This time In The Dirt, Mack sits down with Chad Kyllo of Acres Enterprises as well as Remo Scalzo and Stantton Pallister of SITECH Western Canada for a panel discussion about how Acres is using Trimble Technology in their business. We dive into the Acres story from their first piece of technology to where they are today as one of the market leaders in construction, what technology they are using, how SITECH and Finning have supported their journey, how technology is helping grow Acres business, topped off with advice for other contractors looking to adopt or add to their technology fleet.
 
 You can learn more about Acres Enterprises here https://acresenterprises.com/ or find them on social media
 
 Find out more about SITECH Western Canada here https://www.sitech-wc.ca/ or find them on social media
 
 You can find Mack on social media @earthmovers_media or send him an email [email protected]

Whether you are training your existing workforce or the workforce of tomorrow, Cat Simulators are an effective way to train your equipment operators on all types of equipment without downing equipment on a jobsite to do so. Mack sits down with Jonathan of Cat Simulators to chat all about the types of simulators, what a new or experienced operator can gain from a typical training session, importance of equipment walk arounds, identifying and correcting bad operating habits, and how training with simulators helps improve retention of your people. If you have wondered about the benefits of simulators, this episode is for you!

Visit https://catsimulators.com/ to learn more or find Jonathan Laberdia on LinkedIn

Find Mack on social media @earthmovers_media or send him an email [email protected]

You asked, I answered? After people requested some Q&A podcast episodes, Mack answers questions submitted by followers on this episode. From underground scoop tram designs, how to get started in the industry, how he got started in photography, to a quick look at some Do's and Don'ts in equipment operating.

Submit your questions to Mack on Instagram @earthmovers_media, LinkedIn @Mack Plovie, or email mack [email protected] and learn more on https://earthmoversmedia.com

Getting your career started in the industry, going to school for operating, seeking opportunities to run equipment, skillsets to adopt as an operator, placer mining, and how moving dirt in the Yukon is different. Mack sits down with Sam Inskip, heavy equipment operator from the Yukon, to talk about her career adventures after 10 years in the industry.

You can find Sam on Instagram @simplyysams to follow along her adventures

Find Mack on social media @earthmovers_media or their website https://earthmoversmedia.com

Komatsu has been a well known name in the mining world for decades, and their hydraulic shovels & excavators are a fine example of what their mining class equipment offers. Mack sits down with Bryce Short of Komatsu/SMS Equipment to talk everything Komatsu shovels, from PC2000 up to PC8000 in front shovel and backhoe configuration. They get into selecting the right shovel for an application, diesel vs. electric shovels, pass matching, and detailing the history of Komatsu shovels all the way back to the DEMAG days.

Learn more about Komatsu hydraulic shovels & excavators here https://www.komatsu.com/industries/surface-mining/

Find Mack on social media @earthmovers_media or email him at [email protected]

Underground mining is part of the mining world you have never heard about, often out of sight, these mines produce the critical raw minerals civilization needs to sustain itself. And Technology is helping underground miners, mine better. I chat with Gary Smolik of Finning Canada on this episode to discuss the different technology solutions from Caterpillar for underground mining. From remote operated scoop trams to location sensing devices helping keep people safe in a mining environment, Gary and I talk everything technology for underground mining.

Find Gary Smolik on LinkedIn, or reach out to your local Finning dealership https://www.finning.com/en_CA.html

Find Mack on social media @earthmovers_media or check out their website https://earthmoversmedia.com/

As loggers retire, the industry is now facing  the challenging task of recruiting and training the next generation to continue operating an industry that makes civilization as we know it, possible. I sit down with Ryer Becker, part of the research faculty in the  Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Forest Sciences at The University of Idaho, to talk about their new degree program helping educate and train the next generation of people entering the logging industry. We talk about the significance of logging in our daily lives, the state of the industry with respect to workforce, and how the industry can work to reshape its image.

Learn more about the degree program we talked about on the show here https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/undergraduate-majors/bs-forestry

Find Ryer Becker on LinkedIn and Instagram, or reach out to him here https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/faculty/becker-ryer

Find Mack on social media @earthmovers_media and check out their website https://earthmoversmedia.com/

Mack and guest Kristina sit down to chat addressing the industry wide workforce issue in construction. While there isn't a list of answers to the industry wide problem, Mack and Kristina do their best to talk about some of the solutions out there currently. From how to attracting,  retain, and train people,  to initiatives Crew Collab has to help solve the issue, and talking about some of the stigmas the industry battles to break.

Find Kristina McMillan on Instagram or LinkedIn, or visit Crew Collab's website to learn more https://crewcollab.org/

Find Mack on social media @earthmovers_media or visit the website https://earthmoversmedia.com/ to learn more

Ever been curious what it takes to design, build, and select the right dump body for large rigid frame haul trucks like Cat 793 or 797? Mack sits down with Kerry from GroundForce worldwide to talk all about Groundforce's dump body products for large rigid frame haul trucks. From design to end user application, Mack and Kerry cover everything about picking the right dump body for your application, wear part selection and placement, and optimizing haulage fleet with the right dump body whether it be mining or heavy civil construction.

Learn more about GroundForce Worldwide by visiting their website https://gfworldwide.com/

Find Mack on social media @earthmovers_media or visit the website https://earthmoversmedia.com/

GPS machine control technology is changing the way contractors do business and move dirt. On this episode Mack sits down with Kris Troppmann, manager of smart construction at SMS Equipment,  to talk Komatsu's new retrofit GPS machine control system, how technology is helping contractors move dirt more efficiently by saving money and time on earthworks projects, and recruiting younger generations with technology.

Find Kris Troppmann on LinkedIn or reach out to your your local SMS Equipment dealer to learn more.

Find Mack Plovie on social media @earthmovers_media or visit their website https://earthmoversmedia.com to learn more!