RDO Equipment Co. has been awarded a Topcon Intelligent Paving Solutions contract and will be a direct dealer of Topcon’s Intelligent Paving Suite of products in all eight Texas stores.
“During the last three years, asphalt and paving jobs have significantly increased,” said Senior Vice President of Texas Construction Cory Kosse. “Innovations in paving technology help our customers manage tighter agency specifications, smaller bid margins and an ever-changing workforce.”
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, roadway construction and other transportation jobs require a record-breaking $85 million investment over the next 10 years. RDO and Topcon continue to innovate for customers as they respond to the need to build vital roadways and bridges. Just a year ago, the RDO team members transitioned from Topcon partner dealers to direct dealers.
The RDO team in Texas joins those in the Midwest and Southwest, providing customers with expertise and Topcon’s Intelligent Paving Suite of products, including intelligent compaction for rollers, Topcon’s industry exclusive road scanning technology RD-M1 and machine control solutions for mills and pavers. These machines and equipment technology improve roadbuilding accuracy and consistency for American road builders.
Across the country, RDO has been partnering with customers in the Intelligent Paving market for over eight years.
“We are looking forward to expanding our partnerships with road builders in Texas for Topcon’s Intelligent Paving solutions,” said Senior Vice President of Technology and Innovation Adam Gilbertson. “These new methods improve the construction process on many levels and result in a smoother, safer road and extends the life of the surface making better use of our nation’s infrastructure investments.”
Intelligent Paving Product Manager Tony Carden at RDO notes that new states are adding intelligent compaction and thermal profiling requirements to jobs every year, so government officials can prove an investment into vital roads and bridges will last.
Effective roadbuilding depends on various factors, including the environment’s temperature and moisture levels, a paver’s consistent speed and screed placement to create an effective compaction force based on the asphalts’ mix. Topcon offers built-in precision machine control tools to pave runways or mainline highways using GNSS for horizontal accuracy and a rotating laser for vertical accuracy. In real time, these two lasers help operators to pave to millimeter level accuracy consistently.
“Any paving or milling contractors that are held to agency specifications and are looking to bid on larger or more complicated projects will strongly benefit from incorporating Topcon technology into their workflow,” Carden said.
RDO is now the only Intelligent Paving Dealer in Texas. To earn this partnership with Topcon, RDO team members partnered with Topcon to train to become experts in the asphalt milling and paving market. Topcon identifies specific requirements team members must meet to gain the Intelligent Paving Dealer status, Gilbertson explains.
Gilbertson says RDO team members continuously help customers adopt technology solutions through hands-on training and presentations. Frequently they are asked to present at local and regional asphalt paving associations and conferences. Earlier this year, RDO team members were selected to speak at the National Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) annual meeting in Washington, D.C. and serve as International Society for Intelligent Construction (ISIC) members.
Kosse builds a dynamic team by appointing Michael Miller to the recently created role of General Manager of Texas’ Integrated Controls. RDO Integrated Controls (RDOIC) is a total solutions provider through unparalleled product support and word class training. For more than 10 years the RDOIC has created the RDO technology team and a support network across all eight states where team members partner with partner contractors, roadbuilders, operators, designers and more. This team of more than 100 leading construction technology experts was founded in 2009, and they are part of one of the leading construction technology companies in North America.
RDO customers based in Texas can leverage RDOIC’s service, support and technology expertise.
“Building upon the strong reputation RDO Equipment Co. already has in Texas, we can be our customers’ guide through this journey to onboard Intelligent Paving Solutions,” Miller said.
Click here to learn more about RDO’s machine control, surveying and positioning technology including Topcon.
RDO Equipment Co.
Founded in 1968, RDO Equipment Co. sells and supports intelligently connected agriculture, construction, environmental, irrigation, positioning, and surveying equipment from leading manufacturers, including John Deere, Vermeer, and Topcon. With more than 80 locations across the U.S. and partnerships in Africa, Australia, Mexico and Ukraine, we deliver creative solutions so our customers can grow and build the world.
