Weeks after Caterpillar named its top global technician, Allen Cherrington, a technician at Columbus Equipment Company in Ohio, has been crowned the winner of Komatsu’s 2026 North American Advanced Technician Competition.
The contest was held over two days at Komatsu’s Cartersville, Georgia, customer center, where 10 technicians competed and were scored on technical capability, quality of work and safety.
Second place went to Jorge Moreno of Lyle Machinery, based in the Southeastern U.S., while third place was awarded to Nathan Specht with Komatsu East, one of the OEM’s company stores, based in the Northeast.
As part of their prizes, Cherrington and Moreno will head to the upcoming Miami Grand Prix for a “Day in the Life” experience with a pit crew, part of Komatsu’s partnership with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team.
Sunbelt Rentals Opens Trading on NYSE
Equipment rental giant Sunbelt Rentals has formally spun itself off as a primarily U.S.-based public business and is trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “SUNB.”
Formerly traded under its UK-based parent company, Ashtead Group, Sunbelt Rentals will now report its earnings completely in U.S. dollars but maintain a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange, also under “SUNB.”
Virnig Manufacturing Plans New Iowa Plant
Attachment manufacturer Virnig Manufacturing recently purchased a building in Fort Madison, Iowa, where the company plans to expand its attachment production and hire for multiple positions.
Virnig Manufacturing
The company currently runs two manufacturing plants: in Rice, Minnesota, and Pikeville, Tennessee.
Expected benefits from the new facility include enhancing operational capacity and improving service for North American customers. The U.S.-based company manufactures attachments for skid steers, mini skid steers, compact tractors, compact wheel loaders, mini excavators and trailers.
“As demand for our products continues to grow, expanding our capabilities is essential to maintaining the level of service and quality our customers expect,” said owner Dean Virnig. “The Fort Madison facility positions us well for the future while reinforcing our commitment to the industry.”
