When Jim Cattron Sr. started his radio installation and maintenance service company in 1946, he had no idea that his one-man shop would become Cattron, a multi-million dollar global business and the worldwide leader in industrial remote control technology (RCT).

Jim’s business at that time was installing and servicing two-way radios for Motorola. He started with a taxi service in Sharon and later expanded to include police departments and hospitals throughout western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. However, the focus widened when Motorola introduced Remote Control Technology (RCT) in the mid 1960’s for industrial locomotives and overhead cranes; Cattron installed and maintained these systems for Motorola.

In 1976 Jim saw the unlimited potential for remote control applications. He purchased the Motorola RCT patent and manufacturing rights and initiated research and development projects to expand the technology. By the 1980’s, Cattron had developed the first microprocessor-designed product for RCT. In less than two decades, Cattron, Inc. expanded RCT applications to include material handling, rail, shipbuilding, shiploading, mining and military.

Expansion into worldwide markets in the early 1990’s, led to creation of Cattron International Ltd. with affiliates in Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil. Theimeg was added to the Cattron name in Europe when Cattron acquired Theimeg Elektronikgerate GmbH, Europe’s largest RCT provider to the national and industrial railways. Operating as Cattron-Theimeg Europe (CTE) has over 30 years of experience giving Cattron unparalleled expertise not only in RCT, but a wealth of European experience and expertise ensuring that Cattron’s customers in that area of the world receive high quality, cost effective solutions. CTE is the only remote control manufacturer in the world approved under the European EN50239 specification for safe operation of radio remote controlled locomotives.

Continuing to expand their pool of core products, in the fall of 2004 Cattron acquired CN’s Beltpack business located in Montreal, Canada; which included Canac Remote Control Technologies, Inc., formerly Vectran Corporation. Beltpack and Canac Remote Control Technologies and Beltpack products include the BELTPACK® and CANTRAC® radio remote control systems for locomotives. Also included were the former VECTRAN remote control systems for industrial applications.

Also in 2004, Cattron acquired Remtron located in Escondido, Calif. In business since 1984, Remtron was a leading manufacturer of industrial remote controls used in both material handling and commercial industries. In addition to industrial RCT for overhead cranes, their products are used for commercial applications such as concrete pumps, conveyors, winches, booms and others.

In June 2005, Cattron acquired SIAMtec LP from Noranda Inc. also located in Montreal. Integrated into their Canadian operations, the SIAM mining products are comprised of versatile communications and automated systems, which can be used individually or integrated as a system. They provide radio and data communications, remote control and vehicle automation from a distance or through a multimedia radio communication network. The integration of the SIAM product portfolio into the Cattron mining products demonstrates Cattron’s commitment to the mining industry.

Today, these affiliates make up Cattron Group International. This Alliance of companies, consisting of almost 400 employees, designs, manufactures, installs and maintains industrial RCT systems globally. They service a customer base of approximately 6,000 companies with 125,000 installed systems; supported by a network of partners (suppliers, sales, distribution and service representatives) in 34 countries. Cattron, is ISO 9001:2000 registered in the U.S, Canada and Germany.

Through this process of organic growth and acquisitions, Cattron has assembled the most comprehensive collection of RCT brands for cranes, locomotives, material handling equipment, mining machinery, mobile equipment, shiploaders, agricultural machinery, and virtually any equipment where the operator can be moved to a safer, more efficient location.

Sixty years later, Jim Cattron’s vision of the potential of the RCT technology provided the groundwork for the Sharpsville-based company to become the global source for remote control products. To be the “Customers’ first choice for remote control solutions, serving industry globally.”