Ring Power Corporation News

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. 

As previously announced, Caterpillar has entered into a preliminary agreement to sell the Cat® purpose-built forestry business to Weiler, Inc. Ring Power will work closely with Weiler and Caterpillar to ensure a smooth transition for customers.

Weiler will design and manufacture purpose-built forestry products out of the existing manufacturing plant and warehouse in LaGrange, Georgia. Caterpillar will continue to provide forestry excavators designed for log loading, processing and other forestry applications, in addition to supplying core Caterpillar equipment to the forestry industry. Ring Power will continue to support the sales and service for the complete forestry portfolio.

Founded in 2000, Weiler has a long-standing history of successfully manufacturing purpose-built equipment and they currently produce an extensive portfolio of products distributed through the Cat dealer network.

“We have a strong commitment to customer success and a proven track record of working with Cat dealers all over the world,” commented Pat Weiler, owner and founder of Weiler, Inc. “We are an engineering-led company that focuses on reacting quickly to customer needs. Our company structure allows us to make decisions quickly and execute efficiently. We are confident that our existing product line experience, our flexible design and manufacturing strategy, and our dedication to customers provide a strong foundation to successfully serve the purpose-built forestry segment.”

In this transition period, we will continue to take orders for purpose-built forestry products and support those machines for their life in the field. We are committed to working with Caterpillar and Weiler to ensure customers continue to receive the service they have come to expect from Ring Power.

The sale of the purpose-built forestry business to Weiler, expected to be finalized by early 2019.

Caterpillar and Dealer Ring Power Sign International Power Project Agreement with APR Energy

PEORIA, Ill. / LONDON, U.K. - Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT), Cat dealer Ring Power and APR Energy plc ("APR" - LSE: APR), today announced they have signed an agreement to develop temporary power solutions globally to meet the needs of the growing international power projects (IPP) market, especially in the emerging markets. 

The five-year agreement centers on APR working with Caterpillar, Ring Power and the Cat dealer network to originate and respond to temporary power plant opportunities. As part of the agreement, Caterpillar will supply mobile generator sets through Ring Power to APR Energy, including the new XQ2000 and XQ1475G power modules, designed specifically for the international power projects market. APR will benefit from an increased flow of temporary power plant opportunities and from clear visibility of an integrated supply line to fulfill on its diesel and gas engine requirements, and Caterpillar will benefit from an increased presence, on a global basis, in the IPP market.

"We are pleased to be working with Ring Power and APR Energy as we expand our growth in the international power projects business," said Bill Rohner, Caterpillar vice president with responsibility for electric power. "APR’s experience in temporary power solutions, Caterpillar’s engineering and product expertise and Ring Power’s rental experience will enable us to better serve our customers," continued Rohner.

By working with Caterpillar and Ring Power, APR continues to strengthen its position as one of the fastest growing providers in the IPP market. The extensive Cat dealer network will allow APR to benefit from a truly global network of parts availability and services provided by the 188 Cat dealers and 126,700 Cat dealer employees around the world. Along with parts and services support, APR’s cooperation with Caterpillar and its dealers will present new sales opportunities previously unfulfilled by either party.

"I have been doing business with Caterpillar for more than 20 years, and APR has used their power modules for its entire history. We know Caterpillar well and have great respect for them. This is an exciting win-win for all of us," said John Campion, CEO of APR. "With this agreement, we can work together to fulfill a far greater number of global power opportunities." 

As part of the agreement, Cat dealer Ring Power will provide application, engineering, sales and product support to APR Energy.

"Our market leading product support and rental service capabilities enable us to deliver world-class energy solutions to our customers, and we look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with APR Energy," said Randy Ringhaver, president of Ring Power.

A world-class manufacturer of diesel and natural gas engines and an industry leading provider of complete solutions for the electric power industry, Caterpillar pioneered the development of the mobile power module and has provided customers with power systems solutions for more than 70 years. To meet the needs of international power projects customers, Caterpillar released a new version of its successful XQ2000 power module utilizing the 3516B engine. This new diesel power module is capable of running both 50 and 60 Hz, which is ideal for a global power provider like APR. The new XQ1475G power module contains the world leading G3516E natural gas generator set.

About Caterpillar
For more than 85 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. With 2010 sales and revenues of $42.588 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company also is a leading services provider through Caterpillar Financial Services, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services, Caterpillar Logistics Services and Progress Rail Services. More information is available at: http://www.caterpillar.com.

