COVID-19 Industry Communications Center – UPDATED

With the unprecedented impact of the Coronavirus on the industry, Diesel Progress will maintain a running news feed of the latest information involving COVID-19. If you have news to share, please contact [email protected], [email protected] or i[email protected].  

– July 9 – 

Samoter Demo Days Outdoor Edition postponed

Veronafiere, organizer of Italy’s Samoter Demo Days – Outdoor Edition, has decided to postpone the debut event, which was due to be held in a quarry between Sept. 30 and  Oct. 2 this year.

The Demo Days will now be replaced by a Samoter Day – an appointment with training and professional updating for companies and operators.

Veronafiere was also keen to reaffirm that the Samoter exhibition is now set to go ahead at the Verona Exhibition Centre, on the newly-announced dates of March 3-7, 2023.

Samoter’s organizers took the decision to push back the main exhibition amid the complexities of an Italian construction market which boomed at the beginning of the year, but is still suffering from the supply chain issues brought about largely by the Coronavirus pandemic.

“An unforeseeable scenario obliged the construction machinery sector to implement a sudden change of direction,” said Giovanni Mantovani, CEO of Veronafiere. “This is why we considered postponing Demo Days. We will now work with even more effort on the next edition of SaMoTer by recalibrating a new approach during the run-up to the exhibition.”

Mirco Risi, President of Unacea, the Italian construction equipment association, said, “We are seeing significant growth in the market, but in a very complex context characterised by changeable and uncertain dynamics. Under these circumstances, we take a positive view of Veronafiere’s approach in not forcing the market and proceeding in close harmony with the sector.”

– June 14 –

Donaldson donates additional $100,000 to global coronavirus response

Donaldson Co., Inc. announced it has made another $100,000 donation to humanitarian aid organization Direct Relief, awarding a total of $200,000 to the global organization. The donation will aid Direct Relief COVID-19 response efforts and help provide vital equipment and resources to medical facilities caring for the world’s most vulnerable people.

This year’s donation and the initial $100,000 donation made in 2020, were made by the Donaldson Foundation, the primary vehicle for Donaldson Company’s charitable giving efforts. “We are very concerned about the devastating pandemic crisis in countries like India and Brazil,” said Donaldson Foundation President Allie Boyat. “Direct Relief has a distribution infrastructure in place, enabling it to aid health facilities across the globe. We are grateful for their commitment and partnership.”

According to the Direct Relief website, the organization’s COVID-19 response includes $1.7 billion in medical aid, $77.7 million in cash funding dispersed, and 56 U.S. states and territories and 105 countries supported. For more information about Direct Relief and its pandemic response efforts, visit https://www.directrelief.org/emergency/coronavirus-outbreak/.

– May 28 –

Yanmar Europe withdraws from EIMA

Yanmar Europe, the European headquarters of the Japanese manufacturer of diesel engines, agricultural and construction equipment and energy systems, announced that it has “taken the difficult decision” to withdraw its attendance to EIMA, the international agricultural and gardening machinery exhibition in Bologna, Italy, October 19-23.

“Despite the fact that measures are being taken worldwide to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and that the vaccination programme is making progress, the pandemic is not yet under control,” the company said in a statement. “There is still a lot of uncertainty as to what activities we can safely and responsibly undertake for everyone during the course of the year. This also applies to (international) trade fairs where thousands of visitors and exhibitors gather.”

Carlo Giudici, sales director at Yanmar Europe, added “Since preparations for major events like these start months in advance, we have seen the need to already make the difficult decision not to participate in EIMA and other major trade fairs later on in the year. This decision was taken after intensive and thoughtful discussion about our plans and activities for this year and the medium term.

“We very much regret that, for the first time in many years, we will not be participating in EIMA. However, we continue to value and support this exhibition, which has always been important and rewarding to us. We hope to be able to join next EIMA again.”

– May 7 –

bauma CTT Russia to be live event 

It has been confirmed that bauma CTT Russia 2021 will take place as planned, as a face-to-face trade fair from May 25 to 28 at Moscow’s IEC Crocus Expo.

According to event organizers Messe München, 339 exhibitors from 16 countries will exhibit on site at the show, which was due to be held last year but was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic – just one of many events that have been cancelled or postponed.

Stefan Rummel, managing director of Messe München, said the event going ahead is, “another step towards restarting the trade fair business, another positive signal also for the trade fairs in Germany.”

Sergey Alexandrov, managing director of Messe Muenchen Russia, added that, “The need to meet business partners and customers face-to-face is huge in the construction equipment industry right now – as reflected by the online visitor registration: the numbers are at the high level of the previous event in 2019. So, the importance of bauma CTT Russia remains unchanged.”

This year the show will place a special focus on the mining industry. The conference ‘Future of mining’ will mainly deal with the digital transformation of mining companies.

Tickets purchased for bauma CTT Russia 2020 remain valid for bauma CTT Russia 2021 held from May 25 to 28.

– May 7 –

NACV Show postponed for 2021

Organizers of the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) Show announced that they are postponing their 2021 event, originally scheduled for Sept. 28-30 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center.

Registered exhibitors were informed of the postponement earlier through a letter from the joint owners of the biennial event – Newcom Media and Hannover Fairs USA.

The decision was made after discussion with both manufacturers and fleets, who cited the lingering effects of COVID-19 on willingness to travel and attend large gatherings. Additionally, the growing number of events competing with one another in the fall of 2021 also factored into the decision.

“Each organization and individual attendee has made choices over the past months based on a variety of factors, health and safety being the most pressing,” said Ed Nichols, vice president of Hannover Fairs USA. “While many exhibitors demonstrate commitment to the show and vaccination rates continue to rise, our research shows that the trucking industry will not be ready to attend large events like they traditionally have this fall.”

The NACV Show will be rescheduled and the organizers said they will share more information regarding future plans in July.

“While we are disappointed that we cannot produce the NACV show this year, we are eager to start working on the future event, focusing on reconnecting the trucking industry and delivering value to our customers,” said Joe Glionna, president of Newcom Media Inc.

– May 7 –

Caterpillar, Caterpillar Foundation donate another $3.4 million in COVID-19 Relief

Caterpillar Inc. and the Caterpillar Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm, have announced a series of targeted relief efforts to support countries struggling with a significant rise of COVID-19 cases.

As part of the Caterpillar Foundation’s ongoing response to COVID-19 and commitment to building stronger, more resilient communities, it is collaborating with partners and relief organizations to provide essential medical supplies and improve equitable access to vaccines.

“Supporting communities in need around the world aligns with the Caterpillar Foundation’s strategy and our company’s values,” said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby. “Through partnering with relief organizations, the generosity of our employees and the Foundation’s platform, we are helping fight the spread of COVID-19 and give front-line workers resources to act quickly and save lives.”

Currently, India is experiencing the world’s worst outbreak; the unprecedented surge of COVID-19 cases has resulted in an overwhelmed healthcare system and shortage of oxygen throughout the country.

The Caterpillar Foundation is giving $1 million to help India’s health system deliver care to families and communities by funding medical equipment, including oxygen concentrators and oxygen plant optimization, as well as critical medical supplies, across identified hot spot locations. In addition to the Foundation’s efforts, Caterpillar India is providing an initial contribution of $1.4 million, enabling an additional supply of oxygen, donating beds with ventilator support to hospitals, supporting vaccination drives and setting up temporary relief shelters. Independent Cat dealers are also contributing oxygen solutions to address the shortage.

Additionally, in Brazil, the Foundation is donating $250,000 to help coordinate with local partners to deliver essential medical and basic service supplies to hospitals and communities to help combat the rising new cases and more than 400,000 deaths.

The Caterpillar Foundation, through its partnership with the UN Foundation and the WHO Foundation, is supporting the COVAX initiative to promote equitable access to COVID-19 vaccinations with a $500,000 gift. This partnership will help increase access to vaccines across the globe, including in India. Additionally, to continue the emergency relief work and address vaccine hesitancy – particularly among rural, Black and Hispanic communities in the United States – the Foundation is investing $250,000 to support the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative’s COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative, “It’s Up To You.” Representing one of the largest public education efforts in U.S. history, the effort is designed to reach multiple distinct audiences throughout the country, answering top questions and empowering Americans with the information they need to make informed decisions for themselves and their families about the COVID-19 vaccines.

In 2020, the Caterpillar Foundation also donated $10 million to support response efforts and help organizations that have been directly impacted by COVID-19.

- April 12 -

Middle East Energy 2021 “in person” trade show re-scheduled, virtual event survives

Plans for the “physical, in-person” Middle East Energy trade show due to be held in Dubai from June 14 to 16 have been shelved.

Event organizers confirmed the 2021 edition of the show will now take place only as a virtual event. Starting on 17 May, four focus weeks will address the latest insights, trends and innovation across Renewable & Clean Energy, Transmission & Distribution, Critical & Back-up Power, and Energy Consumption & Management.

Claudia Konieczna, Exhibition director, Middle East Energy, said: “It is important to recognise that Middle East Energy 2021 is still happening, just in an online format. Connecting the industry has never been more important, and we believe that, for MEE, virtual is the best route this year to connect energy professionals from far-reaching corners of the globe.

“Following discussions with our stakeholders and in support of the industry, we have decided to cancel the live and in-person event, which was due to take place from 14-16 June. We will now focus on delivering the online event and returning with the live in-person event in March 2022.

Organizers said the virtual event will “focus on forging partnerships, providing insights and the ability to source the latest solutions. The platform will connect users with thousands of potential clients, partners and contacts across the energy market.”

The four-week Middle East Energy Online event will include tech talks, interactive roundtables, panel discussions, thought leadership sessions and remote interviews. Networking opportunities will consist of hosted buyer meetings, fireside chats, breakout sessions, personalized meetings, and speed networking sessions.

- April 7 -

Bauma Conexpo Africa cancelled

Messe Muenchen South Africa, organisers of bauma Conexpo Africa, have announced that the show for construction, building material, mining, agriculture and forestry machinery and vehicles, will not take place in 2021 as planned. The event had been scheduled to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from October 13 – 16, 2021.

The decision was made after in-depth consultations with industry stakeholders and comes amid ongoing bans and restrictions on international travel to and from South Africa, organisers said.

Suzette Scheepers, chief executive officer of Messe Muenchen South Africa, said: “Due to the challenges the industry is facing, and uncertainty in the market around the Covid-19 pandemic and associated travel restrictions, the bauma Conexpo Africa advisory board concluded that we could not guarantee the international stature and the usual return on investment of this show in 2021.”

Scheepers said the “difficult decision” to cancel the event this year had been made after in-depth consultations with partners and industry stakeholders. “Our goal of delivering an optimal event experience to both exhibitors and visitors would have been challenged by the current uncertain situation.”

Messe Muenchen South Africa, organisers of bauma Conexpo Africa have announced that the show for construction, building material, mining, agriculture and forestry machinery and vehicles, will not take place in 2021 as planned. The event had been scheduled to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from October 13 – 16, 2021.

The decision was made after in-depth consultations with industry stakeholders and comes amid ongoing bans and restrictions on international travel to and from South Africa, organisers said.

Suzette Scheepers, chief executive officer of Messe Muenchen South Africa, said: “Due to the challenges the industry is facing, and uncertainty in the market around the Covid-19 pandemic and associated travel restrictions, the bauma Conexpo Africa advisory board concluded that we could not guarantee the international stature and the usual return on investment of this show in 2021.”

Scheepers said the “difficult decision” to cancel the event this year had been made after in-depth consultations with partners and industry stakeholders. “Our goal of delivering an optimal event experience to both exhibitors and visitors would have been challenged by the current uncertain situation.”

– March 29 –

Agritechnica becomes the latest victim of COVID

Agritechnica, one of the largest agricultural equipment trade shows in the world, has become the latest victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event, which was to be held in Hanover, Germany in November, has been postponed, with blame partly attributed to “disappointing vaccination policies”.

The DLG (German Agricultural Society) said it is making the move due to the “continuing Corona pandemic as well as the progress of vaccination programs, both in Germany and abroad.”

The new dates are now February 27-March 5, 2022.

DLG, the VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association and Agritechnica’s exhibitor advisory board said they “have concluded that insufficient certainty for planning currently exists for the world-leading exhibition in November.

“With the four-month postponement of the trade fair, the DLG, as organizer, as well as the members of the VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association, believe that the participating companies have the necessary certainty required for planning,” the association said in its statement.

“The essential requirements for exhibitors, visitors and business partners to be able to gather again at Agritechnica are vaccine and test strategies that have been put into practice in Germany, Europe and worldwide,” said Dr. Reinhard Grandke, chief executive officer, DLG. “Our top priority is to offer exhibitors and visitors certainty in planning but this is not currently the case.

“As a consequence, the decision to postpone Agritechnica was taken by the DLG in close cooperation with Agritechnica’s exhibitor advisory board and VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association as industry partner. We are convinced that by late summer, which is the deadline for exhibitors to register for Agritechnica 2022, we will be able to give our exhibitors and visitors the clarity necessary for certainty in their planning.”

Anthony van der Ley, chairman of the VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association, said “the third wave of the pandemic is currently in full force.”

“But above all it is the disappointing vaccination policies in the German federal and regional governments, which have unfortunately slowed us down for the time being,” he added. “We are now looking to spring 2022 with fresh momentum and renewed energy so that we can celebrate an Agritechnica together as we know it and love it.”

– March 26 –

Caterpillar passing on World of Concrete

Caterpillar will not be an exhibitor at the World of Concrete show this year. The annual exhibition, which was originally scheduled for January, was rescheduled to June 8-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Earlier this month, the show organizer indicated it had received approval from the Nevada Dept. of Business and Industry to move forward with its 2021 in-person edition in June.

A Cat spokesperson said that Caterpillar’s COVID-19 task force meets frequently and is continually evaluating all activities that impact its workforce. Each trade show that the company had been scheduled to participate in this year will continue to be evaluated, including such events as Waste Expo, MinExpo, the Utility Show and GIE+Expo.

Attendee registration for World of Concrete will open in late March, followed by exhibitor registration in April. More information is available at www.worldofconcrete.com.

– March 25 –

Volvo Construction Equipment out of Bauma 2022

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has revealed that the company will not be exhibiting at Bauma 2022. At the same time, the company said it has not ruled out attending Bauma – or other trade shows – in the future.

In a press release it said customer behavior has evolved and changed due to COVID-19 and, due to this, the company was taking a new marketing approach aimed at even closer engagement with customers.

Volvo CE said it will be refocusing on its own purpose-built audience outreach combining physical, digital and hybrid events. The company said that this would allow for a more flexible and tailor-made offer, however and wherever the customer wants to interact with Volvo products and services.

Carl Slotte, Head of Region Europe at Volvo CE, said, “Whilst physical interaction remains very important, we are beginning to see significant changes in the way our customers want to engage with us both digitally and face-to-face. This is driven both by technological possibilities of doing business more efficiently and the increasing need to do business more sustainably.”

However, Slotte did state that the company was not ruling out attending Bauma – or other trade shows – in the future. He confirmed that, “Despite our withdrawal from next year´s event, we have not ruled out future participation at Bauma or other tradeshows. We will continue to review the way our customers want to interact with us and base our strategy on their needs and demands.”

Volvo CE added that the new strategy includes an increased focus on local market Volvo branded events, the integration of digital and traditional marketing channels, and increased investment in digital channels and campaigns to reflect changing customer touchpoints and behaviors.

- March 23 -

Busworld Europe cancelled until 2023

The Busworld Europe trade show, due to be held in Brussels from October 9-14, has been cancelled – another virus victim.

The show will now take place from October 9 – 14, 2023. Organisers said though that some smaller, alternative events might take place in the ‘Busworld period’ of October 2021.

- March 19 -

Yanmar Europe pulls out of Agritechnica

Yanmar Europe has become the latest company to withdraw from the Agritechnica trade show in Germany later this year.

In a statement the diesel engine maker said: “Despite the fact that far-reaching measures are being taken worldwide to restrict the spread of COVID-19 and new virus mutations, and the vaccination programme is slowly getting underway, the pandemic is not yet under control.

“There is still a lot of uncertainty as to what activities we can safely and responsibly undertake for everyone during the course of the year. This also applies to international trade fairs.”

Carlo Giudici, sales director, Yanmar said: “Since preparations for major events like this start months in advance, we have seen the need to already make the difficult decision not to participate this year. This decision was taken after intensive and thoughtful discussion about our plans and activities for this year and the medium term.

“We very much regret that, after a long tradition, we will not be participating in Agritechnica this year. However, we continue to value and support these important exhibitions, which have been very rewarding to us for decades, and hope to participate in them again in the future.”

– March 17 –

World of Concrete approved to move forward in Las Vegas in June

Informa Markets, organizers of the World of Concrete show, announced it has received approval from the Nevada Department of Business and Industry to move forward with its 2021 in-person edition. The event is scheduled to be held June 8-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Following Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak’s address on March 12 on the Las Vegas reopening plan, Informa Markets worked with the Las Vegas Convention Center to submit a thorough health and safety plan to the Nevada Dept. of Business and Industry. The proposal outlined specific operational protocols and communication strategies surrounding the event.

The protocols include increased air circulation in the event halls; continuous sanitation throughout the course of the event, with a focus on ‘high-touch areas’ such as door handles, restrooms and food and beverage areas; hand sanitizer stations; and physical/social distancing requirements. In addition, all attendees will be temperature screened upon entering and are required to wear face masks.

“We are thrilled to return to the show floor and confident in our evidenced ability to execute a safe event under Informa AllSecure with strong commercial outcomes for our customers,” said Jackie James, group director for World of Concrete. “The Nevada Department of Business and Industry has taken a dutiful and cautious approach to re-opening, and we are honored to be one of the first large-scale events to set the industry standard for safe and successful economic recovery. Our experienced team is excited to lead this charge.”

Informa Markets said it had surveyed past attendees via a third-party provider and 80% of the respondents said they were likely to attend in June and 97% viewed the decision as favorable to the industry.

Attendee registration for World of Concrete will open in late March, followed by exhibitor registration in April. More information is available at www.worldofconcrete.com.

– March 17 –

SDF announces it will do no trade shows in 2021

SDF, the Italian manufacturer of tractors, harvesting machines and other equipment sold globally under the Same, Deutz-Fahr, Lamborghini Trattori, Hürlimann and Grégoire brands, has announced that it will not attend any international trade shows this year.

“The events of the last year are deeply influencing the work and social life of each of us,” the company said in a statement. “Protecting people’s health and safety is, now more than ever, of crucial importance. This is the main reason leading SDF to declare that it will not participate in the EIMA and Agritechnica in 2021.

“This decision was taken after a deep analysis of the pandemic situation in Europe; despite the control measures and the vaccination campaign worldwide, the future scenario is very uncertain. SDF has prioritized the safety of its employees, dealers and customers from the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

“Consistent with the current scenario and focused on safety, SDF has decided not to participate in EIMA and Agritechnica in 2021 and more generally in trade fairs across Europe.”

SDF said it will continue to invest strongly in digital and marketing communication in order to showcase new products and services and interacting with its customers and all agricultural stakeholder throughout the year.

“Safety has been our priority since the beginning and accordingly, we took the difficult decision to not participate international fairs” said Massimiliano Tripodi, SDF Marketing & Communication executive director “We are facing a new era in business relationships where new technologies give us opportunities to get in direct contact with customers overcoming physical distances.”

– March 12 –

Rolls-Royce manages profitable year despite COVID-19

Rolls-Royce’s Power Systems division ended its 2020 financial year in the black despite a 17% drop in revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company reported an operating profit of €200 million, down from €418 million in 2019, on revenues of €3.088 billion.

“The COVID-19 crisis hit us hard, but we are still profitable, albeit not as profitable as in previous years,” said Andreas Schell, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems. “However, this is proof positive of the resilient nature of our business.”

The company said profit in the commercial marine segment was adversely affected by the pandemic-related collapse in tourism, among other factors. Shipyards closed down temporarily, hitting the yacht business, and economic uncertainty in many sectors of the economy led to a slowdown in capital investment and, in particular, shelving of plans to purchase power generation solutions. Public sector sales remained stable.

“The relatively good result for the year is largely down to a strict cost and liquidity management regime which we have applied throughout to mitigate the impact of the drop in revenue,” said CFO Louise Öfverström.

The company says it saw signs of an initial recovery in the second half of the year, however extensive lockdowns in many parts of the world since then continue to dampen customers’ willingness to invest.

“We expect an improvement in order intake during the first half of 2021, converting into a recovery in sales from the second half of the year with revenues returning to approximately 2019 levels in 2022,” Öfverström said.

The fundamental strategic course of Power Systems division is also reflected in its reorganization, which will take effect on March 31. “Our transformation to a solution provider requires us to be even closer to customers so that we can make it clear to them what benefits we can now offer them,” Schell said. “After all, we’re already so much more than an engine maker.”

The core business featuring propulsion and drive solutions for vehicles – from combine harvesters to mining machines – and ships is to be pulled together under Mobile Power Solutions. All activities involving diesel and gas engine-powered power plants, from combined heat and power plants to emergency power supplies for safety-critical facilities, will come under Stationary Power Solutions.

The Sustainable Power Solutions unit is of particular importance. It will manage closely all existing and future innovative solutions for more climate-friendly and more environmentally friendly drive power, propulsion and electrical power supplies. These will range from energy storage containers and fuel cells to the production and use of synthetic fuels. It will promote the use of new technologies for the green energy revolution across all areas of application and ensure that switching to new, climate-friendly solutions is as easy as possible for the company’s customers.

The task of a unit entitled ‘Power Solutions for Greater China’ will be to continue to develop the growing markets in China.

“We have been positioning ourselves increasingly well in China recently, and just at the end of the year we signed a sensational contract there for 1000 engines,” said Schell, explaining this move. “We want to become even more successful in this fast-growing market, but the Chinese market requires a special approach. That’s why we need an independent business unit there that can meet Chinese requirements specifically and individually.

“The new organization is the next logical step in implementing our PS 2030 strategy. 2021 is the year we’re going to transform into a solution provider.”

– March 10 –

Skyjack and Linamar open vaccination clinic

Linamar Corp. and its Skyjack division announced they have transformed one of the company’s buildings in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, into a COVID-19 vaccination clinic. United Rentals, a Skyjack customer, has also joined in the efforts to ensure proper materials needed will be readily available. The clinic opened March 11.

“When our parent company Linamar came to us with this opportunity, we knew we had the perfect space to support this initiative,” said Skyjack President Ken McDougall. “We typically host hundreds of customers throughout the year at our Customer Access Centre, and with travel restrictions the space has gone largely underutilized in recent months.”

The Customer Access Centre building, located in Guelph, is available for the local community to receive Covid-19 vaccinations.

“Skyjack reached out to United Rentals about their equipment requirements to help make this vaccination site successful,” said Scott Teron, district manager at United Rentals. “We were ready to help and are ensuring their team has all the equipment and solutions needed to transform their space into something that will benefit the whole community.”

“I am just so proud of our Vaccination Clinic Team, made up of dedicated people from inside and outside of our company, for the work they have done to launch the clinic in just a few short weeks,” said Linamar CEO Linda Hasenfratz. “We could not have achieved that without close collaboration with the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Unit and a strong unified team. We have created a fantastic partnership here in WDG that is a great example for other communities to follow. Vaccinating our entire population is the single most important factor towards getting back to a normal life and we are proud to play a role in that in our community.”

– March 10 –

U.K.’s Hillhead show pushed back to 2022

The 2021 Hillhead quarrying and construction exhibition in the U.K. has been postponed until next June year, in order to comply with Coronavirus lockdown measures.

The live three-day event, which attracts around 500 exhibitors and 20,000 visitors each year, was due to be held at the Hillhead Quarry in Derbyshire from June 22-24. It will now take place at the same location on June 21-23, 2022.

Richard Bradbury, event director at organiser QMJ Group, said, “Under (the government) guidelines, it is clear that the show will not be able to operate legally in June this year.

“Our priority is to provide the Hillhead experience that our exhibitors and visitors have come to expect but, with the continuing uncertainty around travel restrictions and social distancing measures, this is not achievable in 2021.”

While its sister event Hillhead Digital will run online as scheduled at the end of this month, Bradbury said, “By delaying the show until June 2022, the full benefits of a completed vaccination program will have filtered through, allowing us to deliver a safe and vibrant event.

“The team look forward to welcoming you back to Hillhead Quarry, Buxton, from 21–23 June 2022.”

– March 4 –

Railway Interchange exhibition derailed for 2021

Railway Interchange, one of the largest railway exhibitions and conferences in North America, has been cancelled for 2021. The every-two-years event had been scheduled for Sept. 26-29 at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indiana.

“After careful thought and much consideration, Railway Interchange regrets to announce the difficult decision to postpone Railway Interchange until 2023,” show organizers said in an emailed announcement. “Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and global scope of the event, we are ultimately unable to guarantee a safe and successful event that would meet the goals and expectations of our exhibitors, attendees, and other industry partners.”

The next staging of the Railway Interchange event is scheduled for Sept. 30 – Oct. 3, 2023 in Indianapolis.

– March 1 –

OMC 2021 moves from May to September

The organizers of the Offshore Mediterranean Conference and Exhibition (OMC), which aims at becoming the energy conference for the Mediterranean region, has moved its dates to later in the year.

The event was planned for the end of May, but due to the ongoing pandemic the decision has been made to rescheduled for the end of September in Ravenna, Italy.

“After intensive discussions with OMC stakeholders, partners and the Scientific Committee, in view of the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, we wish to inform you that OMC 2021 is postponed to September 28-30, 2021” show organizers OMC Scrl said in a statement. “With this decision, OMC wants to give exhibitors more time and flexibility in planning their activities for the preparation and investment required for a show of this size.

“Our aim and commitment remain for OMC to be the global meeting platform for the entire energy industry value chain and make the event a 360º experience for all participants. In the current circumstances, we need to take into consideration that the travel limitations may not be removed by May 2021, therefore we see the postponement by four months as an opportunity to meet the expectations of exhibitors and visitors.”

The theme of the 15th staging of the show is “Rethinking energy together: alliances for a sustainable energy future.” The mission, the show organizers said, is to debate, foster synergies and partnerships, identify solutions for the energy transition, involving all stakeholders across the energy value chain, including all energy sources.

After evaluating an important number of abstracts the Program Committee has selected more than 150 papers to set up the conference program, covering areas such as operational excellence, carbon neutrality, circular economy and digitalization. The strategic sessions will feature international speakers debating on the post pandemic repositioning of the energy industry, on medium-long term goals, new business models towards a net zero future, on alliances between the North and South Mediterranean as well as investments and policies needed to achieve a low carbon energy system.

For more information, visit www.omc.it.

– Feb. 25 –

The NACV Show 2021 Set For Atlanta In September

Hannover Fairs USA (HFUSA) and Newcom Business Media, organizers of the North American Commercial Vehicle Show (NACV Show), have announced that the event will be as planned held on September 28-30 at the Georgia World Convention Center (GWCC) in Atlanta.

NACV Show 2021 will allow attendees to engage with global exhibitors to experience emerging technologies from battery operated trucks to electric trailers, cutting-edge maintenance solutions and components, the organizers said.

NACV Show 2021 builds on the 2019 event with the addition of multiple education sessions. One highlight of this year’s event will be the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) and RMI presentation of the results of Run on Less - Electric, a three-week roadshow that will showcase electric trucks in everyday operation. This culmination of the Run on Less – Electric program will feature feedback and analysis from the 10 dedicated study drivers and educational sessions from the OEMs, technology providers, fleet management and shipping companies participating in this year’s study.

Also, in the electric truck space, attendees will hear from thought leaders and technology innovators who will address electrification opportunities and challenges, including how to plan for and transition to electric fleets. Speakers will discuss the latest data about how the industry is paving the way to zero emissions and highlight real world case studies about what electric vehicles will look like in a variety of scenarios.

Freightwaves’ “Last Mile” education program will also be part of this year’s lineup. This complimentary education for all NACV Show 2021 fleet attendees will include content from OEMs and fleets addressing today’s challenges and opportunities in Last Mile shipping, particularly the unique challenges and opportunities created over the last 18 months.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our team in the development of this year’s NACV Show event,” said Ed Nichols, Vice President of the NACV Show. “Through months of research and interviews the team has really developed a ‘fleet first’ event, addressing the educational needs of our attending fleets, not only topically, but in the format and from the perspectives they want and need.”

HFUSA said it continues to work closely with NACV Show partners and stakeholders, local and state authorities and the GWCC on implementing safety protocols for September’s event.

The GWCC is a GBAC STAR accredited facility, which has established and maintained a cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents like COVID-19. As an accredited facility, GWCC has put in place the proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques, and work practices to combat biohazards and infectious disease; and employs highly informed cleaning professionals who are trained for outbreak and infectious disease preparation and response. You can view the GWCC’s extensive plan of enhanced safety measures and operational changes at www.gwcca.org/returnplan.

“Hannover Fairs USA and Newcom Business Media are dedicated to ensuring a safe and successful event for all involved,” said Nichols. “We are developing and will continually communicate the details of our safety plan to the NACV Show community.”

Registration to attend NACV Show 2021 will open on March 22. For more information, go to www.nacvshow.com.

– Feb. 19 –

Another Agritechnica withdrawal - Cummins

Another high-profile exhibitor has withdrawn from the Agritechnica trade show in Germany.

A spokesman for Cummins said: “We have pulled out of all corporate shows this year, including Agritechnica. We will use digital alternatives to connect with our customers.”

However, it is understood that some of its independent dealers may still attend shows.

Last week Diesel Progress reported that John Deere said it is also extending its pause on trade fair presence and announced that it will not attend the November trade fair in Hannover.

The company said the decision was reached after “intensive and thoughtful discussion both internally and with selected German John Deere dealers”.

– Feb. 18 –

Brazil’s M&T Expo postponed to 2022

Messe München Brazil has postponed the 11th edition of its M&T Expo 2021 due to the impact of Coronavirus.

Scheduled to be held in São Paulo from July 5-8 this year, the South American construction and mining event has now been pushed back to 2022, with dates to be confirmed.

Messe München Brazil said that with Coronavirus vaccination programs around the world still in the early stages, travel restrictions were one of the main reasons for the postponement.

“The decision is in line with our clients, partners and entities in the sector, and is based on the principle of always providing the ideal conditions for conducting business and exchanging knowledge, as well as making new connections,” said Rolf Pickert, Messe München’s CEO for Brazil. “Considering the importance of the M&T Expo, and the engagement the show generates among exhibitors and visitors, the smartest decision is to hold this event next year, in the hope that a large proportion of the global population will have been immunized.”

Run in collaboration with Sobratema, the Brazilian association for construction and mining equipment, M&T Expo is held every three years. First staged 26 years ago, the event became part of the Bauma Network in 2017 and its 2018 edition generated BRL 2.7 billion (US$497.5 million) in new business.

Afonso Mamede, president of Sobratema, said, “We are experiencing a challenging situation, which requires resilience, courage and perseverance from the entire sector in relation to the safety and health of people and businesses.

“Therefore, holding the show on a new date, when there will be a significant advance in immunization campaigns in Brazil and around the world, will benefit visitors, exhibitors and partners.”

– Feb. 17 –

ARA forecasts a more positive 2021 for rental

For the first time since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic adversely impacted the equipment and event rental industry last year, the latest ARA forecast calls for more positive growth in 2021 and beyond.

The previous forecast, released on Nov. 12, projected a modest uptick of 0.3% in equipment and event rental revenue in 2021, but the new forecast, released Feb. 16, shows an expectation of more than 1.5% growth in 2021 to surpass $50.2 billion.

This comes after a difficult 2020, where total industry revenues dipped 11.7% to just under $49.5 billion, with party and event showing a decline of 49%. Construction, which showed an 11% decline in 2020, is expected to show a 1% drop in 2021 while general tool rental revenue is expected to grow 4%. Overall, the ARA forecast calls for accelerated recovery in 2022 with revenues growing 11.3% to $55.9 billion, then nearly 5% to $58.7 billion in 2023 and another 3.1% to $60.5 billion in 2024.

All three segments are expected to surpass peak revenues of 2019 by the end of 2022.

“With the government stimulus programs and the rollout of the vaccine, people are beginning to have more confidence,” said John McClelland, Ph.D., ARA vice president for government affairs and chief economist. “The equipment and event rental industry often recovers from adversity more quickly than the industries it serves, and it looks like this is happening again.

Scott Hazelton, managing director, IHS Markit, the international forecasting firm that compiles data and analysis of the ARA Rentalytics members-only subscriber service as part of a research partnership with ARA, said the new forecast is more positive because economic data from the end of 2020 was better than expected.

“From an equipment rental perspective, construction did not slow as much as expected, although we do expect it to remain a drag in 2021,” Hazelton said. “The larger surprise was the performance on manufacturing, which is also a source for equipment rental demand.

“Meanwhile, while we did see a resurgence of COVID-19 in January, we also had the release of significant quantities of vaccine. While actual vaccination implementation has had some bumps in the road, the fact that it is rolling out is a source of consumer and business confidence. There also are improved prospects for economic stimulus with the election of President Biden and Democrat control of the Congress.”

While the forecast reflects the passage of the latest COVID-19 economic relief bill passed in December, Hazelton says it does not incorporate the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan being proposed by the Biden administration. “The potential is for 2021 to surprise on the upside,” he said.

– Feb. 11 –

John Deere pulls out of Agritechnica

John Deere said it is extending its pause on trade fair presence and has announced that it will not attend November’s Agritechnica trade fair in Hannover, Germany.

The company said the decision was reached after “intensive and thoughtful discussion both internally and with selected German John Deere dealers”.

Alejandro Sáyago, Vice President Sales & Marketing, John Deere Region 2, said: “Despite numerous controlling measures, such as business restrictions, lockdowns and event cancellations, the pandemic has not yet been sustainably brought under control.

“The future remains uncertain with virus mutations and the slow progress of vaccination. As such an adequate protection of world’s population cannot yet be ensured, which would be an essential prerequisite for participation in an international trade fair.”

“We regret this decision, but we can already assure all stakeholders that John Deere is committed to support future Ag trade shows″, said Andreas Jess, Director Marketing, John Deere Region 2.

The company added: “Within the coming months most important will be to get the pandemic under control. Hence John Deere will support the Medical University of Hanover, Germany, with 250,000 Euro for their COVID-19 researches. Additional 50,000 Euro will go to the DLG to support young agricultural academics.”

- Feb 10 -

Sensor + Test trade show now digital only

The Sensor+Test trade show is switching to a digital only event due to the pandemic.

In a statement the organisers of the popular Nuremberg, Gemany event said:”Due to the continuing and critical health-risk situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and further uncertainties in regard to permitting major events, the organizer and the exhibitiors’ committee jointly with the AMA executive board have decided to carry out the trade fair completely as a digital event. The Sensor+Test 2021 thus enables exhibitors and visitors to communicate and exchange ideas on the latest developments and technical advances in sensor, measuring, and testing technology via modern information channels.”

“Since we can’t tell whether a trade fair of the size of the SENSOR+TEST will be allowed at the Nuremberg exhibition halls, the organizer and the exhibitors’ committee agreed in close exchanges with the executive board of the AMA Association for Sensors and Measurement on a purely virtual event. Thus, we can provide early planning certainty for all involved,” said Christoph Kleye, chair of the exhibitors’ committee and director of SonoQ. The new digital event will be held from May 4- 6.More details are available at www.ama-service.com

– Feb. 10 –

Bauma ConExpo India 2021 cancelled

Bauma ConExpo India 2021, which was due to take place in April, has been cancelled due to the ongoing uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The show has been rescheduled to 2022 in New Delhi, with dates still to be confirmed.

Event organizer Messe Munich International said, “It was ascertained that the organizers’ goal to offer all participants optimal conditions for a successful trade fair would be difficult to implement under the current circumstances.”

The decision to cancel was made after discussions with stakeholders.

Originally due to take place at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida, New Delhi, in November of 2020, the event was first pushed back to February 2021 before being moved again to April.

Messe Munich added that, “A comprehensive study of the market in solidarity with the industry’s and organizers’ concerns around exhibitors’ ROI [return on investment], safety protocols and uncertain international participants’ turnout mainly due to travel restrictions placed on potential international participants by their countries and their organizations.”

The event organizer, which thanked its stakeholders and participants for their constant support, said it was “certain that the next edition will happen with much more zest and vigor.”

– Feb. 3 –

AVL’s Large Engines Tech Days to be digital

AVL announced its 9th Large Engines TechDays in 2021 will be fully digital and will be held April 21-22. The event brings together the cream of the large engine world, including engine developers, OEMs, suppliers and user groups.

The theme of this year’s event is “Decarbonization Facing Global Challenges,” and the sessions will include high-ranking speakers who will give their views on strategies for sustainable CO2 reduction.

Specific topics to be explored include:

- Future fuels like hydrogen and ammonia.

- Carbon capture and storage and power to liquid.

- IMO 2050.

- Sustainable development for locomotives.

- GHG regulations and reduction strategies.

A range of ticket options are available. For more information, click here.

– Jan. 25 –

Daimler Trucks unveils BharatBenz reefer truck for vaccine transportation in India

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) has unveiled the BharatBenz BSafe Express, a specialized reefer truck designed for the safe transportation of COVID-19 vaccines.

Equipped with the latest connectivity technology, the BSafe Express uses newly developed refrigeration units that ensure the temperature and stability of the vaccines is accurately monitored and maintained at all stages of delivery. The reefer is mounted on the BharatBenz 2823R heavy-duty chassis.

“The combination of a strong, reliable chassis with a lightweight, insulated reefer and state-of-the-art connectivity device makes BharatBenz’s ‘BSafe Express’ the perfect solution to India’s cold-chain infrastructure challenge,” said Satyakam Arya, managing director and CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles said at the vehicle’s premier in Delhi. “With this truck, we can deliver vaccines in perfect condition to even the most remote destinations, bringing hope of a return to normalcy to over 1.3 billion people.”

India has recently started its corona vaccination campaign, aiming to vaccinate 300 million people by July 2021. The BharatBenz BSafe Express offers a solution to Indian logistics companies in the efforts to contribute to the nation’s goal of bringing COVID under control as quickly as possible. A daunting challenge in the second most populous country in the world.

The refrigerated container is supplied by automotive system solutions provider Motherson Group. It is made from Glass Reinforced Plastic, XPS Foam, and other materials selected to ensure the product is strong, water-resistant and non-corrosive, yet lightweight and highly insulated. The container can be assembled locally in as little as 96 hours, making it a much more practical solution than conventional products which can take three or more weeks to deliver, the company said.

With purpose-built IoT sensors integrated inside the container, fleet managers can monitor temperature, humidity, shock, tilt, and tamper. They can also adjust the temperature as required and sound the alarm if a problem occurs. This further integrates with QR Code tracking of all stock on board, so that users can check the location, status, and history of each package. Paired with BharatBenz’s Truckonnect telematics platform, the BSafe Express offers vaccine distributors absolute peace of mind with real-time tracking of both the vehicle and its cargo.

– Jan. 8 –

AED Reschedules 2021 Summit Dates to May 24-26

In response to the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) announced that its 2021 AED Summit is being rescheduled. The in-person event, with a virtual option, will now take place from May 24 - 26, 2021, at The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.

The summit was originally scheduled for March 29-31. AED said the decision was made after careful consultation with AED’s Chairman, Ron Barlet and senior AED staff.

The association said it has been working with MGM to develop a plan that features detailed protocols to incorporate health and safety into every aspect of Summit, such as virtual site inspections, creative catering options and venue arrangements that meet all physical distancing requirements. A few of the in-person safety precautions that are being implemented include social distancing, required face masks, frequent sanitizing stations and contactless registration. To learn more about Summit safety protocols, click here.

“Although the dates may have changed, the 2021 Summit’s scheduled events remain the same. Attendees will be able to participate in professional education sessions, browse vendors on the Conference Dealer Expo (CONDEX) floor, participate in hospitality suite meetings, and hear from world-class speakers,” said AED’s CEO Brian McGuire. “When you attend Summit, regardless if it is in-person or virtually, you will still get all the same great programming. AED will continue to work closely with The Mirage in Las Vegas to negate any unnecessary health risk.”

To hear more from AED’s President and CEO, Brian McGuire, click here to see a video.

For more information, visit www.aedsummit.com

–  Dec. 21 –  

NFPA Offering In-Person Option For February Annual Meeting

Like every other association, trade group and organization, the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) has seen its schedule of events and conferences thoroughly disrupted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

But what is perhaps an optimistic step toward normalcy, the Milwaukee-based trade association for the fluid power and pneumatic industries, is now offering an in-person option for its annual conference in February.

Along with a full virtual event, the NFPA is offering an optional in-person opportunity called The Power of Association Event on the same dates, Feb. 24-26. The event will include all of the virtual activities in addition to an in-person experience through networking lunches and receptions. The in-person option event will take place at the Omni Montelucia Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“We got a lot of feedback from our leadership and from the membership in general about how desirous if you will, people are for this in-person connection opportunity,” said Eric Lanke, president and CEO of NFPA. “We had a conversation with our leadership about it and thought it was not feasible to do a full annual conference the way we would normally do one for hopefully obvious reasons.

“But this idea of trying to bring a smaller group together for just a networking piece, again completely optional, based on who wants to try that, while conducting the bulk of the content in the conference through the virtual mechanism, seemed like the right way to go. So that’s what we decided to do.”

Through a virtual platform, attendees will be able to watch Annual Conference presentations and interact with speakers from their hotel rooms each morning, followed by networking lunches and receptions and the opportunity to gather informally at the property. The in-person event will be carefully managed to adhere to the latest COVID-19 regulations.

“I don’t know that we would be doing this if it wasn’t for that very loud signal that we got from the leadership,” said Lanke. “And we did a survey of the membership, trying to feel them out for their interest in this and it was pretty much split 50-50 in terms of people who said they’d be willing to give it a try because of the value that they would get. And most of those who said no were because they’re on travel restrictions from a corporate point of view.”

Lanke said he didn’t have a sense as to how many people will opt for the in-person option. “We don’t have a hard number,” he said. “If we get too many, we’ll have to kind of reevaluate how we’re going to conduct it. But we know that it’s going to be popular among a group of people.”

