Case Construction Equipment arranged last Friday for use of the first of several crawler dozers to help fortify levees along the swollen Iowa and Mississippi rivers. The emergency request is a result of the record rainfall in the Midwest last week.

Case dispatched the first crawler dozer to Oakville, Iowa, which is located near the Case manufacturing plant in Burlington. According to Tracy Gach of the Case dozer product management team, Federal Levee District 16 specifically requested the 850L because of its superior performance under current, exceptionally muddy conditions, which require extra flotation. Case has confirmed that Bob Hinson, an expert operator with many years of experience working at the Case Proving Grounds in Burlington, had volunteered to operate the dozer for this application. The machine and operator since have been reassigned to Kingston, Iowa, where they are supporting work at a pumping station.

In addition, on Saturday morning, Case put another 850L to work south of Burlington, along with a 1650L and 1850K crawler dozer, which were dispatched to Green Bay Bottoms along the Mississippi River. The company also responded on Tuesday to a request from the National Guard to supply a Case 580 Super M loader/backhoe. Current and retired Case employees have volunteered their time to operate the equipment.

“We followed the news of devastating floods in Cedar Rapids and the potential for serious flooding across other parts of Iowa,” said Jim Hasler, vice president, Case Construction Equipment. “Case has a strong track record of loaning equipment and other resources in emergency situations, such as these levee fortification efforts. This particular project hits extra close to home because one of our four key North American manufacturing plants is in Burlington.”

Since the levees in Cedar Rapids were breached, Case has also been contacted regarding the possibility of providing equipment for cleanup efforts. Case is working with its local dealers in Iowa to arrange assistance to flood-damaged areas.

Case has approximately 600 employees in Burlington, which is where the company engineers and manufactures its flagship loader/backhoes, rough-terrain forklifts and loader tool carriers.