United Rentals Supplies Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

When the producers of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” needed reliable equipment tough enough to help build a house in seven days, United Rentals was there with the iron. The world’s largest equipment rental company and the crew of the popular television show joined forces with hundreds of volunteers in November to build a new home for the Hughes family of Louisville, Ky.

The United Rentals branch in Louisville arranged the donation of more than 50 pieces of equipment for the duration of the job, including aerial lifts, light towers and portable power generators. It was the eleventh time the company had provided support to the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team in 2007, following successful projects in Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming.
Diane Korman, senior producer for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” said: “We are very excited United Rentals is working with us. Because of United Rentals’ vast reach across North America, we rely on them for the extreme equipment and round-the-clock service we expect and need to get the job done — regardless of the conditions or location.”

Jason Habermel, branch manager for United Rentals in Louisville, seconded that team work: “This was a total community effort on behalf of the Hughes family, and we were thrilled to be a part of it. We wanted to support the crew in every way possible: deliver equipment day or night, coordinate services with neighboring branches and volunteer our time to assist on site. It’s truly exciting and an honor to help build a beautiful home from the ground up in just a week.”

The house was donated to the Hughes family, which was struggling to provide for their disabled teenage son. The new house was specially designed to accommodate 19-year-old Patrick Henry, who was born blind and with severely impaired arms and legs. Faced with mounting bills for Patrick Henry’s home care, the Hughes family faced nearly insurmountable difficulties until ABC stepped in to help.

The challenges of constructing the Hughes’ home for their special needs are chronicled in the episode that will air in January. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” is broadcast on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

JCB Breaks Ground for New North American JCB Customer Support Center

It can’t be said that the executives of JCB are afraid to get their hands dirty — or at least their machines dirty. Using a few bright yellow backhoes, the top brass (with help from local officials) broke ground in late November for the new JCB Customer Support Center, a 200,000-sq-ft service and support center for the company’s North American operations. The ground breaking is a symbol of JCB’s increased focus on customer support, which is also demonstrated by the appointment of the new vice president of customer support Mike Werner.

“Returning to JCB was like coming home and reuniting with family. It is an extraordinary company and it was an easy transition,” Werner said. “I saw the return as a tremendous opportunity to be a part of something very significant at JCB. The company is positioned for growth in this market and the new center marks an important step in that growth process.”

The JCB Customer Support Center will resemble a smaller version of the headquarters for JCB, with its familiar green façade. The headquarters building serves as the North American operations headquarters. Since JCB is widely credited with building the world’s first backhoe, six dignitaries, including John Patterson, CEO of JCB World Wide and Graeme Macdonald, president of JCB Inc., broke ground simultaneously by operating backhoe loaders rather than the traditional shovels. The six backhoes used were manufactured at the Savannah facility.

“This is a very significant day for JCB and its North American operations,” said Patterson. “The JCB Customer Support Center will serve as a global distribution center for North America, South America and the Pacific Rim. But, at the same time, it will stand as visible proof of our commitment to customer support, particularly for our North American customers.”

While the World Parts Center at JCB’s world headquarters in the United Kingdom is the main distribution center for JCB parts, the JCB Customer Support Center will serve as the distribution point for parts sourced in America.

“Completion of the JCB Customer Support Center will enable us to improve the level of service we offer to our North American dealer network and also position us for significant market growth when the economic climate improves,” Macdonald said. “Locating the support center here in America makes both logistical and economic sense.”

Polaris Defense Introduces Multi-Passenger Military Vehicle

The U.S. Army of the 21st century needs to be quick and mobile, which means they need a set of wheels that can go almost anywhere now. To fill those increasing demands of our go-everywhere troops, Polaris Industries recently announced the company had delivered a military version of Polaris’ RANGER utility vehicle to the U.S. Army at Fort Campbell, Ky.

The MVRS800 is the newest addition to the Polaris family of ultra light tactical vehicles produced for the military. It is powered by a 760-cc, 40-hp Patriot engine that operates on JP8, the U.S. military’s standard fuel. This breakthrough engine was first introduced by Polaris earlier this year on the militarized all terrain vehicle (ATV), the MV800.

To withstand rugged terrain and the harsh environments the military expects these vehicles to perform in, the MVRS features a rugged, steel exoskeleton, high-capacity fuel tank, run flat tires and completely sealed power train which can ford up to 30 in. of water. For easy transport of soldiers or gear, the vehicle also has a front storage rack, multiple D-rings, weapons storage and a rear bed with fold-down sides. The rear bed is adaptable to accessories such as litter racks and rear seating. Polaris also offers a gasoline powered version of this vehicle called the MVRS700.

“Polaris continues to assess the needs of the Armed Forces to provide them with vehicles that offer capability that can meet a wide variety of needs,” said Mark McCormick, managing director, Polaris Defense. “The MVRS is based on our popular line of RANGER side-by-side vehicles known for their toughness and smooth riding capability. Basing the MVRS on the RANGER platform ensures a cost-effective ultra light tactical vehicle that can conquer the toughest military demands.”