For more information on the NFPA Annual Conference and Power of Association in-person event, click here.

– Dec. 17 –

Intermat reschedules event to 2024

After some rumors that the construction trade show in Paris would have moved from April to October 2021, the organizers announced officially that the event is cancelled due to the many uncertainties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic which are likely to persist into the first half of 2021.

The next edition will be held in Paris in April 2024.

The organizers, Comexposium, commented that the decision was difficult and regrettable but unavoidable in view of a public health environment that remains uncertain heading into the first half of 2021 and which would not be conducive to holding the show in full confidence in April.

The decision was made following consultations with industry professionals convened in the Intermat Board of Directors.

The last edition of Intermat in 2018 gathered 1400 exhibitors (70% of which were non-French) and over 173,000 visitors (30% non-French from 160 countries).

–  Dec. 8 –  

National Farm Machinery Show Shifts 2021 Dates

Kentucky Venues announced the 56th annual National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS) and 53rd annual Championship Tractor Pull will shift its scheduled February 2021 dates to March 31-April 3.

NFMS is held annually at the Kentucky Exposition Center and is the largest indoor farm show in the country, featuring 1.2 million sq. ft. of exhibit space. The show is a key player in the agriculture industry, featuring the a comprehensive display of equipment, services and technology.

“We know how important this show is to the global agricultural community and with vaccines on the horizon, moving the National Farm Machinery Show allows more time to deliver a safe event,” said David S. Beck, president and CEO of Kentucky Venues. “Our new registration process will allow people to reserve for specific days while maintaining a safe attendance cap during all show hours.”

NFMS has enacted new procedures to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Those measures include:

• Every attendee will be required to register for the show, submitting their name and contact information for contact tracing and attendance management.
• Capacity will be capped to allow for 36 sq. ft. of space per person at any given time.
• The trade show will be conducted in a hybrid model to allow for both in-person and virtual attendance.
• Facial coverings will be required for everyone in attendance.
• Increased hand sanitizer and handwashing stations will be available throughout the property.

The Championship Tractor Pull shows will be live-streamed and in-person attendance will be capped at 33%, which is 7000 people. Only half of the rows in Freedom Hall will be available, with closed rows marked to prevent attendees from sitting in them. Additionally, closed seats will be placed between all parties to allow for social distancing. The Pit in Broadbent Arena will be closed to the public.

Additional safety measures and show information are available at farmmachineryshow.org. Additional Championship Tractor Pull show information and safety measures are available at champpull.org/.

–  Dec. 7 –  

Power Gen International Moved To 2022

For the third time, PowerGen International is moving its dates – this time to 2022.

Initially, the annual event was scheduled for this month. Earlier this year, it was decided to move it to March 30-April 1 of 2021. Now because of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Clarion Events announced that its PowerGen International, DistribuTech International and Clarion Energy’s Leadership Summit events have been postponed to January 26-28, 2022 in Dallas, Texas.

“It is with sincere regret that I share this difficult decision, but we have been putting the safety and wellbeing of our customers, attendees, staff and suppliers above all other priorities and those values remain most important to us,” said Desiree Hanson, executive vice president, Clarion Events. “During our extensive outreach and conversations with the energy community, the generation and transmission & distribution professionals we spoke with overwhelmingly expressed their desire to come together under one roof when it is safe to do so.

“As a result, we stand by our decision to co-locate DistribuTech, PowerGen, and our previously announced new Leadership Summit. We are, however, moving this supercharged collaboration into early 2022 to ensure the success and health of all involved parties.”

While PowerGen International, reportedly the world’s largest power generation event, and DistribuTech International, a transmission and distribution event, will remain separate, holding them alongside each other will allow attendees to access both exhibition halls and educational offerings. The co-location will also provide further opportunities to connect these two audiences for networking and create a place where these two industry sectors can collaborate as they shape the future of energy and experience the energy movement. In addition, the Leadership Summit, Clarion Energy’s new executive level conference, will address the challenges facing the power generation and transmission and distribution sectors through high-level debates with domestic and international peers.

“We remain committed to what our customers need now, as well as in the future, and how we can deliver experiences to best meet those needs,” said Hanson. “While we all agree a face-to-face event is not a good option at this time, our customers have said they still must continue to learn, network and source new solutions to support their ongoing operations. To fill this need, we have launched PowerGen+ and DistribuTech+. These two communities, which are available to their members 24-7 host a series of virtual events accessible both live and on demand for those looking for perspective and discussion on current and future issues affecting the generation and T&D markets.”

These +Series communities include virtual experiences, timely content and educational sessions, peer-to-peer networking, and vendor product and service demonstrations.

Upcoming PowerGen+ events will run Dec. 14-15, focusing on O&M, cybersecurity and the digital plant, Feb. 17-18, 2021, focusing on workforce and asset management, and April 28-29, 2021, focusing on optimizing plant performance.

Additional information on the PowerGen+ Series can be found at  www.powergenplus.com.

–  Nov. 30 –  

 EIMA Ag Show Moved To October 2021

EIMA, the international agricultural machinery exhibition organized by FederUnacoma in Bologna, Italy, has been postponed for a second time. The event will now be held October 19-23, 2021, at the Bologna Exhibition Center. Organizers said they anticipated that from November 2022 the trade show will return to its normal, every-other-year frequency.

In 2020, organizers held the first edition of EIMA Digital Preview, an exhibition dedicated to agricultural machinery on a virtual platform held from November 11-15. Although initially the platform showed some critical issues for users in accessing and using the services, organizers said this was a useful test for the system’s further development and for the creation of a platform that can continuously support the agricultural machinery sector.

During its five-day run, the online platform hosted over 120 seminars and events with a total of over 59,000 log-ins and about 10,000 users.

–  Nov. 25 –  

 Commercial Vehicles Are Reaping COVID-Related Rewards, Says ACT

 In the release of its Commercial Vehicle Dealer Digest, ACT Research reported even before the pandemic plunge in Q2, there was never serious doubt that the demand for commercial vehicles would rise in 2021.

The report, which combines ACT’s proprietary data analysis from a wide variety of industry sources, paints a comprehensive picture of trends impacting transportation and commercial vehicle markets.

“While the ‘whether’ of the direction of industry demand in 2021 from 2020 has never been in doubt, the speed of the demand inflection has proven to be a particularly challenging answer,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst. “Demand is sufficiently strong at present that we are turning to historical precedent as a guide for the speed at which the heavy-duty OEMs and suppliers can respond to the demand rally.

“On top of that, there are two countervailing considerations that we believe could have a direct bearing on the trajectory of the ramp. The first is the challenge of increasing manufacturing employment during a pandemic, with the added protocols and complexity needed to keep workers safe and socially distanced, and the second consideration is the time it takes for the industry to shift to materially higher build rates following the start of robust orders. In most cycles, the lag is typically around six months.”

Vieth added that “While capacity utilization and productivity are concepts normally reserved for the Class 8 market, medium-duty vehicle operations are clearly feeling the impact of the services-to-goods substitution evidenced by consumer expenditures, and with freight rates surging and profitability poised to follow, orders turned sharply higher starting in September for van trailers, Class 8 tractors, and Classes 5-8 vocational trucks. September saw Class 8 orders surge to a two-year high, followed by even stronger orders in October.”

–  Nov. 23 –  

Bauma Conexpo India Changes Dates Again

Bauma Conexpo India – billed as North India’s leading trade fair for construction machinery and equipment – has been re-scheduled yet again due to the impact of COVID-19.

Originally scheduled for November 3-6 in 2020, the event was first switched to February 23-26, 2021.  However, this date has now been changed and the event will take place on April 20-23, 2021 at the India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi.

“After careful considerations of the COVID-19 situation and crucial discussions with the industry, we are postponing Bauma Conexpo India to April 2021,” Bhupinder Singh, chief executive officer of bC Expo India Pvt Ltd. Said. “The gradual upturn of the market leaves us confident that the industry will find even more favorable conditions for doing business at the new dates. Plus, rescheduling the exhibition will enable us to provide a safer environment for our exhibitors, stakeholders, and visitors as their safety is our topmost priority.”

Interested companies can register online at bcindia.com.

In an interesting twist, the new dates for Bauma ConExpo India are in direct conflict with Intermat in Paris, which is scheduled to run April 19-24.

–  Nov. 18 –  

Cummins Recognizes TRB For Pandemic Efforts

TRB Lightweight Structures (TRB), a global supplier of high-performance lightweight structures for transportation applications, has been recognised by powertrain manufacturer Cummins Inc. for its ongoing efforts to minimize the disruption caused by COVID-19. The company, headquartered in Peterborough, England, has been named as a recipient of a 2020 Cummins COVID-19 Outstanding Supplier Award, acknowledging suppliers that have gone ‘above and beyond’ to support Cummins throughout the global pandemic.

The challenges caused by the spread of SARS-CoV-2 around the world have led to significant disruption to supply chains and travel. Despite this, TRB was able to set up a new high-volume production facility in the U.S. during the pandemic and begin supplying Cummins with multiple critical battery components for electric vehicles. Cummins praised the company for its commitment to hit key milestones and meet delivery schedules throughout the crisis, as well as its open communication and efforts to produce key personal protective equipment (PPE) for the NHS in the U.K.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of our lives, both in business and personally,” said Rachel Lanning, Global Sourcing director for Electrical Systems and New Power at Cummins. “In a time when so many factors are beyond our control, Cummins is grateful to have dedicated supplier partners such as TRB. We truly are all in this together.”

“We are proud of our efforts to open a new facility and meet our delivery commitments to Cummins during such a challenging time,” said Richard Holland, managing director at TRB. “Throughout the crisis, we have been focused on being a great partner to Cummins, while keeping our employees safe. We appreciate the efforts our staff have made in these difficult times and appreciate Cummins’ recognition.”

–  Nov. 16 –  

2021 Offshore Technology Conference Moved To August

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) board of directors announced it has chosen to postpone the 2021 event to August 16-19, 2021, due to the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19 “and out of the greatest care for the health and safety of our partners, attendees, exhibitors, staff, and community.”

In the coming weeks, OTC said it will be communicating with authors, speakers, exhibitors, and partners to develop new in-person and virtual plans and ensure the conference continues to provide a platform for energy professionals to meet and exchange ideas.

“By postponing OTC to the second half of 2021, we aim to preserve the significant work of the program committee and authors, as well as minimize the economic impact this decision has on businesses in Houston and throughout the industry,” the board said in a statement.

The annual event, which brings together energy industry professionals from around the world, was originally scheduled for May of this year, but as the pandemic spread, the organizers first announced a plan to postpone the event to the fall, than a month later, canceled it for 2020.

It was hoped that the 2021 event would be held on its usual May dates, but as COVID-19 has continued to rage around the world, it was decided to push the show back to August.

–  Oct. 30 –  

Ecomondo, Key Energy Exhibitions Move To Digital

Ecomondo, a green technology expo, and Key Energy, a show for energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions and applications, are moving from live events to digital, the organizers announced.

The two shows, co-located in Rimini, Italy, were set to start on Nov. 3 and run through Nov. 6 when the latest regulations of the Italian government regarding COVID-19 effectively stopped them –  along with any other trade show in Italy until at least Nov. 24.  Thus show organizer, IEG, has reviewed the format of the two events, moving them entirely to its digital platform and also extending the events to two weeks.

Ecomondo and Key Energy will take place digitally from Nov. 3 to Nov. 15. The digital platform will include complete profiles of the exhibiting companies with their products, services and innovations, along with all conferences, workshops and events that were already scheduled and will now be available through direct live streaming and will also be recorded. The possibility of organizing meetings between national and international exhibitors and buyers will be guaranteed as well, the show organizers said.

Diesel Progress International and Diesel & Gas Turbine Worldwide are media partners of Key Energy 2020.

For more information on the events, go to https://en.ecomondo.com and https://en.keyenergy.it.

–  Oct. 22 –  

Global Rail Show InnoTrans Derailed Until 2022

InnoTrans, a global event for the rail and transportation industry held in Europe, is being postponed until 2022. The event was originally scheduled to take place in April 27-30, 2021, in Berlin, Germany.

In a statement, the show organizers said that due to the constantly changing situation regarding the Coronavirus pandemic and the resultant lack of planning certainty, InnoTrans is to be postponed until 2022. After consulting with international market players and leading associations this was decided upon by Messe Berlin. The 13th edition of the event will now take place from Sept. 20-23, 2022, in Berlin.

”The decision to postpone InnoTrans until 2022 was very difficult,” said Dr. Christian Göke, chief executive officer of Messe Berlin. ”Ultimately, the decisive factors were a lack of planning certainty and the forecast for the pandemic in the months to come. In the current situation no one can predict with sufficient certainty whether the overall conditions will permit the use of our rail track display in April 2021 for example, and the holding of a leading international trade fair such as InnoTrans.”

The presentation of new trains on the approximately 3000 m of rail track is a unique feature of InnoTrans.

”Together with the leading industry players we have decided that InnoTrans can fulfil its quality expectations only with international participation and in its customary form,” said Matthias Steckmann, director of Mobility & Services. “In agreement with all the stakeholders we have therefore decided to postpone the event again, in order to guarantee the high quality of InnoTrans as the industry’s leading marketing platform, both now and above all in the long term, and to provide planning certainty for all the players involved.”

–  Oct. 22 –  

Heavy Duty Dialogue To Go Virtual In 2021

The Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA) has announced Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue (HDAD) will be held as a completely virtual conference on Monday, January 25, 2021. The program is co-presented by HDMA and MacKay & Co. and will immediately precede the fully virtual Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) 2021.

HDAD is traditionally held as a conference, networking, and kick-off for suppliers attending HDAW. Next year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, HDAD will be held virtually and feature presentations and panel discussions with industry experts on a range of topics.

For more information and to register, visit https://www.hdma.org/content/heavy-duty-aftermarket-dialogue.

Based in North Carolina, HDMA is the Commercial Vehicle Division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), an industry association for the motor vehicle supplier industry.

–  Oct. 21 –  

NTEA Cancels Work Truck Week 2021

NTEA announced it will not be possible to produce Work Truck Week in its traditional in-person format next year. North America’s largest work truck event, originally scheduled March 9–12, 2021, in Indianapolis, includes The Work Truck Show and Green Truck Summit.

While there are no plans to hold Work Truck Week virtually, NTEA said it is exploring new opportunities to share education and connect industry businesses. Work Truck Week will return to Indianapolis March 8–11, 2022.

“After extensive and careful deliberation, we have realized a typical Work Truck Week is not possible in 2021,” NTEA said in a statement from Board of Directors Chair Peter Miller and NTEA President & CEO Steve Carey. “The health and safety of our attendees, exhibitors and staff is paramount, and was a driving factor in the Board of Directors assessing the feasibility of the 2021 event.

“Doing what’s right for the work truck industry is NTEA’s number-one priority and commitment, which is why it was extremely hard — but ultimately necessary — to make this decision. We know each year the commercial vehicle industry relies on this event to further business opportunities and strengthen professional connections.

“For the last several months, we have collaborated closely with our partners in Indianapolis to find creative solutions. However, due to necessary restrictions imposed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, options for delivering a high-quality, productive in-person event are not possible. We cannot confidently ensure attendees, exhibitors and industry stakeholders will be able to accomplish their goals or get what they need (and rightfully expect) from Work Truck Week.

“This marks the first time, and hopefully the last, we’ve had to take this course of action in The Work Truck Show’s 20-year history, and it weighs heavily. To everyone who has helped shape this event over the years — whether through ideas and insights, sponsor and exhibitor contributions, or by showing up — thank you for your continued support and patience over the last few months. We can’t tell you how much it will mean when we’re gathered together once again in 2022.

“NTEA is now focusing on identifying ways to best support our members and the industry in the year ahead while planning for 2022. While we do not feel Work Truck Week can be adequately captured in a virtual setting, there are potential opportunities to share education and connect industry businesses. More information will be released in the coming weeks.”

─ Oct. 8 ─

International WorkBoat Show Cancelled For 2020

They sailed against the tides longer than any other event, but ultimately, the International WorkBoat Show couldn’t withstand the Coronavirus tsunami. Show organizer Diversified Communications announced today that due to ongoing health and safety issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become necessary to cancel the 2020 edition of the show that was planned for December.

“It is with heavy hearts that we make the announcement that we will not be holding the 2020 edition of the International WorkBoat Show,” said Group Vice President and Show Director Bob Callahan. “After extensive consultation with the WorkBoat community, it is clear there are too many uncertainties about the impact COVID-19 will have on travel and mass gatherings this December. Accordingly, it is impossible to hold a live event that would provide an experience that our community would find valuable.”

With the cancellation of the show the education and conference portion will now move online and be presented as the WorkBoat Think Tank – a 12-part webinar series, moderated by the editors of WorkBoat magazine and WorkBoat.com. The Think Tank is free and will present breaking news, hot topics and thought-provoking conversation while giving attendees a virtual place to interact with industry leaders, ask tough questions, and gain insight.

“WorkBoat and the International WorkBoat Show are passionate about bringing fresh, important content to our customers,” said Callahan. “And while we won’t be able to deliver it in person this year, the Think Tank will keep you informed about the opportunities and challenges facing our industry today and in the future.”

Show organizers said the International WorkBoat Show team will continue to reach out to customers regarding opportunities to build business and reconnect with the community for the 2021 edition as well as sponsorship opportunities surrounding the WorkBoat Think Tank.

An updated list of 2020 exhibitors and products will be available at workboatshow.com and workboat.com as well as a full schedule of the WorkBoat Think Tank sessions. The Think Tank will kick off on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 3 p.m. ET with a panel of the shipyards, marine architects and engineers, and vessel owners responsible for some of 2020’s 10 Significant Boats.

–  Oct. 8 –  

AGCO Donations Exceed $100,000 For Europe And Middle East

AGCO and its AGCO Agriculture Foundation together donate more than US $100,000 COVID-19 Aid, Personal Protective Equipment and Medical Supplies to Non-Profit Organizations in Europe and Middle East (EME) region

Organizations include Trussell Trust in the United Kingdom, World Food Program in Turkey and Banco de Alimentos de Madrid in Spain

The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF), a private foundation based in Liechtenstein committed to ending hunger through sustainable agricultural development, has donated $90,000 to three non-profit organizations to address hunger and poverty in communities worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The donations, spread across the United Kingdom, Turkey and Spain, will be used to purchase and distribute emergency food and household items for vulnerable households in communities where AGCO’s customers, dealers, suppliers and employees live and work. The donations are part of the second phase of the AAF COVID-19 Aid Program, which supports emergency responses globally in communities where AGCO’s customers, dealers, suppliers and employees live and work, including in the EME region.

During the first phase of the aid program, the AAF supported the emergency response by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), with a funding amount of $100,000 concentrated on the most vulnerable populations in countries in Latin America and Africa.

“The AGCO Agriculture Foundation is committed to making long-term impacts in our most vulnerable communities as the presence of COVID-19 calls for ongoing support,” said Metti Richenhagen, managing director, AGCO Agriculture Foundation. “We are proud to provide not only global but also local funding to support resources and initiatives that help communities in our EME region that are heavily impacted by the pandemic and economic uncertainty.”

The respective non-profit organizations are committed to utilize the donation to provide emergency responses and drive impacts to their communities.

“AGCO is always looking for the best way to support communities and customers in our regions. In such an unprecedented time like this, this support becomes a joint responsibility to address the impacts of the pandemic on economies and livelihood,” said Torsten Dehner, senior vice president and general manager of AGCO EME. “We firmly believe that a resilient agriculture industry is essential, and our top priority is maintaining access to safe, healthy and nutritious food throughout the COVID-19 pandemic fight.”

In Germany, Fendt, an AGCO brand, and its cabin factory in Asbach-Bäumenheim produced 3D-printed face shields and donated them to doctors, local aid organisations, county associations from the Bavarian Red Cross and regional dentists. In addition, five Fendt face shields were sent to every dealer location in Germany, Italy, France, Spain and England to ensure the safety of AGCO dealers and their host communities.

In France, AGCO and Massey Ferguson are responding to the call of the specially created French non-profit organization “Les Visières de l’Espoir” – “Hope’s Face Shields” initiated by 3DNatives, a French specialized 3D printing media. In the Beauvais manufacturing facility, Massey Ferguson is now using its 3D printing capacity to donate full face shields to its local community and frontline health workers who are heroes working hard to save lives from the coronavirus pandemic. The AGCO Beauvais team, together with its GIMA colleagues donated 10,000 surgical masks as well as gloves and overalls from its own stocks to the Beauvais Hospital to support the medical personnel.

In Italy, AGCO’s Gold Harvesting Competence Center in Breganze, has contributed to the fundraising campaign Aiutiamo i nostri medici (Help our Doctors) with the full commitment of all the staff and workers’ unions, raising €20,000. The project was promoted by the Santorso Town Council to support the local hospital’s COVID-19 centre for the whole province of Vicenza. In addition to buying essential items and equipment to increase the number of intensive care beds, some of the donations went towards alternative housing for health workers who did not want to put their families at risk by going home after their shifts.

–  Oct. 1 –  

2021 ARA Show Moved To October, Changes Venue

The ARA Show, the annual trade show and convention for the American Rental Association, has announced that it is moving the event from February to October 2021 and changing the venue.

The 2021 ARA Show will now be held Oct. 18-20 in Las Vegas, Nev. The show was originally scheduled for Feb. 22-24 in New Orleans.

“Much has transpired since The ARA Show 2020 in Orlando,” the show organizers said in announcing the change. “As we have been planning for 2021, our number one goal has always been to ensure the safety of our members and maintain the success and integrity of the premier event for the equipment and event rental industry. As time has progressed and we near the end of 2020, it has become clear that The ARA Show will not be feasible in February 2021 in New Orleans.

“After monitoring the many variables that impact the future of The ARA Show and reviewing results from an attendee intention survey around a two-day trade show floor only event, ARA has decided to move the show to Las Vegas in October 2021. This will enable ARA to deliver the rental-specific education and networking events that attendees said were critical elements of the show. In addition, there are many new developments in Las Vegas that made it an appealing city to host the show.”

Education sessions will be held on Sunday, Oct. 17, with the trade show floor to follow.

With the timing of the fall 2021 show, ARA has canceled the 2022 show scheduled for Anaheim. The usual February rotation will resume in 2023, when the event returns to Orlando, ARA said. In lieu of a 2022 show, ARA said it is exploring options for a focused buyer/seller showcase in 2022 to bridge the gap between shows.

–  Sept. 29 –  

It’s Official: World Of Concrete Moves Show To June

The World of Concrete show has announced new dates for its annual event in Las Vegas. Originally scheduled for Jan. 19-22, the new dates are June 8-10. The event will take place, as always, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“After discussions with key stakeholders and feedback from industry-leading concrete & masonry associations, World of Concrete made the proactive decision to reschedule WOC 2021 from January to June,” the show organizers said in a statement on the show website. “The decision to move the dates back several months was not easily reached; however, we felt it was the right choice for all involved.

“We have a commitment to our exhibitors and attendees to provide a valuable and productive face-to-face experience at WOC each year,” said Jackie James, group director, World of Concrete. “This is the first time in our 46-year history we have been faced with circumstances that have caused us to reschedule the event.

“We feel the new June dates will provide everyone with the necessary time to plan effectively and allows us to reimagine WOC for a different time of the year. Moving the event from winter to late spring this year will allow for additional outdoor activities everyone can enjoy in the great city of Las Vegas, including top-notch exhibits, new product demos, and exciting spectator events.”

World of Concrete is also one of the first large-scale events to occupy the Las Vegas Convention Center’s $980 million West Hall expansion in June, which will add 1.4 million sq. ft. of space to the existing 3.2 million sq. ft. campus. In addition to the exhibit hall, the expansion will feature an outdoor plaza, a grand atrium and state-of-the-art design and technology.

Registration for WOC 2021 will open online in early 2021, the show organizers said.

–  Sept. 29 –  

 Manitou Group Announces Layoffs As Part Of Reorganization Plan

The Central Employee Representative Committee of access and earthmoving machinery manufacturer Manitou BF met yesterday to review a reorganization and adjustment project of Manitou BF SA.

After a long growth cycle, the Manitou Group said it has been facing a downturn on its markets since mid-2019. The economic crisis resulting from the pandemic has amplified this downward trend. For the fiscal year 2020, the group anticipates a decrease in sales of around 30% compared to fiscal year 2019.

When the crisis appeared, the group said it implemented a series of health, economic and organizational measures to protect its employees and preserve its financial situation. As part of that ongoing effort, the company presented a plan to the Central Employee Representative Committee that anticipates a reduction of 63 indirect positions within Manitou BF. A period of voluntary leave would be opened in order to limit forced layoffs, the company said.

The layoffs, combined with the measures already implemented in other countries where the Manitou Group operates, especially in the United States, India and Brazil, and with the board’s decision to waive the proposal to pay a dividend for the record 2019 fiscal year, will help to preserve the investment capacity required for the group to continue to innovate, the company said.

Through its three global brands –  Manitou, Gehl and Mustang –  Manitou Group develops, manufactures, and provides equipment and services for the construction, agriculture, and industrial markets.

–  Sept. 28 –  

MINExpo 2020 Rescheduled To September Of 2021

The National Mining Association (NMA), the sponsor of MINExpo international 2020 has announced that the 2020 show has been rescheduled to September 13-15, 2021, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev.

“Our highest priority is the health, well-being and safety of exhibitors, attendees, stakeholders and their respective families and colleagues, as well as our event partners in Las Vegas,” NMA said in a statement. “Accordingly, we will develop and institute protocols to ensure that the global mining community is able to meet safely and hold an exciting, effective event in September 2021.”

–  Sept. 23 –   

boot Düsseldorf Says Full Steam Ahead For January Event

boot Düsseldorf, one of the major pleasure marine trade shows in Europe, announced that the show is “fully on course” to be held Jan. 23-31 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

“As the world’s largest platform for water sports, boot Düsseldorf is aware of its responsibility for the industry,” said Wolfram Diener, president & CEO of Messe Düsseldorf. He said the show would “set the course for a successful water sports year and a positive future.

“We are confident that we can all master this together and are pleased to be able to offer you the place in Düsseldorf to do so.”

The planning for boot 2021 is on course and the current exhibitor registration numbers are, overall, the same as they were in 2019, the organizers said. Almost all of the boat and yacht manufacturers that were on board in 2020 are back for 2021. Apart from a few exceptions, most suppliers have also confirmed that they will be participating in boot, according to the organizers.

“Overall, booking numbers for boot are excellent and we have even have halls where almost every square foot has been booked, such as the luxury yacht halls 5 and 6,” said Petros Michelidakis, project director of  boot. “Sectors that have been hit hard by the crisis, such as tourism, have not yet returned to their previous levels. However, we are discussing matters actively with these regions and travel agents in order to make participating in the trade fair possible for them.”

Messe Düsseldorf developed a comprehensive hygiene and infection protection concept for the Caravan Salon motorhome trade fair held in September. “The Caravan Salon 2020 trade fair, which just ended, has demonstrated impressively how trade fairs in Düsseldorf can still be successful in these times and how exhibitors can achieve considerable economic results even with the new rules,” Diener said. “We are delighted with the results, because it has shown that trade fairs are still indispensable marketing instruments for both the caravanning industry and the water sports sector.”

–  Sept. 15 –  

More Live Shows Moving Dates, Some To 2022

As time marches on toward the end of the year, more 2021 trade shows are rethinking their plans to hold live events, some opting to concede another year to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SIMA agricultural show has announced that it will delay its 100^th anniversary event, held in Paris, France, from February 2021 to November 6-10, 2022.

In their announcement the show organizers called it “a difficult but necessary decision” in light of the ongoing pandemic. “Despite receiving the confirmation and support of many leading and loyal exhibitors together with all its partners for the edition rescheduled in early 2021, the SIMA could not be held with full peace of mind in February 2021.

“Therefore, following consultations with a large number of exhibitors and agricultural machinery market figures, whose production and distribution cycles have been particularly hard hit by today’s public health and economic crisis, the decision to postpone the exhibition to November 2022 appeared unavoidable.”

The decision was supported by many major equipment manufacturers.

“In light of the ongoing global COVID situation, we, at CNH Industrial, fully support ExpoSIMA’s decision to postpone the SIMA exhibition until 2022,” said Thierry Panadero, vice president and head of Agriculture Europe Commercial Operations, CNH Industrial.

“John Deere appreciates and supports this decision to postpone the next edition of SIMA which is a wise decision in view of today’s public health conditions,” said Rémi Hanot, sales branch manager- John Deere France Marketing Division. “In a medium-term perspective, John Deere would eagerly welcome a broader discussion regarding the rhythm and positioning of the main international trade shows in Europe.”

In a similar fashion, Middle East Energy has pushed back its live show dates from March 2021 to June 14-16, 2021. The show will return to its traditional timeline of March/April as of 2022.

“In light of the ongoing global situation relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, Informa Markets has been closely monitoring its impact on the global energy industry,” the show organizers said in a statement. “As a result of feedback from stakeholders and participants, Middle East Energy and the supporting Global Energy & Utilities Forum will be rescheduled to 14 – 16 June 2021. The event will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre, United Arab Emirates.

“The decision to run Middle East Energy in June of next year, rather than March, was one made with our partners and key stakeholders after conducting a number of industry research pieces which highlighted how businesses and economies are forecasting to improve from Q2 onwards in 2021.”

Rematec Amsterdam, a global show for the remanufacturing industry, has moved its planed June 2021 show to June 14-16, 2022.

Over recent weeks, the show organizers said they had been in conversation with key industry stakeholders to determine if the show scheduled for June 2021 in Amsterdam would have been both practical and beneficial to the market.

“From a health and safety standpoint, we felt confident we could deliver a safe and secure show, incorporating the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness,” said Director of Rematec, Yorien de Ruijter. “However, Rematec Amsterdam is a truly global event, bringing together key industry players from all over the world. With other countries and locations at different stages of recovery from COVID-19 and with international travel only returning gradually, it is clear that it will be difficult to ensure the same level of participation and high-quality, in-person experience at Amsterdam in 2021 that everyone has come to expect at Rematec.

“Therefore, we have agreed with our key stakeholders to focus on other ways to support the industry in 2021, with a commitment that Rematec Amsterdam will return stronger than ever on 14 – 16 June 2022.”

–  Sept. 13 –  

2021 World Ag Expo Cancelled Due To COVID-19

It’s no surprise that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on trade shows, as just about all of them – with one notable exception – have canceled their events or shifted them to virtual exhibitions.

But it’s beginning to become clear that the pandemic’s effects are likely to go beyond calendar 2020.

For the first time in more than 52 years, the World Ag Expo will not be held live in 2021. The show was originally scheduled for Feb. 9-11 at the International Agri-Center in Tulare, Calif.

“After working with the Tulare County Health Dept. and other officials, it has become evident that given health and safety restrictions from the State of California, holding a live, international event is not responsible in February,” said Jerry Sinift, International Agri-Center CEO.

The International Agri-Center board of director said the decision to cancel the 2021 World Ag Expo was not taken lightly and came after months of research and evaluation of future trends and known constraints. The decision was finalized earlier than the initial November deadline to provide exhibitors, attendees, volunteers, concessionaires, contractors, and local businesses time to adjust their Tulare farm show plans.

Attendees are encouraged to follow World Ag Expo’s social media channels and watch their email inboxes for more information on World Ag Expo projects throughout 2020 and 2021. They can join the World Ag Expo email list to stay up to date at http://bit.ly/WAEupdates.

The 2022 World Ag Expo is scheduled for February 8-10, 2022.

– Sept. 10 –   

International Workboat Show Still Scheduled As Live Event

While just about every other in-person event has been canceled, shifted to “virtual” or postponed to 2021, one major industry trade show is staying the course thus far.

The International Workboat Show is currently still on track to be held as a live event at the in New Orleans, La., Dec. 15-17.

Early this month, the show said it had surveyed customers about their interest in a live event. “The feedback was overwhelmingly positive for interest in holding an in-person event if possible,” the show organizers said in a statement. “We are diligently researching the many details that would allow us to make this possible for our customers.”

The statement added “at this time, we are not ready to announce how we will or will not proceed with the December show, but we are working hard to try meet the needs of our many customers in a safe and effective manner. We thank you for your patience during this time.”

For more information go to www.workboatshow.com.

–  Sept. 10 –  

 AED Reschedules Summit To March 2021

The Association of Equipment Distributors (AED) announced that the annual AED Summit has been rescheduled to March 29-31, 2021. The event will be held at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev.

AED’s President and CEO Brian P. McGuire discussed the event on a video. Access the video here.

AED serves equipment distributors in the construction, mining, agricultural and forestry, industrial, power generation and rental equipment industries.

–  Sept. 4 – 

ATA, Peterson To Support Truckers Impacted By COVID-19

The American Trucking Associations and Peterson Manufacturing, a manufacturer of vehicle safety lighting, custom wiring harnesses and other safety-related products, announced a new initiative to award 10 professional truck drivers who have undergone hardship during the coronavirus pandemic with $1000 each.

“For nearly six challenging months, drivers have kept the store shelves stocked, hospitals operating, and the economy moving” said Elisabeth Barna, ATA executive vice president of industry affairs. “While most of us stayed home, they got to work, and demonstrated why they are truly our highway heroes. We are forever beholden to them and their families for how they have delivered for us during our moment of need.”

To nominate a driver who experienced financial or other hardships during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, or to self-nominate, please click here to share your own story or the story of a deserving candidate.

This initiative comes as a part of Peterson Manufacturing’s recently unveiled campaign for the 2020 National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (NTDAW), Shining the Light on America’s Truck Drivers, which highlights and honors the crucial role truck drivers have played during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s NTDAW is scheduled for Sept. 13-19.

“We are indebted to the service and sacrifice of these national highway heroes, and proud that we are able to support them through their own difficult times,” said Al Anderson, vice president of sales, Peterson Manufacturing. “Hearing the stories and hardships of these incredible men and women leaves us no choice other than to give back however we can, lessen some of their burden, the way they have relieved ours.”

Drivers will be selected by a panel of independent judges who will review the submitted nominations. By Sept. 20, the Spotlight Award will be given to the deserving nominees who will be contacted individually.

 

–  Sept. 3 – 

Cummins, Oak Ridge National Lab Collaborate On Face Masks

A collaboration between Cummins and the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility (CFTF) at the Dept. of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has resulted in the ability to produce enough filter media to supply more than a million face masks and respirators per day to U.S. healthcare facilities.

As a global manufacturer of air, fuel and lube filtration products for heavy-duty diesel engines, Cummins began exploring ways to use its filtration production technology to support healthcare providers as they addressed the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, ORNL was searching for ways to scale up production of face masks with equipment used to mass produce precursor material for carbon fiber production at the CFTF.

ORNL’s research team had been working with the inventor of N95 filter media, Dr. Peter Tsai, to develop a novel in-line charging device that could be placed on the precursor production line to electrostatically charge the melt-blown material made of polypropylene or PP. Melt blowing is a nonwoven process that makes microfibers into a fabric by extruding, drawing and scattering a polymer resin with high velocity air and making a randomly deposited sheet of fibrous material applicable for filtration. By electrostatically charging the material with millions of microfibers layered on top of each other, the filter can remove more than 95 percent of submicron particles and viruses like COVID-19.

“We reached our target goal in only a few weeks on pilot scale melt blowing capability at the CFTF and had the capability to produce filter media for 9,000 masks per hour when we connected with Cummins for potential technology transfer and scale up,” said ORNL’s Merlin Theodore, director of the CFTF. “Cummins was an ideal partner to scale what we had accomplished and helped us produce material that passed all required testing for filter media.”

With a filtration site in Cookeville, Tenn., just a short drive from the CFTF’s Oak Ridge location, Holm said that ORNL was the right fit not only in proximity, but also in research expertise.

“We had the nation’s experts in material science and fiber technology located about an hour from our primary production location,” said Holm. “And, as fate would have it, ORNL was already working with the inventor of N95, Dr. Peter Tsai. Their research has made it possible to be where we are today. We can manufacture material that has passed all the required testing for N95 filter media.”

Cummins and ORNL have a long collaborative history, having partnered to develop a method that repairs a diesel engine cylinder head on heavy-duty engines by additive manufacturing and creating a probe to optimize the engine efficiency among other projects.

The filter media project marks the first time Cummins has collaborated with the CFTF at ORNL.

Just two months ago, Cummins had never produced filter media for face masks and today the company has shipped material to multiple customers across the country for the production of millions of masks.

–  Sept. 2 – 

COVID-19 To Reduce Global CE Sales 16%, Says OHR

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will see most equipment markets fall by 15-35% this year according to Off-Highway Research. The global picture would much worse were it not for a significant stimulus drive in China, OHR said.

The pandemic will see sales of construction equipment fall in almost every country of the world this year, according to specialist market research and forecasting company Off-Highway Research. However, stimulus spending in China will lift the market by an expected 14% to take sales to their highest since the previous stimulus boom in 2010-2011. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, sales in China were expected to fall in 2020 as the market passed its cyclical peak.

“The Chinese market has seen remarkable growth since April and this will certainly cushion the blow as far as the global industry is concerned,” said Off-Highway Research Managing Director Chris Sleight. “We are forecasting a soft landing in 2021, but we are also mindful of the long and painful recession which followed the 2010-11 stimulus boom. I hope the lessons from history have been taken on board.”

If China is removed from the global figures, the impact of COVID-19 is much starker. Volumes will be down 27% this year in the rest of the world, compared to 2020. This would take volumes to their lowest since 2010. However, Off-Highway Research expects growth to return in 2021.

“These forecasts are based on two key assumptions,” said Sleight. “First, we assume the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us and that if there is a second wave of infections in the Northern Hemisphere winter, actions to address it will be much more targeted than a blanket lockdown.

“Second, we assume that the policy response from governments around the world will remain intelligent and supportive. Viable businesses must be helped through the current difficulties, jobs must be protected and we now look for stimulus spending to reinvigorate economic growth.”

For more information, visit www.offhighwayresearch.com.

The outlook for the global construction equipment industry will also be discussed during Off-Highway Research’s free webinar on Nov. 17. Sign up at www.offhighwaybriefing.com.

–  Sept. 1 – 

COVID-19, Regs Impacting CV Engine Demand: ACT

Economic indicators in recent months suggest the worst of the COVID-19 impact is in the rearview mirror for the commercial vehicle industry, according to the recently released N.A. Commercial Vehicle On-Highway Engine Outlook published by ACT Research and Rhein Associates.

The outlook highlights power source activity for commercial vehicles in Class 5 through Class 8 and includes five-year forecasts of engines volumes and product trends.

“With COVID-related shutdowns and supply chain disruptions still unraveling, a meaningful spike in cases could impact supply chains and by extension, new vehicle production – at least on a short-term basis,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research, Columbus, Ind.

The report also explained the impact regulations will play on future commercial vehicle engine/powertrain demand. Andrew Wrobel, senior powertrain analyst at Rhein Associates, said that “while the Advanced Clean Truck Rule currently is pushing to all but eliminate the diesel engine in new trucks for at least 15 states by 2050, internal combustion engine efficiency improvements will continue to be important.”

Concerning alternative fuels, Wrobel said that “the outlook for natural gas-powered Class 8 vehicles shows limited growth from today’s low market share levels, and despite the current pandemic, electric vehicle product development and new introductions continue. That said, each alternative fuel has its place.

“Truck fleets remain the primary users of natural gas engines, with refuse the leading vocational application, while medium-duty applications are identified as a primary adopting group of electric commercial vehicles because of their urban applications, with limited daily mileage and most returning to base overnight for easier recharge. School buses are also good candidates for alternative fuels, from propane to natural gas to electric.”

ACT Research publishes commercial vehicle truck, trailer, and bus industry data, market analysis and forecasts for the North America and China markets.

For more information about ACT’s N.A. On-Highway CV Engine Outlook, click here.

–  Aug. 28 – 

Marine Equipment Trade Show Canceled For 2020

The Marine Equipment Trade Show (METSTRADE) scheduled for Nov. 17-19 at RAI in Amsterdam, has been cancelled. “Due to the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak, our mission cannot be accomplished successfully, therefore we believe it is the right decision to cancel this year’s show,” the organizers said.

The event will now take place on Nov. 16-18, 2021 at RAI Amsterdam.

“We have worked towards a safe and successful METSTRADE with great dedication,” said Niels Klarenbeek, the show director said. “Our team is working together with our partners on different virtual ways to connect the leisure marine industry in these tough times.”

For further information, email the organization at [email protected].

– August 12 –

How One Supplier Coped With COVID-19

Grote Industries is a global manufacturer supplier of lighting and safety products to OEM equipment manufacturers. The company recently outlined how it has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic with AEM.

“We really started the year with a different world around us,” said John Grote, global vice president of sales and marketing at Grote Industries. “After the first quarter and the shock of everything we experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic, I think we’re in a new normal for us. So, we’ve made the adjustments we’ve needed to make to put ourselves in a strong position, because we don’t really see anything changing for the next 12 months.”

In late January, right around the time of the Chinese New Year, Grote officials became aware that COVID-19 was beginning to see significant spread in various portions of China. And since the company has two locations in the country – one in Shanghai and one in ZhuZhou – ensuring the safety and well-being of those affected needed to be the organization’s top priority.

“Then there’s the fact that we have an extensive supply chain network in China, one that helps support us and what we do here in the (United States),” said Dominic Grote, president and CEO. “So, for us, we also spent a lot of time and energy just trying to get our minds around the supply chain side of things.

“In Asia, there’s really this veil of ‘Do you really know what you’re buying and who you’re buying it from?’ So, it was about trying to peel those layers back in terms of how things are done, where to get components and what to buy. That was a real effort – just trying to gain clarity on who was affected and where. We had to build some capability and insight. It took a lot of communication and putting data together, and some monitoring capabilities that we really didn’t have before.”

Grote Industries eventually engaged in a whole host of tasks and initiatives aimed at supporting both its aftermarket capabilities and component-side OEM production. The efforts paid dividends, as the company ultimately gained a greater control of, and insight into, its supply chain. And – perhaps even more importantly – the company’s significant investment of time, effort and resources into the initiative helped Grote prepare to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic once it began to emerge stateside.

