Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/894232
EquipmentWorld.com | November 2017 13 I f you know your way around a heavy equipment shop and want to polish your resume a bit, the Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) Foundation has a new Diesel Equipment Technician Certification. The certification covers six core areas: diesel engines, hydraulics, hydrostatics, electric and electronics, power trains, air conditioning and heating, and safety and administration. To qualify for the certification, appli- cants must earn a score of at least 70 percent on a 160-question assessment. "The assessment has been devel- oped by industry task forces with representation of technical experts from equipment dealers, equipment manufacturers and technical colleg- es," says Steve Johnson, vice presi- dent of AED Foundation Operations. The certification costs $150 for AED members, $300 for nonmem- bers, or $85 if you have already passed the AED Foundation Techni- cal Assessment. Detailed information on the certification process can be found at http://bit.ly/AEDFoundation. –Tom Jackson reporter | staff report | ChrisHill@randallreilly.com Briefs Get certified with AED's diesel equipment technician test For more on each of these stories go to equipmentworld.com. B etween 2012 and 2016, Caterpil- lar experienced its most severe downturn in its 90-year history, with profits dropping by 40 percent. Now under the leadership of Jim Umpleby, who took over as company president this year, Caterpillar is focused on what it calls its "Operating & Execu- tion" model. "Profitable growth will be at the center of everything we do," Umple- by told Wall Street analysts recently. Aftermarket services will be one key growth area, in- cluding an emphasis on the 500,000-plus assets (both machines and engines) now connected through telematics. "Our parts avail- ability and coverage will continue to expand, and we will make it easier to buy Cat parts online," Umpleby said. Umpleby believes that a lean opera- tional model will give Cat the ability to better weather the cyclical down- turns in the construction, mining and energy industries. "We don't want to depend on industry growth to main- tain profits," he said. –Marcia Gruver Doyle United Rentals is reporting a 16.8 percent surge in total reve- nue for the third quarter, climbing to $1.7 billion compared to $1.5 billion for the same period last year. Within that, rental revenue is up by 16.2 percent to $1.5 billion. That's compared to $1.3 billion for 2016's third quarter. Kubota plans to build a $90 mil- lion logistics center for construc- tion and agricultural equipment and parts in Kansas that will include the company's largest ever warehouses – two at over 1-million-square-feet each. The center will hold 70,000 parts and be built on 180 acres the com- pany bought in Edgerton, where it also opened a 450,000-square- foot parts distribution center in 2015. Along with parts, the cen- ter will serve as a logistics center for its construction equipment. ASV Holdings plans to add a parts distribution center at its corporate headquarters in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. ASV, which makes rubber-tracked compact track loaders and wheeled skid steer loaders, says the new cen- ter will allow it to better manage its aftermarket parts distribution to its dealers and will bring cost savings starting next year. ALLU has opened a new facility in East Brunswick, New Jersey, to give the company more space for warehousing, offices and training. The facility allows the company's North American subsidiary to remanufacture and recertify pre-owned buckets. Cat exiting "most severe downturn in 90-year history"