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ITT began its journey as International Telephone & Telegraph in 1920. Through decades of acquisitions in the mid-1900s, ITT went from manufacturing telephone switching equipment to operating hotels, car rentals, insurance agencies, and bread bakeries. In 1995, the firm split into three separate entities, one of which is the ITT in current operation. After a few more spinoffs in 2011, today ITT sells automotive, industrial, and aerospace products such as brake pads, seals, pumps, valves, connectors, and regulators. It has operations around the globe with notable exposure to North America, Europe, and Asia.

Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. Its reporting segments are construction, resource, energy, and transportation. Market share approaches 20% across many products. Caterpillar operates a captive finance subsidiary to facilitate sales. The firm has a global reach that is approximately evenly balanced between the US and the rest of the world. Construction skews more domestic, while the other divisions are more geographically diversified. An independent network of over 150 dealers operates approximately 2,800 facilities, giving Caterpillar reach into about 190 countries for sales and support services.