Polaris Defense has been successfully providing a family of vehicles to the U.S. Armed Forces since 2001. Established to provide vehicles, spare parts and training to the military, Polaris Defense is dedicated to supporting its customers with a total capability for the demanding needs they have in all environments worldwide.

FMI and CMAA Present the Eighth Annual Survey of Owners
Construction Industry Making the "Technological Shift" to Tackle New Challenges

The fine folks at FMI have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to construction market analysis. Now FMI (the management consultants and investment bankers to the construction industry) with the help of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) announced the publication of the FMI/CMAA Eighth Annual Survey of Owners.

The survey, based on more than 200 responses from a wide variety of owner types and industries, reveals that collaborative construction work processes are increasing and that Building Information Modeling (BIM) usage is accelerating.

This indicates the construction industry is adopting new business approaches and making the “technological shift” to meet the seven challenges — “the perfect storm” — converging on the construction industry: 1) aging infrastructure; 2) schedule, speed complexity and ability to design and construct globally; 3) global competition; 4) alternative delivery and financing systems; 5) aging workforce; 6) attraction of Gen Y and retention of Gen X and Baby Boomers; and 7) investment in purposeful training.
“One consistent trend we’ve noticed throughout the years is the increased application of collaborative work models to bridge the industry’s historically ‘silo-ed’ work processes,” said Marisé Mikulis, senior consultant with FMI.

The report indicates that design/build as a construction-execution technique is used by at least 17 percent of owners on the majority of their capital construction programs, up from less than 10 percent in 2005. The report also states that reliance on CMs and PMs is increasing vs. past owner studies; 79 percent of the time owners hire a construction manager, program manager and other resources to support capital program delivery.

This movement to collaborative work models is paralleled by an expanded use of BIM. The report notes that approximately 35 percent of all respondents have used BIM processes and technology for one or more years. Seventy-four percent of respondents who are current BIM users would be likely, or very likely, to recommend use of BIM systems.

For more information about the FMI/CMAA Eighth Annual Survey of Owners, visit FMI’s Web site at www.fminet.com.

Case IH Donates New Tractor for Boy Scout Camp

Case IH just earned two new merit badges — generous manufacturer and clever marketing team. The famous agricultural machine magnate recently donated a shiny new Farmall tractor to Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Scout Reservation in Pearson, Wis., earning them extra badges in philanthropy and good brand recognition.

The back story: When the engine blew up on the tractor owned by the Northeast Illinois Boy Scout, the organization faced a tough decision last year. The chore tractor mowed grass and handled other maintenance around the Scouts’ summer camp in northern Wisconsin. Repairing the engine would cost more than the tractor was worth and the new machine would cost many thousands of dollars. Case IH, a farm equipment company based in Racine, Wis., stepped in to help.

“With more than 1,500 acres to maintain at the camp, we really appreciate this tractor donation from Case IH,” said John Mosby, CEO of the Northeast Illinois Council of the Boy Scouts of America. “The value of the new tractor is over $16,000, and purchasing it out of our annual operating budget may have required reductions in programs and supplies for some of our youth programs. The generosity of Case IH means we now have a state-of-the-art piece of equipment for our camp operations, without causing any programs to suffer from lack of funds.”

The Case IH DX31 Farmall tractor features 31 engine hp and is equipped with roll-over protection for the safety of the operator.
“Case IH is pleased to have the opportunity to support the Boy Scout organization by providing this Farmall tractor,” said Shawn Boone, Case IH livestock marketing manager. “We have great respect for the work that the Boy Scouts do to instill values and prepare young men to be leaders of tomorrow. Next year is the 85th anniversary of the first Farmall tractor, so this is a great way for Case IH to support the community and also celebrate this milestone in our history.”

Boone and other representatives from Case IH officially presented the tractor to the Boy Scouts during a ceremony at Libertyville High School. The ceremony was part of Council Training Day — a Scout volunteer leader training program with 75 different courses and workshops held at the high school. The Northeast Illinois Council serves 18,000 Boy Scouts and 4,000 volunteer leaders, from Evanston north to the Illinois border, and from Lake Michigan west to Wauconda.

Clark Landscape Crew Wins GIE+EXPO's Trucks of the Industry Giveaway

Sorry, Jennifer Clark — we’re not a big fan. It’s not that the CE team dislikes Clark personally or her company (Clark Landscape Group in Monroe, N.C.). It’s that she was the lucky winner of the Trucks of the Industry Giveaway held during the 2007 Green Industry & Equipment Expo (GIE+EXPO) and we were not. Just by attending the show and visiting the exhibits of the participating truck manufacturers, she received $20,000 toward the purchase of a new work truck.

