With more than 950 companies spread across more than 32 acres of the Kentucky Exhibition Center, The Utility Expo was the largest in terms of exhbition space in the show’s history. The biennial trade show, known for equipment test drives and interactive product demonstrations, took place in Louisville Sept. 28-30.
“Given the extraordinary circumstances around in-person events, we were excited to be able to produce The Utility Expo and bring a diverse lineup of thousands of products to over 16,500 attendees,” said John Rozum, The Utility Expo show director.
Dave Hughes, vice president of global sales for McElroy Manufacturing and 2021 show chair, echoed Rozum’s comments.
“It was significant to be able to safely and successfully operate The Utility Expo this year,” said Hughes. “The new and expanded show layout, fabulous weather, innovative products and technologies, and engaged crowds all contributed to a very successful event.”
The Utility Expo is owned and produced by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), a North America-based international trade group representing off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related sectors worldwide. Overall, attendance was down from the record 19,000 attendees who came to the show in 2019.
Some of the products on display at The Utility Expo 2021 included:
Caterpillar mini hydraulic excavators
888-614-4328; caterpillar.com
The 302.7 CR, 303 CR and 303.5 CR mini hydraulic excavators from Caterpillar, Deerfield, Ill., feature exclusive stick steer, cruise control, operator adjustable settings and tilt-up canopy or cab as standard. Expanded use of common parts throughout the line plus their damage-resistant exterior construction helps to reduce parts inventory investment, the company says. Interchangeable counterweight packages enable customers to tailor machine weight to job requirements.
Deutz Corp. modular power pack
770-564-7100; deutzusa.com
The modular power pack from Deutz Corp., Norcross, Ga., allows flexibility for the manufacturer/packager to install the exhaust aftertreatment in different locations at the time of order, or different size diesel exhaust fluid tanks, wire harness and more.
“We’ve set up a system where we can configure a power pack resulting in a repeatable bill of material which perfectly suits the buyer’s needs,” said John Dutcher, director, regional sales, Deutz Corp.
The power packs feature Tier 4 and Stage V water-cooled, three-, four- and six-cylinder inline gas and diesel engines with cooled, external-exhaust-gas recirculation. The modular system also allows horsepower to be changed as requested at the time of delivery by making engine calibration changes.
Ditch Witch vacuum excavator
580-336-3458; ditchwitch.com
The MV8 mud vacuum from Ditch Witch, Perry, Okla., has an 800-gal. spoils tank as well as a 12,000-lb. trailer and a 24-hp Honda engine with a tool carrier on the side. A hydraulic door eliminates mud blockages, allowing the door to properly seal. A new boom platform with a clog-bursting valve keeps the user working with fewer interruptions, the company says.
Milwaukee Tool fencing stapler
800-729-3878; milwaukeetool.com
The M18 fuel utility fencing stapler from Milwaukee Tool, Brookfield, Wis., allows the operator to place more than 600 staples per battery charge on a M18 CP 3.0AH pack. The tool is compatible with all Milwaukee 18V batteries. Designed for the power utility end user, the product has a long, thin handle for the user to assist when using a leather or insulated glove. Touchpoints, such as the on/off switch, can be actuated with gloves on. The company has its own hot tip galvanized, corrosion resistant 9GA staples to go with the product. The tool is scheduled to come out in the summer of 2022.
TRUVAC vacuum truck
800-627-3171; truvac.com
The TRUVAC FLXX flexible vacuum truck from TRUVAC, a brand of Vactor Manufacturing, Streator, Ill., can be equipped with a tandem axle with a tag axle to haul 22,500 lbs. of payload using Federal Bridge Law calculations. The truck has 800 gal. of fresh water and a 10-gpm at 3,000 psi water pump. The truck has a 22-ft. boom reach and is available with an air excavation package.
LiuGong Construction Machinery North America mini excavator
281-579-8882; liugongna.com
The 9027F zero tail swing mini-class excavator from LiuGong Construction Machinery North America, Katy, Texas, is equipped with a 20.4-net-hp, Tier 4 Yanmar engine, inline hydraulic pumps and main control valve. The machine has a slew circuit of 2,698 psi, and the machine enables operators to dig parallel to the dozer blade. The machine has a maximum dump height of 10 ft. 1 in. and a maximum digging depth of 9 ft. 4 in.
Vermeer compact articulated loader
888-837-6337; vermeer.com
The ATX720 compact articulated loader from Vermeer, Pella, Iowa, includes a telescopic boom that extends 29.1 in. for loading materials to a dump height of 114 in. in hinge pin height and a rated operating capacity of 2,155 lbs. Built for a variety of jobs, the machine is 44.5 in. wide with narrow tires, while the wider tires make
the machine 50.4 in. wide. The machine is powered by a 25-hp Kubota D1305 Tier 4 diesel engine.