Alta Equipment Group will acquire Ginop Sales, a Kubota distributor with three locations in Northern Michigan, and Ambrose Equipment, a LeeBoy dealer with locations in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The deals expand Alta’s network to more than 60 locations across Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, New England, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Florida. Ginop generated approximately $65 million in revenue for the trailing twelve-month period ended August 2021. “The acquisition of Ginop strengthens Alta’s business and product offerings in our home state of Michigan by expanding our relationship with Kubota, a world-class OEM,” says Alta CEO Ryan Greenawalt. “The acquisition builds on our strategy of providing customers with superior equipment and unrivaled product support. For over six decades, Ginop has been Northern Michigan’s trusted source for construction and agricultural equipment. Alta is honored to carry on the Ginop legacy and excited to add their talented team to the Alta family.” Ambrose generated approximately $35 million in revenue for the trailing twelve-month period ended August 2021. “For over three decades, Ambrose has been the ‘go-to’ asphalt paving products dealer in New England, says

Slightly less than a year ago the residents of one of the hottest states in the country woke up to find their power out, pipes burst and icy havoc everywhere. The big freeze that hit Texas, February 13, 2021 and lasted almost a week, killed more people than the Alamo and racked up billions of dollars in damages. That should be warning enough to take winter seriously. Whether it’s your tools or equipment you should understand the worst that could happen and prepare for it. Here’s a checklist of the dangers and what you can do to prevent them. The #1 Rule No set of rules could possibly cover all the contingencies for different brands and types of equipment, mobile, stationary, rubber-tire, tracked, low and high horsepower, diesel, gas, hybrid or fully electric. So the #1 rule is to check with the equipment dealer or OEM or consult the manual first. Also don’t do this slapdash or just whenever you get around to it. Use our list here as a starting point but then study your equipment and needs, develop

In 2020, we started an ongoing feature focusing on collectors of antique equipment and their favorite finds. Little did we know that the stories would become so popular. Readers seem to appreciate the historical significance of the old equipment and the personal stories behind them. And the collectors we’ve spoken with love to show their vintage machines, many of which underwent painstaking restorations. Along with being fans of antique equipment, they hope to reach a new generation and help preserve a bit of our country’s construction past. So here are the top five antique construction equipment stories on equipmentworld.com for 2021, with links in case you want to read more: Mike Oberloier1. 95 Years Under Water: Rare, Long-Lost Steam Shovel Rescued to be Restored An old steam shovel at the bottom of a Michigan lake since 1925 couldn’t be rescued. Then a dam break in 2020 changed everything. Because of it, Mike Oberloier was able to resurrect a dream his father had back in 1975, when he led an unsuccessful diving expedition to find the lost steam shovel of Wixom

Crime is on the rise everywhere and with so many construction companies powering down in winter, equipment theft is rising accordingly. Pandemic issues such as reduced staffing and unemployment also raise risks. Equipment thieves strike fast. They bring their own trucks and lowboys and it takes them only minutes to get a dozer, excavator or backhoe onto a trailer and down the road. In many cases, these stolen machines are loaded into a cargo container before the sun comes up (making it all but invisible to law enforcement) and then put on a ship bound for a country where they can never be traced. But there are a number of steps you can take to keep yourself from becoming a victim of equipment theft. Here’s a checklist of things you should do short term and long term to protect your iron this winter and all season long. Short Term Precautions Fully illuminate your shop building and equipment yard at night and eliminate any shadowed spots where thieves might hide. New LED bulbs cast a lot of light and use less

Brooks Tractor will now carry the entire line of Merlo telehandlers at each of its seven locations, which serve the major metropolitan areas of Wisconsin, and provide support to upper Michigan. The line covers all segments of material handling. “Brooks Tractor is always looking for ways to diversify its fleet and add value to the customer experience,” said Truie Brobston, sales manager. “If we can be their one-stop shop, it helps us market the rest of our lineup. We were impressed with the technology the Merlo line has to offer and the overall fit and finish of their product.” Brooks is also an authorized John Deere, Hitachi, Atlas Copco and Dynapac dealer. The 20-year-old association has created a new program to support those working toward careers in the servicing and maintenance of construction equipment.Independent Equipment Dealers Association Heavy Diesel Tech Students Earn $5,000 Scholarships The Independent Equipment Dealers Association presented three, $5,000 scholarships to students at Western Technical College in Lacrosse, Wisconsin during a recent ceremony at the school’s heavy diesel program shop. IEDA created the scholarship program this year

