Friends of Coal Show Walker Support at Local Business

May 8, 2012

Deborah Turley, Rick Turley's wife, along with her team at Frontier Communication, in Charleston, recently won third place for their coal-themed room.




CHARLESTON – Frontier Communication employees gave Walker Machinery Co. a chance to shine in a recent competition.
A Hunger Games Sales Competition, based on the movie, took place between the Frontier Communications Consumer Teams in the Charleston office. Teams were given a color and a theme and were asked to decorate their rooms accordingly. During the competition, teams were given chances to accumulate additional points, and a chance to win $500.
Deborah Turley was one of the competitors, employed at the Frontier Center for Customers with Disabilities. When her team was given its color and theme - black and coal - it was handy that she is married to Rick Turley, Walker’s Preventive Maintenance Coordinator, in Belle.
Rick enthusiastically gathered up any coal mining art and promotional items he could find, at Walker, and in turn – Walker was given a nice nod.
The results of the judging, May 8, gave Deborah’s team the high rank they deserved.
“We took third place out of 12 teams with the help of our Friends of Coal neighbor Walker Machinery!!!,” she exclaimed.

We have not told our story

April 11, 2012

From left: Monty L. Boyd, CEO of Walker Machinery Co.; Walker Executive V.P Tim McLean; and U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, (D-W.Va.)

BELLE - A roundtable discussion took place at Walker Machinery Co., April 11, between various businesses, organizations and politicians. The intent was to raise concern and incite a commitment to join forces - nationwide - in a grass roots effort to stop the  federal impact on mining.
According to an open letter, dated April 6, to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson from various parties, there is a war against coal. It claimed the EPA has a political strategy.
“That strategy, simply put, is one that is a war against coal, and one that will wreak havoc and result in economic devastation on our communities.”
The guests were welcomed by Bryan Brown, Executive Director of West Virginia Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security of Coal (FACES) and Tim McLean, V.P. of Operations at Walker Machinery Co. Some other guests included: U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, (D), Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) and Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association.
“We don’t have an energy policy in this country,” Manchin said.
This discussion is coming on the heels of some recent legislative activities, including the decision, in early April, by a 4th Circuit judge striking down the EPA’s revocation of a mine permit in southern West Virginia. Around the same time, the EPA released new standards for coal-fired power plants that would restrict carbon dioxide emissions.
Manchin stressed the importance of getting politicians, nationwide, on board so together a strong fact-based front can be made against the powers rallying against coal.
“Politics will take care of itself,” Manchin said.
The battle before us is educating people and fighting with facts, he explained. Some folks are unaware that electricity comes from coal.
“We have not told our story.”

From left: Walker Machinery V.P of Operations Tim McLean; Bryan Brown, Executive Director of West Virginia Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security of Coal (FACES); U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, (D-W.Va.); W. Va. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) and Monty L. Boyd, CEO of Walker Machinery Co.

We're right on track

by George Hohmann
Daily Mail Business Editor

March 29, 2012

Technician Kenny Houston of Sissonville talks to Monty Boyd, who bought Walker Machinery two years ago. Boyd is visiting every Walker location to talk with employees.


