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May 2008, Volume 8, No. 5, Editor: Clifford J. Allum

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CURRENT NEWS

NORTH AMERICAN RENTAL MARKET TOPS $40 BILLION
The value of the North American rental market reached $42.3 billion in 2007, according to the American Rental Association's 2007 State of the Industry report, released at The Rental Show in Las Vegas. The $42.3 billion figure included $36.5 billion in the United States and $5.8 billion in Canada.

SKID STEERS THE MOST POPULAR TARGET OF THIEVES
Skid steers the most popular target of thieves, study finds

LoJack Corporation announced the results of its seventh annual Construction Equipment Theft Study in a report that provides information on the growing problem of equipment theft - a problem that costs construction companies up to $1 billion per year in lost assets. According to the U.S. study, which analyzed LoJack stolen vehicle recovery reports for the calendar year 2007, construction theft continued at a steady clip with professional theft rings fuelling the crimes and skid steers being the number one theft target. For 2007, LoJack recovered more than $18 million in stolen construction equipment assets.

TOPCON AND SOKKIA COMBINE WORLDWIDE
Topcon Corp. announced it has come to a "basic agreement" to acquire Sokkia Company Limited (Sokkia). If approved by the Japanese Fair Trade Commission (FTC), Sokkia will become a Topcon subsidiary and will be renamed Sokkia Topcon. Because both companies are headquartered in Japan, the transaction is subject to approval by the Japanese FTC with respect to anti-trust regulation. Topcon states that further details will be released after the Japanese FTC has commented on the proposed acquisition.

WACKER NEUSON EMERGES AS NEW COMPANY
Wacker Construction Equipment, parent company of Wacker Corporation, and Neu-son Kramer Baumaschinen have merged. Together they form a major global manufacturer of light and compact equipment with a comprehensive product portfolio.

ASGCO, INDUSTRIAL MINING SUPPLY ANNOUNCE JOINT VENTURE
ASGCO and Industrial Mining Supply (IMS), a longtime ASGCO master distributor, have entered into a joint venture. ASGCO service teams will now be located in conjunction with the new IMS branch location in Thatcher, Ariz., to better service the copper and other mining and power industries in this area. The ASGCO services group will support ASGCO and IMS products and services that are exclusively sold and billed through the IMS branch location.

GOODYEAR ENGINEERED PRODUCTS CONVEYOR BELT PLANT TO EXPAND
Veyance Technologies Inc. has begun construction of an $18 million expansion at its conveyor belt plant in Marysville, Ohio. When completed in September, the 24,000 sq. ft. addition will provide new technology for the production of heavy-duty conveyor belts, according to Plant Manager Bryan Thompson.

SUPERIOR INDUSTRIES EXPANDS DEALER PARTNERSHIP IN GULF COAST
Superior Industries has announced that McCourt & Sons Equipment Inc. is its new, exclusive equipment dealer throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. The deal expands an existing partnership between the companies that started in Texas in 2006. McCourt & Sons will market, service and sell Superiors line of conveyor equipment, including the TeleStacker conveyor, RazerTail truck unloader, PowerStacker conveyor and more.

CONEXPO RUSSIA EXHIBIT SPACE SALES EXCEED GOALS
CONEXPO Russia update:
Exhibit space sales exceed goals; extensive industry education program planned

In September 2008, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) will unveil CONEXPO Russia to construction, forestry and utility industry professionals. At CONEXPO Russia, attendees will find more than 30,000 net square meters of the latest equipment and technologies from leading manufacturers and service providers, and they will have the opportunity to discuss with these leaders the newest productivity and safety capabilities. Attendees will also have access to extensive industry focused education to further enhance their industry knowledge and increase their companies profitability.

ARCHIVED NEWS

ONTRAC TO CHANGE NAME TO NORTRAX
ONTRAC EQUIPMENT SERVICES INC., Mississauga, Ontario, has announced that it will change its corporate name to Nortrax Canada Inc. The name change will bring the company into brand alignment with its U.S. based sibling, Nortrax. Ontrac (Canada) and Nortrax (U.S.), retailers of John Deere construction, forestry and mining equipment, are both 100% owned by their parent company, Deere & Company.

