Construction and Mining Equipment Wholesalers NAICS 423810

Jan 14, 2026 - Caterpillar Partners with Nvidia to Build AI into Heavy Equipment

• Caterpillar is deepening its partnership with Nvidia by embedding the Jetson Thor platform across construction, mining, and power equipment, according to Technology.org. An AI-driven “digital nervous system” enables machines to process billions of data points and adapt in real time. The company’s new Cat AI Assistant, powered by Nvidia’s Riva speech models, offers voice-activated troubleshooting, coaching, and equipment adjustments using Caterpillar’s proprietary Helios data. Caterpillar is also building digital twins of job sites and factories through Nvidia’s Omniverse to improve planning, forecasting, and workflow design. The collaboration extends to autonomous vehicles, edge-based decision making, and AI-enhanced manufacturing.
• The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Construction Backlog Indicator rose 0.1 months to 8.4 months in December 2025 compared to November. The infrastructure backlog decreased by 0.9 months to 9.1 months in December, compared to the previous month, and the heavy industrial backlog dropped 1.8 months to 6.7 months over the same period. November’s commercial and institutional construction backlog rose 0.2 months to 8.4 months compared to November. The ABC’s Construction Confidence Index for sales rose to 62.9 in December from 59.8 in November. A Confidence Index sales reading of 50 or more indicates most contractors are optimistic about sales. ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu said 2025 backlogs were down sharply for small contractors, who are less likely to work in the booming data center sector. Contractors with data center work had backlogs of 11 months in December, while those with no data center work had backlogs of just 7.8 months.

• Governments across the Americas are revising their mining policies as they enter 2026, amid intensifying demand for critical minerals, supply chain pressures, and geopolitical risks, according to Investing News Network. In the United States, the Trump administration is backing a Republican-led push to overturn a Biden-era mining ban in Minnesota that restricted access to major copper, nickel, and cobalt deposits. Brazil has opened a public consultation to update its National Mining Plan 2050, aiming to strengthen long-term strategic goals and capitalize on rising interest in lithium, rare earths, copper, and other materials. Mexico is accelerating long-stalled permitting, clearing most of its inherited project backlog and unlocking an estimated $11 billion in investment. Ecuador is tightening royalties and regulatory requirements but reopening its concessions registry after seven years, seeking to balance oversight with renewed sector growth.
• Caterpillar is riding a surge in data center construction as power-hungry AI projects drive unprecedented demand for on-site electricity generation, making its power and energy division the company’s fastest-growing segment, according to The Wall Street Journal. Data center developers are turning to Caterpillar for hundreds of natural-gas generators as strained grids push data center builders to produce their own power. The boom has lifted Caterpillar’s stock, spurred its largest factory investments in 15 years, and is expected to accelerate annual sales growth by 5% to 7% through 2030. Although analysts warn of parallels to the dot-com bubble, Caterpillar says that early planning with customers provides it with clearer visibility into long-term demand. Power generation sales increased by 22% in 2024, and the company is expanding engine capacity to support massive AI-driven projects that require gigawatts of electricity, specialized cooling systems, and dedicated service crews.