“Everyone kept their cool, and they realized things were fluid,” said Dominic Grote. “We were encouraged to make decisions and make changes. And people were okay with that, because they understood things were turbulent.”

Despite the challenging and ever-evolving circumstances, Grote managed to hold its own, stay open and remain essential to the markets it serves – all while helping combat the COVID-19 pandemic by working to produce PPE for front-line healthcare workers.

“We haven’t shut down, and our mantra has been that we’re going to support our customers,” said Dominic Grote. “The only way we’re not staying open is if we’re shut down by the government or we have an outbreak problem within one of our facilities. And I think that’s helped our people stay focused.”

In addition, both Dominic and John Grote cite the efforts of the Chinese government in providing guidance and making key decisions in terms of health and safety protocols as being helpful in weathering the COVID-19 crisis abroad.

“As the crisis in China broke out and we were trying to figure out what it means, and then they extended the shutdowns, we did not have to map out our own health and safety plan ” said Dominic Grote. “All of the decisions that needed to be made in terms of health and safety protocols, as well as going back to work procedures – it was all dictated by the government. All our local leadership team had to do was implement what it was told.”

Looking to the future, company officials readily admit they see the market for their product offerings as being “soft and slow” in the near term. However, as the outlook inevitably starts to improve over time, they are confident Grote will find itself positioned for sustained success.

“Grote is a very stable company,” said Dominic Grote. “We’ve been around for nearly 120 years and have been through a lot over that time.”
Grote’s management credit a concerted effort by everyone within the company to remain positive, productive and focused on what they can control, allowing Grote to progress amid significant uncertainty.

“We know that it’s in our control to manage our own business, our spending levels, our workflow and – through customer communication – keep our team safe globally,” said John Grote. “We’ll continue to focus on our continuous improvement possibilities within the organization and execute those improvements across the board.”

— August 11 —

Westport Gets Deutsche Bank Loan To Weather Pandemic

Canadian gaseous fuel system supplier Westport Fuel Systems Inc. announced that it has secured a €7 million loan from Deutsche Bank to improve liquidity during the COVID-19 pandemic and finance capital investments for long-term growth.

The six-year €7 million term loan was issued to Westport Fuel Systems’ Italian subsidiary, Emer S.p.A, under the Italian government’s Decreto Liquidità (Liquidity Decree), an enhanced framework of business support established to help manage the challenges of COVID-19. This loan provides Emer with improved liquidity for working capital, payroll, and capital investments.

“Our Italian facilities are in full-recovery mode and we remain focused on providing our customers around the world with affordable, market-ready, clean transportation solutions to support the green recovery,” said David M. Johnson, chief executive officer of Westport Fuel Systems. “This loan from Deutsche Bank provides us with improved liquidity to ensure the financial and operational resilience of our Brescia plant which is an important part of our Westport HPDI 2.0TM and other OEM production.”

With the European Union’s Green Deal encompassing measures to foster the supply of low-carbon fuels, Westport said its products are part of the solution to the increasing global demand for sustainable transportation.

– July 22 –

Busworld India Rescheduled To 2022

The Busworld India bus and coach trade show, which was due to be held in October, has been rescheduled to 2022.

In a statement for the show, which started in 1971 and is based in Bangalore, organizers said: “Taking into consideration the current state of affairs and caution advisories still in place by the Indian government, the organizers of Busworld India – Busworld and Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd. in consultation with stakeholders have decided to cancel the 2020 edition of the fair.

“In order to keep the industry updated with the changing business landscape in the bus and coach sector, the organizers will continue to host a series of virtual webinars and interactive events to keep the industry connected until its next edition in 2022.

“In consultation with key OEMs and exhibitors from the bus and coach industry, the 2020 edition of Busworld India that was postponed to 6th – 8th October 2020 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bengaluru is now set to be hosted in 2022. The organizers have confirmed that the dates for the next edition of the trade fair are currently under dialogues and will be announced after detailed discussions in the coming months.”

– July 14 –

Kioti Tractor Donates PPC, UTV To UNC Healthcare

Kioti Tractor, a division of Daedong-USA, this month donated 10,000 N-95 masks as well as a K9 2440 utility vehicle to UNC REX Healthcare, located near Kioti’s U.S. headquarters in North Carolina.

“Kioti Tractor has a long history of giving back to those in our community who need it most,” said Peter Dong-Kyun Kim, president and CEO of Daedong-USA, Inc. KIOTI Tractor Division. “We’re proud to support the healthcare workers risking their lives on the frontline every day to care for North Carolinians throughout this pandemic. We’re uniquely equipped as a company to provide power equipment that will help keep UNC REX running smoothly.”

Past Kioti Tractor community initiatives include the donation of equipment customized for accessibility to a veteran in need, as well as partnering with the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team to support a local nonprofit working to combat hunger.

The mask initiative was introduced by the executive team of Kioti Tractor, fully supported by employees and matched by the company. Employees, agency partners and leadership contributed donations to purchase and deliver the masks.

“Our healthcare workers and health systems have given so much these past few months, and we wanted to do something meaningful to assist,” said Anna Kim, COO of Daedong-USA, Inc. “Giving back to our community has always been a priority at Kioti Tractor, and helping ensure a continual supply of personal protective equipment plus donating a Kioti utility vehicle made sense—for today and for the future.”

In addition to KIOTI, employees and leadership from the company’s agency partners— Baldwin& and Eckel & Vaughan—also donated to the cause.

“We are grateful for local businesses like Kioti whose generous donations support our coworkers and patients,” said Sylvia Hackett, Vice President of the REX Healthcare Foundation. “It is through working together we can do the most good and live out our mission to better the health and wellness for all in the community.”

– July 6 –

Eaton Group Leverages Industry 4.0 Technology During Pandemic

Eaton announced its Vehicle Group in Galesburg, Mich., has been leveraging advanced Industry 4.0 technology to help its global operations safely navigate the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and continue to service its customers.

Eaton’s Vehicle Group envisions Industry 4.0 as both operational and informational technologies, enabling autonomous production systems that are connected, optimized, transparent, proactive, and agile. Supported by an integrated ecosystem, the technologies are composed of augmented reality, rapid application development, autonomous robots, digital simulation, and additive manufacturing.

“I’m proud of our Vehicle Group team and their ingenuity, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said João Faria, president, Vehicle Group. “By leveraging augmented reality, we are able to continue to support our operations remotely and continue the development of new products, ensuring our customer deadlines are met despite the global challenges we are all facing.”

Here are examples of how the Vehicle Group is using Industry 4.0 technologies:

– Displaying 3D images and connecting remotely to improve safety: To enable remote assistance and critical activities, Vehicle Group teams are using Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 augmented reality goggles that offer the capability to display 3D images in physical spaces and connect remotely. This remote assistance technology ensures that ongoing work can be performed while keeping everyone safe.

– Enhancing training and expediting review processes through augmented reality: Augmented reality also assists with knowledge retention and ongoing training. For instance, the Vehicle Group identified an opportunity to use the technology to train operators and engineers on new equipment, which would have traditionally been conducted by instructors who travel to the various remote sites. Additionally, the technology has proven critical for recent customer reviews and approvals.

– Analyzing data to reduce costs, improve quality and reduce lead times: Eaton’s Vehicle Group is interconnecting plant systems and machines to collect, analyze and report real-time information, which optimizes plant floor management and provides visibility to real-time production issues in order to address them right away. These efforts are designed to reduce lead times; maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), inventory, indirect-labor/direct-labor costs; as well as increase performance and improve quality.

Implementing robots to promote safe distancing and increase productivity: To optimize manufacturing flow and eliminate the need for forklifts and other human-operated transport machinery, the Vehicle Group is using autonomous automated guided vehicles (AGVs) or autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). In addition to improving the flow of materials throughout a manufacturing facility, AMRs and autonomous AGVs increase safety and allow for social distancing while also lowering costs.

COBOTs, which are robots intended to interact with humans in a shared space or to work safely in close proximity, are being used to safely handle complex and repetitive tasks. This results in improved consistency and accuracy during the manufacturing process.

– Using digital simulation to improve production efficiency: The Vehicle Group is increasing productivity by using digital simulation applications to define which solution and/or combination of factors will result in the highest output. These applications can run several scenarios by changing parameters, such as the number of operators, work in process material, cycle times, operator standardized work and others. The applications are being used to define new manufacturing cells and assembly lines or to redesign existing ones. In most cases, the Vehicle Group said it is seeing productivity increase from 10 to 30% via higher production output or reduced amount of investment needed.

Leveraging 3D printing tools internally to expedite processes: Additive manufacturing is leveraged to improve safety, quality and efficiency by designing and producing tools, poke-yokes and gauges internally on both polymer and metal materials. This allows fast reactions (shorter lead times), reduced purchase costs and highly customized solutions. For example, lead times can be reduced from weeks to days, while reducing costs from thousands to hundreds, the group said.

– July 1 –

Cat Foundation Exceeds Original Commitment, Hits $10 Million

In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Caterpillar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Caterpillar Inc., on March 30th announced a commitment of $8.5 million to support global communities. Part of the funding included a 2:1 match for a limited time for United States employee and retiree donations made to eligible nonprofits.

Due to overwhelming support from Caterpillar employees and retirees, the $1 million matching cap was surpassed in a matter of days. As a result, the Foundation increased the match cap to $2.5 million, raising its overall commitment to $10 million in support of global COVID-19 response efforts and organizations impacted by the pandemic. Including the Foundation’s match, employee and retiree donations reached $3.9 million to help organizations.

“The Caterpillar team of both present and past employees are incredibly generous and have a well-earned reputation for giving back to the communities in which they live and work,” commented Asha Varghese, president, Caterpillar Foundation. “Together, they donated $1.4 million to help keep our communities safe and strong during this difficult time.”

From foodbanks to hospitals to educational organizations, more than 500 non-profits across 43 states were positively impacted through the generosity of Caterpillar employees and retirees and the Foundation’s match program. The contributions are assisting organizations like the Central Illinois Dream Center in providing shelter, food and personal hygiene items to individuals and families most affected by challenging economic conditions resulting from the virus. Other examples of organizations benefitting from the donations include Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego and multiple food banks in numerous Caterpillar communities, like the Second Harvest Food bank in Tennessee and the Houston Food Bank.

– June 25 –

AEM Survey Spotlights COVID-19’s Toll On Industry

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to take a toll on an industry that represents 12% of the U.S. manufacturing sector, according to a new survey released today by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

While equipment manufacturers are adjusting to the changing economic conditions, three quarters of U.S. equipment manufacturers say that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the overall economy is still very negative. In addition, six out of 10 executives say that the federal government has not done enough to support the industry as it continues to face decreased demand and disrupted supply chains.

“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact equipment manufacturers and the 2.8 million men and women of our industry,” said Dennis Slater, president of AEM. “We have seen some improvements to the operations and financial outlook for our member companies, but the industry still faces a long road back to normal. Even as our industry continues to help build, feed, and power our country, far too many of our member companies are running out of time.”

As the country navigates the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors have largely remained open. However, many equipment manufacturers are still struggling to keep workers on the job, with eight out of 10 executives indicating that they will not be able to re-hire workers laid off earlier in the year, according to the survey.

Other key findings include:

– Three quarters of respondents said that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the overall economy is still very negative, while just under half said that the impact on the industry is equally bad.

– More than one-third of respondents said they have furloughed up to half of their employees, while roughly one in five of respondents indicated that they have laid off as many as 10% of their workforce.

– For equipment manufacturers who have furloughed workers, nearly a third said they would not bring anyone back to work. For those who laid off workers, eight out of 10 said they will not rehire them based on current market conditions and challenges.

For more details and access to a memo prepared by AEM’s Market Intelligence team, click here.

– June 24 –

Yanmar Engines Used In Coronavirus Disinfection

Yanmar Europe and Qaswaa Al-Bararry have taken part in a project to disinfect and sanitize public areas in Baghdad, Iraq, in an effort to limit the spread of the Coronavirus and protect the Iraqi community.

The disinfection work is being conducted by the municipalities of Baghdad and Basrah using spraying equipment and generators made by Qaswaa. These generators use Yanmar’s heavy-duty TNV engines. The equipment sprays a solution of liquid bleach and is being used to disinfect public areas in the cities.

“We’re proud to be part of this vital work to keep the citizens of Iraq safe,” said Ali Al-Obaidi, director manager for Qaswaa Al-Barrary “It’s important that together with support from Yanmar, we can offer a reliable solution that is quiet enough that it doesn’t disrupt citizens’ lives.”

Peter Aarsen, President of Yanmar Europe B.V. added: “We hope that this work will help reduce the chance of infection of COVID-19 and keep the people of Iraq safe. We’re very pleased to have strong partners like Qaswaa Al-Bararry to help us deliver positive health outcomes for their community.”

The disinfecting activities are expected to be expanded to other municipalities and regions to combat COVID-19.

– June 24 –

bauma CTT Russia Rescheduled Again, This Time To 2021

After first rescheduling the event from May to September, the organizers of Bauma CTT Russia have again rescheduled, this time to next year. The next bauma CTT Russia will take place May 25-28 at the Crocus Expo in Moscow.

“The health and safety of all those taking part in bauma CTT RUSSIA is our top priority,” said Sergey Alexandrov, managing director of Messe Muenchen Rus. “In addition, it is our goal to offer all participants optimal conditions for a successful trade fair.

“However, as we are unable to implement this under the current circumstances and in view of the regulations of the authorities, we do not wish to expose exhibitors, visitors or partners to such an uncertain situation.”

bauma CTT Russia was originally scheduled to take place May 26-29, but in late March, the show organizers announced it would be rescheduled to Sept. 8-11.

– June 18 –

Farm Progress Show Is On For 2020

In response to farmer and exhibitor interest, the organizers of the annual Farm Progress Show announced that the event will be held as planned Sept. 1-3, 2020 in Boone, Iowa.

“We know that the market is dealing with a lot of issues,” says Matt Jungmann, events manager, Farm Progress. “But agriculture is a critical business for this country and farmers are seeking ways to be better at what they do. And nowhere is that more possible than the Farm Progress Show.”

With support from officials in Iowa, show management is confident that hosting the Farm Progress Show in 2020 is filling an important service. “Farmers are challenged to find better ways to do everything from planting to spraying to harvest,” says Don Tourte, senior vice president Farm Progress. “That’s not easily done simply by sitting at home attending a virtual event. There’s a need to see this equipment up close and gain a better understanding of how it will work in their operations.”

Tourte added that the Farm Progress events staff is working closely with a range of Iowa state agencies to ensure the show is conducted in a way that enhances safety of all those who participate while providing exhibitors the chance to reach key customers.

“Our events team has reviewed every aspect of this event with an eye toward exhibitor and visitor safety,” says Tourte. “Long-time visitors to the show will see immediate changes the moment they arrive, from one-way streets to more space for physical distancing.”

Organizers said show staff is working diligently to deliver an impactful and engaging event that prioritizes the health and safety of our visitors and exhibitors. New carefully considered plans for safety precautions and procedures will be introduced for this year’s Farm Progress Show. From easily accessible hand sanitizer stations, to enhanced cleaning procedures for buildings and facilities, changes to the event are working to enhance safety for all participants.

Farm Progress parent company Informa, which annually holds more than 600 in-person and virtual content-driven events, has worked with a range of industry and event association partners to create AllSecure, a set of enhanced standards and guidelines to provide the highest level of hygiene and safety at all Informa’s events. Farm Progress Show will be organized in accordance with the AllSecure standard, providing visitors and exhibitors with reassurance and confidence they are participating in a safe and controlled environment.

“It’s hard to quantify the amount of work that has gone into creation of these standards,” says Jungmann. “The key for farmers, exhibitors and all who plan to attend is that your safety is critical at our events. That’s really always been true, but AllSecure adds that needed, extra layer during a pandemic. We’re excited to host farmers in Boone this year.”

– June 17 –

Assistance Available From JCB Finance

JCB Finance has been accredited by the British Business Bank to provide the Government Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) – designed to support the continued provision of finance to UK smaller businesses (SMEs) during the COVID-19 outbreak.

As of today, JCB Finance’s new and existing customers who need to invest in JCB equipment or non-competitive machinery made by other manufacturers but have concerns about the impact of the virus on their cash flow, will be able to apply for a CBILS-backed hire purchase facility. The fixed rate facility will have a six-month payment pause, then 48 monthly instalments with the British Business Bank paying the interest during the first 12 months.

“With over 10,000 SME customers across construction, industry and agriculture, JCB Finance is well placed to help get the funding where it’s needed and help support businesses as they experience lost or deferred revenues because of COVID-19,” said JCB Finance Managing Director Paul Jennings. “JCB Finance has built a strong reputation for supporting businesses through good times and bad over its 50 years of trading, so becoming one of the latest partners of the British Business Bank to deliver the loans is great news.

“When the outbreak began, we were swift to mobilize our resources to facilitate a pre-approved emergency payment pause so that our customers could take advantage of initial relief without delay. This accreditation means we can go further than that and help UK businesses to return to work. It is in everyone’s interests to support businesses in weathering this storm and help them bounce back.”

For details on the CBILS-backed HP available via JCB Finance, including how to apply https://www.jcb-finance.co.uk.

– June 10 –

AGCO Agriculture Foundation Donates $78,300 For COVID-19 Aid

The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF), a private foundation committed to ending hunger through sustainable agricultural development, said it is expanding its COVID-19 Aid Program to support four non-profit organizations in North America.

The COVID-19 Aid Program has committed $500,000 in funding to non-profit organizations since its launch last month. The amount of grant funding in North America is $78,300, and the funds will be used in communities where AGCO’s customers, dealers, suppliers and employees live and work.

“The AGCO Agriculture Foundation is committed to making long-term impacts in our vulnerable communities as the presence of COVID-19 calls for ongoing support,” said Metti Richenhagen, managing director, AGCO Agriculture Foundation. “We are proud to provide local funding to support local resources and initiatives to help people in North America who are impacted by the pandemic and economic uncertainty.”

Each non-profit organization will utilize the donation differently to provide the greatest impacts to their communities. The recipients include:

Feeding America, which has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with a national food- and fund-raising effort to support people facing hunger and the food banks that help them. Feeding America has also partnered with school districts and local government agencies to ensure the 22 million children who rely on school meals have access to food outside the classroom. The AAF will provide Feeding America with $52,200 across six locations.

Flint River Fresh, which launched a Produce Box pilot program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Albany, Ga., residents will receive a hot meal purchased from a locally owned restaurant and a box of fresh, healthy produce, sourced directly from Flint River Fresh community sites in Albany and emphasizing Georgia Grown for supplemental produce. The AAF will provide Flint River Fresh with $8700.

The Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation, which seeks to show farming is essentially a humanitarian enterprise through the Foundation’s Harvest for ALL hunger relief effort. The Food Forward program gets kids excited about the industry and teaching them how their food is raised. The donation will also aid the Ag Literacy initiatives to educate the Kane County community at all levels on food, nutrition, and the latest technology in agriculture. The AAF will provide Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation with $8700.

The Peoria, Ill., Area Food Bank, which provides 80 pantries, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters in Illinois with large quantities of food from name brand manufacturers and USDA commodities on a daily basis. They also operate two mobile food pantries in Mason County and assist eight pantries that provide backpacks to hundreds of children on the weekend. The AAF will provide Peoria Area Food Bank with $8700.

“AGCO’s mission is to support farmers and ranchers across North America in any way we can,” said Bob Crain, Senior Vice President and General Manager of AGCO North America. “We firmly believe that the agriculture industry is essential, and our top priority is maintaining access to food throughout the COVID-19 pandemic fight.”

– June 10 –

Hannover Messe Announces Digital Days Events

Hannover Messe Digital Days start July 14, with keynotes from business, science and politics as well as panel discussions, live chats, networking, and innovation presentations. Everything revolves around the questions of how industrial transformation can succeed and which steps industry must take to recover quickly from the consequences of the shutdown.

The virtual event replaces the in-person Hannover Messe, which had originally been scheduled for July 13-17 in Hannover, Germany.

“With the Digital Days, we are creating an online platform for the entire Hannover Messe community,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, chairman of the managing board, Deutsche Messe AG. ”We had to cancel the show this year due to the Corona pandemic, but people still need to learn about the latest technological products and solutions and to talk with experts from all over the world. Because tomorrow’s innovations are only possible when different industries and cultures exchange ideas.”

The Hannover Messe Digital Days revolve around the content of the show. For example, the conference program focuses on topics such as Industrie 4.0, artificial intelligence, smart energy, and Logistics 4.0. Exhibitor products and solutions form the second layer of content. Networking also plays a prominent role as all participants can search for suitable business and cooperation partners and contact each other directly using the chat function.

One of the biggest highlights is the Hermes Award ceremony. For the first time, the international technology prize will be awarded digitally. A jury chaired by Dr. Reimund Neugebauer, president of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, chose the winner from numerous high-quality submissions. The announcement will be made on July 14.

– June 10 –

Intermat India Announces 2021 Dates

Center. The new dates have received the support of both international and domestic exhibitors, visitors and partners, the show organizers said.
Intermat India presents a range of products covering construction, civil engineering, concrete construction, lifting, handling, drilling, boring, road infrastructure, mining and quarry equipment, vehicles and transportation, components and accessories, demolition and recycling.

– June 9 –

Toro Partners with Plowz & Mowz To Support Healthcare Workers

The Toro Co. and Plowz & Mowz are working together to support healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic by offering free lawn care appointments. With the financial support from Toro, the Plowz & Mowz Hero program allows healthcare workers to access free landscaping services.

Recognizing the professional and personal demands of frontline healthcare workers, the partnership between Toro and Plowz & Mowz was designed to help ease the additional burden of lawn and property maintenance for those who are helping keep communities across the nation safe and healthy.

Plowz & Mowz is an on-demand mobile app company that allows users to request any landscaping and snow removal service from their smartphones and provides them a quote instantly. The app’s proprietary algorithm and instant pricing pairs the homeowner with a highly rated and insured professional landscaping company. According to Plowz & Mowz co-founder Wills Mahoney, Plowz and Mowz is like Uber for lawn mowing and snow plowing, and their mission is to help people with their lawns. Plowz & Mowz is in 55 markets across the country.

– June 5 –

Truck Telematics Give Real-Time Picture Of Pandemic’s Effects

In announcing that all of it manufacturing plants in North America have now reopened, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) said that telematics on trucks in the field painted a real-time picture of how the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting the trucking industry.

In North America, anonymized data collected from 130,000 telematics-enabled Freightliner Cascadias provided data of the effects of stay-at-home orders and depressed economic activity across the continent. As the COVID-19 pandemic advanced, the weekly mileage accumulated by the connected, collective Cascadia fleet began to drop markedly, decreasing approximately 15% by the end of April.

Through May, DTNA has observed a reversal in the trend, with the weekly mileage increasing every week and projected to return to pre-crisis levels by the end of June. In answer, the pace of manufacturing at DTNA continues to advance with over 500 trucks, buses and specialty chassis produced per day in the past few days.

“Our commitment to the customers and drivers on the road for us, our families, and the world remains steadfast,” said Roger Nielsen, president and CEO, DTNA. “Whether at our dealers’ sales and service centers, our parts distribution centers or at our manufacturing operations, DTNA is open for business, and we are here for you.”

For more on the DTNA plant reopenings, click here.

– May 28 –

Head Of Bauma Show Organizer Says Events Can Begin Sept. 1

An interesting post on LinkedIn today from Klaus Dittrich, the chairman and CEO of Messe München, the German-based tradeshow organizer that stages Bauma in Munich, along with a number of other industry events.

“Excellent news for trade shows of #MesseMünchen: the Bavarian Government decided today that trade shows in Bavaria can take place again from September 1st. The basis for this decision was our special concept for infection protection. Because health and safety of our customers, our partners and our employees have first priority.”

While most shows in the first half of the year were disrupted by the COVID-19 panic, there are a number of events around the world that are still on at this time. These include the annual GIE+Expo turf equipment show in Louisville, Ky., in October; Power Gen International in Orlando, Fla., in December; the International Workboat Show in New Orleans, La., in December; and Bauma ConExpo India and Bauma China, both in November.

Maybe 2020 isn’t really over yet.

– May 28 –

Mack, ATA Team Up with American Logistics Aid Network to Deliver Goods

To assist those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Mack Trucks and the American Trucking Associations (ATA) are partnering with the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) to deliver vital supplies, such as food and personal-care items, to nonprofit organizations who distribute these goods locally.

“In good times and bad, the trucking industry moves nearly three-quarters of our nation’s freight, helping ensure crucial supplies are delivered where they are needed,” said Martin Weissburg, president, Mack Trucks. “Working in partnership with ATA and ALAN enables us to more effectively marshal resources and deliver supplies to organizations addressing the needs of local communities across the country.”

Two model year 2019 Mack Anthem models, which Mack provided to the ATA as part of its sponsorship of the Share the Road and Workforce Heroes programs, are now delivering shipments of supplies between nonprofit organizations, including Feed the Children and Joshua’s Heart Foundation, among others. Professional truck drivers from ATA member companies have volunteered their time to make the deliveries.

Since the ATA’s Share the Road and Workforce Heroes live safety and career education efforts have been postponed or cancelled due to shelter-in-place requirements and other safety precautions, Mack and ATA released both Anthem models to make deliveries coordinated through ALAN.

“Given all of the supply chain chaos surrounding COVID-19, it would have been easy for these organizations to press the pause button on their charitable program until the crisis was past,” said Kathy Fulton, ALAN’s executive director. “But we’re so thankful they didn’t, because trucking is always one of our non-profit partners’ biggest needs. And these vehicles are allowing us to support many relief efforts in a really big way.”

ALAN, which was founded in 2005, provides supply-chain assistance to disaster relief organizations and other non-profits by connecting them with transportation resources during a crisis. In addition to connecting non-profits in need with transportation solutions, ALAN helps humanitarian organizations make every logistics dollar count.

“ATA’s relationship with ALAN dates to their creation, following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005,” said Elisabeth Barna, executive vice president, industry affairs, ATA. “At that time, our Share the Road Mack® Pinnacle™ axle back model made its maiden voyage to New Orleans with a truckload of water.”

ALAN was contacted in April by Feed the Children, a leading hunger relief organization fighting to end childhood hunger by distributing food and other essentials for daily living through its network of community partners across the country. As the response to the coronavirus pandemic began impacting traditional distribution efforts, Feed the Children began looking for solutions to ensure its tens of thousands of pounds of food and beverages, personal care items and laundry detergent located in its LaVergne, Tennessee warehouse made its way swiftly to non-profit partners around the country. It was critical to them to make sure the ever-growing needs of those affected by the pandemic could be met.
One of those community partners is the Miami, Florida-based Joshua’s Heart Foundation. Founded in 2005 by a then 4-year-old Joshua Williams, the organization is dedicated to the fight against global hunger and poverty.

“Our mission is to empower needy people to improve their quality of life by providing them necessities like groceries and personal items,” said Williams, Joshua’s Heart Foundation founder and chief changemaker. “Like all organizations, the pandemic has affected our ability to receive and distribute goods, making the shipments from Feed the Children through ALAN critical to our efforts.”

– May 27 –

SAE’s ComVec Now A  Virtual Event

 The SAE announced that its annual ComVec Technology Connection, held in Rosemont, Ill., is changing to a virtual event.

“Due to concerns around the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, along with health directives and guidance from governmental and international health authorities, government- and corporate-imposed travel restrictions, and distancing and gathering directives and recommendations, resulted in SAE International making the difficult decision to cancel the in-person ComVec event,” the organization said in a statement.

The virtual ComVec, which will be held the same dates of Sept. 15-17, addresses vehicles and equipment spanning the on-highway, off-highway, agricultural, construction, industrial, military and mining sectors. According to the organizers, more than 850 technical experts and business leaders typically attend the event.

Exhibiting and sponsoring companies will be automatically included in the virtual event, SAE said.

Questions and inquiries can be directed to SAE Customer Service at [email protected].

– May 22 –

Construction Equipment Sales To Fall 19%: OHR

Global construction equipment sales are expected to fall 19% this year from the 2018-2019 peak of 1.1 million machines to 891,000 units, according to revised forecasts from specialist market research and forecasting company, Off-Highway Research.

The mildest impact is expected in China where Off-Highway Research’s previous forecast of an 8% fall in sales compared to 2019 remains unchanged. The company says the Covid-19 impact on the Chinese market was relatively brief and the bounce-back has been strong since early April. In the other major regions of the world, the expected downturn ranges from 19 to 30% this year.

“One of the striking aspects of our forecast is the variation from country to country,” said Off-Highway Research managing director Chris Sleight. “Nations which reacted quickly and were able to control the spread of Covid-19 are expected to see milder impacts on their equipment markets – China and Germany are two examples. Other countries where the spread was less well contained will see more profound impacts in equipment demand.”

Looking further ahead, Off-Highway Research expects a moderate improvement in sales in 2021, but Sleight said there was uncertainty in this forecast.

“Everyone would agree that we are in uncharted territory,” Sleight said. “Our forecast is somewhat based on the assumption that the second quarter of 2020 will be the worst for the industry and that an improvement will start in the second half of the year in most countries. The on-going recovery depends the safe easing of lockdowns and assumes no second spike in infections. It also depends on robust government policy responses to stimulate activity. Those might be needed for some time.”

For more information, visit www.offhighwayresearch.com.

– May 21 –

Virus Prompts JCB Online Sales

JCB has started to sell machines online during the COVID-19 lockdown for the first time in its history – and a Dorset, England landscaping and groundworks contractor has become the first customer to place an order.

JCB has introduced the new order online option, available to U.K. mainland customers, to support businesses with their plant requirements during the Covid-19 lockdown. Now Poole-based Focal Landscapes has purchased a JCB 8008 micro excavator and a HTD-5 tracked dumper direct from JCB via the website direct.jcb.com, with order to delivery taking less than a week.

“We are determined to support our customers’ machine requirements during the challenging current Covid-19 crisis,” JCB U.K. and Ireland Sales Director Steve Smith. “The new service gives customers the ability to buy some of JCB’s most popular products online, directly from the manufacturer, with no need to meet face-to-face or leave their homes.”

The JCB machines available to purchase online are the 8008 micro excavator; the 16C-1, 18Z-1 and 8026 mini excavators; the HTD5 Dumpster; the 1T-2 site dumper and S1930 and S2632 scissor lifts.

– May 21 –

Yanmar, Deere Help Disinfect Streets In South America

Yanmar South America has teamed up with John Deere and the local government of Indaiatuba, an important center of industry in the state of Sao Paulo, in an effort to disinfect the streets of the city from COVID-19.

The city of Indaiatuba carried out the spraying and disinfection of the city’s streets from April 15 to May 8 with Yanmar contributing a Solis 90 CV tractor to assist in the operation. Working at night, the tractors sprayed a solution of water and sodium hypochlorite, a chlorine-based bleach, prepared and approved by the city’s health department. Yanmar South America employee Odirlei Silva from the agricultural commercial department operated the tractor.

“We have over 60 years of history in Indaiatuba,” said Yanmar South America President Kenji Kitahara. “This city is home to many of our employees and it’s important for the people of the city that we work closely with City Hall in this time of crisis.”

The response of residents was overwhelmingly positive with many taking to social media to express thanks for the disinfection work.

Nilson Gaspar, Mayor of the city of Indaiatuba agreed with residents. “Nothing is more important to us than the health and well-being of our residents,” said Gaspar. ”We’re very pleased that the city has been able to come together with Yanmar and John Deere to carry out this important public service.”

Yanmar said it will consider further action in the future in line with city health guidelines.

– May 20 –

U.S. Construction Output To Drop 6.6% Because Of Pandemic

Construction output is expected to drop by 6.6% in 2020, the equivalent of US$122.4 billion, due to the rapid decline in demand for new projects and safety regulations related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to data and analytics company GlobalData, the latest forecast is down sharply from the previously expected rise of 0.6% (US$12 billion) prior to the outbreak.

“Canada is projected to see the steepest decline in output (7%) owed in part to the collapse in global oil prices, while construction output in the US is projected to decrease by 6.5%,” explains Dariana Tani, economist at GlobalData.

For more on the story, click here.

– May 20 –

It’s Official: Virus Pushes Germany Into Recession

The German government announced today that the coronavirus crisis has pushed the country into recession.

Official figures from the Federal Statistics Office show the German economy contracted by 2.2% in the first three months of 2020. This follows a 0.1% contraction for the final quarter of 2019.

The figures, however, demonstrate that the German economy has been relatively resilient through the crisis, compared with neighboring France (down 5.8%) and Italy (down 4.7%).

For more information, click here.

– May 20 –

Company Manages To Adapt, Says Vermeer President

The world today is a very different one from just a few months ago for all sectors of society and business, with construction no exception. However, despite the drastic changes that have occurred in the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Doug Hundt, president of industrial solutions at Vermeer, says the company has managed to adapt and maximize the positive.

“When we first realized this crisis was real and we needed to move really fast, we developed two goals right away,” he said. “Number one, we wanted to make sure we’re protecting our people as best we can. Number two is to continue to take care of and support our dealers and our customers.

“We’ve really galvanized around those two goals, and all our actions since then have been focused on keeping those two objectives in mind. We are a company that is privately held, and we’ve been in business for over 70 years. We not only have operations throughout the US but also around the world,” he says before adding with a nice touch of understatement that the situation has been, “Quite dynamic.”

To read more, click here.

– May 20 –

World Ag Expo Plans For 2021 Show

You’ve got to hand it to the organizers of the annual World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif. Even though they put together one of the few shows that actually took place this year in February, they are already planning how to stage the 2021 event in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The next World Ag Expo will be at the International Agri-Center on Feb. 9-11, 2021. An estimated annual average of 100,000 individuals from 70 countries attend World Ag Expo each year. The largest annual agricultural show of its kind, World Ag Expo hosts more than 1400 exhibitors displaying agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million sq. ft. of exhibit space.

“COVID-19 has affected business everywhere, but ag is essential, so we’re working on safe ways to serve our World Ag Expo customers in 2021,” said Jerry Sinift, International Agri-Center CEO. “We’re planning for an in-person event, but we also know it will look and feel different. And we will have a more in-depth digital option for those who can’t make it to Tulare.”

As an events center, the International Agri-Center has postponed or cancelled all events scheduled to be held on-site through June 2020. Upcoming events are reviewed on a weekly basis to see if they are possible.

With more than eight months until the 54th show, officials are working with the Tulare County Health Dept. and adjusting contract terms to account for COVID-19. Show officials are using county health orders to plan for social distancing, determine who will be allowed to attend the event and provide for hand and surface sanitizing. Because the situation continues to change day-to-day, operational plans will not be finalized until closer to the show. A COVID-19 contract addendum will be in place before the end of May to provide a COVID-19 safety net for exhibitors.

“Our cancellation policy has been the biggest question from exhibitors,” said Jennifer Fawkes, marketing manager at the International Agri-Center. “We know these are challenging times for any business and we are adding a contract addendum specifically for COVID-19 for 2021.”

The addendum will be sent to contracted exhibitors and renewing and prospective exhibitors will be able to review the COVID-19 policies before the end of May when completing their space request application at https://bit.ly/WAE21Space.

For more information on the World Ag Expo, go to www.worldagexpo.org.

– May 20 –

Cat Power Gen Dealers Living Up To Slogan

One of Caterpillar’s marketing mottoes for its Power Generation business is “Powering You Through.”

It’s especially apt in this era of COVID-19 and the company has established a website that documents how its power generation network is working to help power hospitals and other healthcare facilities around the world keep up and running.

To read more, click here.

– May 15 –

Big Job Cuts Possible At JCB

U.K. equipment manufacturer JCB today announced that up to 950 jobs are at risk of redundancy at its UK plants after demand for its machines fell by half as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

The company has written to U.K. employees today to advise that up to 950 staff roles are under threat at its 10 plants in Staffordshire and Derbyshire, England and Wrexham, Wales and that a 45-day consultation period will begin on Monday. Around 500 Guidant agency employees, who work at JCB’s U.K. sites, are also being released from the business.

The job losses have been announced as a result of the severe disruption caused to JCB’s business by the COVID-19 crisis, which will see annual production halved.

For more information, click here.

– May 14 –

MINExpo 2020 Postponed Until 2021

The National Mining Association (NMA), the MINExpo International 2020 show sponsor, said that the advance of COVID-19 around the world has made holding the show on its planned September 2020 impracticable under the circumstances.

“Therefore,” NMA said in a statement, “in the best interests of all concerned MINExpo International 2020, will not be held September 28-30, 2020 in Las Vegas due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The show, which is typically held every four years, will be postponed until September 2021.”

NMA said its current plan is to hold MINExpo International 2021 in Las Vegas. “We are working with our event partners to identify and secure the necessary exhibition facilities and hotel accommodations in Las Vegas for a successful MINExpo International 2021,” NMA said. “Once the logistical arrangements have been confirmed the new dates will be announced.”

– May 14 –

Capstone Provides Business Update

Capstone Turbine Corp., a global manufacturer of microturbine energy systems, today provided an update to its Business Continuity Plan in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

A critical part of the plan is the Capstone leadership team volunteering to take a 25% temporary salary cut, as well as the fiscal 2020 executive bonus in equity in lieu of cash, if earned. Additionally, 28 other top company managers have volunteered to take a similar 15% reduction in salary. Today, in response to the ongoing crisis, the company has announced that those voluntary employee salary cuts will be extended from June 30 to Sept. 28.

“With over 70,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in California we continue to operate under our emergency Business Continuity Plan that is designed to keep employees safe, while allowing us to continue to support our critical aftermarket Factory Protection Plan (FPP) long-term service contracts and spare parts deliveries to our Essential Critical Infrastructure customers, such as energy, health care, wastewater treatment, pharmaceuticals, food manufacturing, etc., as well as to sustain our key long-term business initiatives,” said Darren Jamison, president and chief executive officer of Capstone.

The company provided the following updates to its Business Continuity Plan:

– Beginning March 30, Capstone furloughed approximately 52 employees, leaving behind only staff deemed essential for day-to-day administrative operations for a minimum period of 45 days. Several employees will now return to work June 1, most with the same 15% voluntary salary cuts, with others scheduled to return in a staggered manner through to the end of September. However, as a result of the continued global economic slowdown due to COVID-19 and the associated decline in global crude oil prices, the company will be eliminating 26 employee positions on June 1.

– During the period of March 30-June 1, Capstone will continue to have a limited production capability of new microturbine products but had recently pre-built approximately 5.9 MW of microturbine finished goods during March for shipment during this period of suspended production. The company reports it shipped 18 microturbines for approximately 1.2 MW during the month of April.

– Capstone continues to maintain a crew of essential operations employees to manufacture service engines, remanufacture spare parts and provide service spares in support of FPPs and global distributor spare parts orders. In March, Capstone pre-built and shipped over $1.2 million of critical service parts to global distributors to ensure continued operations of their microturbine fleets during this time of uncertainty.

– Capstone said its critical vendor supply chain, although it has been impacted by the pandemic, continues to be operational as of today. However, the company is looking to minimize incoming inventory receipts to less than $6 million between April 1 and June 30 in order to minimize cash burn, increase liquidity, and increase inventory turns with a goal of generating positive working capital during the quarter.

– May 13 –

AEM Connecting Reopening Manufacturers with Safety Supplies

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and The Marek Group, a Wisconsin-based marketing execution company, are teaming up to provide a hub for businesses to find COVID-19 supplies, including personal protective equipment (PPE), sanitizing supplies and display graphics to promote and protect safety in the workplace.

“AEM has been at the forefront of promoting workplace safety and connecting companies with the resources needed to keep everyone safe in the construction and agriculture industries for decades,” said Jaime Vos, director of Safety Materials Program at AEM. “For manufacturers and other businesses, the health and safety of their employees and customers in the workplace is paramount. We’re providing access to safety supplies to support them during this critical time.”

AEM members and AEM Safety Materials Program customers are eligible for a 10% percent discount on all COVID-19 supplies at the AEM Store. AEM’s online store can provide everything from signage to floor graphics to face shields and masks to hand sanitizer for orders of any size. All orders will be fulfilled by The Marek Group, located in Wisconsin. People needing to place larger or recurring orders should call (262) 549-8931.
“We have been partners with AEM for 20 of the 50 years we’ve been in business, so we have earned trust in our ability to deliver as promised,” said Fuzzy Marek,

CEO of The Marek Group. “The importance of personal protective equipment speaks for itself. However, display graphics that communicate best practices and company safety policies are also important and effective at protecting the safety of your colleagues and customers. Just as important, many of these supplies are made in the USA.”

– May 13 –

Gates To Donate More Than $535,000 For COVID-19 Response

Gates, a global provider of application-specific fluid power and power transmission solutions, has announced charitable donations of more than $535,000 in support of organizations responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Directed by the company’s global headquarters in Denver, the Gates Industrial Corporation Foundation is working with nearly 100 Gates facilities around the world to identify and help fund local nonprofits that are making a difference. The Foundation is also offering double matching for U.S. employee donations to COVID-19-related organizations in this time of greatest need.

“At Gates, we take our responsibility as a global corporate citizen very seriously,” said Roger Gaston, executive vice president of human resources for Gates. “While we are an employer and an economic engine in nearly a hundred communities around the world, we are also neighbors who want to help out in the places we call home. For that reason, we’re empowering our local facility leaders and all of our employees to help us place resources where they will do the most good.”

Responding quickly to the global outbreak, Gates initiated the charitable initiative with a substantial donation to the Hubei Charity Federation to support the medical needs in the area where the virus is believed to have originated. The aid campaign now spans other parts of South and North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa; Greater China; and East Asia and India, including 17 locations across the United States. Among the recipient organizations are chapters of large NGOs, such as the United Way and the American Red Cross, as well as local hospitals, food banks and other humanitarian organizations.

Donations, totaling more than $535,000, are being provided on an unrestricted basis to allow recipient charities maximum flexibility to address the most urgent needs in their area. Among those are Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for frontline medical professionals and health care services and food and housing for the most vulnerable populations impacted by the pandemic.
In addition to its worldwide charitable donation initiative, Gates continues to actively monitor, manage and adapt to the evolving pandemic. Thanks to prompt

implementation of COVID-19 safety protocols at all of its approximately 100 plants, offices, labs and distribution centers around the world, Gates has been able to continue serving its customers and maintain employment levels while protecting the health and safety team members, their families and communities.