CAT BUYS STAKE IN SHIN CATERPILLAR MITSUBISHI
EXECUTIVES from Caterpillar Inc. NYSE: CAT), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) And ShinCaterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd. (SCM) have signed definitive agreements that include a share redemption plan which will result in Caterpillar owning 67 percent of SCM. The business will be renamed Caterpillar Japan when the first phase of the deal closes, expected to be in the third quarter of 2008.

STELLAR INDUSTRIES TO ACQUIRE K-PAC
STELLAR INDUSTRIES, INC., an Iowa-based producer of hook hoists, truck cranes and service truck accessories, has announced a definitive agreement to acquire K-PAV Solid Waste Handling Equipment Division of Krause Corp. The sale will consist of the entire product offering under the K-PAC name, which includes tarpers, hooklifts, cable roll-offs, container handlers and compaction equipment

FOUNDATION RELEASES CONCRETE REPORT
RMC Research & Education Foundation announces the availability of a new CD "Research in Support of Sustainable Development." The CD includes all of the Foundations published reports and studies on pervious concrete, the "Ready Mixed Concrete Industry LEED Reference Guide," and the "Crushed Returned Concrete as Aggregates for New Concrete final report". Copies are available by contacting Jennifer LeFevre at (240) 485-1151 or jlefevre@rmc-foundation.org

WACKER MERGES WITH NEUSON KRAMER
WACKER CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AG and Neuson Kramer Baumaschinen have merged. Together they form a major global manufacturer of light and compact equipment. In the United States and Canada Wacker Neuson will market a new line of compact equipment including excavators, wheel loaders and dumpers.

OBERHELMAN NAMED TO AEM BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Douglas R. Oberhelman, Group President of Caterpillar Inc. has been named to the Board of Directors of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). As an AEM director, Oberhelman will help set the guidelines and operating policies of the association in areas including technical and safety services, market information and equipment statistics, global public policy, trade shows, etc.

JDPS ANNOUNCES INTERIM TIER 4/STAGE III B TECHNOLOGIES
JOHN DEER POWER SYSTEMS announces the technology solutions it will use to meet the stringent Interim Tier 4/Stage III B mobile off-highway emissions regulations for engines 130 kW (174 hp) and above. These emissions regulations, which begin in 2011, require a 90 percent reduction in diesel particulates (PM) and a 50 percent reduction in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) from previous Tier 3/Stage lll A requirements.

To achieve compliance with these emissions regulations, John Deere will start with its proven Tier 3 PowerTech Plus engine platform, add a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC)/diesel particulate filter (DPF) unit for reducing particulates, and increase the percentage of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) for NOx control. John Deere will not use selective catalytic reduction (SCR), an alternate NOx reduction technology, for Interim Tier 4 because the EGR and DOC/DPF technology path is more proven, simpler and less costly to operate.

JCB TO DOUBLE NA DEALER NETWORK
JCB says it will double its dealer network in North America within the next three years. By 2012, JCB, said to be the third-largest construction equipment manufacturer in the world, will have increased the number of its American and Canadian dealers from 127 to 250.

VOLVO SELLS CHAMPION TO STRONGCO
VOLVO CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT has announced the sale of Champion Road Machinery Sales, Brampton, Ontario, to Strongco Limited Partnership, Mississauga, Ontario. Champion was a division of Volvo Group Canada, Inc. and a company-owned member of Volvo CE North America dealer network.

CONCRETE INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT (CIM) PROGRAM RAISES $540,000 AT THIRD ANNUAL AUCTION
The Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program - a business intensive program that awards students with a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Concrete Industry Management - raised $540,000 at its third annual auction, held in conjunction with the World of Concrete on Thursday, Jan. 24.

