Ring Power Corporation News

On Aug. 2, the newest class of ThinkBIG scholarship recipients and their families gathered at Ring Power's corporate headquarters in St. Augustine for “signing day.”

Over the next two years, they will rotate in eight-week intervals between classroom instruction at South Georgia Technical College and hands-on training at their Ring Power branch.  

Six of the students will follow the heavy equipment technician track; three will complete the generator technician track. Upon graduation in 2021, all of the students will have earned an Associate Degree in Applied Technology.

The Group 19 ThinkBIG students are:

Colby Klipstine -- St. Augustine -- Heavy Equipment

Collin Nye -- Orlando -- Heavy Equipment

Garrett Hultquist -- St. Augustine -- Power Systems

Jake Stallings  -- Palm Bay -- Power Systems

Garrett Lee Robinette -- St. Augustine -- Heavy Equipment

Zack Brate  -- Tampa   -- Heavy Equipment

Wyatt Davis  -- St. Augustine   -- Heavy Equipment

Josh Roberts -- Ocala  -- Heavy Equipment

Dylan Hackett  -- Palm Bay --  Power Systems

Congratulations, everyone! Good luck with your studies.

For more information on Ring Power's Technician Scholarship program, visit www.ringpower.com/thinkbig

We are all feeling a shortage of trained technicians in today's workforce. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2018 there are about 442,000 (.1 percent of US population) industrial machine technicians in the U.S workforce, less than 3 percent of those techs are women. Sylvia Reyes is making moves to change that, and increase the number of total technicians we have available. 

For the past two years, Reyes has worked as the Branch Administrator at Ring Power Lift Truck's Miami facility. Recently, Reyes developed a curiosity for a deeper understanding of forklifts and decided to register for our online Technical Lift Truck course. This course helped her meet the prerequisites to get hands-on training in our instructor-led technical training class.

In May, Reyes completed multiple hours of training, and earned IC Engine Control and Fuel Systems I certification—which she passed with flying colors. Gaining this certification, Reyes became the first woman to complete the Ring Power Live Lift Truck Technical Training. However, Reyes isn't finished. She has a student mentality and plans to continue learning and developing skills beyond her current role. 

Reyes is currently enrolled in model-specific courses and intends to get enough training under her belt to assist with other classes. Eventually, she may decide to take her acquired knowledge and pursue a position in the service department or as a Florida forklift field service technician. Kudos, Sylvia!

Gentlemen, there's a new player in town. 

As of July 1, Ring Power is now the exclusive dealer for Weiler commercial paving products for North & Central Florida. Since 2008, Ring Power has been a Weiler dealer for windrow elevators, road wideners, static double drum rollers, front mount screeds and soil stabilizers. With the addition of the commercial paving line, we are now a full-line Weiler dealer. 

“Ring Power has always been focused on providing our customers with the best products available, world-class product support and unrivaled parts availability, said Phil Ireland, Vice President Paving Products Division Manager.  “For our paving customers, this philosophy is critical to their success.  Since partnering with Weiler in 2008, this shared vision has been the driving force in propelling Weiler and Ring Power to market leadership in the paving industry. 

The Weiler commercial paving line includes the P385B, P265, and P65 commercial pavers, P195 path paver, CT3 utility class pneumatic tire roller, and TT250 and TT500 tack distributors.

“Weiler designs and engineers their products to utilize Cat® components wherever possible.  This includes putting Cat engines in all of their products, including the Weiler line of commercial pavers.  We are pleased to announce the addition of the Weiler commercial line of pavers and proud to become a full-line Weiler dealer for North and Central Florida,” said Phil.

We have partnered closely with LeeBoy and Weiler to ensure a seamless transition in sales and support for all our valued customers.

The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1. For 2019, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a likely range of nine to 15 named storms, of which four to eight could become hurricanes, and two to four of them, major. 

Though the season is just getting started, our Florida generator rental team works year-round to ensure customers are prepared should disaster strike. 

There are many types of generators. They come in all shapes and sizes, with different voltages, suitable for a wide variety of power needs and facility requirements.

When utility power is interrupted or a temporary rental generator is required for the application, many factors must be taken into account before connecting a generator to the facility. The utility power must be isolated, the correct voltage identified, phase rotation determined, proper grounding and ventilation established, etc. To help address some of these concerns, the PSD Rental team provides free site surveys throughout the year to ensure every aspect of a customer’s temporary power application is documented. This helps minimize downtime and keeps everyone safe. 

“Our primary concern begins with safety for all parties, especially when renting a temporary generator,” said Steve Ferlita, Vice President – Power Systems Division Used Sales, Rental & GPP Manager.

To prepare for the diverse power requirements of customers within Ring Power’s territory, Power Systems Rental is constantly investing in new and pre-owned equipment to augment the generator rental fleet.  Currently more than 30 generator are being refurbished, and new Cat XQ rental generator inventory is expected to arrive soon.

