Item 1. Business.

General

Originally organized as Caterpillar Tractor Co. in 1925 in the State of California, our company was reorganized as Caterpillar Inc. in 1986 in the State of Delaware. As used herein, the term “Caterpillar,” “we,” “us,” “our” or “the company” refers to Caterpillar Inc. and its subsidiaries unless designated or identified otherwise.

Overview

With 2023 sales and revenues of $67.060 billion, 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. The company principally operates through its three primary segments - Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation - and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. Caterpillar is also a leading U.S. exporter. Through a global network of independent dealers and direct sales of certain products, Caterpillar builds long-term relationships with customers around the world.

Enterprise Strategy

Our company strategy, rolled out in 2017, reflects our legacy and our continuing commitment to meet the needs of our customers and the communities in which we live and work. United by our Values, Caterpillar employees around the world share a focused view of our business through the Operating & Execution Model, through which we are making strategic choices today to create long-term profitable growth. Since 2017, we focused on three strategic areas: Expanded Offerings, Operational Excellence and Services. In 2022, we updated our strategy to also include Sustainability as a strategic area. For nearly 100 years, our longstanding commitment to sustainability has inspired us to set and achieve meaningful environmental, social and governance goals. It’s also allowed us to develop innovative products, technologies and services to support our customers on their sustainability journey. The addition of sustainability as a strategic area, together with operational excellence, expanded offerings and services, highlights our work to help customers build a better, more sustainable world.

Currently, we have five operating segments, of which four are reportable segments and are described below.

Categories of Business Organization

1.Machinery, Energy & Transportation — Caterpillar Inc. and its subsidiaries, excluding Financial Products. Machinery, Energy & Transportation information relates to the design, manufacturing and marketing of our products.

2.Financial Products — Our finance and insurance subsidiaries, primarily Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation (Cat Financial) and Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc. (Insurance Services). Financial Products information relates to the financing to customers and dealers for the purchase and lease of Caterpillar and other equipment.

Other information about our operations in 2023, including certain risks associated with our operations, is included in Part II, Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Construction Industries

Our Construction Industries segment is primarily responsible for supporting customers using machinery in infrastructure and building construction. The majority of machine sales in this segment are made in the heavy and general construction, rental, quarry and aggregates and mining.

The nature of customer demand for construction machinery varies around the world. Customers in developing economies often prioritize purchase price in making their investment decisions, while customers in developed economies generally weigh productivity and other performance criteria that contribute to lower owning and operating costs over the lifetime of the machine. To meet customer expectations in developing economies, Caterpillar developed differentiated product offerings that target customers in those regions, including our SEM brand machines. We believe that these customer-driven product innovations enable us to compete more effectively in developing economies. The majority of Construction Industries' research and development spending in 2023 focused on the next generation of construction machines.

The competitive environment for construction machinery is characterized by some global competitors and many regional and specialized local competitors.Examples of global competitors include CASE (part of CNH Industrial N.V.), Deere Construction & Forestry (part of Deere & Company), Doosan Bobcat (Part of Doosan Group), Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., Hyundai Construction Equipment Co., Ltd., Hyundai Doosan Infracore Co., Ltd. (both part of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group), J.C. Bamford Excavators Ltd., Kobelco Construction Machinery (part of Kobe Steel, Ltd), Komatsu Ltd., Kubota Farm & Industrial Machinery (part of Kubota Corporation), Sany Heavy Industry Co., Ltd., and Volvo Construction Equipment (part of the Volvo Group).As an example of regional and local competitors, our competitors in China also include Guangxi LiuGong Machinery Co., Ltd., Longking Holdings Ltd., Sany Heavy Industry Co, XCMG Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., Shandong Lingong Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (SDLG, JV with Volvo Construction Equipment) and Shantui Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., (part of Shandong Heavy Industry Group Co.).Each of these companies has varying product lines that compete with Caterpillar products, and each has varying degrees of regional focus.

