CASE Construction Equipment dealer Hills Machinery provided Team Rubicon with a compact track loader and excavator to assist in mudslide cleanup in Polk County, North Carolina in the wake of record rainfall. The work — part of Team Rubicon’s “Operation Mountain Laurel” — included re-routing a stream within its original banks after mudslides shifted its course, and clearing mud and debris from numerous properties.

Hills Machinery provided the equipment as part of the partnership between CASE and Team Rubicon — a veteran-led disaster response organization comprised of more than 80,000 volunteers that has responded to more than 275 disasters across the world since 2010. CASE supplies Team Rubicon’s heavy equipment operators with machinery to assist in cleanup efforts.

We visited CASE Kickstart winner Austin Kirby of Kirbappeal Lawn & Landscape to see how he was implementing some of the contest winnings and new learnings into his business.

CASE Construction Equipment announces the limited availability of a commemorative die cast model of the CASE/Team Rubicon SV340 skid steer loader, nicknamed “The Beast” by Team Rubicon’s heavy equipment operators.

Introduced for the first time at ConExpo/Con-Agg 2017, the CASE/Team Rubicon SV340 disaster response skid steer has responded to numerous disasters throughout the country – including Hurricane Harvey recovery and recent wildfire cleanup out west, as well as service projects in states such as Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Founded in the winter of 2017, Integrated Forest Resources of South Carolina is, by all accounts, a brand new company — but they have a strong history in forestry and land management.

“I went to school to study forestry at Clemson University. Graduated in 1994,” explains Trip Chavis, president of Integrated Forest Resources (IFR). “And I’ve been in forestry ever since in some form or fashion.”

A backhoe loader truly is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment available—whether it’s on the jobsite, in a disaster response situation or a variety of other specialty applications. CASE has recently introduced several enhancements to the N Series line of backhoe loaders—improvements to the cab and drivetrain, as well as enhancements to the electrical and hydraulic systems—that make these already versatile machines even more robust and productive.

We’ve made several features standard that were only options before, like our fuel economy package, which includes ECO mode switches for both the loader and backhoe functions, allowing for greater fuel savings, as well as optimal power and performance. CASE N Series backhoe loaders now feature an all-new Pilot Control hydraulic system for optimal precision and smoothness, offering the operator more control in applications where precision is critical.

CASE Construction Equipment and heavy equipment dealer F&W Equipment provided veteran-led disaster response organization Team Rubicon with equipment for use as part of Operation Cedar Crest, a cleanup operation spurred by three EF-1 tornadoes and one microburst that touched down on May 15, 2018 in Connecticut. The severe weather left more that 150,000 residents without power and blocked more than 428 roads.

Team Rubicon deployed 44 members to the affected site, totaling 1,068 hours of volunteer work and 75,000 feet of debris moved. Team Rubicon brought the community a potential savings of $31,600 in materials and labor.

CASE Construction Equipment, and heavy equipment dealers Titan Machinery and Sonsray Machinery, donated the use of skid steers, a compact track loader and an excavator to veteran-led disaster response organization Team Rubicon for Operation Big Iron — a disaster cleanup operation in response to the “Tinder Fire”, which swept across more than 500 acres in Coconino County, Arizona.

Team Rubicon volunteers provided heavy equipment operations, debris removal and sawyer services to affected communities. The organization deployed 40 members who logged a total of 2,592 hours on the operation. Team Rubicon’s heavy equipment operators used the equipment to help move more than 54,130 cubic feet of debris. Volunteers saved the community an estimated total of $74,784.38 in cleanup, materials and labor.

ACI Construction in Logan, Utah, is home to Bronson Twitchell, who has followed his own path into his family’s construction business. Bronson and his two brothers have re-branded their father’s business and have been managing ACI Construction for three years.

“I’ve always been fascinated with heavy equipment. It’s like a big sandbox on the job site,” says Twitchell.

ACI Construction (Logan, Utah) is the latest evolution of a long running family business. Dad, Sid Crookston, started pouring concrete at age 15 with his father, who also had deep roots in the construction industry. Sid Crookston’s sons, Chris and Alden Crookston, and Bronson Twitchell, re-branded dad’s business nearly three years ago. Sid Crookston is angling towards retirement and has taken a role as an equipment operator, advisor and all-around sage, while the three boys are responsible for much of the day-to-day business operations.

The company is currently working on the third phase of a 23-lot, 15-acre subdivision called Providence Hollow in Logan, Utah. The neighborhood is being constructed into the side of a foothill, which brings its challenges. The company is responsible for the roads, sewer, drain lines, retention ponds, gutters and sidewalks for the community.

Advanced precision construction technologies continue to proliferate in today’s construction market, but many business owners still associate these solutions with large-scale site prep and road building projects. The truth is that machine control technology is a highly scalable solution, and these systems have become more accessible than ever before to contractors of all sizes. In fact, there are many market segments where machine control is becoming more and more necessary to stay competitive.

Why Now?
Machine control systems are a great way to invest in the long-term productivity of an operation, and more and more fleet managers and equipment owners are integrating precision construction solutions into their fleets every day.