Loading up on the Web: 3/29 – 4/2

It’s been a busy week here in the CE office. Not only were we putting the finishing touches on our April issue — which is filled with Tractor Tips, a look at the latest and greatest new equipment this year (so far) and a super cool feature of compact equipment hard at work on an apple orchard — but we also were posting the hottest news items to fuel the Machine Works Fire. Here are the top headlines from last week in case you missed them. As always, leave comments to let us know what you think.

The Cost of Health Care in the Construction Industry: Health care is on the tip of the tongue of the American public and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t like at least one part of the new legislation — and that includes those in the construction industry. Large companies across the board, including John Deere and Caterpillar, are speculating that they will lose as much as $100 million dollars due to a lost drug-benefit tax break in the health care overhaul.

Wacker Neuson Cautiously Optimistic, Looking to Gain Market Share in Small Equipment Industry: Wacker Neuson is becoming a big player in the U.S. compact equipment realm, bringing its Euro-style small machinery to North American jobsites, including wheel loaders, dedicated dumpers, mini excavators and a lot more. In a recent press release, geared towards its upcoming exhibits at BAUMA (the biggest tri-annual trade fair of equipment in the world, held in Germany) Wacker Neuson noted it was cautiously optimistic for fiscal 2010 and anticipates an upturn in business. The Group will be launching numerous new products and innovations under its Wacker Neuson and Kramer Allrad brands at BAUMA 2010.

Pierre Sprinkler & Landscape Partners with Local Habitat for Humanity to Beautify Project: When you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path. It’s an old Buddhist saying that applies to folks like Pierre Sprinkler & Landscape, a company ready to build new local kinship by lending a hand in volunteer construction, illuminating a whole new path to social unity. The company recently partnered with the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity in the landscaping of a multi-unit complex located at 1214 Sherman Ave., Monrovia, Calif., comprised of four single-family homes.

Volvo Construction Equipment North America Sells SuperPac Line to MinnPar: Volvo Construction Equipment North America is staying lean in this tough economy with key partnerships. Last month it announced a deal to stop manufacturing its skid steer line and instead custom-manufacturing its skid steers through JCB. Today the company announced it had sold the rights to manufacture and sell service and replacement parts for all models of the SuperPac compaction line to MinnPar, LLC, a subsidiary of PartsZone, LLC. Since 1982, MinnPar has been the trusted source for OEMs seeking a cost-effective solution to the aftermarket service parts management of non-core and discontinued product lines.

Kawasaki Unveils “For the Cure” Wheel Loader: The triumph of the human spirit is our strongest attribute. Even in the face of disease and death, we still have the ability to celebrate life. This month Kawasaki is honoring such human spirit, releasing its first designed and built 70TMV-2 “For the Cure” wheel loader. At the behest of Mid-Country Machinery in Iowa, the unit was painted light pink with bright pink “Susan G. Komen for the Cure” decals, ordered by the new Kawasaki distributer as an addition to their rental fleet.