Ernesto Renda, owner and president of Renda Roads, said that he always likes to try new things. Recently he was spotted trying something new again.

During ConExpo/ConAGG 2002, Renda Roads, a paving and milling contractor based in Whitehouse, NJ, placed the first signed order for the new Volvo BL 70 backhoe loader. And on April 9, it arrived at L.B. Smith, in Somerville, NJ, marking the first retail sale of this machine in North America. Naturally, the proud new owner was in attendance on the day the BL 70 rolled into L.B. Smith’s equipment yard, and Renda spoke glowingly of the machine’s capabilities.

“I like the visibility,” he began. “It has a lot of power and it has a hook up for a hammer and a compactor, and a hook up for a three-way bucket in the front … It’s just a very versatile machine.”

Renda already has a workload planned for his new BL 70, expecting to utilize it for cleanup work on two upcoming projects. One involves paving and subgrade repair work on a subdivision in Old Bridge Township, and the other will be cleanup after milling work and on curbs and grades for Monroe Township’s municipal building.

The BL 70 backhoe loader joins Renda Roads’ already extensive equipment fleet, which includes:

• Six rollers (one Cat 534, two Cat 434s, two Cat 224s, and one Hypac 747);

• Three pavers (one Cat 1055, one Cat 434 and one Allot 450);

• Two skid steers (one Bobcat 773 and one Bobcat 251);

• One earth roller (Bomag 213D);

• One Cat motorgrader (12G);

• One 24-in wide cold planer attachment; and

• One Volvo EW 170 wheeled excavator, equipped with hammer/shear piping and quick coupler.

Peter DeLoria, vice president of Renda Roads, also attended last year’s ConExpo, and he, too, became quickly impressed with the BL 70.

“It’s a very well equipped machine,” he began “I like the specs of the machine and it’s very competitively priced. This machine will help us be much more efficient because of the speed of the hydraulics system and the breakout force will help us work faster.”

DeLoria echoed Renda’s sentiments about the machine’s versatility. “We can put a hammer or a compactor on it. On the front we can put a 4-in-1 bucket and a small planer,” he said.

Marc Dowdell, general manager of L.B. Smith in Northern New Jersey, and Eastern New York, sold the BL 70 to Renda Roads. “The introduction of the backhoe loader is the latest addition to Volvo’s extensive equipment offering and furthers our ability to provide for all of our customer’s equipment needs,” added Dowdell. But a heavy equipment sale of any kind is almost always rooted in trust and respect between the customer and dealer, and this sale is no different. DeLoria explained:

“I’ve been dealing with L.B. Smith since they’ve been here in Somerville for approximately four years. Marc Dowdell has been in the industry for a long time, and he knows what he’s talking about. All we have to do is tell him what our needs are and he always directs us to the right machine,” he said.

Now if only spring would start behaving less like winter, then Renda Roads and its BL 70 can get busy because Ernesto Renda is ready to go. “If the weather’s good,” he said, hoping, “then I’ll put it to work tomorrow on something.”

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