USA

Local and state authorities investigating stolen heavy equipment in Warren County
WARRENTON, Ga. - An ongoing criminal investigation by agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and deputies with the Warren County Sheriff's Department has led this week to the recovery of more than $500,000 worth of stolen heavy construction equipment.
Although no one has been charged in connection with the theft case, which involves Warren and Glascock counties in Georgia and at least three counties in South Carolina, a local man and his business have become targets of the probe, The McDuffie Mirror has learned.

Enough! To Dirt And Heavy Equipment On Union Street
BAY ST. LOUIS (WLOX) -- Marsha Favre and her neighbors say they've put up with dust and the rumble of heavy construction equipment long enough.
"It's vibrating our houses. These houses are on the historic register. The dirt and dust from it, the vibration is what I'm really concerned about," Favre said. "These old houses here are up on pier foundations. We've just finished restoring them after hurricane Katrina."
Eutaw Construction , the company doing infrastructure work for the city has leased land from a property owner to stock-pile dirt for the gas, sewer and water replacement project.


Hollis approves heavy equipment leases
HOLLIS, NH — Yankee thrift gave way to modern financial analysis as town meeting voters decided to buy seven pieces of heavy equipment using a lease-purchase plan.
But it took nearly two hours of discussion Wednesday night for voters to agree with selectmen that the equipment — two fire trucks, a forestry truck, a dump truck, a backhoe, an excavator and a skid steer — should be paid for through a lease-purchase agreement instead of traditional capital reserve funds.
Townspeople also approved money for another police officer and mobile data terminals for police cruisers, as well as for downtown sidewalks and modifications to elderly tax exemptions that will give qualifying residents more tax relief.
But it was the heavy equipment purchases amounting to about $1.3 million, and especially how to pay for them, that took up the bulk of the five-hour meeting.


Ramey Pleads Guilty In Theft Of Heavy Equipment
CHATTANOOGA, TN - A man who authorities say was at the center of an organized vehicle theft ring entered guilty pleas in Federal Court on Thursday.
Prosecutor Gary Humble said Dale Ramey, 49, faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.
He said in 2004 Ramey, who is from Catoosa County, Ga., was found with several stolen pieces of heavy equipment.
Ramey has been free on bond since his arrest, but he was taken back into custody after a hearing before Magistrate Bill Carter.
Joseph Brent Starnes of the probation office said Ramey has been uncooperative with his North Georgia probation officer, including failing to find a job and lying to her by saying he has been working with the FBI.


Deere looks overseas for future sales
LAS VEGAS, March 13 (UPI) -- U.S. farm and heavy equipment maker Deere & Co. Thursday said it will lean on overseas markets, where construction equipment sales are expected to boom.
Samuel Allen, president of Deere's construction and forestry division, said in Las Vegas at a trade show, "China is clearly a very large market," pointing out that no large equipment manufacturers in the country dominate the market.
None "have more than a 6 percent or 7 percent market share," he said.
Similar to Caterpillar Inc. Chairman Jim Owens' talk at the show Wednesday, Deere sees emerging markets as hungry for heavy equipment.


Construction Equipment Theft Continues to Plague Equipment Owners in 2007, Lojack's Annual Theft Study Reveal
WESTWOOD, Mass. - According to the study, which analyzed LoJack stolen vehicle recovery reports for the calendar year 2007, construction theft continued at a steady clip with professional theft rings fueling the issue and skid steers being the number one theft target.



SOUTH AFRICA

Heavy equipment manufacturer introduces next series of ADT upgrades
South African heavy equipment manufacturer Bell Equipment is introducing significant upgrades to its articulated dump trucks (ADTs), which include new ribless bins across the range, as well as upgraded software to facili-tate new electronic features on the trucks. Coupled with the general upgrades across the range, Bell is also introducing the higher-power articulated truck, the B30D.


QATAR

NBK holds seminar on heavy equipment
THE heavy equipment department of Nasser Bin Khaled and Sons Services (NBK), the sole agent of the German BOMAG heavy machinery in Qatar, recently organised a conference on BOMAG equipment in Doha.Participants in the conference included representatives from BOMAG and consultation companies, as well as general manager of NBK, Ahmed Habib and manager of the heavy equipment department, Fouad Hijazi.


INDIA

BHEL, NTPC in talks to set up JV for heavy equipment
NEW DELHI: The row between the two power PSUs, BHEL and NTPC, over manufacturing of heavy main plant equipment, may finally be settled. The two companies are discussing the possibility of a joint venture (JV) for manufacturing heavy equipment like boilers and turbines for all types of projects including the super-critical thermal power plants. Both the companies have constituted two separate committees to discuss the issue.