Tag: construction equipment technician

Maintenance

Alligood Wins AEMP Technician of the Year: “There’s Nothing This Guy Can’t Figure Out”

David Alligood of Manatee County, Florida, has been named the 2020 Technician of the Year by the Association of Equipment Management Professionals Education Foundation. Supervisors and coworkers described Alligood as able to surmount any challenge, always looking for ways to save costs and improve efficiency, as well as being reliable, honest and hardworking. “There is […]

October 15, 2020

Dealers

The two tiered technician field—and why dirty hands will still be required

In recent weeks we’ve published a couple of stories that provide an interesting contrast. If you click here, you’ll find our fourth and final report on the technician shortage. This article focuses on the future of technicians and all the digital tools they will be wielding soon. Click here and you’ll find ourour article on […]

December 30, 2019

Construction Equipment

The Top Construction Equipment Stories of 2019

1. Diesel technician shortage a perfect storm gathering for decades Today’s market heights have put an exclamation point on the construction equipment technician shortage, one that’s having a direct impact on contractors. Contractors can’t find the people they used to hire to take care of the equipment to the level they did in the past. […]

December 27, 2019

Construction Equipment

Welding skills and innovative thinking earn John Kelchner AEMP Technician of the Year award

“I always had a lot of interest in mechanical things, even at an early age. I was curious about how things worked. If it had moving parts, I wanted to fix it,” says John Kelchner, advanced level maintenance welder at Schlouch Incorporated, a diversified earthmoving, utility and site development company in Blandon, Pennsylvania. “It is […]

December 25, 2019

Maintenance

27 ways to attract and retain equipment technician talent (Part 3 in series)

Editor’s Note: This is Part Three of a four-part series on the challenges brought on by the shortage of diesel technicians in the U.S. You can read Part One of the series by clicking here. Read Part Two, here. Read Part Three, here. Read Part Four, here. “We’ll try anything.” When it comes to technician […]

September 10, 2019

Dealers

Scott Equipment is advancing technicians’ electrical know-how through a custom training curriculum

Monroe, Louisiana-based Scott Equipment, with 23 locations in seven states, understands the growing skills gap the construction equipment industry is facing, and in particular machine maintenance. So it made sense for them to figure out a way to train new employees and keep current employees up-to-date. The company’s solution was something right under their nose: […]

November 29, 2016

Dealers

This diesel tech finds intuition, experience and a bit of Googling helpful in move to management

Richard Waitz got his first taste of equipment repair tinkering with tractors and four-wheelers at his grandfather’s ranch in Cotula, Texas. And after blowing the engine in his first pickup truck, he learned some automotive skills the old fashioned way. But Waitz took a shine to diesel equipment when he attended Texas State Technical College […]

August 12, 2016

Business

John Deere expands Construction & Forestry Technician training program to eighth community college

John Deere has expanded its Construction & Forestry Technicians program to an eighth community college. The latest school to include the program is North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton. C&F Tech, as it’s called, is a John Deere dealer technician training program and a two-year associate’s degree that teaches its students to service, troubleshoot, […]

September 13, 2013