Two years since Monty Boyd bought the locally rooted Cecil I. Walker Machinery Co., he says the company remains on target for success.
"We're right on track, where we wanted to be," Boyd said.
"I'm pleased with our progress," he said in an interview. "We're ahead of my expectations."
When Boyd bought the Caterpillar equipment dealer headquartered in Belle on March 31, 2010, some of Walker's employees were anxious.
"They had concerns because Walker had been a long-established business and they wondered what was going to change," Boyd said. "Our message was, 'Nothing!' We would continue to service and support our customers like Walker. We wanted to maintain and grow our employee base and continue to provide a high level of service to customers. Those were our goals.
"We've done exactly what we said. The customer feedback we get is the level of customer satisfaction has increased."
Walker sells, services and rents Caterpillar machinery in western West Virginia and southeastern Ohio. The only change in locations to occur since Boyd bought Walker was the November 2011 closure of the company's store in Athens, Ohio.
Tim McLean, Walker's vice president of operations, said the Athens store, which rented equipment, was opened about five years ago so the company would have an outlet near American Electric Power's power plants along the Ohio River. Many of those plants were undergoing environmental upgrades.
The decision to close the Athens store occurred when the power company construction business diminished. All three employees remained with Walker and were transferred to other locations, McLean said.
Walker currently has eight locations in West Virginia and one in Ohio. Plans are underway to expand the company's Huntington office, McLean said. Walker had just over 600 employees when Boyd bought it. Today, it has just over 700.
Boyd also owns Whayne Supply Co., which is headquartered in Louisville, Ky. Whayne is the Caterpillar dealer in 120 counties in Kentucky and 16 counties across southern Indiana. Whayne has grown from just under 1,300 employees in 2010 to about 1,400 today.
"We certainly saw some improvement in business last year over 2010," Boyd said. "That's why there has been an increase in the number of employees."
Walker has always relied on the coal industry for a majority of its sales. That will not change, Boyd said. But to help Walker ride out the coal industry's ups and downs, Boyd is diversifying the company's customer base, primarily by pursuing opportunities with businesses involved in the natural gas-rich Marcellus and Utica shales. Those opportunities include:
• Rebuilding the large diesel and natural gas-fired engines that transmission companies use to move natural gas through pipelines.
• Selling earth-moving equipment to companies that build drilling pads.
• Selling equipment to build roads in remote areas, to clear rights of way and to lay pipelines.
By diversifying, Walker can retain its highly trained employees and constantly be poised to respond to the coal industry's needs, Boyd said.
Demand for steam coal, used to generate electricity, has weakened in recent months because of the mild winter. Also, some power plants are switching from coal to natural gas because natural gas is cheap.
Meanwhile, demand for metallurgical coal, used to make steel, also has slackened.
"We've seen some major economies soften," Boyd said. "But I believe we will see a little bit of an increase - China is starting to pull back on some of their restrictions. I think we'll see a little faster growth in China and India.
"The uncertainty that's out there puts the same uncertainty in our business," he said. "As a business that serves the coal industry, we have to have the equipment available when there's an upswing. When the market starts to soften, we have to adjust inventory levels. As a distributor to the industry, we certainly look at our inventory levels and employment levels. We're trying to maintain employee levels to meet the demand when the demand begins to increase.
"Our employees are highly trained and skilled so it is a challenge when business takes off to ramp up to that level of skills that are needed to perform.
"I'm very impressed with the abilities, the skill level of our employees," Boyd said. "We have a great group of very talented people at the company. They exceeded the level of expectation on my part."
Many of Walker's key employees are diesel technicians. "They have to have a high level of understanding of computer systems, electrical systems, hydraulic and mechanical systems, in order to diagnose problems with our machines and make the correct repairs," Boyd said.
"The machines appear to be large pieces of iron, but the products we sell are very sophisticated, complex pieces of equipment.
"Even during slower economic times we continue to have a full group of full-time training instructors to continue to train our employees, to keep them at the skill level we need."
McLean said, "In West Virginia in our industry, the solution for us has been and will be the community college system. The community colleges have wrapped their arms around what the industries in this state need and are aligning their curriculums to match our needs."
Boyd said, "We work closely with them."
McLean said, "And we support them. We contribute financial aid to students to attend those programs."
Boyd said the highest number of job openings in the company is for diesel technicians. In addition to trying to recruit top talent, "we try to promote and advance people within our organization," he said.
Boyd is an example of that kind of success. Right out of school, he worked for Caterpillar for 10 years and "then decided to make a career change and went to work for a dealer, Whayne Supply Co. I worked for them for 25 years. I worked my way up the organization and became president of the company."
"The Whayne family was transitioning to the third generation, and the third generation elected to sell the company," Boyd said. "I acquired the company at the end of 2008. In the middle of 2009, the people at Caterpillar asked me to consider the purchase of Walker.
"I tell employees quite often I pinch myself as I wake up and realize the opportunities I've been given to grow and advance."
Boyd operates Whayne Supply and Walker Machinery as separate businesses. Asked why, he said, "If you mention Caterpillar in West Virginia, the next word mentioned is Walker. In Kentucky and Indiana when you mention Caterpillar, the next mention is Whayne Supply. I think that brand, that reputation of serving customers is the value. I think it would be a major business mistake to eliminate that brand."
Although they are operated as separate businesses, "there are some Walker employees with dual responsibilities and some Whayne employees with responsibilities for both organizations. We look at the employees who have the skills and talents, who are going to do the best. They are two sister companies working to make each other a better organization."
Boyd spent several days last week and this week meeting with employees at every Walker location. At the end of each meeting there was time for questions and answers.
Asked what he's hearing at the meetings, Boyd said, "In any ownership transition there's tremendous uncertainty, almost to the level of anxiety, about what would occur with the company. Would they be employed? Was the company going to change names? Now, two years later, employees have a better sense of the company's direction. I think their trust and confidence in the company going forward was very apparent in these meetings.
"I think our employees are seeing our company invest in our facilities. We're making a major investment in our operating system. It's one of the largest investments that either company has made in a long time - quite honestly, in either company's history.
"It will be implemented over the next 18 to 24 months, starting with human resources, then finance and accounting, and will then move into some of the operational areas. We've already chosen the vendor and have begun the work. I think they're seeing this investment is very positive."
In 2009, Walker and the Walker family's foundation were together making charitable contributions of $300,000 to $400,000 a year. Steve Walker said at the time, "We give to a lot of local schools. We're in every yearbook. We try to do it where our employees are."
Boyd was asked about the company's charitable giving now.
"As part of our company's mission statement, we want to support our communities," he said. "I think it's very important for us to be a good corporate citizen. We support our communities where our employees live and work. We want to support those (charities) that our employees also are involved in.
"I don't know that I support just putting our name out on a front banner. We especially want to support educational institutions that provide education hopefully for future employees. There are a lot of individuals out there in great need - we want to support those areas also. It is more than dollars. Sometimes it's the use of equipment. Sometimes it's manpower. We put a significant amount of equipment out in Logan, trying to help people recover from the flooding."
As the owner of two Caterpillar dealerships, Boyd was asked if he would consider buying a third.
"It's a rare occurrence for someone to be afforded the opportunity of one Cat dealership, let alone two in the time we accomplished that," he said. "We're looking at any opportunities for growth. If the opportunity presented itself for another, I would consider it, but I'm not out actively looking. I have plenty to do."





