Jack Olding

Jack Olding of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England had a company (Jack Olding & Co. Ltd), which specialised in the import and modification of tanks and tractors during the Second World War (notably being the sole importer into the UK of Caterpillars). Before this Jack had several prestige Car Dealerships in Mayfair and other London locations.

He had a factory on the A1 just to the north of Hatfield, at a site now known as either Oldings Corner or Caterpillar Island.

In 1935, Fred Myers, already the sole UK importer for Caterpillar machines, under the banner of H. Leverton & Co. Ltd., forged an alliance with his friend Jack Olding in agreement with Caterpillar USA, to split the UK Caterpillar Dealerships in two throughout England and Wales. Fred and Jack also formed a joint company, L.O. Tractors, which looked after Scotland. After the war, partly because of government pressure caused by a shortage of dollars, he made an ultimately unsuccessful gamble by relinquishing the Caterpillar agency for what proved to be the less than successful bid, having been offered Worldwide Rights to the new Vickers Vigor tractor.

On his death, the company passed to Scottish Land Development and became known as SLD Olding.

Jack Olding's real name was Henry John Douglas Olding.