By Equipment World Staff

 

 

Dozer, grader advances highlight Deere’s 175th

 

This year, John Deere celebrates its 175th year, a history that includes the company’s entry into construction equipment in the mid-1950s. Key products along the way include:

JD570 articulated motor graderJD570 articulated motor grader

1958: The first all-hydraulic dozer, the Model 64, featured a new six-way power-angle-tilt (PAT) blade. The operator could control tilt, angle, lift, and lower with a touch of the levers for more precise control.

1966: In an advance still used today, Deere introduced the first commercially available rollover protection devices (ROPS), later releasing the patent to the industry without charge. 

1967: The JD570 articulated motor grader featured front-wheel steering and an articulated frame that provided a smaller turning radius and allowed the operator to keep the rear drive wheels on solid footing while steering the front wheels on a slope, in a ditch, or over a windrow of dirt. Combined with 20-degree, front-wheel lean, articulation further enhanced the grader’s ability to counter side draft.

1976: North America’s first dual-path hydrostatic crawler enabled operators to control direction and speed with a single lever. 

2008: Deere says its 764 High Speed Dozer â€śrepresented the first new machine form in the construction equipment industry in 20 years.” The 764 HSD finish-grades and dozes up to twice as fast as a traditional crawler, with articulated-frame steering and purpose-built four-track oscillating undercarriage. Reaching speeds up to 16 mph, the dozer’s rubber tracks allow it to work on hard surfaces such as concrete without damage.

 

 

Go Build Campaign expands into Georgia

 

Go Build, a campaign to recruit more young people into the construction industry that began in Alabama, expanded into Georgia this year.

Go BuilodSince Go Build Alabama’s launch on Labor Day of 2010, the program has grown to nearly 6,000 registrants with an average of 200-300 per month, says Tim Alford, executive director for Go Build Alabama.

Two main elements help get the word out for the Go Build campaign. Its grassroots campaign sends information through schools, trade fairs, job fairs and word-of-mouth to let people know about the program. The second element, its mass media campaign, communicates industry specific information about the construction craft trades, including information on various craft trade occupations, wages and locations of training facilities.

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The program features a different website for each state, allowing registrants to receive state-specific information. Additionally, Go Build will eventually maintain a nationwide database for states participating in the program to assist workers who live near state lines to find closer training facilities, even if it means going to another state.

Bob Woods, executive director of the Alabama Workforce Development Initiative, says Go Build could eventually expand into other states as well.

For more information about Go Build Georgia, visit gobuildgeorgia.com. For more information about Go Build Alabama, visit gobuildalabama.com.

 

 

Coy Logo Untitled 1Nominations end this month for Contractor of the Year

Equipment World is accepting nominations through September 28th for the 2013 Contractor of the Year program. Sponsored by Caterpillar and designed to honor contractors who reflect the highest ideals and ethics of the industry, the program is now in its 14th year.

Twelve finalists will be chosen and receive an expenses-paid weekend to Las Vegas. In addition, the 2013 winner will appear on the May 2013 cover of Equipment World. All finalists are featured in articles throughout the year (check out this month’s finalist, Steve Beam with Steve Beam Construction, Fort Smith, Arkansas, on page 53).

Magazine Untitled 1Successful applicants for this year’s competition will:

• be successful construction company owners with three-year average annual revenues between $3 million and $15 million,

• have an excellent, proven safety record,

• have owned their companies for 10 years or more.

For more information, and to view a Mike Rowe video invitation, go to www.equipmentworld.com/coy.