By Cindy L. O’ Hara

As a first-time attendee, I had the privilege of witnessing the immense manpower, energy and effort required to prepare each booth, ensuring these magnificent machines were ready for display ahead of the official exhibition on Thursday, Jan. 28, when the press was granted access to the hall.

In what can only be described as a whirlwind of a day( to a city that’ s used to showing off its goods and wares with pomp, circumstance, glitter and neon), it was overwhelming in the best possible way.

Exhibitors such as Genie, Kubota, Magni and others were patient with this new-to-the-industry writer by answering questions, letting me absorb their product spec offerings and even urging me to climb up into one of its cabs( thank you JCB), for a bird’ s eye view.( Side note: JCB had its 1 millionth manufactured backhoe front and center, and it was certainly something to celebrate.) While racing from meeting to meeting, trying to take in my surroundings as they blurred by, there were some standouts worth mentioning, most notably, Linkbelt’ s pink excavator from its“ Pinkbelt” campaign, symbolizing its support for breast cancer research and awareness( a cause near and dear to my heart), as well as Pettibone’ s telehandler that had the American flag hanging from it and an actual robot wandering the hall.

In making my way to one of my last interview’ s of the day with OTR Engineered Solutions, in the Diamond Lot on a beautiful Vegas day that topped out at 59 degrees Fahrenheit, I saw attendees taking well-deserved breaks at the bar and beer garden and throwing cornhole bags. While I didn’ t see this firsthand, I also heard that there were pickleball courts for those who wanted to take a break but still get some exercise. Kudos to them because I closed all of my exercise, move and stand rings without even trying!

Due to the timing of my flight back home, I couldn’ t attend the educational sessions or meet with other exhibitors on Friday, but I made the most of my time by absorbing insights from every conversation and connection I made.

Next year, I look forward to traveling to Florida to ARA’ s next stop, to meet new people, reconnect with familiar faces and explore the latest industry trends.

Revolutionizing the Industry With Innovation

Key players in the construction and equipment sectors unveiled their latest innovations, showcasing technology and advancements designed to enhance safety, efficiency and operational performance. Companies such as JCB, JLG, Magni, Kubota and Pettibone were among the companies to highlight new products and solutions tailored for a variety of applications.

From powerful telehandlers and telescopic lifts to electric booms and telematics systems, each brand demonstrated its commitment to driving productivity and meeting

18 l March-April 2025