Photo courtesy of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers This 1932 Caterpillar tractor, which sold for $55,950, helped usher in the diesel era. Related Links: Nearly 100 Antique Tractors To Cross Auction Block Obit: George E. Logue Sr. Bidders from around the world had the rare chance to pick through a large auction of vintage heavy equipment, including dozens of crawler tractors, graders and other machines, on April 10 in Trout Run, Pa."The turnout was huge," says Bob Logue, son of the late George E. Logue Sr., a contractor who spent much of his life piecing together the collection.Sales at the two-hour auction,

The Manitowoc 31000, working here in South Korea, supports a maximum capacity of 2,300 tonnes and a load moment of 252,000 ft-kips. Related Links: Manitowoc Bets $30-Million Super Crane on Nuclear Power The World's Biggest Supercranes After sitting idle through much of the economic downturn, Manitowoc's first model 31000 supercrane is hard at work in Gwangyang, South Korea, lifting pressure vessels for a coal gasification project."The Manitowoc 31000 has a tremendous capacity, and we will be able to use it for heavy lifts on a diverse number of projects," says Chang Hwan Jang, chairman

Related Links: Obituary: George E. Logue Sr. Caterpillar Chronicle: History of the Greatest Earthmovers A contractor, inventor and manufacturer, George E. Logue Sr. spent his life collecting and maintaining antique tractors. On April 10, heavy-equipment enthusiasts will have the rare opportunity to buy Logue's hoard at an unreserved auction."Almost 100% of the auction is antique tractors, which is unusual for us," says Scott Edwards, territory manager for Ritchie Bros., which will hold the auction at Logue's farm in Trout Run, Pa.The storehouse of nearly 100 pieces of vintage machinery also includes parts and other heavy equipment from construction's past. Among

Photos by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Born in the USA Volvo now builds wheel loaders in the U.S. to reduce lead times, which previously were four to six weeks. Photos by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Highway administrator Victor Mendez (left) speaks while Volvo's Pat Olney looks on. Related Links: Volvo Finds Smooth Sailing by Going Offshore Q&A: Ten Minutes With Volvo's Pat Olney The year's outlook for construction machinery is essentially flat: Equipment sales in the U.S. are expected to fall slightly in the first half of the year, followed by a modest uptick in the second half.The

Source: EquipmentWatch Even as the average price for a skid-steer loader lost 4% annually in fall 2012, Deere was the fastest-growing brand. Related Links: Equipment Dealers Jump Into the Auction Market Online Sales Soar at Ritchie Bros. Auction A new report of fall auction data performed by EquipmentWatch shows which brands sold the most units and commanded the highest price premiums and which ones have room for improvement.Caterpillar earned a whopping 23% share of the auction market between September and November of last year; not surprisingly, the company is the price leader in many categories, including skid-steer loaders, loader-backhoes and

Photo courtesy of Echo Automotive Next year, Echo will offer a hybrid retrofit kit for Ford E-Series vans. The kit costs about a third of the price of a new vehicle. Related Links: Hybrid Truck Sets Speed Record Deere Hybrid Loader Debuts at World of Concrete As American work-truck buyers are shifting to new European-style vans, a new start-up called Echo Automotive wants to help owners get more mileage out of their older-style vans, which are expected to remain in circulation for 10 or more years.Echo's plug-in hybrid kit, which is scheduled to go into production in early 2014 and

Photo courtesy of Ram The 2014 Ram ProMaster van, available in the fall starting at $27,025, is based on the Fiat Ducato, which has sold more than 4.5 million units in Europe. Related Links: Ford Transit Ushers In New Era for Work Vans Nissan Presents a Practical, Lower-Costing Alternative The days of the cramped, gas-guzzling American contractor van are numbered. Fleet buyers are now faced with a wide range of roomy, fuel-efficient, European-style models—such as the Ford Transit, Nissan NV, Mercedes Sprinter and Ram ProMaster—that promise more capability and cargo space while driving twice as many miles on the same

Source: Rouse Value Index Used-equipment values of major rental companies have held steady, at just over 50% of replacement cost, since the beginning of last year. Related Links: Why Contractors Are Renting More and Buying Less Equipment Dealers Jump Into the Auction Market As the construction industry continues its slow recovery, some industry observers are pointing to a growing disconnect between machines that are sold at retail and machines that are rented. Generally, uncertainty has contractors renting more and buying less. But will they continue to do so after the economy rebounds?The answer, say some experts, is yes. The recent

Related Links: Crowds Pour Into World of Concrete 2013 ENR's Coverage of Bauma 2010 The construction industry's biggest trade show, Bauma, is coming at a time when the global economy presents a mixed bag. Europe is standing still. North American housing is starting to wake up. China is slowing down. How can contractors plan for the years ahead?Equipment manufacturers, which have dropped millions of dollars to lug their latest heavy iron to Munich's fairgrounds this coming April, are optimistic that innovation will keep construction moving at a healthy pace. Exhibits will be on display April 15-21 and feature some 3,300

Related Links: Tony Illia's WOC 2013 Photo Gallery Cement Use to Climb 8% in 2013 Putzmeister Expands Into Ready-Mix Trucks Ahern Rentals' Sales Soar Despite Bankruptcy New Bricklaying Champion Crowned Utah Case Dealership's Fifth Generation Hilti Introduces Hollow Drill Bit STIHL Unveils The Rock Boss Wagner Meters Launches Rapid Moisture Tester Brokk Highlights New Demolition Machine Chicago Pneumatic Unveils New Breaker After a long, harsh downturn, concrete contractors and suppliers are looking up as they face a "huge pent-up demand," said Portland Cement Association chief economist Ed Sullivan, who spoke Feb. 5 at the World of Concrete in Las Vegas."The