Industry News

In the ever-evolving landscape of commercial equipment, Caterpillar continues to set the bar high with its latest innovation: the Cat® 330 Straight Boom Excavator.

Amidst the changing world of work, there's one clear winner: the construction industry. According to a recent worker happiness study by BambooHR, construction workers are the happiest self-reported profession.

Simply put, the Trucker Bathroom Act would legally require access to existing restrooms at most facilities where truck drivers are picking up and delivering shipments. These facilities include ports, warehouses, and larger retail locations. 

Western Global, a leader in renewable diesel storage, brings a new distribution center to Sacramento, California. 

Cat is coming to Texas?! Heck yes! We'd like to welcome Caterpillar to the Lone Star State and recommend a few underrated things for them to check out. 

The new Deals section of your My Little Salesman dealer management system allows you to manage the who, what, where, when, and how of absolutely any transaction—all in real-time. In addition to this, the Form section will allow you to automate your form data entry while also providing DocuSign integration on any document requiring electronic signature. Managing your equipment sales just got a whole lot easier!

Over the past few months, My Little Salesman has been a construction site behind the scenes. The project? The My Little Salesman logo. The reason? To have the logo reflect My Little Salesman’s mission of "bringing buyers and sellers together" in the 21st century. In this article, we take a look at our logos over the last 61 years and our goals for the new logo. Over the next few months, you’ll see our new logo rolled out to all My Little Salesman publications, communications, and experiences.

Bobcat’s newest diesel utility vehicles are meeting even the most challenging work conditions. The UV34 and UV34XL, featuring 2 and 4 seats, feature industry-leading specs and proven durability. This, combined with reliable performance and productivity, make these utility vehicles the superior choice for getting the job done right. 

NPK Construction Equipment, a subsidiary of NPK Japan, announced a new partnership with the US’s Genesis Attachments and Germany’s Genesis Holdings and Genesis GmbH. Both of these attachment suppliers have a strong focus on quality products. NPK hopes to utilize the superior distribution network and dedicated employees that Genesis has taken the time to build up in order to make both companies stronger in the long run.

Equipment operators will get a chance to test their skills against others around the world at the upcoming, first ever Global Operator Challenge, launched by Caterpillar. This tough competition will be held partially in 2019 and in 2020 at several locations around the globe. Operators will be tested on their agility, mental toughness, versatility, and competence in using integrated technology to enhance machine performance - such as Cat® Production Measurement and Cat GRADE systems - to determine who will claim title of “best”.

John Deere demonstrated the continuation of their efforts to advance the manufacturing industry by hosting their annual Reman Day celebration this past April 11th. The event was held at their remanufacturing facilities in Springfield, Missouri and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, as well as various other units throughout the company. The company focused on three primary themes this year: Delivering value to the John Deere customer, quality and pride of workmanship throughout the remanufacturing process, and improving environmental stewardship.

As of late February, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) confirmed plans to invest an overall $4.5 billion in five of its existing Michigan plants. FCA will also work with the state of Michigan, as well as the city of Detroit, to build a new assembly plant within its city limits; an investment that will create an estimated 6,500 new jobs. The move will increase capacity for the growing demand of Jeep and Ram brands, including more electrified models and the production of two new Jeep-branded white space products.

The Toro Company recently announced that they will be acquiring privately-held The Charles Machine Works, Inc. for $700 million in cash, subject to specific adjustments set forth under the definitive agreement. The Charles Machine Works, Inc. corporation is an Oklahoma parent company of many leading brands in the underground construction market, including Ditch Witch. While the transaction is still subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, the deal should be closed before the end of Toro’s third fiscal quarter of 2019.

Komatsu America Corp. and BOMAG Americas Inc. are excited to announce their recent partnership, which will ultimately pave the way for new road building, as well as new construction market opportunities. The new arrangement means that Komatsu’s six company owned dealerships, (Edward Ehrbar, Komatsu Equipment Company, Komatsu Northeast, Komatsu Southwest, Midlantic Machinery and Pine Bush Equipment,) are now selling BOMAG milling, paving, compaction, and reclaiming/stabilizing equipment as of this month, January 2019. The complimentary products of both companies will certainly further both of their already striking reputations, while making purchases easier and more convenient for customers.

Landmark Equipment, a long-time Pettibone dealership run by Earl Rund, has announced they are changing ownership. Rund’s dealership services material handling customers in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and northern California. Based in Portland, Oregon, Landmark Equipment has sold and serviced the Pettibone Cary-Lift product line for over 30 years, in addition to also adding Pettibone Extendo and Traverse telehandlers to their lineup.

Komatsu Equipment Company, a flagship dealership for Komatsu America Corp. (KAC), announced plans to construct a state-of-the-art customer support and service center in Elko, Nevada. The global heavy equipment manufacturer will be building their new 189,000 ft2 (57,600 m2) state-of-the-art Service Center on roughly 30 acres. They plan to enhance customer support, boost the local economy, and add full-time jobs in the process.

Cat is updating their look for machines, engines, generator sets, and work tools with a new “Cat Modern Hex” trade dress. Replacing the familiar “Power Edge” trade dress, (where the Cat trademark is on a black background accented with a diagonal red bar,) the new, fresh graphic design combines the traditional Cat trademark with a bold, three-dimensional red hexagon featuring a grille pattern on the inside. The use of red is a throwback to the graphics of the company’s very first crawler tractors, introduced back in 1925.

Hiab has excitedly announced the winner of the World Crane Championship (WCC) held on September 22nd and 23rd in connection with the IAA exhibition in Hannover, Germany. Andreas Öhman from Sweden won the championship final with a time of 2:32:89. Jani Väisänen from Finland came in second place with a time of 2:38:95, and Tim Hansen from Denmark came in third place with a time of 2:33:18 after winning the bronze final.

Caterpillar recently unveiled that they have entered a preliminary agreement to sell the Cat purpose-built forestry business to Weiler, Inc. The sale is set to close sometime in early 2019, and a final agreement for the sale is still subject to negotiation. The plan will ensure the continuation of excellent customer service while maintaining exemplary standards.

Kubota Tractor Corporation is teaming up with Tavant Technologies, a leading provider of aftermarket solutions, in order to invest in their procedure for processing warranty claims in the most efficient manner possible. As a benefit to dealers nationwide, the Tavant Warranty On-Demand (TWOD) platform will go into effect in early 2019. The platform, which will be Kubota’s sole application for dealing with warranty claims and related aftermarket business processes, will help to enhance service quality and operational coherence when processing and tracking claims.