The Construction Industries portfolio includes the following product families as well as related parts and work tools:

· asphalt pavers

· motor graders

· track-type tractors (small, medium)

· backhoe loaders

· pipelayers

· track excavators (mini, small

· cold planers

· road reclaimers

medium, large)

· compactors

· skid steer loaders

· wheel excavators

· compact track loaders

· telehandlers

· wheel loaders (compact, small,

· forestry machines

· track-type loaders

medium)

· material handlers

Resource Industries

The Resource Industries segment is primarily responsible for supporting customers using machinery in mining and heavy construction and quarry and aggregates. Caterpillar offers a broad product range and services to deliver comprehensive solutions for our customers. We develop and manufacture high productivity equipment for both surface and underground mining operations around the world, as well as provide hydraulic systems, electronics and software for Caterpillar machines and engines.Our equipment is used to extract and haul copper, iron ore, coal, oil sands, aggregates, gold and other minerals and ores, as well as a variety of heavy construction applications.In addition to equipment, Resource Industries also develops and sells technology products and services to provide customers fleet management systems, equipment management analytics and autonomous machine capabilities.

Customers in most markets place an emphasis on equipment that is highly productive, reliable and provides the lowest total cost of ownership over the life of the equipment.In some developing markets, customers often prioritize purchase price in making their investment decisions. We believe our ability to control the integration and design of key machine components and innovative technologies represents a competitive advantage. Our research and development efforts remain focused on providing customers the lowest total cost of ownership enabled through the highest quality, most productive products and services in the industry.

The competitive environment for Resource Industries consists of a few larger global competitors that compete in several of the markets that we serve and a substantial number of smaller companies that compete in a more limited range of products, applications, and regional markets. Our global surface competitors include Deere Construction & Forestry (part of Deere & Company), Epiroc AB, Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., Komatsu Ltd., Liebherr-International AG, Sandvik AB, and Volvo Construction Equipment. Our global underground competitors include Epiroc AB, Komatsu Ltd., and Sandvik AB.

The Resource Industries product portfolio includes the following machines and related parts and services:

· electric rope shovels

· large wheel loaders

· soil compactors

· draglines

· off-highway trucks

· machinery components

· hydraulic shovels

· articulated trucks

· autonomous ready vehicles and solutions

· rotary drills

· wheel tractor scrapers

· select work tools

· hard rock vehicles

· wheel dozers

· safety services and mining performance

· large track-type tractors

· fleet management

solutions

· large mining trucks

· landfill compactors

Energy & Transportation

Our Energy & Transportation segment supports customers in oil and gas, power generation, marine, rail and industrial applications, including Caterpillar machines. The product and services portfolio includes reciprocating engines, generator sets, integrated systems and solutions, turbines and turbine-related services, electrified powertrain and zero-emission power sources and service solutions development, the remanufacturing of Caterpillar engines and components, remanufacturing services for other companies, diesel-electric locomotives and other rail-related products and services and product support of on-highway vocational trucks for North America.

Regulatory emissions standards require us to continue to make investments as new products and new regulations are introduced. Ongoing compliance with these regulations remains a focus. Emissions compliance in developing markets is complex due to rapidly evolving and unique requirements where enforcement processes can often vary. We employ robust product development, manufacturing processes and testing to help us comply with these regulations.

The competitive environment for reciprocating engines in marine, oil and gas, industrial and electric power generation systems along with turbines in oil and gas and electric power generation consists of a few larger global competitors that compete in a variety of markets that Caterpillar serves, and a substantial number of smaller companies that compete in a limited-size product range, geographic region and/or application. Principal global competitors include Cummins Inc., Deutz AG, Rolls-Royce Power Systems and Siemens Energy Global GmbH. Other competitors, such as Volvo Penta AB, FPT Industrial (Iveco Group), INNIO, GE Vernova, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Energy Solution & Marine Engineering, MAN Energy Solutions (VW), Weichai Power Co., Ltd., and other emerging market competitors compete in certain markets in which Caterpillar competes. An additional set of competitors, including Aggreko plc, Generac Holdings, Kohler Energy, Baker Hughes Co., and others, are primarily packagers who source engines and/or other components from domestic and international suppliers and market products regionally and internationally through a variety of distribution channels. In rail-related businesses, our global competitors include Wabtec Freight, The Greenbrier Companies, Voestalpine AG, and Vossloh AG, Alstom SA, Siemens Mobility, and CRRC Corp., LTD. We also compete with other companies on a more limited range of products, services and/or geographic regions.