– May 13 –

Cummins, AEM’s Slater Highlighted In Nightline Segment On Manufacturing

ABC’s venerable Nightline news program did a segment on how manufacturing in the U.S. is dealing with Coronavirus pandemic and how some are reopening. The broadcast highlighted Cummins’ efforts at its Indiana plants and included insights from AEM President Dennis Slater.

Click here to view the Nightline segment.

– May 13 –

Busworld India Rescheduled

Busworld and Messe Frankfurt India said they have postponed Busworld India by approximately two months. Originally scheduled to be held in August 2020 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bengaluru, the trade fair will now take place from October 6-8 at the same venue.

In a statement, the show organizers said, “Taking into account the caution advisories in the current situation and aiding ease of business for the Bus & Coach sector, the 2020 edition of Busworld India has been pushed ahead until October to ensure that the industry can brace itself for an effective business comeback.

“The world over, the corporate sector is working around undefined parameters, which can make it challenging for exhibitors and visitors to travel and attend business normally in the months following the lockdown. After close consultations with exhibitors and industry associations who were strongly in favor of the postponement, the organizers felt that this is the best and responsible course of action for the industry, which will also give exhibitors time to plan their participation more effectively.

“As organizers, we want to ensure that the event optimally serves its objectives, when the industry can unreservedly come together for knowledge and tech exchange. We have been in constant dialogue with industry players who are strongly in favor of this decision. The environment has to be conducive for business – and more importantly for the health of our exhibitors, visitors, employees and all stakeholders.”

“Busworld India will continue to be a unifying event for the Indian bus & coach industry to encourage innovations and exchange of technology that will build strategic co-operation and collaborations within the sector. Between now and its opening in October, the organizers aim to continue to keep the industry connected through its webinar series to put the on-ground situation into perspective and support the sector in the recovery phase.”

– May 12 –

 JCB Re-Starts Some Production

JCB today announced a partial re-starting of production at five of its UK factories as a package of safety measures is rolled out to protect employees in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

The Loadall division at the World HQ, Rocester, Staffordshire, JCB Earthmovers and JCB Landpower in Cheadle, Staffordshire have resumed production along with JCB Transmissions in Wrexham, Wales and JCB Cab Systems at Uttoxeter. The move means a return to work for more than 400 employees.

British production lines fell silent on March 18 and the vast majority of JCB’s 6,500 UK employees have been furloughed since April. Now, JCB has confirmed that low levels of production are resuming – with a package of safety measures introduced to fully protect employees.

These include employees self-assessing for COVID-19 symptoms before leaving home, temperature checks overseen by medical staff for every employee arriving for work and the issuing of surgical masks to office and shop floor employees and working from home for employees where possible.

JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: “Production has resumed at a very low level, mainly to satisfy demand for agricultural machinery. Ahead of this re-start, an exhaustive review was undertaken to enable us to introduce wide-ranging measures that will best protect our employees.

“The actions we have taken ensure that safe distancing between employees on-site can be achieved at all times. In circumstances where risks are greater, additional protective visors are being provided. The health and safety of our employees is absolutely paramount as we all adjust to this new normal and the measures we have put in place will ensure we all stay healthy and avoid risks.”

– May 11 –

AEM Webinars On Pandemic’s Economic Impact On Ag, Construction

In an effort to support its members as they continue to navigate COVID-19, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) will hold a pair of free webinars. Specific dates, times and details related to topics and presenters are as follows:

Tuesday, May 12 at 1 p.m. CT

COVID-19 and the Economic Impact to Agriculture, presented by Dr. Robert Johansson, chief economist, U.S. Dept of Agriculture; John Newton, chief economist, American Farm Bureau Federation and Todd Van Hoose, president/CEO, Farm Credit Council. Economists from the USDA, American Farm Bureau and the Farm Credit Council will discuss COVID-19’s impact on the agricultural economy. Webinar participants will learn how farmers and ranchers are dealing with the global health crisis, receiving valuable insight on how it may affect demand for agricultural equipment. For more information click here.

Thursday, May 14 at 1 p.m. CT

What the COVID Crisis Means for Contractors, presented by Kenneth D. Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America. The pandemic has implications for every industry. What does in mean in the short-term and long-term for construction demand? Join AEM and Ken Simonson as he presents the results of AGC’s latest survey, which probes the impact of the pandemic on contractors, their employees, and their suppliers. For more information click here.

For more COVID-19 information and resources, as well as links to on-demand versions of previously held webinars, visit the AEM’s COVID-19 information center or subscribe to the AEM Industry Advisor.

– May 8 –

Bonfiglioli Restarts Production In Italy

Bonfiglioli Group CEO Fausto Carboni announced on LinkedIn that the company has resumed full activity at its Italian facilities.

“Finally in Italy we have again 100% capacity and both production and sales activities in all our Italian sites are fully resumed from 4th May,” Carboni said. “The other big and positive news is that our Indian Branch opened the production site in Chennai and its assembly site based in Pune and will be able soon to be on stream again.

“Now the whole Bonfiglioli group is back to work, in China in particular we already reached excellent achievement, in fact in April we hit the best sales results ever! With great pleasure, I send my congratulations to all colleagues in China for their resilience and strength.
“Of course, we have to be very careful as the virus has not yet been eradicated; only the compliance with all fundamental safety protocols can allow us to look positively to the future, avoiding a return to terrible times.

“Now it’s time to stay together and connected, our supply chain, our customers, our branches and our parent companies, we need to stay on the same page and capture the opportunities of this situations and look to a great future. Stronger Together!

Carboni also spoke via video, which can be seen here.

– May 8 –

FPT Industrial Sees Positive Signs In China

Like every other company, FPT Industrial, the global powertrain brand of CNH Industrial, has worked hard to mitigate the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic while abiding by the health and safety regulations set forth in the different international markets in which it operates.

In this challenging time, the company said it is seeing positive signs of recovery in China, the first nation to encounter the pandemic. With a gradual return to work and a ramping up of industrial activities, some companies are seeing encouraging business results, with one example being FPT Industrial’s joint venture in Chongqing, China, SFH.

Founded in 2007 by FPT Industrial in partnership with SAIC Motor and Chongqing Machine Equipment, SFH is one of the largest engine manufacturers in China. With some 700 employees, the joint venture manufactures the Cursor engine ranges for heavy-duty commercial vehicles and construction equipment for on- and off-road use – as well as power generation and marine applications.

The plant exports part of its production to markets around the world and produces engines meeting Stage 5 and Euro 6 emissions regulations for the European and North American markets.

Following several weeks of shutdown due to the virus outbreak in late January, the plant resumed production in early February with extensive measures in place to ensure the health and safety of all employees. Following a carefully designed plan, it restarted at reduced capacity, gradually returning to full operation.

Thanks to increased demand in China’s heavy truck market, SFH recorded a new, all-time high monthly production record for Cursor engines in April. It marked a 6% increase compared to the previous record achieved in 2018 when the heavy truck industry in China was at an unprecedented volume peak.

As a major engine supplier for commercial vehicle manufacturers, SFH operates four cylinder and head production lines and two assembly lines. Among them, the cylinder and head production lines are equipped with 40 large-scale production machines. The plant is operating 24 hours with extra shifts so as to guarantee supply for its customers, including SIH, parent company CNH Industrial’s joint venture for heavy trucks in Chongqing, to meet the surging demand of the market.

– May 7 –

Feds Ask Acela Truck To Build FEMA Portable Morgue Trailer Units

Acela Truck Co., a Montana manufacturer of high-mobility fire and rescue trucks, has been tasked by federal agencies to manufacture as many as 200 mass fatality portable morgue trailers over the next several months as part of continuing efforts to respond to the growing number of fatalities as a result of the Coronavirus.

The Disaster Portable Morgue Units (DPMUs) are mobile, self-contained refrigerated trailers and shipping containers used to expand morgue and hospital mortuary capabilities. The DPMUs are specifically designed by Acela to address the multiple challenges of the existing, makeshift refrigerated semi-trailers that the federal agencies have been using. Each unit is outfitted with low-entry floors and ramp systems, seamless interior surfaces and customized, expandable racking systems that accommodate industry standard equipment, shore and generator power systems. They have a life expectancy of more than 20 years.

To accommodate the demand for the DPMUs, Acela has halted its truck production lines and retooled its manufacturing capabilities for the next 60-90 days to produce and deliver units for federal agencies across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“At the request of our federal partners for expanded mortuary solutions, we re-tooled and stood up the new production line in less than three days,” explained David Ronsen, president of Acela. “We feel a strong sense of duty to do what we can to help ease the extraordinary stresses on our partner agencies, the caregivers and the families impacted by COVID-19. We also feel fortunate to have the experience, engineering and production capabilities to rapidly manufacture these units and are very proud to help bring some relief.”

Following guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Acela said it has implemented an aggressive cleaning and disinfecting program within its facilities to reduce health risks and keep its employees safe. The Montana-based manufacturer has also expanded its production to seven, 10-hour days per week and is hiring as many as 20 new skilled production staff. In addition, Acela is working with more than 30 outside vendors on the project, many of whom are air freighting in parts and supplies to meet demands.

– May 7 –

Virus Contributes To Q1 Slump At Deutz

Deutz has reported a slump in first quarter new orders, unit sales and revenue due to a fall in demand exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

“The detrimental effects of the coronavirus crisis have become very tangible and are creating a further drag on our business in an already challenging market environment. After shutting down large parts of our production facilities in Europe in April, we are now progressively starting them up again. But the level of output is driven by the strength of demand from our customers, which has been declining in the current economic conditions,” said Dr. Frank Hiller, chairman of the Deutz board of management at the German engine maker.

In the first quarter of 2020, Deutz took new orders totalling €356.7 million. The decrease of 30.7% compared with the first three months of 2019 was due not only to the high level of new orders in the prior-year period as a result of customers building up their inventories of engines before new emissions standards came into force, but also – crucially – to a much sharper fall in demand caused by the coronavirus crisis, the company said.

For more details, click here.

– May 7 –

Volvo Trucks Helps Provide Meals to Feed Truck Drivers

Truck driver and social media personality Brittney Richardson — with help from CDLLife, one of the nation’s largest online professional driver communities, and Volvo Trucks North America — has embarked on a seven-state road trip to provide free meals to fellow drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With some restaurants and rest areas shuttered, and grocery stores increasingly restrictive during the pandemic, many professional drivers are struggling to find a fresh meal even as they haul food and other essential cargo during the pandemic. The “Fueling Our Heroes” campaign, which kicked off this week in Kansas City, Mo., is dedicated to distributing 2500 meals to drivers in 15 locations across Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

The mission is spearheaded by Sadie Church, CDLLife’s vice president of marketing, and professional driver and social media personality Brittney Richardson. Richardson, who typically transports goods for a national big-box retail chain, is known for her pink 2019 Volvo VNL 860 and works closely with Church to promote diversity and healthy lifestyles within the trucking community.

“No driver should ever have to go hungry because he or she can’t find food, and there are also those who don’t have a microwave or room to cook in their trucks,” said Richardson, who came out of quarantine for the Fueling Our Heroes initiative. “This is our way to help those who are currently on the frontlines of the pandemic, while also shining a light on the difficulties they are facing on the road, such as not having easy access to fresh and convenient meals.”

Church and Richardson left Kansas City this week to deliver fresh and ready-to-eat meals at truck stops, including select options for dietary needs such as vegan and vegetarian.

“Truck drivers are playing a key role in sustaining our quality of life during COVID-19,” said Magnus Koeck, vice president of marketing and brand management, Volvo Trucks North America. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support CDLLife and Brittney Richardson as they recognize and assist the drivers on the road who are moving the economy forward every day.”

Those looking for a way to honor the efforts of our nation’s drivers can donate to the “Fueling Our Heroes” campaign. The program is seeking to raise $250,000 to provide essential, nutritious meals for drivers. Church and Richardson will continue their efforts after the initial trip, planning more visits to more truck stops, keeping the initiative going.

Fans and followers interested in keeping up with Church and Richardson on their adventure can do so on the CDLLife app, the CDLLife Facebook page, the CDLLife YouTube channel, the Brittney in Pink Facebook page and the American Truckers YouTube channel.

– May 6 –

COVID-19 To Wipe 4% Off Global CE Production

Specialist consultant Off-Highway Research has estimated the impact of factory closures and national lockdowns on global equipment production this year. As disruptive as these problems are, falling demand from customers is likely to be a bigger issue.

Factory closures and national lockdowns around the world will cost the global construction equipment industry lost production of 43,000 machines this year, according to specialist market research and forecasting company Off-Highway Research. This is equivalent to 4% of last year’s total output of 1.07 million machines.

At present the most significant impacts of closures are being felt in France, Germany, Italy and the U.K., Europe’s largest equipment producing countries. However, Off-Highway Research also highlights the experience of China, where the industry is now trying to make up for lost time.

“Factory closures and lockdowns in China cost the industry 6% of its production,” said Chris Sleight, Off-Highway Research managing director. “Some OEMs didn’t close at all, but most were shuttered for 2-6 weeks and then had to ramp up production once they re-opened. Activity is now very high as the industry is anticipating some government stimulus and something of a buying spree.”

Prior to the pandemic, Off-Highway Research was forecasting a softening of global demand for equipment. “The industry reached a peak in 2018 and 2019, and we were already expecting a decline of 5% or so this year from those record highs,” Sleight said. “COVID-19 will most likely exacerbate that, but we also expect a strong policy response from governments around the world to reinvigorate their economies. It is too early to put a figure on what the impacts will be.

“As disruptive as the closures and lockdowns are at the moment, I don’t think lost production and supply chain difficulties will be the industry’s main problem this year. The biggest challenge will be adapting to demand in the second half of the year. That will be volatile and most likely lower than the industry has enjoyed in the last two years.”

The results of Off-Highway Research’s survey of lost equipment production in 26 countries around the world is available to clients now via conference calls. Contact [email protected] if you would like to arrange a call. Results will also be published in a special complementary report in May which will be available to all clients.

– May 6 –

IAA Commercial Vehicle Show Canceled

The IAA Commercial Vehicles show, one of the world’s largest trucking and transportation shows announced that it is canceled for 2020. The event was to have been held in Hannover, Germany, Sept. 24-30.

In a statement, show organizer VDA said, “As a global meeting place for experts and decision-makers from the entire transport and logistics sector, its strength is its international range of both exhibitors and visitors. Direct personal contacts are at the heart of the show.

“The health risks of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to contain it have fundamentally changed the backdrop for the IAA Commercial Vehicles. The COVID-19 pandemic has indeed shown the general public very clearly just how essential commercial vehicles are for maintaining public food supplies, but it is having an unprecedented impact on business in the sector and also the IAA.

“Many countries have travel restrictions that will remain in force for several months to come. Large events have been prohibited over the coming months in nearly all European countries. Given the situation with the Corona pandemic, face-to-face meetings can no longer be held at a trade fair and particularly at the IAA.

Against this background, the VDA has decided to cancel the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2020 that was to be held in Hannover from September 24 to 30. It was a difficult decision to make. Yet in view of the overall situation in Europe and around the world, we do not see any possibility of holding the IAA this year in its familiar form as a platform for exhibitors and visitors.”

The next IAA Commercial Vehicles will take place in September 2022.

– May 6 –

GIE+Expo Planning “Different Show”

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) sent out an email in which it verified that it was still planning to hold its annual event in Louisville, Ken., Oct. 21-23.

“If there ever was a year where the industry needed GIE+Expo, this is the year,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of OPEI, the show organizer along with the National Association of Landscape Professionals and the Professional Grounds Maintenance Society. He added that “despite all the uncertainty in the world, we know this for sure: GIE+Expo is going to be run safely and responsibly, and will follow all necessary guidelines and protocols to ensure the health of attendees and exhibitors.”

Kiser said GIE+EXPO sales remain strong. “We fully expect our nation will soon turn a critical corner in dealing with this pandemic and be back in business, he said. “In the meantime, we remain active and working with our partners to help the industry address the challenges facing it now and in the future – including moving forward with plans for our trade show.”

GIE+Expo has more than 1000 exhibitors, along with a 20-acre demonstration area. Kiser said the 2020 show has 40 new exhibitors have signed on and there is a “robust” schedule of education programming, including an expanded slate of technology sessions and business-focused programming, as well as education for hardscaping, snow and ice management, irrigation, etc.

“Be prepared for a different show this year in Louisville,” Kiser added. “We’re working with our management team and partners on changes to the show’s structure and layout, as well as ensuring the education programming focuses on how the industry is coming back online and finding opportunity in this challenge. We have a million square feet to spread out.”

For more information on GIE+Expo, click here.

─ May 6 ─Deere Pausing Production At Iowa Sites

Deere & Co. is pausing production at its Davenport and Dubuque, Ia., facilities May 11, and implementing further layoffs in Dubuque, according to a report in the Quad City Times.

Deere will put 159 workers at John Deere Dubuque Works on indefinite layoff effective June 1. That follows the layoff of 105 employees in Dubuque earlier this year.

Production at John Deere Davenport Works and Dubuque Works will be paused on May 11 with an expectation to resume on May 26, the newspaper said. Both facilities manufacture construction and forestry products, which Deere had projected a 10 to 15% reduction in net sales worldwide for that segment in February.

“The temporary suspension is due to supply chain disruptions and weakened demand of construction and forestry equipment amidst the COVID-19 global health crisis,” Deere said in a statement.

“Temporary production shutdowns such as this occur regularly on an annual basis at our facilities. This is a common measure to adjust for supply and demand adjustments.”

─ May 6 ─

 JCB Volunteers Deliver PPE To Health Care Workers

Hospital and National Health Service staff in Staffordshire and Derbyshire, England, have taken delivery of vital personal protective equipment made and delivered by a team of JCB volunteers.

JCB reopened its Innovation Centre at its Rocester headquarters so volunteers could make medical grade visors for NHS staff on the company’s 3D rapid prototype machines. Company employees volunteered to make deliveries of the visors to local hospitals and NHS staff.

Deliveries were made to The Royal Stoke University Hospital, the Haywood Hospital in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, and to a team of 16 district nurses in Leek, Staffordshire, England. The nearby Derby Royal Hospital has also received a quantity after contacting JCB.

Now JCB is awaiting the delivery of more medical-grade acetate this week so hundreds more of the visors can be completed and delivered to the local community.

– May 6 –

Fuel Cells For COVID-19 Field Hospitals

Throughout the U.S., the health care industry, as well as cities, counties, states, and other units of government, have been preparing for the worst as far as handling COVID-19 cases. With some expectations of a surge in patients overwhelming existing health care facilities, at some undetermined time in the future, many areas have made contingency plans to handle patient overflow including the installation of temporary facilities.

These temporary facilities need power, power that can function with on-site medical equipment, just like permanent operations. In an interesting twist on all this, Bloom Energy, San Jose, Calif., said it has installed two “rapid-deployment” fuel cell power generation projects that will support patients in these two secondary locations.

In a second COVID-19 related installation in Vallejo, Calif., Bloom has installed a 400 kW system in the parking lot of a national hospital system. The company’s Energy Servers fuel cell system will power a field hospital in the main hospital’s parking lot to accommodate patient overflow, if needed.

The first project – in the Vallejo, Calif., — is in the parking lot of a national hospital system. Bloom said it deployed a microgrid using the company’s Energy Servers fuel cell system capable of powering a field hospital in the main hospital’s parking lot to accommodate patient overflow, if needed.

Bloom already has 1200 kW of Energy Servers modules providing prime power for the main hospital. It added a 400 kW system and installed the microgrid in only three days – five days ahead of schedule. Bloom said the microgrid is virtually vibration free and quiet, eliminating potential shaking related damage to sensitive medical equipment and disruption to the local community. Bloom said the installation is also compact, occupying only three parking spaces at the site.

“Our modular energy servers were designed with ‘quick time to power’ as an important value proposition,” said Bloom Energy founder, chairman, and CEO, KR Sridhar. “We advanced our rapid deploy microgrid offering greatly after the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events last year to help customers affected by the wildfire related power outages in California. In the future, we will be able to use this solution for other rapid deploy scenarios for emergency management.”

For more on the Bloom Energy projects, click here.

— May 5 —

 Eima Ag Show Doubles Down On Event

FederUnacoma, the organizers of Eima International, the European trade show for agricultural equipment, said it has responded to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and has moved its 44th edition from mid-November of this year to early February 2021. However, the November event is not canceled, the organizers say, but will be instead turned into “a digital mega-event, an absolute innovation in the history of the industry’s showcases.”

The Bologna, Italy, event, which had nearly 2000 exhibitors and 320,000 visitors in its last edition, was originally scheduled for Nov. 11-15. The new show dates are Feb. 3-7, 2021, still at the Bologna exhibition complex.

On the same days as the original event, Eima International said it will create the “Eima Digital Preview,” what organizers called “the world’s first agricultural machinery event entirely hosted using a digital platform and technologies.”

“The decision to postpone the great traditional Eima until the beginning of next year stems from a careful logistical and economic assessment, since it is extremely likely that exhibitions may still be affected in autumn by specific government ordinances, and the transport and services system may still be slowed down due to the precautionary measures that will still be in place both in Italy and abroad,” said Alessandro Malavolti, president of FederUnacoma, the federation of Italian manufacturers that is the direct organizer of the event. “After all, the agricultural and applied mechanics supply chain urgently needs to resume business because there is great interest in technological innovations and great need, especially after the acute phase of the virus emergency, to restore energy and competitiveness to the primary economy.

“That’s why we planned the November preview which will bridge the gap to the February 2021 edition, an event that represents an exception in the history of EIMA International, which will return to its traditional placement from November 2022.”

The exhibitors in the 44th Eima, which have already filled the Bologna exhibition complex, will be carried over to February, explained Simona Rapastella, general manager of FederUnacoma, who said the digital platform for the November virtual event are already being worked on.

“We are working in synergy with institutions, professional organizations and publishing houses to create a program of seminars, conferences and media-based events, to focus attention on the main issues and encourage the meeting between supply and demand regarding technologies for agriculture, green area care and land maintenance,” Rapastella said. “The ‘business-to-business’ meetings with foreign operators will feature prominently on the new platform since they represent a strategic target and a great strength for our exhibition.”

─ May 5 ─

CNH Industrial Underway With “Progressive” Manufacturing Restart

CNH Industrial today announced that a progressive resumption of manufacturing operations is proceeding according to plan and follows all COVID-19 health and safety protocols on a global basis. Central to this process is employee health and safety and agreements with trade unions, to ensure full engagement with the resumption of activities.

More than two thirds of the company’s 67 plants are already operational, to varying degrees. On a regional basis, more than 75% of production sites in Europe and some 60% in North America, in South America and in the rest of the world are already operational. Outside of the Americas and Europe, some 90% of CNH facilities are operating, when joint ventures are included, the company said.

Priority was given to agricultural and powertrain manufacturing, considered essential industries by governments and in response to local market demands. These were followed by commercial and specialty vehicle manufacturing, given the importance of the transportation and civil protection sectors at this time, and thereafter construction equipment production.

CNH said it plans to return to full operation at most sites by the end of the month. Modifications may be necessary if local or regional situations deteriorate or in response to specific critical issues, such as end market conditions and supply chains.

From the beginning of the pandemic, the company said it has continuously maintained support and assistance to its sales networks and global spare parts and components supply. End customers, together with the dealer network, have been fully supported by CNH Industrial Aftermarket Solutions, and today, almost all of its 45 logistics hubs are operational, the majority of which are running at full capacity.

To guarantee future product innovation, CNH Industrial is maintaining its commitment to its most significant Research & Development programs. Today some 24,000 company employees are able to work from home, and around half are operational. Where available, the company in agreement with trade unions, is leveraging employee salary support measures.

─ May 5 ─

Major Marine Show Rescheduled

One of Europe’s most significant marine industry trade shows, SMM, has been rescheduled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was originally planned to commence Sept. 7, but now will take place Feb. 2-5, 2021, in Hamburg, Germany.

SMM is regarded as one of the world’s key events for the maritime equipment and shipbuilding industry and in 2018 it attracted 2250 exhibitors from 67 countries and approximately 50,000 visitors.

For more information, click here.

─ May 5 ─

More Layoffs At Caterpillar

Caterpillar announced a number of employees were laid off on April 30 as part of global steps being taken to reduce costs in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to a report from the Peoria Journal Star, the layoffs included full-time support, management and production positions, as well as reductions in the flexible workforce.

Company spokeswoman Kate Kenny was quoted as saying the move was part of a plan “to reduce costs due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and to improve our competitiveness during this period of economic uncertainty.”

Kenny told news outlets the cuts affect both employees and contract workers. Because the layoffs are being made at Caterpillar facilities across the world, the company is not identifying specific numbers of people let go at individual work sites.

In announcing decreased first-quarter earnings on April 28, the company warned that its financial results “for the remainder of 2020 will be impacted by continued global economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” The second quarter would be “more significantly impacted” by the crisis than the first quarter, the company said.

Weeks ago, in response to the pandemic, Caterpillar temporarily idled its Mapleton foundry and imposed “indefinite” layoffs on some employees in East Peoria’s Building KK. It also froze pay hikes for salaried employees and top executives and eliminated incentive payouts for 2020.

─ May 4 ─

Deutz To Suspend Dividend

Deutz said that it has decided to suspend its dividend payment, due to the impact of the virus.

“Suspending the dividend should strengthen the company’s financial stability and maintain the group’s liquidity,” the company said in a statement. “Deutz had announced in its ad hoc disclosure dated April 2, 2020 that it would be reviewing the appropriateness of its original dividend proposal of €0.15 per dividend-bearing share.

“Furthermore, the company has decided to hold its Annual General Meeting on June 25, 2020 and – due to the restrictions in place and in order to protect shareholders and employees – to run it as a virtual event. This means that neither shareholders nor their authorized representatives will be physically present. Details of the procedures at the virtual AGM will be provided in the notice of the AGM, which has not yet been published.

“Our proposal to suspend the dividend payment for 2019 is aimed at maintaining the Group’s liquidity so that our growth projects can progress as planned and we can further strengthen our financial stability during the coronavirus crisis.”

The company said the health and safety of employees remains the highest priority. It said it will continue to be “a strong and reliable partner” for its customers and dealers. Service warehouses are open and are operating under appropriate security measures; the key business of field repairs, maintenance, and spare parts deliveries will be maintained, it added. The Deutz board of management has also decided to waive its “variable remuneration” for 2020. Furthermore, all senior managers will waive a large proportion of their variable remuneration in 2020. The necessary capital expenditure to ensure the company’s long-term success will go ahead.

“We want to guide Deutz safely through this crisis so that we can emerge stronger from the current situation once full production resumes,” said Dr. Frank Hiller, chairman of the Deutz board of management.

─ May 1 ─

Husco-Led Consortium Develops Reusable Mask For Healthcare Professionals

Husco, a privately-held company specializing in high performance hydraulic and electro-mechanical components, announced that a consortium called MaskForce has designed, developed, and produced a reusable face mask.

This face mask is temporarily authorized by the FDA under an emergency use authorization for use by healthcare professionals to help prevent the spread of infection or illness during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The initial production run of 30,000 face masks is underway at Husco’s headquarters in Waukesha, Wis., with the first shipment to Milwaukee-area first responders sent on April 29. The consortium, which includes Briggs & Stratton, is working on plans to ramp up production to more than 10,000 masks per day to help meet national demand.

“Creating innovative products that make work easier and improve lives is the mission we live by at Briggs & Stratton; so naturally, when presented with the opportunity to use our expertise in a way that can protect the lives of front line workers, our employees met the challenge head-on,” said Todd Teske, chairman, president and CEO of Briggs & Stratton Corp. “We are honored to be a part of the MaskForce consortium and my thanks goes out to Husco for leading the effort as well as to each and every organization that played a role in bringing this to life.”

Unlike most face masks which are designed to be discarded after a single use, the MaskForce product can be sanitized and re-used. Made of medical grade silicone and polypropylene, the final design is soft, comfortable, and provides a low-pressure facial seal. The MaskForce team tested hundreds of suitable materials and collaborated with multiple university labs, medical professionals and first responders before finalizing the production design.

“Among our core values is practical innovation, which drives us to consistently and creatively push the boundary of what is possible to create immediate value,” said Austin Ramirez, chief executive officer of Husco, which is leading the MaskForce consortium. “MaskForce is both an example of American manufacturing ingenuity and the good that can be accomplished when multiple stakeholders collaborate to serve the community.”

The MaskForce consortium began when more than 50 professionals representing local manufacturers, first responders, educational institutions and healthcare organizations gathered together with the shared goal of developing a reusable face mask to help address the nationwide health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Through the guidance and input of these organizations, the goal was achieved in just four weeks.

“Among our core collaborators, no one blinked an eye when it came to using our collective expertise during this time of need,” said Austin Schmitt, vice president at Husco. “From the start, we endeavored to create something better, with the necessary comfort, fit, and functionality needed, supported by a high-volume production process to get the masks into the hands of first responders as quickly as possible. MaskForce accomplished in four weeks what would typically take months or even years.”

The mask is priced close to cost, with any profits in 2020 reinvested back into the community. In addition to accelerating production of the current model, a smaller form-factor mask is under development. The MaskForce face mask is temporarily authorized pursuant to an FDA emergency use authorization and is actively pursuing NIOSH N95 certification.

─ April 30 ─

Cummins To Reopen Some Indiana Plants

Cummins will reopen several of its facilities in southern Indiana on May 4. The company originally shut down the Columbus, Ind., engine and fuel systems manufacturing plant, the Seymour large engine manufacturing facility. The Cummins Midrange Engine Plant (CMEP) in Walesboro, Ind., was shut down at the same time, but Cummins attributed that closure to the fact that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) had shut down its Ram pickup truck assembly facility.

At the time the plants were idled, Cummins said it expected the shutdown to last approximately two weeks. The Columbus and Seymour plants will reopen Monday, but the reopening at CMEP is contingent on when FCA restarts Ram truck production.

A Cummins spokesman said that the company had put a number of measures in place to ensure the health and safety of its employees.

─ April 30 ─

BKT Reopens Indian Tire Factories

Balkrishna Industries Limited (BKT) announced that production of off-highway tires has partially restarted in all its Indian factories, following dialogue with and approval by the local governments of the states where the plants are located. The company said it has also restarted supply and delivery to OEM and aftermarket channels.

The company said it has taken a number of steps to minimize risk to its workforce, including distancing between workers and workspaces, reorganization of shifts, installation of temperature sensors and the establishment of medical checks for all workers at the start of their shift with a doctor always present at every facility.

The headquarters in Mumbai has been closed, but customer services and sales support have always been operational using smart working techniques, the company said. The same methods have also been adopted for BKT Europe and its services covering logistics, technical assistance, marketing, customer service and sales support. The facility in Seregno (Northern Italy) has not suffered any slowdown and is constant contact with European OEM customers, handling each situation with the promptest service possible.

─ April 30 ─

New COVID-19 Impact Report From Off-Highway Research

Off-Highway Research has produced an extra, complementary report for its clients that provides information on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global construction equipment segment. It contains key information from the company’s Chinese, European and Indian Market Reports, along with further material discussing the implications of the virus and associated containment measures on the industry.

The report looks at the impact on construction equipment production from the wave of national lockdowns and temporary factory closures. It has not so far been possible to revise construction equipment sales forecasts for 2020 and beyond, OHR said, but it will update its forecasts when the impacts of both the lockdowns and subsequent policy responses around the world becomes clearer.

To become a subscriber and qualify for the free report, please contact [email protected].

─ April 30 ─

Canadian Company Launches Body Temperature Camera System

Provix, a Canadian company that specializes in video systems and vision enhancement through thermal imaging, has launched a new thermal camera to measure body and face temperatures.

As one of the main symptoms of COVID-19 or any viral infection is abnormal body temperature. The normal body temperature ranges from 36.5° C to 37° C, and if it exceeds 37.3° C, it is a true pathological fever.

Provix also offers a FireWatch Hot Work camera system that will automatically email notification to predetermined email addresses when a preset temperature threshold is exceeded.

The Provix non-contact temperature detector, is designed to achieve rapid preliminary temperature screening of people passing through the device. Provix said it has improved and upgraded the facial recognition technology and automatic infrared facial temperature measurement. The system will measure accurate forehead temperature, report any abnormal temperature with an alarm. The equipment will automatically save the facial image, temperature record, time passed, name, and ID card information record.

─ April 29 ─

Oshkosh Plans Furloughs, Plant Shutdowns

In reporting its second quarter income, Oshkosh Corp. , the manufacturer of fire trucks, defense vehicles, refuse collection vehicles, concrete mixers and access equipment, said it was taking a series of steps to significantly reduce costs in second half of 2020 in response to the Coronavirus pandemic

“We quickly responded to uncertainties caused by COVID-19 to our customers, our suppliers and our business as well by reducing production levels and implementing a company-wide cost reduction plan that targets $80 million to $100 million in savings for the second half of fiscal 2020,” said Oshkosh Chairman and President Wilson R. Jones. “The plan includes lower salaries, with executives and board members taking larger decreases; furloughs; temporary plant shutdowns; reduced travel expenses and project and other discretionary spending reductions.

“We believe these are the right actions for our company as we stay nimble and close to our team members, customers and suppliers. Our balance sheet is strong and our liquidity of approximately $1.2 billion at March 31 positions us well to navigate through the global pandemic. I am confident that Oshkosh will emerge stronger as we work to get to the other side of this global crisis.”

Oshkosh reported fiscal second quarter net income of $68.6 million, compared to $128.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2019. Consolidated net sales in the second quarter decreased 9.7% to $1.80 billion compared to the second quarter of 2019 as a result of significantly lower sales in the access equipment segment and lower fire & emergency segment sales, offset in part by higher defense segment sales.

Jones said that the company has “large customer backlogs in both our defense and fire & emergency segments,” but that there was uncertain demand in the access equipment and commercial segments “as well as potential disruptions with supply chain continuity and team member availability in all of our segments.

“Our integrated supply chain is collaborating across the world to pursue alternatives with our supply partners and communicate frequently with our people to mitigate these risks.”

─ April 29 ─

Combilift Designs Multiple Ventilator System

Irish forklift and material handling equipment manufacturer Combilift has drawn on its expertise in engineering and software design to develop the Combi-Ventilate, a splitter device which turns one ventilator into multiple ventilation stations.

Designed to address the requirements of medical professionals in the current Covid-19 emergency, the Combi-Ventilate was developed by a team of mechatronic and software engineers in the past five weeks with a unit currently undergoing laboratory tests with Ger Curley, professor of Anaesthesia & Critical Care at Royal College of Surgeons in Beaumont Hospital near Dublin.

“Certain countries and cities are struggling to get enough ventilators and many governments and health authorities are encouraging manufacturers to come up with a solution, as did the HSE in Ireland,” said Martin McVicar, CEO and co-founder Combilift. “Instead of actually developing ventilators, we analyzed what is really required, as we do in our usual business models.”

The Combi-Ventilate uses standard pipes and fittings for easy assembly and its individual patient filters prevent cross contamination. Each patient has a dedicated screen which allows medical professionals to individually monitor their vital information. Features include non-return valves, HEPA filters, flow sensors and an automatic flow control valve. Any abnormalities that occur are detected and will only trigger that specific patient’s alarm.

The Combi-Ventilate has automatically adjustable flow control valves which allow the health service professional control the tidal volume to each patient electronically without having to make manual adjustments.

“We have made Combi-Ventilate under the same ethos and with the same objective as we do with all our the Combilift products – which is all about doing more with less,” said McVicar. “We have undertaken this non-profit endeavor in order to meet and facilitate the demands of the global crisis for health services around the world, namely the lack or shortage of ventilators. The medical device sector is not our core business but making critical equipment which keeps people safe and alive has always been our focus and this latest project, driven by our desire to help during these difficult times, mirrors what our research and development has done for the last 20 years.”

─ April 29 ─  

Westport To Resume Production At Italian Operations

Westport Fuel Systems Inc. today announced that production and manufacturing will fully resume at its facilities in Cherasco, Brescia, and Albinea, Italy, on May 4. The company said its Italian operations have significantly expanded measures to protect its workforce in accordance with government protocols for health and safety including social distancing requirements, personal protective equipment, cleaning protocols, and other measures to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

“The safe and organized restart of our Italian operations is an important signal for our employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, and the local economy,” said David M. Johnson, chief executive officer of Westport Fuel Systems. “Our team in Italy is working to implement a detailed, tactical plan to restart and resume full operations. I am proud of how our employees have responded to this unprecedented challenge with resilience, determination, and care for each other.”

─ April 29 ─

CECE Survey Paints “Worrying Picture” In Europe

 A new flash survey by CECE, the trade organization for the construction industry in Europe, paints “a very worrying picture” for the European construction equipment industry as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The survey ran between April 22-27 and gathered input from a representative group of industry leaders assessing the impact and delivering their perception on the business perspective.

With over 60% of respondents pointing to significant reduction and 15% reporting factory closures, it is evident that the impact on production is already severe, CECE said. Not a single company reports being unaffected.

According to the survey, 65% of respondents are worried by prolonged construction inactivity and failing demand even after the health emergency ends. CECE also tried to measure the activity levels of relevant groups and it found that all groups are only partially operational, ranging from 74% for rental companies to 93% for contractors. CECE said it noted that 15% of the respondents report rental companies to be fully unavailable and non-operational.

The CECE flash survey also tried to gauge the impact of this crisis on OEMs’ sales expectations. Approximately 60% estimate sales will drop between 10% and 30% and 25% of the respondents foresee an even more severe drop of over 30%.

A surprising 31% of factories in the survey are reported working at over 70% employment activity, close to half of the respondents are working at 50% or less, including 5% of the companies with no active workers. Two thirds of the inactive workforce is supported by temporary layoff support measures.

In all categories of the CECE flash survey on COVID-19, there is an evident deterioration of the situation compared to last months and the current focus on market demands is a powerful warning sign that the worst is yet to come for the industry.

─ April 29 ─

Sensor+Test Postponed Until 2021

Sensor+Test 2020, which was to be held June 23-25 in Nuremberg, Germany, is the latest event to fall victim to the Coronavirus. The show organizers said that the virus has resulted in the prohibition of public events in Bavaria until Aug. 31. The two conferences that were to be held parallel to Sensor+Test, the SMSI 2020 – Sensor and Measurement Science International and ettc2020 European Test and Telemetry Conference, have also been canceled for this year.

“Our team has fought tooth and nail to carry out the Sensor+Test 2020,” said Holger Bödeker, the show organizer. “Nevertheless, the event can unfortunately not take place.”

The next Sensor+Test will be held May 4-6, 2021. The trade fair will take place jointly with the SMSI 2021 – Sensor and Measurement International Conference and the PCIM Europe, as well as the SMTconnect.

─ April 29 ─

Donaldson Provides COVID-19 Update

Donaldson Co. today provided a business update in response to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our top priorities include the health and safety of our employees, fulfilling customer commitments and doing our part to help stop the spread of COVID-19, and I am extremely proud of how our company has responded,” said Tod Carpenter, chairman, president and chief executive officer. “I want to thank our employees for doing an excellent job coordinating and collaborating in this challenging environment, and I want to especially acknowledge our front-line workers for showing incredible dedication to our customers.

“Donaldson has 105 years of experience managing complex and dynamic situations, and our robust capabilities are complemented by the strength of our diverse portfolio of filtration businesses. We support critical markets, including manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, defense and food and beverage, and we have a solid base of replacement part sales that make up more than 60% of our total sales. Additionally, our stable financial position allows us to continue pursuing long-term opportunities, like winning first-fit programs and expanding further into strategically important markets and geographies. Through our dedicated employees, deep customer relationships and strong value proposition as a technology-led filtration company, I am confident that we will successfully navigate this fluid environment.”

Donaldson said it has implemented a variety of countermeasures to promote the health and safety of its employees and their families during this pandemic, including business travel restrictions, remote work capabilities, social distancing practices, increased cleaning frequency and thoroughness, temperature screenings and quarantine protocols.

Many of Donaldson’s business lines are considered “essential” or “critical” by governmental agencies, so the company has maintained operations at nearly all its facilities. There have been temporary closures at a small number of facilities in certain regions, reflecting compliance with local mandates and support of its employees, the company said. With its global footprint, region-to-support region production strategy, strong network of suppliers and diverse business composition, Donaldson said it has avoided meaningful operational disruption and continues to support its customers around the world.

Donaldson said its preliminary third quarter sales are expected to decline between 14% and 16% from the prior year, reflecting uneven demand during the quarter as the pandemic continued to spread globally. Sales between Feb. 1 and March 31 declined 8.7% from the prior year, or 6.9% without the negative impact from currency translation. Preliminary April 2020 sales are expected to be down between 25% and 30% from 2019, the company said.

Compared with the prior year, sales in Donaldson’s Asia-Pacific region underperformed relative to the rest of the world in February and outperformed in March and April as China began recovering while the impact of COVID-19 began spreading more significantly to other regions. Sales of replacement parts, which make up more than 60% of Donaldson’s total sales, significantly outperformed relative to sales of new equipment, particularly within Engine Aftermarket and certain businesses in the Industrial Products segment, including Industrial Air Filtration and Process Filtration.

The company continues to focus on gross margin improvement, where appropriate, while balancing uneven customer demand. Donaldson is controlling its manufacturing and operating expenses by matching production labor with demand. It has also instituted a global hiring freeze for all non-essential positions while further reducing discretionary expenses. These initiatives are expected to partially offset the impact of further sales declines in April.

Donaldson said the magnitude and duration of the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on its business cannot be reasonably estimated and will likely be material.

─ April 28 ─

 Shanghai Perkins Distributor Helps Coronavirus Efforts In Wuhan

Shanghai based Perkins distributor Lei Shing Hong Machinery (LSH) was among the Chinese businesses that stepped in to support the rapid build of the new Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan. The 1000-bed facility, which is caring for people with the COVID-19 virus, was built in 10 days and took just another four days to become operational.

