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NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

a GOeUPACT RUBBEEt-TEiAGItED LOADER GOES 17HEBE SKID STEEBS FEAR TO TREAD Caterpillar Inc.’s line of compact loaders just became minimize damage on sensitive surfaces such as turf. more versatile with the addition of two new rubber- There will eventually be five sizes of Cat MTLs. The 287 tracked Multi Terrain Loaders that can work in soft wet and 277 models, which have operating capacities in the conditions and on slopes as steep as 3:1. 2,000 to 3,000-lb range, are now in production. The Zn “The MTL will do some jobs that a skid steer can­ has a larger, 74-hp Cat diesel engine. A third model will not do at all and others that would have to wait for be in production next spring and two more later in 2002. the weather to clear up ASV offers mtls that range and the ground to dry down and also up in size up,” said product manag- •' from these. er Reid Waitt at the Ingall cautioned that launch at Cat’s Peoria I ’• W the rubber-tracked demonstration center on machines are not ap- Dec. 5. propriate for hard The new loaders are an 0^1 improved surfaces or offshoot of Cat’s alliance i rocky terrain. He also with undercarriage pointed out that mtls are expert ASV Inc., Grand it' intended to replace Rapids, Minn. They have Z’ - r skid steers. “If a skid updated the “maximum aft ' .-, • ■ 7 steer can do the task, it traction and support sys­ will have a lower overall tem” undercarriage acquisition and operating developed by ASV and SMOOTH RIDE Multiple levels of suspension assure comfort. cost,” Ingall said. combined it with the upper portion of similar-sized Cat A significant advantage is that the mtl has multiple skid steer loaders. levels of suspension. Each track assembly is mounted I The MTLS exert ground pressure of only 3.1 psi. “They to the chassis through a set of flexible torsion axles, won’t walk on water, but they are the closest thing to a and each assembly can flex independently of the other. machine that will,” said Kevin Ingall, manager of com­ The tracks can crawl over obstacles and uneven ground pact products. “In places where a person would walk without losing traction and with minimal shock to the and sink, this machine will stay on top.” The high trac­ operator. tion and low ground pressure also help the loaders By Janice L Tuchman in Peoria

EQUIPMENT SALES HAVE FALLEN 21.4% BEHIND LAST YEAR’S PACE BUT EQUAL 1999’S LEVEL Construction equipment manufacturers are struggling President Dennis Slater. He points to cuts in the capital with a sharp downturn in sales. Through the first three spending plans, excess inventories and the aftermath of quarters of this year, unit sales were down 21.4% from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as contributing to the the same period a year ago, according to the latest sur­ downturn, cima members expect sales to remain slow vey conducted by Milwaukee-based Construction through at least the next few quarters, says Slater. Industry Manufacturers On the positive side, 1 Association. However, Slater hopes that next § CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT SHIPMENTS sales may just be March’s conexpo- 160 r returning to normal lev­ CON/AGG equipment d

1 els after a very strong 2000. This year, unit sales are even with 140

120 t exposition in Las Vegas will provide its tradi­ tional boost to equip­ I s 1999’s volume and up s ment sales. “We already I i 4.6% from 1998. 100 have hit a record for t “Our survey results indicate that a recession 80 LIE II * UU L IEElI ii_. H El L nif Ll exhibit space reserved, so we’re hopeful this continues in the con­ will signal the beginning struction equipment industry,” says cima Source: Construction Industry Manufacturers Association. Average quarterly Index of unit shipments. of an upswing for our industry,” he notes. II For more equipment information, visit our Website, enr.com. December 17, 2001/ENR 21

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