A buyer from North Carolina won a Marion 7820 Walking Dragline in IronPlanet’s Daily Marketplace, for the highest bid of $3 million from a seller in Pennsylvania.

“This successful sale between two of the largest aggregate producers in the United States is a prime example of how our global marketplace connects buyers and sellers quickly and effectively,” said Greg Owens, CEO of IronPlanet, in a written statement. “Our Daily Marketplace is a complement to our regular weekly auctions and allows us to reach out to our global network and find the right buyers to meet a seller’s price target, which can be particularly useful when selling high-priced and unique items like the dragline.”

Weighing more than 2,000 tons and consisting of a bucket attachment large enough to accommodate parking for three full-size pickup trucks, the item is one of the largest pieces of equipment sold by IronPlanet.

Hill’s services under the contract are expected to include project and program management, cost estimating, cost control, scheduling, staff augmentation and other construction consulting and related technical services at various U.S. and international locations.

GATR dealer principal Bob Neitzke (center) receives the 2012 U.S. Dealer of the Year award from (left ) Terry Billings, Volvo Trucks vice president – business development and (right) Göran Nyberg, president, Volvo Trucks North American sales & marketing.

The annual Volvo Trucks Dealer of the Year award honors the dealership’s organization and employees for overall accomplishment and performance. Selection criteria for the award includes outstanding performance in new truck and parts sales, growth in market share, penetration of Volvo engines, customer satisfaction index and investment in facilities.

The business opened in 1962 as Grile Auto & Truck Repair, acquired a Volvo franchise in 1994 and was purchased by dealer principal Bob Neitzke in 2000. Neitzke changed the dealership’s name to GATR, the acronym informally used during the Grile family’s many years of ownership.

During Neitzke’s 12 years of ownership, GATR has steadily grown. The full-service location in Sauk Rapids features extensive parts and service departments, new and used truck sales, rental and leasing services and a body shop and detailing facility. Locations in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Iowa extend the dealership’s reach.

“It’s a pleasure to again recognize GATR’s success,” said Göran Nyberg, president, Volvo Trucks North American sales & marketing, in a press release. “Bob Neitzke and his team consistently set the bar high and deliver in terms of sales, service and customer satisfaction.”

The council consists of parts managers from Kenworth dealerships in the United States and Canada.

Kenworth Parts Council members are the following:

Chairwoman – Jo Frost, Edmonton Kenworth, Edmonton, Alb.; Ken Ables, Performance Kenworth, Cleveland, Texas; Paul Baker, Wallwork Kenworth, Fargo, N.D.; Gaetan Lalonde, Kenworth Maska, St. Mathieu-de-Laprairie, Que.; Lisa Nichols, Kenworth of Columbus, Hilliard, Ohio; Vic Stiller, Inland Kenworth, Phoenix, Ariz.; Jeff Weaver, Truckworx Kenworth, Birmingham, Ala.; Clayton Zuchotzki, GreatWest Kenworth, Calgary Alb.; and Kenworth Dealer Council representative Mike Murphy, MHC Kenworth, Leawood, Kan.

“Each year, ABC recognizes an individual or company that attains a level of achievement that raises the bar for all of us, and Cajun Industries certainly fits the bill,” said 2013 ABC National Chairman Greg Hoberock, president of hth companies, Inc. Union, Mo., in a press release. “Their commitment to safety and excellence on all levels helps to advance our organization, the construction industry and the principles of free enterprise.”

The company has been involved with ABC since 1974. Cajun Industries is a member of three ABC chapters, including the ABC New Orleans/Bayou chapter, ABC Pelican chapter and the ABC Greater Houston chapter.

Mike Poppoff

Keith Wayne, Kannapolis, N.C., was re-elected secretary/treasurer. Mario Garza, Southfield, Mich.; Heston Hamilton, Orem, Utah, and Jason Swagert, Apex, N.C., were elected as new directors. 

Anthony DeCarlo, Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio; Ray Merlo, Milford, Mich.; Peter Ruttura, West Babylon, N.Y., and David Somero, New Ipswich, N.H., were re-elected as directors.

The Decorative Concrete Council, a specialty council of the ASCC, re-elected Chris Klemaske, T.B. Penick & Sons Inc., San Diego, Calif., as council director.

Paul Schneider, Cincinnati, Ohio, was re-elected secretary/treasurer.  Stevie Ray Lloyd. Forest, Va.; Neil Roach, Danville, Ill., and Chris Sullivan, Littleton, Colo., were elected as new directors. 

Nick Adams, Cleveland, Ohio; John Belarde, Woodenville, Wash.; Clark Branum, Marysville, Wash.; Tim Fisher, Louisville, Colo.; Marshall Hoskins, Columbia, S.C.; Dionne Hutchings Ojeda, Dallas, Texas; Gregory Hyde Hryniewicz, Annapolis, Md.; Jim Mullins, Naperville, Ill.; Kevin Percy, Walpole, Mass.; Rob Sousa, East Providence, R.I.; and Wes Vollmer, San Antonio, Texas, were re-elected as directors of the DCC Advisory Council.

The ASCC Safety and Risk Management Council re-elected Steve Pereira, Professional Safety Associates, Denham Springs, La., as council director and Scott Winkler, Hamilton, Ohio, as secretary/treasurer. 

Gavin Banks, Santa Monica, Calif.; and Doug Peters, Lansing, Mich., were electedas  new directors. Bill Bramschreiber, Pasadena, Calif.; Janet Greco, West Babylon, N.Y.; Mike Schneider, Monroe, Ohio, and Ken Sullivan, Boston, Mass., were re-elected directors.

