Felling Trailers is pleased to announce the company will be opening a second location in Litchfield, MN to expand production. Felling Trailers’ headquarters and current production will remain at the Sauk Centre facility, and the company will operate a second production facility at the Litchfield location, which is 60 miles south of the company’s headquarters. This new facility will bring total production and office space to over 200,000 square feet.

Felling Trailers is actively hiring welders, assemblers, painters, team leads, and a plant manager for the Litchfield location. Along with the new positions being filled at Felling Trailers’ second location, the Sauk Centre location continues to hire welders and painters too.

Felling Trailers is a full line trailer manufacturer located in Central Minnesota that was started in 1974 by Error! Reference source not found.. Felling Trailers, Inc. has grown from a small shop to a factory and office complex that today covers over 132,000 square feet. Felling Trailers currently manufactures 3,000 plus trailers a year ranging from a 3,000 lb utility trailer to a 120,000 lb hydraulic gooseneck trailer, and its standard trailer line includes over 220 models. Felling’s pride and differentiation is its customized trailer division. Their engineers utilize the latest industry leading design techniques along with their experienced metal craftsmen and cutting edge technology to turn its customers’ conceptual trailer needs into a tangible product. Felling continually researches and implements new technologies to reduce lead-time and increase production in the manufacturing plant. Felling Trailers provides a high quality product that is distributed across North America and internationally. For more information, please contact 1.800.245.2809, sales@felling.com or visit them on the web at http://www.felling.com/. You can also follow them on Twitter (@FellingTrailers) and Facebook (Felling Trailers, Inc.). 
 

A 2007 Liebherr LTM 1250-6.1 all terrain crane sold for $1 million (US$1.4 million) to a buyer from Chile at the June 2010 Ritchie Bros. auction in Ocana.

Cranes and heavy transportation equipment are as sought-after this year as they were last and according to some of the nation's biggest auctioneers, sales could even outpace 2011, reports Lindsey Anderson.

"The market we're seeing right now is actually not unlike it was at the beginning of last year," says Steve Simpson, chief sales officer of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers.

"We came out of the gate of 2011 very strong and results we're seeing this year in 2012 are very similar, if not a little bit better."

In 2011, auctioneer Ritchie Bros. sold more than 1,000 used cranes in the U.S. market, the company says, and for 2012, they started out with 70 cranes for sale at its March and April auctions.

"So far this year we've sold over 135 cranes," Simpson says. "We're only in mid-March, so we have a long way to go."

Myron Bowling Auctioneers, Inc. is also on track. "General construction equipment demand is higher in the first part of 2012 than it has been in the past few years," says Greg Hengehold, managing partner of Myron Bowling.

"Attendance at the auctions is higher and selling prices are stronger than a year ago. As usual, late-model, quality equipment brings most at auctions."

Myron says most of its crane and heavy transport equipment is being sold directly to end-users and contractors. "We recently sold Grove, Galion/Dresser and Broderson 15- to 20-ton capacity rough terrain cranes in Texas," Hengehold says.

"The cranes brought well in excess of the anticipated value, mainly because of the geographic location near energy facilities that require these types of cranes. Hydraulic truck cranes are also in high demand [though, and] high capacity cranes are the most desirable."

With sales strong and momentum moving forward, Simpson says there's been a clear change in the economic climate across the U.S.

"What's noticeably different is the confidence by the masses of people that we deal with in the United States - it's significantly better," he says.

"I travel a lot and the optimism out there about the future, work picking up and more going on, in general it feels a lot better than it did 12 months ago."

This increased confidence Ritchie is experiencing has provided the company "great results," as it has Myron Bowling.

Specialized and heavy transport

"Demand is very strong for used specialized transport equipment," Hengehold says. "Though it was strong in 2011, demand continues to increase in 2012."

Myron Bowling has seen prices for this type of equipment grow 10 percent in 2012, with pre-emissions, heavy-haul tractors (such as four-axle, high horse power, heavy axles) in "especially high demand."

"At an auction in late November 2011, we sold pre-emissions 2008 Peterbilt 389 tractors for nearly 80 percent of their new price," Hengehold says.

"All trailers are bringing more at auction this year, even light trailers such as tandem axle flatbed trailers from the '80s that would have been scrapped in late 2010 or early 2011, they're now bringing in $4,000 to $6,000 at auction."

