Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/597582
November 2015 | EquipmentWorld.com 12 reporter | continued Briefs in the fi eld. The intention is to have the fi rst crews lay- ing fi ber by early 2016. "While we want to accelerate this as much as possible, it's critical to do it the right way," Delong says. Beyond saying it will be a major metropolitan area, Delong did not disclose where Erics- son would start deploying these crews. While fi gures on exactly how many construction jobs this initiative could create were not given, Delong said that some projects in certain metro areas could take up to 50 construction crews, and possibly have up to a three-year build out. Since Ericsson could also be responsible for maintaining the installed fi ber network, certain jobs may last beyond those three years. One primary driver to all this fi ber construction: consumer demand for high-speed broadband connectivity to oper- ate multiple devices and download streaming video. Ericsson's own Mobility Report estimates the average number of connected devices per U.S. household is 5.2. Ericsson will rely on Ditch Witch and Vermeer to provide equipment, training and fi eld support. "We also feel that we can add value with our dealer organiza- tion, which knows local soil conditions and can guide equipment selection," says Shan Kirtley, Ditch Witch vice president of sales and marketing. "It's encouraging to see a company of Ericsson's scale do this," says Steve Heap, Vermeer vice president, corporate accounts and business development. "This will result in growth for the trenchless market." Local soil conditions will determine the size of drills Ditch Witch and Vermeer supply Ericsson. Both Kirtley and Heap said they didn't anticipate any challenges meeting the Ericsson demands above those of their normal customer base, and declined to talk about the number of drills the agreement involves. "I would like to think the entire industry would look at this as good news," Delong says. "It hopefully relieves some contractor's concerns on how they could grow at a level to meet these demands." Delong says Ericsson will share the best practices it develops training its new workforce. "By leveraging the tools and technologies of three companies, we can bring a white collar approach to a blue collar industry." – Marcia Gruver Doyle JCB celebrates 70th anniversary JCB, started by Joseph Cyril Bamford in 1945, has issued a limited edition backhoe bearing a vintage look to celebrate its 70th anniversary. Using wartime scrap, Bamford started making tipping trailers in a garage in Uttoxeter, Strafforshire, England. The company began making its iconic backhoe in 1953, and to date has produced more than 600,000 backhoes, selling them in more than 120 countries. JCB now has 22 factories in fi ve countries, including the United States, and employs more than 12,000 people. G eneral Motors and Navistar have reached a long- term agreement to develop and assemble medi- um-duty, conventional cab Class 4 and 5 commercial vehicles. There will be two versions of the trucks pro- duced in the partnership—one Navistar-International branded line and one GM/Chevy-branded line. There will be some cosmetic differences between the two, but the trucks will be the same at their core. GM did not comment on engine availability as of press time. The vehicles will be jointly developed using Navi- star's rolling chassis confi gurations and manufactur- ing capabilities and GM's commercial components and engines. The vehicles will begin production in 2018, the companies said, and will be manu- factured at Navistar's facility in Springfi eld, Ohio. Navistar plans to add 300 jobs and invest more than $12 million in facility upgrades and state-of-the-art equipment to produce the new vehicles, the com- pany said. Additional product information will be announced later. The move comes four months after GM announced that it would re-badge and distribute Isuzu-built medium-duty trucks under the Chevy brand, beginning in 2016. The Chevrolet 3500, 3500HD, 4500, 4500HD, 5500 and 5500 HD are based on Isuzu's N-Series. – James Jaillet GM, Navistar pair up on medium-duty line (continued from previous page)