To ensure the hospital could continue to operate in a power interruption, LSH donated four Powerlink-branded generator sets to the facility. Each set, driven by a Perkins 1103A-33G diesel engine, is designed to provide reliable standby power in the event the grid goes down.

Within 24 hours of LSH making its decision, the four generator sets had arrived in Wuhan. LSH also provided the resource to complete the transportation, assembly and testing on site.

“We are very proud that our distributor LSH was able to make an important contribution to both the hospital and to counter the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan,” said Tommy Quan, Perkins Asia sales director.

─ April 27 ─

Volvo Penta Supplies PPE To Healthcare Workers

Volvo Penta, the global manufacturer of engines and complete power systems for marine and industrial applications, is taking action in response to the prevalent need for personal protective equipment (PPE). At two of its North American facilities, the company is producing and distributing protective gear to healthcare workers in the local communities and beyond. The efforts are part of an ongoing initiative from Volvo Group North America which plans to supply thousands of PPE units to healthcare operations across the country.

The Volvo Penta engineering team at the company’s U.S. headquarters office in Chesapeake, Va., has led development of medical face shields. Utilizing a selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing system and leveraging mask components manufactured by other Volvo Group business areas, the company delivered face shields to Chesapeake Regional Healthcare and has plans to continue production for further distribution.

At Volvo Penta’s engineering office in Germantown, Wis., the staff has focused on development of ear guards which help to alleviate pain often experienced by healthcare workers wearing face masks. To date, more than 1,000 units of this protective equipment have been shipped to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and pharmacies in seven states including Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Florida, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin.

“Together with our colleagues from Volvo Group North America, we are honored to support relief efforts and help protect those serving on the front lines of this pandemic,” said Martin Bjuve, president of Volvo Penta of the Americas.

In addition to the PPE production efforts, Volvo Penta also made a charitable donation to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and Eastern Shore to support those in the Hampton Roads community where the organization is based.

Across Volvo Group North America, financial aid, medical supplies, purchasing expertise and other in-kind donations to nonprofits have been provided in multiple locations.

─ April 27 ─  

InnoTrans Rescheduled To Next Year

InnoTrans, an every-other-year show that covers the rail and public transportation industries, announced that it has rescheduled the event to next April 27-30. The event, which is held in Berlin, Germany, was originally scheduled for September 22-25.

“The health and safety of exhibitors, trade visitors and all the employees at the trade fair have the utmost priority,” said Kersten Schulz, director of InnoTrans. “For this reason, InnoTrans will take place from 27 to 30 April 2021. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our exhibitors at InnoTrans for their cooperation and loyalty.”

At the last event, show organizer Messe Berlin said 3062 exhibitors from 61 countries presented the global rail industry’s innovations to 153,421 trade visitors who came from 149 countries. The five segments at InnoTrans are Railway Technology, Railway Infrastructure, Public Transport, Interiors and Tunnel Construction.

For more information, go to www.innotrans.com.

─ April 23 ─

AEM Lauds Passage of Additional COVID-19 Relief, Urges More Support

Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) President Dennis Slater issued the following statement regarding ongoing efforts by the U.S Congress to deliver additional aid to small businesses, including more funding for the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP):

“This week’s bipartisan votes by the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate to provide additional relief for small businesses are certainly encouraging, but Congress must continue to find ways to support working families and businesses of all sizes in the weeks and months to come,” said Dennis Slater, president of AEM. “While the Paycheck Protection Program is helpful for many small equipment manufacturers, there is a lot more Congress needs to do to support the 2.8 million men and women of our industry. Too many equipment manufacturers are still struggling to stay open and on the job. With the PPP replenished, Congress must now turn their attention to a large number of manufacturers who do not qualify for this program but still desperately need support. We encourage Congress to continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to provide equipment manufacturers with the support and resources they need to stay in business and be part of the recovery effort we need to turn the economy around.”

AEM sent a letter on Monday urging U.S. Senate and House leadership to reach a bipartisan deal ahead of tomorrow’s expected vote. AEM also activated its 40,000 I Make America grassroots supporters this week to ask Congress to take immediate, bipartisan action to boost funding for the PPP. AEM has worked to provide its members with resources and information about COVID-19 related relief available to them. This includes monetary relief provided by the CARES Act, which included funding for the Paycheck Protection Program.

─ April 23 ─

Terex Provides COVID-19 Update

Terex Corp., the global manufacturer of aerial work platforms and materials processing equipment, provided a business update regarding health and safety, liquidity, and cost reduction actions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are focused on successfully navigating through this unprecedented period and are implementing substantial cost saving and operational actions to enhance liquidity and maintain financial flexibility,” stated Terex Corp. Chairman, President and CEO, John L. Garrison, Jr. “We continue to monitor our end market demand and supply chains and have developed contingency plans should future developments warrant further action.”

Terex said the health and safety of its employees “is and will remain the top priority,” of the company and it has followed CDC guidelines. After safety, Terex said its top priority is liquidity. “We are pleased with the support demonstrated by our bank group regarding the amendment to our revolving credit facility (revolver). The amendment provides the liquidity and flexibility to manage the company during these challenging times,” said Terex Corp. Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, John D. Sheehan.

As of March 31, the company had available liquidity of approximately $945 million, including over $500 million of cash and cash equivalents and approximately $430 million of available capacity under the company’s revolver. On April 23, 2020, the company amended its revolver, extending the expiration term to January 31, 2023.

In addition, Terex said it has no meaningful corporate debt maturities until 2023. The board of directors has suspended any quarterly dividend payments for the remainder of the year and previously announced the suspension of purchases under the share repurchase program.

Terex said it has begun a comprehensive cost reduction program to help support its financial position during this time of uncertainty. These actions include:

-Temporarily lowering the salaries of the CEO by 50%, the executive leadership team by 20%, and other team members between 5% to 10%. Temporarily furloughing and permanently reducing its workforce, where necessary, “to maintain a right-sized skilled workforce for the commercial demand of our products.”

-Adjusting production to align with reduced levels of commercial demand.

-Partnering with suppliers to limit incoming supply of materials, receiving only what is needed to support current production schedules. Terex said it is working with suppliers “to ensure continuity when the market improves.”

-Reducing plans for capital expenditures by 35% for the remainder of 2020.

-Utilizing tax and other government opportunities to preserve liquidity.

-Deferring or reducing other cash outlays.

“I want to thank all our team members for their commitment and resilience and recognize the support of their families as we continue to navigate through this challenging environment.,” Garrison said. “We also want to thank our customers and suppliers for their support during these unprecedented times. We are confident that as a result of the actions taken and the support received from our team members, customers and suppliers, we will be well positioned to capitalize on the recovery.”

─ April 23 ─

Virus Hits Volvo CE Figures

The rapid deterioration of global demand caused by measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus had a negative impact on Volvo Construction Equipment’s (Volvo CE) first quarter 2020 financial results, with sales, profitability, deliveries and orders all showing reversals during the period.

During the first three months of 2020 Volvo CE said net sales decrease by 17% with the company adding earnings “were impacted by lower machine volumes and an unfavorable machine mix.”

This was reflected in the operating margin, which at 13.3% was slightly down on the 15.1% in the same period the year before, the company added.

Order intake decreased by 7% in the first quarter 1 2020, although demand in China – the world’s biggest market for construction equipment – increased towards the end of the quarter. Deliveries were down, by 13%, to 20,170 machines, compared to 23,139 machines in the first quarter of 2019.

For the complete story, including perspectives by Volvo CE President Melker Jernberg, click here.

─ April 23 ─

Ricardo Delivers Face Shields

As a part of its effort to support local care homes and U.K. National Health Service (NHS) trusts, engineering consultancy Ricardo has made deliveries of the first 2000 of its purpose-designed protective face shields – part of the personal protective equipment (PPE) required by those working on the front line of the national effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic

The deliveries of the first shields is a major milestone in Ricardo’s effort to provide PPE to front line workers in care homes and the NHS, the company said. The shields are made to a bespoke Ricardo design and local NHS doctors assisted the Ricardo design team by testing the new face shield for enhanced comfort and wearability over extended periods.

The face shield frames were manufactured by Ricardo supply chain partner Stephens Plastic Mouldings, using tooling co-funded jointly with Ricardo. To ensure that the face shields reach care home and NHS staff as quickly as possible, facilities at Ricardo’s technical centers at Shoreham by Sea in West Sussex and Leamington Spa, England have been re-purposed as assembly lines and logistics centers for the PPE.

─ April 23 ─

COVID-19 Results In Lowest U.S. Petroleum Consumption In Decades

U.S. consumption of petroleum products has fallen to its lowest level in decades because of measures that limit travel and because of the general economic slowdown induced by mitigation efforts for the COVID-19, according to a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

As outlined in EIA’s Weekly Petroleum Status Report, total petroleum demand averaged 14.1 million barrels per day (b/d) in the week ending April 17, up slightly from 13.8 million b/d in the previous week—the lowest level in EIA’s weekly data series, which dates back to the early 1990s. The most recent value is 31% lower than the 2020 average from January through March 13, or before many of the travel restrictions began.

In the week ending April 3, total U.S. product supplied of petroleum products fell by 3.4 million b/d, the largest weekly decline in EIA’s data series. Changes in the weeks since then (weeks ending April 10 and April 17) have been more muted, suggesting that consumption is stabilizing.

Total petroleum demand measured as product supplied consists mostly of motor gasoline (45% of the 2019 total), distillate fuel oil, which includes diesel, (20%), jet fuel (9%), and chemical feedstocks and other fuels (26%).

The decline in distillate fuel oil consumption so far has been less severe than the changes in motor gasoline and jet fuel. Through March 13, distillate product supplied averaged 3.9 million b/d in 2020. By the week ending April 17, distillate product supplied was 20% lower, at 3.1 million b/d. Distillate fuel oil is primarily consumed as diesel fuel, the predominant fuel of the trucking, locomotive, and agricultural sectors. Continued demand for distribution of necessities such as food and medical supplies and increased home deliveries for goods likely contributed to relatively stable demand for distillate fuel in the initial weeks following the shutdown.

─ April 23 ─

NFPA Provides Status Update Of Member Companies

The National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) has provided an updated list of the status of NFPA member companies and what they are doing in support of Coronavirus relief efforts. Most NPFA member companies count as “essential” businesses, resulting in many of them continuing to produce and ship products and support their distribution chains.

And like many industries, fluid power association member companies have stepped up to support efforts to battle the Coronavirus.

To see the list of NFPA member companies and their status, click here.

─ April 23 ─

Agritechnica Asia Rescheduled To October

Agritechnica Asia, which had been scheduled to take place May 7-9 at Bitec in Bangkok, Thailand, has been rescheduled to Oct. 14-16. The event is co-located with Horti Asia.

“We greatly regret that we have to postpone the exhibitions,” said Bernd Koch, managing director of DLG International, one of the show organizers along with VNU Exhibitions Asia. “The decision was taken after extensive consultation with our partners and exhibitors.”

─ April 22 ─

Filtration Specialist Innovates For Coronavirus Battle

Mann+Hummel, a leading global expert in filtration, announced it has implemented a number of initiatives to support the growing battle against coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

While Mann+Hummel has been known for their dedication to the heavy duty and industrial segments, the company has been committed to growth in Life Sciences & Environment. Since 2015, Mann+Hummel has acquired air and water filtration leaders including Tri-Dim Filter Corporation and Microdyn-Nadir, among others. The acquisitions gave Mann+Hummel expertise in HEPA filtration, cleanroom filtration and operating room (laminar flow) technologies.

“Companies are mobilizing at unbelievable speeds to assist the frontlines in their fight against COVID-19,” said Charles Vaillant, chief technology/digital officer at Mann+Hummel. “It’s incredible to see the levels of innovation, the speed at which it’s happening, and most of all, the sincere belief that we can make a difference in this fight. If we can save even one life, it makes these efforts worthwhile, and I am immensely proud of Mann+Hummel as we embrace innovation and quickly adapt to help others.”

One example of Mann+Hummel’s speed and innovation is taking place at its facility in Fayetteville, N.C., where two production lines have been converted to produce daily protective grade (non-certified) face masks with a time to market of 15 days. Initially, the product will be supplied to Mann+Hummel employees to protect those keeping the company moving forward. As production ramps up, the masks will also be sold to customers. Globally, Mann+Hummel began 2020 with zero face mask production, and now anticipates that by May 1, over 5 million face masks will be produced per month.

Mann+Hummel is also working on a design to provide highly engineered filtration media inserts that can be used in homemade mask designs. The concept will greatly increase the effectiveness of homemade masks, featuring a thin, breathable media. The company anticipates having the media inserts available within two weeks, available through various e-commerce channels.

“Mann+Hummel has repeatedly demonstrated our competence in successfully transferring technology and know-how to new applications,” said Kurk Wilks, president and CEO of the Mann+Hummel Group. “We now use our filtration competence in automotive to build up and drive the production and supply of face masks. We have several groups in different countries all over the world working on this initiative.”

The company’s TRI-KLEEN product gives public health officials and hospital staff the ability to turn a COVID-19 patient’s room into a negative pressure environment, providing a tool to help field hospitals, temporary care units, nursing homes or ad-hoc locations to maintain safety for patients and frontline staff. While initially sold by Tri-Dim, the technology has been rapidly scaled through Mann+Hummel’s global network to prepare for mass production, which was accomplished in less than 30 days.

In support of a major automaker producing respirators to protect frontline health care workers, Mann+Hummel said it will urgently provide up to 5000 filters per day for the project. The respirator is a collective effort from contributing companies, as it mainly uses off-the-shelf parts to construct a life-saving device, including a seat fan from a pickup truck, a battery from a power tool, and now a HEPA filter supplied by Mann+Hummel. The time to market for the HEPA filter design for respirator devices from initial concept to full production was only 12 days.

─ April 22 ─

Wacker Neuson Withdraws Guidance For 2020

Wacker Neuson, the German manufacturer of compact equipment, issued a statement saying it will forego its guidance for fiscal 2020.

“The ongoing covid-19 pandemic, together with the resulting protective measures implemented by countries, institutions and companies, are having an increasingly negative impact on the Wacker Neuson Group’s business,” the company said. “The economic situation in certain regions deteriorated particularly towards the end of Q1. During the first half of April, revenue and order intake figures were significantly below prior-year levels.

“The Executive Board has thus decided today to withdraw the guidance for fiscal 2020 published on March 16, 2020. At present, it is not possible to reliably predict how the pandemic will affect customer demand moving forward, the state of global supply chains as well as the Group’s production output. As such, the Executive Board is unable to provide a sufficiently reliable, concrete new guidance for fiscal 2020 at this point in time. The Executive Board therefore currently refrains from the publication of a new guidance for fiscal 2020 and will issue a new guidance as soon as this is feasible.”

The company said that the initial business results for the first quarter of 2020 showed preliminary revenue of around €411 million, which corresponds to a drop of around 6% relative to the prior-year period. Profit before interest and tax (EBIT) decreased to €29 million. The EBIT margin fell slightly to 7%.

Profit for the period was markedly lower than the prior-year figure at around €6 million versus €21 million in 2019.

To prepare the Group as effectively as possible for the current situation, in recent weeks the Executive Board has already reduced production programs and brought forward vacation-related shutdowns at production plants. The Group is also implementing various short-time work models. In addition to this, numerous initiatives have been implemented to cut costs and secure liquidity.

─ April 21 ─

Toro Gives $500,000 To Global Coronavirus Relief Efforts

The Toro Co. today announced that it is giving $500,000 to assist families and communities worldwide that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant funding from the Toro Foundation will span all regions where The Toro Company operates, and will focus on providing food, health and humanitarian assistance to helping people adversely impacted.

“Supporting our customers and communities is an important part of our culture and core to who we are as a company,” said Rick Olson, chairman and chief executive officer of The Toro Co. “Now more than ever, it is critical that we come together to respond to the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 and to support those most vulnerable in our communities.”

The contributions include commitments to several global nonprofits that are assisting in the relief efforts. This includes the American Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Feeding America, the World Food Program, the United Way Worldwide, and United Way organizations in communities where The Toro Company’s employees live and work.

An additional element of the global giving effort includes a special program for its employees who wish to personally give to designated COVID-19 relief organizations. Under the program, The Toro Company will match employee contributions to a nonprofit organization of their choice in support of relief efforts.

─ April 21 ─

Komatsu Extends Factory Shutdowns

Komatsu Group provided an update on the state of its operations and business.

Concerning the effects of the pandemic on production and sales, Komatsu said “We have worked on the global cross-sourcing and procurement of finished vehicles and parts in order to absorb the impact of changes in market demand and foreign exchange rates. Please be advised that we have renewed the conditions of halting production at some plants,” (see accompanying table).

“We are working to minimize the effects on production by means of alternative procurement and inventory reallocation. Concerning the production bases other than those listed, we comply with the guidelines of concerned governments, implement infection-preventative measures, and operate them under normal conditions.”

The company added that “In the regions under the regulations issued by different governments of the world, we have seen the effects of the pandemic, such as suspension of business by customers. In some countries, however, governments have begun to ease their regulations on construction, mining, agriculture, forestry, logistics and the like, as they are essential businesses to support infrastructure.

“With respect to sales, our distributors, centering on Japan, the Americas, Europe and Asia, are continuing business through teleworking of their employees. To continuously supply products, parts, and service, they are implementing measures, such as the reassessment of supply routes and promotion of shift work operations for their employees.”

─ April 21 ─

Manitou Announces Partial Reopening In Europe

Manitou Group has partially resumed activity on its production sites based in France and Italy. This limited reopening, the company said, allows the group to gradually restart the whole supply and production chain in the context of a health crisis that is still cause for concern.

In accordance with the regulations applicable to all the production sites, the group has implemented specific measures to protect the health of its on-site employees and service providers.

“In the context of the health crisis, we have, in conjunction with our stakeholders, implemented very strict prevention and protection measures to ensure that our employees return to work in optimum safety conditions,” said Michel Denis, directeur general of the Manitou Group. “All these measures have been disseminated internally and workers are given training as soon as they return on site.”

The group stressed that these measures will be adjusted according to the evolution of the COVID-19 crisis and the number of employees present on the sites. A minimum activity service remains operational for critical functions, and teleworking is systematically implemented when appropriate.

The closure of production operations in India, however, remains in effect in accordance with current isolation requirements in the country.

─ April 21 ─

Major Japanese Construction Contractors Halt Work

Major Japanese construction contractors Kajima Corp., Obayashi Corp. and Taisei Corp. all plan to halt construction nationwide until early May in response to the expanded state of emergency called by the Japanese government over the COVID-19 pandemic. The move was reported by KHL’s International Construction.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recently expanded the state of emergency from Tokyo, Osaka and five other districts to apply to the entire nation.

Japan has not been as badly hit by COVID-19 as many other countries in the world but has seen the number of cases increase rapidly recently, which prompted the government to expand the state of emergency to the whole country.

For the complete report, click here

─ April 20 ─

Deutz Initiates Phased Resumption Of Production

Deutz AG announced that it will be progressively resuming production at its plants in Germany from today. The company had shut down large parts of its European production sites on April 1 due to the coronavirus crisis.

Operations will now resume with extended safety measures to protect the health of the workforce, the company said. The Deutz facility in Zafra, Spain, has already resumed production April 14.

“We are resuming production to meet customer demand,” said As Dr. Frank Hiller, chairman of the Deutz AG board of management. “The health of our employees remains the focus of our efforts, and we are keeping a close eye on the situation in case we have to react to developments at short notice.”

─ April 20 ─

Italian Tractor Sales Slammed By Virus

Sales of agricultural tractors collapsed in March, characterized by the slowdown in activities and then by the stoppage of production sites, according to a report by the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation.

Even with a reopening of the industrial plants, the second half of the year will remain conditioned by the reduction in the volumes produced and by the lower investment capacity of farms, the federation said.

The agricultural machinery market paid the price of the health emergency and in March it saw noticeable drops for tractors (-34.4%), combine harvesters (-12.5%), tractors with load platform (-21.1%), trailers (-39.3%) and agricultural telehandlers (-10.5%). In March, there was a progressive slowdown in production (with the spontaneous closure of many agricultural machinery companies) which culminated in the total block of activity following the ministerial decree of March 25. In some cases the stoppage of registration procedures at motor vehicle department offices, caused by the precautionary measures adopted by public organizations, also affected the March statistical data, the federation said.

In the statistics relating to the first quarter of the year, the March figure is offset by those in January and February, which were not affected by the epidemic. Regarding the average for the quarter, tractor registrations fell by 14.6%, trailer registrations by 17.4%, while there were positive results for tractors with loading platform (+ 2.6%) and telehandlers (+9.1%). Unfortunately, the total block of production and marketing of machinery that characterized the first half of April will weigh on the results for the next quarter, the association said.

Even in with the reopening of industrial sites, the volumes produced will be significantly reduced, due to the need to comply with the safety and prevention rules within the plants. Consequently, the market will also have lower quantities of machinery, in a setting that will in any case see a lower spending capacity by farms. The forecasts for the second quarter therefore indicate a continuation of the negative phase, hoping that the arrival of summer and the attenuation of the emergency may encourage a more robust recovery of activities in the sector.

─ April 20 ─

Vermeer Leverages China Experience To Help In Iowa

The seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic became apparent to officials at Vermeer Corp. when the company’s operation in Tianjin, China was forced to shut down earlier this year as part of a lockdown in the region. In order to reopen, Vermeer officials were required to implement several measures, from distribution of facemasks and personal protection equipment (PPE) to coordination of employee temperature readings. Thanks to their prompt and successful response, Vermeer was one of the first companies in Tianjin to open up once government officials lifted the lockdown.

“Now America’s dealing with COVID-19,” said Jason Andringa, Vermeer president and CEO. “And the supply chain we cultivated in China, we’re leveraging it for the rest of the Vermeer enterprise. Not only have we been able to procure PPE for our own use, but we’re able to continue to leverage the supply chain in order to provide PPE to the state of Iowa and our local community.”

The company’s team members – at work and at home – are working together with RP America to make face shields for healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 on the front lines at Pella Regional Health Center in Iowa. Employing 3D printing technology, Vermeer successfully worked with hospital officials to determine the best design of a visor piece for use on the face shield. The company then worked alongside local 3D printer owners in an effort to spur even more production of personal protective equipment (PPE).

“We know this isn’t something that just Vermeer is dealing with, or manufacturers of equipment are dealing with,” said Andringa. “The whole world is facing this, and it’s our job to stay focused on where we can make an impact, along with abiding by the guidelines that are out there.”

Making a positive difference in the face of a public health crisis has also provided a much-needed boost to organizational morale. Though some amount of fear and uncertainty is still being felt by Vermeer team members, company leaders are working diligently to address concerns by engaging in clear and frequent communication with employees.

Vermeer’s communication efforts have been made much easier thanks to increased adoption of a recently launched company app. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the app was being used by 600 Vermeer employees. Now, just a few weeks later, 2700 company team members have signed up and are active users. Initially made available just a month and a half ago, the app now serves as the primary means of circulating important information among company employees.

“It’s really helped that we have communicated as much as we have with our team,” said Andringa. “And feels like we’re over that first wave of really imminent concern about COVID-19. Not all that long ago, there were certainly people who really felt as though it was going to sweep through the state of Iowa and Vermeer, and that there was no avoiding it.”

The Vermeer president and CEO cited vigilant efforts related to social distancing, hand-washing and sanitization as key measures taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent infection among the company’s workforce. So far, the steps taken have been extremely successful. Vermeer has seen only one confirmed case among its 3500 team members, and – perhaps most importantly – company employees feel as safe, sound and secure as possible in the current situation when on the job.

“The one team member has not been on Vermeer’s (Pella) campus, or in contact with any other Vermeer team member,” said Andringa. “And because (the virus) hasn’t been in any of our production facilities, I think it people are responding well and settling into pretty much a normal scenario.”

To read more about Vermeer’s efforts in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, click here.

─ April 20 ─

Mack Trucks Donation To Help During Pandemic

To assist those in the community and those on the front lines, Mack Trucks recently donated to local Lehigh Valley organizations aiding food insecurity and a shortage of medical supplies spurred by the coronavirus. All Mack models for North America and export are assembled at Mack’s Lehigh Valley Operations in Macungie, Pa.

Mack Trucks donated $10,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania to help those with food insecurity, and also donated masks, gloves, safety goggles and personal protective equipment (PPE) to St. Luke’s Hospital, Success Rehabilitation and Maxim Healthcare Services.

“Mack recognizes the importance of doing what we can to support the community we have been a part of for more than a century,” said Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks senior vice president of North American sales and marketing. “Food insecurity, as well as the critical need for medical supplies, were identified to be two of the most pressing areas in which we could make a positive impact, so we took action to donate.”

─ April 17 ─

ZF Assists In Manufacturing 100,000 Face Masks

ZF North America’s Northfield, Mich., site has partnered with Pontiac, Mich.-based manufacturer Detroit Sewn to help with the fight against the Covid-19 virus. A shipment of 100,000 face masks is expected to be delivered to Detroit Sewn by the end of April.

Developed for frontline healthcare workers and individuals in the community with high risk for infection, such as soup kitchens, nursing homes and other essential organizations, these masks will contribute to the fight against the contagion as ZF shifts production of some of its normal automotive safety products to this now critically needed item.

“The world is facing a situation unlike anything our generation has seen before and while the challenge may seem impossible, now more than ever, it’s the support of each and every individual and company working together that is truly making a difference,” said Martin Fischer, president of ZF North America and member of the board of management of the ZF Group. “It’s an honor for us to join in the fight to help protect frontline healthcare workers and everyone who is caring for others during this difficult time. We hope we can not only do our part to make a difference, but to encourage others to contribute as we get through this together.”

ZF’s Passive Safety Systems division operates 42 locations in 19 countries with nearly 40,000 employees including its joint ventures. It has longstanding expertise in inflatable restraints including driver, passenger, side, curtain, knee and interaction airbags and designs, develops and supplies all aspects of an airbag system including specialized cut-and-sew capabilities to shape and produce air bag designs customized to the application.

Traditionally a full-service cut-and-sew manufacturer, Detroit Sewn recently restructured its operations to focus solely on the production of masks and gowns that protect healthcare workers and other essential service workers against Covid-19. The company employs 25 people on two shifts and is also supplying fabric to other manufacturing organizations like ZF that have industrial sewing expertise and who can assist with the fight against this disease.

“We are proud and grateful that seven manufacturing and sewing partners including ZF have joined with us to fulfill the urgent need for masks that meet CDC guidelines,” said Karen Buscemi, CEO of Detroit Sewn. “With our partners’ help along with support from G1 Impact, our nonprofit fiscal sponsor, we have the infrastructure in place to produce more than 300,000 masks in the short term – and the orders continue to roll in daily from health systems and nonprofits.”

─ April 17 ─

SDLG Reopens Factory In China

SDLG, which closed its Linyi, China, facility in February in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, has resumed operations. The Linyi site employs nearly 3000 people and assembles a range of construction equipment that is sold worldwide.

Top SDLG executives visited the facility to monitor measures put in place to ensure the safety and health of its employees amidst COVID-19.

“At SDLG, the well-being of our employees is a top priority before our assembly lines start production again, which is why we have strict measures in place to protect them,” said Wang Zhizhong, CEO and chairman of SDLG.

SDLG has implemented several safety measures to protect its employees including: strict monitoring of employees’ temperature, personal protection equipment (masks, gloves and sanitizers) for all workers, regular disinfecting of the factory’s assembly line, dormitories, cafeteria and a ban on all elevator use.

“We are all in this together, fighting against COVID-19, so we are also advising our clients and operators to implement strict protocols to protect themselves,” Wang said.

For those returning to job sites across China, the company has also released a series of recommendations for staying safe while resuming operations amidst COVID-19. These include:

• Maintaining a 2 m distance from other people at all times.

• Requiring all workers to wear masks and register their temperature at regular intervals.

• Disinfecting all equipment before every shift and making sure to sanitize the following areas in particular steering wheels, handles, armrest, controls and grease guns.

• Avoiding in-person communication where necessary, and instead encouraging cell phones or walkie-talkies. For situations where in-person communications is required, SDLG recommends maintaining a safe distance between all parties.

• Asking workers to bring their own utensils and food to work and remembering to maintain social distancing during dining times.

For SDLG’s machines, the company also recommends high levels of ventilation to ensure the safest possible work environment. Within machine cabs, that means leaving windows open and switching on air conditioning to ensure good air flow. For larger indoor construction sites, operators should turn on air ventilation systems.

“Proper planning and prevention are the best ways to protect the wellbeing of our people and partners during this global crisis,” Wang said. “We all need to do our part to help stop the spread of COVID-19.”

─ April 16 ─

Wearable Technology To Maintain Social Distancing

In response to the need for greater worker protection during the COVID-19 pandemic, Triax Technologies, Inc., a Connecticut supplier of Internet of Things (IoT) worksite technology, today announced a new IoT system designed to provide proximity distancing alerts and contact tracing through a wearable device. Proximity Trace targets a range of industries, including construction, heavy industrial, energy and manufacturing. It offers added protection for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and helps companies get workers back to work safely, while addressing recommended social distancing practices, the company said.

“In talking with our customers, we recognized a critical industry need to keep workers safe from COVID-19 exposure on the worksite, so we quickly got to work developing a solution,” said Robert Costantini, Triax Technologies CEO. “We leveraged our experience in IoT technology and workforce safety monitoring to address companies’ urgent needs for workers to maintain appropriate distances, to perform historical contact tracing for any employee testing positive for the virus, and to assist companies in getting their workforce back on the job as they implement new safety protocols.

“Our solution is designed to ease the burden on workers to maintain appropriate distances as part of new safety practices that very well could become the next normal.”

The Proximity Trace devices are affixed to a hard hat or worn on the body with a lanyard and emit a progressively louder alarm, alerting workers when they are too close to each other. This enables them to focus on their work, rather than worrying about their proximity to another worker or potential exposure to the virus. The alarm can also serve to change behaviors by reminding workers to practice safe social distancing.

In the event that there is a confirmed case of COVID-19, an employer can conduct contact tracing using historical data captured passively by the worker’s device to identify who may have been exposed. With more reliable information, companies can decide who needs to be in mandatory or precautionary quarantine per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, and whether the site can continue to operate safely without the need to shut down the entire operation.

Proximity Trace communicates to a cloud dashboard specifically designed for contact tracing. The product is undergoing field testing and key feedback from early customers will be incorporated into production for commercial availability.

─ April 16 ─ 

CCEFP Summit Postponed To Fall

The Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP) announced that its biannual event for fluid power collaborators, the CCEPF Summit, which was originally scheduled for May 19-21 has been postponed. The new dates are Sept. 22-24 and the event will be held at the University of Minnesota Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

The CCEFP is a consortium of academic researchers and industry supporters working together to change the way fluid power is researched, applied, and taught. The CCEFP Summit connects industry to university resources and talent through technical presentations, networking opportunities, lab and facility tours and special features.

─ April 16 ─

Mahindra’s Michigan Plant Making PPE, Providing Meals

Mahindra Automotive North America (MANA) said it is marshaling its resources and people to help fight COVID-19. The company is announcing several actions it is planning and executing from its Auburn Hills, Mich., headquarters and manufacturing facility. These include:

-Re-tooling manufacturing facility to produce aspiration boxes, face shield, masks and other personal protection equipment (PPE).

-Using a Mahindra food truck to distribute free meals to Oakland County healthcare workers and first responders.

-Launching the “Roxor Delivers” program that supports dealers of the company’s Roxor off-road work and recreation vehicle that have had to close due to state mandates and consumers who are unable or unwilling to leave their homes. The program will deliver Roxor vehicles right to consumers’ doors limiting social interaction.

“MANA’s Michigan employees have taken an all-hands-on-deck approach to the COVID-19 fight”, said Rick Haas, president and CEO, Mahindra Automotive North America. “We have a company full of people who love to design and make things and they’re not people who like to stand on the sidelines. We have ideas coming in from across the company and we’re looking hard at all of them.”

─ April 15 ─

Daimler Trucks CEO Talks Leadership In Turbulent Times

Daimler Trucks & Buses is starting its second season of the podcast Transportation Matters by CEO Martin Daum with a very appropriate topic – leadership in turbulent times. With his guest, U.S. leadership expert and author Daniel Harkavy, Daum discusses the role of leaders and their leadership behavior in the current COVID-19 crisis, as well as how leaders navigate their people through difficult times in the best possible way.

From emotionally adjusting to this new situation to concrete advice and takeaways, the two spin a highly relevant discussion in a time, when leadership is more crucial than ever.

“We are in the middle of a perfect storm,” said Harkavy. “I think leaders have to need to develop muscle in how they think,” which is a though Harkavy develops in the course of the conversation and breaks it down into concrete advice and takeaways.

The Transportation Matters podcast can be accessed at the Daimler Trucks website here, as well as through Apple, Google, Spotify and Deezer.

─ April 15 ─

Twin Disc CEO Reflects On COVID-19 Impact

Twin Disc CEO John Batten talked about the strangeness of the current Coronavirus induced downturn with local biweekly business publication Milwaukee BizTimes.

“It is very strange to be here on weekdays during normal business hours and to be one of only four people in the building,” said Batten, chief executive officer of the Racine, Wis.-headquartered power transmission equipment manufacturer.

Batten told the Milwaukee BizTimes that Twin Disc, which has two plants in Italy, one each in Switzerland and Belgium, offices in China, and distribution in Singapore and Australia, could see the coronavirus outbreak emerging.

“It’s like a big giant Slinky,” Batten said. “We saw things getting worse in Europe first and then maybe naively believed it wouldn’t hit us and then wham, it hit us pretty quickly.”

Batten said he expects the economic challenges from the coronavirus to be measured in quarters, not months. Twin Disc is already taking actions to conserve cash for the future. Those actions included layoffs for 10 salaried employees, a 25% cut in paid hours for other salaried positions and a 15% salary reduction for all remaining full-time employees. Batten and chief operating officer James Feiertag took 20% salary reductions.

In total, the cuts will save around $4.1 million annually and Twin Disc has also deferred all non-essential spending and capital expenditure projects.

“It’s been strange making a lot of decisions on questions that you’ve never had to address before in such a short amount of time,” Batten said, adding that managing through a downswing is a skill Twin Disc’s team has developed. “You’re glad you have it, you don’t like developing it.”

To see the complete Milwaukee BizTimes report, click here.

─ April 15 ─

AEM Cites Ways Manufacturers Can Continue Production During Pandemic

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has published an article discussing how manufacturers can maintain production during the Coronavirus pandemic.

“A recent article proclaimed a truth manufacturers in all industry sectors know all too well,” the article stated. “You can’t build an airplane working from home.”

While many industries can have their employees work from home, “manufacturers face the reality that manufacturing requires employees to work onsite. There is no factory production work from home.”

The challenge to staff a factory becomes much more daunting every day during this pandemic, with an emphasis on “self-quarantining,” social distancing, and avoiding groups of more than 10 people.

The article, written by Bernard J. Bobber of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., which recently conducted a Manufacturers’ Roundtable Discussion involving scores of manufacturers from numerous industry sectors to share ideas about how manufacturers can continue to operate in the face of the pandemic. This article compiles some of the ideas and practices identified in that Roundtable discussion, and they can be organized into three primary categories:

Identify And Exclude High-Risk People

Manufacturers have to move aggressively to identify and exclude from the workplace those employees that have symptoms of the COVID-19 virus (i.e., fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, difficulty breathing). Where feasible, it could be better to go one step further and identify and exclude employees at high risk from the factory. Examples include those who have taken a cruise or international flight in the last few weeks, or who live with someone presenting symptoms of COVID-19 infection.

Ways to identify the symptomatic or other high-risk persons include temperature screening of employees upon entering work (to exclude persons with a temperature above 100.4º); asking for self-identification through frequent surveys or interviews; spot sick employees and send them home; consider communicating a “see something, say something” mindset so that employees are trained and empowered to inform an appropriate point of contact if any other person in the factory is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.

Consider If Yours Is A Critical Infrastructure Business

On April 8, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its new Interim Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19. The guidance provides that critical infrastructure workers may be allowed to continue working following a potential exposure to COVID-19 in order to ensure the continuity of essential operations under certain circumstances. Here are the key points employers need to know about this new guidance:

The guidance specifically applies to critical infrastructure workers, including workers and contractors in the food and agriculture, critical manufacturing, informational technology, transportation, energy, and government facilities industries. Further information on identifying critical infrastructure workers can be found on the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) website and on the CDC’s first responder guidance website.

Keep Employees Safe At Work

Employers may consider a number of steps to maintain a safe work environment. In a unionized factory, the CBA will need to be considered and the union consulted when the employer makes changes to terms and conditions. But in this time of an unprecedented pandemic, crisis should compel union cooperation, or at least allow employers to creatively interpret and apply some of general “purpose of the agreement” type of language usually found near the front of CBAs that is sometimes overlooked.

Key safety ideas include:

-Prohibit all non-essential visitors to the factory; rigorously screen essential visitors and limit their movement in the facility.

-Train employees on self-responsibility behaviors – hand washing, social distancing, respiratory etiquette, etc., and repeatedly refresh the training.

-Cease using large group meetings.

-Replicate meetings multiple times to have smaller groups attend, and physically space people out in the meeting room.

-Eliminate routine shift hand-off meetings that are not critical, or limit these to just particular people as critically needed. Also, rely more heavily on log entries to communicate shift to shift.

-Stagger shift start/stop times, break times and lunch times to minimize congregations at the time clocks and in the locker rooms and break areas. Maybe create a new shift (nights, or weekends) to help separate your workforce and to give employees scheduling options that may help them manage new family obligations with kids home from school.

-Zone the factory and prohibit employees from wandering into zones where they do not need to be to perform their jobs. Stagger crews so that an outbreak can perhaps be isolated so that, after cleaning, the factory can run with unaffected crews.

-Identify the key personnel without whom the factory cannot operate (e.g., boiler operators, wastewater treatment engineers, lead electricians or maintenance mechanics, etc.) and create schedules, procedures and any other steps to isolate them from each other and the rest of the workforce to try to minimize their exposures.

-Provide sanitary wipes throughout the facility and train employees on using them constantly to clean high-touch surfaces.

To read the complete article, click here.

The article is part of AEM’s COVID-19 section on the AEM website. To learn more about the association’s efforts to support the equipment manufacturing industry, click here.

─ April 15 ─

CNH Industrial Donates $2 Million To Foundation For COVID-19

CNH Industrial N.V. said it is continuing to take decisive steps in the fight against COVID-19, focusing on employees’ health and the local communities where it does business. To this end, the company announced it is donating $2 million to the CNH Industrial Foundation and to other charitable projects throughout the world, with a focus on supporting individuals and communities impacted by the virus.

The new pledge is in addition to the company’s ongoing donations of medical equipment supplies, including ventilators, personal protective equipment, electrical generators and ambulances, to healthcare providers in the regions in which CNH operates.

Furthermore, to demonstrate solidarity with its workforce, the CNH Industrial senior management team has elected to temporarily forego part of its compensation. The company’s board of directors has agreed not to take any of their remuneration for the rest of year, the acting chief executive officer will take a 50% salary reduction for three months, and the global executive committee will take a 20% salary reduction for three months.

─ April 15 ─

HED Aids In COVID-19 PPE Shortage

Matt Starr, a software engineer at HED Inc., returned home from ConExpo-Con/Agg in March only to discover he would be quarantined at home until further notice. As the news about the COVID-19 pandemic became more unsettling, Starr realized he could make a contribution to support the challenges faced by the medical industry of limited personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies.

He began by pitching his idea to HED CEO Paul Ludwig, suggesting that the company’s 3D printers could be used to create PPE protective masks for local Wisconsin medical facilities in need. With a go-ahead from Ludwig, Starr enlisted Jon Lobert, a mechanical engineer still working from the HED office in Hartford, Wis.

After investigating the National Institute of Health (NIH) requirements for non-commercial protective facial masks, they discovered that it takes about an hour for a 3D printer to product two masks. Lobert works with two filament-style 3D printers and has essentially been creating masks non-stop since he and Starr began the project the first week in April.

To create the mask front shields, Lobert found clear folder covers commonly used in spiral bound presentations. “We happened to have a sizable stack here at HED so I’m pulling from that to build the masks.” Lobert said. “For now, I am making the face shields, but will be looking into also printing the clips that hold the conventional masks like the N95 type masks from rubbing against the wearer’s ears.”

While Lobert continues with production of the masks from HED, Starr is printing PPE components on his personal printer at his home.

HED has two 3D printers ─ A Lulzbot TAZ5 that the company has had for five years and a new Prusa MK3S. For now, both machines are printing with a material called PLA that is approved by the NIH for these types of products.

“These face shields are meant to provide protection from aerosols landing on the face of the medical personnel,” Lobert said. “These aerosols can be droplets from coughs, sneezes, or worse and most likely would have the virus in them. This is part of the reason why it’s so bad to touch your face.”

“I have been printing on my own personal 3D printer, which is a Prusa i3 MK3S with MMU2S. Starr said. “I started with a face shield design that is completely 3D printed except for the clear shield portion. It uses a baseball cap snap in the back to fit properly. Then I switched to the NIH-approved design that Jon is printing. Now I am also printing respirator masks in conjunction with Concordia University in Mequon.

“Everything I am printing uses PETG material since it is easier to disinfect and clean. It is also stronger and more flexible. I currently have 6 kg. of the material I am printing with.”

The face shield design does not require anything in the back to hold them in place. The support piece holds on similar to wrap-around sun glasses by applying pressure against the side of the head. The design initially came from Europe and was adapted to be made in the U.S. using a three-hole punch.

Over the past weekend Starr dropped of his first 20 face respirators and delivered 21 face shields savers to a friend who knows a nurse at the Ascension Medical St. Mary’s Women’s Hospital NICU. “They mentioned that the masks they currently have to wear are held on by their ears and the straps were digging in,” Starr said. “These ‘ear savers’ should prevent that.”

─ April 15 ─

NFPA To Hold Virtual Regional Conference

The National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) announced that its next regional conference will be held next month online.

Expand your knowledge of precision manufacturing and its effects on fluid power systems at the June 4 NFPA/FPIC Regional Conference, presented in a virtual format by NFPA and MSOE’s Fluid Power Industrial Consortium (FPIC).