The Energy & Transportation portfolio includes the following products and related parts:

• Reciprocating engine powered generator sets

• Reciprocating engines, drivetrain and integrated systems and solutions supplied to the industrial industry as well as Caterpillar machinery

• Integrated systems and solutions used in the electric power generation industry

• Turbines, centrifugal gas compressors and related services

• Reciprocating engines, drivetrain and integrated systems and solutions for the marine and oil and gas industries

• Diesel-electric locomotives and components and other rail-related products and services

Financial Products Segment

The business of our Financial Products Segment is primarily conducted by Cat Financial, Insurance Services and their respective subsidiaries and affiliates. Cat Financial is a wholly owned finance subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc. and it provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives to customers and dealers around the world for Caterpillar products and services, as well as financing for vehicles and power generation facilities that, in most cases, incorporate Caterpillar products. Retail financing is primarily comprised of installment sale contracts and other equipment-related loans, working capital loans, finance leases and operating leases. Wholesale financing to Caterpillar dealers consists primarily of inventory and rental fleet financing. In addition, Cat Financial purchases short-term wholesale trade receivables from Caterpillar. The various financing plans offered by Cat Financial are designed to support sales of Caterpillar products and services and generate financing income for Cat Financial. A significant portion of our activity is conducted in North America and we have additional offices and subsidiaries in Latin America, Asia/Pacific, Europe and Africa.

For over 40 years, Cat Financial has been providing financing for Caterpillar products, contributing to our knowledge of asset values, industry trends, financing structures and customer needs.

In certain instances, Cat Financial’s operations are subject to supervision and regulation by state, federal and various foreign governmental authorities, and may be subject to various laws and judicial and administrative decisions imposing various requirements and restrictions which, among other things, (i) regulate credit granting activities and the administration of loans, (ii) establish maximum interest rates, finance charges and other charges, (iii) require disclosures to customers, (iv) govern secured transactions, (v) set collection, foreclosure, repossession and other trade practices and (vi) regulate the use and reporting of information related to a borrower’s credit experience. Cat Financial’s ability to comply with these and other governmental and legal requirements and restrictions affects its operations.

Cat Financial’s retail loans include:

• Loans that allow customers and dealers to use their Caterpillar equipment or other assets as collateral to obtain financing.

• Installment sale contracts, which are equipment loans that enable customers to purchase equipment with structured payments over time.

Cat Financial's retail leases include:

• Finance (non-tax) leases, where the lessee for tax purposes is considered to be the owner of the equipment during the term of the lease, that either require or allow the customer to purchase the equipment for a fixed price at the end of the term.

• Tax leases that are classified as either operating or finance leases for financial accounting purposes, depending on the characteristics of the lease. For tax purposes, we are considered the owner of the equipment.

Cat Financial also purchases short-term receivables from Caterpillar.

Cat Financial’s wholesale loans and leases include inventory/rental programs, which provide assistance to dealers by financing their new Caterpillar inventory and rental fleets.

Cat Financial operates in a highly competitive environment, with financing for users of Caterpillar equipment and services available through a variety of sources, principally commercial banks and finance and leasing companies. Our competitors include Wells Fargo Equipment Finance Inc., Banc of America Leasing & Capital LLC, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions Limited, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, Société Générale S.A. and various other banks and finance companies. In addition, many of the manufacturers that compete with Caterpillar also own financial subsidiaries, such as John Deere Capital Corporation, Komatsu Financial L.P., Volvo Financial Services and Kubota Credit Corporation, which utilize many below-market interest rate programs (funded by the manufacturer) to support machine sales. Cat Financial works with the broader Caterpillar organization to provide a broad array of financial merchandising programs to compete around the world.