About Ring Power
Ring Power is the Central and Northeast Florida Cat dealer, headquartered in St. Augustine. Ring Power is comprised of eight divisions and has 50 years of experience in sales, rental, service and product support of Cat equipment. Ring Power has built a strong reputation in the industry with its’ superior product support capability for customer projects worldwide. Additional information about the Ring Power organization, its products and services can be found at www.ringpower.com.

About APR Energy
Based in Jacksonville, Florida, and quoted on the London Stock Exchange, APR is a fast growing, pure play fast track provider of large scale, temporary power solutions. It is focused on the rapidly growing power plant market in emerging markets, where the supply/demand imbalance is most acute, as well as event-led opportunities. APR designs, installs, operates and maintains turnkey power solutions, used for applications, including Peak shaving, Distributed generation, Supplemental power, Grid stability and support, Emergency generation and Industrial power generation. Its fleet is technologically advanced and is differentiated by its ability to provide dual fuel turbine generators as well as diesel and natural gas modules. For the two financial years to end December 2010, its revenue grew 235%. Revenue for August 2011 was up 93% over the same month the previous year. Additional information can be found at: www.aprenergy.com.

Ring Power appoints Toby Crews as heavy equipment regional manager for Central Florida territory, based near Tampa, Florida.

Ring Power Senior VP and Director of New Heavy Equipment Sales Tim Maguire announces the promotion of VP Toby Crews to the position of Central Florida Regional Sales Manager. Effective June 1, Crews will take charge of Ring Power’s Riverview, Fla. branch location, just to the south of Tampa in Hillsborough County.

A 1994 graduate of the University of North Florida, Crews holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management. After joining Ring Power in April 1995, Crews worked hard to establish a successful track record as a sales representative for various divisions within the company, including new equipment sales for Ring Power Lift Trucks, rental sales for The Cat Rental Store and new equipment sales for Ring Power’s heavy equipment division.

In 2005, Crews was promoted to Regional Sales Manager for the brand new location on Pecan Park Road in Jacksonville. Since then, his responsibilities have included heavy equipment sales for northern Duval County as well as general management of the heavy equipment, Cat Rental Store and truck engine operations at the branch.

Crews looks forward to tackling the challenges of his new position. In addition to managing the Riverview facility overall, Crews will be responsible for the heavy equipment sales personnel and operations at Ring Power branches in Lakeland, Tarpon Springs, Sarasota, Brooksville, Orlando and Palm Bay as well as Riverview.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to meet Ring Power’s customers in Central Florida, and hope to continue to build solid, mutually rewarding business relationships here,” he said. “Most importantly, I want our customers to know that they can continue to count on the same outstanding service and support that they have always received at our facility in Riverview.”

Additional information about the Ring Power organization, its products, services and employment and career opportunities can be found on the Internet at http://www.ringpower.com.

Ring Power Corporation, North and Central Florida's Caterpillar dealer, is headquartered in St. Augustine, Florida. Additional heavy equipment branch locations include, Tallahassee, Lake City, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Ocala, Perry, Daytona Beach, Orlando, Lakeland, Tampa, Sarasota, and Palm Bay. Ring Power is comprised of eight divisions and more than 45 years of experience servicing and supporting Caterpillar and allied equipment.

Ring Power Corporation, reports Caterpillar’s ongoing commitment to aid in Japan. Over the last week, Caterpillar Inc. and Caterpillar Japan Limited have actively monitored the on-going developments in Japan following the devastating earthquake and tsunami to report ramifications for Cat and the Caterpillar dealer network.

While continuing to provide support for all employees living and working in Japan, Caterpillar is focusing resources from around the world to determine the full scope and impact on the company’s supply chain. Caterpillar's facilities in Tokyo, Akashi and Sagami were not damaged by the earthquake, and are outside of the current area the Japanese government has declared as a mandatory evacuation zone. To date, both the Sagami and Akashi facilities have continued to operate and produce product, and the disruption to the supply chain in Japan has not stopped production at other Caterpillar facilities around the world. Cat is actively developing alternative sources for components produced by Japanese-based suppliers, should they not be able to fulfill orders. Although Cat’s Japanese interests appear sound, Caterpillar cautions it is possible some facilities may be sporadically impacted throughout Japan’s recovery.

In addition to Caterpillar’s economic research on behalf of suppliers, employees, dealers and customers, Caterpillar Japan Limited has pledged $1 million to support disaster relief through in-kind equipment donations of machinery and generators to Japanese governmental agencies. In America, the Caterpillar Foundation has announced a $1 million grant to the American Red Cross with an additional promise to match up to $500,000 in contributions made by Caterpillar employees, retirees and dealer employees ­to the Red Cross before April 14, 2011.

