TOP OFFICIALS FROM JOHN DEERE VISIT TO SEE EQUIPMENT IN ACTION

A group of Deere & Company officials including chairman of the board, Hans Becherer got a first-hand look Monday at how some of the company's construction equipment is being used in Cape Girardeau.

One of the pieces of equipment attracting attention was the John Deere HYD Excavator 892D/LC, which has been fitted with a 60-foot boom needed for ditch work on the Cape LaCroix Creek-Walker Branch flood control project.

Brenda Kay Construction, Inc. and Dumey Excavation Inc. are working in the 500 block near Commercial Street. The project includes widening, sloping and the placing of rip rap in the flood ditch.

The two firms involved in the flood control project utilize about 10 pieces of John Deere construction equipment, including excavators, backhoe, forklift, bulldozers and road graders.

Visiting the site Monday were Becherer; Kirk G. Hedgecock, division sales manager; Bob Murphy, vice president; and Jeff Peterson, vice president, all from the Moline, Ill. area, headquarters Deere & Company. Also at the site was Bill Lewis, territory manager for John Deere Industrial Equipment Co., from the St. Louis area.

At the site from Erb Industrial Equipment Company were Bob Erb, owner of the firm, and vice president Dave Heisel, both of St. Louis; and Bill Warren, manager of the local Erb company.

Tom Strebig, president of Mountain Manufacturing, which manufactured the 60-foot boom being used in the project, was also at the scene.

"Company officials periodically visit construction areas," said Lewis. "They want to see the equipment at work and talk with customers."

"We want to see how the equipment is used, its reliability, and what we can do to make it more suitable," said Becherer, who discussed the operations with Dumey Excavation President Danny Dumey as they watched two excavators and a couple of dozers at work.

"Uptime is important," said Hedgecock. "We want to see how the equipment stands up to heavy use."

Brenda Kay Construction and Dumey Excavation were awarded the contract for the first phase of the flood project, which includes widening and rip-rap work.

In a report issued during the weekend, it was noted that the firm is ahead of schedule on the 720-day, first-phase project that started five months ago.

The entire flood-control project, which could be completed by 1994, includes three miles of channel modifications on Cape LaCroix Creek and Walker Branch, construction of a 157-acre water-detention basin north of Cape Girardeau and construction of a four-mile hiking and bicycling trail.

The project also will involve replacement of eight bridges along Kingshighway. Bridges at Bloomfield Road, Route K and Independence will include concrete underpasses for the fitness trail.

The $35 million flood-control project is expected to reduce by 70 percent damages from a 100-year flood.

The Deere company is observing its 155th anniversary this year. Construction and industrial equipment is manufactured in Dubuque, Iowa, Davenport, Iowa and Turnersville, N.C. Farm equipment is produced in Moline, Ill., Waterloo, Iowa, and Des Moines, Iowa.