The giveaway was sponsored by Power Equipment Trade and Turf magazines (we assumed it was rigged so CE would not win) and featured eight major truck manufactures — Dodge, Ford Commercial Truck, Isuzu Commercial Truck America, GM Fleet and Commercial, International Truck & Engine Corp., Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Sterling Truck Corp. and Toyota Trucks.
No purchase was necessary for the contestants, but participants had to visit each truck company’s exhibit to collect the posted contest numbers and deliver the completed entry form to the feature display. The drawing was held at noon, Sat., October 27, at the final day of the tradeshow.

GIE+EXPO is the coolest, combined trade show for landscaping professionals in the country and is set for Oct. 23-25 in Louisville at the Kentucky Exposition Center in 2008. For more information, go to www.gie-expo.com.

Letters to the Editor

More Facts on Vacs
I just finished reading your article “Suck It Up” in the November issue of Compact Equipment [Truck Stop, page 50]. Once again, you and the talented staff at the magazine have synopsized the industry in a short, but very concise and detailed article for anyone considering purchasing or upgrading to a new vacuum system. With over 15 years of experience with vacuum systems, I would like to add a number of issues worth considering with vacuum systems and some features that work and do not work in my opinion.

Firstly in the 1990s, many contractors watched me provide utility locating (potholing) with great interest and subsequently purchased large truck-mounted vacuum systems in the belief that bigger is often better. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Although many large truck-mounted systems are stronger and many are built with heavier grade materials, they also cost much more, are most expensive on diesel and maintained costs and often have little or no tool circuits for utility location, gate box cleaning or landscape projects.

In addition, many of these systems were originally intended for municipalities and designed to suck wet spoils and sludge materials and therefore were never intended to suck dry materials. With large vacuum trucks, the prolonged vacuuming of dry dirt and debris can result in premature wear and tear of the system due to the conveyance of material at high speed through the hoses, fittings and bends before being deposited in a debris tank. This high speed of material will result in expensive maintenance and repair costs. In comparison, smaller truck- and trailer-mounted vacuum systems are often more suited to utility location and cleaning projects and when used properly will be cheaper to purchase, operate and maintain over the long haul.

One major disadvantage of smaller systems is the cleaning and maintenance of the filtration systems. While large and more expensive vacuum systems have purging systems to help clean vacuum filtration systems, smaller vacuum systems typically do not have these features. Removing and washing or cleaning a filter cartridge is not always possible and washing a filter in winter time is often not an option. With varying site conditions and use from site to site, pre-planning the operation and maintenance is very important as is the training of operators to identify and plan the cleaning of the filters before working on a site.

After more than 15 years of vacuum excavation on highways and busy streets from coast to coast, there are a few other factors to consider. While trailer systems are often less costly to purchase, they can also be very difficult to live with in urban areas and in areas prone to snow and ice conditions. In addition, when going off the pavement, it is very easy to get a trailer stuck especially when there is significant material in the tank.

A feature that I never considered when purchasing my first vacuum system was tools and storage space. Although it is very easy to load and equip toolboxes in the shop, it is entirely different to open and close tool and equipment boxes on the shoulder of a busy highway or street. In my opinion, when working a vacuum system on busy streets and highways, be it a trailer or truck unit, all systems need to have tools and control panels and toolboxes at the back of the system to avoid the dangers of walking or moving around the systems and to ensure all operators minimize close contact with high speed traffic in nearby travel lanes. As vacuum systems are noisy, no traffic can be heard over the blowers or the power plants and engineering a solution to keeping operators safe is paramount.

Finally, although a boom on a vacuum system can greatly reduce operator fatigue and sometimes allows single operators to complete projects alone, the draw back is the danger of swinging booms into oncoming traffic or not securing a boom when moving the vacuum. Reduced clearance for bridges and overhead signs are always a concern with equipment that is over 10 ft tall. Airports, for example, have many bridges with low clearances at 10 ft which is a design for airport transportation requirements but lost truck-mounted units exceed this height clearance.

Proper training in the use of a vacuum system to me is very important and experienced operators can ensure a long, safe, productive and economical life of any vacuum system. Thanks again for a great article.

Michael A. Twohig
SUE Consultants
San Jose, Calif.
www.sueconsultants.com

Sound Off
Answer These Questions, Get It Printed and Win a Free Pair of CE Gloves and an Outerwears Pre-Filter

In 2008, CONEXPO-CON/AGG will be the biggest machine trade show in the world. How many of our readers will be attending this giant machine fest? What events, attractions and manufacturers are you excited to see? What do you love most about Vegas trade shows, and what tips can you give our newer readers about navigating North America’s ultimate machine fair?

We here at Compact Equipment are always trying to get our readers more involved with the magazine. We’re interested in communicating your opinions and interests, so we can make a better publication. In hopes of creating a direct dialogue with our readership, we’ll be asking a question each month in our Letters to the Editor department. If you send a response to the questions above and it gets printed, we will send you a pair of Compact Equipment leather work gloves and a nice equipment pre-filter (courtesy of the fine folks at Outerwears) — along with an autographed copy of the magazine with your letter (signed by editors Keith Gribbins and Jason Morgan). Send your responses directly to kgribbins@benjaminmedia.com.