Ring Power Corporation has more than 45 years of experience selling, renting, servicing and supporting Caterpillar® and allied equipment throughout North and Central Florida. Additional information about the Ring Power organization, its products and services can be found on the Internet at ringpower.com.

Driving a special-themed Caterpillar Chevy Impala, commemorating Dale Earnhardt’s induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing team overcame a 17th-place starting position to finish third in the annual Sprint Showdown 40-lap event. 

The race, which precedes the yearly All Star event, consists of two 20-lap segments where both green flag and caution laps count toward the first 20 laps, followed by another 20 laps where only green-flag laps are scored.

Friday’s opening day gave the 29 entries an 80-minute practice session so they could fine tune their race cars for Saturday night’s contest. The Todd Berrier-led team meticulously used every second of the session and when it was all said and done, the Cat Racing team was listed second on the scoreboard.

Later that night, Burton was slated to roll of the grid 17th in the qualifying session and toured the 1.5-mile oval fast enough to position himself right behind the provisional pole sitter. But, with four cars left to make qualifying runs, Mother Nature swarmed the Concord area and delayed the time trials session for rain. Track-drying efforts, coupled with a race against the clock to get the Camping World Truck Series race in, forced NASCAR officials to cancel the Sprint Showdown qualifying session and set the starting lineup based on qualifying order.

Despite starting deep in the field, Burton & Company were overall pleased with the performance of the Caterpillar Chevy in Friday’s practice session and hoped that it would translate over to the 40-lap brawl.

The RCR entry did not disappoint.

The veteran driver moved into 12th just two laps in, 10th on lap six, and cracked the top five at lap 12.

Tussling with a machine that was tight through the middle of the turns and loose on the exits, a caution on lap 17 provided an opportunity for Berrier to summon Burton to pit road where the veteran crew chief called for a two-tire pit stop that included air pressure adjustments.

Restarting fourth, the 21-time Sprint Cup Series race winner narrowly missed a three-car racing incident that placed him fifth for a 19-lap shootout.

The South Boston, Va., native traveled to fourth on lap 23 and into third on the ensuing lap, where he spent the remaining laps trying to reel in the second-place car. But, the handling on the Caterpillar Chevy shifted to the tight side in the closing circuits and Burton couldn’t make up any time on the frontrunners, taking the checkers third.

Martin Truex Jr. captured the win while Greg Biffle crossed the line second, posting finishes that allowed both drivers to transfer into the All Star Race. Burton, Paul Menard and Marcos Ambrose rounded out the top-five finishers.

Burton’s RCR teammate Clint Bowyer retired to the garage early after making contact with the wall, resulting in a 23rd-place finish.

Fellow stablemate Kevin Harvick competed in the All Star Race where he finished sixth.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing continues at Charlotte Motor Speedway next weekend for its annual longest race on the 2010 circuit. Flag-to-flag coverage of the Coca-Cola 600 will take the green flag Sunday, May 30, beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will be televised live on FOX and broadcast on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 13th points-paying race on the 2010 schedule will be telecast live on SPEED Thursday, May 27 beginning at 7 p.m. EDT.

Race/Date:  Sprint Showdown on May 22, 2010
Location:  Charlotte Motor Speedway – Concord, N.C.
Start Position:  17th
Finish Position: Third   
Points Position: Eighth – Maintained position, non-points event

Ring Power's virtual storefront, storefront.ringpower.com, has a great selection of Cat Racing apparel, Caterpillar scale models, Cat Racing t-shirts, Cat hats and more. Ring Power Corporation, North and Central Florida's Caterpillar dealer, is headquartered in St. Augustine, Florida, with branch locations in Brooksville, Daytona, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Lake City, Lakeland, Ocala, Orlando, Palm Bay, Perry, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Tampa and Tarpon Springs. Ring Power is comprised of eight divisions and has more than 45 years of experience servicing and supporting Caterpillar and allied equipment.

Ring Power Rebuilds 836G Compactor for Tomoka Landfill 

A strong product and a strong Catâ dealer partner can mean a stronger bottom line for landfill operations, like the Tomoka Landfill in Volusia County. Cat equipment’s sustainable design allows it to be rebuilt by local Florida dealer Ring Power. In these lean times, that’s good news- for construction equipment owners and for Ring Power. Recently, Volusia County Recycling & Solid Waste Division saved money and improved their return on investment with a Ring Power machine rebuild of their 836G Landfill Compactor.

