Case Construction Equipment celebrated 50 years of skid-steer manufacturing with a ceremony on April 3 at its Wichita, Kan., plant.
Case first built skid-steers in 1969 at its Burlington, Iowa, facility, before eventually moving production to Wichita.
“Skid-steers completely transformed the construction equipment landscape, and Case has played a leading role in the evolution and development of this product category throughout the last 50 years,” said Michel Marchand, vice president — North America, Case Construction Equipment. “These machines reflect every bit of our heritage from construction to agriculture, and we are committed to helping our customers build strong communities and businesses with the help of Case skid-steers built here in the U.S.”
In other Case news, the company awarded its $25,000 Dire States Equipment Grant to Chapin, S.C., for the East Chapin Sewer Force Main Project.
The project will install a new parallel force main to relieve pressures in the service area on the existing sewer force main and pump stations. The additional force main will provide capacity to reroute sewer flow to significantly reduce the likelihood of future overflows that may affect the drinking water of approximately 130,000 drinking water customers in area.
The grant awarded Chapin $25,000 in free equipment rental for the project through local Case dealer Hills Machinery. The project will also mitigate other storm- and wastewater challenges for the municipality and create more capacity for additional business development in the town.
Kohler Co. will shut down engine production in the Village of Kohler and move the work to Hattiesburg, Miss.
With the decision, 325 positions in Wisconsin will be eliminated, but all affected employees will be offered alternative jobs there, the company said.
Kohler’s engine-manufacturing operation in Hattiesburg began in 1998. Consolidating the engine work in Mississippi “will create a simplified customer experience and is not about reducing headcount or downsizing the business,” the company said in a statement.
ABS Tree Care of Omaha, Nebraska’s business operations has joined The Davey Tree Expert Co. to offer residential and commercial tree care services in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and in Omaha.
The company is accredited with the Tree Care Industry Association, and for the past six years. About 10 employees work for ABS, and almost all will be remaining with the business.
ABS owners Cody Forristall and Josh Kallsen handed over leadership of the company to focus on another business, but are consulting for the next six months to help with the transition.
“Davey Tree has an excellent reputation in the tree and landscape industry,” Forristall said. “With this change, ABS clients will benefit from more comprehensive service offerings, including access to the Davey Institute, an industry-leading diagnostic and research facility. Davey’s strong culture in employee-ownership appealed to me. With this change, ABS employees will have greater training and education opportunities, as well as the opportunity to become employee-owners and grow with the company.”
The new Davey office is led by Joshua Rongish, district manager of the operation. Rongish is an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist and a graduate of the Davey Institute of Tree Sciences. Most recently, he served as a sales representative at Davey’s office in Dallas.
Husqvarna launched the Great American Chainsaw XPert Challenge.
Participants can compete to win a new 572 XP and full set of Husqvarna PPE, valued at more than $1,500.
To enter, participants need to submit a video (60 seconds or fewer) of themselves using a Husqvarna chainsaw and demonstrating why they should be crowned this year’s “Great American Chainsaw XPert.” Entries will be judged on cutting ability, endurance, maneuverability and safety.
Those interested have until May 31 to submit their entries. Judging will take place in the month of June, and the American winners will be announced on July 4.
You can view the contest launch video on Instagram here, and more information can be found on the Husqvarna website.