Photo credit: Craig Cunningham
Monty Boyd, owner of two Caterpillar dealerships, the Cecil I. Walker Machinery Co. and Whayne Supply Co., stands in the equipment yard at Walker Express - The Cat Rental Store in Nitro.

First demonstration of SITECH GPS system on Caterpillar excavator

March 6, 2012

BELLE - Caterpillar and Walker Machinery Co. have partnered with Trimble’s SITECH dealerships to provide site - wide construction technology for jobsite needs, both in the office and in the field.
Improvements, such as antennas that use GPS satellite signals to compute its exact locations give contractors an easy-to-use, wide area measurement system for a variety of site preparation and stakeout applications. Cat machines are enhanced with technological features that assist in achieving every contractor’s goal of quality work, on time and on budget. Cat calls it “The Connected Worksite”.
On March 6, 2012 Walker and SITECH met with Kanawha Stone Co. to demonstrate the attributes of the SITECH GPS system on a Caterpillar excavator. According to Machine Salesman Steve McGrew, Kanawha Stone’s equipment managers already have several bulldozers that have been equipped with GPS equipment. But installing the equipment on an excavator is an entirely different story, he said. It concerns the difference in intricacies between the two machines.
On a dozer, the GPS is installed on the blade and the only concern, to the operator, is the latitude of that blade as he/she travels along the road. First SitechGaining that correct lip soil height is the goal, which is monitored by the GPS. An excavator is more sophisticated, in that it can spin 360 degrees while the tracks remain in place. In addition, it has other moving parts: a boom, a stick and a bucket, which are moving all at once.
“The GPS started on the dozers and has become quite accepted,” McGrew said. “Kanawha Stone had never tried an excavator with GPS before. It is a little later in its evolution than a dozer.”
Field Technician Ronnie Williams, of SITECH demonstrated how new technology can be embedded into the machine and be fully functional. According to Williams, this excavator was the first to be equipped with GPS and demonstrated in Walker territory.
“They are seeing how this will make their lives easier and more productive, which is the whole premise of technology,” Williams said.
The machine the technology is installed on makes a difference, McGrew said. When sensors are installed on a non-Cat brand, sensors must be fastened on sides of steel. One sensor indicates the bucket position, another measures the stick position and another indicates the boom position. On a Cat machine, the sensors are more integrated into the machine from the factory, he said.
“We demonstrated that technology to Kanawha Stone,” McGrew said. “When everything is working right, the operator has the job site planned on his computer. He can work on slope, on banks, the road or the drain. All of these elevations, longitudes and latitudes are in the files used by the on - board computer software. With those sensors and the GPS monitoring where the excavator is, all the time, including the locations of the bucket, boom and stick, the operator can perform all of these tasks without checking with the survey man, which saves time and money. The savings in increased production and speed is worth the added cost of the GPS technology.”
Arrangements can be made to set up demonstrations through Walker Machinery.
To find out more about SITECH, click here.