The half-day conference, which is now being hosted online, will focus on how precision manufacturing can improve fluid power system efficiency, reliability and durability. The conference will feature three speakers of varying backgrounds and will be conducted on a platform that allows for attendee interaction with the presentations.

Offering this event virtually will give members and non-members alike the unique chance to receive exclusive insight about the impact of precision manufacturing on our industry without ever having to leave their home. Download the preliminary schedule for more information.

The event is free to NFPA and FPIC members. Non-members are welcome to attend but will be charged a $100 registration fee. Additional event information, including registration details, will be added to the website soon.

Questions? Contact Maddie Parise at [email protected] or (414) 259-2022.

─ April 14 ─

Genie Produces PPE For Seattle Area Hospital

As communities, states, and countries around the globe continue to address the health crisis created by COVID-19, personal protection equipment (PPE) for medical personnel and first responders remains in high demand. To help address this need in their community, team members from Genie, a Terex brand, headquartered in Redmond, Wash., have been working on a concept that will allow them to produce medical equipment for a local hospital.

The effort began with a face shield design developed by Jim Donaldson, Genie engineering design manager, Terex AWP. “After watching a video about the types of medical equipment our hospitals needed, I thought we would be able to make the face shields that go over the N95 masks,” Donaldson said. “I went to the store and bought a sponge, bungee cord and a poster that came packaged in a plastic tube. I cut up the tube to make the shield, and then I attached the sponges and bungee cord.”

Donaldson shared his idea with Matt Fearon, Genie president, Terex AWP, who agreed it was a concept worth exploring. Working with team members from project management, engineering and sourcing, the initial design was refined, and long-time supplier, Allegis Corp., stepped in to source the materials necessary, even developing a custom tool to stamp out the shield shape.

“Our supplier really helped with moving this project forward — and moving it forward so quickly,” Donaldson said.

With the design updated, Fearon, Donaldson and a small team of engineers and project managers then met with representatives from Overlake Medical Center, located in Bellevue, Wash., to gain a better understanding of the hospital’s needs, feedback on the face shield design, as well as to determine if there were any other ways the Genie team could help.

As a result of that meeting — and with the knowledge that the need for PPE is indeed great and immediate — the Genie team expected to begin production of the face shields in Redmond on April 14th. The material the team has on hand should be enough to produce an initial 4000 to 5000 face shields for Overlake Medical Center. Whether the Genie team will produce more than the initial donation of face shields will depend on availability of the material, as well as the need.

In addition to the face shields, the Genie team developed a process for manufacturing face coverings using material provided by the hospital and a heat-sealing process to create seams and pleats. “Finding the material to create the bands that go over the ears was actually a real challenge due to the high demand,” explained Roger Bowie, Terex Business Systems (TBS) manager. “But the team thought through that problem until they had a solution, identifying a way to use material that was readily available to make fabric strips that could be used for ties.” Bowie added that when in production, the team expected to produce one face covering every minute.

Additionally, Genie engineers have used the company’s 3D printing capabilities to make some custom parts, which allowed critical hospital PPE to be put back into service quickly.

“Our Genie team was anxious to help, the Overlake team pointed us in the direction of the highest need and together, we made great things happen,” said Fearon. “I am proud of, but not surprised by, the initiative and innovation of our team members. They heard about a critical need, and they didn’t hesitate to step up to the challenge — they focused on finding solutions, and they acted quickly because they knew the need was urgent.

“Our team in China jumped in by air shipping 1000 N95 masks at a time when there was a severe shortage of masks in the U.S. These are unprecedented times and overcoming the challenges we face locally, and globally, will require everyone to do what they can to help. I am excited that we have found such meaningful ways to help our local community and could not be prouder to lead this team in good times and in challenging times.”

─ April 13 ─

Horton Begins Producing Frames For PPE Face Shields

With technology usually reserved for prototype development and machine fitting samples, Horton has begun producing face shield frames for use in local hospitals battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

The engine cooling manufacturer recently volunteered its 3D printing capacity to making the frames, which house the clear shield protecting a medical professional’s face. As the novel coronavirus sweeps across the globe, many medical facilities face shortages of such personal protective equipment.

“We’re just trying to help out as much as we can,” said Horton Engineering Technician Dennis Skalecki, one of the leads on the project. “They need something, and we have the availability, so why not do it?”

Skalecki and Application Engineer Ryan Niederkorn took charge of the idea after connecting with local high school engineering teacher Mark Westlake, who provided the 3D printing model for the frames. Westlake, director of St. Thomas Academy’s Innovation Center, has collected, assembled and distributed more than 1,200 shields to health care providers across the Midwest.

Recipients include Regions Hospital, Children’s Minnesota, Methodist Hospital, North Memorial, all Minnesota veterans’ homes and the Dakota County Sheriff’s office.

Westlake and the Innovation Center have tapped 3D printing sources throughout the United States to help create the face shields. Horton was one of the first local manufacturers to join the effort.

“We have loved having Horton support this effort,” Westlake said. “Horton was one of the first companies to rise to challenge, and we love when we receive the Horton box at Saint Thomas Academy. The quality of the 3D printed visors need no finishing when we are preparing the shields for the end users, and that saves us a ton of time.”

In the first week of production, Horton had created 128 frames in its Roseville, Minnesota facility, with plans to print as many more as necessary.

“I will keep going till [Westlake] tells me to stop,” Skalecki said.

─ April 13 ─

Navistar Says Springfield Plant Closing Extended

Navistar International Corp. today provided an update on actions it is taking in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As an essential business critical to supporting the nation’s increasingly stressed supply chain, Navistar said it plans to continue manufacturing operations at all plants subject to market conditions, component supplier disruptions and the continued spread and impact of COVID-19. Due to component supplier constraints, the stoppage at Navistar’s truck assembly plant in Springfield, Ohio, has been extended through early May.

Navistar service facilities and parts distribution centers are continuing regular operations, and up-to-the-minute International Truck and IC Bus dealership hours can be found at InternationalTrucks.com/covid19.

“Navistar is not immune to the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Troy A. Clarke, chairman, president and CEO. “The extent of this virus is unprecedented, and our personal lives, businesses and global economies are being impacted by events beyond our control. With considerable uncertainties surrounding coronavirus, we have been monitoring the situation closely and decided to take actions to reduce costs and maximize financial flexibility and liquidity to best position Navistar for the future.”

The company is implementing a series of temporary cost reduction measures to further preserve financial flexibility. Actions include:

-A postponement of 30% of capital expenditures.

-A postponement of 30% of information technology project spend.

-A deferral of $162 million in pension contributions until 2021 under provisions of the CARES Act.

-A deferral of employer payroll tax payments and certain Employee Retention Tax Credits under provisions of the CARES Act as guidance becomes available.

-A deferral of 35% to the base salary of the CEO and board compensation.

-A deferral of 10 to 30% to the base salary of U.S.-based, salaried exempt, non-represented employees.

-A reduced workweek by 20% for contractors.

Salary deferrals will be effective April 20 through December 31 and will be repaid with interest no later than March 15, 2021. Other cost reduction actions will go into effect immediately through December 31.

These cost reduction initiatives are in addition to other previously implemented employee-related actions including a deferral of merit salary increases and a delay in 401k company match contributions until 2021. In total, these measures conserve approximately $300 million in cash over the balance of the company’s fiscal year, ending October 31. Navistar said it will continue to diligently monitor business conditions and consider additional actions as necessary.

As of April 10, Navistar’s consolidated cash and cash equivalents and manufacturing cash and cash equivalents both exceeded $1 billion.

“We held a strong manufacturing cash position heading into this pandemic, and the actions we are taking allow us to manage cash flow in response to these extraordinary times,” said Walter G. Borst, executive vice president and chief financial officer. “These actions do not impact the longer-term benefits of our Navistar 4.0 strategy but may influence the timing of when the plan’s full potential is realized, which we will reevaluate once the post-coronavirus economy is better understood.”

─ April 13 ─

Generac CEO Talks COVID-19 Challenges

Aaron Jagdfeld, chairman, president and chief executive officer of power generation systems specialist Generac talked to the Milwaukee BizTimes, a bi-weekly business publication, about the challenges his company has faced because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

When the Coronavirus hit and states began instituting shelter-in-place orders, Generac saw an increase in demand for its portable generators. That interest has now shifted to the company’s standby models, which Jagdfeld attributed to consumers giving more thought to their power security.

“There’s just an overarching anxiety,” he said. “I think everybody has a much higher level of anxiety these days and what happens in that residential business is when we see anxiety levels go up, people tend to think about generators and things like that a little bit more.”

Generac’s commercial and industrial business has seen a more complicated response to the coronavirus outbreak. While the company’s products are in demand in health care and telecommunications markets, the need for generators used for the mobile products industry in oil and gas and construction markets has fallen off.

“It’s almost like the spigot got turned off overnight,” Jagdfeld said, adding the company will need to keep a close eye on the rest of its industrial business.

“As we’ve had pullbacks in the economy before, the way it impacts our industrial business is … generally a couple months from now we would see a pretty good-sized air pocket there,” he said.

To read the complete interview, click here.

─ April 13 ─

Michigan Tech Builds Mobile Unit to Clean COVID-19 PPE

Michigan Technological University, a public research university located in upper Michigan, has designed a prototype mobile system for sanitizing personal protective equipment (PPE). The system incorporates a refrigerated shipping container, commercial-grade baking sheets and a modified oven that can disinfect PPE at temperatures hot enough to break up coronaviruses and do so in a big, moveable oven that can be quickly made with local, off-the-shelf parts that are easy to get and put together. The unit can clean 5000 to 10,000 PPE units every two hours and can run continuously.

The design is streamlined, incorporating a thick-walled shipping container with the refrigeration unit swapped for a heating unit run on an electric generator, lined with stainless steel racks and trays holding PPEs that are heated to 140º to 170º F.

The parts are all on hand in commercial bakeries, restaurants, HVAC shops, shipping yards and universities — and could be quickly delivered to hospital and clinic loading docks, the university said.

An engineering team from Michigan Tech tested the prototype, called the Mobile Thermal Unit (MTU) Sanitizer, in a campus parking lot alongside local company Aire Care. The prototype is now heading downstate for further validation testing.

“If Houghton, Michigan, can find 25 racks, the right kind of shipping container, a heating unit and the experts to put a prototype all together in a couple days, then this could be deployed in any city in our nation,” said Dan Barnard, co-inventor of the design along with his wife Amy, a biomedical engineer by training. Dan’s cousin, Andrew Barnard, is a mechanical engineer at Michigan Tech and the director of the Great Lakes Research Center.

“Our goal is to make a massively available and scalable mobile sanitation unit for hospital PPE. We’ve seen DIY versions using food dehydrators and ovens; we’re making it bigger, but still transportable,” Andrew Barnard said. “PPE shortages are expected to last weeks to months and we want to do something about that now.”

The team received $32,800 in seed funding from the College of Engineering and is working with local Sen. Ed McBroom, Rep. Greg Markkanen and Sen. Adam Hollier of Detroit.

For more information, click here.

─ April 9 ─

Dana Develops Protective Equipment For Medical Community

Dana Inc. has used its advanced design and manufacturing technology, including 3D printers, to develop protective equipment for the medical community coping with COVID-19.

While designs for face shields are available elsewhere on the internet, Dana used its engineering expertise to reduce the amount of material needed to produce a face shield version that the company said is strong, durable and lightweight. If created using medical grade resin, it can be sterilized multiple times, further extending its useful life, Dana said.

In partnership with its employees, Toledo, Ohio-area schools and Eaton, Dana has shipped more than 1100 face shields. The specifications and directions for the shields is available on the Dana Cares website.

The company also helped to develop an enclosure to provide a barrier between patients and health care workers during an intubation procedure. During this procedure, the risk of bodily fluids and airborne pathogens reaching a health care worker are extremely high. The plexiglass enclosure allows for full visibility of and access to the patient and is able to be sanitized and used multiple times, Dana said.

In partnership with a Toledo-based hospital and 2-SCALE, Dana engineers designed and built prototypes for the patient enclosure. After testing, the enclosure apparatus is now being produced in limited quantities by Dana to protect health care workers during procedures, specifically intubations and extubations.

Anyone interested in building the shields and enclosures and providing them to local hospitals can download the resources on the Dana Cares page and work with local suppliers to obtain the materials.

Dana has also donated personal protective equipment to hospitals and is leveraging its global purchasing organization to help health-care systems identify alternative sources for gloves, glasses, shoe covers, gowns, and more.

─ April 9 ─

BigDog Mower Add Healthcare Professionals To ‘Heroes’ Program

BigDog Mower Co., the Hesston, Kan., manufacturer of residential turf equipment, today announced the expansion of its longstanding ‘Heroes’ program, which provides first responders and active/retired military with a pricing discount. As the country battles COVID-19 pandemic, BigDog is expanding the program to include healthcare professionals.

“This discount is our small way of saying a heartfelt thank you to people who dedicate their lives to serving our country and our communities,” said Joe Wright, CEO of Excel Industries, the manufacturer of BigDog. “Watching our health care workers go well beyond the call of duty over the last few weeks made it clear to us that they too deserve our gratitude. It is through their tireless efforts that we will see our way through to the other side of this crisis.”

The expanded ‘Heroes’ program enables qualifying individuals to receive 10% off the current retail price of all eligible BigDog mowers. Healthcare professionals and clinical staff who qualify include doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, clinical social workers, physical therapists, medical assistants, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses.

To learn more about the program, click here.

─ April 9 ─

Deere Begins Production Of Shields For Health Care Workers

John Deere, in collaboration with the UAW, the Iowa Dept. of Homeland Security and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, announced today it is producing protective face shields at John Deere Seeding Group in Moline, Ill. Deere employees will initially produce 25,000 face shields to meet the immediate needs of health-care workers in several of its U.S. manufacturing communities.

Materials and supplies are on order to produce an additional 200,000 face shields. The company is using an open-source design from the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the project and leveraging expertise, skills, and innovation of its employee base.

“Our manufacturing and supply management teams, along with our production and maintenance employees, the UAW, and our partners have worked tirelessly to ensure we could lend our support and protect our health-care workers during this crisis,” said John May, chief executive officer, Deere & Co. “By working closely with the communities where our employees live and work, we can help support the needs we’ve identified close to home and, as the project expands, address additional, urgent needs across the country.”

John Deere Seeding Group employees are supporting the special project and are utilizing extensive and robust safety measures adopted across the company to safeguard employees.

The production of protective face shields is one of many initiatives the company and its employees have executed in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Efforts in the U.S. have included the following:

-Donations to health care facilities.

-2:1 employee match program encouraging donations to local food banks and the American Red Cross.

-Production of approximately 18,000 protective face shields for use by factory employees.

-Employee volunteerism efforts to sew cloth masks for community members along with a match from the John Deere Foundation for the time invested in this volunteer activity.

-Launch of a COVID-19 innovations site to share open-source specifications for related projects, including 3D-printed clips to affix face shields to protective bump caps.

For additional information regarding Deere’s response to COVID-19, visit the company’s Coronavirus Update Center.

 ─ April 9 ─

 Ricardo Joins Virus Fight

As a part of the U.K.’s national effort to provide much needed personal protective equipment in the fight against COVID-19, engineering consultancy Ricardo has today announced that it is about to go into production manufacturing face shields which will be used by frontline National Health Service (NHS) healthcare staff as well as by key workers in the care home sector.

To ensure that the face shields can get to NHS staff that need them as quickly as possible, facilities at Ricardo’s Technical Centres at Shoreham by Sea in West Sussex and Leamington Spa, England are being repurposed as assembly lines and logistics centers for the face shields.

In addition to the supply of face shields to the NHS and others in the U.K., Ricardo is looking to make similar initiatives at its facilities in Europe and the U.S., for the benefit of local communities.

The face shield is being produced to a bespoke Ricardo design, leveraging its design, engineering and manufacturing expertise, it said. A prototype was delivered by the company’s in-house rapid prototyping team and facilities. However, it said it was quickly realised that rapid prototyping would not provide the volumes of face shields needed or at the speed required.

Ricardo used its manufacturing supply chain expertise to engage with an injection molding partner, to create a tool capable of high-volume manufacture.  Using this bespoke tooling, and its engineering design expertise, the team took the opportunity to refine the original rapid prototype design of the face shield for enhanced comfort over extended periods of wear, inviting local NHS doctors to test the new face shield design for comfort and wearability. Tooling and the first batch of units is already in progress and Ricardo will make its first donation of face shields to NHS staff and key frontline workers shortly after Easter.

The company has also offered its services to support the rapid design or conversion of vehicles for use as ambulances and as other support vehicles and has offered the use of some facilities for testing or as logistic centers.

─ April 9 ─ 

 ZF CEO Issues Update On Plant Status

Wolf-Henning Scheider, CEO ZF Friedrichshafen AG, issued an update concerning the Coronavirus on LinkedIn.

“Because of the Coronavirus crisis we at ZF are currently operating within our range of visibility – this means that we are assessing the situation every day for all of our locations worldwide while also working hard to review how to restart our production and indirect activities. We have made progress here to some extent as normality is slowly returning to our Chinese plants, even if production is still significantly below what it was before the Coronavirus outbreak.

“Where production is completely suspended or in emergency operation only, we are partially planning to ramp up in individual cases in the second half of April. Unfortunately, this ramp-up will take place in very few locations only, and not simultaneously.

“Unfortunately, the end of this crisis is not yet in sight. We are doing everything we can to get back as quick as possible to the time before the outbreak of the pandemic. However, we have to assume that we will not return to the planned level for the whole year. At ZF, we all pull together. On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank all employees who contribute to coping with the crisis worldwide.”

 ─ April 9 ─ 

Putzmeister, Sany Execs Provide Business Updates

Putzmeister America President and CEO Jonathan Dawley and Xiang Wenbo, president of parent company Sany Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., each issued statements addressed to “customers and partners” concerning the status of their businesses during the Coronavirus pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused business challenges for all of us driving immediate changes to how our business operates,” wrote Dawley. “I am grateful to all of our business partners for standing strong as we weather this unique time together.

“Our goal over the next few months is ensuring health and safety of our employees, driving financial stability and supporting our customer base which is still hard at work.

“While we are thankful that our business continues operating, we know there are many industries that are much harder hit by the virus.  There are also many medical professionals and support services on the front lines risking themselves to help others.  We humbly thank these individuals as their calling is much higher than our own.”

In his statement, Xiang noted that “The global COVID-19 pandemic is making a huge impact on our families, our businesses, our communities and our lifestyle. Our hearts go out to anyone who’s been impacted by the virus, either directly or indirectly.

“When the coronavirus hit China badly in January, the whole country was making tremendous efforts to protect its people with strict measures. With strong national solidarity in China and enormous medical support from around the world we successfully contained the virus spread in March. However, the virus took a heavy toll on the other countries of the world during this time period. With a grateful mind, Sany Group started to donate medical supplies to different countries to support our local communities where our employees live and work. Sany donated 50,000 masks to Germany in the first batch and quickly the second, the third and now the fourth batch of totally 1 million medical masks to 34 countries in the world. If you are in need of medical supplies, Sany local organizations are more than happy to support you in offering medical masks to protect your employees.”

─ April 8 ─

Cummins Foundation Issues COVID-19 Grants 

The Cummins Foundation is issuing emergency grants to non-profits addressing the needs of families and children impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The grants are targeted in cities in which the company is a critical employer with a significant role in the prosperity of the community.

“When schools closed, working parents had few childcare options, learning environments were disrupted and students suddenly lacked access to nutritious meals and critical technologies to learn from home,” said Mary Chandler, CEO of the Cummins Foundation and Cummins vice president of Community Relations and Corporate Responsibility. “The impact on families in our communities has been swift and devastating. Our community partners are fulfilling vital needs.”

The Cummins Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that operates separately from the company, is focusing its emergency COVID-19 funding on childcare, nutrition, basic needs, and remote learning assistance in communities around the world where the company has a significant presence.

Communities in which the company operates, including Columbus, Indianapolis and Seymour in Indiana, Rocky Mount, N.C., and Jamestown, N.Y., and Daventry in the U.K., have applied the grant funding to address the immediate effects of the growing crisis.

The Cummins Foundation is also one of the funding partners of a remote e-learning fund in Indianapolis, the primary childcare partnership in Rocky Mount, human services organizations in Seymour and food assistance programs in Daventry, UK, where the company is helping with packed lunches and hot meals for kids, among others.

As the Foundation continues to learn the most critical community needs from its global partners administering direct services in Cummins communities, additional grants will be awarded.

─ April 8 ─

Changes At Knorr-Bremse

Knorr-Bremse, which makes braking systems and other safety-critical commercial vehicle and rail systems, said most of its sites in Gemany are working short-time from this week due to the Coronavirus.

In a statement, the company said:

The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is also leading to far-reaching adaptation measures at Knorr-Bremse. Substantial proportions of customers and suppliers in Europe have temporarily shut down their production plants. Many customers have also reduced capacities in their administration and development departments. Against this backdrop, Knorr-Bremse has reached agreements with employee representatives across Germany with the aim of safeguarding jobs and being able to ramp up production again at any time in close coordination with customers. All parts of Knorr-Bremse are taking a proactive approach and adapting their activities flexibly to the current situation.

“Keeping our customers supplied takes top priority,” said Knorr-Bremse CEO Bernd Eulitz. “Many of our customers have shut down operations for several weeks and we now have to adapt accordingly. At all our sites we are reconciling the interests of the company, our customers and our employees and together we will overcome the crisis.”

Most of the company’s sites in Germany are working short-time from this week onwards. This mainly affects the Munich and Schwieberdingen sites and the Truck division plants in Aldersbach and Berlin, as well as the Rail division plant in Düsseldorf. In the context of short-time working, between 20% and 60% of production and administrative activities will initially be cut back for around three months, including administration at the parent company Knorr-Bremse AG. The level of short-time working and the agreed duration varies from one site to the next. The largest Truck division plants in Germany – Aldersbach and Berlin – had already begun cutting back working hours in March. An additional contribution by the company will increase employees’ short-time working allowance to around 85%.

“Our joint aim is to safeguard all jobs,” said Michael Jell, chairman of the Knorr-Bremse Group Works Council. “At the same time we have to respond flexibly to the market situation, because we still want to have a stable and dependable employer when the crisis is over. And we are all making a decisive contribution to this.”

Where necessary and possible, Knorr-Bremse sites in other European countries, such as Italy, Spain and France, and in the U.S. are also making use of similar programs to help protect employees and ensure job security.

─ April 8 ─

New Date For bauma CTT Russia

bauma CTT Russia, which was originally scheduled to take place in May now has a new date. Show organizers Messe München announced that the trade fair will be held from September 8 to 11 at the Crocus Expo in Moscow.

The measures taken by the Moscow city government against the spread of coronavirus will apply for the time being until April 10. In view of this development, “the postponement is the logical consequence”, explains Stefan Rummel, managing director of Messe München. “We are thus giving our customers, exhibitors, visitors and partners of bauma CTT Russia planning security. Their health is our top priority. We are now looking ahead confidently and working with our national and international partners from the construction industry to organize a successful bauma CTT Russia 2020 in September.”

Sergey Alexandrov, managing director of Messe München Rus, explainsed, “We are taking the spread of the coronavirus very seriously and have been monitoring the local situation closely. Based on current developments, we are confident that by setting the new date we will create good conditions for staging bauma CTT Russia.”

After intense communication with exhibitors, Alexandrov believes that “despite the current uncertainties, the importance of bauma CTT Russia remains intact. There is still a great demand for participating and we have the commitment of most of our exhibitors to follow our decision.”

Visitors can still register online for bauma CTT Russia. Already purchased tickets remain valid.

─ April 8 ─

Mower Discounts For Medical Personnel

Scag Power Equipment announced a change to its “Simply the Brave” program, which has been offered since 2018. The program offers pricing discounts of 15% off the retail prices of Scag lawn mowers and mower accessories, and was previously available to current and retired fire, police and EMT personnel, as well as active duty military and military Veterans. From April 6 through September 30, the discount program is being expanded to include medical doctors, nurses and hospital medical professionals. Proof of service must be presented to the dealer at the time of sale.

Additionally, this “Simply the Brave” program will also benefit The Gary Sinise Foundation – First Responders Outreach Program and Nation of Patriots, as Scag will make a donation to each of these worthy charities upon the program’s conclusion.

“The entire Scag Family respects and honors all those who keep our country and its citizens healthy, safe and free,” said Chris Frame, president of Scag Power Equipment. “Today, more than ever, we humbly offer our thanks to these heroes for all that they do.”

Scag Power Equipment, a division of Metalcraft of Mayville Inc., is one of the largest independent manufacturers of commercial lawn mowing equipment in the United States.

─ April 7 ─

Schaeffler Donates €1 Million To Red Cross For COVID-19 Fight

Germany’s Schaeffler AG, a global supplier of power transmission technologies for industrial and automotive applications, and the Schaeffler family, are jointly donating €1 million to the Red Cross to help in the fight against COVID-19.

“We have the greatest respect for all people who maintain our infrastructure with extraordinary commitment in this exceptional situation,” said Georg F. W. Schaeffler, chairman of the supervisory board of Schaeffer AG. “With our donation we want to express our gratitude and respect to the doctors and medical nurses who are doing superhuman work in the fight against Covid-19 these days.”

In February, Schaeffler AG donated €800,000 to Chinese first responder organizations and provided support for Red Cross activities in China.

“The corona crisis has assumed global dimensions. In these difficult times we must all do what we can to support the fight against COVID-19,” said Schaeffler AG Chief Executive Officer Klaus Rosenfeld. “That is part of our social responsibility.”

─ April 6 ─

 Husky Designs Simple Ventilators For Fast Production

In response to a pressing need caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Husky Corp., a Missouri-based manufacturer of fueling nozzles and accessories, has designed a rapid-manufacture ventilator. The units are simple, yet reliable, the company said, and can be produced inexpensively from readily available components, delivered at minimal cost and used promptly with little operator training.

The inspiration for the Husky ventilator design was prompted when nurse anesthetist Nick Till asked his friend, Husky Corp. Engineering Manager Zach Holcomb, if he could think of ways to use manual resuscitator bags as stand-alone respirators. “How can we automatically squeeze this bag?” Till asked, which prompted Holcomb and Husky Design Engineer Derek Willers to launch the project.

The result in a few short days produced a ventilator apparatus using a standard size 1500 ml resuscitator bag, compressed by a rubber ram attached to an air cylinder that is used in product testing applications. The apparatus will deliver air or oxygen at adjustable flow rates appropriate for patients in need.

Husky, designated an ‘essential industry’ as part of the Defense Industrial Base by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security during the COVID-19 outbreak, believes it will be able to produce approximately 500 ventilators weekly.

The proof of concept for the Husky ventilator is comprised of readily available components or those which could quickly be produced with a 3D printer, the company said. The key component is the air cylinder, operated by compressed air, to “squeeze” the resuscitation bag repeatably and reliably. It’s the same type of air cylinder used in the equipment Husky Corp. uses to test its fuel nozzles and components, which often require test cycles that number in excess of several hundred thousand or more without failure.

The ventilator progressed from idea to proof of concept in approximately one week, with refinements and improvements already being added to enhance the programmable controls that adjust the flow rate and compression frequency with precision and ease. Husky is actively seeking confirmation of the feasibility of the ventilator apparatus from a biomedical engineer, pulmonologist, respiratory therapist or similar medical expert prior to making the product available.

Husky said it is also looking at an electric version of the ventilator, rather than one that uses compressed air, for use in areas away from hospital rooms that do not have access to compressed air. The company is also exploring applications where the ventilator could be deployed to third world countries, where a low-cost ventilator would be potentially invaluable.

For a short video on the Husky ventilator, click here.

─ April 6 ─

COVID-19 To Wipe 4% Off Global CE Production, Says  OHR

Factory closures and national lockdowns around the world will cost the global construction equipment industry lost production of 43,000 machines this year, according to specialist market research and forecasting company Off-Highway Research (OHR). This is equivalent to 4% of last year’s total output of 1.07 million machines, OHR estimates.

At present the most significant impacts of closures are being felt in France, Germany, Italy and the U.K., Europe’s largest equipment producing countries. However, Off-Highway Research also highlights the experience of China, where the industry is now trying to make up for lost time.

“Factory closures and lockdowns in China cost the industry 6% of its production,” said Off-Highway Research managing director Chris Sleight. “Some OEMs didn’t close at all, but most were shuttered for two to six weeks and then had to ramp up production once they re-opened. Activity is now very high as the industry is anticipating some government stimulus and something of a buying spree.”

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Off-Highway Research was forecasting a softening of global demand for equipment. “The industry reached a peak in 2018 and 2019, and we were already expecting a decline of 5% or so this year from those record highs,” Sleight said, “COVID-19 will most likely exacerbate that, but we also expect a strong policy response from governments around the world to reinvigorate their economies. It is too early to put a figure on what the impacts will be.”

To read the complete story, click here.

─ April 6 ─

Cummins, DuPont Partner On N95 Respirator Masks

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the globe, Cummins Inc. and DuPont are helping address the nation’s shortage of N95 respirator masks. Cummins’ NanoNet and NanoForce media technology, which uses DuPont’s Hybrid Membrane Technology (HMT), are typically found in air, fuel and lube filtration products used in heavy-duty diesel engines to prevent long-term engine wear, but also can be used in the N95 respirator masks worn by healthcare professionals to filter harmful airborne particles that can spread COVID-19.

The need for N95 masks has skyrocketed in recent weeks in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the world’s leading mask manufacturers are in need of the critical materials to assemble the mask and are struggling to meet demand.

“Cummins is re-evaluating our supply base and manufacturing capabilities to identify how we can support our healthcare professionals who rely on critical personal protective equipment to do their jobs,” said Amy Davis, vice president of Cummins Filtration. “Our NanoNet media can fill a key supply void and help address the mask shortage facing the United States and other countries around the world.”

The first mask prototypes using Cummins’ donated media were assembled by University of Minnesota teams in March as part of an initiative to provide masks to M Health Fairview and other Minneapolis-based healthcare systems. As the COVID-19 outbreak escalated, the University of Minnesota realized their supply of N95 masks to protect healthcare workers would potentially run out in a matter of weeks. To address this challenge, a team of designers, engineers, chemists, surgeons, anesthesiologist and apparel and clothing experts from the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Engineering in Medicine; Medical School; College of Design; College of Science and Engineering; and Center for Filtration Research Consortium (CFR) came together to address this projected shortage of critical personal protective equipment.

“The first thing we recognized from our experts in the Center for Filtration Research, who work directly with Cummins, is that not all filtration materials are created equal and that the Cummins material is an excellent alternative,” said Jakub Tolar, campus health officer and medical school dean at the University of Minnesota. “We are tremendously grateful for the generous donation from Cummins of their filtration materials toward our mask effort. Since the arrival of the filtration media, we have been able to make rapid progress, and we now believe we have several viable mask options, including both a disposable and re-usable option. These designs show real promise in keeping our healthcare workers safe should standard medical supplies of N95 masks no longer be available.”

The project also aims to provide open source instructions that other healthcare systems and groups can use to create their own respirator masks.

While DuPont’s HMT is typically integrated with Cummins’ synthetic fibers to protect sensitive engine components, it has multiple other applications that can include filtration media used in N95 respirator masks. Made using a proprietary spinning process, the hybrid technology materials are comprised of continuous sub-micron fibers. The end result is a “membrane-like” sheet structure that balances breathability and high filtration efficiency of particulates.

“We are proud to make our advanced technology available to help protect more caregivers on the front lines of this global health crisis,” said HP Nanda, global vice president & general manager, DuPont Water Solutions. “We thank our partner Cummins for transitioning the use of its production line to help address the global shortage of N95 mask materials, and we thank the experts at the University of Minnesota for their leadership in testing and designing several mask options for the benefit of many healthcare systems. By working together—and innovating new applications of existing technologies and materials—we hope to slow the spread of this terrible virus.”

When Cummins’ NanoNet media was tested using an industry standard testing method, it exceeded the performance requirements for N95 designation. Cummins’ manufacturing facilities have since provided media samples to mask manufacturers across the globe to test its effectiveness.

While products featuring Cummins’ media will need to be vetted and approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the company is preparing to do its part to help relieve the burden facing the healthcare industry. “We’re working as quickly as possible with healthcare regulators and other partners to help certify products with our materials, and prepare our manufacturing facilities to meet demand,” said Davis.

─ April 6 ─

Sears Seating Produces PPEs For Iowa Hospitals

As the medical supply chain struggles with dynamic issues such as component supplier closures, labor uncertainty, and unprecedented demand, local Quad Cities manufacturer, Sears Seating, has begun producing critical personal protective equipment (PPE) for Quad Cities area Genesis Health Systems and UnityPoint Hospitals.

“There is no business model required for doing the right thing,” said James Sears, CEO of Sears Seating. “Through the collaboration of Sears Seating’s engineers, expert sewers and hospital staff, we are able answer our community’s call for help. I could not be more proud of the team.”

Sears Seating employees began manufacturing mask covers to help prolong the life of the N95 masks and isolation gowns to protect staff working with patients in isolation on March 26, hitting stride with full production March 30. With enough materials to produce 3000 gowns and 5000 masks, team members are refining processes to make up to 200 gowns or 500 masks per day.

“It is going to take all of us to effectively respond to this crisis, which is unlike any we have experienced in our lifetimes,” said Doug Cropper, president and CEO, Genesis Health System. “Sears Seating asked how they could become involved. One of our needs is surgical and isolation gowns, which fit well with Sears products. Any products we can find or produce locally to assist us in keeping our employees safe and safely caring for our patients can also help us avoid delays in shipping or the possibility of shortages. We are extremely grateful to Sears Seating and its employees for helping us meet the challenges of this pandemic.”

─ April 6 ─

Mack Provides COVID-19 Resources For Customers, Dealers

Mack Trucks today launched info.macktrucks.com/thankyou, an online resource for trucking companies and dealers offering useful information from government agencies, trucking industry experts and Mack to assist them in navigating through the COVID-19 situation.

The dedicated webpage will be regularly updated and includes a video expressing Mack’s appreciation for customers, professional drivers, service technicians and dealers, as well as links to the #thankatrucker conversation on social media.

“We wanted to express our sincere gratitude to the numerous trucking company employees, dealers, drivers and service techs across our industry who continue to step up, despite personal and economic hardships,” said John Walsh, Mack Trucks vice president of marketing. “We’re also doing our best to provide information helpful to them in getting the job done. Whether it’s delivering groceries to our stores, performing essential construction projects, or picking up the trash, we know we echo the sentiments of countless others in saying thank you.”

The webpage offers resources such as links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation, all of which offer the most up-to-date information available.

The page also features Mack-specific information, including details about ongoing 24/7 customer support from Mack OneCall^™ agents, parts availability, production updates and a link to dealer locations.

Visitors to the page will also see posts from the #thankatrucker campaign, and have the opportunity to take part in the conversation.

─ April 3 ─

CNH Industrial Updates European Assembly Plans

In light of the continuing emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, CNH Industrial N.V. announced today that the majority of its European assembly operations will remain suspended until April 17.

Logistics hubs, and the related industrial and supply operations, remain operational to guarantee as timely and efficient parts and service support to end customers as possible at this time, the company said. This decision has been taken considering the vital nature to society of the sectors in which the company operates, especially in emergency situations: agricultural and construction machinery, the transport of goods and people, fire fighting vehicles and those dedicated to public safety.

CNH said the safeguarding of the health and safety of company employees remains at the forefront when taking decisions to suspend assembly activities, as well as to preserve others at minimum levels. To this end, CNH Industrial said it is following all national directives by implementing stringent measures and continuing to share and leverage internal best practices globally. This latest decision was reached in agreement with all social partners in the countries in which the company operates.

Subsequent updates on European operations will be defined over the course of the coming weeks, based on COVID-19 developments, the company said.

─ April 3 ─

Cummins Takes Additional Actions In Response To COVID-19 Impact

Cummins Inc. provided an update today on the actions it is taking in response to the impact of COVID-19.

“The impact from the pandemic on the global economy has been sudden and is growing, and it is imperative for us to respond quickly to maintain our strong financial position,” said Tom Linebarger, chairman and CEO, Cummins Inc.

In response to lower demand and customer shutdowns in several countries, the company is taking the following temporary actions to lower costs:

– A reduction of 50% in the salary of the CEO.

– A reduction of 25% in director compensation.

– A reduction in salary for all other employees in the United States of between 10% and 25% and a reduction in working hours.

The company will take similar actions outside the United States based on local regulations and collective bargaining obligations. These reductions in pay are intended to be a temporary measure, Cummins said. The company will continue to monitor business conditions closely and reassess the program at the end of the second quarter.

“These are difficult but necessary actions and I know they will have a real impact on the lives of our employees and their families,” Linebarger said. “I appreciate their understanding and support as we work through these challenging times together. I want to thank our employees for their continued commitment to ensuring our customers receive the products and service they need to provide essential support to the global economy.”

─ April 3 ─

Palmer Johnson Power Systems Statement On COVID-19

Palmer Johnson Power Systems issued a statement on the Coronavirus.

“As we continue to learn more about COVID-19, the entire world is in a state of adjustment,” the statement said. “The same is true for Palmer Johnson Power Systems as we monitor the latest developments and adjust our business based on our core values, ‘We care about each other’ and ‘We care about our customers.’ The health of everyone is our number one concern as we try to find the best way to support our important customers.”

The company said that “Several of our facilities are located in municipalities or states that have issued ‘Safer at Home’ or ‘Stay at Home’ orders limiting non-essential business operations. Palmer Johnson has reviewed all of these orders as they are released, and each has been following the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security guideline regarding the definition of ‘Essential Business.’ Based on these guidelines, Palmer Johnson Power Systems supports several areas of essential business and therefor, can continue operating to support our customers. If there is ever a reason we need to close a location temporarily, we will alert all customers in that area immediately.”

The company said all of its sales and support teams started working from home last week. “Customers should not have noticed this change based on our long term use of technology to allow working from any location,” the company said.

The company said that as it continues production and shipping operations at all locations, it was adding safety measures to protect its employees and customers. “We are also staying in close contact with all of our vendors to monitor any potential disruptions in product supply,” the company said. “To date, we have not had interruption that will significantly alter our ability to deliver customer products. Still, we will continually monitor this and communicate any issues to the affected customers.”

─ April 3 ─

Witzenmann Stays Positive, Flexible

Witzenmann, the German manufacturer of flexible metal hoses, expansion joints, metal bellows, pipe supports and automotive components, issued a statement in which it said it remains a “reliable partner in difficult times.”

“Witzenmann is economically resilient,” the company’s statement said. “The supplies to customers are ensured even in the current situation. Witzenmann reacts with great flexibility to the dynamic developments at its customers.”

“In the course of the Corona crisis, some customers of the Witzenmann Group have closed their plants,” the company said. The Witzenmann Group has been particularly affected by this in the area of vehicle components and the company said it is reacting with temporary interruptions of work in the affected production areas in April.

“In this situation, we keep a close eye on our cost structure and look at how things are going with our customers on a daily basis,” said Heiko Pott, CFO of the Witzenmann Group. “In order to compensate for the strong fluctuations in demand from our customers, we have taken work interruptions in production in parts of the company. Since 1st April, we have also registered short-time working, which is currently increasingly used in the administrations.

“Overall, Witzenmann has a very solid and stable economic position and will withstand the crisis well, even if it lasts for a longer period.”

The company’s broad portfolio, reaching into a range of industries is paying off, the company said.   “Even in this crisis, it helps us that we are positioned across a wide range of industries,” said Dr. Andreas Kämpfe, CEO of the Witzenmann Group.

While Witzenmann recorded a noticeable decline in order intake in the Automotive division, the company said production continues unchanged for industrial customers (metal hoses, metal bellows and expansion joints), in the Commercial Vehicles & Engines division, and in the Aerospace division. The Industrial and Commercial Vehicles divisions are expected to be fully utilized until June, and the Aerospace division by the end of the year. In the Aerospace division, Witzenmann continues to realize high supply orders and the ramp-up of new programs this year. An adjustment of capacity or short-time work is not planned here in 2020.

“Basically, we are flexible,” Kämpfe said. “This enables us to operate ‘on sight’ in the current situation. This means that we can also bring the currently idle production in the automotive sector back on stream in a reasonable time.”

─ April 2 ─

Navistar Provides Manufacturing Operations Update

Navistar International Corp. said it is making changes in its manufacturing operations in response to the continued impacts of COVID-19.

The company’s truck assembly plant in Springfield, Ohio, temporarily ceased production March 23 due to disruptions in the supply chain resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. With the supply chain still interrupted, this stoppage is being extended. Production will resume Monday, April 27, the company said.

Additionally, Navistar said it is broadening its temporary suspension in manufacturing operations to its engine assembly plant in Huntsville, Ala., and truck assembly plant in Escobedo, Mexico. Production will resume at both locations Monday, April 13, Navistar said. The IC Bus Manufacturing Plant in Tulsa, Okla., and all Navistar service facilities and parts distribution centers are currently continuing regular operations.

Navistar said it “recognizes the essential role of the commercial vehicle industry in support of the transportation infrastructure and remains dedicated to providing quality service and support to customers to keep critical goods moving during this uncertain time.”

─ April 2 ─

Offshore Technology Conference Cancelled

The Offshore Technology Conference, which had originally planned to reschedule is May exhibition until later in year, has now decided to cancel the event for this year, another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a letter to exhibitors, OTC Executive Director Stephen Graham indicated that attempts to reschedule the show for another time in 2020 were unsuccessful.

“While OTC’s purpose is to provide an opportunity for those in the offshore petroleum industry from around the world to meet and share knowledge, our first priority is to the health and safety of our attendees and exhibitors,” Graham wrote. “Therefore, OTC has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s conference.

“OTC did attempt to reschedule for the later in the year but found too many energy conferences already scheduled for that time frame. We chose to direct our energies toward a highly successful 2021 OTC instead of competing with events that you are likely already supporting.”

For more information, click here.

─ April 2 ─

Casappa Suspending Production At Italian Plants

Casappa SpA announced via LinkedIn that it was suspending production at all of its Italian facilities.

