C. L. Best
{{Short description|American manufacturing executive (1878–1951)}}{{More footnotes needed|date=September 2024}}File:C-l-best-patent.jpg
Clarence Leo Best (April 21, 1878 – September 22, 1951), better known as C. L. Best, was an American manufacturing executive.{{Sfn|New York Times|1951-09-23|p=85}} C. L. Best founded the C. L. Best Gas Traction Company in 1910 (later the C. L. Best Tractor Company) then merged his company with Holt Manufacturing Company to form Caterpillar Tractor Company in 1925.{{Sfn|New York Times|1951-09-23|p=85}} C. L. Best was chairman of the board of Caterpillar Tractor Company from its founding until his death in 1951.{{Sfn|Haddock|Orlemann|2001|pp=37-38}}
Biography
Best was born in Albany, Oregon.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Farm Collector Magazine |title=The Man Who Was C.L. Best - Farm Collector |url=https://www.farmcollector.com/steam-engines/steam-engines-company-history/man-who-was-best-zm0z21novzram/ |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=www.farmcollector.com |language=en-US}} He started out working for Best Manufacturing Company, owned by his father, Daniel Best, and eventually became manager of Best Manufacturing Company's Stockton, California plant.{{Sfn|Maintain!|2007|p=1}}
Best Manufacturing Company was acquired by Holt Manufacturing Company in 1908. In 1910, Best left Holt Manufacturing Company and formed his own company, C. L. Best Gas Traction Company, to continue his father's work.{{Sfn|Maintain!|2007|p=2}}
Originally operating out of a plant in Elmhurst, California, the C. L. Best Traction Company became large enough to purchase Daniel Best's former San Leandro, California plant in mid-1916.{{Sfn|Sanders|Feller|2009|p=105}}{{Sfn|Beck|2006|p=495}} In 1920, the C. L. Best Traction Company was restructured and renamed the C. L. Best Tractor Company. The most successful tractor produced was the C. L. Best 60 Tracklayer, later produced as the Caterpillar Sixty.
In the mid-1920s, Holt encountered financial trouble. Best's financial backers approached Holt executives to discuss a merger. On April 15, 1925, C. L. Best Tractor Company and Holt Manufacturing Company merged to form Caterpillar Tractor Company (later Caterpillar Inc.).{{Sfn|Haddock|Orlemann|2001|pp=37-38}} Best remained chairman of the board of Caterpillar until his death in 1951.
He was interred at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland, California.
References
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
{{Refbegin}}
- {{cite book
| last = Beck
| first = Henry E.
| title = Growin' Up With Men And Machines
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=A_JMVqYTtaoC
| access-date = 2010-11-06
| date = 2006-04-30
| publisher = Vantage Press, Inc
| isbn = 978-0-533-15163-9
}}
- {{cite book
| last1 = Haddock
| first1 = Keith
| last2 = Orlemann
| first2 = Eric
| editor = Paul Johnson
| title = Classic Caterpillar Crawlers
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_AM38RNF_F4C
| access-date = 2010-11-06
| date = 2001-11-11
| publisher = MBI Publishing Company
| location = St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
| isbn = 978-0-7603-0917-9
}}
- {{cite book
| last1 = Sanders
| first1 = Ralph W.
| last2 = Feller
| first2 = Bob
| editor = Leah Noel
| title = The Farm Tractor: 100 Years of North American Tractors
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Qu33Rct3bukC
| access-date = 2010-11-06
| orig-year = 2007
| year = 2009
| publisher = MBI Publishing Company and Voyageur Press
| location = Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| isbn = 978-0-7603-3559-8
| quote = ...the C. L. Best Traction Company of Elmhurst, California.
}}
- {{cite web
|url=http://www.nhmags.com/archives/Newsletter%20February%202007.pdf
|title=Next Meeting - February 14, 2007 at the Cat N' Fiddle Restaurant
|work=Maintain!
|publisher=Maintenance Association of the Granite State
|date=February–March 2007
|location=Manchester, New Hampshire, United States
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714180458/http://www.nhmags.com/archives/Newsletter%20February%202007.pdf
|archive-date=2011-07-14
|access-date=2010-11-06
|ref={{SfnRef|Maintain!|2007}}
|url-status=dead
}}
- {{cite web
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1951/09/23/archives/cl-best-is-dead-tractor-official-caterpillar-company-chairman-and.html
|title=C.L. Best Is Dead; Tractor Official; Caterpillar Company Chairman and Co-Founder Started His Own Concern in 1910
|date=1951-09-23
|work=New York Times
|location=New York, New York, United States
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014231617/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10F1FFA3D5415768FDDAA0A94D1405B8189F1D3
|archive-date=2012-10-14
|access-date=2010-11-06
|quote=SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 22 Clarence L. Best, who was a founder of the Caterpillar Tractor Company, died early today...
|ref={{SfnRef|New York Times|1951-09-23}}
|url-status=dead
}}
{{Refend}}
{{Caterpillar}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:Burials at Evergreen Cemetery (Oakland, California)
Category:Businesspeople from California
Category:Caterpillar Inc. people