Gregory Poole Equipment Company Hosts Operator Challenge

Thu June 09, 2022 - Southeast Edition #12
CEG

Gregory Poole Equipment Company and the other Caterpillar dealers in the country are on a quest to find the best — the best equipment operator in the world.

The local winner, Ben Sandy with Sandy's Hauling & Backhoe Service Inc. in Roseboro, N.C., showed off his agility, speed and accuracy in a series of skills-based tests. With a time of 9:32, Sandy will move on to the regional finals and from there to the Global Operator Challenge finals at ConExpo-Con/AGG 2023 in Las Vegas, where Caterpillar will crown one operator world champion.

Sandy also won in 2019, when he participated Gregory Poole's first ever Global Operator Challenge. CEG

Photo: 1/9

❮ ❯

In the “Mini Master” segment of the operator challenge, the contestant navigates the course and moves tires using a grapple mounted on a Cat 304 excavator.
(CEG photo)

(L-R) are Phillip Walton, Mike Dawson and Leonard Lupton, all of Balfour Beatty, and Brad Rinderer of Gregory Poole.
(CEG photo)

A contestant was navigating the “Precision Tracktor” segment in a Cat D3 dozer.
(CEG photo)

Contestant Trish Harrell of Martin Marietta’s Fountain Quarry in Farmville, N.C., and Bryant Balentine of Gregory Poole.
(CEG photo)

Brian Metcalf (L) of Gregory Poole and James Collopy of Providence Construction in Clayton, N.C.
(CEG photo)

This portion of the “Stay on Track” segment required the use of a Cat 259D3 compact track loader.
(CEG photo)

In “the Big Dig” the contestant had to dig a 25-ft.-long ditch while maintaining a 4-ft. depth within a tolerance of 2/10ths of an inch. The Cat 323 excavator was equipped with Cat Grade Control that helps operators reach grade faster.
(CEG photo)

Gregory Poole Equipment Company and the other Caterpillar dealers in the country are on a quest to find the best — the best equipment operator in the world.
(CEG photo)

Big winner Ben Sandy will move on to the regional finals and from there to the Global Operator Challenge finals at ConExpo-Con/AGG 2023.
(Gregory Poole Equipment Company photo)

Today's top stories

Jobseekers Leveraging Career Market for In-Demand Skilled Trades

Value in Remanufacturing Construction Equipment: Reduce Cost, Downtime, Carbon Footprint

Buckley, PennDOT Restore I-95 to Usefulness in Philly

Meta Plans to Build $800M Next-Generation Data Center in Montgomery, Ala.

Demolition Crews Bring Down Largest Span of Baltimore's Collapsed Key Bridge

Flo Engineering Restoring Access to Critical Highway in California

Webber Working to Complete $300M Texas Interchange Project

Bobcat Installs Innovative Stationary Fuel Cells From HyAxiom at Two of Its Facilities

Related...

Caterpillar Caterpillar Global Operator Challenge Events Gregory Poole CAT North Carolina

Read more about...

Caterpillar Caterpillar Global Operator Challenge Events Gregory Poole CAT North Carolina

Our Main Office

Construction Equipment Guide
470 Maryland Drive
Fort Washington, PA 19034
800-523-2200

About Us

Construction Equipment Guide covers the nation with its four regional newspapers, offering construction and industry news and information along with new and used construction equipment for sale from dealers in your area. Now we extend those services and information to the internet. Making it as easy as possible to find the news and equipment that you need and want.

Contents Copyrighted 2024, by Construction Equipment Guide, which is a Registered Trademark, registered in the U.S. Patent Office. Registration number 0957323. All rights reserved, nothing may be reprinted or reproduced (including framing) in whole or part without written permission from the publisher. All editorial material, photographs, drawings, letters, and other material will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and are subject to Construction Equipment Guide’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. Contributor articles do not necessarily reflect the policy or opinions of this publication.

Read our privacy policy here.
Mastodon

39.96250 \\ -83.00610 \\ Columbus \\ PA