The financial results of Cat Financial are largely dependent upon the ability of Caterpillar dealers to sell equipment and customers’ willingness to enter into financing or leasing agreements. Cat Financial is also affected by, among other things, the availability of funds from its financing sources, its cost of funds relative to its competitors and general economic conditions such as inflation and market interest rates.

Cat Financial has a match-funding policy that addresses interest rate risk by aligning the interest rate profile (fixed or floating rate and duration) of its debt portfolio with the interest rate profile of its receivables portfolio within predetermined ranges on an ongoing basis. In connection with that policy, Cat Financial uses interest rate derivative instruments to modify the debt structure to match assets within the receivables portfolio. This matched funding reduces the volatility of margins between interest-bearing assets and interest-bearing liabilities, regardless of which direction interest rates move. For more information regarding match funding, please see Note 4 — “Derivative financial instruments and risk management” of Part II, Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data." See also the risk factors associated with our financial products business included in Item 1 A. of this Form 10-K.

In managing foreign currency risk for Cat Financial’s operations, the objective is to minimize earnings volatility resulting from conversion and the remeasurement of net foreign currency balance sheet positions, and future transactions denominated in foreign currencies. This policy allows the use of foreign currency forward, option and cross currency contracts to offset the risk of currency mismatch between the assets and liabilities, and exchange rate risk associated with future transactions denominated in foreign currencies.

Cat Financial provides financing only when certain criteria are met. Credit decisions are based on a variety of credit quality factors including prior payment experience, customer financial information, credit ratings, loan-to-value ratios and other internal metrics. Cat Financial typically maintains a security interest in retail-financed equipment and generally requires physical damage insurance coverage on financed equipment. Cat Financial finances a significant portion of Caterpillar dealers’ sales and inventory of Caterpillar equipment throughout the world. Cat Financial’s competitive position is improved by marketing programs offered in conjunction with Caterpillar and/or Caterpillar dealers. Under these programs, Caterpillar, or the dealer, funds an amount at the outset of the transaction, which Cat Financial then recognizes as revenue over the term of the financing. We believe that these marketing programs provide Cat Financial a significant competitive advantage in financing Caterpillar products.

Caterpillar Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc., is a U.S. insurance company domiciled in Missouri and primarily regulated by the Missouri Department of Insurance. Caterpillar Insurance Company is licensed to conduct property and casualty insurance business in 50 states, the District of Columbia and Guam, and as such, is also regulated in those jurisdictions. The State of Missouri acts as the lead regulatory authority and monitors Caterpillar Insurance Company’s financial status to ensure that it is in compliance with minimum solvency requirements, as well as other financial ratios prescribed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Caterpillar Insurance Company is also licensed to conduct insurance business through a branch in Zurich, Switzerland and, as such, is regulated by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority.

Caterpillar Life Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar, is a U.S. insurance company domiciled in Missouri and primarily regulated by the Missouri Department of Insurance. Caterpillar Life Insurance Company is licensed to conduct life and accident and health insurance business in 26 states and the District of Columbia and, as such, is also regulated in those jurisdictions. The State of Missouri acts as the lead regulatory authority and it monitors the financial status to ensure that it is in compliance with minimum solvency requirements, as well as other financial ratios prescribed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Caterpillar Life Insurance Company provides reinsurance coverage to Caterpillar Insurance Company. Specifically, Caterpillar Life Insurance Company has entered into a reinsurance agreement with Caterpillar Insurance Company, assuming 100% of the risk of an Accident and Health Stop Loss Insurance Policy to cover a Caterpillar Voluntary Employees' Benefits Association (VEBA) Trust for medical losses sustained by a select group of Caterpillar retirees and dependents.

