| | | Strong customer preference, a long track record of dependable performance, and a reliable worldwide service network made it easy to switch to John Deere engines as the standard power unit for a chip-processing machine Rotochopper Incorporated builds for the tree-care industry. The St. Martin, Minnesota, company manufactures an impressive variety of high-speed grinding machines that are used primarily in the mulch, forestry, tree-care, pallet, waste, and recycling industries. One of its newer products is the CP118 chip processor/colorizer that's used to grind, screen, and simultaneously color rough wood chips to produce a uniform mulch with eye appeal that consumers are willing to pay a premium for. When the machine was introduced, Rotochopper was putting a competing brand of power unit in it but offered a John Deere engine as an alternative. Now, however, it's the other way around. The CP118 chip processor comes equipped with a John Deere PowerTech 4045T engine unless another brand is specifically ordered. "We soon discovered that most people in the tree-care industry are particularly fond of John Deere engines," says Vince Hundt, a co-founder of Rotochopper and its current | | vice president for sales and marketing. "It's given us a definite marketing boost to power this machine with an engine that potential customers are familiar with and trust." Flawless performance. Hundt notes that durability and dependability have helped John Deere engines earn their strong reputation in the tree-care industry. "Those qualities are important to us as a manufacturer, too," he adds. "Even though the engines aren't ours, we don't want to have any problems with them, and we don't want our customers to, either." Jamey Brick, head of R&D at Rotochopper, confirms that John Deere engines have filled the dependability bill. Asked how they've performed in the mulch processor so far, his answer is short and simple. "Flawlessly," he says without hesitation. Hundt also says the John Deere overseas dealer network was a prerequisite for making the switch. "We sell our machines all over North America, Europe, and Japan," he explains. "We've got to have service anywhere in the world. Otherwise, forget it." Strong support from Iowa-based engine distributor Northstar Power Co. has been another bonus, according to Hundt and Brick. "They've been very helpful in assisting with occasional engineering problems and preparing the engines for manufacture," Hundt says. "They're a real pleasure to do business with." Engine: John Deere Tier 2/Stage II PowerTech 4045T — an 86-kW (115 hp), 4-cylinder, 4.5L, turbocharged industrial diesel engine. Distributor: Northstar Power Co., Ankeny, Iowa, (515) 964-6100; www. northstarpowerco.com | | |