Road Machinery & Supplies Co. has announced that Dan Olson has been promoted to the position of Vice President of Construction Equipment Sales. Olson was previously the Sales Manager, Savage, and he replaces the position held by Ben Schmidtlein, who served as Vice President of Sales. Olson’s slight but meaningful title change for this role underscores RMS’ commitment to driving greater focus on all of its construction equipment business. In this new capacity, he will report directly to President Russell Sheaffer.      Olson has spent his entire career in sales, first as a sales representative and later growing into various sales leadership roles including two at RMS.    “Since joining the company Dan has demonstrated a strong understanding of our market and has exemplified outstanding leadership and customer relationship skills,” said Sheaffer.   Effective immediately, Olson will be responsible for managing the constru...

          Road Machinery & Supplies Co. (RMS) announced that Dave Hosch has been promoted from General Manager of Aggregate to Vice President of Aggregate. In this role, Dave will continue to be responsible for sales, rentals, and technical support of our crushing, screening, and environmental product lines, such as Astec, Masaba, Epiroc, CDE, Sandvik, Ecoverse, Doppstadt, and more throughout Iowa, Minnesota and portions of Nebraska and South Dakota.   “Since assuming the responsibility for managing the merged Ruffridge Johnson and RMS aggregate sales teams last fall, Dave has proven to be a very capable leader of the much larger organization.  Elevating him to the level of vice president underscores our confidence in his leadership,” said President Russell Sheaffer.   He will continue to lead the team of Aggregate Sales Specialists and Aggregate Support Specialists, as well as Pit and Quarry Supplies.   Dave joined RMS in 202...

    Road Machinery & Supplies Co. (RMS) is expanding the capabilities of its Centerville, Minnesota location, strengthening its ability to serve customers across the Twin Cities northern metro area. The Centerville facility, which has operated as part of RMS’ Ruffridge Johnson division, is transitioning into a full-service RMS branch that will provide new, used, and rental equipment, service, and parts for all of RMS’ equipment lines, including brands like Komatsu, Astec, BOMAG, LeeBoy, SENNEBOGEN, Terramac, NPK, Genesis, JLG in addition to the brands that have historically been supported by Ruffridge Johnson like Masaba, Cedarrapids, and Ecoverse.   The Centerville location offers convenient access for customers based in or supporting jobsites across the northern metro area. The facility will stock a broad range of parts inventory and is integrated with RMS’ shuttle system, allowing for next-day parts availability on many items stocked at other branch locatio...

   RMS Tritec recently partnered with Cemstone at their Midway Plant to deliver an end-to-end aggregate handling solution, executed on a tight timeline and spanning multiple phases of design, fabrication, and installation support. “It was a pleasure working with the RMS Tritec team from start to finish,” said Cemstone’s Regional Operations and Maintenance Manager Scott Brockberg. “From design through fabrication, the project ran seamlessly, with well-built components and exceptional onsite execution. The team met our tight deadlines and delivered a complete headbox solution in a short timeframe, getting us operational quickly. With its quality of design and materials, this system will improve efficiency and reduce maintenance time for years to come. I would confidently recommend RMS Tritec for future projects.” Kicking off during the holiday season and completed in March, the project reflects RMS Tritec’s ability to take on complex work and deliver with s...

    Road Machinery & Supplies Co. has been named the official Masaba dealer in Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota, expanding its coverage from Minnesota to the entire RMS footprint. Customers in Iowa will now have access to sales and support of the entire Masaba conveyor and material handling lines through the RMS branches in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, East Moline, Ill., and Sioux City. For more than 60 years, Masaba has manufactured innovative aggregate, mining and construction equipment that has earned a reputation as a leader in each industry. Masaba offers products for conveying and material handling, portable and stationary plant chassis, and custom-engineered solutions. The highlight of the Masaba equipment line is its Magnum telescoping conveyor. Available in single- or dual-drive, the innovative GEN II track drive’s unique and robust design further improves engagement between the teeth and drives for even smoother stinger operation, improving long-term durability ...

       RMS Rentals welcomed more than 300 customers, manufacturer representatives and employees to its annual Open House on Thursday, April 16. The record number of attendees enjoyed manufacturer booths and displays, food trucks, prize giveaways, and picture-perfect spring weather.   “We are so thankful for everyone who attended to make this a great event,” said Sales & Rentals Manager Justina Soller. “This event has continued to grow each year, and we are proud that it is a ‘must attend’ on so many customers’ calendars. There was a lot of opportunity for attendees to get some valuable information from our manufacturers and spend some time in a more laid-back atmosphere with our staff.”   At the Open House, 26 manufacturer representatives set up display booths for customers, and equipment from across all of RMS Rentals’ offerings were on display.   “The commitment for this event from our manufacturers, employees and custo...

    As part of our continued alignment across the RMS Family of Companies, the facility located at 1400 Chestnut St. W, Virginia, MN 55792, is being reintroduced as the RMS Component Rebuild Center. This location has long supported our mining operations and has historically been referred to as Langer or Langer Equipment Company. To create greater clarity and consistency across our organization and with our customers, this facility will now operate under one unified name: RMS Component Rebuild Center The new logo featured in the header image and will represent the business moving forward. Overview of Services The RMS Component Rebuild Center supports mining customers through: Component exchange and rebuild programs Major component overhauls and repairs Preventive and predictive maintenance Planned maintenance and emergency service support Expertise in Komatsu haul truck components (100 - 400 ton ultra-class electric drive units) These capabilities help ...

