Isuzu and Gatik partner to develop autonomous driving solutions
Isuzu Motors will invest $30 million in Gatik AI to further enhance the development of the North American autonomous driving business. Through this partnership, Isuzu will enter the middle-mile autonomous driving business in the LCF4 segment.
Gatik provides autonomous middle mile logistics services in North America, using Class 3-72 autonomous driving trucks. The company is focused on middle mile B2B3 logistics for large companies and in 2021 it also successfully completed fully driverless commercial middle mile deliveries. Gatik’s Class 3-7 autonomous driving trucks are currently commercially deployed in Texas, Arkansas and Ontario, Canada.
The agreement between Isuzu and Gatik is focused on the development of middle-mile autonomous driving. The two companies will jointly design and develop a new chassis with safety performance that is compatible with the installation of an autonomous driving system with the aim of starting mass production in 2027.
Gatik provides autonomous middle mile logistics services in North America, using Class 3-72 autonomous driving trucks. The company is focused on middle mile B2B3 logistics for large companies and in 2021 it also successfully completed fully driverless commercial middle mile deliveries. Gatik’s Class 3-7 autonomous driving trucks are currently commercially deployed in Texas, Arkansas and Ontario (Canada).
Greenzie to provide autonomous mowing services to college campuses
Autonomous mowing software technology developer Greenzie will provide services to college campuses across the United States.
Greenzie-powered autonomous mowers mow practice fields at community colleges in Texas, large open spaces at Georgia Southern University and several other college facilities across the country.
“The implementation of Greenzie technology has significantly increased our efficiency, enabling us to perform more detailed work and freeing up valuable resources,” said Maurice A. Coley, superintendent of landscape operations at Georgia Southern. “For example, we utilize many of the options like creating many different mowing patterns, saving multiple mowing areas and defining keep-out zones.”
Greenzie will exhibit at the 2024 Big Ten Campus Recreation Conference in Madison, Wis. The 2024 B1G Recreation Conference Expo brings together recreation and facility leaders from 18 institutions, including USC, UCLA, Washington, Oregon and more.
For the past two mowing seasons, Greenzie-powered Wright Autonomous Stander ZK mowers have helped maintain the University of Wisconsin’s Madison campus.
“We love using Greenzie technology because it makes the work easier and allows our team to grow in a whole new technology skill set,” said Chad Schultz, associate director of facility services, university, recreation & wellbeing at UW-Madison. “We can be more efficient in our work than we ever have before.”
Additionally, Greenzie works with Purdue University’s engineering department, providing students with a Wright Autonomous Stander ZK to experiment with and mow open spaces on the university’s agriculture campus. Greenzie is also a member of Auburn University’s Outdoor Power Equipment Consortium providing graduate students and researchers with autonomous mowing technology to perform research, development and performance assessments.
M&H Equipment Service earns award
M&H Equipment Service (M&H), a Northeast commercial outdoor power equipment sales and service dealer, received the 2023 Altoz Dealer of the Year award. The award was presented by Barry Swanger, Altoz’s Northeast regional manager.
“This award from Altoz is a testament to our team’s dedication and hard work,” said Patrick Howell, owner of M&H Equipment. “We continually strive to provide the best service and products to our customers, and being named Dealer of the Year is a clear indication that we’re succeeding in our mission.”
This recognition marks M&H’s third time in the Top 10 Dealer category and highlights the company’s values of quality, education, fair pricing and customer service.
Karl Bjorkman, vice president of sales and revenue for Altoz, commented on M&H’s achievements and said, “Your dedication, hard work and commitment to making your dealership successful have not gone unnoticed. We recognize and appreciate you and your team’s efforts in promoting and growing the Altoz brand while delivering exceptional customer service.”
TEC Equipment Rental joins Takeuchi’s dealer network
TEC Equipment Rental will now carry Takeuchi compact track loaders, excavators and wheel loaders at its new flagship location in West Columbia, S.C. TEC also rents, sells and services Takeuchi equipment at its location in Orangeburg, S.C.
“With our new 12,000-square-foot facility in Columbia, we feel we are positioned extremely well in the local market,” said Brett Evans, managing member for TEC Equipment Rental. “Landscaping and hardscaping have tremendous potential for growth in this area. We’re also seeing a lot of new infrastructure development, as well as an increasing population, all of which make Columbia a great location for TEC. We’re looking forward to introducing even more people to the positive difference Takeuchi equipment can make, whether they’re renting or buying.”
In addition to new and used heavy equipment sales and rentals, TEC provides financing, parts and trade-in assistance. Each branch is managed by a professional with a long tenure in the equipment industry and inside and outside sales representatives trained on Takeuchi equipment are also on staff. Factory-trained technicians are on hand to provide professional equipment service.
“We’re pleased to see TEC Equipment Rental’s growth, as well as their continued trust in Takeuchi,” said Joseph Funk, regional business manager for Takeuchi-US. “TEC has done a great job of expanding its business in its current markets. We thank TEC for putting even more faith and trust in Takeuchi and we look forward to a long and successful relationship in the years ahead.”
