CAT Entertainment Services is both ubiquitous and subject to possible misunderstanding: it’s a business unit dedicated to providing temporary power and temperature control services for live events; it’s at the forefront of sustainable power; and while it is often called on for the big tours, it can be a part of that smaller gig, too.
CAT ES supplies generators, power distribution, heaters, air conditioners, chillers and all of the accessories and technical services required for tours, festivals, broadcast productions, location shoots and live events of all kinds. Their services include site surveys, transportation and logistics, customized installation and operation, and fuel service.
The “ES” in “CAT ES”
Phil Wessels has been in the rental power industry for nearly 30 years in various roles, including some early years spent in the Middle East. But for the last 25 years, he’s been stateside, working for Ring Power Corporation and, in 1999, he founded the CAT ES division.
“Our team is made up of professionals, some with experience spanning 25 to 30 years in the business,” the vice president/general manager states. “We’re not a 12-year-old company when it comes to the people who are part of the vision. One of our strongest assets is our technical services. Anybody can rent a generator set, but what makes the difference is, we provide turnkey solutions, and that’s where experience really kicks in.”
Margolin is just one of several professionals Wessels is referring to. Though he’s been with CAT ES since 2001, he’s been in touring for 20-plus years. “I was very lucky,” Margolin says. “I came up through a company called Showpower, under a wonderful Irish genius, John Campion. They made the touring industry realize that power was as important as lighting and sound, and should be taken along. You have a show like the current Madonna tour, or last year’s U2, and rather than recreate the wheel every time with a rental, it’s so much better to have power with you and a team that can set it up quickly and safely.”
Wessels adds that while the equipment is lined out and pre-tested, the attention to detail is a critical part of the process. “Identifying all the moving parts and assembling it to make it easy to use is important,” he says. “The crew that will work with what we send out will live and breathe it every day. That’s how we’re unique from a rental company — it’s our service.”
Margolin agrees. “We send out really great technicians who can think on their feet.” People matter, but equipment does too, and “CAT ES buys the best equipment in the world,” Margolin adds. “[Corporate] is wonderful to work with because the emphasis is on safety, as it should be. I’ve been fortunate that CAT has the best, safest equipment in every country, and it’s a wonderful situation, because it allows us to do our jobs the right way, globally.”
There is zero room for failure, which is why the company comes to the event being 100 percent redundant. “If a show is going to start in a few hours and there are 90,000 people in the audience, you can’t have the power go down,” Margolin explains.
Consistency and stability are important everywhere you go, of course; but that gets exponentially more complicated when it comes to international shows. “Different countries usually require different voltages, and standards in one place aren’t necessarily standard someplace else. Yet that doesn’t change the fact that the generator needs to be stable. Power becomes really important. If power isn’t on time, the river gets dammed and every other department gets delayed.”
CAT ES serves a diverse customer base. Wessels referred to a recent project, Frieze Art Fair New York, featuring the world’s largest temporary stage and largest single-unit marquee. “CAT ES supplied 4,000 tons of cooling, 7.9 megawatts of power generation and nearly 21 miles of electrical cable to distribute power and comfort air to 178 vendors located throughout the, 240,000 square-foot tent,” he says. “Not only did we need to ensure that the people were comfortable, but also that priceless artwork wasn’t subject to damage.” Mike Moloney, another seasoned vet at CAT ES, managed this event.
Margolin recalls two highlights of his career contributing to the success of the music festivals Bonnaroo and Coachella. “Both festivals are awesome events, and each provides a unique experience for the CAT ES team.” On a personal note, Margolin says it means a lot when they receive a call from the likes of production manager and Parnelli Lifetime Achievement honoree Jake Berry, U2’s longtime PM, who is currently on the Madonna tour. “We are honored when we get a call from someone like Jake. In my opinion, he’s our industry’s Michael Jordan, and we’re honored that the best in the business is giving us a call.”
But no matter who it is, the process is similar: discussions and planning involve all of the different departments (lighting, audio, video, etc.) to make sure everyone’s needs are being met. “We try to be super efficient and cut through it all quickly, so we can put together the most efficient package possible.”
Green Energy
CAT ES started minding its carbon footprint even before the term was commonly used. “We were using biodiesel as an alternative fuel before there were even documentaries about global warming,” says Margolin. Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction requested it for an early Lollapalooza tour, and CAT ES complied.
“We customize our CAT brand generators for every music event, and that includes having them run on biodiesel,” Wessels says. CAT ES works with clients on sustainability, offering other alternatives, like uninterruptible power sources, as well. “Our engines are state-of-the-art and meet the latest emissions standards. ‘Green’ and ‘sustainability’ are not just buzzwords for us.”
Both Wessels and Margolin are quick to emphasize that “the big tours” aren’t all they do. “We do bar mitzvahs, too!” Margolin points out. “People would be surprised at all the smaller- and medium-sized events we’re supporting, because they see us at the Rose Bowl. Really, when the lady having a chili cook-off doesn’t have the power she needs for her event, she’s as upset as any rock star!”
Going forward, “we want to continue to hone our skills and strive for perfection,” says Wessels. “We want to stick with our core competence, providing flawless power and temperature control solutions and focus on superior customer service.”
“I want us to grow, but also to never lose sight of what got us to this point, which is taking good care of one client at a time,” Margolin adds. “I want every client to feel like he or she is our only customer, 24/7/365. And to do that, we need to continue to be very detail-oriented.”