Machines on the front line in tough environments, like compactors, take a beating. Cat components are not only stronger from the start, but are engineered to be remanufactured to deliver multiple life cycles. So when Volusia County’s 836G was ready for a rebuild, it was stripped down to its sturdy frame, which is in good condition, and all components were inspected, refurbished and replaced. Following stringent Caterpillar reusability standards, the 836G was rebuilt to a "like new" machine.

Ring Power’s Heavy Equipment technicians performed the third life rebuild on the 836G Landfill Compactor in St. Augustine, Florida. Right on schedule, 30 days after it came in for its third life, the 836G was put back into production at Volusia County’s Tomoka Landfill, backed once again by a Total Maintenance & Repair contract and an extended power train warranty.

The 836G Landfill Compactor was the very first G-series production compactor to come off the Cat assembly line and 17,500 hours later, it is now on its third life. The renowned durability of Cat equipment is illustrated in the 836G frame. Standing up to the rigors of daily operation on the face of the landfill and delivering not only three lives, but potentially a fourth, reinforces the value of owning a Cat machine.

Volusia County Landfill Operations Manager Robert Gillmore was thrilled with the cost savings and results. "I have been told after this third rebuild that the 836G frame is still in good condition and that in four years we should evaluate the frame for a potential fourth rebuild, " he said.

Couple the unmatched durability of the 836G machine with Ring Power’s Total Maintenance & Repair plan and Volusia County reaps a lot of money saving benefits. By customizing TM&R plans for the Tomoka Landfill equipment, Ring Power’s responsive Product Support team is able to maintain optimum equipment condition, reduce risk to the customer and minimize Volusia County’s owning and operating costs. Those factors equate to minimal downtime and low maintenance costs. But Volusia County’s most significant savings came with the equipment rebuilds, each of which saved the county 40 to 60 percent over the cost of purchasing a new machine. In four years the 836G’s frame will be evaluated for yet another rebuild. Chances are good that more work is in store for the Cat frame, and more savings are in store for Volusia County.

For more information about Ring Power's heavy equipment rebuilds, please visit ringpower.com. You can also call our Daytona Beach branch Heavy Equipment location (401 N. Tomoka Farms Road Daytona Beach, Florida 32124) at 386.947.4990.

Ring Power Corporation is pleased to announce the promotion of Robert Burkhead to the position of General Manager for the Lift Trucks division. During Burkhead’s 17 years with Ring Power he has worked closely with management, sales staff and vendors for every division within the company. Most recently Burkhead, a Six Sigma Black Belt, was the Assistant Governmental Sales Manager facilitating bids, contracts and sales to all government agencies in the state of Florida. In his new role, Burkhead and his management team will oversee all Ring Power Lift Trucks operations. Burkhead has excelled at every position he has held with Ring Power, and management looks forward to his continued success with the lift trucks division.

Ring Power Lift Trucks is the forklift division of Ring Power Corporation, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Additional offices service Pompano Beach, Miami, Daytona Beach, Orlando, Lakeland, Tampa, Ocala and Tallahassee. Ring Power Lift Trucks represents: Caterpillar® Lift Trucks, Mitsubishi Forklifts, Linde forklifts, Kalmar Industrial Forklifts and Container Handlers, Clark Lift Trucks, Princeton and Navigator piggybacks, rough terrain forklifts by Noble, specialized products by Bendi and productive Cascade Attachments.

Ring Power is the Central and Northeast Florida Caterpillar dealer, headquartered in St. Augustine. Ring Power is comprised of eight divisions and has more than 45 years of experience selling, servicing and supporting Caterpillar and allied equipment. Additional information about the Ring Power organization, its products, services and employment opportunities can be found on the Internet at www.ringpower.com.

Ring Power’s All Parts eXpress, the one stop source for all makes of heavy equipment parts, has launched a new Website. Now owners of John Deere, Case, Hitachi, Gehl, Volvo, Bobcat, Komatsu, Kobelco and other leading brands of construction machines have parts availability and quotes at their fingertips! 

Whether you own a John Deere® tractor, Hitachi® front-end loader, Case® dozer, Volvo® articulated truck, Bobcat® skid steer, Komatsu® tractor, or a Kobelco® excavator, ApeX can get you the parts you need—and fast! APeX offers the best quality rubber tracks, starters and alternators, hydraulic seals, cylinder seal kits, pumps and components, ground engaging tools, replacement parts, engine, transmission and final drive components, and more—all at the best possible prices, and most backed by warranty.

