Alban CAT held its fifth annual Cat-A-Thon Sale & Expo Nov. 1 in Baltimore, Md.

The event featured special deals on hundreds of pieces of Caterpillar equipment, attachments, allied equipment, tires and tracks and more. Cat-A-Thon guests also were eligible to receive product support specials. By simply attending, guests could do one of the following to either receive a $1,000 credit to their account or to win a new 64 GB 3G iPad:

• Sign up one or more of their machines — Caterpillar or non-Caterpillar — for a customer support agreement (CSA);

• Order a Certified Machine or Powertrain Rebuild of their Caterpillar equipment; or

• Open a PartStore account and spend $2,500.

Attendees also were treated to two special guests. Baltimore’s own Mike Rowe, creator, executive producer and host of the Discovery Channel’s popular show, “Dirty Jobs,” paid a visit.

Cole Bacon, advertising manager of Alban CAT, emceed a Q&A session with Rowe. Bacon and Cat-A-Thon guests asked Rowe a host of questions about “Dirty Jobs” as well as “Deadliest Catch,” another popular show for which he narrates. His favorite boat captain? Rowe answered the late Phil Harris, former captain of the Cornelia Marie.

The other special “guest” was the new Caterpillar CT660 vocational truck. Announced at this year’s ConExpo, the CT660 has been making pit stops at Caterpillar dealerships across the country. During Alban’s Cat-A-Thon, the truck drew heavy interest from both potential buyers and curious onlookers.

Other highlights of the Cat-A-Thon included a compact equipment rodeo, facility tours, a GPS seminar with Alban and Trimble experts and 30 allied vendor exhibits. A free lunch also was served to all who attended.