For the third consecutive year, the centerpiece of the auction was a concrete mixer truck donated by McNeilus Companies, Inc. and International Truck. In addition to the live auction, a silent auction was added this year. Auction items included concrete saws, drills, mixers, vibrators, scaffolding, safety equipment, screeds, fiber transport systems, dust collectors, NDT equipment, decorative concrete tools, water meters, pumps, generators, training sessions, reference books, advertisements, laptop computers, NASCAR Tickets, Indy 500 Tickets, Dallas Cowboy Tickets, autographed Tom Brady and Adrian Peterson memorabilia, sports travel packages, golf school packages, and vacation travel packages.

LBX EXCAVATOR WINS JAPANESE ENERGY CONSERVATION AWARD
LBX CO. has announced that its Link-Belt 210 X2 hydraulic excavator has won the prestigious Energy Conservation Award which is bestowed jointly by the Agency for Natural Resource and Energy in Ministry of Economy, Japan and the Industry and Energy Conservation Center, Japan. The award recognizes innovative products that accelerate wider commercial application of new energy-saving technologies that also result in reduced emissions and environmental conservation.

DOOSAN COMPLETES ACQUISITION FROM INGERSOLL RAND
DOOSAN INFRACORE has announced the completion of its purchase of Bobcat, utility equipment and attachments businesses from Ingersoll Rand Co. Ltd. The three entities will operate as individual businesses of Doosan Infracore International, a US-based subsidiary of Doosan Infracore. It will be known as Bobcat, Doosan Infracore Portable Power. Doosan reportedly paid $4.9 billion for the three business entities.

TEREX TO ACQUIRE ASV FOR $488M
TEREX has announced that has reached a definitive agreement to acquire A.S.V., Inc., a manufacturer of compact rubber track loaders, undercarriages and traction products for $488 million. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions.

BRIDGESTONE FIRESTONE ANNOUNCES $12M OTR TIRE PLANT EXPANSION
BRIDGESTONE FIRESTONE NORTH AMERICAN TIRE has announced it will spend more than $12 million over the next five years to expand its Bloomington, Ill., Off-Road Tire plant that will allow it to produce new sizes and types of off-road tires and double the facility's giant tire curing capacity.

HOLLAND SUPPORTS USE OF 100% BIODIESEL
New Holland, PA - New Holland announces it supports the use of B100 biodiesel in all equipment with New Holland-manufactured diesel engines, including electronic injection engines with common rail technology. The announcement consolidates New Holland's position on biodiesel, ensuring its customers have the widest and most comprehensive choice of biodiesel-supported machinery on the market.

Overall, nearly 80% of New Holland-branded products with diesel engines are now available to operate on B100 biodiesel. New Holland has also asked other suppliers of diesel engines used in New Holland-branded products to test and approve higher levels of biodiesel.

In addition to extensive testing and development within the company, New Holland has been involved in an ongoing research project in collaboration with Penn State University's College of Agricultural Sciences to put B100 to the test under real-life conditions. Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is operating new, unmodified New Holland tractors on B100 biodiesel on their 1,500-acre research farm to find out what diesel equipment owners can expect to experience when they use B100. After nearly two years of use, the tractors have performed with no adverse effects in performance or maintenance, according to Glen Cauffman, the university's manager of farm operations and services.

ATLAS COPCO ACQUIRES REMAINING SHARES IN CHINESE BREAKER MANUFACTURER
Stockholm, Sweden, Atlas Copco announced it has acquired the remaining 75% of shares in its joint venture company Shenyang Ruifeng Machinery Ltd, strengthening its production in China of core components for construction tools.

The transaction between Atlas Copco (China) Investment Co. Ltd and Shenyang Rockdrill Company provides full control over the local production of parts and components for pneumatic rock drills, pneumatic breakers and hydraulic breakers.

"This will allow us to further develop the facility and introduce new products from the Construction Tools division for the fast-growing Asian market" says Björn Rosengren, Business Area President, Atlas Copco Construction and Mining Technique. "It supports the establishment of a local competence center for design, development and manufacturing."

Shenyang Ruifeng Machinery Ltd is based in Shenyang City in the Liao Ning province, some 500 km north of Beijing. The company has annual revenues of about MSEK 100. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.