Editor’s note: Need more gift ideas? From now until Christmas, Equipment World is featuring a new gift each day for the construction enthusiast in your life. Check back daily to our Gear section or subscribe to our Equipment World Daily newsletter to see each day’s new idea. High-quality, affordable boots that can hold up to tough jobsite conditions are hard to come by, but a new brand says its direct-to-consumer model delivers on both counts. Brunt Workwear was founded two years ago by Eric Girouard, who grew up in a blue-collar family and ran his own landscaping business in high school. “Even though my buddies have the means to buy any workwear on the market, they shouldn’t be overpaying for the tools they wear to do their jobs. Guys like them are the backbone of this country, and they deserve more,” says Girouard. Brunt currently has five models of boots available, but the time-honored look of the Marin model caught my eye. Constructed with full-grain leather and double-stitching on critical spots, the Marin is built for performance and durability. The boots meet the ASTM

Effective January 1, Dean Barley will take the helm as president and COO of Tadano America Corp., succeeding Ingo Schiller. Barley currently serves as vice president of customer service and general manager of Latin America sales. He initially joined Tadano in 2019 following the acquisition of Demag to run Demag as a separate division before integrating Demag cranes into Tadano’s portfolio. Before joining Tadano, he worked at Terex for more than two decades in a variety of capacities. “I am truly honored to have the opportunity to follow Ingo in this role. He has been instrumental in developing Tadano America to the great company it is today and the Pan-America Region into the success that we are now enjoying,” says Barley. Schiller has been promoted to chief marketing officer of Tadano Ltd. He will be responsible for all global marketing activities for the Tadano Group of companies, as well as the director of the US entity that holds both Tadano America Corp. and Tadano Mantis Corp. Schiller joined Tadano America in 2016, becoming its president and CEO the following year.

JCB North America recently opened the doors on a new $8 million, 13,000 square foot sales, service and parts facility in Houston, Texas, named Monk JCB. Alice Bamford, daughter of JCB Chairman Lord Bamford and granddaughter of company founder Joseph Cyril Bamford, officiated the ceremony for the facility, which is part of the JCB Sponsored Dealer Program. The program includes the investment in the facility leased to the dealer. “Where else would you get this with a major manufacturer?” says Bryan Monk, dealer principal and owner, Monk JCB. “We are excited to welcome the public to our new Houston showroom. The quality and innovation put into JCB equipment makes us a perfect fit for the needs of the Houston heavy construction equipment market. A facility like this serves to help us support our customers in even more ways.” Monk has over three decades of experience in the industry. “The opening of Monk JCB is an important part of JCB North America’s growth strategy which includes sponsoring dealerships in key market areas,” says Richard Fox-Marrs, President & CEO of JCB North

Editor’s note: Each day until Christmas, Equipment World is featuring a new gift idea for the construction enthusiast in your life. Check back each day to our Gear section or subscribe to our Equipment World Daily newsletter to see each day’s new idea. “Unprecedented comfort and maneuverability.”  That’s how Blaklader describes its service pants with stretch. The 65% polyester/ 35% cotton material blend helps keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer, while maintaining maximum durability and no shrinkage. Plus, it’s more oil and water repellent than cotton alone. The pants feature a stretch panel in the crotch, on the knees and rear. Pre-bent knees provide added flexibility and comfort when crouching or kneeling. Generously sized utility pockets, including an inner telephone pocket, are perfect for carrying tools and parts. Men’s service pants with stretch can be purchased for $79.95 on the Blaklader website or at specialty retailers. The women’s cut features a narrower fit, elastic waist and fast-drying material. The women’s service stretch pant is available for $69.95. Did you miss our previous article… https://www.neiloganconstruction.com/?p=1069 David Snowwww.neiloganconstruction.com

Manitou launched its tallest articulated boom lift for North America last year, and now the company has rolled out an all-electric version. The new ATJ60E runs on lead-acid batteries, instead of the 42.9-horsepower diesel engine in its ATJ60 articulated boom work platform. With far fewer components than a machine powered by an internal combustion engine, the electric-drive ATJ60E substantially reduces maintenance costs, the company says. Two asynchronous, maintenance-free motors drive the ATJ60E. An integral charger is located on the turret, and the machine recharges on a standard 230-volt plug. Manitou said it chose lead-acid batteries due to their low replacement cost and recyclability. According to the company, the batteries can be cycled and recharged up to 1,500 times. The ATJ60E offers a basket capacity of 507 pounds, a working height of 65 feet 7 inches and a platform height of 59 feet 7 inches. Up-and-over reach measures 26 feet 3 inches. It comes with solid, non-marking tires and weighs 15,653 pounds. The axles offer a maximum tilt of 4 degrees longitudinally and laterally. High ground clearance, four-wheel drive and the