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Corporate / History
Click on the link below to read about each of our history.
Tom Hawthorne, Founder
Company History
 Hawthorne Machinery Co.
Hawthorne Power Systems
Hawthorne Rent-It Service
Hawthorne Lift Systems
Hawthorne de Mexico
Hawthorne of Samoa, Inc.
Hawthorne Machinery Limited
Hawthorne Pacific Corp.
Tom Hawthorne, Founder
Mr. Hawthorne’s successful career began in 1948 when he started Los Angeles Tractor
and Equipment Company with his father, J.B. Hawthorne. In 1956, the company moved
to San Diego to become Hawthorne Machinery Co., the Caterpillar dealer for San Diego
County and the Northwest portion of Baja California.
Currently acting as Chairman of the Board of Hawthorne Machinery Co., Mr. Hawthorne
oversees its eight divisions: Hawthorne Machinery Co.; Hawthorne Power Systems;
Hawthorne Lift Systems; Hawthorne Rent-It Service; Hawthorne de Mexico; Hawthorne
of Samoa, Inc.; Hawthorne Ltd. (Tonga); and Hawthorne Pacific Corp. Each division
provides specialized services to customers working in a wide variety of fields.
The following are a few of the many accolades which Mr. Hawthorne has received with
respect to his state, city and community contributions: The Golden Beaver Award
– for outstanding contributions to the construction industry; the CIT RebuildingAmerica
Award – in recognition of his efforts to create a greater awareness of theneed to
rebuild our country’s infrastructure; the Camp Fire Spirit of Life Award– for his
dedication to youth activities; and the City of Hope’s Spirit of LifeAward – for
his active role in local and civic affairs.
Mr. Hawthorne is actively involved in public service and governmental affairs. In
1984, California Governor George Deukmejian appointed him to the Commission of the
Californias, as well as the California Transportation Commission where he served
from 1984 – 1992. He served as the Commission’s Chairman in 1988.
His long list of civic, educational and public endeavors include: former Director
of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, the Honorary Deputy Sheriffs’ Association,
Outreach International, Associated General Contractors, Republican Associates and
the California State Republican Central Committee, Californians for Better Transportation,
as well as former Chairman of the Bank of Commerce. He has served on the Advisory
Committee for the University of California, San Diego and on the Board of Trustees
of LEAD, Sea World of San Diego, and the Construction Industry Promotion Trust.
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Company History
Hawthorne began in Los Angeles in 1947 at the very beginning of the post World War
II building boom. In 1956, Hawthorne moved to San Diego when Hawthorne was awarded
the Caterpillar dealership for San Diego County. Today, Hawthorne has one of the
most modern Caterpillar dealerships in the U.S., and has expanded to eight separate
companies.
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Hawthorne Machinery Co.
The oldest and largest division of Hawthorne is the original Hawthorne Machinery
Co., the authorized dealer of Caterpillar earthmoving equipment. It is also the
corporate headquarters for all the Hawthorne divisions. The facility is locatedin
Rancho Bernardo, and spans over 20 acres. The headquarters is home for sales, product
support, parts, service, and finance personnel, which are the bulk of Hawthorne’s
staff of over 825 employees worldwide.
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Hawthorne Power Systems
The Hawthorne Companies also include Hawthorne Power systems, formed in 1972, which
sells, rents, and services the power generation, marine, trucking, and other engine-related
markets. Hawthorne Power Systems has outstanding skills in building, rebuilding,
and packaging engines and power systems of all sizes, ranging from truck engines
and turn key generator plants to cogeneration and standby power.
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Hawthorne Rent-It Service
Hawthorne Rent-It Service began in 1974 and now has 7 branch locations that provide
rental equipment to the construction and industrial markets serving San Diego, Orange,
and Riverside counties. This rental division gives Hawthorne an opportunity to rent
Caterpillar equipment as well as other construction equipment to customers who are
not traditional Cat equipment buyers.
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Hawthorne Lift Systems
Hawthorne Lift Systems, with offices in Rancho Bernardo and Fontana, is the leader
in high reach equipment through Southern California. This division services Riverside
and San Bernardino counties as the Grove Worldwide Crane, National Crane, and Mitsubishi
Fork Lift dealer.
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Hawthorne de Mexico
Hawthorne de Mexico S.A. de C.V., located in Tijuana, B.C. Mexico, services construction
and all Caterpillar products in northern Baja California. As an authorized Caterpillar
dealership, Hawthorne de Mexico has also been the Mobil Oil dealership for Bajafor
several years.
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Hawthorne of Samoa Inc.
Hawthorne of Samoa Inc., located in Pago Pago, American Samoa, fills the marine
and construction needs in the Pacific Rim. This facility has a complete sales, parts,
and service staff that provide services to the worldwide tuna fleet, the construction
industry, power plants, and all phases of the industrial market.
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Hawthorne Machinery Limited
Hawthorne Machinery Limited, located in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, was incorporated in March
of 1998. This facility has a complete sales, parts, service, and rental staff to
provide machinery for the Kingdom of Tonga, and is growing at a rapid rate.
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Hawthorne Pacific Corp.
Hawthorne recently acquired Pacific Machinery Inc., which is now known as Hawthorne
Pacific Corp., on May 5, 2004. The operation was an existing Caterpillar dealership
and has been in business as an authorized CAT dealer since 1925. Their territory
includes the Hawaiian Islands Guam, Saipan, and other neighboring islands of the
South Pacific. Their markets are similar to ours in that housing is the main driver
for machine sales, plus they have an active market for engines. Hawthorne Pacific
Corp. also represents Caterpillar Lift Trucks, Club Car, some Toro products and
other lines that supplement their Caterpillar line.
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Hawthorne Machinery has kept San Diego County moving and growing for over 40 years.
Hawthorne supplied Caterpillar tractors have helped build nearly all the area's
freeways, residential and commercial developments. They've filled in canyons to
create new land for parks, and Caterpillar equipment excavated nearly 2 million
cubic yards of dirt to build San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium.
Hawthorne’s biggest asset, however, is qualified people. People who understand the
equipment and its applications; people who know what parts a customer needs for
their equipment; sales people who the customers can count on as part of their management
team; and a qualified administrative staff that provides support to each of the
operating divisions.
Hawthorne is committed to satisfying our customers’' needs with quality products
and service. The outlook is bright as Hawthorne looks forward to playing a key role
in the future economic growth of the worldwide markets they serve.
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