Caterpillar has been in the business since 1939, the first engine manufacturer to provide a complete factory-produced generator set, and globally today Cat brand generators lead the way in quality, durability and world-class support.

The FG Wilson brand was founded in 1966 and was acquired by Caterpillar in 1999. Ganesh Iyer, Power Generation Global Director for Cat and FG Wilson, says what intrigued them towards FG Wilson, “It was the modern factories, the distribution channel, the ability to reach new customers and most important of all, the entrepreneurial spirit within the brand.” Alongside the premium Cat brand generator set range, FG Wilson allowed Caterpillar to reach a wider group of customers. Having a brand like FG Wilson inside the stable was something of a learning experience for Caterpillar, which today owns many ‘non-yellow’ brands. In the late 90s, however, much of this was new to the organisation.

Ganesh says, “At first, little changed for the FG Wilson brand. Then gradually over time, we tried to make things more efficient, with common products, common processes and the ultimate was a common marketing team between the Cat and FG Wilson brands.” It might have seemed efficient, but it was also diluting the essence that made the FG Wilson brand unique. Slowly, FG Wilson was losing its voice, inside and outside the organisation.

In mid 2016, Ganesh changed all that. The first step was the appointment of a new Managing Director for FG Wilson, Ann Brown. A grounded professional with seventeen years in the industry, Ann hails from an operations background. She’s now surrounded by an experienced team, many of whom started their careers at FG Wilson and who were instrumental in driving FG Wilson growth. Ganesh sees that reaffirmation of FG Wilson brand values as the key.

Ganesh says, “What makes the FG Wilson distribution network really special is that their main or usually sole focus is on our generator sets – this is what they do, so they are complete specialists. They understand the business and customers better than anyone.”

That expertise can reach into extremely complex projects. In the early days, FG Wilson built up its name designing, building and commissioning mini power stations in the Middle East, often in the most inhospitable operating environments. That tradition continues today. In some European and Middle Eastern cities, it’s possible to look across the skyline and tick off large landmark buildings which rely on an FG Wilson generator set for standby power. Developing this custom business for large generator sets is important to Ganesh. “We believe this is something which FG Wilson does extremely well. We’ve a long track record of experience, within our organisation and within the dealer network, world class facilities, and very importantly, the innovation and product development from custom projects can work its way through to our more standard ranges.”

India is a market where FG Wilson has been present since the mid 1990s, although that presence was quieter over the last few years. In 2016, FG Wilson launched a new range from 10 to 200 kVA, sourced and fully supported in India, all of which is CPCB II emissions compliant. Ganesh says, “India is a global powerhouse of innovation and technology and it’s a market which we are very eager to serve. Right now we’re building our product portfolio and distribution reach across the country. Worldwide we’ve worked very hard to build a business model with great quality products and world-leading aftermarket support and now we’re bringing that to India.”

Ganesh says the benefits of the changes are already being felt across the organisation. “We’re writing another chapter of a great brand,” he says, “It’s like a business school case study coming to life.”