Throughout hurricane season, PSD rental will continually communicate with other Cat dealers and plan with them to ensure our customers’ needs are met should the need arise to supplement any additional rental requirements.

Equipment operators from across Ring Power’s North & Central Florida territory descended on Ring Power’s Riverview branch Wednesday, June 19 and Thursday, June 20, to put their skills to the ultimate test.  

Operators competed in a range of Cat earthmoving equipmentand tasks. Each performance was scored based on speed, accuracy and operating best practice. 

A total of 38 operators competed during the two-day event.

Challenges included:

Load Me Up

Operators were tasked with loading three passes with a 972M XE onto a 730 Articulated Truck.

Watch Your Weight

A test of speed and productivity. Using Cat Production Management (CPM) on the 323 Next Gen Excavator, operators loaded a 725 Articulated Truck.

Stay on Track

Operators used a 299D2 to compete an obstacle course and a series of skills tests.

The Grand Prize Winner was determined by calculating the contestants’ scores for both days.

The operator with the best average score was named the winner and was awarded $500 and a Cat cooler.

Winners

FIRST PLACE  

Name: Theodoros Fetsis

Company: AAA

SECOND PLACE 

Name: Kenny Billings

Company: Cypress Gulf

THIRD PLACE

Name: Mike Meyers

Company: City of Lakeland

The local event champion will advance to the North American Regional Finals in Clayton, North Carolina, October 21-25, 2019. Theodoros Fetsis is unable to travel to the event, therefore Kenny Billings will represent Ring Power in the Regional Finals.

The Regional champions will then advance to compete against operators from around the world, 23 countries, at the Global Finals at ConExpo, Las Vegas, NV in 2020!

See all of the contestants here. 

At the Ring Power Board of Directors meeting April 16, Chris Zeras was named Senior Vice President, New Sales - Heavy Equipment Division and elected to the Ring Power Board of Directors.  

In his 21 years with Ring Power, Zeras has worked as a sales coordinator and account manager for the Cat Rental Store, and as a heavy equipment salesperson. He has earned numerous sales awards, including Central Florida Top Rental Producer, Account Manager of the Year, and Top Revenue Producer.

In addition to Zeras' appointment to the Board, the following were appointed new officers at the April meeting:

Dylan McCandless - Vice President – South Regional Sales Manager/Heavy Equipment Division

James Scarpo - Vice President – Tampa Branch Manager

Matt Session - Vice President – Orlando Branch Manager

About Ring Power Corporation

Ring Power Corporation, North and Central Florida’s Cat® dealer, is headquartered in St. Augustine, Florida. Ring Power is comprised of eight divisions and has more than 56 years of experience servicing and supporting Cat® products and allied equipment. For more information, visit www.ringpower.com

More than 100 customers came out to the Orlando branch April 25, eager to learn about the features and benefits of Next Generation Cat® machines. 

Three Next Gen excavator models — the 323,330 and 336 were among the machines highlighted at the event. Attendees learned how new machine technology offers up to 45 percent increased productivity, 25 percent reduced fuel consumption, and 12 percent reduced maintenance costs.  Customers had the chance to get into the operator’s seat to experience the new machines for themselves.

A Cat 623K Scraper was also on hand for the event. Caterpillar is the only company to manufacture this size scraper. The machine is equipped with load assist, and is available for purchase or rent.

Customers also had the chance to see a D5 dozer equipped with Trimble Earthworks. Trimble GNSS receivers have now been moved from the blade to the cab. This new setup improves safety by eliminating the need for operators to be on blade to mount and dismount the receivers.

In addition to showcasing new equipment, the demo event featured a service expo for customers to learn more about what our service departments offer.

A handful of lucky customers left the demo event with one of several prizes given away.

Prizes included:

A fishing excursion aboard the Ring Leader

Feed Your Crew: Food and drinks for up to 40 people

One-week excavator rental

50” TV

Cat Cooler

Cat Bluetooth speaker

Monster Jam tickets

Gear Up Events are planned for Tampa and St. Augustine in the Fall.

Ring Power Executive Vice President of Sales, Kevin Robbins, has announced the promotion of Chris Zeras to Vice President of New Sales - Heavy Equipment Division. He replaces Tim Maguire, who retired last month.   

In his 21 years with Ring Power, Zeras has worked as a sales coordinator and account manager for the Cat Rental Store, and as a heavy equipment salesperson. He has earned numerous sales awards, including Central Florida Top Rental Producer, Account Manager of the Year, and Top Revenue Producer. He most recently held the position of Heavy Equipment Sales Manager – Central Florida.

 As Vice President of Sales, Zeras will oversee all new heavy equipment sales responsibilities in Ring Power’s North and Central Florida territory.