Mike Ferguson, Multiquip, Inc., Carson, Calif., was re-elected council director of the Manufacturer’s Advisory Council and Jeremy Clark, Chicago, Ill., has been re-elected as secretary/treasurer. 

Malcolm Smith, Marietta, Ga., and Jeff Snyder, York, Pa., were elected new members of the Council and Jay Allen, Paragould, Ariz.; and Michael Schaeffer, Little Ferry, N.J. were re-elected directors.

“We are truly pleased to receive such a prestigious award,” said Kokosing Project Engineer Andy Rhodes in a press release. “This award honors all public and private entities who’ve worked on the bypass and contributed to such a high-quality product.”

According to a NAPA news release, Kokosing Construction Co. Inc. won the award for its work on the relocation of the US 33 bypass in Hocking and Athens Counties in Ohio. The company engaged in extensive partnering with all parties and incorporated several elements to protect wildlife in the area, including high-mast lighting for bats, wildlife jump-outs for deer, a butterfly bridge, rattlesnake fencing, and tunnels for safe crossings by wildlife and humans. It also incorporated reclaimed asphalt pavement into three of the mixes, used warm-mix asphalt for paving, and fueled its portable asphalt plant with recycled waste oil, dramatically reducing the project’s environmental footprint. Paving in 28-foot-wide sections to avoid longitudinal joints at the centerline, Kokosing Construction Co. produced a high-quality, dense, and smooth asphalt pavement.

“The Quality in Construction Award recognizes paving jobs completed in line with best practices and standards known to yield high-quality asphalt pavements,” said Kurt Bechthold, 2012 chairman of the NAPA Board of Directors.

Since being awarded the contract for Phase II ($45.2 million) of the Nelsonville Bypass, Kokosing has achieved many milestones on the project, including the opening of Phase II nine months ahead of schedule.

“In partnering with Kokosing, we’ve exceeded expectations and work schedules throughout the entire project,” said Ohio Department of Transportation (DOT) District 10 Deputy Director Steve Williams.  “We congratulate Kokosing on winning this distinguished award and we look forward to working with them in the future.”

Phase II of the Nelsonville Bypass includes more than three miles of earth work and 4.56 miles of four-lane paving.  Phase II also consists of construction of the west interchange as well as the construction of four bridges.

In her previous position as trade show and event manager, Cabiedes-Uranga was responsible for the strategic planning and management of all of the company’s events.

Cabiedes-Uranga joined Liebherr in 2005 and has held multiple positions in the marketing department. She holds a bachelor of science in business administration with a major in marketing from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, ITESM) in Mexico City, Mexico.

Lisa Kelly, of Ice Road Truckers and IRT: Deadliest Roads fame, is now the global ambassador for Worldtrucker, an online community for professional truck drivers and trucking enthusiasts

Celebrity truck driver Lisa Kelly, an active member of the Worldtrucker community, will be revealing the new Worldtrucker Smartphone App and Website at the Volvo Trucks booth during the 2013 Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Ky.

Kelly, of the TV series Ice Road Truckers and IRT: Deadliest Roads,  was one of the first to try the app during her recent visit to Sweden.

“The new Worldtrucker app and website allows truckers to connect with other truckers all over the world and share their stories and passion for life on the road,” Kelly said in a written statement. “The Worldtrucker app is, of course, designed for truckers, by truckers. So come on, join the family.”

The public reveal of the new Worldtrucker smartphone app and website will take place Saturday, March 23 at 11a.m. Eastern in booth #32125. Show attendees will be able to meet Kelly, who will be in the Worldtrucker lounge at the Volvo Trucks booth and available for photos and autographs.

Worldtrucker is a global online community for truckers, powered by Volvo Trucks. The community helps drivers keep in touch with their families, friends and colleagues. Members can share photos from the road by uploading directly through their mobile phone.

“I like keeping in touch with the trucking community,” Kelly said in a press release. ”There are a lot of things that keep truck drivers united, and that’s what’s cool about the Worldtrucker concept. Other truck drivers can understand what you’re going through, and thanks to Worldtrucker we can help each other.”

Volvo Trucks notes that by offering these social elements, it hopes to increase interest in the profession and support the recruitment of new drivers. The worldwide driver shortage is a vital issue for the industry.

“We know that truck drivers have strong professional pride, and that’s exactly what Worldtrucker is about – sharing that passion for trucks and for life on the road,” said Paula Kühnel, Worldtrucker manager, said in a press release.

Initially launched in 2011, the online community now has more than 21,600 members representing more than 100 countries. Worldtrucker is available in 18 languages and its members have uploaded more than 120,000 photos of trucks and life on the road. Volvo Trucks says it aspires to make Worldtrucker the largest and most active truck driver community in the world.

Leading Edge Attachments’ Hi-Cap Multi-Ripper Bucket

In the show, Dakota Fred said, referring to the bucket; “we affectionately call this bucket the Bedrock Shark.” They used the bucket to rip through the cemented cobble and bedrock near the bottom of an ancient waterfall that they call their “glory hole.” The show footage showed the conventional trenching bucket just skimming over the top of the rock, so he then switched to the Multi-Ripper SHARC  bucket, and it was ripping the material with ease.

SHARC refers to “Shanks on an ARC,” meaning that each tooth hits one at a time, thus providing the full breakout force sequentially on each tooth.

The bucket may also make a cameo this summer. According to the bucket’s manufacturer, Fred is planning to use the bucket more this summer, and it may appear more in the next season’s shows.