Hengehold says Myron Bowling is also seeing heavy haul trailers (50-tons or more), which are in short supply, bringing in 70 to 80 percent of their original selling price.

"Customers tell us that wait times for new trailers can be as long as three to nine months, which obviously spurs demand for used trailers when customers have jobs that need to be completed immediately."

Myron Bowling has an upcoming auction that's focusing on trailers used for hauling wind energy components. These wind energy transportation pieces are surplus to Badger Transport in Milwaukee.

Myron plans to sell 80-ton double schnabel trailers, 80-ton modular heavy-haul trailers, 80-ton perimeter trailers, windmill blade trailers and heavy haul tractors. "We expect demand to be high for this equipment," Hengehold says.

The same can be said for Ritchie, who is witnessing heavy haul trucks and trailers "bringing in great money."

Simpson attributes this increase in demand from positive economic signs and work picking up across some areas.

"A lot of the brand new stuff is quite spendy, especially with new technology, so I think people are looking for things that are a few years old; stuff that doesn't have a lot of miles or hours on it," he says.

"They think that might be a better avenue for them rather than stepping up and buying new."

According to Simpson, the strong demand for quality, later-model, nicely houred, well-speced equipment spurs from the downturn.

"A lot of manufacturers pulled back on building new stuff, so therefore a lot of brand new equipment wasn't made or sold," he says.

"The quantities of those years are not in abundance and therefore that's what's driving the later model (2005, 2006, 2007) equipment in the marketplace."

There are also owners who might have surplus assets they're looking to sell. "As they continue to see positive prices in the marketplace going up, that will either drive guys who want to get up and retire or downsize, and that will push them to think about selling," Simpson says.

Overall, the auction market is as hot as ever. With demand high, attendance up and prices strong, quality equipment isn't likely to last.

May 17, 2012––Workers who wear safety glasses all day long on the job know that fogging can be a major problem. While fogged lenses are annoying, they can also pose a serious threat to individual safety if the worker’s vision is impaired or if he/she is removing eyewear to wipe the fog off.

Swap® is a unique glasses-to-goggle eyewear solution designed by Gateway Safety to fight fog in several ways. First, the foam lining that surrounds the one-piece lens to block dust and debris includes venting channels that help reduce hot air buildup. Swap also features Gateway Safety’s high quality anti-fog formula. Gateway Safety doesn’t cut corners by watering its anti-fog coating down or by only coating one side of the lens. The Swap lens is fully dipped into the anti-fog formula, a process that coats both sides to help fight fog in the toughest way.

“Many safety professionals face compliance issues among their employees, and fogging is one more battle they have to fight,” said Matthew Love, Gateway Safety Vice President. “We make all of our eyewear available in an anti-fog lens option, all treated with the same high-quality anti-fog coating process.”

Swap is easily changed from spectacle to goggle by swapping the temples for the head strap with a simple snap. Both the temples and head strap are included: rubberized two-color temples for all-day comfort and a fully adjustable head strap to fit any size head. Swap is independently certified by Underwriters Laboratories to meet ANSI Z87.1+ and offers 99.9% UVA, UVB and UVC protection.

About Gateway Safety
For more than 65 years, Gateway Safety has been designing and manufacturing award-winning, cost-effective safety products in eye, face, head, hearing and respiratory protection. Gateway Safety works hard to provide personal protective equipment that workers want to wear – helping companies increase safety compliance, improve the overall welfare of their employees, and reduce the high costs associated with workplace injuries. With many products independently certified to meet ANSI and CSA standards, Gateway Safety ensures its products are safe, durable and of the highest quality.

For more information, contact: Gateway Safety, Inc., 11111 Memphis Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44144. Phone: 800-822-5347. Fax: 216-889-1200. Web: www.GatewaySafety.com/PR. E-mail: marketing@gatewaysafety.com.

The Jacksonville (Florida) Electrical Authority recently let a project to install new infrastructure for expansion and development in the Royal Lakes housing community in Jacksonville.

Specifically, the JEA let a project to install more than 11,000 linear feet of new force main utility pipe. A portion of which was microtunneled 275 linear feet. It was the first microtunneling project in Jacksonville.

Taking on the challenge of installing the new underground utility was J. B. Coxwell Contracting Inc., based in Jacksonville.

