Staff members spent two days before the storm piling sand bags, checking generators, removing or raising electrical equipment and distributing oxygen canisters around the site.
It wants to suspend Mercosur's tariff so it can abolish import duties on capital equipment while raising those on consumer goods to 35% both currently average 14% in the hope that this will boost growth (see article).
It plans to accomplish that this year while raising money to work with an equipment manufacturer to create the necessary factory equipment to build a pilot production center by 2015.
Company officials believe that by raising the expectations of Chinese customers, Caterpillar can steer China's equipment industry toward a new business model that favors Caterpillar's service-oriented approach.