Hauling Coal Keeps Family Business Moving

Feb. 15, 2012

From left: Brothers Dale and Kevin Medford work long hours at Medford Trucking, LLC in Charleston, W.Va. Medford commissioned two Caterpillar ® CT660 tractors, in January, from Walker Machinery Co. and put them to work hauling coal from mountaintop mine sites.

CHARLESTON – Medford Trucking, LLC started their business, in 2001, with three trucks.
Now they have 150, according to General Manager Dale Medford.
“I had no idea we would be this successful,” he said. “There are not very many coal hauling companies that have been in business for 10 years that have been as successful as we have. I don’t know what we’ve done right, but we have really been blessed.”
He attributes that success to a reputation built upon responsiveness and accountability.
“They’ve never called us and said they needed a job done that we didn’t do for them. Whatever day of the week it is, we’ve always met our quota,” he said.
Dale began working for the family company in 2006. He oversees the staff of mechanics, truck drivers and trucks. He likes the variety the job brings, he said. The company is in approx. seven mines and is always ready for more work, Dale said. A typical call requests 50,000 tons of coal to be moved. One mine has Medford hauling about 60,000 tons per week off of one job.
“That’s an average of about 225 loads a day,” he said. “It takes about 2-1/2 to 3 hours to make a round trip. We keep 40-45 trucks a day on day shift and probably 30-35 trucks on night shift to take care of that job.”
Dale said Medford’s goal is to run every truck they own. His brothers Kevin and Roger own the business that once sat at the mouth of Witcher Creek. Back then, the coal industry started picking up.
“We got into the trucking industry on the coal mine end of it at the right time,” Dale said.
The company stays busy, 24/7 hauling coal in mostly a three-county area of Fayette, Kanawha and Boone with some work in Logan. Drivers haul the coal to river docks and rail yards.
“It keeps us busy,” Dale said. “We’ll take on anything. They know our reputation.”

WALKER'S SAFETY RECORD RECEIVES RECOGNITION

Feb. 3, 2012

From left: Inspector-at-Large Region 1, Westover, W.Va Ed Peddicord; Walker Machinery’s V.P. of Operations Tim McLean; Director of W.Va’s Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training C. A. Phillips; Walker Machinery’s Corporate Safety Manager Michelle Brogan; Walker Machinery’s Corporate Safety Director Ryan Corbin; Senior Vice President, W. Va. Coal Association Chris R. Hamilton and W.Va. Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety Terry Hudson.


CHARLESTON - The West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training (WVOMHST) and the West Virginia Coal Association (WVCA), presented their annual Mountaineer Guardian Safety Awards during the 39th annual WV Coal Mining Symposium that took place Feb. 3, in Charleston. It is with great pride and honor to announce that Walker Machinery Co. was the recipient of the award for independent contractors working on coal mines in West Virginia.
The WVOMHST and the WVCA established the Mountaineer Guardian Safety Awards Program, in 1983, as a joint effort to promote safety in the coal fields of the state. This special program gives recognition to workplaces in the mining industry for their safety efforts. Operations are nominated by mine inspectors and are graded according to several criteria, including: safety initiatives within the company, co-operative efforts with the regulatory agencies, accident incident rate and violation history. Mining Operations are divided into categories based on the number of employees, and awards are given to the top performers in each category.
According to Corporate Safety Director Ryan T. Corbin, Walker Machinery is very honored to receive this award.
“No one person is responsible for this achievement,” Corbin said. “Rather, it is from the collective efforts of our management’s leadership and support and the true commitment and enthusiasm of our world-class employees. Businesses and organizations have many similar goals, but none of those goals matter if in the course of achieving them, workers are injured. That has been and continues to be our philosophy at Walker Machinery. I would like to personally thank all of our employees who worked on mine property in 2011 for their exemplary performance in the field, as indicated by this achievement.”
There are approximately 2,350 independent contractors registered in West Virginia and Walker Machinery was chosen to be #1 in coal operations, Corbin said. Walker Machinery also won this prestigious award in 2007, which further demonstrates the dedication of Walker employees to embrace safety.
“We certainly hope to continue to improve the safety and health of our employees and our commitment to our customers, the environment, and our community,” Corbin said.