Microtunneling is a slightly different process than more traditional jack and bore. However, both processes require the excavation of a launch pit and a receiving pit. This means that Coxwell needed to dig and safety shore at least two excavations that would stay open for an extended duration. And of course, all excavations for underground utility work pose their own set of unique challenges for keeping people safe as they work underground.

Shoring challenges, shoring options
Whenever personnel are working in a trench or pit deeper than 5 feet, OSHA mandates that the contractor install a protection system of sloping, shielding, or shoring. Because the microtunneling launch pit needed to be excavated in close proximity to a busy road, sloping the excavation really wasn’t an option. And soil conditions were not ideal to install and maintain trench shields. That left the option of shoring the excavation, which is typically done by driving tight sheeting.

“We were originally planning on using sheet piling to shore the launch pit,” said Coxwell Project Superintendent Dean Jones. “But then a representative from Professional Shoring and Supply came over and told us that Slide Rail might work better. I looked at the brochures and pictures of an Efficiency Production Slide Rail System, and decided I just wanted to try it.”

Coxwell chooses Slide Rail over tight sheeting
Efficiency’s Universal Slide Rail is a component shoring system comprised of steel panels (similar to trench shield sidewalls) and vertical steel posts. The versatile system can be used in a variety of configurations, such as small four-sided pits; large unobstructed working pits as big as 50 x 50 feet with Efficiency’s ClearSpan™ System; or in a linear Multi-Bay™ configuration to install length of pipe over 40 feet.

“I’m not a big sheeting guy,” Jones continued. “It’s time consuming and requires a lot of special equipment. It’s old school.”

Slide Rail is installed simultaneously as the trench or pit is excavated by sliding the panels into integrated rails on the posts–either double or triple rails depending on needed depth–then pushing the panels and posts incrementally down to grade as the pit is dug; a process commonly referred to as a “dig and push” system. Coxwell installed the system with a Komatsu 400 excavator. They also had an IT38 CAT loader on site.

Coxwell rented the Slide Rail components from the Jacksonville branch of Professional Shoring and Supply, an Efficiency Production equipment distributor. And because this was the first time Coxwell had used Efficiency’s Slide Rail System, Efficiency sent out Shoring Specialist Tim Hurst to assist with the initial installation.

Tight space no problem for Coxwell
“It was a very difficult spot to be digging, with access from only two sides to install the Slide Rail,” said Hurst. “But the Coxwell guys did an amazing job of installing the system, despite all the challenges.”

For the microtunneling launch pit, Coxwell installed a two-bay Multi-Bay™ configured Slide Rail System; 27 feet long, 14 feet wide, and 20 feet deep. Coxwell maintained an open excavation, free of any cross trench support by utilizing integrated “tie-back” external wales on the outside of the system, and sacrificial members between linear posts below grade. The receiving pit was a four-sided system; 14 feet long, 10 feet wide and 16 feet deep.

Microtunneling under busy Jacksonville highway saves time and money Huxted Tunneling was subcontracted to perform the microtunneling. They used an Iseki Unclemole TCC Microtunneling machine to push 42 inch steel casing 275 feet under heavily-travelled Southside Boulevard (SR-115). Utilizing the same hydraulic jacking rig, Huxted then pushed 20 foot joint lengths of 24 inch diameter DR18 PE force main transmission line through the casing, with Coxwell personnel making the connections.

The Coxwell subcontracted project was not the first time Huxted has setup their microtunneling rig inside a Slide Rail System. They worked in a Slide Rail shored pit once before in Sarasota, Florida; and recently worked within the same Slide Rail System from the Coxwell job to microtunnel 240 feet under I-75 in Tampa, Florida.

“My experience with Slide Rail has been very good so far,” said Huxted Tunneling’s Steve Pollack. “(The Slide Rail) went in very fast, faster and easier than sheet piling in my opinion. We were able to build a good solid back wall to brace the hydraulic jacking rig,” continued Pollack.

“I’ve suggested to other excavation contractors that they might want to consider Slide Rail instead of sheet piling if they’re bidding on a project that requires microtunneling,” Pollack concluded.

