US Ambassador Visits Remanufacturing Facility in Singapore

August 26, 2014 /3BL Media/ - Construction Industries Group President Ed Rapp recently hosted U.S. Ambassador to Singapore Kirk Wagar during a facility visit in Singapore that showcased Caterpillar’s remanufacturing processes as well as its advocacy efforts in the country.

The ambassador's visit served as an opportunity to introduce him to Caterpillar's long history in the Asia Pacific, as well as the Global Government & Corporate Affairs team's active work for country-specific market access. Rapp also discussed the team's ongoing advocacy efforts for cross-cutting regional and regulatory issues like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). Caterpillar employees have sent nearly 20,000 letters to elected officials encouraging their support of the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) trade legislation that will speed congressional approval of future U.S. trade agreements.

Wagar and Rapp were also joined by Susan Schwab, Caterpillar Board of Directors member, Jeff Hardee, director of Asia-Pacific Government & Corporate Affairs and Singapore country manager, along with James Loi, U.S. embassy counselor for economic/political affairs, and Darrel Ching, U.S. Embassy deputy senior commercial officer.

Ambassador Wagar engaged with Caterpillar leaders on the competition and development opportunities in-country for us and showed support for our concerns as well. He expressed readiness to reach out on Caterpillar’s behalf to other ambassadors in the region, as well as to senior U.S. government officials in Washington, DC. He noted that during one of his first official engagements in Singapore he had stopped by Caterpillar's tree planting activity during AmCham's Corporate Community Day and had been impressed by the enthusiasm of the Caterpillar team.

During the facility tour that followed the discussion, the ambassador had a self-proclaimed "ah-ha!" moment when he realized the complexity of the remanufacturing process. Caterpillar's message resonated with him when it was pointed out that as the world's largest industrial remanufacturer, Caterpillar has long supported environmental sustainability, learning how our reman process reduces waste, lowers greenhouse gas emissions and minimizes the need for raw materials.

With major investments and big markets to serve in Asia Pacific (AP), it's essential to have an active government affairs program that protects and promotes the business interests of Caterpillar in the region by understanding the regulatory issues and working closely with governments, industry associations and trade bodies to find solutions. Global Government & Corporate Affairs also has team members in China, India, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand who interact with U.S. government officials like Ambassador Wagar as well as local government officials and industry associations on current business priorities including tariff reductions, emission standards, mining policies, infrastructure investment policies and discriminatory taxes.

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Click here to read more about remanufacturing in the Caterpillar 2013 Sustainability Report.