Boy scout chooses cat theme for pinewood derby car

Feb. 1, 2011

Josh McCormick and his son David designed David's Pinewood Derby car in the Caterpillar® theme.

CHARLESTON - David McCormick is a member of Boy Scout Troop 419, of Kenna, W.Va.
Under the direction of his Pack Master Dick Ledford, David fearlessly competed in the Pinewood Derby race that took place Dec. 10.
When it came time to choose the car’s design, David’s father, Josh, suggested the Caterpillar® theme of yellow and black. Josh is River Operations Manager of Martin Marietta Materials, one of Walker’s customers.
“I enjoy managing folks and the environment we work in and working with machinery and equipment,” Josh said. “I like the big machines too.”
So does David. Together they sanded the Cat car and prepared it for the competition. What else does David like about the scouts?
“You get to do art, have fun and meet friends,” he said.

Jobs and funding drove "transportation day"

Jan. 12, 2012

From left: Walker Express Manager Walter Clark, CAWV President Gene Thompson, Walker Operational Sales Manager Ernie George, Walker Sales Manager Eric Ramey, Walker Salesmen Greg Calvert and Matt Conner support "Transportation Day", Jan. 12 at State Capitol, in Charleston.

CHARLESTON – Mobility demands for 21st Century require roads, highways and bridges that can accommodate employment and commerce of a modern society.
For that reason, close to 200 Contractors Association of West Virginia (CAWV) members and West Virginians for Better Transportation (WVBT) coalition partners stood strong, Jan. 12, to promote “Transportation Day.” The event took place at the State Capitol. In reflective vests, the group was easily visible to lawmakers. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin took time to meet with attendees to show his support.
Filling the House of Delegates and Senate balconies for their 11:00 a.m. floor sessions, the group witnessed the adoption of a resolution. The adoption sent a message from both chambers of the importance of a safe and modern transportation system and the acknowledgement of the challenges facing the continued construction and maintenance of the state’s highways and bridges.
According to CAWV President Gene Thompson, the message was about jobs and funding. The gathering was for finding a secure transportation funding source not only for maintenance of the existing infrastructure but also for new construction and expansion, he said.
“The more road jobs the more pieces of equipment you rent,” he said. “The more skid steer loaders you rent the more mechanics - the more parts you need the more tires you order.”
Walter Clark, General Manager of Walker Express, Walker Machinery Co. thought it was a great turnout.
“It’s really a reflection of our commitment of what’s going on,” Clark said.
The group joined together at 1:00 p.m. for a press conference featuring WVBT Chairman Hilborn, CAWV President Thompson, AFL-CIO President Kenny Perdue, Senate President Jeff Kessler, House Roads and Transportation Chair Margaret Staggers and Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Bob Beech.
A Joint Hearing of the House and Senate transportation committees was held at 2:00 p.m. Members again filled the balcony as committee members heard testimony from WV Division of Highways Secretary Paul Mattox, WVU Bureau of Business and Economic Research Director Dr. Tom Witt, AFL-CIO President Perdue, Business and Industry Council President Jan Vineyard, CAWV President Thompson and WVBT Chairman Hilborn. The hearing was covered by a variety of news outlets.

Zack peters makes walker proud

Dec. 2,  2011

BELLE - In 1972, Caterpillar Inc. began remanufacturing diesel engines at the request of Ford Motor Co. At the time, the remanufacturing of components by OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) was not standard in Caterpillar's core business of heavy earth-moving equipment. Today, Caterpillar is convinced of the economic feasibility of remanufacturing and so is Walker Machinery Co. This year they will have about 55 Certified Rebuilds under their tool belts.
Zack Peters, Inside Sales and Product Support, for Walker, recently attended Reman University and came out the Valedictorian. The victory almost went to Mining Product Support Sales Representative (PSSR) Jeremy Summers, as they tied for first place on their exams. But Peters asked more questions during the week, and came out the champion.
“During the week if we asked questions they gave us little cards,” Peters said. “They told us they would be useful at the end. I had more cards so I got the trophy over him.”
Reman University is a 2-1/2 day program offered to Caterpillar Dealers to equip attendees with a “Bachelors Degree” level of knowledge about Reman’s strategies, products, quality, selling and value messages, core management procedures, commercial policies and anything else to know about Reman.
Twenty-seven students attended Reman with 40 participants total. Six Caterpillar dealerships were represented, including: Louisiana Machinery, MacAllister Machinery, Whayne Supply Co., Walker, Barlowworld Equipment (South Africa) and Toromont Industries Ltd. (Canada). Some other attendees included folks from Bucyrus International, Inc., Caterpillar and Walker’s PSSR Manager Brent Samples.
“Our intent at REMAN University was to learn the “how and why” of remanufactured components,” Samples said. “How we can better use the product to supplement our exchange product and why “remanufacturing” is different from “re-conditioning”. To better equip ourselves to be the best option for our customers.”
Peters took away some important information from the university, such as familiarizing himself with reman engines without calling the Cat help line every time.
“They had a little over 32,000 calls last year with three guys working the phones,” Peters said.
Peters primarily works with quoting Certified Rebuilds. They are generally 40 to 60 percent of the machine’s original cost. Depending on the serial number, there can be up to four different arrangements per machine. He has to know his stuff, as there can be a really big price difference between engines.
Turnaround time depends on the machine size, complexity and the availability of parts. A D11 normally takes eight weeks, a D9 - six and a 992, usually about eight-10 weeks, Peters said.
“The process restores an old machine back to new. It gives the machine a new life,” he said.
To keep this process running smoothly, Peters continues his training. Next week he has a computer class on Caterpillar's Vital Information Management System. This is a powerful tool for machine management that provides operators, service personnel and managers information on a wide range of vital machine functions. He is also scheduled for intermediate PSSR training, in May.

Parts man grateful for job

Oct. 12, 2011

Photo 1: At one time, the parts were referenced by microfiche and orders had to be hand-written.
Photo 2: Parts man Keith Briggs plans to retire from Walker in 2021. He has worked here 33 years.

BELLE –Parts man Keith Briggs said his job at Walker keeps food on the table.
Briggs, of East Bank, began with Walker Machinery Co. in 1978, at $4.92 per hour. He started working midnights and remained on that shift 10-12 years. An evening shift job became available at the time his daughter, Amanda, just started school. This allowed him to volunteer at Cheylan Elementary. He worked evenings about five years and then came to day shift.

“It’s a good job,” Briggs said. “We more or less do the same job every day. It’s good steady work.”
Briggs has worked at Walker for 33 years and plans to retire in 2021.
“All the people I’ve worked with have been really nice. I hope they like me,” he said.
Briggs turned 55, Nov. 10. He has changed, over the years, and so has his job. In 1978,
parts were referenced by hundreds of books. The orders were written by hand. Now everything has been computerized.
To avoid retyping in thousands of the same part number, Briggs has a system where he hits one button to fill orders with recurring part numbers. While the computer is handy, Briggs still refers back to the old manual systems when he has trouble finding something.
Despite the modernizations, one thing remains the same. Walker is a good place to work, Briggs said.
Briggs and his wife, Donna, have a daughter, Amanda, who graduated from the University of Charleston with an art degree. When Briggs is not working, he is a volunteer for the Belle Church of Christ and for the Riverside High School football team. Donna works a weird schedule, he said.
“We don’t see a lot of each other, but she is very understanding.”

Walker engine power provides vital resource to water industries

Sept 13, 2011

From left: Product Support Rep. Bill Durbin and Sales Rep. Jody Pauley represented Walker Engine Power at West Virginia Rural Water Association's Annual Technical Conference. The event took place at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Sept. 10-14.

SNOWSHOE – According to Walker Engine Power Sales Rep. Jody Pauley backup
power in the water treatment/water producing industries is vital.“If the power goes out,
it is important to have a plan in place to continue to not only produce and treat water,
but to maintain the delivery systems,” he said. Consequently, in addition to
Walker Engine Power many government health agency representatives, such as
the Department of Environmental Protection attended the West Virginia Rural
Water Association’s annual Technical Conference.
“They are very interested in what we have to offer,” Pauley said.
The event took place at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Sept. 10-14. Pauley and
Product Support Rep. Bill Durbin attended a booth showcasing what the Engine
Power Division has to offer. They had brochures of docking stations; rental supplies
showcasing everything from air compressors, heaters to generators and the new
CT660 Caterpillar Vocational Truck. They also provided rental planning worksheets.
These offer a series of questions to prepare folks for a power outage.
“When the lights do go out they will be prepared and know who to call, either myself,
Bill or someone else at Walker Engine Power. It is another way to minimize their down
time,” Pauley said. Walker also had an outdoor display featuring an  XQ30 Cat generator.