 “I’m excited to take on this additional responsibility and look forward to working with additional team members in our northern territory,” Zeras said.

Dylan McCandless replaces Zeras as Heavy Equipment Sales Manager – Central Florida. 

Since joining Ring Power in 2004, McCandless has held positions of increasing responsibility, including, Cat Rental Store sales coordinator, account manager, and heavy equipment salesperson. Since 2014, he has served as sales manager for the Tampa branch.

James Scarpo replaces McCandless as Tampa Branch Manager.  

Scarpo previously worked for Rozier Machinery, joining Ring Power following its acquisition of Rozier in 1986. During his career with the company, he has worked as a gate attendant, rental coordinator, heavy equipment salesperson, and assistant used equipment manager. Since 1991, Scarpo has worked as a heavy equipment salesperson for Tampa.

Matt Sessions will take on the role of Orlando Branch Manager. Sessions joined Ring Power in 1998 as a sales coordinator for the Cat Rental Store in Jacksonville. He later worked as an account manager in Tallahassee and Mulberry. Since 2007, Sessions has worked as a heavy equipment salesperson for Orlando. 

About Ring Power Corporation

Ring Power Corporation, North and Central Florida’s Cat® dealer, is headquartered in St. Augustine, Florida. Ring Power is comprised of eight divisions and has more than 57 years of experience servicing and supporting Cat® products and allied equipment. For more information, visit www.ringpower.com

Ring Power Utility Equipment division was a sponsor at the Florida Municipal Electric Association Lineman Competition Saturday, March 2, in Gainesville, Fla. This year, the event was held at the Gainesville Regional Utility facility just down the street from the Ring Power branch.  

Ring Power has been involved in the FMEA Lineman Competition for several years. Josh Ratcliff, Ring Power Utility Equipment Account Manager in northwest Florida, said it’s a chance for the company to show support for the lineman community that is so integral to both the state and the company.

“Everybody’s been really appreciative that we’re there,” Josh said. “We care about their craft and their hard work as linemen. They support us during natural disasters and put their lives on the line to make sure we have power.”

Spectators watched as linemen from municipalities all over Florida competed in timed events for both apprentices and journeymen. Clay Electric Cooperative placed first in the overall journeyman team category, followed by two City of Tallahassee teams in second and third. 

Josh said the Utility Equipment division finds a lot of value in its involvement with the FMEA Lineman Competition in that it shows support for the municipalities that make up a large portion of the division’s customer base. 

“Each of those municipalities that compete are in Ring Power’s footprint, and we want to show support for public power,” Josh said.

Sometime this month, if all goes according to plan, an Israeli nonprofit organization called SpaceIL will land an unmanned spacecraft on the surface of the moon. If successful, Israel will become the fourth nation ever to land on the lunar surface. 

The 1,290-pound spacecraft is named Beresheet, which is Hebrew for Genesis, and on Feb. 22 it launched from Cape Canaveral on its journey to the moon.

Getting the massive spacecraft to the launch pad took a little help from Ring Power’s Generator Rental team.

A few months before launch, Brett Jack (Orlando Power Systems Division Rental Sales), received a call from Expeditors International, one of his customers involved in the project. They had been tasked with transporting the spacecraft from Orlando International Airport to Cape Canaveral. To ensure the spacecraft and its delicate internal electronics made it safely to the Launchpad, the specialized shipping containers would need to maintain a set temperature.

Brett invited Expeditors International to our Orlando facility, gave them a tour and showed them the versatile generators that would be used to meet their critical requirements. Confident in Ring Power’s abilities to meet the needs of their project, they gave Brett the green light to get the generators and other equipment ready for the mission.

Because the transport project required Euro power voltage and distribution, Brett enlisted the help of our Entertainment Services division, who are well versed in power requirements from around the globe and carry the necessary distribution for such applications.

On the day of transport, Rob McKee (Orlando PSD Field Service Tech I), assisted by Entertainment Services, oversaw the flawless connection and startup of the generators to the spacecraft. As an added precaution, Rob traveled alongside the convoy as it made its way from Orlando International Airport to Cape Canaveral. The trip went without a hitch and the spacecraft was safely delivered to the launch pad.

Beresheet is equipped with cameras, magnetic sensors and transmitters that will relay data to and from Earth. It will make three orbits around Earth and orbit the moon twice before touching down on the moon near Mare Serenitatis. When it lands, an instrument will measure the moon’s magnetic field to help scientists understand more about its formation. 

After accomplishing its mission, the spacecraft will become a permanent monument on the lunar surface as the sun overheats its electronics. SpaceIL engineers hope that the time capsule left inside—containing digital files of the Bible, children’s drawings, Israeli songs, an Israeli flag, and memories of a Holocaust survivor—will help future moonwalkers learn about life on Earth in 2019.