  WATCH VIDEO: https://youtu.be/kqH_mJexJz4   For successful operations, different eras of its history serve as touchstones that propelled them to where they are today. For Minnesota’s Ulland Brothers Inc., it has over 100 years of moments to point to.   In the 1920s, it was when brothers Oscar and Palmer Ulland moved back to the Austin, Minn., area after a wheat farming venture in Montana and started hauling gravel. In the mid-1930s, the brothers moved to St. Louis County in northern Minnesota with a crusher. They started winning crushing bids and expanded their project area throughout the state. From there, the company continued to grow and add services.   Today, Ulland Brothers has roughly 375 employees split between its locations in Virginia, Minn., Albert Lea, Minn., and Cloquet, Minn., with a focus on heavy highway and civil projects in addition to aggregate and underground divisions.   And Ulland Brothers isn’t done creating moments. ...

    Starting a construction company requires a lot of things. Usually, one of the main components is a number of years in the industry. Iowa Earth Works (IEW) Owner Joe Jensen didn’t have that. But what he lacked in experience, he made up with determination and passion.   WATCH VIDEO: https://youtu.be/W6nymMxg9OM    He began his journey to one of central Iowa’s fastest growing contractors as a high schooler mowing lawns in his hometown of Huxley, Iowa, in the 2010s. Then, mowing lawns turned into landscaping and hardscapes while he was in college.   “I really liked running equipment, and it just kept getting bigger and bigger, and the opportunities kept coming,” recalled Jensen. “My family was very supportive of my dream and encouraged me to go for it.”   He started IEW in 2017 when the jobs — and equipment — started to get larger. Soon, small site development projects evolved into road reconstruction and other large-scal...

    Finding the right machine to fit your company’s needs is imperative to working efficiently and productively. For Precision Utilities, those machines are Komatsu PC88MR and PC138USLC compact excavators.   WATCH VIDEO: https://youtu.be/KgPZdJqC1Ng     “We do a ton of work in the roads, and we purchased them because they have the rubber tracks,” said Owner Dan Lipe. “They are fantastic for what we do.”   Precision Utilities specializes in utility installation and repair, and a high number of its projects are emergency services. The compact footprint of the excavators allows the company to quickly get to a job and get to work in any condition.   “We’re not moving hundreds of yards of dirt; we’re precisely digging a hole,” explained Lipe. “With these smaller machines, we can still pick our trench boxes with them, set them in the hole, and safely dig inside the trench boxes.”   The size of the excavators is also an...

    When you step up to the tee box at your favorite golf course, you’ll notice an array of slopes, hazards and other unique design elements elegantly combined to create a memorable experience. However, the perfectly manicured landscape you see required a lot of thought, revision and precision to create.     WATCH VIDEO: https://youtu.be/GVIR2gK04Tc     That’s Joe Vivo’s specialty.   “We do have plans when we start, but I have the freedom to shape and create the contours to best fit the layout of the hole,” stated Golf Course Builder Joe Vivo. “Getting the vision the designer wants into my head and laid out in real life is the funnest thing I do.”   When a course is complete, the final product varies quite a bit from the original design.   “Sometimes a bunker or a water hazard in the original plans doesn’t make sense after we start building,” Vivo explained. “Once I get cutting, I can see how the hole should...

       Road Machinery & Supplies Co. hosted its annual Customer Appreciation Golf Outings this summer in Iowa and Minnesota. Iowa customers were invited to Blue Top Ridge at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort in Riverside on July 17, and Minnesota customers were hosted at The Meadows at Mystic Lake in Prior Lake. In total, 225 employees, manufacturers and customers participated.   WATCH VIDEO : https://youtu.be/4uK_UVtJXMg    “These events are two dates on the calendar we look forward to every year,” said Vice President of Sales Ben Schmidtlein. “They give us the chance to hang out and spend time with our customers away from the jobsite. These two days really help with growing the relationships between us and our customers.”   Each event featured an 18-hole best shot tournament, hole competitions and prizes, and dinner.   “Customers have these events circled on their calendars, and they talk to us about it al...

    The 2025 North American Biochar Conference , hosted by the U.S. Biochar Initiative (USBI), took place September 15-18 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The event brought together innovators, industry leaders, researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs for deep dives, technical sessions, industry-wide keynotes, panel discussions, and hands-on networking. Ruffridge Johnson   in the Spotlight Thursday’s field trip to the Washington County facility highlighted Ruffridge Johnson's (RJ) leadership in the biochar space. The site will soon operate a Phoenix 8000 machine to produce biochar, with RJ providing direct support and expertise. Their hands-on involvement, from technical knowledge to regional proximity, positions them as a key driver in expanding Minnesota’s environmental business. This effort not only strengthens the launch of the Washington County site but also reinforces RJ’s commitment to advancing sustainable technologies and accelerating t...