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February

• Goldhofer to Present New Products, Innovations at Bauma

  February 13, 2019 - Goldhofer Aktiengesellschaft will present a broad portfolio of vehicles and some exciting new products at the Bauma trade show in Munich, Germany, April 8-14.
  

  The highlight of Goldhofer’s exhibit is the launching of a groundbreaking innovation that will make heavy haulage simpler, more efficient, and more sustainable.
  

  The big secret will be revealed by member of the board Rainer Auerbacher at the Goldhofer exhibition booth, FN.823, on April 8, 2019.




• ACT Research Sees Yellow Caution Lights for Economy

  February 11, 2019 - The latest release of the North American Commercial Vehicle Outlook from ACT Research, Columbus, Indiana, says that yellow lights continue to flash for the U.S. economy, and by extension for the North American commercial vehicle industry.

  “While the outlook has less of an orange tinge, sufficient caution flags remain to keep the yellow light burning regarding the near to mid-term economic outlook,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst. “While we’ve seen improvement in petroleum prices, equity valuations, and a monetary policy pause, we remain cautious regarding indicators like a flat yield curve, quantitative tightening, potential fallout from tariffs and trade wars, as well as the global economic slowdown.”




• Meritor to Showcase New Off-Highway Solutions at Bauma

  February 13, 2019 - Meritor, Inc., Troy, Michigan, is positioning itself for growth in the global off-highway market by showcasing several new products in Munich, Germany, April 8-14 at Bauma 2019, the leading trade show for the construction, building material, and mining machine industries.

   




• Orlaco Names Empire Crane Preferred Partner

  February 12, 1019 - Specialized camera system maker Orlaco has named Empire Crane Co., N. Syracuse, New York, as a preferred partner serving the northeastern United States.
  

  As a preferred partner, Empire Crane will sell and support Orlaco's camera-and-monitor systems that enhance vision to increase safety, efficiency, and comfort for operators of cranes and other heavy equipment.




• Maeda to Launch New Mini Cranes at Bauma

  Maeda MC285-3

  February 12, 2019 – Maeda USA, along with Maeda Seisakusho Japan and AB Kranlyft, will present several new mini crane models at the Bauma exhibition, the world's leading machinery trade fair, April 8-14 in Munich, Germany.

  Maeda will showcase several new models, including the new generation MC285-3, as well as upgraded MC305-3 and MC405-3 models, all available soon in North America.




• Kobelco USA Names Fendrick to Head Crane and Excavator Divisions

  February 6, 2019 - Kobelco Construction Machinery USA, Katy, Texas, has appointed Jack Fendrick as chief operating officer and vice president of its excavator and crane divisions.

  Although new to his titles, Fendrick is familiar with the Kobleco brand.

  He has held several positions at Kobelco USA since joining the company in 1996 and is experienced in both the excavator and crane businesses.




• Giuffre Brothers Appointed Dealer for Manitex PM Articulating Cranes

  February 6, 2019 - Manitex International Inc., Bridgeview, Illinois, has appointed Giuffre Brothers, Milwaukee, as Wisconsin’s dealer for Manitex PM articulating cranes.

  Giuffre Brothers distributed Manitex straight-boom telescopic cranes for more than a decade.

  Now, Giuffre Brothers has joined the growing network of industrial equipment dealers supporting Manitex articulating cranes.




• January Orders for Big Trucks Down 26%

  February 6, 2019 - Preliminary North America Class 8 net order data show the industry booked 15,800 units in January, down 26% from December and down 68% from last January, according to ACT Research, Columbus, Indiana.

  The numbers are preliminary. ACT Research will publish complete industry data for January, including final order numbers, in mid-February. “With near-record backlogs in both the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle markets, order activity continued to moderate in January,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst.

  “During the month, NA Classes 5-8 vehicle orders fell to an 18-month low 39,200 units.”




• Cat Lift Trucks Offers $5K College Scholarship in Houston Area

  February 4, 2019 - Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. (MCFA), will award a $5,000 college scholarship to a high school senior from the Houston area who plans to pursue higher education in engineering, a business-related field, or a field related to the materials handling industry.
  

  This year's scholarship is the 15th annual award in Cat Lift Trucks' scholarship program.
  

  Applicants must be from any Houston-area school district and plan to enroll in a college, university, or technical school in Texas in the fall of 2019.




January

• Raimondi Hires Industry Vet, Kicks off Expansion Plan

  January 30, 2019 - Raimondi Cranes, Legnano, Milan, Italy, has appointed Cristian Badin as sales direcrtor, reporting directly to Eng. Mauro Masetti, chief commercial officer.
  

  The company has also released its commercial development plan for the coming four quarters, including product and activation tactics.




• Grove to launch successor to the popular GMK3060 at bauma 2019

  January 30, 2019 - Manitowoc Cranes will launch an upgrade of the three-axle Grove GMK3060 all-terrain crane at bauma 2019 in Munich. The new GMK3060L is based on its predecessor’s design but has a longer boom (157.5 ft/48 m instead of 141 ft/43 m) and offers the strongest taxi load charts in its class.
  