“In an effort to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, Casappa Group is suspending production at all Italian plants until April 13th at the earliest. This is an extremely challenging time for all of us, but our thoughts are now with everyone who has been affected by the Covid-19.”

In a letter posted on LinkedIn, the company added, “Lots of questions remain about how the Coronavirus will affect the industry and critical supply chains moving forward, but we can assure we will provide support in every way we can during this challenging time.”

The company said its sales and aftersales departments are operating remotely and its subsidiaries in the U.S., Brazil, France, Germany, India and Korea “have implemented the smart working mode as well,” while operations in China are gradually getting back to normal.

“We will manage this delicate situation with care and responsibility,” the company said, “taking all necessary actions to protect our workforce, our customers and our communities.”

─ April 1 ─

PowerGen Africa Rescheduled To November

Following the South African government’s announcement of a national state of disaster and subsequent ban on public gatherings of over 100 people in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Clarion Events Africa (formerly Spintelligent) is rescheduling African Utility Week and PowerGen Africa. The event, which was due to take place from May 12-14, will now run from November 24-26. The venue – CTICC in Cape Town, South Africa – remains unchanged.

African Utility Week and PowerGen Africa attracts over 10,000 people from more than 90 countries and is the largest energy show in Africa. This year’s show marks its 20th anniversary.

“The health and safety of our exhibitors, visitors, employees and the wider public is of paramount importance to us,” said managing director David Ashdown.

“Following the government’s announcement, we have worked with industry to reschedule African Utility Week and PowerGen Africa to November, in order to minimize potential health risks to those connected to the event.

“It is expected that the current challenges presented by the Coronavirus will slow down significantly within the next few months, which means the new November date for African Utility Week and PowerGen Africa will allow us to deliver the most meaningful event in terms of maximizing ROI for our exhibitors and excellent content and experiences for our visitors.”

─ March 31 ─

Briggs & Stratton Makes Additional Reductions

Briggs & Stratton Corp., which last week cut the pay of its top executives, will also reduce the compensation of its salaried employees by 25% to 30% and is halting its 401(k) match, according to a report in the Milwaukee BizTimes. The moves are part of the company’s strategy in dealing with the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

BizTimes reported it obtained a copy of a company memo from Chairman, President and CEO Todd Teske in which he outlined a variety of options the company considered before deciding on the salary reductions, which included furloughs and staff reductions.

“We decided that keeping the team together through this difficult time is paramount, as we need to be agile and ready to ramp back up at a moment’s notice,” Teske’s memo said. “We want our team members to be able to earn a salary far in excess of what governmental assistance provides. And we want to continue to be a viable organization where employees can continue to work and earn their livelihood for the long-term.”

BizTimes reported that Teske said the company would monitor the situation and hopes to adjust the reductions in June.

─ March 31 ─

A Perspective On Construction Equipment Manufacturing In China

In an exclusive interview, KHL Group asked Beijing-based SHI Yang, director of Research at Off-Highway Research China, to describe how China’s construction equipment market is recovering from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Yang noted that many major manufacturers reopened their factories in the third week of February. “However, because of the problems in the production of components, the still partially blocked transportation system and the absence of many employees, their production was at low levels in the first two weeks,” Yang said. “But as a general trend, the manufacturers had restored production to normal levels by the beginning of March, with strict virus containment measures are still adopted every day, such as wearing masks. A number of excavator factories are working around the clock now to fill the orders and prepare for the expected peak in April.”

To read more of his comments, click here.

─ March 31 ─ 

Poclain: China Has Switched On

 In a LinkedIn post today, Poclain Hydraulics lauded its Chinese operation, which has been back at work for several weeks. The company has a manufacturing facility in Shanghai, a sales office in Beijing, and distributors in several parts of the country.

“Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Poclain employees in China have collectively shown incredible perseverance, dedication and solidarity in the face of risks,” the company wrote. “In the middle of February, China restarted operations under difficult conditions with the approval of local authorities.

“China is moving into full-on recovery now. With customers as our foremost concern, our team is currently running two shifts, six days a week and reached a record for monthly output last week.

“Meanwhile, the team has taken this opportunity to show inspirational commitment and solidarity – helping each other, putting in place and executing anti-virus measures, and helping our sister plants overseas, who are working hard to support us as well within their respective capacities. Unis nous vaincrons.

“The Chinese translation of crisis, called Wei Ji. Wei is risk, danger, and Ji is opportunity and hope. Opportunity appears in the moment of risks. China has switched ON and let’s shift up.” 

─ March 30 ─

Two Perspectives From A Locked-Down Italy

Walvoil President Victor Gottardi posted a message on the company’s website in which he reviewed the status of his company, but was nonetheless “thinking about the future.”

“In this moment of global health emergency, Walvoil has temporarily suspended production at its sites in Italy and India, following the Directives of the Italian and Indian governments. Other manufacturers have done likewise to,” Gottardi wrote. “However, Walvoil plants continue to function in USA, Canada, Korea and China; the last-named being a country in which we have been able to catch up with regular operations rapidly. Also the Walvoil distribution network, which has always been very dynamic and cohesive, continues to function where possible.

“In any case, all our Customers can count on our global commercial and technical support even in this difficult period, since all commercial touch points/contacts are active and working intensely, some of them from their homes.”

Gottardi said that at all of the company’s sites, “Walvoil has proactively put in place all the necessary safety measures to protect people and work.”

“We take our obligation to protect our workforce very deeply and so, when we reopen our plants (hopefully very soon), while on the one hand we will be very alive to the above obligation, at the same time, we will also be working strongly and diligently to restart production and deliveries at the fastest possible, in the interest of all our stakeholders.”

The company has also formed a group called the Sustainability Board, which is focusing on containing the Covid-19 virus and preventing its further spread in Walvoil plants, provide guidance top all Walvoil Group companies and prepare for growth in the coming years.

To see the letter in its entirety, click here.

Another view of conditions in Italy was provided by Roberta Prandi, associate publisher of Diesel Progress International and New Power Progress, who is based in Northern Italy.

“The situation, especially in the northern regions is still very difficult, but the past three days have shown some positive signs as the curve of new positive cases has started to flatten out,” Prandi wrote. “Only yesterday the Italian government reached an agreement with the major workers’ unions to review the list of non-essential activities that need to shut down. The original list of essential activities included the production of electric motors and gen-sets, agricultural tractors and everything related to civil engineering.”

To read the report in its entirety on the Construction Europe website, click here.

─ March 30 ─

CNH Industrial Updates COVID-19 Strategy, Includes American Shutdowns

CNH Industrial has issued a new statement concerning its measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that include a temporary shutdown of its plants in North and South America.

The statement is as follows:

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, CNH Industrial has been proactively taking all appropriate measures to ensure the health and safety of its employees, the continuity of its industrial and distribution infrastructure, and its supply chain. All these efforts are geared to ensure that the needs of our customers are met, even in these unprecedented circumstances.

In light of the significant deterioration of the macro-economic environment triggered by the global spread of the COVID-19 virus and the resulting market uncertainty, the impact that such events may have on the Company’s 2020 financial results cannot be reasonably estimated at this time due to the rapid development and fluidity of the situation.

As a result, CNH Industrial withdraws its financial outlook for 2020 presented on February 7, 2020. Further updates will be provided in the Company’s first-quarter earnings announcement and conference call on May 6, 2020.

In previous challenging circumstances, the Company has demonstrated that it is able to react promptly while maintaining a firm grip on its financial position. Accordingly, the Company is currently evaluating all possible actions to reduce costs and protect its financial position and liquidity.

Management has worked diligently in the last few years in order to attain investment grade status from the three main rating agencies. Our available liquidity position at December end 2019 was $11.2 billion, the highest level in Company history, providing a solid cash base and headroom within its credit facilities to navigate such an uncertain and challenging environment.

Despite these exceptional circumstances, the Company is continuing to implement measures to guarantee the health and safety of its employees, in line with all national directives, and the continuity of its business operations.

It is in this context, that today CNH Industrial announces that it is suspending the majority of its manufacturing operations in North and South America for a two-week period, starting March 30.

In North America, the impacted sites manufacture construction and agricultural equipment but most component facilities will remain operational at low speed, in order to ensure the continuation of supply to the Company’s other manufacturing facilities in North America – specifically those that are deemed essential by the U.S. Government. North American parts depots and most dealer locations will also remain open to maintain uninterrupted service to customers. CNH Industrial is working closely with union leaders to implement the temporary shutdowns and the re-opening of the plants.

In South America, the impacted sites manufacture construction and agricultural equipment, commercial vehicles and powertrains. South American parts depots and the majority of dealerships will continue to provide uninterrupted service to their customers. CNH Industrial is working closely with governments and union leaders to implement these actions.

─ March 30 ─

Cummins Announces Annual Meeting, With Virtual Option

Cummins announced it will hold its annual meeting of shareholders at its corporate headquarters in Columbus, Ind., on Tuesday, May 12.

However, in making the announcement in its Schedule 14A filing, the company added that it was fully prepared in case Coronavirus-related travel restrictions would still be in effect in May.

“We are actively monitoring the public health and travel concerns relating to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the protocols and restrictions imposed by the federal, state, and local governments,” the company said. “We are focused on the health and well-being of our employees, shareholders and other stakeholders.

“If public health developments warrant, we will be prepared to impose additional procedures or limitations on meeting attendees, such as holding the shareholder meeting by means of remote communications (a “virtual” meeting) or other changes necessary to protect the health and safety of attendees. Any such change will be announced via press release and the filing of additional soliciting materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission.”

─ March 30 ─

AEM Reschedules Safety & Compliance, Liability Seminars

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has postponed the 2020 AEM Product Safety & Compliance Seminar and Liability Seminar and rescheduled them for Aug. 24-27 in Itasca, Illinois.

These back-to-back seminars are intended to offer industry professionals uniquely valuable perspectives on the latest in standards, regulations and best practices. In addition, one track of 10 sessions focuses on technical manual development, standards, challenges and latest best practices, plus two, four-and-a-half-hour bonus workshops.

Off-road equipment product safety and compliance professionals, whether they are new to the discipline or experienced veterans, will receive valuable information on topics such as risk assessment, hazard communication, developing standards and regulations, technical publication practices and more, AEM said.

─ March 30 ─

Pettibone’s Critical Infrastructure Workers Continue Operations

Baraga, Mich-based Pettibone/Traverse Lift, LLC has announced that after careful deliberation, it will continue in-person operations for essential employees. On March 23, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued Executive Order 2020-21 requiring that all non-essential businesses cease in-person activities. The order includes an exception for operations employing “critical infrastructure workers.” Under the Order, Pettibone is an excepted business.

Pettibone is a manufacturer of products for the rail and construction industries, and the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has designated such manufacturers as critical to the essential functions of the United States. Companies like Pettibone are part of a larger chain that is critical to many facets of our society and economy.

To that end, all production, aftermarket, and shipping employees have been designated critical infrastructure employees and will continue in-person operations, Pettibone said. All other employees will work remotely. With employee health and safety as its highest priority, Pettibone has taken a number of measures to encourage and enable safe work within the workplace and is following all CDC guidelines.

─ March 30 ─

Caterpillar Foundation Commits $8.5 Million To COVID-19 Response

As the events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continue to evolve rapidly, the Caterpillar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Caterpillar Inc., announced it is committing $8.5 million to support global communities, including underserved populations, affected by the virus.

Cat said the foundation’s investment will support nonprofit organizations that are working to help prevent, detect and respond to the pandemic; providing resources to hospitals, medical staff and patients; addressing food insecurity; and enabling online STEM and coding education for youth impacted by school closures.

“These investments are an important expression of our company’s values,” said Jim Umpleby, Caterpillar chairman and chief executive officer. “As we all work together to fight the pandemic, the Foundation’s resources will provide essential support in communities around the world.”

The Caterpillar Foundation is also expanding its existing U.S. Matching Gifts Program to provide a 2:1 match on employee and retiree donations made to eligible nonprofits beginning March 16 through May 1, per the program conditions that can be found at caterpillar.com/matching-gifts.

“The Caterpillar Foundation is focused on building more sustainable and resilient communities, helping them emerge stronger together during this unprecedented time,” said Asha Varghese, Caterpillar Foundation president. “Our employees and retirees give so generously, and we are proud to amplify their gifts and support our many nonprofit partners working tirelessly to keep our communities safe and prosperous.”

The Foundation’s $8.5 million investment is being distributed among a number of organizations and COVID-19 funds around the world, including:

– The United Nations Foundation / World Health Organization Solidarity Response Fund.

– The King Baudouin Foundation Fund for Italy.

– The Global Foodbanking Network Global Fund.

– The Feeding America Response Fund.

– The Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

– The Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund.

Earlier this year, the Foundation made a $250,000 donation to the China Women’s Development Foundation to provide healthcare facilities with critical medical protective materials in China’s Hubei province, where the outbreak initially occurred. In addition to these organizations, the Foundation is collaborating with our global facilities to support local nonprofits contributing to the COVID-19 response efforts.

The Caterpillar Foundation is also a member of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP). Through ADGP support, the American Red Cross is able to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters around the world in partnership with international Red Cross societies, including assisting the International Federation of Red Cross as it coordinates a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

─ March 30 ─

JCB Set To Produce Ventilator Housings

JCB is poised to restart production at a factory closed as a result of the Coronavirus crisis in order to join the U.K.’s effort to manufacture ventilator housings, the company announced today.

JCB received a direct appeal from U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier this month to help plug the national ventilator shortage and to help save lives of Coronavirus patients. Following the approach, JCB Chairman Lord Bamford promised to help in any way the company could and immediately mobilized a research and engineering team to examine potential ways to assist.

Now JCB is ready to restart production at a factory which has been closed for nearly two weeks as a result of the Coronavirus crisis. But instead of making cabs for JCB diggers, the plant is being reorganized to make special steel housings for a brand-new design of ventilator from Dyson. A minimum of 10,000 of the JCB housings are earmarked for manufacture once Dyson receives regulatory approval for its design.

The first prototypes of the housings have been delivered to Dyson after rolling off the production line at JCB’s £50 million Cab Systems factory in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England. The factory fell silent on March 18^th along with eight other JCB U.K. manufacturing plants after a fall in demand caused by the Coronavirus crisis. Mass production of the housings could start in a matter of days.

“When we were approached by the prime minister we were determined, as a British company, to help in any way we could,” said Lord Bamford said. “This project has gone from design to production in just a matter of days and I am delighted that we have been to deploy the skills of our talented engineering, design and fabrication teams so quickly at a time of national crisis. This is also a global crisis, of course, and we will naturally help with the production of more housings if these ventilators are eventually required by other countries.”

JCB’s response to the national call to action would see the return to work for around 50 employees affected by an extended company shutdown announced last week.

To view a video on JCB’s ventilator housing development, click here.

─ March 30 ─

Case IH Makes Statement On Coronavirus

Case IH made the following statement concerning the state of its operations as of March 27.

At Case IH, the health and safety of our team members, dealers’ employees, families, and, of course, producers is our first priority. But farming doesn’t stop, and Case IH North America is deemed an essential business. Because of the fluidity of the COVID-19 crisis and ensuing measures — and our current, rapidly changing environment — we continue to keep a very close pulse on these matters and will adjust our operations accordingly.

─ March 30 ─

CECE Survey Shows Impact of Coronavirus

Almost one third of CECE members included in a survey are being “significantly affected” by the COVID-19 pandemic with 30% already closing factories, a new report said.

A “flash “survey was carried out between March 23 and 27 by CECE (Committee for European Construction Equipment) which represents the interests of national construction equipment manufacturer associations in 13 European countries including some 1200 companies that employ approximately 300,000 people directly and indirectly.

For more information, click here.

─ March 30 ─

New Holland Publishes Video On Agriculture During Pandemic

New Holland Agriculture has released a video highlighting the role of agriculture during the time of COVID-19. Click here to view.

─ March 28 ─

Mercedes Offers 3D Printers For Medical Device Production

German engine and vehicle manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has offered to support the production of medical equipment with the aid of its 3D printers, through which individual components can be produced that are urgently needed in medical technology as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

“With our highly competent team and years of experience in 3D printing technology, we are ready to make our contribution to the production of medical devices,” said Jörg Burzer, member of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz AG, Production and Supply Chain. “To this end, we are also in contact with the state government of Baden-Württemberg. Our expertise and specialist knowledge is available for production; now it is up to the medical technology sector to contact us. Our 3D printers are definitely available.”

Mercedes-Benz has been gathering experience in the research and application of additive manufacturing for around 30 years. Mercedes-Benz already uses 3D printing machines to produce up to 150,000 plastic and metal components every year. This capacity can now be fully utilized for medical purposes. All common 3D printing processes can be used – from stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) to Selective Laser Melting (SLM).

─ March 27 ─

Briggs & Stratton Reacts To COVID-19, Execs Reduce Salaries

Executive officers at Briggs & Stratton have taken significant salary reductions and the company has also implemented a wage reduction plan for all salaried employees as part of company’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Company President and CEO Todd Teske is taking a 40% reduction, while other officers will see 35% reductions.

According a company spokesperson, “This is a daily, sometimes hourly, changing situation but we are operating in a manner that ‘Briggs is open for business.’” The spokesperson said that many of the company’s businesses have been deemed “essential” within state mandates  and as such, the company is shipping products to dealers and retailers. “There is clear demand for our generators at retailers,” the spokesman said, “and in many cases we are producing product in addition to working out of current inventory.

“Of course, we are doing this with our employees’ safety being our foremost concern. We have our Answer Center open and taking calls from both dealers and end users.” Employees are staffing the Answer Center, the spokesman said.

─ March 27 ─

Parker Hannifin CEO Issues Coronavirus Statement

Tom Williams, chairman and CEO of Parker Hannifin Corp., issued the following statement on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout our 103-year history, Parker has been called upon in times of global hardship and adversity. Our leadership and perseverance in these defining moments demonstrates how we live our purpose: Enabling Engineering Breakthroughs that Lead to a Better Tomorrow.

In this moment of great need following the COVID-19 outbreak, the actions of our remarkable team members embody the Parker culture and values that unite us. With a spirit of caring and compassion, our team members are stepping up to deliver technologies used in ventilators to treat those who are sick; engine filters and transmission components for heavy-duty trucks to transport food, water and supplies; aerospace rotorcraft products to support emergency transport of patients; refrigeration technologies to help keep food fresh and medicine viable; and many other technologies essential to people’s daily lives. Across countless critical applications, Parker products and systems are helping with the front-line effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 and support its treatment around the world.

We recognize we have unique responsibilities in the face of this pandemic. At Parker there is a shared understanding that nothing is more important than protecting the health and safety of our team members, our families and the communities we call home. We have taken early and aggressive action to help prevent the spread of the virus in our workplaces. At the same time, we are appropriately addressing the ongoing needs of our business so that we may continue to provide the technologies that are so vital to our world.

Strong, trusting relationships are the foundation of how we do business. Our dedicated sales and customer experience teams are leveraging digital collaboration platforms to ensure we are providing our valued customers, distributors and other partners with the same level of accessibility and exceptional support they have come to expect.

Our thoughts are with all individuals and families who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. While these are extraordinary times and significant challenges lie ahead, I am confident that our collective determination and resiliency will prevail, and we will come together globally to change the trajectory of this virus and emerge stronger than ever.

─ March 27 ─

 A Message From The CEO Of Fairbanks Morse

In a message headlined “Powering The World Forward through uncertain times!” Fairbanks Morse CEO George Whittier, outlined his company’s response to the Coronavirus crisis. Based in Beloit, Wis., Fairbanks Morse is a manufacturer of large engines used in military, power generation and marine applications.

“As a supplier to the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, energy, transportation, and health services sectors, Fairbanks Morse is designated as both critical infrastructure and an essential business under both federal and state Shelter-in-Place/Stay-at-Home orders,” Whittier wrote.” Although our facilities will remain operational to support our customers during this difficult time, Fairbanks Morse has implemented strict guidelines and procedures to keep our customers, employees, their families, and our communities safe. We are taking all necessary health and safety precautions in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and following state and national health guidelines.

“Fairbanks Morse has also implemented a work from home policy where possible. Our staff is strictly practicing social distancing, and the company is providing health and safety tools to employees in our facilities, such as hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. Employees that are critical to our manufacturing operations will continue to come into our facilities, and we have put in place strict health and safety measures to ensure their safety and that of the surrounding community.

“We recognize that it is vital for the defense sector and other critical industries in our country to count on us for support. Just this week, we are preparing engines for the U.S. Navy’s hospital ship, USNS Comfort, to help in the fight against COVID-19. Therefore, our facilities will continue to operate.”

─ March 27 ─

Rolls-Royce Moving Forward In China

Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, Rolls-Royce said it is moving forward with its growth strategy in China.

As part of that strategy, the company has named VPower Group, a global systems integrator in the power generation sector, as a new distributor for MTU products in China. The company has been integrating MTU engines and systems for more than 10 years into their customer solutions. The new distribution agreement covers the sales and maintenance of MTU engines and generator sets for marine commercial and gas power generation.

For more information, click here.

─ March 27 ─

Komatsu Factories Affected By COVID-19

Komatsu is planning to temporarily halt production at several of its plants worldwide. The factories where production will be halted, during varying periods, include those in Brazil, Italy, the U.K., Germany and India. All of its factories in China have now resumed production, the company said.

“At business bases in operation we are implementing a wide range of counter-measures, including fever checks, the use of face masks, flex commuting, the prohibition of business trips and teleworking,” the company said. “We will continue to disclose information concerning this matter.

“We have worked on global cross-sourcing and procurement of finished vehicles and parts in order to absorb the impact of changes in market demand and foreign exchange rates. Although we are planning to halt production at some manufacturing plants, there are no critical effects on Komatsu Group’s production for financial year 2019 due to alternative procurement and inventory reallocation.

“For our sales bases to ensure the continuous supply of products and parts to customers and distributors, we are reassessing our supply routes and engaging in a shift work schedule, in particular.”

─ March 27 ─

Manitou Group Plans Additional Shutdowns

In accordance with the general containment obligations decreed in Italy and India, Manitou Group has temporarily ceased its industrial activities in these two countries. These shutdowns follow those of the French operations communicated March 17.

In the group’s distribution companies, business is also very slow in most geographical areas due to the globalization of containment policies and market uncertainty. Where authorized and when conditions allow this, the group is maintaining the distribution of spare parts in order to serve its operating customers.

The scale and uncertainties of COVID-19 lead Manitou Group to suspend any financial guidance for the year 2020.

In this context, Manitou Group said it remains extremely mobilized to deal with all the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis, with regard to its employees, customers, operations and all its stakeholders.

─ March 27 ─

Mining Show In Chile Postponed

The international mining trade show EXPOMIN, due to be held in Santiago, Chile, from April 20-24, has been postponed. No new date has been confirmed but the organizers said a rearranged event may take place in the fourth quarter of this year.

“This decision was taken due to the rapid global expansion of COVID-19, the declaration of the World Health Organization that classified it as pandemic and in line with the recommendations given out by both local and international health authorities,” the show organizers said.

─ March 27 ─

Europort Romania Postponed to 2021

Europort Romania, which has been scheduled for May 12-14 in Constanța, Romania, has been rescheduled to next year.

“Due to the intrusive measures international governments and health authorities have taken to counter the global COVID-19 crisis, we are closely monitoring these developments and will continue to do so,” said the show organizers. “The health and safety of our participants, visitors and employees are paramount and shall always prevail when organizing our events.

“For the sake of all stakeholders we adhere to the guidelines stipulated by the Romanian Ministry and international health authorities. For this reason we have no alternative than to reschedule Europort Romania to another date. Because it is still hard to predict how the COVID-19 virus will develop over the next months and how soon life and business can turn to recovery, we have therefore decided to reschedule Europort Romania to 18-20 May 2021.“

─ March 26 ─

Terex Dealing With Coronavirus Outbreak

Terex Corp. has created a dedicated webpage to keep everyone globally informed on its latest actions and activities related to COVID-19.

“We are continuing to serve our customers with machines, parts and services despite the obstacles posed globally by the coronavirus,” the company said. “Guided by our Terex Way values, our team members are working together to serve our customers while following strict preventive guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety.

“We are shipping equipment. Parts operations, parts fabrication, service centers, logistics and shipping operations are running. Globally, our parts customer service is open with team members working remotely, equipped with the required tools and access to respond to customer inquiries. We remain well-positioned to serve customers through a number of channels, including parts.terex.com for Materials Processing businesses, gogenielift.com for Genie, utilitiesparts.terex.com for Terex Utilities, and Terex Service Centers, call centers and other flexible delivery alternatives.”

The company said it is “following stringent precautions to keep our team members safe,” and has implemented the advice and guidance of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as following local country directives and guidance. “Team members who can work remotely are doing so,” the company said. “For those working on-site, we are following recommended preventive protocols including staggering shifts, reducing team member concentration, disinfecting surfaces, sending team members home if they ill, and establishing guidelines for quarantine and other steps to keep the work environment safe.”

The company said it “is shipping machines to meet our customers’ needs.” However, we have temporarily suspended manufacturing operations in certain locations, responding to changing customer demand and complying with government mandates to close facilities. We will reopen those operations at the earliest dates, safely, in compliance with local mandates and in response to customer demand.

The company listed its operations resumption dates.

Aerial Work Platforms: Huron S.D. (open); Oklahoma City, Okla. (April 13); Moses Lake, Wash. (April 13); Redmond, Wash. (April 13); Rock Hill, S.C. (April 13); Watertown, S.D. (open), Changzhou, China (open); Umbertide, Italy (April 6).

Materials Processing: Canton, S.D. (open); Durand, Mich. (open); Fort Wayne, Ind. (open); Newton, NH (open); Oklahoma City, Okla. (open); Bad Schönborn, Germany (partially open now – short work weeks April 1 – April 20); Brisbane, Australia (open); Crespellano, Italy (April 6); Fontanafredda, Italy (April 6); Hosur, India (April 15); Jacques, Australia (open); Subang Jaya, Malaysia (April 15); UK/Northern Ireland ─ Coalville, Omagh, Dungannon, Campsie and Ballymoney (April 17).

The company said its supply chain is flexible and resilient. “From the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak, our supply chain teams ensured that our factories received the components and materials needed to maintain uninterrupted production,” the company said. “As we implement temporary plant suspensions and production rate reductions, the focus of our supply chain teams is shifting to limiting inbound material, so we receive only what is needed to support our current production schedules. We are working with suppliers to cancel or reschedule orders as needed.

For more details, click here.

─ March 26 ─

Komatsu Responding To COVID-19, Continuing Operations

In an announcement on its website dated March 23, Komatsu provided an update on its response to the Coronavirus outbreak.

The statement read:

As government leaders from multiple states across the U.S. and around the world are ordering their residents to either shelter in place or “stay home, stay safe,” we are providing an update from Komatsu.

We continue to work with our global teams, distributors and supply chain partners, and as an essential business, our factories, service operations and parts distribution businesses remain open and committed to providing the equipment, technology and services our customers depend on, while prioritizing health and safety measures at our facilities and for our employees worldwide.

As always, our first priority is the safety and well-being of our employees. Following government and global health organization guidance regarding COVID-19, we have enacted policies that reduce risk for our employees including remote work for all who can, rotating and segregating essential operations and supply shifts, strict travel restrictions, prohibiting visitors to our facilities and supporting quarantine needs.

For our employees who cannot perform their jobs from home, our company is fully complying with all Center for Disease Control (CDC), state, and best practices for hygiene, social distancing, and protective measures. Only essential manufacturing and logistics technicians are working in our factories – to ensure the flow of essential parts in support of operations globally.

We are working closely with our vendors, suppliers and global leadership to continue to move forward in accordance with our Business Continuity Plans. Meeting customer needs and providing essential support for the construction, industrial machinery, mining and forestry industries remain top priorities and we will continue to fulfill our obligations to the best of our ability as we monitor the evolving situation, and communicate and adapt accordingly.

Customers who need additional assistance at this time should contact their Komatsu representative or local distributor for direct support.

─ March 26 ─

Caterpillar Announces COVID-19 Response

Caterpillar Inc. provided a business update regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The continued spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is starting to impact Caterpillar’s supply chain, a possibility the company disclosed in its risk factors included in the company’s Form 10-K filed on February 19, 2020,” the company said in a statement. “The company is monitoring the situation closely and supply chain teams have been executing business continuity plans, which include, but are not limited to, being alert to potential short supply situations, and, if necessary, utilizing alternative sources and/or air freight, redirecting orders to other distribution centers and prioritizing the redistribution of the most impactful parts. Caterpillar is committed to continuing to execute these plans and will remain in close contact with its supply chain to monitor future possible implications, especially on production facilities.”

Caterpillar said that at this time, it “is continuing to run the majority of its U.S. domestic operations and plans to continue operations in other parts of the world, as permitted by local authorities. However, due to uncertain economic conditions resulting in weaker demand, potential supply constraints and the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and related government actions, Caterpillar is temporarily suspending operations at certain facilities. The company will continue to monitor the situation and may suspend operations at additional facilities as the situation warrants.

“The magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the extent of any impact on Caterpillar’s business, financial position, results of operations or liquidity, which could be material, cannot be reasonably estimated at this time due to the rapid development and fluidity of the situation. It will be determined by the duration of the pandemic, its geographic spread, business disruptions and the overall impact on the global economy.”

Caterpillar’s said its financial results for the first quarter and remainder of 2020 will be impacted by the factors mentioned and the continued global economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Caterpillar is withdrawing its financial outlook for 2020 provided in the press release filed as Exhibit 99.1 to its Form 8-K filed on January 31, 2020. Further updates will be provided in Caterpillar’s first-quarter earnings announcement and conference call on April 28, 2020.

“Caterpillar’s financial position remains strong,” the statement said. “On a consolidated basis, Caterpillar ended 2019 with $8.3 billion of cash and available global credit facilities of $10.5 billion.”

The company said it “continues to implement several preventive measures while also meeting the needs of global customers. They include increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting of facilities, social distancing practices, remote working when possible, restrictions on business travel, cancellation of certain events and limitations on visitor access to facilities.”

─ March 26 ─

No Hannover Messe In 2020

Show organizer Deutsche Messe AG announced that Hannover Messe will not take place this year due to the increasingly critical situation surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. The Hannover, Germany, region has issued a decree that prohibits the staging of the trade show for industrial technology. From now until the next Hannover Messe in April 2021, a digital information and networking offer will provide exhibitors and visitors with the opportunity for economic policy orientation and technological exchange, the organization said.

“Given the dynamic development around Covid-19 and the extensive restrictions on public and economic life, Hannover Messe cannot take place this year,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, chairman of the board of management, Deutsche Messe AG. “Our exhibitors, partners and our entire team did everything they could to make it happen, but today we have to accept that in 2020 it will not be possible to host the world’s most important industrial event.”

Comprehensive travel restrictions, bans on group gatherings and a prohibition decree in the Hannover region made it impossible to stage the show, the organizers said in a statement. It also noted that the manufacturing industry is already struggling with the consequences of the pandemic. Demand and sales in German industry are declining, resulting in supply bottlenecks, production stops and reduced working hours for employees.

─ March 26 ─

bauma CTT Russia Rescheduled

Messe München, organizers of  bauma CTT Russia, announced that following the directives of the Moscow government, it has postponed the event from its planned May dates. The show has been rescheduled for Sept. 8-11 at Crocus Expo in Moscow.

Messe München said the measures taken by the Moscow city government against the spread of coronavirus will apply for the time being until April10. In view of this development, “the postponement is the logical consequence, said Stefan Rummel, managing director, Messe München

We are now looking ahead confidently and working with our national and international partners from the construction industry to organize a successful bauma CTT Russia 2020 in September,” Rummel said.

Sergey Alexandrov, managing director of Messe München Rus, added: “We are taking the spread of the coronavirus very seriously and have been monitoring the local situation closely. Based on current developments, we are confident that by setting the new date we will create good conditions for staging bauma CTT Russia.

“There is still a great demand for participating and we have the commitment of most of our exhibitors to follow our decision.”

Visitors can still register online for bauma CTT Russia. Tickets already purchased tickets remain valid, the organizers said.

For more information, click here.

─ March 25 ─

 A Message Of Hope In Italy

Italian construction firm Salini Impregilo has launched an initiative to beam lights the color of the Italian flag across the under-construction Genoa bridge in Liguria.

The company said the move was intended to be a message of hope and a symbol of solidarity for the many Italian people affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

The Genoa bridge will be lit up each evening at 7.30 pm local time, while the Italian national anthem is played, and the event will be livestreamed on Salini Impregilo’s website.

Read more about it at KHL’s Construction Europe here.

─ March 25 ─

China “Speeding Up” Construction

China has resumed construction on just under 90% of “key projects” according to an official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and as reported on China.org.

Construction of 89.1% of 11,000 key projects is ongoing – although this figure does not include the Hubei Province which suffered large numbers of people being infected with Coronavirus.

The NDRC is reported to have pledged efforts to speed up the resumption of key projects by solving the problems of labor shortage, transportation and supply of raw materials with accurate measures.

Read more about it at KHL’s International Construction here.

─ March 25 ─

Construction “As Usual” In UAE

The construction industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is continuing as “usual” despite the impact of Coronavirus, according to data and analytics company GlobalData.

As a result of the worldwide implementation of precautionary health measures to help stop the spread of the virus, the country’s trade, tourism and transport industries have all been affected by the global slowdown of these industries.

With these critical UAE industries struggling, the country’s central bank has introduced a US$27 billion Targeted Economic Support Scheme that aims “to contain the repercussions of the pandemic COVID-19.”

Read more about it at KHL’s International Construction here.

─ March 25 ─ 

European Equipment Manufacturers Call For Emissions Freeze

Rules forcing manufacturers to meet emissions deadlines should by frozen because of the devastating COVID-19 outbreak, according to a hard-hitting joint statement from the European non-road mobile machinery industry.

A range of trade organizations representing thousands of construction equipment makers has today asked the European Commission to adopt swift measures in response to disruptions caused by the pandemic.

In a joint letter sent today to the European Commission trade organisations including CECE, CEMA, EGMF, EUnited, Europgen and FEM ask for a moratorium on the application of 2020 and 2021 deadlines listed in Regulation 2016/1628/EU on exhaust emissions from Non-Road Mobile Machinery and 2018/985/EU for agricultural vehicles.

“The situation is critical,” said Riccardo Viaggi, secretary general of Brussels-based CECE, the Committee for European Construction Equipment. “A temporary moratorium must be granted, with deadlines postponed until the situation can be reassessed. Neutral from an environmental point of view, the measure would prevent further economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to our manufacturing industries and the jobs that depend on them.”

Read more about it here.

─ March 25 ─

Deutz Shutting Down Some Production In Europe

Deutz, the Cologne, Germany-headquartered manufacturer of engines and drive systems, announced it will be shutting down large parts of its production in Europe ─ Cologne, Ulm, Herschbach and Zafra ─ from April 1 through April 17.

Many of the company’s customers have already closed down their production or are planning to do so in the very near future, Deutz said in a statement. The statement said the action was also being taken in order to protect its employees and that the company, following consultation with employee representatives, will apply for short-time working.

Against this backdrop and amidst the rapidly developing coronavirus crisis, Deutz said it is withdrawing its guidance for 2020. The company said it has already taken precautionary measures to ensure that it has sufficient liquidity with regard to possible stress scenarios due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Coronavirus crisis is forcing us to take these measures,” said Dr. Frank Hiller, chairman of the Deutz AG board of management. “So far, we have not had a confirmed case of coronavirus at our Deutz AG sites, and naturally we want it to remain that way. The health of our employees is the focus of our efforts.

”In addition, the precautionary measures to ensure compliance with minimum distances between employees are making efficient production currently impossible in the assembly area, which is why we have taken the decision to temporarily close down large parts of our production.”

─ March 25 ─

German Construction Continues Through Crisis

The three largest contractor associations in Germany – ZDB, HDB and BVMB – have jointly welcomed a German government decision for construction to continue despite the COVID-19 crisis, KHL’s International Construction reports.

“We very much welcome the decree issued by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Construction and Home Affairs (BMI) and the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) on the continuation of construction work in building construction, road construction and hydraulic engineering”, said Reinhard Quast, President of the Central Association of the German Building Industry (ZDB).

“The continuation and new tendering of infrastructure construction sites is an essential pillar of the domestic economy, which must be maintained.”

Read more about it on KHL’s Construction Europe here.

─ March 25 ─

JCB Extends U.K. Production Shutdown

JCB is suspending U.K. production until at least the end of April as a result of the Coronavirus crisis and will continue to pay employees unable to work, the company announced today.

The firm’s nine manufacturing plants in Staffordshire and Derbyshire in England and Wrexham, Wales, closed March 18th as disruption resulting from the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic caused an unprecedented reduction in global demand. At that stage, only shop floor employees were affected by the move and were paid in full during this period, while office staff continued to work a 39-hour week from home.

The news of today’s extended shutdown will mean that the vast majority of JCB’s 6500-person workforce will now be asked to stop working until at least the end of April. During this period, all affected JCB employees will be paid 80% of their basic pay. Senior JCB directors will not be taking a salary from the company until further notice, the company said.

“These are certainly unprecedented times and none of us expected to find ourselves in this situation,” said JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald. “In announcing that all those JCB colleagues asked not to work will receive 80% of their pay, we hope to remove any financial concerns that many people will undoubtedly have had.”

JCB said it also intends to make an application to the U.K. government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help offset the cost of its support of employees during this challenging period. The scheme is designed to support employers in continuing to pay part of employees’ salaries, for employees who would otherwise have been laid off.

The government scheme pays 80% of an employee’s salary up to a maximum of £2500 per month. In devising its scheme, JCB has set no cap and will pay 80% of each affected employee’s pay.

─ March 25 ─

Rental Demand In Germany Stable, Says Zeppelin

In Germany, Zeppelin Rental’s main country of operation, demand for rental equipment has remained stable and even increased for certain types of equipment as customers try to complete projects more quickly before construction sites are potentially shut down.

Similarly, in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and the Nordic countries, construction activities are largely uninterrupted. However, construction work in large areas of Austria was halted last week.

Zeppelin Rental’s depots remain open, and its supply chains and logistics were said to be in good working order.

More information is available from KHL’s International Rental News here.

─ March 25 ─

Hungarian Lube Supplier Making Sanitizer Products

MOL Lube Ltd., part of the MOL Group of companies, announced it has started production of hand and surface sanitizers to offer protection against the Coronavirus. The company said it has shifted production of a windshield washer production line at its Almásfüzitő, Hungary, plant to address a shortage of sanitizer products in Hungary. The facility is operating 24/7, in three shifts, producing a daily volume of around 50,000 L, the company said.

MOL said the formulas for the two new products have been created on the basis of WHO recommendations, and have been tested and approved by the National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition in record time in light of the COVID-19 situation. The ethanol for producing the hand sanitizer has been sourced from Hungary. These new hygienic products are thus being sourced from, and manufactured by, Hungarian firms.

MOL Lub has already shipped the first manufactured volumes to state institutions playing a key role in the fight against the Coronavirus (e.g., hospitals, waste management companies, public utilities) as directed by the Operative Group set up by the Hungarian government. Production and shipping will be continuous, the company said.

MOL is also using these new products to protect its own colleagues working at its refineries, plants and service stations against the coronavirus so that an adequate number of our staff will always be available to ensure the security of energy supply in Hungary. MOL Hygi is available in 2 L recyclable plastic bottles for the time being but will also come in smaller sizes as of next month.

MOL Group is also starting production of the sanitizers in Slovakia and Croatia. INA, the Croatian member of the MOL Group, will be producing 50,000 L of sanitizer for now. In Slovakia, production of the sanitizer was launched at VURUP, also a member of MOL Group.

“Sanitizers, which are one of the key tools of protection against the coronavirus, are in short supply all over the world,” said Chairman-CEO Zsolt Hernádi. “In light of the worsening pandemic situation we have, in coordination with the Hungarian government, decided to put a production line at one of our plants in the service of offering protection against the virus.

“Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary solutions. We have made the switch at the plant, obtained the necessary approvals and optimized production processes in only two weeks, a record time. We truly hope that the hand sanitizer manufactured at the Almásfüzitő plant will be a meaningful contribution to the fight against the virus.”

─ March 24 ─

Haynes Enters Temporary Shutdown

Haynes International, a producer of alloys used in power generation technologies and other markets, has shut down operations and will be closed for the next two weeks.

“These are unprecedented times for our country and our company,” said Mike Shor, president and chief executive officer. “Our responsibility is to take action to keep our employees safe while also working to manage the financial well-being of our company.”

The company had already implemented staggered shifts, cleaning between shifts and social distancing and hygiene policies. However, the current widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the decision to implement the temporary shutdown of two weeks in most of the company’s production operations.

During the shutdown, the company will continue to thoroughly clean and sanitize its facilities and will work on plans on how best to structure restart plans. The company said it is confident in its liquidity position as it has a strong balance sheet and a net cash position.

─ March 24 ─

Capstone Makes Changes

Capstone Turbine Corp., a manufacturer of microturbine energy systems, said that in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic the company would be furloughing approximately 70% of its direct workforce, leaving behind only staff deemed essential for day-to-day administrative operations for a minimum period of 45 days.

The company’s leadership team is also taking a 25% temporary salary cut. Twenty-five other top company managers also volunteered to take 15% pay cuts.

“With over 1000 confirmed cases in California and a “Shelter-in-Place” order for all of California, we enacted an emergency Business Continuity Plan designed to keep employees safe, continue to support our critical Aftermarket Factory Protection Plan (FPP) long-term service contracts and spare parts deliveries to our Essential Critical Infrastructure Customers, such as Energy, Health Care, Wastewater Treatment, etc. as well as to sustain our key long-term business initiatives,” said Darren Jamison, president and chief executive officer of Capstone. “In these unprecedented and uncertain times, the health and safety of our Capstone and distributor employees, their families, and our communities are of the highest importance as well as doing everything possible to still deliver on our stated goal of positive EBITDA by reducing operating expenses and leveraging our high margin reoccurring revenue streams.”

