MARCH 2019
Rotochopper, Inc. has announced the appointment of Tosh Brinkerhoff as the company’s next chief executive officer, effective immediately. Brinkerhoff has more than 20 years of industry leadership experience with an impressive track record in heavy equipment manufacturing.
“Tosh’s personal values, supportive family, collaborative leadership style, professional management experience, heavy equipment marketing and manufacturing expertise and Central Minnesota home base all make for an excellent fit with Rotochopper’s continuing opportunity to grow and sustain the company from its roots in St. Martin, Minnesota,” says Jody Parker, chair of Rotochopper’s board of directors.
Rotochopper’s board of directors, along with business partner, Granite Equity Partners conducted a comprehensive search which led to the selection of Brinkerhoff to lead Rotochopper.
Virtual Reality Technology Used for Loading Logs on Trucks
In 2018, UK-based sawmill and pallet company James Jones & Sons invested in two Volvo FH500 HiVision loglift trucks, according to a news article. Instead of the driver being required to be outside to operate the crane to load and unload logs, the company’s drivers can now safely operate the crane from the comfort of the cab by using a virtual reality (VR) headset. The headset is fed high-resolution images from a camera mounted on the crane.
The first unit was received by James Jones & Sons in the Spring of 2018, and the second unit was put into action in September. The trucks boast a range of other high tech features. They have a tire pressure monitoring system that allows the driver to adjust tire pressure depending upon needs. The rigs also feature Nav Man fleet monitoring system, Tamtron wireless weight system, Wire Watcher’s overhead cable alarm detection alarms and more.
According to one forestry official, VR is being increasingly used in the forest sector, not only for truck loading, but also for forest equipment operator training. The article reported that James Jones & Sons is considering expanding its fleet of VR-equipped trucks.
Rotochopper Announces the Appointment of New CEO