April 2008

We Are the Champions

Backhoe Handling for Humanity

Defining Doosan

Caterpillar’s Electrified Tractor

The Road to Volvo

CONEXPO: King of Trade Shows

Letters to the Editor

We Are the Champions
Case Rodeo Ranglers Saddle Up For the Final Bout

Nick Market stands victoriously atop the winner’s podium, while Corey Jessen, Tim Reynolds, Jeff Coble and Dennis Drake refl ect on their own awesome accomplishments in second, third, fourth and fi fth place, respectively.

Smooth swinging backhoe loaders replaced bucking broncos at the Case North American Rodeo Series, which crowned a winner at CONEXPO in Las Vegas and raised more than $140,000 for 75 Habitat for Humanity affiliates across North America.

From a field of 4,200 backhoe loader operators from across the United States and Canada, the top five finalists — Nick Market, Jeff Coble, Dennis Drake, Corey Jessen and Tim Reynolds — gathered on a crisp Las Vegas evening for the championship competition. Nick Market of Windsor, Ontario, emerged victoriously to claim his prize of a limited-edition Case 580 Super M Series 2 backhoe loader, valued at nearly $120,000, and the title of Case North American Rodeo Series Champion.

“Nick is a superb backhoe loader operator — the best of the best in North America,” said Jim Hughes, brand marketing manager, Case Construction Equipment, and manager of the Case Rodeo Series. “Even under the pressure of some stiff competition and hundreds of spectators watching him, Nick never wavered. That’s the sign of a true champion.”

An equipment operator with Sherqy Contracting in Windsor, Market led the pack of finalists with a score of 340.37. Market has been operating backhoe loaders for nearly 30 years and won the Case rodeo event held at Kucera Farm Supply in Alinston, Ontario, in June 2007.

Jessen took second place, earning a $5,000 Case gift card. A construction foreman with UBTA-UBBT Communications, Roosevelt, Utah, Jessen won the Case rodeo event held at Century Equipment in Salt Lake City in August 2007.

Reynolds took third place, earning a $2,500 Case gift card. With 29 years of experience operating backhoe loaders, Reynolds, with Minot Reynolds Excavation of Orleans, Mass., won the Case rodeo event held at Sunbelt Rentals in Shrewsbury, Mass., in October 2007.

Coble took fourth place, earning a $1,500 Case gift card. The owner of JK Coble Excavating, Ottawa, Kan., Coble has 30 years of backhoe loader experience. He won the Case rodeo event at Coleman Equipment in Bonner Springs, Kan., in July 2007.

Drake, of Drake Homes, in Champaign, Ill., took fifth place, earning a $1,000 Case gift card. The winner of the Case rodeo event held at Birkey’s Construction in Urbana, Ill., in July 2007, Drake headed into Tuesday evening’s championship event with the best score of the top five finalists.

“The skills demonstrated by the 77 backhoe loader operators were impressive,” said Hughes, “We crowned Nick Market as the Case Rodeo Series North American champion, but we also honor all 77 local rodeo winners for their expertise.”

Backhoe Handling for Humanity

Jim Hasler, Case Construction Equipment vice president, offers a $5,000 check to Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas, bringing the fundraising total to more than $140,000 since January 2007.

Market wasn’t the only winner; the championship event, held in conjunction with CONEXPO, also raised an additional $6,500 for Case Construction Equipment’s Habitat for Humanity fundraising event.

Fundraising efforts started in 2007 with Case Construction Equipment’s contribution of $5,000 to Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas. The fundraising event kicked off the 50th anniversary celebration for the backhoe loader. 

Throughout the year, more than 75 Case dealers held backhoe loader rodeos and fundraising events that generated funds for their local Habitat affiliates across the United States and Canada. Many Case dealerships helped provide materials and volunteers to build Habitat homes in their communities. Case employees also raised $26,000 for the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate in Racine, Wis., (the site of the Case Construction Equipment corporate office) and helped build a home for a low-income family.

“As important as the dollars collected are the volunteer hours, awareness and long-term relationships resulting from the work of Case dealerships across North America,” said Jim Hasler, vice president of Case Construction Equipment, North America. “Our partnership with Habitat for Humanity affiliates has been rewarding on many levels. We look forward to continuing the good work that has just started as a result of our 2007 campaign and the Case Rodeo Series.”

Dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing since its founding in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 250,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than one million people.

Defining Doosan

Among mergers and acquisitions, brand identity and operations can get muddled. But Doosan Infracore took the time at CONEXPO to clear up its role in its acquisition of Ingersoll Rand and its subsidiaries, including Bobcat.

Doosan Infracore acquired Ingersoll Rand Utility Equipment in late 2007 to create Doosan Infracore Portable Power. The acquisition of the Ingersoll Rand brand has made Doosan Infracore one of the world’s top ten manufacturers of construction and utility equipment and related attachments.

In mid-2008, Doosan Infracore Portable Power will move to a newly-acquired manufacturing and office location in Statesville, N.C., where it intends to produce air compressors, light towers and portable generators to supply global markets.

The location, which was purchased for an undisclosed amount, has 473,000 sq ft of manufacturing and office space built on approximately 97 acres of land. It is anticipated that the move will create 60 new jobs in Iredell County, N.C., with the overall number of employees at the site reaching close to 400.