As part of its Business Continuity Plan, Capstone is taking the following steps:

─ Beginning March 30, Capstone is furloughing approximately 70% of its direct workforce, leaving behind only staff deemed essential for day-to-day administrative operations for a minimum period of 45 days. This will ensure those who remain can more easily practice safe and proper social distancing.

─ During this period (March 30th – May 18th), Capstone will have a limited production capability of new microturbine products, but has recently pre-built approximately 5MW of microturbine finished goods for shipment during this period of suspended production.

─ Capstone will maintain a crew of essential operations employees to manufacture service engines, remanufacture spare parts and provide service spares in support of FPPs and global distributor spare parts orders and is pre-building and shipping immediately to sustain our critical customer sites during this time of uncertainty.

Capstone said it expects the ongoing, global economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic to have an adverse impact on its revenue and adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2020 and also may have an adverse impact on its financial condition and results of operations for the first quarter of Fiscal 2021.

─ March 24 ─

Dura-Bar Remains In Operation

Dura-Bar, the Woodstock, Ill.-based producer of continuous cast iron bars used in a range of fluid power and oil and gas applications, announced via LinkedIn that its operations continue across all sites.

“We have not experienced any material shipment delays from our suppliers and maintain inventory of all materials necessary to continue manufacturing operations,” the company said in its post. “We are committed to keeping our customers supplied, and measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our facilities remain in place with strict monitoring. We implemented planned overtime to support continuation of on-time shipments. We adjusted near-term schedules to balance demand with capacity.”

─ March 24 ─

Oshkosh Corp. Announces Closures

Oshkosh Corp. posted a statement on its website outlining its strategy for dealing with the Coronavirus.

“A number of Access Equipment customers are modifying their delivery requirements,” said Wilson R. Jones, Oshkosh Corp. president and CEO. “In response to these requests and expected demand levels as well as supply chain constraints, we have decided to suspend Access Equipment production in North America on March 30 with current plans to resume production on April 13. We have also taken similar actions in our European facilities.”

“JLG and Jerr-Dan team members will continue to support their customers with aftermarket parts and service as essential field operations remain open.”

At the same time, the JLG manufacturing plant in China has resumed full operation and is increasing production to meet global capacity targets, the company said. Its Romanian plant also remains open but with limited capacity.

“While COVID-19 is also impacting our Defense, Fire & Emergency and Commercial segments, we continue to use CDC recommended safety procedures across the company and production continues in those segments at this time,” Jones said. “We are proud to build and supply essential equipment that supports critical business operations and helps ensure the safety and health of citizens and the economies where we do business.”

As a result of the evolving impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the company believes its financial results will be impacted, but the magnitude and timing of the impact is uncertain. In addition, production at any of the Company’s facilities may be further impacted as a result of possible government, market or Company actions due to COVID-19. For these reasons, Oshkosh is withdrawing its fiscal 2020 financial expectations. The company plans to provide an update for the remainder of fiscal 2020 when it announces fiscal 2020 second quarter results.

─ March 24 ─

Carraro Halts Some Production

Italian power transmission company Carraro has halted production at several of its sites due to the Coronavirus. The company said it made the decision as the governments of some countries where it operates have taken the decision to temporarily stop, on their territories, activities not strictly related to basic and essential goods.

It said that because of that reason, the Carraro Group “will also have to stop some of its production sites starting from 23 March to 3 April.”

The Italian plants located in Campodarsego (Padua) and Maniago (Pordenone), as well as Carraro India (Pune), Carraro Argentina (Buenos Aires) and Carraro Brasil (Caxias do Sul) will shut down.

At the same time Carraro Agritalia plant (Rovigo) – specializing in tractor production, the Spare Parts distribution center of Driveservice (Poggiofiorito, Chieti) and Carraro China (Qingdao), which has fully recovered its functionality after a short period of closure in the month of February, will remain active.

Carraro said that continuity will be provided “through smart working and with a partial presence in the offices, to the functions that are not strictly productive and are linked to administrative, tax, legal, as well as commercial and operational obligations.”

The company’s main power transmission systems market is agriculture where it makes gears, transmission systems and special tractors. Carraro also develops advanced transmission systems for backhoe loaders, general loaders, telehandlers, wheeled excavators and compaction rollers.

─ March 24 ─

Main Filter Staying Open

Main Filter, a North Carolina-headquartered manufacturer of filters for hydraulic, lubrication oil, industrial air, water, fuel and specialty applications, said in a statement that it would remain open at its facilities in North Carolina, Michigan and Ontario, Canada.

“Recent announcements made by the State of Michigan, the Province of Ontario and the State of North Carolina regarding the closure of all non-essential businesses, provide exemptions for certain businesses and industries that are deemed “essential services,” the company said in a statement. “Main Filter is considered an essential service, supplying filtration products to support critical military, energy, transportation and agricultural industries.

“Because of this, Main Filter will remain open and operating normal hours.”

─ March 23 ─

MP Filtri Announces Closures

Italian filter manufacturer MP Filtri announces the closing of its production plants in compliance with the last decree of the president of the Italian Council of Ministers, released on March 21.

“Despite the whole MP Filtri operational activity was aligned with the provisions of the government and the WHO, it’s necessary to do what it takes when we’re called to,” the company said. The plants will remain closed until April 3.

─ March 23 ─

Navistar Suspends Production, Withdraws Guidance

Navistar International Corp. today provided a business update in light of the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). As of March 23, the company is suspending production at its truck assembly plant in Springfield, Ohio, for two weeks in response to disruptions to Navistar’s supply chain that are resulting from the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. The company is also withdrawing its previously announced financial and industry guidance for the fiscal year ending Oct. 31.

On March 4, the company reiterated its 2020 financial and industry guidance when it announced its first quarter 2020 results for the fiscal period ended Jan. 31, and stated its guidance may require revision, pending any change to operations due to COVID-19.

Navistar said it cannot predict if or when any further disruptions will occur due to the rapidly changing environment as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. The company believes its future financial results will be impacted, but at this time, the magnitude of those impacts is uncertain. As a result, the company is withdrawing its 2020 financial and industry guidance.

As of Jan. 31, the company stated it had $1.0 billion of consolidated cash and cash equivalents. Additionally, the company reported its Financial Services operations had funding capacity available under its $748 million revolving bank credit facility, as well as access to other sources of funding in the U.S. and Mexico.

─ March 23 ─

Westport Suspends Production At Italian Plants

Westport Fuel Systems Inc. announced that pursuant to the Italian government’s decree issued on March 22 regarding COVID-19, the company will temporarily suspend production at its facilities in Cherasco and Albinea, Italy. The directive is in effect until April 3.

The temporary suspension of the company’s production in Brescia, Italy, announced March 16 will be extended to align with this latest directive.

“The health and well-being of our global team of employees continues to be our utmost priority”, said David M. Johnson, chief executive officer of Westport Fuel Systems. “Our Italian team has shown tremendous resilience during this difficult time and we support government efforts to act decisively to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.”

─ March 23 ─

Date Clash Causes Marine Show Cancellation

The flurry of trade show rearrangements prompted by the Coronavirus has led to the complete demise, for this year, of the Electric & Hybrid Marine World Expo.

Last week the organizers of the Amsterdam event said it was re-scheduling the show to Oct. 27-29. However, in a statement today, show organizers said, “Many of you will now be aware of the extremely unfortunate timing of both our and Posidonia’s new dates announcement. Neither our Greek friends nor us could have possibly known that we’d chosen the same alternative dates within hours of each other.”

Posidonia is a Greek shipping exhibition which also recently announced it was switching show dates to the Oct. 26-30 at the Athens Metropolitan Expo.

“We are aware that thanks to Covid-19 and the rescheduling of shows, the industry now faces the prospect of attending almost a year’s worth of shows in just the three-month period between September and the end of November,” the statement added. “And so we have taken the decision to cancel Electric & Hybrid Marine World Expo 2020. The show, which we launched in 2014 and have seen more than triple in size as the industry moves to cleaner, cheaper and more efficient propulsion systems, will absolutely return June 22, 23, 24 next year – bigger and better than ever.”

─ March 23 ─

Wiring Supplier Closing Plants

Leoni AG, a German supplier of wiring systems for specialty vehicles and automotive applications, announced a series of moves related to the Coronavirus outbreak, which is said would likely lead to “considerable burdens on sales, earnings and liquidity.”

Against the backdrop of the expected burdens, the company said it was closing its plants in Europe, North Africa and the Americas, for a period expected to be four weeks. It is also introducing short-time work in Germany as well as comparable measures at other European locations. In addition, Leoni said it plans to apply for financial aid to increase its financial flexibility.

At the same time, the company said the situation at its Wiring Systems facilities in China have largely normalized and. All plants were able to stabilize production at almost the previous level.

Leoni also expects the automotive business of the Wire & Cable Solutions Division to suffer subsequent declines and production limitations. For the time being, production for the industrial business of the Wire & Cables Division will be maintained, although some losses are to be expected, the company said.

─ March 21-22 ─

Statement From Wolf-Henning Scheider, CEO Of ZF Friedrichshafen AG

“As the Coronavirus continues to trouble the world, our first responsibility is to our people and societies. ZF task forces are working around the clock to carefully monitor the situation and ensure that our employees are informed about all necessary measures to minimize the risk of infection – also in their private lives.

“As a major employer and supplier to the industry both in Germany and globally, we are fighting hard to maintain economic stability while doing our part to contain the virus.

“Over the coming days, we are suspending many operations in Europe and North America following announcements by truck and pass car manufacturers. Wherever possible we continue to uphold our end of the supply chain to support operations that are still running or have resumed production. We are also preparing to fully support our customers for when the situation calms down and production ramps up.

“I am convinced that we will overcome this together, just as our colleagues in China have done extremely well. We learn from their resolute actions and appreciate their acts of support as the pandemic shifts to further regions.

“We are all looking forward to re-joining the competition for innovation, quality and value and doing our part to shape next generation mobility when our economy restarts. For now, we give all our strength to keep everybody safe and manage an unprecedented crisis.”

─ March 20 ─

Cummins Provides Business Update

Cummins provided a business update in light of recent changes in customer demand and a weaker outlook for the global economy.

As noted below, today, the company suspended production at its Midrange Engine Plant in Walesboro, Ind., for two weeks in response to the decision by its customer Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to shutdown pickup truck assembly until at least the end of March, as a consequence of the Coronavirus pandemic. That news followed recent communication of lower commercial truck production rates by some of its customers in North America and other plant shutdowns by various OEMs in Europe over the past few days.

While it is not announcing any other production suspensions or plant shutdowns at this time, Cummins said it cannot predict if and when further suspensions or shutdowns may arise. Possible causes for further shutdowns include changes in customer demand, shortfalls in supplier deliveries and the impact of government regulations or mandates.

Cummins said its financial results for the first quarter will be impacted by these changes in customer production plans, but a more significant concern is the growing uncertainty about demand for the remainder of 2020. As a result, the company has withdrawn its guidance for full year 2020 results, which did not factor in the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. Cummins will comment on its 2020 outlook during its first quarter 2020 earnings call scheduled for April 28.

“Cummins is in a strong financial position, we have experienced leaders who have managed through several challenging situations in the past and we will successfully navigate through this difficult period,” said Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger.

Cummins said that as of Dec. 31, 2019, the company held cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $1.5 billion and committed borrowing capacity of $2.8 billion under existing revolving credit facilities.

─ March 20 ─

KHL Statement On Coronavirus

As a business and as individuals we are facing the same challenges as you ─ our readers, advertisers, clients, partners and suppliers.

We are all taking action to contain the COVID-19 virus and to safeguard our families, employees and our businesses. The majority of KHL’s staff around the world have moved to home working, and that may become all of us if government measures in the U.K. and U.S.A. change. We are pleased, however, that our Chinese colleagues in Shanghai and Beijing are now moving back into their offices and starting to resume normal working. That is a comforting reminder that this situation will not last forever.

There are aspects of our business that have had to change. We have already postponed several conferences and events, and others may follow. We are working with our partners and other events organizers to make sure that these changes work for the wider industry.

We are a publishing, events and data company, and providing up-to-date, accurate information for businesses is what we do. That will not change during the outbreak. In fact we know that businesses require more information, not less, during these times.

KHL journalists based throughout the world are continuing to work with the aim of bringing news and clarity to a rapidly changing situation. Our websites have seen record levels of visitors, drawn by our ability to provide a global perspective on events as they unfold.

We have this rolling news story on the Coronavirus on www.dieselprogress.com and at International Construction, providing stories and information from all over the world. KHL is also now producing a high-frequency newsletter, Construction & Coronavirus, focusing on the impact that COVID-19 is having on construction ─ on sites, in factories, and in offices. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

As many of you may be working from home, we remind you that you can read your KHL magazine in digital format. You can subscribe for free here. If you would like us to temporarily redirect your paper copy to a home address, we can do that. Please contact us by e-mail at [email protected]

We know that as an industry we can weather this unprecedented event and come back stronger. We send you our best wishes.

─ March 20 ─

Electric Vehicle Manufacturer Suspends U.S. Production

Arcimoto, Inc. announced today that it will temporarily suspend all production of the Fun Utility Vehicle through April 17 at its U.S. factory in Eugene, Ore., in response to the rapidly evolving coronavirus pandemic. The company will maintain a work-from-home staff to push forward critical operations, including compliance and reporting, research and development, customer service, and deployment of the company’s recently-launched Rapid Responder and Deliverator pilot vehicles to key potential fleet operators.

“We face truly unprecedented times, here and in every community around the planet,” said Mark Frohnmayer, Arcimoto founder and CEO. “We moved to a work-from-home model for everyone who could and implemented aggressive social distancing and sanitation policies in the production facility last week. As we have been monitoring the rapidly-changing nature of this pandemic, we have concluded that we cannot properly ensure the safety of our production team until we have personal protective equipment and adequate COVID-19 community testing resources in place. As such, we’ve made the necessary decision to temporarily suspend production. Today’s action is the right decision for our team, their families and for our community.”

─ March 20 ─

SAE Cancels WCX 2020 World Congress

Due to concerns around the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, SAE International said it “has made the difficult decision” to cancel the WCX 2020 World Congress Experience, originally scheduled for April 21-23 in Detroit.

SAE said it extensively monitored and evaluated health guidance from international health authorities, government- and corporate-imposed travel restrictions and the recently declared State of Emergency issued by the state of Michigan before making the decision to cancel. The organization said it is currently evaluating alternate options for how to best deliver the technical content that has been developed to registered attendees.

─ March 20 ─

Cummins Closes Midrange Engine Plant

Cummins Inc. closed its Columbus Midrange engine plant in Walesboro, Ind., today, according to a report in the Columbus Republic newspaper. The closure was prompted by a shutdown at the Chrysler plant in Detroit, Mich., where Dodge Ram pickups are built,

Company officials said because the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented, Cummins will pay its employees during the time the plant is closed, the newspaper reported.

A day earlier, Cummins Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger posted a personal note on the company’s website titled “We will get through this.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has now touched every corner of the world,” Linebarger wrote. “We are in uncharted territory, and all of us are having to make changes – big ones – in how we live and work.

“Like many of you, I am concerned about my family, especially my parents who are in the high-risk category. I am also concerned about all of you and about the impact the pandemic is having on our people, our customers and partners, and our communities. My heart and thoughts go out to everyone who has been affected by the coronavirus or the problems created by the pandemic. The impact on people is very significant.

“The impact on the global economy is also large and growing and its significance will not be fully understood for some time. As restaurants, hotels, and businesses of all sizes close their doors, many employees will be unable to earn wages and will soon find themselves experiencing financial challenges. Many of these businesses support our company, our communities and our families, and their employees are people we know personally.

“At Cummins, we are doing everything that we can to continue supporting our customers and partners and to keep our business operating so we can support our employees and our communities. Moreover, our products are critical to the economy at this time. We supply primary and backup power to medical facilities, power to data centers and call centers that help keep people connected, engines for ambulances, fire trucks, food and medical delivery vehicles, and so much more. Our service workshops around the world also ensure that these products continue to work when they are needed most.

“I want to sincerely thank those of you who are working at our manufacturing plants, distribution centers, technical centers, and service operations around the world. I have never been more proud of the ways that Cummins employees and products power the world.”

Linebarger added that Cummins is “working across all areas of our company and with governments, agencies and other groups to make informed decisions and act as quickly as possible.”

To read the complete note, click here.

— March 20 —

 Bauma CTT Russia Postponed

 The construction show Bauma CTT Russia, which was due to be held in Moscow May 26-29, has been postponed. The new dates for the show will be announced within the next two weeks.

“COVID-19 is a big concern for all of us,” said show organizers Messe München. “It raises questions about how things will happen in the near future. As the event’s organizer, we have decided to postpone Bauma CTT Russia. Rest assured that we are aware of the responsibility that comes with this decision and will consider all the relevant factors and official guidelines when making it.

“The health of our customers, exhibitors and visitors naturally takes the highest priority for us. Therefore, we will of course continue to monitor developments closely over the next few weeks.”

— March 20 —

Rolls-Royce Statement On COVID-19

Rolls-Royce Power Systems sent the following statement to Diesel Progress:

“The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic also affect Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems and its employees. “Protecting their health is our number one priority. At the same time, we are using all the means at our disposal to keep the business running as best as we can – in accordance with all the rules and regulations,” explained Norbert Veser, Head of the Power Systems crisis management team. “Thousands of employees work in the home office wherever possible. In the production plants, the employees keep the greatest possible distance. They work in separate shifts and we disinfect the workplaces between shifts.

“We keep the manufacturing facilities active in that way so that we can continue to serve as many customers of our MTU products as possible. Because of Covid-19, we will not be able to keep all planned delivery times, but we do what we can: in production, in the office and in service.”

— March 20 —

CNH Suspending European Production For Two Weeks 

CNH Industrial N.V. announced today that in light of the supply chain constrains caused by the COVID-19 emergency in Europe, it is suspending the majority of its European assembly operations for a two-week period. This suspension applies to the company’s agricultural, construction, commercial and specialty vehicles production facilities.

The company said most component facilities will remain operational at low speed, always in strict compliance with national health directives, in order ensure the continuation of supply to the company’s manufacturing facilities located outside of Europe. European parts depots and most dealer locations will also remain open to maintain uninterrupted service to its customer base. CNH Industrial is working in close consultation with unions and works councils to implement the temporary shut downs and the re-opening of the plants.

“The company takes the health and well-being of its entire workforce very seriously, and we have implemented all measures to protect the employee population, as well as to help in the fight to contain the spread of the pandemic,” said Hubertus Mühlhäuser, chief executive officer, CNH Industrial. “The decision to shut down our European assembly plants for a two-week period is driven by disruptions in our European supply chain that do not allow for an efficient operation. During these temporary shutdowns, we will also undertake further extensive sanitization and deep cleaning procedures.”

Alongside these measures, and those already in place at the company’s locations around the world, the CNH Industrial’s COVID-19 global taskforce is constantly monitoring the situation in all markets in which it operates, and will take further measures as required, while continuing to respond to end market demand and service requirements for its mission critical capital goods.

─ March 20 ─

Wacker Neuson Brings Plant Holidays Forward

The Wacker Neuson Group announced that in light of the increasing impacts on the group’s supply chains and against the background of the cautious guidance compared to the financial results of the previous year, the company’s production programs will be reduced starting end of this week and plant holidays planned for the summer will be brought forward at certain plants. Further, the group said it will implement various models of short-time work. The extent of the production cutbacks will then be tailored to the conditions of the markets and the supply chains, the company said.

The sale of machines and services for the construction and agricultural industries will be sustained, as far as permitted by the local conditions. To date, the Wacker Neuson Group said it has a high level of inventory of machines and spare parts at its disposal, through which a considerable degree of supply capability is secured. Nevertheless, there will be partial delays in delivery due to the significant restrictions in logistic chains.

The group’s Chinese location Pinghu has resumed its activities in the meantime. The procedures regarding procurement, production and sales are increasingly normalizing.

─ March 20 ─

ScotPlant Changes Dates

ScotPlant, estimated to be Scotland’s biggest construction equipment trade event, has been postponed and rescheduled for September 25-26.

The exhibition was due to take place at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, April 24-25. However, after monitoring events closely in recent days, including plans to curtail mass gathering events in Scotland and growing concern around the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the organizers said they have reluctantly taken the decision to postpone the show until later in the year.

“We appreciate that this decision will impact on organizations and visitors’ travel plans and schedules. However, the health, safety and well-being of all ScotPlant attendees has to be our number one priority and we hope people will understand why we have had to take this course of action in the face of unprecedented circumstances,” the organizers said.

─ March 20 ─

BMZ Refocusing On Batteries For Medical Devices

The BMZ Group, a supplier of batteries for power tools, energy storage systems and mobile equipment such as forklifts and excavators, said it is converting its production to accelerate its focus on Li-ion batteries for a wide variety of medical applications. Customers producing ventilators, in particular, have asked the company for its solidarity and support. In some cases, the volume of inquiries has risen by 50%.

“We are all going through an unplanned stress test at the moment,” said Sven Bauer, company founder and CEO. “Each of us is affected by the Coronavirus, and we can see its consequences everywhere we look. We have all taken precautionary measures, and we discuss the situation in a daily Skype call, while gathering information first-hand from our international subsidiaries.

“For us, health protection is paramount. That is why we didn’t hesitate for a moment when we received a distressed call from manufacturers of urgently needed ventilators. We are in the fortunate situation of having access to an extensive inventory, allowing us to increase the number of batteries we produce for use in medical technology. BMZ immediately assembled a team to ramp up production. We’re not leaving anyone behind!”

BMZ said it is working to help fight the Coronavirus internally. Personnel who have recently vacationed in a risk area are required to stay at home as a precaution, even if they are not showing any symptoms. Employees are allowed to bring their children to the office, helping make up for lost childcare options.

─ March 19 ─

Nevada Issues Guidelines For Mining, Construction And Manufacturing

The Dept. of Business And Industry, Division Of Industrial Relations and Occupational Safety And Health Administration of the state of Nevada have issued a memorandum of guidelines for the management of staff and labor in the mining, construction, and manufacturing industry sectors. The memorandum supports Gov. Steve Sisolak’s March 18 document titled, “Nevada Health Response COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Initiative.”

As identified by the governor, the implementation of a series of protocols is important to reduce and slow the spread of COVID-19. The following are social distancing protocols and measures that are to be initiated immediately in mining, construction and manufacturing activities:

– Restrict meetings, safety meetings/tailgate talks, and gatherings to no more than 10 people.

– Establish effective social distancing protocols, which ensure that staff maintain a 6 ft. personal separation from other staff during meetings, discussions, etc. where 10 people or less are present.

– Ensure that social distancing protocols are maintained during operation of mobile service equipment designed for two or more passengers including, but not limited to, man lifts, scissors lifts, etc.

– Provide sanitation and cleaning supplies for addressing common surfaces in multiple user mobile equipment and multiple user tooling.

– Maintain 6 ft. separation protocols for labor transportation services, such as buses, vans, etc.

– Conduct daily surveys of changes to staff/labor health conditions.

– Ensure that any identified first responders in the labor force are provided and use the needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and equipment for protection from communicable or infections disease.

– Provide access to potable and sanitary water.

To see the full letter as it appeared in the Nevada Appeal, click here.

─ March 19 ─

AED, AEM Urge Government To Keep Construction Projects Going

Earlier today, the Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) delivered letters to national organizations representing mayors, local elected officials and the nation’s governors urging them to allow construction projects to continue while highlighting the equipment industry’s integral role in building and maintaining our nation’s essential infrastructure.

In a letter to the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities, AED was joined by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), delivering the message that “shutting down construction projects in cities and towns not only jeopardizes continued relief and prevention efforts surrounding COVID-19, but will also exacerbate an already dire situation with little safety or health benefit.”

AED delivered a similar letter to the National Governors Association, imploring its members to reconsider halting construction projects across the country. Additionally, AED joined AEM and the Equipment Dealers Association in letters to all 50 governors stressing that equipment manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, and service technicians must be considered essential to economic continuity as governors continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the health and safety of all workers and residents.

In Washington D.C., AED has been working with business organizations to ensure lawmakers and the administration understand the importance of liquidity and access to capital for the equipment industry. AED joined allied business organizations outlining tax modifications that will help provide liquidity for small- and medium-sized companies.

AED urged its members to pass along the letters to their mayors, city officials and governors with personalized notes telling their story about the impact that shutting down construction projects will have on their company and the importance of recognizing the essential nature of the equipment industry.

To view the letter to the League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, click here.

To view the letter to the National Governors Association, click here.

To view the letters to each governor, click here.

─ March 19 ─

 ARA Sees “Dire Time” For Rental

The effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) are significantly impacting the equipment and event rental industry, according to a recent survey of the American Rental Association (ARA) membership that was released today.

Rental revenues are declining and are projected to significantly deteriorate in the coming months, according to the survey. All party and event rental business respondents indicate event cancelations leading to a loss of revenue when compared to 2019, ARA said. Nearly 55% report revenue loss in excess of 60% and 15.63% of respondents experiencing 46% to 60% loss of revenue. Of these cancelations, the majority are corporate, private, festival and charitable events.

The survey results representing construction/industrial and general tool/DIY members indicate a lesser economic impact, albeit concerning. As of March 16, 37% have indicated no revenue loss, 32.92% have experienced up to 15% revenue loss and less than 3% reported loss of more than 60% of rental revenue.

“This is a dire time for our industry,” said Tony Conant, ARA CEO. “We’re putting the needs of our members in the rental community first. ARA and ARA Insurance have put initiatives in place to ease the financial stress on our members as it relates to membership dues and insurance premiums. Our goal is to continue assisting our members and keep them informed on resources that are available to help them manage through these unprecedented times.”

Some rental operations have temporarily closed, but those that remain open indicate that they are taking every precaution to protect employees and customers by implementing recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and extra cleaning and sanitizing of equipment. Many rental operations remain open in order to provide necessary equipment and services for customers that continue work as well as providing tents, tables, chairs and other items needed for drive-through and pickup areas for restaurants, grocery stores, government agencies and more.

ARA said member surveys will be deployed weekly in effort to continually monitor the impact the virus, legislation, regulations and social distancing are having on our industry. All industry employees are encouraged to join the ARA Coronavirus Discussion Group on Facebook to engage in discussion and understand how others are coping during this time.

─ March 19 ─

Hillhead, Plantworx Postponed

Organizers have postponed the Hillhead biennial quarrying, construction and recycling event – one of the biggest trade shows in its sector worldwide. Also put back is the U.K.’s Plantworx construction equipment show

In a statement the Hillhead organizers, said, “In light of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, Hillhead 2020 is being postponed by 12 months.”

Hillhead event director Richard Bradbury added, “The health and safety of exhibitors, visitors, contractors and employees is our number one priority and with the peak of the epidemic predicted to coincide with the show in June, this would be severely compromised.

“Following an extensive consultation process, the decision has been taken to delay the event by a year to allow market conditions to stabilize and to best support the construction and quarrying industry during this challenging period.”

Also, following industry consultation, Plantworx – previously scheduled for next year – will be put back a year.

“Whilst we are, of course, reluctant to change our plans for Plantworx 2021, these are unprecedented times,” said Rob Oliver, chief executive of the Construction Equipment Association. “In the interests of both our sets of exhibitors and the industry, we will shortly announce our new dates for the next Plantworx in June 2022 at our Peterborough home.’

Organizers were anticipating approximately 20,000 visitors and 545 exhibitors at Hillhead. More than 60 live demonstrations of equipment were also planned.

In February the show announced that a record-breaking 550 exhibitors had confirmed for the event and, a month, earlier had announced expansion plans at the venue near Buxton, Derbyshire, England.

─ March 19 ─

 A Message to NFPA Members About COVID-19

 Eric Lanke, president and CEO of the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA), issued a statement concerning the Coronavirus and how it is affecting NFPA meetings and events.

“With the recent travel bans, event cancellations, and school closings, concerns about Coronavirus are top of mind for everyone. During this time of uncertainty, NFPA and its partners are monitoring developments and taking steps in accordance with CDC recommendations to ensure a safe and healthy environment for members, instructors, students, and other industry guests who plan to participate in upcoming events hosted or supported by NFPA.

“At this time, no federal restrictions are in place to prevent meetings and travel within the United States. As long as this is the case, we are continuing our preparations for our upcoming member events as usual, including the June NFPA/FPIC Regional Conference in Minneapolis and the 2020 Industry & Economic Outlook Conference in August in Oak Brook, Ill.

“However, due to circumstances surrounding some of our partner organizations, such as schools, a number of events organized or supported by NFPA have been affected.”

Among those events affected are a range of Fluid Power Action Challenge events, Workforce Events and Standards meetings.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and keep members informed of event suspensions, cancellations, and other changes,” Lanke  concluded.

A full list of affected events can be seen here.

─ March 19 ─

JCB A Possible Virus “Helper”

JCB has been approached by the U.K. government to assess the possible production of ventilators to help treat Coronavirus patients.

The news comes as the company announced it is halting production for the rest of this week and the whole of next week at its nine manufacturing plants in Staffordshire and Derbyshire, England and Wrexham, Wales.

The U.K.’s health secretary called major U.K. companies last week, also including Rolls-Royce, to discuss the possibility of them making medical equipment to help cope with the rise in virus sufferers. The U.K. government is reported to have asked manufacturers, who are able, to “turn their engineering minds and production lines to making them”.

JCB confirmed it has been approached by the U.K. prime minister and said it has research and engineering teams actively looking at the request.

“We have been approached by the prime minister to see if we can help with the production of ventilators,” said JCB Chairman Lord Bamford. “We have research and engineering teams actively looking at the request at the moment. It’s unclear as yet if we can assist, but as a British company, we will do whatever we can to help during the unprecedented times our country is facing.”

─ March 19 ─

DAF Comes To A Halt

Netherlands-headquartered DAF Trucks has temporarily shut down production at three factories.

In a statement the company said: “Due to the Coronavirus and the decision of governments to close down countries, there is a shortage of parts for the production of trucks. In addition, production workers are concerned about possible Corona contamination at work. For these reasons, DAF Trucks has decided to temporarily shut down production at its sites in Eindhoven (Netherlands), Westerlo (Belgium) and Leyland (England).

“Naturally, customers throughout Europe can continue to count on the service of DAF and its dealers. DAFaid and DAF’s ITS International Truck Service will remain available 24/7 and the supply of parts via PACCAR Parts will also remain guaranteed.”

DAF Trucks N.V. is one of Europe’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of U.S. commercial vehicle and engine builder Paccar Inc., whose brands also include Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks.

─ March 19 ─

Haulotte Halts French Trio

France’s Haulotte Group, whose products include aerial work platforms, military vehicles and telehandlers, has announced the temporary shutdown of all of its French manufacturing facilities at L’Horme, Creusot and Reims.

The company said that distribution and service activities are operational but added that it is “not in position, to date, to determine the global impact that this health crisis of unprecedented proportions will have on our industrial, commercial and financial performance.”

As well as the French factories the company has other sites in Arges, Romania, Changzhou, China and Archbold, Ohio, in the U.S.

 ─ March 18 ─

Kohler President Addresses Virus In Letter

While Kohler Co. has made no formal announcement of the status of its global manufacturing facilities concerning the Coronavirus, Kohler President and CEO David Kohler posted a letter on LinkedIn to Kohler customers, distributors and vendors. In part, the letter said:

“I want to take this opportunity to connect and assure you that we are continuing to move with speed and fluidity in our aggressive measures to minimize the spread of the virus. At the onset of the outbreak, we assembled a global Incident Management Team (IMT) to understand the best science and implement the best practices in this evolving dynamic situation. We are providing clear centralized guidelines and support while relying on our site leaders to take ownership to drive the proper course of action within their organizations.

“While this is an immense humanitarian challenge for the world, our teams in China and South Korea have shown us that this virus can be contained if disciplined action is implemented swiftly and consistently. This is the spirit and approach in which we are managing all our offices and operations and our associates are working diligently. We are doing everything we can to provide a high level of service, while ensuring the health and safety of our associates, customers and business partners. At present, our global service levels are quite good, but the landscape can shift quickly so we are prepared with business continuity plans for all facilities.”

Kohler has domestic engine and generator manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin and Mississippi, as well as in Reggio Emilia, Italy (engines), Liverpool, England (Clarke Energy), Brest, France (SDMO generators), Chongqing (engines) and Changzhou (generators), China, and Aurangabad, India (engines).

Read the complete letter here.

 ─ March 18 ─

 AVL Large Engine Tech Days Postponed

AVL announced that its Large Engine Tech Days 2020 will be postponed from April of this year to April of 2021.

In a statement, the company noted that “the coronavirus pandemic is profoundly changing the daily life of each and every one of us. As a globally active company constantly aware of its responsibility, AVL recognized the seriousness of the situation and immediately took several measures that are necessary to protect our employees and, of course, our customers and suppliers.

“Due to these far-reaching precautionary measures and the strict regulations of the Austrian Federal Government, the AVL Large Engine Tech Days 2020 scheduled for April this year unfortunately have to be postponed to 2021.”

The final 2021 dates are April 21-22, 2021.

─ March 18 ─

Scania To Stop Production In Europe

Scania said it plans to stop operations at most of its European production units on Wednesday, March 25 due to component shortages and the major disruptions that have occurred in the supplier and logistics chain as a result of the spread of COVID-19 in Europe.

“To ensure our customers’ vitally important transports for society, our service workshops and parts centres will continue their operations,” said Scania’s President and CEO Henrik Henriksson.

At present, Scania expects to resume production within two weeks. Scania staff directly affected by the planned production shutdown are employees at the group’s plants in Sweden, the Netherlands and France. Scania is in close dialogue with the union representatives in order to jointly address the situation.

“The management and employee representatives both highly appreciate the state support measures that are now being made available in the countries where our staff now temporarily will lack work,” said Henriksson.

Scania’s industrial operations in Latin America, which account for about one-fifth of the company’s production volume, will still continue as planned.

─ March 18 ─

 JCB Stops Production

JCB is today stopping production at all of its U.K. manufacturing plants as disruption resulting from the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic causes an unprecedented reduction in global demand.

The company is halting production for the rest of this week and the whole of next week at its nine manufacturing plants in Staffordshire and Derbyshire, England and Wrexham, Wales.

Shop floor employees affected by the move will be paid in full during this period, the company said.  No decision has yet been taken on what happens from the week commencing Monday, March 30^th and beyond. Office staff will continue to work a 39-hour week, with many working from home, in support of the Government’s social distancing policy.

JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: “These measures are unprecedented in the history of JCB but are absolutely necessary to protect the business. As we continue to deal with the health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become more challenging to maintain business continuity in this volatile economic climate.

“JCB is a global exporter and worldwide demand for our products has dropped sharply as customers cancel orders and defer deliveries. This is not just a U.K. issue, it is worldwide and with countries like France, Spain and Italy going into lockdown, those key markets for construction equipment disappear overnight.

“In light of this fast-changing situation, we need to re-plan our production and, as a result, manufacturing at all UK factories will cease for the rest of this week and all of next week. This will allow us to take stock of the situation, re-plan our order book, prioritize products that are definitely required by customers, and ensure parts and components are reassigned to support the production of these products.”

JCB’s plant in Pudong, near Shanghai, ceased production last month as the impact of the pandemic initially took hold. After several weeks of disruption, the factory is now fully operational again.

─ March 18 ─

Manitou Closes French Operations Unit March 31

Manitou Group issued the following announcement.

In order to limit the expansion of COVID-19 and following the closure announcements received in the morning of March 17 by numerous partners, customers and suppliers, Manitou Group has decided to close its operations in France as from today 1 pm until March 31. This provision concerns all French operations, excluding spare parts, customer support and some central functions.

The group is currently unable to determine the overall impact that this crisis will have on the financial full year.

─ March 18 ─

Cummins Outlines COVID Measures

Cummins has implemented a range of measures regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and said it is monitoring the situation along with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, as well as local, state and federal governments.

The company said it has activated its Global Crisis Response Team to ensure, it said, that it is “taking appropriate measures to protect the health and safety of our employees and customers.”

Companywide measures include:

-Supply Chain teams continuing to host daily meetings and working to mitigate any current and potential impact to its global supply chain, including dual sourcing for critical materials and working with logistics providers to ensure delivery and more.

-Implementing increased “rigorous” hygiene and cleaning procedures at plants, tech centers, branches, logistics centers and offices, including shared technician tools and the devices it uses to service customer equipment.

-Issuing guidelines for customers and suppliers who visit its facilities and asking employees, customers and suppliers to “exercise vigilance and transparency when planning their visit to prevent any unintended exposure to the virus by reviewing a series of screening questions.”

-Implementing a domestic and international air travel restriction and other  region-specific travel restrictions through April 15.

─ March 18 ─

Daimler Measures In Response To COVID-19

Due to the worsening situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Daimler Group decided March 17 to suspend the majority of its production in Europe, as well as work in selected administrative departments, for an initial period of two weeks. By taking this action, the company said it is following the recommendations of international, national and local authorities.

The suspension applies to Daimler’s car, van and commercial vehicle plants in Europe and will start this week. Connected to this is an assessment of global supply chains, which currently cannot be maintained to their full extent. An extension of this measure will depend on further developments. Wherever operations need to be continued, the company will take appropriate precautions to prevent the infection of its employees.

With these closures, Daimler is helping to protect its workforce, to interrupt chains of infection and to contain the spread of the pandemic. At the same time, this will help the company to prepare for a period of temporarily lower demand and to protect its financial strength.

Given the ongoing spread of COVID-19, the economic effects on Daimler cannot be adequately determined or reliably quantified at this time.

Daimler’s management said it is monitoring the situation constantly and will take further measures as required. Full operations will be resumed when the situation improves.

─ March 18 ─

Virus Fears Hit Volvo

The full financial impact of the COVID-19 epidemic is being felt with Volvo revealing that the virus is likely to hit its bottom line.

In a statement it said, “The consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting the Volvo Group, and there is a considerable risk of a material financial impact on the Group as from mid-March.

“The Volvo Group and its suppliers are continuously working to minimize any consequences for customers and mitigating the impact on the Group.”

For more, click here.

─ March 18 ─

OTC To Be Rescheduled

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), originally scheduled for May 4-7, has been postponed until fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, show organizers said, “The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) recognizes the unprecedented global challenge associated with the current COVID-19 pandemic. The health and safety of our partners, attendees, exhibitors, staff, and community are of the utmost importance, and our hearts go out to all who have been affected.

Considering the rapidly changing guidance from governments and companies, OTC has chosen to postpone the conference from 4–7 May to the third quarter 2020. We are actively working to confirm dates in August or September.”

For more information, click here.

─ March 18 ─

SaMoTer Rescheduled To September

SaMoTer and Asphaltica – the two trade shows at Veronafiere, Italy, dedicated to construction equipment and the bitumen and road infrastructure sector – scheduled in Verona May 16-20 have now been re-scheduled to October 21-25 due to the coronavirus together with ICCX Southern Europe, the precast exhibition-conference.

These events will now be held alongside Oil&nonOil, the energy, fuel and mobility services trade fair scheduled October 21-23.

“The new postponement agreed upon is consequently the result of real time listening to the market and careful assessments,” said Giovanni Mantovani, CEO of Veronafiere. “We took into account the need to ensure safety in health terms and safeguard the important investments planned by companies taking part. This unity of intent with stakeholders once again highlights the sector’s confidence in the capacity of the trade fair system to support it and be a tool for relaunching the sector, even in times of great crisis such as those we are currently experiencing.”

─ March 18 ─

Virus Impacts Marine Certification

COVID-19 has also impacted on the work of the International Marine Certification Institute (IMCI) which certifies watercraft and their components, including engines, to European Union standards.

It said its inspectors and the staff of the IMCI office have today switched to “smart-working-mode” in order to prevent any further spread of this virus adding that this will mean processing will take longer than usual.

The core business of Brussels, Belgium-based IMCI is the CE-certification of watercraft and their components according to the Recreational Craft Directive of the European Union.

In addition, it has other certification programs in this market segment, such as the certification of components according to the standards of the American Boat and Yacht Council and watercraft according the National Marine Manufacturers Association) requirements, both for the U.S. market.

─ March 18 ─

Vibration Symposium Rescheduled

Due to the serious development in connection with COVID-19 and the latest decrees of the Austrian Government, the Vibration Association announced that the Torsional Vibration Symposium will is being rescheduled to May 17-19, 2021.

Those who have already paid the registration fee are automatically registered for the new date in 2021. In case you cannot participate in 2021, participation fee refunds will be provided within the next few months.

The Torsional Vibration Symposium is held in Salzburg, Austria. For more information, click here.

─ March 18 ─

Denso Cuts Visits

Denso said it has put a contingency plan in place to protect its workforce, customers and suppliers in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

It said that all employees, including Denso’s customer service team, are available and can be contacted on their usual e-mail addresses and phone numbers; however, regretfully, the company said its sales and technical staff are not permitted to undertake customer visits at this time.

A spokesperson said: “With recent World Health Organization and Government announcements, it is clear that the COVID-19 situation is set to have a profound impact on everyday life in the UK and Ireland, as well as across the globe in the short to medium-term at least.

“Whilst we are determined to protect our own staff and mitigate the risk of contracting the virus as much as possible, we have always prioritized customer support at Denso and will continue to do so in these uncertain times.”

The company, which supplies advanced automotive components and technology, said it will release further updates as the situation develops, but, in the meantime, customers can contact the company if they have any questions.

Diesel Progress’ sister KHL publication, International Construction, has published an extensive report on the COVID-19 impacts on the construction industry. The full report can be found here.

Highlights of that report include:

French Contractors Call For 10-Day Halt The French contractors’ association Federation Française du Bâtiment (FFB) has requested a 10-day stop to construction in the country to allow the industry to prepare safety measures for construction workers. Read full story here.

Off-Highway Research Comment On China: “China is slowly returning to normal. Factories are coming back to full production and there is an expectation that travel restrictions will start to ease up soon. The Government is already taking lots of steps to stimulate the economy such as relaxing credit rules and allowing Provincial Governments to issue more bonds.”

Komatsu Sales In China: Komatsu has revealed that sales of excavators (6t class and above) in China fell by 35% year-on-year in January and by 67% in February.

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