Foley Equipment has rebranded the former Giles & Ransome location in Bear to its name.
The northern New Jersey-based Caterpillar construction equipment dealer acquired the Delaware Valley-based Giles and Ransome last year.
Included in the transaction was the Giles & Ransome location in Bear.
Foley ’s territory includes New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, northern Delaware, Bermuda, and Staten Island.
Giles & Ransome’s history dated from the early 1900s when Ernest Ransome moved from San Francisco to New Jersey and founded the Ransome Concrete Machinery Co.
His son, Percy A. Ransome Sr., joined the company. After several years, Percy left his father’s business and on Nov. 15, 1916, founded Giles & Ransome with Arthur Giles on $2,500 of borrowed money.
The new company primarily sold concrete mixers and pavers, including ones manufactured by Ransome Concrete.
At the height of the Great Depression in 1932 when Giles & Ransome made the decision to become one of the first equipment dealers of the Caterpillar Tractor Co.
The company, which was based in Bensalem, PA, may be best known for its tractor depicted in a neon sign.
The Caterpillar dealer for central and southern Delaware is Alban Cat, which has a service and sales operation in Felton.
Caterpillar dealers are typically large family-owned operations.
Caterpillar has been expanding its product lines to include smaller pieces of construction equipment as well as trucks. Dealers have also added rentals to their business mix.