  Like the original, the GMK3060L features the most compact dimensions in the three-axle segment, enabling it to access tight job sites, maneuver easily around city centers, and even work indoors. The chassis is almost as compact as a two-axle model and up to 1 m shorter than competitive three-axle cranes, with a carrier length of only 28.47 ft/8.68 m and a minimum overall height of 11.41 ft (3.48 m) with the suspension fully lowered. The new model features a longer, 157.5 ft (48 m) seven-section TWIN-LOCK hydraulic pinned main boom and boasts significantly stronger load charts.

   




• CM Labs at Bauma 2019 – Product Preview

  January 30, 2019 - CM Labs Simulations, developer of Vortex training simulators, today announced that it will be releasing a host of new training technologies at Bauma 2019. Each element is designed to work independently, or as part of a total team learning solution.
  
  CM Labs will be launching its new Augmented Reality (AR) application, which makes it possible for instructors to bring a virtual mobile crane right into the classroom, where trainees can interact with it, conduct walkarounds, and learn the fundamentals of machine inspection.
  
  Once trainees are familiar with the equipment, they can get behind the controls of an equipment simulator and work through the built-in training curriculum, or focus on the development of specific operator skills.




• AED Urges Congress to Pursue the Equipment Industry’s Pro-Growth Legislative Agenda

  January 30, 2019 - On January 25, AED delivered a letter to Congress outlining the construction equipment industry’s legislative priorities for the 116th congressional session, which includes infrastructure investment, addressing the skills gap, tax permanency and pursuing pro-growth trade and energy policies. 

  
  “AED members are ready for Congress to work together in a bipartisan manner to enact pro-growth, job-creating policies that will ensure the country’s economic vitality for decades to come,” AED’s President and CEO Brian P. McGuire told congressional leadership.




• Palfinger USA Names Jack Coleman Pal Pro Regional Sales Manager

  January 30. 2019 - Palfinger USA, LLC is proud to announce the appointment of their newest PAL Pro Regional Sales Manager, Jack Coleman, who will cover the states of Ohio, Indiana, and West Virginia.
   
  Jack brings more than 20 years of valuable experience in the truck equipment industry. Moving forward, Jack will be responsible for truck demonstrations, product support, and sales for PAL Pro Mechanics Bodies and PSC Cranes. Coleman will be reporting to Doug Heerdegen, Vice President of Finance & Operations at Palfinger USA. "Based on his extensive background and highly customer-oriented outlook, Jack is the ideal candidate", explains Heerdegen, "We look forward to leveraging his experience to offer the best value solutions to our customers."




• Liebherr Explores New Way for Training Mobile Crane Operators

  January 30, 2019 - Liebherr will present a new product for digital mobile crane operator training in 2019 at its Bauma exhibition stand. It is a joint product from e-learning production company Krassmann Produktion GmbH, lawyer Dr. Rudolf Saller and Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH. The new tool was unveiled for the first time at the customer days in Ehingen in June 2018.
  
  Liebherr has been providing quality courses and training for many years, both at its training centre at the manufacturing plant in Ehingen (Germany) and also at many of its outlets around the world. Since demand for training and regular statutory guidance is growing, Liebherr has faced up to this demand from the market and created a digital range of training content for mobile crane contractors with its partners, Dr. Rudolf Saller and Krassmann Produktion GmbH. It supports training activities by crane contractors and provides the expertise in compressed form.




• U.S. Trailer Orders Rise 35% in 2018

  January 27, 2019 - Transportation analysis company ACT Research, Columbus, Indiana, reports that although December saw the volume of U.S. trailer orders slide for the third month in a row, it’s all relative when that low was nearly 28,000 orders.




• Hiab Unveils Loader Crane Innovations to U.S. Market

  January 27, 2019 - Hiab, part of Cargotec, unveiled new crane technologies to the U.S. market at the World of Concrete event January 21-25 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
  

  Designed to make crane operation safer and more efficient, the new technologies are Crane Tip Control (CTC), Variable Stability Logic Plus (VSL+), Semi-Automatic Folding (SAF) and the connected service, HiConnect.




• Construction Financial Management Association CONFINDEX Results Slip to Lowest Level Since Late 2012

  January 23, 2018 - The Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) announced the results of its quarterly CONFINDEX survey. The Overall CONFINDEX fell during the fourth quarter to 114, down 7.3 percent from the third quarter’s reading of 123. The Business Conditions Index, which reflects how well matters are progressing presently, fell during the fourth quarter by nearly ten percentage points to 113. This reading is down 13 percent from a year ago.
  




• Mammoet Moves Largest Load Ever on an Alberta Highway

  January 23, 2019 - On the evening of January 6, Mammoet began transporting a giant 800-ton splitter vessel, reportedly the largest load ever moved on any highway in Alberta, Canada.

  The vessel left Dacro Industries, where it was constructed, and began a three-day journey from Edmonton to Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.