PEOPLE OF CNH
CATHY DAVIDSON
Next in our People of CNH series is Cathy Davidson, from New Holland, North America. Her determination and generosity are inspiring. Here is her story.
I was in the restaurant business in Atlanta when I ended up moving back home to Pennsylvania to be closer to family. I felt like I needed a break from the restaurant business, so I decided to switch gears.
My uncle had worked at the plant in New Holland, so I knew a little bit about CNH, the New Holland brand, and the equipment. But I came to work at CNH Industrial Capital in 2006 as a contractor, doing payment processing. And I guess I did alright, because by 2007, I was moved into a full-time role in Capital Bank Relations.
I’ve had a few more roles since then, including positions in dealer sales support for the New Holland Ag brand. And all along the way I’ve had a chance to learn more about the business and the important work that we do.
Now, as a Systems Analyst, I am that connection between operations and IT. I do a lot of troubleshooting – trying to catch problems before they reach the customer. And resolve issues currently affecting our customers.
The goal is to minimize the time the customer has to spend maintaining their accounts, so they can maximize their time in the field or on the job site. It’s important work – and my team is very focused on keeping the Customer First.
Charity Work – Above and Beyond
I believe it was 2011 when two co-workers came to me and said that they were interested in starting a CNH team for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. CNH was already supporting this charity, so it was relatively easy to get going. And I had already been involved with Relay for Life because my father was diagnosed with cancer in 2004. So, I had that experience, too.
We got the team up and running in 2011, and we’ve taken part every year since. In that time, we’ve raised over $200,000, with most of that fundraising done on the New Holland campus. It’s just an incredibly supportive community. And we would be nowhere near that landmark without them.
But this is not a once-a-year effort. We sponsor multiple events all year long. We set up and run the Holiday Silent Auction – setting up tables around the offices with a variety of different prizes that employees can bid on.
Most of the prizes are donated by our relay team members. People walk around, watching their bids. So, it’s fun. It gives people a little competition. Something to kind of check on throughout the day, and then we sell Holiday snacks.
All the money raised from both the bids and the snack sales go to the American Cancer Society.
And then, in early 2020, I was diagnosed with mouth cancer. So, all of a sudden, there was a lot more urgency. I started my own charitable organization with a few of my childhood friends – 4 Girls on a Mission. We received our non-profit status on February 3, 2022. And I am incredibly grateful that my New Holland colleagues have embraced that effort, as well.
And, later in 2022, the doctors declared me cancer-free. But I still love doing all my charitable work – both inside and outside of work. So, it’s all going to continue.
An Interesting Journey
While I do not work out in the field, I have been learning a lot about what our customers do and what they consider important. So, it's been a very interesting journey for me, for sure. Never a dull moment. I’ve learned everything about our business that I possibly could.
It has served me well and, hopefully, I have served our customers well.
Cathy Davidson is by far the most kind-hearted, free-spirited, and generous person I can call not only a co-worker but also a very dear friend. She selflessly puts other's needs ahead of her own and is always looking for ways to help others in need no matter how large or small.
Mandy Robertson, Payment Processing and Dealer Account Services Manager
Cathy is truly the reason I joined the Relay team in 2011 and continue to be an active member. I value her friendship and look forward to where our adventure takes us.
Jessica Gehman, Credit Collection Team Lead
PLANT SPOTLIGHT
GET TO KNOW OUR HARBIN PLANT
CNH’s Harbin Plant represents the company’s largest industrial investment in the last decade. Inaugurated in 2014, it is the biggest agricultural equipment manufacturing facility in Northeast China. It is huge.
With the entire site extending over a total area of
the size of 1,500 tennis courts!
The plant features the latest technology in fabrication and has two state-of-the-art paint facilities. Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are utilized for the assembly and testing of the finished products to ensure the highest quality standards. The complex includes a Customer Center with a spacious showroom to support dealers and an R&D Center that is home to the engineering team tasked with customizing products for the domestic market.
Harbin manufactures a wide range of New Holland and Case IH machines. They include tractors, combine harvesters, headers and balers – all to help us support the cultivation of corn, wheat, soybean and hay. Building on the excellence of “Made in Harbin", these high-tech products, with proven quality, support us as we compete in international markets.
Every year, the Harbin Plant manufactures 1,500 tractors, 1,500 balers as well as 1,000 combines and headers.
Sun Xuwei, Team Leader, Combine Assembly Line:
“I have witnessed the development of our Harbin plant over the last decade. When I joined, we had less than 20 members in our team. Now, I’m proud that we have become the largest Ag manufacturing facility in the region. We have come a long way, overcoming many challenges together as One Team. We keep growing, improving our processes and systems to produce great iron for our customers.”
Du Wenqian, Team Leader, Customer Product Audit:
“I see our company’s focus on quality every day at the plant. And it makes me happy to see that our customers recognize it too.”
Liu Yuanyuan, Operator, Logistics Warehouse:
“I’m really happy with our CNH family. Everybody is very friendly, helping me deal with challenges and work more efficiently. This is what One Team looks like to me. I’m proud of the achievements of our company, which motivate us to strive for more.”