“We are extremely excited by this acquisition,” said Larry Silber, president of Doosan Infracore Portable Power. “Once again, Doosan has demonstrated its commitment to our construction markets by investing in a world-class manufacturing location that will help Portable Power meet its aspirations to double our business by 2012. Located on the crossroads of Interstate 77 and Interstate 40, the Brownfield site was previously owned by Dana Corporation and is ideally located to support our North America and international businesses.”

It is anticipated that the manufacturing operations will begin to transition from the current location in Mocksville, N.C., in April 2008, with completion expected by 2008 fourth quarter.

Additionally, the business will move its headquarters from Davidson, N.C., to the Statesville location, as well as incorporating a number of satellite distribution centers.

Doosan Infracore is a world leader in infrastructure support business. Headquartered in Seoul, Korea, Doosan Infracore began in 1937 as Chosun Machine Works. Today, Doosan Infracore is a global company with a corporate presence in America, Europe, China and South Africa, providing first-class products and services in construction equipment, industrial vehicles, machine tools, factory automation systems, diesel engines and defense systems.

Caterpillar’s Electrified Tractor

The future of Cat’s track-type tractors is electric, but what else looms on the technology horizon?

Caught in an energy crisis with gasoline prices soaring and the bills piling up, the construction industry needs innovation. Caterpillar is looking toward a fuel-efficient future with the announcement of the first electric drive track-type tractor. The D7E track-type tractor will offer an electric drive system that delivers increased productivity, reduced fuel consumption, reduced operating costs and longer drive train component life.

“From an environmental sustainability perspective, the D7E uses substantially less fuel per hour — dramatically reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions,” said Caterpillar Group president Stu Levenick. “This revolutionary design consumes fewer resources over its working life than any other track-type tractor in its class. All major components are engineered to be rebuilt or reused in the future.”

In the D7E power train, the diesel engine drives a generator to produce electricity that ultimately powers two AC electric drive motors, which are connected to a differential steering system. A traditional mechanical transmission is not needed because the variable speed electric motors serve the function of a continuously variable transmission. The electric drive train has 60 percent fewer moving parts compared with previous D7s. The electric system also provides power to auxiliary components so that no engine belts are needed.

The C9 engine, complete with ACERT Technology, meets U.S. Tier 3 emissions standards, and the tractor has been designed with Tier 4 in mind. The new D7E has other innovative new features, including an exclusive center-post cab, beltless engine and SystemOne undercarriage.

Caterpillar plans to commercially introduce the D7E in select markets during 2009. Until then, one can only wonder if this technology will seep into other Caterpillar products.

The Road to Volvo

Not only did Doosan scoop up the utility side of Ingersoll Rand (see “Defining Doosan” on p. 9), but Volvo Construction Equipment also acquired the road machinery business from Ingersoll Rand in April 2007. Yet, the agreement stipulated that the equipment was not required to appear in Volvo colors until the end of April 2008. Eager to unveil the newly-branded machinery, Volvo lifted the curtain on its new line of road machinery at CONEXPO.

Machines modeling the new look at the show were the single drum Volvo SD116D compactor, the double drum Volvo

138HF asphalt compactor, the single drum Volvo SD-25 soil compactor, the Volvo PF6170 and Volvo PF6110 asphalt pavers and the Volvo MW500 milling machine.

“Road construction and maintenance are essential in all parts of the world. Proper infrastructure is a key enabler to economic development,” said Pat Olney, president of Volvo’s road machinery business line. “We take pride in supporting the construction of the world’s roadways...and in seeing Volvo equipment at work every day on our streets, roads and highways.”

The Ingersoll Rand road machinery business gets a new wardrobe of yellow and grey under the Volvo brand.

CONEXPO: King of Trade Shows

The Terex outdoor booth was just one of the massive structures at CONEXPO. This giant was 27,000 sq ft and built to code and inspected. 370,000 lbs of steel, 100 yds of concrete and 200 tons of gravel are to be recycled after the building is torn down.

With some exhibitor booths, like Caterpillar and Volvo, spanning nearly a city block inside and companies, like Terex and JCB, constructing their own three- and two-story, respectively, headquarters outside, it should come as no surprise that this year’s CONEXPO shattered attendance and exhibit space records for North American trade shows.

More than 144,600 industry professionals from around the world attended CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 and IFPE 2008 during its five-day run March 11-15, 2008 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 alone covered more than 2.28 million net sq ft of exhibits, with 2,182 exhibitors — making it 21 percent bigger than the last show held in 2005, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

A record number of international industry professionals visited the shows — more than 28,000, which is more than 19 percent of total attendance and represents more than 30 percent growth compared to the last edition of the shows. International attendance increased by more than 50 percent from the Latin America and Caribbean marketplace and doubled from China, India and Turkey. There were also significant increases from Canada, Australia, Russia and the Middle East, just to name a few.

International visitors to the shows hailed from more than 130 non-U.S. countries. There were more than 60 official international customer delegations organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce, as well as in-country trade associations and related groups.

The show floor included a record number of 14 international exhibit pavilions highlighting products and services developed outside the United States — CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 with 10, from Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom and IFPE 2008 with four, from China, Italy, Spain and Taiwan.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 featured a new Safety Zone of exhibits and demonstrations from industry and government groups, including the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Mine Safety and Health Administration, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the Aerial Work Platform Training/International Powered Access Federation.

The triennial shows will return March 22-26, 2011, at the Las Vegas Convention Center to attempt to best its own attendance and exhibitor records to retain the title of largest trade show in North America.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR