Our team is fired up after attending North America’s largest trade show, CONEXPO – CON/AGG, at the beginning of March. We joined representatives from our family of companies, McCarthy Improvement, Clinton Engineering Company, Linwood Mining and Minerals, and McCarthy-Bush Corporation to network and learn the latest trends in asphalt, aggregate, and concrete industries.
With over 2,000 exhibitors and more than 190 educational sessions, there was no shortage of opportunities to interact with leaders in our field and learn about cutting-edge technology so that we can stay on top of our game. (Just look at this MASSIVE event – it’s a heavy highway company’s playground!)
Here are just a few of the key takeaways our team brought back from Vegas…
Top Four Takeaways:
- Electric construction vehicles and equipment are here!
- Almost every manufacturer is developing electric vehicles and equipment. It is mostly smaller equipment such as mini excavators and skid steers. There are EV machines coming out, as well as some larger equipment like excavators and dozers.
As MCI works inside factories more often, we will need to engage in the use of more EVs. Seeing all of the options that are out there aids in our choosing process.
- “GPS” is expanding its reach. Traditional GPS uses are integrating with modeling, scanning, fleet management, productivity, analytics, and autonomy.
- Partnerships between equipment manufacturers and labor unions are working to develop virtual/remotely-operated spreads. This is especially in earthmoving, where the equipment can function with remote operation through the eyes of cameras, drones, and GPS information.
- Some excavator buckets now have built-in radar technology that enables automatic, real-time alerts and scanning of underground utilities.
While McCarthy Improvement may be 2-3 years from acquiring and adapting to the use of these machines and technologies, exposing our leadership to the ideas and options that are out there will prepare us for future changes.