 Additionally, Durbin and Pauley taught a free course. The two-hour session packed in 
about 40 attendees. “Out of those we made 30 new contacts,” Durbin said. The class,
“Generator Sizing and Design”, was about what generators are, how they work and
why they are needed. It also presented information on the importance of contingency plans
and what to do if the lights go out.
This was Walker’s fourth year to participate in the convention and according to Pauley it was the
biggest crowd. One attendee Rob Weaver, construction supervisor for Lavalette Public Service
District, said his department is very happy with their Cat C9 250kW trailer-mounted generator.
“We’ve not had any problems,” Weaver said. “We get great service out of the guys and the
machines are very dependable.”

For more information on Walker Engine Power click here.



XQ30 Cat Generator

 


Walker machinery on cutting edge of technology

May 5, 2011

Brent Sayre, owner of Sayre Excavating, in Kenna, tries out the high-accuracy Global Positing System that Walker Machinery Co. has made available on their Caterpillar machines.

RAVENSWOOD – According to Brent Sayre, a lot of people misunderstand how dirt works, such as where to put it, where not to put it, compaction and the impact of weather conditions. Every job posts its own challenges, he said.
Brent and his father Dencil own Sayre Excavating, in Kenna, W.Va. They attended Walker Machinery’s Caterpillar Connected Worksite Demo Day, May 5. The event was co-hosted by Charles Parker, training director of Local 132 International Union of Operating Engineers., at their training site in Ravenswood, W.Va. and Sales Manager Eric Ramey, of Cecil I. Walker Machinery Co. of Belle, W.Va.
“Most of the jobs I do have no plans,” Brent said. “I do things from experience. I drive the truck myself, most of the time. The hard part is figuring out with the customer, what they want and getting it done the right way. With the GPS, it shows you what’s there. You can actually do a layout and show a customer and say; here is what we can do on your site.”
Brent is talking about the high-accuracy Global Positioning System (GPS) that Walker Machinery has made available on their Caterpillar machines.
Caterpillar is the first to offer a fully-engineered and integrated system from the factory select models of Cat equipment: Developed, designed, tested, integrated, manufactured and supported by Cat.
Many Cat machines are Grade Control Ready as standard, which simplifies system installation and optimizes reliability. Caterpillar and Walker Machinery have partnered with Trimble’s SITECH dealerships to provide site - wide construction technology for jobsite needs, both in the office and in the field.
Improvements, such as antennas that use GPS satellite signals to compute its exact locations, give contractors an easy-to-use, wide area measurement system for a variety of site preparation and stakeout applications. Cat machines are enhanced with technological features that assist in achieving every contractor’s goal of quality work, on time, and on budget. Cat calls it “The Connected Worksite”.
The demonstration was actually a three-day event, May 3-5. The first day benefited the Walker sales team, day two - the operating engineers, and day three - the customers. According to Ramey, in the commercial construction industry, the building commercial excavating contractor is up against serious competition in the bidding process.
“Usually on a project there are cost concerns involved,” Ramey said. “The developer wants it done as cost-effective as possible, which means they want it done right the first time.”
Technology Sales Specialist with SITECH J.D. Weis presented a very basic understanding of the GPS process and an introduction to the technology for the applications contractors are starting to see in their bids.
“That technology is actually written in the specifications to use some kind of machine controlled guidance technology,” Weis said.
In an effort to standardize the work and to kind of guarantee the work, machine control and machine guidance products are being required now for any contractor to be able to bid on that work, Ramey said.
“They want people who are technologically advanced. They want people who know the industry and can do the work for them and achieve the accuracies they want,” Ramey said.
Blaine Furey, owner of Poncove, Inc. in Glen Daniel, W.Va. also attended the event. He has been excavating his entire life in the gas and mining industries. This is the first time he has explored this technology, he said.
“I’m not ready to do it yet, but I can see it in the future,” Furey said. “I’d like to start from ground level, keep up with it and kind of drift into it slowly.”
Technology is becoming a bigger piece of the machine, Ramey said.
“It is changing the way earth moving is done,” he said. “We want to be on the cutting edge of technology. We want to be the market leader of technology in heavy equipment. With these products, our customers can increase their profitability and decrease their costs, making them more competitive in today’s construction market.”

For more information on GPS click here.