We are well into the 2023 equipment tradeshow season at this point, with World of Concrete, World of Asphalt and the American Rental Association’s The ARA Show wrapped up and many manufacturers and product companies gearing up to exhibit full force at the 2023 CONEXPO-CON/AGG show in Las Vegas.
I had the opportunity to attend World of Concrete in January, which takes place every year at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the same location as CONEXPO. So, now I know the lay of the land a bit better ahead of North America’s largest tradeshow. What’s more, I picked up on a few equipment trends to watch out for at CONEXPO: compact electric equipment, LED lighting and company rebrands.
While compact electric equipment has been trending for quite some time now, I particularly enjoyed getting to know the features of the Toro e2500 Ultra Buggy and the Toro eDingo 500 compact utility loader. Both can squeeze through small spaces in indoor construction sites, with long run times and powerful features. I also got to see the Mack Granite truck’s new LED lighting, designed for better visibility and increased defrosting during cold weather. But possibly the biggest and most impactful trend I noticed was the rebranding efforts of major equipment companies.
DEVELON, formerly Doosan Infracore North America’s legacy construction equipment, announced its name change and major rebrand at an invitation-only event at Ghostbar in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Jan. 17. DEVELON, pronounced like “develop,” replacing the “p” at the end of the word with an “n,” symbolizes the company’s goal to “develop onward.”
HD Hyundai, DEVELON’s parent company, purchased Doosan Infracore North America’s equipment company from Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction in July 2021. The sale necessitated a required name change to distinguish the Doosan equipment brand. It also separated Doosan Infracore (now DEVELON) and Doosan Bobcat into two separate companies, with DEVELON becoming a subsidiary of the recently created Hyundai Genuine group and Bobcat remaining part of the Doosan Group as a subsidiary of Doosan Heavy Industries.
There will be a major brand transition to DEVELON at the 2023 CONEXPO show, with DEVELON retaining the signature orange and black color scheme of the iconic Doosan machines. However, the proportion of orange and black on the machines may eventually change to further distinguish the DEVELON brand in the equipment marketplace, according to Todd Boecker, DEVELON’s vice president of growth initiatives. DEVELON will see its most significant brand launch at the 2023 CONEXPO show with the display of Concept-X machines, machines like wheel loaders and excavators outfitted with DEVELON’s proprietary autonomous software.
Concept-X can survey worksite topography via 3D drone scanning, establish operational plans based on that data and operate heavy construction equipment, such as excavators, wheel loaders and articulated dump trucks, all without human intervention. This is great news for the construction industry and for fleets that contain multiple pieces of DEVELON (formerly Doosan) equipment. More autonomously completed work on the jobsite means the humans employed by a contractor can spend their time elsewhere – building estimates, bidding for other projects and hiring or training much-needed employees. Keep an eye out for the Concept-X machines at CONEXPO, as well as the new DEVELON decals.
Speaking of rebranding, I also had the opportunity to see Minnich Manufacturing’s company and machine new logos in person at World of Concrete 2023. Since Minnich has expanded beyond concrete vibrator products and monitoring systems, the concentric rings of its former logo were not as relevant to its new lineup of dowel-pin drills, upright drills and more.
Among other new equipment, I got up close and personal with Kubota’s KX030-4 compact excavator and Bobcat Company’s TL519 telehandler. Keep an eye out on Equipment Today’s social media in the coming weeks leading up to CONEXPO for video walk-arounds of these new products.
Some last tips. As you look ahead to CONEXPO, make sure to pack a tradeshow bag with the essentials: comfortable shoes, blister bandages, a charging block with the appropriate phone charging cable for your phone, a water bottle, hand sanitizer, business cards, any necessary tech like a camera and batteries, and healthy snacks to keep you fueled up. And don’t forget to follow our team’s #BagsofACBM hashtag on LinkedIn and other social media during the show, a trending phenomenon started by OEM Off-Highway editor Lori Ditoro—we pack well and come prepared!
