Caterpillar Global Product Manager to Address Members at NFPA's 2012 Annual Conference

Dec. 12, 2011 - PRLog -- Caterpillar’s Global Product Manager - Large Excavators, Kenneth Gray, will be one of the featured speakers at the 2012 National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) Annual Conference.  He will address more than 100 industry leaders and member companies in Hawaii, March 6 - 10, 2012.

During his address, Customer Perspective:  Business Development at Global Scale, Gray will provide NFPA members with insights into global business and product development strategies from the experience and perspective of Caterpillar.
Gray has more than 25 years of experience in engineering, product development and management through various positions at Caterpillar, and currently has global responsibility for large excavators.

The conference lineup also includes the following speakers:
•  Thriving in a Changing and Macroeconomic Environment - John Caslione, President and CEO of GCS Business Capital, LLC;
•  The China Phenomenon: What Does the Future Hold, and What Does it Mean for You? - Haiyan Wang, Founding and Managing Partner, China India Institute;
•  Creating a Company-wide Process for Strategic Thinking - Mark L. Thompson, Partner, Decision Processes International;
•  "Make Your Move” Economic Update with Alan Beaulieu, ITR - A Pre-conference webcast for registered attendees only.

According to NFPA CEO, Eric Lanke, “Our members have a variety of different objectives for attending the conference.  This year's conference theme "Strategic Thinking in a World Out of Round" will include numerous opportunities for NFPA members to network and share knowledge about the thought processes, technology tools and global strategies needed to capitalize on the emergent markets without overinvesting in areas of decline.”  

Because NFPA’s members have a variety of different reasons for attending the conference, the featured speakers have been balanced to appeal to decision-makers across this spectrum.  And importantly, because diversity of membership provides opportunities to learn from each other, unique knowledge sharing activities have been added to facilitate this interaction.

About NFPA
NFPA provides a forum for the fluid power industry’s channel partners—manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, customers and educators. Its U.S. and multinational members work cooperatively in advancing hydraulic and pneumatic technology through the association’s many programs and initiatives.

About Caterpillar, Inc.
For more than 85 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. With 2010 sales and revenues of $42.588 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company also is a leading services provider through Caterpillar Financial Services, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services, Caterpillar Logistics Services and Progress Rail Services. More information is available at: http://www.caterpillar.com.

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NFPA provides a forum for the fluid power industry’s channel partners—manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, customers and educators.