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

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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)

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