Caterpillar Insurance Co. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc., is a captive insurance company domiciled in Bermuda and regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Caterpillar Insurance Co. Ltd. is registered as a Class 2 (General Business) and Class B (Long-Term) insurer with the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Under its Class 2 insurance license, Caterpillar Insurance Co. Ltd. insures its parent and affiliates for general liability, property, auto liability and cargo. It also provides reinsurance to Caterpillar Insurance Company under a quota share reinsurance agreement for its contractual liability and contractors’ equipment programs in the United States. In addition, Caterpillar Insurance Co. Ltd. reinsures 100% of the international employee benefit plans of Caterpillar Inc. through retrocession agreements with other insurers. The employee benefits coverages include medical and accident coverages. which are reported under its Class 2 insurance license and life and disability coverages, which are reported under its Class B insurance license. The Bermuda Monetary Authority is responsible for monitoring compliance with solvency requirements and requires an Annual Financial Filing for this purpose.

Caterpillar Insurance Services Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc., is a Tennessee insurance agency licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Guam. It provides brokerage and insurance services for all property and casualty and life and health lines of business.

Caterpillar’s insurance group provides protection and service for claims under the following programs:

• Contractual Liability Insurance to insure certain service contract obligations of Caterpillar and its affiliates, Caterpillar dealers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

• Cargo reinsurance for the worldwide cargo risks of Caterpillar products.

• Contractors’ Equipment Physical Damage Insurance for equipment manufactured by Caterpillar or OEMs, which is leased, rented or sold by third party dealers to customers.

• General liability, employer’s liability, auto liability and property insurance for Caterpillar.

• Life, disability, medical and accident reinsurance for Caterpillar's international employee benefits program (non-U.S.).

• Reinsurance to cover VEBA Trust for medical claims of certain Caterpillar retirees and dependents.

• Brokerage and insurance services for property and casualty and life and health business.

Competitive Environment

Caterpillar products and services are sold worldwide into a variety of highly competitive markets. In all markets, we compete on the basis of product performance, customer service, quality and price. From time to time, the intensity of competition results in price discounting in a particular industry or region. Such price discounting puts pressure on margins and can negatively impact operating profit. Outside the United States, certain competitors enjoy competitive advantages inherent to operating in their home countries or regions.

Raw Materials and Component Products

We source our raw materials and manufactured components from suppliers both domestically and internationally. These purchases include unformed materials and rough and finished parts. Unformed materials include a variety of steel products, which are then cut or formed to shape and machined in our facilities. Rough parts include various sized steel and iron castings and forgings, which are machined to final specification levels inside our facilities. Finished parts are ready to assemble components, which are made either to Caterpillar specifications or to supplier developed specifications. We machine and assemble some of the components used in our machines, engines and power generation units and to support our after-market dealer parts sales. We also purchase various goods and services used in production, logistics, offices and product development processes. We maintain global strategic sourcing models to meet our global facilities’ production needs while building long-term supplier relationships and leveraging enterprise spend. We expect our suppliers to maintain, at all times, industry-leading levels of quality and the ability to timely deliver raw materials and component products for our machine and engine products. However, in some cases, increases in demand or supply chain disruptions have led to parts and components constraints across some products. We use a variety of agreements with suppliers to protect our intellectual property and processes to monitor and mitigate risks of the supply base causing a business disruption. The risks monitored include supplier financial viability, the ability to increase or decrease production levels, business continuity, quality and delivery.

Patents and Trademarks

We own a number of patents and trademarks, which have been obtained over a period of years and relate to the products we manufacture and the services we provide. These patents and trademarks are generally considered beneficial to our business. We do not regard our business as being dependent upon any single patent or group of patents.

Order Backlog

The dollar amount of backlog believed to be firm was approximately $27.5 billion at December 31, 2023 and $30.4 billion at December 31, 2022. Compared with year-end 2022, the order backlog decreased across the three primary segments. Of the total backlog at December 31, 2023, approximately $5.8 billion was not expected to be filled in 2024.

Dealers and Distributors

We distribute our machines principally through a worldwide organization of dealers (dealer network), 43 located in the United States and 113 located outside the United States, serving 191 countries. We sell reciprocating engines principally through the dealer network and to other manufacturers for use in products. We also sell some of the reciprocating engines manufactured by our subsidiary Perkins Engines Company Limited through its worldwide network of 88 distributors covering 185 countries. We sell the FG Wilson branded electric power generation systems through its worldwide network of 110 distributors covering 109 countries.