Initially established in 1983 as a firm specializing in clearing and earthwork, J.B. Coxwell Contracting, Inc. has expanded its scope of operations to encompass complete site development; including underground utilities, as well as heavy highway and civil construction in the public and private sectors. More information can be found at www.jbcoxwell.com

Huxted Tunneling was established in Florida in 1977, originally focusing on underground utility contracting. Soon after its inception, the company began gaining experience in trenchless procedures such as auger boring and installation of steel casing for utility projects and pump stations. Huxted’s capabilities expanded in 1991 to include pipe jacking, hand mined tunnels, and microtunneling. Details are explained at www.huxtedtunneling.com

Efficiency Production, “America’s Trench Box Builder™,” manufactures the widest selection of standard and custom trench shielding and shoring systems. Efficiency’s versatile products are designed specifically for safe and cost effective installation of utility systems and infrastructure improvements. All products are P.E. certified to meet OSHA standards. For more information, visit www.efficiencyproduction.com

Now farmers and landscapers can pick up rocks with ease. This means picking rocks two to three times faster than the rock bucket.
The KWIK-WAY Rotary Rock Picker will fit on any skid loader with a quick attach plate. This design is modeled after the rotary combine, which we all know revolutionized the farming and construction industry.

Made of heavy duty steel, and engineered with patent pending technology, the KWIK-WAY Rock Picker will last the average farmer or construction company a life time.

Farmers and construction workers can now pick rocks with ease. Simply scoop, spin, and the rock is picked and cleaned. Tough rocks barely visible in the ground can be scooped up along with pieces of wood, tin cans, hub caps, and any other debris, cleaned and moved to the designated work site.

Go to http://www.kwmanufacturing.com/ to watch the Rock Picker in action.

“The bracket kits were so easy to install!” says Brian Roberts of Kris-Way Truck Leasing.

Kris-Way Truck Leasing, based in South Portland Maine is New England’s largest independent truck leasing company in New England, with nine full service maintenance facilities located in Maine, New Hampshire and upstate New York. They provide full service leasing, contract maintenance, and dedicated contract carriage for the transportation industry.

Recently, Brian installed Minimizer fenders on six brand new T800 Kenworth trucks. He used the liquid platium model of the MIN150 poly fenders combined with the poly bracket system from Minimizer.

“We also retrofitted another new T800 that came with stainless steel half fenders. When the customer saw the Minimizers on another truck they immediately wanted to dump the stainless fenders and install the Minimizer product, so we did,” said Brian.

The poly bracket system and the fenders are guaranteed for life and are designed to work together. The bracket system absorbs road vibration and bends with the fender to prevent breaking.

“Our customer was so impressed,” said Brian. “Because the Minimizer system is flexible and easy to install, we were able to avoid drilling any holes and get the clearance we wanted. Everything looks really nice, we love the integrated bracket system Minimizer has developed!”

The sales staff at Minimizer are quick to make sure they have the right product for the right truck. Paul Tollefson, Minimizer Northeast Regional Sales Manager for Minimizer discussed the process of working with Kris-Way and making sure everything was perfect.

“Brian contacted us and provided us with the truck information, the type of fender use and style he was looking for and he also mentioned he wanted a real high end custom look,” Paul noted,”So we matched him up with our liquid platium style and they were very pleased with the outcome.”

Minimizer fenders will enhance the performance of all makes and models of over the road trucks, construction vehicles, or agriculture equipment. Enhance and protect your vehicle with Minimizer products. The toughness is unmatched as seen on this Minimizer promotional video entitled “Tested & Tortured”.

For more information or to contact a dealer, call us at (800) 248-3855 or visit our website or email us at info@minimizer.com.

About Minimizer
Headquartered in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, USA, Minimizer manufactures poly truck fenders, poly toolboxes, customized mud flaps, and bracket kits. Family owned and operated for nearly three generations, Minimizer parent company Spray Control Systems, Inc., was founded in 1983. Minimizer aims to provide products tough enough to please tough people in a tough industry. For more information call (800) 248-3855 or visit http://www.minimizer.com/.

We need Machines & Components

Wheel Loaders -- Komatsu WA300

Excavators - Komatsu PC400; PC300LC7; PC200-6/-7; PC650; PC750; PC1100; PC1000   Deere 450CLC; 330CLC

Dozers - Deere 700H/700J; 1050C/1050J Komatsu D65PX; D85 PX; D375; D475; D355

Please contact:

Jon Lester @815-220-7710 or email lesterj@greatlakesequipment.com.