is undergoing a $77 million expansion, prompted in part by a rush of new business from the Eagle Ford Shale and other domestic oil-and-gas plays.

Among its upgrades, the company will put $10 million towards a 47,000-sf facility at its 3302 South W.W. White Rd. campus. The new facility will replace an outdated service shop built in 1957 and expand Holt Cat’s existing service capacity by 40 percent.

Construction on the new service shop in San Antonio should be complete late in second quarter 2014.

The company plans to hire more technicians for its improved service shop. Once workers move into the space, the company will convert its existing facility into a specialized repair shop and larger parts warehouse.

The company’s $77 million investment will also be put towards building new stores and warehouses or renovating existing ones in some of the cities where it operates as an authorized Caterpillar Inc. dealer.