Our dealers do not deal exclusively with our products; however, in most cases sales and servicing of our products are the dealers’ principal business. We sell some products, primarily turbines and locomotives, directly to end customers through sales forces employed by the company. At times, these employees are assisted by independent sales representatives.

While the large majority of our worldwide dealers are independently owned and operated, we own and operate a dealership in Japan that covers approximately 80% of the Japanese market: Nippon Caterpillar Division. We are currently operating this Japanese dealer directly and we report its results in the All Other operating segment. There are also three independent dealers in the Southern Region of Japan.

For Caterpillar-branded products, the company’s relationship with each of its independent dealers is memorialized in standard sales and service agreements. Pursuant to these agreements, the company grants the dealer the right to purchase and sell its products and to service the products in a specified geographic service territory. The company establishes prices to dealers after receiving input from dealers on transactional pricing in the marketplace. The company also agrees to defend its intellectual property and to provide warranty and technical support to the dealer. The agreement further grants the dealer a non-exclusive license to use the company’s trademarks, service marks and brand names. In some instances, a separate trademark agreement exists between the company and a dealer.

In exchange for these rights, the agreement obligates the dealer to develop and promote the sale of the company’s products to current and prospective customers in the dealer’s service territory. Each dealer agrees to employ adequate sales and support personnel to market, sell and promote the company’s products, demonstrate and exhibit the products, perform the company’s product improvement programs, inform the company concerning any features that might affect the safe operation of any of the company’s products and maintain detailed books and records of the dealer’s financial condition, sales and inventories and make these books and records available at the company’s reasonable request.

These sales and service agreements are terminable at will by either party primarily upon 90 days written notice.

Human Capital

Core Values

Caterpillar’s global workforce is united by Our Values In Action, Caterpillar’s Code of Conduct. Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork, Commitment and Sustainability provide the foundation for our values-based culture. Our diversity and inclusion principles are embedded in our values. Our values unite us, and reflect our diverse cultures, languages, geographies, and businesses, as one Caterpillar team.

Health and Safety

The health and safety of our employees is an important focus at Caterpillar, and we strive to continually reduce our recordable injuries utilizing programs that amplify our safety culture, globally. In 2023, the Company achieved a recordable injury frequency rate of 0.40, compared to the 2022 recordable injury frequency rate of 0.44. In addition, Caterpillar has refreshed our safety strategy to enhance our focus on preventing serious injuries and to encourage learning from those closest to the work.

Talent Development and Training

In addition to our focus on values and safety, we strive to continually attract, develop, engage, and retain a high-performing diverse global team that executes our enterprise strategy of long-term profitable growth.

We are committed to employee development and helping individuals reach their full potential, by making on-going investments in our team. Our global internships, engineering co-ops, and career programs for engineering, marketing, and manufacturing provide development opportunities for early career employees. We also have a continual focus on strengthening technical, professional and leadership capabilities at every level using contemporary learning strategies to foster high performance. Strategic talent reviews and succession planning occur at a minimum, annually, across our businesses.

Our leadership development programs focus on encouraging a variety of experiences to help employees broaden understanding and increase perspective. Our leadership curriculums include managing for inclusion and building resilient and high performing teams as core development principles. Additionally, skill-based programs to upskill our manufacturing employees are developed locally and tailored to the specific needs of the business.

Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to fostering a diverse workforce and an inclusive environment that is representative of the many customers and communities we serve around the globe. Our strategic approach weaves diversity and inclusion seamlessly into the business, ensuring that the principles guide us in our daily operating rhythm. Our 14 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which are sponsored and supported by leadership, help ensure different voices and perspectives contribute to our strategy for long-term profitable growth. They also engage our employees, helping contribute to development and retention.

Our ERGs provide many contributions, such as mentoring programs that connect diverse employees with senior leaders who can support their career goals, partnerships with recruiters and diverse early career and professional organizations that can assist in strengthening the diverse talent pipeline and programs that educate and inform on the richness of the global cultures that we share.