As an undercarriage and parts specialist, Brian Beatty makes it his mission to provide the best quality construction equipment parts to Ring Power customers, regardless of brand. "Ring Power’s partnership with VIPAR gives us access to discounts on many parts and components that can be used on most heavy equipment," Beatty explains. "If a customer needs parts, chances are we have it in stock or can locate it quickly, either through the VIPAR network, or our other reliable sources, and all for a great price."

ApeX takes pride in supplying the best quality replacement parts. If you need it, we can find it. Quickly and economically. Log onto http://allpartsxpress.com/default.aspx today and explore our new Website. Or contact Brian Beatty at 1.800.671.0025 or via email at brian.beatty@ringpower.com for information about the parts you need, no matter what make your machine is!

All Parts Express has parts for heavy construction equipment owners throughout Florida, with branch locations in Brooksville, Daytona, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Lake City, Lakeland, Ocala, Orlando, Palm Bay, Perry, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Tampa and Tarpon Springs. We welcome your comments about this article.

“CAT®”, “Caterpillar®” and CAT Corporate Yellow are all trademarks of Caterpillar Inc. The trade names “John Deere®” and “Deere®”, and the John Deere logo are all property of Deere and Company Inc. The trade names “Hitachi®” and the Hitachi logo are all property of Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. The trade names “Volvo®” and the Volvo logo are all property of The Volvo Group. The trade names “Komatsu®” and the Komatsu logo are all property of Komatsu America Corp. The trade names “Bobcat®” and the Bobcat logo are all property of Bobcat Co. The trade names "Takeuchi®" and the Takeuchi logo are all property of Takeuchi Mfg. Company Ltd. The trade names "Gehl®" and the Gehl logo are all property of Gehl Co. The trade names "Case®" and the Case logo are all property of CNH America LLC. The trade names "Kobelco®" and the Kobelco logo are all property of Kobelco Construction Machinery America LLC. The trade names listed above are used for descriptive purposes only.

Get 0% Financing for 36 months, PLUS an allowance up to $2,000 when you buy a new qualifying Caterpillar construction equipment.*

Now when you purchase a new qualifying Cat construction equipment, you’ll receive 0% financing for 36 months, plus a credit allowance worth up to $2,000 that you can use toward future heavy equipment parts, machine service or repairs, Work Tool attachments or construction equipment rental transactions, plus much more right here at Ring Power.

Receive $2,000 allowance when you buy a new:

• Cat Backhoe Loader
• Cat Small Wheel Loader or Front End Loader
• Cat Track-type Tractor or Dozer
• Cat Hydraulic Excavator or Track-hoe

Receive a $500 allowance when you buy a new:

• Cat Skid Steer Loader
• Cat Multi Terrain Loader
• Cat Compact Track Loader
• Cat Compact Wheel Loader
• Cat Hydraulic Mini Excavator

See how much you could save. Visit, click or call Ring Power, the Cat Rental Store today.

Ring Power, The Cat Rental Store, is North and Central Florida's Caterpillar Dealer. Ring Power rents, sells and leases Cat equipment by the day, week, month or longer. We supply the youngest fleet of construction equipment -- the average age of our fleet is less than 18 months. Our competitors' fleets, like Neff, Hertz, United, RSC, Sunbelt, average more than 40 months and in some cases more than 50 months.

Other rental houses carry multiple lines of equipment, like Bobcat, Komatsu, John Deere, and Kobelco. Ring Power supplies one brand: Caterpillar. If we have to swap machines, it will be a Cat machine. Unlike the competition that will substitute any brand, which creates operator confusion and lowers productivity.

Call any of our 15 locations throughout Florida, including Tallahassee, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Daytona, Palm Bay, Orlando, Ocala, Sarasota, Tampa, and our newest location, Lakeland. Click here to see a map of all store locations. To receive a map and directions to each office, click on a branch location. Email us for more information on any of our machines or special offers.

*Offer good from February 1 to May 31, 2010 on select models at participating dealers. Offer from Ring Power open to customers within North and Central Florida; customers outside these areas contact your local Cat Dealer. Customers in the USA will recieve a credit through Cat AccessAccount for use at participating Cat Dealers. Credits will expire on September 30, 2010; Financing is subject to credit approval through Cat Financial.