February 2017 Vol. 72 No. 2
Business
People In The News
Toro
The Toro Company has named Rick Rodier vice president of Sitework Systems Business. Rodier has been with Toro since 1987 and has held a variety of operational, marketing and business management roles, most recently as general manager of Sitework. He was also named the 2017 chairperson for The International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE), and serves as a director on the Construction Equipment (CE) Sector Board of AEM.
Louisiana Pipeliners
The Louisiana Pipeliners Association closed out 2016 by electing new officers, reinstating board members and announcing it raised more than $100,000 for the scholarship fund. Serving the association in 2017 will be President Monique Roberts, Zedi US; Vice President Tim Dronet, Mott MacDonald; Secretary John Mire Jr., Power Performance; and Sergeant at Arms Rick Bucher, Chet Morrison Contractors. The Board of Directors includes: Mark Roberts, past president; Nicky Smith, Allison; Tommy McNulty, Spectra Energy; Forrest Schopp, Kinder Morgan; and Jeremy Smith, Energy Transfer. The 2017 President Roberts is the daughter of Mark Roberts (past president) and, along with Board of Director’s Smith, was the first recipient of the scholarship program.
Vermeer
Robert “Bob” Vermeer was inducted into the 2016 Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Hall of Fame, which recognizes and celebrates outstanding individuals in the off-road equipment industry, and their legacy of innovation, service and leadership.
Starting his career at Vermeer in 1974, he rose to assume CEO responsibilities, and has served as chairman of the Board of Directors since 1989. Under his leadership, sales at the company grew nearly 13 times and he contributed to huge productivity improvements.
Caterpillar
Jim Umpleby, previously Caterpillar group president of Energy & Transportation, joined the Caterpillar Board of Directors and became CEO, succeeding Doug Oberhelman, who will retire March 31, after more than 41 years with Caterpillar.
Related and additional changes in the executive ranks include:
- Tom Pellette, president of the Construction Industries Group, has replaced Umpleby.
- Bob De Lange, vice president of the Excavation Division, replaced Pellette.
- Zack Kauk, worldwide product manager for medium excavators, replaced De Lange.
- Billy Ainsworth has added the role of senior vice president and strategic advisor to the Executive Office to his existing responsibility for Caterpillar’s Rail Division.
Hyundai
Michael Fuller has joined Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas Inc.’s marketing team as a product specialist and sales trainer focusing on excavators. He brings 19 years of experience in the construction equipment industry, including 13 years as a customer support technical representative at a major OEM.
CGA
Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the stakeholder-run organization dedicated to protecting underground utility lines and the people who dig near them, has selected Sarah Magruder Lyle as its president, the second person to fill this role since the organization’s inception in 2000. Magruder Lyle most recently served as vice president of strategic initiatives for American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), a Washington, D.C.-based trade association. Before that she held positions with America’s Natural Gas Alliance, the United States Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy, American Petroleum Institute, and U.S. Department of Energy.
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