Compensation, Benefits and Employee Insights

Providing competitive benefits and compensation underpins our commitment to our engaged and productive employees. Our pay-for-performance philosophy aligns employee’s individual contributions, behaviors and business results with individual rewards. Our comprehensive Total Health programs focus on purpose, as well as physical and mental health, emotional and social support, and financial wellness. The annual Employee Insights Survey provides all employees the opportunity to confidentially share their perspectives and engages leaders to listen, learn and respond to employee feedback to help foster a positive work environment.

Employment

Management aligns employment levels with the needs of the business. We believe we have the appropriate human capital resources to successfully operate and deliver our enterprise strategy. As of December 31, 2023, we employed about 113,200 full-time persons of whom approximately 62,400 were located outside the United States. In the United States, we employed approximately 50,800 full-time persons, most of whom are at-will employees and, therefore, not subject to any type of employment contract or agreement. At select business units, we have hired certain highly specialized employees under employment contracts that specify a term of employment, pay and other benefits.

Full-Time Employees at Year-End
	2023	2022
Inside U.S.	50,800	48,200
Outside U.S.	62,400	60,900
Total	113,200	109,100

By Region:
North America	51,200	48,700
EAME	16,600	16,900
Latin America	20,300	19,100
Asia/Pacific	25,100	24,400
Total	113,200	109,100

As of December 31, 2023, there were 7,973 hourly production employees in the United States who were covered by collective bargaining agreements with various labor unions, including The United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), The International Association of Machinists and The United Steelworkers. Outside the United States, the company enters into employment contracts and agreements in those countries in which such relationships are mandatory or customary. The provisions of these agreements generally correspond in each case with the required or customary terms in the subject jurisdiction.

Environmental Matters

The company is regulated by federal, state and international environmental laws governing our use, transport and disposal of substances and control of emissions. In addition to governing our manufacturing and other operations, these laws often impact the development of our products, including, but not limited to, required compliance with air emissions standards applicable to internal combustion engines. We have made, and will continue to make, significant research and development and capital expenditures to comply with these emissions standards.

We are engaged in remedial activities at a number of locations, often with other companies, pursuant to federal and state laws. When it is probable we will pay remedial costs at a site, and those costs can be reasonably estimated, the investigation, remediation, and operating and maintenance costs of the remedial action are accrued against our earnings. Costs are accrued

based on consideration of currently available data and information with respect to each individual site, including available technologies, current applicable laws and regulations, and prior remediation experience. Where no amount within a range of estimates is more likely, we accrue the minimum. Where multiple potentially responsible parties are involved, we consider our proportionate share of the probable costs. In formulating the estimate of probable costs, we do not consider amounts expected to be recovered from insurance companies or others. We reassess these accrued amounts on a quarterly basis. The amount recorded for environmental remediation is not material and is included in the line item "Accrued expenses" in Statement 3 — "Consolidated Financial Position at December 31" of Part II, Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data." There is no more than a remote chance that a material amount for remedial activities at any individual site, or at all the sites in the aggregate, will be required.

Available Information

The company files electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) required reports on Form 8-K, Form 10-Q, Form 10-K and Form 11-K; proxy materials; ownership reports for insiders as required by Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act); registration statements on Forms S-3 and S-8, as necessary; and other forms or reports as required. The SEC maintains a website (www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The company maintains a website (www.Caterpillar.com) and copies of our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to these reports filed or furnished with the SEC are available free of charge through our website (www.Caterpillar.com/secfilings) as soon as reasonably practicable after filing with the SEC. Copies of our board committee charters, our board’s Guidelines on Corporate Governance Issues, Worldwide Code of Conduct and other corporate governance information are available on our website (www.Caterpillar.com/governance) and are also available free of charge. The information contained on the company’s website is not included in, or incorporated by reference into, this annual report on Form 10-K.

Additional company information may be obtained as follows:

Current information -

• view additional financial information on-line at www.Caterpillar.com/en/investors/financial-information.html

• request, view or download materials on-line or register for email alerts at www.Caterpillar.com/materialsrequest

Historical information -

• view/download on-line at www.Caterpillar.com/historical

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